10 Years

by Bethany Lopez

  He brought my knees up so they almost touched my shoulders, and held them there with the length of his biceps, then he began to move.

  His hips pulled back all the way, then he gently rocked the head of his cock over my clit, drifting back down and inside, pumping the head in and out slowly, before thrusting all the way back inside, until I felt his balls gently slap my ass. He did this over and over, mercilessly teasing us both, until I had a sheen of sweat covering my skin, and an orgasm just out of reach.

  He shifted, pulling back to straighten my legs and bring them to rest on his shoulders, then thrust in, deeper than before, and tilted his hips. Suddenly, I felt every stroke, every movement, down to my core, and the need to reach my orgasm was so intense that I worried I was about to become delirious.

  “Right there, Craig… Oh my God!” I was shouting and I couldn’t even care.

  It didn’t seem to bother Craig, because he said, “Jesus, Gwen, you’re so hot. So fucking perfect,” and he began pumping even faster.

  I allowed all of my senses to open. I didn’t want to miss or forget any second of this encounter with Craig.

  I listened to the sound of our moans mingling and the slapping sound of our skin meeting, I felt the slick heat of his skin as I held on to his shoulders for dear life. And, I smelled the sweet mixture of sweat and arousal. When he leaned down to take my mouth with his, then closed his eyes and said, “I love you,” I cried out that I loved him too, and enjoyed each quake, shiver, and shock that my orgasm brought, then I watched Craig’s face as he reached his release.

  Once we were both left exhausted, sweaty, and gasping for air, Craig fell to his side and drew me to him. I snuggled in, not embarrassed, ashamed, or the least bit regretful, and knew I’d found what I’d been missing out on.

  Chapter Twenty-Two ~ Craig

  Present Day (20 years old)

  I became aware of the bright light of the sun streaming through the window and tried to burrow deeper into my bed. That’s when I noticed the soft warm body that was nestled in my arms.

  I inhaled the scent of Gwen’s hair as I opened my eyes and looked down at her peaceful face.

  The night had gone much better than I’d ever hoped. I’d imagined I would cook dinner, and we’d talk, or maybe watch a movie … The reality of waking up with Gwen in my arms, after the night we shared, was more than I could have hoped for. I just hoped she was still on board with the direction our relationship was moving, and the pace of it.

  I kissed the crown of her head lightly, then eased myself out of bed.

  We’d never gotten around to eating, and since I hadn’t made her dinner, I’d make her breakfast. She had to be starving, I sure was…

  I preferred my eggs fried, but since those really needed to be eaten right away, I decided scrambled with bacon and toast might work best. I put on the coffee, then pulled out everything I needed and got to work. I set 70’s Classic Rock on the Pandora station and sang along as I made breakfast.

  I was putting the bacon on a paper towel to soak up the grease when Gwen’s tiny hands wrapped around my waist, and I felt her body against my back.

  “Good morning, sleepy head,” I said with a smile as I turned in her arms.

  Gwen smiled up at me, her face still soft from sleep, and responded, “Good morning, handsome.”

  I leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.

  “Hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  “Well, you’ve come to the right place,” I said, then plated up some food and handed it to her. “Coffee?”

  “Please. Just cream.”

  I made us each a cup of coffee and followed her to the small table, then grabbed my own plate and joined her.

  “How’d you sleep?” I asked as I picked up a crispy slice of bacon.

  “So good,” Gwen said with a small moan as she took a bite, and I wasn’t sure if she was talking about the food or how she slept, but I was happy with the response, either way.

  “What’s on your agenda this morning?”

  “I don’t have a class until this afternoon,” Gwen said as she sipped her coffee, then her face lit up and she added, “But … I’m dying to know what’s going on at my place.”

  I chuckled as she waggled her eyebrows.

  “I have a late start today too, so what do you say that we head over and see what our friends are up to after I jump in the shower.”

  “Yay!” Gwen said, clapping her hands.

  I laughed at her exuberance.

  Once our food was done, Gwen offered to do the dishes while I showered, and as someone who hated doing dishes with a passion, I jumped on her offer.

  We decided to walk, and I enjoyed the small pleasure of holding Gwen’s hand and listening to her talk about a national park she’d been to recently. I’d missed these moments with her … Hearing her talk about her photography, and watching her face light up. It felt like I’d been given a gift, and I’d do whatever I could to keep it. To keep her.

  Gwen opened the door to her apartment slowly and began to tiptoe inside. It took everything I had to not bust out laughing at her over-exaggerated antics, but I figured she’d hit me if I did, so I controlled myself.

  We looked around the living room, my eyes stopping on the bottle of wine on the table, two empty glasses, a bottle of whipped cream, a container of chocolate sauce, and what looked like a spilled jar of cherries.

  “Cheese and crackers,” Gwen said under her breath, and I knew she was looking at the same scene I was. “What the hell went on here last night?”

  “I’d say they found a new take on the sundae,” I said with a laugh, then winced when her elbow met my side.

  “Shhhh,” she whispered, then pointed down the hall and made a hand gesture, which I assumed meant I should follow her to Aliyah’s room.

  Gwen was hunched over as she walked slowly down the hall, then she put up her hand when she stopped in front of a door, as if she thought I’d just keep barreling on.

  When her hand went to the handle I said, “You can’t just…” but the door swung open and Gwen went inside. “I guess you can,” I muttered as I followed her.

  Aliyah was spread out across Liam, who was asleep in the middle of the bed, her dark curly hair, thankfully, covering up any naked parts that wouldn’t be welcome for Gwen or me to see.

  I’d forgotten that Gwen had her camera case over her shoulder, until a flash went off and I looked to see Gwen moving around the bed, snapping shots at different angles.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I asked in a loud whisper.

  “I have to preserve this moment forever,” Gwen said back, not even pretending to whisper.

  “Dafuck?” Liam shouted as a flash went off in his face.

  When he started to shift I yelled out, “Cover your junk,” which caused his eyes to blink open as he looked around the room in confusion.

  Aliyah started to wake as well, so I ran around the bed, grabbed Gwen, and shuffled her out, before we both got an eyeful of stuff we’d never be able to forget.

  “Did ya get the shot?” I asked, no longer able to hold in my laughter as I leaned against the wall in the hallway and bent over.

  Gwen may have responded, but I was too far gone to hear anything. The door swung open and Liam was standing there with his jeans on, but unbuttoned.

  “What the hell is wrong with you two?” he asked, more baffled than angry, as he wiped his eyes.

  “Sorry,” Gwen said with a grin, clearly not sorry in the least. “I wanted to have something to show your children one day.”

  “Freakin’ nuts,” he muttered, then turned and shut the door behind him.

  “C’mon, nutso, let’s give them a minute to wake up and realize the extent of violation they’ve just been subjected to,” I said, holding my hand out to Gwen.

  We were curled up on the couch watching one of those morning shows when Aliyah came strolling into the room and stopped in front of us with her hands on her hips.

 
; “Don’t you two look cozy,” she said, her frown turning into a grin as she looked us over.

  “You too,” Gwen said, sitting up on the couch.

  “I’m going to be mad at you,” Aliyah said, trying unsuccessfully to lose the grin. “Maybe after coffee.”

  “Hey, we should all go out tonight,” Gwen said excitedly. “On a double date.”

  Aliyah agreed, then she and Gwen went into the kitchen, presumably to talk about their escapades the night before.

  As their laugher floated out to me, I smiled, realizing what I’d always hoped for and wanted was finally coming true.

  Chapter Twenty-Three ~ Gwen

  Present Day (20 years old)

  “Soooo,” I said excitedly to Aliyah as I applied my eye shadow in the mirror in my room. She was sitting cross-legged on my bed as she coated her nails with a pretty coral nail polish. “I was here to witness the first kiss, and prelude to ‘sundae night,’ but how did it happen? One minute you’re telling him no when he asks you out, and the next you’re humping him in mid-air.”

  Aliyah’s eyes met mine in the mirror as she laughed and shook her head my description of events.

  “Liam texted me after Craig got home from your road trip and said that you and Craig had finally worked through your BS and were having dinner at his place. I responded that I was happy for you both. There was silence for a few minutes, then he called me, and asked me out. He said, ‘This may be the only chance we’ll get to give this thing between us a shot,’ and I knew he was right, so I told him to come over. The rest just sort of happened organically. We didn’t plan to start going at it as soon as I opened the door…”

  I turned and leaned against the counter as I smiled back at her. I felt full of joy and delight, for myself, and for my friend.

  “Well, I’m not sure how the experience was for you, but from my POV, that was one HOT encounter,” I told her with a giggle, then ducked when she snatched up one of my throw pillows, and literally threw it at me.

  “I still can’t believe it,” she replied, her face going soft and a dreamy expression passing over it. “The chemistry between us was off the charts. Maybe it was the years of flirting back and forth … the anticipation … then I opened that door and our eyes met, and it was just like … BAM!”

  My heart fluttered at the thought. That’s how it felt with Craig.

  “I’m so happy for you guys,” I gushed. I’d said it before, and I’m sure I’d say it again. I really was happy for them.

  “I don’t want to put pressure on it or anything,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I told him we should take it day by day and see what happens.”

  “That sounds like the smart thing to do,” I replied, reaching for my mascara.

  “I’m happy for you and Craig, too,” Aliyah said softly. “Since the day I met the two of you, I knew that you were meant to be together. I know you were just friends for the longest time, but I could tell that you both loved each other, and I hoped that one day you’d be able to work through the issues and finally be together.”

  I kept the smile on my face, even as my stomach dipped low.

  There were some things I couldn’t talk about. Not with Aliyah, and not with Craig. I’d tried over the years, but couldn’t find my voice, so I gave up. I figured it was better if some things just stayed buried. What was the point of rehashing the past?

  I just hoped that Craig would see it the way I did. He’d asked me a few times to talk about what happened with Brad and Dave, but I always brushed it off and said I’d talk about it later. But the truth was, I didn’t want to. If I never had to think, or talk, about it again, that would be fine with me.

  “You almost ready?” Aliyah asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “Yup, just gotta get dressed and then I’ll be ready.”

  “Okay, me too. I’m going to go change.”

  We’d decided to go to dinner, then hit up a local Irish pub for a couple drinks. I put on my darkest jeans, a green, three-quarter-sleeve sweater that made my eyes pop, and my black boots. The weather was starting to turn chilly at night, but I didn’t want to wear a coat, so I figured the sweater would help keep me warm.

  Aliyah and I walked out of our rooms at the same time and I took in her black leggings and oversized sweater, which hung low on one arm, leaving her shoulder bare. Her hair was a riot of black curls around her face.

  “You look hot,” I said truthfully. “Liam’s gonna want to skip dinner and the pub.”

  She laughed at my compliment and replied, “So do you. Craig always loves it when you wear green.”

  “I know,” I said softly, then we linked arms and headed out to meet the boys.

  When we got outside, Craig and Liam were walking up the street, just a few feet away from us. They looked handsome, and I felt a flutter as I took in Craig’s appearance. Dressed similar to me, in jeans and boots, Craig looked handsome in a black V-neck with his hair perfectly messy.

  I gave in to my urge and rushed over to him, wrapping my arms around his middle and hugging him tightly to me.

  Now that I could touch him, I planned to do so whenever the mood hit.

  He smelled delicious, his cologne a blend of spice and earthiness. I took a second to burrow my face in his neck, dropping a small kiss there before pulling back and grinning up at him.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself,” he said back, then dropped his head to brush his lips against mine.

  Best. Feeling. Ever.

  I turned, keeping one arm wrapped around his waist as we began to walk down the street toward the Main Street area, where the restaurants and bars were.

  We walked at a leisurely pace, chatting and laughing, and I was struck with how nice it was, the four of us together. I had a moment of longing. Regret that we’d all let so much time go past, when we could have been this way all along, but I quickly swept it aside. What was the point in wallowing in regret, when the good moments were happening right now?

  Chapter Twenty-Four ~ Craig

  Present Day (20 years old)

  The crowded pub was alive with music, chatter, and Rugby playing on the hanging TVs. Like most of the other bars in our college town, you had to be eighteen to enter the bar, and although the legal age to drink was twenty-one, it wasn’t enforced unless there was a series problem.

  One of the perks of college life, I guess.

  We weaved our way through the crowd, and when I noticed some people getting up from a table in the back corner, I shouted to Liam and pointed in that direction. He nodded, then redirected and led the three of us back to the table.

  As Liam, Aliyah, and Gwen scooted into the booth, I leaned in and said, “It’ll probably be faster if I go to the bar. What do you want?”

  I went to the bar and picked up a couple of Guinness’s for Liam and me, and Black and Tans for the girls. I’d just realized that I didn’t have enough hands to carry four mugs when Liam placed his hand on the bar.

  “Need some help?”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I said with a grin for my friend.

  Once we were seated comfortably with our beers in front of us, a waitress came around with shots and asked, “Wanna turn those into Irish Car Bombs?”

  I looked around the table, and when everyone nodded, I passed some cash to the waitress and watched as she placed the shots in front of each of us. We all took long drinks of our beer to make room, then Liam asked, “Ready?”

  Once everyone was ready, we dropped the shots of half whiskey, half Irish cream, into our beers and tilted our heads back to down the milkshake-flavored beverage. Liam and I finished first, and I wiped the foam off of my upper lip as I watched Gwen struggle to put hers down.

  When she took the last sip and put the mug down with a wince, I chuckled.

  “First timer?”

  Gwen brought her eyes to mine and grinned back.

  “That was delicious!”

  “Dangerously so,” I responded. “Liam and I have stumbled home man
y a night after a few of those.”

  “Let’s have another one,” Aliyah said when she finally finished hers.

  “Probably better to pace ourselves,” Liam told her. “Let the first one hit you, then see how you feel. They tend to sneak up on you.”

  “Okay,” Aliyah said, looking up at him with adoring eyes. When she scooted over to snuggle into his side, I figured she was already starting to feel the effect.

  “You good?” I asked Gwen, who had the beginnings of a perma-grin on her face.

  “Yup,” she replied with an exaggerated nod, and I figured I’d have to try and ensure that was her only Irish Car Bomb of the night.

  “You want another drink? Water?”

  “Yeah, but I’ll get it this time,” she responded, tugging on Aliyah’s arm to get her to go with her.

  I got up to let them out of the booth, then sat back down and turned to my friend.

  “I don’t think they drink a lot.”

  Liam laughed and responded, “I agree, bro. This may end up being a shorter night than we thought.”

  I’m all right with that,” I admitted.

  “Yeah, me too,” Liam responded, leaning back against the booth. “You guys going back to our place, or theirs?”

  “If you want to take our place tonight, we can go back to the girls’ apartment.”

  “Sounds good,” Liam was saying as Gwen placed another large mug of Guinness in front of me.

  As she scooted back in and picked up her light beer, she leaned into me with a giggle and admitted, “We had another shot at the bar.”

  I looked up at our friends and said, “We’ll probably head out after this drink.”

  “Sounds good,” Liam said, as the girls made booing sounds.

  I turned to the beautiful blonde whose hand was currently working its way up my thigh and said, “Drink fast.”

  Gwen looked at me, her cheeks rosy and her brilliant green eyes sultry, and took a drink of her beer. She then proceeded to lick the foam off of her upper lip, which, coupled with her ever-advancing hand, was starting to make my jeans feel suddenly too tight and uncomfortable.