Decoding Desires Ch. 08

She's a bulldog, she's latched on and she's not letting go. "It was way too perfectly shaped to be a workplace bruise, Coco. Come on, you know you wanna talk about it," she says, nearly whining. "Graham took the boys shopping, and Lee's at work, you know you wanna-"

"Lee's, um, I'm at Lee's house." Lee looks insanely uncomfortable and a little guilty. I don't know how to comfort him, or tell him it's all good, that this is just Carrie. I definitely owe him an apology for assuming she didn't notice.

"WHAT?!" Lee is now shifting uncomfortably. He gets up as if to leave, then sits down again. "You're at Lee's house? While he's working? You two are closer than I-"

"He's here. He took the day off. To, um. Yeah."

I can feel her vibrating excitedly somehow through the phone connection. "Coco, he's there, right now?"

"Uh-huh."

She laughs. "I knew you'd be a good match, the two of you. And that bite mark-"

"Who said it was a bite mark?" I bark, instantly regretting it as I implicate myself.

She laughs again. I'm glad she's amused, I guess. "Honestly, I didn't notice it at first, but you kept touching it when we were eating, like, over your shirt."

"Did not," I bark again. Lee's blushing hard, but he's got a smile on his face that sets my heart racing. "I mean, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Never took Lee for a biter. Is he listening?"

"He can hear you, yes," I snap.

"Coco, you need to tell people that upfront. Sorry, Lee, if I made you uncomfortable, but I'm glad you're working on house-training my little brother."

"We're only two minutes apart," I say to Lee, rolling my eyes. "I'm house trained, why wouldn't I be house trained?" I ask my sister. "What's that even supposed to mean?"

She laughs again. "Hmm, I wonder. Maybe ask Lee?" My face is on fire. "We can talk later, I just wanted to confirm my suspicions about your mystery bruise."

"Carrie!" I'm mortified, but also weirdly proud of my bruise, even when Carrie called me out on it.

Like the force of nature she is, she blows by me. "I'll call you later, Coco. Bye, Lee, take care of my dog of a brother."

"I will," he chokes out, but I'm not on speaker. She hangs up a second later anyway.

"Sorry," I say, biting my bottom lip. "I didn't think she noticed. I guess we should be glad that she waited until today to call me out on it."

"You need a swim shirt for real," he announces. I'm glad he didn't threaten to take biting off the table, because I am not okay with taking biting off the table. "That was... Carrie is something else..."

"I did warn you," I reply. I'm worried it comes out harsher than I wanted. "Sorry."

He closes his laptop and stands up. "Shut up, Cody, with your apologies. I should've thought about it before we went..."

"Well, she already knows now," I say, pulling him towards me. I kiss him on the lips, a quick peck. "Who cares. And, I'm still proud of it, even if she will tease me relentlessly."

He kisses my forehead, then chuckles. "Me too," he admits. "It looks so good on you. Still, I'm sorry that she saw it and called you out on it."

"Eh, whatever," I dismiss. "She lives for this kinda stuff."

Lee looks at me, then laughs, his whole body relaxing. "Yeah, she really does, doesn't she?"

I nod. "She's not wrong, though," I add.

"Wrong about what?"

"You're really freaking hot."

He blushes, kisses me hard, then pulls away too soon. He lets go of me, then takes his laptop and puts it back into its case. His smile is like heroin, and I know I'll do whatever I can to get my fix.

Lee chuckles, then laughs. I look at him, unsure. He laughs harder. "What?"

He's trying to talk through the laughing. "Carrie, it's just, feels like we're teens that just got caught necking in your parent's basement."

I look at him, it takes me a second to decipher what he's saying, and then it's suddenly super funny. Maybe it was the stress of her outing us, or the absurdity that she felt the need to call about it, or her unabashedness even after she found out Lee was listing, I dunno, but it was so stupid funny that once I joined in laughing, Lee started laughing harder, which made me laugh harder, ecterra, ecterra.

We laughed until tears pricked my eyes and were running down Lee's cheeks. We laughed until our sides hurt and we were out of breath.

It's a little weird between us for a while after Carrie's call as we try to figure out what to do, interspersed with occasional bursts of laughter, but the weirdness fades away soon enough. The day passes by too quickly, evening comes too soon.

I figure I need to leave by seven, eight at the latest if I want to get my laundry ready before work tomorrow. I wonder what spending every day like this would feel like, waking up to Lee. Going to bed with Lee. Just being with Lee.

I want it a lot, and I'm so afraid of it, too afraid to voice how much I want it, afraid to be so clingy. Still, seven comes and I'm not ready to go. I can tell Lee is getting anxious about the time, too, he's checking his watch every ten minutes or so.

Was he subliminally telling me it was time to go? Was I overstaying my welcome? I excuse myself to the bathroom, deciding that yes, he is telling me it was time to go. Instead of returning to his living room I head to his bedroom and pack my few belongings, then get ready to go, even though all I wanna do is bury myself in Lee's bed and never come out.

Lee looks disappointed as I enter the living room. Maybe he wanted me gone sooner?

"Is it that time already?" he asks, turning the TV off.

I shrug. "Yeah, I guess."

"Yeah, okay," he says. "Do you have plans on Wednesday?"

I bite my bottom lip. "I don't think so," I say, trying to think of anything I might have scheduled, but since breaking up with Jace my life has been pretty calm, other than Carrie and Lee.

"Did you, um. Well, let me know. If you're free."

"I'm free," I say. Why is this so awkward? Lee stands up and I walk towards the door, as if his moving was a cue. "No plans."

"Okay," he says, "maybe we can get together then."

"Yeah, sure," I agree. I want to stay so bad, but I know I need to go. I'm trying to think of a reason to delay my departure, but I really can't think of anything, other than Lee. "So, um, I should go, probably..."

"Yeah. We both have work in the morning. You still at the same site this week?"

I nod. "Yeah, at least one more week of me there before I move to the next job. I'll probably go back once the walls are in and finish the wiring before it's done, though."

"Kinda far from here, eh?" Lee asks, not really looking at anything.

"Yeah."

God, it's so freaking awkward. I lean in for a kiss and miss, then feel like an ass. Lee leans in, then we kiss, but it's a strange kiss. I can't explain it well, but it makes me feel lonely already.

"See you later, Lee." I duck my head. "Love you."

He steps back and I open the door. "Love you, too," he replies and it makes my heart explode into messy little shrapnel in my chest. "Drive careful."

I don't know why I hesitate, other than I don't want to go, but it gives Lee just enough time to push the door shut in front of me. I step back and he moves in and kisses me, then presses his body against mine until my back is against the wall.

"Don't go," Lee whispers, his forehead resting on mine. "Don't leave just yet."

"Kay," I agree, because I feel exactly the same way. I've never felt so intimately connected to a person. "I can't wait for Wednesday."

"Me either," he admits, then kisses me again. I melt into him and we kiss in his foyer for a few minutes, sloppy and needy. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"I'll call you, I promise." I kiss his nose, then nip it with my teeth.

He kisses my nose then sighs and steps back. "You should get going," he admits.

"Yeah," I say, feeling sheepish, and also not wanting to go home. I can't remember the last time I didn't want to go home, but leaving Lee seems like the worst possible thing right now. I know I'm being dramatic, so I suck in a deep breath and swallow down my neediness. "Still have my laundry to do."

I open the door again, half expecting Lee to slam it shut again. I look over my shoulder when he doesn't and he smiles at me, but it seems a little sad. He waves at me. "Bye Cody," he whispers, biting his lower lip.

"See you later," I tell him, then step into the night and shut the door behind me before I lose my nerve. Somehow I make it to my car and start driving. I'm not even past the McMansions at the end of his street when I feel a nearly overwhelming need to talk to him. I shift, trying to get my phone out of my back pocket when it rings over my car's speaker.

It's Lee. I'm worried, but I still answer it. "Heya," Lee says, sounding shy.

"Hey. I was, um, I was gonna call you." I chuckle, but it's strained since I don't know if I forgot something or what Lee needed.

"I miss you already," Lee tells me. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you."

"I miss you, too," I say, feeling sappy, but also freaking amazing. I consider turning around and heading right back to him, but I really don't have my shit together for work tomorrow. "It's only three days."

"Yup. Three days. I just..." He sighs. "Thanks for the wonderful weekend. I just wanted to tell you that I had a really fun time at your sister's, and all the other time, too."

"Good. I mean, I did, too. One of the best weekends of the year, hands down." I'm blushing, and I can almost imagine the look on Lee's face, too. I catch myself touching the bruise Lee left on my shoulder and smile, proud of it, and in love with Lee.