***
Amelia was gone again by the time I woke up the next morning. It was a Saturday, which meant she didn’t have class. I was worried about her, but didn’t know how to approach her—or how to get her to tell me what was going on with her.
I stared at her empty bed for several minutes before heading toward our closet and getting dressed. As I pulled my jeans on, the aching between my legs started, reminding me of what happened last night.
Owen and I had slept together.
I finished getting dressed as quick as I could, ran across the room, out my door, and started knocking on his door—loudly. Owen pulled open his door midway through one of my knocks. His hair was unkempt, his eyes were still sleepy, and he yawned. I threw myself on him, pressing my lips to his.
“Ha-ha.” He laughed, stumbling backward into his room. I kicked the door closed behind me, pushing him backward until we fell on top of his bed. I peppered him with several kisses before he broke away to breath. “Well, good morning to you too.”
I straddled my legs on either side of him, leaning forward to kiss him again. I rubbed my hands over his chest, grinding against his growing erection. He chuckled under his breath.
“Brenn,” he said, breaking away and sitting up. He held me in place, his hands resting on the small of my back. “As amazing as last night was, we’re not doing it again.”
“What!” I exclaimed. Suddenly, I felt the heat rush to my face. Embarrassed and angry all at the same time. What the hell was going on?
“Calm down,” he said gently. “I meant not right away. You’re going to be sore for a few days.”
“I don’t care.”
He lifted me off his lap, setting me off to the side of him, and pulled my feet into his lap. I crossed my arms and puckered my lower lip. He started to rub my left foot. I tried to pull it away, but he kept it firmly in place.
“I care, love.” My heart lodged in my throat at his term of endearment. “I cannot in good conscious do it again. Not until I know that you aren’t hurting anymore.”
“It doesn’t hurt that bad,” I answered.
It was the truth. Yes, I was sore and slightly uncomfortable, but I wasn’t in any pain. Not even in the slightest bit. I wasn’t going to let him win this battle.
I started to rub my other foot against him, feeling him grow larger. He groaned and narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re going to kill me.”
“Then give me what I want,” I told him.
In one quick motion, Owen pushed me onto my back and hovered over the top of me. I lifted my hips, grinding against him, and a small smirk played on my lips as his face contorted.
“Or do you not want me? Is that it?” I teased.
He grabbed my wrists—careful of my tattoo—pinning them above my head, and stared into my eyes. “I want you so much,” he struggled to say. “But we’re both going to have to wait to get what we want.”
Just as fast as he put us in this position, he returned to sitting next to me. I laughed as his squirmed in his seat. It shouldn’t be as amusing as it was. He looked over his shoulder and down to me. He groaned, shaking his head.
“All right,” I said. I sat up next to him and kissed his cheek. “I’ll stop torturing you for now.”
True to my word, I stopped torturing Owen for the rest of the day. We spent most of the time cuddled up on his bed, watching movies on the projection screen.
The only time we left his room was to grab something to eat for dinner. Other than that, Owen had a hefty stash of snack foods in his room. I didn’t realize how tired or worn out I was, but I eventually dozed off in his bed around nine p.m.
I woke up to the feeling of someone watching me. I cracked open my eyes, finding the room dark. Owen’s face was illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the window.
“What are you doing?” I asked under my breath.
“Watching you sleep.”
I giggled nervously. It was a strange feeling, knowing that he was staring at me. Before, I would’ve found this weird, maybe a little creepy, but right now I found it incredibly sexy. And utterly embarrassing.
“Did you know that you wrinkle your nose in your sleep?” Owen asked. “It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
My face was on fire now. I groaned, tucking my head into his side. My body vibrated as he chuckled next to me. It was hands down, the sweetest thing I had ever heard. I draped my arm across his stomach and squeezed him.
“What time is it?”
“A little after two,” Owen answered.
I moved my head back and looked into his eyes. “Have you even slept yet?”
“Why sleep when I can spend that time staring at you,” he said softly. He pressed his lips against my eyebrow. “Have I told you how lucky I am?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, I am. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Brennan Grace Daniels, but I will do anything to keep you here. Forever in my arms.”
I blushed, hoping he couldn’t see my rosy cheeks in the dark. “I’d like that.”
“Yeah?” he responded. “Me too.”
I snuggled into him more. Never wanting to leave the comfort of his arms. He brought more peace to my life than I had in the past year. He gave me hope that everything was going to be good in my life again. Though he didn’t know it, he was helping me move forward when I had been stuck for so long. And that one day, all my pain I still held inside would heal. He’d never fully understand how important he was to me. I only hoped that I could tell him someday.
I started to drift off to sleep. Reagan was creeping in the back of my mind, and as much as I loved her, I didn’t want to spoil the moment. I didn’t want the guilt to take over. I wanted for once just to be happy, like I was in that moment.
“Brenn?” Owen whispered.
“Yeah, Owen?”
“Promise me something,” he said hesitantly. I noticed the shakiness of his voice. “Promise me that no matter what, we’ll always find our way back to each other.”
I pushed myself upright and looked down at him. I knitted my eyebrows together, feeling confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Just promise me.”
“Owen,” I replied. “Nothing is going to happen between us.”
He sighed, sitting up, and turning on the lamp next to his bed. He took my hands into his and stared sadly into my eyes. “I know I’m going to mess this up one day,” he started.
“Ow—”
“Listen, I’m going to do everything in my power to make this work,” he continued, talking over me. “But let’s face it, you’re worried I’m going to screw this up just as much as I am.”
I opened my mouth to stop him. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. While there was some truth to his words, I was more worried that I’d be the one to screw up. I was afraid that the guilt would become too much, and I’d push him away.
“The reason I don’t let anyone get close to me is because nothing good ever comes from it,” he admitted. “People have a tendency to get hurt. I destroy things, Brennan. I ruin people’s lives. I don’t mean too, but I can’t help it. I’m not perfect.”
“No one’s perfect, Owen.” I cupped his face, brushing his cheek with my thumb. “That’s what makes us human. Hell, I’m a walking catastrophe waiting to happen. I’m a ticking time bomb who can’t control her emotions.”
He tried to speak up, but it was my turn now. “It’s not going to be easy, certainly not with me. It’s life, nothing ever goes according to plan. I learned that from you. I’m still learning how to face what I’m feeling or thinking, instead of keeping it all locked up. It’s because of you . . .” I told him. “If there’s one thing I want you to know, it’s that. You’re teaching me how to live again. I have a long road ahead of me, but I want you there every step of the way.”
“But what if I mess it up?” he asked, completely missing my point.
“What if I mess it up?” I turned the tables on
him. “All we can do is take it day by day.”
The room fell silent. I felt the walls closing in on me. I had no idea where this was coming from. Owen seemed so insecure, so unsure of himself, and it wasn’t something I was used to.
He sighed, lying back down on the pillow. I laid my head on his chest, listening to the sound of his beating heart.
“I’m petrified,” he whispered, admitting the same feeling I had going through my head.
“Me too.”
“Then promise me.”
I gently pressed my lips against his bare chest, inhaling his scent with me. “I promise.”
TWENTY-SIX
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS passed by like a blur. Spring was on the horizon—my favorite season—which meant Owen started showing me around the city more. Taking me on hiking trails, feeding the ducks at the park, and he even took me golfing once. I wasn’t sure who was worse out of the two of us.
Finals were quickly approaching, which meant spring break was near. We had plans to go back up to my parents’ house. I tried to convince him to go home, to see his family, but he’d quickly change the subject. Finally, I gave up because there was nothing left for me to do.
Amelia might as well have moved out of our dorm room. I never saw her anymore. Only a few glances here and there. I hated how much we had grown apart. My heart ached, wishing that we could have what we once had at the beginning of the school year. I was worried about her.
As I walked back from my calculus class, I saw her entering the building next to the one I just exited.
“Amelia!” I shouted her name, waving in her direction. She stopped, looked at me for a moment, and then headed inside. My heart broke a little more.
An arm snaked around my waist. I didn’t need to look to see who it was. “Have you seen my girlfriend today?” Owen said, using a playful tone. “She’s about five foot four, gorgeous blonde hair, a sexy little ass, and a smile to die for.”
I laughed, a wide grin spreading from ear to ear. “There she is!” he exclaimed.
“Someone’s unusually perky today,” I teased. “Drink too much coffee this morning?”
“Nope, just happy to see my girl,” he replied. “So, why the long face?”
“Amelia,” I replied flatly. I didn’t need to elaborate. He knew that I was worried about her. He cleared his throat next to me. Something he seemed to do whenever I mentioned her. It struck me as odd. “Have you talked to her at all?”
“Me?” His voice cracked. I narrowed my eyes, and he glanced away quickly. “Uh, no more than you have.”
For some reason, I didn’t believe him. I had a sinking feeling he knew something but wasn’t telling me. I was about to ask him when the person I think I disliked the most in the world stopped us.
“Owen . . .” Felicity, aka Malibu Barbie, said in a flirtatious voice. She whipped her hair to the side, smacking me in the face. She glanced at me out the corner of her eye, and smirked. “You’re looking good.”
The set of balls this girl had was astounding. She knew damn well—as every other girl on campus—that Owen and I were together. That we had been for a couple months. Did that stop her? Not even close. She needed to take a hint like everybody else, and move along.
“You know what, skank?” I snapped.
She turned to look at me. She made a tsk sound, and narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” she said.
“Felicity,” Owen warned. “What do you want?”
“I stopped to invite you to the party tonight,” she said, turning back to Owen and pretending like I wasn’t standing there. I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and used all the willpower I had not to punch her right in her pearly white mouth. “At my sorority. It’s our annual soirée before spring break. It’s invite only.”
“I’m going to have to decline the invitation,” Owen answered.
Before she had a chance to say anything, Owen started to lead us away. Not before I saw the look of disbelief on her face. I glanced over my shoulder; her face was as red as a ripe tomato, and she looked like a venomous snake—ready to kill. I held up my left hand and flipped her off. Her face fell, and I couldn’t help but to laugh.
“You know,” I said, wrapping my arm around Owen’s waist, “you can go to the party tonight. It’s not a big deal.”
“Oh, I know we are,” he answered.
“We are?”
“Yup,” he replied. “You, me, Callen, and Sam.”
I tilted my head to the side, scrunching my nose. “I thought it was invite only.”
He scoffed. “Like that’s going to stop me?”
I skidded to a stop, tugging on Owen’s arm. He looked back at me, a smile on his face. I frowned and crossed my arms. “Relax,” he said coaxingly. “It really isn’t an invite-only party. She just said that to get you going.”
“Oh.”
“You have to stop letting her get under your skin.” He pulled me into his arms, rested his chin on the top of my head, and rubbed my back.
“Kinda hard to do when she’s trying to get in your pants every time I turn around,” I replied. “She ruthless.”
“Well, unfortunately for her, the only girl getting into my pants is standing next to me,” he reassured me.
“I feel bad for the girls in the world,” I said, laughing lightly. “They’ll never have a chance to experience the insatiable Owen Scott.”
“Insatiable?” I hummed in agreement. “Really? What else?”
“Well,” I said, lowly and seductively. My fingers crawled up his chest slowly. “How about devastatingly handsome?” He nodded. “Sexually gratifying.” I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “Well endowed. Or how about that thing you do, you know, with your tongue? The women in this world are really missing out.”
Owen jerked as I licked my lips and pressed them against the bulging vein in his neck. He grabbed me by the hand, pulling me behind him, and I broke out into a fit of laughter. He wasted no time getting us back to the dorms and up to his room.
No sooner than the door was shut, he had me pressed up against the wall, my hand above my head, and his mouth crushing against mine.
“One of these days,” he mumbled, “you’re going to kill me.”
He picked me up, wrapping my legs around him, and I squealed. He carried me toward the bed, set me down gently, and pulled off my shirt. He left a trail of kisses along the lower part of my stomach.
He dragged his tongue across the top of my jeans, causing every nerve in my body to tingle. He slowly moved up my body, his mouth finding mine. I stuck my hands up his shirt, tracing the lines of his muscles as they tightened from his embrace around me.
Just the simplest of touches, the lightest brushes of his lips on my body, sent waves rippling throughout me. By the time he removed the rest of my clothes, I was ready for him. He stopped long enough to sheath his erection. In one swift motion, he filled me to the hilt, stretching me.
He started with slow, steady strokes. Teasing me, building the anticipation, and when I was close to release, he pulled out. I whined, which caused him to laugh in a seductive voice. Without warning, he was inside of me again. He found my sweet spot effortlessly. I moved my hips in time with each stroke. His body tensed, signaling he was close, and we came together.
Owen collapsed on top of me, moved my hair aside, and cupped my face. He kissed the tip of my nose and then my lips. I sighed happily.
“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of that,” I admitted.
Owen smiled, nodding his head in agreement. He laid his head on my chest, and we laid there for a while, basking in the moment. Finally, he pulled out of me, walked over to the wastebasket near his desk, and discarded the condom.
He grabbed a towel and a water bottle from his minifridge, and poured the water onto the towel. He knelt on the bed, moving his hand between my legs, and wiped away the evidence of what we just did. When he was finished, he wetted the other end of the towel, and repeated the same pr
ocess on himself.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I said as I placed my foot into the leg of my pants. I bounced up and down on my toes as I pulled my pants up.
“I think I’ll do the same thing,” he replied.
Owen gathered what he needed after getting dressed, then joined me in my room as I grabbed a change of clothes and my bathroom caddy. We walked down the hall, stopping in front of the girls’ bathroom, and he kissed me deeply. In front of several people littering the hall, essentially marking his territory. Not that everyone didn’t already know I belonged to him.
“I’ll meet you down in the student lounge when I’m done,” I told him. He nodded, kissing me one last time, before heading toward the guys’ bathroom.
Owen wasn’t downstairs by the time I made my way out of the bathroom. I stood around wondering what the hell was taking him so long. I managed to wash my hair, shave, get dressed, brush out my long locks, run mousse through it, apply some makeup, brush my teeth, and still beat him downstairs. There was no reason I should’ve been here first.
I looked around the lobby, searching to see if he was hiding in some dark corner, or talking with someone, and hadn’t noticed I was down there yet. My eyes fell on a guy sitting at a table less than twenty feet away. The way he was staring at me, made me shift uncomfortably between my feet.
I had never seen him before. He stood up, and started making his way toward me. I glanced around the room, hoping Owen would appear at any moment. The light-haired, beady-eyed character stopped in front of me.
“Hey there,” he said, his voice giving me goose bumps, and not in a good way. “How’s it going?”
“Fine.” I gave him a clipped answer.
“Looking for someone?” I glanced around the room before shifting my attention back to the shady guy in front of me.
“Yeah,” I answered. “My boyfriend.”
“Of course, pretty girl like you has been snatched up.” The hairs on the back of my neck stood. “So look, I know y’all got finals coming up.” I nodded, wondering where he was going with it. “How would you like if I told you that I had a little something-something that will help keep you going during Dead Week?”
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