Page 42 of Solace
Pulling into the driveway, Marlowe got out and pushed the seat forward so I could crawl out on her side. When I stood in front of her, I wrapped my hand around the back of her head. Her blue eyes swirled when she looked up at me, smiling. I kissed her softly and pulled back, licking my lips. “You taste like cigarettes,” I said softly.
She jerked back, putting her hands over her mouth. “Oh, my god. I’m so sorry, that’s disgusting.”
Reaching out, I pulled her back to me and her hands fell from her mouth. “I think I’m into it.” Smiling, I kissed her again, and she kissed me back, sucking my bottom lip into her mouth and releasing it with a light pop.
We put a movie on when we got inside. Naomi and Rich arrived soon after we got home, and Chris wasn’t far behind. We sat around and drank while watching the movie for a while. Marlowe sat between Dexter and me on the couch. She would move around now and then, lying on one of us or sitting in our laps. Just depending on how she felt or if we pulled her to us.
Turning to face Dexter, I pulled Marlowe to sit between my legs and hugged her to my chest. When I kissed the top of her head, she looked up at me and narrowed her eyes at me. Dexter dropped his arm on our legs. He liked when he could be touching both of us, and it always made warmth fill my chest.
“Oh, Marlowe!” Naomi shouted, making the three of us jump.
“Hmm?” Marlowe looked to her best friend, who sat on the floor in front of the recliner between Rich’s legs.
Naomi clapped her hands together and leaned forward. “I forgot to tell you that we are gonna have a baby.” Rich and Naomi were smiling, and Rich leaned down, wrapping his arms around Naomi’s neck.
Marlowe jumped up, nearly hitting me in the chin with her head. “Excuse the fuck out of me. What? Are you kidding me?!” Marlowe screamed and scrambled to get off the couch, but I held her back from falling over.
Naomi threw her hands up. “No! No! Jesus. Shit, sorry. We’re getting a cat. An orange one.”
Marlowe let out a deep sigh. “Oh my god, Naomi.” She fell back onto me, gripping her chest. “Don’t fucking do that, you bitch.”
Everyone started laughing except Chris. “Imagine how I felt when they told me. I just got used to living with her, then they said baby. I was already packing my bags. But a cat, I can deal with that.” He tossed back the rest of his drink.
I glanced around the room and looked at the people I had surrounded myself with. My thoughts only drifted to the baggie of pills in my nightstand drawer for a split second. Then I remembered the shit I had been through and all we accomplished and realized that I had found it.
Solace.
