by K Webster
She stands on her toes and points at a dolphin. “That one.”
Easy.
I maneuver the claw over to the dolphin and mash the button to send it down to grab it. Luckily, it scoops up the dolphin and deposits it into the bin.
She squeals and pulls it out. “Look. A dolphin. Like you.” She hugs it. “I love it.”
I throw in some more quarters, my eyes set on the Mario in the corner. It’ll be tricky since it’s buried under some others. I’ll just win those too. I fish out the two in my way, focused on my prize. She gleefully collects each one. Finally, I nab the Mario and drop him into the bin. I pull it out and waggle it in front of her.
“Look, it’s you.” I smirk at her. “Mario girl.”
“I don’t have a mustache,” she deadpans, “but I’ll take it. And these can be Brayden and Drew.” She holds up the two matching hawks holding hockey sticks.
“The dolphin’s the cutest,” I tease, dropping a kiss on her lips. “Am I right?”
She playfully sighs. “Yeah, he is.”
I kiss her deeply and then pull away, taking a moment to appreciate the fact I got the fucking girl. Mine. She’s mine. Finally.
“Why do you hate your parents?” Mia asks after I pay the bill and we’re walking out to the car.
I cringe at her question. “I don’t hate them. They hate me. Well, Dad does. Mom just thinks I’m her dancing monkey.”
She’s quiet as we approach my Audi. It’s not until we’re inside and driving off that she speaks up again. “I don’t see it. Curtis wants to be in your life so bad and Wendy is funny. They love you. Today, at your meet, they were proud.”
Her words echo that of my therapist. I don’t know why I don’t believe them. Maybe it’s because I remember the time Mom cheated on Dad and hurt him so bad, I thought they were going to divorce. They yelled so fucking much. I would try and lighten the mood with jokes, albeit inappropriate ones. Mom would laugh to piss off Dad, who would ultimately storm away. They fixed their marriage, but I’d already settled into the role of jokester. If Dad was mad at me, he wasn’t mad at her. If he wasn’t mad at her, they stayed married.
Hollowness settles in my gut.
I guess in some deep-down way, maybe I feel like I somehow keep them together in my weird-ass, black sheep way.
Can’t wait to drop that epiphany bomb on my therapist.
“What about your parents?” I probe. “You hate yours.”
“Because they’re actually the worst. Just ask Brayden.”
The car grows quiet again. Just ask Brayden. Because he fucking flew out there like a goddamn knight in shining armor to comfort her when I was being an asshole. Fuck. I stew over that the entire way back to the apartment. When we park, I shut off the car and sigh, but make no moves to get out.
“It kills me that he knows things I don’t know about you,” I murmur, slicing my eyes her way.
“You never ask.”
I feel the sting of her words, a painful slash through my heart. “Why do you hate them, Mia? Tell me more than the surface bullshit you’ve told me in the past.”
“Dad is Mom’s puppet,” she says sadly. “Mom is a vicious wicked witch who never fails to tell me how I’m not smart enough, not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not proper enough. Never enough.”
“Fuck your mom,” I growl. “Get over here.”
She unbuckles and climbs across the console, settling in my lap. It’s squished in my little car, but she fits snugly between me and the steering wheel. I stroke her hair and kiss her neck.
“I think you’re perfect. My sweet, perfect Mia.”
“He always chooses her over me,” she whispers. “Like I’m just an accessory that comes with the title of husband.” She turns and meets my stare, her lips inches from mine. “When I met you this past summer, I felt like I finally belonged to someone. Sure, we were just friends, but I felt like you’d chosen me of all the people to be yours.”
“You are mine,” I remind her.
“For a bit I wasn’t,” she says, her bottom lip wobbling. “You chose…” Her eyes water. “You didn’t choose me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.” She kisses my lips. “I’m glad you eventually did.”
I slide my palm up her throat and grip her jaw, caressing her with my thumb. “I’ll always choose you. Don’t let your pussy dad or your mean-ass mom ever make you doubt that again.”
She smiles, warming me with her light. “I don’t. Not anymore. Thank you for the date. I had fun.”
Dates are supposed to be romantic, not fun, but she seems happy and that’s all that matters.
“Plenty more pizza dates in our future.” I pull her down for a dizzying kiss. I dominate her mouth with my tongue until we’re both breathless and my dick is painfully hard. “Ready to have a naked video game date now?”
Her giggle is cute as fuck. “No way. Drew might walk in and see.”
“Like we’re not the two hottest people he’s ever laid eyes on?” I tease. “Oh, what a hardship on Drew’s poor virgin eyes.”
She laughs, swatting my arm. “You’re insane.” Then she covers my mouth with my palm. “Don’t say it.”
Insane for you.
My eyes must say it for me because she laughs again.
I mumble out words and nip at her hand until she releases me. “I wasn’t going to say that,” I lie.
Her dark eyebrow quirks in challenge. “That so? What were you going to say?”
I stare at her for a long time and then shrug. “I forgot. You distracted me with your pretty dick sucking lips.”
“Ashton!”
“MiMi,” I throw back, pretending to be just as scandalized as she is.
Her phone buzzes from her hoodie pocket. She retrieves it to read the text. The beautiful smile fades away, giving me a glimpse of the girl her mother has spent her entire life belittling to the point she has a fucking complex.
“What did she say?” I growl.
Her lips part, her brows furrowing. “How did you know it was my mom?”
“Because I’ve never seen that look before, and after you explained what a bitch she is, I connected the dots all on my own. You’re not the only smart one around here.”
Her smile is back. “Cocky dork.”
“Don’t call my cock a dork.”
“Oh my God,” she groans. “You’re an idiot.”
“And you’re dating a cocky dork.” I smirk at her. “What did the wicked witch of the west say?”
“I’m being summoned to another bullshit ball.”
“Good.” I level her with a hard stare. “This time, you won’t have your knight in shining armor. This time, you’ll have a fucked-up prince who would love nothing more than to slay the fucking she-devil dragon for his princess who has the prettiest dick sucking lips he’s ever seen.”
“I think that was romantic,” she says slowly, narrowing her eyes at me, “in some bizarre, so Ashton kind of way.”
I guess I can be romantic then.
Who knew?
I walk through the kitchen and go straight to the cabinet where I know Ashton keeps his liquor.
Fucking Ashton.
Fucking Mia.
I scrub my hands over my face. I want to be happy for them. I do. All I want is for her to be happy. Every day this week as I held her and comforted her while she cried in my arms, all I wanted was to take the pain away and for her to smile again. But when I walked in and saw that very smile, while she was lying in Ashton’s bed—the room smelling like sex—something in me broke.
Because I wanted to be the one to make her smile.
Ashton hurt her.
Brayden hurt her.
I wanted to heal her.
But Ashton, like the goddamn tornado he is, swooped in and scooped her up.
I’m happy that they’re happy, I am. But I have to wonder how long this happiness will last. How long until Ashton fucks it all up and Mia is sad and crying again.
There’s a knock on the door, so I set the bottle down and go answer it. I swing it open and standing on the other side is Brayden. I was shocked as shit to see him at Ashton’s meet. This entire week I’ve been avoiding the apartment. When I’m not at practice, I’ve been bouncing between the office and Mia’s place, so I had no clue how close Brayden and Ashton have gotten.
Fucking Ashton.
Fucking Brayden.
How is it that Ashton fucks everything up and still gets the girl and the guy?
“Ashton’s not here.”
Brayden glares. “I’m not here for Ashton.”
“Oh, sorry, I just assumed since you’ve apparently been hanging out with him all week that you were.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Brayden hisses. “I know you’re not really pissed that, while you’ve been avoiding me all week, I’ve been hanging out with Ashton.”
“The guy you kissed,” I correct.
“The guy who’s now with Mia,” he volleys.
I scoff. “It’ll never work out.”
Brayden’s brows hit his forehead. “Is that what this is about? Mia? What happened this week between you two?”
“I comforted her… You know because the guy she was supposed to be dating kissed her best friend.”
“And now they’re together.” He shrugs nonchalantly.
“Until he hurts her again. Kisses another guy… fucks another guy.”
Brayden eyes me for several seconds, like he’s trying to figure me out. Good luck with that, buddy. Not even I know what the hell is going on with me. “You’re not worried about Mia getting hurt again…” he finally says, shaking his head. “You fell for her.”
“What?” I splutter, thrown off guard by his statement.
“You. Fell. For. Mia. The same way I did. The same way Ashton did. And now you’re pissed they’re together and you’re alone.”
“I guess you failing your classes makes sense,” I spit, trying to deflect. “Since you apparently don’t pay attention.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Brayden asks, stepping over the threshold and into my face.
“It means, I don’t want Mia—”
“Bullshit.”
“I want you!”
My words echo around in my heart for the longest second known to man and then Brayden pounces. His mouth crashes against mine, forcing me to stumble back. He slams the door shut and pushes me up against it. “You want me?” he taunts. “Then show me.”
His mouth is back on mine, his tongue slipping past my lips. He kisses me hard and deep, and I kiss him right back, giving myself completely over to him. It’s been too damn long since the last time I touched him, tasted him, and I’m jonesing for a hit.
As he reaches for my pants, I remember where we are. “Wait,” I murmur against his lips, grabbing his wrist. “I don’t want to rush this.” The last time we were together, in the hotel room, it was rushed. We were both angry and desperate. This time, I want to take our time. He demanded I show him that I want him, and I plan to do just that.
Brayden pulls back, misunderstanding me, confusion and hurt swimming in his eyes. “Let’s go to my room,” I clarify. His eyes light up at my words, and I vow to make sure Brayden is always happy, so he never looks sad again.
The second we’re in my room, Brayden is on me. Placing kisses along my jaw. His lips are firm yet soft, and every kiss is filled with intent and passion.
“Wanna know why I was here every day?” he asks, nipping at my bottom lip.
Our eyes meet and I wait for him to tell me.
“I was hoping to run into you,” he says. “Yeah, I wanted to be there for Ashton and somewhere along the way we actually became friends, but we could’ve hung out anywhere.”
He pulls my shirt over my head and places a kiss to my left pec, swirling his tongue around my nipple. The sensation shoots straight to my dick, forcing me to let out a groan.
“Every day I kept waiting for you to show up,” he says, kissing my right pec. “But you never did.”
He licks my nipple, then bites down on it, and I groan louder, silently wishing for him to never stop touching me.
“I was at the office and Mia’s place,” I choke out, trying to focus on what he’s saying but distracted by the way he’s licking my nipples.
“Do you want her, Drew?” he asks. “Do you want her to be the one kissing you?” He kisses my lips. “Do you want her to be the one sucking on you?” He runs his tongue down the side of my throat and sucks on my neck. “Do you want her to be the one licking you?” His tongue laves at my left nipple.
I swallow thickly, unsure how the fuck to answer those fucking questions.
“You do, don’t you?” he asks, grabbing the button of my jeans and undoing them.
“I want you,” I choke out. “I came here for you.”
He pushes my pants and boxer briefs down my thighs and then he drops to his knees. “You might’ve come here for me,” he says. “But you want Mia too now. What about Ashton?” he asks, taking my hard as steel dick in his hand. “Do you wish Ashton were the one stroking your dick right now?”
I shake my head, but I can’t speak. I can’t answer him. I can’t lie to him. It’s all fucking confusing.
“I want you,” I tell him again. “I came here for you.”
Brayden nods. “But you fell for them too, didn’t you?”
He releases my dick and stands, taking my face in his strong palms. “I did too,” he admits. “I fell for them both too.”
“It doesn’t change how I feel about you,” I tell him. “I came here for you.”
“I know,” he says, “and it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
“And how is that?” I ask, needing to hear the words. “How do you feel about me?”
“I love you. I always have,” Brayden says, and then his mouth is back on me. He steers us over to the bed, where we both scramble to take our clothes off between kisses.
Once we’re both naked, we drop onto my bed. Brayden pushes me onto my back and then kisses along my neck and down my chest and torso. He settles himself between my legs and takes my dick in his hands. “I’ve imagined what it would be like to do this for years,” he says, licking the swollen head. “But I never thought it would happen.”
My heart clenches in my chest, an overwhelming pain spearing straight into it. He didn’t think it would happen because I ran. I wasted eight years running from him instead of to him. We could’ve had this years ago.
Brayden slowly licks his way up my dick, from root to tip, and I momentarily close my eyes, enjoying the feel of his mouth on me. “Open your eyes,” he demands, stopping his ministrations.
My eyes snap open.
“I can’t take the chance of you imagining someone else with his… or her mouth wrapped around your dick.”
His words are like icy water poured straight over my dick. I scramble up, pushing Brayden off me. “Is that what this is about?” I ask, hurt evident in my tone. “You want me because you think I want Ashton and Mia?”
I push him backward and cup his face with my hand. “You think, with your mouth wrapped around my dick, I could ever, hell, would ever imagine someone else?”
Brayden swallows loudly, his Adam’s apple moving, and I can see the insecurity written all over his features.
“I. Came. Here. For. You.” I run my tongue along the seam of his lips. “Yeah, you’re right. I developed feelings for Ashton and Mia, but so did fucking you.”
He releases a harsh breath, but doesn’t argue.
“But I would choose you,” I continue. “Always you. You are who I want, who I imagine when I’m fisting my dick in the shower. You’re the one who fucking hurt me. Not Ashton, not Mia. You.”
“I’m sorry,” Brayden croaks ou
t.
“I know you are. And I get it… But if we’re going to do this, there can’t be anyone else in this room but us. Ashton and Mia are together. The way it’s supposed to be.”
Brayden nods. “Just us.”
“Just us,” I repeat.
And then my mouth crushes against Brayden’s, trying to show him that it’s him. Always him. I will always choose him. I already lost him once and I’ll never let that happen again.
Rolling to my side, I take Brayden with me, until we’re lying side by side, our bodies grinding against each other. As we both grip each other’s dicks, neither of us is leading or following, because neither of us really knows where the hell we’re going. What we’re doing. All we know is that we want to be with each other. Our emotions are guiding us.
“Fuck,” Brayden murmurs against my lips. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He squeezes the hell out of my dick, stroking it up and down slowly.
“I’ve missed you too.” I stroke him the same way he does me. Beads of cum seep from his tip and I use it to create a bit of friction.
“I need to taste you,” he says, kissing me.
“Then taste me.”
I assume he’s talking about my mouth, so when he moves out of my grip, I’m confused. He edges down the bed, until he’s between my legs, and then it clicks. He wants to taste my dick. But I want to taste him as well…
And then an idea strikes. “Wait,” I tell him, crawling over to where he is.
“What’s wrong?” he asks with a sexy pout.
“I want to taste you too.” I lie across the bed, taking his dick in my hand. “Go on,” I urge. “Taste me.”
Brayden obeys, lying in the opposite position. I spread my legs and he does the same, then both our mouths are on each other. I suck and tease his dick while he does the same to mine. One day I’m going to take my time, explore every inch of him, but right now, I’m too turned on, too worked up. It seems to always be that way when we come together.
I take him all the way down my throat, and his dick swells. His fingers caress my sac, and my dick throbs. “Bray,” I choke out, warning him.
That single word spurs him on, making him suck me harder, until I’m coming inside his warm, wet mouth. A few seconds later, he’s doing the same. I swallow everything he gives me, then I lick him clean.