BEST FRIEND'S BABY (Book One)

by Layla Wilde

  “Well, I just finished sophomore year, and I haven’t been on the field once. I go to every single practice. I work my butt off. I do everything the coach tells me to, and I still can’t catch a break. What the fuck is that about? Oh, but freshmen like Owen Leery get to go right in and wow everyone just because he can throw a football. Anyone can be a quarterback. All you need is a good arm. Hell, I could do it. I just choose not to. You need real skill to be a running back. Lean legs. Countless hours on the treadmill. Strength training. Impeccable eye-hand coordination. The whole nine yards. And I have that, but the damn coach is blind or something!” I couldn’t stop myself ranting, all my pent-up anger coming to the forefront. “It’s so damn stupid!” I got up and paced the room, unable to stay still a moment longer.

  “Who does he think I am? Someone he can keep on the sidelines? This is my career he’s messing with. If I get ignored by the NFL, it’ll be entirely his fault!” I shouted, my hands clenched into fists by my side. My vision blurred slightly in my rage as I hulked up to the punching bag I kept in the corner of the room. “I swear, this year, I won’t take no for an answer.” My anger reached a pivotal point, my fist lashing out at the little bag. It flew up and slammed into the ceiling, nearly knocking off a chunk of it.

  On the bed, Victoria flinched at my reaction. “Maybe he has a good reason…” she said softly, trying to find the logical explanation for my current dilemma.

  “Are you really taking his side right now?” I bellowed, unable to believe she would defend the man who was ruining my life.

  “I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m just saying there’s a reason for everything. Did he explain why you didn’t get to play this year?” she asked as she sat up, her words quiet, as if she was afraid of speaking up and as if I was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.

  “No. He just said I wasn’t playing. That’s it. He didn’t go into any details. All he said was that I’d have a better chance going in during my senior year, but by then, it’ll be too late. The scouts can’t see anything in a year. They want the people who have been playing all four years! Not only are my chances greatly diminished, but they’re going to be close to null if I only get to play during the last year. You just don’t get it,” I spat. “You don’t know anything about football, so why the hell are you even trying to justify it?” I couldn’t control the words that came out of my mouth, my emotions quickly getting the best of me.

  “I was just trying to help…” she said meekly. “I’m sorry—”

  “Well, you should be. You’re supposed to be my best friend. You’re supposed to take my side.” I shook my head angrily. “Why don’t you just go? You’re making things worse.” I pointed toward the door, my jaw locked in anger. She looked at me with her big brown eyes, like a deer caught in headlights. Utter silence filled the room as we stared at each other, having reached an impasse.

  Eventually, she got up, her eyes brimming with tears before she left the room. I closed the door behind her, slid down the wall, and hung my head between my knees. What have I done? I felt my heart tighten as I listened to her light footsteps. I wanted to chase after her, but I couldn’t swallow my pride that easily. With a bitter taste in my mouth, I got up and lay on my bed, feeling like a total jerk. Did I really yell at my best friend because she tried to help me? I sighed, covering my head with a pillow. I was such an idiot.

  After a while, I looked at my phone to check the few unread messages. They were all from Victoria. I sighed again, reading the longest one.

  Hunter! I have great news! Let me know when you’re home so I can tell you in person. I think you’re really going to want to hear it ASAP. So just call me when you get home, okay?

  I read the text one more time, wondering what the good news could be. Is that why she came over? I bit my lip because I had kicked her out without giving her the chance to tell me her good news.

  Victoria

  I rushed back to my house, tears in my eyes. I couldn’t believe that Hunter, of all people, would treat me like that. I knew he had a temper, but never had he aimed it towards me. I felt betrayed and hurt, like I didn’t even know him anymore.

  Bile formed in the pit of my stomach, turning into a knot I couldn’t get rid of. I trudged up the stairs, feeling like I weighed a thousand pounds, my mind racing as I tried to figure out what I had said to make him this angry. I clenched my hand around the railing. And to think I had rushed over there to tell him the good news. All for nothing. I sighed, venturing into the bathroom. After what had just occurred, I needed a hot shower.

  I stripped off the nice clothes I had put on for the occasion—a soft, peach-colored summer dress with ivory leaves embroidered around the waist, almost like a vine trying to drag me back into the rainforest. Nearly naked, I stood in front of the full-length mirror on the back of my door, wearing nothing but my comfortable, cotton panties. I bit the corner of my lip, wondering if I was attractive in Hunter’s eyes.

  Does his heart race when he looks at me? Or am I just the girl next door? The girl he considers a sister and who could never have any more value than that? I sighed, guessing the latter of the two was probably more accurate. Still, my eyes wandered down my body, looking at the figure I had worked so hard to achieve. During high school, I had been a little chunkier, but once college began, I started going to the gym, shedding the baby fat that had clung to me. As a grown woman, I was proud of my body.

  I had a slender waist, great skin, and breasts that most of my girlfriends were jealous of. I cupped them slowly in my hands and held them up, feeling their weight before I sighed, letting them fall again. Their perkiness didn’t let them fall very much as my hard nipples stood at attention. Even so, it didn’t matter. Hunter would never see me as more than a friend. With this thought in mind, I hooked my fingers around the waistband of my panties, shimmying them slowly down my wide hips and kicking them to the side.

  Completely naked, I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water cascade down my skin, making me sigh in delight. The water pressure wasn’t very high, so the shower produced only a weak trickle, but I was used to it. I let the water run over my hair to wet it, my eyes closed, picturing Hunter. I couldn’t quite get over how hot he had become. My heart raced and goosebumps formed all over my body at just the thought of him. What I wouldn’t do to have him look at me with longing. All I wanted was to feel his lips on mine for once in my life.

  I shook my head, trying to push the thought out of my mind. I was pointlessly getting my hopes up. To distract myself, I lathered my hair, making sure none of the soap got in my eyes. As I did, some of the shampoo slithered down my neck and I shivered as I imagined Hunter’s lips against my skin, kissing the nape of my neck and slowly moving forward, nibbling my collarbone. I bit my lip hard, trying to hold back a moan that formed in the back of my throat. There was already a fire between my legs, and if I continued to think about Hunter, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. My fingers already itched to touch my quivering pussy, but I stopped myself. I couldn’t.

  The rest of my shower was rushed as everything I did made me think about him. I eventually put some pajamas on and meandered to the kitchen. When I opened the fridge, I realized it was practically empty. All that we had was some almond milk, protein shakes, and kale. Lots and lots of kale. I groaned and opened the drawer where I hide the takeout menus. Do I even have enough money to order some spring rolls? I thought about my wallet—which held not a single dollar—and then to my bank account, which didn’t look much better. I sighed and grabbed the egg carton. Scrambled eggs were my only choice.

  I ate at the kitchen island by myself, looking outside. I watched as the cars passed, their headlights looking like overgrown fireflies. The eggs were bland, and I wasn’t able to finish them, throwing them in our compost heap before returning to my room. There, I grabbed my violin case and pulled the instrument out carefully.

  My violin was my prized possession. It was the single most expensive thing I owned. I had saved for th
ree whole years to buy this one-of-a-kind violin. I would be devastated if anything ever happened to it. I cleaned it with a loving touch and a microfiber cloth, letting my fingers run along its smooth finish before finally placing it under my chin.

  A soft, sweet melody emerged from the belly of my violin, filling my room and relaxing me. I closed my eyes, letting my body sway in motion with the music. Playing was my natural state. Effortlessly, my bow ran across the strings, hitting every note perfectly, bringing me back to my first audition with an orchestra group. I had been so nervous, I had messed up the whole piece, causing everyone to boo me off the stage. Yet that hadn’t deterred me from playing the beautiful instrument. For a month straight after my failure, I had practiced every single night, nearly driving my mother insane, before finally mustering the courage to sign up for another audition. I wowed the crowd, bringing them to their feet by the end of my performance.

  A surge of pride washed over my body, and I played even faster, improvising the piece, adding an upbeat tempo while maintaining the melancholy tone. Before I could hit the crescendo, a harsh sound made me stop and ease my violin back onto the bed. I tilted my head to the side, my still slightly wet tresses falling over my shoulder.

  Dink! There it was again. I got up and looked around for the source of my distraction. Dink! This time, it was much louder, and I stopped near the window, unable to identify the sound. I had definitely heard it before. Dink! My eyes grew big. Someone was throwing stones at my window. Only one person in the world had ever done that…

  Quickly, I scrambled to open the window, my heart thundering in my chest. I flung my head out, looking down at the ground below, and there he was, cloaked in the moonlight, shadows playing on his rugged face, making him look even more handsome than he already was.

  “Hunter!” I squealed in surprise, my whole face lighting up. “What are you doing here? I thought you were mad at me,” I called down at him as the wind picked up his hair gently and pushed it away from his beautiful eyes, making my heart flutter.

  “I came to apologize. Can I come up?” he asked, a naughty grin on his lips as he grabbed the trellis attached to the wall.

  “You know my mom isn’t home. You can just use the front door,” I pointed out.

  “Why? This is much more fun.” He chuckled.

  “Be careful. I have no idea how sturdy that thing is…” I said worriedly, watching him climb up. I heard a cracking noise and froze, thinking the whole thing would collapse at any moment. Hunter, however, seemed confident in his abilities as he didn’t hesitate at all, climbing at a steady pace until his fingers rested on the ledge of my window to hoist himself upwards. I stepped back, giving him room as he jumped inside, looking up at me with a grin on his face.

  “Miss me?” he asked, straightening himself and towering over me. I gulped and craned my neck to look at him, and my breath caught in my throat as he moved closer to me. Suddenly, he hug-tackled me onto the bed, catching me by surprise.

  I gasped, and seconds later, his fingers were all over my body, tickling me until I begged for mercy, squealing and squirming into a tight little ball. “Please, Hunter! Stop! I beg you… I can’t breathe!” I rolled over, desperate to get away from him, coming dangerously close to squishing my violin in the process before he stopped me, pulling me into his arms and pinning me to his body.

  “Careful. You don’t want to hurt your baby,” he whispered in my ear, pointing to the violin. He eventually let me go and placed my violin carefully back in its case and under the bed where it wouldn’t be destroyed. “Now, tell me the big news.” He sat down next to me, looking at me with excited eyes. “I’m sorry I kicked you out of my house earlier. I was just really upset about the whole football fiasco.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, glad to have him back. I smiled and settled myself, our knees touching and a spark of excitement crawling under my skin. Had Hunter always made me feel this way? I could hear my heart thumping in my ears and felt my blood rush through my veins, pumping adrenaline to every part of my body. Inhaling deeply, I tried to calm down. “So… You won’t believe it, but I got accepted into Stateside!”

  “No way!” Hunter said, genuinely surprised. Before I could say anything, he grabbed me, picking me up and spinning me around until we both fell down, landing on top of each other, his muscular body pinning mine to the bed. We locked eyes, and it felt like the world had stopped for a second, no longer rotating on its axis. My heart skipped a beat, and my mind went blank.

  “That’s fantastic!” He smiled brightly, leaning down suddenly and kissing me for the first time since we were ten. My eyes widened in surprise before they closed, my lips melting into his. A fire burned between my legs, and my cheeks turned a bright red as a sensation of euphoria wrapped around my whole body, making me feel numb.

  To my dismay, he eventually pulled away, grinning at me. I was breathless but managed to smile back, my whole body alive with energy. “And the best part is... they'll give me a free ride for the next two years.”

  “I always knew that smart little brain would get you somewhere.” He chuckled as he kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me closer to him. “Two whole years with you?”

  I nodded and a soft sigh of satisfaction escaped his lips.

  Hunter

  As we lay on her bed together, I could smell the soft scent of her strawberry shampoo. It was a sweet smell that perfectly matched her personality. Unable to control myself, I leaned my head down, burying my head in the nape of her neck, feeling her soft hair caress my face before my lips made contact with her skin, running up and down her flesh, causing her to moan softly.

  The sound ripped right through me, and I tensed as my dick came alive. Hormones surged within me as blood rushed to my growing cock, which pressed subtly against Victoria’s thigh. I waited, wondering if she would say anything, but she didn’t. “Vic?” I whispered softly, wanting her attention.

  Slowly, she turned, and our faces were inches apart. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she had become over the years with her perfect button nose, round cheeks, and adorable smile. “I have to tell you something…”

  Victoria’s face tensed for a second as if she expected bad news. “What?” she breathed, her hand resting gently on my arm, squeezing it slightly. I felt her small, nimble fingers and instantly imagined what they would feel like roaming all over my body, how her hand would feel wrapped around my cock.

  “I…” I had tried to find the words to tell her how I had felt for years. I wanted to tell her that I cared about her, that I loved her, but my vocal cords refused to work. It was funny how I had no problem cussing out some guy at a bar over a dirty glare, or how I was unafraid to go cliff-diving in the middle of winter, but a single glance at this gorgeous woman, and my nerves were shot. I took a shuddering breath, trying to regain my confidence, and peered into her large brown eyes.

  “What is it?” she asked, clearly worried, her fingers tightening around my muscles, the sharpness of her nails digging into me. Instantly, I imagined them running down my back as she moaned my name in pleasure. I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist her beauty any further. Maybe I couldn’t tell her how I felt, but I could sure as hell show her.

  I rolled over, pinning her delicate wrists to the mattress. She looked at me, wide-eyed, as I leaned down and kissed her, letting every ounce of passion I felt for this woman come to the forefront. For years, I had kept my crush on her secret, thinking she wouldn’t want to be with a guy like me. Someone she probably thought was a lot more work than he was worth, but now, I knew I couldn’t let her slip through my fingers that easily. I couldn’t let her be the one that got away.

  My lips pressed against hers. I could feel a tiny bit of my soul giving itself up as I straddled her, my tongue slipping slowly into her mouth and finding hers. They tangled together as our passion grew. I could tell by the blush on her cheeks and the way her chest heaved that she was enjoying herself. She bucked her hips, begging me
silently for more, but I couldn’t get enough of her sweet lips. It was as if mine were permanently attached to hers. My hands roamed her petite body, taking in her curves and silky skin. My fingertips ran along her bare thighs, all the way up to the short-shorts she had on, pulling them upwards until they bunched, looking almost like panties.

  When I felt lightheaded, I pulled away. My heart raced, and I couldn’t get enough of her. Intoxicated by her sweet scent, my head moved downward, kissing her neck, my teeth nibbling her flesh. My lips reached the hollow of her neck, between her collarbones, and I sucked on it gently. She moaned again, more sweetly than before.

  My cock throbbed in my pants, struggling for freedom as I did everything in my power not to take her too quickly. I looked up at her, and strands of my hair fell into my eyes. “I want you, Victoria. So badly…” I whispered, silently praying she felt the same way.

  Her cheeks were crimson, and her large chest struggled to get sufficient air into her lungs. “Hunter…” My name sounded divine on her lips. She bit her lip and stared at me. I could tell by the look in her eyes, smoldering with lust, that she wanted me, too. Not wanting to disappoint her, I quickly pulled off her shorts and threw them across the room. I leaned down, letting my lips move across her inner thighs, spreading her legs apart before I hoisted them up and rested them on my shoulders, grinning at her when I saw her surprise.