by Lisa Simmons
I grinned, pleased I’d gotten him to admit as much. I made a mental note to tell Abby about this. The rest of our cleaning went fairly quickly. Once we had all the garbage picked up, it didn’t take down to wipe off the surfaces that were covered in sticky residue. I was thankful for Luke showing up when he did because it cut my cleaning time nearly in half. After we’d returned my house to it’s former state, we settled on the couch to play some video games. They weren’t really my thing, but Luke loved them, so I indulged him. I owed it to him after his help cleaning and pestering him about Emily even though he was constantly ragging on me about Abigail. I glanced at the clock, noticing it was already four in the afternoon and I still hadn’t heard from Abigail. We hadn’t made any official plans and I didn’t know how long it would take her to finish her stuff, so I sent her a text.
Reece: hiiiiii baby :)
I set my phone down on next to me to resume playing, but it vibrated almost immediately and I grinned at her quick response. Luke was oblivious to me as I paused the game to pick up my phone.
“What the hell, are you kidding me?” he asked in exasperation as he blinked at the screen before realizing why I’d paused it. “You’re gonna be that guy?”“Shut up,” I said distractedly as I picked up my phone.
Abigail: hiiii back, what’s up?
Reece: wondering when you’re coming back to me?
I was about to set my phone down again when I saw the little typing bubble appear on my screen, so I just waited for her response.
Abigail: soon, hour maybe?
Reece: okay baby
I set my phone down, a wide grin on my face as I resumed the game. She’d be here in an hour and was clearly fine. Obviously, all my worrying had been for nothing.
“You done being all sappy, now?” Luke teased, his attention refocused on the screen as he animatedly twisted his body in accordance with the screen.
“Once again, shut it,” I said lightly. No amount of teasing from him could deter my feelings for Abigail, and I didn’t care if he thought I was pathetic. He’d understand someday when he got to love the girl who chose to love him.
"If you're going crazy, just grab me and take me; I'd follow you down, down, down, anywhere."
Chapter 54
Reece's POV
At some point during our game, Luke had ventured to my fridge to grab a beer for each of us. That single beer had turned into several more until a collection too big to count without some effort had gathered in front of us. Our video game had grown sloppier the more we drank, but I didn't really care. His sudden outbursts because of the game grew louder and more frequent, his skills quickly declining. I chuckled as he cursed loudly, his hand clenched tightly in the air as it rose seemingly against his will.
It was getting difficult to stay focused on the screen as it swam in front of me, and I found myself caring less and less about the video game. My reactions were slowed thanks to the numerous beers I'd downed, and I could feel myself swaying slightly as I leaned forward on my knees, my hands clutching the controller. I didn't bother to pause the game as I reached to take another sip of my beer. I took the opportunity to check my phone for any notice from Abigail, but there was none.
It'd been well over an hour since she'd said she'd be here soon, and I was starting to get anxious. I couldn't decide if the alcohol was helping or adding to my stress, and I tried not to get paranoid about something happening to her. She was just at home- nothing bad was going to happen to her. I frowned at my phone again, wishing she would have let me know that she was going to be longer than she originally said.
The more time went on, the more I became less worried about the game and the more I worried about where she was. I had pretty much stopped playing all together as I drank more of my beer and stared at my phone. My thumbs twitched over the screen while I tried to stop myself from sending her a pathetically needy text message. The screen blurred in front of my eyes as my leg bounced anxiously, the shaky motion and the alcohol I'd consumed making it impossible to decipher anything on the phone. It had been nearly two hours now and she still wasn't here.
Screw it, I'm texting her.
Reece: where are you?
"Dude, get off your phone for two seconds," Luke grumbled before he let out a hearty belch.
"Shut up," I muttered, ignoring him as I waited impatiently for her response. I just wanted her to get here already because being away from her was giving me anxiety. It occurred to me that this was somewhat pathetic, but I couldn't find it in me to care.
Abigail: coming, sorry, Emily came home and wouldn't stop talking gah
Reece: hurryyyyy
I sighed heavily, relieved she was okay and would be here soon. I clicked my phone and set it back down beside me once more. My eyes focused on the multiple empty cans in front of me and I was surprised by how many there were. I hadn't even realized how much we'd drunk because I'd been too focused on the game and worrying about where Abigail was.
"Abigail's coming over," I told Luke as I resumed my basically ignored game.
"What?" he whined, his eyes squinting on the screen in front of us as his thumbs worked furiously on the controller.
"What do you mean, what?" I shot back.
"Nothing, just thought we were having guy time," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes at his childish remark.
"Now who's being pathetic?" I teased, my mood lightening significantly now that I knew she was safe.
"Oh fuck off," he joked back, grinning once again.
"Anyway, you don't have to leave. We're just hanging out," I said, even though I just wanted to be alone with Abigail. I silently hoped he'd turn down my offer.
"Alright, cool," he said happily. I tried not to be disappointed. As much as I liked hanging out with him, I'd rather spend time with her. I blinked as I realized my thoughts and found it hard to believe I was having them in the first place. I really was becoming that guy.
Fifteen minutes later, Luke and I had each downed two more beers and were positively drunk by the time I finally heard Abigail come through the front door. My heart gave a painful thump as she came into my line of vision, her beautiful face lit up with a grin as she made eye contact with me.
"Abigail!" Luke cheered, the beers he'd consumed making him excessively happy. She blinked before her eyes widened, surprised by the enthusiastic greeting before she recovered and laughed. I watched her eyes crinkle in the corner and her lips pull across her teeth as she grinned at him. She was so beautiful it actually hurt.
"Hi Luke," she returned before her eyes fell to the pile of cans in front of us. She looked slightly confused and her smile dimmed slightly before she crossed the room to me. "You guys having some fun or what?"
Her tone was light and I was relieved she wasn't upset about us accidentally getting drunk. Luke grumbled as she crossed in front of the screen, his head darting dramatically to the side as if he couldn't possible spend less than a second with his line of vision cut off. I ignored the game again as I reached my hand out for her. She grabbed mine and I pulled on her arm, making her bend at the waist so I could press my lips into hers.
"Ooh, yep, sure are," she laughed as she caught the taste of beer on my lips. I grinned guiltily at her, the warmth of the alcohol and her presence making me feel ridiculously giddy.
"Didn't mean to," I grinned.
She pulled back to sit next to me before I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to sit on the floor in front of me. I wanted to have as much contact with her as possible because I'd missed her touch all day. She followed my guidance and folded herself between my legs, her back leaning against the couch as my thighs bordered her shoulders. I leaned forward, my forearms resting on my knees like they had before and circling around Abigail. My hands fell in front of her as I returned my grip to the controller.
I expected her to complain about having to watch us play video games, but she was surprisingly content. I suspected she enjoyed doing anything with me n
o matter what it was, because that's exactly how I felt about her.
How I got to be so lucky, I'll never know.
Abigail's POV
I hadn't been expecting Luke to be here when I'd arrived, but I didn't mind. I liked Luke a lot, and it made me feel weirdly happy to see Reece with at least one good friend. I got the sense that he was one of the few people in Reece's life that actually liked him for him and not because he was someone everyone knew. There were a ton of people that knew Reece, judging from the amount of people he always knew at parties, but he never really saw them outside of that atmosphere which led me to believe they weren't actually his friends.
I sighed contentedly, relieved to be back with Reece after such an exhausting day. After my terrifying interaction with Samuel at the mall, I'd spent the rest of the day catching up on homework. Emily had finally come home from Chloe's, as I had expected, and insisted on knowing every single detail about the fight. It had drained me in every way possible as she dragged every word out of me, the memory of it fresh in my mind.
What little time I'd had that wasn't spent doing any of those things had been completely consumed by stressing about whether or not to tell Reece about what had happened with Samuel. It felt like a broken record by now, this internal debate over whether to share with him or not, but the blatant threat from Samuel not to tell him scared me. His flat out warning to keep quiet about it was the only thing stopping me from blurting it out to Reece right now. That, and the fact that Luke was here now. And, it was quickly becoming apparent, that Reece was quite drunk.
It occurred to me that I'd really only seen him drunk one time- the night I'd picked him up from a party and he'd told me he'd hooked up with someone else. It seemed like every time we tried to drink together, something happened whether it was our utter lack of self-control in resisting each other or some kind of fight. Even the one time I'd seen him drunk, however, had been different. Then, he'd been serious and subdued, the alcohol making him thoughtful rather than silly and playful like he was now.
I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head before he gently rested his chin on it. I grinned, loving the way he wanted me as close as possible even though I was just watching him play some video game. My hands found the soft skin covering his ankles, the fine hairs tickling against my fingers as I moved them across his skin. It made me feel good to know we could do basically nothing and still enjoy our time together.
His lips found my hair again while Luke mumbled something about the game that I didn't understand. I laughed as he grew increasingly more frustrated, his reactions far too slow now to maintain even the slightest skill.
"Luke, I hate to tell you, but I think it might be time to retire," I said lightly. Reece chucked behind me, his laugh tickling as it blew into my scalp.
"No way, I can't admit defeat," he said stubbornly while he squinted at the screen. He, too, was significantly drunk.
"We've been playing for hours and my thumbs hurt," Reece said, agreeing with me. "I'm out, man."
"Weak. Thought you could keep up, Evans?" Luke shot back, a wide grin stretching across his face before his tongue poked out between his teeth in concentration.
"A real man knows when it's time to quit," Reece joked, setting down the controller in on the table in front of me. His arms moved to wrap around my shoulders, his body hunching forward as he hugged me. I could smell the scent of alcohol on his breath as he nuzzled his face into my neck. My hands moved up the sides of his legs, my fingers tracing lightly along his calves as I leaned into his hug.
"Hiiii," he breathed into my ear. I giggled and squeezed my hands against his legs.
"Hi," I returned quietly. His grip was still tight on me and his lips were mumbling against my neck, instantly raising my body temperature. I wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or not, but it had the same effect either way.
"Come sit with me," he asked, rocking backward slightly and shifting me with him. I grinned as I let him pull me off the floor, his long body rising effortlessly with mine as he stood up. I had expected him to just pull me to the couch with him but was surprised when he clumsily led us to the armchair. His body was heavy as he stayed draped across my shoulders, his arms flexing as he gripped his elbows on either side of my head. I giggled as we slowly made our way the short distance to the chair before falling into it.
Reece's legs bent around my hips, my body falling into the perfect space between his legs as he pulled me back against his chest. My hands rested on his knees, my fingers tracing small patterns on the fabric that covered his skin. I could feel his chest rise and fall as he sighed contentedly, my body moving with his from the way I was leaning on him. His arms loosened their grip around my shoulders but stayed wrapped around me.
"Missed you today," he said quietly. Luke was too distracted by his game to pay us any attention, and the volume was much louder than necessary, drowning out Reece's sentimental words.
"It was only a few hours," I pointed out lightly, pleased nonetheless.
"Soooo. I still missed you," he confessed. I smiled.
"I like drunk you. You're sweet," I teased.
"I'm always nice," he argued playfully, squeezing his legs around me momentarily. "And I'm not drunk."
"Yeah, I guess so," I admitted happily. "And yes you are."
He chuckled, not denying it any longer.
"Did you miss me?" he asked, dropping his lips quickly to press into my shoulder.
"Nope," I joked, grinning.
"Liar," he accused lightly.
"Not me, didn't miss you at all," I insisted, raising my chin in mock pride. He nudged my head with his gently before his lips pressed into the base of my neck, connecting with my skin this time.
"Liar," he breathed. He hugged me tighter for a second before releasing my shoulders and slipping his arms around my waist. I felt his palms flatten out against my hips and felt a flash of heat tear through me. The pads of his fingers pressed into my flesh, his touch too close to my center for my comfort. I could feel his lips pressing into my neck again and quickly caught on to his train of thought.
"Don't," I begged, my eyes darting to Luke across the room. He remained, thankfully, completely transfixed by his beer and his game, but the fact remained that he was only feet away from us.
"Don't what?" he asked innocently, his tone contradicting the way his fingers drifted lower on my body. My breath caught in my throat as he neared the place I wanted him. I could already feel the sizzling heat running through my body and he had hardly done anything yet.
"I take back what I said about you being nice," I muttered, shifting in a weak attempt to stop him.
"I think I'm pretty nice to you, baby," he whispered between kisses on my neck. His lips trailed higher, working every inch of skin he could reach.
"No, you're not," I argued, my voice strained as I tried to keep it quiet. I failed to stifle the gasp that blew between my lips as his fingers pressed between my legs, his touch finally reaching where I both wanted and didn't want him. The thin material of my leggings did a poor job of diminishing his touch.
"It's not nice to make you feel good?" he said, the innocent tone to his voice adding to my frustration. His fingers moved in slow, deliberate circles against me as he watched my breathing pick up. My eyes darted to Luke again, extremely paranoid and slightly uncomfortable but undeniably turned on despite the fact that he was there.
"Abigail, baby, did you hear me?" Reece purred when I didn't answer him. His hand increased the pressure against me as he circled slowly over my clit. The thin barrier between us only added to my pent up frustration.
"Luke-" I whispered quietly, trying to cling to any shred of sense I still had and stop this from happening.
"He'll never know as long as you're quiet, baby," he breathed into my ear, his lips tickling against it. I gasped when his hand suddenly pulled from me, my body deflating with disappointment so strong that it was quickly clear I never would have been able
to stop him no matter what. He shifted behind me to pull a blanket off the back of the chair before throwing it casually over us. Luke made no notice of his movement.
"I can tell you're stressed- your body is tense. Let me make you feel good," he persuaded, his words chipping away at the tiny amount of self-control I'd been struggling to locate. He was right- I'd had an exhausting day and it was surely showing in my body. I was surprised he'd picked up on it so easily because I hadn't really been aware of it until he'd said so. I could feel the tightness in my muscles in my shoulders and a dull ache from the headache I'd been fighting off all day.
Any resistance I might have had quickly fell when Reece returned his hand between my legs, his palm sliding tantalizingly slowly down my hip before putting pressure on me again. My breath hitched in my throat again as my head fell back against his shoulder in defeat. Reece took that as permission, his lips latching on to my neck once more before letting his tongue dart out against my skin.
"Be quiet, baby," he mumbled into my ear as his thumb slid beneath the waistband of my leggings to drag across the skin there. I took a deep, shuddering breath in an attempt to control myself as he slid his hand beneath the fabric separating us, his warm fingers circling over my clit slowly while his other arm locked around my torso, holding me still against him in preparation. His lips continued their assault of whatever part of me they could reach while his fingers shifted around the bundle of nerves.
This is a terrible idea.
I bit my lip into my mouth to stifle any sounds I would make as I felt the way his fingers switched between circling my clit and putting pressure on it. I was already feeling too hot under the blanket and the assault of his touch, but there was nothing I could do about it. My body shifted against my will as his hand slid down against me, his fingers dragging up my opening slowly. He teased my entrance, his fingers circling around before pushing inside of me. Again, my body twitched uncontrollably at his touch and I found myself biting my lip even harder.