Page 58 of Vying Girls (Girls of Hazelhurst #2)

Rolling her head to me, she opens her eyes. She regards me for a few heartbeats before asking huskily, ‘Is this your way of making up for the pepper spray? A thank you would have sufficed.’

‘Not that. Though I am super grateful.’

‘Then what?’

I shake my head with the exasperation of not being able to put into words all that I feel.

‘Nic—you’re looking out for the safety of someone you hate.

’ I draw in an uneven breath, finding it difficult to think with how turned on I am.

‘And regardless of the dumb, baseless reasons for that hate, I imagine that’s really fucking hard.

I think of the people I hate—Callum, your dick cousin—not Tommy—and I just couldn’t help them like you are me. ’

Nic frowns as she digests my words. ‘There’s some serious flawed logic there. I don’t even know where to begin.’

‘I just know you’re working on it. Deep down—deep, deep down probably—you know you’ve got some things wrong and you’re trying to make amends.’

Nic’s not frowning now but her expression isn’t exactly welcoming either. She studies me closely, her chest rising and falling in that slow, post-sex way. I shift slightly, banishing the gentle throb in my pussy.

Her eyes flicker, noticing the movement. ‘Don’t you want an apology?’

‘Of course,’ I say quietly. ‘But I know you can’t rush this stuff. I’m working on the same things, and I’m not quite ready to apologise to myself either.’

‘What apology do you owe yourself?’ she asks curiously. My heart jumps when she reaches out, almost mindlessly, to brush a bit of hair from my face.

‘Well, when your mum blames you, and your old best friend blames you, and Jack, who you thought was in prison but actually hanged himself, probably blames you, you kind of go through life thinking it was all your fault. And I suppose I’m just not ready to forgive myself yet. So…I’m working on the same things.’

‘That’s not even remotely the same,’ she replies, a harsh roughness to her voice. I think it’s more directed at herself than me though.

Sensing we’re about to enter the ‘two steps back’ phase, I plaster on a smile and reach out to ruffle her hair.

It has the intended effect. She frowns and dodges me like a petulant kid, the heavy moment broken.

‘All good here, Nic,’ I say lightly, slipping from the bed even when my whole body screams at me to stay. ‘I’ll let you get back to sleep anyways.’

A quiet huff is my only reply. I feel her eyes on me the entire way out the room.

It’s only in the dark of the corridor, alone, that the dissatisfaction in my own body returns. With a slight sense of guilt, I ask into my chat with Elly and Haz if they’re awake.

I am, Elly replies. In this huge bed alllllll alone :( :( :(

With a chuckle, I crack open her door, warming at the happy smile she greets me with, her body all cocooned in her duvet. I jump onto the bed, giggling when she grabs me and tucks the duvet tight around me too.

She hums, nuzzling my neck and depositing languid kisses.

I hiss in a breath. ‘Elly.’

‘Mm?’ She sighs into my skin, arms settling around me. ‘This is nice, but you know you don’t have to sneak around anymore, don’t you?’

Smiling, I press closer to her. ‘I know, just…’

‘Just what? Anything I can help you with?’

‘Kind of,’ I whisper. Taking one of her hands, I slip it inside my pyjama bottoms.

Her eyes catch mine, the brightest thing in the dark room. She searches with her fingers, eyes growing heavy when she encounters my wetness. I bite my lip at the sounds, trying to keep my breathing level. It’s not often I demand sex like this. It makes me feel shy and overly brazen.

Elly hums, a lazy, drawn-out sound. ‘I see. This is what you need help with?’

‘Only if you want.’

Snorting, she rolls me onto my back. ‘When have I not wanted you, babe?’ Hand still in my pyjama bottoms, she circles my clit. ‘I can definitely do something about this.’

She tugs at the waistband, and I waste no time in kicking them off me, the drag of the duvet on my suddenly naked legs making me shiver.

Elly watches me with a smile on her face. ‘No teasing?’

I shake my head, pulling her on top of me with my legs. Her body’s warm from the duvet, the weight of her filling me with that heady combination of safety and arousal. She snakes her hand back between my legs, her kiss not stopping for a second as she steadily strokes my clit.

I moan into her mouth, the relief so incredibly good.

‘You need this, huh?’ she chuckles against my lips.

I can barely nod as I rock my hips, swallowing her own gasp when I find my tongue with hers.

I can already feel my orgasm with each thrust, my body growing burningly hot by the second.

My skin prickles with heat and I’m desperate to take the rest of my clothes off.

Elly’s still fully dressed, the sensation of her t-shirt against my skin delicious.

I give a breathless whimper when my pussy clenches, so close now to the edge.

Breaking the kiss, I rest my head on the pillow as I let Elly strum me to a soul-wrenching orgasm.

I give no thought to Nic upstairs as I cry out, the pleasure feeling like it might break me in two, the waves just coming and coming.

‘You always come harder when you spread your legs out like that,’ Elly says when she finally takes her hand from me.

‘I know.’ I close them with a wince. ‘Kills my hips though.’

She clucks sympathetically. ‘Being twenty’s got you like that, huh?’

I push at her weakly. ‘You’ll see. God, I can’t believe I’m dating a teenager.’

She chuckles, grabbing my face and pulling me into a kiss. ‘We’re a bit past dating.’ She shifts uncomfortably. ‘God, my pyjamas are drenched.’

‘Sounds like something you need a hand with.’

‘Wouldn’t say no,’ she says, a little breathlessly as I push her onto her back.

Once she’s removed her trousers, I inch my way down, blind to everything apart from her heat.

I find her immediately with my tongue, such a contrast to my first time going down on her.

It’s such a privilege to know her body like this, the familiarity never removing the edge from how amazing the sex is.

She gasps behind the back of her hand, her moans sounding like low whimpers.

I let my eyes fall closed, adoring her sounds.

She raises her hips each time I dip my tongue inside, pressing my teeth ever so gently against her clit.

It’s a move Haz loves, though she prefers it much harder and only under her own direction.

Closing my mouth over the whole of her, I lick until she comes apart on my tongue, her body listing to one side.

‘That was nice,’ she says once I’ve made my way back up, the simplicity of the statement making me grin. No matter what storm’s going on in my mind, just being with Elly is enough to calm it.

Pushing hair back from her face, I kiss her forehead. ‘I love you, Elly-Belly.’

With her eyes closed, she smiles. ‘I love you too, babe.’ She wraps me up in her arms, legs around me too. ‘You’re staying here for the rest of the night, by the way.’

‘Oh, am I?’

‘Mm-hm. My bed, my rules.’

We fall still, both of our bottom halves still bare. I’m too cosy to even think about putting my pyjama bottoms back on.

Elly strokes my hair. Even with my head on her chest, I sense her eyes are still open.

‘I heard you upstairs,’ she says eventually.

It’s not an accusation, only a statement, but I still stiffen with something akin to guilt.

‘Nic not giving you what you need?’ she asks gently, voice warm with understanding.

I think about Nic above us, alone, probably still awake or sleeping fitfully. It’s only safe in Elly’s arms that I consider the possibility that we’ll never overcome this, that the chasm is just too wide.

Are all hurts healable? Or is this wound just too infected and I have to let the hope die?

‘Not yet,’ I whisper.