“I know that you and Dean are together, now. Before or as long as you want to lead everyone to believe, I just don’t believe it fully. Maybe all the attention on me and what I choose to do with my life will go back to you.”
“Maddie, go ahead and do whatever you want to do. I can’t stop you. But know that I’m with Dean, and I just started my last year of college. I’m happy and I wish that you would be too. I’m sorry that I went and lived my life. There’s nothing that I regret from my experiences, and I think that you should live your life however you want.”
I stand up, kiss her on top of her head and go to bed.
Chapter Seven
Dean
The alarm clock blares and startles me in the morning, so much so that I fall out of bed and land on my ass with a loud thud.
My day is jam packed from when I wake at 5:30am to when I fall face first on the mattress at midnight for the rest of the week. Somewhere in between, I’ll have to fit in spending time with Kaley and her family. She knows my hectic schedule during the week, so she isn’t expecting anything, but I should make a few tweaks in the schedule being in a new relationship and all.
I’m heading to the cafeteria on campus to pick up a few granola bars to snack on and a light breakfast, and from there I go to one of my three meetings for the day. After I grab myself a protein shake and a banana, I’m dressing in the locker room for the gym. I spend a solid forty-five minutes working a circuit; I give myself a French bath with baby wipes as I’m hurrying into a press meeting. Tossing the last of the wipes in the trash before I take my seat, I turn to the coach and smile.
“D, you smell like an armpit.” He smells the surrounding air.
“I didn’t have time to shower after my workout.” I shrug as I open the granola bar that I remembered was stuffed in the side pocket of my gym bag and shove half of it in my waiting mouth.
The reporter asks Coach a few questions and then turns to our QB for some questions about the game we had last Friday. Then they turn to me to ask me about my sneak attack on our opponent's QB. I answer the questions as someone trained me to by the team PR staff. We announce that we will have open, to the public team practices this week, since we have a bye and the press event is over.
I have twenty minutes to make it to my first class of the day, and I barely make it inside before the doors close and are locked. I sit off to the side of the 500 person classroom with a few of the guys from the team. It’s Social Change and Global Issues, one of my last classes for my degree. I have my internship starting at a non-profit for community development in downtown Seattle once the season is over, which I’m stoked about. I take rapid notes and bump fists with a few of the guys before I head out to my next class. I text Kaley on the way to class and don’t notice until it’s too late that I’m walking into a wall.
My face connects with the cement of the building as students around me point and laugh. Not one of my finest moments, but a funny story to tell later when I’m hanging out with Kaley.
I devote the rest of my day to football. I practically crawl home at nine at night. My body and mind is tired, but I know I can’t put it to rest just yet. I’m starving. The meal that I had with the team did nothing to quench my hunger.
I walk into the apartment, my backpack slung over my shoulder and my steps slow. Kaley and her parents are sitting at the dining table playing a card game, while Maddie looks to be reading on the couch. They greet me as I enter and I excuse myself to shower.
Afterwards, I walk into the kitchen in my school sweatpants and a hoodie. I kiss the top of Kaley’s head and go open the fridge, grab some leftovers from dinner tonight, then sit down at the table while it’s re-heating in the microwave.
“You look beat.” Mr. Valentine says to me.
“It’s been a long day.” I admit.
“Is this a normal thing?” He asks with concern.
“It is during the season. Sometimes, I’m crawling in here and heading straight to bed. But during the off-season, I’m home a lot more and doing minimal team activities. My biggest thing that I do is work-out since I need to remain in shape.”
“My, that doesn’t sound good. How do you two find time for each other?” Mrs. Valentine asks.
“We make the time. Stolen moments in between all the chaos. We usually have a break We text during the day, we sometimes sneak in dinner if I’m not eating with the team and I always come home at night.” I say.
All those things happen, that’s not a lie. But the fact that it has been platonic until recently is something that I leave out. We both have a routine that works for us. We never fight and we still manage to hang out together.
“And you’re okay with this kind of schedule?” Mrs. Valentine asks Kaley with concern in her voice.
“It’s a sacrifice, but Dean loves playing football and it’s only for a few months a year. It actually really works for the both of us.” Kaley says with a smile.
“Football is a weekend sport, sure we have a lot going on during the week too, but during the off-season, my schedule is a lot… less.”
“How long is a season?” Mrs. Valentine asks.
“We go right up to the holidays, football is a one semester sport. Occasionally it goes through the holiday break, but that’s only if we play in any of the holiday bowls. This year, we’re not playing, but we have in the past.”
“So this crazy schedule of yours, only goes until November?” her dad asks.
“Yes, sir.” I say.
“Good, so we can expect the both of you to come to our home for Thanksgiving.” Mrs. Valentine gushes as Kaley groans.
“Mooooooooom!” she whines.
Kaley
My family has been here for two weeks. Maddie has said nothing to them, and she’s been a little distant from me. She talks with Dean, but she doesn’t talk directly to me. There’s a five-year age difference between us, but we never have had any arguments that would lead us to not speaking.
I don’t know how to repair whatever is torn between us, or how to at least begin to mend it. She won’t give me any clues or chances. She keeps her eyes on me, and she’s like a hawk over Dean and I whenever our parents leave.
Dean tells me to not worry about it, but he has it easy. His parents don’t have the same views as mine does. If my parents find out that I’ve lied to them…who knows what they will do. I know one thing is that they would stop paying my rent and I would be without a place to live.
I’ve got grants and scholarships to pay for all my schooling. The only piece that I needed help on was paying for rent. The agreement was that I kept my grades above average, despite my parents not agreeing with my choice in school and major.
“You look lost.” Dean breathes in my ear. My parents are sitting on the sofa, my sister sits on the floor and we sit on the love seat all while watching some movie on HBO.
“Just a lot on my mind.” I reply.
It’s true. I wouldn’t even be able to put it into words with all the fear that I’m feeling.
“Want me to kick them out? I can if you want me to?” he offers.
“No. I know you have to be up early tomorrow, you can go ahead and go to bed, though. I’m okay.” I am okay, if anything I’m okay.
He looks at his watch and throws his head back. “Fuck, I didn’t realize it was so late. Are you sure? You don’t want me to get everyone out for you?”
“Go to bed. I’ll find you tomorrow on campus.” I kiss his cheek as he smiles.
“Okay.” He squeezes my hand and the gets up. “Folks, I must retire for the evening. I have to be up and out of here before sunrise. Goodnight and see you guys tomorrow.” He half waves.
“Good night, son.” My father says, eyes on the television still.
Everyone else says their good nights and I’m wishing I let him kick everyone out, so I could escape to the bedroom with him.
I sigh.
“So, dear.” My mother whispers. “When do you think he’ll propose?”
My mouth drop
s open, my sister's head swivels, and my father shushes her and points at the screen.
I groan and lean my head back against the couch. Not the type of questions that I need to be asked.
I sneak into the bedroom a few hours later. After the movie ended, I feigned exhaustion and that I needed to hit the hay. I slide under the covers and Dean’s hands pull me to him once my head hit the pillow. He lazily kisses my lips and then trails down the slope of my neck.
“Fuck. I never thought they’d leave. You should have just let me kick them out.” He mumbles against my skin.
“I was wishing that I did, right after you came in here.”
“I didn’t hear your answer to your mom’s question.” He says, taking me by surprise.
“What question?” I ask, hoping that he heard something different.
“About proposing.”
“Oh, yeah, well you know as well as I do that there're no plans for that soon.”
“Mmmmm.” He hums against my collarbone as his rough hand palms my breast.
“I propose.” He kisses my skin. “I propose that I fuck you, long and hard. Hard and soft. Soft and slow. To where your legs tremble, your heart palpitates and you forget your name while you are moaning mine. That’s what I want to propose right now.” His hand moves down my hip and cups my center. His fingertips tease my folds and he pushes one finger in, causing my back to arch off the bed, and a breath to escape from my lips.
He adds another finger and moves in and out as my hips move with his rhythm. I inhale and let out a strangled moan as the palm of his hand rubs against my clit.
“Fuck!” he hisses. “Baby, you’re driving me crazy with how wet you are. My cock is aching for you right now.”
I roam my free hand down the planes of his chest. And rotating my wrist to grab him. He wasn’t kidding, he is hard and his dick is pointing at me, zeroing in on what it wants, me.
I push his shoulder so he’s lying on his back, I push up to my knees, and sit astride him. I grab his dick again and stroke him a few times before lifting and pulling the panel of my panties aside. I line him up and slowly sink down on him, inch by delicious inch.
He’s stopped breathing, his eyes are wide, concentrated on where we’re joined and his fingertips are gripping the top of my thighs. When I’m fully seated, I begin to move and his wide eyes come to mine.
He halts me and with a strangled breath says. “Don’t move.”
He nods his head and evens out his breathing as I start to move on top of him. I lift as his hips thrust up. He grunts, squeezes his eyes shut and clenches his jaw. My hands are on his chest, my fingertips grazing over his skin. I lean down and continue to lift up and down on him, and brush my lips against his. He moans loudly when our lips touch and his fist comes up to my hair as he ruthlessly kisses me. We’re lost in the movement of our bodies, in the fierceness of our kisses when climax hits us both. A blinding light, a multitude of colors erupting as I feel euphoric and pure happiness. Dean’s hips push and hold as he moans into my mouth. My body feels heavy, yet sated.
I don’t want to move, but I know that since we didn’t use a condom that it would be wise to clean up. I lean down, my head nestled on Dean’s shoulder. His hands slowly lift me off of him and slides out of the bed. He puts on a pair of sweats as I drape the comforter over me.
Dean exits the room and returns a moment later with a washcloth.
I hold my hand out to accept when he shakes his head. “Let me.” He insists on sitting on the bed and lifting the covers as he takes his time.
This is intimate. I wasn’t expecting this. This is making me have more feelings for him than I was expecting.
Could I fall in love with Dean? Am I already in love with him?
He looks at me, smiles, and then retreats with the towel.
When he crawls back into bed, he pulls me again to him, kisses my shoulder and sighs.
“That was the first time for me, you know.” He whispers.
“Um?” What?
“I’ve never had sex without protection. I’m clean and all. But holy shit, that was amazing.”
“I’m clean too.” I confirm for him.
“I should be embarrassed, that was the quickest sex I’ve ever had.”
“Well, we’ll just need to practice more so we can last longer.” I tease.
“Challenge accepted.”
Chapter Eight
Dean
The air is crisp, yet I’m burning up. Stadium lights are bright and we’ve been playing for almost four quarters. The offense is up and I’m standing on the sidelines watching my teammates.
The center snaps the ball to the quarterback; the guards prepare to throttle off our opponents while both sides of the tackles are fending off players. There’s a lot of crunching when players smash into another, groans as the QB runs through the original line of scrimmage and past the safeties on the other team. I watch our QB run past all the hash marks into the end zone and celebrate by spiking the ball and it going into the stands towards the outstretched hands.
The game is over and all the players are rushing the field to celebrate with the rest of our teammates. The crowd is screaming in excitement and all I can think about is getting home to Kaley. Her parents are leaving on Sunday, so we only have a few more moments with them.
I think that she and I are solid and will continue this thing going on between us. We haven’t fully discussed our sleeping arrangements once they leave, or anything else that could happen, and I plan to remedy that tonight once they all leave.
I’m showered and heading to my car in the student lot when I see my sister walking towards me.
“Hey D!” she hollers as soon as she closer.
“Hey D!” I say back.
“So, supposedly, you are dating someone.”
“Oh yeah?” Shit, I don’t think it even came to mind telling Denise about Kaley and I. It’s not like we’ve hidden our relationship when we’ve seen another on campus.
“Yeah. You know, she’s got long blonde hair, grayish-blue eyes, lives at the same address as you. You know, Kaley. My best friend, your roommate?”
“Yeah, I didn’t mention that we kind of started something?” I play it off.
“No, you didn’t mention this. Neither has she. Some rando saw you guys canoodling on campus the other day and started gushing about how cute of a couple you two are.”
“Canoodling?” I laugh. “Who the hell are you talking to that they say canoodling? That’s the shit that grandma says.”
“So, were either of you guys planning on telling me?” She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts.
“Nothing to tell. We’re dating.” I shrug.
“And living together.”
“And living together.” I confirm.
“Well?” she spreads her arms in front of her.
“Need a ride?” I ask. “I’ll tell you all about it in the car's warmth. My balls are crawling up into my body and I need the heater.”
“Gross. I don’t need to hear about your anatomy.” She says walking over to the passenger side of my car and waiting for me to unlock the doors.
We get inside, and as I start up the car, she turns to me.
“I’m not getting any younger you know.”
“Take a chill pill, would ya?”
I drive over to the other parking lot where my sister parks her car and after driving around for a few minutes, locate it and park next to it. I keep the engine running so the heater stays on and turn in my seat.
I tell Denise the entire story, how Kaley approached the idea to how we actually became a couple. I included my sleeping naked and accidentally spooning her but left out all the sexy details. I tell her about Maddie overhearing our conversation, that enormous cloud hanging over our heads, and then I confide in her about how I don’t know what will happen when her family leaves.
“Out of all the years that I’ve been friends with Kaley, how often would you have said that she dated?” Denise as
ks me.
“To be honest, I don’t know.” I answer with honesty.
“Since you’ve lived together, that would be a little over a year. Has she brought home any guys?”
“No. Unless she snuck them out in the middle of the night or hid them in the closets.”
“Kaley has had one boyfriend the entire time that I’ve known her. That was her freshman year of college. She dated the guy for three months, her parents found out, and suddenly she was single again.”
“Okay, I’m lost.”
“She wouldn’t just get into bed with just anyone. You guys live together. You guys will not go back to just friends when her family leaves. Consider yourself with a girlfriend.”
“A girlfriend.” I say to myself and look out the windshield rather enjoying how that sounds.
“You know, not the blow up kind.” Denise lightly pushes my arm.
“Funny. Listen, I’m sorry neither of us said anything. It’s still new and well, I guess we’re just getting used to it.”
“Her family is wacko. Very nice folks, but Kaley was smart to get out of there and start her own life. If Maddie tells their parents that you guys aren’t really a couple, maybe they will have observed you guys enough to know that isn’t true. I could totally see it though, you two do look cute together.”
Kaley
It’s a stand-off.
My father is sitting at one end of the dining room table with my mother and sister beside him, and I’m sitting at the opposite end.
Tears are lining my cheeks, and I feel like I’ve screamed now for hours.
My sister sits with her arms crossed over her chest and a satisfied grin on her face as she watches me wipe my face. My chin is trembling and I feel like there are ants crawling all over my skin.
“How could you have lied to us? Why bring an innocent boy into this? Why Kaley, can you tell us why? Why live with a male who is not a promising suitor?” My father asks sternly.
“Honey, don’t get us wrong. We believe that Dean is a wonderful boy. But why would you have made up this elaborate scheme and put us in this position?”
Little White Lie Page 5