by K. C. Crowne
Watching her orgasm was too much for me, and I exploded inside her. Molly collapsed on top of me, her body as limp as a ragdoll. For a moment, I thought she had fallen asleep, but then she let out a soft chuckle.
“Wow,” she mumbled.
“Yeah, wow,” I said, stroking the hair from her face. I wanted to stare into those beautiful blue eyes. Tonight would be the last night we’d ever be together, and I wanted to appreciate her.
She rolled off me, lying beside me. I turned to my side and wrapped my arms around her. I knew I should get out of there; I should leave before Christopher came back - but it was impossible to pull myself away.
She felt so perfect in my arms, and I just wanted to hold her.
To protect her.
To cherish her.
Molly
“Ugh, he’s going to be here soon,” I said, checking the message that had just popped up. It was Christopher telling me he was on his way back and that he had good news to share with me. I left the last part out, for obvious reasons. I didn’t want his dad asking questions about what kind of news.
“I should probably leave, huh?” Silas asked.
His hazel eyes were so soft, so sincere. I almost couldn’t believe this was the same man I’d met on the first day here. He’d seemed like such a brash jerk that day, but the way he looked at me now caused my heart to thunder in my chest.
I had always wanted someone to look at me like that.
“Yes, probably so. Unless you want your son to catch us together,” I said, cringing. “Which, let’s face it, would not be a good idea.”
“No, I suppose it wouldn’t,” he said, a darkness moving through his eyes.
“You’re regretting this now, aren’t you?”
He looked at me again, the feeling of warmth returning to his gaze. “I don’t know Molly. I regret that we have to lie about it. I don’t like lyin’.”
“Me neither,” I said, biting my lower lip. I pulled myself out of his arms, even though it was difficult. I slipped free and stood up, searching the floor for my pajamas. “But we won’t see each other again after tomorrow, so what does it matter?”
Silas reached out, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close. I tried to hide the tears welling in my eyes, but he lifted my chin and forced me to look into his eyes.
“I’m sorry it has to be this way, Molly, but we both know you belong in New York, and that’s no place for a man like me. So it’s for the best, no matter how you slice it.”
“I know.”
“I don’t like it any more than you do,” he said, his voice sincere.
I nodded, leaning forward and pressing my forehead against his. There were so many emotions coursing through my body that it made me feel raw - like my skin was pulled away, leaving me open and vulnerable.
But I told myself it was normal considering I’d given this man my virginity.
Silas stood from the bed and kissed me one last time - his lips lingering on mine for a long moment.
“Go,” I urged. “He’ll be here any minute.”
I quickly gathered my pajamas and slipped them back on. Silas threw on his clothes and I pushed him toward the door. Watching him step out of it, my heart broke into a million pieces.
I didn’t want him to go.
He glanced back at me, and I could tell he didn’t want to go.
But he had to.
He closed the door behind him, and I fell onto the bed, burying my face into a pillow.
It was barely a few minutes later that Christopher entered, talking a million miles an hour before he’d even shut the door behind him.
“So Tyler and I are official! I’m finally settling down with one person. Hard to believe, isn’t it?”
“That’s great, Christopher. I’m so happy for you.” And I was. I meant it. I was happy for him.
He sat down on the bed and kept talking. “We’re going to try the long-distance thing, because there’s no way I could leave the city - and you - behind.” He stopped as he looked at me, his brows drawing together. “Hey, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lied, not looking at him. I didn’t want him to see the tears staining my cheeks.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m just tired.”
“Will it bother you if I gush over Tyler for a bit? Because I’m feeling so giddy right now.”
I knew that feeling all too well.
I nodded, pushing all thoughts of Silas out of my head. Christopher was happy, and I was happy for him. I tried to focus on that.
Ooo000ooo
“Is Christopher coming down?” Mama G asked me as I stepped into the dining room for breakfast.
The entire crew was there - including Silas. Our eyes met and I couldn’t help but smile, hoping no one would notice the way he looked at me. It was only a quick glance, but I saw the heat in his eyes, and it caused a warmth to rush to my cheeks and a wetness in my panties. I quickly looked away.
“Uh, no, he left before I got up. Told me he was meeting a friend for breakfast.” He was meeting Tyler, of course. And I had a feeling they were doing a lot more than eating breakfast right now.
“What a shame. I made a special breakfast just for him since it was his last morning here.”
I’d thought about not coming down myself. But after the last week, I felt at home here. I also thought it would be a bit rude to not attend a breakfast that Mama G had made, anticipating that it would be our last meal here before we headed off to the airport.
“I’m sorry,” was all I could say. “He’ll be back in time to say goodbye, though.”
“He was never one to hang around the house longer than he needed to,” Wyatt noted.
Travis shook his head in agreement. “Nope. He sure wasn’t.”
Chance reached over to the platter in the center of the table. “More bacon for me!”
I’d tried to tell Christopher that he should stay and spend a little time with his family before we left, but he’d scoffed at the idea. He was too far into the honeymoon stage with Tyler to think about spending time with anyone else. He reminded me that this was the last time they’d see each other for a while too, and that nothing should stand in the way of love.
I didn’t think he’d feel the same way if I fell for his dad, but there was no chance of us falling in love anyway, so I didn’t think about it too much.
I was leaving, and unless Christopher asked me to come back with him at some point, there was not much chance of me seeing Silas again. I think even if he did ask, it would be in my best interest to reject the idea. Maybe I’d find myself a nice man in the city, someone I could marry and start a family with - giving me the life I always imagined for myself.
I sipped the orange juice and helped myself to some food as it was passed around.
“I’m going to miss your biscuits and gravy, Mama G,” I said, loading up on the delicious gravy, giving no thought to my waistline.
“I can give you the recipe, dear. I gave it to Christopher years ago, but I know that boy doesn’t cook.”
“No, he doesn’t,” I chuckled. “And I’d love that.”
“The secret is using bacon along with sausage,” she said with a bright smile. “It sets it apart from regular sausage gravy.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had good sausage gravy to compare it to, but whatever you do, it works.”
“I wouldn’t even try it, Molly. She might give you the recipe, but it’s never gonna taste as good as when she makes it. Her special ingredient is Mama G love,” Travis chimed in.
“Kiss ass,” Chance mumbled.
“Bite me,” Travis said, slapping Chance playfully on the back of the head.
“Language, boys,” both Mama G and Wyatt chimed in together.
I was trying to keep my mind off Silas, and the banter among the family helped a bit. I wanted to avoid talking to him, looking at him. I knew that if I did, packing my stuff and leaving would be even harder than it was already going to b
e. I felt like I’d shared a lifetime of experiences with the man in the past week and I didn’t need leaving to be any more difficult.
I stared at my plate and ate in mostly silence, talking to Mama G and trying not to look at Silas.
The front door opened and slammed shut, signaling that Christopher was back. He didn’t come into the dining room, instead running up the stairs.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, scooting from my seat. I excused myself and went up to his room, wondering if something might be wrong. But when I got up there, I found him grinning happily.
“Tyler and I are planning a trip together, to Vegas, in a couple months,” he blurted out. “I’m so excited. I’ve never gone on vacation with anyone before.”
But I had other things on my mind.
“Maybe you should join us for breakfast?”
“I’m not hungry,” he said. “So many butterflies in my stomach there’s no room for food. I’m just over-the-moon for Tyler, can’t get enough of him. I don’t want to leave, but there’s no way I could stay here. Waiting until Vegas to see him again is going to be so hard.” He fell back on the bed with a dramatic sigh.
“That’s great, Christopher, I’m happy for you,” I said slowly. “But I think you should really join us for the breakfast. Mama G made—”
“I’ll say goodbye to everyone before we leave. Let me just have my moment.”
Right then and there I decided I’d had just about enough of his selfishness. “You’ve had plenty of moments, Christopher. Ever since we got here. You’ve been out with Tyler or talking about him nonstop, and I get it, I do, - you’re excited - but your grandmother made a special breakfast for you, and I think it’s rude not to at least go downstairs and talk to her.”
I clenched my teeth together, resisting the urge to say something I’d regret. I understood the excitement he was feeling - I understood more than he probably realized. I felt very similar whenever I thought about Silas. But I was also an adult that knew I still had to respect other people.
Christopher’s face fell. He looked stunned that I had told him off. I didn’t have to do it often, but when someone was being an ass, I called them out on it. And Christopher was acting like a selfish asshole.
He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, and I couldn’t read the emotions on his face.
“I just think when someone does something nice for you, you should show some appreciation. Now, I’m going back downstairs and enjoy the delicious breakfast that your grandma made for us. I really hope you join me.”
Yes, Christopher was my best friend. He’d been there for me so many times, I lost track. But there were many times where he was self-absorbed and made everything about himself. And when he got like that, the only way to pull him out of it was to speak up and tell him to get his head out of his ass.
I went back downstairs and tried to regain my composure before I sat back down at the table.
“Everything okay?” Mama G asked, cocking her eyebrow.
“Oh yes, it’s fine,” I said with a smile. “I’d love some more biscuits and gravy if there’s enough left over?”
Mama G passed the plate. “Of course, dear. It’s my goal to fatten you up before you leave, you know.” She chuckled, and it was such a sweet sound.
His family wasn’t perfect by any means, but Christopher couldn’t get over the past - the fact that they were different than him. He’d painted his family as being this terrible, close-minded bunch of jerks, but they were nothing like that. Not even his father was as bad as he’d made him sound.
Silas caught my eye; he was watching me carefully. We shared a look - a serious one this time. Without even saying a word, we commiserated over how difficult Christopher could be sometimes.
“Good morning!” Christopher’s voice surprised me. “I’m sorry I’m late, Grandma G. Everything smells delightful.”
Christopher walked over and gave Mama G a peck on her cheek, and the old woman’s face lit up. She loved her grandson dearly, and in that moment, I could tell Christopher loved her too. I could only hope my little pep talk did the job.
Silas
From the look on Molly’s face when she came back down, I could tell that she and Christopher had gotten into it.
I wouldn’t ever want her to turn her rueful look toward me – she might’ve looked innocent on the outside, but I could sense a strength in her, one that she could tap into when it was time to stick up for herself.
But then Christopher came down, and something in him had changed. Molly looked surprised but pleased with herself. She’d gotten through to my son, and for that, I was thankful. Lord knew I couldn’t do it myself.
As we finished breakfast, I knew that the clock was ticking. They had to leave pretty soon after breakfast. They had a fairly early flight and the drive to Houston was at least an hour. I wasn’t sure if Molly had packed or was ready to leave, but she didn’t seem eager to go back upstairs. She helped Mama G in the kitchen, and their laughter warmed my heart. Mama G really liked her; it was a shame she wasn’t really going to be part of the family. She could really fit in here, even for a city girl.
Christopher also helped Mama G. I wanted to speak to him in private before he left, but it was hard to get any time with just him. He seemed to be glued to Molly or Mama G’s side all morning.
I heard footsteps coming down the stairs as we finished cleaning up. I was in the dining room, wiping down the table, when I heard voices in the kitchen.
Molly stepped into the room.
We were alone for the first time since the night before.
“So I guess this is it,” she said.
“Are you packed and ready?” I asked her.
“Yes, made sure of it last night.”
“Good. I’d hate for you to be late.” I ran my hand over my face. There wasn’t much else I could say. Did I want her to leave? Hell no, but I didn’t know her that well and I couldn’t ask her to stay. She had a life back in New York. A life that didn’t include me. She was young and had so much in front of her still. Not to mention, I could only imagine that my son would not approve of anything that had happened between his friend and me.
I heard Christopher’s voice in the other room but couldn’t make out what he said. We both looked in the direction from which it came.
“I should talk to him, I guess. Haven’t really had a chance,” I said.
“Yeah, he’s a hard person to nail down.”
I walked toward the doorway, and Molly stepped out of the way. I glanced down at her, our arms brushing against one another. Without thinking, I reached out and ran my fingers over her skin, savoring her softness one last time.
“Silas, I—”
Before Molly could finish, footsteps came toward the dining room. I stepped away just in time, as Christopher walked into the room.
“I’m going to give you a few minutes alone,” Molly said, scooting off toward the kitchen.
Christopher didn’t look me in the eye. Normally when we’d talk, he would stand as if ready for battle. But not this time. He slumped a bit, looking uncomfortable, but not defensive. That was a first.
“Listen, son,” I began. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m sorry I wasn’t part of your life growing up and I’d do anything to change that.”
“It’s alright, Dad. I know it wasn’t your fault, and I know you did your best.”
That surprised me.
“I’d like to get to know you better now, if you’ll let me. I know it seems like I didn’t accept you for who you were. I was just scared, son. I wanted to keep you close to me, to make up for all the lost time and all you wanted to do was run away again.” I sighed. “I realize now that I was wrong. You weren’t necessarily running from me, you were running toward the only thing you’d ever really known.”
Christopher’s expression softened and his posture relaxed.
“And I just want you to know that no matter what - I will always love you, just as you are. Not
hing will ever change that.”
“Thank you, Dad.” His voice was soft, cracking a bit. I thought he might cry, but he smiled at me instead - a genuine smile. “And I love you too, even if you can be a dick sometimes.”
“Hey, I own it. I know I can be difficult to be around,” I joked. “But I’m trying to be better, Christopher. I just want to get to know you.”
“Please don’t tell me we’re going to hug this out,” he said.
“No, we don’t have to,” I chuckled. “Unless you want to, of course,”
“I’m fine,” he said, holding his hands up. “I’m not one for physical affection.”
“At least you get some things from me, I guess.”
We shared a smile. I felt like, for the first time, I’d gotten through to him. Like we’d connected. I didn’t know what changed, but he seemed to be in better spirits than he had over the last week. It was a shame he had to leave so soon.
“Please tell me you’ll come back and visit us. I know you hate it, but we love having you here. It really brightens up Mama G’s life. You’re her only grandbaby, after all.”
“I know, I know, Dad,” Christopher said. “I’ll try.”
“One last thing,” I added. “Be good to Molly, will ya? She’s a good woman.”
“I’ll try. Speaking of which, I should probably grab her and head out.”
We parted ways, him heading back into the kitchen. I heard the two of them talking amongst themselves. Christopher’s voice was raised ever slightly.
I was on the verge of leaving the dining room and meeting the rest of my brothers in the living room, where they’d gathered to say goodbye to everyone. As I passed the kitchen however, I overheard Christopher’s voice.
“Molly, you don’t understand what it’s like. You’re a virgin. What do you know about having a relationship? You’ve never had one.”
My heart stopped and I froze mid-step.