The Price of Falling (5 page)

I knew he was right, but I still didn't want anyone joining us. As if reading my mind, with a smirk Jason added, ‘Except maybe that lunatic who escaped from Fulbourne recently.’

‘Huh? What?’ I asked, knowing he was teasing me but starting to panic all the same.

Fulbourne was the old mental institution on the other side of the woods. Jason didn't answer and kept walking, swigging back the last drop of beer from the bottle. I followed behind him. I thought I could hear him snickering as we crossed the dirt track we'd just come in on.

‘Where are you going?’

‘I wanna see the view,’ he finally answered, striding over the large curve of ground where the flat rock went out into the dark night. I paused, my sneakers crunched on mountain grit.

‘It's not safe,’ I warned him, ‘They say the rocks can crumble away beneath you.’

Jason snorted a laugh as he ducked under the simple wooden barrier. ‘Here, jock,’ he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the barrier. ‘Now if I fall off at least you can get your money back.’ He smiled at me, then turned to continue towards the edge of the cliff, carrying the now empty beer bottle by its neck.

I felt indignant that Jason wasn't taking my warning seriously, or that he thought I cared more about the money. I was also worried about him having an accident that would leave me having to explain why I was up here with him in the first place.

I ducked under the barrier, ignoring his jacket and my money inside. I picked my way carefully forwards, glancing at the ground every so often in the dark to make sure I was treading on something solid. When I looked up Jason was standing at the very edge of the rock, watching me.

‘You crack me up,’ he said as I neared him. ‘Relax, its fine.’ To make his point, he stamped his foot a couple of times on the ground, dust rising up under the impact.

I tensed. ‘Please don't do that,’ I asked, holding my hands out. If I was nearer I'd have throttled him. Jason laughed, then turned his attention to the view below.

‘See that rock down there?’ He pointed out.

I wasn't quite near enough to see down. I didn't want to get any nearer for fear of putting too much weight on the edge.

‘Which rock?’ I asked warily, hoping he didn't want to climb down or anything.

‘Down there,’ he repeated, raising the beer bottle up. The moonlight caught the glass and flashed along its length. It distracted me for a moment before I realized what he was doing.

‘Twenty bucks says I can hit it.’

‘Huh? No-!’

It was too late, Jason hurled the bottle down the cliff. I heard a small blow of air catch inside as it sailed overhead before smashing somewhere down below.

‘Ah forget it, it was nowhere near,’ he said, sounding disappointed.

‘Don't do that!’ I hissed, hands waving with frustration. I was relieved he didn't have any more bottles to throw.

Jason frowned at me. ‘What? What's your problem?’

‘Just...don't do it!’ I pleaded.

‘Or what?’ he countered.

‘Huh?’

‘If you're gonna go telling me what to do, jock, you better have a damn good reason why I should listen.’

I opened my mouth but wasn't sure what to argue with. I didn't know why we were arguing anyway. ‘You can't go throwing glass everywhere,’ I finally managed to reply.

‘Says who?’

‘Everyone!’ I said, feeling ridiculous.

My lame answer was met with another snicker from Jason. I saw his hands go to the pockets on his jeans, searching. Then thankfully he came away from the edge and walked back towards the barrier. I was hoping we would leave the cliff edge now, but Jason hopped up onto the barrier to sit as he looked through the pockets on his jacket.

Walking up to him I watched as he pulled out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. I had to wait as he lit one and started to smoke it. He didn't look like he was ready to move.

‘Let me tell you something, jock,’ he said, blowing out smoke which was whipped away by the night air. ‘Life lesson number one, if you want someone to do something for you, you'd better have something they want that you can use. Otherwise no-one's gonna pay any attention. Nice guys finish last, right?’

I studied his face in the moonlight. He seemed sincere for once, but I was confused by his words.

‘I get by just fine,’ I said.

‘Oh really?’ The corners of Jason's mouth crept up. ‘And how are you getting on right now?’

I didn't answer straight away. His question made my heart begin to thump and my skin feel hot. ‘OK,’ I answered, hyper aware that he was playing with me.

Jason sucked on the cigarette, its ember glowing in the dark. ‘So,’ he said, blowing out the smoke. ‘Who would you say has the upper hand then?’

‘Me,’ I stated, determined to show I was more in control than I felt. ‘I have the car.’

He smiled and nodded his head as if considering. ‘You do have the car. So how does that help you?’

‘I could drive off and leave you here,’ I warned.

Jason's smile turned into a smirk. ‘You
could
,’ he challenged. ‘But we both know that you won't.’

‘How do you know?’ I said, indignant that he could read me like a book.

‘Because you haven't had what you want yet.’

His words set me alight, but with both desire and frustration. I silently began to fume as he sat there gazing back at me with a confident smirk, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Or maybe there was.

‘I'm leaving,’ I announced heatedly.

Jason's only answer was to raise one eyebrow as he continued to smoke.

I'll show him, I thought. I turned on my heel and marched back to the car. It was darker in the parking area because of the trees, the night air brushed through their leaves making them whisper. I didn't like being out there at all.

As I got to the car and scrabbled to get my key in the lock, I looked back. Jason was still sitting on the barrier, but had shifted sideways to watch me. I saw him raise the cigarette up again, a small glow of red as he calmly took a drag. It was obvious he wasn't moving.

In frustration I yanked the car door open and got in, slamming it shut behind me. I put my key in the ignition but didn't turn it. I looked back through the window. Jason hadn't moved. I felt faintly ridiculous at storming off, and would have liked to drive away. But I couldn't leave someone up here in the middle of the night. He knew I wouldn't. He also knew the real reason I was staying, the reason I was trying to distract myself from, was that tender ache in my groin.

I cursed under my breath in exasperation. So now I was sitting here like an idiot waiting for him. Well, at least it was warmer in here, I thought. He couldn't stay out there forever.

As if to prove his point, Jason was in no hurry. He was probably too drunk or stoned to feel the cold anyway. I watched frustrated, in the dark, while he finished smoking his cigarette. He finally got down from the barrier and carrying his jacket, stalked back to my car. As he neared me I felt hot again and my heart hammered.

When he opened the passenger door I expected him to get in, but he threw his jacket inside then found the click to pull the seat forward. I watched him step into the back of the car, feeling suddenly panicked.

This was it then, I realized. I was going to have to move. I got out of the car with shaky legs and clicked my own seat forward. When I'd climbed in the back and shut the door I felt my heart pound; I was sure he could hear it beating. I managed to force my eyes up to look at Jason; in the dark of my car, he seemed quite calm. A smile played on his lips as he gazed back at me.

‘Alright then, jock,’ he said softly. ‘Show me what you got.’

I became hard at his words. As I undid my jeans with slightly shaking hands I did still wonder that this may be some elaborate joke. But I was past the point of no return; tense and with only one thing on my mind. Bracing in the confines of the back-seat and lifting my hips up, I pushed my jeans down.

The blood was pounding in my ears from nerves. I sat back against the cool leather of the seat, my erection now free. I’ll always remember those moments, as I sat there so incredibly nervous but turned on. I stared down, not quite believing I was showing myself to another guy like this, panicking that he was playing a joke and would simply burst out laughing at me then tell everyone at school.

After a few tense seconds I dared to look up at Jason, half expecting him to tell me to put it away again. In the dark while I panicked, I saw that sly smile tug at the corners of his mouth. As he swept a hand behind his head and twisted his long hair together, I realized he was going to do it. Jason didn’t look at me again as he leaned over my lap and bent down. My heart thudded and my breathing deepened as I felt his warm, wet mouth on me.

He’s actually doing it, I thought.

And boy, did he do it. I briefly thought back to the girls who had done the same thing for me over my dating years. I’d always rated Stephanie Jones, one of the cheerleaders, as the best. I gasped now as I felt his tongue and mouth work on me. He wasn’t hesitant, not by any means. In fact he was doing it the way I’d often wished girls had done.

As I looked down in the dark at a head of long hair, I thought it kinda looked like a girl was bent over my lap. The urge to run my fingers through that hair was strong, but I didn’t think he would like that, and I didn’t want him to stop. I leaned my arms back on the seat to keep them away and closed my eyes. I pressed my lips together to stifle a moan; it felt so good.

I knew he was trying to bring me off quickly but I attempted to hold out. It was a lost cause; even though I had already come just a couple of hours ago I could feel I was near again. My hands gripped and squeaked on the leather seat as I groaned through clenched teeth. I came in his mouth but he didn’t pull away. Not like some of the girls I’d been with, I thought absently. I gasped and shuddered with pleasure. I can’t believe he did it, I thought.

I opened my eyes as I felt him start to pull away; the air felt cool on my bare flesh. I watched as Jason rose his head and shoulders, his eyes flickered up to me briefly. I couldn’t see much but in the dim light I was sure I saw the corner of his mouth creep up in a half smile. I didn’t know how to react, suddenly embarrassed.

Lucky for me Jason didn’t hang about, he turned away, opened the car door and got out. He slammed it shut on me. I was still a little stunned, and watched him through the window. His hands reached up to hold his hair away, as he leant forward and spat twice onto the gravel. I realized what he must be spitting out, and blushed in the dark. I shuffled on the seat to get my jeans back on. As I was zipping up my fly, Jason opened the door again and popped the seat back. He retrieved another cigarette from his jacket and lit it.

I made myself move, climbing out of the back and trying to get my seat down. Jason had left his door open and was sitting with one leg inside, one still on the gravel, calmly smoking a cigarette in my car. Well, half in my car.

I didn’t say a word. I didn’t think I could bring myself to speak, even if I wanted to. Not yet anyway. Sitting back in my seat, I glanced at Jason then away, too shy to look at him directly. He shifted around, the smoke he blew out wafted through the car before being snatched away by the night air.

I glanced at him again. He was facing me, looking at me. Even though it was dark, I felt like I was under an interrogator’s light. I absently bit my lower lip, distracted by the sensitive feeling of my softening cock, now safely tucked away.

Did all that just happen?

‘Alright?’ Jason’s voice broke through my thoughts.

He didn’t sound much concerned; it was less of a question and more of a challenge. Least that’s how it sounded to me.