"It's okay to want to be spanked," Gina commented.

I hid my face in the nice pillow on her bed.

"Judging by the pictures— I understand why you want his hands on you."

"Gina!" I shirked. I told her about what happened way early this morning because I trusted her. My mistake, now she wanted to learn about my 'fetish.'

"It was normal," I groaned, peeking up at her. "When Peter does that don't you... like it?"

She looked disgusted. "No." A toothy grin took over a second later. "I'm just fucking with you."

I pushed her. "You're a jerk." Gina definitely came right after Florencio. If they met in person all they'd do is scheme to mess with me.

"Where is Peter by the way?" I asked curiously. He was usually here.

Gina sighed. "He said something about being tired. I don't know. He's been weird lately."

"Why? What's up?." I rubbed Gina's tense shoulders.

She sniffled and my eyes winded. She never cried. "I-I know that's the worst part. He's been busy a lot with work and school and I'm being a bitch to him about it."

"Couples spend time apart, G. Even you and Peter," I reassured her. Peter was crazy about her. He wouldn't break up with her, or whatever was running through her wild head.

"Don't say that. You and Florencio are together all the time."

We really weren't. We had intense moments and then he was was gone. He would be doing, God knows what, and then whenever he got back, I attacked

"He's gone a lot too," I related. "For work. I'm trying to accept that he likes... me."

"What the fuck does that mean?" She rubbed her eyes and her mascara smudged.

I looked at my lap. "I'm scared he won't want me anymore and leave."

Gina rolled her eyes. "Are his fingers shoved up you—"

I covered my ears and made noises to escape her vulgar language.

"—not enough to understand he likes you? You've been seeing each other for so long he might even love you."

Florencio didn't love me. The thought made my heart pump.

Love.

I knew I liked him. Too much.

"He doesn't love me," I tired to convince myself, because he didn't. Maybe I could feel that way about him, but it felt impossible the other way around.

Gina looked said solemnly, "Peter told me he loved me after three months."

"I remember."

She texted me when he did and then asked me to pick her up from his house the next morning. Gina walked rather proudly that day. Bra in hand and wearing Peter's clothes. "Then we went and bought you day after pills."

She laughed, her tears all dried up. They never spilled and I envied Gina for that. "That was horrible! I was so scared. I had just gotten on the soccer team."

She reached over and poked my belly. "Have you and Florencio had sex yet? I'm waiting for all the details."

I narrowed my eyes at her but replied nonetheless, "you'll be the first one to know."

-

Even if my moms attitude was crap, it was normal.

She was calm again though, throwing her few annoying comments in once and a while, and I was grateful.

I was in the kitchen, grabbing a snack when her phone lit up with a text message.

Her face turned red. She looked up at me and with gritted teeth, asked me to help her with dishes.

I didn't answer her. This was obviously forced. Knowing my grandma, she probably texted my mom, telling her to hang out with me.

"We, uh, don't even have to put them away. Just dry. Yeah?"

I reluctantly put my granola bar down and joined her at the sink, a rag in my hand.

She washed slowly, irking me.

"How was your day?" She asked, not looking at me.

I rubbed the bowl dry and placed it in the drying rack— this made no sense. I continued anyway.

"It was okay. I love being with Gina." Jesus, she still had so much to wash.

"Don't get mad," she blurted suddenly, hesitantly handing me the knife.

I thought about jerking it slightly in my hand to add to her unreasonable fear, but I put it down. "I won't," I lied.

"I heard you and Florencio last night," she said hurriedly. "I don't like that he's here past reasonable hours." Her face was burning. She took a deep breath then, "Did he hit you?"

Oh, kill me now. Please. Please. Please.

"If anyone is going to treat you right," she said carefully, accepting she hasn't been the best to me, "it's your boyfriend. You know what I went through, don't do the same."

"No," I choked out. "He didn't. He wouldn't."

She nodded. "I'm tired. I'll finish this tomorrow. I'm going into the office. Samatha is working late and needs me." She scurried out of the kitchen.

-

My mom left an hour later and the time was only seven.

Was Florencio done? Should I call him?

I ignored my insecurities and dialed his number. I should really save it as a contact.

While the phone was ringing, I did.

"Hello?"

I pressed the phone to my ear. "Hi. What are you doing?"

He laughed. "I'm almost there." He got quiet. "I've been thinking about seeing you all day."

I tried to ignore the feeling in my stomach. "Well hurry then. I'm bored."

"What do you want to do when I get there?" He teased.

I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "My mom thought you hit me," I blurted and hung up, turning off my ringer. He made me flustered and I couldn't escape the conversation faster.

Aggressive door knocks rapped the door an hour later. I opened it timidly.

"Hi," I drawled out, trying not to laugh at Florencio's face.

"She thought I hit you?" He stressed.

I nodded. "Mmh."

"Did I—" he paused. "Did I hurt you?" His eyes held worry, but he kept his face neutral.

"No. She just heard you here and thought..." I blushed furiously. "You know." I opened the door wider, letting him inside. He hovered behind me, making me shiver. I prayed he hadn't caught it.

I gasped when Florencio slapped my bottom. The sound echoed throughout the empty house.

"Your phone, what is it, dead?" His voice was low and it made me feel like I was melting.

Rubbing the hot skin of my bottom I stammered, "No. My volume is down."

He looked at me unconvincingly. "My little liar."

I rolled on the heels of my feet, feeling rebellious. "I'm not lying. The volume was down because I was watching a movie."

"Honey," he laughed and grabbed me, shoving me down onto the couch.

My hands flew to my sensitive chest to protect me from his hard body. He took my hands and pinned them above my head. I wiggled around a bit.

"Can you breathe?" he asked.

"No," I panted. His weight was suffocating me.

"What a shame," he murmured.

He held wrists down with one hand and the other grazed the leg shoved against the couch. He lifted it up and placed it on the top of the couch.

He leaned down and mouthed along my jaw and neck. I stretched my neck and huffed when he bit me hard. My fingers grasped at the air as he sucked a bruise on my neck, moving to my shoulders. He took my tank top strap and pulled it down with his teeth. Before he got to my chest, he got off me. I laid there for a second, still spread out how he put me.

He grabbed my ankles and pulled my legs apart farther. I closed my eyes. I heard him laugh. Then he closed my legs together so fast, it stung from the impact.

My eyes flew open, angry. I tried to escape from his strong hold.

"I thought we were supposed to be talking," He mused, dragging his hand down my leg and dangerously close to where he hasn't been in what felt like forever. Who was I becoming? I wasn't supposed to desire something so dirty.

I whined when he pinched me. "You're hurting me."

His eyes softened and he rubbed the red skin from where my thighs slapped together. He placed my legs down gently and helped me sit up. He sat a cushion away from me. I frowned.

"Talk to me," he said finally, breaking the silence. "I need to hear something."

I broke open.

I talked about everything. I thought I'd be scared to talk about my mom, fearing no one would understand. But Florencio did. He understood the resentment my mom held for me. He listened carefully the whole time, but when I brought up my dad, the focus blurred. But he understood it still. He knew how sensitive the subject was.

"I know it's hard to hear something like that, especially about your dad," he sympathized. He moved closer to me and held me.

He spoke quietly about his family. Florencio was blamed for his parents failed marriage. His father told him he took up their time. His mother was silent about the whole thing, letting him suffer. His father had relapsed when news broke about his wife cheating on him. Drunk and angry, his father killed them both in a fatal car crash. His biological mother was no better. Florencio admitted to her only needing money from him, drinking herself to death. Dad didn't go out any better– lung cancer.

"Runs in the family," I joked, knowing it'd be okay. Florencio was built for this. He had dealt with the pain long ago, now only telling me because I asked.

His chest vibrated. "I guess."

"A-are you doing any drugs?" I whispered because I felt stupid for asking.

He grip on me tightened. "It was hard to resist at first... but I'm clean now, Parker. Don't worry about that stuff."

It was hard not to. I wanted him to take care of himself. I had seen firsthand what happened when he was sad.

"Thanks for telling me about you." I kissed his chin and resumed my position of laying on his chest.

His fingers pressed into my sides and I squirmed. "Done being so curious?"

Natalie.

I sighed and let it go, not wanting him to shut down.

Suddenly his hand was traveling up my leg.

"You look pretty, honey."

-