Covalent Bonds

by Trysh Thompson

  “Pshaw.” Jack waved him off and took another swig.

  Nic gave his roommate an amused smirk. “I think she’ll take her chances with me. The STI-free one.”

  “How sweet,” she piped up. “I don’t even have to talk.” She motioned over to a floral couch that had seen better days—sometime back in 1974. “Should I maybe sit? Let you two battle it out and I’ll just do the winner. Since they’re both such fine offers.”

  Jack laughed. “Please be here when I’m sober so I can fully appreciate watching you bust Nic’s balls.” He looked past them and muttered, “And speaking of ball busters, incoming.”

  Nic did the “silent eye” guy thing with Jack. Sadie barely had time to register the willowy Daisy Duke wannabe locked and loaded onto them before Nic hauled her through the crowd and into a dark room. The door shut with a click behind them, and then Nic turned on a small lamp. “Sorry, about that—” he began.

  She burst into laughter. “The truth comes out.”

  Nic froze at the sight of the TARDIS blanket covering his bed. Sadie tried to cover her snicker at his wide-eyed look of horror. “Jack is a royal cock-blocking bastard.” He thunked his head against the wall.

  “And yet you don’t deny that it’s yours.”

  He blushed adorably, crossing his arms. “I like Doctor Who. My dad got me hooked on it as a kid when the reboot started up.”

  She could just imagine him sitting in superhero pajamas watching the Doctor with wide-eyed fascination. Too. Freaking. Cute. Sadly, it wasn’t enough. She had sobered up enough that any pauses in the action could be construed by her common sense as places to make different, non-orgasm-inducing decisions. It pretty much kiboshed the hook-up. “I’m gonna go,” she said.

  “Is it the Time Lord?” he asked in a woebegone voice. He flung the blanket off, kicking it underneath the bed. “See? All better. I swear it’s usually folded away in my closet. And the sheets underneath are black.”

  “I’m a Whovian, too. It’s not that.”

  He shot her a questioning look that pled “what then?”

  Sadie patted his cheek. “Don’t worry. You’re still very Satany. Your secret is safe with me. I just think—” She exhaled sharply, doing a double take as she caught sight of a fat textbook on his bedside table. “You take physics?” She hadn’t really thought he was the university type.

  “It’s my major.” He ducked his head as he admitted it. “The Time Lord thing.”

  She poked him in the chest. “How come you weren’t in any of my AP classes?”

  He looked horrified. “Nerd city?”

  “Dissing again. We discussed this.”

  “Yeah, but you’re a geek. I’m only insulting nerds. I have the highest respect for all geeks. Of the female variety. Currently standing in my room.” He said it so matter-of-fact that she had to smile.

  Still…

  She brushed a hand through her hair, trying to tame the wild bird’s nest it had become during their make-out session. “My remaining buzz has worn off and my righteous anger at my douchebag ex no longer spurs me on. Combined with the current conditions,” she gestured vaguely back at the party, “I find myself a girl in a strange guy’s room and I should probably go.”

  Nic cupped her jaw in his hand. “Only a vaguely strange guy. Who really doesn’t want you to leave.” His eyes begged her to stay.

  Sadie bit her lower lip, determined to remain strong. “Your commitment to this hook-up is sweet. Or something. But I’m sure you could go find ‘incoming.’”

  “Yeah, but she thinks a Whovian is one of those Dr. Seuss characters that sang for the Grinch.”

  Sadie winced. “Yikes.”

  “Plus she’s an evil cow. And you smell nice.” He nuzzled his face into her neck, suckling at the hollow in her collarbone.

  She threaded her fingers into his hair to push him away, but she got her directions mixed up and tugged him closer.

  Nic pulled back enough to shoot Sadie a lazy grin, his eyes heavy-lidded.

  Jinkies!

  He placed his hand on the small of her back, pressing her toward him. His lips brushed hers, feather soft then he pulled back, searching her face for any indication he should keep going.

  One more kiss seems reasonable. For the road. In fellowship with another Whovian. She nodded.

  A panty-melting grin spread slowly across his face. Or in her case, boy-shorts melting. She actually patted her skirt down to make sure all clothing on her lower half hadn’t spontaneously combusted.

  Nic trailed his fingers up and down her spine. Slowly. Hypnotically.

  Sadie’s head fell back, her eyes closed. She bunched the front of his sweater in her fist to tug it off.

  The door burst open as the phone in her blazer pocket buzzed.

  “Busy,” Nic said, his focus not wavering from her.

  “What he said,” she mumbled, fully back into the spirit of things as she desperately tried to pull his arm out of the sleeve.

  “No need for a consolation prize, baby. I forgive you.”

  Fuck me! Sadie would recognize that nasal twang anywhere. Beatrice Hoeffler.

  She disentangled herself from Nic, only to realize Beatrice was the Daisy Duke wannabe she’d seen. Figured.

  Beatrice gasped when she recognized Sadie, then made herself comfortable on Nic’s bed. Geez, if she spread her legs one inch wider in those short shorts, Sadie would know if she’d redone the Brazilian she’d gotten for graduation. Girls’ changing rooms: another thing on her long list of what not to miss about high school.

  “Bottom feeding?” Beatrice cooed at him.

  Sadie’s phone buzzed again. She slid it out to find a bunch of texts from her best friend Malaya demanding to know her whereabouts. Guess she hadn’t noticed them before. “Yeah,” she said sadly. “He really was.”

  Bea smirked and Nic looked surprised. Sadie patted his arm. “Happily he has me now which is a major step in the right direction.”

  Nic choked on his laughter. Bea scowled and leaned in but Sadie cut her off before she could speak, waving her phone. “Party beckons. Gotta run.” Like hell she was going back to the party but no way was she sticking around for further insults either. Now that Bea had crazy-glued her ass to his bed, their hook-up was out.

  “Later,” Nic said.

  Sadie was a tad pissed that he so casually brushed her off. “Yup,” she said, a bit more forcefully than necessary.

  He grinned at her. “Later, Bea,” he clarified, taking Sadie’s hand. “Let’s roll.”

  Her smug carried her all the way out the door, down the stairs, and into the night. At which point she confessed, “I’m not going back to the party. I’ll text Malaya to let her know I’m safe.”

  Nic jammed his hands in his pockets. “You let me blow off Bea for no reason?”

  Sadie squirmed uncomfortably. “No. Spite factored pretty heavily into it.”

  “Let me rephrase.” Nic wrapped his fingers around her hip, tugging her up against him. His other hand clasping the back of her neck. Sadie’s eyes fell shut, blood rushing from her brain in a dizzying surge as she fell into him. His lips were warm and firm, his lazily exploration of their kiss at odds with the frenetic hammering of her heart. Sadie curled her toes under to capture the champagne bubbles floating through her body.

  “Oh, that reason,” she said, coming up for air. “Um, no. I could still totally be onboard with that except both our places are out.”

  “You’re not the only creative one,” he said. “I’m sure between us we could come up with something.” His gorgeous green eyes were practically black with heat as he took her in, drank her up.

  Sadie didn’t know how often he pulled this on girls and in that moment, she didn’t care. It was like having the fire of an entire sun burning within her. She pulled at the neck of her filmy shirt trying to get some air.

  Nic looped one of Sadie’s curls around his finger, grinning at her. He really needed to stop looking at her like that because
she was about ten seconds away from dropping to the ground and saying, “Take me.”

  Her phone buzzed again. Damn these interruptions. Sadie wanted to take this to the logical fabulous end of his utter focus and heat for her. Hang on. “Maybe we should go to Malaya’s party.”

  “Spite?” he asked.

  “Bushels of it. Plus Malaya has a guesthouse that’s sitting empty right now.”

  “Works for me.”

  She texted Malaya that she was on her way back. “It’s about ten blocks so…”

  He nodded and started walking, long strides that left her scrambling to keep up. He didn’t even hold her hand and yet tension hung so hot and heavy between them, Sadie swore she could see it shimmering off them in waves. Regardless, the silence made her nervous.

  She fidgeted with the silver band on her left index finger. This was no longer a “your place or mine?” spur of the moment hook-up. It involved third parties. And guesthouses. Which was kind of like rich people’s private hotels. Very blatant. She’d never done blatant and she was starting to wonder if she was altogether too sober to pop that particular cherry. Though there would be booze on hand.

  When Sadie found herself twisting her curls into Medusa serpents, she crossed her arms, stuffing her hands into her armpits. She no longer looked crazy antsy but her energy had to go somewhere so she started babbling. “For the record, I think you were quite generous in your assessment of Bea.”

  He slid her an amused sideways glance but didn’t comment.

  Sadie kept on babbling. “Important question.”

  He leaned in close to her ear, his breath tickling her as he murmured, “Doggie or missionary?”

  “What?” she sputtered.

  He blinked angelically at her.

  “No.” Sadie shoved at him. Though now all kinds of dirty thoughts raced through her head. He beamed at her. She cleared her throat. “Different important question.”

  He sped up. “Is this one of those chick questions where the answer is gonna determine the rest of my night?”

  No, I’m basically a given. “Yes,” she lied, practically jogging after him.

  He sighed, motioning for her to speak.

  “Rose Tyler or Amy Pond for best Doctor’s companion?”

  That brought him to a stand-still. “Fuck. You don’t mess around.” He scratched his stubbly jaw, considering the question.

  Sadie crossed her legs against the squirmy heat built up inside her, watching him think.

  His eyes riveted to her legs like a moth to a flame. “Rose—”

  She gagged loudly. Typical.

  He tore his gaze from her legs to meet her eyes. “Can I finish?”

  Sadie mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key.

  Nic took her hand and began walking again at a more normal pace. “Rose, is in my opinion, highly overrated. Amy Pond all the way.” He stroked her palm with his thumb. Every nerve ending in her body flared to life in a delicious rush. “Right answer?” he said.

  It took Sadie a second to get her mind out of the gutter regarding where she wanted him stroking. “Very right.”

  They smiled in mutual joy at each other. Damn. She could really like this guy. Not lust. Like. She nibbled her bottom lip, turning her head to stare anywhere but at him. This was a perturbing development. He was supposed to be her hot one night rebound. Liking him would be a disaster.

  Lights blazed from Malaya’s parents’ place, though the thudding bass that spilled onto the street when she’d left had quieted. The party had probably hit the mellow out and hang stage when people curled up and paired off.

  Sadie glanced down at their intertwined hands. Yeah, liquid courage is good.

  Even though she wasn’t heading back in alone and she wanted Nic here to show off in a giant “fuck you” to Eric, she still felt an anxious pang, crossing her fingers and hoping that the ex and his new girlfriend were gone.

  There were definitely some interested stares and whispers as they pushed into the party. It had thinned out but there were still a lot of people who’d witnessed her abrupt departure earlier.

  Nic pulled Sadie into the crook of his arm, keeping her protectively curled against his side. He gave a low whistle as he checked out the designer mansion her bestie lived in. “Are you this rich?”

  “God no. But I recognized a good thing when Malaya shared her bibingka, this sweet yummy coconut cake, with me in preschool. So I kept her, despite her going to a snotty rich kids of Instagram school. Ouch!” She rubbed her head from Malaya having just smacked her upside it.

  Malaya planted her hands on her hips, bristling ferociously at Nic. As ferociously as a Filipina girly girl in head-to-toe pink could bristle. “Who are you and what exactly,” she waved her hand in a circular motion at them, “is this?”

  Nic didn’t miss a beat. “I’m Nic. I’m here to show Sadie’s ex how much better she can do. Then I’m going to let her shower her thanks upon me in varied and explicit ways.”

  Sadie’s hand flew to cover her mouth so she wouldn’t start laughing since she didn’t think Malaya would appreciate that. Surprisingly, Malaya nodded approvingly at him. “Eric is in the kitchen.”

  “Good,” Sadie said. “And while you’re feeling benevolent, could I please have the key to your guesthouse?”

  “You’re going to do the nasty in my parents’ guesthouse?” she screeched.

  Every head in the general vicinity swiveled their way.

  “Yes,” Sadie hissed, “and thank you so much for announcing my slutty intentions to all and sundry.”

  Malaya stuck her tongue out, but muttered “wait here” before she sashayed off.

  “I’m developing a new appreciation for vocabulary,” Nic said, nodding sagely. “Say ‘sundry’ again.”

  Sadie craned her neck to look up at him. “Really? That’s what got you? Not the slutty intentions part?”

  “Babe, I’d already covered your slutdom with the varied and explicit. You were just being redundant at that point. But I liked how you turned it around at the end.”

  Her insides went all twisty and melty. Shit. Falling… falling… The impending asteroid hit to her heart when this night ended tightened her chest in heavy dread. “I thought you were all muscle cars and bad boy bravado,” she said crankily.

  Nic snickered. “Muscle car? I drive a Honda.”

  “Yes, well.” Sadie crossed her arms. “It’s the things you did in the Honda.”

  “Wondered about that a lot in high school, did you?” He looked absurdly pleased.

  “This isn’t about me. It’s about you. You weren’t supposed to have facets.”

  Whoops. Not the right thing to say. A flash of hurt crossed his face. He stiffened and stepped away from her. “Sorry to disappoint,” he said, his words clipped.

  Shit. “Nic—” Sadie reached for him, missing his heat.

  “You’re back!” Her stupid ex Eric stood there, in his stupid skinny jeans that he thought made him a hipster. Seeing him side-by-side with Nic, he looked like a little kid. The image went a long way to ease her hurt over being dumped.

  “Yup,” Sadie said tersely. She glared at him, hoping he’d leave, but social cues had never been Eric’s forte.

  Eric’s equally stupid hipster girlfriend clung to his arm, ignoring Sadie as she texted, her bangs falling over her red, oversized glasses.

  “Eric,” he said, holding out a hand for Nic to shake.

  Nic stared flatly at it until Eric dropped it.

  Sadie wanted to punch his big stupid mug. Eric’s. Not Nic’s. She wanted to apologize to Nic.

  Eric rocked back on his heels, with a look of mean-spirited glee. “So? How do you know Sadie?” She’d met Eric at university so he didn’t know Nic.

  Nic shot her an inscrutable look. “Not sure I do,” he muttered and stalked off.

  The girlfriend flicked her gaze up from her phone to Sadie then back to her phone. Apparently the drama wasn’t interesting enough for her tastes.


  Sadie let out a dismayed sigh as Nic was swallowed up by the crowd.

  Eric’s lips pressed together in a sad frown. “Want to talk about it?”

  “If you’re going to stand there and gloat, you can just fuck off.” She stomped away, snatching the guesthouse key from Malaya as she passed by.

  “Yay and huh?” Malaya said.

  “Later. I promise.” Sadie stalked into the kitchen. Nic wasn’t there but the back door was open so she kept going.

  She found him sitting in a chair in the middle of the large, perfectly manicured lawn, staring up at the sky. His legs were splayed and his hands folded across his chest as he resolutely ignored her. Laughter from the pot smokers on the porch drifted over to them.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged, still not looking at her.

  Sadie searched the yard in annoyance until she found another lawn chair, which she dragged over to him. She sat down and shook his knee. “Nic. I’m really sorry. Of course you have facets. That was a bitchy thing to say.”

  “Then why did you?” His voice was hard but at least he looked at her.

  Sadie couldn’t tell him that she was really starting to like him and since this was simply a hook up, obviously he wasn’t going to like her back, and it scared her how much that upset her. She twisted her hands in her lap. “I don’t know.”

  Nic bowed his head. Sadie curled her fingers into her palm so she wouldn’t brush away the lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. “I thought when I escaped high school, I’d escaped all this judgment shit,” he said.

  “Excuse me? You judged me plenty. Geek girl? Nerd city?”

  He met her eyes. “I teased you. Very different.” She replayed those conversations. Yeah, guess it was. He sat there a moment longer then heaved himself out of the chair. “See you around, Sadie.”

  “See you around, Nic.” She watched him get farther and farther away, until he slipped through the back gate, and disappeared into the night. “Fuck.” She roughly brushed the blur of tears from her eyes. Way to blow it.

  Sadie rubbed her temple. Maybe it was for the best. Say they had hooked up. Say it had rocked her world.