Reverb

by S. M. West

  I love his touch and am hungry for his hands on me. No one has touched me like this but him, and that’s how I want it. Always.

  “I want you,” his low voice murmurs into my neck.

  With one hand reaching behind his head, he pulls the collar of his T-shirt up and over until he’s shirtless, revealing the defined expanse of his chest. All smooth skin, hard dips, and ridges of muscles.

  We’re alone in the quiet house. Only us. All my senses are attuned to him. He holds his breath, lips barely apart, as his fierce gaze claims me. Does this feel new and exciting for him every time like it does for me?

  Swallowing back the sudden lump in my throat, I slide the hem of my shirt upward, and the cool air hits my bare skin. Goosebumps pop along my arms but it isn’t because of my exposed flesh.

  No. It’s his molten eyes.

  His stare smolders, devouring me in my pink cotton bra and matching panties. He holds out his hand and I place mine securely in his as my heart thunders, any nervousness now replaced with anticipation.

  This isn’t our first time, yet every time feels new and exhilarating. And there’s no one I’d rather be with. No one who I trust more than Jared.

  He unclasps my bra, letting the straps slide down my arms, and like other times before, I fight the drive to curl my arms around myself. It isn’t out of body shame but more shyness.

  My gaze dips to the dark trail low on his tight stomach, disappearing into the waistband of his jeans. He pulls me to him, bending his head as his teeth nip at the tender flesh of my collarbone.

  A light gasp slips from my lips. His bare skin is hot against mine, and my pounding heart fills my ears. He kisses me, stealing my breath and filling me with a tidal wave of emotions.

  I’m very aware of his hard length flat against my stomach. His hand drifts from my neck to my collarbone, fanning to one shoulder then the other and next, my chest.

  He lingers and savors before his fingers track their way to my waist, hip bone and further down to my thigh. There’s no hesitation or hurried pace as he maps my body.

  “I love you.” His heated amber eyes pin me.

  “I love you too.”

  My hand skates down his hard abdomen, and I’m unable to contain my wicked smile when his muscles spasm.

  I love seeing what I do to him.

  The effect I have on this strong, muscled boy.

  His short, quick breaths embolden me and I unbutton his jeans, tugging them from his hips.

  Just the sight of him, arms, chest, lips—I can’t look at him without thinking of his mouth and hands on me—and I want more.

  “I want you. Need you now.”

  A rich chuckle floats over my head and I tilt my head back, glancing up at his beautiful face.

  He’s enjoying this.

  Teasing me.

  “I got you, Eva.”

  Then, without warning, his mouth crashes onto mine in a merciless kiss, and with a hand at my waist, he walks me back to my bed.

  Unexpectedly, he rips his lips from mine and a deep moan, long and pained, erupts from my mouth.

  Now it’s his turn to unleash a roguish grin as he gently pushes me onto the bed and pounces like a mountain lion, hovering above me. Once more, his mouth crashes onto mine. Teeth and tongues unrestrained.

  He’s a force of nature.

  My very own storm.

  I want him to break me. Shake me to my core and leave me undone. Take all of me.

  Lost in each other, like always when we are together, we are frenzied hands, heaving breaths, and whispered promises.

  “Get out,” my father bellows.

  We bolt upright, eyes blinking open, legs and arms tangled. Oh no! My father is charging for the bed and we’re in a daze.

  We fell asleep after having sex and Papi must have come home. He wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow.

  Before Jared can get his bearings, he’s grabbed by the shoulder and snatched from the bed.

  “No, Papi!” My hands shoot out, reaching for either of them, but my father is too fast, too incensed.

  His face twists in rage, and he hauls Jared from the room in only his boxers.

  “Mr. Ramirez, I’m sorry. I’ll leave.” His apology tugs at my heart.

  We did this, both of us, but Jared is the one who will bear the brunt of our indiscretion. I clutch the sheet to my chest, grateful we had at least a shred of wits about us and put on our underwear before falling asleep.

  My legs are twisted in the sheets, and I can’t get up fast enough. I stumble, falling to my knees and raised voices and a door slamming fill my ears while I rummage for my clothes.

  By the time I get downstairs, my father is alone. He paces the front hall, hands grasping his head as if trying to keep it together.

  I should be mindful and leave him, but I can’t bear to see him like this, knowing I’m to blame, and I need to know Jared is all right.

  “Papi, I’m sorry.” My steps are cautious, gaze wary as I near him.

  He stops pacing, his back to me, and his shoulders deflate while his strong, stocky frame shakes. Guilt floods my veins like freezing rain.

  “I’m sorry.” I rush to his side, sliding my arms around his middle.

  “Mija, what has he done?” His rough fingers cup my face, a sheen coating his dark eyes. “He’s no good for you. You’re still a child and look at what he’s done to you. Dragging you into his filth.”

  “No. He’s a good person.” I can’t stand to hear those words hurled at the one I love the most in this world. “He’s kind, loving. We shouldn’t have—”

  “Stay away from him.” His razor-sharp inflection pierces my heart. “I forbid you to go near him again. There will be consequences if you disobey.”

  A thick vein in his neck bulges, pulsing, and his skin reddens, spreading up into his face. His command isn’t new, but this time there’s the threat of being sent to Spain, unspoken but possible.

  He’s been talking more frequently to my grandfather, the two coming to some kind of understanding. Perhaps it’s the shared loss of my mother.

  I should be happy they are working toward peace, but it scares me. My grandfather is a powerful man and his money can make many things happen. I’m uncertain what any kind of alliance between those two could mean for Jared and me.

  “I can’t stay away. I love him.” I can’t keep my mouth shut or deny Jared’s existence or importance in my life. “We will be together. Get married, have kids.”

  Papi releases a derisive snort. “Silly girl. You’ll have nothing to do with him.”

  He doesn’t wait for my comeback, turning and leaving the house. I peer out the front door, heart aching from his casual dismissal. Jared’s Jeep is gone.

  Since Ike’s death, we’ve grown closer, and I’ll admit I’ve grown more careless in obeying my father’s wishes. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I love my father, but Jared is my heart.

  I want to be with him all the time, and the incessant risk of Spain makes me want to stick to Jared’s side—the opposite of what I’m sure my father intended—even more.

  My future is with Jared.

  12

  Center of her universe

  Junior/Senior year

  JARED

  Days away from eighteen.

  That should be a title of a song. These past few months were dark, and I’ve been on the verge of throwing it all in. Ike’s death hit hard.

  Anger and frustration ate at me while his body lay unclaimed in the county coroner’s office for nearly a month. As a minor, I was useless, and Ike had no family.

  It was through sheer determination that I convinced Milo to have one of his crew claim my friend. I knew better than to suggest he do it himself.

  Days away from cremation by the county and then being added to those unclaimed souls who would be buried in a mass grave, Milo did the decent thing. In addition to covering the costs of his burial, he held a small, low-key service so Ike’s friends could say goodbye.
>
  I miss him every day, and when I think of our last conversation, I’m filled with regret. But, at least, he’s finally at peace.

  On top of losing Ike, Eva’s father wants her away from me, more than ever before. Some days, it feels like everything is closing in.

  Fleeing the system is tempting despite how close I am to being considered an adult. More and more, I swear I hear Ike whispering in my ear, urging me to turn to a life on the streets.

  In some ways it would be both easier and harder. I wouldn’t have to try so hard for a better life. To prove my worth and be a better man. The man Eva deserves.

  But if I did that, if I gave in to the grief and sadness of losing Ike, I’d be giving up. Most importantly, I’d be saying goodbye to Eva and that isn’t an option. Ever.

  Eva is my lifeline.

  She got me through those dark and lonely moments after my best friend’s death. He was killed, shot by a security guard, in a car heist gone wrong.

  Yeah, Milo’s big, straightforward job hadn’t been so easy.

  I sometimes wonder if I could have changed things by being there that night like Ike wanted me to be. Would he still be alive? Or would we both be dead? And what about Eva?

  Throwing my bag in the Jeep, I shut the door and lean back on the bumper, waiting for Eva. Her father is working, and we’re going to a Valentine’s day party hosted by some girl at school.

  After the run-in with Mr. Ramirez in her bed, we had to get creative. He nearly hit me that night and I’m still not sure what stopped him. Maybe it was his regret for giving into his anger and hitting Bianca. And maybe it was knowing his wife wouldn’t approve of his behavior. Who knows.

  Instead, he kicked me out and immediately arranged for the neighbor, Lucia Bernal, to watch his teenage daughters. That poor woman had no clue what she’d agreed to until it was too late.

  Mostly, Eva went along with whatever the lady asked. She isn’t one to disobey orders, especially when the adult is right in front of her. And Mrs. Bernal was only trying to help.

  But Bianca. Well, she was a different story. Now nineteen, she considered herself an adult. She chose to ignore the fact that she was still living at home, working part-time at a dying music store, and she could still act like a brat.

  She answered to no one, and not even two weeks in and the neighbor demanded payment if she was going to have to tolerate that girl’s verbal abuse.

  Let’s just say, Lucia doesn’t watch them anymore. Their father didn’t have the money to pay the woman, and even if he did, I doubt it would have changed the outcome.

  The upside is that things are almost the way they were before the bed incident, as Eva likes to call it. The downside is Spain is looking like it could be more and more a reality.

  Mr. Ramirez can’t afford not to work, but he can’t abide his daughters doing as they please. I’d like to fix things with her father, and I keep trying, I really do, but the man just makes it so hard.

  “Hey.” She looks at me as if I’m the center of her universe.

  This is all new to me. I’ve never mattered to anyone.

  Warmth spreads throughout my chest as she saunters across the lawn.

  “Hi.” The corners of my mouth tip up into a smile.

  She stops in front of me, hands sliding up my chest and around my neck. Skin smooth and glowing. Her plump, sweet mouth is begging to be plundered, and she smells like paradise.

  I tug her flush against me and hoist her up by her hips. Her legs hook around my waist and my mouth covers hers in a searing kiss. This isn’t a good idea. Once we start, it’s hard to stop.

  Her small breathy moans sliding down my throat and subtle gyrations of her core against my flat stomach send my internal temperature skyrocketing. I can’t wait until it’s just the two of us, all the time.

  To have our own place, be together whenever we want, is a dream I can’t wait to make come true.

  But not today.

  I rip my mouth away and glance down at her. Thick, dark lashes flutter, eyes heavy and dazed, and her pink lips swollen.

  She’s everything.

  My world.

  More beautiful than anyone or anything I’ve ever seen.

  I tighten my arms around her, intensifying my hold, and she responds in kind, her legs squeezing around my middle.

  “We better go.” I lightly peck her lips and set her down.

  I turn away from him before I change my mind, busy adjusting myself as I head to the driver’s side. She groans, straightens her clothes and meets me in the car.

  When we arrive at the party, the house is stuffed like a burrito, people spilling into the backyard, garage, and driveway.

  “Damn, this girl has a big mouth,” I mutter, cruising past the party house in search of a parking spot.

  From the looks of things, we’ll have a hike back to the house because the street is lined with cars for as far as I can see.

  “Yes. Tanya was a little too excited and invited the entire school, I think.”

  Eva laughs, shaking her head and nibbles on her bottom lip. Her expression sobers because she isn’t wild about parties.

  My hand rests on her bare knee and I give her a light squeeze. “Hey, it’s cool. We won’t stay long.”

  “Okay.” Nodding, her long dark hair sways from side to side.

  It doesn’t matter to me if we stay or go, but Lucid, our band—still together even after some of the guys graduated high school—promised to play a few songs. And we’ve already been paid so it would be a dick move not to perform.

  “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can be alone.” I give her a lopsided grin, sure she can see the mischief in my eyes.

  With her father gone and Bianca who knows where since she’s no longer with Tito, we’re hoping to have her place to ourselves.

  Lately, it’s a gamble with her father because more and more he comes home when he isn’t supposed to.

  We think his work calendar, which is up on their fridge, is deliberately misleading. Not sharing his actual work schedule is his way of keeping a better hold on the comings and goings of his children.

  With the Jeep parked, we hold hands and stroll nearly two blocks to the house. The night is cool, even for February.

  “Are you excited for your birthday?” Her sly tone brings a smile to my face.

  I’ll be eighteen in less than a week and she’s planned a weekend away. It’s a surprise, and she’s already got a cover story for her father, something involving Marisol.

  “Yeah, but like I’ve said before. I need nothing but you. We can stay here, you know.”

  “No.” She stomps one of her small feet and I chuckle. “I can’t wait, and you deserve to get away. To be spoiled. You only turn eighteen once.”

  The music is near deafening as we near the house, and I wonder if Tito and the rest of the band are already here.

  Eva tails me, our hands still entwined, and we weave through the throngs of people like a train snaking through a forest. This place is more than packed.

  Depending on how long this thing goes on for, the party host, a wannabe popular sophomore, could have serious structural damage to her home. I doubt she intended the entire high school, and then some, to show up.

  Surprisingly, it’s easy enough to find all the members of our band and we set up for our show.

  Once ready, I find a somewhat-secluded, safe spot where Eva and Marisol can hang out while we play.

  “Stay here,” I whisper in her ear, breathing in her mango scent.

  She shivers and nods. “You’ll be awesome.”

  She kisses my neck once, fingers sliding around my waist to squeeze me tight, and it takes a lot out of me to tear myself away.

  Lucid is on fire tonight and the crowd loves us. It doesn’t hurt that almost everyone here knows us from school. We were booked to play three songs, but once we start, the electric energy of the audience urges us on and we play song after song.

  It’s during the final encore w
hen it happens. Yeah, encore. We played all of our own songs and we’re now doing covers.

  And it’s then that I’m hit with a chilling sensation. An icy, disturbing impression that emerges at the base of my spine and eerily sneaks its way through every inch and crevice of my insides.

  My gaze flies to where I last saw Eva not even a minute ago as an unbearable tightening takes hold of my ribcage.

  The tension loosens and I exhale a heavy sigh when she’s where I left her, smiling and dancing with her friends.

  Now I’m eager to wrap this show and get the hell out of here. I can’t explain it but all I want is Eva. To hold her in my arms.

  We’ve got the entire night, yet I can’t shake this feeling. And it doesn’t leave even when I finally have her at my side.

  “I want to get out of here.” My lip grazes the shell of her ear, and she spins to face me.

  “What’s wrong?” Tiny lines spring to life on her forehead.

  My fingers sweep them away, relishing in the silky feel of her skin. “Nothing. I just want to chill with my girl.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  We say our goodbyes, and as if chased by wraiths, I can’t get out of there fast enough. Something isn’t right.

  I can’t erase the sense or idea of something being out there. Where? I couldn’t say. Lurking, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

  “Are you all right?” She stops on the sidewalk a few feet from the back of my Jeep, without concern for the light rain starting to fall.

  “Yeah, I just…I don’t know what it is, but I don’t want to be anywhere but back at your place, with you.”

  The light drizzle mists our face and she shivers. “Then let’s do this.”

  As if sensing I need the comfort, that I need her more than I always do, her slender arms wrap around my waist. She rests one side of her head against my chest with her ear just below my heart.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Her fingers rub in small tender circles on my lower back.