by Lilah Grey
And then I heard it.
“Is that?” I said, letting the words hang in the air. “Oh shit!” I let out a booming laugh, and Corinne’s hand clapped over my lips.
“Shhhhhh!” she said, giggling.
“Oh, they’re not going to hear us. Not when they’re in the middle of… wait what in the world was that noise?”
I sat in disbelief, listening to the wild, animalistic noises that the walls and door to the bedroom did little to muffle.
“They’re putting us to shame,” Corinne said.
“Or they’re feeding a litter of piglets right now. One of the two.”
Corinne clapped her hand over her mouth and laughed.
Jack and Chloe ended up staying the night, and apparently, they’d hit it off. I couldn’t remember the last time Jack went on a date with anyone, or looked at anyone the way he looked at Chloe last night.
“Chloe and Jack,” Corinne said, sighing. “It’s perfect.”
I fell back and rested my against my pillow. I needed sleep. Sweet, delicious, oblivion-inducing sleep.
“We have to beat them,” Corinne said.
“What?”
Corinne straddled me, her hands finding my cock, stroking it.
“We have… to beat them…”
Dear Lord, Corinne was insatiable.
I swallowed the protest forming on my lips as Corinne lowered herself on my cock, trading one oblivion for another.
39
Corinne
After last year, I thought I’d never find happiness again.
But then I found James. Or I guess, he found me. Every day I spent with him was a good day. Even the days when he wasn’t with me, the days he had practice or a game, were still good days. On those days, we spent the night on the phone or Skype; hearing his voice, and sometimes seeing him, filled my body with joy. We’d be together soon, and that comforted me.
I loved that man, and he loved me. Everything was so easy with him. In a life that had been one obstacle after another, easy was a nice change of pace. Even soccer felt effortless and fun again.
We continued our undefeated streak, and with one more game to go, we had all but clinched our bid to the tournament. And I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I think we have a real shot at winning. And if that happens, I think I might get drafted.
James always laughs at me when tell him about my concerns about not getting drafted. He thinks I’ll be snatched up in the first round. I hope he’s right; although it doesn’t really matter which round I was drafted in, because either way, the end result would be the same: Corinne Crosley, Professional Athlete.
The more time I spent with James, the more I believed him; that title will follow my name. With the amount of time we spent together these days, it’s hard not to have some of his confidence rub off on me.
The draft was still a few months off, so I kept my mind distracted with other things. Well, one person, really. But when I wasn’t throwing myself at James, I buried myself in my schoolwork and its endless stream of presentations and readings and tests and on and on and on.
I’d already finished the rough draft of my seminar paper, with heavy doses of Violet’s help of course, and I even had time to finish up my applications. It was pretty easy once I finished that statement of purpose. Ugh, just thinking about all those drafts Violet made me go through sent a chill down my spine. Never again.
My mother loved that I’d finished my applications early. She lumped the rest of my rent payments in a single deposit the day after I told her. She didn’t seem to care, or notice, maybe, that I had no shot at being accepted to the schools I’d applied to. Harvard? Yale? Let’s get real. I wasn’t getting in. But that was the plan.
Rylee had backed off of me, too. We were still forced to workout together with James, but I didn’t mind anymore. Life was good, and not even Rylee could change that now.
“James,” I groaned, slapping his greedy hands away from me. “Stop!”
I twisted out from under him and began crawling to the other end of the mat. We’d hardly begun our stretches before James had his hands all over me.
“I’m trying to help you stretch,” James said, crawling after me.
“By massaging my breasts?” I blurted over my shoulder as I tried to out-crawl him. It wasn’t working. Something about me on all fours made him more determined.
Under any other circumstances, I’d be all for it, but not during our workout. We tried that once, and we were nearly caught. I didn’t care that Rylee was sick and wouldn’t be joining us today; I was still paranoid.
But James was on a mission. And based on the crazed look in his eyes, I had a feeling he was going to complete it.
“You can’t crawl away forever, Corinne. I will catch you.”
A part of me hoped he would, and a few seconds later, he made good on his promise as his hand wrapped around my ankle.
“Gotchya!”
I kicked my leg in a feeble attempt to break his grip. “James!”
His other hand wrapped around my free ankle, and then James yanked my legs backward, and in one swift motion, I found myself flat on my stomach.
Holy hell.
My body buzzed, still reeling from James’s show of power. He let go of my ankles, and began sliding his hands along my calves, slowly making his way up my legs.
“I told you,” he said, a rough edge in his voice. “You’re not going anywhere.”
My pulse quickened as I drew in harsh, ragged breaths. I didn’t want to go anywhere.
Desire replaced my paranoia as James dragged his hands along my body. I writhed under his touch, ached for him. I gasped as he grabbed a fistful of my hair, tugged harshly, and kissed me.
I moaned in his mouth as his other hand cupped my breast. His cock was already throbbing, pulsing against my ass, as he pushed himself against me, pinning me to the mat—immobilized and under his complete control.
Every breath I took carried his scent; its spicy, masculine notes drove me wild. He flipped me over, dragging his dark gaze across my face. A half-smile flashed across his lips, moments before he grabbed both of my wrists and held them above my head as his lips found mine.
I writhed under him, twisting and turning as slight moans escaped my lips. His hardness rubbed against my stomach, its warmth spreading across my core. Pulsing. Aching. Begging to be released.
James broke away, letting go of my hands, sliding backward. His fingers found the waistband of my shorts, tugged them down, along with my underwear. My wetness exposed to the cool air.
He grinned at me and then bowed his head as he repositioned himself. His hands forced my legs to spread, and a few seconds later, I felt his soft tongue against me.
“Wait,” I said.
James looked up at me, narrowed his eyes.
“I want you,” I said.
He pulled his shirt over his head. I thought I’d get used to seeing James’s perfectly sculpted body, the way his tattoos wrapped around his muscles, but as I lay here, watching the way his muscles bulged I knew I’d never grow tired of this sight.
Each time I saw him, it was like seeing him for the first time. Butterflies. My body thrumming with energy. Nerves firing, relentlessly.
James grabbed his wallet out of his bag and pulled out a condom, ripping the foil and sliding it on. He was back on me with in seconds.
I gasped as the head of his cock slid over my slick folds. I reached down, trying to guide him inside me, but he pulled back.
“Not yet,” he said. “Patience, Corinne. A little patience goes—” James’s eyelids clamped shut as I dug my heels into him, forcing him inside me. Patience wasn’t exactly my strong suit.
James let out a light laugh as he looked down at me. “You’re always full of surprises, Cori,” he said.
“Are we going to talk, or are we going to fuck?”
The words came out of nowhere; I couldn’t believe I’d just said that, and by the expression on James’s face, neither could he.
A smile formed on his lips; he grabbed the back of my thighs and forced them down onto my chest. “As you wish,” he growled, forcing his weight on me as he thrusted. In and out. In and out. The sound of skin pounding against skin, moans and ragged breathing reverberating through the room.
I ran my hands through my hair as a delicious ache began building in my core. James was so good, so attuned to my body’s needs. Each time with him was better than the last.
A laugh echoed in the room, and James paused, looking down at me with wide eyes.
“So predictable.”
Rylee stood, leaning against the power rack, her phone raised and pointed in our direction, a sinister smile on her face.
My body went numb as blood rushed to my head, pounding, drowning out all sound.
Everything faded to black.
40
James
“Is it true?” Coach Kay asked.
I slouched in the chair across from her desk and then shifted, trying to find a comfortable position. I couldn’t muster the strength to pull my gaze away from my restless hands to meet her eyes. Coach Kay’s tone, thick with disappointment, said it all.
“Of course it’s true,” Rylee blurted out.
“Enough,” Coach Kay snapped, holding up her hand. “I’ve heard your side.”
I ran a hand through my hair, grabbed a fistful, and then pulled hard. What was there to say? It was all true—every lurid detail.
I was greedy, blinded by my selfish urges. I couldn’t control myself around Corinne. I wanted her, constantly. A terrible excuse, but it’s the only explanation I could come up with. When I’m near Corinne, all rational thought left me, sublimated by my urge to have her, taste her lips, her body.
Selfish…
“She’s right,” I said, staring blankly at a single point on the floor in front of me.
Coach Kay sighed. Her chair creaked as she leaned back; metal squealed as she swiveled in it, considering what to do next.
Rylee let out a satisfied hmmph.
My thoughts drifted to Corinne, and I felt a short, stabbing pain in the center of my chest. This wasn’t her fault. I wasn’t going to let Corinne’s future crumble for some stupid mistake. For my mistake.
“So when are these two getting the boot?” Rylee said, folding her arms.
“No one’s getting the boot,” Coach Kay said.
What?
“What the fuck? This—This is unacceptable. How can you sit there—”
“That’s enough,” Coach Kay bellowed. She paused for a moment. “That will be all, Rylee. You can go home now,” she said, motioning to Rylee.
Rylee let out a single, exasperated laugh as she stood to leave. “Unbelievable.”
She walked to the door, reached for the handle, but then turned right back around.
“If they’re not gone by this afternoon, then I’m gone,” she said. “And,” turning to me, “a certain video might leak to the press.”
I swallowed hard. I knew full well what was on that video, and if it did leak, it would be a shit storm for everyone. Neither the Hawks nor Stars would be safe from a scandal like this.
“You’re not leaking anything,” Coach Kay stated blandly. “If you do, I’ll see to it that you’re not only off the team, but also out of the university.”
Rylee scoffed and left the office, slamming the door behind her.
The silence in the room was deafening. Blood pounded in my head as my heart raced. Each creak from our chairs was amplified. Finally, I forced my eyes from the floor and onto Coach Kay. Disappointed was an understatement; there wasn’t a single emotion missing in her gaze.
“What am I supposed to do?” Coach Kay muttered. The words floated weakly through the room, but their impact hit me square in the chest.
I had no idea.
I’d talked with Coach Kay for over an hour after Rylee left. We went back and forth, trying to figure out the best course of action. Eventually, we came to a decision. It was the right decision; it had to happen, for the good of the team. For Corinne’s sake.
When I left Coach Kay’s office, Corinne was still huddled in the same spot against the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees, pulling them tightly against her chest. She rocked herself gently as she gazed at the ground in front of her. She wasn’t crying anymore, but I doubted that she had any tears left.
Translucent lines streaked her cheeks. Raw, red skin circled her puffy eyes, and her nose was bright red. The sight of her was enough to shatter my heart into a million little pieces. And I deserved to feel this way. Corinne didn’t deserve to bear this pain. She’d had her fill of pain throughout her life. I was a selfish asshole with no self-control who brought this on her.
“Corinne,” I said.
I hardly recognized the voice that came out of my mouth. It was faint and tremulous and so soft that I second-guessed whether I’d even said anything at all. Corinne certainly hadn’t heard it; she hadn’t glanced at me, or even acknowledged me as I stood next to her.
“Corinne,” I repeated, my voice beginning to return.
She turned her head and my heart shattered all over again when her feeble voice spoke my name. “James?”
I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around her as her arms fell limply to her side. “Everything’s going to be okay,” I said. “You’re not off the team.”
“I’m—I’m not off the team?”
I caressed her hair, breathed her in. “No.”
“I don’t get it. Rylee—she—”
“Don’t worry about Rylee. Coach Kay will explain everything. She’s ready to see you now.” I pulled back. “Do you think you can manage?”
I thumbed her cheek as I held her face in my hand. Her lip had been chewed raw and was beginning to swell. I kissed it and then looked into her eyes once more.
“Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
“You say that,” Corinne snapped, “but how can it be okay? How can anything be okay after this?”
Her words covered me like a thick blanket of snow.
“Talk with Coach Kay,” I said in a voice that was devoid of all emotion. “I’ll see you after. My apartment.”
I squeezed Corinne’s arm once. She still had tears left to cry, and they were rolling silently down her cheeks. Corinne didn’t speak again; the only sound in that empty hallway was the muted thud of my soles against the floor.
With every step, I felt my future with Corinne fall apart.
“You’re resigning? That’s your fix?”
I’d hardly opened the door before Corinne pushed through and began wailing on me. Her palms thudded against my chest; fingers prodded and poked me; a single push that nearly toppled me over an end table.
I let it happen. I let her use me as an outlet to vent her frustration not only because I deserved it, but I knew it would pass; I’d already smashed half the plates and glasses in the kitchen. It didn’t help, but it felt good.
Corinne pulled away, her face red and swollen, her eyes bloodshot. She pointed a wavering finger at me, hardly able to raise it above her waist.
“You told me everything was going to be okay.” Her hand fell to her side, her gaze dropping to the floor. “It’s not,” she muttered. “It’s… not.”
She collapsed to the floor, letting out a heart-splitting moan, followed by sputtering sobs. Seeing her like this crushed me. Utterly and completely. And I hadn’t even had the chance to break the worst of the news to her…
“Cori,” I croaked painfully as my throat began to close. I swallowed, and then again, but it was no use. I knelt down next to her and placed my hand on her back.
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped, flinging herself away from me.
A fierceness I’d never seen before rose in Corinne’s eyes.
“You didn’t have to resign. Coach Kay said as much. It was your idea, not hers. You did this. You…” She fell to pieces again.
I always had the right answer; I always knew what to
say to comfort anyone. But as I sat there, on the floor of my apartment, I was powerless. For the first time in my life I was powerless, immobilized by Corinne’s grief. I could hardly breathe or think; the world around me spun all the while I fumbled to regain a semblance of control.
Corinne was my control, and now that I was losing her, I was losing myself.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” Corinne said, her voice jarring me from my head. But I still couldn’t find my voice. “Can’t you stay?”
Her words begged me as her eyes implored me. There wasn’t anything more in this world that I wanted, but I knew it wasn’t possible, not after this. I had to tell her; I had to break the news, the worst of it, twist the blade in the wound. Prolonging it would only make it worse.
“Cori, I need to leave for a while.”
“I know that,” she said, sniffling. “You’re resigning.”
I shook my head, motioned between us.
“We’re going to have to take a break.”
Her face dropped.
“What do you—Why—” She shook her head. “No. James, no. That’s not going to happen. We can get through this.”
“I know we can, and we will.” Corinne pulled away from my hand. “I don’t want to do this, but it’s—”
“Then why are you doing it? Why are you giving up on us? I thought we…”
I reached for her again, and this time, Corinne didn’t pull away. But she refused to look at me.
“I can’t risk your future, Corinne. The entire team will know by tomorrow, and if Rylee doesn’t leak the story, someone else will. Everything I do will be scrutinized; everything you do will be scrutinized. We can’t be seen together. Not now. Not when you’re this—”
“I don’t care about all that. All I care about is us. What we have. I’d give anything to keep it.”
She pulled her hand out from under mine.
“But I guess I don’t get a choice in the matter. You made the decision for us.”
Corinne stood up.
“Cori,” I said. She was already on the her way out.