Lighter

by Gia Riley

  “Then you shouldn’t be against running inside here with me.” He pulls into the drug store parking lot and jogs over to help me out of the car. Surprised that he would care enough to stop for pain medication, I gladly go inside with him. The more time I spend with him, the more I discover how different he is. Sure he’s incredibly hot and probably gets any girl he wants, but there’s way more to him than an overprotective big brother or an insatiable college guy with his pick of the crop every night of the week. His nurturing side probably doesn’t get showcased very often, but I’m glad I’m the one who gets a glimpse.

  “Over here.” Kipton nods his head in the direction of the headache meds and I follow like a lost little puppy. It only takes a second to scan the shelves before finding my usual. Grabbing the biggest bottle they have, I already revel in the relief that’s about to come my way. At least I hope so anyway considering I’ve never had a headache this intense before. “Need anything else?”

  “No, I’m good.” We take our place in the checkout line behind several other customers. Why they only have one person working is beyond me. This is the only store close enough to campus for students to walk to. I worry about holding Kipton up, but he waits patiently beside me before wandering off to check out a sale display.

  “Look what they have!” He holds up Honeybuns and beams with excitement.

  “You can’t possibly still be hungry?”

  He shakes his head like I’m in trouble for questioning him. “Have you ever tried one of these? All the sugary goodness mixed with the honey—it’s a taste bud explosion. I can already taste it on my tongue.”

  “No, I haven’t.” I’m almost embarrassed at how his description is turning me on. Unable to wait a second longer, he rips open the packaging with his teeth. “Kipton, you didn’t pay for it yet!”

  “So what?” He mumbles around a mouthful.

  “You can’t eat the merchandise and then leave.”

  “Does this make you nervous, Sophie. What if I opened another one and took a bite?” He reaches over and pulls another package off the display. Challenging me with his eyes.

  “Kipton! Put it back.” Instead, he opens the cellophane, moaning while indulging in another sugary pastry right in the middle of the store. “You’re acting like a child, you know.” I glance over my shoulder expecting to see several annoyed customers. They’re all staring at him as I suspected, only they don’t look annoyed. Instead their eyes are dancing with amusement waiting to see what he’ll do next.

  “I like making you squirm,” he admits while he continues to chow down his dessert. My eyes widen and he laughs at my response, not even realizing the sexual innuendo until after he said it. “Sophie, if it’s this easy with food, imagine what I’d do with my mouth.”

  I gasp, shocked he said that out loud, let alone in front of other people. None of them seem to care, yet I find myself inching closer to the register, praying the line starts moving. When I reach to take my wallet out of my purse, I realize I left it in the car. Without money to pay, I have to step out of line and do this all over again.

  Kipton quickly swallows and coughs, “Hey, where ya going? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “No, it was fine. I mean it was out there, but amusing. I guess. If you’re into that and all.” Flubbing my words, I talk in circles. Why don’t I go ahead and announce he can have his wicked way with me while I’m at it? “Can I have your keys, I forgot my purse.”

  “I’ve got it covered. No worries.”

  I sigh, “Kipton.”

  He taps the top of my nose with his finger. “Sophie.”

  “Thank you.” I lower my gaze to the carpet feeling foolish and in entirely too much pain—constantly.

  “Hey.” Kipton nudges me with his elbow to get my attention. I don’t look up so he nudges me again. “Sophie, look at me.”

  I respond to his request, but suddenly I’m overcome with emotion. “Kipton.” I pause, unsure of how to put my thoughts into words. Right now forming a sentence seems too intense for my battered brain to handle. I pinch the bridge of my nose concentrating on releasing some tension. I’m smart enough to know I made my headache ten times worse when I threw up at the diner.

  “Your head?” he questions.

  “Yeah. It’s killing me.” I keep my response vague on purpose. Although I trust him after everything he’s done for me, I’m not sure I’ll ever trust him with my deepest, darkest secrets. Some things are better left unsaid.

  He wraps his arm around my shoulder. “It takes time. You’ll be your normal self again soon. I promise.” Nodding my head, the only thing I can do is take his word for it. Because I sure as hell don’t feel normal right now.

  “Here, open up. Honeybuns cure everything.” I move to the side, trying to get away from him, but he assumes I’m being playful. “Come on, take a bite, I can’t eat both.”

  “You should have thought about that before you opened them!”

  He reaches for my side, tickling me. I appreciate his attempt to make me feel better. Just as I laugh, he tries to stuff the bun in my mouth. I dodge his arm at just the right moment, successfully avoiding him. “Kipton, that wasn’t nice. Some icing went up my nose.”

  He picks up a travel size pack of tissues, also on display at the check-out area, and hands one to me. “Will you stop opening everything!”

  Laughing, he tosses our purchases on the counter. He has the clerk scan both of his pastries along with my medicine and now some tissues. I grab the receipt off the counter to see how much I owe him, but he snatches it out of my hand before I get a good look.

  My purse is lying on the passenger seat when we get back to his car. I tuck the drug store bag inside and settle into my seat. Thankfully, Kipton doesn’t bother turning on the radio this time, instead choosing to drive peacefully back to the dorm. While the silence is welcome, it also plays tricks on my tired mind. Only intending to close my eyes for a brief second, the motion of the car lulls me to sleep.

  “Sophie.” A warm finger trails back and forth down my cheek, trying to bring me back to the land of the living. Instead I fall into unpleasant memories.

  “You want to make me happy right, Sophie?”

  I inch closer to his warm embrace. “Of course I do, you’re my whole world.”

  “Then what’s stopping you, baby?” He lazily runs his fingertips up and down my arms. While it feels good, I’m scared. Scared that once I say yes, I’ll never be able to take it back. I don’t have much in this world that’s completely mine other than my body. But I won’t lose him either—I can’t. He’s all I have.

  “I’m nervous.”

  Blaine pulls me even closer; his warm breath tickles my ear. “Let me show you how good it feels.”

  The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t quite get them out. He needs me and although I need him too, it doesn’t feel right. But I can’t expect him to wait around forever, especially if he can get it somewhere else. My dad is proof of that theory. If I don’t give Blaine what he wants, I’ll lose him. “Blaine.”

  “Yeah, Baby. Tell me you want me too.” His kisses inch down my neck and move across my collarbone. The sensation sets me on fire, yet I can’t let go of my nervousness enough to really enjoy it.

  “Blaine, I do want you. You know that.”

  “But?” he questions.

  “Will you teach me? I don’t know how to make you feel good.”

  He smiles and suddenly my decision might not be the wrong one. Finally looking pleased with me, he brushes his knuckles down the side of my face. “Baby, you don’t have to do anything. I’ll handle it.”

  “Okay,” I whisper.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes.”

  One simple word. One giant mistake. A piece of myself I’ll never get back.

  I lurch forward, opening my eyes to complete darkness. My semi-reclined seat stays in its relaxed position as I sit up. Although dark outside, I can see enough to know my vision is blurry. I
blink rapidly trying to get a clear view of the world around me, but it doesn’t come into focus. Not even Kipton.

  “Kipton?” I reach out for the dashboard in front of me, holding on tightly.

  “I’m right here, Sophie. You’re okay. You fell asleep on the way back. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  Although I’m safe with him next to me, my clouded vision is freaking me out. Tears threaten to fall as my eyes glass up. “My eyes aren’t right. It’s fuzzy.”

  Without missing a beat, Kipton turns the key in the ignition. “We’re going to the hospital.”

  “No! Turn the car off. I want to go to my room and lay down. It’s probably a migraine and once I take some of the medicine you bought I’ll sleep it off.”

  “Are you sure? It doesn’t seem right, Sophie.”

  “Positive.” I don’t have any other choice without insurance to pay for the hospital bill. Plus, I can’t have my parents finding out about the party.

  Reluctantly, he begins helping me out of the car. “Where’s your shirt?” I might not be able to see perfectly, but his smooth chest can’t be mistaken.

  “I had it under your head so you wouldn’t get a stiff neck while you were sleeping.”

  I peer up at him through my double vision. “You did that for me?” I’m shocked he would go to such trouble let alone sit in a car for an hour, half naked, while I slept.

  He kisses my forehead gently. “Sophie, you underestimate me.” I’m about to apologize but he knocks the wind out of me when he picks me up, cradling me in his arms like a small child.

  “Kipton! Put me down! I’ll walk.” Kicking my feet and clawing at his arms, I realize it’s a waste of time. I’m barely moving despite my efforts.

  He laughs at my pathetic attempt to find the ground, making my entire body rub against his warm chest. Resigned to do things his way, I wrap both of my arms around his neck and hold on tight. As I crane my neck to make sure we don’t fall down the hill, his stubble tickles my cheek. Instinctively, I nuzzle closer, relishing in the connection far more than I should be. None of the excitement can be good for my already raging headache.

  Assuming his efforts were to help me through the dark, I’m surprised when he doesn’t bother to set me back on my feet once inside the dorm. Instead, he keeps moving into the waiting elevator. “Hit the button for me, Tink.”

  “Tink?” I question.

  “Yeah, you’re all light and tiny. Like Tinkerbell.”

  I stare at him and then at the round buttons on the elevator wall. But the numbers all blend together and I’m not sure which to push. It’s from the concussion, but I’m positive a tiny bit has everything to do with being wrapped up in Kipton’s arms. “Hit number three.”

  I do as I’m told and then rest my cheek against his shoulder all while loving the safety of his strong arms. Kipton may be able to handle my concussion, but I can’t handle him knowing how fucked up I actually am. Because as much as I don’t want to admit it, I have way more than a crush on Kipton.

  CARRYING SOPHIE INSIDE, I CAN’T stop thinking about the way her legs would feel wrapped around my waist as I held her up against the wall. She has a sweet sexiness about her and she’s absolutely clueless about how desirable she is. So much so that I often resort to teasing her like a middle school boy trying to get his first kiss. Hell, I’d probably blow from a first kiss with her at this point. But when we do fuck, and we will, I plan to show her exactly what’s been missing from her sex life. Me.

  While I’d been preoccupied imagining every way I’d love to claim her, she was so exhausted she fell asleep in the passenger seat of my car. I might never get to see her beautiful face resting on my pillow or her tiny body cuddled up in my bed again, but I was willing to risk creeper status to soak up every second of her company tonight.

  While we aren’t on an official date, I still tried to make the night memorable for her considering it revolved around shitty circumstances. But mark my words, when Sophie does let me take her on a real date, she’ll be the first to experience the Kipton romance package. Hopefully, she’ll see I’m not interested in a casual hook-up. But until then, I focus on the beautiful girl snuggled up in my arms and wait. I’ll wait for her to want us as much as I do because for the first time I’m not in a hurry.

  “You can put me down now. I’m okay.”

  “Your eyes?”

  “It’s not as bad as when I first woke up.”

  Squirming in my arms, her big blue eyes look anxious again, as if she’s slowly reconstructing her protective barriers. I’d love to know what goes on in that gorgeous head of hers. I agree to put her down, but not on her feet. Instead, I sit her on top of the old metal heating unit outside her room. It doesn’t look super sturdy, but she’s so tiny it doesn’t matter.

  Her arms fall from my neck and rest on her thighs. Missing her touch immediately, I cage her in with my body, my palms on either side of her legs. Inching closer to her lips, she leans back, her head softly bumping against the wall. I reach for the back of her head to rub the spot that came in contact with the painted concrete bricks. “Watch your head, beautiful.”

  “Sorry.”

  I can tell she’s nervous when her voice cracks as she apologizes for bumping her own head. The way she’s fixated on my naked chest, blinking lazily while licking her lips, drives me crazy. I place my finger under her chin, lifting her head slowly so she has no choice but to look directly into my eyes. We stare at each other for a few seconds before she musters the courage to speak. “Are you going to kiss me?” she whispers.

  “That depends.” I need to kiss her, but I also don’t want her running away from me afterward. Not to mention my sister told me I’m not allowed to touch her. Of course that only makes me want to touch her more, not to spite her, but because it tells me Sophie’s worth the chase.

  “On what?” Her eyes are darting from my eyes down to my lips and back up again.

  Encouraging her, I wet my own lips with my tongue. She surprises me when she lifts her finger to trace my bottom lip with her fingernail. Holy shit. The move is seductive, and her simple touch has me craving her even more.

  As quickly as she touches me, her hands clasp together in her lap like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Of course that couldn’t be farther from the truth. She can do whatever she wants as far as I’m concerned.

  “You’re allowed to touch me, beautiful.” She needs the reassurance as much as I need her to touch me again.

  She tilts her head to the side. “Am I?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Why?” she questions.

  Before I can respond, there’s a loud thud against her room door followed by something heavy crashing against the floor. “What the fuck was that, Sophie?”

  “I have no idea!”

  She pulls me closer to her for protection as my free hand reaches for the door knob. I twist it, ready to rush in, but it’s locked. “Hand me your key.” She wiggles to the edge of the heater and I quickly grab her around her waist placing her feet back on the floor, forgetting how short she is.

  “Thank you.” She blushes self-consciously and digs the key out of her pocket.

  Taking it from her, I shove it into the lock. When I push the door open far enough to take a look around, I see red, orange, and every other color of the rainbow. Mostly I see someone about to get his ass kicked. I shield my eyes the best I can as two naked bodies continue grinding back and forth on each other oblivious to their audience. “Get the fuck off my sister!”

  Sophie rushes in the room. She’s caught off guard by the commotion in Cara’s bed and bumps into my side. She takes one look at the nakedness and scurries back into the hallway. I can’t say I blame her. I shield my own eyes and turn around to face the closet. On the floor in front of me, the pole lamp is laying on its side and the light bulb’s shattered into pieces from the impact of the fall. A bunch of clothes are piled up on the floor haphazardly and the memo board that usually hangs inside the door
is also on the floor with a few thumb tacks strewn around the carpet.

  “Kipton! Get the hell out of here. Don’t you know how to knock?” Cara shouts.

  “Don’t you even start with me. I was bringing Sophie back from her appointment, not stopping by to chit chat. This room is destroyed and I swear to God, Drew, if you don’t get your ass away from my sister I will throw you out of here butt ass naked. Hurry it up!”

  “Kippy, you can’t tell us what to do. You’re the one who needs to get out of here. NOW!”

  “Hell no. Your roommate has a concussion and wants to go to bed. She slept in the damn car for an hour. She needs her bed and some peace and quiet as much as you need to put your damn clothes back on.”

  “Fine! Then we’ll go to his room.”

  “Thank you. Wait! No you won’t. He will go back to his room and you’ll keep your own ass here.”

  “Kipton,” Sophie whispers from the doorway.

  I’m so worked up having walked in on my sister having sex that I forget who’s calling my name. Turning my head to the doorway, I yell, “What!” She flinches and immediately I regret my harsh tone. I close the distance between us, but she takes a step back, unsure of my actions. I don’t like it because never in a million years would I ever hurt her. “Come here.” I pull her into a hug and she wraps her arms around my waist cautiously. After a few seconds, the tension melts away from her touch. “I’m sorry, beautiful.”

  “It’s okay. I know you’re upset.”

  “Oh, so you’re allowed to touch Sophie, but I can’t come within a mile of Drew. How typical man whore of you.”

  I turn my head to a fully clothed Cara and Drew watching us. “You better watch what you say,” I warn.

  “Why? It’s the same thing!”

  “I gave Sophie a hug, I didn’t have her naked in my damn bed.”

  “But you want to!”

  Sophie unwraps herself from my body and leans against the wall. She looks embarrassed and I’d do just about anything for my sister to shut her trap. “Cara, please don’t do this right now.” I don’t want her to fuck up any progress I’ve made with Sophie tonight. We were having a good time despite the circumstances.