by Piper Frost
He huffs. “Yeah. Like I said. Take as long as you need. I’ll always wait.” When a door slams, I raise my brows.
She walks into the room and takes a deep breath.
“You want me to leave?” I ask, torn whether or not this is even worth it.
“No, it’s fine. I need to study, too, so this will help.” She opens the fridge and glances back at me. “You want a beer?”
“Uh...sure?” I keep absentmindedly flipping through pictures of last night to find one to send to Jessica when Annie sets the beer in front of me.
“Those from last night?” She cracks open the beer in her hand and sits in the chair, scooting it closer.
“Yeah,” I mumble, glancing at the beer. “You sure about drinking and studying?” I chuckle nervously. This isn’t like Annie.
“It’s fine,” she shrugs. “It’s one beer. It won’t hurt.” She takes my phone from my hand and starts flipping through the pictures.
“Oh uh...” I laugh, trying not to give away that I think there’s a dick pic somewhere in there. “Maybe you shouldn’t do that.”
“Yeah, why not?” She keeps flipping. “You were busy last night.” She laughs and continues flipping until she scrolls to the one picture I didn’t want her to see. “Oh my god!” She shrieks and throws my phone to the table. “Ryan!”
Crap.
Like a fucking guard dog, Able darts into the kitchen, sliding into the room like he thinks she needs saving.
“What?” he screams and I push away from the table so he can see my hands are nowhere near her. “Dude.” I don’t know what to do but my phone’s in the middle of the table with my dick glowing on that screen. “Is that your dick?” He snatches my phone.
“I told her not to look at the pictures,” I blurt, preparing myself for a fight because I see it written all over his face.
“He did,” Annie blurts, standing and clicking the phone off. “I just wanted to see if he had any pictures from last night. Of...you know.” She chuckles awkwardly. “He doesn’t.”
“Shit, Annie, let it go.” He huffs. “We fucked! So what! It could have been worse, right? Am I really the worst guy you could have slept with?!”
“No, that’s not,” she starts then curses. “That’s not what this is about, Able.”
“Wait, you two fucked?” I grin. “About damn time, Annie.”
“Excuse me?” she blurts, looking at me wildly. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You’ve had it hard for this poor sap for years now,” I say, laughing then look at Able. “I’m happy for you two.”
“Wait... What?” Able looks at her, but focuses on me again. I’m not sure if he wants to fight or wants me to write him a book about why they belong together.
“Uh...” I rub the back of my neck nervously. “She’s got the hots for you, man. Right, Annie?” I look at her and she’s staring at the table like it’s growing a head.
“I...” she looks at me then at Able and back to me. “I do?”
“Oh my god,” I bark, laughing. “You guys are messed up, you know that?”
“Annie?” Able says, but she won’t look at him. She’s glowering at me like she wants to kill me. “Why’s he saying that? You like me? You said you didn’t like me. I don’t fucking like yams!”
Annie’s face morphs into this sad, confused look and she shakes her head.
“I didn’t say I didn’t like you,” she whispers.
“That would have been a stupid thing to say,” I interject and they both glare at me. “Should I go?”
“Yes!” they both yell at the same time and all I can do is stare at them.
“Right.” I chuckle, packing my shit back up. “I hope you guys get this figured out. This is getting a bit annoying.” I down the beer and toss the can in the trash while the both of them watch me. “See you in class tomorrow, Annie. Take care, Able.”
I let myself out. Because from the looks of it they’re not leaving that table for a while.
“You did say that!” I stress. “You said no dating roommates. You said you’d never date me! Why’s he saying you got it bad for me? Do you?” I’m so stressed I could jump out the fucking window.
“Not dating you doesn’t mean I don’t like you like that,” she mumbles and falls to the chair. “It was a way of protecting myself. And focusing on school.” She won’t even look at me.
“So you like me? You’ve liked me? For how long?”
Fuck, I feel so stupid. I’ve tried so hard to keep us at a friend level. We’ve crossed that line so many times but that’s just Annie. She’s just a sweet girl. She didn’t cuddle with me. Hang out with me. Hug me. Kiss my cheek ‘cause she actually likes me... Did she?
“I...” She chuckles as her nail traces a crack in the wood on the table. “I don’t know,” she finally whispers and looks up at me. “You know...” She shrugs. “I don’t get it.”
I furrow my brows and plop into the chair across from her. “Get what? I’m so fucking confused. You’ve been making such a huge fucking deal about last night. Is it ‘cause you actually like me and you’re trying to fight it? ‘Cause that’s fucked up.”
It’s not. It’s Annie. Something she’d do to protect herself, like she said. But there’s no way in hell I can just walk away now.
“I was sure I’d find a reason for last night other than the one I should have accepted a long time ago.” She sighs and looks me in the eyes. “It’s terrifying, Able. Knowing something so...big...happened last night and I don’t remember it. That was the main reason. I was hoping something would spark my memory and I’d know why I did that. I...” She blinks back tears. “I’m sorry.”
I growl and rub my face. She’s so confusing.
“Okay, so you don’t like me? You’re just worried about us having sex. You’re just worried you blacked out and had sex with me? Someone you know you can trust and wouldn’t hurt you? You’re fucking worried about unremembered sex between us? You want to know why you did it?” I stand. “Because I’m in love with you. And I’ve been hoping you’d do it for a long fucking time. Because I treat you right and like you’re a queen. Because I’m a good fucking guy and I deserve the hottest girl in the fucking school to realize I like her and you should like me back. So yeah, I charmed my way into your pants and you got drunk and let me get there.” I shrug. “Simple as that. Right? You don’t have any other feelings for me. That explains it all. Right?”
A tear slips down her cheek as she watches me lose it. She shakes her head and what’s left of my heart breaks.
“No,” she whispers. I shoot to my feet, done with this conversation. Before I can storm out of the room she whispers, “That’s not it at all.” She stands and wrings her hands in front of her before taking a deep breath. “It’s because... I’ve never been in love before. I wasn’t looking for it. I don’t understand it because I didn’t want it.” She shrugs and tries to smile at me but the tears stop her. “But it happened and I don’t know what to do now.”
“You want to know something.” I look away from her, not wanting to say this but what’s the point in hiding it anymore? Our friendship fell apart in the matter of a day. “I suck at relationships because none of those girls were the girl I wanted. Constantly comparing everyone you date to Annie Kenshaw is exhausting. I’m not sorry I’m love with you. You’re cute, and funny, and pretty. You’re sexy and hot. You’re beautiful. You’re fucking perfect. You belong with me and you’ll see I don’t suck at relationships. So if you want to know what you should do, I just told you.”
She watches me carefully, blinking out all the tears. The gears in that head of hers turning. And when she finally says something, it’s with a tight throat and a confused look on her face.
“I’m insanely busy,” she whispers.
“Me too.”
“And I belong in the country on a ranch. My daddy’s ranch.”
“I like...horses.” I furrow my brows but quickly straighten my face before she looks at me.
<
br /> “There are ticks there.”
“I’m from Wisconsin. We have ticks too. And cheese.”
She giggles and shakes her head, taking a deep breath.
“I refuse to drop from the top of the class. This next year is going to be crazy.”
“I wouldn’t date you if you didn’t have a solid GPA anyway. I have standards.” I almost start to laugh but she keeps spitting this stuff at me like she’s serious.
“My family’s pretty intimidating. My Uncle Bo is going to drill you. Uncle Chase and Grant and Tommy are going to try to corrupt you.”
“Jesus, my aunt Megan is a mafia queen.” My eyes go wide and I put my hands out. “I’m kidding...sorta,” I mutter.
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Are you serious?”
“Hey. I like horses.” That isn’t a subject we need to breach right now. “Horses. And you. And the south.” I stop rambling like an idiot.
“Yeah.” She furrows her brows. “I just...” She huffs a breath. “I know I’m a lot. And intense. And can probably have some annoying habits. I’m driven and most guys don’t get that.” Her eyes hit mine. “I’m terrified you’re going to regret this when you realize how much it takes to put up with me.”
“Annie, I clean up after you. I do your laundry more than you do. I’ve even hand fed you while you studied for eight hours straight. I know what I’m getting into here. We’ve been living together for two and half years.”
“I know, but what happens when we live on the ranch? It’s worse than school. I’m up before the sun and don’t stop working until the sun’s been down for hours.” She shakes her head. “It’s a lot. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m talking like you’re coming home with me. That’s not right, your family is across the country from mine.”
“Yeah, but I can visit them. We can visit them. I went away to college to grow up, get away from my family.”
“But college is temporary,” she mutters. “That’s a lot to agree to, Able.”
“The only thing I’m trying to get you to agree to is that you love-like me. More than a roommate.”
She grins. “I don’t like you,” she says shrugging. I narrow my eyes at her and she smiles and makes this cute face. “I think I love you.”
Fuck.
I breathe a sigh of relief and storm toward her, pinning her to the table.
“I’m fucking crazy about you.” I don’t let her respond. A kiss will tell me enough and when she hums, wrapping her arm around my neck and she kisses me like she’s sure, I know that statement she made isn’t true.
She doesn’t think she loves me. She’s in love with me too. We should have done this sober a long time ago.
But scorpions in my bed sounds terrifying.
When I pull back, I look into her brown eyes and smile so wide it hurts. I got the girl... I think.
“So, do you want to do this right? Try to refresh our memories of last night, now that you’re my girlfriend.”
I’m waiting for her to follow that up with she’s not my girlfriend and we start back at square one. She’s pretty much been my girlfriend this whole time. I’m just the worst at relationships.
She smiles and bites her lip. “I would love to have a re-do of last night.” She winces. “Just a lot less alcohol. And maybe a shower first.”
“We can shower.” I grab her hand, pulling her behind me to my bedroom. I kick the door closed and pull her against me, kissing her again, not sure if I’ll ever get tired of kissing her. I’ve waited two and half years for this.
I pull her tank top over her head then unhook her bra. I saw her tits this morning, but now I'm going to see them as her boyfriend. Now I can stare, touch, and play with them all I want. When she tosses her bra I groan and dip my head, cupping her tit before flicking my tongue over her nipple.
“So on this ranch, you’ll have your own place, right?” I ask in between sucking her nipples.
“Yeah,” she murmurs. “Whatever you want,” she breathes, arching into me while stroking me through my pants.
“You, just you,” I say, and move my hands to push her pants down. “God, finally,” I moan and walk backward, pulling her with me into the bathroom. She pulls my shirt over my head after I start the water, pushing her lips to my chest.
“This,” she whispers on my skin, “is the hottest body.” She continues licking and kissing her way down my abs until she gets to my pants and slowly pushes them down, “I’ve ever fucking seen.” She pulls me free and grins up at me before standing and kissing me hard. “I’ve needed you for so long. I’ve been so stupid.”
I pull her body against mine and push my erection against her. I can’t believe I didn’t act sooner. I can’t fucking believe I’ve waited over two years to have this girl. To be exactly what she needs.
She pulls the curtain back and we step into the hot shower, steam billowing out into the bathroom. Her eyes hit mine as I drip body wash over her tits and smirk.
“Sorry, I don’t have girlie shit in here,” I joke.
“I like your body wash.” She smothers her tits with the soap and moves her hands slowly down her flat stomach, biting her lip and letting out a small gasp when her fingers slide between her legs. She rinses the soap away but doesn’t stop traveling her hand between her thighs where I want to be.
“Shit.” I grab her wrists and pin her hands above her head, kissing her while rubbing my dick against her stomach. “Regrets yet?” I whisper, sucking her earlobe between my teeth while sliding one hand down her stomach slowly to rub a finger over her clit.
“Only that we haven’t been doing this all this time,” she breathes out, her body relaxing against the shower wall. “Fuck.” Her eyes flutter closed as I slide a finger inside her.
“We have now.” I push her chin up to kiss her again and replace my finger with my cock. Going slow at first but once I’m inside her, I thrust and watch her eyes go wide. I grab her head and kiss her over and over, her leg wraps over and around my hip while her fingernails dig into my lower back. “You are my perfect woman.” I kiss her. “I should have told you that a long time ago.”
“Oh god,” she moans. Her legs start to shake and her whimpers with every thrust grow into moans that are loud as hell but I can’t stop. “Oh my god, Able,” she cries out, letting her head fall back against the shower wall.
When her muscles squeeze around me, throbbing every few seconds, I can’t hold back and I push deep one last time before grunting into her mouth, trying to kiss her through my own orgasm. I push my forehead to hers and we pant heavily, coming down and when I open my eyes it feels like the floor just fell out from beneath us.
“You’re on birth control, right?” I blurt and pull out of her, looking down her tight body.
The idea was to shower and get her back into my bed for another round. Something a little slower and more exploratory. But I think I just made the ultimate fuck up.
She grins and starts to giggle. “I’m covered, I promise.” She pecks her lips to mine. “I wouldn’t move away to college and not be on birth control. But you’re adorable when you’re freaked out, by the way.”
“Yeah, let me just live in my illusion you haven’t been sleeping with other people since you’ve been here.” I peck her lips and grab the soap to get cleaned up and into my bed.
Three years later
-ANNIE-
"I can’t,” I laugh. “Either Uncle Grant’s going to get roped into joining the mafia or Able’s dad is going to be the outcast of the family.” My eyes go wide at the thought of mingling the entire Porter and Kenshaw families on the ranch for this wedding. Why didn’t I consider the fallout from this earlier? This is going to be a shit show!
“Um.” My sister Paige laughs. “Hi, big sis, have you seen mom? She’s got more ink than his dad, I’m sure of it.”
I let out another laugh and finish my glass of wine. Tomorrow morning the Porters show up in the country and wedding weekend is upon us. I can’t believe it’s here already. I pretty much k
new the day I admitted I had feelings for Able that he’d be moving home with after school and we’d end up married.
When he proposed at the lake I thought my knees were going to give out from under me. The man’s a saint for putting up with me. I know this. And yeah sure, he’s romantic as hell. But nothing will ever top the lights and music and sheer perfection that was his proposal. And I've heard of some epic ones from both our families. But he still won in my heart.
“You think they’re going to be grossed out by the animal shit smell in the barn?” Paige grins and empties the bottle of wine into her glass. With a lifted eyebrow, I slowly reach over and take her glass from her.
“You’re nineteen. Cool it with the alcohol.” I pour her glass into mine and grin at the look on her face. Like I just took her cell phone away and tossed it in the river. “And they’re not big city people like you think they are.” Well. Maybe his aunt Jenny but that’s a whole separate train wreck.
“I’ve been drinking longer than you, miss goody two shoes.” She snatches my glass and downs the rest of it in one large gulp then wipes her mouth. “See.” She hops up and stretches. “Where’s your boy toy, anyway?”
“Out with the guys I think.” I sigh and relax back into the couch. It took Able a few weeks of warming up to living in the country. He grew up in Wisconsin, and although his family was from Tennessee he hadn’t ever lived like we do here. His first leech from the pond was hilarious and the first time he tried riding a horse...well...that’s still my favorite video of him and I play it every chance I get.
He’s made friends pretty quickly here. He and my cousin Will are pretty tight and the tattoo artist that Chase brought in from Vegas has been latched onto his side since he got into town. I think he’s just thankful for another ‘outsider’ to hang around with. Able’s amazing with my family and it’s like my younger siblings are his, too. He fits right in and looking back, I’m not sure why I was ever so nervous he wouldn’t.
I glance at a message from Able on my phone. A selfie of him and Will and they look drunk already.