by L A Cotton
“I can’t deny there was something appealing about those tight white pants.” My hands ran down his arms, loving how his muscles contracted under my touch.
“I’ll keep a pair just for you.” He winked, but I saw the lingering sadness in his eyes.
“Is your mom likely to come upstairs?”
“Nah, I think we’re safe.”
“Good.” I brushed the hair away from his face, inching closer.
“Oh yeah?” Asher’s eyes lit up. “Is that your attempt at seducing me, Hernandez?”
“Is it working?”
He leaned in, until our noses were touching. “You don’t need to seduce me, Mya. I’m already yours.”
His words sank into me, softening my hard, jagged edges.
“You really mean that, don’t you?” I asked, not really wanting to be that girl. The girl unsure about everything, who constantly needed reassurance from her boyfriend. But after Jermaine; after all the broken promises and lies, it was hard to trust so easily.
“I mean it, babe. Every single word. But maybe I should show you.” Asher dipped his head, pressing his lips to my neck. “Maybe you need a reminder.”
Asher
“Are you going to sit there all night wearing a shit-eating grin?” Jason grunted as he slid into the booth with our beers.
We were at our table in Bell’s. It was quieter than usual; people still visiting family and friends for the holidays. After two days of strained meals and awkward conversation, it’d been a huge fucking relief when my father announced he needed to leave for urgent business. The smug bastard had simply smirked when he’d asked me if I’d liked my presents. As if they hadn’t been a giant slap in the face; every other gift a Panther branded item of clothing or college accessory. Like I needed any more of a reminder that, come next August, I would be going to my father’s alma mater to become his puppet.
Unsurprisingly, there hadn’t been a Panther’s football jersey in sight.
So what had I done? I’d immediately invited Mya for lunch, thinking it would be nice for her and Mom to spend some time together without Dad’s shadow looming over them. Big-fucking-mistake. Mom had gone and brought up college and the conversation had quickly gone to shit. I’d half-expected Mya to make her excuses and get the hell out of there.
But she hadn’t.
My girl had sat there with my mom, who had hardly been able to look at me, while we pretended everything was fine. It was such a relief when we finally went up to my room. Mya had let me lose myself in her without question. I needed her and she was there. I could still feel her now, wrapped around my dick, her breathy moans in my ear. The way she cried my name over and over, as if I was her salvation.
Because fuck only knew, I was beginning to think she was mine.
“Jase, ease off.” Cam came to my defense. “We were the same.”
“Were?” I snorted. “He’s worse than a dog in heat.” My eyes went to Jase.
“Fuck off,” he mumbled. “We’re not talking about me and Felicity, we’re talking about you and Mya. Although I don’t think I need to ask how it feels now you finally got the girl.”
“What’s that I hear, fuckers?” Grady joined us, sliding in beside Jase. I smothered a groan. I hadn’t expected him to be here. “You and Mya going steady?” he asked.
“We’re... going. She met my parents Christmas Eve and came over for lunch with my mom earlier.”
“Holy fuck, that’s... good for you, bro. What did they think?” I reared back, eyes hard on him. “Whoa, I wasn’t throwing shade,” he blurted out. “I just meant did they like her?”
Awkward silence fell over our booth as I replayed my father’s blatant disapproval, not to mention his arrogance when he’d met Mya.
“My mom loved her,” I finally said, the words like sandpaper in my throat. “My old man, not so much. He tried to set me up with Kellie. Turns out she’s also going to Pittsburgh next year.”
“Shit, man, that’s rough. How’d Mya take that news? You know how persistent Kellie can be.”
“I’m not worried about Kellie.” She wasn’t even on my radar.
“You should be. She and those gymnasts can be fucking mental. Look at Jenna.” Grady’s eyes slid to Jase who had gone eerily quiet.
“Let’s not talk about Jenna.” She’d caused enough shit between him and Felicity without rehashing it all.
“So what’s the deal? Why the long face? Wouldn’t she put out?”
“Grady, man, I swear if you don’t shut the fuck up...”
“Jeez, Bennet, lighten up. I’m going to shoot some pool with Merrick and the guys. Catch you later.”
Jase and Cam gave him a sharp nod, but I stared out at nothing, clutching the neck of the bottle in my hand like a vise.
When Jase settled his attention back on me, his brow rose. “Talk.”
“Later,” I said non-committally. “We need to figure out plans for New York. Riley and Vaughn have this whole bar crawl thing planned but it sounds like a lot of hard work.”
“Can’t we start at the penthouse and end up at a club?” Cam asked.
“That’s what I was thinking. We can get some drinks, snacks, and the penthouse has a wicked sound system. I could ask Riley and Vaughn if they want to bring some friends?”
Jase ran a hand down his face. “Set it up, but don’t let Riley and Vaughn turn it into something huge. I don’t want to spend the night with a bunch of rich kids from the city.”
“I’ll tell them to keep it tight.” I pulled out my cell to text Vaughn, since she was more likely to respond than Riley.
“A whole night of freedom,” Jase grumbled. “I can’t fucking wait. We’re running out of places to fuck.”
“Seriously, man?” Cam shook his head. “Do you have to do that?”
“What? Like you and Hailee aren’t—”
“Dude!” I levelled Jase with a hard look. “There’s a line. Don’t cross it.”
“Bunch of pussies.” He smirked, taking a long pull on his beer.
“Don’t even try to act like Fee hasn’t gotten you right where she wants you. You’re whipped, bro, admit it.”
His expression darkened but then melted away, morphing into a proud smile. “I can own that shit. I, Jason fucking Ford, am so fucking whipped by my girl and I love it.”
“Say it a little louder for the people in the back,” Grady yelled, and Jason flipped him off, earning him a round of snickers and cheers.
“When’s the wedding?” someone called, and the blood drained from his face.
“Oh, now he shuts up.” Cam snorted. “You should see your face.”
“Fuck off, Chase. We all know you’ll be the first one down the aisle with Hailee.”
He shrugged. “One day.”
“What about you, Ash, man; you think Mya’s wife material?”
My throat went dry, my fingers tightening around the bottleneck.
“Yo, Cap,” Grady shouted across the bar, saving me from Jason’s question. “You feel like getting your ass kicked at pool?”
“Like that’ll ever happen.” Jase stood up, arrogance pouring from him. “Rack ‘em up, Grady, and prepare to eat shit.” He sauntered off leaving me with Cameron.
Eyes narrowed right on me, he said, “I’m here.”
“I know.” I lifted my face to his.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
I nodded, feeling the teeth of the truth nipping at my heels.
Time was running out.
But I still wasn’t ready.
“Do you think this is a good idea?” Cam whispered as we trudged around the Giles’ back yard, wading through the bushes lining their house. “Couldn’t we just have knocked?”
“It’s been too long since we pranked Hailee,” Jase slurred. “She needs a little reminder who’s the better sibling.”
“Step-sibling,” I corrected.
“Step, smep. She needs bringing down a peg or two since she got with Chase.”
“I�
��m standing right here,” Cam protested.
“Yeah, yeah, man. You owe me too. My step-sister. Really, man, you had to go there?”
“How many drinks did you have tonight?” I asked him.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re drunk, and when Felicity sees what you’ve done to her mom’s plants, she’s going to have your balls.”
“Just because Hailee has your balls in her purse, doesn’t mean the rest of us let our women run the show.”
Cam dropped into one of the garden chairs. “I’m just going to sit here and watch you show your woman who’s boss.”
“I’m with him,” I slowly backed up, leaving Jase to try to scale the wall by himself.
“Bunch of pussies,” he murmured, trying to get a foothold in the wooden lattice. “We’ve got to take back our balls, I’m telling you. These girls think they can just swoop in and turn our lives upside down and have us running around after them, I’m a Raider for fuck’s sake. And Raiders never…” he trailed off when he noticed us glaring at him. “What?”
I nudged my head over his shoulder to where the girls were standing looking less than amused.
“Jason Gary Ford, what the hell do you think you’re doing in my mom’s hydrangeas?”
“Babe, I can explain…” Jase dragged a hand through his hair, inching closer to them. “We thought it would be funny.”
“He,” Cam coughed, “he thought it would be funny.”
“Traitorous motherfucker.”
“Please tell me you weren’t going to try to scale the wall?” Flick broke rank and stepped up to him, pressing her hands to his chest forcefully.
Jase shot her a lazy smile. “I wanted to see you.”
“You could have called or knocked. God, you stink. Just how much did you let him drink?” Her eyes went to me.
“Don’t look at me. I’m not his keeper.”
“Or me,” Cam added. “Blame Grady.”
“Grady? Grady who isn’t here right now trampling through my mom’s plants and trying to climb the lattice.”
“Don’t be pissed, babe.” Jason hooked his arm around Felicity’s waist, dragging her closer. “I missed you.” He buried his face into her neck and she shrieked.
“Get off me, you’re drunk.”
“Maybe you should just invite us in?” I suggested, “before he really makes a scene.”
Mya shook her head at me, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips. Without a word, I rose from the chair and did my best to walk in a straight line to her. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she said, her smile growing. “Just how drunk are you?”
“Not as drunk as him.” I thumbed to where Jason was slowly breaking Flick’s resolve, the two of them kiss-fighting. “But a little more drunk than Cam.”
“Sounds about right,” Hailee said as she brushed past me to go get her guy.
“Miss me?”
“Miss you?” Mya chuckled, smoothing her hands over my shoulders. “It’s only been a few hours since I last saw you.”
“Admit it, you missed me.”
“Ash…” She lowered her eyes, touching her head to mine.
“It’s okay, Mya,” Jase called over. “We’re all slaves to love here.”
“Oh God, stop,” Flick smothered a laugh. “You’re here now. I guess you might as well come inside.”
“Shall we?” I said to Mya. She took one of my hands and turned to go back inside. But I paused, letting my eyes sweep down her body. “Nice pajamas.”
“Behave,” she scolded. “Or I’ll call you a cab.”
Jase snickered but my girl shot him a hard look. “You too, Ford. It might be your girlfriend’s house, but you interrupted girls night and I’m not afraid to send you packing.”
“Warning received, loud and clear.”
“You really showed her, Jase,” I teased.
“Fuck off,” he mouthed as we all headed inside. It was late and both me and Cam had tried to talk Jason out of coming here to sabotage the girls’ night. But I wasn’t about to let him go off alone. Besides, the chance to spend more time with Mya was just too good to refuse.
The girls ushered us into the living room, practically shoving us onto the couch. “Now,” Felicity started, “What to do with the three of you.”
“You can do whatever you’d like, babe,” Jason smirked, letting his hand run down to his crotch.
“Dude, we’re right here,” I reminded him.
“Maybe you should fuck off then.”
“What about a game of truth or dare?” Hailee suggested. “Jason goes first since he’s the mastermind behind all of this.”
“Truth or dare is for pussies,” he grunted, his hungry eyes fixed on Flick like a predator stalking its prey.
“We’ll make it worth your while.” Mya stepped between Hailee and Felicity, throwing her arm around their shoulders. I sat up a little straighter, frowning.
“Oh yeah, Hernandez,” Jason said. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”
“I dare you to kiss Asher—”
“What the fuck?” We both shrieked. “No way!”
“Kiss Asher,” my girl stood her ground, “and I’ll kiss Felicity.”
Holy shit.
My jaw almost hit the floor as Flick nodded. “Ooh, good one. What do you think?”
“Babe, I’m not some pre-pubescent guy who gets off watching two girls…” His words trailed off as Felicity dragged a finger down Mya’s neck, toying with the neckline of her pajama tank.
“You were saying?” She had Jase’s full attention now. He narrowed his eyes, nostrils flared.
“For real, you want to do this?” His hard gaze found me around Cameron. “You want to see me kiss Asher?”
“Dude,” I interjected. “You’re not actually considering this?” Seeing Mya kiss Felicity would be as hot as fuck, but no way did I want to kiss my best friend—a guy—for it.
No way.
“I’m game, if you are.”
It felt like we were spectators to some private challenge between Jase and Felicity. Challenge glittered in their eyes, the air thick with tension.
“You’ll really make it worth our while?”
She nodded and I tried to catch Mya’s attention, but she was too busy watching Jason and Felicity.
“Fine. Ash, man, get over here.”
“I’m not kissing you, Jase. No fucking way.”
“Don’t be such a pussy. I’ve seen your dick more times than I can count. What’s a little kiss between friends?”
“You’ve lost your goddamn mind,” I ground out as Jason stood up, coming around the couch toward me. “Keep your drunk ass away from me.”
“You know he’ll win,” Cam said. “Might as well get it over with.”
“Thanks for the help, man. Big fucking thanks.” I jabbed a finger at Jase, warning him to stay back, but the huge drunken idiot launched on top of me, pinning me to the couch.
Laughter exploded all around us as I tried to wrestle him off, but the motherfucker was just too strong. He caged my body, using one of his hands to grip my face. “Just one little kiss, pucker up.”
“Jason, get the hell—” His mouth pressed down on mine, hard and wet and as weird. as. fuck. I went still, clamping my lips together to avoid an accidental slip of the tongue. Shoving with all my might, I slammed my body forward, sending Jase falling back onto his ass.
“Don’t ever do that again.” I smeared his kiss off my lips with the back of my hand. He clambered to his feet, a shit-eating smirk plastered over his face.
“Aww, don’t be so sensitive. You’ve got pretty nice lips… for a guy.”
Cam snorted beside me and I levelled him with a look that said, ‘you’re next’.
“That was… wow, I did not expect that to happen.” Flick looked a little flushed. Her eyes dancing with a mix of surprise and curiosity. “Okay, I guess it’s our turn. Mya…”
“Felicity.” She smirked at her friend, gently cupping her face.
The two of them inched closer, and I found myself sitting straighter again. They were almost nose to nose, lips to lips, when they both turned their head at the last second and grinned. “Gotcha.”
“I can’t believe you actually thought we’d do it,” Felicity added around a smug grin.
“You tricked us?” Jase growled.
“And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Want your balls back now?”
“You’re in so much trouble, babe.” He advanced toward her, but she edged backward.
“It was a joke, Jase. Don’t be so—”
“You’d better run.”
“Oh shit.” Flick spun on her heel and took off out of the door, laughter drifting back to us as Jason took off after her.
“I guess we won’t see them again tonight,” Mya said, her eyes sliding to mine. “Am I in trouble too?”
Heat trickled down my spine. “Do you want to be in trouble?”
She came over and climbed on my lap, tucking her body tight to mine. “Would you be disappointed if I said I want to hang out with Cam and Hailee and just enjoy being a normal couple?”
“Actually,” I pecked the end of her nose. “That sounds pretty damn perfect to me.”
Mya
“Mya, I’m home,” my aunt’s voice rang out, startling me.
I let out a heavy sigh. This was one conversation I knew I couldn’t escape. What was it that Felicity had said ‘rip it off like a Band-Aid’? Only I was pretty sure this Band-Aid was going to leave a deeper cut.
I found Aunt Ciara in the kitchen, unpacking a small bag of groceries. “A little help.” Her eyes widened with meaning, and I chuckled, setting to work alongside her.
After a couple of silent minutes, she huffed out, “For the love of Jesus, Mya, spit it out.”
“How do you do that?” I asked.
“You think I don’t see the way you’re holding it all in?” Her brow rose.
“Felicity and Hailee invited me to New York with them for New Year’s.”
“New York, huh? Sounds fancy. Fancy and expensive. You know we don’t got spare money lying around for—”