The After of Us (Judge Me Not Spin-off)

by S. R. Grey

  My daughter’s eyes widen. “Really? No way!”

  I nod. “Yes way. You’ll find what he or she left you in the morning when you wake up. Money will be under your pillow where your tooth was. Cool, huh?”

  “Guess so.”

  Her face falls, and I ask, “What’s wrong?”

  Sad green eyes meet mine. “You won’t be here to see what the tooth fairy leaves me.”

  She’s right. I couldn’t secure a late-day flight out of Ohio. My plane takes off early Sunday morning. Very early.

  But you don’t have to be on it, a little inner voice reminds me.

  And there it is, right there—my answer. My heart has revealed, right here and now, what is the right course of action. It didn’t take searching to find the answer I needed, it just took Lily losing a tooth.

  Everything is so clear now as I decide to stay right here with my daughter. I’ve already missed Lily’s birth, her days as a baby, and so much more, I’m sure. I can’t miss any more important events, like losing a first tooth. Those kinds of things occur only once in a lifetime.

  I feel good, my decision to stay made. I’ll deal with the fallout later, but for now, I am at total peace.

  Most importantly, though, the happiness I feel when I inform Lily I’ll be staying with her, and the gorgeous smile she gives me in return, is absolutely priceless. No job in the world could ever beat that.

  Emma

  Sunday arrives, and I assume Will has left for New York City. It’s surprising to me that I’ve heard nothing from him since Friday night. It’s a shame too, really. I had so much fun hanging out with him and Lily at the school. And then afterward, when we went out for pizza, I thought we’d really connected.

  So, why has there been no text or phone call from him?

  We never even had a chance to say good-bye, for heaven’s sake. It’s not like Will and I were dating, but still…

  Men. They can be such thoughtless jerks sometimes.

  That evening, in my distress, I call Missy and tell her everything. “Do you think I should text him?” I inquire when I finish my woeful tale. “You know, to see how his flight to New York went?”

  It’s a desperate move, and Missy calls me out on it. “Don’t run after him, Emma.” She sighs, knowing all too well the heartache we women sometimes have to endure. “Men do things according to a whole different schedule than us. Your two days without hearing from him probably feels like two minutes to him.”

  “Apparently,” I scoff.

  “Just let him call you, okay?”

  Sighing, I get to what’s really bugging me.

  “I wouldn’t care so much, Missy, if he hadn’t been leaving. But not calling…or texting…or saying good-bye in any way.” I exhale loudly. “I just don’t know. Maybe something happened, right?”

  “Emma.” Her tone is a warning.

  I know my cousin has my best interest at heart, but my own heart wants something completely different. “What if he doesn’t call, like, ever again?”

  “Then let him go.”

  The regret I feel makes me wish I’d done things differently on our last night together. “I never did get to kiss him,” I lament.

  Missy sighs. She thinks I’m being ridiculous, and maybe I am. But one thing’s for sure—I won’t allow myself to be in this position of what-ifs next time around.

  “I’m telling you now, Missy,” I proclaim, ready to back up my thought.

  “What’s that, hon?”

  “If I ever have a second chance with Will, I’m going for it. No more holding back, in any way. I’m tired of waiting for things to happen in my life.”

  Oh, jeez, and if she only knew the half of it.

  I vow then and there not to mess up a second chance with Will. I plan to kiss him, and to let him take my v—

  “Emma, listen…” Missy trails off, distracted, as her kids begin arguing in the background.

  She then has to hang up.

  An hour later, I’m hanging out on the sofa, clad in skimpy sleep shorts and a hot pink cropped tee. It’s warm in the apartment on this muggy summer evening and the less clothes, the better. I grab a handful of chips from a crumpled bag sitting next to me and stuff them in my mouth.

  Yes, this is my sad attempt to drown out all thoughts of Will Gartner. Reality TV and potato chips seem to be doing the trick.

  I finish off the bag, and then run to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. Returning to the sofa to resume watching Kim and Khloe argue about something, as sisters are known to do, I am suddenly startled by a knock on my apartment door.

  “Huh?”

  I’m not expecting any guests since it is well after nine on a Sunday night. Who knows, though? Maybe Missy got the kids settled and decided to stop by to cheer me up?

  I get up off the sofa and walk over to peer through the peephole….and…well. “Oh, shit. It’s Will.”

  My thoughts are everywhere, all at once.

  What’s Will doing here?

  Coming to see you, obviously, you fool.

  But…but…why isn’t he in New York? He should be there by now, right?

  Who the hell cares?! Let him in!

  I’m about to burst with joy that Will’s still in town, but I won’t allow such a thing till I find out why. Deciding the best course of action is to play it cool, for now, I open the door a small crack, effectively keeping my skimpily clad body hidden.

  “Hello, Will,” I say tightly. “Imagine seeing you here.”

  He shoots me one of his boyishly handsome smiles. No, don’t do that. “Yes, imagine.”

  Don’t let him woo you so easily, girl.

  Since I never told Will where my apartment was located, and random small talk should do the trick of making me appear blasé, I say, “So, how’d you know where I live?”

  “I asked Kay.”

  “Oh.”

  So much for that diversion tactic.

  Will folds his arms across his broad chest, making the navy tee he has on stretch tightly across his solid pecs.

  Why the hell must he look so good?

  Swallowing the appreciative sigh that threatens to reveal me, I blurt out in a rush of words, “Uh, I’m sorry, but I just can’t do this. I thought you’d be up in New York by now. Did you change your flight or something? Was there a delay?”

  “Not exactly,” he says slowly.

  When he peers past me into the apartment, I realize how rude it is to keep him standing outside. “Oh, do you want to come in?”

  “Sure.”

  I open the door the whole way so he can come in, but he falters as he’s afforded a clear, unobstructed view of what I’m wearing. Or, rather, how little I’m wearing.

  His hungry gaze travels up my bare legs and exposed midriff, warming me in all the right ways.

  Damn, no more pretending. I want Will as much as he seems to want me. And the dynamite between us is threatening to explode.

  Clearing my throat, I say, “So, about New York…”

  “I didn’t go. And that’s why I’m here. I want to talk to you about something, Emma.”

  I can’t resist a touch of smart-assery, especially since I’m still not sure what, besides our insane chemistry, is going on with us.

  “What exactly do you want to talk about? Did you feel the need to come all the way over to my apartment to tell me you missed your flight or something?”

  With a chuckle, he replies, “I didn’t miss my flight. This visit is about a little more than that.”

  “Oh, it is, is it?” I cross my arms and jut out my hip, making my short tee ride up even higher.

  Will swallows hard, and I am eternally grateful for hot summer nights and the need for barely-there sleepwear.

  He has to look away, and the raw emotion in his tone is clear when he says, “The truth is I came over here tonight to ask you for a second chance.”

  “A second chance?”

  “Yes, with us. I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I truly believe we s
hould give this thing between us a real shot. Let’s see where we can go with this. What do you say?”

  He’s so gorgeous, and the sincerity in his voice is endearing. I can’t in good conscience keep up my charade of not caring.

  “I’d like that, Will,” I softly admit. I take a step toward him and add, “Does this mean you’re staying?”

  Tearing his gaze away from my body, he says gruffly, “Yeah, it looks like I’ll be hanging around for quite some time.”

  “Well, that’s good for Lily.” And for me, I think, but don’t add.

  He glances at me, but quickly looks away. “It is,” he says.

  The sexual tension between us is unfathomable. Will staying in Harmony Creek is a game-changer. It’s that second chance I wanted, an opportunity to do things differently with him.

  Go for it, every fiber in my being prods.

  Will rakes his fingers through his hair, mussing it up further. It’s grown since he first came to Harmony Creek, and I like it all tousled as it is. It gives him a more carefree vibe, making him seem, well, more him.

  I chew at my bottom lip, contemplating. Will always looks amazing, but tonight he’s working something more than his gorgeous face and hot body.

  What, though? What’s different?

  Suddenly, I realize what it is. Will is unburdened and, dare I say, happy. He clearly searched his heart and made the right decision, for Lily and for himself. This unmistakable vibe makes me want to go to him, to somehow share in this palpable joy. And why shouldn’t I? What I told Missy is true—I’m done holding back. I want Will, in every way.

  And since he’s staying…

  With a raised brow, I coyly ask. “Do you have anywhere you need to be? Like, are there any other girls you have to deliver this good news to?”

  Will laughs. “No other girls, I swear.”

  “Well, that’s a promising start.”

  He closes the gap between us and wrapping his arms around me, he murmurs, “This is what I call a promising start.”

  And, finally, finally, finally, his lips crash into mine.

  Will

  We’re starting something here, and we both know it. The burn between us that’s been simmering since I returned, a burn that ignited that long-ago night when I failed to kiss Emma, has finally boiled over.

  And neither of us has the power to stop it. Not anymore.

  With my hands wrapped in Emma’s shiny raven hair, my lips find hers.

  Finally.

  She tastes like cherries and vanilla and, fuck, this may be the best first kiss ever. I think for her too, based on her enthusiasm.

  She parts my lips and my tongue finds hers, both of us wanting more, more, more.

  “We should slow down,” she gasps when we come up for air.

  “Yeah,” I agree.

  But when our eyes meet, what little resolve we may have had goes straight out the window.

  Three more minutes of non-stop kissing, and I am backing her toward the sofa.

  “Not here,” she gasps between kisses.

  “Okay.” It takes all I have to pull back. “Where, then?”

  “In there.” She points toward what I assume is her bedroom, and then our mouths are on each other once more.

  I am starving for this woman.

  Somehow, we make it to her bed. And then my hands are up that damn cropped tee that’s been taunting me since I arrived at her apartment.

  I sigh, “Emma,” as I fondle her perfect, palm-sized breasts.

  She is soft and warm, and I want her like nothing else. And when I feel her tugging down the zipper of my jeans, I know this is it. There will be no going back.

  For a brief few seconds, I consider whether we should stop. I’m sure sex means a lot to a girl like Emma. But when her hand wraps around my bare cock, it’s too late.

  I… am… gone.

  Emma

  Is this is a mistake? I don’t know. The way Will kisses me sure doesn’t feel like a mistake. I want him, and that’s all I care about right now.

  In my bedroom, I make my intentions clear. I have Will gasping and falling back on the bed when I start sliding his jeans down his legs. He helps me get them to his ankles, and I quickly get to work on his length. First with my hands, and then with my mouth.

  “Fuck, Emma,” I hear him say from above me.

  I know he’s watching, so I flip my hair over my shoulder so he can see everything. When he’s practically throbbing, I release him and move up his body, sliding his tee along his smooth chest as I go, kissing every inch of newly exposed skin.

  Will shudders in delight, but then he sits up quickly and pulls his shirt over his head. Two seconds later, his jeans and boxer briefs join the tee on the floor, and this glorious man is naked in my bed.

  “Wow, Will.”

  He lies down and pulls me on top of him. “What?” he asks.

  He’s grinning, and I’m certain he knows what I’m about to say. “You have the hottest body,” I tell him.

  It’s true. He does have an amazing physique. Will is lean and cut, and I just want to lick him all over.

  “You do?” He cocks a brow.

  Burying my head against his smooth, hard chest, I mumble, “I can’t believe I actually said that out loud.”

  He rolls me over onto my back.

  Hovering above me, he whispers, “Don’t worry. The feeling’s mutual. I want to lick you all over, too.”

  The way he says it, like a dirty promise, makes me groan.

  “Oh, Will.” I arch beneath him, and add, “Please, please, take off my clothes.”

  He does as I ask, and soon we are both bare. To my surprise and delight, Will proceeds to do exactly what he stated he wanted to do—he licks me. Not all over, but almost. And, more importantly, his tongue quickly finds the one place that really matters. “God, Will.”

  “Come for me,” he whispers, his voice muffled, by me.

  I come for him, hard, against his mouth, and he moves up my body, fast, allowing me little time to recover. Pressing his weight to me, Will kisses me so deeply, so all consuming-like, that I grow crazy with lust.

  When he finally gives me a reprieve, I am gasping, and I can’t stop circling my hips up against him. “I want more,” I whisper.

  “How much more?”

  “Everything.”

  He leans over the bed and fishes a condom from his jeans.

  As he rises to his knees and rips open the wrapper with his teeth, he asks, “Are you sure?”

  I nod, and he swiftly slides the latex down his impressive length.

  A few seconds later, Will is back between my legs, pushing inside me.

  Oh, wow, this is it.

  I wince and pretend the moan I utter is due to pleasure, not pain.

  Yeah, I’d rather Will not know this is my first time.

  Will

  When I roll off Emma, sated and exhausted, I notice she’s extremely quiet.

  I lean over to kiss her, but she turns her head. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask.

  “Nothing,” she murmurs.

  “Okaaay.” I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

  She seemed so cool with everything that was happening. Now, she’s acting strange. Whatever. At the moment, my main concern is ditching the condom on my softening cock.

  “Hey, I’m gonna run to the bathroom, okay?”

  “Yeah, fine.”

  When I return from taking care of business, I flip back the covers.

  What the…?

  Now I know what’s up with her. I see it, right before my eyes. Shit. No wonder she was so freaking tight.

  “Christ, Emma. You’re a virgin?” I blurt out.

  “Yeah,” she whispers, and then qualifies, “I mean, I was. But, obviously, not after what we just did.”

  I close my eyes. God, I feel like the world’s biggest prick.

  “Emma, if I’d known…” I trail off and sit down on the edge of the bed. Placing my head in my hands, I say, “Christ, yo
u should’ve told me.”

  “You wouldn’t have done it then, Will.”

  I lift my head from my hands and stare at her, somewhat shocked by her blasé attitude. Does she really feel that way, or is this just a farce.

  “Don’t girls usually want their first time to be special?” I ask.

  She shrugs and looks away, and I’m still not sure what she’s really feeling.

  Sighing, I say, “Listen, Emma. The truth is, I wouldn’t have had sex with you had I known. Especially not like the way we did it.” She groans, like hearing this hurts, and I’m quick to add, “I don’t mean I wouldn’t have still wanted to be with you. I want you, Emma. I did, and I still do. But we could’ve waited, taken things more slowly—”

  Her head jerks back to me and deep blue eyes flash with anger. “Don’t you get it, Will?” She gathers the covers from around her and sits up abruptly. “I was ready. I’ve waited long enough already. I’m, like, crazy-attracted to you, and it felt right. It was time, and to be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “Seriously?” I hope she’s telling the truth.

  “Yes, Will, seriously.” She sounds annoyed, but then she softens when she says, “Besides, it’s not like I don’t have any experience. I’ve dated guys before you, and I’ve done all the stuff we did. Just…not that.”

  I glance at the bloodstain on the sheet, and Emma’s quick to cover it with a blanket.

  “Did it hurt?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “A little. But only really just at first.”

  I scoot over to her. Wrapping my arms around her, I say, “I still wish you would’ve told me. I would have gone much easier on you. Like, been gentler, you know.”

  I would’ve gone easier on her, too. I certainly wouldn’t have pounded into her like I did near the end.

  She leans back and peers at me with those bright blue eyes. God, she is so beautiful. And so sexy too, with her hair all sex-tousled.

  I brush back a single raven strand, and she lowers the sheet from her chest. “You could show me now,” she says.