“Promise you won’t act all weird.”
“I promise.” I kiss her lips for reassurance.
“Okay.” She just stares at me.
“Baby, come on.”
Her fingers play along the back of my neck then travel up to my hairline. “When’s the last time someone told you that they loved you?”
I stiffen. “What’s the point to your question?” I become defensive.
“I just—"
Catcalls followed by wolf whistles come from the shoreline not far from the group of people standing by the fire pit. I turn and see a couple of my old soccer teammates making lude gestures our way.
“Fuck off!” I shout.
Jagger grabs his crotch and brings two fingers to his mouth in a ‘v’, thrusting his tongue between them.
“Bryce, ignore them. Look at me.”
I turn to face her and block out the obscene language they continue to call our way. To think I use to do that shit.
“I love you, Bryce,” Ava quietly confesses. “I love you so much.”
My heart hammers in my chest and vibrates throughout my extremities. I love you, too, Ava.
She grabs my face and stares at me for a moment then lowers her lips to mine and kisses me, making me feel loved even more.
Our kiss intensifies to the point where I would have Ava laying on her back watching me as I roll a condom on before climbing on top of her and sliding my dick deep inside of her.
Condom! The head of my cock penetrates her pussy. “Mmm, yes,” Ava mewls against my mouth. Her legs tighten around my waist, and my dick glides in further until I’m fully cocooned inside her warmth. Words can’t describe the way she feels around my bare dick. Our breaths come out rushed and shaky against each other's lips.
“Fuck!” I groan when Ava grinds on my dick and her pussy muscles tighten around me.
“You feel so good,” she pants as she continues to move. I palm her ass and lift her up and down my length.
There was never a concern about me getting Ava pregnant because we always used condoms and she was on the pill. Because of my past whorish ways, and even though I used a condom every time I fucked someone, I make it a priority to get regularly tested for STDs at the county health clinic and always walk out with a bag full of condoms.
My balls tighten. Shit, I'm not ready to come yet. I try to concentrate on the calming sound of the water sloshing around us, but soon, the cum-busting sound of Ava moaning my name breaks my concentration. Shit, she's about to come too.
”Bryce, I love you,” she croons against my lips then bites down hard on my lower lip and comes.
My dick pulses inside of her, pushing me over the edge. I tighten my hold on her ass and thrust my hips wildly inside of her. “Oh, fuck!” I growl then explode inside of her. Marking my territory.
Chapter 21
Bryce
So fuckin’ delicious! I keep my eyes closed and continue to chew on the last piece of the best damn blueberry muffin I’ve ever tasted.
“Is it good?”
I open my eyes and am face to face with Ava, who’s straddling my lap. She’s wearing my faded black t-shirt with a marijuana leaf on the front that I must’ve left behind when I stayed over one night and a pair of violet cotton panties. “I love them.” Just like I love you. “You said they’re your grandma’s recipe?”
“Yes. I just added a little butter and sprinkled the top with sugar to make them my own.”
I reach for the muffin on her plate and take a bite.
“Hey! You already ate two!” She calls me out.
“And now I’m eating yours,” I tease.
Ava leans into me. “You could be eating something else.”
I turn my face away and cough to dislodge the muffin stuck in my throat.
“Too bad we don’t have time.”
Ava tries to stand up, but I pull her back down.
“Let’s make time.” I nip her bottom lip.
“I can’t. I have to be at the church in less than forty-five minutes. If you hadn’t texted me that you were on your way, I would’ve left with my parents for Sunday school. I’m performing a solo, and I need to get there early enough to warm up with the rest of the choir.”
I release my hold on her and let her stand. She walks over to her closet and takes off my t-shirt. My eyes travel over her panty set. Her ass looks amazing in those cheeky panties. She slips on a brown pencil skirt, then a fitted white sleeveless shirt. Finally, she slides her feet into a pair of nude heels and ruffles her curls free from her high ponytail. She walks into her bathroom, and from where I’m seated on her bed, I watch her apply some mascara.
“I forgot to ask you,” Ava calls from the bathroom while applying lipgloss to her lips, “how did things go at the airport this morning with Morgan?”
Morgan shed tears of joy because she was finally getting out of our parents’ home for good but admitted to me that she was scared. We sat down, had a cup of coffee in the only place open at the airport at three in the morning, and just talked. That’s when I decided to bring the subject of Staci up.
“Bitch.” My sister’s whole demeanor changes. “Why is she back?”
I shrug. “Who fuckin’ knows?” I take a sip of my coffee that tastes fuckin’ awful, by the way, but I’m tired and need a boost of something to wake me up.
“Did you ask?”
I shake my head and empty a sugar packet into my cup of joe to see if it’ll take away from the bitter taste. “Nope,” I yawn, “but somehow, she got ahold of my new number and texted me, and I ignored every, single text. Then, she was at the fair on the night Ava and I were there and decided to introduce herself to Ava.”
“That must’ve been awkward as hell.”
“Sis, you don’t know the half of it. Just when I think my life is heading in the right direction, another curveball sails my way and tries to fuck it all up.”
“Shit. Have you told Ava about Staci?”
“Ava, I fucked my science teacher. Do you forgive me? Naw, that shit isn’t going to work.”
“Well, if you don’t, I’m afraid it’s gonna come back and bite you in the ass. Karma has a funny way of intervening. You have to remember I was the one who caught the two of you in her classroom. I could’ve been anyone. After you told me that you tried to end things with her, I decided to take matters in my own hands and emailed the principal those anonymous pictures of your blurred-out face and a clear picture of Staci, and that only got her pink-slipped and not arrested. Now, the bitch is back.”
I reach across the small round table and grab my sister’s hand. “None of this is your fault.”
“And it’s not yours either.” She grips my hand tighter.
“You say that but I was the one who showed up to her class after school and to her house when her husband wasn’t home. It’s not like she slipped and fell on my dick. I knew the shit was wrong, but I did it anyway.”
“Bryce, stop doing this to yourself. She fucked with your head and made you feel wanted and special when our parents should’ve been the ones to do so. Just stop blaming yourself; she was the adult in all of this.” She sniffles then reaches for the napkin dispenser, pulling one out to wipe away tears and her runny nose. “Have you put any more thought to what we’ve discussed before?”
I tug my hand away from hers and rest my back against the cushion-less backrest of my chair. “I don’t need fuckin’ counseling.”
“Bryce, hear me out.” More tears fall from her eyes. “I think you should consider talking to someone. I’ve never told you this, but I’m concerned and always have been since all this shit went down with Staci. I think you’ve used sex to mask whatever you’re feeling inside. I love you, Bryce, and want you—”
“I don’t need this shit right now,” I mumble under my breath then stand abruptly from my chair, knocking it to the floor.
“Bryce, I’m sorry. Please sit down so we can talk this out.”
I shake my head, refusing to let my
sister’s tears get the best of me. “You have a safe trip,” I look away from her, “and I hope London is everything you hope it to be.” Then I turn and walk away, ignoring my sister’s cries and pleas begging for me to stay.
I walk into the bathroom and stand behind Ava while she puts her earrings in. “It went better than I expected.”
“Good. I know you’re going to miss her.” She puts in her last earring then turns around and faces me. “Come to church with me, Bryce.”
I finger her cross pendant on her necklace. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Why?” Ava frowns up at me. “Have you ever been to church?”
“I have. When I was younger, my parents took Morgan and me to church on Easter Sunday. My mom would wake us up earlier and cook a big breakfast—eggs, bacon, pancakes, made from scratch, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. But that was so long ago…” my voice lingers off.
“It sounds like it was one of your happier times with your family.”
“It was.”
Ava grips my hands. “Well, maybe next time, you can come with me then afterward you can have dinner with me and my family, but I need to leave now if I’m going to get in the choir stand in time for my solo.”
Ava steps away, but I pull her back to me. “Wait. If it means that much to you, then I’ll go to church with you.”
“Really?” She smiles, making her eyes light up.
“Yes, really.” I wrap my arms tightly around her. “But we’ll need to take separate vehicles. I need to take care of something after church is over.”
Chapter 22
Bryce
“Let the church say amen!” Pastor Walker’s boisterous voice booms through the loudspeakers.
I look around feeling completely out of place. Not only am I the only white person in here, but I’m also dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and an orange polo shirt that I’ve had for ages. Ava assures me that what I’m wearing would be fine. “Come as you are,” she told me. I don’t have a Bible like most of the members here, and I’ve never owned one. I can’t tell you the last time I even cracked open a Bible.
Can you imagine the thoughts that went through my head when Ava ushered me inside this church? Of the floors opening up and swallowing me to hell for sleeping with the pastor’s daughter? After she introduced me to some of the other church members, which was nerve-wracking, to say the least. She told me to have a seat anywhere I liked, and I watched her disappear behind a large door where she mentioned earlier that she’d meet up with the other members of the choir.
I look up into the choir stand to find Ava sitting there like the good pastor daughter she is, listening attentively to every word her father preaches while stealing glances my way. At one point, I could tell she was lost in a daydream by the way she was biting down on her lower lip, causing one of her choir members to nudge for her back to attention. Was she thinking about what we did last night? Shit, now I am. I reach forward, grab one of the church’s Bibles and place it over my pants, just in case my erection becomes noticeable.
“And now, we’ll have a selection by our choir; then after that, we’ll collect our tithes and offerings,” Pastor Walker announces into the microphone.
The choir stands. Ava makes her way to the pianist and takes the mic given to her. I brace myself for what’s to come and when it does, I’m not prepared to hear the sweet sound of Ava’s voice echoing throughout the church.
Voice of an angel.
The beautiful melodies coming from her mouth have me sitting there, in awe. The words and message her voice orchestrates has my mind, body, and soul…I don’t know because I can’t describe the feeling, but it’s overwhelming. I come to my feet, not knowing what else to do, and I become a prisoner to the lyrics to Lord You Amaze me—I feel your presence, Lord.
Emotions that I’m not used to feeling course throughout my body. Guilt? Fear? Tears prick my eyes, and I quickly blink them away. “Yeah, cry it out, you fuck-up,” I hear what I believe is the fallen angel himself. When the song ends, so do my tears. I sit back down and start fidgeting like an opioid addict. I need to get out of here. Am I that fucked-up that I can’t sit through a church service without feeling guilty about things that I’ve done in my life?
After gold plates are passed around the church to collect offerings, Pastor Walker asks everyone to stand where they are for prayer or to come to the altar. This aching feeling in my chest has my feet moving to the front, where I bow my head, and I pray for everyone in my life, including my parents. A hand envelopes mine, and I know it’s Ava’s because her sweet scent invades my nose. After the church says amen, I release Ava’s hand and walk down the aisle, and through the double doors of the sanctuary, until I’m bursting through the doors of the church. I’m greeted by the cloudy summer sky and inhale the stench of wet grass while I try to catch my breath because I feel like I’m hyperventilating. I knew coming here would be a bad idea. I jog down the stairs and sprint across the parking lot, get inside my car, and start the engine while tugging the two buttons of my shirt undone. I look up and on the stairs of the church stands Ava with her hair blowing in the wind. Lightning flashes and she disappears back inside the church. I put my car into drive and go to the only place I know when I feel like my life is spiraling out of control.
Chapter 23
Ava
When I run out of the church again, Bryce is long gone. The sky is an eerie dark gray, and ominous clouds roll in. I force away from the dreadful feeling I get every time it storms. I get inside of my car just before a downpour attacks my windshield, making it nearly impossible to see. I turn the ignition, and my wipers come to life, swooshing furiously against the rain. I inhale and release a nervous breath. “Come on, Ava, you got this.” I have to give myself a pep talk every time I drive in weather that reminds me of that night my mom’s car swerved off the road and submerged in water. I put my car in reverse and ease out of the parking spot. I drive below the speed limit with my emergency lights flashing, making sure that I am visible to others on the road. As I get closer to my destination, the rain levels off to a medium downpour, and I’m now able to identify buildings and other familiar landmarks.
I turn into Davidson High’s empty school parking lot and continue driving until I round the corner. I see Bryce’s Camaro parked on the grass near the soccer practice field. As soon as I get out of my car, the rain begins to pick up again, and my hair and clothes become drenched and stick against my skin. I squint against the rain and see Bryce, shirtless, in only his dark jeans that are hanging dangerously low on his hips that I can tell that he isn’t wearing anything beneath them. He kicks the soccer ball high in the air, and as it descends, he jumps up, hits it with his forehead, then runs after it and dribbles it across the field with his feet. I walk onto the field and stand in the middle of it, watching him in action. As he gets closer to where I’m standing, I remove my heels, jog toward him, and kick the ball away.
I don’t have a lick of soccer experience, so I’m sure I look awkward, attempting to dribble the ball away from Bryce in a pencil skirt. I hear his heavy pants behind me as I go to kick the ball, only to have Bryce sidestep me and take it away, but I don’t let up on him. I run, losing my footing in the wet grass and fall onto my hands and knees.
“Come on, Walker, can’t catch up?” He stands in front of me with rain dripping down his body. I growl and reach for one of his legs that sends him sliding flat on his ass. I come to my feet and snatch the ball up, I don’t get too far because a pair of strong arms bring me down on the ground and the ball rolls out of my hands. I try to scoot away, but it’s no use because every time I move, Bryce grabs my ankle and pulls me across the wet grass towards him, and that’s when I finally give in.
“Are you giving up on me now?” Bryce covers my body with his, palms planted beside my head. His hands work at lifting my skirt, and his legs separate mine. I concentrate on his eyes and notice redness brimming them as if he’s been crying. Are you givin
g up on me now has nothing to do with our little playtime of soccer.
I touch his wet face and stare up at him, not knowing what else to say next. Rain continues to pour down on us. I move to rest on my forearms, hearing the muddy grass swish beneath me.
He shakes his head, and droplets of water pelt down on me. “Just promise that you’ll never give up on me, no matter what.”
”I promise.”
The mix of rain and sweat mingle with our taste buds as our mouths mold into one. I lower my head back to the wet ground, grasping the back of Bryce’s head. I move my hands down his slick chest, over the tight muscles in his stomach, until my fingers find the button of his jeans and undo them.
Bryce ends the kiss and stares down at me. Desire darkens his irises. His right hand creeps under my dress, and my hips lift involuntarily as he pulls my damp panties down my legs and the wet ground saturates my ass and back. I shove the clinging fabric of his jeans down, mid-thigh, and with one, delicious thrust, his dick is inside of me. No latex. Skin to skin. His lips brush against mine with every thrust but never kissing me. The rhythm of his thrusts grows fast, hard, and furious.
“I fuckin’ love you. Do you know that?!” he shouts against the rain then comes inside of me, making my pussy slicker and more lubricated.
He remains buried inside of me and starts to sob uncontrollably. I place his head against my chest and run my hands through his wet strands. “I’m right here,” I soothe while my own tears begin to fall. “I’m right here.”
I replay the day’s events in my head while lying uncomfortably in the backseat of my car with Bryce curled behind me as our feet stick out the window. The rain was long gone. We lay there on the muddy ground for God knows how long as Bryce cried out for help then we got up and dressed outside of his car. He lent me one of his shirts that falls above my knees while he dressed in a shirt and a pair of sweat shorts. Next, we climbed in the backseat of my car and lay there in silence until Bryce’s soft snores broke the silence.
F*ck Perfect (MindF*ck Book 2) Page 14