Painted Love: A Pride Pet Play Novel by Layla Dorine

Author:Layla Dorine [Dorine, Layla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Food and inspiration

“Pinch me! I’ve got goosebumps,” Noah declared, spinning around in a playful dance that was all shimmying hips and shoulder shakes.

“I’m not sure those two things go together but I’ve got them too,” Cas admitted, giggling at Noah’s antics. “I can’t believe we’re going to see Murphy and Styles.”

The tail end of the line was already wrapped around the corner when they reached the street. Noah caught Cas’s hand in his, swinging them as they walked. Each wore a mini backpack containing the books they wanted to have signed.

“I never dared hope they’d come to our neighborhood bookstore, holy shit. When I started reading them, I was still in junior high.”

“Same.”

“Oh man, I used to get into so much trouble," Cas explained. "When I wasn’t drawing on scratch paper, I had their books hidden inside my textbooks. I'd read comics instead of paying attention. I count myself lucky to have graduated,” Cas explained.

Boy did that sound familiar.

“See, now I did something similar, only it was because I’d already done my classwork so why not write a little? I never dared stuff a book inside my textbook though, not with two aunts and a grandfather that taught at the school.

“Damn, can’t say I blame you.”

“They hated comics too,” Noah admitted. “My uncle called them brain rot. He was convinced I was killing brain cells every time I opened one.”

Snickering, Cas shot him a look like he thought Noah was joking with him. “Kinda over dramatic, don’t you think?”

Noah shrugged, his nose scrunching up a bit. “What I thought and what they felt were two very different things.”

“Apparently.”

“So, did you have to read them in secret?” Cas asked.

“Pretty much. I could sit all over the house with a classic or some piece of modern literature but try and read something fun and forget about it.”

“Damn. I could read whatever, whenever, not that the classics ever saw the inside of my house unless assigned for school. Even then, books weren't safe in my house. No one was too concerned about dropping, spilling, or splashing something on them.

Try as he might, Noah couldn’t contain the shudder of revulsion he felt at hearing that. “In my house books were sacred.”

“In my house, the only thing sacred was the old man’s beer. You did not drop, spill, or god forbid steal one even when he had the fridge filled with them.”

Whoa. Never in his wildest dreams had he envisioned Cas living like that. “I take it that was often?”

“Unless he was laid off and even then he’d spend his unemployment check buying more the moment rent was paid. Utilities were included in most places we lived. Thank God or we’d have been without lights more times than I could count.”

“And how often did that happen?”

“Three.”

Noah shook his head, struggling to understand how anyone could consider a drink more important than caring for their family. “Ouch.”

“Meh, as long as I had enough light to draw by, I didn’t give a shit. I hated school. I only went so I didn't have to be in the house all day with my aunt and mom.

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