The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller

by L. B. Simmons

  I don’t tell him about Walter. I don’t tell him how my heart broke the day he died. The day I killed him on accident. Fear spikes in my heart and pounds against every single nerve throughout my system, but I try to push it aside. The terror gets shoved safely back into my memory bins, along with the memory of his loss. There’s too much happiness in this room right now to taint it with the past.

  So, in order to move forward the best way I know how, I replace his memory with this one.

  “Walter. His name is Walter,” I say on a breath and a smile.

  Kaeleb forcefully exhales and runs his hand through his hair.

  “I love it! It’s perfect!” Quinn claps. She leans into me and gives the puppy a light kiss and a stroke of his fur before leaving the living room, only to reenter with a cake containing twenty candles on top. It has chocolate frosting and “Happy Birthday, Sunshine” on the top written in yellow, with a sun covering the corner. Its rays extend across the top and as I note the shakiness of their lines, I know it’s been hand made.

  Kaeleb.

  My lips kick up on the sides and I glance up at him with my brows raised. “You made this?”

  His face lights up with pride. “I did.”

  I can’t help but smile at the excited expression on his face. “Wow, Kaeleb. Thank you for everything. You’ll never know how much this means to me.”

  And he won’t.

  The look in his eyes tells me he wants to ask me about it, but his thoughts are redirected when there’s a knock at the door.

  “Oh! That must be Josh!” Quinn bounces excitedly, almost dropping the cake. “Hurry and blow out the candles so I can get the door!”

  Kaeleb grins while watching her as I draw in a deep breath of air, curl Walter tightly into my body, and blow out the candles. One by one they’re extinguished, and when I step back, I’m gifted more puppy kisses for my efforts. Quinn sets the cake down on the breakfast table beside us before bolting to the door and letting Josh inside. He barely glances at her as he enters, too busy texting on his phone. My head jerks back with his blatant disregard for the gorgeous girl standing right in front of him. Kaeleb and I exchange stunned stares, but say nothing as he ends the text and slides the phone into his pocket.

  After surveying the room, he saunters over to Kaeleb and extends his hand. “Sup, man. Good to see ya.” After shaking it, he turns to me and states, “Happy birthday.” The coolness in his tone is odd, because he’s usually much more cordial. Knowing that he’s still close with Sabrina and Candace, I’m wondering if this is about the unitard comment that Kaeleb made last night, but I guess I don’t really care too much because I can’t seem to stop myself from smiling as the memory plays out in my mind.

  Kaeleb smirks back at me and I can tell he’s thinking the same thing.

  Quinn bolts around the corner, pink clutch in her hand. “I’m ready, let’s go Josh.” Glancing over her shoulder at me, she adds, “Have fun you guys.”

  “What? What about us?” My expression turns inquisitive as I watch her hook her arm in Josh’s, who still hasn’t complimented her appearance. It’s slowly but surely beginning to turn from mere frustration into high irritation.

  Quinn giggles, clearly not as upset as I am with his lack of commentary. “You guys are staying in, obviously. You can’t leave Walter all by himself on his first night. Maybe you can give him a piece of cake!”

  “NO!” I shout back, causing everyone in the room to jump. I quickly compose myself and add, “No chocolate. It’s not…good for dogs. Nothing other than puppy food, got it?” I glare my warning at both Quinn and Kaeleb. Their faces are full of shock as they nod slowly.

  I continue staring until I feel they’ve grasped the importance of my order before my thoughts change course. Honing in on Quinn, I narrow my eyes in her direction and purse my lips. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?” Kaeleb laughs out loud, giving me my confirmation. “Why did you make me get all dressed up if we’re not even going out?”

  Quinn gives me a knowing look. “Because dummy, it’s your birthday. And your real gift from me was the look on Kaeleb’s face when he first saw you. For you to feel as beautiful as you are.” Her eyes dart to Kaeleb. “While I’m sad I missed it, the way he’s looking at you right now tells me that my gift was definitely delivered.”

  My eyes drift to Kaeleb, standing there with a gorgeous, crooked smile playing on his lips as he lifts his hand to gently brush the hair off my shoulder, tickling my skin with the pads of his fingers.

  “Breathtaking,” he murmurs under his breath. My face flushes with the potent intimacy of his stare as I’m reminded of his confession in the bedroom. I turn away quickly, self-conscious about my involuntary reaction.

  Clearing my throat, I look back at Quinn, who’s smiling as her eyes bounce between the two of us.

  “Thank you,” is all I can manage before she gives Walter another pat on the head and turns with Josh to leave.

  Just as I’m about to speak, Kaeleb calls out to her, stealing the words from my mouth. “You look gorgeous, Quinn. You deserve to know that as well.” They both halt, turning in unison as Kaeleb’s eyes slide over to Josh, his face tightening into a sneer. Josh says nothing, but Quinn’s eyes glisten slightly as she gives us a sad smile and a shrug of her shoulders. “Thank you, Kaeleb.”

  She gives him a nod of her head and then they’re gone, leaving us alone in the living room.

  Before I can think any more about it, Kaeleb’s strong arms wrap around my body and pull me into his chest gently, careful to not squish dear Walter in the process. He kisses the top of my head, my temple, the top of my cheek and the corner of my mouth. But that’s as far as he makes it before Walter stands in my arms, placing his tiny paws on my shoulder to lick our faces with his own puppy kisses.

  Kaeleb breaks away and pulls Walter out of my arms, propping him along his forearm and setting him on his hip. Shaking his head, he brushes the hair from my face before curling a hand around my neck. His tongue crosses his lips as he leans in to give me a scorching kiss. My body melts into his as Walter continues whining his protest.

  Our mouths border on ravenous as Kaeleb wraps his arm around my waist and urges me to step backwards. I willingly comply, retreating under his direction as he leads. Memorizing the feel of his body, my hands float along the curves of his muscles as they work their way up to his neck. As soon as my knees hit the couch behind us, I thread my fingers through his hair and pull him closer, which earns me a groan in return.

  He lowers me down, his mouth continuing to work against mine the entire descent. Only after I’m seated does he break the kiss, ending it with a gentle peck to my lips and a graze of his nose along mine. I inhale deeply, savoring both his scent and his taste, as he moves to place Walter on the floor. Once his hands are free, he sets his knee on the couch and gently presses me to lie down. Lowering his body, he settles his hips between my legs, and as the warmth of his mouth trails down my neck, my body impulsively begins to grind against his. The friction of our movements shoots a powerful surge to the center of my body, and an unfamiliar yearning begins to raid my senses. My entire body starts to thrum and my heart pounds beneath my chest with nervous anxiety.

  My being a virgin has never been a secret between us. Kaeleb knew it the first time his hand simply brushed over my breast, the way my body responded to the touch, and he let it be known right then and there that there would never be any pressure from him to do anything I wasn’t ready to experience.

  But right now, he’s all I want to experience.

  Unfortunately, someone has other plans.

  Just as Kaeleb’s lips work their way back up my throat and find my mouth, a cold, wet nose jams itself right in between our faces. Surprised, we quickly disengage and turn our heads, only to find one very eager Walter. Stretching as far as he can, his paws are right underneath my head and his whines rise in pitch until they are ear shattering.

  Kaeleb’s forehead falls to my neck as his shou
lders shake with laughter. “Well, that’s a first. I cock-blocked myself.”

  Still whirling from my euphoria, my only response is a giggle as he places a tender kiss against my skin. He reluctantly presses himself off of my body and once seated, offers me his hand and pulls me up right next to his body. With a contented sigh, I lean against his shoulder and curl my feet under my legs, watching as he helps maneuver Walter onto the couch. Obviously very pleased with the attention, Walter’s yips die down and we patiently wait as he turns circles, searching for the perfect spot—AKA Kaeleb’s lap—until he plops down with an exhausted grunt.

  Yeah.

  I feel ya, buddy.

  I suddenly find myself dog-tired as the mixture of champagne and excitement from the day’s events begin to take their toll.

  With the fog of lust finally beginning to clear, my mind falls back to Quinn’s departure. “What the hell was that with Josh tonight?” I ask, as a yawn works its way through my lips.

  Kaeleb curls his arm around my shoulder and I nestle into his offered warmth as he exhales deeply. “No idea. That guy is a fucking douche.”

  “Agreed,” I remark as I set my head against Kaeleb’s chest.

  Listening to the steady sound of his beating heart, my lids become heavy and I’m forced to relinquish all thoughts as I slowly drift to sleep.

  It was the beginning of many things that should have never been overlooked regarding Quinn.

  Many things that I would later come to regret.

  “I’m very pleased with your progress, Aubrey, but I still have my concerns. For instance, while you may look like your old self, you still refuse to acknowledge the misdirected guilt that eight year old Aubrey Miller experienced. I fear that until you do, you can’t possibly move past what drove you to become Raven in the first place. And to be quite honest, I don’t feel that you are capable of handling any situation in which death, or even illness, occurs to someone you care for deeply without losing yourself again. Just because you choose to avoid them, doesn’t mean that the guilt and fear have just magically disappeared. They’re still very much there and will remain until you come to terms with them. Regardless of your appearance.”

  My day pretty much turned to shit after that grand epiphany from Palmer. That’s what started it. Next, in Microbiology lab, I find out I made my first fucking C on a lab report because my dickwad partner contaminated the media, giving us false results. Probably because he couldn’t take his eyes off my ass. Then, when I arrived home, I was greeted by Walter carrying one of my brand new Chucks in his mouth. Well, what was left of it anyway.

  I’ve lost a lot of shoes over the past two weeks. Thankfully my Docs are still intact.

  After first giving him a scolding, and then lots and lots of love, I brought him to bed with me where I’ve been lying ever since in my pajamas. I blame this funk all on Palmer. He’s probably just pissed. I haven’t been dropping by nearly as much, and he must be looking for a way to twist my mind into thinking I need more help. These damn conversations have worked their way into actual therapy sessions. Ones that I don’t need.

  Sighing out loud, I roll over to stroke Walter’s soft coat with the tips of my fingers and laugh as he growls in his sleep. He’s most likely wrestling with my other poor, defenseless shoe.

  My phone vibrates, pulling my attention to my bedside table. Picking it up, I smile at the text displayed:

  K: On my way. Need anything?

  Me: You.

  K: I’m all yours.

  K: Everything okay?

  Me: It will be when you get here.

  K: I’ll be there in five, Sunshine. :)

  Me: K.

  After setting the phone on the bed beside me, I continue petting Walter until Kaeleb arrives. Quinn and I gave him a key long ago, so it’s no surprise when I hear his backpack hit the living room floor. Soon after, my darkened room becomes dimly lit as he opens the door and steps inside.

  That is until he flips on the light.

  “AH! NO! Turn it OFF!” My arm immediately covers my face.

  “God.” He snickers. “Quinn wasn’t joking. You really are a vampire.”

  Walter barks and whines upon his arrival, the high pitch bouncing off the walls around me. “Make it stop,” I groan, rolling over and planting my head firmly in my pillow. I pull it securely around my ears to provide a much needed barrier from uninvited light and sound.

  I barely make out the sound of muffled footsteps before the pillow is whisked away from my face and replaced with Walter’s tongue. I raise my hand to block his assault, but he’s relentless. So much so, I’m forced to roll back over and pull him onto my chest.

  Kaeleb grins down at me, then pulls a chew treat out of his pocket, waving it in Walter’s face. I’m instantly forgotten as he slides and stretches his way over my body, landing on his paws and snagging the treat from Kaeleb’s fingers. In one swoop, Walter is lifted off the bed as Kaeleb places him on the floor.

  The bed dips with his weight as Kaeleb forcefully scoots me over. I watch with feigned anger as he sprawls out on his stomach next to me.

  “Seriously? There is another side to the bed.”

  He reaches over and grabs the previously thrown pillow, snickering while folding it under his head. “Yeah, but this side’s already warm.”

  I roll my eyes and elbow him in the ribs, satisfied with the resulting grunt. Pressing myself up, I glance over to see Walter gnawing happily before reclining back into my original position. I grab the only pillow left and tuck it under my head, twisting my neck to face Kaeleb then stare into his eyes as he does the same. The side of his mouth turns up as he reaches forward and presses my bangs away from my brows.

  “There you are,” he states softly on a contented breath.

  I exhale deeply, breathing out the stress of the day. “I’m here.”

  “What happened? Wanna talk about it?”

  Rolling onto my side, I slide my hands under my cheek and shake my head. “No, I want to just get lost in you.”

  His eyebrow rises along with the corner of his mouth. “I can do that.”

  He presses himself up on his elbow and strokes my cheek. His fingers trail downward until they cross over my lips, then leaning forward, his mouth hovers over mine as he inquires, “How lost are we talking here, exactly?”

  His head dips as he barely touches his lips to mine. “Lost enough?”

  My eyes fall to his mouth and I shake my head.

  “Hmmm…” he hums. “How about this?”

  He lowers his chest so that it rests flush against mine and draws his tongue slowly across my lips. They part for him and he delves in deeply, drowning me in the taste that I crave. After one sweep, he pulls back with a smug grin on his face. “Enough?”

  “More,” I state. Lifting my hands, I thread them through his hair and tug him back down. He smiles against my lips, then obliges. My hungry moans fill the air as he repositions his body snug between my perched legs.

  Breaking the kiss, his elbows press into the bed as he brushes his fingers through my hair. Tenderly, he gazes down at me. “More?”

  I barely nod, lost in need as he dips his head. His hair tickles my jaw and his warm lips part, nibbling and lapping my neck as he makes his way down to the hollow. My back arches when his teeth nick my collar bone, searching for some sort of release from his torment.

  With excruciating precision, he drags the weight of his body down mine, causing my nipples to tighten with the movement. His fingers dance underneath the hem of my shirt before flipping it up and rolling it over, and my skin quivers with his touch. I release a gasp as the warmth of his tongue trails across my lower stomach, leaving a burning sensation in the undiscovered territory. He ends the torture with a gentle kiss before he lifts his body.

  “Lost yet?”

  “Not quite,” I remark. My gruff voice is almost unrecognizable.

  He chuckles and presses his fingers inside the hem of my pants, pulling them off in one swift movement. Si
tting back on the heels of his feet, he smiles. “I didn’t think so.”

  Leaning forward, he splays his fingers and spreads my legs with a feather light touch. Goose bumps run wildly all over my body and a breath hitches in my throat. Kaeleb pauses briefly as his eyes catch sight of my new black lace panties. Raking his teeth across his bottom lip, he tears his gaze away to meet my stare.

  My lids are heavy with desire, but my heart is racing with anxiety.

  We’ve never been this far before, and I’ve sure as hell never let anyone touch the most intimate part of my body. I begin to feel self-conscious and draw my legs shut, but they’re met with the resistance of Kaeleb’s body, his eyes full of understanding as he lowers on top of me. He hovers above me, and his heated breaths fan my mouth as he whispers, “We can stop if you want to, Bree. If you’re not comfortable. I want to make sure you’re ready before we take it any further.”

  But looking into his eyes and feeling his soothing warmth on my skin, I know there’s nothing that I wouldn’t want to share with him.

  I trust him with absolutely no reservation.

  Nodding slightly, I bring my hand to his face and the place the tips of my fingers over his soft lips. “There’s nothing I want more. I need this, Kaeleb. I need you.”

  A low growl escapes his throat as he brings his mouth to mine and our tongues tangle with a different hunger than ever before. His fingers curl under my tank and I lift myself, allowing him to pull it swiftly over my head. As soon as it disappears, I recline and shove my fingers into his hair, directing him to my throat. Warm lips find my neck and trail their way down to my breasts, which are propped up with the padding of my new black push-up bra. The feel of them elicits another moan from Kaeleb as he runs his tongue over the swells and then dips between. The heat from his touch along with his rapid breathing sends my hips up toward him.

  My body grinds against his, the need for relief from the pressure building between my legs emboldening my movements. Cupping his hand around my left breast, he strokes my nipple with the pad of his thumb through the material and my neck extends as a groan passes through my lips. He hooks his finger over the top of my bra, pulling it down to free my breast. My back curves off the bed as he takes it into his mouth, flicking and teasing the nipple.