Anyone but Her

by Erica Lee

  “I second that,” Mr. Miller piped in.

  “On second thought, I think I can tough it out,” I suggested, trying to backtrack.

  Mrs. Miller waved a hand at me. “Absolutely not. There’s no need to sit here and suffer. Who knows how long we’ll end up staying. Plus, I know Charlie doesn’t mind. Right, Charlie?”

  “Right, Mom,” Charlie mumbled, before standing up to leave. She didn’t even turn to make sure I was behind her and was at the car by the time I caught up to her.

  She turned on the engine without saying a word, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the “low fuel” light on her dash. I pointed to the alert. “Looks like we better stop for gas.”

  “It’ll be fine,” Charlie answered through gritted teeth, not even daring to look in my direction.

  I decided it was for the best if I kept my mouth shut and didn’t even say anything when the car began to sputter. I was quiet as Charlie whispered expletives under her breath and pulled to the side of the road, just in time for the car to stop completely. “Go ahead and say it,” she finally spoke.

  “S-Say what?”

  “That you told me so. You said I needed gas, and I ignored it. Now we are stuck on the side of this random back road, in a situation that you were clearly trying to avoid, since I know for a fact you’re not sick.”

  “Well, I know for a fact that you have no interest in dating Mr. Mechanic, but that didn’t stop you from speaking his praises at dinner.”

  “And what do you care, Reagan?” Charlie fought back.

  “I-I don’t,” I lied.

  Instead of answering, Charlie looked down at her phone. “Shit. There is no service out here. That’s just great.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just sat in silence, willing myself to stare out the windshield into the dark night. When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I looked toward Charlie. Her shorts were pushed up a little higher due to her seated position, and I couldn’t stop myself from trailing my eyes down her glorious legs. She was breathtaking, and I was powerless to the feelings surging through me. “I really like those shorts by the way.”

  My words caused Charlie’s eyes to whip toward mine, and I watched her follow the path they were making over her legs. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?” I asked, feigning innocence.

  “Hitting on me. Looking at me like you want to devour me right now. You’re straight. You’re dating my brother, for God’s sake.”

  I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t lie. I needed Charlie to know how I was feeling. “I’m not straight. I thought you would’ve figured that out the night I kissed you.”

  Charlie shook her head in disbelief. “Okay. So, what? You’re bi? You’re still dating my brother.”

  I shook my head in return. “I’m a lesbian, Charlie. I’ve never even been with a guy. I’ve been out since ninth grade.”

  “But, I’m confused. You and my brother…”

  An unfair amount of frustration built up inside of me in response to her confusion. “For God’s sake, Charlie. I’m not dating your brother. It’s fake, okay?”

  Charlie’s face scrunched up into a look of sincere confusion. “It’s fake? How can it be fake? Jamie has been talking about you for years.”

  I let out a defeated sigh. “That’s because I’ve been in his life for years. We’re best friends and roommates.”

  “I just don’t understand why he would lie about that.”

  I cringed, knowing I had already said too much. “Please don’t make me say it, Charlie. Just know that you and your brother have a lot more in common than you realize.”

  “So, what you’re saying is…”

  Please don’t make me confirm that your brother is gay.

  To my surprise, Charlie’s hand landed on my leg and slowly started moving higher. “I could kiss you right now and it would be completely okay.”

  I struggled to take air into my lungs as her hand continued its path. “What I’m saying is that I need you to kiss me right now.”

  Charlie froze as our eyes met. The desire I could see burning in her eyes was so intense that I thought I might catch on fire.

  When she finally spoke, her voice came out in a moan. “Ugh. I just… God, Reagan.”

  With that, her nails dug into my leg and she lunged across the center console to crash her lips against mine. There was nothing cautious about this kiss. All of the sexual tension that had been building since that last kiss was being released as our tongues tangled together. I could barely breathe, but I didn’t care. I needed this. I needed it all, and it didn’t matter that we were in a small car broken down on the side of a country road. I needed it now. Apparently, Charlie felt the same way because, without even releasing her lips from mine, she somehow maneuvered herself onto my seat so she was straddling me. She ran her hands through my hair as she continued to kiss me, only removing her lips from mine to kiss my neck.

  “Charlie, please,” I begged. I wasn’t even sure what I was asking for, but at this point I would have taken whatever she wanted to give.

  She ran her hands along my sides and slowly began to grind her hips into mine. It was so hot that I started seeing colors in my vision. Vivid reds and blues flashed before my eyes, and it was like a siren had started going off inside my head. In all of my sexual experiences, I had never experienced anything like this. The lights were so vivid. No, wait. Why were they so vivid? And what was that noise? I blinked my eyes a few times to bring the sight in front of me into focus. “Shit, Charlie. Police.”

  Almost as quickly as she had gotten onto my lap, Charlie was back in the driver’s seat. Luckily, she was much more swift than the police officer who had yet to get out of his car. Upon stepping out, he shined a flashlight in our direction, which was so bright that it kept me from being able to make out too much about the figure walking toward us. Once he was close to the driver’s side, Charlie opened her door so she could explain what happened.

  “Turns out, I ran—”

  “Charlie Miller? Is that you? What a surprise!”

  “Jarrett?” Charlie responded with much less enthusiasm.

  “It’s me! I heard you were back in town, but didn’t know when I would run into you.” The officer, apparently named Jarrett, shined the flashlight in my eyes once again. “And who is this?”

  Charlie moved her eyes between me and Jarrett. “This is… Umm… Jamie’s girlfriend, Reagan.”

  “Well, hot damn. Way to go, Mills,” Jarrett said, as if I was a trophy instead of a human being. “So, how can I help you ladies tonight?”

  Charlie gestured toward her gas tank. “I thought I could make it home with the little bit of gas I had left, but it turns out, I couldn’t. So, we ran out.”

  Jarrett’s smile grew even wider. “Lucky for you ladies, I’m prepared. I happen to have a gas can in the back of the squad car.”

  “Our knight in shining armor,” I joked, as Jarrett bounded toward his car. Before I could say anything else, he was back and filling the tank.

  “Alright, ladies, start it up.” A satisfied grin spread over Jarrett’s face when the engine came on. He shook his head back and forth as he continued to stare at Charlie as if she was a piece of meat. “Charlie Miller. Oh man. Can you imagine the fun we would’ve had in that back seat if something like this had happened to us in high school?”

  “Sure can’t!” Charlie joked. Her words caused me to choke out a snort.

  Not catching on to her sarcasm, Jarrett continued to shake his head, the boyish grin never leaving his face. “We had some good times. Best days of my life, honestly. If you ever wanna relive our glory days, feel free to give me a call. I still have the same number.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Charlie responded flatly.

  This response was good enough for Jarrett and he strutted back toward his car as if he fully expected that phone call. Once he pulled away, Charlie and I burst into a fit of laughter.

  “High school boyfriend?”
I asked.

  “The one and only.”

  “Glad to see your tastes have improved.”

  Charlie’s lips quirked into a sideways grin. “Oh yeah? And who says that they have?”

  Oh, so that’s how it was going to be. “I just think the guy who owns the auto body shop would be a much better fit for you,” I teased back.

  Charlie lifted a flirtatious eyebrow. “So, I take it my plan to make you jealous worked.”

  “Maybe. Although, not quite as well as my plan at mini golf.”

  “Do you mean the plan that involved you almost drowning so I had to rescue you? Because if that was actually planned, you’re a great actress.”

  I let out a soft chuckle. I was loving this back and forth banter. “Nope. I’m talking about the plan that resulted in you giving me an up close and personal golf lesson.”

  Charlie’s hand landed back on my leg, immediately bringing back all of the feelings from earlier, as she traced patterns along my thigh. “True, but whose plan resulted in us making out in the front seat of my car?”

  “Touché,” I breathed, barely able to focus on the conversation. I thought I might burst as Charlie’s hand moved farther up my leg. When she reached the bottom of my shorts, she let her hand slip underneath, at which point I brought my hand down to stop her. Charlie looked over at me, seemingly confused at my move. “Listen, I am extremely turned on right now. Probably more turned on than I’ve been in a really long time, maybe ever. If your hand gets any higher, I may lose it, and I’d rather not get off in the passenger seat of your car, at least not for our first time together.”

  Charlie’s eyes widened with my confession, but a small smile played on her lips. “First time? Does that mean you want there to be more times?”

  “It means…” I hesitated, not quite sure what I wanted to say. “It means that I think we have a lot to talk about, but for now, I don’t want to talk.”

  With those words, Charlie removed her hand from my leg and grabbed gear shift, putting the car in drive. “I don’t want to talk either,” she purred.

  Chapter 6: Charlie

  Reagan and I were barely inside the front door of my parents’ house before our lips were back on each other. I had so many questions, but none of them mattered right now. Reagan wanted me and I wanted her and there was nothing (or no one) standing in our way. We continued kissing as we stumbled up the stairs and down the hallway into my room. I closed my bedroom door by pushing Reagan against it and was satisfied with the moan that escaped her lips in response to my body moving closer to hers. I placed one hand on her hip, as I reached the other one around to lock the door.

  When Reagan pulled back to see what I was doing, I pointed to the locked door and winked. “Just in case.”

  Before I could lean in to start kissing her again, Reagan ran her fingers along the space between my tank top and shorts. “This outfit is so unfair,” she groaned. “How was I not supposed to give in when you look like this?”

  I beamed at her admittance, basking in the feeling of her fingers gently moving across my skin, causing goosebumps to follow in their path. “Well, then I’m glad I wore it.” I began kissing her neck while her fingers continued their back and forth motion.

  “God, Charlie, I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you,” Reagan breathlessly confessed.

  “All two weeks ago?” I teased, trying not to show just how much her words were affecting me. I figured if I played it cool, I might be able to keep myself from coming the moment our clothes came off.

  “Has it really only been two weeks?” Reagan gasped. “God, time really does slow down when you’re trying to hinder a burning desire.”

  This time, her words caused me to pull back. “You really wanted me that badly?”

  Reagan rested her hands on my hips and gaped at me. “Charlie, those words don’t even begin to skim the surface of how badly I want you. At the risk of sounding crazy, I’ve never in my entire life felt such fierce chemistry with someone I just met.”

  With those words, any of my remaining reservations were shattered. I lifted Reagan off of the ground, taking the opportunity to rest my hands on her butt as I carried her to my bed. I laid her down, wasting no time to crawl right on top of her. I placed kisses along her jawline and down to her collarbone, saying one word between each touch of my lips. “I’ve. Wanted. You. From. The. Moment. I. Met. You. Too.”

  Reagan sighed, then to my surprise started to chuckle. “You were totally checking me out when I first got here, weren’t you? Here, I thought you were sizing me up to see if I was good enough for your brother, but really you just couldn’t keep your eyes off of me.”

  “What can I say? You have a very nice ass,” I purred, before slipping my hands underneath her to run them over the back of her shorts.

  “Oh yeah? Is that my only feature that you find nice?” Reagan asked, falling right back into the moment.

  Immediately realizing what she was getting at, I removed my hands from her bottom and moved them into her hair. “Not even close,” I whispered. “Your hair is perfect.” I continued to massage her scalp as I peppered kisses along her neck. Reagan whimpered as my lips left her neck, but I quickly placed one kiss on each eyelid. “And those eyes. They’re so dark and inviting. And don’t even get me started on these lips.” I ran one finger along her lower lip, before tracing the same path with my tongue. Reagan opened her mouth and my body buzzed as our tongues reconnected. I forced myself to pull away, tugging at the bottom of her shirt to show that I was ready for it to come off. Reagan lifted her arms as I pulled the shirt over her head. My eyes immediately settled on her stomach. “I also love your freckles.”

  “I’m going to assume you’re not talking about the ones on my face right now,” Reagan laughed.

  I bit my bottom lip and shook my head, then bent down to trace my tongue from one freckle to the next.

  Reagan’s body bucked below me. “You are literally torturing me right now.”

  “No, darling, I’m worshipping you. There’s a big difference. Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve mentioned how great your boobs are.”

  Reagan lifted her body, knowing exactly what was coming next. I used this opportunity to slip my hands behind her back and unsnap her bra, which she easily slipped off, revealing the most perfect chest. The loud moan that escaped Reagan’s lips from one simple touch was enough to make me forget all about taking it slow. I replaced my hands with my mouth, so my hands could be used to remove the rest of Reagan’s clothes. Once she was completely naked, I sat back to take in the view. “God, Reagan, you’re like a freaking piece of art.”

  Reagan tilted her head as a smile spread across her face. She ran her eyes along my fully dressed body. “I think you forgot something.”

  I slowly lifted one eyebrow in her direction, using one finger to direct her chin so her eyes were looking into mine. “I’m the one who is fully dressed, so I believe that means you forgot something.”

  There was nothing slow about the way Reagan removed my clothes. It was like she had been awaiting permission and couldn’t hold back once she had it. And, damn, it was sexy. The only thing sexier was the way her eyes raked over my naked body once all of my clothes were gone. I watched as she licked her lips, before pulling me back down on top of her. Our mouths met again as our bodies connected. The friction of skin on skin was almost enough to send me over the edge, but I refused to go down without a fight. I slipped my hand down between our sweaty bodies and reveled in the way Reagan’s breathing immediately picked up as I reached my destination.

  “Oh God, Charlie. I’m so close,” she panted.

  “Is that so?” I asked, while sliding one finger inside of her, enjoying the way she moved against my hand.

  Reagan bit down hard on her bottom lip and nodded vigorously. Her movements were jumpy as she tried to hold on. She released her words between gasps of air. “I want… to worship… you too. But… but… later. Right now… I really want… us to let
go together. Is… is that okay?”

  “Please,” was the only response I could get out, but that’s all it took. Reagan plunged two fingers deep inside of me, and I knew it wouldn’t be much longer. I added a second finger as well and pumped in and out as she did the same. I lost track of the whole world around me as the orgasm took over, spreading through my body until I couldn’t take anymore and screamed out, before falling onto my back utterly exhausted.

  It took a while for me to come back down to earth, which was when my mind focused back on Reagan. I scanned her sweat-glistened body, then nervously looked into her eyes. “Shit. Did you…?”

  “Are you kidding me?” she laughed. “How are you even asking that? My body wasn’t exactly subtle about it.”

  I could feel the warmth of a blush spreading across my cheeks. “I was a bit distracted.”

  Reagan chuckled softly as she ran a hand up and down my arm. “I can’t believe we just did that. Two and a half weeks ago, I didn’t even know that Jamie had a twin sister. Now I’m lying naked in her bed.”

  It was weird to think about my brother right now, but I guess it made sense that Reagan’s mind would go there. I just hoped that didn’t make this too awkward for her. “You don’t regret it, do you?” I asked hesitantly, afraid to hear the answer.

  Reagan laughed once again. “Regret it? No way. I was actually just thinking about how much I hope this wasn’t just a one-time thing.”

  Her words made my heart flutter, as well as causing certain other parts of my body to react. “We’re going to be sharing a room for the next three weeks. I don’t think it could be a one-time thing even if I wanted it to be. Which I totally don’t. Just for the record.”

  “Speaking of sharing, now that we’ve crossed a certain line, any interest in sharing this nice comfy bed with me?”