She reassures me that Yale is completely unimpressed by donations and powerful families and hints that some people might have a nasty surprise when it's time for admissions.
I don't dare dream that Michelle might not be at Yale next fall but the flicker of hope that she might've shown the Dean that accepting her would be a bad choice, puts me in a good mood.
When we get back to the swanky hotel that the school has booked for us, Ms. Webber says good night.
“As I said before, ladies and gentlemen, I’m gonna retreat to my room and enjoy some room service and some peace and quiet. Remember the rules for tonight: don't get arrested and don't die. Other than that, have fun and see you all bright and early at breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Once our teacher leaves, some of us head to the hotel restaurant while others decide to take Ms. Webber's example and have room service.
Sam whispers in my ear that he’d like to spend some time alone with me, either in my room or his and I’m really excited about it but I ask him to stay and have dinner with the others first.
Michelle and EM stay too while Jenna and Josh decide to have dinner in their rooms.
Michelle is strangely quiet during dinner but when Sam and I stand up holding hands and inform Tuna and Alex that we're going to bed, she announces that she snuck two bottles of vodka in her checked luggage and we’re all invited into her room to hang out.
“Thanks for the invitation, darling, but us pussies will have an early night too. Tomorrow’s another early start, so good luck. Come on, Tuna, let's watch some movies.”
EM stands up too.
“You're not leaving too, EM?”
Michelle sounds livid.
“I’ve got a headache. Sorry.”
“I go to school with a bunch of retarded assholes! Whatever! I’ll find someone who wants to have some fun without you!”
SAM FOLLOWS ME INTO my room and as soon as I close the door behind us, he places a gentle kiss on my temple.
“How did your interview go?”
I tell him that I think it went well and how the Dean had heard what I said to Michelle.
“Yeah, I don't know what got into her today. She seemed extra bitchy even for her normal self.”
I sigh.
“Don't take this as an insult, Sam, but sometimes I really wonder how an amazing guy like you could ever date someone like Michelle.”
We sit on the bed and Sam shrugs.
“She wasn't always like this. Or at least she wasn't with me. It started like a simple hookup and I’m a bit ashamed to admit that both Alex and Tuna had had sex and I was the only one who hadn't. They didn't put pressure on me but I felt left out, especially after the whole thing with Polly. Michelle was pretty and experienced even though we were both just fifteen. She'd dated several guys on the football team on freshman year, all seniors. So when she started paying attention to me, I felt flattered and at first she was so sweet with me that I didn't see how awful she was to everyone else.”
I take his hand and link our fingers together.
“I don't blame you, Sam. Look Sean was actually similar. The guy he was when he was with me, that he’d been since we were kids, wasn't the same as he was at school. And I believed that he was himself with me only but I obviously was wrong.”
“I’m just so sorry that I believed that you could've written that pros and cons list. I should've known that it was her.”
I smile at him and I really am not mad.
“Trust is something that gets built over time, babe. You're getting to know me better and now you know that what I feel for you is genuine.
And that I’d never write that kind of list. I’d totally just make that list in my mind so there wouldn't be any evidence around.”
He chuckles at my attempt to joke but then his lips find mine and the thought of his ex-girlfriend vanishes completely from both of our minds.
His lips are soft and warm and his eyes are the deepest ice blue: Sam’s gaze always makes me feel excited.
His quiet and broody outer appearance hides a sweetness that he only shows to the people that he chooses to let in.
The words leave my lips almost without me realising it:
“Sam, I love you.”
“I love you too, Ayla. I’ve loved you since I first saw you, lost in the school hallways.”
The kiss that follows is hot and deep: we haven't kissed this way since that day when we went to San Diego.
Lately there was always something between us, that list, Polly, our hesitation to be vulnerable in front of each other.
But now we embrace our feelings and kiss with everything we have, letting our bodies express what we can't with words.
And my Sam is always full of surprises: I turn to walk towards the bed, but he stops me, guiding me to the full length mirror that hangs on the opposite wall.
He spins me around so that I’m facing the mirror and he positions himself behind me.
His lips find my neck while his hands start taking my clothes off, piece by piece, slowly, with his eyes fixed onto mine in the mirror.
“You're so beautiful ...”
He whispers when I’m standing there completely naked, except for my high heels.
He takes his clothes off quickly and even if he wanted to, he couldn't hide his obvious excitement.
Watching him undress me and himself like this has made my heart beat faster and there's liquid fire collecting between my thighs.
I try to turn around to face him but his hands grip my hips, keeping me in place.
‘Sugar, I want you to see how beautiful you are. How hot it looks when we're together.”
This is my first time with Sam but I’ve no hesitation in giving him what he wants: I trust him completely.
His lips kiss up and down my spine making me shiver in anticipation while his fingers find the most sensitive spot in my centre and I’m absolutely mesmerised.
I can't take my eyes off of his hand exploring me and watching amplifies my pleasure so much that I cry out, shaken to my very core, with my head on his shoulder and his strong arms keeping me upright.
My body is still tingling with the powerful orgasm I just experienced but Sam isn't done with me and one of his hands start playing with my hardened nipple, while the other has my long hair wrapped around it and is resting at the base of my neck.
I feel him hard behind me and I can't help but push my butt closer to his crotch making him smile in the mirror.
“Is there anything I can help my hot girlfriend with?”
He’s teasing me, rubbing his tip against my opening and driving me crazy with want.
One of his hands has traveled down to my hip while the other's still tangled in my hair.
His touch is gentle but he has me pinned against him: when I try to move my hips again, I find that I can't.
“Sam, please ...”
His smile widens and his lips descend on my shoulder, grazing my skin and making me shiver deliciously.
“What do you want? You only have to ask and I’ll give you everything.”
“I want you.”
I whimper but his eyes flash with a light amusement.
“You need to be more specific, sugar.”
“I want you inside me. Please!”
Sam is the biggest out of the three boys but also the gentlest: he enters me slowly giving me time to adjust to his size.
“Look in the mirror, Ayla. Look at how beautiful we look together.”
He spins us around sideways so I can see our bodies joined together and when he starts thrusting in and out of me.
I’ve never seen anything hotter in my entire life.
We don't talk much: my senses are overwhelmed by the sight of our lovemaking and by the sounds of our breathing.
Sam is shaped a bit differently than the other two guys too: he's slightly more curved and his hard length keeps hitting a hidden place deep inside me that feels incredible every time he touches it.
“Oh, my god, Sam!”
My orgasm this time arrives almost unannounced: I go from feeling really good to exploding without the usual build up.
His last thrust is an incredibly deep one and I feel him throbbing inside of me while my inner walls contract around him in wild, frenzied spasms.
When I thought that this couldn't feel any better, Sam tugs gently at my hair and the feeling is incredible: it’s as if my core and my head were connected to each other and the wave that hits me makes me cry out again.
Sam lifts me in his arms and carries me to bed.
I fall asleep with my head in the crook of his neck and his voice whispering that he loves me.
My last thought before drifting away is that I really don't know what I ever did to deserve the three most wonderful boys in the entire world.
The morning after, Sam follows me into the shower and we can't resist making that another sexy event.
This time, he sits down on the wide bench right below the rainforest shower head and I straddle him.
We wash each other, letting our hands wander and this time it's a calmer pace compared to last night but it feels just as good.
Once we are dressed and have all our belongings gathered to be taken downstairs by the hotel staff, we leave the room looking forward to a big breakfast.
“I’m starving! I never thought that sex could make me so hungry.”
He chuckles behind me as I close my room's door and at the same time, Jenna comes out of her room.
We all walk to the elevator and we almost miss it but EM presses the button to keep the doors open.
The last person to join is Michelle.
“Good Morning.”
She smiles at me and Sam: why is she in such a good mood this morning?
22.
Wanna Bet?
TUNA: FORTY POINTS
Alex: forty points (but really he’s the winner)
Sam: twenty five points (but really forty six)
EM: zero points (but he really is out of the game)
Ayla
MONDAY MORNING STARTS early: I hear Mom moving around downstairs and I get up to have breakfast and a catch up with her.
She was off yesterday and today she has an early shift and then she should be home for dinner.
I’ve promised to go watch the guys’ lacrosse practice in the afternoon and then Alex and I will take Ben to rehab.
Mom hands me a cup of coffee and she sits at the table by my side: we look alike.
We have the same eyes and nose but I got my Father's auburn hair while Mom has the same beautiful brunette locks that she passed on to Ben.
“So, how was Yale?”
I can't help but beam.
“It's amazing, Mom! And Ms. Webber got us an interview with the Dean of Admissions. I wanna go there more than anything else!”
She sighs.
“This is part of the reason why I let your brother take this job, baby. He agreed to help me pay for your school.”
I feel suddenly guilty.
“Maybe I can look into scholarships or—”
Mom shakes her head.
“It's ok, Ayla. We all made sacrifices and moved here as a family. Ben’s happy to help you build the future you’ve always wanted. He’s a good kid. I admit that sometimes I worry about how introverted he is but he's got a good heart”
Mom’s right and I feel the same worry about Ben.
Maybe I should tell her about rehab, but Alex has been checking on his progress and he’s passed all the drug tests so far, so I don't wanna add to Mom’s burden.
She does look tired since we moved to California: I think losing the support system she’d been relying on for so many years took a toll on her.
“Did you ... did you talk to him about—”
I blush.
We’ve never really talked about sex with Mom.
When we were younger and we started asking questions, she got us books and then she asked Bella, Sean's Mom, to talk to us.
It's always been clear that the topic embarrasses her, so we never really had that kind of dialogue.
“Yeah, I gave him a box of condoms. I stressed the importance of not getting a girl pregnant or even worse catching an STD. Hopefully I was able to drive the message home. You know how Ben is ...”
I nod and take a sip of my coffee.
My brother will agree with you and then proceed with whatever he’s made up his mind to do.
I’m the one that argues and fights to get a point across, Ben will tell you what you wanna hear and then do whatever he wants anyway.
When I set the mug down, I find Mom’s eyes fixed onto mine.
“What about you, Ayla? Are you being careful?”
I almost choke on my coffee and I feel heat rush onto my cheeks.
“I ... Uh ...”
Mom’s lips stretch into a thin line: she looks resigned.
“Look, baby, I won't lie to you, ideally I’d really like for you guys to wait for sex until after marriage. This is how I did it. You know I go to church and that's the way your grandparents raised me. But at the end of the day, it hasn't exactly worked out well for me, has it? I wouldn't change having you and your brother but marriage for me was a huge let down and all that waiting, didn't guarantee me a faithful husband or the happy family life I’d always pictured. I’d always been told that by doing things “right”, I’d be rewarded.”
I don't say anything: I don't judge Mom's beliefs either way.
I know that Bella raised Sean the same way and we all know how that turned out.
I’m not saying that waiting is wrong or that anyone who does is a hypocrite like my former bestie, but I looked into my heart and waiting wasn't for me.
Personally, I think that God wants you to keep true to your heart and look at sex with love and respect for yourself and the other person... Or persons, in my case.
I know that this isn't the time to break the news about my ‘relationships’ to Mom, so I just answer her question.
“Yes, I’m being safe.”
Mom nods.
“Good. So it looks like things between you and that boy are serious?”
I smile and confirm that we’re very serious about each other.
“I like him, Ayla. But I wanna get to know him better. How about having him here for dinner next weekend? I have Saturday night off and I could make my lasagna.”
“I’ll ask him. I’m sure he’ll be excited. He loves home cooked meals.”
My phone vibrates with a text: it's Tuna.
“Mom, I’ve gotta go to school, my ride’s here.”
Mom kisses me goodbye and as I climb into Tuna’s car, I’m excited about having Alex over for dinner but I need to find a way for Mom to get to know my other two boys a bit better too.
“WHAT THE FUCK? I’D no idea that lacrosse was so violent!”
I cover my eyes when Alex gets ‘checked’ for the umpteenth time: I thought football was violent but this is positively scary.
“Didn't your old school have a lacrosse team?”
Char has a huge grin on her face: she finds it hilarious that every time one of my guys gets checked or hit, I wince and cover my eyes.
“They did but I never really cared. I don't think I like it.”
She says something about men needing to work off their aggression but I can't take my eyes off my three men on the field.
The cheerleaders were having their own practice at the far end of the field and they finished before the training game, so we hope that Jenna will join us after showering.
And talking about Jenna, I’ve been worried about my friend but between the boys and the drama going on with Ben, I haven't had the opportunity to talk to her.
So I ask Char.
“Is Jenna ok? I’ve been getting a strange vibe from her and Josh lately.”
Char’s about to answer but Jenna plops herself between us with a thin smile on her face.
“Talking about me?”
I ask her how she's doing and s
he drops a bombshell:
“Josh and I broke up last week.”
“Oh, Jen! I’m so sorry!”
Both Char and I try to comfort her but she shrugs us off.
“Look, I know Josh and I were together for almost two years but ... I think it's for the best. And I hope one day he'll be able to forgive me for breaking his heart.”
Char considers that it's good to be honest and not stay in a relationship that isn't working but Jenna sighs, covering her face with both her hands.
“What aren't you telling us, Jen?”
I say through narrowed eyes.
“I broke his heart. I’ve been honest with him but maybe I should've lied. There's someone else and when I told him, it destroyed his confidence. Josh has always been so insecure ...”
Char and I look at each other and while we're very sympathetic towards Josh's heartbreak, we’re both dying to know who's the ‘someone else’ Jenna referred to.
So I ask her openly who's the mystery guy that made her end her relationship with Josh.
“It's EM.”
She says it in such a low whisper that Char and I look at each other for a second, unsure if we’ve heard her right.
“What?”
“It's always been EM for me! I’ve never forgotten him, girls. Every time I’ve ever kissed Josh, I always wished ... And he’s so worth it! He gets me like no one else does and the sex is—”
She lowers her voice when she says that and this time it's Char asking the question we are both dying to know.
“When? He was with Michelle all weekend.”
Jenna looks up and shakes her head.
“No, he wasn't. We spent Saturday night together. We made love all night. He’s ... Omg, I love him so much!”
I’m genuinely happy for my friend but I’m worried for her because one thing is a woman scorned but Michelle scorned? I kind of know first hand how nasty that can turn out.
“What about Michelle, though? Jen, I’m happy for you but are you sure that EM isn't trying to play some type of game?”
“No. They were really never together. They were just hooking up. But EM ended it for good this morning. We’d decided to wait before coming out officially as a couple but ... We’re too in love and we don't care about what people say. For all we care, we can get shamed again with that Ugly Prom court thing but ... Whatever!”
Beverly Hills Prep Academy The Complete Boxset : A Light Bully Romance Page 27