by N. Natishna
He went faster, one hand gripping my hip, the other tangled in my hair. I gasped as he hit my sweet spot and my cries were muffled by his mouth. My orgasm was so forceful I almost blacked out. He stilled, his hips grinding into mine, and I felt him pulsing within me.
He levered himself off me and kissed my temple before looking down at me.
“I love you,” I whispered as I ran my fingers down his jaw, his eyes never wavering from mine as I did.
“I love you, too.” He leaned down to press his cheek against mine. “So much, baby.”
✽✽✽
I was lounging out by the pool with Bianca, Reggie, and Jeff. Zane and Aria were hours away in Zane’s family cabin. They had decided they needed ‘a weekend away’ as Aria had put. It was like they were married and we were their children. They’ve been taking random weekends away since Zane got his license two years ago.
Their trip inspired Liam to take Rosie out of town for the weekend, as well. Things have progressed fast between those two, but they were so cute and made it work. Rosie wasn’t as shy with us as she was when she first got here.
And Liam was a complete goner – had been from the first time he laid eyes on her. He was a gentle kind of guy; real sweet and caring. But he was so much more so with Rosie. She used to get so nervous and fidgety around others, but being with Liam really brought her out of her shell some.
Molly and Deklan were spending the day together, but they were coming by in a couple hours, and Luke was at home taking care of his mom. Deklan had stayed the night at my house last night, so he had to wake early so my parents didn’t see him leave. He’d been staying the night with me some weekend days, for the past month. I’d never done something so risky, but it had been oh so worth it.
Oh. So. Freaking. Worth it.
So it was just us four hanging out for a while, and Bianca had suggested swimming after we played two hours of Dance Paradise on my Xbox Kinect.
“Yo, Flame, toss me another slice of the pepperoni!” Reggie hollered from three lounge chairs over. He was farthest away with Jeff next to him, and Bianca between me and Jeff. We had two large boxes of pizzas on the table between me and Bianca. One was pepperoni, the other was all meat with extra, extra cheese – my favorite.
I lifted my sunglasses to the top of my head and leaned up on elbows. Jeff was lying on his stomach with the lounger all the way back, reading on his iPad. Reggie was leaning back texting on his phone. We were all under our own big umbrella, relaxing. I looked at Bianca, who was scowling at her phone.
“Get it yourself, Reggie!” she growled as she typed away.
“Jeez, Flame. You can be so temperamental.” Reggie sighed. “Slim, can you do me a solid?”
I rolled my eyes and reached inside the top box for a slice of pizza. I straightened up more and tossed it up, laughing when it landed on Jeff’s ass.
Reggie scoffed as he grabbed it. “Damn, Slim, that’s just gross.”
He took a bite anyway.
I turned my attention back to Bianca when she muttered a curse. She was still glaring at her phone. There could be only one reason for this.
“Chris again?” I asked. She grimaced and nodded.
“I don’t know how he got my new number. The friends that have it know better than to give it to that jackass.”
She’d dated Chris Hines for five months until he started getting creepy. Bianca broke it off last summer, but the dude just didn’t give up. She’s had to change her number five times in the last year, and we had no idea how he always got her new number. Bianca was a hell of a loyal friend, and in return, people were loyal to her.
“What’s up, Flame?” Jeff asked. He’d set the iPad down and was looking over at us with concern.
Bianca started to shake her head, but I cut in. “Chris got her number again.”
Jeff sat up and Reggie did the same. “You’re shittin’ me!” Reggie spat. There were no playful grins that they were famous for, but cold, stony expressions.
“Cool it, Reg,” I said smoothly and reached up to tighten the band holding my ponytail.
“This dude needs a little reality check.” That was Jeff, who rarely ever got angry, but when he did it was a bad day for everybody.
“Right, I totally agree with that,” Reggie seconded. “I say we find this dick and pound his face in the ground.”
Bianca rolled her eyes and turned her phone off. I just laughed.
“I was thinking more along the lines of a restraining order.”
Reggie looked at Jeff with disgust. “A fucking restraining order? Come on, man, you’re bustin’ my chops here.”
“What the hell for?”
“We need to kick this guy’s ass, not be girls and get a stupid restraining order.”
“Whoa, that was low,” Jeff said with mock hurt.
Reggie flopped back in the lounger. “You’ve been such a pansy lately, bro.” He smiled slyly at Jeff. “Is it that time of the month?”
“Fuck off, dirtbag.”
“Yes, darling, if you say so.”
“You can be a real ass, you know that?”
Reggie just grinned stood up. He stretched and then jumped into the deep end of the pool. When he surfaced he flicked water at us.
“Get in here, it feels awesome. We can play some chicken.”
“I’m in!” I chimed and Bianca moved with me to the edge of the pool. We jumped in and waited for Jeff to get his lazy butt out of the lounger.
We were still in the pool an hour later when Jay announced that Deklan and Molly had arrived. I pulled myself up out of the side of the pool as they walked out on the patio. I dried off with my towel as Deklan came to me.
“Hey baby.” He leaned in to grip my waist and kissed the side of my neck. “Mm, I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, sweetheart.” I leaned up and pulled his head down to whisper in his ear. “You were amazing this morning. My body is still tingling.”
His chuckle was husky and his grip on my sides tightened.
“You gonna get in?” I asked him as I pulled back. He shrugged and looked over at the pool. Molly had already gone to change into her suit and was just walking out. “I might as well. I gotta go change.”
I pointed over to the changing cabana on the other side of the pool and he kissed me once more before heading that way.
We all swam for another two hours before we got out and changed. Reggie suggested we go out to eat and we all took him up on that and decided on sushi. On the way, we called Luke so he could meet us there.
I told Deklan about Bianca’s ex and he agreed with Jeff on the whole restraining order subject, but said he wouldn’t object to Reggie’s idea.
I just laughed and kissed my silly boyfriend.
✽✽✽
I zipped up my romper and smoothed my hand down the front. It was a jumper with a corset top that had a flower pattern on it; and a built-in bra. The short bottoms of the jumper were black, and I had a black, cropped jacket with the sleeves pushed up to my elbows. It was December and there was a cold nip in the air, but I just couldn’t resist wearing this outfit today. My mom had brought it back with her from Australia.
I slipped on my favorite black Gucci ankle boots and walked to the mirror.
I was in the girl’s locker room and everyone else had already left. I stayed to wash my body before getting dressed. Deklan was coming over to my house since we were off work today, and I’d just got done with cheer practice. I was all sweaty and that would not be attractive when I was making out with Deklan in my bed.
My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my purse, seeing my mom’s face.
“Hello,” I answered.
“The baby’s coming!” she cheered, and I gasped.
“Right now?” I pulled my phone away to look at the time. “Okay, tell Kat I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”
“I think this baby is going to be coming a lot sooner than TJ did!” I heard her say something to someone and then she was ba
ck. “Okay, honey, we’ll see you soon! Your father was already here! Love you!”
“Love you, too.” I disconnected and tossed the phone back in my purse.
I was going to be an aunt of two now! How exciting!
I smiled as I reapplied my lip gloss in the mirror and looked down to shove it back in my purse. When I looked back up I jumped when I saw Cody in the mirror. I whipped around and saw him leaning against one of the rows of lockers.
I glared at him. “What the hell do you want?”
I tried to sound pissed off, when really, I was effing terrified. I was alone in this building and I was one hell of a weak girl. And Cody looked way too smug for my liking. I swallowed hard and tried not to fidget when he didn’t answer.
“What are you doing here, Cody?”
His eyes roamed up and down my body, making my skin crawl.
“Damn, babe, you are sexy as fuck.” He pushed off the lockers and stalked towards me. I backed up to the mirror and he kept coming until he was just a foot away. He reached up and twirled a lock of my hair that was cascading around my shoulders. I swatted at his hand and he tugged it hard, yanking my head sideways some. I cried out from the pain, but kept my eyes glued on his angry face. I wasn’t going to go down easy. I wasn’t a fighter, but I was going to do anything possible to get away.
“I just don’t get why you’d give it to that freak of a douchebag and not me.” His other hand came to my throat and slid it up and down. I wanted to gag. “We were so good together, until he came around.”
I shook my head vehemently. “That’s not true, Cody. We were over way before I met him.”
His hand gripped my throat tighter and I felt my eyes widen as I was restricted from taking my next breath.
“Seeing you, and how hot you can get…I want that from you, Emma.” My eyes widened, in shock and the fact that I was losing air quickly. Cody smiled even more slyly and moved the hand from my hair to my breast. “I’ve missed this body.”
Oh God. If I wasn’t scared shitless, I’d die of humiliation. I grasped his wrist with both hands and tried to pull, but I was getting too weak. Black spots were popping up in my vision, but I kept clawing at his arm. He chuckled and loosened his hold on me. I drew in a sharp breath and then started coughing. I was dizzy as hell, but I took the chance at escape and brought my knee up as hard as I could, hitting him right in the groin. He went down quickly with a grunt and took a hard swipe of my left leg as I tried to run. I fell forward, smacking my forehead on the hardwood bench between two rows of lockers.
“Fuck!” I wailed and reached up to touch it. I winced and cried out from the horrific pain. My hand was shaking as it came down coated with blood. Cody grabbed my ankle and yanked, but I hurried to grasp the metal bar holding the bench in the ground. I ripped my purse open and dug for my cellphone, trying, but failing, at calming my nerves so I could see straight. I unlocked my screen as I heard Cody shuffling to his feet, groaning as he did. I hit two on my keypad and pressed SEND.
“Fucking bitch,” Cody spat and rubbed below the belt. My right eye kept blinking from the blood dripping down my forehead.
“Babe, you almost -”
I cut him off as soon as I heard him answer. “DEKLAN!” I screamed as Cody hurried to kick the phone from my hand. Instant pain spread to my pinkie and ring fingers as his shoe connected to them. “DEKLAN!” I screamed louder and then Cody drew back his leg, aiming straight for my face.
Then everything went black.
✽✽✽
Deklan
“So you’re working tonight?” Jeff asked Molly.
We were all sitting around Reggie’s truck waiting for Emma to finish down in the locker room by the football field. I rubbed the back of my neck for the millionth time when I felt a prickle there. I kept turning my head to see if someone was tickling it with something, but there was nobody.
Molly was working for Emma tonight so I could have a nice dinner with her. Molly had turned out to be a great waitress and a fast one, too. I highly doubt she ever used her notepad, because of her eidetic memory. She was racking up tip money, too, which was another plus. I helped her start an account at the bank I was using and made sure to set up a college savings account, too.
“Yeah, I’m working for Emma,” Molly answered.
I tuned them all out when the tingling started again. I was too occupied wondering what was taking my girlfriend so damn long to change. For some damn reason I was getting too antsy.
Where the fuck was Emma?
“You okay, bro?” Liam asked me. He was leaning back on Reggie’s tailgate, between Rosie’s legs as she sat on the edge of the truck.
I shook my head and narrowed my eyes down towards the field.
“I wanna know what’s taking her so damn long,” I muttered.
Bianca snorted. “You know Slim, she doesn’t go halfway with her appearance. It takes her a bit.”
I shook my head again, quicker this time. “I have Emma-time down to a pat. She’s taking longer than she normally would now.”
“I think you’re getting a little paranoid there, cupcake.”
“Yeah,” I said and sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t know what’s up with me.”
Just then my phone rang and I pulled my phone from my pocket. A picture of Emma’s bright and smiling face was popped up on my screen and I hurried to answer.
“Babe, you almost -” I was just about to say ‘done’ when a loud scream came through the phone. And that sound was coming from Emma as she screamed my name.
I didn’t think, didn’t waste any more time to book it across the parking lot, to the stairs that led down to the field. I heard the pounding footsteps behind me, but I didn’t look back. I kept my focus on one thing, and that was the burning need to get to Emma. I knew something was wrong. I should have listened to that fucking prickle in the back of my neck. I should have been closer to her.
If something happened to her, I’d have nothing. A memory of an incident similar to this one flashed through my brain. Molly had screamed for me too, and I had been too late for her as well.
Someone darted from the building, high tailing it quickly away. Even though the dude was wearing a hoodie with the hood up, I knew those steroid infested arms anywhere. I pointed to him but didn’t deter from my path to the locker rooms.
“Get that son of a bitch!” I shouted to anyone fast enough to do it. I went straight and burst into the girl’s room frantically.
“Emma!” I called out. “Baby, answer me!”
I rounded the corner and looked down the first set of lockers but saw nothing. I looked down the next aisle and my stomach twisted at the sight of Emma’s body crumpled at the other end.
I ran to her, kneeling down to examine her. She was unconscious and blood was gushing from a large gash on her forehead. Her cheek was swollen and getting bigger. When I saw that her nose was crooked as blood ran out of it, I felt the air leaving my lungs and my eyes burned. I sucked in a hard breath. I needed to hold it together or I’d never save her.
“Help,” I managed to get out gruffly as I pulled off my button-up top. I heard Liam’s calm, but edgy voice as he talked to the dispatcher.
“Pixie,” I murmured as I looked down at my sweet baby’s battered and bloodied face. I held my shirt to her forehead and leaned over her, willing her eyes to open. I needed so badly to see those glittering emeralds of hers. I needed it so bad that I felt myself break down when I couldn’t. Aria was on the other side of Emma feeling her pulse. I felt like an idiot for not even thinking about that.
“Where the hell are they?” I asked sharply.
“They’ll be here shortly, Deklan,” Liam said, too damn calmly, and reached out to touch my shoulder. It didn’t calm me or give me any kind of comfort. The only way I’d get that was if Emma opened her eyes and smiled her shining smile. Three minutes later, I heard sirens. I reluctantly let go and backed off Emma when EMTs crowded in to care for her.
I h
eaded outside and saw Reggie, Jeff, and Zane. They told me that they ran after Cody and Reggie had tackled him to the ground. Now the douche was in a cop car, on his way to the police station. I wanted to kill him. When I’d spotted him in the back of the car, I was there in a split second, pulling on the handle until Reggie and Jeff pulled me away. Zane got in my face and grabbed my shoulder.
“Calm down, bro. We got him for you, and got some shots in there, too.”
I moved my gaze from Cody’s taut, angry face, to Zane’s.
“I want to tear him limb from limb,” I told him fiercely. He nodded.
“I know you do, but Emma needs you right now. They’re loading her right now.” I looked at the men loading Emma in the ambulance. “Go, man. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”
I gave Cody one more hard glance before heading for the big van. As we made our way to the hospital everything vanished around me, but her. All I could see was how brutal her face looked. When her eyes twitched I tensed, but nothing happened. I hated this, hated feeling so helpless when the girl I was supposed to protect was broken and bleeding. When we got to the hospital, I had to stay back in the waiting room until I heard something. Everyone else showed up a few minutes later and took chairs around me.
And we sat.
Waiting.
And waiting.
And then I snapped.
I cried like a baby, because it was taking too fucking long to get an answer.
I felt arms around me, and I knew they were my sister’s. I clutched her tight and rested my head on her shoulder.
“I should have been there,” I rasped out.
“Shh,” she soothed and ran her hand through my hair. “It’s not your fault, brother, I promise.”
“If she’s not all right…”
“We should know something soon,” Bianca said from the other side of me. She started rubbing my back for comfort.
“Why is it taking so long?” I muttered and lifted my tear-soaked face from Molly’s shoulder.
“Let me check,” Liam said and strode to the reception area. I watched him talk to one of the women back there, his face going from calm to furious in seconds. He pushed away from the counter and came back. “Amateurs,” he muttered.