Page 74

WAVERLY

S omething was wrong.

I hadn’t heard from Keene since six when he’d woken me with a good morning text. I had assumed I’d see him over the noon hour, where Xander and I had taken to sitting with him and his friends in the student union.

But none of the seven were present when we arrived after our lit class, which had even made Xander frown in confusion and say, “Huh. I wonder where everyone is.”

She’d texted Alec, but he’d answered her with a vague reply, only saying they were getting something off campus for lunch.

I tried not to let that bother me. Keene was free to eat wherever he liked and do whatever he wanted.

But he’d been a very considerate, communicative, and attentive boyfriend up until now.

It just seemed off that he wouldn’t even let me know he wouldn’t be around.

The guy I’d grown used to dating would’ve freaking invited me along.

But Xander seemed to have an answer for that. Nudging my arm, she sent me a conspiratorial grin and said, “Oh my God. Keene’s taking Alec with him to pick you out some kind of present; I just know it.”

I frowned at her and scoffed. “Whatever.”

She pointed giddily. “You just watch. Five bucks says I’m right.”

I rolled my eyes but secretly wondered if Keene was being so quiet because he was planning some kind of surprise.

It did sound like something he would do.

On Saturday, he’d surprised me by showing up at Cowpoke’s where I’d been working.

He brought me sunflowers, sat at the bar, and ordered freaking fountain drinks and nachos all night just to flirt with me until closing.

Then, he had walked me and my dad out to our car, holding my hand and trying his damnedest to charm my father the entire way.

But this felt different. It felt…wrong. And when even his ghost mother asked about his whereabouts when he didn’t stop by that afternoon during my shift at the library, I knew in my bones that something bad had happened.

So it was no wonder why I was pacing my room that evening, debating whether I would look clingy and insecure if I just called to check in and make sure everything was okay.

I wished I knew the proper procedures for dating.

A normal girlfriend probably would’ve called him five times by now, like right at noon when he wasn’t already sitting at his normal table in the student union where he always sat.

But I wasn’t normal. And I didn’t want him to think it was bad for him to go off and do his own thing for one freaking day.

But the itch under my skin was the same sense of dread I’d gotten when I’d entered the kitchen the night my babysitter had killed himself. I hadn’t even stepped in the door or seen the blood, and I just knew…

When my phone dinged from my bed, I dove toward it, wilting in relief to find a message from him.

Want to come over?

My brow furrowed because he always—always—offered to pick me up at my front door, even when we only went right back to his place to hang out there for the rest of the evening.

But I wasn’t going to question it. He was talking to me.

I’d been freaking out for nothing. And I was going to forget what a weirdo I was.

Sure. Twenty minutes?

I’ll be here.

See. All normal. Nothing to worry about. I really needed to cut my doomsday mentality down a few sizes or it was going to get the best of me. I was such an overanalyzing worrywart.

Downstairs, both of my parents were in the kitchen as I hurried through. My dad sat at the counter, reading on his iPad, and Mom had her back to me as she cooked something sizzling on the skillet.

“I’m going over to Xander’s for a while,” I announced, thinking it best not to mention Keene and start another war in the house.

Dad nodded and picked up his mug of coffee to take a sip. “Okay. Have a good time.”

“I will, thanks.” Smiling, I paused to give him a grateful kiss on the cheek for being so chill and relaxed.

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, but he said nothing as I turned away. My mother remained at the stove, not acknowledging me at all.

We hadn’t spoken to each other since Valentine’s Day night, and I missed her attention as much as I was relieved by the reprieve from her hateful criticism.

But my mother wasn’t who was consuming all my thoughts right now.

Still glad Keene had summoned me, I hurried outside to my MINI Cooper and drove to his place.

At Archer House, I went to the back door and knocked once before letting myself into the kitchen, finding only Alec there, digging through the refrigerator.

He glanced over distractedly, only to do a double-take and straighten to his full height with wide, frozen eyes when he saw me.

“W-Waverly,” he squeaked out, suddenly unable to look at me as he glanced away quickly as if he’d caught me naked or something. “Hey. How’s it going?” The cheer in his voice was so forced I felt extremely self-conscious.

“Hey,” I mumbled, crossing my arms protectively over my chest. “Uh, Keene just called and invited me to come over.”

“Oh.” He nodded and finally risked a glance in my direction.

This time, his smile was sad, almost apologetic, like maybe he was silently saying goodbye because he knew his best friend was about to dump my freakish, insecure ass, and he was never going to see me again.

He hitched his head toward the doorway to the rest of the house. “Yeah, he’s in his room. Go on down.”

“Thanks,” I said, my chest heavy with doom.

But this was it. He’d gotten bored with me.

I mean, I’d always known this would be a very real possibility. I wasn’t exactly Miss Personality over here. But God, this was going to hurt.

I was already breathing heavily and trying to swallow down the lump of dread in my throat, bracing for the impact of his rejection as I slumped reluctantly down the steps to his room.

How the hell was I going to face my mother and tell her she’d been right?

The door was half open, but the lights were off except for the soft glow of a desk lamp.

I hesitated before biting my lip and giving his door a soft knock.

When he called, “Come in,” I could hear in his voice he wasn’t okay.

“Hey,” I murmured, trembling as I stepped into the room. “What’re you doing alone in the dark?”

“I had a rough day. You up for some snuggling?”

“Of course.”

I started toward him, only for him to ask me to shut the door behind me.

Thinking he didn’t want ears listening in on the breakup lecture he was about to deliver, I hesitated, almost wanting to leave it open despite his request, but I didn’t think I wanted anyone else to hear it either.

Shutting it behind me, I slid off my shoes and approached the bed, where he lifted his arm to invite me onto the mattress and straight into his embrace.

Unable to deny him anything, I crawled down against him, and he pulled me close, wrapping both his arms and even his legs around me greedily.

“God,” he groaned, rubbing his cheek along mine and shuddering in satisfaction against me. “You feel perfect. Thank you. This was exactly what I needed.”

Oh, geez. I was such an idiot. All I’d been thinking about was myself and if he still cared, while this whole time he’d legitimately had a bad day over something that probably had nothing to do with me.

Swearing to myself that I was going to call him immediately the next time something felt off, I turned in his arms to cup his face in my hands, and then I kissed his lips. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yes.” He kissed me back just as gently, but his voice cracked as he spoke. “I do. But it’s going to be hard.”

“Okay.” I bobbed my head, ready to support him through anything. “Take your time.”

“Thanks.” He ran a hand over my hair and pulled my face closer so he could kiss my brow.

“God, I love being with you. You just have this calming way about you that…settles something inside me. I feel like you’re the eye of the hurricane that is my hyper, out-of-control self.

You’re my center. And I’ve become addicted to being with you.

I’ve become addicted to being inside you. ”

When he paused there, I smiled. “Trust me, I don’t have a problem with that.”

But he said, “Are you sure? I haven’t been demanding too much from you, have I?

I mean, if you need to cool it some on the sex—you’d tell me, right?

You’re not just going along with everything I initiate because you know how much I want it, are you?

Because you know you can always turn me down. You can always—always—say no.”

Tipping my head in absolute confusion, a new fear cropped up inside, wondering what he knew. But the stark worry in his eyes alarmed me more. It had me pushing aside my own concerns and saying, “Of course I know that. I like being with you; I wouldn’t keep coming back for more if I didn’t.”

“But do you like the sex ?” he pressed, almost desperately.

“Because I would stay with you, even if you never wanted me to touch you again. I wouldn’t reject you if you didn’t like it.

So just—straight up honesty with me here.

Do you like having sex with me? Does it make you feel good?

Do you want more? Do you ever just ache for me to be inside you?

And believe me when I tell you it is one hundred percent okay for you to say no. I just—I need to know.”

Panic flooded my skin. “Keene. Wha—where is this coming from? What the heck happened to you today? Of course, I like being with you.”

“But that could just be because you know I like it. You could be trying to make me happy. Which you don’t have to do, you know. You don’t?—”

“I love sex with you,” I insisted. “I like the orgasms you give me. I like the attention you give my breasts and the way you touch me as if you adore my body. I like your hands on me. And your mouth…everywhere. I like being with you, okay? Do you believe me now?”

He nodded slowly, even as he kept watching me as if he didn’t know if he could trust my words or not.

I flushed with embarrassment as I glanced away and finally confessed, “Sometimes, I’ll be sitting in class, and if the lecture gets too boring, I’ll start thinking about the last time I was with you, and my breasts will start to ache, missing your tongue.

Then I’ll get all wet and horrified because I’m turned on in the middle of a freaking boring lecture. ”

A big grin split across his face, and he lifted his eyebrows with interest. “Yeah?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh yeah. And sometimes, I come up with ideas of things we could try the next time we’re together. Like that night I bit your nipple.” I winced as I nodded. “I came up with that in calculus.”

“Really? Oh, you naughty, naughty girl.” Gliding his hand sensually down the side of my arm, he bounced his eyebrows suggestively. “Has my mistress thought of anything else she’d like to try that we haven’t done yet?”

My face flamed hot as I glanced away in mortification and mumbled, “Of course.”

“Try it now,” he insisted, sitting up suddenly, no longer the unrecognizable, maudlin Keene he’d been when I’d walked in the door. His eyes were alight with that glow of life I’d fallen for eleven years ago.

“Uh.” I sat up way more reluctantly. “But—what if you don’t like it?”

He scoffed. “Not possible. But you know what, if I don’t , I’ll tell you, and I’ll trust you not to try it again. Just like you can trust me with the same.” His gaze seared into mine. “Right?”

I nodded. “Right.”

“Exploring is good,” he said with a reassured nod. “It helps us learn what we do and don’t like. So let’s explore.” Grinning suddenly, he rubbed his hands together with boyish excitement. “What’re we exploring tonight?”

“Oh God,” I groaned, unable to believe he was getting me to say this out loud. Only Keene, I swear. “Are you sure?” I asked one last time.

“Oh, darlin’.” His smile was threatening to split his face right in half. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

“Okay, but…” I winced and added, “It…involves a whip.”

His eyebrows perked up in surprise. “No shit?” I’m sure my face was nearly purple by now as he lifted a curious finger to ask, “So am I whipping you, or are you whipping me?”

“I—” I had to pause and collect the last of my courage before saying, “I’m using it on you.”

He laughed. “Damn, Mistress. My baby wants to try the dom life, huh? Okay. Alright. I’m in. Let’s do this.”

I blinked and sent him a dismayed glance. “Really?”

He shrugged. “Hell, yeah. Why not?” He lifted one eyebrow and leaned close, murmuring, “And after that, maybe you’ll let me try it on you.”

I looked into his eyes and went sopping wet. “Okay,” I whispered.