Damaged Souls (Broken Man) Read Free Page B

look after her.
    “Are you going to help me out here or am I going to have to do everything as usual,” Delaney blushed as he caught her staring at him and teased her about her lack of progress.
    “It looks like you have everything under control,” she answered before turning away shyly. “Do you want some lemonade or something.”
    “No, I’ve got a coke right here,” he responded as his muscles dripped with sweat and she tried not to look at him. “Are you okay, Delaney. You are acting kind of weird.”
    “I’m fine,” she tried to act normal as she looked up at his pale blue eyes. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”
    “We can skip the movie if you want.”
    “No, that’s okay. Logan is looking forward to it, and Jack and Amanda need their nap time,” she responded slyly and made pretend quotation marks in the air.
    “You’re awful,” he replied and smiled although Delaney could tell he wasn’t comfortable talking about anything involving sex with her. “I’ll get a shower in a few minutes and then we’ll get going, okay.”
    “Sounds good,” she answered as she tried not to think about him in the shower and instead returned to her work.
    * * *
    “Jack,” Amanda enjoyed finally being alone with him as she tickled him with her tongue. “Do you think Greg is going to ask Delaney to the prom.”
    “You want to talk about that now,” he asked incredulously as she kissed his stomach and looked up at him.
    “Of course I want to talk about it now,” Amanda replied as she worked her way up his stomach to his chest. “You know me, this is the best time to talk.”
    “You weren’t talking so much a couple minutes ago,” Jack teased her about her bedroom noises. “Except to say ‘Oh, right there, Jack, don’t stop, don’t stop.”
    “I don’t sound like that,” she laughed at his imitation. “But, if you keep teasing me, I may not let you do that to me anymore.”
    “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he replied as his mouth found her breast and she almost forgot about their conversation.
    “One second, Jack,” she moved her body so they were again face to face. “I’m serious now, do you think Greg is going to ask Delaney to the prom.”
    “I don’t know,” he laughed, accustomed to her bedroom interrogations after five years together. “We’re guys, we don’t talk about things like that.”
    “Why not,” Amanda still didn’t entirely understand men. “Delaney and I have talked about it a couple times.”
    “Of course you have, and what did the two of you decide.”
    “Delaney would love to go to the prom with Greg,” she paused as she thought about their last conversation. “As friends.”
    “Ahhh,” Jack teased her. “There’s the catch. Is that what you’re worried about.”
    “Well, yeah,” Amanda smiled, knowing Jack thought she was being silly. “I guess it’s better than nothing, but when are those two going to realize they are in love with each other.”
    “Amanda,” Jack scolded her with a smile. “They have plenty of time to figure it out. They’re only eighteen. Maybe it’s best they just remain friends right now and maybe even date other people. I really don’t want you too push too hard on this, okay.”
    “Okay, Jack, you might be right,” she responded as the wheels turned more slowly in her head and she rolled over onto her side. “But promise me, you will talk to him about it.”
    “Okay, I promise, honey. Are you all done now.”
    “Not quite, Jack,” Amanda answered as her body finally gave in to him. “But, you can come get me now.”

Chapter Two
    Greg arrived home near eleven o’clock after a long day and a longer weekend. As he unlocked the door and walked into the house, he was surprised to find his mother still awake and sitting at the kitchen table, a bottle of wine perched just in front of her. This isn’t going to go well, Greg thought, why couldn’t she be passed out as usual.
    “Hey, Mom,” he tried to