Bears of Burden: STERLING

by Candace Ayers

  Just as blackness was starting to overtake her a pair of strong hands tightened themselves around her, gripping her abdomen and pulling themselves against her. Within seconds the bit of uneaten sandwich that had nearly been her undoing was flying across the room. Emma gulped at the air, tasting the sweetness of it as it filled her lungs.

  "It's okay," Mason said. "You're alright. Just listen to my voice, alright? Emma look at me."

  Emma turned her eyes to Mason. He swam in front of her, but slowly the dim edges of his face came into focus.

  "How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked.

  "Two," Emma said.

  Mason looked at his hand and smiled. "Three, but close enough. Here," he said, leading her to a chair and helping her into it. "Just sit for a bit."

  The panic that had gripped her began to diffuse now as she realized she wasn't going to die. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks.

  "Oh hey, it's alright," Mason said, putting an arm around her and drawing her to him. "You're just fine now."

  She allowed herself an uncharacteristic moment to lean against the wall of muscle that was Mason's chest and just let herself be held by a man. He smelled so good. Finally, she pulled away from him and gave an embarrassed smile.

  "I'm sorry," she said.

  "For what?" Mason asked, confused. "For crying on you like that. I'm sure Zoey wouldn't like it very much."

  His expression changed. "Zoey and I broke up, so I don't really think she'd care a whole lot about what I did or who I did it with."

  "Oh," Emma said. "I'm sorry."

  Mason smiled. "Do you always apologize so much?"

  "Um, no. I don't think so. I just...Thank you for saving my life." She blushed and Mason handed her her bottle of water. She took a giant gulp and started coughing.

  "Easy there, I don't want to have to save you twice in one night. That's asking a lot of anyone."

  Emma giggled. Her face flushed. "Um, what are you doing here?" she asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

  "I came to help."

  "With the experiment?" she asked, surprised. "Did Professor Douglas say he'd change your grade after all?"

  "No," Mason said. "I'm getting an F. But I'm the one who messed it up, it's only right that I help you fix it."

  "Oh... uh, that's very... considerate." After the way Mason had acted in class, she was shocked to hear him talk like this.

  "Yeah, well. I'm sorry I was such a jerk today." His cheeks grew pink. "It's just my dad, you know? He doesn't want me putting too much pressure on myself about school. He wants me to focus on football."

  "So that means you have to act like a crazy person in biology?" she asked. She wasn't mad, she genuinely wanted to understand. How could someone so smart act so dumb?

  "If I don't try, the professors let me get by more easily. They just figure I'm a dumb jock and it can't be helped. Then I can focus on football without having to focus on grades. See?"

  "Yeah," Emma said. "I guess. Your dad actually wants you to do that?" Mason nodded. "Jeez, my parents would kill me if I came home with less than an A. I got an A minus once in gym class and they flipped out."

  Mason laughed. "My dad really doesn't like it at all that I even have to take tests. He thinks I should be excused from finals. I bombed a final once—got a straight up F—and he didn't care. But I fumbled the football once during a game, and he grounded me for a month."

  Emma laughed, but she felt bad for him. "My parents didn't want me to move to the dorms. They were worried it would affect my grades. If I drop below a 4.0, I have to move back home."

  "God that's harsh," Mason said.

  "Yeah, it is sometimes." She looked at Mason, something slowly taking shape in her mind. "I guess, in a way, we kind of have the same problem."

  Mason cocked his head to one side. His sandy hair swept across his face and Emma resisted the urge to run her fingers through it. She blushed when she realized what she was thinking.

  "I guess we do," he said. "Who woulda thought?"

  They sat in silent wonder for a minute, each processing this new information. Finally, Emma spoke: "I'm sorry about Zoey. She's a bitch anyway, but it still sucks to get dumped."

  "Actually, I dumped her."

  "You did? I’m sorry, I just assumed..."

  Mason grinned at her. "You're doing it again." When she didn't get his meaning he said, "Apologizing."

  "Oh," Emma laughed. "Yeah… I am." She didn't know what was wrong with her. She suddenly felt all jittery. She laughed again and heard her voice take on a high pitched nervous sound she barely recognized as belonging to her. "Why did you break up with her then? If you don't mind my asking."

  Mason shrugged. "I was right. She was cheating on me. With most of the football team."

  "Oh, I'm—"

  Mason scrunched his brow in an over-exaggerated look of disapproval. "Don't say it," he said, the corners of his lips turning up.

  "I was going to say that I'm happy for you that you've removed yourself from such a bad situation."

  "Yeah," Mason said. "She actually wanted to stay together anyways, can you believe that? I told her to go jump off a bridge."

  Emma raised her eyebrows, her face lighting up. "Do you think she really will? Maybe I'll finally be able to get a decent night's sleep."

  Mason stared at her a second, his mouth hanging open, then burst into a generous round of laughter. Emma joined him, and they sat together in the lab, a strange feeling of camaraderie between them that they would never have imagined at the start of the day.

  Chapter 7

  Mason leaned over Emma's shoulder, looking at the worm under a microscope. She breathed his scent in and felt her arms tingle. Her hands shook.

  "You okay?" he asked, noting her hands.

  "Mmhmm," she nodded. She was afraid if she spoke her voice would betray her.

  "You know, you look real pretty with your hair down like that," he said.

  Emma's cheeks lit up like a fireworks show. "Oh," she stammered. "Um, thanks." She turned her head so he couldn't see her smile.

  "I guess we're about done here," he said.

  "Yeah, guess so. Thanks for helping me."

  "No problem. I owed it to you."

  "Well, I think saving my life more than makes up for being a jerk in biology." She smiled, hoping he couldn't sense how nervous she'd grown around him.

  "You really do look very pretty tonight," he said. "Not that you're not normally pretty, you are, I just mean..." Then he laughed and Emma realized that he was nervous too. She took a step closer to him. They were the only two people in the lab, probably in the whole building. It was ten o' clock and no one was going to set a foot into lab so late at night. No one besides her and Mason, that was.

  "Mason, I um..."

  He stepped closer to her and put his arm around her waist. Her breath caught in her chest. He leaned towards her, and before she knew what was happening his lips were pressing against hers.

  She drank him in. His scent filled her nostrils as she tasted the honey that was his mouth. She opened her own mouth wider, allowing him full access. Her heart jumped as his hand slid over her back, pulling her tighter to him. She had kissed boys before—well, one boy, but she wasn't sure the awkward lip smacking of two twelve year olds counted in this situation.

  Mason's hand moved under her shirt and began caressing her breasts. No one had ever touched her like this before. Her heart hammered in her chest as Mason's fingers moved to her pants and fumbled with her zipper. Emma jumped back, her cheeks burning.

  "Mason, I...."

  He looked at her, waiting. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted to."

  "I do."

  "Well then?"

  Her cheeks were a bright crimson and her eyes glowed in the light of the lab. "I just, I'm... uh, I don't have as much experience as you."

  Mason laughed. "That's okay. It doesn't matter. It's not like you're a virgin, right?" Mason's smile faltered as Emma looked towards the
floor, her face pale except for the cherries of her cheeks. "Oh my God," he said. "You are? A virgin?"

  Emma forced her head to move up and down. Mason went to her and slowly put his arms around her, drawing her into a hug. It felt safe and warm and Emma felt her body tingle again. "I'm sorry," he said. "I had no idea. Look, if you don't want to—"

  "No!" she cried, looking directly at him now. "I do!"

  Mason smiled. She could have swum in his eyes they were so luminous. He didn't say anything, he just reached down and kissed her. Slowly, tenderly. A heavy buzz filled her head. Mason's tongue swirled around inside her, tasting her as he pressed himself harder to her. This time, instead of going for her pants, Mason brushed aside some equipment on the lab table and laid Emma down on top of it. She shivered.

  "Cold?" he asked.

  "A little."

  "I'll warm you up. Just tell me if you want me to stop." She nodded, her heart pounding. Mason pulled his shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor. He climbed onto the table with her, Emma's eyes widening as Mason let her explore his body. She ran her hands along the hard plane of his abdomen, his chest muscles rising and falling like something out of a bodybuilder's magazine. Emma could hardly believe he was real.

  Slowly, Mason's hands pushed her shirt up. He caressed her breasts over her bra. Her breath quickened and her back arched. When Mason thought she was ready, he unsnapped her bra and watched as her creamy breasts spilled out. He touched her nipples with his finger, enjoying the way her body quivered.

  "More," she whispered suddenly, the heat she felt inside her growing to a desert temperature. Mason moved his mouth onto her body, swirling his tongue over the dark pink points that stood at the center of her satin breasts. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as Mason asked if she was alright. "Yes," she replied, reaching out her hands to unbuckle his belt.

  It took her a minute of fumbling before she found the zipper. Mason helped her push his pants and underwear to the floor. She held her breath as his manhood went on display for her. She'd never seen a man's body up close like this. She touched him with tentative fingers. Mason didn't make a move other than to continue caressing her breasts. Emma's hands moved over Mason's body, stopping at his erection. She touched it and it was harder than she would have thought, yet still tender.

  Mason's hands moved to her legs now, sliding along her thighs as he slowly guided himself to the center of her perfect mound. Even through the pants she wore Emma felt the strength of his fingers as they moved dexterously over her, making her blood race. "Ohh," she moaned. She removed her hands from Mason's erection and pushed her pants off.

  They were both naked now, and Mason rubbed himself against her, teasing her as he slid himself over her sex. "Tell me when you're ready," he said. She nodded, too scared to breathe. Would it hurt? Despite her anxiety, her body urged her along, crying out for Mason to finish the job he'd started. She could no longer take the heat that had built up between her thighs, so she pushed her hips against Mason to let him know it was time.

  He hesitated, wanting to make sure she was really ready, then slid himself inside her with one swift move. Emma's mouth opened and her eyes widened. "Are you alright?" he asked, alarmed. She nodded, then lifted her head to kiss him. Mason began to move his hips, slowly at first, then increasing his speed when he sensed her body convulsing under him. He moved faster and faster, her breath quickening.

  She wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him tighter to her. He pumped harder against her. Emma's mouth ran dry as her body began to shake. Mason drove himself deeper into her, and Emma's heart felt like it was going to burst through her chest. She moaned and Mason felt himself losing it. He held on long enough to press his hips harder against hers, driving himself deeper into her perfect moist cave.

  When Emma's head flew back and her breath stopped, Mason let himself go. They sailed together into the air, high above the clouds, losing their breath as the atmosphere thinned. Then they were back in the lab and Mason was pulling Emma into his arms, their bodies acting as one.

  Chapter 8

  Mason and Emma stopped in front of her dorm. The outside air was warm and his hand was soft in hers. He put his hand under her chin, tilting her head back and laying his soft, pink lips over hers. She felt the slow and steady hum of electricity pulse through her as Mason pressed himself harder against her.

  "I had a great time tonight," he said, finally pulling away.

  She blushed. "Me too." She had a million questions racing through her mind, but she didn't dare ask them. The main one was when would she get to see him again. Would she get to see him again? Did he even want to see her again?

  He kissed her one more time and she felt like he was reading her mind and answering her question. Yes, he liked her. Yes, he'd see her again. His lips still tasted like honey to her and she gently ran her tongue over them, relishing their buttery smoothness. Emma was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear anyone approach until the peals of laughter rang through the night air, breaking their kiss.

  "Oh my God!" a voice said. Emma turned her head and saw Zoey standing with her friends, her face red, her body shaking with laughter. "What are you doing?" she asked Mason, her eyes bulging. "I mean, I know we broke up, but God... Emma? You must be really hard up."

  Mason stiffened and dropped his hand from Emma's back, shifting his weight away from her. Emma looked at him. His face tightened and his lips thinned. She tried not to read too much into it, but it seemed like he was embarrassed to be seen with her. She waited for him to say something, anything, to defend his honor at least if not hers, but Mason just stood there.

  "Mason, you know that you could have any girl on campus, right? Are you drunk right now? Is that it? Did you get high and forget that it was Mouse you were kissing?"

  His eyes hardened. "I'll see you later Emma," he finally said, and walked away without a further good-bye. Emma's heart sank. He was leaving her to face Zoey alone. She went upstairs and tried to ignore Zoey as she followed her into their room, but Zoey's incessant talking was impossible to ignore.

  "I don't know what Mason was thinking," she said, "but he must've been desperate. That's the only thing that makes sense."

  Emma put a pillow over her head, hoping to drown out the sound of Zoey's whiney voice as it tried to shatter her ear drums.

  "He should've come to me," Zoey continued. "I would've thrown him some pity sex. For old time's sake, you know? It's the least I could do. I should let him know that, so that next time he's this hard up he can at least get in a little action with someone who's not deformed. Right Mouse?"

  "Why do you care so much Zoey?" Emma finally snapped. "You were cheating on him for crying out loud? Did you even like him?"

  "Of course I liked him. He's a football star!"

  "Yeah, but do you even know anything else about him? Do you even care? It seems like you only liked him because he played football."

  Unfortunately for Emma, she had managed to get to the root of Zoey's true feelings, which only served to piss Zoey off more.

  "You're only using him," Zoey said.

  "For what?" Emma asked, unable to believe that Zoey could say something so ridiculous.

  "You hope it will help your social life. It's understandable. When one has no social life to speak of, they must get very lonely. Do you have any friends at all? Oh wait, let me guess. Your mom is your best friend? Isn't that sweet? Well, maybe when Mason's done with you, you can introduce them. I'm sure your mom could use a little Mason in her life as well, if you know what I mean."

  Emma couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her pillow and a blanket and went to sleep in the common room. It wouldn't be the first time, and it was better than listening to Zoey all night. She curled up into a chair, her head spinning. Things were only going to get worse for her with Zoey, especially if she continued to see Mason. Wait. Would she continue to see Mason? Maybe it would be better if she went back home. She could still go to school here.


  Emma hated the idea of moving back in with her parents. She knew she needed to get away from them or she would end up forty and still living at home, but she wasn't sure she had a choice. Especially if Mason wasn't going to stand up for her. She just couldn't go through this alone.

  Chapter 9

  Emma sat in lab the next day, her heart pounding as she waited for Mason to get there. She was afraid she had imagined his feelings for her. What if Zoey had been right? What if she meant no more to Mason than any other girl? She had given herself to him so completely... what if it had been a mistake?

  Mason walked into class on time, for once. He high-fived his football friends, like he always did, not even giving Emma a glance. He stopped to talk to one of his buddies, who Emma could hear saying something about an upcoming frat party at their house. Mason nodded his head, standing there for what felt like forever. Emma wondered if he was ever going to come and sit down, and then class started and Mason finally took his seat next to hers.

  "Hey," he said.

  Hey? Emma's heart sunk. Was that his standard greeting to girls he'd recently slept with? Hey? What did that even mean? She waited for some other sign from him. Something to tell her whether last night had been a crazy fluke or if there was going to be something more between them, as she'd hoped. Mason just stared ahead, doodling in his notebook as Professor Douglas lectured.

  Emma felt her face redden and tried to stop the tears threatening to form in her eyes. She managed to push them off, and when she turned her head again Mason was watching her.

  "You okay?" he whispered.

  Emma nodded.

  "You look upset."

  "I'm fine," she whispered.

  "Are you sure?"

  She hesitated. Maybe she was making things more difficult than they had to be. After all, Mason was talking to her now. He was expressing an interest, concern even. She smiled at him. Then she looked at his notebook and saw what he'd been doodling. It was a cartoon woman with huge breasts—the kind of woman that couldn't possibly exist in real life.