Page 84 of Juliet's Echo

His last stroke was him resting his flag, staking ownership over this pussy, as liquid worth more than oil erupted from our bodies.

We both temporarily collapsed onto the bed and after a few moments, simultaneously looked at each other from our current positions the best we could.

Then he did something I would've never expected.

My enemy turned lover signed, “I love you, Lucky.”

Okay, so maybe that's my favorite phrase he learned.

Ava

Fifteen more minutes.

That’s all that stood between me and summer break.

Fifteen minutes and I no longer had to pretend that the bookstore was where I chose to do my community hours to build my résumé and not where I was assigned to work off my work-study stipend. Not to mention, this apron did absolutely nothing for my figure.

The handheld mirror beside the register reflected perfection staring back at me. My hair and makeup were always flawless, and my cheekbones alone were a reason for envy. Even at my worst, these bitches couldn’t fuck with me.

So why was I unhappy?

My parents' financial crisis wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last. Faith filed for divorce at least once every three years because my father somehow found a way to squander a substantial amount of the family finances, even though this one might be the worst yet.

And it wasn’t like I was lacking in other areas. Men? Please. There was never a shortage.

Faith always said men were only good for two things, and neither one was love.Use them before they use you. Love will kill you before anything else. Time and pussy cost. Make them pay for it upfront.

Just a few of the things she’d been telling me since I was twelve years old.

Friends? Yeah, right. Females be cool with you one minute and jealous of you the next.

My mother always had my back when it came to my so-called friends. She was the first to point out who was trying to outdress me, outshine me, or take my spot in a room. Every time she'd point one out, I'd slowly distance myself until eventually they were gone.

Looking back on it now, every friend I'd ever had somehow ended up becoming competition.

Or at least that's what Faith taught me.

The strange part was that lately I couldn't stop noticing things.

Little things that made me want friendship.

The way girls laughed together while walking across campus. The way they piled into cars after class and made plans to go to the mall. Everybody always seemed to have someone. A friend. A partner. A person who actually knew them beyond surface-level bullshit.

My reflection stared back at me again. Here I was, pretty, popular, desired, and… alone.

Immediately, I rolled my eyes at myself.

What kind of Hallmark Channel bullshit was that?

Faith would be disgusted. I could practically hear her voice now, reminding me that pretty girls don’t chase friendships, pretty girls don’t need validation, and pretty girls get chosen.

The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became. Everyone else was the problem, not me. Loneliness was just the price of being better than everybody else.

That explanation sounded good enough, so I accepted it, reapplied my lip gloss, and checked my reflection one more time.

The entry bell chimed and I scuffed.

Who the hell comes into a bookstore fifteen minutes before closing?