“Good.” He finished wiping away at the wet spots and then got up and threw the tissues in the waste basket. “Do you want me to . . .?” He nodded at me, and I instantly understood what he meant. “You’ll have to be very quiet, though. No screaming when I get into it.” He grinned mischievously.
I should have been jumping at the offer, but Stefan hadn’t exactly asked for me to get him off, so why should I expect anything in return? On top of that, I hadn’t really been in the mood before I did it, and I definitely wasn’t in the mood now after discussing our parents.
Besides, it seemed more like he just felt obligated, and not because he really wanted to. And I didn’t want him to do it if he felt that way.
I shook my head and surprise showed in his eyes.
“You sure?”
He scratched at the back of his neck when I didn’t reply and said, “We’ll go look at some apartments tomorrow.”
I shifted in the bed, careful to keep my semen-covered hand away from my sheets. “How are we going to afford moving out, Stefan? You said Terry wasn’t going to let you work for him if you leave.”
“I have money saved up, just enough for us to get a place and to give me time to look for a job.”
“Stefan . . . I’m scared.”
He gave me a Stefan grin, but while it helped, it didn’t take away all my worry. “Have a little confidence in me, okay? I told you. I’m going take care of you no matter what, okay?”
“Okay,” I said finally.
He walked over to the bed and planted a soft kiss on my lips and then nodded at my arm. “Now go clean up and get some sleep. We have a long week ahead of us.” He playfully ruffled my hair and then walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
Bella
“Mom?” I asked delicately.
My mother half-turned from where she was sitting at the vanity as I closed her bedroom door behind me. I sucked in a breath as I surveyed her appearance. Dressed in one of her favorite gowns that looked mightily rumpled, with no makeup on, she looked awful, and had obviously been sulking before I’d walked into the room. Her eyes were red and puffy looking.
I’d decided to pay her a visit after avoiding her most of the week. Between the constant arguments with Terry, and me and Stefan scouting around for an apartment to move into, I hadn’t found the time to speak with her for more than a few minutes.
But since Stefan abruptly left today to go looking at apartments without me, I decided I would break down and have a little talk with Mother, though I wasn’t sure what I was going to say.
On one hand, I wanted to tell her that divorcing Terry would be a big mistake, and on the other, I wanted to tell her the truth and just end all this madness.
Stefan warned me repeatedly not to get involved in our parents’ relationship woes, but I found myself unable to resist trying. I felt that I owed her at least that much.
I just didn’t know if I was going to be able to get her listen to me, or only succeed in pissing her off.
“Yes, Bella?” my mother’s voice was scratchy.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
She peered at me while wiping at her cheek with the back of her hand, causing the right strap of her gown to fall off her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“Are you going to leave Terry?”
My mom stared at me for a long moment and then tugged the strap of her gown back onto her shoulder. “I don’t know yet.”
“Maybe after you calm down, you guys should just attend marriage counseling like Terry said. It might do some good.”
Mother scowled at me. “Well, that’s nice of you to suggest such a thing, as if it’s just so easy to do when you weren't the one hurt by what he did, Bella,” she said acidly.
Oh boy, I thought. She’s got the acid tongue out. Careful, Bella.
“I’m sure that it meant nothing to him. Besides, it was only an online thing. It wasn’t really cheating . . . was it?”
I knew I was really pressing the issue, but I had to get my mother to see a little reason. I didn’t know exactly how far Terry had gone with Veronica, but it couldn’t have been that far.
“It isn’t? It's a different form, but it's still cheating, and that's taking his word for it that it never progressed further. I'm having a hard time believing that. And God knows what your stepfather did every time he saw all that stuff.” She stared at me, rage burning in her eyes. “Did you see the girl?”
Of course I had seen the bitch. She was one of the reasons Stefan and I were in so much of a mess.
“My God, Bella,” my mother continued. “She is so young, she's your age, for crying out loud.” There was a bitterness in my mother’s words that left a sour taste in my mouth.
“Yeah, I saw her,” I said in a casual way that would not reveal that I knew Veronica. “She looked like a slut with no class. She’s nothing compared to you.” I walked over beside my mom and gently stroked her hair, trying to console her as she'd done for me so many times before.
My mom looked up at me, and I saw a flash of gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you, Bella, for coming to talk to me.”
After a few moments of silence, I spoke up and said, “I think you should remind him of what he’s missing. I know what he did has hurt you and made you angry, but you shouldn’t let all those years of happiness go to waste.”
A scowl twisted my mother’s features. “Whose side are you on, anyway? Mine or Terry’s?”
"Yours, Mom. You know that. I just want to see you happy again."
I sucked in a deep breath. I knew she wasn’t going to like what I had to say next. “I also wanted to say that Stefan and I will be moving out.”
My mom reared back with surprise. “What? Moving out? Are you two going back to school?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
“No, we’re moving into an apartment.”
If Mom looked surprised before, she was absolutely floored now. “What?” she exclaimed.
My hands began to feel clammy as my pulse began to race. “Didn’t Terry tell you? Stefan talked with him the other day about moving out.”
My mother scowled darkly. “Please, I haven’t listened to a word that man has said since he revealed what a rat bastard he is.” She shook her head. “Just make me understand here. Why the hell are you and Stefan moving into your own place together? You should be concerned about going back to school.”
I licked my lips. I didn't have adequate answers to her question. I could only avoid them. “You and Terry need your space.”
“If I divorced your stepfather, this house will most likely be mine. I’ve already spoken with my divorce lawyer. Terry will want to retain his business, and I don't care about taking that from him, but the house and a generous percentage of other assets would be mine. Terry would no longer be here. You don't need to go anywhere, Bella.”
And where would Stefan be? I wanted to ask. For some reason, I knew that Stefan would no longer be allowed here if she went through with it, at least not until she had time to get over her anger.
“And with the money from the settlement, I can send you to whatever school you want.”
I froze, my mouth going dry. “I can’t go to another school, Mom.”
She stared at me. “Why the hell not?”
I couldn’t answer. How could I? The truth would end me . . . and maybe even end her. So I kept my lips closed.
“Don’t you have goals?” my mom demanded when I didn’t answer. “Dreams? Aspirations? Just because a bunch of boys gave you a hard time at college, doesn’t mean you have to give up on life.”
“I know, Mom.”
“So help me understand what is going on, Bella. Since you’ve been back, you and Stefan seemed to be stuck together like glue. Had he not gotten the job working for Terry, I don’t know what we would've done to separate you two.”
“Let's not talk about this right now, Mom. I don't want to argue with you.” I’d come to offer her support. Now I wish I’d never stepped in
her room. Stefan was right—I was only asking for more trouble.
My mom glared at me. “Why does it seem like everyone in this damn house is hiding secrets from me, huh?”
“I’m going to go, Mom,” I said softly. “I have some packing to do.”
“Bella, I’m not done talking with you, young woman!”
“Bella!”
Hardening my heart, I walked out of the bedroom.
Bella
“Open your eyes,” Stefan said, removing his hands from in front of my shades.
“Oh my God, it’s beautiful!” I exclaimed to Stefan, stepping through the doorway.
Tears filled my eyes at the sight before me.
It was a beautiful one-bedroom, one-bath studio with cream-colored walls and matching carpet, and a small kitchen and stove. It wouldn’t have taken much to make me happy, but it really was a nice place.
The fresh smell of paint filled my nostrils as I looked over at Stefan. “I love it!”
Stefan stuck his hands into his pockets and grinned as he surveyed the room with me. He looked quite handsome, as usual, dressed in blue jeans and a freshly ironed, white South State University t-shirt. He had an SSU hat on, turned backward. “I knew you would. The first and last was cheap enough on this place that I have just enough for us to survive until I find a job.”
I ran into his arms. “I’m so happy!” I crowed. For a moment, I almost forgot about all the issues facing us, basking in joy at having our first place together.
Stefan squeezed me lightly, peering down at me. “Didn’t I tell you I would come through for us?”
“Yes, you sure did.”
He kissed me hard on the lips, leaving me breathless. “And I’m going to continue to do so, no matter what happens. Don’t ever doubt me.”
“I won’t,” I said, flashing him a hopeful smile.
* * *
“I got a job!” announced Stefan. He was in our small living room, sitting on the cream-colored couch, one we had purchased with a newly opened credit account at a nearby furniture store, his laptop perched on the coffee table in front of him.
“That’s wonderful, Stefan!” I called over the sizzle of bacon. I was in the kitchen, cooking Stefan a breakfast consisting of sausage, bacon, and eggs. It was a morning routine I’d taken up as soon as we had moved in, and I found that it filled me with a sense of domesticated joy.
It had been nearly two weeks since we moved in, and I couldn’t have been happier. That wasn’t to say the transition had been all roses, but it was truly a joy being able to wake up next to him. The best, though, was that we made love every night without worry of anyone walking in on us.
Back when we moved in, Stefan rented a moving truck and hired someone to help him move some of our furniture from back home into our new place. When I tried to come along, he told me to stay at the apartment because he expected trouble from our parents. Instead, he told me to give him a list of things that I wanted from the house and he’d get it.
Sure enough, when he got there, Terry had been waiting for him. The two had an exchange of words, but apparently, it hadn't gotten too bad. Even still, since then, we’d tried to keep our distance from our parents as best we could.
The only thing that bothered me was deserting my mom when she was having marital problems. But I would no doubt start to show soon, and even if I didn't, she may pick up on it some other way.
“What kind of job is it?” I asked as I turned the burner off and piled the bacon and sausage along with the eggs onto a plate.
“Modeling,” Stefan replied.
My heart fell in my throat as I poured a glass of orange juice. “Modeling?”
“Yeah. I’ll be modeling for a company that sells their apparel from fashion magazines and catalogues.”
“What kind of modeling?”
Stefan cleared his throat. “Clothing and underwear.”
I guess I should feel proud that he was mine, but I couldn't help but feel a little jealousy too. If Stefan was going to be taking sexy pictures for some magazine, there was no telling how many girls would end up ogling his body.
“How in the world did you manage to get a modeling job? Don’t you have to have an agent for that?” As far as I knew, Stefan hadn’t said anything about modeling since we’d been at our new apartment. The jobs he’d applied for so far had all been typical nine-to-five jobs that only required a high school diploma.
“I saw an ad online looking for professional models. The requirements were that you have to be good-looking and be physically fit. I said fuck it and sent in a few pictures and said I was representing myself. That was yesterday, and there is already a response today.”
“They must have really liked you,” I remarked.
I brought Stefan’s breakfast along with his glass of orange juice over to the coffee table and set it before him. He closed his laptop and set it aside on the couch and then patted the seat next to him.
I flopped down next to him, trying not to let my disappointment show.
“You’re not pleased, I take it?” Stefan asked as he grabbed his fork and began digging into the pile of eggs.
I pushed an errant strand of hair out of my eyes. I swear, since my pregnancy, my hair volume had increased so much that it drove me absolutely wild. “Well, it’s not that. I always thought you could be a model. I just don’t know how I feel about you modeling in your underwear.”
“I figured you would feel that way,” Stefan said, grabbing his glass of orange juice and taking a gulp. “But you shouldn’t worry. It’s a totally professional environment from everything I've seen, and the pay is pretty good. I looked it up online, and even for an amateur model like me, I could fetch a hundred dollars an hour. I'd only need to get a few sessions to pay for most of our expenses.”
I smiled. “Well, that does sound wonderful.”
Stefan bit into a piece of bacon and then flashed me his killer grin. “I’ve gotta put these good looks to use for something.”
I grew silent, unable to offer much of a response. After a moment, Stefan seemed to notice that I didn’t have a plate of food.
“You’re not going to eat?”
I was feeling a little sick, and just the thought of eating made me feel queasy.
“I’m not hungry,” I replied.
Stefan
Lights flashed rapidly in my eyes, nearly blinding me as I stood before a large green screen in torn blue-jeans and no shirt on, striking a masculine pose.
“You’re doing beautiful, Stefan,” my photographer, named Jenny, a young woman with chipmunk cheeks and short brown hair, purred as she peered through the lens of her camera. “Absolutely beautiful.” There was a flurry of activity behind her as people scurried about, shouting commands. I was one of several models doing a photo shoot at the same time, and multiple green screens were set up as models were brought in and out for various shoots.
She was one of the first women I’d met when I entered the studio, and I found her to be slightly bossy almost immediately, but I attributed it to the demands of the profession.
After all, photographers were used to issuing orders to get the models to pose in the way that they wanted.
Jenny peered over her camera and motioned at me. “Can you pull down your pants a little and show a little of your underwear?”
I shifted on my feet and did as she asked.
She beamed at me, her eyes seeming to feast on my body. “Good.” More flashes went off.
What am I doing here? I asked myself.
It seemed so surreal. Although I knew I was good-looking, I’d never thought I’d end up modeling because I had dropped out of college to support my pregnant stepsister. But the pay was good, and considering how hard it was to get a good job with only a high school diploma, I wasn’t going to complain.
“Very good, Stefan.” Jenny straightened and motioned at one of her staff members, who went scurrying off to one of the other green screens. “I’m going to bring Cara, a swimwear mod
el, over to take a few pictures with you, okay?”
“Of course,” I said, trying to seem casual by flashing an easygoing smile.
A second later, Jenny’s assistant returned with a tall, curvaceous, dark-haired beauty dressed in a barely-there bikini in tow. I quickly averted my eyes as she made her way toward me.
“Cara, this is Stefan, a new model who is having his first shoot,” she introduced us. “Stefan, this is Cara.”
The beautiful model held out a hand to me and flashed a pretty smile as she appraised my muscular torso. She seemed attracted to me, and her eyes seemed to be silently saying, I don’t know you, but let’s go fuck after this. “Nice to meet you, Stefan.” She had a foreign accent—some type of European. I wasn’t sure.
“Hey,” I said shortly, gripping her hand briefly and letting go.
Jenny gestured at me. “Cara, can you move beside Stefan and do your thing? Give me cool confidence, like you own Stefan.”
I swallowed as Cara moved beside me and did as Jenny commanded. The beginning of anxiety began to grip my stomach. While I was used to keeping my cool in tense situations, I hadn’t been expecting to take pictures with a beautiful foreign model.
It’s totally natural to feel attraction for a beautiful girl, I told myself to assuage my growing anxiety. Still, considering the rant I’d given my dad jut a few weeks before, I still didn’t feel right.
Jenny took a few pictures and gestured again. “Now, can you rest your head against his shoulder?” Cara did as she asked. Jenny began to peer into her camera but stopped short. “Move in a little closer. Good.”
Jenny took a few more shots, all while having us change to various poses together, some involving Cara placing her hands on my abs and grabbing my ass. Each one made me start feeling more uncomfortable than the last, and it was becoming difficult to maintain the poses. “Good, the both of you. Now, Cara, can you place your hands on Stefan’s crotch?”
Cara let out a little giggle and placed her hand on my junk, and I immediately tensed up.
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