by Rye Hart
“That wasn’t even the worst thing I ever did,” Caleb said. “That was so fucking tame compared to everything else.”
“It was a big deal for me,” I said. “That was the first time I ever broke the rules.”
“You were such a good girl back then,” Caleb said smirking. “What the hell happened to you?”
“You.” I laughed. “You were a terrible influence.”
“I just taught you how to live,” Caleb said. “Got you out of your shell a little bit.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, my eyes locking on his. Caleb’s face was inches from my own. I could smell his sweet breath, and it was more intoxicating than the beer.
“God, I missed you,” Caleb said his voice low.
I leaned forward without thinking. Caleb cupped my cheek and kissed me. His lips were magical as they danced over mine. Everything faded. My headache disappeared. The only thing that existed was that one kiss. I moved closer, sliding my body against his and sighing against his lips.
When his tongue traced my bottom lip, I moaned and shivered, my entire body silently begging him to take me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.
Then, I came back to my senses, and I pulled away quickly. My head swam, and soon, my headache was back in full force. I stared at Caleb, shock and disappointment on his face. I sighed and shook my head.
“Tara,” Caleb said.
“I should go.” I jumped to my feet and flew out the door before Caleb could say another word. My head was pounding as I ran toward my car.
I cranked the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, desperate to put as much distance between Caleb and me as possible. While I drove, I knew I needed advice. Being around Caleb again was fucking with my mind. I had no idea how to handle this, so I called my best friend and hoped she would know what to tell me.
“Stephanie,” I said when she answered. “I just kissed Caleb.”
“What the fuck, Tara?” Stephanie said, frustration in her voice. “Are you kidding?”
“No,” I said. “I don’t know how it happened. I went to his apartment to go over his at-home treatment, and there was a party, and then everyone left, and it happened.”
Stephanie groaned into the phone. She and I had been best friends most of our lives. She was around when I first met Caleb, so she knew everything about our relationship. More than anyone, Stephanie knew how badly Caleb had broken my heart.
“I thought you were going to keep your distance,” Stephanie said. “Isn’t that what you told me?”
“That was the plan,” I said weakly. “I don’t know what happened, Steph.”
“You two just can’t be trusted together.” Stephanie sighed. “How do you feel about it? Do you want it to happen again?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “He’s my patient. It can’t happen again.”
“Patient my ass,” Stephanie said. “You didn’t care that he was your step brother, so why should patient matter?”
“This is my job,” I said. “It’s serious.”
“I know,” Stephanie said. “Which is why you need to pull yourself together and get a fucking grip. You can’t do this, Tara. You can’t lose yourself in this boy all over again. You just can’t.”
“I know,” I said. She was right. Her advice was harsh but also exactly what I needed to hear. No matter what happened with Caleb, I’d worked hard to get where I was. My career was just getting started, and I couldn’t let my feelings for Caleb cloud my judgment.
“It’s going to be okay,” Stephanie said. “I know how much he means to you. If things keep going like this, maybe you should have someone else take over his case.”
“I tried that,” I said.
“Try again,” Stephanie insisted.
“I will,” I said.
We hung up, and my head was pounding worse than ever. As I pulled up to my apartment, my phone rang sharply. It hurt my ears, so I answered quickly to quiet the ringing.
“Hello?” I asked, my voice soft.
“Are you okay?” My dad’s voice sounded through the phone. “You don’t sound good.”
“My head hurts,” I said.
“Again?” Dad asked. “How bad this time?”
“Pretty bad,” I said honestly. “I just got home, so I’m going to lie down for a while.”
“Have you made an appointment yet?” he asked. “You need to get that checked out, Tara. Headaches like that shouldn’t keep happening.”
“It’s probably just stress.”
“You don’t know that,” Dad said. “I’m serious, Tara. Call and make an appointment.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I’ll call first thing in the morning.”
My dad was relieved. We hung up, and I hurried inside, shutting all the blinds and falling into bed. I told myself the headaches were nothing. Despite my dad’s worries, I was sure they didn’t mean anything. I decided to call in the morning, just to be sure.
CHAPTER NINE - CALEB
I thought my mom was a fucking idiot for suggesting this family dinner. After all these years, Darren and I still weren’t on good terms, and now that Tara was back in town, it made even less sense to try to be a regular family. Mom knew how strong my feelings for Tara were when we were kids. She watched us fall in love, and she played a huge part in keeping us away from each other. How the hell could she possibly think a family dinner was a good idea?
Still, she insisted, and I wasn’t in the position to argue. Saturday night rolled around, and at exactly six o’clock, there was a loud knock on my door. I sighed and stumbled over, not bothering with my crutches. I pulled open the door and did my best to smile while Mom, Darren, and Tara all stepped inside.
Tara looked just as uncomfortable as I felt. Our parents had been married for eleven years and still, our family time was sorely limited. She smiled at me weakly when she walked in. Her eyes found mine, and I knew she was thinking about the kiss we shared. I could practically feel her lips pressed against mine all over again.
Clearing my throat, I looked away and stumbled over to the kitchen.
“Where the hell are your crutches?” Tara snapped.
“I’m not using them,” I said. “I hate those damn things.”
“You can’t not use them!” Tara said, her eyes wide with frustration. “You’re going to screw up your leg even more, Caleb.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I have a great PT then, isn’t it?”
I grinned at her mischievously, and she rolled her eyes. Darren glared at me openly, his blue eyes narrowed with disgust.
“Tara’s right,” Mom said quickly. She glanced nervously at Darren and then back at me. “You can’t ignore medical advice. You would think, having been raised by a nurse, you would know that.”
“She’s right,” Darren said. “You’re an idiot if you don’t use them.”
Tara smiled at me triumphantly, and I rolled my eyes. I grabbed my crutches off the couch and shoved them under my arms. They were uncomfortable, but my leg did feel better with the extra support.
“Happy?” I demanded.
“Very,” Tara said with a nod.
“Let’s eat,” Mom said, clapping her hands together.
She led the way toward the kitchen table where the food was already set out and ready to go. She’d brought all of it over earlier and asked me to warm it before everyone arrived. I could tell how excited she was to have all of us together, but I didn’t share her enthusiasm. Even as dinner progressed, I felt uneasy.
Darren’s anger finally faded, and we all fell into a simple rhythm. Mom and Darren took turns asking Tara and me questions about our lives. We answered but didn’t speak to each other much. I knew Tara was still thinking about our kiss, and so was I. It was impossible not to when our feet kept brushing against each other under the table.
We finished dinner and Mom cleared the table. Darren sat awkwardly, looking between Tara and me as if he was trying to catch us in a lie. I recognized the look on his face from ten years
ago, and just like then, I wanted to slap it away. Instead, I sat back and closed my eyes, relaxing my leg and enjoying the rare moment of silence.
“Cards?” Mom asked when she came back to the table.
I groaned, but she shot me a look. I quickly smiled and pretended to be excited. The game helped ease the tension, and soon, we were all laughing and having a fun time. By the time Mom and Darren were ready to leave, things felt somewhat normal again. That is until Darren eyed Tara dangerously as he left through the front door.
“He doesn’t want us alone,” I said with a chuckle. “After all these years, he still doesn’t trust us.”
“Can you blame him?” Tara asked. “How many times did you sneak into my room when we were teenagers?”
“Only as often as you snuck into mine,” I said.
She grinned, and my eyes flickered to her lips. Now that we were alone, the electricity between us was stronger than ever. I took a step forward, desperate to feel her body pressed against mine. That kiss hadn’t been enough. I needed more. I needed all of her.
Tara cleared her throat and stepped around me. She hurried into the living room and dropped onto the couch. My dick was throbbing in my jeans, and I groaned to myself. This woman was going to kill me before the night was over.
“Maybe we should watch a movie,” Tara suggested.
“Sure,” I said. I stumbled over to the couch and sat down beside her. She grabbed the remote and flipped through my Netflix account until she found something to watch.
I barely registered what she put on. My mind was too focused on her leg just inches away from my own. She was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, her long legs begging for my fingers. I tried not to stare, but I couldn’t help myself. I trailed my eyes up her thighs, lingering between her legs. I wanted so badly to rip those shorts off her and taste her sweet pussy.
When we were teenagers, we did everything but fuck. We played around. We teased each other. I fingered her. She blew me. We danced around the big event for so long that eventually, we missed our chance.
“I hated watching Tyler hit on you,” I said. “I wanted to fucking kill him.”
“Why?” Tara asked, her eyes meeting mine. There was a tenderness in her eyes I hadn’t seen in ten years. “Why did you care?”
“I’ll always care,” I said honestly. “I can’t stand the thought of someone else touching you. I swear, every time I see Tyler now, I’m going to daydream about breaking his damn fingers.”
“Your jealousy is still hot,” Tara said, her voice low and full of lust.
“Glad you think so.”
Our lips were on each other before either of us could say another word. I grabbed her roughly, forgetting about my injury altogether. She kicked her leg over my lap and straddled me, kissing me with so much passion I thought we both might catch fire.
I gripped her hips when she started to grind against me, making my cock beg to be released from the confines of my jeans. My hands slid around to her ass, and I squeezed. She moaned and bit down on my bottom lip. Every move she made sent me closer to the edge, and soon, I couldn’t take it anymore.
I flipped her onto her back and crawled on top of her, wincing when I put too pressure on my leg.
“Are you okay?” she asked, worry flitting across her face.
“My leg,” I said. “Just hit it wrong.”
“Sit up,” she said.
“No,” I growled. “I’ve waited too long for this.”
Tara moaned when my lips crashed down on hers. I held her to the couch, running my hands all over her body until she pushed me gently off her. She stood up and pulled her shirt over her head. She slipped her shorts off and stood before me in nothing but her panties and bra.
“God, you’re fucking gorgeous,” I said.
Tara grinned and moved toward me. She removed my shirt and then quickly unbuttoned my jeans. My leg ached, but with her help, we got my jeans and boxers off. I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against me, my lips roaming frantically over her neck and chest. I unhooked her bra and threw it across the room, desperate for the taste of her tits in my mouth.
“Fuck,” she moaned when I sucked on her nipples and slid my hand between her legs. She kicked off her panties impatiently and grabbed my face.
We kissed liked we’d never stop. Ten years of pent up sexual frustration was bursting from us both. When I threw her back on the couch, I forgot all about the pain in my leg. I climbed on top of her and yanked her to me. She watched me intently while my cock teased her entrance. I had to have her.
“Come here,” she said. She sat me up and pushed me against the couch, crawling on top of me and lowering herself onto my cock.
She was worried about my leg, so she grabbed onto my shoulders to keep her weight off my injury. I didn’t care if she hurt me. Her pussy felt like heaven as it wrapped around my rock-hard dick. I thrust upward, slamming inside of her and making her gasp with pleasure.
She rode me hard and fast, rubbing her perfect tits against my face. I growled and bit her, sucking her nipples into my mouth and gripping her ass while she bounced up and down on me.
“Shit,” I said breathlessly. “God, you feel fucking amazing.”
Tara leaned down to pull my lips in for another kiss. I lifted my hips upward while she bucked against me. She was moaning with pleasure against my lips, but she never broke our kiss. I could feel her desperation as she clawed at my back and let me fuck her with abandon. We were both so close, her pussy already fluttering around my cock.
She tore her lips from mine and screamed out my name as she came. I followed right behind her, crashing upward and forcing her down on top of me. I grunted and held her there, squeezing her ass and kissing her trembling lips.
“Caleb,” she moaned and rocked her hips against me a few more times, letting her orgasm drag itself out.
When she finally lifted herself off me, I saw worry fly across her face as she looked down at my leg.
“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “I’m fucking more than fine.”
She grinned and kissed me lightly. I held her close while waves of pleasure continued to rock through my body.
CHAPTER TEN - TARA
Two days later, I still couldn’t believe I’d had sex with Caleb. Every time I thought about him, my legs trembled and my panties filled with desire. It was the hottest, most erotic night of my entire life and already, I missed him like crazy. I longed to be near him, to kiss him again, to feel his hard cock move inside me. It was almost too much to handle. For two days, I daydreamed about him. I had been so adamant about denying myself the chance to be with him again, but in the end, I just couldn’t stay away. Good or bad, our intense connection was still there.
At work on Monday, I forced myself to focus. My other patients needed my attention. I wouldn’t see Caleb until six o’clock that evening. I spent all day trying not to fantasize about him taking me right there on my desk, but it was impossible. He’d completely overwhelmed my mind and my body. I was putty in his hands, and I hated myself for it.
Despite how fantastic our night together was, I left his apartment feeling confused and scared. I had work the next morning so I couldn’t stay the night. It was probably for the best because, by the time I reached my own bedroom, my head was pounding so badly I could barely see straight. These headaches were becoming more frequent and painful. I knew it was time to do something about them, so I made an appointment for Monday afternoon.
I spent all morning thinking about Caleb and worrying about my appointment. My first few sessions of the day were easy. I didn’t have to try hard, but when Olivia walked through the door with her mother by her side, I knew it was time to get serious. This little girl needed my full attention, and I would be damned if I didn’t give it to her.
“She’s doing so well,” I told her mom when the session was over. “I think our time together will be ending soon.”
“Already?” her mom asked.
“We’ll finish out this
week and then see where we are,” I said. “I know you’re worried, but I’m telling you, her progress is incredible.”
“I feel like normal again,” Olivia said happily.
I laughed and said goodbye. It was almost time for my appointment upstairs. My stomach clenched with nerves as I left the PT building and headed toward the main hospital. I had made an appointment with the best neurosurgeon in the hospital. He didn’t usually take cases that weren’t referrals, but my dad pulled a few strings to get me in. He was worried and after my last headache, so was I.
When I made it to Dr. Anderson’s office, I checked in and sat down to wait. My legs were shaking until finally, Dr. Anderson called me back. He led to toward his office, and we sat down to talk.
“Tell me about your headaches,” he said with a kind smile.
“They started a couple months ago,” I said. “But lately, they’ve gotten worse and more frequent.”
“How often do they occur?” he asked.
“Once every few days,” I said. “Sometimes I can push through the pain, but most of the time, it knocks me on my ass.”
“Are they in your temples?” he asked.
“Kind of everywhere,” I said. “They usually start in my temples and then spread.”
“Have you vomited?”
His eyes met mine, and I could see concern swimming over his face. My heart raced in my chest. Was there something seriously wrong with me?
“Yes,” I said nervously. “Almost every time I get a headache, I throw up.”
Dr. Anderson nodded and jotted something down on his paper. When he looked back at me, he was smiling, but it did nothing to ease my fears.
“Let’s get you a CT scan today,” he said. “And some blood work. We’ll just run a variety of tests and see what comes back, okay?”
“Do you think it’s something serious?” I asked.
“No need to worry just yet,” he said.
I nodded and let him lead me toward the CT machine. He ran tests for well over an hour, and by the time I was finished, Caleb’s PT session was only minutes away.