Tamed

by K. A. Robinson

  The ride to his apartment was silent. He kept flipping between radio stations before giving up and putting a CD in.

  “Radio stations suck anymore,” he grumbled as The Amity Affliction’s “Don’t Lean on Me” started blaring.

  “I love these guys,” I said before humming along.

  “Me, too.”

  When we pulled up in front of his apartment building, he shut off the car. He climbed out of the car, and I followed. The walk up to his apartment was as silent as the ride over.

  Once we were inside, I dropped down onto the couch and rested my head against the back. “I’m exhausted. Packing sucks.”

  “Come here,” Adam mumbled as he sat down on the couch with me. He pulled me onto his lap.

  I was lying on my stomach with my head resting on his legs. He pushed my hair aside and started rubbing my shoulders. I relaxed further, his strong hands working the kinks and tension out of my body.

  “Jesus, that feels good,” I moaned.

  We stayed that way for a while.

  I was starting to doze off when he spoke again, “I’m going to miss you.”

  The words were simple enough, but coming from him, they were monumental. Besides commenting on how glad he was to have me as a friend, he’d never admitted to caring about me before. I wasn’t even sure if he’d only said those words to be nice. They might have been said to remind me that we were only friends.

  “You won’t even have time to miss me once your tour starts. You’ll be too busy traveling, playing, and banging random chicks,” I said, only half-kidding.

  “I’ll still miss you,” he said quietly.

  I sat up, and he let his hands drop to his sides. I stared at him, noticing that he wouldn’t look at me. I reached up and ran my fingertips along his cheek, loving the rough stubble on his chin.

  “I’ll miss you, too,” I said, my own voice barely above a whisper. I cleared my throat and smiled at him. “You’re an asshole, but you’ve started to grow on me these past few months.”

  “Tell me how you really feel.” He cracked a smile.

  I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. The kiss was softer than any other between us. It was barely a whisper of a kiss, but it held so much emotion. When I tried to pull away, Adam grabbed the back of my head and pulled my mouth back to his. He hungrily kissed me, taking me by surprise. My lips parted, and his tongue darted inside to tangle with mine. I sucked on his tongue, and he groaned as his hold on me tightened. He finally broke away and stood.

  He grabbed my arms and pulled me up with him. “Let’s make tonight something to remember since it’ll be our last one for a long time.”

  He tugged my shirt up and over my head. He tossed it to the floor as I unbuttoned my shorts and let them fall to the floor. He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on top of mine. His shoes and shorts disappeared next.

  “Come on,” he said as he led me back to his bedroom.

  Once we were inside, I unfastened my bra and let it drop to the floor. I pulled my underwear off without a second thought. After so many months together, being naked around Adam didn’t faze me in the least. I smiled as I remembered how self-conscious I’d been around him at first. We were well past that stage now.

  Adam’s boxers dropped to the floor, and he kicked them aside. My eyes slowly slid down his body, taking in every tiny detail of him, committing it to memory. Even after months of spending quality time with his naked body, I still marveled at just how beautiful he was.

  Adam moved so that he was directly in front of me. I closed my eyes as he ran his fingertips from my shoulder down to my hip. He rested his hand there, squeezing lightly.

  “You’ve wasted six months of your life hanging around me,” he said suddenly.

  My eyes popped open in surprise. Of all the things I’d expected him to say, that definitely wasn’t one of them. “What?”

  “You heard me.” He hesitated. “You’ve wasted your time with me.”

  “I don’t consider it wasted,” I told him.

  “I do. You could’ve found someone who would really commit to you, yet you hung around me. Why?”

  I raised an eyebrow, completely confused by where he was going with this. “Maybe I wasn’t looking for a commitment. I told you before that I didn’t want a relationship. Where is this coming from?”

  He looked away briefly before his eyes found mine again. “Nowhere. I was just thinking.”

  Before I could demand an answer from him, he pulled me closer and slammed his mouth down on mine. I wrapped my arms around him. I sighed when our bodies touched everywhere. He grabbed my legs and picked me up so that I could wrap them around him. The feel of his growing erection against my belly was enough to set my body on fire.

  He moved until my back was pressed up against his bedroom wall. I groaned when he pulled away enough to slip his hand between us. His fingers found my clit and started slowly circling it. My entire body jerked in response. Every nerve came alive as I fought back another moan. It was always like this with him. The simplest touch from him could do more to me than sex with Alex or Chad had ever been able to do.

  He increased the tempo of his fingers until I was thrusting my hips against his hand, begging him to stop torturing me and start fucking me.

  “Adam, please,” I gasped.

  “What, baby? What do you want?”

  “Fuck me. Please,” I said.

  His fingers stopped moving instantly. I stared up at him through hooded eyes.

  “All you had to do was ask,” he said as he shoved into me.

  I almost cried in relief as I felt him filling me. We fit together perfectly. I rested my head against his shoulder as he began thrusting into me. The wall shook with the force of it. I clung to him as I cried out over and over again.

  Everything was so primal about Adam—from his looks and the way he carried himself to the way he fucked me. He was a god of a man, and at this moment, I worshiped the ground he walked on.

  Coherent thought left me as we worked together, bringing each other closer and closer to climax with every touch, every thrust. My entire body stiffened as an orgasm rocked me. My fingernails dug into Adam’s shoulders as I called out his name.

  “Son of a bitch!” Adam shouted as he pulled out of me.

  I almost fell when he dropped me and stepped back, but I managed to catch myself at the last minute. I stared at him in shock as semen coated my stomach and started slowly sliding down my body.

  “I didn’t put a condom on,” he said.

  The pure rage in his eyes made me want to take a step back, and I would have if I wasn’t already pressed against the wall.

  My own eyes widened in shock. Adam was meticulous about wearing a condom. We’d been together actively, three or four times at least per week for six months, and never once had he forgotten.

  “I’m sorry, Amber. I should’ve remembered.”

  “It’s okay,” I told him. “I forgot, too.”

  “No, it’s not okay. It only takes once to…” He trailed off.

  “Hey”—I took a step closer and rested my hand on his heaving chest—“shit happens. It’s okay. I’m on the pill anyway. I won’t get pregnant.”

  “I don’t care. I never fuck without a condom. I don’t want some bitch trying to hang me with a kid.”

  I winced, his words striking me almost as hard as a fist would. I dropped my hand and took a step back.

  He looked down at me, and his eyes softened, obviously understanding just how badly he had fucked up. “Amber, no, I didn’t mean you. I just meant—”

  “I get it,” I said, embarrassed when my voice cracked. “I need to take a shower. I’m sticky.”

  He tried but failed to smile. “I’ll grab you a couple of towels.”

  He turned and walked out of the room, leaving me with my thoughts. I walked across the hall to the bathroom and turned on the water in his shower. Once it was warm, I climbed inside. The warm water pelted my sensitive skin
, but I paid little attention to it. How could Adam think so poorly of me? He’d laced cruel words with pure venom. I winced again as I thought of the rage in his eyes when he’d realized his mistake.

  When I finished with my shower, I saw that Adam had laid out a couple of towels and one of his shirts for me to wear to bed. I dried off and threw the shirt on before returning to his room. He passed by me without a word and disappeared into the bathroom for a shower of his own.

  I debated on changing into a set of clothes that I’d left here for when I spent the night and going home. I wasn’t comfortable being around him at the moment. But then I remembered that he was my ride back to my dorm. Somehow, I doubted that he’d feel amused if I demanded that he take me home.

  Before I could make up my mind, he walked back into the room, his hair damp from the shower. He gave me a questioning look when he saw me standing in the middle of his bedroom.

  “Do you want me to go home?” I blurted before I could stop myself.

  He paused. “Do you want to go home?”

  I bit my lip. “I think I should.”

  “Why?” He seemed genuinely confused, which only annoyed me.

  “Because of…earlier.”

  He ran his hand through his wet hair before walking over to the bed and sitting down. “Sit down, Amber. I think we need to talk.”

  I cautiously crossed the room and sat down next to him. “Okay…”

  “Look, I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean to imply that you’d be a girl who would try to trap a guy by getting pregnant. I just meant it in general. I know you’re not like that.”

  “But you were so angry,” I whispered.

  “I was angry with myself for forgetting. I don’t forget—ever. But with you, I did. I let my guard down.”

  “I still don’t understand though. If you don’t think that I’d try to screw you over, then why did you get so pissed?”

  “There’s shit you don’t know about me, Amber. I’d rather forget some things in my past. Let’s just leave it at that.” He stood and walked to his side of the bed. I watched as he pulled the sheets down. “Just know that I would never think that about you, okay? Now, let’s get some sleep. I’m exhausted from carrying all your shit to your car.”

  “Okay.” I stood and pulled the covers down on my side.

  I wanted to say more, but I knew he’d never answer the questions I wanted to ask. What on earth could have happened to make him react like that? He’d been so angry that I’d actually been a bit afraid of him. Then, the way he’d cut me with his words…

  I lay down and pulled the covers up to my chin. Adam climbed in next to me. He tugged me over and wrapped his arms around me.

  “I’m sorry,” was all he said.

  I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of his body against mine. Without a doubt, I knew that it would be the last chance I had to be with him like this for a very long time.

  “Send me a text when you make it home, okay?” Adam asked the next day.

  He had driven me back to my dorm, and we were standing next to my car in the parking lot.

  “I will, Dad,” I teased.

  “I’m serious. I hate that you’re driving all the way to Charleston on your own.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be fine, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll text you when I get there.”

  “Good. I’ll be waiting.”

  We stood awkwardly, neither of us sure how to say good-bye. I hated to admit it, but I wasn’t ready to let him go just yet. I wanted to kidnap him and bring him back to Charleston with me.

  “Be careful on the road this summer,” I finally said.

  He grinned. “Now, who’s worried?”

  I smacked his chest. “I know you, and trouble seems to find you.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He grinned down at me.

  I surprised both of us when I lurched forward and wrapped my arms around him. After a moment of hesitation, he hugged me back.

  “Don’t forget about me,” Adam said as we pulled apart.

  I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

  “Like I could,” I told him before standing on my toes to softly kiss his lips. “Be safe.”

  “I will.”

  I stepped back and opened my car door. “Well, I guess this is good-bye.”

  “I guess it is. I’ll see you in a couple of months after school starts and the tour ends.”

  I nodded. “I know.”

  I climbed into my car and started the engine. I rolled my window down and gave him a small smile. He smirked at me but said nothing. I put the car in drive and pulled away from the parking lot. I watched him in my rearview mirror until I turned the corner. He hadn’t moved.

  I was shocked when I felt a tear sliding down my face. I was going to miss him so fucking much even though I shouldn’t. Nothing about our relationship should make me miss him, but I knew I would. Already, I felt a hollow ache in my chest.

  If I were a weaker woman, I would seriously wonder if I was falling in love with him. I pushed the thought aside as I wiped my tears away.

  I was being ridiculous. There was no way I could fall in love with Adam.

  Then, why did my tears start falling harder than before?

  Two Months Later—July

  June and July had been blissfully peaceful. After everything that had happened at school, I’d loved every single minute of my peaceful summer. My mom and dad had been ecstatic that I was back home. The first few days had consisted of more family time than I’d ever thought possible. They’d even taken days off of work just so we could go places and spend time together.

  In true Mom and Dad fashion, they’d made Logan feel as welcome as me. He’d seemed unsure of how to handle their attention at first, but he quickly grew used to it. While we’d been best friends since our freshman year of high school, he’d never really spent one-on-one time with my parents.

  His mom wasn’t like Chloe’s, but I knew that his mom hadn’t spent a lot of time with him. Truthfully, he barely mentioned her. Even though he was in the same city as her, he never once said a word about going to see her. I didn’t pry, but I was curious as to whether or not something had happened with them. When I’d asked, he’d simply shrugged and told me she hadn’t even asked if or when he would come to see her. He didn’t see the point in visiting when she was almost never home.

  Once my parents had started back into their usual routine, Logan and I would spend most of our days by the pool. I’d even managed to get him to go to the mall with me a couple of times. He’d grumbled the entire time, but I hadn’t let him ruin my good mood.

  After texting Adam to let him know I’d made it home safely, I hadn’t heard from Adam—at all. I had expected him to text me once in a while to let me know how the tour was going. Instead, I would find myself checking my phone daily, only to be disappointed when I didn’t see anything from him. I told myself that it didn’t matter. Adam and I were friends and nothing more. But still…didn’t friends text when they were apart? I wasn’t expecting a love letter, but even text saying, Tour is going good, or, Hope you’re well, would have sufficed.

  I tried not to think about him too much. Some days were better than others. I also had the small problem of the fact that I hadn’t had sex for two months. To me, that was an eternity. I debated on if I should go out to find some random asshole to hook up with, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Somehow, I doubted if Adam was having the same problem as me. He was playing shows constantly, surrounded by women who were more than willing to tumble around with a hot guy who played in a band. Guys in bands were fucking nirvana to most of the female population.

  Every time I thought of him with someone else, I would feel a surge of jealousy.

  Chloe had been almost as distant. Besides a phone call here and there, she didn’t really try to stay in contact with Logan and me. When she did finally take a break from her busy life, she would barely give me any details as to w
hat she was up to. I did know that she’d ended up staying with her aunt longer than she’d expected, but I didn’t know why.

  So, when she called me late one evening, I was surprised. Logan and I had just walked inside from spending a few hours by the pool when my phone rang.

  “Hello?” I answered cheerfully. When she didn’t respond after a few seconds, I spoke again, “Chloe? Are you there?”

  “Yeah,” she croaked out. I listened as she cleared her throat before continuing, “Yeah, I’m here.”

  Her voice didn’t sound right, and I instantly went on alert.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s my mom,” she choked out.

  “Oh hell, what did she do now? I swear to God, I’m going to punch that bitch in the face! I’m so sick of this shit!” I growled.

  I knew that her mom would try something with her. That was why I hadn’t wanted her to go to Ocean City in the first place.

  “You don’t have to worry. She’s dead.”

  “She’s…what?” I asked, unable to process what Chloe had just told me.

  “She killed herself.”

  “I…oh God, Chloe!” I cried. “Logan! Logan, get in here!”

  Logan walked into the room with a look of concern on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  His whole body went rigid as I told him what Chloe had just said. He lurched forward and grabbed my phone from my hand without saying a word to me.

  “Chloe? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

  “No, not really,” I heard her say as I leaned close to hear the conversation.

  “Where are you?” Logan asked.

  “At my aunt’s house. Danny and Jordan are both here with me.”

  “Give us a couple of hours to get packed and make the drive. What’s the address?”

  Logan grabbed a pen off my desk and scribbled the address on the back of an envelope. He disconnected the call without another word. He tossed the pen back down before walking toward the door. “Hurry up, and pack. We’re going to Ocean City tonight.”