Hit the Wall (Blythe College) (14 page)

“I hope you didn’t have to try too hard or have a reason to want me out of your head.”

“No, I really didn’t,” he responded.

“Jackson, what’s wrong?” I asked, a little worried by how serious he seemed.

“I was worried about you.”

“You were?” I was surprised by his response. Sure, we hadn’t seen each other since this morning, but last night had been awesome and everything had seemed okay when he dropped me off at my dorm this morning.

“Yeah. I didn’t realize the girls were going to drop by the bar tonight.”

“I didn’t either, but I’d suggested it to your sister a while back because I thought she and Char would really hit it off,” I explained.

“It was nice of you to invite Aubrey out, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about
Lex tagging along with her tonight.”

And there it was—time for a difficult conversation. I pulled away from him and moved across the cab of the truck to my seat.

“Yeah, that was a shocker to me, too. And I can’t say it was a nice one at first because it was pretty awkward for me. Could we maybe go somewhere to talk instead of doing this here in the parking lot?”

Jackson heaved a deep sigh and nodded his head. “Of course we can.”

We were both silent during the drive back to campus. Jackson headed straight to the frat house once we got there and parked on the street. He hopped out and came over to open my door for me. Now I was starting to freak out a little because he still had the same worried look on his face. I reached for his hand to squeeze it, needing a little reassurance as we entered the house and went straight up to his room.

I kicked off my shoes, took my coat off, and sat down cross-legged on the end of his bed. Jackson closed and locked the door before he joined me on the bed. He looked down at his hands as I waited for him to say something, anything. My heart dropped to my stomach, fearing that this was going to be really bad. The thought of going from the best night of my relationship with him to possibly the worst within twenty-four hours was a little terrifying.

Jackson finally looked up and started to talk. “I know you’ve heard stuff about my feelings for Lex. Hell, you were there when Sasha accused me of avoiding relationships because I was in love with her. Yet in all the time we’ve been dating, you haven’t asked me about it.”

Since he paused, I took the opportunity to explain. “At first I wondered a little. I’d heard the rumors on campus, and of course I heard everything Sasha had to say when you were fighting. And I was a bit concerned since it seemed pretty damning that you stopped sleeping around when
Lex got serious with Drake. But I guess at first I wasn’t sure what exactly was going to happen with us so I didn’t say anything.”

“But it is something that’s been bothering you?”

“I wouldn’t say
bother
exactly. Yeah, it’s crossed my mind from time to time, but there’s nothing you’ve done since we’ve been together to make me think you’re pining over her or anything like that,” I answered.

“Fuck. The last thing I want to do is have to explain this to you because it’s so damn embarrassing, but you need to know that’s not what’s going on here.”

“Embarrassing?” I asked, not understanding but relieved to hear that this wasn’t going to be the horrible news I’d thought it might be on the way over.

He ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture. “Some shit went down in her life, and I felt responsible in a way. Things got all confused in my head, and I thought I loved her.”

I didn’t know what to think. His explanation wasn’t making things any clearer, and it sure wasn’t comforting to hear that he used to think he was in love with Lex.

“How can you be wrong about something like that?”

“If you’d asked me that question a couple months ago, I’d have told you there was no fucking way I was wrong about being in love with Lex. Then I watched her fall for Drake, and it stung a bit, but I just wanted her to be happy. During Christmas break, my dad pointed out that, as much as they love Lex, he didn’t think we’d end up together. At first I was pissed, but then he pointed out a few things that make more sense now that I met you. I’m not the world’s most patient guy, right?”

“I don’t know. You’ve been pretty patient with me, Jackson.”

He huffed out a little laugh at that. “Kaylie, I asked you out to dinner pretty much right away and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I didn’t wait long to kiss you or warn other guys off you. Maybe I was able to hold out a little while before we had sex, but it sure as shit wasn’t without making any moves on you, and I thought about it constantly.”

“I guess when you put it that way you weren’t super patient, but you certainly didn’t pressure me.”

He pulled my hands into his as he continued with his explanation. “But I took action. And with Lex, I never did. No dates. No kisses. No intimate texts or phone calls. No stepping in and trying to win her for myself when Drake came on the scene.”

“So you were just friends the whole time?”

“Yes, and because we were just friends, I felt like it was okay to fuck around. A lot,” he stressed.

“Saying
a lot
might be an understatement if the rumors are all true.”

He looked at me sheepishly before nodding his head. “Maybe that’s true, but here’s the thing that I never realized until after you and I started dating. If I really was in love with
Lex, then I would have done something about it. Because there’s no way I’d just let some guy come in and take you away from me. And if I was that into her, I wouldn’t have messed around with other girls the way I did all that time. I wouldn’t have really noticed them because I’d have been too wrapped up in her to see random chicks that way. Like I am with you.”

“With me?”

“Yes, Kaylie. With you,” he repeated.

“So what are you saying exactly?” I asked.

“I’m saying that you knocked me on my ass, opened my eyes, and made me realize how wrong I had been. With you, I threw all the rules out the window and didn’t look back because there was just no damn way I wasn’t going to date you.”

“And how’s that working out for you so far?”

“That depends. Are you pissed at me because of tonight?” he asked.

“No, Jackson. It was a little weird and uncomfortable, but I liked
Lex. And I’m relieved to know that you’re not only spending time with me because she isn’t available,” I said, admitting the concern that had been really bugging me, because I would have been crushed to know that I was just a substitute.

“Hell no, Kaylie. It fucking tears me up inside at the idea that you might have been feeling like that all this time. I’m with you because there isn’t anyone else I want to spend time with more than you,” he reassured me.

“That’s a lucky coincidence since I feel the same way about you.”

“Yeah, lucky is a fucking understatement,” he said.

I crawled closer to him and straddled his lap, wrapping my legs around his waist. “I like being lucky.”

“You know what I like? I’m not sure if you noticed that Aubrey called you my girlfriend tonight,” he pointed out. “But I damn well did, and I liked the sound of it.”

“Does that mean I get to call you my boyfriend?”

“Fuck yeah. Say it again,” he growled, the mood in the room shifting.

“Jackson Silver is my boyfriend,” I said huskily before I leaned down to kiss him on the lips.

That’s all it took for him to take over. His kiss was so hungry, like he couldn’t get enough of me. I could feel his cock hard underneath me, and I started rocking back and forth
slowly, craving friction. Jackson lifted me a little so that I was sitting up on my knees and he unzipped my jeans. He slipped his hand inside and rested his fingers on the outside of my panties, just holding them there. I could feel the heat pouring from his skin, making me so wet.

I wiggled a little to try to get him to move his hand, but he reached out with the other one to grip my hip and hold me in place. When I stilled, he started to slide my jeans down my legs and nudged me up so he could get them off. Once done, he moved me back onto my knees and slid his hands up the insides of my thighs toward my pussy. He pulled my panties aside and quickly thrust a finger inside me. I moaned as he slowly slid it back out and in over and over again. He added another finger, stretching me more. He fingered me with teasing thrusts, removing them and circling my pussy but never touching my clit before sliding them back inside.

“Look at my girlfriend,” Jackson said. “So fucking wet for me.”

He gently pushed against my chest so that I lay back on the bed, his fingers still inside me.

“Please, Jackson,” I moaned as I tightened my legs to create more friction.

Jackson bent his head and gently kissed my clit. The contrast of his soft tongue and his fingers’ hard thrusts made me shudder. Then he licked my slit slowly and pushed his tongue inside the next time he removed his fingers. I took a deep breath when he started to rotate between fingering me, nipping at my clit, and slowly licking down my slit and inside. I clenched my eyes shut, desperate to climax. I was so close and just needed a little something more. Jackson gave it to me on the next thrust of his fingers when he shoved three inside and sucked my clit in his mouth at the same time, sending me over the edge.

“That’s what I’ve wanted to see all day long. The look on your face as I am bringing you pleasure. I fucking love that I can drive you crazy,” he murmured as he wiped his mouth on his arm. “It’s so hot to watch.”

“So are you,” I whispered as I climbed onto my knees and pushed on his chest. I took a moment to admire him lying there before going after his zipper so that I could get him naked. “Take off your shirt for me,” I said while I was tugging his jeans down his legs along with his boxers. I needed him naked so that I could get a taste of him. I hadn’t really gotten the chance to explore his body last night, and I wanted my turn now.

I kissed his chest and flicked his nipples with my tongue before I moved farther down his ripped abdomen. I trailed my tongue along his six-pack as I ran my fingernails up his thighs, stopping to dig them into his skin a few times because his hips jumped each time I did it. It didn’t take long for me to reach his cock, and I licked the tip to taste the pre-cum that had been glistening there.

“
Mmmmm,” I hummed as I sucked him into my mouth.

“Yes, sweetheart. Just like that,” he murmured before gripping my hair in his hands and holding me in place so he could thrust into my mouth. “Such a good girl, sucking me deep just like I’ve thought about you doing.”

I flicked my tongue over the tip of his cock each time he pulled out and swirled it around when he pushed back inside. With each thrust, he went a little deeper into my mouth. He’d taken control of my blowjob, basically fucking my face now, and I loved it. I wanted to see him as I pushed him over the edge, and I could tell he was getting closer and closer each time he left my mouth and I tasted more pre-cum. I started to play with his balls, rolling them in my hand and gently squeezing. His eyes popped open and burned brightly on me as he watched his cock, slick with my saliva, moving in and out of my mouth.

At the next thrust, I sucked as hard as I could, not wanting to let go. Instead of pulling out, he pumped his hips in small bursts a few times before warning me. “I’m
gonna come, sweetheart.”

He let go of my hair, giving me a chance to pull away. I didn’t though. I sucked him as deep into my mouth as I could get him before he started to go off. I felt him ejaculate deep into my throat and waited for him to finish before pulling back to swallow. He was staring at me with a satisfied look on his face when I licked my lips.

“Mmmmm. Turnabout is fair play.”

Jackson pulled me down so that I was lying on top of him. “Stay the night.”

“I really wish I could, but I should go back to the dorm at some point.”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” he offered.

“I’m sure you would, but that doesn’t change what I need to do. And if I stay with you, we’re going to have sex again, but I need a little recovery time. I can still feel you inside.”

Jackson looked at me with concern. “Damn, did I hurt you?”

“No, I’m not in pain exactly. It’s just a little uncomfortable because it’s been a while for me.”

“Fuck, I should have made you take a bath at the cabin. It would have helped, and I can’t do that for you here.”

“Jackson, really. I’m fine. I promise,” I murmured.

We lay there together for a little while until I felt myself starting to drift asleep. I jerked awake, and Jackson must have felt the movement.

“I guess I’d better get you back unless I can talk you into staying.”

He looked so comfortable, and it felt good to rest in his arms. So I relented. “I guess it would be okay if you just take me back early in the morning.”

CHAPTER 14

Jackson

Waking up with Kaylie in my bed quickly became an addiction I had no intention of kicking. There wasn’t a week that went by over the next few months where we didn’t sleep together most of the time. It got to the point where I couldn’t sleep as well when she wasn’t with me since I was so used to holding her in my arms. For a guy who used to be known for kicking girls out the minute the fun was over, I’d sure as shit gotten used to the boyfriend role pretty damn quickly. It was ironic how little effort it had taken on Kaylie’s part to hook me so completely.

It seemed like people on campus had finally gotten used to Kaylie and me as a couple. The guys at my frat took to her being around right away—not that I would have paid any attention if they’d had a problem with her. They did rib the shit out of me for being pussy-whipped all the time though. And my sister was fucking thrilled that I was with Kaylie. She probably would have been happy that I was dating just about anyone, but she was over the moon that I’d ended up with someone she liked. They’d gotten closer, and it was nice to see the women in my life getting along so well. I loved my sister, but she could be hell on wheels sometimes, and there was always the chance that she would have made things difficult if she’d hated the girl I was dating. Instead, I figured she’d give me hell at this point if I fucked things up with Kaylie.

The girls on campus were the last to come around to the idea of me being in a relationship. I found it fucking hilarious that they’d had no problem hopping in my bed with the hope that I might decide I wanted them around for more. But the second I met a girl I really did want to keep around? Well, that shit apparently didn’t fly and the claws started to come out. I made it crystal clear that any chick who messed with Kaylie was on my shit list, so that didn’t last very long. But the catty glares didn’t stop. And it took for-fucking-ever for the sexual offers and heavy flirting to finally come to an end. I had to shoot down girl after girl any time Kaylie wasn’t with me before they finally clued in that I wasn’t interested. Hell, I even had to turn down some offers while I
was
with Kaylie from rude-as-shit women who seriously thought I’d be okay with them disrespecting my girlfriend like that.

Kaylie never complained about it though. Either she was the least insecure woman ever or she just didn’t care enough to worry if I’d stray. And I was too much of a
chickenshit to ask her which one it was because I wasn’t sure I would like the answer. She never talked about what would happen with us after graduation and always changed the subject when I brought it up. It was tough as shit to get her to really open up about anything. Our lives had been so different, and I tried to be patient since I understood that the future was something she tried to not think about since she didn’t really trust in it after what had happened to her parents. But it was so fucking hard because I wasn’t a patient person, and I could see myself with Kaylie long term.

A future of having Kaylie in my bed night after night was something I could so easily picture in my head. I knew it should freak me out, but things were so good with her that it didn’t. And it certainly didn’t hurt that the sex between us just kept getting better and better. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but as we learned each other’s bodies, we figured out exactly what the other person liked. We both used it to our
advantage so we could drive each other wild, almost like it was a contest to see who could do a better job of making the other lose control. I still fantasized about tying her up so she was at my mercy, but I hadn’t brought it up again—yet. I figured I could afford to be patient because I fully intended to make sure it happened. I had plenty of time since there was no way I was letting her get away.

Kaylie was going to be busy all day getting ready for her dance thing tonight, so I was on my way to meet Aubrey for lunch. We hadn’t hung out just the two of us in a while, and I was looking forward to catching up with what was going on in her world. I hadn’t seen her out as much lately, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d been so busy with Kaylie or if there was something going on with her that I needed to know about. I didn’t talk to
Lex as much anymore either, but I still knew that she would have called me if she’d thought Aubrey needed my help, so I hadn’t worried about it too much. It hadn’t been until Kaylie asked me if she was okay that I’d realized that she’d definitely seemed more than a little off lately. I hadn’t seen her with any guys hanging around, so I couldn’t help but wonder if some guy was about to get his ass kicked for breaking my little sister’s heart.

When I pulled into the parking lot of her favorite local deli, I was surprised to see she was already there since Aubrey was notorious in our family for being late, and it usually wasn’t even just a little bit late either. We all teased her about it, pointing out that she’d even been late for her own birth since my mom had gone a full week past her due date when my little sis was born. My brothers thought it was hilarious because all of us boys had been early, and my mom had been so pissed when she didn’t have her a week early. To my mom, it was like Aubrey had been two weeks late instead, and she still complained about it any time one of us brought it up. Aubrey was so used to it by now that she just used it as her excuse whenever she was late for
anything and passed the blame to Mom for not getting her out of there on time.

As I walked into the deli, I quickly scanned the room for Aubrey. She was already at a table with drinks and sandwiches in front of her. I glanced at my phone to check the time to make sure I hadn’t totally messed up, but I wasn’t running late so she must have gotten here early. Very strange. When she spotted me, a huge grin flashed across her face, settling my nerves a little bit.

“Hey, bro,” she greeted me as I sat down. “I hope you don’t mind. I took the liberty of grabbing your favorite stuff from here. I was starving so I didn’t want to wait until you got here to order.”

“Aubrey, when have you ever known me to be upset when there’s food waiting to be eaten?”

“How about when Dad’s the one who cooked it?” she teased, knowing damn well we all ran in the other direction the rare times that he decided to help Mom out by making dinner. He was a disaster in the kitchen.

“Well played,” I said before taking a huge bite of the corned beef sandwich in front of me.

We both ate in silence until most of the food was gone. She hadn’t been joking when she said she was starving. Which meant something was wrong because Aubrey was a nervous eater. Any time something was worrying her, she went to food for comfort, thanks to our mom for having used it that way with us when we were younger.

“
Mmmmm, that was so good,” she said, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

“Okay, Aubrey. Spill.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to sound all innocent like she didn’t know that I knew something was going on.

“You know exactly what I mean’” I responded as I pointed at the empty plates in front of us. “You know I appreciate you ordering lunch and all, but I know that when you eat like this something’s bothering you. How can I help you if you don’t talk to me about it?”

“Shit, Jackson. It’s not me I’m worried about,” she admitted.

That wasn’t what I had expected her to say. “Then what the fuck is going on? Because you’ve seemed different lately.”

“I’m fine, Jackson. I know I’ve changed a little over the last few months, but it’s just because I’m finally growing up. And just in time because I’m going to be a senior soon. I can’t act like a child my whole life.”

“Aubrey, one of the things I love most about you is that you can still act like a kid sometimes. Don’t change too much, okay? It’s part of what makes you who you are. Although I am sure the parental units will be thrilled at the idea of you taking school and stuff more seriously.”

“Yeah. I’ve even talked to Dad about working in one of the branches this summer,” she surprised me with since she’d always been so against working for our dad.

“Whoa! Really? What made you decide that?”

“I think it’s because I see so many people around me with purpose in their lives while I’ve been drifting a little aimlessly,” she replied. “Lex has her planes. Drake has rugby. You have banking. Kaylie has dance. Hell, even Char has her parents’ bar to go back to if that’s what she decides she wants to do next. All I will have is a shiny degree that says I did my time here with no plan for what’s next.”

“So the bank is going to be your plan?”

“For now. Maybe I’ll find something else, but it’s as good a place as any to start. As long as you don’t think I’m butting in or anything?” she asked. “We’ve always known you were the one of us kids who was going to end up working with Dad ever since you took to math so well and the rest of us kids didn’t.”

“Aubrey, I don’t mind at all. I’d love it, and I am sure Dad will too,” I reassured her. “But if that’s not what’s bothering you, then what is?”

The smile that had been plastered across her face from seconds ago wiped completely off. “It’s Kaylie.”

“Kaylie? Is something wrong?” I asked as I grabbed my phone to see if she’d tried calling me and I’d somehow missed it.

Aubrey reached out to stop me before I dialed Kaylie’s number. “I didn’t explain that very well. You know how she has the showcase tonight?”

“Yeah?” I asked, still not getting where she was going with this.

“Has she talked to you about it very much?”

“Not really. It’s just a show for the end of the year, right? What is there that really needs to be said about that?” I asked, still not understanding.

“Shit, Jackson,” she sighed. “There are going to be scouts from dance companies there. People who are going to be there in part because Kaylie is dancing.”

“Okay, and your point is what, exactly?”

“I know she means a lot to you, Jackson. I can tell how much any time I’m around the two of you or even just when someone mentions her to you. Your whole face lights up. So my point is this. What are you going to do if she gets an offer to go dance somewhere like New York or Chicago or Los Angeles? Dancing has been her thing since she was a little girl, and it means even more to her now because it makes her feel close to her mom. Have you guys even talked about what comes next for you with graduation just around the corner?”

Fuck yeah, I had thought about what would come next for Kaylie and me, but I hadn’t factored her getting her dream job offer that far away from home into the equation. “I guess if that happens then I have some serious thinking to do, Aubrey. Because I’m not ready for this thing to end between us even if she ends up a thousand miles away.”