Soaked

by Courtney Elliott

  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about this moment,” West whispered. “Nothing even comes close to how it actually feels to be holding you right now.” I knew exactly what he meant. I had loved West in some form or other since I was thirteen. Now, that I was finally getting the chance to have him, I knew I would never even come close to having this with anyone else. There would never be another for me.

  He kissed me again as our movements took on a new pace. It was becoming too hard to control things. Too difficult to move so slowly. I gripped his back as his thrusts became faster, hit deeper. I couldn’t stop the moans from slipping between my parted lips, and he grunted in return, letting me know that he was right there with me. Everything I was feeling in that moment, he was feeling it too.

  Then we crashed together. He called out my name and it felt like my heart soared right out of my chest. Before I knew it, I was crying. I couldn’t help it. West saw and a look of panic washed over his face.

  “Are you okay?” He asked. “Did I hurt you?” I shook my head as the tears rolled down my cheeks and I smiled.

  “No, that was just perfect.” A slow smile spread across his face and then he leaned down and kissed me. It was perfect. I could not have imagined a better moment. I just wished I could have had the courage to tell him how much I loved him. I wanted him to know how much he meant to me. How much he would always mean to me.

  I lay across West’s chest just listening as the rain continued to fall against the windows. His fingertip was drawing small circles on my arm. I let out a happy sigh before I rose up. I rested my chin against the hand that lay across his chest and looked up at him. He flashed that dimple.

  “What?” He asked.

  “Is it always like this?” He chuckled.

  “God, I hope so.” He reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face then tucked it behind my ear. I smiled wide before I leaned forward to plant a kiss on his lips. One arm held my lower back while the other reached into my hair as he kissed me back with passion.

  I smiled against his lips. “Can we do it again?” I whispered. He laughed again before planting three quick pecks to my lips. Then he said those three words that made my heart flip.

  “As you wish.”

  Forty

  When I woke up the next morning, I stretched my arms out and immediately felt something solid lying next to me. I blinked as I looked over. There was West with his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling slowly. He looked so handsome and I let out a little sigh. He stirred and his eyes fluttered open.

  His gaze met mine and he blinked a few times before a slow grin spread across his face. “Good morning,” he said through a yawn.

  “Morning,” I replied back as I continued to stare at him. It just didn’t seem fair for him to look that good first thing in the morning. It usually took me a long shower and about five cups of coffee before I even resembled something human.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered as he turned on his side to face me. I grinned back at him and he reached out to tuck a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “How are you feeling?” I could see the concern on his face, and it made my heart swell in my chest.

  “Fine, wonderful. Last night was incredible.” He smiled wide as he stared back at me. His stormy eyes danced with joy.

  “I want you to know that last night meant…” he paused while he searched his mind for the right word. “…absolutely everything to me. I’ve wanted to be with you for years Lennon, and knowing that you chose me to be your first…it’s just…I don’t even know what to say.” My face warmed at his words.

  “There was never anyone else West. It’s always been you.” He cupped my face in his hands before leaning forward and placing a tender kiss on my lips. As he pulled back, his hand dropped down to hold mine. He looked down as our fingers interlocked with one another.

  “Do you have to be anywhere today?” He asked just before his eyes found mine again. I shook my head.

  “No.” A devilish grin spread across his face. Then in rapid movements, he grabbed me by the arms and pulled me onto his chest. His hands clasped together at my lower back.

  “Then I think we should stay just like this all day,” he said with an easy going smile. I couldn’t help but grin back at him.

  “We can’t do that,” I told him and his brows dipped in question.

  “Why not?”

  “Because we can’t. What would the girls think if I just stayed cooped up in my room all day with you?” My suggestion didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest.

  “Lucky girl,” he said without missing a beat. I smacked him playfully on the chest before pulling myself free from his grip. I stood from the bed, making sure to take my comforter with me. West propped himself up on his elbow to watch me with nothing but a very thin sheet covering him. A blush rose to my cheeks as I thought about what he was hiding underneath. West saw, but chose to be gentlemanly enough to ignore it.

  “Fine, if I can’t get you to stay in bed with me, how about you let me take you out tonight?” I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled. “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes,” I said happily.

  “Great.”

  “Great,” I repeated. We both just kept staring at each other with these crazy happy smiles on our faces. I think it was safe to say we were both still in the little euphoric bubble the previous night had created, and it wasn’t over yet.

  That night, West kept my hand held firmly in his as we made our way into the restaurant. Once we were shown our table, he made sure to pull my chair out for me and then he let his hand teasingly slide up my spine, causing a slight shiver. I looked up at him and he flashed a smirk my way before sliding into his seat across from me.

  We spent most of the evening doing more of the same that we had done all day. We would make googly eyes at one another and he would flash that dimpled grin of his that was making me eager to get the check and get back home. After one night with him, he had turned me into some kind of animal. I looked over at him and he grinned.

  “What do you say we get out of here?” He asked. Clearly he had become just as insatiable. I grinned back at him.

  “Okay.” He stood up and tossed a few bills from his wallet. Then he grabbed my hand in his and we walked out. He held the door of his truck open for me and helped me inside. Then he walked around the front and climbed in next to me. He looked over at me and I smiled wide.

  “Thank you for tonight,” I told him. “It really was a great night out.” He lifted my hand up to his lips and gave me the sweetest kiss.

  “It’s the first of many,” he said simply. I raised one brow as I looked back at him.

  “It is?” He grinned again before starting up the truck.

  “Of course. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t take you out as often as I could?” My smile was wide.

  “So, you’re my boyfriend now?” I asked, teasingly.

  “I’d like to be.” Rather than answer him with words, I threw myself at him. He caught me in his arms and held me close. “I take that as a yes,” he whispered into my ear. I laughed before nodding my head. Then I pulled back and looked into those incredible stormy eyes of his.

  “I’ve wanted you to be mine for a while now West.” His face got serious and he brushed a few strands of hair from my face.

  “Len, I’ve always been yours, and I always will be.” Then his lips lowered down to mine and he gave me the slowest, sweetest kiss, making the whole night absolutely perfect.

  Forty-One

  After another night in which West and I didn’t leave my room, it was time for him to go back to California. So, the following morning, I went with him to the airport. He had driven his truck up from Houston when he came to surprise me, and decided that while he was gone, I was going to keep an eye on it. I’d already been told that I needed to keep girly things to a minimum; otherwise the other trucks might make fun of it. I appreciated the fact that he was trying to make me laugh since t
he only thing I felt like doing was cry.

  The weather seemed to be in agreement with me. The storm from the night before had eased up immensely, but the rain was still falling down. It matched my mood perfectly.

  West, on the other hand, was excited. He couldn’t wait to get to California and talk with some more teams. He was hopeful that something good would come out of this little speed bump in our relationship and I was certain it would. West was great at football. He had been for as long as I’d known him, and he was showing no signs of letting up anytime soon.

  While I watched the raindrops roll down my window, I felt West’s hand on mine. I turned and saw that he had reached over. He was stroking the top of my hand with the pad of his thumb while he kept his eyes on the road.

  “This is nothing Len,” he said. “It’s only another month, and then I’ll be in Leering with you.” We had discussed spending the entire summer together since it might be our last opportunity to do so. With him most likely being drafted soon, chances were slim we would get the chance to be just us again for a while. So, I was going to spend the first few weeks with my parents and Jameson and then West would come and we would find some way to have time together.

  “What is everyone going to think when they see me drive into town with your truck?” I asked. West just shrugged. I knew that if he had his way, we would be telling everyone over the summer that we were dating, but I was still wanting to wait. We had just gotten back together, and I was being selfish in wanting to keep him to myself or a little bit longer.

  “Just tell them that I lent it to you while I was out of town.”

  “Why would you lend a stranger your most prized possession?”

  “One, you’re not a stranger and they all know that. Two, who cares? If they ask, change the subject. Let them wonder for all I care. It doesn’t really concern them anyway.”

  “I just think we should have something to say when they start asking questions because you know as well as I do that they’re going to be curious about it.”

  “Okay,” he said as he pulled into the designated parking area. “I’ve got it.” He put the truck in park and turned to me. Then he took my hands in his. “How about we tell them that you make me happier than anything else in the world, football included. Come on Len, why can’t we just tell them we’re together? Is it really so bad that they know?”

  “It’s not that it’s bad. I just think it’s something we’re going to have to go about delicately. It’s not going to make sense that two people that are basically strangers, at least in their eyes, are suddenly dating.”

  “Okay, then we do that. We sit everyone down in a room together and we tell them the truth. I want to tell everyone that you’re mine.”

  “I want that too. Just a little bit longer, okay?” He let out a sigh that told me he wasn’t entirely thrilled with my rejection.

  “Alright, we’ll keep doing it your way.” I smiled before I scooted across the seat to be closer to him.

  “Thank you, for this weekend.” He looked over at me and the expression on his face broke my heart. I hated having to say goodbye to him after the time we had shared. I hated that I wouldn’t be seeing him for another month at the very least.

  “Call me, Len. Even if you don’t have anything to say, just call. It’s going to be just as hard on me to be away from you. I can promise you that.”

  “Okay.” There was nothing left to say, but he still didn’t move to get out of the truck. Instead, he moved closer so that we met in the middle. His hand tangled in my hair as he brought his lips down to mine in a passionate kiss.

  “Don’t forget me,” he whispered against my lips.

  “I couldn’t if I tried.” He pulled back with his brows pinched together.

  “Why would you try?” Then he smiled and it made me laugh. He gave me one last little peck before he stepped out into the rain. He grabbed his bag from the back and held up his hand in a wave. Then he went one step further and blew me a kiss.

  God, how I loved that man.

  Forty-Two

  A couple of weeks after mine and West’s amazing weekend, he called me while I was out for a run. I stepped off to the trail and I clicked over. I was still catching my breath when his velvety voice came through the line with what seemed to be his new favorite way to greet me.

  “Hey my beautiful girlfriend,” he said happily and I smiled just as I always did when I spoke with him.

  “Hi my handsome boyfriend.”

  “God, I don’t think hearing you call me that will ever get old.” I chuckled.

  “I hope it never does.” I didn’t have to be looking at him to know his dimpled grin was on full display. Just the thought made my heart beat a little faster.

  “I have something I wanted to tell you,” he said growing more serious.

  “Okay, is it bad?”

  “No, no,” he assured me. “Definitely not bad.”

  “Okay, what is it?” He hesitated and the suspense was killing me. I laughed. “West, come on what is it?”

  “I signed with the Chargers,” he said quickly. It took a few seconds for his words to register. I had the sudden sinking feeling that our plans for the summer had just gone up in smoke. After a few seconds of silence, his happy voice came through again. “Len, did you hear me? You there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here,” I said. I was too shocked to really add much of anything else though. I knew the possibility of him getting drafted was definitely there, but for some reason I still hadn’t expected it. Not that I didn’t think he would make it pro, I guess I just hadn’t realized what it would feel like when it actually happened.

  “Len, say something,” West prodded. I couldn’t though. My throat tightened, and I knew at any moment, I was going to start crying. “Lennon, I know we were supposed to spend the summer together, but I can’t pass this up. I can’t lose this chance.” I shook my head as I tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away and smiled even though he couldn’t see me.

  “No, I understand. This is amazing West. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you Len. I promise.”

  “You don’t have to. Um, I’m really sorry, but I have to go. I really should be studying.”

  “Len…”

  “I’ll call you later.” Then I pulled the phone back. I heard him say my name again before I hung up. As I walked back to my house, I let the tears fall. Once again, it seemed like fate was working against us. I couldn’t help but feel like maybe we should just stop trying so hard. Maybe this was the universe’s way of saying that West and I weren’t actually meant to be.

  When I stepped into the house, Layla looked over at me from her spot on the couch. Jessie and Bri were both sitting beside her and they looked over too. “Hey, we were thinking of having a girl’s night. How does cheesy pizza and movies sound? You wanna join?” I thought about it for a bit. It actually sounded kind of perfect. I needed a pick me up after my talk with West.

  “Yeah, let me go take a shower and then I’ll be back.” When I stepped into my room, my phone started ringing again. I saw West’s name on the screen and I let out a sigh before answering. He spoke quickly from the first hello.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I know that all must have come as such a surprise to you, and I’m sorry, Len. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so excited, and you were the first person I wanted to call. I…” I felt horrible that he was apologizing for the biggest moment of his life because I acted like a brat.

  “West, stop,” I said cutting off the rest of his apology. “I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn’t have acted that way when you told me about signing with the Chargers. I was surprised, and I handled it all wrong. I want you to know that I am so proud of you. I’ll be waiting for you when you come back, and I can’t wait to hear all about how much you impress all of your new coaches like I know you will. You’re going to be so amazing. You’re only the most handsome and talented football player like ever.” I heard him chuckle
from his end of the line. Then he let out a long sigh.

  “Thank you Len. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say all that.” I smiled.

  “I mean it West. I’m just sorry I didn’t say it the first time you told me. I was just surprised is all.”

  “I’m going to make this up to you.”

  “You don’t have to. I’m fine. Just knock em dead babe,” I said with a laugh. His deep chuckle came through the phone and it made my heart flip around in my chest the same way it always did.

  “God, I love you,” he said, and just like that I stopped laughing. My mouth fell open in surprise and my heart started to race. Did he mean to say that? I wasn’t sure how to respond. I loved him. More than I could ever possibly say, but did I say it back right then? What if he hadn’t meant it?

  “Uh…” I began before closing my mouth again.

  “Shit Len, I have to let you go. Can I call you later?” West said quickly.

  “Uh, yeah sure.”

  “Alright bye.”

  “Bye.” Then our call disconnected, and I just stared down at my phone wondering what just happened. I took my shower and changed into a comfy pair of clothes before I made my way back into the living room to join the girls for our movie night. We ended up picking a scary movie, but I couldn’t focus on the screen. I just kept replaying what West had said.

  A clap of thunder shook the windows and we all jumped. I hadn’t even realized another storm was brewing; I’d been too focused in my thoughts of West. I looked out the window and saw a flash of lightning. The tree right outside slapped against the window, adding to the overall spookiness of the film.

  Bri paused the movie for the tenth time, and Jessie groaned in frustration. “Really Bri? Again?”

  “I’m sorry, you know I have a tiny bladder.” Then she jumped up and made her way as quickly as she could down the hallway. We were all just waiting for her to come back when a knock at the front door made us all jump again. Layla even screamed.