by York, Marie
“You eat your cereal. I’ll be out soon,” I said, then with more self-control than I ever suspected I had, I walked away, leaving Kennedy with her Lucky Charms.
I went into the shower and wrapped my hand around my shaft, reacquainting myself with Palm-ala and her five friends.
***
After jerking off alone in the shower like a pathetic loser, while Kennedy was only a room away, I drove us to school. She had this amused look on her face the entire ride there. Afraid she was trying to bait me, I ignored her. At least attempted too. I kept glancing in her direction, sure her lips would press into a thin line, but they never did. I couldn’t take it any longer. I wanted to know.
“What’s so funny?” I finally asked.
“Nothing,” she sing-songed.
I pushed at the wrinkles on the bridge of her nose. “Liar.”
She turned her nose up at me and laughed. “Nothing.”
I let it go only because of the light in her eye, and the smile on her face, was making me happy. I pulled into the parking lot and threw the car in park. I got out, and we headed toward the path I took every morning.
“Why are we walking this way?” Kennedy asked.
“Because I always go this way.”
“Yeah, because you meet me at the coffee cart, but I brought the coffee to you today, so we don’t have to go this way.”
“It’s actually the fastest way, and since someone insisted on a second bowl of cereal, we’re running late.”
“But… If I knew that, I wouldn’t have brought the coffee to you. I would have just stood here and waited for you.”
“But then you wouldn’t have had that amazing view to start your day.”
Her eyes skittered across my body, and she shrugged. “Trust me, it wasn’t that amazing. I’ve seen better.”
“Oh, really now!” I went up behind her, and tickled her sides. She squirmed in my arms, pressing her ass into my cock. He woke right the fuck up and pulsed at the pressure. Thoughts of her writhing in my arms as I fucked her up against the wall filled my mind.
Wall sex was amazing, but dreams of having her in my bed, and being able to take my time with her was the reason I’d been waking up rock hard every morning. I imagined sucking her clit while I thrust my finger deep into her dripping wet pussy, driving her to the point of torture as she squirmed uncontrollably against my tongue.
I was just grateful we were far away from my apartment, because the way she felt beneath my fingers, I was two beats away from throwing her over my shoulder, and carrying her to my bedroom to have her bent over my bed as I plowed into her.
Her ass rubbed slowly against my cock, and I swear she did it on purpose. “What I found so funny earlier, was the fact that I was right there. Yours for the taking, and you chose to jerk off instead.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, letting go of her, and walking ahead.
She hurried up and fell into pace beside me. “You grunt, pretty loud might I add, when you cum. I heard you, and I have to tell you it was quite the turn on,” she purred, as she ran her pink polished fingernail up my arm.
I ran a hand over my still damp hair and wished it wasn’t pulled back already. I was finding the need to keep my hands busy. Afraid if I didn’t, I’d find another wall to push Kennedy up against. Jerking off this morning might as well have not even happened. The release I was so desperate for was short lived.
“So tell me.” She stopped in front of me and ran that finger down my chest. “Who’s better? Me or your hand?”
I swallowed, and my Adam’s apple bobbed, making it obvious Kennedy had the upper hand. I was losing control, but I was starting to think that wasn’t such a bad thing.
“Palm-ala does bring her five friends along,” I joked, regaining my composure.
“True, but does she want it as bad as I do? I bet she doesn’t drip with desire like I do. She doesn’t feel as good as I do, does she?”
I should have taken her hands off my chest and continued walking to her class. Ignored her attempt at seducing me. But I was slowly learning that when it came to Kennedy, I was weak.
I rested my hand on top of hers, and with the other, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her to me. The slightest squeal fell from her lips, and I was suddenly determined to make her squeal my name. I dragged my finger down the length of her jaw, resting it under her chin, and urging her to look at me. Her big brown eyes blinked once, twice, before focusing completely on me. “Nothing feels as good as you.”
Her teeth slid over her pouty bottom lip. “So, why are you resisting me?”
I rested my head against her forehead. Her lips were shiny with gloss and calling my name. “We already had this conversation.”
“But then you fucked me and took off.”
“I thought we were going to forget about it?”
“I said, for now. But now has passed, and I’m ready to talk about it.”
I took a much-needed step back and shook my head. “I’m not.”
“Why not?”
The words were on my lips, but then the coffee guy awkwardly approached us.
“Hi Kennedy,” he said, and her eyes bulged, which was strange.
“Hi. Jimmy. Hi. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at the cart?”
“I had to take care of something this morning, so I switched shifts.”
Kennedy fidgeted with her hands as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her eyes avoided making direct contact with Jimmy. What the fuck was going on?
I nudged her shoulder. “Why are you acting weird?”
“I’m not acting weird.”
“You’re acting weird. Wait, a second. Is he the reason you were being all crazy about walking this way?”
She waved my question away. “Whatever. Let’s just go. Bye, Jimmy. It was good seeing you.” With a clumsy wave, she grabbed my hand, and yanked me down the sidewalk, only verifying my suspicion.
“Kennedy, hang on,” Jimmy called out. “I have your um… your dress. It’s at my place.”
“Shit,” Kennedy mumbled under her breath.
Her dress? Why the fuck… My vision blurred, and all I saw was red.
Anger surged through me, and I dropped her hand. “Why the fuck do you have her dress?” I stormed toward Coffee Boy.
His hands flung up in front of him, as if that would stop me from pummeling him to the ground and beating his pretty boy face in.
Kennedy grabbed my arm, but I ripped it from her grip, and surged forward.
“Beckham, knock it off!” she yelled, but the fury rushing through my ears muffled her voice.
I pointed at Jimmy as Kennedy continued to yank on my arm. Her hands barely going halfway around my bicep. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Beckham!” She jumped in front of me and shoved my chest hard. “This isn’t what you think.”
“It isn’t? Your dress just magically appeared at his place? So, tell me, Ken, who felt better? Me or him?”
Disgust and anger pooled in her eyes, but before I could really put the nail in the coffin, she raised her hand and slapped me. Pain radiated in my cheek and down my jaw. For a little thing, she had some power behind that hit. If I wasn’t so crazy with rage, I might even be proud of her. My cheek stung, but it was nothing compared to the betrayal gnawing at my heart. I actually welcomed the pain.
Her gaze darkened, and if she could shoot lasers with her eyes, she would’ve cut me into a million tiny pieces. “Fuck you!”
“I clearly got in the middle of something,” Coffee Boy said.
“Shut up,” Kennedy and I both yelled.
“So, what exactly happened that night?” I asked.
“We forgot about it, remember?” she growled. “You don’t want to talk about it.”
I didn’t want to talk about it when I thought I was the asshole in the situation, but now… “Well, now I do.”
“Too fucking bad. I don’t.”
“I don’t gi
ve a shit what you want right now. You were so pissed at me, storming off, and disappearing into the bar. So, what happened next? No, let me guess. You wanted to forget about me. Find a guy who could erase me from your mind. So, you fucked this poor sap?”
“Think what you want,” she spat.
“Wait a minute!” Coffee Boy shrieked. Kennedy and I spun toward him. He waved his finger between Kennedy and himself. “You have it all wrong.”
“So, you didn’t take her back to your place?”
“Well yes, but…” the rest of his words cut off when I wrapped my hand around his throat.
“Beckham! Let him go!”
I lessened my grip, but didn’t release him. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t break his fucking neck?”
Kennedy threw her hands in the air, and let out a heavy breath. “Jimmy’s gay.”
My hand fell from Jimmy’s neck. He grabbed at it, rubbing and massaging, and making me feel guilty for the red handprint splotch marking his skin. “Sorry. You okay?” I asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.
“That’s some grip you got there,” Jimmy said with a laugh. He cleared his throat. “I think I’m good now.”
“Good. Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Jimmy looked to Kennedy, a million questions in his eyes. She shrugged then nodded.
“She was really drunk that night. Like stumbling over herself. And she was alone. She couldn’t find her friend, or get a hold of her on the phone. I asked her what her address was, and she gave me her parents’ address, which isn’t even in this state. I knew I couldn’t leave her alone. So, I took her to my place to sleep it off. She puked all over her dress, so I helped her out of it, and washed it. The next morning, she borrowed a pair of my sweats, and went home without her dress.”
Jimmy’s words settled in, and I turned to Kennedy. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
Tears welled in her eyes, but being the strong, stubborn girl she was, she forced them away. “I didn’t want you to know because… I didn’t want you to actually believe I needed a babysitter. Because I don’t. I just had a bad night. And look. Everything turned out fine.”
“Yeah, because of Jimmy here. What would’ve happened if he wasn’t there?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
I turned to Jimmy and held out my hand. He hesitated for a moment before accepting my offer. “Thank you for taking care of her. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t there. And I’m sorry about…” I motioned to his neck. “I may have overreacted.”
“It’s okay.” Jimmy gave a half-hearted smile then looked over my shoulder, holding Kennedy’s attention as he spoke. “The romantic in me found it endearing. I only wish that I find a man one day who cares that much about me.” He winked at Kennedy. “I’m going to get going now. Your dress is ready whenever you are.”
“Thanks, Jimmy,” Kennedy said, and gave a meek wave.
Jimmy walked away and Kennedy, who wouldn’t even make eye contact with me, went to follow behind him.
I grabbed her arm, and tugged her back to me. “Not so fast. We’re not done here.”
“I have to get to class.”
“Fuck class.”
“What would Nix think if he knew you were encouraging me to skip class?”
“Don’t you fucking use your brother against me.”
Eyes like two dark stones bore into mine. “Why? You do it all the time.”
I ran my hand over my bun, wanting to rip my hair out of my head. She was so frustrating, but she was right. I’d been using Nix as an excuse since that first kiss on her sixteenth birthday. It was easy. Easier than admitting the truth.
“I’m sorry,” I finally said.
Shock flashed across her features. “For what?”
“For leaving you that night. For letting you walk away from me. I never should have let you go.”
Her jaw tightened, and her lips pushed into a straight line. “But you did, and you broke my heart… again.”
The words penetrated the thick wall around my own heart, piercing it. Dammit. I warned her because I knew… “What did I tell you? I don’t make love. You wanted me to fuck you. Fucking doesn’t require a person to stick around and shoot the breeze afterward.”
“I know. I just hoped that I was different. That you’d actually want to stick around. But I can’t fault you for that. Like you said, you warned me. I was just a naïve little girl who thought she could change you.” A tear slipped and fell down her cheek. I reached out to wipe it away, but she slapped at my hand. “Don’t. It’s hard to hate you when you’re always so damn nice to me.”
I wanted to take her in my arms and comfort her. Tell her all the things she wanted to hear, but I wasn’t that guy. I couldn’t give her what she wanted, and because of that, I had to let her go.
“Let me make it easy for you then.” I walked away, regretting every single step, but I kept going, never turning back.
Chapter 9
Beckham
It’d been two days since I walked away from Kennedy, and not a second had gone by that I hadn’t thought about her. I don’t know when I became some pathetic sap, but, somewhere along the way, I did. I missed her laugh, and the way her nose crinkled when she didn’t like something I said. Most of all, I just missed having her around.
I headed down the path toward the coffee cart, ten minutes later than usual, knowing she’d already be halfway to class. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I slipped it out to see Nix’s name flash across the screen.
Nix: How’s life on the east coast?
Beck: Thrilling.
Nix: Let me guess. Dry spell?
If he only knew.
Beck: Nah. Fucked a blonde last night.
As soon as I hit send, I felt guilty. I hated lying to my best friend. Hated the guy I used to be, and that I felt the need to be some kind of womanizing douchebag.
Nix: Good for you. I’ve been too busy training, haven’t had time to get laid.
There weren’t many things Nix loved more than sex, but his fighting, I never knew anyone as dedicated to anything as he was to fighting. He’d become a different person since that first time he stepped into the ring. The training, the devotion… it gave him something to live for. I envied him for finding that passion.
Beck: You’re doing what you love that’s better than doing some random girl.
Nix: How’s Kennedy?
I had no idea, but I was on my way to find out. In the meantime, I lied to my best friend for the second time.
Beck: Good. She seems to be adjusting well. You’d be proud. Heading into class. Talk later.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and approached the coffee cart. There was no line, probably because everyone was already in their first class. Jimmy spotted me, and looked at me with a bit of fear, but when I smiled, the fear faded.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“I’ll take a large coffee.”
“Do you take it like Kennedy? One sugar and skim?
“That’s fine. Speaking of Kennedy, have you seen her?”
Jimmy poured milk into the cup and then glanced up at me. “Every morning. The girl never misses her coffee.”
At least I knew she was going to class. “How’s she doing?”
“She seems okay. A little sadder than usual, but I assume you know that, considering you’re looking the same.”
“Is that your way of telling me I look like shit?”
“No, that’s my way of telling you to stop acting like a petulant child, and go talk to her.”
My eyes widened at the bluntness in his tone and the delivery. “You don’t have to be so bitchy about it,” I joked.
“Bitch is my middle name. Hidden beneath this manly façade.” He motioned a hand down his body and I laughed.
“You’re all right,” I said as he handed me my coffee.
“You’d be too if you stopped being so damn stubborn.�
� It was like he was my conscious, talking and telling me what I already knew, but didn’t want to admit to myself.
Staying away from Kennedy was harder than I ever imagined it would be, and, apparently, it was hard on her too. So, why not give in, and just give the two of us what we wanted? I might not be able to give her much more than sex, but I wouldn’t mind cuddling afterward. Funny, since that used to scare the shit out of me. I never let a girl stay at my place long after, but Kennedy wasn’t some girl, and if she wanted to stay, I’d let her.
I already missed the first twenty minutes of my class, so I sat outside of the building where Kennedy’s class was. I still had forty minutes before her class ended, but I didn’t mind waiting.
The sun beat down, and I closed my eyes, resting my hands on the back of my head. I leaned against the bench thoughts of Kennedy bounced in my head. That adorable smile, the sexy as sin way she tossed me a look when I pissed her off and the disappointment in her big eyes when I let her down.
“Hey Becks,” a squeaky voice said, and I popped an eye open. The blonde with a nice rack smiled. “Where have you been hiding?” she asked, sitting down beside me.
“Here and there,” I replied, while trying to figure out where I knew her from. The tits looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint them.
“We miss you down at McGuires,” she said, and it finally clicked.
She was a waitress there. When I first transferred, I’d spent a lot of time at that bar. They had good beer, hot chicks, and there was always a game on. I tried to remember if I fucked her or just hooked up with her, but I didn’t think I did either.
People started coming out of the building, and I glanced down at my phone. Kennedy would be here soon. The last thing I needed was for her to come out and see me talking to another girl. I’d hoped that she wouldn’t jump to the wrong conclusion, but knowing Kennedy, and our history, I didn’t want to take any chances testing my theory.
“Been busy, but I’ll try to stop by sometime.” I stood up from the bench, in case my subtle hint for her to leave wasn’t enough.