Undone: A New Adult College Bad Boy Romance (Mature Young Adult Fun Contemporary Romance)

by Alli Sims

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem. Let's go have some fun.”

  Jackson introduced her to his band mates. Together with Jenny and her boyfriend, they spent the night drinking and laughing. Jackson told embarrassing stories of Holly when they were growing up, until she punched him in the arm to make him be quiet. He grinned at her.

  “You're such a jerk,” she said as they stood on the balcony, their smoke curling into the night air. “You don't want me to start telling stories about you.”

  “I welcome it. Bring it, brat.”

  Holly grinned. “No one's called me a brat in a long time you know.”

  “Maybe not to your face.”

  Holly squinted at him, but there was still a smile on her lips. Jackson walked up to her slowly, ran a hand through her hair. He leaned closer to her, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered.

  “Are you mad at me?” He asked, his voice deep.

  “Very,” was all Holly managed to get out.

  “Let me make it up to you then.”

  “How?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Let's go to my room.”

  Holly felt her heart beat hard in her chest. Jackson's hand curled around hers as he led her off of the balcony and back into the party. People were still partying just as hard, although Holly knew it was almost three. Jenny and her boyfriend were off in the corner, lips locked while music filled the suite.

  Jackson ducked his way around people who tried to talk to him, telling them he'd be back later. As they wove their way through the crowd, Holly wondered what she was doing. They slipped from the suite, into the red and cream decorated hallway before they ended up in his room. Jackson locked the door behind them. The silence that reached Holly's ears was welcome, the look in his eyes even more so.

  Jackson didn't waste words. His hands were eager as he ripped off her clothes piece by piece. She gasped against his neck as he leaned into hers, his teeth grazing her sensitive skin until she was pressing harder against him. He pulled her closer, moved her over to the comfort of the huge bed. Holly sunk into the sheets as he peeled off his clothes, her eyes roaming his body hungrily. They made love with a passion that she hadn't known in a very long time. The warmth of Jackson's body lulled her to sleep as she nestled her head in the crook of his arm. The only dreams she had that night, were pleasant.

  Morning came too soon as the sun filtered in through the blinds. The light struck Holly's eyes making her grimace. Fighting against the urge to wake up, she tried to squeeze them tightly shut against the world. Until she remembered where she was. Her eyes flew open as she looked beside her. Jackson was fast asleep on his belly, the blanket halfway down the tanned cheeks of his butt. Holly stifled a laugh before she slipped out of the bed.

  She picked her way along the carpet quietly, looking for her clothes. One by one she found them, slipped them on as she continued hunting for her shoes. When she was fully dressed, she quietly stepped into the bathroom. Her hair was a mess, so she used one of Jackson's ponytail holders to put it up into a bun. Quickly, she washed her face before she stepped out of the bathroom.

  “Are you leaving already, brat?”

  Holly jumped. She pressed her hand to her chest to still her wildly beating heart. As she glanced at the bed, Jackson was still lying down, but one eye was open now. He watched her move across to the nightstand to grab her wallet. She cleared her throat.

  “Yeah, I've got work in a little bit,” she said as she slipped her wallet back into her jeans.

  “Do you want a ride? I can grab my bike.”

  Holly held up a hand. “Not necessary. I can just walk to my place, then I'll go from there. I live really close to here.”

  Jackson seemed to examine her for a minute. “Okay. Will you call me later? We should catch up some more.”

  “Oh, yeah. Sure,” Holly said as she scratched the back of her head. “We can do that. I'll call you or text or something.”

  Jackson nodded, but she could tell by the look on his face that he didn't exactly believe her. She left the room quickly after that, walking the four block distance back to her apartment. The morning sun was enough to help with her throbbing head and she wished that she could just curl up in her bed, go back to sleep. She knew that if she missed work, her boss would have no problem firing her.

  Holly ran into her apartment, rode the elevator up to the 10th floor before she jogged into her apartment. Pushing aside the events of the night, she jumped in the shower before slipping into her work clothes.

  The call center that she worked at was pretty casual, but Phil insisted upon having her wear skirts with a blouse, heels and stockings. She worked as his personal assistant, but he usually used the time to make her run errands and yell at her about every little thing she hadn't done exactly to his specifications. Holly hated her job, but she loved her apartment. Leaving wasn't an option.

  She stepped through the doors of her office at nine exactly. The office was already alive with the sounds of talking voices, copiers and ringing telephones. Walking through the office, she greeted everyone. When she reached Phil's office, she took a deep breath before pushing the door open. He was already inside, sitting behind the desk with a cup of coffee, a scowl on his face.

  “Vance, you're late! Go get me another coffee, bring in the new files and wipe some of that makeup off of your face, you look ridiculous.”

  Holly felt the anger build inside of her. He was at it already. She didn't reply, but grabbed his mug before she stalked out of his coffee. As the day went by, Holly became more agitated. She was ready to go home, curl up on her couch and watch a bad movie. When it was time for lunch, she was the first one out of the office.

  Holly walked over to the park for lunch, the inviting smell of fresh cut grass and budding flowers bringing her some peace. She kicked her heels off. As she pulled her legs up onto the bench, she heard the sound of footsteps moving through the grass. She turned around.

  “I knew you'd be here,” Jackson said as he sat beside her.

  “How? How could you possibly know that?”

  “I asked your friend Jenny. She gave me her number last night,” he said with a grin.

  Holly grinned back at him. His long hair was pulled up into a bun, the loose strands resting against his neck softly. He had left his jacket behind. Instead, he wore a navy blue shirt that stretched over his impressive chest, jeans that were dark and ripped. She glanced away again.

  “You were gone awfully fast this morning,” he said as he looked over at her.

  Holly shrugged. “I didn't want things to get awkward. It was just one night,” she said as she pulled a bottle of diet soda out of her bag.

  “Was it?”

  As she started to take a drink from the bottle, she froze. When she glanced over at Jackson, he was staring at her intently. Holly almost choked on the soda before she recapped the bottle, slipping it back into her purse.

  “Wasn't it?” She replied.

  “Go out with me. We can go somewhere tonight.”

  Holly felt the old blush returning to her cheeks, neck. She shook her head. As much as she liked Jackson, she couldn't imagine there being anything more. She wasn't ready for that. One night was all that she needed.

  “I don't think so. We should probably leave things just the way they are,” she said as she slipped into her shoes and stood.

  His hand gripped her wrist. “Go out with me.”

  Holly turned back to him. The look in his eyes was enough to make her rethink everything. She tried to pull her arm away, but he wouldn't let her go. He pulled her closer to him, the distance closing between them as he stood.

  “Go out with me. Tonight. I won't be here forever.”

  Holly sighed. “Fine, we can go out.”

  Jackson grinned wide. “I'll pick you up at seven.”

  Holly walked away quickly, throwing a glance over her shoulder. He sat back down on the park bench, his arms resting on the back of it. He waved. Holly felt distinct
heat move down her body, between her thighs.

  Damn it, Jackson!

  And damn it, Jenny too, she thought. When she got back to the office, she would sneak over to her cubicle and glare at her. Still, she couldn't help but to think about Jackson. His sly smile, the way his green eyes held her, his confidence that filled a room, it all gave her little shivers of joy. Some part of her screamed not to get in another relationship, but she had already said yes. After all, she did want to see him before he had to leave again. There was no telling when they would run into each other again.

  The time trickled by slowly for Holly. She organized and reorganized files, fetched Phil's dry cleaning and made his reservations, cleaned up the break room, but nothing worked. The glowing screen of her phone kept disappointing her.

  “Are you excited?” Jenny wandered over to ask at three.

  “I don't know. I haven't been on a date in a while. The last person I was with was Roy.”

  “And he sucked,” Jenny said as she poured herself another steaming hot cup of coffee. “Trust me, I get good vibes from Jackson. Besides, you guys were friends first.”

  “That was over ten years ago.”

  Jenny shrugged. “Just go with it.”

  Holly grumbled to herself as her friend left out of the break room. It was easy for Jenny to say that. She had a new lover every week, a new boyfriend every three months and she never let anyone or any situation intimidate her. Holly wasn't like that. She could be confident, but she still cared about what other people thought to an extent. She sighed as she wiped down the counter once more.

  Chapter 2

  When work finally let out, Holly was able to check her phone. Jackson had sent her a text saying that he was taking her to a concert after dinner. She grinned. He did still seem to know her. She slipped out of the narrow skirt and the heels that hurt her feet. The shower was her first task and she took her time enjoying the feeling of the water rolling down her back, through her hair.

  When she stepped out, it was almost seven. She gasped. Racing around her apartment, she found a pair of blue jeans and a band t-shirt with pink print on it. She slipped it on before she flat ironed her hair. As she was applying makeup, her phone buzzed on the bathroom counter. She opened the message that let her know Jackson was there. Hurrying, she slipped into her boots before grabbing her wallet. She couldn't deny that she felt excited to see him again.

  Holly raced to the elevator. When she was inside, she tried to calm herself down. Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor as the elevator dinged and lit up floor after floor until it stopped at the lobby. She walked off, took her time walking out of the building. Parked in front was Jackson and his bike.

  “You look good,” he said when he saw her.

  Holly tried to hide her pleasure at the comment. “Oh, thank you. Where are we going?”

  “A place from a long time ago. I hope you still like it,” he said as he handed her the spare helmet.

  Holly tried to guess where they were going as the city flew by in a stream of colored lights and muffled sounds. She laced her fingers together in front of him, shifting her body against his as he took turn after turn. It was such an exhilarating feeling being so exposed. When they stopped, she knew where they were. Holly dissolved into laughter.

  “An arcade, really? What are we ten?”

  “Tell me you don't think you can kick my ass in Dead House 3 and we'll go someplace else, right now.”

  Holly raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I can definitely kick your ass in Dead House 3. Let's go.”

  They made their way inside of the arcade side of the building, the smells from the restaurant not enough to turn them away from their challenge to each other. Jackson purchased token cards for both of them before they stepped up to their favorite game as kids. Holly had never been able to beat his high score back then, but she was determined now. He slipped the card into the machine before they both settled their hands onto the controls.

  “Ready to lose, brat?”

  “Not tonight, Jack.”

  The red, counting down on the screen landed on zero and they were off. For a moment, Holly forgot everything. She forgot the awkward feelings she'd had when she woke up that morning in his bed. Forgot about the anxiety of a first date. Instead, she played the game.

  “Oh, what's this? This is me shooting your last man!” Holly yelled as she pulled the trigger.

  The game declared her the victor as it spat out row after row of tickets. Jackson hung his head, shook his head into his hand. When he looked up again, there was a smile on his face.

  “Okay, you won this time. I think you should know though, you won because I let you.”

  “Let's go again then.”

  They lost themselves for an hour playing the different games in the arcade. By the time they were done, Jackson held an arm full of tickets. They walked over to the little store.

  “Why don't I get something for us, it'll be a surprise. You can go ahead, grab a table. Order me a soda, would you?” Jackson said.

  “Sure. See you in a minute.”

  Holly's hand lingered on his arm before she walked away towards the restaurant. Playing so hard really had worked up her appetite. She settled into a seat. Once she ordered their drinks, the waiter disappeared. Her foot tapped away quietly, until Jackson walked up to her. In his hand he held a doll with black hair, black eyes and a scowl. She laughed.

  “It's Mean Mona! I love this doll, how did you know?” She said as he handed it to her.

  “That one was just instinct. She kind of looks like you too,” he said as they both sat down.

  “Yeah, she does,” she said admiring the doll before she looked up at him. “Thank you, I love her.”

  “Good.”

  Jackson had a grin on his face as he picked up the menu. For a moment, Holly caught a glimpse of the shy boy he once was. It was cute, but she wasn't going to tell him that. Once they ordered their food, they took their time. The conversation was much too interesting to worry about the food. Both of them had a lot of catching up to do.

  “I meant to ask,” Holly said as she popped a french fry into her mouth, “how did it happen? The last thing I knew you were an angsty teenager, now you're famous.”

  “You know, none of it was on purpose. Me and the band, we sat around enough weekends to get bored. So, we started taking classes, practicing, playing little things. After a few years, it just spiraled out of control. I never looked back. That's one reason I came home. I got tired of the crowds, the cameras. At least here, things are a bit more quiet. We're trying to keep a low profile.”

  Holly nodded. Some part of her wished that he'd said he had come back for her, but she knew that was ridiculous. He would have no way of knowing where she was ten years later. Probably hadn't even thought of her since they were thirteen. They finished the rest of their meal before Jackson checked his phone.

  “It's almost nine thirty, want to head to the show?”

  Holly nodded.

  They pulled up in front of the building a little before ten. Holly was excited to see the bands that he talked about. He tossed his cigarette off to the side before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  “Do you know any of them?” She asked as they walked towards the door.

  “No idea. There are more bands than I thought would be playing. I guess we'll find out.”

  They handed their id's over to the stern looking man at the door. Jackson paid him, before he wrote X's on their hands. They moved inside. Holly was immediately grateful that the air conditioning seemed to be cranked up. There were people everywhere, drinks in hand as they waited for the bands to show up. They were mostly local bands, but a few had traveled quite a ways to get there.

  “I can't believe you still go to these things,” Holly said as they walked towards the bar. “I mean, you're famous. You could go to any show I'm sure.”

  Jackson shook his head. “There's nothing like the local talent. I find so many good bands this way. Maybe one
day, I'll be able to give them the chance we got.”

  Holly waited until he turned to the bartender to smile at him. He still had the same sweet heart. When he turned back to ask what she wanted, she ordered quickly masking the smile on her face. He didn't need to know she was a complete sap.

  The show started not long after they'd gotten their drinks. They settled in at the bar, Jackson's arm stayed wrapped around her during the show. She liked it. When the music was winding down for the night, Holly was well on her way to being drunk. She had drank more than she thought.

  “I'm gonna get some air,” she said as she pulled out a smoke.

  Jackson was talking to one of the other band members. He held up a finger to the woman before turning to her. A lighter was slipped out of his pocket, pressed into her hands.

  “I'll be out in two seconds. Please, don't go far.”

  “I won't.”

  When she stepped outside, there was already a crowd of people there. They gave her little greetings. She did the same before sparking the cigarette between her teeth. As she gazed off into the distance, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She turned, expecting it to be Jackson.

  “Well, how are you doing?” A man asked as he leaned close to her.

  Holly backed up a bit. She didn't like people in her personal space, especially when she didn't know them. He did look familiar though, she realized as she looked at him closer. The thought seemed to finally click in her head. He was the lead singer of one of the other bands. She forgot the name of it.

  “I'm fine. You guys did a good job,” she said.

  “Thanks,” he said breaking out into a grin. He pushed back blond hair from his face. “Can I borrow a light?”

  Holly nodded as she produced the lighter from her pants. As she extended it towards him, he pulled her in close. Holly's eyes went wide as she was pulled against his chest. She pulled back quickly, yanking her arm away as he laughed.