Unconditional

by Tyler, Q. B.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you can’t fucking manipulate me.” He runs his tongue over his teeth. His tongue that has gotten very acquainted with my pussy for the past hour.

  I narrow my eyes and go to move off the bed when Cal pins me to it, keeping me in place. “Get off, Cal.”

  “You know, I’ve never spanked you, but I’m tempted to change that. Don’t ever insult me like that again.” He growls. “I don’t care if you were only saying it to get a rise out of me.”

  I swallow at the heat of his words. “Spank me?”

  “Yes, over my knee, bare-assed.”

  “How very Fifty Shades,” I smirk. I’ll never forget the look on Cal’s face when he found out that I had an affinity for romance books. He practically fled from the room and avoided my eyes for a week.

  A smile plays at his lips, but it’s wicked and sinister, not playful. My clit pulses in response. “This isn’t fucking over.” He grits out before he rubs his nose against mine gently as if he’s chasing his harsh statement with gentleness.

  “Okay.” The fatigue of what felt like at least ten orgasms is catching up with me. Coupled with the very exhausting interaction with Henry has me fighting sleep.

  “Tired?”

  I shake my head, knowing that he had plans to keep me up all night, and that I had made a big promise about giving him a blow job. “No, I’m awake.” My eyes flutter open but he’s already moving off of me.

  “Get some rest, baby.” He kisses my lips and the taste of my orgasm is still on his. He pulls the covers up over my naked body and I reach for him, wanting him within reach but he’s already off the bed.

  “Wait…” I whine, and he chuckles.

  “Just let me cut all of the lights and check the alarm, I’ll be back in two minutes.”

  I nod, knowing that I’ll be long asleep by then. Holy shit, sex is exhausting.

  “You’re being suuuuper weird,” Aria says as she reaches across the table and swipes a fry from my plate. Aria is always on some diet, despite the fact that she had the most perfect body. I think this week it’s Keto or something. Whatever it is, it’s turning her into a raging bitch because she usually treats French fries like they’re their own food group. I shoo her hand away and point at her pitiful salad.

  It’s been three days since Henry had caught me and Cal, and we still hadn’t told anyone. We are hoping to wait until after my birthday to give us one final holiday of normalcy before the Grayson family changes forever. I was shocked to learn that Henry hadn’t immediately told Aria because that was something she wouldn’t have been able to hide from me. Christmas is tomorrow and just like every year, Aria and I have lunch on Christmas Eve that sprouted out of Cal having to work the first Christmas I lived with him.

  “You won’t be here for Christmas?” My lip trembles as I notice the suitcase packed in the corner. I’ve been living with Cal for about two months now and this is the first time he’s leaving overnight. Needless to say, I’m terrified.

  “No, sweetheart. But I made sure Santa knew to take all your toys to Aria and Henry’s.”

  I wipe my eyes to prevent the tears from falling. “I don’t want the toys. Just you.” I hate seeming ungrateful, but I’m used to not getting toys. I’m also pretty sure Santa isn’t real, but Cal seems to be pretty sure he is so I don’t want to tell him that.

  “Really? I heard you got some really nice things…”

  I purse my lips as I think about the list Cal made me make of all the things I want. It wasn’t very long because I wasn’t even sure what to ask for, but he said he knew I’d been good this year so I would probably get everything.

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “I should be back on your birthday.”

  “You promise?”

  He rubs my cheek slightly and sighs. “I can’t promise you that. But I promise that I’ll try my hardest.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze. “Merry Christmas, Cal. Thank you for the best present.”

  He wraps his arms around my tiny body and rubs my back gently. “Merry Christmas to you too, Mads.”

  “Earth to Maddie?” Aria waves a hand in front of my face and I snap out of my memories. “What is with you lately?”

  “Nothing.” I shake my head. “Sorry…what?”

  She sighs. “I can’t get anyone to pay attention to me.” She hides her hurt with her sarcasm as she pokes at her salad.

  “I’m listening, I swear. Just a lot on my mind.”

  “Like what, Mads? Since when don’t you tell me things?”

  “What did you mean about no one paying attention to you?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

  “Well, I guess you’re practically an adult…and weirdly my best friend.” She waves an arm around. “Henry’s being strange.”

  “More so than usual?” I raise an eyebrow at her. Every once in a while, Henry kind of shuts down on Aria. It’s like he needs intermittent breaks from being married. It’s sad and not fair at all to Aria. I know they got married because she was pregnant, but I always assumed he still loved her and not that…he felt trapped?

  “Yeah.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He hasn’t been around much. The usual stuff, staying late at the office, leaving early in the morning. But I also feel like we haven’t had a conversation in days.” Probably since he found out about me and Cal. “And he mentioned something about not making it to your birthday dinner…” she winces. “It’s so weird.”

  “Maybe things have changed.” My guess is he’s probably not enthused about being around me and Cal.

  “Why? What the hell changed?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. The words are on the tip of my tongue, knowing that it would probably be better coming from me versus Cal anyway, but we have a plan. A plan that doesn’t involve me telling Aria in a public place on Christmas Eve. Aria would have questions. Aria would yell. And cry. And maybe throw something. Now really isn’t the time. “Maybe it’s for the best, that he’s not at dinner…since Grant will be there?”

  “I guess…I feel like he doesn’t even want to go to Margie’s tomorrow. It’s so strange.” She takes a sip of her water and tucks a dirty blonde tress behind her ear. I’m about to ask her if she’ll still be at Margie’s for Christmas when a voice floats around us.

  “Aria!” A vibrant redhead with dark brown eyes and breasts that make it so a guy probably never knew what color her eyes actually were comes towards the table.

  “Ashley, hey!” Aria stands up and hugs her before pointing at me. “Ash, this is—”

  “Maddie! Oh my gosh, you’re even prettier in person.” She presses a hand to her large chest and stares at me for a second, as if she’s shocked that I’m really in front of her. “When Cal showed me your picture, you did not look this grown up!” She shakes her head and looks at Aria. “Guys and their daughters, I guess.”

  “He’s not my father,” I snap, harsher than I planned. But I don’t know who this girl is and I’m already on edge from the conversation about Henry and now this.

  “Well, I know…not technically, but he always kept me up to date on how you were doing. He’s so proud of you.” She beams and it makes me want to smack the look off her face.

  I cock my head to the side innocently. “You’re friends with Cal?”

  “Well, we’re a little more than friends, if you know what I mean.” She giggles and Aria shakes her head. Bile rises in my throat, and I take a breath in an attempt to keep my chicken wrap from coming back up. I clear my throat and take a sip of water that I pray cools the heated anger rising within. “I haven’t talked to him in a while though, I should give him a call. See if he has plans for New Year’s.”

  “I doubt it…” Aria starts when I interrupt.

  “I think he does actually. He mentioned something in passing.” I shrug. I want so badly to say that he has plans with me but I don’t know how to phrase it without sounding li
ke a jealous girlfriend.

  “Do you know if he’s seeing anyone?” Ashley asks and I’ve officially had enough of this conversation.

  “Aria, I’m going to run to the ladies’ room.” I point towards the edge of the room and she nods, probably sensing my tension over this conversation. I’m barely two seconds away from the table when I’m sending a text.

  Me: Can you talk?

  His response is instant and while I want to say it’s the attentive boyfriend in him, Cal has always been quick to respond to me whenever I needed him.

  Superhero: You okay?

  As much as I want to say no, I know that will send him running, thinking I’m hurt or unsafe in some way.

  Me: Yes. Just need to talk to you for a second.

  Superhero: Give me two minutes.

  I pace the length of the bathroom, grateful that it’s empty when my phone begins to vibrate.

  “I’m not exactly alone,” he tells me instantly.

  “Can you go somewhere to change that?”

  “I had to walk out of an interrogation. What’s going on?”

  I sigh, knowing that now isn’t the time to bring up my jealousies. I don’t say anything because if we can’t really have this conversation then there is no point in talking.

  I hear a door opening and closing. “Spit it out, baby.”

  “Baby?” I question, wondering if anyone thinks that he’s talking to me.

  “I walked away.”

  I let out a breath and the tears spring to my eyes over something so simple. “I love you.”

  He chuckles. “Is that all?”

  “It seemed pretty important at the time.” I lean against the sink and stare at my reflection in the mirror. Not only do I feel different after taking this step with Cal, I looked different. My lips are swollen from his constant kissing and biting, my cheeks are slightly redder from his beard and my eyes are shining with excitement. I look like a woman in love. I look happy.

  He doesn’t say anything at first but then he clears his throat. “For the first full hour I was here, I couldn’t get this morning out of my head. I’ve been actively trying not to think about you ever since.”

  This morning I woke Cal up with my mouth on his cock, the sounds of my gagging pulling him out of the last few moments of sleep.

  “We can have a repeat of that later,” I whisper. My voice is low and it’s my best attempt at being seductive.

  “Fuck. You’re going to unman me, woman.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “I have to go though.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

  “I love you too.” He tells me just before the phone goes dead. I press my phone to my heart, those four words making me forget all about the thirsty redhead probably probing Aria for information on Cal. When I make it back to the table she’s gone and Aria is shaking her head at me.

  “You’ve got to cut that shit out, Mads,” she snaps.

  “What?”

  “It’s like you can’t handle any woman having an interest in Cal. It’s selfish as hell, and frankly, you’re getting too old for it.” My eyes widen, not prepared for her to basically attack me as soon as I sit down. “Penelope is too scared to even mention Cal’s name because she thinks you’ll like manifest and murder her. You’re not his girlfriend, Maddie. Stop.” She pins me with a glare and I clear my throat nervously.

  I’m not prepared to tell her the truth, which means I have to go to the opposite end of the spectrum. I swallow my pride and prepare myself. “You’re being really ridiculous, Aria. Your slutty friends are embarrassing and frankly, they make me uncomfortable.” I twirl a finger around a lock of my hair as I prepare to imitate Ashley. “We’re more than friends if you know what I mean…” I make a face and shake my head. “Ick.”

  She puts a hand up. “I agree that was a little tasteless, but Penelope did nothing wrong. She was polite and sweet and you jumped all over her and therefore, Cal couldn’t be interested.”

  “Cal wasn’t interested and you were trying to force it by bringing her to a family dinner.”

  “You don’t know everything, Maddie.”

  “Neither do you!”

  She rubs her temples and closes her eyes. “Jesus Christ, I thought you’d grow out of this, but it’s getting worse, I swear.”

  My eyebrows furrow and I narrow my eyes. “Grow out of what?”

  “This crush you have on Cal.”

  End this conversation, now. “Excuse me?”

  “You think I don’t notice? That none of us notice?”

  My blood runs cold. Fuck, did Henry say something? “None of us?”

  “Me, Margie, Henry, Grant? We were all seventeen once too, you know. And we have seen a few things…” She points at me with her fork and I feel my hands starting to sweat under the table. I rub them on my jeans as a tremor shoots through me.

  “So, what you all just sit around talking about me?”

  “No, Madeline. We all think it’s harmless and that you’ll grow out of it. I mean obviously…”

  “That’s really ridiculous, Aria. I don’t have a crush on Cal.” Because I’m full blown in love with him.

  She blinks her eyes several times at me. “Well, whatever this weird claim you think you have on him needs to stop so that Cal can feel free to meet someone and be happy. You’re going off to college and—”

  “Who said I’m going anywhere?”

  “What? Maddie, you’re going away to school. You need the college experience, and schools are basically beating down the door to get to you. You’ve gotten early acceptance into how many schools? Not many of which are in Oregon.”

  “I’ve gotten into some local schools.”

  “I don’t think you should go to any of those. Maximize your potential, girl.”

  “None of this is even the point. You think I’m the problem? You try to set Cal up with every girl in Oregon, and he’s not interested!”

  “He never even gives anyone a chance because he takes your opinion so seriously!” she exclaims.

  “Heaven forbid he cares about my opinion. I’m important to him, Aria. I know I don’t need to tell you that.”

  She huffs. “I swear if I didn’t know any better, I’d…” She shakes her head, her dirty blonde hair dragging along her shoulders as she pinches the bridge of her nose. “It’s going to be a nightmare getting you two apart.”

  “What?”

  “You need space, Maddie. All you’ve ever known is him and I think it’s messing with your psyche.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “I was going to bring this up to Cal first, but maybe it’s best if I talk to you.”

  My eyes dart around the restaurant. I need an escape route, and I find myself looking for the nearest exit. “About what?”

  “I was thinking maybe for this second half of the year you should live with me and Henry.”

  “What? Fuck that,” I snap.

  “Okay, you might be able to get away with that with Cal, but don’t forget who you’re talking to.” She gives me a motherly look and I grit my teeth.

  “Excuse me. F that.”

  “Mads, you’re going to be eighteen and…” She trails off and although she doesn’t say it, I can hear the implication. You’re seconds from seducing Cal, I can see it.

  “And?”

  “And…I just think you’d do better with a constant female presence.”

  “I don’t see how the two correlate.”

  “Mads, I just…”

  “How about you say what’s really on your mind? Instead of dancing around it?”

  “Okay, I think you living with Cal now will…blur some of the lines between you two.”

  “Meaning…?” She cocks an eyebrow at me and before I can blink, the words are out of my mouth. “So, you think I’m going to try to have sex with him? Is that what you’re saying?”

  She squeezes her eyes shut. “Yes.”

  I cross my arms over my chest and let out a breath. “I d
on’t…I have nothing to say to that.” My mind is spinning and I don’t know how I’m going to navigate the rest of this conversation with someone who could practically see inside my mind.

  “Well, your reaction is certainly puzzling. I figured you’d have a more dramatic response.”

  “To what? I’m not moving in with you and Henry, so there’s no real point in discussing this further.”

  “Maddie.” She looks at me, her face concerned, her voice even and I know, in this moment, I won’t be getting up from this table without spilling the truth.

  “What, Aria?” I avoid her gaze, peering around the restaurant. Memorizing my surroundings of the moment my life changes forever. Large floor to ceiling windows line one side of the restaurant. Every empty table is covered with a white linen tablecloth, complete with silverware and plates and glasses and flowers in the center. There’s a couple seated adjacent to us, but far enough away that they won’t be able to hear Aria’s hysteria. They’re holding hands over the table and I long for the day that Cal and I can do that in public.

  “Look at me, Madeline.” I pull my eyes away from the couple and look at Aria—the woman that had become my mom all those years ago and I see the tears in her eyes. “No.”

  I scoff, my final attempts to brush her off. “No, what?”

  “Maddie…tell me…” she swallows. “Has Cal…been inappropriate with you?”

  “No, of course not,” I tell her immediately. My heart hurts at her verbiage. How could she think he’d ever hurt me?

  “Fine, let me rephrase that…” She takes a sip of her drink and bites her bottom lip. “Have you crossed a line…with him?” I don’t say anything as I wonder how to respond to that when she slaps her hand on the table. “Dammit, Maddie. Answer me.” My eyes well up with tears at the harshness of her tone and her eyes immediately soften. “Sorry…I shouldn’t have…” She gets up and moves around the table to sit next to me on my side of the booth grabbing my hands and holding them in hers. “I love you so much, Maddie. I always have. I always thought you…you were the daughter I was supposed to have.” A tear falls down her cheek and my heart thumps against my ribcage thinking about the baby she lost. “Let me protect you. Let me help.”