Aubrey
HE RUNS A FINGER FROM the sensitive spot behind my ear all the way down the column of my neck, leaving a trail of electric tingles on my skin.
When his finger reaches the soft skin of my chest, I gasp in anticipation, craving his touch and arching my back to encourage him to get to where I wanna feel his fingers.
My nipples are hard, waiting for his attention but he stops just inches away from them and I open my eyes to look at him.
“Teague, please ...”
His blue eyes are intense, fixed onto mine and his lips quirk up in a knowing smile.
“What do you want, princess? Tell me and it's yours.”
“I want—”
A blaring sound makes Teague disappear and I wake up alone in my bed.
I fucking hate waking up to an alarm.
The bedsheets are tangled around my legs and I feel a throbbing pain between my thighs where I know I’m wet.
It isn't an unpleasant feeling, I think as I rub my legs together, clenching around air in a fruitless bid to ease the needy ache I feel.
It was just a dream.
I close my eyes again, willing the image of Teague's blue eyes to come back but I’m completely awake and the dream has dissipated, probably back to where it came from.
I shower and put on my uniform, ready for a new week of school.
I take my time getting dressed, still unable to forget about that dream.
Teague is in my thoughts and I’m excited and a bit anxious at the idea of seeing him.
During the weekend, he texted me twice to ask me if I was all right and Knox called me yesterday to ask me to go out with him on Saturday.
I loved the fact that he called rather than texting or even video chatting, it felt really old fashioned in a way, like he was really trying to take his time getting to know me.
And of course there's that kiss we shared on Friday night, when he took me home.
It was ... exciting.
It tasted of promises and desires.
The promise of a good time, of those sexy grey eyes being on me.
This is one of the things I really like about Knox: he makes me feel special.
Obviously he must really know what he's doing since I’ve heard the rumours about him at school, that he’s slept with every pretty girl in our class.
I’m not surprised because Knox is sexy and has that bad boy vibe going on but then once you actually talk to him, he’s really charming and easy to talk to, without losing any of his sex appeal.
His silences, his heated gazes carry the promise of a lot more than just a fun date.
But I need to be careful and guard my heart, Devon has already broken it and I don't think I wanna experience that again.
However, if I go into this knowing that Knox might lose interest once he's gotten to ‘know me’, then I should be ok.
I Skyped with Abi last night and told her about my first week at school: I didn't leave anything out.
Abi: sis, you need to be careful. I hate to say I told you so about Devon, but ...
Aubrey: but you told me so. I know. And I wish I’d listened. Do you think you could put Chaz or Pryce on? They must've met Knox, Landon and Teague.
Abi: I can ask them. I don't know them that well, but for what I remember, Landon's really sweet. Knox and Teague...
Aubrey: yeah?
Abi: you know better than me that people's reputations aren't always completely true or deserved. But I heard last year that they were competing for girls. Like, who fucked more girls and who slept with someone first.
Aubrey: I don't know if that's true. Teague has been really nice to me but he’s very closed off. He hinted that he wanted to ask me to last weekend’s party but Knox asked me first. And he texted me since but he didn't ask me out. While Knox ... he’s been quite honest about his past and what he's offering right now. He said that he wants to get to know me.
Abi: whatever you do, Aubrey, be safe and don't let them hurt you like you did with Devon.
Aubrey: I know. I hate myself for still caring about him. Every time he’s in a room, whether he looks at me or not ...
Abi: but it's understandable. He was your first after all. He’s bound to have a special place in your heart, regardless of being a selfish asshole.
Aubrey: thank you for understanding how I feel and for not judging. And in a way, I think I wanna wipe that bad memory away. Is it fucked up? It's both because my first time was super painful and it didn't feel at all like I expected, and because of how he ignored me afterwards.
Abi: no, it actually makes perfect sense that you wanna replace a bad memory with a good one. And I’m not saying that if you hook up with one of them, you need to be in love, sweetie. But make sure that it's on your own terms, not theirs.
Reece: who’s hooking up? And what the fuck are you telling your sister that she doesn't need to be in love? If any of those motherfuckers at school only look at you wrong, Aubrey, I swear to God, I’ll get over there and kick their asses!
Abi: really? Reece, I appreciate how much you wanna protect Aubrey but were you really in love with every girl you’ve ever slept with?
Reece: no. But then, when I made love to you, I saw the error of my ways, baby. Aubrey, I’m not trying to have a double standard here but trust me, sex with someone you love is the best thing ever. And if any of those clowns doesn't treat you like the princess you are, I—
Abi rolls her eyes and pushes Reece out of the room and when she returns to the screen, she sighs.
Abi: I’m sorry, he's always so intense. But he loves you like a sister.
Aubrey: I know and I love him too. But this is why I wanted to ask Chaz or Pryce. Reece and Max are so ...
Abi: I know. But they mean well Aubrey. I haven't told them what happened with Devon or they’d drive down and wait for him outside of school. And don't think that Chaz and Pryce would be that different.
Abi has to go to class too, so we say goodbye and speaking to her made me feel better.
I regret sleeping with Devon: not because of how I felt about him at the time but both for how my first time wasn't at all how I’d been dreaming about and because of his behaviour straight after.
But if Abi understands how I feel, then there's a chance that this mess with Devon isn't my fault.
That it wasn't my lack of experience that turned him off from me.
Now, I'm not trying to make him jealous, I’m not looking for revenge or retribution for how he treated me but ...
The truth is that I’ve never had an orgasm.
Before Devon, I’d never let any boy go further than second base and I’ve never tried by myself.
I know it sounds creepy but my daddy owns this huge security company and every house we’ve ever lived in, has always had lots of cameras and sensors and all sorts of hidden security features.
And call me paranoid, but I’ve always been worried about him somehow finding out.
And before Devon, I’ve never really liked a boy enough to let him go further than a few kisses.
But now the situation has changed: I live in a house with no cameras
and I have total privacy.
However, why should I to try to do by myself something that I could have a super hot guy show me?
And yes, ok, maybe it's a little bit of retribution for Devon too.
I’m fucking human after all!
AS SOON AS I GET TO school and park Chaz's jeep in the students’ parking lot, I’m approached by Macy, one of the other cheerleaders.
“So, did you hear?”
“What?”
“The rally girl pairings are coming out any second now! Let's go!”
She grabs my hand and drags me inside the school hallway.
“Who do you want?”
She asks beside herself with excitement.
“Uhm, I don’t know ...”
She stops and looks at the cork board right outside Mrs Stubbs’ office and literally elbows her way to th
e front.
“Aww, man! I’ve got Landon!”
“Why are you so disappointed? Landon's lovely ...”
She huffs, scrunching her nose up in a cute but slightly bratty way.
“Because he obviously likes you, duh!”
I don't understand.
“I ... regardless of who he likes, you're his rally girl, all you have to do is cheer him on, not marry him!”
“I know. But a lot of rally girls get really close to their football player and end up dating.”
Her objection makes no sense and I tell her as nicely as possible.
“Not always. Like, last year—”
“Last year there was one girl who wasn't satisfied with being QB1’s rally girl, she also fucked half the fucking football team! She was such a skitch (skunk + bitch)!”
Judging by her conspiratorial expression, she's got no idea that she’s talking about my sister, so I set her straight as gently as possible.
“It wasn't half the football team. And my sister Abi’s still dating all four guys. I’m actually staying at Chaz's house.”
She blushes, aware of her total faux pas.
“Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Aubrey. I just got into the cheer squad this year too, I didn't really know your sister. I only know though that all the other cheerleaders weren't happy with the situation.”
I make a non-committal noise, trying to make my way to the front to see who my football player is.
The list with the pairings is hanging next to the team roster.
I notice immediately that Devon is QB1, which means that Knox won't be the team's starting quarterback.
And Devon’s rally girl is Margaux.
Knox has got Rachel, while I'm Teague's rally girl.
I admit that I’d have been happy with Landon, Knox or Teague but after last night’s dream ...
Only the thought makes my heart pick up its pace and I feel myself blushing as I take a step back to allow other people to see the lists.
The space is so crowded though, that I have to take a further step back and I trip on someone’s foot.
It’s so unexpected that I begin falling backwards and I’m unable to stop, until I land in someone's arms.
The feeling is familiar and the clean, citrusy scent tells me that Teague stopped my fall, before his breath fans my ear as he whispers in that low drawl of his.
“Are you all right, rally girl?”
I turn to look into his blue eyes and he has that constant little smile on his face, as if something only he's privy to was immensely amusing.
“I’m fine. Sorry, I didn't see ...”
“You're lucky I was standing here. You need to start watching where you go.”
I hear a shrill laugh from behind us.
“You were right, Devs, she's a little klutzy. But my brother seems to find her cute. Let’s go, we have Ms Webber first period and she gets really irked if by the second bell we aren't all in class.”
Devon follows her but before walking away, he throws an intense glance towards me and Teague.
AS I WALK OUT OF THE sports building at the end of cheer practice, I inwardly curse myself for having a chip on my shoulder and joining the team just to prove a point to Devon.
I’m absolutely exhausted.
I admit that I’m not one of those girls who loves sports: my idea of a good time is curling up on a lounger by the pool or on the couch with a good book and some good music in the background.
All this shaking my ass and jumping is already proving a bit too much but I hated the way Devon called me a klutz.
Even if he's perfectly right: I’ve always been a little accident prone but it's not because of general klutziness, I think for the most part I get distracted by thoughts and don't pay attention.
So maybe Teague is right.
And once again, I’m so lost in my musings, that I don't see a door opening and someone grabbing me until I’m being dragged inside the boys’ locker room.
Devon locks the door behind him and looks at me with a serious expression.
His green eyes are as gorgeous as I remember them, when I spent hours looking into them, in his arms during the summer.
But right now they seem veiled with a storm of emotions: anger, worry and something else.
He looks at me for a long moment and I’ve never been one for pregnant silences, so I huff, letting my frustration with his behaviour show.
“You know that you could ask me to talk like a normal person and quit behaving like a fucking caveman, right?”
His eyes darken in a stubborn expression.
“I didn't want anyone to see us.”
He’s so infuriating!
“Devon, this is getting fucking old, real fast! Whatever the fuck is wrong with you, I want no part in it. You made it quite clear that you don't want anyone at school to know that we know each other or that there was ever something between us. Obviously I thought that we had something, when in reality you just wanted to get laid. You got laid, and I’m ok with pretending that we don't know each other, since this is what you want. It sucks that we’re both in the A-Class but at least I’m not your rally girl. So you do whatever you want, win championships, fuck the rest of the cheer team, but just leave me alone!”
He doesn't look affected by my outburst but keeps his gaze unnervingly fixed onto mine.
“You don’t understand. It's not that I don't want people to know that we know each other, Aubrey.”
I cover my eyes with my hands: he’s fucking crazy!
“Then what?”
“I ... Please don't tell anyone what I was doing in South Carolina. That I was working at the resort.”
“Why? What does it matter what you were doing there? Is this why you pretended not to know me?”
“Why doesn't matter. Please can you do this for me? I know that I sound crazy but my life has just been crazy lately. I swear that as soon as things calm down, I’ll explain, baby. I wanted to accept your friend requests, and I wanted to talk to you, to tell you that I missed you. But things got so complicated at home that I—”
He stops talking to take me in his arms and crush his lips onto mine with sweet violence.
It feels as if he wanted to rein himself in but he can't.
And my body reacts on autopilot: my lips open to his kiss, my arms go around his neck while my fingers play with the short hair at the nape of his neck.
His tongue plunges into my mouth and one of his hands presses between my shoulder blades, to keep my body flush against his, while the other sneaks up the bottom of my skirt, grabbing the soft flesh of my buttocks.
I’m pressed against him and I feel him harden against my crotch and that's when I snap out of it.
“No! Get away from me!”
I push him away with all my might, breathing hard, not missing how excited he looks too.
“You don’t get to do this. I’m not a toy that you play with when the mood strikes and then discard when you're done. You haven't explained shit to me about why you’ve been such an asshole from the very minute you disposed of that condom on the beach. So, until you're willing to tell me what the fuck’s wrong with you, you don't get to pick up where we left off.”
“Aubrey, I can't. I need some time but I swear that I’ll explain. Baby, please ...”
“No, I deserve an explanation. You've ignored me since you set foot in school. I’m not gonna be the cliché cheerleader that can't wait to be fucked by the quarterback. For that, you have Margaux, Macy and possibly the rest of the squad. I’ve seen how they all look at you. I’m sorry, I’ve seen what a bad reputation can do to you in this school. So you get to kiss me when you explain yourself.”
My outburst doesn't have the desired effect: Devon's eyes harden and he grabs my wrist, holding tight.
“Really? Kissing me makes you a slut but letting Landon shove his tongue down your throat last Friday was ok?”
I scoff and shake my wrist free of his grasp.
“Landon did
n't fuck me to ghost me straight after and then pretend that I was invisible.”
‘Landon didn't take my virginity to turn his back on me the very second he was done screwing me’
I think, but what I say out loud is:
“He's made it quite clear that he likes me. You on the other hand have been acting like you despise me. I’m not playing games, Devon.”
I don't give him time to say anything but open the locker room door and step into the hallway where I find myself face to face with Margaux.
The door is still open and the cheerleader captain’s eyes move from me to Devon, who's on the threshold with the doorknob in his hand.
Margaux’s eyes narrow but her tone isn't angry when she asks me what I was doing in the boys locker room.
“Uhm ... I forgot something and I went into the wrong room. I’m still new around here and I get confused. Devon was telling me I got the wrong room and being a total asshole about it.”
I throw Devon a standoffish glance and walk away.
I might not tell people what he doesn't want to make public knowledge but I don't have to be nice, he doesn't deserve it.
And I know that probably Abi would preach about forgiveness but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and Devon definitely makes me feel fucking scorned right now!
Devon
GETTING RID OF MARGAUX was hard work.
If Aubrey wanted to pay me back for how I’ve been acting, this is definitely the way to go.
As soon as Aubrey walked away, Margaux was hanging from my arm, raking her nails up my forearm and purring at me that she was hungry, probably trying to get me to take her somewhere to eat.
I honestly don't dislike Margaux but she isn't Aubrey.
I don't know if I’m in love with her, I’ve never been in love before but the way I feel when I see her, when I hear her voice ...
It was like that from the moment I kept her from falling on those slippery rocks, I couldn't think about anything else but when I could see her, touch her, kiss her.
I even googled ten signs you're in love at first sight and I think this might be the case.
Beverly Hills Prep Academy The Complete Boxset : A Light Bully Romance Page 68