by Parker, Ali
“Hey, I spoke up for you. I think everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, we both know Avery isn’t going to put up with your shit. Clara thinks she’s a hell of a lot more fragile, but that’s because she’s her baby sister.”
“I get it. I used to be protective of my brother, and he was eleven months older than me.”
“Well, I’m afraid I’ve got to take her side until you prove her wrong. So I hope you really mean it.” He turned up his beer and closed his eyes as if it was the first taste he’d had in a while. “Smooth. I’ve missed the taste of a good beer. They didn’t want us to drink in camp.”
Micah came back, and Dillon finished the last drink of his, and the two left just ahead of me.
When I got in the Jeep, I glanced down at my phone with thoughts of calling Avery, but I needed to see her. A phone call wouldn’t do.
I drove across town to her apartment and looked for signs that her sister might be visiting, but Dillon’s truck wasn’t around, and it was too far for her to walk. Dillon had been with Micah in Micah’s car, so I guessed that she’d be alone.
I took a deep breath and got out, knowing I had a lot on my mind and we needed to have a deep conversation. I hoped she was ready for it.
She must have seen me drive up because she met me at the door. “Hey,” she said with a hint of surprise in her voice. “I didn’t expect you.”
She was wearing a long T-shirt and knee socks, with a blanket wrapped around her arms, and she still looked like a goddess.
“Is it a bad time?”
“No, it’s perfect,” she said, stepping away from her door to wave me in. “I was just thinking about calling you. I feel so stupid for what happened earlier. I shouldn’t have bailed the way I did. But Will is good friends with Dillon, and I didn’t want him to tell him.”
“Well, it’s too late for that,” I said as I followed her in. She offered me a seat. “Now we just have to wait and see if Dillon tells Clara, and if he’s a smart man, he won’t try and keep it from her.” I had learned how important honesty could be in a relationship, and I was there to tell her the truth about the rumors.
“He’s supposed to be back in town. She called earlier, excited he was getting to come home early.”
“Yeah, I know. I just had a beer with him. He knows everything by the way. He thanked me for taking care of you the other night just before threatening to whip my ass if I did anything to hurt you.”
She smiled as she sat down beside me. “That’s Dillon, all right. He’s got a sister of his own, so he’s really good in the sibling department.”
“I told him I want to be with you.” I waited for her reaction.
Her face fell from a smile to a much more serious look. “You did? I mean, you do?”
I moved closer and took her hand. “Of course. I know everyone sees me as a player. Hell, you even said it yourself at the party, but I’m not playing games with you, Avery. I haven’t been. And I was serious earlier. I’m scared I’ll fuck this up, but I don’t want to let that fear hold me back anymore.”
I had made up so many excuses why I should hold back, but I realized that it was my fear keeping her at arm’s length and pushing her back every time we took a step forward.
“But what about rugby? I thought your coach and your team was on your back about us.” Her eyes were filled with sadness and confusion.
“I can play the game and be crazy about you, too, can’t I? I mean, you can handle it, and your coach isn’t trying to run your personal life.”
“Actually, I think she’d rather me focus only on the game. But she doesn’t say so. I just don’t want to cause any problems with you.”
“You’re not. And don’t worry about that. I’m not worried.” I wished I hadn’t even told her that. “Coach can’t tell me what to do, and I already told him that you wouldn’t get in the way. You make it all better anyway.”
“Why has it been so hard for us to get our act together?”
“Because of me. I’ll take the blame. I haven’t ever had anything good that I didn’t mess up. I know you hear a lot about Layla and me, but people don’t know where we came from or the truth about how we ended up at Pro-U to begin with.”
“What do you mean? Did you come here together?”
“Yeah, I’ve known her since we were both in high school. We came from the same kind of home, both with abusive fathers, and when we realized that we could use sports to get into college, we both jumped at the chance. But Layla had a much harder time getting away from that than I did.”
“But you have? I mean, your father isn’t still giving you a hard time, is he?”
“I haven’t talked to him in a long time, so no, it’s long past.” I didn’t want to get into my personal life so much that I mentioned Bryan or losing him. I wasn’t ready to go there, not yet, and knew I’d eventually have to tell her everything. “It’s not an excuse for what I did to Layla, but I couldn’t deal with her getting sucked back into her problems, and so I strayed. I’m not going to lie. I felt like shit every time. I wasn’t doing it to hurt her, but again, I know it’s no excuse.”
“Look, I don’t want to date a cheater, so I won’t put up with that, but there’s more to the rumor. Something my sister said that really surprised me.”
“Yeah, I can guess. Lay would show up with bruises, but they weren’t from me.”
“Her father hit her?”
“Again, it’s not my story. I really shouldn’t go into it, and that’s why I don’t correct the rumor.” I felt my chin quiver a bit as my emotions got the best of me. “How could anyone think I’d hit her? They don’t know me at all. My mother raised me right—in spite of him.”
I looked at Avery, and she was staring back at me with her mouth agape and sympathy in her eyes. “That’s not fair.”
“Layla had tried to tell people different things, and she never blamed me, but people want to make up what they want. I ignore it. I wasn’t perfect to Layla anyway. Both of us took out our anger on each other, and I guess I was a lot worse about it. Especially in front of other people. Hell, we thought that was normal.”
“You got to college and saw you were both wrong?”
“Yeah, and we tried. But I got to where I couldn’t take it. She made me promise to stay out of her business, and I know I should have done something to help her out more, even though she never let me. I guess I thought it best I push her away.” There was a lot more, but I felt the lump in my throat about to choke me.
Avery kissed it all away.
Chapter 13
Avery
After Seth opened up, nearly breaking down into tears as he told me his story, I felt so bad for all he’d been through. I had no idea how bad his home life was, and with all the blame he endured that wasn’t even his fault, it had to wear on him. It at least explained why he was so angry most of the time, and I could see why people might think the worst of him.
It just wasn’t fair.
What happened with Layla might not have been the best relationship, but at least he recognized his mistakes and was willing to do better to not let it happen again. And the physical abuse that he had been blamed for when he had been a victim himself tugged my heartstrings so much, I couldn’t help but kiss him for his honesty.
As our lips moved together, soft and tender, he touched my face and put his arm around me to move in closer.
Things heated up quickly, but that didn’t surprise me because of where we had left off. And when I moved to straddle his lap, he pulled away and met my eyes. “Are you sure this is okay with you?”
I could see the concern in his eyes for me. “Yes. It’s more than okay with me. I want this, and I think I’ve always wanted it since I first met you.”
He kissed me again, this time moving his hands up my back as he kissed down my neck.
I moved to pull off the long T-shirt, and he looked surprised when I didn’t have a bra on. My breasts were right in front of him, and I could tell by the look in his eye
s that he was tempted by them.
“You can still say no,” he said. “And I feel like I have to say, I don’t want to go much farther if you’re going to make me stop.”
“I don’t want you to stop,” I whispered against his cheek. I tugged at his shirt and brought it up over his head, then reached for his pants and undid those too. “Is that clear enough for you?”
Seth chuckled. “I’ve wanted this for so long, too,” he said, moving his hands down to touch me between my legs. The pressure of his touch had me aching, and before I knew it, Seth had me up in his arms and was carrying me toward the bedrooms. “Which one is yours?”
“The first one,” I said. Clara’s room was empty, and I was damned glad I hadn’t put anyone else in there since she’d been gone. Having the privacy to be alone with Seth was perfect.
Seth kissed the top of my breasts and put me on my back in my bed. He rose up and looked at me as he shrugged out of his jeans. “You are so fucking beautiful.”
I took in an eyeful of him. His long, thick shaft was already up for the task.
He looked at me with an ache in his eyes as if he didn’t think he deserved me. “Are you sure you’re good?”
He pulled out a condom from his wallet, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his as I responded with a nod. “I’m more than okay.” I reached down and hooked my fingers into the elastic on my panties, but he smiled and pushed my hand away.
“Allow me,” he said. “If you’re going to give me a gift, at least let me unwrap it.”
I giggled and closed my eyes, feeling embarrassed as he slipped them down slowly. I wondered the whole time if I was going to hold up to all of the girls he had been with. I was really doing this with him, and while I was a little nervous, I trusted him completely.
Surprisingly to me, the next thing I felt was his mouth on me, and it stole my breath as he kissed his way down my tummy. He moved his hand to rub my mound and quickly inserted a finger into my soaking-wet channel.
“Is this your first time?” he asked, looking at me with concern in his eyes.
I nodded. “Going all the way, yes.” I had not gotten this far with anyone else and was glad he could be the first. I’d always tried to picture myself with various guys, but none ever seemed right for me until Seth.
Seth looked surprised. “I’ll be easy.”
His mouth caressed me down there, his tongue slipping up and down my clit. I felt euphoria like I’d never felt before, not even when I had pleasured myself thinking about him.
When he came up for air, he smiled. “Are you ready?” he asked, moving up my body. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” I said with a laugh. “Stop worrying, Seth. It’s perfect.”
“I didn’t know you hadn’t done this before.” He centered himself at my entrance, and I braced myself, tensing for his penetration.
“Relax for me,” he whispered with a sultry tone. “It will be a lot better for you. I promise.”
I let out a deep, long-held breath as he pushed inside me, his invasion most welcome, and much bigger than I expected. I couldn’t believe my body stretched to accommodate him, but it did as if he was the perfect fit I’d been waiting for.
I crushed my mouth against him, and he worked in easy, but after he was in all the way, he rocked his hips slowly, and it was heaven. I began to urge him on and even bucked my hips toward him, eagerly not wanting him to ever stop.
Seth picked up my legs, putting them over his shoulder as he tilted my hips, and things felt even better. His cock thumped against a sensitive spot that had my toes curling until I orgasmed.
He gave me another kiss, this time just a peck. “You’re catching on quick,” he said.
“Did you finish?” I wasn’t sure what happened.
“Not yet,” he said with a big smile. “It could take a while.”
And take a while, it did. Seth took his time, making me feel like I was special. I didn’t know if I should thank all of the girls before me who had obviously given him a lot of practice, but by the time he came, I had felt so many emotions that I wanted to thank him for the pleasure.
He collapsed beside me, and I rolled over to hug close to him. “That was amazing,” I said as I leaned in to kiss his chest.
“You were amazing,” he said as he kissed me again. He had worked up a sweat, and I was parched.
“Are you going to kick me out?” he asked. “Or do you mind if I stay the night?”
“Do you want to stay?”
“If you think it’s all right.”
I held him a little tighter, locking my leg across his. “I don’t know if it’s all right or not, but I know you’re not going anywhere if I can help it.” I needed him to stay close to me. I finally felt like I had him.
“Do you think Clara will check on you?” He brushed my hair back from my face.
“I’ll take the chance, but no. She’s probably busy now that Dillon is home.” My sister was probably busy in the same way I was. The two had been apart for a while, and I had a feeling they were making up for lost time.
Seth stared at me for a long while as if he couldn’t take his eyes off of me. We lay there, neither saying another word, but neither having to.
Everything was perfect about that moment, and I wanted it to last forever. Just the two of us being together.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms, and I slept like a baby until he got up the next morning to go to the bathroom.
I watched as he walked across the room in the dim morning light, his perfect ass looking like it was cut from marble. How did I get so damned lucky?
When he returned, I sat up in bed. “You’re not leaving, are you?” I gave him a pouty look.
“How can I when you’re giving me those eyes?” He sat on the bed. “What do you want me to do?”
“Stay with me.” I wasn’t sure what his schedule was like or if he had anything to do besides show up for practice.
He looked like he was thinking about it. “All day?”
“Why not? Do you have anywhere you’d rather be?” I cocked an eyebrow and gave him my best smile.
“There’s not any place in the entire world I’d rather be than right here. But I do have one class. I suppose I could skip it. I haven’t missed it yet, so it should be fine.” He stroked my hair and brushed it down my shoulder. “What do you have to do?”
“Be wherever you are.” I shrugged. “Can’t we go back to being responsible students tomorrow?”
He seemed shocked that I was willing to skip. “You little rebel.”
“Are you staying the day with me?”
He nodded. “If you really want me to, hell yeah.”
“Where are you taking me? Or do you want to stay in bed all day?”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. I’ve waited forever for this with you, and I don’t want it to end right away.” I felt my cheeks warm with those words.
“I’m not going anywhere, even if we get back to our regular schedules. You know that, right?” He gave me a narrow look. “I hope you’re good with that. If you get sick of me, you’re stuck.”
“I could never get sick of you,” I said, feeling as if my cheeks could crack from smiling at any moment.
“As much as I’d love to keep you naked all day, I’m worried your sister is going to catch us. And I have somewhere I’d like to take you, so you should probably get dressed.” I sat up as he reached for his pants. “I’m probably going to get my ass kicked for this, so I better make it count.”
I wouldn’t let anyone kick his ass over me. I had made the decision, and I’d make it over again a hundred times. “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”
I made a face. “I hate surprises.”
Seth just smiled at me. “Oh, that makes it so much better. I get to tease you and surprise you all at the same time? I like the idea of that.”
“No fair,” I said, getting up with the sheet around me.
I still felt a little unsure of being totally naked with Seth, even though he’d seen, kissed, and tasted every inch of me.
We dressed and hurried out for the day, hoping no one would see that we had spent the entire night together. We stopped at a drive-thru for coffee, and Seth pulled over to put the top down when we were far enough out of town for anyone from college to see us.
“Are you still not going to tell me?” I had tried to coax it out of him for the past half hour.
“No. You’ll see. It’s not too far now.”
“It’s a good thing I trust you.” He was driving me out of town, and I hadn’t told anyone where I’d be.
“Haven’t you ever been out this way before?” he asked.
“Not in years. I think I was with my dad the last time.” It seemed like my father had taken me on a trip at some point.
“Do you and him get along?” Seth asked.
“Not really. He cheated on my mom and left her to take care of us while he ran off with his secretary. They started a new life, and he basically pretended he didn’t know me. He’s not exactly father of the year.”
“I wish my old man would forget he knew me,” said Seth. He glanced over to see the look of sadness on my face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make light. It’s just. I guess I assume that everyone else had it easier than I did.”
“I mean, he never hit me, but he was far from the loving, perfect father. I guess that’s why it’s been hard to trust anyone with a relationship, but I know you’re capable of being better than my father was. You already treat me better.”
“That’s why Clara is so hard about the cheating, isn’t it?” He was smart to put that together. I never had.
“Good call. Probably. But that’s all in the past. You’re young. You made mistakes, and you’re learning. So, where are you taking me again?” I thought if I threw that last bit in, he’d tell me.
Seth laughed. “Nice try. But seriously, it’s just around the corner. You are going to have to learn a little patience with me. I plan on surprising you a lot. I used to love to surprise my mom.”