Jason squeezed my hand as we weaved through the cop maze. He kept his eyes on them too. The men and women in blue came in and out of buildings like they owned the place. On the plus side, there were no helicopters anymore.
The media attacked us as soon as we stepped out of the police zone. I wanted to run for the dorm and hope they didn’t give chase, but Jason’s hand kept me chained to his side. He wanted to face this dragon down. A female reporter with her blonde curls pulled back into a braid targeted us. Her cameraman shadowed her as she approached. She ran a hand down her gray suit before speaking. “Hello, mind if I interview you?”
Jason turned toward her and gave the cameraman a once-over. “I guess not,” he replied, sounding bored.
She frowned, not happy he wasn’t into the spotlight. Her mic said she was from KTVC. On the other side of the meadow of flowers, another reporter for KDKT questioned three sorority girls. They flirted with the camera and their boobs bounced a lot. I bet the cameraman was eating that up.
The reporter touched her ear and turned to face the camera in one solid motion, making me jump at the sudden movement. “Rebecca Gold here, reporting live from Tempe. I have two students with me…” she moved the mic over to Jason.
He looked at her then the camera blankly. The red light from the camera was blinding and seemed to tie up his tongue. “Hey…I’m Jason…and she’s Sydney…”
The mic moved to her. “Where were you when the shooting started?” she asked, holding the mic to Jason again.
His body stiffened at my side. “We were…err…”
Jason was cute when he was at a loss for words, but I knew it was embarrassing to be on live TV and look like a fool. I cut in to save him.
“We were in the library when it started,” I said. Jason flashed me a thankful smile.
“Oh? The one the alleged shooter, George Franks, was said to have entered?” the reporter was more excited with me since I was able to answer in complete sentences.
“Yes,” I said, looking into the camera and not at Rebecca.
“How did you feel with the gunman in the same room as you? What was going through your mind?”
I pushed Jason, telling him to move along. Should’ve known she was going to ask us stupid questions. Instead he took a step closer, making her smile and turn the mic toward him.
“How do you think we feel? We almost died!” he said, narrowing his eyes at the camera. Anger took over, killing whatever clammed him up before. Jason grabbed my hand, towing me away.
She shouted one more question. “Do you still feel safe here?”
“Can you believe her? The only people willing to talk to her are people who just want to be on TV,” I said, nodding toward the sorority girls still talking to their reporter.
Jason nodded. “Sad but true. You wanna run for it?”
My heart leaped as the memory of us running on the beach played through my head. “I’ll race you.”
“You don’t have the ocean to help you this time,” he shot, jogging in place, preparing to take off. “You’re on. We go on three.”
I took off, screaming “three” over my shoulder.
Jason caught up to me. “Cheater,” he said. I slowed down and let him in front, making him feel like he was going to win.
What he didn’t know was a few days ago I found a shortcut to my dorm. Jason ran down the sidewalk with tall palm trees on both sides as I turned left. There was a secret garden between buildings, shaving off a few minutes of running time. I rushed through the grass, passing a girl sitting next to a tree, reading. My lungs missed breathing in the ocean’s salty scent while jogging along the coast, but my legs loved the burn of a good run.
I entered the brick tunnel under Cornwall Center. It opened up to the back side of my dorm building. Jason was nowhere to be seen. He was probably up the road more, closer to the crosswalk. Little did he know, I was on the arched bridge over the street and making great time.
I stopped by the cement column filled with fliers to catch my breath. There were a billion pieces of paper taped to it. Most were about clubs, needing roommates, missing bikes/ skateboards, or selling random things. One caught my eye. “Poor girl,” I said, looking at the peach colored paper. It was of a missing girl. She’d been gone for about five years, but her family always held a candlelight vigil for her on the anniversary of her disappearance.
“How did you beat me?” Jason shouted.
I placed my hands on my hips, feeling like Superwoman. “It’s a secret.”
He side-eyed me and bent down, heaving. “Yeah, yeah.”
“You know you love me.” I nudged him with my hip.
“Yup, I totally do.” He draped his arm over my shoulders and kissed my cheek.
As we rounded the building, we saw a long line of students before the glass doors.
“What the hell?” I said, counting twenty people waiting to get inside. Some looked annoyed while others browsed their cell phones, ignoring the world.
We stood behind a girl with bright pink hair. I think her name was Karen. She lived a few doors down from me, and I saw her name in bubbly letters on the door whenever I walked by.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
She looked up from her phone. “There’s this female cop having to ID everyone before going in. Those who live here are on a list.”
I licked my lips, looking at Jason nervously. If I knew about being checked, we would’ve gone to his place. My loins were going to explode before then. It was hard enough to function with my nipples tingling.
Jason touched my arm and lightly brushed over my right breast, making it pound. “What about those who don’t live here?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Not sure. I guess they write down your name so they know who’s here. It’s dumb if you ask me.”
“Agreed,” Jason told her, but she was already lost in her phone again and didn’t respond.
The line moved at a snail’s pace. I sighed, digging the toe of my shoe into the dirt, creating a small hole.
“Calm down, Syd. You’re acting like you’re about to explode,” Jason whispered into my ear, sending a shiver through me, fanning the flames.
I must’ve had some look on my face or sighed too many times and tipped him off. “I can’t help it. Why is this needed?”
The line shortened and finally we went inside the building. The female officer was checking IDs and looking into purses and backpacks with a flashlight. They were getting a bit extreme after the shooting.
“Name?” she asked me.
“Sydney West,” I answered, giving her my student ID.
She looked down at a list. “Okay, can I look inside your bag?”
“Sure.” I unzipped my bag and she flashed her light inside. She didn’t dig through, so I’m guessing she thought I’d leave a gun lying on top of everything.
“You’re good.” She waved me away.
I stood at the mouth of the elevator, waiting for her to clear Jason. I crossed my legs, feeling my wetness soaking my underwear. All I wanted to do was fuck my boyfriend. Was that too much to ask?
“I’m here with Sydney,” Jason said, nodding toward me.
It was hard to make out everything he and the officer were saying. She glanced back at me, then took his ID. She made some kind of note and nodded him along.
“Going up?” I breathed, biting Jason’s bottom lip as my tongue toyed with his lip ring. I hit the button and the elevator dinged before the doors slid open. I pulled Jason inside and pinned him to the wall. Our mouths sealed, making me want to take him right in the elevator.
There were a few other students with us, but they all gave their attention to their phones as if nothing was happening in the corner. Jason’s hand went up inside my shirt, fingering the hem of my bra. The doors opened and we spilled out into the hall. We ran to my dorm. I hit the door first and said, “I win again.”
Jason picked me up. I snaked my legs around his waist. I put my key in the lock and left it
hanging there. He opened the door and shut it behind us, tossing the keys on the floor. All I wanted was for Jason to fill me up and make me feel higher than I ever was when I experimented with any drug.
After all my summer boys, I learned I wasn’t looking for mindless sex anymore. That was all I used to know. It took Jason for me to see how wonderful a relationship was. It was beyond scary and a hell of a lot of work, but at the end of the day I had someone to come home to, someone to kiss and tell my problems to, and that felt damn good.
He tossed me onto my bed. The boy was an animal as he cast his clothes to the floor. I reached over and grabbed a condom from my nightstand. “Come here.” I beckoned him with a curl of my finger.
Jason obeyed. I ran my hands down his firm arm muscles and back up again, sliding down his bare chest.
“You have too much on,” he murmured, grabbing the bottom of my shirt. It came off with one solid motion and fell to the bed. He unzipped my jeans, sending a charge of energy through my veins. All roads led to my crotch. It pounded and ached, wishing for Jason’s touch.
I pushed Jason off and straddled him. “Safety first,” I said, biting the foil wrapper open. I unrolled the condom. His dick was already so hard and ready. He moaned as I stroked it a couple times, rubbing his tip with my thumb.
“God, you’re killing me!” Jason said, clenching the sheet with both hands.
“I aim to please,” I replied, pulling the condom over his taut skin. Power oozed through me when he trembled with need.
He grabbed my hips and forced me into the bed. I arched my back as he took off my underwear. “So wet,” he said, rubbing his fingers over my opening.
“For you, always.” I sat up and grabbed his hair, forcing his head to the side. I bit his neck, and in response he buried his face in my hair and groaned.
My bra was the last to be tossed away. Jason cupped my breasts, kissing both of them lightly, teasing them.
I clawed his back and sucked his earlobe into my mouth, pulling at it gingerly with my teeth.
“Fuck it,” he said. He dove into me, fast and hard.
Everything within me was coming unglued. I hung my head back and screamed, “Jason, I love you so fucking much!”
He rocked his hips, moving in and out of my folds as I went up high to the heavens. “Damn, Syd. You feel incredible, so perfect.”
Tension pooled in my belly. Sex was never like this with anyone else. It was earthshattering with Jason because love was mixed up with lust, making it extra sweet.
“Thanks to you,” I said, kissing his lips. “I know what making love means.”
I wrapped my legs around him, making me ride him harder until the edges of my vision grew black.
Jason grabbed my ass, forcing him in deeper. He found my sweet spot and a scream poured out of me. I came, violently shaking all around him, digging my nails into his flesh, leaving red lines along his back.
A few more thrusts and he exploded too. I loved seeing him come undone. His eyes rolled back, lips partly opened, as his body vibrated with an electric charge.
I fell back against the bed. Jason rolled onto his stomach, kissing me from my lips to my pulsing clit. He moved up and smiled at me. I could feel his heart thundering in his ribcage. I kept an open palm on his chest, feeling his heart slow to a normal pace.
“God, that was amazing,” I murmured, tucking myself under his arm.
“Everything is with you,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose.
He grabbed the blanket from the bottom of the bed and covered us up. I used him as a pillow. As I grew closer to dreamland, Jason rubbed a slow circle on my back, making me completely relax and feel as if my heart was on fire.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
When I got up, Jason’s limbs were tangled with mine. I had to push him off in order to get up. Amelia had come home while we were asleep. She was sitting on her bed, scrolling through her cell phone.
“How long have you been here?” I looked over at a snoring Jason, feeling almost embarrassed that we were both naked under my sheet.
“Oh, I got here around five a.m. Saw you were having a slumber party, so I went to sleep for a bit. Been up for about an hour or so,” she said, not looking up from her screen.
I moved the hair out of my eyes. Jason rolled over, muttering something in his dream. “Are the police still swarming around?”
She nodded her head toward the window. “Take a look for yourself.”
I pulled on my robe and walked to the window. Below I saw officers wandering around. There were only a handful, but they were still there. Thankfully the media had pulled out and were no longer hounding people for interviews.
“This will blow over in time. On the plus side, we have nothing to do today,” I said, eyeing Jason. If only we were alone. I wanted round two.
“My professor posted an assignment online,” Amelia replied.
“Bummer.”
“Story of my life.” She looked at Jason and then at me, smiling. “You should take him somewhere.”
Out of habit, I ran my hand through my long hair. “Yeah, maybe we’ll get breakfast or something. You wanna join before you start on that assignment?”
“No, I’m okay. Thanks, though.”
I nodded and walked to the bathroom.
“You know,” Amelia said, catching my attention. I turned around, leaning against the doorjamb and looked at her. “I’m glad you and Jason are working out.” A smile took her lips. “I was right, Sydson shall live on!”
It felt like years ago that she came up with that nickname for Jason and me. Hearing that name used to be as painful as being scorched by countless cigarettes, but now I secretly liked it. “Yeah, yeah, matchmaker,” I shot back. “How are you and Hunter doing?”
If they hadn’t gotten past that bathroom incident yet, I wasn’t sure if love was going to be an option for me if Amelia, the girl who knew everything about romance, couldn’t have it.
She smacked her lips and lifted her gaze from her phone. “He kept texting that he was sorry. I told him I’ll forgive him this one time. We’re going out once I finish this,” she said, nodding toward her computer on the foot of her bed.
“I’m glad things are working out for Amter as well,” I replied, entering the bathroom. Surprisingly I could say the nickname for Amelia and Hunter without cringing at all. Talk about progress.
When I came out, Amelia was on her laptop. I dug through the clothes in my dresser, looking for something nice to wear. Something brushed my ass and snaked around my waist. I dropped the pair of jeans in my hand and was pulled onto the bed. Jason pinned me down, laughing.
“Got ya!” He kissed me on the lips.
It was no use trying to push him off. He was too strong. “You were planning this sneak attack, weren’t you?” I wanted to sound upset, but my grin ruined it.
“Maybe…” His smile grew. Of course he was.
Was he awake when Amelia was talking about us? The thought was forced out when Jason tickled me. I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of me. Only around Jason did I become ticklish. He had magic hands.
“Stop it!” I shouted, laughing. To escape, I rolled onto the floor, still giggling. Amelia looked down at me. Her eyes said it all. You got bit hard by the love bug too.
“Do you give?” he asked.
“Yes, I give, now help me up.”
He stood before me and helped me stand.
“Do you want to go catch some breakfast?” he asked, eyes lit with humor.
My robe fell off one shoulder. I pulled it back into place. “Sure, but we need to get dressed first.”
“Bet I’ll beat you,” he teased. He glanced around the floor for his clothes.
“Of course you will. You’re a guy. Throw on a shirt, some pants, and a pair of shoes and you’re good to go.”
“Not true, need to comb my hair too,” he said, sliding a hand through his lush hair, trying to act cool and failing.
“Please, that’s no
thing.” I grabbed the jeans I had in hand before Jason attacked me.
Jason watched me as I dressed. He insisted on hooking my bra and kissed my shoulder when he was finished. He got dressed while I brushed my hair and put on some makeup. As we left, Jason frowned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, smoothing out the wrinkles on his chest with my hand.
He pulled on the collar of his shirt. “I was wearin’ this yesterday. It’s like I’m a bum or somethin,’” he joked.
I put my arm around him. “You’re too hot to look like a bum.”
He laughed and wrapped an arm around my hips. “God, I love you,” he said, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The restaurant wasn’t crowded. There were a few couples scattered around and a family or two chatting amongst themselves. We both ordered red velvet pancakes with bacon on the side.
I sipped my coffee and smiled at Jason. “You know, I wish Amelia wasn’t at the dorm when we woke up. Thought Hunter would’ve had her stay over at the apartment, but she did say they were back together and moved past what happened,” I said, shrugging it off.
“At least their fight is over.” He licked the whipped cream off his lips. “I wanted to take you right then and there, knowing all you had on was that robe. It was hard not taking you on the bed or into the bathroom.”
“Really? I wouldn’t be able to face her if we started having sex.” I blushed at the thought.
His eyes were two deep pools of silver watching me. “You’re beautiful when you blush.”
“You’re a dork.” I was trying to keep myself from getting hot and bothered by him. He had that effect on me.
Jason took a bite out of his bacon. “You know we could do it now…”
I looked a question at him. “In the restaurant?” He had to be kidding.
“In the restroom. We could go in whichever gender bathroom you wish.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? You’d go through with it?”
His lips held a sinful smile. “Mmm-hmm, I’m ready. Even have a condom on me.”
Breaking Down Sydney (Sydney West #2) Page 18