by Hart, Rebel
I needed him in my life.
He rolled us over and I straddled his hips. I ground deeply against him, with my hands against his chest. I smiled down at him as my hair curtained us off. He rose up, capturing my lips as his arms cloaked my back once more. He bucked against me, filling me as his cock grew against my walls. And as I rocked my body against his, our movements became one.
We became one with each other.
“Rae.”
“Clint.”
“So close. So close.”
“Come with me. Please.”
“Rae, fuck.”
My head fell back as he groaned out into the room. His hands held me steady, my body attached to his. I felt him filling me with his mark. Thread after thread, triggering my own release. My eyes rolled back. Stars burst with delight against the darkness. I gripped his forearm tightly, feeling him shaking underneath me. His arms brought me back. My forehead fell to his shoulder. I whimpered and shook, my orgasm never-ending as his cock continued to fill me.
While my heart surged to life for him.
“Oh, Rae.”
I sighed. “Clint.”
He kissed the shell of my ear. “I love you so fucking much.”
Tears rushed my eyes. “I love you, too.”
We fell to his bed and curled up against one another. I gazed into his eyes, watching as he smiled brightly at me. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I reached up and wiped away a few beads of sweat. He cupped the back of my neck and kissed me again, allowing his heat to linger.
Then Clint sighed.
“We should go see Mike, you know.”
I furrowed my brow. “Now?”
He nodded. “Now. We all need to talk and fix things before next week comes.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think he wants to see me right now.”
“Maybe not. But he won’t come around unless you keep coming around. We can remind him that there’s still a bit of summer left. We can still end things on the right note.”
“Mmm, I don’t know if that’s going to work.”
“We can pick up his favorite drink along the way. Snack, too.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That terrible bubble tea shit?”
He nodded. “And Doritos. The man’s got weird taste in food combinations, but it’ll soften him to our arrival.”
I narrowed my eyes playfully. “You made plans with him, didn’t you?”
“My phone’s been vibrating off the hook since you came into the apartment.”
I giggled. “Thank you for giving me your time.”
“You’ll always have it, if you want it.”
“I want all of you.”
“Then you have all of me, Rae.”
His words filled me with happiness. More than I thought my heart could handle. But he didn’t back down from his plan. We were going to see Michael, whether I wanted to or not. He rolled out of bed and I groaned. I was able to take a quick shower before I had to pull my nasty pants back up my clean legs. Clint loaned me another shirt. But that didn’t do much for the damp bra sitting against my skin.
“I need to take a cab next time,” I murmured.
Clint snickered. “Or just call. I would’ve come and picked you up.”
“Noted.”
We slipped out of his bedroom and Cecilia was sitting out on the porch. No doubt, giving us our privacy. She peeked her head around the corner and I caught her stare. And I could’ve sworn I saw her wink. Clint led me outside and we went to find her car. He opened my door and offered me his hand like the true gentleman he was. My hand sat against his knee the entire time we drove around. Trying to track down that stupid bubble tea place.
“Do you remember where it is?” Clint asked.
I shrugged. “I can’t ever remember where that damn thing is located.”
“All right. Chips first while I try to look it up on my phone.”
“I’ll buzz into the grocery store really quickly. I need to pick up my last proof of pay anyway.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He pulled into the grocery store parking lot and I looked over toward the corner. Where that tree stood. I slipped out of the car and watched the shadows, remembering all that had happened. The night Clint saved me. The night he risked his life to make sure I was all right. Before we barely even knew one another, he had been protecting me. Risking himself to make sure I was okay. I sighed as I closed the door. I forced myself to go inside, even though the memories of that night bombarded me.
No. It was determined.
I had to convince Clint to travel with me.
I picked up a large bag of Doritos for Michael and walked back out to the car. And I found Clint staring at that tree, too. With glossy eyes and a tranced look on his face, I gave him the time he needed to process. To remember. To pull himself out of it.
Then he sighed. “Ready to go?”
I nodded. “Did you find that drink place?”
“Yep. Just up the road a bit.”
“Do you think they have sodas for those of us that aren’t weird and like chewing on our drinks?”
He chuckled. “I can definitely check it out. You got the chips, so I get the drinks.”
“Fair enough.”
I saw Clint texting on his phone as he stood in line. But I didn't pay it any mind. Probably telling Michael we were on our way. The both of us. You know, so he could prepare the firing squad for my arrival. The closer we grew to his house, the more nervous I became. He had never been this upset with me. And not hearing from Allison at all made it worse.
Until I found the two of them sitting on Michael’s parents’ porch.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Clint parked the car. “I figured both of them should be here so we can all talk.”
I slowly looked over at him. “And when were you going to tell me this?”
He shrugged. “I just did.”
I snickered and shook my head. Then I walked the hall of shame. I offered my peace offering to Michael before Clint passed off the drink. And I watched as he ran his eyes up and down my body. Clint pulled a couple of chairs over for us and I peeked over at Allison. She had her hand on Michael’s knee, softly massaging. Trying to keep him calm as her eyes avoided my gaze.
Fuck. I really hoped I could fix this.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Michael opened the chips. “That’s a start.”
Clint motioned for me to sit down and I gladly took the invitation.
“I know you guys are mad at me. And you have every right to be. Michael, you were right at the restaurant.”
He paused. “What?”
I snickered. “You were right. You and Allison, about different things. I was jealous of Clint. I am jealous of Clint, really. He had the guts to admit that he didn’t want to go to college, despite what others might’ve thought. I was jealous that he had at least an inkling of an idea of what he might do after high school. Even if that idea was what he wouldn't do.”
Allison furrowed her brow. “But you’ve always wanted to go to college.”
I shook my head. “No, I’ve always wanted to get out of here. And I figured school was a good enough excuse. I could save up, get a place of my own. With you.”
I nodded toward Allison before drawing in a deep breath.
“Get our own place near wherever you went to college so we could keep rooming together. And then, you and Michael happened. Me and Clint happened. Plans got turned over on their head and it didn’t become an issue of where I’d go to college, but how I would afford getting away from here on my own. I didn’t see the issue like that, but that’s what it really was.”
Michael sipped his drink. “Why couldn't you just talk about it?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t know it was an issue. Or, at least I didn’t know the core of the issue. I was treating the topical issues that kept falling apart, but not the underlying issue. Because Allison’s right; college was always the plan. And I th
ought that deviating away from that plan meant that I had somehow failed my teachers. And myself. And you guys. And my father, somehow.”
Clint slid his hand over my knee. “You could never be a disappointment.”
Allison nodded. “He’s right. You've been difficult. But you’ve never disappointed us.”
I looked over at Michael and he leaned back in his chair.
“So I take it you’re not going to Cal State then?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not. I’ve already contacted the enrollment office and told them I wouldn't be enrolling in this semester.”
Michael nodded. “So you’re going next semester?”
I looked over at Clint and smiled. “I don't know yet.”
Allison’s eyebrows rose. “And you’re okay with that?”
Clint nodded. “Are you okay with that?”
My eyes panned back to Michael. “Yeah, I’m okay with that. I have an idea of what I want to do. But it’s still a rough plan. What I know is that college isn’t the way for me to get out of this place. I don’t know what the right way is, but I do know what the wrong way is. Just like Clint knew what the wrong way was for him.”
Clint squeezed my knee. “We’ll figure it out.”
I nodded. “Like we always do.”
And as we all stared down Michael, I watched a grin crawl across his face.
“Anyone interested in hitting the beach tomorrow? It’s supposed to be a very sunny day.”
I leapt out of my chair and hugged him as Allison started laughing.
“Yes, yes, and even more yes,” I said.
It felt good to have my family back.
Epilogue
Raelynn
Three Months Later
As I gazed out the window of the café, I watched the tourists walk by. The massive plaza that sprawled out before my eyes housed one of the most incredible fountains I’d ever seen. My cappuccino was the best I’d ever tasted.
Then again, most of the food in Rome tasted better than anything I’d ever had before.
I smiled at the children that walked by. They waved at me through the window and I waved back. Mothers smiled at me. Husbands that walked by nodded their heads. Locals stood out on the street, flooding the corners of the city with their music.
It tickled my funny-bone whenever they rolled their eyes at the tourists passing them by.
People pulled out their cameras and took pictures of everything. People posed for all sorts of group pictures as I peeked down at my laptop. My student still hadn’t logged in yet. She had ten more minutes to sign on before the freelance website charged her for the session anyway. I liked that tutoring policy. Twenty-four hours to cancel. But if a student missed a session without cancelling, the tutor still got the full amount for the missed session.
I’d made half my traveling money that way.
I drew in a deep breath as the café brewed more espresso. I basked in the afternoon sunshine two thousand miles from home. I closed my eyes, taking it all in. And as I leaned back into my chair, I heard my laptop ding.
Signaling that my tutoring session had ended.
“Guess we have the rest of our day to ourselves.”
I smiled as I opened my eyes. I looked over and saw Clint close my laptop. He sat down across the rounded table from me and smiled, holding his own cappuccino in his palms. Then a plate sat down in front of me from one of the baristas behind the counter.
Holding, just for me, a buttery croissant with drizzled chocolate on top.
“For you, beautiful,” Clint said.
I grinned. “My hero.”
He sipped his drink. “So, what do you want to get up to today? You don’t have any more tutoring scheduled, right?”
I shook my head. “Nope, that was my last session. I hope they’re all right.”
“That happens pretty often, doesn’t it?”
I shrugged. “As long as I get paid, I guess.”
He smiled. “I really think we should try that restaurant we saw on the other side of town. We don’t have too many more nights here before we pack up again.”
“We need reservations for it. You think they’ll take us on such short notice?”
“I’m sure it couldn't hurt to place a call. I’d like to try and get a table up on that rooftop. The locals tell me we can see all of Rome from up there.”
I smiled. “That sounds fabulous. Can you give them a call?”
“Sure thing. You know, after I chow down this croissant.”
I giggled as he picked his up and shoved it into his mouth. I shook my head as I sipped my drink, watching him lick his fingers. A week and a half in Rome didn’t feel like enough time. But I couldn't wait for our next stop. Naples, Italy. Where I had booked us a tour of Pompeii and a place to stay in a quaint Air B&B with a view of the ocean.
Half price, since someone cancelled last minute.
My eyes fell back out the window as Clint pulled out his phone. I heard him talking to the restaurant as I relaxed into the back of my mind. In my own thoughts. Convincing Clint to travel with me hadn’t been as hard as I expected it to be. And with his stepmother already on my side of things, swaying him took almost no effort. Mom wasn’t happy, of course. But I was working on letting things with her slide. As Clint kept reminding me, my mother wasn’t my child. It wasn’t my responsibility to take care of her.
And if she couldn’t support what I needed to be happy, then she didn’t deserve the same courtesy.
“Good news, beautiful. The restaurant has an opening up on their rooftop tomorrow evening.”
I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Which leaves our evening tonight open for our enjoyment.”
I grinned. “Mmm, sounds delightful.”
“Rae.”
I slowly looked over at him. “Yeah?”
He held out his hand. “Come here.”
He wiggled his fingers and I slipped my palm against his. I watched his grasp take over my hand as I set my drink down. I sighed heavily. He always knew when thoughts of my mother took over my mind. And as my stare found his, he nodded.
“She’s going to be okay.”
I sighed. “I know. I know she is.”
“She hugged you tight before we left. That’s a good sign.”
“I don’t know. I just wish--”
“Things can’t be different, Rae. But they can get better. Trust me, this traveling will do you both some good.”
I smiled softly. “It’s already doing me a lot of good.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Oh, that reminds me. How’s the book coming along?”
He blushed. “It’s fine.”
“Come on, Clint. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. How’s your writing? You got up pretty early this morning. Did you have a dream you wanted to jot down?”
He paused. “I wanted to catch the sunrise in order to be able to accurately describe it.”
“Will I be able to read some of it soon?”
“Once I can get it edited and written down cohesively, yes.”
“So, no to the immediate future.”
“But yes to eventually. Gotta look on the bright side, gorgeous.”
I snickered. “Well, I can’t wait to read it. You’ve killed me with that cliffhanger you left me on.”
“Patience, baby. Patience will be your friend with this.”
My laptop dinged again and I furrowed my brow. I faced forward and opened my laptop before a massive smile crossed my face. I had reviews pouring in from everywhere. So many people leaving such kind things about my ability to help them learn English. Payments came through, doubling the number I had this morning. I had enough money to push through a second payment. Another dump into my bank account that would more than cover our journey to Naples twice over.
“I take it something good happened?”
I snickered. “Pay day is always good.”
Clint paused. “Wait, you’re getting paid aga
in?”
“Uh huh.”
“Didn’t you just get paid?”
I tapped the ‘enter’ key before closing my laptop.
“So long as I have a certain amount of money in my account on the site, I can dump it into my bank account at any time without penalty fees. I just hit that threshold, so my second payday of the week should be in my account come tomorrow morning.”
He smiled brightly. “I’m so damn proud of you.”
I grinned. “I’m proud of your stepmother going after your father the way she did to get you extra money for this traveling.”
He chuckled. “She’s nothing if not persistent.”
“How did she even go about that anyway?”
“I mean, it’s pretty simple. She kept calling him until he picked up. And when he hung up on her, she called his lawyer. Essentially, he gave her the money to shut her up.”
I giggled. “I take it no one knows about your book.”
He shrugged. “I’m giving it time.”
“Giving it time? You published the first book in your series two weeks ago, and it’s already been downloaded ten thousand times.”
“I mean, half of those were freebie giveaways.”
“But that’s still five thousand downloads at regular price.”
“Are you saying I should feel bad about taking my father’s money?”
She scoffed. “Hell, no. Not at all.”
“What I’d like to do is make my father’s money stretch before I start sending it back over to Cecilia in chunks. You know, half for me, half to help her out. Because she didn’t have to give me the entire sum to travel. I would’ve been okay on even a third of it.”
“You’re a good man, Clint.”
“And you’re a good woman. I’m still not sure how I wound up with someone like you.”
I smiled. “You throw it down good in bed.”
He grinned wildly. “Whatever it takes, I guess.”
I threw my head back in laughter before I closed my laptop again. When I opened my eyes, I saw a small gift bag sitting on top of it. My laughter died down as I looked at the beautiful white bag, tied shut with a pretty purple bow.
“What’s this?” I asked.
Clint licked his lips. “I, uh, saw this in a window when I went up to buy the croissants. I figured you should have it, Cleaver.”