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“Can’t even look at me?”

“You’re too fucking hot,” he groaned. “I wasn’t sure if I would survive coming back to Strawberry Springs, but now I’m not sure I’ll survive this.”

32

GABRIEL

Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch

SherriffMike Finch: @Marjorie Brown You can’t keep running the stop sign on 3rd. You have to come to a full stop.

Comments:

Marjorie Brown: But I’ve been going through there for 30 years! Fine. I’ll stop.

Dean Briggs: This is the most small-town shit I’ve seen in my life.

Wren Hackett: Right??? @SherriffMike Finch You’re a saint, you could have given her a ticket.

Marjorie Brown: He could do that at his own risk.

I was on the edge. I’d been on it since she kissed me, and it was taking everything I had in me not to completely lose my mind.

“You’re so desperate.”

“Don’t bully me. I’ll come.”

Jade laughed loudly despite where we were, and I couldn’t help but join her. This wasn’t the first time I’d embarrassed myself in front of her, and it wouldn’t be the last. But this was Jade. Even now, she was the one who knew me better than anyone else.

She was still smiling when I felt like I wasn’t going to blow my load at any second.

“I’m good now.”

“Are you sure looking at me won’t⁠—”

I kissed her to shut her up. I waited until she kissed me back to pull away.

“Do you have condoms?” I asked.

She blinked. “Not with me. And mine might be, um, small.”

“Small? Those things stretch⁠—”

“I got the snug fit, okay?”

I pressed my lips together. “Okay.”

“You’re trying not to laugh,” she accused.

“I’m . . . fine.”

“After getting Vienna sausages, I had to be prepared!”

That made me lose it.

At least we were even in embarrassment.

“Sorry, sorry.”