by Amanda Heath
Rachel pops up fast, the covers falling off her shoulders slowly. Her warm brown eyes are wide, her cheeks are flushed and her hair is all over the place. Then I notice one of her tank top straps around her elbow and I groan. There is something about this girl’s neck and shoulders I can’t get over. Every time I see them I get turned on. Not that the strap was hiding much, but you get the picture.
“I think I left my cell phone in my car. I wasn’t really thinking last night. I just wanted to make it here.” Then her cheeks flush even more and I feel my mouth fall open. “I seriously didn’t mean to say that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I say without thought and cross over to the bed. My knees press down into the mattress and my hand snakes out to reach the back of her neck. “I’m glad you wanted to be here. I like you with me,” I whisper, my face getting closer and closer to hers. Her eyes zero in on my mouth and I like that way more than I thought I would. “I’m gonna kiss you,” I whisper against her lips this time. I put pressure on her mouth and she opens for me. My tongue goes into her and I feel her breathy moan all the way through my body.
We kiss for a little while, liking the way her mouth fits mine perfectly. Then I break away and make my way down to her neck. “Then I’m gonna take this shirt off and play with these pretty nipples,” I whisper, my tongue tracing the exposed column. A shiver races down her body and I grin against her skin.
My mouth moves down to her shoulder, nibbling and kissing along the way. I lift my head up and press my lips against her ear. “After that, I’m gonna take these little shorts off and use my mouth until you can’t take anymore.”
Rachel gasps and her arms come up to clutch onto my shoulders. “Please…” she trails off, lying down on the bed, pulling me with her.
“No need to beg, G. You don’t ever have to beg with me. I’ll give you what you want, just ask,” I say, my lips moving back to her lips.
There’s a knock on the door as I’m getting my fill of her beautiful mouth and it’s all I can do not to beat the shit out of whoever it is. “Courtney, Rachel’s mom is on the phone for her,” Ashley says through the wood.
“Fuck my life,” I grit out, climbing off of Rachel and going into my closet. I hear Rachel open the door moments later and take the phone from Ashley. I pull on a pair of jeans and a red shirt with a Super Mario Bro.’s logo on the front.
“Hey, Mom. Sorry, I left my phone in my car when Pierce let me in last night.” There’s a pause and then Rachel huffs. “Well, excuse me. I’m the one who’s pregnant and about to graduate high school at the end of the month. I didn’t think you’d care all that much. I’m not going to drink or do drugs because that’s not good for a fetus. And if I have unprotected sex with Pierce then it’s not really an issue since I’m already carrying his child.” I can tell her teeth are clenched while she talks and I walk out of the closet to find her pacing. “Next time mother, I’ll make sure to wake you up in the middle of the night and cuddle with you because I’m scared.”
I’m not liking how much skin she’s showing so I turn back into the closet and find the robe my mother bought me for Christmas that I’m never going to wear. Ashley isn’t at the door and it’s closed, so I thank the lord Donovan hasn’t seen her like this.
“Yes, Mother, I got scared, is that so hard for you to believe? I freaking found out I was pregnant yesterday. I’m terrified of giving birth to a snake with arms and legs. Or all the pain this is going to come with when they have to cut me open to give birth to said snake.” I bite my lip to stop my laugh but Rachel still notices. She glares at me while listening to her mother. “I’m not doing this right now, okay? I’ll be home in twenty minutes. And don’t tell Royal. Pierce’s face is really, really nice the way it is. I don’t need Royal rearranging it.” Then she clicks the phone off.
I walk over to her and put the robe around her shoulders. “What are you doing? It’s like eighty degrees outside. I don’t need a robe.”
“Well, you aren’t wearing much and my brother is here,” I tell her because that explains it all.
She raises an eyebrow at me and drops the robe to the floor. “Are you trying to tell me what to wear?”
I laugh and shake my head. “You can wear whatever you want. But sleep clothes are not for my brother’s eyes. Neither is half of your ass.”
She squints her eyes at me and pokes me in the chest, “You can’t ask me to cover up. I’m not even showing that much skin!” she exclaims.
I walk around her until her back is to my front. I place my hands on her ass, my fingers trailing across the little slip of cheek just past her shorts. “Babe, I can touch your ass. That’s way too much skin,” I whisper, running my nose along the column of her neck.
“You’re really fucking good at that,” she moans, leaning her head to the side for better access.
“Not really. You just make it easy.” I back away and put the robe back on her shoulders. “Look, when it comes to my brother, I’m going to be a little bit high maintenance. Besides, he likes leggy brunettes.”
She sighs before pushing her arms through the sleeves. “Fine.”
I chuckle while I lead her out of my bedroom.
“It’s good to see someone using that robe I got you for Christmas, Courtney. I thought it was going to rot in your closet,” my mom says the second she gets a look at Rachel.
Donovan sits on the living room couch snickering behind his hand. “Mom leave him alone. The boy runs one hundred and five when it’s freezing outside. He doesn’t need a robe or a jacket.”
My mom huffs and sits down on the couch with Van. “I know that. I’m only trying to get across to him that he needs to wear more clothes around the house. I get tired of him running around in nothing but shorts and all my girlfriends trying to go cougar on him.”
I roll my eyes at both of them. Rachel busts out laughing while I steer her toward the front door. “That reminds me of every time Pierce has been on the track team. During practice he used to run around in shorts then too. He had every single female in the school out on the bleachers,” Rachel throws in over her shoulder while I open the front door.
“That’s nothing. When I used to make him mow the lawn, every woman, girl and gay man on this block was outside in their yards pretending they weren’t looking,” my mother helpfully supplies.
“Alright, let the boy get Rachel out the door. Y’all can cackle about how hot he is later. Preferably if I’m not around. It makes me feel like I’m not pretty too,” Van states from behind me. For once I’m happy my brother is here. But it only lasts a second because I know when I get back inside he’s going to be on my ass like white on rice.
“Bye Ms. Bridges, Van and Ashley!” Rachel yells, waving over my shoulder.
“Call me Lily, baby! I’m going to be your mother-in-law one day!” my mother shouts back.
“Ma!” I yell, this time slamming the door on the words she’s about to speak. If I had known it was going to be this hard to get out the door, I would have made Rachel climb out the window. Jesus, I shouldn’t be surprised because my mother is my mother, but you throw in Rachel and Van, who’s just like Ma, and you have a horrible combination.
“We didn’t embarrass you did we?” Rachel inquires as we walk out to her car side by side.
“No. I’m cool.” Although I just lied. I’m totally embarrassed. It’s one thing for Rachel to point out what the female population thinks about me, but my mother should just keep her mouth shut on that issue.
When we make it to her car, I open the door for her. She climbs in and I take the flashing phone sitting in her passenger seat. I’ve had a single thought in my head all morning and I hope I have the nerve to get it out. This is strange, what’s going on right now between us. All the kissing and flirting is new to me. I haven’t done all this before, not even with Annabella. I’m not affectionate and I’m definitely not flirty. I just know I want this to go somewhere.
When she turns to me, her mouth open to say something,
I swoop in and kiss her. This kiss isn’t like those before. I don’t use tongue and it’s gentle, sweet. Another thing I haven’t done before. “Go out with me tonight.” I speak against her lips, liking how breathless she is.
“I thought you’d never ask,” is her reply, which has the power to knock me speechless, but only for a second.
I lean back up, shoving my hands in my pockets. “I’ll pick you up at seven,” I say, turning from her car door and heading back into the house. And like the stalker I feel like am, I watch from the front door as her car backs out and leaves my driveway.
“Wanna explain that to me?” my mother questions from behind me.
I turn around and find all three of them standing there watching me. I shrug and head away from them, into the kitchen.
In some families the youngest child is the most spoiled, whiny and most attention-seeking child in the family. This is not true for my family. My mother demands a lot of attention. Ashley demands just as much and Van has just as many moments. Growing up with that, I learned to go my own way. I didn’t demand anything. I stayed out of trouble and I didn’t cause drama. This is why my mother tells everyone I’m her favorite. A lot of the time, I think she means it.
“Come on, Courtney! I need to know about this. The suspense is killing me!” my mother exclaims, walking into the kitchen behind me.
I look up from the fridge and give her a frown. “You eat?”
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
“What about Ash and Van?” I grab out the eggs, milk, and butter. I go through the bottom shelves looking for veggies. I feel like feeding everyone an omelet. That’s another thing with these three, they were all too busy dealing with drama to learn how to cook. So, I did all of that myself. Ma would burn down the house, Ash would give everyone food poisoning and Van doesn’t even know what a skillet is. I don’t mind though. If I feed them, they generally leave me alone.
This all might sound bad to you, but please don’t take it that way. I love these three more than myself and I wouldn’t change anything about them. I just grew up around needy people and I didn’t want to be a needy person, so I didn’t become one. I learned how to take care of myself and I only go to my mother if I have a true problem.
In fact, Ma used to say I had the maturity of a sixty year old when I was five. I don’t think that’s true because I’ve done my fair share of immature things since then. I have this intense way about me. It follows me wherever I go, making me stand out in a crowd. As for what they were talking about earlier, it’s not that I’m that good looking, it’s more that I have that brooding moody personality that, it seems, chicks wet their panties for. Don’t ask me, I’ll never understand women and I don’t ever plan to try.
“No, they haven’t eaten. You should have known that.” Ma sticks her tongue at me and walks over to the coffee pot to refill her mug. “So…what’s up with Rachel?”
I groan and start mixing up the omelet stuff in a big bowl. I look up and find both Van and Ash standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Good, I only have to say this once. I look back down at what I’m doing and talk. “She said she had a bad dream and that she couldn’t sleep. Apparently she can’t sleep a lot and she drives around, which is stupid, but there’s not much I can do. She said she drove around and it brought her here. She knocked on my window and I let her in the front door. We fell asleep and didn’t wake up until Ma walked in on us.” I look back up at their thoughtful faces. “When I walked her to her car, I asked her out.”
Ashley beams and starts jumping up and down. “Yay! I love this! Finally we get a nice, normal girl for you. Not some airhead and not that bitch…” she trails off and my shoulders tense.
I certainly don’t mind her calling Annabella a bitch, because she’s a bitch. I was just hoping no one would bring her up in front of Van. I don’t see the point in reminding him that I stabbed him in the back. I also don’t mind Ashley calling her a bitch because Annabella is the reason Ash is living at my house right now. I don’t think she even came here with all her stuff. And I know it’s serious because Victor hasn’t been over here once trying to win her back.
“It’s okay, Ash. You can say her name. I’m really not as fucked up about it as you all seem to think I am,” Van throws in, finally coming in and sitting down at the bar in front of me.
I slam down my bowl and lock eyes with him. “How can you say that?” I demand, anger fueling my words.
Van sighs and drags a hand through his brown hair. “Because it’s fucking true, baby bro. That bitch played with my heart and that’s fine. Honestly, after awhile, I realized I didn’t even miss her or that all my love for her had died. I might have hoped it was meant to be at one point but I lost that long before she broke up with me.” Then he looks up at me with rage in his eyes. “What she did to you? I’ll never forgive her for that. And you can sit there and pretend I’m supposed to be mad at you, but I won’t ever be. Every single person in this situation knows who made the first move, who talked you into it. I don’t care if you think you did, she just made it seem like you did. Everything that girl does is calculated and for selfish reasons. She doesn’t know what she wants, she never did. She had the world in her hands when she had you, and she threw that way. No one can ever love Annabella like you did. You saw everything wrong with her and you made it right. You made her someone to love because you believed in her. We’ve all been around to see what you felt for Annabella.”
My breathing picked up during his speech and I find myself with nothing to say. I always knew I loved Annabella that much but she never saw it. Or, if she did, she really didn’t care and that makes her the devil. But I already thought she was the devil so that really isn’t a big deal.
“Van, honey. You should really give motivational speeches or some shit like that,” Ma tells him, coming around the bar to kiss his cheek. Van smiles at her and throws his arm around her shoulder.
“Well, I’m considering maybe doing that as my minor. You know, with a major in biology.” Then he winks at her.
“I’m sorry,” I say to him when he meets my eyes. “I still feel like I stabbed you in the back.”
Van gives me a small smile. “Baby bro, if anything, you opened my eyes. I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“Alright boys, let’s get off that subject. I think Courtney might run away if we get any more emotional,” Ma cheerfully calls out.
I nod because she’s right. Every other time they decide to get emotional I have run for the hills.
Chapter Seven
When I pull up outside of Rachel’s house I find Royal waiting for me. He stands on the porch, his shoulder leaning against one of the huge columns. His face is blank; a look he picked up from Channing, who only has two expressions, blank and pissed off.
“Are you going to try to punch me again?” I ask, stepping on to the porch.
Royal lets out a chuckle and shakes his head. “No. I just wanted to watch Courtney Pierce fall from grace. Having to take out my sister and all that.”
Anger builds up and I feel my entire body tense. “What the hell does that mean?”
Royal smirks at me and crosses his arms over his chest. The guy has a swimmers build so his arms are ripped, but I’m broader and taller. Plus, I like to think I’m better looking. “Just that you’ve spent your whole life making Channing’s a living hell, thinking you were better than him. Now you have to take out one of his ex girlfriends.” He laughs but the sound is dry. “I just find it funny how far the mighty have fallen.” It might be true that Rachel dated Channing but it was years ago and lasted three weeks. I don’t really think it deserves a mention, like ever.
My fingers start to itch because I want to ball them into a fist and plant it in Royal’s nose. He’d still be cute with a broken nose. I don’t think Wes would mind too much, besides, I don’t think she is aware of what her boyfriend is saying to me right now. “I’m not taking Rachel out on a pity date. What I’ve done to Channing and you have n
othing to do with her. If you’d take your head out of your ass and look around, you might notice not everything going on is about you.”
The smirk on his face transforms into a sneer. “Well, right now it does.” Then he comes off the column and gets in my face. “I don’t like you, I never have. Now I have to put up with you for the rest of my life. You knocking up my sister is the worst thing that could ever happen to her.”
I take a step back because his words reflect the stuff I’ve been feeling for the last two days. She deserves better than to have to settle for me, but I have every intention of making it the best situation for her. I can’t take back getting her pregnant, but I can make everything else better.
Royal takes in the hurt that flashes across my face and feeds off of it. “That’s right. She deserves someone better than you. Someone who isn’t going to make the rest of her life a living hell.” His index finger comes up to poke me in the chest and I feel that poke down in my soul. “You’re just a sad piece of shit that destroys everything around you. I had to pick up the pieces of your cousin when you and Annabella ripped her life apart.”
I close my eyes as if that will block out his words. But something else rushes through me. I finally get what he’s so upset about. Yeah, I might have been a dick to him and Channing the majority of my life, but I didn’t ruin their lives. All I ever did was pull some harmless pranks. No one ever got hurt, and in the end, it didn’t even matter because Channing and Ashley have started to build a relationship together.
Royal blames me for what happened to Wesley after Trey died. It makes me a bastard to say I had a part in that, but that also involved Annabella. And I’ve made up for that. Wesley wasn’t dealing with his death in the right way, she needed help, so when she got admitted into the mental ward for a week, she got the help she needed. And her being mad at Annabella and me is what got her in there in the first place. I’ll never apologize for something that helped Wes for the better.