Page 31 of Don’t Say You’re Sorry (Hawthorne University #2)

ADAM

FOUR YEARS AGO

I t’s Christmas Eve. My last Christmas as a high school student living at home.

Next year, Easton and I will be away at college, living in an apartment off campus together.

For weeks now, I’ve been spamming his phone with pictures and reels of interior decor ideas.

He makes fun of me, but he’s just as excited as I am to live together.

We can’t wait to have our own space and be free to do whatever we want with it.

Free to touch each other whenever we want without fear of being caught…

Tonight, Axel and I are in the living room watching Home Alone , just like we do every year. Michael and our mum are in bed already, and Easton disappeared upstairs about ten minutes into the movie. I’m itching to go find him and see what he’s doing up there, but I force myself to stay put.

Axel’s been quiet since he came home from college last night. Too quiet. I’ve caught him staring at me a few times. Watching me. Watching Easton. Watching us . It’s the first time my brother’s been home since Easton and I started seeing each other, and I think he’s onto us.

I feel his eyes on me again, and I casually munch on some popcorn, pretending to be really into the movie. Maybe if I don’t look at him, he’ll forget I exist.

“You’re fucking Easton.”

Fuck. I knew it.

Forcing a confused look, I turn my head toward him. “What?”

“Holy shit. Are you?”

“No.” Technically it’s not a lie. I’m not fucking Easton. He’s the one fucking me. In every position. In almost every room in this house. We did it on the sofa cushion he’s sitting on a few days ago. I had to wash the pillows because they were covered in my cum.

“Bloody hell.” Axel shakes his head. “What are you playing at? He’s our stepbrother.”

I narrow my eyes. “I said I’m not.”

“You’re lying.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re smiling, dipshit. And I don’t just mean right now. You’ve been smiling like a dumbass all day. You’re… happier . It’s weird.”

“It’s weird that I’m happy?”

“No, it’s weird that I know what your face looks like when you’re… satisfied . I’ve never seen you like this before. Does he have a magic dick or something?”

I lift a shoulder. “I have nothing to compare it to. But yeah, his dick is pretty magical.”

Axel drops his face into his hands. “Jesus. You let him take your virginity?”

“Will you keep your voice down?”

“Why? Are you afraid he’ll hear me?” He sneers in the direction of the stairs. “I’m gonna kick his brother-fucking ass.”

I snort. “Okay.”

“This isn’t funny, Adam. He’s taking advantage of you.”

“First of all, fuck you for thinking it couldn’t possibly be me taking advantage of him. And second of all, it’s not like that. We’re not just fucking. We’re…together.” I can’t help but smile again. “I like him, Axel.”

He throws his hands up. “That’s even worse! Have you even thought about what this would do to Mum? You have to end it before she finds out.”

“She’s not going to find out.”

“What if you’re wrong?” he pushes. “What if she does? It’ll be the second marriage of hers you’ve torn apart.”

I rear back as if he struck me. My stomach bottoms out, and I swallow the lump in my throat. Is that really what he thinks? Still? After all these years?

He curses. “Adam, wait?—”

Shaking my head, I leave him to watch the movie alone. I pause near the doorway but don’t look back at him. “You won’t say anything, will you?”

“Of course not,” he mumbles.

Sighing, I walk upstairs, my limbs heavy with shame as I drag my feet.

As I’m passing the bathroom on the way to my room, a hand whips out and catches the collar of my hoodie.

I startle, turning my head just as Easton yanks me into the bathroom.

He locks us inside and turns to face me, crowding my space, the muscle in his jaw twitching as his eyes search mine.

He looks murderous, and it scares the shit out of me.

I clear my throat. “What’s wrong?” I ask, dreading the answer.

His thumb brushes along my cheek, soft and gentle despite his fury.

Fuck. I love him. I love him , and the sudden revelation is so devastating I could cry.

And then I do cry.

To my absolute horror, a tear slips free and lands on his thumb.

His nostrils flare as he wipes it away. “Wait here.”

“No.” I snatch his wrist, stopping him from storming out. “Don’t. Just leave it.”

He stiffens as if restraining himself is causing him physical pain. “He made you cry.”

“I’m not crying because of him.”

His brows pinch. I think he can tell I’m telling the truth, but he doesn’t understand.

He takes a step back, and I move with him, refusing to let go of his wrist.

“Sunshine,” I whisper. “Please.”

At those two words, his shoulders deflate a little. He makes a low sound in his throat as he backs me up against the sink, his forehead against mine. “What do you need?”

I shake my head.

“The truth, Adam,” he demands. “Tell me.”

The truth . It’s selfish. Reckless. Wrong. But the answer is simple. “You.”

His lips curve into a smile as he kisses my cheek, his warm hands gripping my sides beneath my hoodie. “Good boy.”

I revel in his praise and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his mouth to mine. He gives me his tongue, and I take it greedily, my fingers in his hair.

I want to tell him what I realized just a few moments ago, but I force the words back down my throat where they belong. Now is not the time.

“I got you something,” he says between kisses.

I pout. Presents? I thought we were gonna fuck.

I tug on his bottom lip with my teeth. “But it’s not Christmas yet.”

He laughs. “Would you rather I give it to you in the morning in front of everyone?”

Judging by the devilish look in his eyes, no, I’d rather he didn’t.

Reaching for something on the counter behind me, he places a little box in my hand.

The wrapping paper is black, and there’s a blue bow wrapped around it.

I remove the bow and tear the paper off.

It’s a pair of matching black butt plugs, but one of them is missing from the packaging. I cut my eyes up to his.

“Turn around and bend over the sink,” he says, and I obey immediately, thrumming with anticipation.

We make eye contact in the mirror as he pushes my sweats down to the tops of my thighs. He lubes my hole, and I widen my legs for him, my mouth parting in pleasure.

“Where’s the other one?” I rasp.

“Exactly where you think it is.”

I groan and curl my hands into fists on the counter. Fuck, that’s hot.

“Shh,” he whispers. “Relax.”

I do as I’m told and stare at his reflection as he presses something hard and wet to my entrance. His anger has faded almost entirely now, replaced with heat and desire and that raw, possessive look he always gets when we’re together.

He gently pushes the plug inside me, and I let out a laugh to cover my moan. “Were you gonna punch my brother with a butt plug up your ass?”

“Yes,” he says, unashamed.

Of course he was.

“Does that feel good?” he checks, pushing on the base of the plug. “You like it?”

“Yeah. You?”

He nods, and I suck on my lip, my cheeks flushing.

Is that what he’s been doing up here all this time? Prepping himself and inserting the plug, waiting for me to join him? Before tonight, he’d never even taken a finger. Neither mine nor his own. I’m a little disappointed I missed it.

“Can I see yours?”

He pushes his sweats down, and I straighten up to face him, waiting for him to turn around. When he shows me the black silicone pressed against his pink hole, I let out a breath and drop my head on his shoulder, my hands clutching his waist.

“You gonna fuck me with it inside you?”

“Soon,” he promises, reaching up to run his fingers through my hair. “First, you’re gonna fuck me with yours inside you.”

I freeze, sure I heard him wrong. I’m about to ask him to repeat that, but then the toy in my ass starts vibrating, and I let out a surprised squeak.

“Fuck. Easton. How are you doing that?”

He lifts his free hand, showing me the small remote.

“God, you’re gonna be the death of me.”

“Baby, I’m just getting started.” He tugs on the hair at the base of my head.

I make a helpless noise, but I’m not complaining. Not at all.

We clean up, take our rubbish with us, and go to his room. He locks the door, our mouths crashing in a filthy kiss as we stumble toward the bed. He lays me down, and I open my legs, wrapping my limbs around him and pulling him down on me.

I once asked him where the craziest place he had sex was.

He told me he’d done it on the court at school once the gym had cleared out after a game.

Jealous, I had him fuck me all over town.

Mostly in public bathrooms. I wasn’t brave enough to do it in any place wilder than that.

It took me a few times to admit I wasn’t that into it.

I mean, the sex was incredible. It wasn’t that.

It was the location. I guess exhibitionism isn’t my kink.

Not with him, at least. I like being on a bed with him behind a locked door.

Having him all to myself. I like it when he takes his time with me. Which is exactly what he’s doing now.

He takes our clothes off, strokes my dick, and licks his way down my body, worshiping me from head to toe.

When he gets to my cock, he spits on it and sucks me into his mouth, getting me as wet and as slippery as possible.

The plug in my ass begins to vibrate even faster, and I jolt, arching off the bed.

“Fuck. Oh my God.”

“What, you thought that was it?” he asks, amused. “There are five speeds.”

“Where’s the remote for yours?” I demand.

He tosses it to me. I fumble it before hitting the button twice. He groans and takes my dick back into his mouth, the vibration of both the plug and his throat making my eyes roll back. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, I force him to stop before I come.

He heads toward the door, coming back a moment later with the tie from his dressing gown. “You into this?”

“Yes.”

“All of it?”