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watermelon

Summary:

Summer has officially started and Regina unofficially hires Rodrick as babysitter, pool boy, and boy toy.

[A direct continuation of vanilla]

Notes:

shoutout to @Vermin42 for their excellent comment on the previous chapter lmao

2026.06.11. Edited grammatical errors omg there were so much

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Rodrick’s mouth was left hanging in awe upon entering the George's estate, a mansion with the full hella loaded package of perfectly trimmed hedges and stone pillars, culminating in a fountain in front of the main entrance. 

 

He grew up middle-class, privileged enough for all three children to have their own room and fly out of the country once or twice a year. But the Georges made him feel dirt poor. Heck, Regina probably had a private chef to chop her salads for her. 

 

As he pulled up in the driveway, he wondered if his bargain van cheapened the property value. Maybe he should have parked a block away or something, but he was already running a few minutes late after having some missed turns on the way.

 

Was Regina going to be mad at him? Scold him for not contacting her sooner, glare at him with her fiery eyes that made his knees quiver. Or was she going to act cold? Not even spare him a glance, knowing how much he craved her attention after that night. 

 

He had been so nervous about today that he couldn’t even eat lunch properly, moving food around his plate, throat all closed up. 

 

“Why are you being so weird?” Greg asked, because he was annoying like that, always noticing all the little things he wasn’t supposed to.

 

You’re weird,” Rodrick retorted, maturely. 

 

“You showered for three hours in the morning,” Greg proclaimed as if he had a point. 

 

“It was only one hour, dummy. Why don’t you mind your own business?”

 

“But you never shower. That’s why you stink so much.”

 

“You little sh–”

 

“Rodrick, please!” His dad exclaimed, putting a stop before things could escalate. Of course, it's his fault. 

 

Rodrick used the opportunity to excuse himself, taking his plate to the sink and heading outside to begin his drive. 

 

He pressed the doorbell, mulling over the best way to greet a person you spoke with for a total of five minutes, but had the privilege of eating out. He came up with nothing as the door opened almost immediately.

 

“You’re late,” Regina said plainly, her icy exterior as heart-pounding as he remembered.  

 

He shamelessly checked her out. She wore an oversized shirt that ended at her lower hips, hot pink bikini bottom barely visible below. 

 

“I'm sorry. I've never been to the rich part of the neighborhood before,” he explained. “I hope you didn't wait too long for me, though,” he smirked. 

 

The thought of her anticipating his arrival by the door that it opened at once inflated his ego so much that he had the sudden courage to pull her in by the hips and put his mouth on hers. He was expecting to taste that sweet, sweet vanilla goodness he had been craving for weeks only to get… watermelon? Because it’s summer? 

 

Was she matching her lip gloss flavor to the occasion? How unexpectedly adorable.

 

Before he could ask her so, a hand squished his face and shoved it away from hers. 

 

“Don't you know that treats come after tricks?” she glared. 

 

He gently removed her tight grip on his face using both hands. 

 

“So if I do things well, I can kiss you again?” he asked, hopeful, hands still on hers.  

 

“We'll see. Come in, I'll show you where the pool is.”

 

With her hand on his wrist, he obediently trailed after her as they made their way to the backyard. The interior was just as grand as the exterior, but it felt very much detached, like the lobbies of hotels in the city. Decorated to the brim and meticulously organized, but lacking the warmth he felt in his home.

 

As they neared the pool, there was a joyous squeal before the sound of splashing water. Out of the water emerged a wet mass of blonde hair.  

 

“That's my little sister, Kylie,” Regina commented. 

 

“Wait. Did you invite me here to babysit your little sister?”

 

Upon hearing his voice, Kylie faced their direction, curiosity evident on her face as she gazed up at Rodrick. What he saw was a tiny clone of Regina. 

 

Regina rolled her eyes, “Duh. I need to focus on my tan. Were you expecting us to do something else?”

 

Before Rodrick could defend himself–or confirm her suspicions because, yes, he did expect them to do something else–Kylie climbed the pool and approached him, “Who are you?”

 

Upon closer look, their eyes were different. Kylie’s eyes still had the purity and innocence that was long gone in her older sister’s. 

 

Regina answered in his stead, hand now on his bicep, “Kylie, this is Rodrick, our new pool boy.”

 

“I thought I was the babysitter?” He remarked, head tilting in her direction. 

 

“You are both the babysitter and the pool boy. Keep up, will you? Now help me with my sunscreen before you teach Kylie how to swim.” 

 

“See you in a bit, Kylie,” Rodrick waved her goodbye and followed Regina to where the loungers were. 

 

When Regina removed her shirt, Rodrick's throat ran dry. Although he had seen her in short skirts, cropped shirts, and sometimes sleeveless tops, revealing items were always accompanied by a cardigan or loose-fitting pants. Now, there was too much skin exposed that his brain was working into overdrive trying to commit every surface to memory. 

 

She sat on the chair and patted the space beside her.

 

He felt a strange sense of deja vu from two weeks ago, but was quite happy to be promoted from the floor to the chair. 

 

She began applying the lotion to her front side. 

 

Thinking it would be creepy to just watch her, though he would gladly do so, he tried to fill the silence, “I never knew you had a sister.”

 

“We don't belong to the same clique, Rodrick. Even if we did, I don't bring up my family,” she said with disinterest that he deemed too forced, “How about you? Do you have any siblings?”

 

It took him a moment to process that Regina George was participating in small talk with him, Rodrick Heffley, as if they were friends. 

 

“Yeah, I have two younger brothers. One in middle school and one who just entered elementary school,” he replied, trying to be casual about the concept of this afternoon. 

 

“Your house must be lively then,” she looked deep in thought.

 

“You have no idea. I think the house turned chaotic the moment I was born,” he laughed. 

 

“I can imagine,” she chuckled lightly. 

 

He thought, not for the first time since he saw her, that her smile was dazzling.

 

She handed him the sunscreen, “Apply it on my back,” she said. She laid down on her stomach and folded her arms beneath her face. 

 

Rodrick squeezed a small amount on his hand and began with her feet. He hated that all he could think of was how soft they felt on him, that he could never look at her fucking feet and not feel his dick come to life. His body got a little warmer, and he was certain the afternoon sun had nothing to do with it.

 

He moved on to her toned calves, appreciating their firmness. Then her thighs. He took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself for the hardest test of self-control he was about to face. 

 

He wrapped both hands on a single thigh, applying pressure with his thumbs, slowly going up and down, stopping an inch from her ass. 

 

“Hmm, feels nice,” she sighed.

 

He squirted some more lotion on his hands and put one hand on her upper thigh, inching higher and higher until they rested on her cheeks. He wedged both thumbs underneath her swimsuit. He massaged outwards, following the outer lining of stitches, then inwards, then downwards, inching closer and closer to where a small patch of damp fabric formed. 

 

Rodrick stopped breathing. 

 

His touch went lower, gently caressing her puffy lips from both sides. 

 

“Rodrick,” she warned. 

 

He separated her lips and heard a squelch. Holy fu

 

“Rodrick!” She scolded in a whisper, body turned halfway to face him, “My little sister is right there!” 

 

Oh. He totally forgot. He also didn’t notice that he had leaned closer to her, face directly above her ass. He straightened right up. 

 

“Sorry!” He apologized, yet he didn’t even sound convincing to himself, “I got carried away.”

 

“Clearly, you did. Now finish up the job. You haven't done my back yet.” 

 

He proceeded to lightly massage her back with the sunscreen, mindful of the child just a few feet (fucking feet) away. He couldn't resist touching her side boobs though, to which Regina warned with a click of her tongue, and slapped his hands away when he attempted to touch them again. 

 

Once done, she shooed him away to “do some babysitting” while she tanned, holding one of those folding silver things he saw in the commercials. 

 

“Yes, ma'am,” he saluted, adjusted the erection in his pants, and headed to the pool, taking his shirt off before diving to Kylie.

 


 

Two weeks have passed since the hottest–although she would never admit that–night in Regina’s life, and that idiot still hasn't texted her. 

 

She caught a glimpse of him in the graduation ceremony, but it was too crowded and public to approach him. It was impossible for him not to have seen her, though, since the lacrosse team went up on stage to receive a special award from Principal Duvall. 

 

It had been radio silence since then. 

 

He was probably obsessing over what to text her, and then backing off because he was too much of a coward to send it. 

 

Her suspicions were confirmed when his reply was nearly instantaneous. 

 

b there ;)

 

The next day, at 1:55 in the afternoon, she was already by the front door. 

 

By 2:01, he was officially late even when she specifically told him not to be. 

 

“Are you ok, Regina?” Kylie asked, “You've been walking back and forth for a super long time now.”

 

“No, Kylie, I'm just warming up for my swimming.” 

 

“In front of the door?”

 

Weeks without lacrosse made Regina irritable. But she didn’t want to snap at Kylie. She recalled the breathing exercises her therapist taught her. 

 

“Go to the pool, Kylie,” Regina said as evenly as she could.

 

Kylie, not used to seeing her act this way, gave her a look of concern before heading to the backyard. 

 

Two minutes later, through the window, she spotted a white van entering their driveway. A minute later, Rodrick stepped off the vehicle and shook his hands around, as though to get rid of any jitters. 

 

Served him right. He should be nervous about her after making her wait four long minutes.

 

When she opened the door, she used her bitchiest tone, “You’re late.” 

 

Normally, this was the part where people cowered, and Regina would delight in the look of fear in their faces. Rodrick must have been determined to subvert all of her expectations because this moron beamed at her. His eyes, devoid of their usual eyeliner, somehow appeared brighter. 

 

“I hope you didn't wait too long for me, though,” he remarked, arrogantly. 

 

As if she would stand by the door and wait for his sorry ass.

 

When he kissed her, hands warm on her hips, thumb looping through the ribbons of her bikini, her body buzzed with excitement.

 

Nonetheless, he was late, and he didn’t get to escape the consequences of being so. Regina clutched his face with her hand and forced it away. 

 

By the pool, she almost gave in when Rodrick’s big hands pressed against her so deliciously, only kept level-headed by the presence of her sister. For the second time that day, she exercised self-restraint and chased him away while she still had some brain cells left.  

 

Cady once mentioned, during the quiet hours of sleepovers, that predators can stalk their prey for hours, observing every habit and tendency. 

 

“It will only take one moment of weakness from the prey for predators to strike with their full strength, mercilessly devouring their meal,” she recited like she was reading a textbook. 

 

(Months later, Regina realized that she was the prey in that situation.)

 

(She vowed never to be in that position ever again.)

 

Back then, Regina remembered thinking that the lion had always been her spirit animal. Both of them understood that the most exquisite of victories belonged only to those with the patience to play the long game. 

 

So she sat there, taking note of his behavior. If he had any tells, any weaknesses she could exploit. 

 

What she didn't account for was how good he would be with Kylie.

 

The image of Rodrick encouraging Kylie, holding her hands, and teaching her how to properly kick. Kylie giggling, having the most fun she’s had since their parents' divorce.

 

“Rodrick, I want to go to the deep part!” Kylie shouted with glee. 

 

Regina reminisced about the time when she was her sister’s age. At age nine, Regina had less than half of her sister’s wonder. She remembered feeling pity for Kylie as she looked through the sterile window of the nursery, another baby born to a loveless marriage with an emotionally unstable mother and absent father. 

 

She promised to do better for Kylie, not wanting her sister to experience the childhood horrors she had to endure. But she was swept away by the world of gossip and boys and teenage politics until she, too, neglected her sister.  

 

She sipped her soda, letting the fizz echo into the hollowness she felt from the thought of leaving her Kylie behind once university started.

 

“Regina,” called Rodrick, disrupting her train of thought. 

 

She was met with two wide grins peeking over from the edge of the pool. 

 

“What?”

 

“Wanna race us?”

 

“Not really.”

 

Not one to be easily deterred, Rodrick tapped Kylie on the shoulder and whispered loudly, “Do the face!”

 

Kylie nodded in agreement and faced Regina with an exaggerated pout, “Please, Regina!” Her hands clasped together in a plea. 

 

Regina pretended to ponder for a moment, “I'll consider it,” which made Rodrick and Kylie high-five.

 

“What does the winner get?” Regina continued. 

 

Her sister answered, “The loser will be the winner’s horse!”

 

It was such a dumb prize, but seeing Kylie this happy was all it took for Regina to say, “Count me in.”

 


 

Rodrick did not expect Regina to be this good at swimming.

 

Maybe he shouldn’t have underestimated her after witnessing her in the lacrosse field. It made sense that her legs, having the power to kick a million girls in the face, would be great swimmers. 

 

He naively thought that towering over her would give him some form of advantage, at least. 

 

He was wrong, obviously. That’s how he found himself less of a horse and more like a tree, with Regina the koala–holding onto him from behind, legs wrapped around his waist and arms circling his neck–and Kylie the other koala–very much upset in his arms. 

 

“Rodrick, you said we wouldn't lose!” Kylie exclaimed, shaking his shoulders.

 

“Don’t shake me too hard, Kylie. We've got precious cargo over here. And I’m sorry, I forgot that your sister was the best at everything.”

 

“Yes, I am,” Regina said, smugness evident in her voice. “Kylie, why don’t you show me what our pool boy taught you?”

 

Kylie, given the opportunity to impress her elder sister, forgot all about her outburst. She faced the other side of the pool and asked Rodrick to launch her feet for a head start. 

 

While Kylie swam away, Rodrick adjusted Regina, using both arms to propel her higher on his back. She clung to him tighter, her soft boobs pressing harder against his back.

 

Kylie, Regina’s little sister, who is right there, was already swimming back to them after reaching the opposite side of the pool. 

 

Think kid-friendly, non-sexual thoughts. 

 

Like school. History. Math. Books. Boobs. Regina’s boobs. Boobs with hard nipples pressing from behind. Shit. Shit. He should stop thinking at all.  

 

“Rodrick, let’s go to the deep part again!” Kylie said as soon as she took her first breath out of the water. 

 

“Yes, boss. Hold my hand, Kylie. Regina, hold on tight.”

 

At the deepest part of the pool he could come up to, they resumed the swimming drills, Rodrick being Kylie’s goal post as she went back and forth the pool's width. 

 

While Kylie was swimming away, Regina broke her silence, "I've never stood in this part of the pool before.”

 

 He snorted, “That’s ‘cause you’re short.”

 

Next thing he knew, he was plunged beneath the surface, nostrils burning from the water. 

 




Kylie, wiped out from an afternoon of swimming, cuddled against Regina on the lounge. 

 

They were all wearing pink bathrobes, courtesy of Rodrick's insistence on being included upon seeing the sisters’ matching ones. He was delighted to be informed that they somehow had another robe his size.

 

“You are really sweet to your sister,” he remarked, gesturing to their position.

 

“It's what she deserves,” she replied, fingers combing through Kylie’s hair.

 

Rodrick, sensing her unwillingness to share, did not pry. Instead, he asked about her car. 

 

She spoke about how it was a gift from her father for her 16th birthday, and that she used to drive Gretchen, Karen, and Cady to school and back. At the beginning of her senior year, the drive home was much quicker and quieter. However, nearing the end, the drive home took longer and was louder than it had ever been. The lacrosse team refused to let Regina feel even a moment of loneliness. 

 

In turn, he told her about his van. How he got it for cheap from his uncle, since he just needed to lug band equipment for gigs, when they were lucky enough to get one. Before he transferred, his bandmates hosted a farewell party for him on the back. The space was too cramped for four fully grown boys, but it was a memory he held dear. He kept the “Rock On, Rodrick” tapestry hanging inside ever since. 

 

“Do you ever clean that junk?” she asked, scrunching her nose at the thought of all the food wrappers, drugs, and mysterious stains that were probably in there. 

 

“I will clean it out if that’s what’s stopping you.”

 

She raised an eyebrow, “How presumptuous of you,” she scoffed.

 

“I actually know that word, Regina. It's not presumptuous if it will happen.”

 

“Keep dreaming,” she said with a tone of finality but without any real bite. 

 

Regina wondered if all conversations with him were always this easy, devoid of underlying motives, just conversation for the sake of talking with the other person. 

 

Eventually, Kylie woke up hungry so they had an early dinner. Their private chef (Rodrick muttered, “I knew it!”) served salad, spaghetti, and roasted chicken.

 

After dinner, Kylie, having spaghetti sauce all over her face, went to shower first. Before leaving, she made Rodrick promise to wait for her to finish so they could play some more. 

 

And then there were two.

 

Rodrick still had his back to her from when he spoke to Kylie. She eyed him, appreciating his surprisingly broad shoulders that tapered down to his narrow waist, prominent even when clothed in the pink fuzz.

 

Regina was starving.

 

Had been for weeks

 

“Rodrick, hot tub,” she stated before heading outside, not glancing to check if he followed, certain that he would. 

 

The sky was painted a beautiful shade of orange and purple from the setting sun. Regina prepared the scene, flipping the switch for the bubbles, setting her robe on the chair, and dipping herself in the warm water.

 

“Come in,” she invited, batting her eyelashes, “I don't bite… though you’d probably want me to.”

 

Rodrick chuckled, “Yeah, I do.” He sat down with his body pressed against her side. 

 

She leaned her head on his shoulder, “Thanks for taking care of Kylie today. She had so much fun.”

 

“No problem,” he replied, eyes focused on the birds on the horizon.

 

He jumped when she touched his knee, her movement obscured by the bubbles. Her other hand guided his face to hers.

 

“Now that there's only the two of us… Is there anything you want to do?” she asked.

 

“...Can I see your boobs?” Rodrick whispered, cheeks splotched with redness. 

 

She remained silent, raising a brow, urging him to continue his request, enjoying the way his redness extended to his chest. 

 

“I didn't get to see them before,” he added, eyes travelling downwards to her cleavage. 

 

“Alright. I did promise treats, and you were so good today, weren't you?” She said as she caressed his neck.

 

Regina kissed his collarbone. Rodrick sighed, hand moving to her nape, just to hold her. 

 

She pulled him closer, pressing her lips against his pulse. She kissed it once, twice. She felt his heart through her lips, as it beat faster and harder, making her lips tingle. She sucked on the patch of skin until it left a mark.  

 

His hand against her nape was trembling. 

 

He could be such a wimp sometimes. 

 

She crawled onto his lap, legs bracketing his hips. She placed his hands on her chest, wordlessly giving him permission. 

 

Rodrick pulled her top down, the straps digging into her skin, fabric pushing up her breasts, making them look fuller. 

 

“Ugh, I just got these. You’ll stretch the fabric,” she weakly scolded.

 

“I'm sure you can afford another one,” he said before taking a nipple in his mouth, moaning as he finally tasted her, “Been dreaming about these tits for weeks.”

 

He lapped at her breasts, hands alternating between pinching and soothing her nipples. His teeth lightly grazed against her, fueling the embers within her. Regina was feverish with desire. She arched her back to him, rolled her hips, seeking more touch, more friction, more him

 

“Rodrick, stop,” she said, voice light.

 

He let go of her nipple with a pop, leaving it red and swollen. 

 

She took a hand off her breasts and placed it between her legs. She ran her hand along his jaw, urging him to look at her. 

 

“Do you still remember how?” she asked.

 

He nodded.

 

Rodrick mapped her heat through the fabric, familiarizing himself with her once more. He circled her bud, just the way she liked, like the way he was taught.  

 

“Like this, right?” he whispered huskily. 

 

She nodded, body squirming in pleasure. His other arm wrapped around her, preventing her from falling over.

 

Beneath the water, she reached out for his waistband.  

 

“Your turn,” she declared as she pulled down his shorts. He raised his hips in compliance. With the bubbles blocking her view, Regina had to rely solely on touch. 

 

She thinks it’s better this way, so she can focus on his face.

 

On how his brows furrowed when she traced his hips.

 

On how his eyes widened when she found his hardness.

 

On how he hissed as she stroked him once, her hand firm and steady. 

 

She pushed her thumb against his head, playing with the loose skin connected to his shaft. At once, Rodrick groaned, and his hips twitched forward. 

 

She pressed a hand against his hips as a warning before earnestly pumping him. Rodrick resumed his ministrations on her clit in return. 

 

She pressed their lips together, but they barely kissed, their open mouths capturing one another’s soft moans instead.

 

Rodrick pushed the fabric of her bikini aside and plunged two fingers into her, spreading her open. She ground herself to his palm, her grip on him going clumsy.

 

“There is a better way… where it feels better for both of us,” Regina said.

 

She raised her hips, his finger slipping out of her, and lowered herself onto him, until her pussy lips wrapped around the head of his cock. He felt burning hot against her.  

 

He tightened his hold on her, “Regina…?”

 

“Since there’s no condom, make sure it doesn’t slide in.”

 

It wouldn't actually matter, considering she was on the pill, but she rather enjoys keeping him both afraid and aroused. 

 

She rolled her hips.

 

“Ah, fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Rodrick stared at the sky, “You’re killing me, Regina. You’re gonna kill me,” he cried.  

 

Her pussy lips clung tightly against him as it slid through his length, pleasure building up within her every time the head hit her clit with each thrust. It truly was unfair, Regina thinks, that humping like horny middle schoolers already felt better than all the sex she has had. 

 

She was nearing the edge. 

 

Then, she angled her hips a certain way, and the tip caught on her hole. They both gasp. His grip on her waist tightens painfully, making her flinch, “Ah!”

 

She was so close.

 

As Regina was about to continue grinding to chase her release, the hands on her waist stilled her movement.

 

“Did I hurt you?” he questioned, worry etched on his face, his hands soothing her sides. 

 

“I’m fine,” she chirped. She could feel her orgasm slipping away. Why was he being so dramatic? She was fine with a little pain, that was nothing compared to lacrosse.

 

Regina raised her hips, but was stopped a second time. 

 

Fucking hell.

 

“Are you sure?” he asked again, leaning closer to check on her.

 

In an instant, her hand flew to cover his mouth. “Shut the fuck up,” she seethed, nails digging into his cheeks. “If you stop my orgasm one more time, I’m going to suffocate you.”

 

As she warned him, her hand drifted upwards, finger sealing over his nose, cutting off most of his air. She felt a shallow, desperate breath slip through her fingers. 

 

Her other hand held onto the hair on the nape of his neck. She pushed his head backwards until he was leaning on the edge of the hot tub, facing the darkening sky above. He was malleable under her hands, the image of complete surrender, hands going slack and falling down from her waist.

 

“Stay,” she ordered. 

 

She placed both hands on his chest and began to chase her pleasure again. She rode him hard, mewls and groans emitting from their throats. 

 

She nibbled on the hollow of his throat, right where his vein was bulging out, next to his adam's apple.

 

Finally, she reached her peak, the snapping of a rubber band as she clenched around nothing. She bit him hard, enough that it would leave traces of her teeth for days to come. 

 

She melted into him, exhausted, her head on his shoulder. 

 

“Regina, more, please,” he begged, arms now hugging her, his cheek rubbing against her temple.

 

“I'm spent. You're gonna have to do all the work,” she 

 

“Can you stand up for a little bit?” 

 

She nodded, and he maneuvered her around, bending her over the edge, where his head had been. He pushed her thighs together and slipped his cock into the tiny gap that formed between.

 

“Feels good,” Rodrick groaned.

 

He set the pace, hands on her hips as he fucked her thighs in frantic, uneven thrusts. He bent over, whispering in her ear how devastated he was that she didn't contact him, how he touched himself at the thought of her multiple times a day.

 

Then he reached his climax while almost lying fully on top of her, his body heat keeping her from the cold air of the night. 

 

She slightly twisted her neck to kiss him, savoring his soft lips. 

 

Suddenly, he pulls away with a gasp, “Regina! Your sister could be back anytime soon!”

 

Rodrick held her upright and returned her bikini top to its correct place. 

 

He wore his trunks and hopped out of the tub before her. He bowed and extended his hand to her, mimicking a butler with a British accent, “My lady,” as he helped her out of the water. He held out her robes for her before wearing his own. 

 

They headed inside to shower, Rodrick in the guest room and Regina in hers. Kylie was nowhere to be found, still taking a bath.

 

After she was done, she found Rodrick and Kylie in a game of Uno on the living room rug. 

 

Regina did not join, taking a magazine to the couch behind Rodrick. She flipped to a random page and placed it on her lap, not even bothering to read. Rodrick was playing weirdly, drawing unnecessarily, and withholding special cards. 

 

He was letting Kylie win.

 

At around 10 pm, Rodrick prepared to depart, explaining that he had a curfew.

 

Regina and Kylie walked him to his van. 

 

“Will you come back, Rodrick?” Kylie asked as Rodrick opened the door. 

 

Rodrick glanced at Regina, waiting for her permission. 

 

“Duh. He totally will. We need someone to carry our bags in the mall,” Regina replied, patting Kylie’s head.

 

She turned to Rodrick, a satisfied grin on his face upon hearing her statement. Peeking through the neckline of his shirt were her bitemarks. She continued, “I gave you my number for a reason. Text me.”

 

“Then can I text you once I get home?” 

 

“Start driving, Heffley, before mommy grounds you for breaking curfew.”

 

Rodrick climbed into his van, and the engine roared to life. He rolled down his window to bid them both farewell. They watched as the van disappeared into the distance.

 

“Is he your boyfriend?” Kylie asked.

 

“No,” she answered, not explaining any further.

 


 

As Regina settled into bed, her phone vibrated on the nightstand.

 

hope ur waist is ok

 

She lifted her shirt to inspect her waist, the ghost of a bruise blossoming on where he gripped her too hard. 

 

its fine

 

good :)

btw is the mall thng real??

 

yeah. ill txt u when

 

u jst made me the happiest man alive

 

oh pls its nothing

 

It was true. The last two days were nothing hard for her to do. 

 

–the cashier, handing her the paper bags that were heavy with a new pair of bikini and a pink cotton robe that was way too large for her–

 

–the technician, thanking her for the generous pay, and Regina insisting that it was well-deserved for the excellent work he did, restoring the hot tub at the last minute–

 

–her, knocking on Kylie's door, inviting her to swim after months of neglecting the pool–

 

–their chef, accepting her request to serve spaghetti, despite Kylie's known clumsiness in eating sauced pastas–

 

–Kylie, who can easily take four hours in the shower unless interrupted, left unsupervised–

 

Regina smirked to herself.

 

Really, it was nothing. 

 

Playing the long game had always been her expertise.

 

Notes:

i initially started this chapter with the handjob in the hot tub scene in mind but the plot just kept growing

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