Blue

by H. J. Bellus

  “Where is it?” I mumble, half asleep.

  I feel my head being mashed between his thigh and rock hard abs and again can’t complain.

  “Here.” My phone is placed in my hands and roll onto my back to see my screen filled with frantic texts from Sophie.

  “Everything okay?” he asks.

  “Yeah, just my roommate freaking out. Funny she even knew I was gone. She’s never home, and I mean never. She’s always out fucking Lane somewhere.”

  “So, you sit in your dorm alone?”

  “No, I have my stuffed animals.”

  “Funny, Blue.”

  Tilting my head back on his thigh, I look up into his face and don’t break eye contact. “No, I go to class, work out at the gym, spend three hours at cheer practice, eat dinner and do homework, and then I go on a glorious nightly run. I only sleep there.”

  I want to add and pine over you and our shared kiss.

  “Jay’s worried about you.”

  “I know,” I say, rolling my eyes and typing out a quick message to Sophie.

  “You need to slow down a bit.”

  “Whatever. I bet your day is the same as mine. I could tell you the same thing, Tuck.”

  “You’re a stubborn shit.”

  “Not as stubborn as you.”

  Another cellphone goes off in the quiet, dimly-lit living room, and I look back up to him.

  “It’s mine,” he replies while digging into his pocket.

  “You can answer it.”

  “Nah, it’s fine.”

  I give him a moment to silence the call.

  “Hey, Tuck.”

  “Yeah,” he answers, and I can tell he’s distracted by whoever is calling him.

  “Ask me what my favorite part of my day is.”

  He looks down at me with a crooked eyebrow.

  “Blue Williams, tell me your favorite part of your day.”

  “My nightly runs. I feel free and optimistic and it’s the only time in the day when a sense of completeness fills me.” I raise my palm to cover his cheek. “It’s you, Tuck.”

  “Blue, I…”

  I push my finger into his lip and shake my head, not wanting to hear his excuses, and then get up from the couch.

  “Thanks for feeding me tonight, and, well, kicking that guy’s ass.”

  I shove my feet into my tennis shoes and look for my bag, then finally spot it at the end of the couch. Walking over, I don’t look back at Tuck as I bend over and grab it. My hand grips the brass doorknob and I still don’t have the urge to look back. The creak of the door as I open it is deafening in the small house.

  I’m pulled back into Tuck’s hard chest as a low growl fills my ear. My body gives in to him and allows him to drag me about the house. My bag is thrown on the couch as I follow the gravity. I’m so attracted to Tuck. He spins me into his room and I back up as he flips off the lights. The backs of my legs hit the edge of his mattress as he pushes me all the way back onto it, and I hear Ed Sheeran fill the room, and the words couldn’t fit this situation more perfectly.

  “Don’t break my heart, Tuck.”

  “It’ll be your fault if I do. I told you to stay away, Blue.”

  Propped up on my elbows, I can barely make out his figure as he walks about his room, but the moment his body covers mine, I lose sight of everything. My cheerleading, school, goals, and everything possibly close to my heart vanishes with his touch. When his lips meet mine, I pour every ounce of gratitude into him as we kiss and know there’s no threat to being caught.

  My eager hands roam up his back as my lips soak up his taste. I feel Tuck push into my center and moan into his mouth as I feel his excitement too.

  “No hands and no touching, Blue.”

  He grabs me by my biceps and pushes them up and over my head, pressing them down into the mattress.

  “Why?”

  “Want this or not?”

  I breathlessly try to say, “Yes.”

  I feel his hungry mouth back on mine, devouring me. My hips buck up into him, pleading for more. A kiss is almost torture. I need more, want more, have to have more to survive.

  “Tuck.” I feel a flush run through my cheeks as my simple word comes out as a yell.

  He buries his face in the crook of my neck, sucking and licking every inch of my flesh. His hands rip my oversized t-shirt off in one fell swoop, and then my bra is gone before I can blink.

  He pins my hands above my head again with one of his large palms. When his teeth sink into my perked up nipple, I scream. His other hand covers my mouth as he sucks harder, teasing me with his mouth. My hips writhe up and down, trying to get to more of him.

  “You touch me once, Blue, and this is over.”

  I couldn’t care less what his demands are in this moment, as long as his lips don’t leave my body. Clenching my eyes, I focus on the sensation he’s sending through every single part of my body and hum in appreciation. His lips make a trail down between my breasts to my belly button, and I giggle when he swirls it with his tongue. In the next moment he has me naked, ripping off my shorts and underwear in one motion.

  The sound of the rest of my clothes being tossed off makes me smile, but when he gets up from the bed, I groan, already missing his contact.

  “Tuck.”

  I’m not a whiny person, but right now I’m the biggest whiner on the planet.

  He hooks his arms around the back of my thighs, dragging me to the edge of the bed, and then his lips begin to wander up the inside of my thigh. I have to cover my own mouth to muffle my screams. It takes every ounce of willpower not to reach down, rip off his stupid-ass beanie, and tug his hair.

  He leaves his sweet taste behind as he drags his tongue the entire length of my inner thigh, and then he hits the sweet spot. I can’t help but let my moans of pleasure out as my hands fist into his blanket on the bed. Just one sweep of his tongue threatens to send me into a burst of pleasure. I try to slow things down by concentrating on something else…fuck, bunnies or stuffed animals or some shit like that. I don’t want to go before he even does anything spectacular.

  But the moment he grips my ass, nearing the point of pain, and buries his face deeper in me, adding his fingers to the mix, I let my body move along with him.

  “Tuck.”

  I repeat his name over and over until I can no longer hold in any of the pleasure about to blossom in me. When he scrapes his teeth along my skin, I explode and stars fill my vision, and I break Tuck’s rule and grip onto his forearms holding my legs. My hips writhe, riding out each flick of aftershock of my orgasm.

  “Holy shit.” I run my hands through my hair and rest them on top of my head. “How the hell am I going to pay you back for that?”

  “Just sleep here with me tonight and kiss me one more time.”

  “Are you asking for a goodnight kiss, Tuck?”

  His fully clothed body covers mine again, and it reminds me how completely exposed I am.

  “I’m naked. You’re not.”

  Tuck puts his lips on mine and smiles. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Blue. I need to stay away from you.”

  “Just kiss me.”

  He begins kissing me passionately again and it’s the sweetest thing ever with both of our tastes mingled together. Tuck keeps it short this time as he picks me up, cradling my naked body as he walks around the bed. He flicks on a little night lamp.

  “Tuck.”

  He just shoots me a crooked grin.

  “I’m naked. You’re fully clothed and off limits. So, either turn the lights off or give me my clothes.”

  He’s such a gentle giant as he lays me down on the bed and then grabs my clothes and tosses them toward me.

  “I’ll be right back. Need anything?”

  I shake my head as I struggle to get back in his black shirt, trying to give him minimal view of my tits. I have to have something on the man that he hasn’t already had.

  Moments later, Tuck comes back in and shuts the door with a smile cove
ring his face and two bottles of water in his hand. “Here, grabbed it just in case.”

  “Thank you.”

  He doesn’t waste time turning off all the lights, climbing in behind me, scooping me up in his arms, and pressing me into his chest.

  “Why won’t you let me touch you?”

  My words dissipate in the dark air and I can’t muster up the energy to ask again before sleep takes over.

  Chapter 12

  The ceiling lights whirl around in my vision as my back slams into the mat.

  “Williams, that’s going to hurt like a bitch when you do that on the track in front of a home crowd.”

  It’s the fifth time I’ve landed on my ass during a rolling back handspring. It’s very typical for me to do six of them and stick it every single time, and I know it’s something very popular at football games, but it’s been nine days and no sight of Tuck. Not even at night during my runs.

  I finally broke down and told Sophie everything and made her promise not to judge or mother hen my ass. She told me my pussy was probably poisonous and killed the guy off. Noah finally gave up the details last night when he came over to the dorms with Lane.

  Tuck’s ass had been handed to him by his running back coach for the scuffle in the gym, and he was put on suspension with the threat of not starting the first game of the season. I guess he was given a hefty list of things he had to complete before he’d be eligible, and even then it was going to be iffy. Noah went on, explaining the soccer player, AKA Captain Asshat, was kicked off his team. It was a third strike kind of thing, so basically I ruined two men’s careers by stepping in the gym that day. But it seems my ugly, selfish tendencies have taken over once again, because I just want Tuck back.

  Noah refused to give me Tuck’s number even after I threw a fit and offered him money. I know deep down it’s because of Tuck’s privacy issues, but in Noah’s defense, he probably wants his star player focusing on the game and not me. Noah didn’t miss his chance to mercilessly tease me over the last nine days every single time he saw me. He calls my name out in a very steamy voice similar to the way I called Tuck’s out.

  “Again, Blue.” Coach Lindsey stretches a hand out to me, and I spring up again.

  After three more attempts, I land a continuing seven back handsprings down the royal blue mats of the gym, and then do it five more times to keep the actions memorized in my muscles.

  “Huddle up.” Coach stands on her stack of red mats in her ready position. “Football and volleyball seasons are coming up. Home and away games will all have cheerleaders. We will also be visible at soccer games, so this is one of the last practices we will all be together.” She pulls a stack of papers from behind her back. “Here are the schedules. If you can’t attend or become ill, you report to your team captain, and then they’ll report to an assistant or myself. No excuses.”

  I stand back and let the swarm of girls grab theirs and run off to shower. Most of them have places to be and things to do, but I, on the other hand…nada. When the crowd clears and it’s just Coach, I step up and take mine.

  “What’s bothering you?”

  “Is it that obvious, Coach?”

  “Written all over you.”

  I shrug. “I guess I’m just stressed. Promise to have my head screwed on straight from here on out.”

  “I have no worries.”

  She walks away, and I admire how cut and dry she is as a coach. No bullshit or gray areas with that lady, just straight business, and boy, how I wish I could’ve kept my college life that way.

  “Blue, want to go to dinner?”

  Sophie has her bag slung over her shoulder and is running out of the gym. She’s made an effort to be around a bit more the last nine days, and I’ve really appreciated it.

  “Sure, but I’m going stinky.”

  “Me, too. Lane loves my smell.”

  “God, you two are disgusting.”

  “You know you love us.” Sophie’s tan arm pulls me into her as we walk outside into the sunshine.

  Lane’s truck is easy to spot as he waits for Sophie in the first parking spot. It does stick out among all the small cars.

  “There’s my girls.” He jumps from the driver’s side of the truck, letting his phone drop to the seat. He opens the door for us, and I let Sophie slide to middle and then get in after her. Before he shuts the door, Lane gives my thigh a light squeeze and sends me a comforting wink, and I know Sophie told him everything.

  When he rounds the front of the truck, I elbow her in the ribs.

  “Sorry, I thought he might have more info on Tuck.”

  “And?” I ask, slapping her leg.

  “He wouldn’t budge. I even swallowed.”

  “Sophie,” I scream and give her another elbow.

  As Lane hops up in the driver’s seat, he asks, “What has she done now?”

  “Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” I say, leaving no room for further inquiry.

  I listen as Lane goes on about football practice and how hard the coaches have been on them, while I pretend to be more interested in my phone than listening to him. I’m on high alert for any Tuck info, or even the mention of number thirty-two, but nothing. All I get is the information I already know. The first game of the season is an away game, and I will not be cheering, even though I’ll be at every other fucking football game. Coach Lindsey is letting all the seniors go. I guess it’s tradition or some shit like that.

  So, in five days when Tuck gets on a plane and flies east to play his first game of his junior year, I’ll be at an all-day volleyball match cheering and passing around a damn coffee can for money for our national cheer competition this spring. Oh, the life.

  We pull up to the greasy burger joint where I ate the first day on campus, and the whole cab of the truck hears my stomach growl with delight.

  “What can I say?” I shrug as I get out and try to contain my giddiness over a greasy bacon cheeseburger. “I’m going to even splurge on cheesy fries, bitches.”

  “You’ll run it off, Blue.” Sophie grabs my hand and we portray a very odd happy threesome as we walk in.

  “You’re still running at night?” Lane cranes his neck to look at me, his eyes wide with shock.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Blue, you shouldn’t be out after dark with all the fucking crimes that’ve been going down.”

  “None on campus, so no worries.”

  “Yeah, but Tuck hasn’t been with you.”

  His last words cause my eyebrows to shoot straight up. “Excuse me?”

  Our conversation is broken up as we enter the crammed diner with clattering noises surrounding us. I want to push him for information, and need to know how he knows that Tuck used to run with me, but I don’t. Instead I head to the counter and order, not giving Lane the chance to buy my food, which he always tries to do.

  “I’ll find a table.”

  I turn to scope out a place for the three of us and leave the lovebirds at the counter to order. I roam the corner where the football players usually are and find their long table vacant, then settle for a cozy booth on the opposite side of the diner. I sip on my cold water as I wait for the rest of my party. Lane and Sophie climb in the booth and tangle their bodies together.

  “I’m so bummed I won’t see your first game, Lane.”

  “It will probably be for the best.” He slumps over as her elbow connects straight to his ribs. “Less distraction is what I meant. Ohio is going to be one of the toughest opponents of the year. This game will be setting the pace for the whole season.”

  “Nice cover up, lover boy.” I roll my eyes in his direction.

  Sophie perks up and perches her elbows on the table. “So, Blue, tonight is the last official party before football season.”

  I try to keep up with her conversation between her eye rolls and finger quotes, but find the surrounding noise distracting.

  “Sure.” I shrug as a waitress sets my food in front of me. The melted cheese on the golden fries dances
with delight before me, and I can’t help but plop one of the delicious bitches in my mouth.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Why not?” I answer around a mouthful of cheese.

  “Well, fuck me running, I thought I was going to have to drag you.”

  “Nope, I need a distraction from…”

  My words are cut off by a loud ruckus, and I see a large crowd of players enter the diner. Lane props himself up, giving some of them high fives and slaps on the ass as they walk by. I turn my head just in time to see Noah and Tuck walk in. In typical fashion, Tuck’s eyes dart away from me quickly and he heads for the back table while Noah offers up a feeble smile, but that’s it.

  “I guess your pussy didn’t kill him,” Sophie whispers.

  Those motherfuckers.

  Noah orders and heads straight back to the corner, not making any effort at all to acknowledge me.

  “Blue, you might want to shut your mouth and wipe the cheese sauce from the corner of your lips.”

  Sophie is right. I place my hand under my jaw to keep my mouth firmly locked shut, and then use the back of my other hand to smear off the cheese sauce and then dart my tongue out to finish the job.

  “Wow, that was all sorts of manners,” Sophie adds.

  I keep my mouth closed, mostly to keep all the words ready to spew from me hidden away.

  “Take it easy, Blue.” Lane ruffles his hair. “Tuck got in deep shit for beating that guy up, and when we are days away from a big game, we stick together with no distractions.”

  And my seal breaks.

  “Distractions?” I draw the word out, putting emphasis on each syllable, and point between the two of them.

  “She’s my girl. It’s like my get out of jail free card. I’ll release frustrations and then band together with them.”

  “Fuck your band. Fuck you.” I pick up my hamburger and slam it back down. “Fuck this food, and fuck everything football.”

  “Blue.” I hear Sophie’s voice, but I’m too far gone.

  I slide from the booth and continue on my rant. The noise level doesn’t break as I continue.

  “And fuck motherfucking weak assholes who have no fucking manners.” I pluck my cheesy fries from the table. “And don’t forget to pick me up tonight.”