Here and Now

by T. Renee Fike

  “Nope,” is all he says.

  I follow him inside and the place is so quiet, “Where is everyone?” I ask looking around, not seeing one of his fraternity guys around.

  “They’re all out, lots of parties tonight,” he says like it’s no big deal. “You thirsty?”

  “I’ll take some water,” I say, feeling a little nervous.

  “I’ll make popcorn too. Do you want to watch a movie here or in my room?” he asks as he walks to the kitchen, as I’m trailing behind.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I say, not caring.

  He looks at me for a moment, “Do you want to deal with a bunch of drunken idiots when they come home or would you rather avoid that?” he asks.

  “Avoid it if at all possible,” I say with a weak smile.

  “My room it is then,” he says as he grabs a bag of popcorn out of their pantry and tosses it in the microwave. Then I watch as he walks to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water and hands it to me, while getting himself a bottle of beer.

  “Thanks,” I say as I take the water and open it before taking a sip. The popcorn is done a few minutes later; he dumps it in a bowl, tosses some salt on it, before leading me towards his bedroom.

  I don’t feel afraid or anything because I know Evan, I’ve known him for years and this is just two people hanging out, two friends.

  I take a seat on the edge of his bed, as he sets his drink and the popcorn down, “What kind of movie do you want to watch?” he asks as he walks over to a stack of movies.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Seriously Baylee, what kind of movies do you like?” he asks, sounding a little annoyed with my answer.

  “I like all kinds, but how about a comedy?” I say, feeling like I better give him some sort of answer.

  “Comedy it is,” he says as he pulls out a movie and pops it in. He comes over to the bed and sits, leaning on the headboard for support. “You can come up here, I don’t bite,” he jokes.

  I chuckle and shake my head before moving beside him on the bed, making sure there is plenty of room between us. I don’t want to give him the wrong idea, though I’d like to, but I don’t want him to feel like he has to do something with me sexually either.

  Chapter Sixteen

  For the next two weeks, Evan and I have hung out two to three times per week, and all we do is watch movies or funny television shows, and hang out. Nothing sexual has happened at all, so I know it’s all in my head.

  “Seriously again?” Dani asks as I change.

  “Again what?’ I ask, changing into yoga pants, wanting to be comfortable tonight.

  “You’re hanging out with Evan again?” she asks with a look.

  “Yeah, why not?” I shrug as I throw on a tee-shirt.

  “You two act like your dating with the way you two hang out, but yet nothing has happened between you guys,” she says, looking at me like I’m crazy.

  “We’re friends,” I retort.

  “Who hang out like you’re more than friends,” she says again.

  “I enjoy his company,” I defend.

  “But you want more Bay, does he know how you feel?” she asks, now looking at me out of concern.

  “No, we are friends, I’ve accepted it; I accepted that a very long time ago,” I say, hating that I have to defend myself.

  “Have you? You won’t even go out with a guy when he asks you on a date because you don’t want to give up your time of hanging out with Evan.”

  “I haven’t turned anyone down,” I lie, I just wasn’t interested.

  “Bullshit,” she says calling me out, “Kevin told me he liked you, I told him to ask you out, you turned him down.”

  “I wasn’t interested in him; it had nothing to do with Evan.”

  “You do realize I can tell when you’re lying, right?” she says as she takes a seat.

  “I’m not lying,” I say as I sit on my bed, looking directly at her.

  “You are hoping to have something happen, but what if it doesn’t?” she asks, concerned.

  “Then nothing happens. I enjoy hanging out with him, its fun.”

  “Not if you’re going to get your heart broken.”

  “No, I know he doesn’t like me like that, he never has. I know that. I still enjoy hanging out with him though.”

  “And what about Lily?” she asks, pulling her into the conversation.

  “What about her?” I ask, knowing where this is going to go.

  “You don’t think she’s upset that you’re hanging out with him?”

  “I don’t care; Lily and I aren’t friends like we were before, and you know that, so why you are bringing her up, I haven’t got a clue,” I practically shout.

  “The old Baylee would care; you always put her before yourself. I’m glad you’re not doing that, but that also tells me you are definitely in this thing with Evan more than you’re willing to admit.”

  “I like him, I always have,” I snap, “I get it, I know, but we are friends and if that’s all I get, I’ll take it.”

  “Just be careful,” she says, genuinely concerned.

  “I will,” I say as I slip my boots on. Just then I get a text from Evan saying he’s here. “I’ll see you later,” I say as I grab my keys and wristlet and head out the door. I hear her mumble goodbye, as the door shuts.

  Do I know I’m going to get my heart crushed, absolutely, but I can’t help it; I love hanging out with Evan.

  “Hey you,” I say, with a smile as I slide in the passenger seat.

  “Hey,” he says, smiling back.

  The drive is oddly quiet, usually we talk the entire way, but Evan seems to be off.

  “Everything alright?” I ask as I get out of the car once we get to his house. It’s Friday, so the place has a few guys running around, the majority of them gone already, out at other parties.

  “Yeah, I want to talk to you about something, but not here,” he says before leading me towards his bedroom. I walk in, now feeling nervous. “I’ll grab us some drinks,” he says, once we are inside his room. He disappears out the door before I have a chance to say anything.

  Feeling confused and out of place all of a sudden, I take my boots off and sit on his bed, trying to make myself feel comfortable. Obviously, something is going on, I just hope it’s not anything to be concerned about.

  A few minutes later he walks back in, holding a bowl of popcorn and two cans of soda. He sets them down before handing me the popcorn.

  Not really in the mood to eat, I set the bowl beside me on the bed. “What’s going on?” I ask, wanting to get this out and in the open now.

  “Nothing, relax,” he says, looking like his normal handsome self. “We’ll watch a movie and then we can talk about some things.”

  “We can talk about them first,” I say, needing to know what’s wrong.

  He shakes his head, the smile evident on his face. He turns the light off after turning on the light on the night stand, and clicking the television on for the movie to start. Apparently he had it all set up already.

  “Relax, we can talk about it after the movie,” he says, as he gets comfortable on the bed. He hands me a soda and begins the movie, not saying another word.

  Choosing not to push the issue, I sit back, making sure he can see because I’m at the bottom of the bed.

  “Come up here,” he says as he pats the spot beside him.

  “I’m good right now.”

  “Baylee, stop being stubborn, come up here, we will talk,” he says, knowing me better than he should.

  I do as I’m told and move, sitting beside him on the bed, adjusting the pillows behind me. He begins eating the popcorn, holding it, while I get situated. Just as I get comfortable, he turns off the bed side light.

  I sit, barely able to watch the movie, and I can’t help but look out of the corner of my eye, over at Evan, waiting patiently.

  “That impatient?” he asks, looking over at me.

  “I’m trying, but you have me nervous
,” I admit.

  “Nervous, why would you be nervous?” he asks, looking surprised.

  “Because it seems like it’s a big deal, but yet you won’t tell me.”

  He looks at me, now looking slightly nervous, “It’s not that big of a deal Bay.”

  “What’s not that big of a deal?”

  “How do you feel about me?” he asks out of the blue.

  Thank goodness the lights are off; because I’m sure my face is ten shades of red. “Wh…what?” I stutter.

  “You heard me, how do you feel about me?” he asks again.

  “I like you and I love hanging out with you,” I say, hoping I didn’t say too much.

  “I feel the same way,” he says nonchalantly.

  I stare at him, confused, what does that mean? Why isn’t he saying anything else?

  “Care to elaborate?” I ask quietly, hoping he means he feels the same way I do, that I didn’t misunderstand him.

  He chuckles, the man freaking laughs, “Baylee, I like you, I think you’re great, and yes I’ve known you for a long time, but the last few months I really got to know you for you.” I can’t help but smile like an idiot. I can’t believe I’m hearing these words come out of his mouth. “I would like us to continue to hang out and see where we can go.”

  “Seriously?” I ask, not believing this.

  He looks at me, not sure what to say, but finally opens his mouth. “I’m sorry, did I misread this?” he asks.

  “No,” I say too quickly, “I’m just surprised, we’ve been hanging out for months, you never said anything before, you never tried anything, so I just assumed you wanted to only be friends,” I say, not holding back.

  He adjusts his position on the bed, looking directly at me, “Baylee, I had to make sure my feelings for you were real. Your brother is my best friend and you’ve become someone very close to me, I wanted to make sure this was worth giving a chance before jumping into anything.”

  “And now?” I ask, with a smirk.

  “I’ve thought about it, I know how I feel and I’m pretty certain you feel the same way, so I think we should give us a try.”

  I can’t help but shake my head up and down, “I agree,” I say eagerly.

  He starts to laugh, before leaning in towards me, taking my lips with his. The kiss is slow and sensual before turning hot and heavy really quick. I start pulling at his shirt, wanting it off, wanting to get closer to him, before he pulls back, abruptly, leaving us both gasping for air.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asks.

  “I want you, I want all of you, yes I’m sure,” I say, knowing I’ve been dreaming of this moment practically forever.

  “You don’t want to wait?” he asks, catching me off guard.

  “We’ve been hanging out for weeks, months if you count the car rides to the hospital, and I’ve known you for years, yes, I’m positive, I don’t want to wait,” I say, not holding anything back.

  I lean in taking his lips, proving just how much I want this and him. I pull back long enough to yank my sweatshirt and tee-shirt off, leaving me in my bra, before reaching over and yanking off his tee-shirt. “Evan, I want you,” I whisper.

  “God Baylee, I want you too,” he says before taking my lips, kissing me passionately. The way Evan kisses me is a way I’ve never been kissed before; I’ve never felt the connection I have with him with anyone else before.

  It doesn’t take long before our clothes are completely gone, leaving us to feel skin on skin, and his skin feels fantastic.

  My hands continue to rub up and down his body, taking in every inch of his sexiness. I move my hand southward and grab his erection, surprised by the size in my hands. I stroke him a few times, causing him to moan in my ear.

  “I can’t wait,” he says as he grabs a condom out of his nightstand before moving and positioning himself between my thighs.

  I watch as he sheathes himself, before lining himself up at my entrance. He makes sure I’m ready before slowly pushing into me, causing me to moan.

  “Holy fuck,” he grunts before pushing further into me, allowing me to take every inch he has to offer. I adjust my legs, wrapping them around his back, wanting him to completely fill me up with everything he has. He starts thrusting in and out of me, allowing me to feel him further and further inside of me with every thrust.

  “Oh God,” I moan, wanting more.

  We move and I’m in a position now that I can meet him thrust for thrust and before long, we are both crying out in ecstasy.

  “Wow,” he says as he wipes the sweat from his forehead.

  “Wow is right,” I say, breathlessly.

  He removes himself from me before discarding the condom and adjusting himself beside me on the bed, pulling me into his side. “Baylee, that wasn’t my intention, just so you know.”

  “I know,” I say, because I know it wasn’t. “That was incredible.”

  “I completely agree,” he says, before kissing me sweetly.

  “So we’re dating now?” I ask when he pulls away, staring at me.

  “We are definitely dating, that is, if you’ll be my girlfriend?”

  “Yes,” I practically squeal.

  He chuckles before we start making out yet again.

  “Since you’re my girlfriend now, I think you should spend the night tonight,” he says as he snuggles in beside me, both of us missing the end of the movie.

  “Absolutely,” I say, feeling happier than I’ve ever felt before.

  It’s Friday anyway, so no need to set an alarm for tomorrow, we snuggle in and it doesn’t take long for either one of us to fall asleep.

  Waking up, I feel trapped and it takes me a moment to realize where I’m at. Looking over, I see Evan’s limbs wrapped in mine and I can’t help but smile. Last night wasn’t a dream, it really did happen and I’m really his girlfriend.

  “What are you smiling at?” he says, pulling me out of my haze.

  “Just thinking.”

  “Oh yeah, about what?” he asks, as he pulls me closer to his sexy naked body.

  “Last night and how I’m now your girlfriend,” I say, sounding all giddy.

  “Yes you are,” he says before leaning over and kissing me, “Good morning girlfriend.”

  “Mmm…good morning,” I say, feeling amazing.

  “So, I’m thinking we should stay in bed all day,” he says, surprising me.

  “Really?” I ask, shocked.

  “Yep, I don’t have any plans today, do you?”

  “Nope, not that I can think of,” I inform him.

  “What do you say then?” he asks, with a straight face.

  “That works for me,” I say, leaning in and kissing him before grabbing his already erect cock.

  He jumps slightly, obviously caught off guard by my sudden move, but continues kissing me.

  It doesn’t take long before round two happens and I couldn’t be happier.

  We spend the morning and afternoon lounging in bed, enjoying one another’s company. The only time we get out of bed is when he goes to grab us breakfast and when we need to use the restroom. A few of his frat brothers see me, but none of them says a word. Deciding it’s best to not interact with them; I do my business and rush back into his bedroom. He gave me a pair of boxers and a tee-shirt to wear, telling me I could come down to the kitchen, but I decided against it. I don’t need to answer questions I’m not sure I’m ready to answer, especially to people I don’t really know.

  When Evan goes to get the pizza we ordered, I decide to check my phone and see a bunch of text messages from Dani, asking me where I am and if I’m alright. I shoot her a text back, letting her know I’m great and that I’m at Evan’s about to eat pizza.

  Dani- “Did you spend the night there?”

  Me- “Yeah.”

  Dani- “Did something happen?” she asks being nosey.

  Me- “YES! Evan is now my boyfriend.” I send, feeling completely exhilarated.

  Dani- “I want all the de
tails.”

  Me- “When I come home, I’ll tell you all about it!”

  Dani- “Hurry your ass up then.”

  Me- “I’ll be home later, maybe. I’ll keep you posted!” I hit send before putting my phone back in my wristlet.

  A few minutes later, Evan walks in with a pizza box and some drinks. He sets the box on the bed before sitting down beside me.

  We spend the rest of the day hanging out in his room, hitting a few more rounds of sexual escapades before I tell him I need to go home and shower. He informs me I can shower in his bathroom, but I don’t have any other clothes, so I decide to go home, with the agreement that we will hang out tonight.

  He drives me back around five and drops me off. As soon as I get through the door Dani is on me waiting all the details. I fill her in squealing with her in delight.

  I grab a shower and make sure to shave all the appropriate areas because I know I’m going to be seeing Evan again later tonight. Coming back into the room, I throw on some leggings and a tunic before plopping on my bed.

  “I can’t believe you two had sex already,” she says, still shocked.

  “Me either, but wow, I’m so glad we did, numerous times,” I quip, causing her to throw a pillow at my head.

  “No need to rub it in. I’m already jealous,” she jokes.

  “Ha, you should be, he’s amazing,” I say, as I stare into space.

  “How do you think your brother’s going to take you dating his best friend?” she asks, pulling me back to reality.

  “Shit,” I mutter, “I didn’t even think about his reaction.”

  “You have to tell him.”

  “I know, I don’t think he would mind, I mean that’s his best friend, I’m his sister, yes, but we are close, so I think he may even be happy for us,” I say, being optimistic.

  “I hope you’re right,” she says, not sounding optimistic at all.

  “You think he’ll be angry?” I ask.

  “His best friend just screwed his sister; no brother is going to be alright with that, just saying.”

  “But we aren’t like normal families,” I defend.

  “I know that, but I don’t think he’s going to be as open to your relationship as you two are.”

  “Then maybe we should wait to tell him,” I say, thinking that may be the best option. I don’t want this to mess up his routine to get back on his feet.