Oh, fuck. That’s what she had in mind?
Her fingers worked on my jeans, tugging them down to free my cock. It nearly smacked her in the cheek, which made her giggle. She ran her hands up my thighs, and my balls clenched in anticipation of what I’d soon be feeling. Her mouth around my dick, sucking me off like it was her job.
It wasn’t. It was just a nice benefit of keeping her around.
Hah. Keeping her around. As if I had any choice, as if I’d ever choose to get rid of her. No, she was stuck with me just like I was stuck with her. We were stuck together like glue, and no matter how life came at us to tear us apart, we would not break.
Those beautiful, full lips puckered before her mouth opened and took me in. I watched as she slowly brought her head along my length, taking as much of me into her mouth as she could stand. As she started to bob along my length, paying special attention to the tip, she began to suck greedily.
I had to close my eyes, had to grab a fistful of her hair and start to rock my hips along her. Fucking her mouth was almost as nice as fucking her pussy, but the fact that the door was open to the hall, that we could be caught theoretically at any moment, set my nerves on fire easily. Kelsey and I were never ones to back down, even when it came to doing it in dark corners or the bathroom at the library. We did what we could when we could, and we had fun doing it.
A low moan escaped me, thundering in my chest before surfacing. She was the best I ever had, and when she was with me, all thoughts of every other girl vanished. There truly was no one else for me out there. Just her.
Her hair was soft and silky in my hand as she began to slow her pace, letting me take the lead. Letting me fuck that gorgeous mouth with fervent abandon, once or twice shoving myself too far in, but she took me like a champ, never choking.
The pressure built within me, pleasure searing every single nerve and muscle in my body until it was all I could feel, all I could think about. Finding my release. All at once, the pleasure exploded inside me, my balls tightening mere moments before I came in her mouth. I pumped into her erratically now, my cum shooting down her throat. She’d have me in her belly now. Hopefully, somehow, tonight I’d be able to fill another part of her.
When I pulled out of her, I watched her lick her lips and swallow again. She got up, leaving my spent cock out as she checked herself out in the mirror on the lower dresser, fixing her hair and making sure no stray cum had dribbled out of her mouth. I reached down and pulled my pants up, tucking my still erect dick away. Hopefully by the time my mom came home, its hardness would be only a memory and not a current condition.
I moved behind her, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her back against my chest. In the mirror, we looked just like any other couple. If you looked at us, if you didn’t know who we were or the mistakes we’d made, we looked normal.
It was kind of funny, because I knew we were anything but normal.
I let her go, grabbed her bag and brought her to the guest room, where she’d be sleeping. This room was more furnished than mine, pictures hanging on the walls and little knickknacks on the bare wooden surfaces.
The world outside was pitch-black by the time my mom got home. Six-thirty. It was only six-thirty and the world acted as if it was bedtime for everyone.
I was the first down the stairs to greet her, Kelsey behind me. My mom came into the house through the side door that led to the garage, and she immediately set down her purse on the island, letting out a long sigh as she worked to take off her coat and hang it on the nearby rack. My mom was a few inches shorter than me, her hair blonde and her eyes blue. I must’ve gotten my eyes from her, but my hair from my dad. She might put highlights in her hair, but her natural color was a dirty blonde.
“Levi,” my mom whispered, giving me a smile. She did not move to hug me. She simply stared at me as she asked, “How was the drive?”
“Good,” I said, stepping aside to reveal Kelsey, who was pretty much hidden from sight behind me. “Mom, this is Kelsey.”
My mom’s heels clicked on the tiled floor as she stepped closer, her azure stare sizing Kelsey up. “Kelsey, it’s good to meet you,” she said demurely, offering Kelsey a hand, which she slowly took. “Levi never brings anyone home, especially girls. You might actually be the first.” Once their handshake was done, she added under her breath, “I hope you’re not distracting my son too much from his classes. His education is very important.”
A muscle in my jaw clenched, and I wanted to ask my mom what she was thinking by practically jumping down Kelsey’s throat before she even had the chance to speak.
“It’s good to meet you,” Kelsey said, totally ignoring the latter part of my mom’s statement. I could tell by the way she glanced at me that she was not smitten with my mom, and I couldn’t blame her for it.
My mom was…not the kind of woman you’d be friends with, or even talk to, unless you had to. Like me being her son, for instance. I had no idea how a man had gotten with her and stayed with her long enough to have me. My dad stayed a few years after that before leaving, but I was too young; didn’t remember much of him. My mom was definitely an acquired taste.
Mom let us fend for ourselves for dinner, going upstairs to shower and unwind after her long day. Kelsey and I settled for some cereal, mostly because it involved little to no cleanup, and making a bunch of dishes before Thanksgiving didn’t feel like a good idea. Kelsey and I then sat on the couch in the living room, watching whatever was on TV, cuddling beneath a blanket.
It was about nine when Kelsey got up, telling me she was going to shower and brush her teeth. I let her go, my eyes watching her as she went, falling to that ass. Never before did an ass look so good in jeans. Never.
After a few minutes, I found it wasn’t the same on the couch without her, so I got up. My bare feet took me to the kitchen, where I found my mom, doing some meal prep for tomorrow. “Do you need any help?” Me, offering to help my mom was not something that happened often.
Which was probably why she tossed me an annoyed look and said, “No.” She had a recipe book open before her, flipping through it to find whatever it was she needed.
I ran a hand through my hair, about to turn to walk away, either go upstairs or back into the living room, when my mom called out to me, stopping me instantly.
“She seems nice enough,” Mom went on, giving me a knowing look. “I hope you two are being careful. The last thing I need to worry about is taking care of a baby because its parents are still children themselves.”
My mom wasn’t stupid; she knew we were having sex. What I took issue with was the latter part of that whole thing.
“We’re not kids,” I told her, meaning it.
“Hmm” was all she said, flipping another page—this one quicker, louder, and a bit angrily. “Regardless, she’s not the kind of girl you’ll be with long-term, so—” Whatever else my mom was going to say, I cut her off.
“What?” What I really wanted to say was what the hell is that supposed to mean, but I figured talking like that to my own mother might not be a good thing.
My mom turned her full attention on me, laying her hands flat on the island’s granite countertop. Her nails were well-manicured, sharpened into points and freshly painted. “She isn’t a long-term girl for you, Levi. She’s the girl every guy chases because she’s easy. She’s not the kind of woman you want to settle down with.”
I found it obscenely irritating that my mom thought she knew everything about Kelsey after meeting her for that short time. “She’s not like that.” Okay, she sort of was, but I wasn’t judging her for it, and as long as she never went behind my back while we were together officially, we’d be golden.
What happened before Halloween…no. That wasn’t how it was. Not anymore.
My mom lifted a single eyebrow, cocking her head like she was a know-it-all and felt pity for me. “You might be smitten now, but it won’t last.” She sounded so sure of herself, too. So confident Kelsey and I wouldn’t last.
I wanted to tell her off, to tell her she was wrong, but I was too upset at her to say much of anything. I silently stormed away, heading back in the living room, fuming as I sat on the couch.
My mom was a bitch. Did I mention that already?
Our Thanksgiving meal was had at our kitchen table, which sat in an alcove right off the kitchen. We hardly ever used the table; just for fancy meals like this. My mom sat at the head of the table, surveying her dishes with her nose upturned, as if she was disappointed in herself, as if she thought she could’ve done better.
Whatever. Food was food, and as long as food was stuffed in my mouth, I wouldn’t have to talk.
I was still pissed at what she said last night. I hated my mom for affecting me this much, but it was like I could do no right when it came to her. Staying in Sigma Chi even after what happened? Because of her, because she wanted me to. Going to SCC to save some money while taking the general classes? Her decision, because she was paying for it.
Honestly, I couldn’t wait for the day when I no longer lived in this house, when I didn’t depend on her money.
Kelsey was oddly quiet as the meal progressed, focusing on her plate the entire time. I said nothing, mostly because if I spoke, I was sure to lash out and say something I’d regret to my mom. Being on my best behavior was difficult for me, that’s for sure. I was at the point where I wanted to tell my mom to fuck off, that I was old enough to make my own decisions.
If she ever told me to choose between Kelsey or her money…I’d choose Kelsey, obviously. The money was nice, but it didn’t matter much. Kelsey was what I wanted; I’d choose her every single time.
“So, Kelsey,” my mom spoke after everyone had eaten most of what we’d put on our plates, “what are you going to school for?”
Kelsey’s dark eyes snapped up. “Uh, I’m not sure yet. I’m undecided.” She hadn’t eaten much, I noticed, just moved around the food on her plate. She’d started eating less and less after the night she found Mel.
I…I didn’t want to think about that. Mel was still in the hospital, still not waking up. The doctors said she was stabilized, but…
No. I would not think about that right now.
My mom tossed me a look, as if asking, See? I told you she wasn’t good enough for you. I hated that my mom thought she could judge Kelsey so much. Hated it with my full being. “You should decide soon,” she said. “The sooner you decide, the sooner you can start taking some classes that will actually further your education.”
“You’re right,” Kelsey said, far too meek. I didn’t like seeing her submit to my mother; I missed her fire, but I knew if she showed her fire to my mother, this whole house would blow up. Needless to say, that would be bad.
When my mom looked at me, I managed to smile. It was an obviously fake smile, not the kind of smile I gave Kelsey when she was being ridiculous, but my mom accepted it all the same.
Could this day just be over already?
Chapter Eighteen – Kelsey
No sneaking around for Levi and I while at his mom’s house. I…wasn’t feeling it. Not after overhearing some of the shit she’d told him—and listening to him just walk away instead of defending me to her. I mean, that was wrong, right? I wasn’t blowing shit out of proportion needlessly, was I? He should’ve said something, done something…
But he didn’t, and that made me wonder if Levi, deep down, agreed with his mother. If he thought we were just something to pass the time, that I wasn’t the kind of girl he could settle down with.
I…it made me upset.
As we got in the car the next day, I was quiet, even though I was leaping for joy we would no longer be subjected to his oh so wonderful mother. Yeah, that bitch was not someone I wanted as a mother-in-law, but…
Fuck. I shouldn’t be thinking that far ahead. If Levi thought this was just a college thing, then I really should stop myself from thinking about the future. It was quite possible we didn’t have one, which saddened me more than I ever wanted to admit.
I was quiet after telling Levi my parents’ address, still quiet even as we got on the road. He didn’t turn his music up, which let us linger in the silence perhaps a bit too much. I didn’t mind the quiet; our ride to his house had been mostly quiet, but this? This was different. I was trapped in my own head, wondering things I shouldn’t.
This was not a comfortable silence, it was the opposite, although I did wonder if Levi felt it, too.
Maybe I was just being an angsty teenager. Maybe this was me making up for all those years I didn’t care. Now I cared too much.
My eyes stared out the window, and I set my hands in my lap, tugging mindlessly on the hoodie’s sleeves. That dinner yesterday was miserable. Frankly, I never wanted to see that woman again. She was everything I didn’t want to be. She might make enough money to keep that house, pay the bills, and send Levi to college, but at what cost? She was a bitch, and she was all alone. I didn’t want to be like that. Not even a little.
It was a while before the silence of the car was broken. Levi glanced to me, asking, “You okay?”
“I’m surprised you care,” I muttered under my breath, albeit without thinking. Now was not the time to start drama. This—being in a relationship—wasn’t easy, and I…I wondered more and more if I could handle it. If I was meant for one.
What if I wasn’t?
“What?” Levi asked, immediately sounding annoyed. That was something about him—he never hid things from me. Not anymore. If he was annoyed, he let me know it, just as I did to him. You couldn’t tame wildfires like us easily. “Of course I care.”
My jaw tensed, my teeth grinding. I knew I shouldn’t say what I was about to say, but my mouth went ahead and said it aloud anyways, “You didn’t seem to care the other night when your mom said I was a slut.” Okay, it wasn’t exactly what she said, but paraphrasing worked. It was basically what she said, in fewer words.
“If I wasn’t on the fucking highway, I’d pull over,” Levi instantly said, practically growling like an animal. He tossed me a fast look, his brows furrowed. “You really think I don’t care? Goddamn it, Kelsey, of course I care. I’m sorry you heard what she said, but my mom’s a bitch—”
“Why didn’t you defend me to her?”
“You don’t need defending,” Levi said, blue eyes icy. “You can defend yourself just fine. And I—I didn’t say anything to her, because I knew if I did, I’d fucking blow up. I was trying to keep it cool.”
He was right when he said I didn’t need defending. I didn’t so much care about what his mom had said, more so that he hadn’t leapt to my defense. But, I was slow to realize, maybe he was right. Maybe holding back was better; keeping the peace. There was no point in blowing up and making the next day and a half miserable when we were going to leave there anyways.
Still, though. It would be nice if I knew I could depend on Levi to have my back. What if there came a day when I couldn’t defend myself? What if I was weak sometimes? It was tough being strong all the freaking time.
Honestly? I think Levi and I still had a lot to learn about this relationship stuff.
After a car ride that was nearly two hours long thanks to an accident on the highway, Levi pulled into a driveway that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar because it was my house, the house I’d grown up in, the house I’d listened to my parents bickering about money and other things for years, but also unfamiliar because the only car I saw in the driveway was my old rust bucket.
The house only had a one-car garage. My rust bucket was parked beside it so it was out of the way, and usually my dad parked his car in it. My mom’s car always sat outside…but it wasn’t here.
That made me uneasy.
It was the day after Thanksgiving. I knew her office was closed today; it’d been closed every year the Friday after Thanksgiving. Unless they changed their policy…
Levi and I got out of the car. He was still kind of pissed at me for saying what I did earlier, but that was fine. The d
rama queen would get over it eventually. I headed to the front door, stepping up the steps that had seen better days. It wasn’t locked, which let us walk right in.
Immediately I smelled something good cooking and saw my dad in the kitchen…wearing the ugliest Thanksgiving sweater he could find, probably. A turkey sewed onto its belly, green sleeves, white everything else.
“Kelsey,” my dad exclaimed, dropping whatever he was doing—mashing potatoes, from what it looked like—and came over to greet us. He wore a big smile, and, for the first time in a long time, he didn’t look tired. No bags hung under his eyes, and the grey I would’ve sworn that was in his hair before was nowhere to be seen, its inch-length just brown.
Wait a minute. Did my dad dye his hair? What the fuck?
“Dad,” I said, totally confused.
“And you,” my dad brought his smile to Levi, about to offer his hand, but then he realized his hand was full of food bits. “Oops, sorry. You must be Levi. I’d say I’ve heard a lot about you, but Kelsey has been pretty tight-lipped.” He went to the sink to wash off his hands, returning to shake Levi’s hand like the father he was.
I could not roll my eyes hard enough.
“Good to meet you, Levi,” my dad went on.
“It’s good to meet you too, Sir—”
“Oh, none of that. Call me Kevin. No sirs in this house.”
Oh, my God. I wanted to die. This was…this was ten times more awkward than I imagined it being, and I imagined it being pretty fucking awkward. My dad was…acting all weird. And then I realized how he was acting.
Happy. He was happy.
Had my dad been miserable for years? I didn’t think I’d ever seen him like this.
“Go put your stuff upstairs,” my dad said. “I have a cheeseball we can eat.”
Ooh. Yum. A ball of cheese.
As we headed up the stairs, I saw that my house was a lot messier than Levi’s. I was almost embarrassed, but then I remembered who I was and that I didn’t care. This was me. This was my life before SCC, and if Levi didn’t like it, he could walk out the door.
Making Mistakes: A College Bully Romance (Playing Games Book 2) Page 16