by E. L. Todd
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I’ll see you then.” He kissed my cheek then left.
Trinity eyed me. “What are you doing with him?”
“What?”
“He’s so annoying. That guy never listens to you.”
“He told me he loved me.”
She put down her magazine. “What? When?”
“He asked to come to the gala and meet my parents and I said no. Then he said he loved me and said it was time to meet my parents.”
“He just blurted it out? No romantic evening or making love?”
“No, it was odd.”
“Why does he want to meet your parents so much?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea.”
“Did you say it back?”
“What do you think?”
“And he was just okay with that? That you rejected him?”
“He said he was.” I shrugged.
“It just gets weirder and weirder…”
“I don’t understand him. I feel like he’s in a hurry to settle down with me. I’m not sure why.”
“I guess he could be madly in love with you.” She drummed her fingernails on the table. “But it doesn’t seem like it. He can’t remember anything about you and he cares more about football than spending time with you.”
“He does love my rack.”
“Well, who doesn’t?” she teased.
“I tried breaking up with him but he completely refused it.”
“He refused it?” she asked incredulously. “When someone wants to break up, you break up. The other person doesn’t get a say in that.”
“He doesn’t agree. Then he kissed me and was all mushy-mushy… I crumbled again.”
“So, he seduced you?”
“Pretty much.”
“Honestly, I don’t see this relationship lasting so maybe you should just dump him.”
“Maybe…”
She grabbed my coffee and took a drink. Then she made a face. “Damn, that tastes like shit.”
I laughed. “You’re telling me.”
***
I went to Zack’s later that evening. He was wearing jeans and a tight t-shirt. He did have a nice body. I couldn’t deny that.
“Hey, baby.” He kissed me when I walked inside. “You look nice.”
“I’m wearing a yoga pants and a sweater,” I said incredulously.
“You still look hot to me.” He eyed my chest then looked away.
“Oh, you were talking to my chest, not me.”
He smirked. “You’re finally catching on.” He moved to the oven and pulled out the frozen pizza. “Dinner is served.”
“Yum,” I said sarcastically. Zack didn’t have extra cash to take me out to dinner or nice places. I never cared about that, but a sandwich would still be better than frozen pizza.
Zack put some slices on his plate then handed me my own.
I couldn’t help but compare him to my dad. My father always served my mom food before he got his own. Cayson was the same way. I really shouldn’t compare Zack. I knew how he was when we got together.
We moved to the couch then sat down. Football was on so he was totally absorbed in that. I leaned back and watched the game, trying to stay entertained. I didn’t mind watching sports, but Zack and I were so busy with school that I thought we should spend some time together. Instead of complaining, I ate my pizza quietly.
When the game was finally over, he turned off the TV. “Good game, huh?”
“Yeah.” I tossed my paper plate on the coffee table.
He moved closer to me on the couch, his hand reaching for my thigh. “I like these yoga pants.” His lips moved to my ear and he started to kiss me. I leaned my head back and gave him more space. I liked it when he kissed me and touched me. He was good at it. But the actual sex sucked.
He continued to kiss me while he slowly peeled my clothes away. My hands gripped the end of his shirt and yanked it off. Then I undid his pants, wanting to see him naked.
Zack scooped me up and carried me into his bedroom. When I was on my back, he kissed my inner thighs then slowly moved up. When he was at the apex of my thighs, I writhed on the bed and moaned. He was good with his mouth.
Then he moved further up my body.
“No, don’t stop,” I blurted.
He sighed, clearly not wanting to do it, and then went back down, kissing me the way I liked. It was hard for me to enjoy it when I knew he didn’t want to do it, but I found my climax anyway, really needing to be satisfied. Then I let him climb on top of me and slip inside me. He always wanted me on my back so he could stare at my tits. It was an obsession with him. He rocked me hard and fast, sweating and groaning while he slammed into me over and over. In less than four minutes, he came inside me, moaning the entire time. I was glad I already got my fix otherwise I would have been unsatisfied yet again.
I immediately got up and changed.
“Why don’t you sleep over tonight?” he asked.
“Because I have class in the morning.”
“But you never sleep with me.”
I didn’t like to cuddle with people. It was too uncomfortable. “Maybe during the weekend.”
He sighed then got dressed, ready to walk me to the door.
“Good night, baby.” He kissed my cheek when we got to the entrance.
“Good night.” I walked to my car in the dark then headed home, wanting to sleep in a bed by myself.
Chapter Nine
Cayson
Something snapped inside my head. While I was hurt, shattered into a million pieces, I was also reborn. The fact I didn’t mean anything to Skye gave me the extra push to forget about her, to really accept that she would never be mine. If I stayed this way, I would be in pain forever. Now I had rage to help me move forward.
“Why are you in a bad mood?” Slade sat across from me in the student lounge, his history textbook in front of him.
“Because I’m pissed,” I blurted.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Do you want me to get you a sandwich or something?”
“No. I’m not hungry.”
“Are you sure? Because when I’m hungry, I act like a jackass.”
“Then are you always hungry?” I snapped.
“Dude, what the hell is up with you? You’re like a nuclear bomb about to go off.”
“Because I am.” I pushed my book away, unable to study.
“Tell me what’s going on. Did Skye do something?”
“Yep, she did.”
“What?” He was practically at the edge of his seat.
“You remember that night of the frat party?”
“Yeah. It was just last week.”
“Well, I took Skye home. I carried her up the stairs and into her bed. I tucked her in, being the good guy that I am.” The bitterness carried in my voice. “She started telling me I treated her better than Zack ever did, and that I made her laugh like he never did. Then she kissed me.”
Slade’s jaw was hanging. “Then why are you so mad?”
“Because we started making out. It was perfect. It was the best night of my life. She took her clothes off and wanted to sleep with me.”
“Did you?” His eyes were as big as orbs.
“What do you think?” I snapped. “That I would sleep with the love of my life while she was drunk off her ass? Of course, not.”
“Oh.” His disappointment was evident. “Then what happened?”
“I told her I’d come back in the morning with breakfast. We could talk about our relationship then. I assumed she and I were together and she was going to dump Zack. But when I came back the next morning, she had no memory of it. It was like she blacked out.”
“Are you serious? She doesn’t remember anything?”
“Nothing. The last thing she recalled was knocking over that table.”
“Did you tell her what happened?”
“No.” My anger came out again. “Why should I? It didn’t mean anything to her so w
hy should either one of us remember it? I’m sick of the way she keeps hurting me. I’m done with her—for good.”
“So…you’re over her?”
“No. But I will be very soon.”
Slade was quiet for a while. He stared at me, trying to find something to say. “I’m sorry, man. But maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”
“Yeah…”
“Now you can really move on.”
“I intend to.”
Slade kept staring at me, a sad look on his face.
“What?”
He shrugged then rose from the table. He came over to my side and opened his arms. Then he awkwardly leaned down and gave me the weirdest hug I’ve ever had. He patted my back a little too hard then stepped back. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“Thanks…”
The moment became tense so he walked back to his side of the table then plopped down. He coughed. “Anyway…”
“Yeah…”
“So, now you’re going to be my right hand man? Getting a different girl every night?”
“No. I had something else in mind.”
“What?” he asked.
“Jasmine.”
“You’re going to be her boyfriend?”
“Something like that.”
“Well, she is pretty hot.”
“And she’s a sweet girl.”
He sighed. “I guess everyone will officially give up on you and Skye.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, everyone already gave up. And now so have I.”
***
I texted Jasmine after class. What are you doing?
Thinking about you. What are you doing?
Wondering if you’d like to come over.
You already know the answer to that.
Half an hour later, she showed up at my door. Her blonde hair was silky and soft. Turquoise earrings hung from her lobes, bringing out her eyes. She wore skin-tight jeans and a loose sweater. A red scarf was around her neck.
“You look nice.”
“Thank you.” She took me in quickly. “You do too.” She stepped into my apartment, desire in her eyes. “How do you want me?” Her hands moved up my chest until they reached my shoulders. She stepped closer to me, our bodies touching.
I grabbed her hands and pulled them down. “Actually, I want to have dinner with you.”
Confusion came into her face then her eyes softened. “Dinner?”
“Yeah. If you’d like to join me.”
She understood the significance of my words. “You’d like to try?”
“If you can be patient with me.”
She smiled. “I can be as patient as you like.”
“Good.” I took her hand and walked her out of the apartment. We headed to the sports grill then sat by the window. I ordered a beer and she ordered wine. When I felt her stare at me, I met her gaze. “Yeah?”
“Did something happen?”
“Yeah.” I looked at the menu then put it down. “I picked up Skye from a party, and being drunk, she kissed me and told me I meant something to her. The next morning she didn’t remember anything. It was like it never happened.” I felt angry and hurt every time I said it.
“Did you tell her what happened?”
“No. I’m not going to.”
“Why?”
“Because it obviously didn’t mean anything to her. She probably thought I was some random guy.”
She processed my words for a moment. “But didn’t she actually say you meant something to her?”
“Yeah…”
“So she knew it was you. Just because she doesn’t remember it doesn’t mean she didn’t mean it.”
I guess she had a point. “She was drunk and out of her mind. Maybe she was just rambling. She even wanted to sleep with me and that’s not like her. Plus, she’s not a cheater. It was just a big drunken mistake that she was fortunate enough not to remember.”
Sadness came into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Cayson. I know how you feel about her.”
And I didn’t want to feel that way anymore. “It’s okay. Actually, this is the best thing that could happen to me. Now I’m ready to move on.”
“With me?”
“I’d like to try.”
She smirked. “Well, that works for me. I’m just sorry you didn’t get what you really want.”
I shrugged. “That’s life. Now let’s forget about Skye.”
“Okay.” She picked up her menu and looked at the entrees. “I’m getting the chicken fingers.”
“Good choice. I’m getting the hot wings.”
“We are a perfect match.” She winked at me.
The waitress came to our table and we put in our order. Then we sat in comfortable silence.
Jasmine wasn’t my usual type. There was nothing wrong with being a waitress but I preferred intellectuals. But Jasmine was smart, too smart to be waiting on people. She was beautiful and kind. She was empathetic toward others, and she had a carefree spirit. There were a lot of attributes about her I liked.
“How’s school?” she asked.
“Good. The same, really.”
“I can’t even imagine all the knowledge shoved inside your brain.”
I smirked. “It’s like a box of cats in there. How was work?”
She shrugged. “When I bartend, it’s good money, but getting hit on every night gets old.”
“I can imagine.”
“Which was why I liked you so much. I could tell you were a gentleman—a very rare find.”
My cheeks blushed slightly.
“So, can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything, Jasmine.”
“I’m not trying to get clingy, but what are we?”
“I don’t know. I guess we’re dating.”
“Let me rephrase that. Are we exclusive?”
I shrugged. “Do you want to be?”
“That’s a stupid question,” she said with a laugh.
“Then we are.”
She smiled. “I knew my patience would be rewarded.”
“I’m not really the kind of guy to sleep around anyway. I prefer the same partner for a long period of time. The sex is better.”
“Me too.”
The waitress placed the food on the table and we dug in.
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” she asked. “I can’t believe it’s just a few weeks away.”
“My family usually does something all weekend. We have game night, a laser tag competition, and then Thanksgiving dinner.”
She smirked. “That’s very…nontraditional.”
“We’ve never been traditional. Other than my parents and my sister, I’m not technically related to anyone else. But I’m as good as.”
“That’s really sweet. How did that happen?”
“Our parents have a dysfunctional and dependent relationship with everyone else. Slade’s dad and my dad are best friends. My dad is best friends with Skye’s mom too. And Trinity’s dad is Skye’s father’s brother…it’s complicated.”
She laughed. “I can tell.”
“Basically, we’re family. What are you doing?”
“Probably sleep in, and then wait until midnight to do my Black Friday shopping online. Then I’ll catch up on my shows on Netflix.”
Did that mean she was alone? “You don’t spend it with your family?”
“No. My father left when I was young. I’ve never had a relationship with him. And my mom is a drunk. She and I don’t speak. And I’m an only child.” She said it like she was discussing the weather. There was no bitterness or anger. It was like she didn’t care.
But that broke my heart. She spent every holiday by herself? No dinner? No company? “I’m sorry…”
“It’s really not so bad. People always feel sorry for me, but I’d much rather spend it alone than with people who only make me miserable. So don’t pity me. It’s fine, really.”
I just couldn’t accept that. “Come over for Thanksgiving.”
/>
She looked at me like I was crazy. “To your parents?”
“Yeah. We hang out all weekend and do a bunch of fun things. You’ll have a great time.”
“But…wouldn’t that give them the wrong idea?”
I shrugged. “I’ll tell them you’re my friend. It’s really not a big deal.”
“Have you ever brought a girl home before?”
“Well, no. But they aren’t going to care. If you don’t want to stay with us, you can stay with anyone else. Skye and Trinity both live in mansions. Slade’s parents have an apartment in New York City. Each one of them would welcome you with open arms.”
“Um…it’s okay, Cayson. But I appreciate the offer.”
“No.” I felt the anger break through. “I’m not letting you spend it alone.”
“Cayson, I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about us.”
“Who cares?” I said. “I don’t care what anyone thinks. If I tell my dad what you are to me, he’ll believe me. And maybe you and I will get there someday. We’re just getting a jumpstart.”
“I just don’t want you to pity me.”
“Well, I do. I’m sorry. No one should spend Thanksgiving alone.”
“I’ve been doing it for years…”
“That streak is going to end.”
She picked at her food then smirked slightly. “You’re very sweet, Cayson.”
“You’re my friend and I care about you. If you were a guy friend, I’d still invite you.”
She took a few bites then looked down.
“So, you’ll come?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.” I watched the game on the screen while I ate my hot wings and fries. She picked at her food across the table, eating very little.
After we were finished, I paid the tab.
“Let me get it,” she offered.
I grabbed her hand across the table. “Let me make this clear. I don’t let girls pay for meals. Don’t bother trying. All you’ll do is waste your time.” I released her hand then left the tab at the end of the table.
“I’ve been warned…” She put her purse over her shoulder then stood up.
I walked with her out the door then drove back to my apartment. She looked out the window and kept her silence. The roads were icy from the cold as winter deepened. I was always warm despite the season but I kept the heater on for her.