UNPLUGGED: a standalone novel

by LK Collins

  “Sorry,” he responds innocently sitting on the edge of the bed next to me.

  “It’s okay. Were you watching me?” I ask.

  “No!” He rubs the back of his neck, undoubtedly lying, “I just sat down.”

  “How’s Ari?”

  “ He’s good; he’s here.”

  “Really? That was fast. What time is it?”

  “Two.”

  “In the afternoon?”

  “Yeah, have you been asleep since last night?”

  “Uhhh, I fell asleep at about three.”

  “Damn, staying up that late, I could’ve fucked you so many times.”

  I get up to pee and know later on that’s all we’ll be doing. “Nice shirt.”

  I look down and realize that I’m wearing one of his t-shirts. I must’ve put it on when I was drunk and stumbling into bed.

  “Thanks, I’m keeping it. I’m gonna shower and try to wake up.”

  Turning on the water, I pop a few aspirin from inside of my makeup bag and look back at my pale reflection in the mirror. God, I look like shit.

  Getting into the shower, I try to wash away all of my worries and the fucked up thoughts that are still going through my mind.

  Chapter 16

  Merritt

  I go to follow Quinn into the bathroom because I need to fuck her and now, but my iPad stops me dead in my tracks sitting on the couch in the room. I left it in my bag, so why is it out? I grab it and open it up.

  On the screen is an email:

  To: QWhitmore4379@new-mail.com

  From: cj123768@new-mail.com

  November 3, 2016, 1:15am

  Quinn,

  I can see you blocked my email, why…I’m not sure. Well, let me assure you this will be my last one to you. You’ll never see me again; I’m done with you. I’m not sure why I wasted my time with your stupid, immature, fat ass in the first place. Obviously, I made the right decision when I let you go. Everything I ever told you or promised you was a lie. I hope life screws you over, the way you deserve, we both know you were only with me for my money. Go fuck yourself, Quinn!

  Reading the hateful email again, I am in shock. What kind of a cruel person would speak to anyone like that, especially a woman? Quinn is amazing and deserves the world. She is not fat, stupid, or any of the things he called her.

  Clicking “reply” to the message, my blood is so hot as I contemplate a response.

  To: cj123768@new-mail.com

  From: QWhitmore4379@new-mail.com

  November 5, 2016, 2:18pm

  When you hit send, you should be more careful of your words. I’m with Quinn now and just read your email. Obviously, I can tell right off the bat that you are a fucking lunatic. What a way to talk to a woman—no wonder she found a real man. Let this be a warning that if you ever try to contact her again, in any way, or upset her, I will personally find you and make you fucking pay for it, the way you deserve! Now go fuck yourself, you prick!

  Without hesitation, I click “send” and log out of her email. Then I take a deep breath and strip naked, finding her just getting out of the shower. “I was going to join you.”

  “Maybe later,” she says, with the most gorgeous expression. Swiftly I kiss her, then get into the shower myself. “So did you miss me last night?” I ask her as I begin to wash myself.

  “Maybe.”

  “Damn, why you gotta be so cold? I missed you.”

  “Really?”

  “Uh huh. What did you do without me?”

  “Played spin the bottle and made out with everyone.”

  I open the shower door and glare at her as she combs her wet hair. “I’m joking,” she says.

  “Please, don’t fuck with me like that. I don’t share well.”

  She smiles and nods as I close the door.

  “I got drunk with Kami, and we just chilled.”

  “That’s cool.” She doesn’t bring up her ex emailing her, and I’m not sure if she would. I mean, we’re not together, even though I told him we were. But I want her to know that I’m here for her no matter what or how fucked up the situation is.

  “How’s Ari doing?” she asks me.

  “He’s good. You know how he is…he’s a funny fucker; there’s not much that can bring him down.”

  “Not even spending the night in the hospital?”

  “Nah, he was laughing the whole accident up and digging his nurse, who in my opinion was like a four out of a ten. I think the pain meds had him seeing shit or something; it was funny.”

  “You can always guarantee that he’ll make you laugh.”

  “True.” I get out of the shower and right as I open her towel, there is a knock on the door. “Seriously? I feel like I’m living at home again.” She grabs her towel from my grip and winks at my cock as she slips out of the room. Drying my body, I think of those hateful words that make me want to find the guy behind them and smash his face in. But I remind myself of what she wants, and it’s just this week…nothing more. So it’s not my place.

  ***

  As I sit back driving Quinn’s car to pick up dinner since Ari can’t go out, I can tell she is watching me. “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing.” She looks out the other window, and I spot the restaurant up ahead. There is a parking spot on the street, and I snag it, parallel parking her Jeep. “You want to wait in the car?” I ask.

  “No, I want to come.”

  We both get out. The chill in the air is pretty rough, and I wrap my arm around her, pulling her body tightly to mine as we walk along the sidewalk. “Thanks for driving,” she tells me.

  “Of course, anytime. I’m sorry you have a headache.”

  “It’s okay; it’ll go away.”

  I open the door to the lavish restaurant that Willow ordered dinner from and the hostess greets us and then asks, “Just two of you tonight?”

  As much as I’d love to take her out on a real date, that’s not why we’re here. “Uhh, no. We have a pickup order.”

  “What’s the name?”

  “It’s under ‘Willow.’”

  The girl looks at the computer screen, totally lost, and I glance at Quinn, giving her that look.

  “Umm, it looks like the kitchen is just starting on your order now, would you mind waiting about ten to fifteen minutes?”

  “Okay,” I respond, the chatter and commotion so loud, I’m not even sure if she heard me.

  Quinn and I sit on a bench by the door; she rests her head on my shoulder, and I tell her, “I really hate it when people ask me if I’d mind waiting. What I want to say is, ‘Do I have another choice?’”

  She laughs a little and then responds, “Me too.”

  The noise somehow gets louder in here, I can tell it’s hurting her head by the way she’s squinting her eyes, so I direct her to stand, and we head outside.

  “Why don’t we wait in the car?” I tell her.

  “Okay,” she says and as we walk back something in the window of one of the stores catches her eye. She does a double take, and I try to see what it is, but there’s so much in there that I can’t tell. “Let’s go inside,” I offer, and she smiles.

  Walking into the long and narrow store, the atmosphere is calm, and the lighting is bright, showcasing the shelves packed full with so much crap. This has got to be a tourist hotspot for sure. Quinn goes right for the window and touches a thin, elegant silver bracelet with some sort of a charm on it.

  “That it?” I ask.

  “Yeah. For my sixteenth birthday, my parents got me a bracelet just like this, and I wore it everywhere.”

  I can tell by the monotone to her voice, that she no longer has it. “What happened to it?”

  “I don’t know. I had it one day, then it was gone the next, I have no clue where it went. I’ve searched for years, and it’s never showed up.”

  I slide it off the jewelry holder and place it on her wrist. She looks down at it with a smile, so genuine and happy. “Get it,” I tell her.

  “I
don’t have my wallet.”

  “I’ll buy it for you.”

  “No, I couldn’t.”

  “It’s no big deal, please.”

  She flicks the tiny charm that is shaped like a box and says to me, “Can I pay you back?”

  “I’d rather you didn’t.”

  “That looks gorgeous on you,” the store clerk comes up and says. “Thanks,” Quinn tells her, and the clerk asks us, “Can I help you find anything else?”

  Reaching into my pocket, I grab my credit card and pass it to the woman, “Nope, just this.”

  The woman walks off to ring the bracelet up and Quinn wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me gently. “Thank you, I’ll repay you.”

  “You’re welcome, and no, you won’t.”

  Chapter 17

  Quinn

  “You didn’t tell me you found your bracelet,” Willow exclaims as I find myself playing with it the way I always used to.

  “I didn’t. Merritt bought it for me tonight when we were waiting for dinner.”

  “Really?”

  “What? You think I’m not capable of buying her things?” he chimes in.

  “No, that’s not it. I’m surprised she let you buy it, being Miss Independent and all.”

  “Oh, she wanted to pay me back. She even got all stupid about it when we got home, but I put her in her place.”

  I look at him, and he winks at me. I did get a little upset when he refused to take my money once we returned to the house, but I didn’t throw a fit.

  “Did you put a wish in it yet?” Willow asks me.

  “No, I’m still thinking on it.”

  “Wish?” Merritt asks me.

  “Yeah. You’re supposed to write a wish down, fold it up and place it inside the box.”

  Merritt nods his head, and as we look at one another, I find myself thinking about my wish and what it’d be. What do I really want in life? Just then Ari emerges and slowly walks downstairs. “You shouldn’t be up,” Willow says, running to his side.

  “I’m fine,” he brushes her off and tries to make his way to the couch, but she turns him around and walks him right back to bed. “Night, Ari,” we all yell and he flips us off. He’s obviously struggling being stuck in bed.

  “I’m turning in too,” I tell everyone as my head is still giving me a dull throbbing pain.

  Walking upstairs, I lie down on the bed, closing my eyes, hoping by morning that my head feels better. As I lie there, I find my mind is on Merritt. He is so sweet and caring, which is the last thing I expected him to be. He’s not like any other man that I’ve been with. I hate that we’ve only got two days left, so I want to make the most of it.

  Quietly he enters the room.

  “Night, guys,” Willow says walking by.

  “Night,” we both respond and I look over at him. He has a bottle of water in his hand and passes it to me as he sits down.

  “You feeling any better?”

  “Not really,” I tell him and take a small sip.

  He pulls his shirt over his head, and my eyes are drawn to his amazing tattoos. These beds are so small, as he climbs in behind me we barely fit. But I’ve grown to like snuggling together when we sleep. Wrapping his arms tightly around me, I close my eyes. The room is very tranquil; the warmth of his body along mine is so comforting.

  “What are you going to wish for?” he asks me, touching the small box on my bracelet.

  “I don’t know yet,” I answer him honestly. My mind is sending me so many mixed signals, making me feel things with Merritt that I never imagined I would. But I push them away to protect myself, the only way I know how, the way I promised myself I would after my last breakup.

  I stay in this moment because I’ve learned better than anyone that these two days will fly by and as soon as we leave here and go our separate ways, he’ll forget all about me. I remind myself he’s probably no different than the other men I’ve been with. Even if he seems different now.

  ***

  Waking up, the sun is barely lighting the morning sky, and I have to pee. Merritt is sound asleep, still holding my body tightly against his. Gently, I kiss his arm, then lift it and slip out of his hold. Looking back at the way he stretches in the tiny bed, it’s obvious his large body is way too big for it.

  Traipsing into the bathroom, I realize that my head no longer hurts. Thank God, I don’t think I could’ve endured another day of pain. After I’m done peeing, I wash my face and then go back into the bedroom, but Merritt is no longer in bed.

  I glance around the room and before I can spot him, his arms are around me. He’s standing behind me, his large cock ready and hard for me. “Morning,” he says, his voice rough as he guides me to sit on the couch. I look up at him, stark naked and so fucking hot. He takes the sash off of one of the curtains and places it over my eyes, awakening all my other senses.

  Forcefully, he tightens it behind my head and asks me, “Do you trust me?”

  “Should I?” I ask him in return.

  “I hope so.”

  Then he directs me to lie back, my eyes fighting to see what he is doing, but everything is dark. Taking his fingers, he slides them beneath the sides of my pants and shimmies them down my legs; then he removes my shirt. My heart is pounding, eager for what he has in store.

  His hands are on my body, touching and teasing my tense skin before he spreads my legs wide and settles between them, blowing a cool breath of air on my wet pussy. He says, “Mmmm, you smell like heaven.”

  I urge my hips towards him as I try to look through the sash, but I can’t see a thing. He separates my pussy and wraps his lips down around my clit. Right away, I tense, and he begins to kiss and flick back and forth with his tongue, pleasing me.

  I moan loudly, and he covers my mouth, quieting me, but not breaking our contact. As he pleases me, I fight what he is doing not wanting to give over so fast, but an intense orgasm hits me automatically, causing him to push hard against me, pulling it out of my system, like it’s his to control. My muffled noises are quieted by his hand as he cups my mouth a little harder.

  My body stops pulsating, and he pulls away. I wait for what is next, and he begins kissing me, all over. My fingers are knotted in his hair loving how his lips feel on my body. “You taste so good,” he tells me.

  “Let me taste you,” I tell him, and he doesn’t answer. Instead he continues kissing me. Even though I just came, my body is horny and eager for him. I allow him to take his time, dousing me with affection, and then he stops and nudges his cock against my lips. I open wide, taking him in, wishing that I could see him, but also liking the way the blindfold has me lost in a world where only Merritt and I exist.

  I moan against his shaft, gripping the base as I suck him. Every contour of his rigid dick etches itself into my memory. He moves slowly but gives me all of him. I grip harder, and he doesn’t last long before he pulls away. I lie there, breathless and panting, wanting more of him. “Why did you stop?” I ask and before I can answer, he’s inside me. His hands hold my legs open wide, so our bodies blend close together. He moves in and out of me, causing every fiber of who I am to focus only on the pleasure and as I get lost in this moment, he asks me, “Does this have to end?”

  I contemplate how to answer him, and slowly, lift the blindfold off of my eyes. He looks at me, so wantonly and even though I’m scared, I don’t want it to end either. But deep down, we both know it has to. It’ll never work. And if for some reason we were to force things and give it a try, I’m not ready. I’m damaged and need to fix myself before I can even think I’m emotionally able for a relationship.

  Chapter 18

  Merritt

  After Quinn and I fucked this morning, she’s been quiet…more distant, and I know it’s because of the question that I asked her this morning. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything; it was in the heat of the moment, and I let my mouth speak what I was feeling. She couldn’t even answer me; she just shook her head, and now…everything feels different
.

  She agreed to a week with me, and that’s it. So I’ve gotta let go of any thoughts I’m having about wanting more. Plus, who am I kidding? I don’t have time to date. I barely have time for myself when I’m home.

  “I’m gonna go for a walk,” she says, grabbing her scarf and gloves.

  “Can I join you?” I ask, wanting to get things back to normal between us.

  “Sure.”

  I get dressed and meet her downstairs. Since Ari got hurt, we haven’t done much as a group, minus hanging out at the house, which is understandable, but at times it’s boring.

  Willow and Ted are watching a movie on the couch with Ari. Kami and Jacob must be in their room.

  As we step outside, the cold air sends a chill through my bones, and I zip my coat. We walk down the driveway, and automatically I grab her hand, she blinks a few times, searching for her words and I just want to try and fix things. “I’m sorry for earlier. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth.”

  “It’s okay. I’m sorry for how I acted too.”

  “Don’t be,” I tell her. “I shouldn’t have asked you that. We had an agreement, and I got carried away in the heat of the moment and—”

  “It’s okay, Merritt,” she cuts me off. “You don’t need to explain yourself. It’s not you that’s messed up, it’s me.”

  “Can I ask you something, Quinn?”

  “Sure.”

  “What’s happened to make you so scared to date again?”

  She laughs awkwardly, “I don’t know what it is, but all of my relationships always end badly.”

  “Why do you think?”

  “I don’t know. Ever since high school, every relationship I’ve been in has ended because either the guy has lied to me or cheated on me.”

  “You know I’d never do that to you, right?” She rolls her eyes and doesn’t respond, looking over at me. “I mean it, Quinn.”

  “You and I don’t even live in the same state. Have you ever tried a long-distance relationship?”

  “No, you?”

  “Yes, my last one was, and I’m telling you, I won’t do it again. I’m sorry, it has nothing to do with you. I like you, and the time we share together, but once we are apart, I’m sure your feelings will change, and like I said, I’m not ready to date. I need some time to fix myself.”