The Keys to Jericho

by Ren Alexander

I say, “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

  She sadly peers up to my face. “I’ve been here with you.”

  “No, you haven’t. Not for me, at least. I’m not just talking about here, in this apartment. You haven’t been acknowledging me. It’s like I’m talking to your picture all over again, and you don’t answer back.”

  “I don’t want it to be like that.”

  I swallow and confess, “I miss you, Kit Kat.”

  Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say a word, which disheartens me some.

  Laughing is heard from the living room and I look over my shoulder, but don’t hear the voices getting louder.

  Turning back to her, I put my hands on her cheeks, tilting her head back, and I kiss her. Her lips don’t respond, and I’m struck with the reality that she really doesn’t want me.

  Pulling away and dropping my hands, I inhale and look to the floor. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Taking me by surprise, Kat reaches up and pulls me back to her lips, but before they meet, she whispers over mine, “Like this.”

  Her hands go into my hair and she kisses me, slow at first, but then with purpose. When I comprehend what just happened, my hands go to her face as I catch up, hungrily kissing her.

  More laughing is heard and we pause. As our fast breathing collides between us, Kat whispers, “I miss you, Jared.”

  I stroke her cheeks and repeat, “I’ve missed you so much, Kit Kat.”

  “I tried, but I’ve been so sick without you. That’s the truth. I can’t do it. I can’t be apart from you while you’re still here.”

  I put my forehead against hers. “Me neither. It’s killing me.”

  “It is?”

  “Fuck, yes. We’re not a mistake.”

  She inhales. “I know. That’s why it hurts so much.”

  “It doesn’t have to hurt.”

  “It will, though, but still… I want us to be lovers again.”

  I nod against her forehead. “I want that, too.”

  She woefully whispers, “Together or not, either way, I’m going down in flames. So, like you said, let’s suffer together.”

  I dive in to kiss her, our mouths instantly overwhelming each other’s. Her hands fall to my T-shirt, scrunching it as I yank her hips to mine, rubbing her against me, and driving myself fucking crazy.

  Our intermingled, zigzagged breathing fills the kitchen, but since I’m on alert for any sounds beyond that, I notice Brenda’s voice is suddenly louder. Jerking away from Kat, I promptly move before her mother enters the kitchen.

  Brenda jovially says to us, “Hey! What are you up to?” Not a good question to ask a guy when slamming the brakes on his up-and-coming dick.

  We both shake our heads, and I anxiously fluff my hair as Kat straightens out her shirt, looking away from Brenda, and each other.

  Brenda says, “Well, you’re more than welcome to help with the presentation if you’re bored.”

  Kat unsteadily laughs. “We’re not bored.”

  When Brenda opens the refrigerator, I glance at Kat and she crookedly smiles at me.

  As Brenda stands, holding two water bottles, she looks over at me. “What’s on your mouth, Jared?”

  I wipe at my lips, and see a pink smear. “Oh…”

  Kat says, “Strawberry. I made him try the strawberry jam you bought at that farmer’s market this week.”

  I nod. “It was so delicious. My favorite ever. I can’t get enough.”

  Brenda skeptically looks at both of us, but says, “Yeah. It is good. I’ll pick you up some before you go to Philadelphia.”

  Tearing off a paper towel to wipe my mouth, I smile. “Awesome.” I hate strawberries.

  She laughs. “Well, it’s the least I can do for you helping with the house, and then with Kat getting her license. We can’t thank you enough.”

  I shrug. “It’s nothing. I want to help.”

  Brenda sets the bottles on the table and says, “I bet you’re excited to live in a big city.”

  “I guess so.”

  Kat mumbles something and walks past us to go into the hallway. When she’s gone, Brenda whispers, “She’s going to miss you a lot.”

  “I will, too.” She smiles at that, but it’s awkward admitting it to someone other than Kat.

  “Please stay in touch with her. Visit her sometimes. She’d like that.”

  Nodding, I reach into my pocket as my phone vibrates.

  “You’re a nice boy, Jared.”

  I smile. “Thanks, but my dad would disagree.”

  Brenda grabs the water from the table and before leaving the room, she scoffs, “And I’d disagree with you.”

  Smiling again, I look down to my screen, which makes my smile grow even more.

  ------------------------------------------------

  When the coast is clear, meet me

  in the spare BR. Second door, right.

  ------------------------------------------------

  Returning my phone to my pocket, I glance at the living room doorway before going down the hallway at the end of the kitchen.

  Pushing open the door to the bedless, back bedroom, which is softly lit by lamp on a small table, I look around for Kat, but I don’t see her, and it’s a small room.

  Suddenly, I’m jerked around the corner and pushed up against the wall, next to wooden, sliding doors. Kat’s mouth is on mine and I eagerly return her kiss with equal fervor.

  My hands go to the sides of her head, holding her to me, ensuring she’s really kissing me again, and I’m not fantasizing this happening.

  She clutches my wrists, but doesn’t pull them away like she did earlier in the week. I drop my arms to press her into me, but she abruptly ends our kiss, and I remember that we’re not at the beach house, or even her apartment.

  Catching our breaths, I try to calm myself before we have to go back out to the kitchen, or even worse, the living room. Kat goes to her purse, pulling out a mirror and a tube of red lipstick, reapplying what I screwed up, which makes me smile for screwing it up.

  She takes her time putting it on, but she doesn’t need it, and she’s wasting her time, especially if it’s for my benefit.

  Stuffing them back into her purse, she walks over to me, and her bright red lips draw my attention more than I thought they would. She’s never had lips that red before, not that I had ever seen, rather. I still want to kiss her, but then I’d get it all over my mouth and Brenda would have no trouble spotting it again.

  Kat asks, “You like?”

  I nod because she’s still fucking sexy, but it’s too much red for my taste to see her wearing every day.

  As I stare at her lips, her hands go to my fly, popping the button and yanking down the zipper.

  Blinking, I whisper, “What are you doing?” I glance around the corner to the bedroom door that is wide open, as she pushes down my jeans and underwear.

  Looking back to her, my dick is freed, and I whisper, “The door is open.”

  She whispers against my throat, “Yep, so you need to be quiet, don’t you?”

  I gasp, “Oh… Shit.”

  “What, Jared? You don’t think you can be quiet this time?” she taunts, her red lips widen into a revengeful smile.

  I answer honestly, “No.”

  Kat moves to my ear. “Well, suck it up.”

  “Kat…”

  Dropping to her knees, she grabs my cock and skims her lips over the head. Leaning my head against the wall, I moan.

  “Shh,” Kat says, blowing her warm breath across my skin.

  I bite my lip hard so I stay quiet, but it’s impossible. I whisper, “Holy fuck. I can’t.” I pant through my teeth, suppressing my loud groans as her tongue swirls around.

  Kat responds by sucking the tip. My hands go to her head and I watch her taking me in and out of her mouth, leaving red streaks along my shaft. As her red lips glide up and down me, I utter in awe, “Kat, you’re amazing.”

  She keeps going
, licking up and down my erection, while lightly stroking my stiffening balls, making me groan. Kat shakes her head, grazing her teeth on my dick, which only makes me close my eyes and loudly pant, “Jesus Christ.”

  Looking down, I again watch her work her tongue, turning me on even more, and I breathlessly say, “I’ve always wanted to fuck your mouth. Goddamn.”

  Kat moans over my cock and the feeling only serves to incite me to the point that I warn, “Baby, you have to stop.”

  However, she goes faster, reaching up to tug on the belt loops of my jeans, forcing me deeper into her mouth, while softly making the purring sound. I hoarsely groan, “Kitty Kat, I’m going to come in your mouth.” When it’s apparent she’s not stopping, I thrust my cock into her red lips as they tightly hold onto me.

  Kat yanks me into her, and I come. “Baby,” I gutturally whisper and grunt as I hold onto her streaked hair, while spilling into her throat. She makes quiet gagging sounds as she swallows my cum, so I let go, but she still doesn’t take me out of her mouth.

  Leaning my head against the wall, I heave fast breaths and slowly pull out of her. When I look down, she swipes her hand over her mouth. “You okay?” I whisper.

  Kat nods, swallowing again, before whispering, “I’ve never done that before.”

  “What?” I ask, louder than I should. I’m astonished, but feeling somewhat proud.

  “I tried a couple times, but never wanted to…see it through,” she quietly admits, using what I said about her driver’s license. She adds, “Only you.”

  I sigh as I peer around the corner to the door, pulling up my jeans, but letting my dick deflate more before zipping them. I whisper to her, “Well, that was fucking awesome.”

  She winces. “I’m sure it wasn’t your first.”

  I ruefully smile. “That was my second, but you’re the first to blow my mind at the same time.” Anya was the other one I let do that to me, and that was damn high school. She was horrible at it, and I didn’t let her, or anyone else, do it again.

  Kat stands, and says with a smile, “I daydreamed so many times of doing that to you.”

  I grin because we’ve been thinking dirty thoughts about each other so much over the years.

  My gaze falls to her lips. “What’s with the lipstick?”

  She smiles, touching her mouth, and glancing down to my crotch. “I wanted to leave my mark on you, so when you go home, you’ll be colorful, sticky, and be reminded of me.”

  I grab her hand, intertwining our fingers, and whisper, “Not the first time you’ve left me sticky.”

  “Oh.” She softly laughs, making me smile.

  Pulling her close to me, I say, “I don’t need a reminder. I’m always thinking about you.” I glance down to my wet, and reddish cock. “But that’s one hell of a souvenir.”

  Kat looks to the door and whispers, “I need to clean up the lipstick from my face. You probably should go make an appearance before my mom looks for us.”

  I grin, quickly zipping up my fly, as she starts walking out of the room, but before she does, I grab her arm. “Hold on. Your turn.”

  Smiling, she shakes her head. “Another time.”

  “You better believe it, Kit Kat.”

  Because I fucking can’t.

  What in the hell has Kat Merrick done to my life?

  I don’t know, but she’s not the only one being burned alive.

  I’m so fucking screwed.

  But I like her screwing me.

  CHAPTER 25

  Running my hands through my hair, I drop them as I round the corner and go into the living room. Sitting on the floor around the coffee table are my dad and Brenda, looking over piles of papers. Dad looks up and says, “You and Kat have been quiet.”

  Smiling with a suspicious look, Brenda says, “I wonder if that’s something we should be worried about.”

  Folding my arms across my chest, I shrug. “We were talking.” One of my usual responses that I’ve grown used to giving.

  My dad seems to buy it, but Brenda narrows her eyes at me, like she can see through my lie; however, I wasn’t lying. We did do some talking.

  Brenda sighs and says to my dad, “I was telling Jared how much Kat is going to miss him when he’s gone.” She then looks up at me. “I can’t believe you were friends in high school. Why did Kat keep that from me? Isn’t it great that you’ve been reunited?” We’re not a fucking boy band.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  Dad says, “The only friend I knew of was Dash.”

  I scowl at him. “I had other friends.”

  Brenda shakes her head. “I don’t think she ever mentioned you to me in high school. I’m sure I would’ve remembered, since she kept a few close friends, and only had one boyfriend then.”

  I clutch the back of my neck as I peer around the living room, wondering how in the fuck I walked into this conversation.

  Dad asks, “Are you going to see Kat when you come home to visit?”

  Bored with this fucking question, I drone, “Yes, Dad. I’m coming back to help Kat get her license. Remember?”

  He says, “I mean, after she gets her license?”

  A noise in the kitchen makes me look over my shoulder, and I ignore his question to go see what Kat is doing; however, she comes into the living room, holding a glass of wine in one hand, and her phone in the other. “Liberty just texted me. She got the job in Virginia she was wanting.”

  “Oh,” I blandly reply, but trying not to smile. She’ll be gone and Rio will have to dump her ass. How unfortunate for him.

  Kat says, “She starts in a little over a month, so I guess she’ll have to find a place to live down there soon.” Like any bitch, she can just live in a kennel.

  Dad looks confused. “What’s Rio going to do?”

  I answer, “Throw her a bon voyage party, and not inviting her would be awesome.”

  “Jared. Not nice,” Kat scolds. I look from my dad to her and laugh, noticing her light pink lips have returned.

  Brenda says, “Shit. I need my folders.”

  Kat asks, “The ones on the counter?” Brenda nods and Kat says, “I’ll get ‘em.”

  “Thank you, Katydid.”

  Dad and Brenda start discussing boring shit that I have no interest in, so I back out of the living room, following Kat into the kitchen. She sets her phone and wine down as she digs through another pile of papers.

  Going up behind her, I pull her against me and kiss her neck. Kat whimpers before turning around in my arms. Licking my lip, she whispers, “You taste good. Everywhere.”

  “Do I, Kit Kat?” Amused, I smile and whisper, “I’m a huge fan of how you autographed my dick.”

  She giggles. “I did, didn’t I? I love that. I guess that means it’s mine.”

  “Uh-huh,” I say before our lips reconvene.

  “Did you find my folders?” Brenda yells from the living room.

  Kat pulls back and sighs. As she answers, “Yes, I’ll be out in a minute,” I lick her neck, making her giggle again.

  Kat whispers, “What am I going to do with you?”

  I grin against her neck and lifting my head, I say, “Any damn thing you want.”

  Kat’s smile oddly wilts as she wipes my lips of her pink lipstick. Grabbing the folders from the counter, she takes my hand and leads me out of the kitchen, but releases me before we walk into the living room.

  Brenda asks, “What were you laughing at?”

  “I had a text message I was replying to. It was funny.”

  Dad says, “I think we’re done here. We’ll go over the rest of it Monday at work.”

  Brenda sighs. “Okay. I hope this cleared some of it up, though.”

  “Yeah, it did. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without your help.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Thank you both for coming to dinner.”

  “Absolutely. Thank you for having us.”

  Kat says, “I’ll get your salad bowl.”

  “Oh
. Yeah.” I nod to the kitchen. “I got it.”

  Dad starts shuffling his papers. “I’m almost ready to go.”

  Once more, I follow Kat into the kitchen, where she’s waiting for me next to the doorway, and I pull her to me, our lips doing the talking before she whispers, “Are we keeping it a secret this time?”

  I frown. “I really don’t want our parents to know. Do you?”

  Kat shakes her head. “No. That’s probably a bad idea.”

  “It’s nobody’s business what we’re doing. I promise, I won’t say anything. But we’re not doing this if it’s going to cause you nothing but guilt and shame.”

  “Jared.” She sighs, looking to the doorway. “I’m not stupid. I know where this is leading to, and I know how this ends, but it’s something we started and now I’m obsessed. Just as you are. I can’t stop this. Whatever it is that this is.” Closing her eyes, she licks her bottom lip and winces.

  “Whatever this is. It’s us being together because we need to be. There’s no other way around it. We’ve been mixed up with each other since we were in a driver’s ed. class, and through the years apart, we’ve been together in our thoughts. Now, we’re finally here with each other.”

  “Still, you’ll live your life in Philadelphia, and I’ll be here.”

  “I’ll be here. Don’t worry.”

  “That’s not the problem, Jared. You know this.”

  I sigh. “Kat…”

  Shuffling is heard near the kitchen and we break apart. Kat goes to the sink to wash the bowl, and I pull out my phone, checking my messages.

  “Everything okay in here?” Brenda asks.

  “Yep,” Kat mutters from the sink.

  Brenda observes, “It’s quiet in here. You two don’t say much to each other, do you?”

  Kat says, “All talked out. Nothing really to say.” I scowl at both of their backs.

  Brenda goes to a cabinet, pulling out plates. “I totally forgot that I have a banana cream pie in the refrigerator. I’m so brainless. This project has been draining, I tell you.” She turns to me and asks, “Jared, would you like a piece?”

  I shrug. “Uh, sure.” Just not fucking strawberry.

  I watch Kat taking her time drying a damn plastic bowl, either ignoring me or deep in thought.