Page 32 of In His Skates

Laughing, I lift my hands. “Hey, you’re the one who said I’m not taking a shower alone.”

“I meant I don’t want you touching my body while you shower!”

I wince. “The hell? How am I supposed to get clean?”

“I’ll help you.”

I stare at her for a couple of beats in stunned silence. Surely I misheard her. “You want to assist?”

She narrows her eyes. “Yes. It’s better than letting you touch me.”

“Fine, be my guest.” I head to the stairs and add, “Only you could make this situation even more awkward.”

“Sure, because you giving me Hershey squirts and then listening to my torment wasn’t awkward at all.”

The memory comes to the forefront of my mind, making me laugh. “Ah… classic.”

“God, you’re an idiot, Keanu. I don’t know what I could have possibly done in my previous life to deserve being saddled with you.”

My back becomes rigid. “Previous life? Try this life.”

Since she has my long legs, we reach the second floor at the same time. She grabs my arm and turns me around. “I told you already. I didn’t rat you out.”

I squint. Maybe she’s telling the truth. That would make me the asshole for retaliating. Have I been hating Leigh all these years over an erroneous assumption?

“Fine. I won’t hold that against you anymore. But you were still a brat back then, and I don’t like you.” She winces, and I see a flash of hurt in her eyes. Fuck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She releases my arm and schools her face into a hard mask. “Don’t worry about it. I prefer brutal honesty over false praise. Besides… I don’t like you either.”

Her retort annoys me, even though I deserved it. What do I care if she likes me or not?

In her room, I undress, leaving the clothes where they drop. I avoid looking at her body with Leigh around because it would probably upset her if I did. Who would have thought I’d attempt to be nice to her.

Leigh picks the clothes up, scowling the entire time. “God, you make such a mess.”

“I don’t know where anything goes. I don’t live here, remember?”

“You can’t at least fold the clothes or ask me where the dirty laundry bin is?”

“I could, but I didn’t want to,” I say just out of habit. It’s like I’m programmed to annoy Leigh, even though I don’t always want her to be mad at me.

“I’m not your maid.” She whips me with the hoodie, and it would have done nothing if she was in her own body and the zipper hadn’t hit my back.

The sharp pain makes me lose my cool. “What the hell!”

“I’m sorry. Did that hurt?” She sounds remorseful, but she is an actress.

I whirl around and grab the hoodie, but she doesn’t release it. “Yes, it fucking hurt. Give me that.”

“Why? So you can use it against me?”

“Let it go!”

She narrows her eyes. “Make me.”

I should have known that ordering her would only ignite the fight in her. It’s like we’re kids again. I don’t think, I just lunge at her. She trips, and we both end up on the floor with me on top, wearing nothing but Leigh’s underwear.

“You’re such a jerk, Keanu. Get off me!”