Page 35

Byron

Lola drags me through the apartment, dodging the stragglers that are left.

Most of our friends had plans to go to the club, so I’m sure the ones that are still here will join them soon.

At least for their sake, I hope they are leaving soon because Lola and I have a lot of missed time to make up for.

I can’t imagine what a five-foot-three girl pulling a six-foot-one man through the apartment with the will of a linebacker forcing his way through the offensive line looks like.

She stops abruptly when we are in front of the guest room.

Her eyes lock on the door knob, like she’s forgotten how they work.

I rest my hand on the small of her back, and I guide her through the bedroom door.

I place my hands on both her shoulders and gently turn her until she is facing me.

I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into a hug.

The embrace feels like coming home after a long stretch of away games.

I place a kiss on the top of her head, and then I grip her chin with my thumb and index finger and guide her eyes to mine.

“We don’t have to do anything. I’m just happy to be here with you.” Lola gently wraps her hands around the hand that is holding her chin and intertwines her fingers with mine. She guides me back until my knees hit the bed.

“Sit,” she whispers in a sultry tone.

I guess we will be doing something.

I lean back hoping I’m close enough to the bed because the view in front of me deserves all of my attention.

Her lips tilt into a smirk as she slowly shimmies the strap of her lacy camisole down her shoulder.

“Are you sure you still just want to hang out?” She teases.

I shake my head.

“Good.”

She slips her phone out of her back pocket and plays an old school sexy 90’s R&B song. She drops her phone on the chair next to the bed and starts to play with the hem of her shirt. Her hips move to the beat of the music.

She moves closer. Dragging her finger over the hem of shirt. Her nipples poking through.

Fuck she’s not wearing a bra.

She pulls her shirt off and drops it to the ground. My restraint snaps. I reach for her hand and pull her into me.

“These are new,” I place a finger on each end of the bar before I play with her pierced nipples.

“Oh these things?” She places her hands on top of mine applying more pressure to the sensitive buds.

“I got them done before I came back to school, thought it would be something to play with when I found my perfect rebound.”

Some animalistic instinct takes over and I flip us over. Her breathing becomes uneven when I pin her hands above her head.

“No talk of the past when you’re with me,” I growl.

“This is it for both of us and I’m going to show you just how inadequate those other assholes were,”

She whimpers.

My free hand traces over her lips before moving down her chin and over her neck. I stop at the crevice between her breasts. I swipe my finger through it a few times.

“Please stop teasing me,” her desire is evident in how she punches out each word.

I run my tongue up the valley of her chest before I nip at her chin.

“I’m making up for lost time and I’m not sure how long that’s going to take.”

I wrap my teeth around one of her nipple piercings, giving the metal bar a tug.

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

And I plan on giving her the ride of her life.

I snake my hand between us and deftly make work of the button of her jeans. I work the zipper down slowly, prolonging her satisfaction in any way I can. I tap her pussy over jeans.

“Lift.”

The simple command comes out in a husky, I’m not playing around, tone.

She lifts and I make quick work of the loose fitting jeans. I rise on my knees, getting an aerial view of my girl in just her red thong.

I place my hands on either side of her face and lower myself to hover over her. I hold my weight up with my right hand as my left plays with the wet patch.

“Is this all for me?” I ask as I lift her panties, pulling them back, Lola lets out a moan when they snap back into place giving her the stimulation I know she is craving.

Lola arches her back up, her lips desperate to find mine, but I pull away. Guiding my hands down her body until I reach the top of the red fabric, tugging the side a couple times.

“Just fucking rip them off me.”

“I could never,” I say with fake exacerbation.

Like everything else tonight I take my time removing them and taking time to show Lola just how much I admire her wetness.

“Can you fucking take your clothes off?” A naked Lola yells at me as I take in the gorgeous sight below me.

My eyes wander down my body and I guess in the heat of the moment I forgot that I should probably undress too.

Unlike the time I have taken to undress Lola, I strip myself down in two seconds before jumping on the bed causing Lola’s body to bounce off.

She giggles as she settles back on the bed. I wrap my body around her from behind bathing in her floral scent, taking a moment to realize I’m finally holding the girl I love again.

“I love you Lola Adams.”

I nip at her ear, laying my arm over her hip and run my finger over her slit. She tries to say something as I push a finger into her opening.

Her body arches, guiding her ass to grind against my hardening cock and we moan in unison.

“Lo, my wallet is with my bag in the entryway closet. Do you have a condom?”

She turns her body, forcing my hand to slip away from her warm center.

“We weren’t using them before and I’m still on birth control.” She pauses and I can see her working through something.

“We um always used–”

“We aren’t mentioning him,” I say before I cover her lips with mine. She eagerly kisses me forgetting about the asshole who embarrassed her.

“I’m clean, got tested before the season started and I umm, I haven’t been with anyone since we got back to Westvale.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” I run the back of my finger along the side of her face.

“I knew what I was waiting for was better than what anyone else could give me.”

“I’ve missed this. No one has ever made me feel this safe.”

She rests her head on my pillow before grinding her ass into my groin.

“Spread your legs.”

When she does, I rub my finger along her slit a couple of times before running it along my hard cock. I slip into her from behind.

“I’m not going to last long.”

I lay one hand over her hip and take her clit between my fingers and tug it before I rub my thumb over it.

“Keep doing that,” she manages through labored breaths.

“And I’ll be right there with you.”

My thrust quicken as my free hand starts playing with her nipples showing them equal attention, but never neglecting her clit.

“Oh, Byron,” she moans, reaching back to fist my hair.

“Yes, right there.”

I quicken my thrust as she tightens around my cock.

“God I forgot how good your cock feels.”

The high praise comes as she does.

I last only a second longer. I kiss the back of her head before sliding out.

Thank god there is an ensuite bathroom. I find a washcloth and run it under warm water before finding my way back to the bed and cleaning up the mess I made.

When I come back after throwing the washcloth in the shower I lie facing Lola. We sit in the comfortable silence.

I start playing with the long strands of hair at the top of her neck. I missed these moments.

Lola and I never had a problem with the sex part of our relationship. When we started, that’s all this was supposed to be.

These moments, the little ones after–the ones where you are comfortable lying naked with another in complete silence– those came later. And once they started happening more, that’s when I knew she trusted me.

“Just promise me you’ll never leave again,” she mumbles as her eyes drift closed.

“I’ll always be here for you.”

I tuck a loose strand of black hair behind her ear.

“I always was. You just have to trust me.”

She nods before drifting off.

I kiss her forehead before wrapping her in my arms. I’d replay the chaos that was the start of this trip a million times over if it leads me right back to this moment.

I didn’t think it would be a shock to any of our friends that Lola can’t sleep cuddled into my side. She told me when we first started hooking up that she would allow me to cuddle her until we fell asleep, but once she pulled away, I better not try and reel her back in.

The morning after Ivy and Jalen’s engagement party, I wake up to the view of Lola sprawled on her stomach, all the hair that would fit is tied back into a short nub hanging at the nape of her neck.

She looks peaceful, and after the day she had yesterday, I want her to rest all she needs.

I grab my phone off the nightstand closest to the side of the bed I slept in last night.

I have two notifications.

One I’m curious about and one I want nothing to do with.

Always go with the bad news first. Especially if there is a good chance the other news might be something you’ve been wanting to hear for a long time.

With that mindset I open the text from my mom.

Mom:

I didn’t want to call because I’m sure you are sleeping after a fun night with everyone. I’m sorry about what you walked in on yesterday. That’s not how we wanted you to find out. Please meet us for breakfast so we can talk.

My inhale is deep and controlled. Just the mention of my parents’ relationship makes me nauseous. Last I knew, it had been years since either my mom or I had seen my dad, but the fact that they have been dating for four months makes my head spin.

I prop myself up against the mahogany backboard trying to figure out if it’s worth going. Lola stirs and it draws my attention back to the sleeping beauty.

It’s at that moment I know what I have to do. Lola forgave me. She not only forgave me, she still found a way to love me.

I need to go and at least hear my parents out.

I’ve been encouraging my mom to find someone to spend her life with since I left for Westvale.

Her life revolved around giving me the best life she could and she succeeded.

I wouldn’t trade my childhood for the world.

I just never guessed she’d find her partner in a second chance with my dad.

Me:

Okay just text me where and when and I’ll be there.

It’s not the warmest response, but it’s a response telling her I’m coming and I know she’ll be happy about that.

“What’s wrong?” Lola’s voice is groggy. There is just something so damn sexy about a raspy voice.

At the same time as Lola’s question, I open my second message.

Lola:

Lola has added to her list Friendship Do-List

I click the notification causing my notes app to open. The addition is hard to miss. The bold letters stand out. Leaving no question about what Lola wants.

THINGS BYRON CAN DO TO EARN LOLA’S FRIENDSHIP BACK

MAKE LOLA YOUR GIRLFRIEND!!!

1) Bring her coffee to every class

2) I get to get to take Mia for a sleepover once this semester

3) You have to clean out Cookie’s stall three times

4) One full catered dinner for me and my roommates where you need to convince your roommates to be shirtless waiters

5) Get mani and pedis

6) Teach me how to skate

7) Plan a day at the Westvale Fall Festival for our friends and us

8) Do the ropes course at Fall Fest

Lola clears the sleep from her throat, drawing my attention back to her.

She is sporting some serious bedhead and there is a little dried drool running down the left side of her chin.

She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

I pull her across the bunched up comforter and a sea of discarded pillows and settle her into my arms. I run my thumb along her chin removing all evidence of her deep sleep.

“Well I woke up to two very different messages,” I tell her.

Lola straightens up and scoots her way onto my lap. I pull the bright red scrunchie out of her hair and absentmindedly start running hands through her short locks.

“The first one was from my mom.”

Her eyes snap to mine.

“She asked me to meet with her and my dad for breakfast.”

I check my phone and see that my mom sent me the time and diner she wants to meet at.

“They want to meet at eleven at a diner down the block.”

“Are you going to go?”

Other than Jalen, Lola is the one person I’ve talked about how my lack of a relationship with my dad has affected me. She understands the weight of this decision.

“I think I am. I don’t know if it’s because I really want to or if I’m more interested in how this rekindling happened. I just know that this means a lot to my mom.”

It surprises me when Lola arches her back up and places a gentle kiss on my lips.

“I’m proud of you. Go in there with an open mind. I trust your mom knows what she is doing.”

I nod, but there is something much more important I want to talk about.

“Then there was this message about an update to one of my lists,” I say trying not to laugh at the way her face lights up.

I lift her and turn her so she faces me, her legs on either side of mine. I run my finger over the top of her hand.

“I meant every word I said last night. I love you, Lola.”

I tuck some wild strands of her hair back behind her ear before I continue.

“The night you brought Dalton to my house, I had a conversation with your brother, and he told me I had to earn your trust back. Before I ask you the question I want to desperately ask you, I need to know that you trust me. I’ll always choose you and support you no matter what decisions you make, as long as you allow me to cheer you on at every win and be the shoulder you cry on after life’s tough losses. ”

“You talked to Oliver about us?”

My cheeks turn pink as I shrug nonchalantly.

“I do trust you,” two green eyes land on mine.

“This weekend showed me that you will be there with me through the difficult times. That’s what I want in a partner, not someone who expects me to be perfect and hold my emotions at bay, but someone who will guide me through the tough times without judgment.”

Without thinking, I place a hand on each side of her face and pull her into a deep kiss. It’s a passionate promise to always support and love each other.

“Lola Adams, are you finally ready to make this thing official?”

Being the sarcastic asshole she is, she says with her hand clutched over her heart, “Byron, this is so unexpected,” then she grows serious. “But I want nothing more than for the whole world to know I am your girlfriend.”

I roll us over so I am just hovering over her.

“We have thirty minutes before I have to go see my parents.”

“How do you think we should spend that time Mr. Andrews?”