Presley starts to move her leg, stirring in her sleep. Please stop moving. Oh my gosh, please don't let me see anything. I cannot believe my brother and best friend is butt naked in my parents’ house, while they're home. What if they walk in? I need to get them up, but what am I supposed to do?
I slowly back up quietly towards the door. Once I get the door open and pass through, I hear stirring and then moaning. Oh my...they cannot be serious. Thank goodness it's pitch black in the room and hall so they can't see the door. Putting my hand over my mouth to avoid being heard, I pull the door to being as quiet as a mouse, until it's lined with the frame and I release the door knob. The bed is starting to make a ruckus and I run in a tip toe until I'm back in the safety of my room.
When I get inside, I see Preston standing by my bed with his arms crossed over his bare chest. Startled, I fall into the door, throwing my hand over my chest. "Crap Preston, what are you doing in here?"
"I could ask you the same," he says with a knowing smile across his face. He's caught me doing something I'm not supposed to be caught doing. His hair is mussed, standing all over his head and he's shirtless with his black reindeer pajama pants on. "What are you running from?"
Should I tell him? It's kind of private. What the heck, if I have to be scarred after seeing that, then someone else should be too. "I. Just. Found." I'm breathing hard from trying not to get caught.
"You just found what? Spit it out woman. You're starting to worry me." He laces his hands on top of his head, making his muscles flex. Could the boy not have put a shirt on before he came in here? I'd be stupid if I didn't admit he is attractive; just nothing compared to my Breyson, but it's human nature to look.
I hold up my index finger, signaling to give me a minute while I even my breathing out. "I woke up early so I was going to cook breakfast, but then went to Presley's room to see if she was awake." I pause dreading this vision coming back.
"Go on. I'm starting to get old here," he teases.
"Oh shut up." I laugh. "Presley was, well Konnor was. They were naked! I was standing there with her draped over him and the covers were on the floor and I couldn't believe what I was seeing so I just stood there and then they started stirring so I hurried from the room then they started waking up for round... Oh I don't even know what round it was!" I'm talking so fast and rambling run on sentences one after the other to the point that I can't even breathe.
In the meantime, Preston is tightening his lips together trying to muffle his laughter. "Why are you so calm? This is not funny! Our parents could walk in and then what is your dad going to do! Don't you want to beat him up or something for...you know. Oh gosh, I can't even say it. Aren't big brothers supposed to be mad at this sort of thing? How do you know he's not deflowering your little sister?"
He walks over to me and grabs me by the shoulders, steering me towards the bed and pushing me into a sitting position on the edge. "Okay, for one thing, this has been building all week. I'm surprised they waited this long. Two, don't you think it'd be a little hypocritical for me to get mad at him for sleeping with my sister when I would sleep with his? Three, Presley was deflowered if that's what you want to call it, a long time ago. I don't like it, but it is what it is. Lastly, if I had to hand pick someone for her to sleep with, it would be Konnor. He's one of my best friends and I know he's a good guy no matter how much he's hurting right now. He may not be ready for a relationship, which will hurt Presley, but she went into this warned. I have already talked to her after seeing them in the kitchen the day we got here. She chose to lay in his bed, she will have to deal with the repercussions, whatever that entails."
I just stare off in space. He does have all good points, but still he doesn't have to be so calm. I, as much as anyone, know they are good for each other but that still doesn't make it easy to witness. "If you had seen what I saw, you wouldn't be this calm. They could have done it somewhere else! Do you really want to see your sister naked?"
He looks at me with a look of disgust. "Hell no! Why would I want to see that shit?"
"Precisely, which is why you can be so calm right now! I was this close," I hold my fingers apart to state a centimeter before continuing, "to seeing his huh huh. I had no forewarning of what I was walking into."
He bites his lip with a smile on his face and his brow dips between his eyes. "His huh huh? Is that what you're calling it these days? Can you even say it Kinzleigh? It's not a bad word, you know."
What does it really matter what I call it? He's missing my entire point. "Yes. For your information, I can say it, I just choose not to."
"Say it and I'll leave you alone. I want to hear something a little bit dirty come out of your mouth. I need to know you have it in you." He moves closer to me and suddenly I remember that it's just the two of us in here...alone. I promised Breyson that I wouldn't allow him in here without someone else.
Holding out my hands, they are now resting on his pectoral muscles as he is in a close proximity. "Come on, dirty boy. You can help me make breakfast. I don't feel like saying anything dirty right now. I reserve that for special occasions. You must have caught me at a bad time." I smile and turn to walk out of my bedroom.
After consuming a large portion of scrambled eggs, toast, and ham, we all made our way to the Christmas tree for presents. I won't see Breyson until later today since he is with his family as well. I take a seat on the couch and Preston, Presley and Konnor sit as well. Konnor and Presley keep eying each other as if they did not finish getting each other out of their systems. They haven't even been out of the bedroom but like half an hour.
Breyson and I can't be that bad. Can we? Surely not... no way. I am convinced we are not near that bad. I wonder where they are going to go from here. From the way Presley keeps looking at him, there is no going back to the way they were. She looks like a girl in love. The kind of love you don't recover from. I hope he doesn't hurt her. I can't read his emotion. He looks completely void of any feeling. That scares me. He was always the passionate one. I really hope he hasn't become numb to emotions because of Sophia.
Christmas morning with my family has come and gone so fast. Looking around, wrapping paper is littered all over the floor and everyone is looking at everything they got. I need to get a shower and load everything in my car to go to Breyson's house. My parents invited him here this morning but this was a rare occasion his parents weren't working at the hospital on a holiday so he had to spend Christmas morning with them. He tried to convince me he was picking me up, but I have got to stand my ground somewhere. My poor car is going to hate me if I don't drive it at least a couple times a week.
As I'm getting out of the shower, smelling fresh and clean as well as smooth from a fresh shave, I see Presley sitting on my bed crying. What is wrong with her? If I had to guess, it has something to do with Konnor. "Are you okay?"
She shakes her head and wipes underneath her eyes as the tears fall in a thick curtain down her face. I have never seen her cry like this. Tucking one side of the towel underneath the other to hold like a dress, I sit on the edge of the bed beside her and place my arm around her. Placing my hand on the side of her head, I pull her to rest on my shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong."
"Kinzleigh, I'm so sorry. I should go. I'm probably keeping you from Breyson. I'm a stupid girl." She is rambling and still crying.
"Presley, shut up. You're my best friend. Breyson can wait. It's just opening presents and we have plenty of time. Tell me what's wrong. You're scaring me." My shoulder is now wet from her tears.
"I made a mistake Kinz. I don't know what to do. I couldn't help myself though. In the moment, I let my heart make the decision over my brain and I've just ruined everything." I exhale knowing exactly what she's referring to.
"Is this about Konnor?" She nods and lifts her head from its position.
"How'd you know?" Well this is going to be a little embarrassing to admit.
"I kind of walked in your room this morning. I was going to see if you were up and bec
ause I didn't expect him in there, I didn't knock. I managed to slip out when you two were starting another round," I say nervously.
"I see. What have I done Kinzleigh? He doesn't want the same things as I do. He said it was just sex; that he had no feeling inside. He was emotionally dead. I love him. I've loved him since I was ten years old but he always just saw me as your best friend. Now that he's finally noticed me, he's broken and damaged from that stupid tramp. I swear I want to kill her."
"How do you know he doesn't want the same thing? You're not making sense. Just start from the beginning. I know Konnor better than anyone. Let me be the judge."
She blows out a breath as she is clearly gathering her thoughts. "Okay. Well the day that we got here and he showed me my room we were just having casual small talk and without thinking he kissed me. Before I could even react, he was apologizing and saying he made a mistake and shouldn't have done it. It hurt but I understood. It didn't stop though. The flirting and glances have been getting more frequent all week. Long story short, last night he came in my room with a movie and said he couldn't sleep. I tried not to get excited, I really did. I couldn't help it though, because he chose me instead of Preston to come to." She pauses briefly before she continues.
"At first it was innocent, but then I felt him staring at me. When I turned to face him he got all weird. He said he wished he had noticed how beautiful I was before and how now he is too dark to be good for me but that he wanted me because he was selfish. He kissed me and I felt a little bit of the passion that he used to have shining brightly. I got lost in the moment and things got heated. He said that all it could be was a night. I thought it would be fine because I've had friends with benefits before, like Ryland and it was no big deal. Something was different though Kinzleigh. With him, it was beautiful. The second we connected it was on every possible level. I know he has to feel something too. He would let it slip in certain moments. He made love to me three times. It was love making, not fucking. Sorry for the harsh language but I know the difference. He made love to me three times, but the second he left that room, it was as if he left the real Konnor behind. He hasn't spoken to me since. He only looks at me briefly. As soon as you came upstairs, he left."
"Where did he go?"
She shrugs her shoulders and her eyes are so blurred with tears, it looks like a wall of water. Her blue eyes don't hold the sparkle they usually do. They look dull and jaded. Everyone that knows Presley, knows she is a beautiful soul; a one of a kind. Her personality is bubbly and spontaneous. She doesn't let anyone break her down. She is one of the strongest people I know. She can hide and show her emotions better than anyone. She keeps her feelings completely hidden unless she wants you to see them and then like a light switch turning on, she gives you insight to her inner self.
Those she trusts enough to see her for who she truly is, are forever hooked. Girls want to be her friend and guys want her in any way they can have her. She's that special. If I compared her to an object, it would be a diamond: strong, luminescent, and rare; one of those things that aren't easily obtained. Seeing her broken over someone else makes me want to hurt him; my brother or not.
Looking at her, her lips are quivering and she isn't wearing a speck of makeup, which is a rare occasion for her. "I can't go back to being his friend and loving him from afar. It would kill me to see him with someone else now. I love him so much. I will never love anyone else. I've tried and that was before I had him for myself. What do I do? I thought things would be better this morning but instead they're worse. He's avoiding me."
Usually, I can pinpoint exactly what Konnor is thinking, but since Sophia cheated, he's unpredictable. I don't know who he's trying to protect; himself from more pain or her because he now has trust issues. "I don't know Presley. Konnor is different now. You've seen the tattoos and piercings. Give me a few days to feel him out. Maybe I can talk to him and see what's going on in his head. You still have a week and the New Year's Eve party. I don't think you should let him go back to school without telling him how you feel though. Maybe right now he's just as confused as you are and is trying to sort out his emotions. Konnor is the type of person that won't discuss an issue until he has it worked out in his head. Play it cool for a few days and see if it sorts itself out. If not, you need to talk to him at the party. It's a masked ball so there will be plenty of time."
She nods and goes to stand up. Standing with her I give her a hug. "I hope I don't lose him, Kinzleigh. My heart will never be the same." I hope she doesn't either because I know exactly how she feels. Only time will tell.
Breyson
I look down at my watch impatiently. Where is she? She should have been here by now. My parents want her to open the gifts from them and then I have to take her to Pops' to show her the beauty that is waiting on her patiently. I don't see her coming up the drive. I begin pacing the floor anxiously. I pull out my phone again for the fifteenth time in ten minutes with no texts and no missed calls. She should have been here thirty minutes ago. I have been waiting for today for what seems like a year. Her horse has been at Pops' for a week now.
I'm about to dial her number when I hear tires pulling up the pavement. Looking up through the window, she is coming to a stop in her black Range Rover. Finally. Next time I'm picking her up just like I said I was going to, to start with. Girls and their fashionably late nonsense is crap. Making my way through the house, I meet her at the door with an armload of bags and wrapped boxes. "Hi," she says as I open the door.
"Hi yourself." She looks beautiful; not that there's ever been a time that she didn't blow me away. The girl got the best of everything in the gene pool. She is wearing a pair of tight jeans with brown leather riding boots and a bright red sweater long enough to cover her butt. Her hair is pulled to the side in the big curls I love. My beautiful girl. "I was starting to think you were going to stand me up," I say teasingly.
She crinkles her face at me like she is about to scold me. "Do you really think I would stand you up?"
"Nah, I guess not." I kiss her on the cheek, then on the lips. I've missed these lips. We haven't gotten to be alone much this week with her house being invaded by everyone, especially one I'd love to throw out on his ass. My jealousy of him being in the same house with the hottest girl on the planet, knowing he wants her, is raging.
She kisses me back with the same hunger as me and then breaks free, her lips now red from my assault. I guess I missed her more than I thought. "Babe. You know I could stand here and kiss you all day but these presents are getting heavy."
"Ah shit, baby I'm sorry. Give them to me. I didn't mean to be rude. I've just missed you." I remove them from her hands and lead her into the living room where the tree is. She must have bought a present for everyone. I told her not to, but it doesn't surprise me she would anyway. I'm ready to get this over with so we can go. "Mom, dad. Kinzleigh's here," I shout across the house as I sit the presents down in front of the tree. Turning back to her, I pull her into my arms. My brothers and sister aren't here so you'll have to see them open theirs later. Is that okay?"
"Sure babe. I'm more worried about you getting yours anyway." Her smile is extravagant when she is excited about something. It's full force, revealing those bright white teeth and thinning her pouty lips, making me wonder what on earth she got me.
"Oh yeah? What'd you get me?" I can't keep my lips off of her. It's been too long since we've had private time. She has turned me into some kind of raging teenager. I think of one other part that does not like the absence of her either. I can't get enough of her no matter how many times I take her body for myself.
"You'll never get it out of me. Presents are my favorite part and I love watching people open them, so I won't ruin the surprise. The only thing you can know is the best one is for last. Since you have to take me somewhere for one of my presents, I'll give one of mine then." We really need to get this show on the road. There is no way her present can top what I have waiting in that stall.
It seemed l
ike it took forever to open all of the presents, but it could have something to do with this rare amount of excitement I have built up. It never happened before her and I don't really know how to release it in increments. Obviously, my mother really knows how to shop for a teenage girl because Kinzleigh got so much stuff she was falling in love with as she was opening hers; I was starting to get nervous. I guess never having a girlfriend to bring home, mom felt the need to catch up by showering her with gifts. She has been overloaded with all things female from purses to clothes, shoes, gift cards and more between me and my parents. That wasn't their big gift though according to mom. "Okay honey, Brooks and I have one last gift. This one is for you and Breyson together so he doesn't even know about this. It's kind of all of your graduation presents too," she says as she gets off the couch and picks up a wrapped box behind dads recliner.
Mom is grinning from ear to ear. I'm wondering what she could have gotten us that would have to be included as Christmas and graduation. That is kind of extreme. She sits the package down in between me and Kinzleigh. It doesn't look that big. "You take one side and I take the other?" She nods and we both take a corner. Once we get the wrapping paper completely torn away, the box beneath is just a cardboard shipping box. I guess she really didn't want to give anything away. Reaching in my pocket, I pull out my pocket knife and open the blade. Point down, I slide the blade along the tape line, slicing it on the way. Once the seal is completely broken, I close the knife and put it away.
Together we open the flaps to the box and look inside. There is a pair of airline tickets, a hotel reservation confirmation with everything all inclusive, booked through their travel agent. Along with it, is two American Express gift cards with a note reading:
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