The Rebound

by Sierra Hill

  A chorus of ‘cheers’ goes up from everyone, including myself, as we clink our glasses together. It’s strange to think that we’ve all grown up around this table and yet we’ve never been witness to this kind of genuine appreciation or affection from the man sitting at the head of the table. I’ll admit, my father wasn’t the kind of guy who let compliments slip out that readily. I don’t ever recall seeing him embrace my mom in a hug, kiss her on the cheek, or even offer her any praise.

  My mom brushes the hair from her face, the smile receding a bit, as she takes a large gulp of her Pinot. As she places it delicately in front of her plate, she looks across the table at John and returns the sentiment.

  “I love you, too, John.” I notice a twitch in her cheek as she swallows what appears to be a lump in her throat. “I’m so happy you’re here with my family tonight. And I hope that we will continue having these opportunities for many years to come. Kids…” She takes turns gazing at each of us lovingly – with hope.

  “John and I have an announcement to make.”

  It hits me then. The reason for this dinner. The celebration. Johns’ presence. Holy smokes. My stomach plummets as it fills with an emotion I can’t quite place. Hostility? Anger? Uneasiness?

  “John has proposed and we are going to be married right after Christmas. I wanted to do this when you’re all home and we’re together as a family.”

  There’s a collective gasp around the room and then it feels like the oxygen is sucked out from around us. It feels like an out-of-body experience as I look around the table at my siblings. Kady, who sits to my left, looks astounded, her eyes wide as saucers, mouth agape. I’m surprised, too. I thought John and my mom had only been casually dating. I had no idea it was this serious. Married?

  Cade has a smile on his face and he’s toasting John and my mother in congratulations. The bastard doesn’t seem fazed by this announcement at all…which means he already knew. What the hell? I realize he’s closer to home than Kady and me, but that shouldn’t preclude us from being in the loop.

  All of a sudden, I’m struck with the hard realization. My mom wouldn’t just jump into another relationship that easily or quickly. It dawns on me, then, that maybe this has been going on for longer than she initially let on.

  For some reason, anger spikes in my blood. I feel duped.

  “Are you serious? Have you been lying to us, mother? How long have you been seeing each other?” At that moment, another thought pops into my head. What if…holy shit. What if they were having an affair before my parents got divorced?

  “Did you cheat on dad while you were married?” I practically scream this as all heads turn to me in utter shock.

  I don’t even realize that I’m now standing, gripping my wine glass so tight that it feels like it could shatter between my fingers. The heat rises in my neck and to my cheeks, which is customary when I get embarrassed or angry. I’m horrible at hiding my feelings.

  Kady reaches a hand for mine, reassuring me with her presence. It’s always been like that between us. We’re connected in ways other people don’t understand. She calms me without saying a word.

  But I’m too angry to be mollified. I notice John stiffens in his chair, the glass that had been halfway to his lips now placed down on the table. My gaze shifts to my mother, who slowly stands from her seat and walks toward me. Hesitantly. With a level of uncertainty that I’ve never witnessed before.

  My mother is the epitome of cool and collected. Never ruffled. Always poised. Magnificently proper.

  My body shirks out of Kady’s grip and I pull back when my mom tries to offer me a hug.

  “Don’t touch me.” I snarl.

  The biting tone of my response has my mother appearing stunned, unable to comprehend this is me, her mellow child. She takes a shaky step back, allowing me space I desperately need to keep from lashing out further.

  “Honey,” my mom says quietly, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “It’s okay to be upset. I understand. This is something you weren’t expecting. But please don’t think that I would ever do that to our family. To your father. John and I were only friends until a year ago. We’ve been together for the last year.”

  My brain tries to formulate a picture of the last twelve months. I must have been oblivious when I was living at home, before we graduated high school. How was I not aware they were dating? Why did she keep this from us? She apparently didn’t trust us to know the truth. I hate her for keeping it from me.

  I turn my head to glare accusingly at Cade. “You knew, didn’t you?”

  He shrugs, quickly glancing at the table to avoid my icy stare. “She’s happy, Ky.” He says, returning his eyes to mine. “Doesn’t she deserve that?”

  No! I want to scream. She doesn’t if it means she lied to me. To us. That she hid a part of her life from her own daughters. Why does she get to spring this huge, life-altering decision on us like it’s nothing? It’s huge!

  I’ve got to get out of here before I do or say something I’ll regret. I know my family is wondering what the hell has come over me because this isn’t how I normally react. Kady is normally the fueled-by-emotion member of our family. Then Cade. But me? I’m the less reactive of the three of us. I don’t get upset or angry, or ever talk back.

  Maybe I’m finally cracking under the pressure of my life’s instability right now. The stress of college, of being away in unfamiliar territory. Having to grow up and be comfortable on my own for once. Of having my first taste of a crush that I don’t know how to handle.

  Whatever it is, I’ve lost all sense of who I am.

  And all I want to do is find myself in the arms of Van.

  12

  Van

  The knock on my door startles me as I step out of the shower.

  I’m dripping wet, my hair damp and hanging at my shoulders, drops of water running down my back. I grab the towel that I threw across the curtain rod and make my way toward the door. The clock on my nightstand tells me it’s still too early to expect Kylah, so it must be one of the guys on my floor. Although, most everyone has taken off already for Christmas break and the dorms are an empty ghost town.

  Swinging the door open, I’m not prepared for the sight in front of me. And from the look of shock on her face, either is Kylah. The expression quickly turns to something else entirely though, as the color of her eyes morphs into a deep, dark blue.

  “Hey,” I say, watching as he takes me in, scanning her way down my naked torso until she lands on the edge of the towel, tucked in just below my belly button. She blinks as I clear my throat. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

  Kylah blinks a few times, as her hand comes up to touch her lips. She opens her mouth and then snaps it closed again. Wrenching open the door farther, I gesture with a nod of my head for her to come in.

  We’re standing just a few feet from one another and I can smell her fruity scent which now fills the room. My dick seems to realize the possibilities and perks up underneath my towel, reminding me of my current attire.

  Her back is to me and as I adjust my growing erection, she turns and notices. Her reaction is priceless, the heat blooming across her cheeks in a display of both embarrassment and interest.

  “I’m so sorry to come over so early without calling. I wasn’t thinking straight. I can go…it’s not a problem.” She starts toward the door, her feet practically tripping over themselves, as my hand shoots out to grab her wrist, which is soft to my touch and sends a thousand watt jolt up my arm.

  “It’s okay. Really.” I pull her back and she nearly topples into me. “Don’t go. I’ll just grab something to put on. Just…wait right here.”

  She seems appeased by this and I rush over to my bureau, yanking out the first things I get my hands on, leaving her in the middle of my room as I close the bathroom door behind me.

  During the time it takes me to get dressed, it gives me the space I need to calm myself. I then consider how she looked when I opened the door to my room. Aside from t
he surge of lust that passed through her features, she appeared to be upset over something. Her body was strung tight; I could tell that. Her neck was corded, her posture stiff. I’ve never seen her so wound up and ready to lose it. But that’s the sense that I got.

  I open the bathroom door and slowly emerge. Cautiously. This is the first girl I’ve ever had in my dorm room outside of Lyndsay. A sudden rush of lust swirls through me. A tight ball of eagerness simmers in my belly. And then she turns around to face me and I realize I’m a goner.

  Her lower lip is trembling and her eyes are glistening. If I thought she was upset before, it’s ten times worse now. I’ve seen my share of crying women in my life and I know when the shit’s gonna hit the fan.

  “Ky.”

  I pull her into my arms and against my chest as the dam bursts open, the top of her head barely touching underneath my chin. I have no idea what has caused this sudden emotional breakdown, but something awful must have happened to have her crying this way. Nestled against me, she sobs into my shirt, her body shaking in jerky movements, as I simply hold her tight, whispering words of encouragement.

  “Shh…it’s okay. I got you.”

  Her tremors seem to lessen over the course of the next few minutes. The tears that had consumed her are now dissipating. I don’t want to move her, but I know she’s going to need a Kleenex soon. I pull away just enough to reach toward the box on my nightstand, giving her a tissue to dab at her face.

  “Thaaannnk yooouuu.” She stammers between sniffles. “I’m sorry, Van. I didn’t mean...”

  One of my hands rests on her shoulder, as I move it to the back of her neck. The other I use to tilt her chin to look up at me. Those beautiful eyes of hers are now sea glass blue-green.

  “Are you hurt? Did something happen to you?”

  She shakes her head, eyes sliding away from mine and to the floor.

  “I’m just stupid. I overreacted. I’m such a cry baby.”

  I can’t stand the fact that she’s cutting herself down like this. Kylah is nothing if not sweet and adorable. I’ve never seen her anything but happy and light-hearted. She’s been a sounding board for me over the last month after everything that happened with Lyndsay. If anyone’s a crybaby, it’s me with my stupid life drama. She’s been my rock.

  I bend down to place a kiss to her forehead, my hand cupping under her jawline. When I open my eyes, she’s staring at me with such awe. Longing and lust shoot through my veins, straight to my cock which doesn’t give a fuck that Kylah’s upset. All it cares about is that a beautiful girl is in my room and looking at me with lustful adoration.

  She parts her lips, her tongue slipping over the bottom lip and slicking over it as I stand entranced by the action. I bend my head again, with the intention of kissing her cheek, but in a last moment decision, I zero in on her lips. The first kiss is just a peck. A friendly touch that’s whisper soft and could hardly be considered the kiss a lover would give.

  Because we’re not lovers. We’re friends.

  And that’s how it should stay. Instead, my body confesses it doesn’t want to remain friends. It wants something more. And the breath of air she sucks in when I pull back says that she wants more, too.

  The choice is taken out of my hands entirely when Kylah reaches up with her hands and grabs the back of my neck, pulling my head toward hers. Our lips meet with fiery purpose, sampling each other’s mouths in exploration and conquest.

  My God, she tastes incredible.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this would be good. I thought about her far too often and fantasized about what it would be like to kiss her. Touch her. Bury myself inside her.

  Okay, I may be getting a little ahead of myself. But fuck. Her breathy sounds make me hard as hell.

  Things start off slowly. We sample one another’s tastes, our mouths meshing together as the momentum builds, climbing to a crescendo when I slide my tongue between her lips. She’s hesitant at first, a little stiff, and I feel her pull back slightly, but I restrain her with my hands on her hips. The only thing between us now are her skirt and my shorts, which are doing little to cover up the heat I feel between her legs.

  I haven’t experienced a first kiss since I was seventeen, when I kissed Lyndsay for the first time behind the school library. Truth is, I don’t remember it being this hot. My body is instantly consumed with the need to get naked with Kylah. With that thought, I realize I need to back the fuck off and slow my roll before things get out of control. I’m supposed to be consoling her, not mauling her.

  It should be easier than this to stop this crazy rollercoaster, but the sensation of her small hands gliding down my back, stopping just at the bottom of my shirt feels too good. She tentatively fiddles with the edge and then slides them underneath until she’s touching my bare skin. Every goddamn thought in my head freezes. Instead of doing the responsible thing and stepping back to give us space, I grab underneath her ass and pull her up in my arms in one swift motion.

  “What are you doing?” she whispers against my mouth, her breath warm and intoxicating.

  I growl as I move toward my bed. I know it’s a bad idea. Some level of common sense still remains in my brain, even though all the blood has driven south to my cock, which pleads with me to continue down this needy path of foreplay.

  Despite the fact that my subconscious is telling me that this is not a good idea, I can’t manage enough strength to stop it.

  I move toward my bed and when my knees hit the edge, I gently lay her down onto her back. Every muscle in my body tenses with anticipation as I look over her body. Her face is flushed a beautiful pink. Her wavy hair spills loosely across my pillow and I smile knowing that her scent will linger on my sheets long after she’s gone.

  A shy smile curves across her lips as I watch her chest rise and fall, pushing against the fabric of her dress.

  “I’ve dreamt about this so many times, but I never thought it would happen.”

  Her hot and naughty confession is a huge turn on. My dick likes it. I like it.

  I hover over her, my arms caging her in at her sides, as I dip my head to the crook of her neck. She’s so warm and smells so damn good. I place my lips underneath her ear and begin to suckle, gently at first. Her soft, sensual whimper nearly does me in. I drop my full weight onto her, my thigh nudging between her legs.

  She’s wearing tights underneath her short dress, as my hand migrates down her hip to her thigh, tracing the thin material. I want to touch her everywhere, but want to feel her skin more than anything right now. I take possession of her mouth again, sliding my tongue inside as she lets out a lusty moan that vibrates right down to my cock.

  Kissing Kylah is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced. She’s so eager, sucking at my lips with lust and fervor. Responsive every time our tongues meet and tangle together.

  Her eyes are closed but pop open the minute my hand slides underneath her skirt to the edge of her tights. I’m not above begging if I have to, because I’m dying to feel her. To slip my finger between her legs and inside her, unveiling how wet she is for me. I know we won’t go very far tonight. She’s not ready for that, and either am I for that matter. But I want nothing more than to fool around and continue making out with her. All night long if she’s willing.

  “Is this okay?” I murmur, my lips sucking at hers.

  I will stop if she says no. I’m not an animal, even though she brings out beastly instincts that I haven’t ever felt before. The intensity between us is so strong. Maybe it’s pent up sexual frustration because I haven’t been laid in months. Or maybe it’s just the pent up need for her. I’ve been dreaming about her since the day I met her. I tried stuffing those thoughts and images away all this time because they made me feel guilty. Like my mind was cheating on Lyndsay.

  But she was the one who did the cheating. And now my dreams are coming true.

  My thumb moves in a circular motion across the thin fabric of her tights as her hips cant in
consent to my question.

  “Yes.”

  It’s now that I realize that whoever created tights was a sadistic bastard. They’re better at protecting a girl’s chastity than even the strongest of chastity belts. As I grunt and groan against the obnoxious material, we both laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Kylah tries to help by lifting her hips, as I sit up on my knees and yank them down her legs.

  My entire body is hot and needy with anticipation, my heart rate skyrocketing with excitement as I slip them off her feet and throw them on the floor behind me. I return my attention to her smooth legs, sliding my knuckles up her inner thighs. She trembles under my exploration and my eyes roam from my hands up to her face. It’s the sexiest sight I’ve ever seen.

  Kylah’s dress is bunched up at her belly, exposing her navel and the soft expanse of her stomach. Her mouth is parted in a slight ‘O’, head tilted to the side of my pillow, eyes shut as if she’s trying to control her body’s response. I am so turned on by the knowledge that I’m turning her on. And it only prompts me to move faster. To find out how wet she is.

  Before I go any further, though, I want to make sure this is what she wants. I don’t want any question because I know, without a doubt, this will ruin our friendship. Even if we don’t have sex tonight, the heat between us is too hot to ever return to just friends.

  My gaze floats down the length of her body to her panties. They’re a light pink, with a satiny trim and a bow at the top. Sweet and sexy. Her legs are pressed together, primly. Uncertain. Bashful.

  I kneel on the bed and lay down facing her, placing kisses along her jawline as her eyes flutter open. My hand briefly cups her cheek, caressing her softly. Slowly, but assuredly, my hand treks down her chin, neck, and then glides over her breast. She inhales deeply, her boobs arching toward the ceiling, fitting perfectly into the palm of my hand. I squeeze gently, my thumb brushing over the soft cotton fabric covering her erect nipple. My mouth waters to taste her there.