by D. K Lake
"Yes, but for all I know, you could have done that to mess with my head. I'm trying here, okay? I want to believe you-"
"You want to believe me? So, you still don't?" he says in defeat.
"No. I mean, I do believe you," I say, trying to get my head around this. "I believe you. But what happened with Dario and I...it was just...it was a mistake. I seem to make a lot of them when I'm with him, but it won't happen again."
Maverick clicks his tongue, running his hands together as though he's mad at me.
"But I don't know why I'm apologizing." I snap. "We're not even together, so what if I slept with Dario. I can sleep with whoever I want. I can sleep with the whole of the damn campus if I feel like it. I'm sure most of the guys around here would love a go with sex tape Paige." I blurt angrily.
"Paige," Maverick warns.
"No, you don't get to be angry. I'm the one that should be angry. You don't get to make me feel like shit for wanting to feel something for just one night. Yes, we had sex. Yes, I know it was a mistake, I don't need you pointing it out." I huff and fold my arms. "But I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I didn't enjoy it...because I did."
"Fuck." he curses angrily.
"I'm sorry," I apologize again and then frown. "No, actually I'm not. You're the one that fucked everything up between us, I don't need to apologize for anything."
"Another nail in my coffin. I might as well join Ethan six feet under," Maverick says coldly.
"Maverick, that's not even funny." I glare at him.
"I wasn't trying to be funny."
"Do you want me to leave?" I ask.
"No."
"Do you hate me?"
"No." He looks up at me. "I fucking love you,"
"Mav," I sigh. "How are we ever going to get past this?"
He stands up and steps in front of me, lowering his face to mine and cupping my cheek.
"How about together?" he asks, waiting for my answer, searching my eyes desperately.
"Together." I repeat.
Chapter 12
Maverick's lips are on mine as soon as the word leaves my mouth. Everything happens in a blur.
One minute we're kissing, the next we're on my bed. I straddle his lap as he removes my glasses for me, and then he pulls the hoodie over my head.
"I love you so much, Paige," he murmurs, burying his face in my neck and pressing his mouth over the place where Dario left a mark, erasing any trace he was ever there.
I feel his teeth graze my skin, but I don't stop him. Maybe because I feel guilty about what happened between Rio and me, and I think I deserve this on some level. I don't know anymore. I just know I want Maverick right now. All of him. Right now. Inside me. All over me.
He lifts my t-shirt over my head and his lips find my neck again, sucking hard, biting even harder. I run my fingers through his hair, grinding my hips against him, and feel him through his jogging bottoms.
"Fuck. I want you," he groans, pushing me off his lap and dragging my leggings down my legs. I kick off my boots at the same time, followed by my socks. Then I attack Maverick. His sneakers come off first, followed by his hoodie, then his t-shirt. He stands up and I follow his movements, helping him shove his joggers down his legs. Our mouths find each other again, our teeth roughly clashing against each other as he steps out of his joggers. He kicks them away and I push him back onto the bed and straddle his lap again, loving the sound of him groaning underneath me as I rock my hips against him.
"Paige," he moans, nipping my lip as he unclasps my bra and drags it down my arms.
"Oww," I touch my lip where he just bit me, and my tongue darts out to soothe the sting. I stare at him a little wide-eyed, knowing we’ve never been this animalistic in bed before.
I think I like it.
"I want you now." He grabs my hips, his fingers digging into my soft skin.
"Then take me," I beg, my lips hovering over his.
Another groan and he flips me over so that he's on top. He holds his weight off me and hovers over me, his eyes taking in every inch of me as he familiarizes himself with my curves.
"I missed you so much. Like so fucking much." he tells me.
"I missed you too." I pull him down to me and our lips smash together, teeth clashing. His tongue delves into my mouth and tangles with mine. His hand explores my breasts and down my body, and his fingers slide over my panties, causing my body to shiver in response. He kisses me harder and I pull him closer, tugging on his hair.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. I need you now." He grabs my panties. "Right now," he urges, dragging my panties down so roughly I'll be surprised if they aren't torn after this. I go to help him, but he's already got them halfway down my legs by the time I reach for them. His fingers are suddenly inside me, checking to see if I'm ready, and then he's nudging my legs apart. He positions himself at my entrance and looks me in the eyes but doesn't move.
"I don't want to lose you again. I don't want this to be the last time I get to have you." he says, running the tip of his cock over my slit, causing me to whimper.
"You won't...just don't fuck it up this time." I say in a rush. I don’t know how he’s got so much restraint. I want him inside me. Need him inside me. I even try pushing down onto him, but he won’t let me have him. Not yet.
"I won't. I promise. I'm going to love you forever." he promises before pushing inside me. I cry out in ecstasy, and he groans alongside me.
He grabs my leg and wraps it around his waist, I do the same with my other leg, clamping him between my thighs. He then starts to move inside me. He's in so deep I can feel him everywhere, and he knows it. He thrusts into me, hard and fast, desperate, and wild. I grab onto his shoulder with one hand and hold onto the headboard with the other as he drives into me with a desperate abandon.
He takes what he needs, pounding into me relentlessly, and I surrender myself to him willingly. I don't want gentle after not having him for three months. Our mouths crash together - he thrusts deeper, making sure I take all of him. I cry out and he captures my cries with his mouth.
He makes me forget everything. Erasing all the bad memories with his kisses. I feel him everywhere. He fills the empty void, making me feel halfway normal again.
One of his hand slips between us and he rubs it over my bare skin and finds my clit and starts working his fingers over it. I moan into his mouth, digging my fingers into the back of his neck, leaving nail marks. He dips his head and kisses my neck, dragging his teeth over my skin.
"Mmm," I moan, loving this wilder side of him.
"Tell me when you’re close ‘cause I'm nearly there," he pants, lifting his head to look at me.
I close my eyes, holding onto him, my heels dig into his ass as he thrusts into me mercilessly, not holding back.
"Are you still on the pill?" he asks in a hurry.
"Uh-huh," I murmur, but it's barely audible.
I'm too far gone to think straight. My orgasm takes over and any words I have are gone and replaced by my loud moans. I let go and come apart in his arms and he joins me. His deep groan tickles my ear as he comes inside me, soaking my walls with his hot cum. I hold onto him and don't let go. Our chests flush against each other, rising and falling in sync as we catch our breath.
"Fuck," Maverick lifts his head and rests his forehead against mine. "That was unfucking believable," He smiles, touching my lips with his softly. "I love you," he tells me again.
"I love you too," I reply breathlessly.
"I'll never get bored of you," he randomly says.
"Good, ‘cause you're stuck with me now." I say without thinking. It feels so easy to slip back into what we had before. Could it be this easy?
"Forever?" he asks, holding my eyes with his.
"How about we start with tomorrow," I say, and he smiles in response.
"Umm..." Maverick smirks, looking around for wipes to clean up with. "Under the bed?" he asks, knowing that's where we always kept a pack when we were together.
My eyes
dart to the nightstand where the pack of face wipes is still sitting, the ones Dario used the last time he was here. My sudden high comes crashing down on me when I think of what happened between us only a few nights ago, in this very bed. I haven’t even changed the sheets since then.
"Paige?"
"Uh, yeah, they should be under there still."
He reaches under and searches for them while he's still inside me. "Ah, found them." He lifts them onto the bed and grabs a couple and chucks them to me and they land on my chest, causing me to flinch at the coldness. He pulls out of me and I quickly snatch them up and clean myself up, and Maverick does the same. I grab my glasses off the nightstand so I can see what I'm doing, and then I tidy the wipes away into the trashcan and see the takeout boxes and the evidence of the other night tied in a bag. I shake my head and remind myself to empty the trashcan at some point.
Mav pulls on his boxers and lays back down on my bed.
"Come here," Maverick opens his arms for me.
I quickly pick up my panties and see a tear in the lace. I catch Maverick watching me with a smirk on his face. I toss them in the trashcan and grab a new pair, slide them on and pull a t-shirt over my head. I crawl across the bed and we snuggle under the covers for a bit, our legs overlapping, and Maverick's other leg is hanging off the bed with his sock still on which makes me giggle. I check the time on my nightstand: 3.20 pm. I reach over and plug my phone into the charger.
"Are you hungry?" Maverick asks, reading my mind.
"Starving."
"We can order takeout? Or go down to the cafeteria, but they only do sandwiches on Sunday." He remembers as he pulls a face. "Chinese?" he says hopeful, and my stomach drops.
"How about pizza?" I suggest.
"Okay," He reaches for his joggers.
"But in a minute," I pull him back into bed and he chuckles.
We lay in comfortable silence, Maverick toying with my hair as I rest my head on his chest.
"Mav,"
"Hmm."
"Who's taking care of the funeral arrangements?" I ask carefully.
"I don't know. Dad probably," he answers. "I don't care. I'm not going anyway."
"But he's your brother. You have to go to the funeral."
"Was my brother. And he's not my problem anymore."
"I was going to say I'd go with you,"
"Really? After everything he did, you'd still want to go to his funeral?"
"For you, I would."
"He's a piece of shit, waste of space, Paige. I'm glad he's out of my life."
"You don't mean that."
"I do." he grumbles.
"Well...if you change your mind the offer still stands."
I leave it up to him. He's angry at the minute, but he might change his mind in a few days.
"Are you going to Mitchel's mom's funeral?" he asks, lifting a piece of my hair and twirling it around his finger.
"Um...I don't think that's a good idea."
"Did you know her very well?"
"Not really. I had only met her once, but my sister will be at the funeral and I don't want to have to explain why I'm there."
"She doesn't know about you and Boston?"
"No. And if she knew I knew about Mitchel overdosing and his mom dying, and I sat across the table from her at dinner and pretended everything was fine, I don't think she'd ever speak to me again."
"You didn't tell her?"
"No, I thought it was for the best. I was trying to protect her and keep her away from Mitchel, and then he showed up in Nebraska looking for her."
"He was there?"
"Yes, and now she's coming back to Radley with him, supposedly just for the funeral...but I don't know."
"Isn't she engaged to that motocross racer?"
"Yup."
"Fuck."
"Yeah. Mitchel knows exactly how to pull the strings to get what he wants from her."
"She doesn't need to be getting involved with that family." he says, stroking my head.
"Tell me about it." I mutter.
I love having him play with my hair, it feels so relaxing and it's something he used to do when we'd watch Netflix together.
"Hey, um...why'd you quit the football team?"
"I didn't quit."
"You're off the team." I ask, confused.
"I'm not off the team. I'm just out for the season."
"Are you going back?"
"I don’t know."
"But you love football."
"I used to love football, but I lost interest. I haven’t wanted to do anything these past few months."
"Because of me?"
"Because it all seemed pointless without you. And I did get my ribs, my hand, and my face broken, which is why I was given time off to start with, but then I didn't want to go back."
"Mav, this is your future. What about your scholarship?"
He sighs, "I kinda have to go back in a few weeks or I'm off the team and I’ll lose my scholarship," he admits.
"So, are you going back?"
"Depends?"
"On what?"
"If I feel like it," he says with a smile.
"Maverick,"
He chuckles. "I'll go back but only if you're there with me, sitting on the bleachers."
"I was always there." I remind.
"I know and it sucked when you weren't there anymore."
I smile and twist my head to kiss his jawline. "I will be sitting in the front row if that's what it takes to get you back on the field."
"I don't want to do this without you. I know I sound as needy as fuck, but I can't help it, that's what three months without you does to a man. I love you," he coos.
"I love you, too."
My phone beeps with a reminder to take my antibiotic and I realize I missed this morning's dose. I wriggle out of Maverick's arms and hop off the bed.
"Where are you going?" he whines.
"I need to take my antibiotics."
"What antibiotics?" he asks, concern lacing his voice.
"Ear infection," I tell him, digging through my duffel and finding them at the bottom. I then pop one out and find a water bottle to wash it down. "It's not too bad, but my ear feels a bit stuffy and my hearing is a bit muffled."
"Poor baby," He pulls me back into bed and I lay next to him in the crook of his arm, and he goes back to playing with my hair.
"Wait. What's that?" I reach for his wrist and he quickly hides it behind his head. "Did you get a new tattoo?"
"No," He dodges me as I try to catch another glimpse of it.
"Mav," I laugh, trying to grab his arm.
"Alright, alright, I'll show you." He brings his arm back around and holds it out in front of me. "Don't get mad," he says as I move his leather wristband out of the way to see the new ink on the inside of his wrist. It's small, about an inch long. Inked in black is a small infinity symbol with the letter P hidden in the middle. Just underneath it is his anchor tattoo that he had before.
"You hate it?" he queries as he tries to get a read on my face.
"No," I shake my head. "I think I love it."
"Really?"
"Yes. When did you get this done?"
"About a month ago when I was feeling extra mopey and was really drunk. I wanted your full name but the guy refused to ink your name on me when I was so intoxicated, so he agreed to let me have your initial and the infinity symbol was my idea."
"Like the song on your playlist?" I muse.
"You listened to it?"
"Yes, of course, I listened to it. And it made me cry, thanks for that by the way."
He strokes my head. "I woke up the next day having forgotten I had even been to the tattoo studio and only remembered when I was sitting in class."
"I want one, too." I say, surprising us both.
"For real?" he questions.
"Uh-huh. If you have one, I want one, too."
"I love you so fucking much, Paige Moon." He pulls me into his arms and kisses me all ove
r again.
A knock at the door interrupts us, Maverick groans in annoyance.
"Who's that?" he huffs.
"I don't know. I'm not expecting anyone."
His eyes meet mine and widen slightly. He lifts me off him and sits up, reaching for his joggers.
"You don't think it's JT, do you?" I panic, watching as he gets dressed in a hurry.
Is he expecting JT to break down the door?
Shit.
Maverick looks back at the door. "I don't know. Don't answer it." he whispers, and I nod in agreement.
The person pounds on the door this time.
"I could tell them to go away," I suggest, and he shakes his head with his finger to his lips.
"Paige?!"
Maverick meets my eyes again and I close mine, hoping if we're quiet he'll leave.
Why is he here? And why right now?
"Paige, I know you're in there! Open the door!" Dario yells, banging on the door again.
Chapter 13
"Paige!" Dario pounds his fist against the door. "Open the door!"
I gnaw on my lip, edging closer to the door but not planning to open it.
"Paige, please open the door. Tell me you haven't changed your mind about us?"
"Us?" Maverick whispers.
"No," I shake my head and wave my hand at him to be quiet.
"Paige, open the door! I know you're in there, I tracked your phone here."
"That guy is a psycho," Maverick says.
"Shh." I hiss at him.
"Let me call campus security," Maverick suggests.
"No, he'll leave in a minute."
"Will he?"
"Paige, I can hear you whispering in there. Are you with Em?"
I close my eyes. Maverick can sense I’m about to cave.
"Paige, no! Just ignore him and he'll go away."
"Yes, but for how long? He'll just come back again."
My phone starts ringing, causing me to jump.
Dario’s calling.
"Paige?" Dario sighs on the other side of the door.
"Just a minute," I call.
Maverick shakes his head at me, running a hand through his hair frantically.
"It will be fine. I'll get rid of him." I assure.