“Did not expect those words to come out of your mouth, Harper Hudson. I would never have picked you for a medieval, blood-bath kinda gal.”
“There are many things you don’t know about me, Blake Hayward.” I winked and turned back around as Jackson opened the door.
I stepped inside, barely picking up Blake’s next words, “Not that many.”
I headed straight up the stairs toward my room, leaving Blake and Harper in the hallway to discuss their favorite characters and their thoughts on what will happen in the latest season of GOT and whether it would stay true to the books. I thought I could handle being in the same vicinity as Harper, but I couldn’t, not without giving anything away. I wasn’t the actor; she was. All I could think about every time I laid eyes on her was what we’d done in the bedroom and how much I wanted to do it all over again. In true Jackson form, I’d fucked it all up. Harper now thought I was avoiding her, and I wasn’t sure how to go about fixing it. On top of everything, my homework was piling up because of the weekend I’d taken off.
Once in my room, I stripped off into something more comfortable, an old sport t-shirt and some football shorts, and sat down at my desk. I fired up my MacBook and went straight to the University website to check my student emails and follow up on the necessary readings I was meant to have done over the weekend. It was going to be another long night of study, and I kicked myself for letting it happen again, after I promised myself it wouldn’t. I wasn’t regretting my weekend with Harper; if we’d stayed at Jervis Bay, I’d be in the same predicament, but I just wished I’d been smart enough to spend a few hours focused on my studying rather than the whole time in bed snuggling.
Images of Harper naked and underneath me popped into my head and immediately my cock twitched. Calm down, little guy, I thought. I doubt she’ll be letting us do that again anytime soon.
I’d gotten through four pages of reading and written six A4 pages of notes when there was a knock at my door.
“Come in,” I called out, silently praying for a miracle in that it was Harper; no such luck. My brother stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. I watched him, carefully spinning in my chair to follow him as he walked over to the bed then threw himself onto it.
“Wait, have you guys?” He suddenly pulled a face and lifted his arms as if he were scared to touch the mattress even though he was already sitting on it.
I rolled my eyes. “No. You’re free to mess up my bed sheets how you please.”
“Phew! Scared me for a minute.”
I sighed. “Why are you here, Blake? I have studying to do.”
He pulled a faux ‘I’m insulted’ face but then tilted his head to the side and watched me wonderingly. “So, you’re just going to ignore her then, huh? You might be able to do that to most girls, Jackson, but you do realize she is living under the same roof as you, right?”
“What are you talking about?” I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“Don’t act coy. You know who I’m talking about.” He scratched his head, waiting for a reply. When I didn’t give him one, he added casually, “So, you slept with our cousin.”
“We’re not blood-related!” I snapped.
“Whoa, chill! I know that! Doesn’t change the fact she’s still our cousin.”
I groaned. “Get to the point you’re trying to make, Blake. I have homework to do.”
He paused for a moment, looking up at the ceiling while tapping his index finger against his chin. “You and Harper had sex. Don’t deny it; you’ve always been a pretty lousy liar. We caught you when we came home, and because I like to think I’m a genius but in reality you’re just a complete idiot and can’t hide how you feel, I figured it out. Now, you have no idea how to act around her without thinking you’re being obvious.”
I frowned. “For someone who buries their head in books and plays too many video games all day, you’re very perceptive.”
Blake flashed a grin, showing all his teeth. “I got everything right?”
I nodded my head. There was no point pretending with my brother; he’d already figured out most of it.
“Please don’t say anything to Mum and Dad.”
“Who do you think I am? Remember that time when I snuck out and got caught underage drinking at a party?”
“And you woke me up at two in the morning and begged me to pick you and your friends up? Yeah, I remember, I had an exam the next morning. I wanted to hurt you so badly that night.”
His face lit up. “That’s the one! You managed to talk the police out of calling up our parents and telling them about the evening. Well, since I still owe you for that favor, this can be it. I’ll keep my mouth closed about you and Harp, but if you screw her over, I’m warning you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Well, thank you, I really appreciate it. But since when have you two become best friends?”
“Oh, when you were still messing around with the crazy bitch, whatever her name is.” I glared at him, but it didn’t help remove the smug look on his face. “Look, I like the girl, okay. She’s a little scary and bossy sometimes but underneath all that, she’s a decent human being. And she’s been through a lot, so just cut her some slack.”
I couldn’t help but smile. I couldn’t be any prouder of my younger brother. He didn’t know the extent of what Harper had been through, and I did, but that didn’t stop him from sticking up for her.
“Why are you smiling at me like that?” Blake said, suddenly looking worried.
I laughed. “No reason,” I replied. “I should go and talk to her, huh?”
He just nodded. I shot up out of my chair and raced for the door, spinning back around once I got there. “Err… So, you don’t happen to know where she is right now do you?”
All I got in way of reply was an arched eyebrow like I should have known from the start. Right, the rooftop!
I thanked my brother and raced up to the roof. Everything was still wet from the rain we had in the afternoon. It had mostly stopped during dinnertime but the clouds in the night sky still threatened to send more our way. The cold wind whipped against my warm skin, and I shivered; I suddenly regretted not going back to grab a jacket before coming up. It’ll only take a minute, my mind said, refusing to allow me to leave.
I looked around for Harper, but there was no sign of her. I sighed. Of course, she was not on the roof; what would she be doing in the cold when she could be warm and comfy in her room? I turned to make my way back inside just as a figure in a thick Parka coat reached for the door.
“Planning on sneaking away to avoid me?” I asked, taking a step forward.
Harper turned around with a scowl on her face. “Oh, you’re one to talk,” she replied bitterly. “What’s it like? I’m alone, so it’s okay for you to be speaking to me?” Ouch! But she had every reason to be pissed.
“No, Harper, it’s not like that.” I took another step forward just as she stepped back. “I couldn’t talk to you, couldn’t even look at you with my parents around.” Taking yet another step forward, I watched her mouth open as she backed into the wall, but I continued before she could speak. “Not because I’m ashamed or that I regret what we did, but because every time I look at you, my dick jumps inside my pants.” I saw her mouth twitch as she fought back a smile. “It’s kind of hard to explain to your parents, your brother, and also your eight-year-old sister that you’ve got a massive hard-on during a family dinner. I’m not the actor, remember?”
I took the last few steps until I had her pressed against the wall and our faces were only inches away from each other. “So, you see, it’s not because of anything you did. I was merely protecting the both of us.”
“Well, you haven’t done a very good job at it,” she said with a sly grin.
“What do you mean?” I asked, rubbing the tips of our noses together.
“Blake. He knows.”
I stilled. “He told you?”
“What else would explain the looks he’s been giving me all
night? I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were,” I answered, brushing a light kiss to her cheek then another just further up. “If it comforts you, he isn’t going to say a word. He thinks rather highly of you, actually.” I took hold of both her hands in mine and raised them above her head. I pressed another kiss under her ear and then made my way slowly down her neck; I felt her shiver against my touch.
“Harper, all I can think about is being inside you again.”
She sucked in air sharply as I purposely pushed my hardening cock against her.
“Out here?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“Stay in my room tonight. No one is going to check and my parents, including myself, are leaving in the morning, so you’ll be able to leave the room without anyone noticing tomorrow.”
I was both surprised and thrilled that she’d agreed so quickly, nodding eagerly as I planted more kisses along her neck.
“Oh, one more thing.”
“Jackson…” She giggled. “I’m going crazy over here.”
“Keep Friday night free.”
She stilled. “What? Why?”
I pulled away, just enough to look into her eyes. “Mum and Dad have some reunion party to go to. They’ll take Maddie and I can kick Blake out of the house or force him to go with them. Either way, I want to do something.”
“Like have sex?” she teased.
I chuckled but shook my head. “It’s a surprise, but I’m sure it will involve some naked wrestling at some point in the evening.”
Her brows furrowed. “Like a date?”
“Stop asking questions and just wait until Friday.”
She laughed. “Okay, fine. But we can naked wrestle tonight, right?”
I nodded eagerly before claiming her mouth with mine.
Friday couldn’t come any sooner. It only felt like yesterday when Jackson and I first had sex or, in his words, made love. I knew he liked to call it that because it was his way of helping me heal, by differentiating between what we were doing consensually to what had been forcefully taken from me all those years ago. And it was working. I no longer had the sick feeling in my stomach whenever Jackson touched me, whenever he would kiss me. And my memories were slowly changing, too. All I could think about was Jackson and the growing adoration I had for him.
The only thing that troubled me were his parents finding out and how they would take it. Aunty Juliana would then tell my mom, who I could imagine would lose her mind over the ‘horrific’ news. I wasn’t ready for that just yet; I don’t think I would ever be. I was already struggling with the thought that Blake knew. He never mentioned anything openly, which helped, but I could feel his eyes watching whenever Jackson and I were in the same room together. It’s not his fault; he’s just curious about the two of you, I kept trying to tell myself.
“Don’t forget about tonight,” Jackson whispered into my ear, tightening his arms around me.
I smiled, shifting around to face him. “Good morning,” I said with a yawn. I wondered what time it was; it still looked dark outside.
He pressed his bulge against my thigh. “It is a good morning.” My eyes widened before I giggled. “Shh,” he chuckled lightly, covering my lips with his finger, “unless you’d like the whole family to burst in here.”
“They’d really do that? What if you had some girl in here?”
“I do have a girl in here.”
“You know what I mean.” I flicked his chest, and he tensed his muscles before pulling me in and squeezing me. The tip of his erect penis sat perfectly in line with my entranceway; just one thrust and he’d be inside. The thought sent an excitable shiver through my body. Another feeling I never thought I’d experience.
He shook his head, his dark hair falling just over his eyes. “No, they wouldn’t. But they’d ask questions. And I’ve already told you I’m a terrible liar.” His mouth curved up into a mischievous grin; something was on his mind. “You know, just one little slip…” He pushed himself in slightly further. “And I’d be inside you.” He paused for a moment before pulling himself completely out and releasing his arms from around me. “But, then I’d never get to training on time.” He scrambled out of bed and stood up.
I wrapped myself in his blankets while my eyes were glued to the perfect specimen standing in all his glory before me, and I found myself smiling, the same way those women in romantic movies did. When he glanced up at me, my cheeks grew hot, knowing I’d been caught.
He smiled as he opened the door to his wardrobe. “I’ll be home after classes, around four this afternoon. But you need to give me time to set up for tonight, so shall we meet around seven?”
I stared at him in confusion. “Where am I meeting you?”
He stopped what he was doing and thought for a moment. “Hmm… Meet me in the lounge room. Dress in something pretty, but bring something warm.”
He closed his wardrobe, put on the shorts he pulled out, and began walking back over toward me. “Go back to sleep; it’s four-thirty in the morning. I’ll be back soon.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead and then my lips before walking out of the room. I closed my eyes, smiling, and before I knew it, I’d fallen back asleep.
At a more-decent hour, I tiptoed out of Jackson’s room, just as I had the previous mornings, and put on something better than my pajamas before going down to speak with Aunt Juliana about going shopping with a bodyguard. If it was ‘pretty’ Jackson wanted, then that’s what he was going to get; well, my version of the word, anyway.
I caught her just as she was leaving for work. Without questioning me, she agreed and pulled out her cell phone, calling the same company that had accompanied us to the city a couple of weeks earlier, as well as a hire car service.
“They’ll be here in a couple of hours, sweetheart. You sure you’ll be okay by yourself?”
“Thanks, Aunt Juliana.” I gave her an honest smile, another rarity for me. “I’ll be fine. I won’t be in the city for long; there are just a few things I need to get.”
She walked over to me and pulled me in for a hug. I hesitated for a moment before relaxing into it. “I’m proud of you, you know,” she started. “In the last week, I’ve noticed a big change in you. I notice it on your face and in the way you behave. Whatever the reason is behind it, embrace it wholly. It’s a beautiful thing to see you smiling again.” She kissed the top of my head before walking out the door.
I managed to get through another training session, despite the peculiar looks I was still receiving from the boys. The few who were on the trip had obviously informed the rest of the team about what went down, and now they either felt sorry for me or walked in the other direction if they saw me coming just to avoid a conversation. It got on my nerves, but it was something I could live with; they didn’t know the whole truth.
I stood by my car, ready to leave for my classes, when someone called out my name. I turned to see Jon running toward me.
“Hey, Jacko, wait up.”
“How’s things, Jon?” I asked, even though I didn’t really care.
“Listen, mate, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened last weekend.”
“It’s Friday, Jon.” I reached for the door handle. “It took you all week to think up an apology?”
“No, of course not. I wanted to do it as soon as I got back on Monday evening. I just wasn’t sure whether you wanted to hear it.” He adjusted his sports bag, switching it from one shoulder to the other. “Look, remember when I told you it didn’t matter because you two aren’t related? Well, I still believe that. You can’t choose who you fall for, Jackson. I mean, if she was your sister, well that’s sick, but she’s not. She adores you and you’re whipped by her.” A small smirk rose on his face, and he shook his head. “God, I never thought I’d see the day. Anyway, what everyone here thinks doesn’t matter. All that matters is you’ve found someone worth keeping.”
I stared at him, stunned. Was this the same guy who was telling me only weeks ago to drink until I pas
sed out and to fuck every girl that made eye contact with me? “What the hell happened to you on the weekend?” I teased. “Did you fall off the boat and hit your head?”
A sheepish grin appeared, and I swear I saw his cheeks blush. “I met someone.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to my car laughing. “No, I’m serious, Jackson! I met her on Tuesday. She’s gorgeous. Beautiful, smart, she’s funny… and she’s English, did I tell you that?”
“No, you didn’t. And it sounds like you’re the one whipped,” I said, turning back around.
His face blanked. “Oh, my God, I am. I never thought of it like that. Wow. It feels great, huh?”
I laughed. My friend had certainly gone insane, but I understood everything he was babbling on about. Perhaps I’d gone insane, too? “I need to get to my classes, Jon. But hey…” I looked him in the eye, “I’m really happy for you, man. And you’re right; it feels amazing.”
When I got into my car, Jon was still going on about his new girlfriend, and how we should organize a double date sometime soon. Jeez, with the rate Jon was going, by next week he’d be ready to propose! I waved him off, agreeing to a date so long as it was okay with Harper.
****
When I got home, I greeted my parents, who were both getting themselves ready for the event they were invited to go to. Dad, already dressed, was trying to get Maddie off the couch and into her room to change. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going so well, since her favorite show was on TV.
“Madison Ivy Hayward! Get your little butt off the couch and march into your room before I ground you,” he ordered.
Maddie, her eyes still stuck to the TV, slowly turned toward Dad. “Daddy, this is the best part. It’s my favorite song in the whole, wide world,” she replied innocently, oblivious to the glare my father was giving her.
“So, you’ve seen this already?” Dad blinked. “Maddie!”
I stood in the archway grinning as Dad reached down for the remote and switched the TV off. Maddie, with sad puppy-dog eyes, looked up at him as if he’d just destroyed her everything.
All That Matters Page 17