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I was too tired to argue with him and I let him open my thighs, baring myself completely to him without an ounce of embarrassment.
Now that Ace and I had had sex, nothing felt too intimate. He had seen every bit of me already, inside and out. What else did I have to hide?
He cleaned me efficiently, the warm washcloth feeling incredible on my sore skin.
Once he was happy, he threw the washcloth to the side and lay down next to me, tugging my body closer. He pulled the blankets back over us, tucking them tightly around us, creating a safe cocoon.
“Crap,” I muttered when I caught a glance at the clock on his bedside table. I was hoping to take a quick nap before going home but I hadn’t realized how late it was.
It was nearly eleven at night.
While I didn’t have a set curfew, I knew my parents would start to worry if I didn’t come home soon. “I should probably go home.”
Ace pulled me closer. “Just sleep here.”
I laughed. “My parents are expecting me. I could tell them I’m staying at Marta’s again but I’ve been saying that a lot lately and I’m starting to worry that lie is going to catch up to me—”
“I don’t want you to leave. Just call and tell them you’re staying over.”
I paused. “Like, tell them I’m sleeping over at your house?”
“Yes.”
I blinked. “Um, have you met my father? There is no way he is going to be okay with that.”
“You used to sleep over at my house all the time.”
“Yeah, when we were ten and had adult supervision . ?We’re both nearly eighteen now and dating. Things are very different.”
“I think you’re underestimating how much your parents trust me.” He sat up and grabbed his jeans off the floor, pulling my phone from his pocket.
He handed it to me. “Why don’t you go ahead and give them a call and see what they say?”
I raised an eyebrow. Ace had to be experiencing the same post-sex brain haze I’d just had because he wasn’t making any sense.
“If you insist. Might as well get ready to go now though. This isn’t going to go well.”
I sat up, making sure I was covered by a blanket. My parents wouldn’t see me or know I was naked in my boyfriend’s bed, but I’d feel a lot better if I wasn’t completely nude when I talked to them.
I pulled up my mom’s phone contact—I had a better chance with her than I did with my father—and brought the phone to my ear. Ace crossed his arms behind his head and watched me with a cocky grin.
“Dorothy!” my mom said cheerfully after a few rings.
I was a little surprised she was still awake. My mom was anything but a night owl.
Once my brothers were down, so was she—which made me think she was probably waiting up for me.
“I was just about to call you and check in. How is your night going? Your brothers said you and Ace went out on a date. Did you have fun?”
“Yeah, it was great.” I fidgeted while Ace silently played with the ends of my hair. “I actually called to ask you something. Would it, uh, be okay if I maybe stayed over at Ace’s house tonight?”
My mom paused, then said, “Is his father there?”
“Um, no. His father is still out of town. It would be just the two of us.”
“Good,” my mom replied. “That man gives me the heebie-jeebies. He always hugs me a few seconds too long when I greet him at get-togethers. Drives your father crazy.”
Ace growled quietly next to me, obviously hearing everything my mom was saying despite the phone not being on speaker.
It was surprising to hear that my mom didn’t like Mr. Stoll. She had never mentioned it to me before and was always so friendly to him when he used to come around our house.
But as I thought about it, I couldn’t recall a time when she’d allowed me and Ace to be alone with him. Even during our playdates growing up.
My mom continued talking before I got the chance to ask her about it. “Sure, you can stay at Ace’s tonight. Just be safe, okay?”
I veered back. “Wait, what? You’re saying yes? Just like that?”
“Did you want me to say no?”
“Well, no. I’m just surprised,” I said with a laugh. “Would you have said no if you knew Mr. Stoll was going to be here?”
“I feel much better knowing he’s not. Although, I suppose Ace wouldn’t let anything happen to you even if he were there.”
Ace grunted beside me in agreement.
Jeez, and here I was thinking my mom was going to be mad that there was no adult supervision.
Never in a million years did I think she was going to be happy that it was just Ace and me alone in his house, free to do whatever our hormonal, teenage selves wanted.
“You’re almost eighteen, Doe,” she went on. “I trust that you know how to make responsible decisions…and you’ve never given me a reason to think that you couldn’t.
“If you want to stay over tonight, then that’s fine. Just make sure you’re not late for school tomorrow. And”—she hesitated—“you know what I meant when I told you to be safe, right? Protection?”
I felt my face turn bright red in seconds, while Ace threw his head back and laughed silently.
“Oh my god, Mom, yes! I understand!”
“Okay, okay, I just had to make sure. I know how serious you and Ace are getting—”
“We really don’t have to talk about this right now—” I said, attempting to save myself.
“—and I know things are bound to happen between the two of you eventually…if they haven’t happened already.”
“Mom,” ?I groaned.
It was agony. And it made it a million times worse that she was unknowingly saying it all in front of Ace, who was obviously finding it all very amusing, still laughing his butt off beside me.
“I just never want you to feel like you can’t tell me things. I appreciate you calling and asking if you can stay at Ace’s house rather than sneaking around and doing it behind my back.
“I’d much rather know where you are and that you’re safe than have you lie to me because you assume I’m going to say no and therefore don’t tell me at all. That’s why I’m saying yes.
“As long as you’re comfortable and happy, I trust your judgment.”
What did I do to deserve the best mom in the world?
I suddenly felt incredibly guilty about all the fake sleepovers at Marta’s house. Not to mention the years of sneaking Ace into my room every night.
I cringed at the thought.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Now, get some sleep. My ringer will be on if you need anything. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I replied. “Goodnight.”
After ending the call, I set my phone down on the bedside table and looked over at Ace, who was sporting an incredibly smug expression.
“Told you,” he said, shrugging. “Your parents love me.”