by Todd, E. L.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why is your ex texting you?” I snapped.
She looked at me in disbelief. “You better be kidding me.”
“No. Why is he texting you this late at night? It’s like ten pm there.”
“What does it matter?”
“And why don’t you want me to see it?”
“It’s none of your business, Ryan,” she said as moved away from me. “So I have to deal with women calling you all the time, trying to sleep with you, trying to actually steal you from me, and wear a brave smile and not blame you for anything, but when my ex-boyfriend texts me I get grilled for it? What the hell is wrong with you? You told me you’re not the jealous type but you clearly are.”
“It’s different. I’ve never been in a serious relationship with anyone before.”
“But you’ve had a threesome! That’s pretty serious.”
“It’s still not the same thing!”
“Fuck you, Ryan!”
“What did you say to me?” I rose from my seat and looked at her.
“I told you to go fuck yourself.” She turned away from me but I grabbed her.
“Don’t walk away when I’m yelling at you.”
“Let me go,” she snapped.
I released her immediately.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Let’s find out what he said since you’re so fucking concerned about it.” She turned on the screen and looked at the message. She started to read aloud. “Your dad wanted me to tell you that he bought a copy of Plundering in the Deep because you edited it. He wanted me to tell you congratulations. He still can’t figure out how to text. Hope you’re well.” She held the phone up to my face so I could see it. “Just so you don’t think I’m lying.”
Now I felt like shit.
“Good night, Ryan.” She marched down the hallway and disappeared.
I sat down on the couch and stared at the blank television screen. I don’t know what happened. If she had just looked at the text message in front of me I wouldn’t have snapped. The fact that she hid it from me is what set me off. But I knew I had no right to be angry. I never answered Missy’s phone calls when Janice was near because I didn’t want her to hear the topic of our conversation. She even sent me naked pictures and videos but I deleted them as soon as I got them so Janice wouldn’t know about it. She trusted me completely even though I was the one who shouldn’t be trusted. I had a list of girls chasing me down. I went to work every day while she stayed home. It would be so easy for me to fuck Missy, or whatever girl I wanted in the back of the store. Janice never accused me of doing anything like that.
I wanted to apologize to her but I decided to let her cool off for a little bit. I understood why she was so angry. I was being a total jackass. I’ve never cared about someone so much before so this jealousy thing was new to me. I hated the feeling. It was immature and selfish. I turned on the television and watched it for a while. All I thought about was Janice.
When I got hungry, I made two sandwiches—one for Janice—then ate it at the table. I placed hers in the fridge so she could eat it later. I waited for her to come out of her room but she never did. Finally, I heard the bedroom door open. I breathed a sigh of relief as she walked into the kitchen.
“Baby—”
“Shut up.” She grabbed her laptop then marched back to her room, slamming the door behind her. I hoped her anger would disappear in another hour so I waited. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I stormed down the hallway and tried to open the door. It was locked.
“Baby, please open the door.”
“Goodnight, Ryan.”
I leaned my forehead against the door and sighed. “Unlock this door now.”
“No.”
“I’m not sleeping on the couch.”
“You don’t get a choice.”
I banged my fists on the door then walked away. After I found a paperclip in the kitchen, I jammed it inside the door and picked the lock. When I walked inside, she was sitting up in bed, typing on her computer.
“Ryan, go away.”
I closed the door behind me then walked over to her. I grabbed the laptop from her hands then set it on the ground.
“Ryan—”
“Baby, I’m sorry.” I removed all my clothes then climbed on top of her. When I pressed my forehead against hers, I looked into her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I was totally wrong. You’re right.”
The anger in her eyes dimmed, and she ran her hands up my chest. My naked body had the desired effect. She was always a sucker for sex.
“I love you so much,” I said.
She sighed. “I love you too.”
“I was being a jerk—I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“It just freaked me out when you purposely hid the message from me. I wouldn’t have cared if you opened it next to me.”
“You hide your phone calls and messages from me.”
I said nothing.
“Do you deny it?”
“No.”
“I know the reason why you keep it away from me is because you don’t want to scare me for make me uncomfortable. I was just trying to do the same for you.”
I sighed. “I know, baby.”
“Do you trust me or not? If I can trust you in a city where you’ve fucked every girl, then you should be able to trust me from not cheating on you with my ex-boyfriend who lives on the other side of the country.”
Now I just felt stupid. “That’s valid point.”
“More than valid. Ryan, what’s gotten into you? You’ve never gave me the impression that you were the jealous type.”
“Because I’m only jealous with you—I love you.”
“That doesn’t make this behavior okay.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.”
She continued to run her hands over my body, feeling me everywhere. “You’re lucky you’re so fucking hot.”
I smiled. “Why do you think I took my clothes off?”
“I’ll remember that next time you’re mad at me.”
“I look forward to it.”
“You could get away with anything by doing this.”
“You shouldn’t have told me that,” I said with a smile.
“Whoops. That was stupid.”
I rubbed my nose against hers. “I’m really sorry, baby. I don’t ever want to lose you. You mean everything to me—more than everything.”
“Ryan, it’s okay. I’m not mad.”
“Really? I was being a total hypocrite.”
“You were.”
I smiled. “Thanks for putting up with me.”
“I know you’re just protective, Ryan. I understand that.”
“You’re the coolest chick ever.”
“Well, I’m not done yet.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“So you think you can just act like that without any repercussions? You have some making up to do.”
I kissed her neck. “You’re right, baby. Let me show you how sorry I am.”
“That’s right.”
“What does my girl want me to do to her?”
She wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer to her. “Let me think about it for a second,” she whispered.
I kissed her neck then her chest. “Take your time. I’ll be waiting.”
She ran her fingers through my hair. “I’ve decided.”
“What will it be?”
“I want you to go down on me.”
“Done.”
“And then I want you to make love to me.”
“Even better.”
“But, you don’t get to come.”
I stopped kissing her then growled. “Nevermind. I don’t like this.”
“That will be your punishment. And I know when you’re coming. You can’t hide it from me.”
I kissed her lips gently. “Don’t be like that.”
“Start trusting me, then
.”
“You’re lucky I love you like crazy.”
“I know,” she said with a smile.
I unbuttoned her jeans, sliding her pants and her underwear off. I lowered my head between her legs then started to kiss her gently. She lied back on the pillow and started moaning immediately. Her hands gripped my hair then my scalp.
I started to rub her clit while I licked her pussy. I did everything that she loved and had her panting, yelling for me. I was as hard as ever. Now that I knew I couldn’t come, I wanted to even more. She opened her legs wider for me and that just turned me on even more. Janice was taking advantage of me, using me, and I loved it.
“Oh—Ryan.”
I inserted my tongue inside her while I licked her, making her come.
“Yeah—yeah.”
Her pussy was so wet that I was practically drinking her in. When I pulled away I wiped my lips on my arm. When I rose to a stand, she reached her arms out to me, begging me to come to her. I crawled on top of her then moved between her legs.
She ran her hands up and down my chest. “All for me.”
“This is for you, baby.”
I inserted myself inside her, feeling the moisture all the way through. She gripped the back of my neck with one hand then grabbed my ass with the other.
“Slow. I want it slow.”
I did as she commanded, pushing inside her gently. She kept expanding as I moved. She felt so good that I was struggling to please her. I just wanted to come. She squeezed my ass as she pulled me into her, controlling me completely. I was practically a dildo to her. She was totally using me. I thought it was so hot. When she pulled my forehead against hers she didn’t kiss me, just stared at my lips.
My hips started to move faster because me body couldn’t control itself. Janice was so beautiful and sexy. There was no way I was going to last as long as she wanted me to.
“Don’t come, Ryan.”
I slowed down. “Please.”
“No.”
I moaned.
“Now make me come.”
I moved inside her harder, concentrating on her breathing as I moved.
Her nails bit into the skin of my neck, possessing me and my body completely. She was a master and I was just the puppet. “Just like that,” she whispered. “Come on.”
I bit my lip.
When she tightened around me I knew she was having her moment. She moved her other hand to my ass and pulled me inside of her hard and fast. She moaned loudly as the pleasure rocked through her. I stared into her face, mesmerized by her beauty. Her lips were slightly open and her eyes fluttered.
When she was finished, she ran her hands up my back then gripped my shoulders. “That felt good.”
“Let me come.”
“No.”
I continued to move inside her. “Baby, please.”
“I said no.”
“Baby, don’t be like that.”
“You’re sorry?”
I moved inside of her harder. “I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“It better not.”
I felt the orgasm tingle in my skin. It was almost there. I was just waiting for her to let me go. “It won’t. Please.” I continued to move inside her, feeling her everywhere. “Fuck, let me go.”
She ran her fingers through my hair. “Okay. You can come.”
As soon as she said those words I exploded. I pounded into her so hard that the bed slammed into the wall. If Scarlet was home then she knew what we were doing. I didn’t care. I felt myself release inside her. It felt amazing. “Thank you, thank you,” I said through my heavy breathing.
You kissed me gently on the lips. “You’re welcome.”
I pressed my forehead against hers. “That was the worst punishment I’ve ever received.”
“It seemed like you were enjoying it.”
“It was so pleasurable it was painful.”
“Well, I hope that teaches you a lesson.”
“It did, baby. It did.” I pulled out of her then lied beside her. She turned on her side so I spooned her from behind, resting my face in the crook of her neck. I loved feeling her small frame against my chest. Her skin was smooth and warm.
When I started to fall asleep, I heard the front door slam closed. It jolted me awake. Janice woke up too.
“Why is she slamming the door?” she said irritably.
“Because she’s a brat.” I sat up in bed then grabbed my clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“Seeing what her problem is.” I pulled on my basketball shorts and a shirt then left the bedroom. I hated leaving Janice during the night. It was the only time I had with her when Scarlet was around. It didn’t matter if we were sleeping. I still cherished it.
When I walked into the living room, Cortland was holding Scarlet in his arms. She was crying.
“What the hell happened now?” I asked as I ran my fingers through my hair.
“We ran into Sean,” Cortland said.
“So?”
“It just didn’t—look good.”
Scarlet pulled away from him. “He saw me hugging Cortland while we said good night. I don’t want him to think something is between us. He looked devastated.”
Ryan sighed. “You’ve guys have always been close. Sean knows that.”
“You didn’t see his face,” she whispered.
“Did he end your relationship?”
“No.”
“He’s probably being sensitive, then.”
“I only love him.”
“He knows that, Scar,” I said gently.
She pulled away from him then moved into my arms. “I keep screwing this up over and over.”
“Well, Sean screwed it up a few times too. He’ll forgive you.”
“I just feel terrible for hurting him.”
“I know.” I ran my hand down her back while she whimpered in my shoulder. After a few minutes of silence she started to calm down. “It’s alright,” I whispered. “Let’s go to bed.”
“Okay.”
Cortland nodded. “You got her?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, good night.”
“Good night.”
He walked over to Scarlet and placed his hand on her back. “It’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
After Cortland left and I locked the door, I ushered Scarlet into her bedroom and got her inside the covers. I sat at the edge of the bed for a long time, waiting for her to fall asleep. We didn’t say anything. I just sat in the darkness while I waited for her eyes to close and her breathing to become slow and heavy. When we were younger and my mom came after us, I always came in Scarlet’s room and slept on her floor. I felt like I had to protect her. I always waited for her to fall asleep before I let myself fall unconscious. It was a habit.
When she was asleep, I left and returned to Janice. I removed my clothes and crawled under the covers. I pulled her body close to my chest and rested my head against hers. As soon as I fell asleep, my phone went off. I moaned and tried to ignore it. It went off again. I assumed it was one of my whores calling me but I grabbed it anyway. When I read the message I moaned again. It was Sean. He was clearly drunk off his ass. I couldn’t even make out the message, just the name of the bar.
“Babe, who is that?”
“Sean,” I said with a growl.
“Is everything okay?”
“No.” I stood up and started to get dressed again.
“Where are you going? It’s the middle of the night.”
“I have to pick him up. I’ll be back soon.”
“Can I come?”
“Absolutely not,” I snapped. I leaned over the bed and kissed her forehead. “Just go back to sleep.”
“Okay.”
I left the bedroom then walked out the front door. After I left the building and hailed down a cab, I arrived at the bar. It didn’t take long for me to locate Sean. He was sitting right at the front, slumped over the coun
ter. Some girl was talking to him.
I managed to pull him out of there and get him into a cab. He was drunk off his ass. When he started crying I realized how bad everything was between him and Scarlet. It was worse than I thought. He wasn’t just mad that she lied to him. He was heartbroken she slept with someone else. I actually pitied him for a moment. But Scarlet went through the same pain when he went back to Penelope, and in that case it was worse.
“She loves you—only you,” I said.
He stared out the window. “It just hurts. I love her so much.”
I fell silent. I didn’t know what to say. Even though he was distraught over the revelation with Cortland, I knew he wouldn’t end the relationship with her. It was obvious that it wasn’t an option for him. A part of me felt like he was overreacting. Scarlet slept with Cortland but it didn’t mean anything. If it did, then Scarlet would have ended up with him. Sean had slept with tons of girls and knew it was possible to do the deed then move on. Not every fuck had to mean something. How was this any different? Scarlet and Sean weren’t even speaking at the time. But I didn’t argue with him. Now wasn’t a good time.
When the cab stopped I helped him get inside the apartment. He was heavy, weighed just as much as I did, so I was only able to get him to the couch. I grabbed a blanket then placed it over him. I sat on the other couch and watched him. I wanted to go home and sleep in my own bed with my girl, but I couldn’t leave Sean like this. He mumbled something incoherently then told me to leave. Even though he and Scarlet weren’t married yet, he was my brother and I loved him like one. I would wait until I had to work in the morning before I left just in case he decided to try and leave or choke on his own vomit. I felt uncomfortable knowing Janice and Scarlet were sleeping alone in the apartment but I couldn’t bring Sean there. And I definitely couldn’t bring him to Cortland’s.
10
When I arrived at the shop the next morning, Janice called me.
“Hey, baby.”
“Where the hell have you been? Are you okay?”
“Calm down. I’m fine.”
“You didn’t come home last night.”
“I wanted to but I couldn’t.”
“What happened?”
“Is Scarlet around?”
“No.”
“Sean was a total mess. I got him back to the apartment but I couldn’t leave him there alone.”