“Take your suit off, baby.”
Her hands smooth across her skin as she turns and shows me her back. She pulls her hair off her shoulders and then reaches around for the tie that holds her top in place. Slowly, she pulls until the strings fall loose to her sides before repeating the motion on the strings around her neck. She looks back at me as she tosses her top to the ground.
How did I get so lucky with her?
I step closer, unable to hold still any longer. My hands go to her waist, and I trace the lines of her bathing suit bottom across the small of her back and the cheeks of her ass that poke out. She leans into my touch, allowing me full access.
“You’re so beautiful.” There is clear amazement in my voice.
I urge her onto her stomach, and once she’s flat on the bed, I take in the view before pulling the remainder of her suit down to her knees and leaving it locked around her legs. I cover her body with my own and kiss from her neck down her spine and to just below her ass. I worship her body with my lips.
“Turn over.” I need to see her face.
She rolls over and smiles up at me as I free her from her suit.
“Come here,” she calls me to her.
My hips straddle hers, and I lean down so that my face is close to hers. Her body molds to mine, and her arms go around my neck.
“Make love to me, Brazen,” she asks with her lips against my ear. “I want you to give me your all. Don’t hold anything back. I’m yours completely.”
I know exactly what she’s asking of me, and I’m more than happy to give it.
I remove my swim trunks and then quickly put on a condom.
Taking charge, I nudge Noah onto her side, and I line myself up behind her. With my hands on her tits and my mouth against her neck, I nudge her legs apart. “I love you,” I say as I enter her from behind.
With my hands, I rock her against my movements. My hips hit the top of her ass, and my hands explore her curves until one of my hands dips down to work her clit, and the other pulls her tighter against me.
“Harder,” she moans.
And I almost completely fall apart.
My hand steadies on her hip, and my lips kiss across her shoulder as my cock slides in and out of her. Her own hands find the nape of my neck as she arches away from me, rolling her hips back to meet my thrusts. I have the best view of her body. Her tits bounce with our momentum, and her flat stomach constricts every time my hips rock against her ass. Seeing my large hand between her legs makes me feel like I own the world.
“Nothing should feel this good.” I could stay inside Noah forever.
Her warm pussy clings to my cock. Her wetness coats the both of us. Her excited noises increase, and her nails scrape against my neck.
“Oh, Brazen! Yes!”
Her cries push me over the edge, and together, we find our release. My arms encircle her body in the most intimate hold. My legs twist with hers as she shakes beside me. Her cum drips down to my balls.
I love this girl, and it feels damn good to know she loves me back. Those words should never be wasted, and with Noah, the sentiment is priceless.
I’ll love her at our best, worst, across distance, through harmony, and through hell.
I’ll love her for a lifetime, and I will show her every day how lucky I am that she is here.
Noah
“Get him! Don’t let him get away!” I run after Sunday while protecting my chest. It’s hard to see in the dark, but everything is bathed in neon colors that help only a little.
“Which way did he go?” Sunday whisper-screams the question at me as we take cover and hide behind a wall, panting and searching for our adversaries.
I step out from our cover, and immediately, the contraption around my body begins to ring out and flash light. I’ve been hit—again.
“Oh, crap.” The gun in my hand falls to my side in defeat. “He got me.”
Sunday jumps out from our hiding spot and takes aim. She unloads on the group of young teenage boys we’ve been in a standoff with. Electronic noises ring out, and flashes of blue fly across the room. She takes out three of them before her own device rings out, signaling she’s been hit.
I never thought laser tag could be so fun, but as we stand here, laughing about our defeat, I can hardly deny what a great time I’ve been having. I’m glad Sunday suggested this outing.
“These brats are ours this time! Move out! Go, go, go!” There is a laugh to her playful words.
I think these boys might have a little crush because they’ve been targeting us since we stepped into the mazelike laser-tag field. We take off in opposite directions to take these little punks out. I’m like a ninja, ducking for cover and leaping through open-area zones—or at least, I’m killing it in my mind. I line the laser gun up with my nose, like they do in the movies, and poke my head around a corner where I see one of my targets. I get low and put him in my sights before I shoot, taking him out before I take off at a run to find my next victim. Sunday runs past me, and we slap hands in celebration. These boys are going down!
And, this time, that’s exactly what happens. Five against two, Sunday and I finally get our victory, and an hour later, we’re celebrating our win over cold drinks—soda for me and a beer for Sunday—and hot wings. I pull my hair off my neck and put it up high on my head so that I can dig into my meal. There is nothing worse than hair in your mouth while you’re trying to grub out, and chicken wings are messy. They’re tasty but so incredibly sloppy.
“I’m glad we did this,” I tell my laser-tag mission accomplice between bites.
“I am too, but I know Brazen told you about what I’m planning to do. I’m sorry that you and I won’t be able to get to know each other more, especially because I know you love my best friend. I also have to admit, I have ulterior motives again for asking you to hang out.”
“Lay it on me, girl.”
She wipes the wing sauce from her fingers before she gets to it. “I need you to watch out for Brazen, especially right after things go down. When I saw him with you the first time, I knew he felt something special for you. I got involved a little more than I normally would because, even though Brazen didn’t, I knew this day was coming. I knew I was leaving, and I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t get in his own way with you before I left. I need to know he’ll be okay, and it makes me feel a little better that he’s loved by you. Please make sure he doesn’t go after Matt and that he doesn’t dwell on this. Matt has had control over everything for way too long. When I leave, I want this to be over—not only for me, but also for Brazen.”
Sunday wants this fresh start. I know she wants to be free from Matt, but the look on her face tells me she made this drastic decision more so for Brazen. She doesn’t want her safety constantly looming over his head. I’d tell her that Brazen would happily do it forever without complaint or resentment, but I know her mind is already made up.
“He’ll be all right, Sunday. I’ll make sure of it.” I clean the sauce from my fingers.
She nods curtly at me, and the heavy talk is over. I’ve reassured Sunday that I’ll take care of Brazen. Hopefully, that’s enough to bring her some peace, wherever it is she’s going. This situation makes me hate someone for the first time in my life, and it’s a man I’ve never even met before—Matt. He’s ruining lives just by existing.
“Come on, I’m going to murder you in a game of air hockey,” Sunday says, nodding to the game room.
“What’s air hockey?”
“Damn, Noah. What the hell did you do as a child? Air hockey was like a staple in my childhood! Let’s go, so I can make myself feel good, kicking butt against a newbie.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Sunday and I go through quarters like men go through dollar bills at a strip club. She kills me at air hockey five times. We play that dancing game with the flashing lights and a few rounds of Skee-Ball. We even take pictures in the photo booth. Funny faces. Happy faces. Kissy faces. We hit them all.
It’s a p
retty damn perfect day.
In the back of my mind though, I know this day is Sunday’s way of saying good-bye.
I want to stay out late, so she doesn’t leave. Still, far too soon, Sunday is driving me home. As we stand on my porch, a wave of sadness hits me. I’m clued in to the emotion hitting Sunday, too, as she clears her throat. I give her a big hug and hold on tight. Despite the newness of our relationship, there is a pain in the pit of my stomach when I think about her leaving.
I can only imagine how Brazen feels.
“Thank you—for today and for everything I won’t get to thank you for in the future.”
“That’s what friends are for. Don’t mention it. Good-bye, Sunday.”
Brazen
Sunday’s room is empty.
All of her things are still in their places, but I haven’t heard a word from her.
Not a single word.
She’s gone.
Just like that.
Poof.
She never came home after her day out with Noah. I know she wasn’t the one calling the shots in her travel agenda, but I have to wonder how much of a heads-up she had. Her disappearance in the middle of the night, free of long-winded good-byes, seems very much like her. We had our day together after she told me her plans, and then she spent time with Noah, the woman she knows I love.
At work, her desk is cluttered with her knickknacks, and her files are still organized, according to her precise system, but she isn’t sitting in her chair. It’s quiet, too quiet, when Noah walks into the office, wearing one of her dresses that always makes my breath stutter.
“Morning, babe.” I look from the empty desk to my girl near the door.
“She’s gone. Isn’t she?”
It’s amazing how well Noah can read me. One look, and she already has the situation totally scoped out. That’s bad news for me if I ever try to pull off a surprise for her in the future.
“Yeah, I think she is.” I wave her over to me.
Noah sits in my lap with her arms around me. I soak in everything I can. My love for her and the strength she brings flood through me.
“Are you okay?” she asks while still hugging me tightly.
“I’ll be fine.” Eventually. “Did you two have fun yesterday?”
“We did. It was a day filled with all the fun activities I never did while growing up.” She lays her head on my chest, and her constant dessert smell wafts my way.
I rub my hands against her back and think about how different things are going to be without Sunday.
“Tell me about it.” I want to hear all about Sunday’s last day here with my girlfriend. I’m glad those two had time together before she left.
Noah tells me about the group of boys during laser tag and how they finally got the better of them. Those kids probably saw the two most beautiful girls they’d ever laid eyes on and didn’t know what else to do but continuously shoot them with their laser guns. She tells me about the games they played afterward, and it sounds like she did have a really good time.
I’m glad.
“You know, I could get used to working with you all curled up in my lap.”
Noah’s dress has risen salaciously high against her thigh because of her position, and my hands go to her legs.
She snorts out a snicker. “But how would we get anything done?”
“Like this.”
And I show her by pressing my lips to hers. She kisses me back, and I know Noah will get me through missing Sunday. Nothing will replace her, and the wound surrounding Sunday’s absence will never heal, but it’ll get easier with this amazing girl I get to kiss.
“Your business would go under, and I don’t think you can pay the bills on kisses,” she says as she continues to embrace me through fits of soft feminine laughter.
“I don’t know. Steve down at the bank looks like he’d really enjoy it if I laid one on him. How much tongue do you think equals out one mortgage payment?”
Being silly with her makes this day a little easier. Noah is my light in any bout of darkness.
“Oh, that would take a whole lot of tongue, maybe even some over-the-clothes action.”
Her hands sweep down my front, and I pucker my lips to kiss her some more. We kiss and talk and touch. Noah spends the day in my lap and eases my worries.
Despite knowing this is what’s best for Sunday, I still worry about what Matt’s reaction is going to be when he finds out she left. I wish I could say for sure if he would look for her or let her go, but I don’t know. I also wonder about Sunday’s parents. She hasn’t spoken to them in years, but does that mean they wouldn’t care that she left? I’ve never understood those two people. I could more easily relate to a piece of wood.
I’m going to miss my friend. A lot.
Needless to say, the workday is unproductive. Mostly, I tell Noah stories about when Sunday and I were younger. When it’s appropriate to call it a day, Noah and I head home. On the drive, part of me still imagines Sunday will be there waiting but that’s only a fantasy. Sunday’s absence is a profoundly heavy blanket covering both of us.
I park, and Noah is the first to get out of the truck.
I linger, needing a second to miss Sunday, but then Noah calls out, “Brazen, I think you should see this.”
She stands to the side of the driveway, looking out into the yard. I come up from behind and stand beside her so that I can see what she does.
“What is it?” I ask, unaware of what has her spooked.
Noah doesn’t answer as she raises her arm so that she can point. Before she even has her finger extended, I see it, and chills run down my spine. Blood. Fuck! This whole day suddenly takes on a new meaning, and I’ve wasted precious hours. I pull my phone from my pocket and fumble as I try to get the screen unlocked. Everything is hazy but clear. My motions are rushed but slow. I’m internally in a panic, but outwardly, I’m composed.
After dialing, an operator picks up, and I speak into the phone, “I need to report a missing person.”
Noah
Brazen and I sit in the kitchen, and he’s an absolute wreck as cops invade his home. We gave some hasty initial statements but the officers quickly went to work processing the scene. The timing for whatever happened outside couldn’t have been worse. Neither of us batted an eye at Sunday’s disappearance because we had been expecting it, but that blood on the grass and the overturned bush changed things.
“What if we’re overreacting? What if this is a misunderstanding, and we blow Sunday’s cover?”
I’ve already had this thought, but my gut tells me it isn’t likely. Right now, I need to find the words to reassure Brazen that everything is going to be okay when I really have no idea that it will.
“In a situation like this, I think we’re better off safe than sorry. We had to report it. You did the right thing. They’ll find Sunday, and she’ll come home, safe and sound.”
“Do you really believe that, or are you just saying it?” He looks to me for hope at a time when I’m not sure there is much of any.
I’m reminded of the week I spent spiraling about the letter from my mom. Brazen was my rock, and now, I need to be his.
“The only thing we can do right now is believe, Brazen. She’ll come home.”
He takes my hand and presses it to his lips. The tremors in his hand cause my nerves to kick into overdrive.
“Sorry, guys.” A pair of police officers approach us in the kitchen. “I know this is tough, but we need to talk to you both—separately.”
Brazen nods but doesn’t let go of my hand.
I stand and kiss his cheek. “Stay here and talk with the officer. I’ll go with the other officer. It’ll be okay. They’ll find her.”
He stares blankly at the man who will question him, and a piece of his sorrow hits me. I leave him in the kitchen and follow the other officer into the office.
“All right, Ms. Mackenzie, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt your friend Sunday?”
; The answer to the officer’s question is an obvious one.
“Yes, if she’s missing or hurt, then it was her sort of ex-husband, Matt.”
“How can you be sure? What makes you say that?” His question isn’t asked in disbelief. He’s simply following up on his investigation.
I get it, but I just wish they’d go find Matt.
“He’s obsessive, and he has a long history of abusing her. A week ago, he beat the crap out of her, so she came to stay here. Matt’s been driving by her place, and he even went as far as to send flowers to my house for her.”
“Is there any history of this? Has she called the cops? Does she have a restraining order against him? Is there any trail of this behavior you’re alleging?”
“You’d have to ask Brazen for the specifics, but I know Sunday was having trouble with getting him held accountable for his actions. She’s turned for help and has a restraining order, but I’m not sure about the exact details of the reports or statements that have been logged.”
“You also told the officers earlier that you didn’t report her missing right away. Can you explain why not?”
“Well, Sunday found one of those underground women’s organizations that helps battered wives disappear. We weren’t alarmed when she didn’t come home, but when we saw the blood, we started to think something else had happened.”
I watch his face change to skeptical as I tell him about Sunday’s plan to flee. I wanted to make sure he had all the information, but I wonder if I should have kept that piece of information quiet.
“So, you’re telling me that you are aware our missing person had plans of running away?” He scribbles on a notepad, only glancing at me after I’ve taken too long to answer.
“Yes, but the blood. If Matt found out Sunday was planning on taking off, there is no telling what he might have done. Once we saw the evidence of foul play, we knew something wasn’t right.”
“You did the right thing by calling us, but oftentimes, these sorts of things end up being a big misunderstanding. Let’s not jump to conclusions too quickly. I’m sure your friend is fine somewhere.”
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