Give It Up

Riley

"Yes." Deza wiped at her eyes. "Anyway, I left Darren for him, and when that relationship fell apart a few weeks later, I decided I was working with females of any age or boys only from then on. No more seductive men for me."

She glanced up and smiled as Ethan walked toward us. "This turd was the first one they handed me, and seeing that he's still a kid... I'm safe."

Ethan sat down across the aisle from us and leaned forward to look at Deza. "You'll always be safe with me. Duh."

I chuckled and let myself relax a little more in the presence of the strangers who would soon become like family. I turned my face back toward Deza. "Did Darren not give you another chance?"

"What? You told Riley about you and Darren and you didn't tell me?" Ethan let out a childish sigh, and I chuckled, but kept my eyes on Deza.

"He was heartbroken, as he should have been. We couldn't even look at each other for four or five years, me from shame and him from anger." She shrugged. "Life became a competi