Bears of Burden: STERLING

by Candace Ayers

  Emma turned her head, disgusted. Was that the type of woman Mason wanted? If so, then Zoey was right; he'd only been with her last night because he was desperate. He'd just broken up with Zoey after all, maybe he regretted it. Maybe he wanted to get even with Zoey for cheating on him by sleeping with Emma. She'd seen Zoey's reaction to Mason kissing her. It was driving her crazy to think that Mason and Emma had been together. What better way to get revenge?

  Emma looked at Mason from the corner of her eye. He was playing with his pencil, pretending it was a golf club and swinging it at a little rolled up ball of paper he'd made.

  "Alright now everyone," Professor Douglas said. "I have a surprise for you all. Friday's test has been moved to today."

  Emma's eyes shot to the front of the room, followed by a series of groans from the rest of the class.

  "You can't do that!" someone shouted from the back.

  "Ah, but I can," Professor Douglas said. "I want to see how much you have all learned, not how much you can memorize the night before an exam."

  Emma's heart thumped in her chest. She'd heard of pop quizzes, but who gives a pop test? It wasn't fair.

  "Relax Emma," Mason whispered. "You know this stuff. You'll be fine."

  But Mason's words didn't help. If anything, they only irritated her more. Who was he to tell her to relax? He was acting like they were friends instead of lovers. It was infuriating.

  Professor Douglas passed the test out and Emma looked down at it, the questions jumbling before her eyes. What was he asking about photosynthesis? Ultimate causation? She knew that definition, she just couldn't think of it. Her mind raced to find the answer to questions she should have been able to answer in her sleep. She just couldn't concentrate. Her mind was filled with too many other thoughts.

  She'd made and unmade her mind a dozen times during the night to move back in with her parents. She'd finally decided to wait and see what happened in class today with Mason, but clearly, she wasn't nearly as important to him as he was to her. She kicked herself for falling into his trap at the lab. Those liquid eyes... that rugged face... he'd used his charms to get her into bed and take something she hadn't, until now, thought she would ever want to give. She felt humiliated.

  A watery splotch landed on her test, making the ink run. Another tear fell on top of that one. Emma threw her pencil down and pushed the test away from her like it was on fire. She grabbed her things and ran for the door. She felt everyone watching her and knew she was acting like a child, but she didn't care. She had to get out of here now, before she made an even bigger fool of herself.

  Chapter 10

  "Emma!" Mason's voice called to her across the hall.

  She turned and saw him running after her. "Emma," he called again. She stopped running, waiting for him to catch up even though she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

  Tears flooded her eyes and ran over her cheeks in giant rivers. "How," she hiccupped. "How can you act like nothing happened last night? Didn't..." hiccup, "didn't it mean anything to you?"

  Mason stared at her, his eyes opening wide. He looked like he'd just seen aliens land on the White House lawn. "What?" he finally said. "How can you ask that? Of course it did."

  Emma felt her heart start beating again and tried to get herself under control. She hiccupped again and Mason suppressed a smile.

  "Really?" she asked.

  "Of course. Is that what's been bothering you?" he asked.

  She nodded, starting to feel silly. "I just... when you came into class you seemed so... normal. You acted like nothing had changed." She tried to stop herself from blushing but failed miserably.

  "So you bombed a test because you were afraid I wasn't into you?" he asked, smirking a little.

  "No," she said, turning her head away from him. She tried to stop herself from hiccupping again but lost the battle. They were the only ones in the hallway. Something occurred to her then and head snapped back around. "Wait! What about you? You're missing the rest of the test."

  "I finished."

  Emma thought she'd misheard. "You finished?"

  "Yeah, I got a C."

  "How do you know that?" she asked, suspicious.

  He shrugged. "I only tried hard enough for a C. I don't need any A's mucking things up for me."

  Emma bit her lip, not sure she approved of his lackadaisical attitude about his grades, but not wanting to say anything. "But don't you need a certain GPA to be eligible to keep playing football?"

  "Yeah, but my dad will fix things if I run into trouble."

  "Oh." She resented the idea that his father could just swoop in and "fix things." She also felt really bad for Mason. If no one ever expected more from him, how would he ever be able to grow and learn?

  "Come on," he said suddenly. "I'm taking you out." He threw an arm around her and ushered her down the hall to the door. "You need a nice dinner."

  "It's a little early for dinner."

  "So we'll see a movie first. You need to get your mind off things. Relax a little. Have some fun."

  Emma smiled, and when he opened his car door for her her hiccups were gone. He drove them off campus to a local theater. She couldn't help noting that he didn't want to stay on campus. She didn't mind, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with her. Still, it's not like he'd driven them two hours out of the way to see a movie, he'd simply gone into town. She decided she was being silly, overthinking things again, and that Mason was right. She needed to relax and have a little fun.

  The movie was bad—a cheesy horror film about a possessed goat—but it didn't matter. They sat in the darkened theater, laughing and screaming at all the right places. She grabbed hold of Mason more than once, and he held her hand tightly when she needed him to.

  They had an early dinner and walked around town a while until it started to get dark. They passed a group of people outside a pool hall and one of them shouted to them, "Hey Mason!" Mason turned and his face grew a shade lighter. He dropped Emma's hand.

  "Hey," Mason said, "Kenny, what's up?" He peered in through the window and saw several more of his friends hanging out inside.

  Kenny's eyes moved to Emma, who blushed. She stood just behind Mason, waiting for him to introduce her.

  "You wanna get in on this game we've got going?" Kenny asked.

  Mason shook his head. "Nah, another time."

  There was an awkward silence where Emma looked at Mason, who looked at Kenny, who looked at Emma. "Well okay, have fun."

  Mason turned and walked down the street, hurrying away from the pool hall. Emma hurried to catch up. "Mason," she said. "What was that?"

  "What?" he asked.

  "Who was that? Why didn't you introduce me? Are you... are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

  Emma's heart felt like it was cracking. Clearly, Mason did not want his friends knowing she even existed.

  "It's not like that," he said.

  "Then what is it?"

  "I just... I hate that guy. He thinks we're friends and I try to be nice to him because his father knows my father, but I can't stand him."

  "Oh," Emma said. She supposed that made sense. Mason had acted somewhat cold and aloof because he just wanted to get away from Kenny, not because of anything she'd done. She wasn't sure she entirely believed him, but she was willing to accept the possibility he was telling the truth.

  "Let's get out of here," Mason said, ushering her into his car. "Before we see anyone else I don't like."

  Chapter 11

  They got back to school and Mason parked in his spot outside his dorm. It was so dark, there was hardly anyone around.

  "So," he asked, grinning at her. "Are you feeling more relaxed?"

  She nodded and turned her head shyly towards him. She didn't know why she should still feel so uncertain about him. Hadn't he just spent almost the whole day with her?

  "You look like you still don't trust me," he said.

  "I trust you."
r />   "Can't you tell how much I like you?" he asked, pulling her tightly to him and wrapping his arms around her. She felt her body melt the tighter he held her. Her blood pulsed in her veins, making her heart throb. "I missed practice today to be with you," he whispered. "My dad is gonna kill me. So you better trust me."

  "You missed practice?" Emma's mind raced. Oh my God oh my God. He really does like me! Sudden passion overtook her and she flung herself at him. Her lips mashed against his and he laughed as he held her back, catching his breath.

  "If I knew you were gonna act like this, I'd have told you that sooner," he said.

  But Emma didn't want to talk anymore. He had told her to trust him, and she'd made her decision. The time they'd shared in the lab the night before had been special, but Emma had almost been too nervous to enjoy it. Now, despite the racing of her heart, she relished each sensation her body afforded her.

  Mason reached down and pushed the button beside his driver's seat that slid the seat backwards, and Emma was able to climb on top of him. She was glad she'd worn a skirt. His body was warm and she pressed herself against him, drowning herself in the scent of his skin. He massaged her neck with his tongue, gently pulling at her skin with his teeth as she leaned back. The horn honked and Emma jumped, giggling. Mason laughed too.

  "Trying to draw a crowd?" he asked. Then his mouth was on hers again. His kisses were deep and sensuous. She took a long breath and held it as his hands worked their way under her shirt. He lifted it over her head and Emma looked around them to see if anyone was watching. She thought she'd die of embarrassment if anyone caught her and Mason naked in his car. But there was no one there.

  The light next to Mason's car was burnt out; the lot was so dark that Emma doubted whether anyone would be able to see them anyways, even if they were standing no more than a foot from the car. His kisses trailed from her mouth to her neck to her chest, where they stopped at her bra. He slid the straps over her shoulders and pushed it down. Her breasts were so white and creamy that they stood out even against the blackness of the sky.

  Mason's tongue flicked over them, causing her nipples to jump to attention. He tasted her dark pink nubs; they were sweet and creamy and he couldn't resist teasing them with his tongue. Emma's back arched as Mason's tongue slid over her stomach and back up, landing once more on her perfect pink centers.

  She had no idea how to move things to the next level. The car was cramped and when she shifted her legs to get her panties off she fell back onto the horn, sending a loud honk ringing across the night.

  Mason's eyes lit up with laughter. "Need some help?" he asked.

  She looked away, embarrassed. Mason put his hand under her chin and forced her eyes back onto his. He kissed her until she forgot her embarrassment. Then she tried again. Mason helped her slide her panties passed her ankles and then unzipped his pants, pushing them down just enough so that he was exposed to her.

  She hovered over him, stretching her legs as he reclined in the driver's seat. She wasn't sure she was doing this right, but then she felt Mason's manhood between her legs and let herself sink onto him. They both closed their eyes as Emma and Mason let their bodies merge, becoming one.

  "Oh boy," he said, opening his eyes. He looked at her with such tenderness that Emma wondered how she could ever have doubted him. She lifted her hips off his body, then dropped them down again. The resulting friction was slow and deep and filled them each with an increased passion they had not anticipated.

  Emma moved faster now, pushing her hips against him over and over. Mason met her with his own hips, lifting them off his seat and driving them harder against her. Their bodies smacked together, creating a kind of music only they could hear. Emma allowed herself to feel everything her body had been too shy to feel the first time they'd been together. Emma's toes curled, her heat raced, her breath dipped in and out of her lungs like someone testing out the deep end of the pool.

  Mason's own heart thumped hard in his chest. He had been with lots of girls, but he had never experienced anything like what he shared with Emma. He wished his father could know what a good person she was, what a good influence she was, then she bounced her body harder against him and all thoughts of his father fled his mind.

  Mason moved his hips, trying to meet hers, but his position was somewhat cramped, confined as he was by the seat and the arm rests. But Emma didn't need any help from him. Her natural rhythm took over, and she rocked on top of him as Mason's legs began to tremble. Every time her soft mound pressed into him his body quivered more violently and his heart rate increased.

  "I'm not sure how much longer I can wait," he said.

  "Shh," she whispered. "Just another minute." She rocked back and forth, moving her hips in a circle before thrusting her weight forward once more. Her eyes grew bright and her skin began to glow. Mason reached out with one hand and caressed her cheek. She felt his erection grow and moved her hips faster, Mason meeting her beat for beat.

  Finally, her head fell back and her arms dropped to her sides as her body began to shake. Mason let himself go and Emma felt him explode inside her, their bodies feeding off of each other's energy as the sky wrapped around them, binding them together in its darkness.

  After they had caught their breath, Mason walked Emma to her dorm. She leaned in to kiss him goodnight, but he pulled back at the last minute.

  "I don't want to give Zoey any more ammunition," he said. She nodded, pretending to understand, but she went to her room more confused than ever.

  Chapter 12

  It had been two days since Emma had last seen Mason. He had missed biology and when she texted him he hadn't responded. She didn't want him falling behind with his work. She knew he didn't take his classes seriously, but she had hopes that maybe she could change that. She checked her phone all throughout chemistry, hoping Mason would finally respond, but he never did.

  During class Emma kept thinking that people were watching her. She'd turn to look and see someone quickly look away. You're just being paranoid, she told herself. But then she'd feel another pair of eyes on her and the same thing would happen. She began to wonder if she had a sign stuck to her back and tried to nonchalantly reach behind her and feel her shirt. She didn't feel anything though, except her clothes.

  Maybe there's something on my face.

  She reached up and began wiping around her mouth and cheeks with a Kleenex, trying to remove the offending matter. Nothing seemed to come off, and she decided to just let it go. She was probably just imagining things.

  Emma left class with her mind lost in her thoughts. What was Mason doing? Was he ignoring her on purpose? What if he was sick? That last thought struck her as the most reasonable. After all, he'd missed practice to spend time with her, so why would he suddenly ignore her now?

  She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Zoey come up behind her. "Hi Mouse," she said.

  Emma turned, her face flushing. "Leave me alone Zoey."

  "Sure. I just thought I'd let you know that if you blow things for Mason, the whole school is gonna hate you."

  "What are you talking about?" Emma felt her blood starting to burn. Why couldn't Zoey just leave her alone?

  "Well it's all over the school how you're stalking him," Zoey said.

  "What?" she asked, her eyes bugging out of her head. "That's not true."

  "Oh really?" Zoey asked, acting innocent. "I heard that's why he missed practice the other day. Well gee, I don't know why anyone would think that if it wasn't true."

  Emma wanted to punch her pouty little mouth in. "You're just making that up because you're jealous of me and Mason," she said. "If you start spreading rumors about me I'll go to the Dean."

  Emma saw Zoey's eyes darken. "Listen Mouse, it's not me who's spreading anything. You think Mason likes you? Think again. I'm doing you a favor right now. You can't trust him. You're not his type. Leave him alone before you get hurt."

  Zoey stormed off in the opposite direction then, leaving Emm
a feeling like she'd just been threatened. Instead of going back to her dorm, as she'd planned, she veered and headed to Mason's frat house. She'd never been inside one before. When she rang the bell a buff looking guy answered in his boxers, holding a beer.

  "Wassup?" he asked her.

  "Uh, is Mason here?" she asked, forcing her feet not to turn and run the other way. Frat houses were not her thing.

  "Sure," he said, opening the door for her. Emma breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into an entryway littered with pictures of naked girls and beer cans. "He's up in is room," the guy in his boxers said.

  "Thanks." Emma started up the stairs but stopped when the boxers guy called after her.

  "Hey, wait a second. Are you her?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "The stalker."

  Emma's face burned. "No," she snapped, "I am not the stalker." She turned around to finish her ascent. She heard the guy mumble something about being "so touchy," but she decided to ignore him. Upstairs, she was faced with a series of doors going down two long hallways that criss crossed each other. She had taken two steps in one direction when she heard Mason's voice and turned the opposite way, following the sound to a door with a poster of some football player on it.

  She knocked lightly and almost jumped when a severe looking man in a suit answered the door. He scowled at her. "Um, hi, is Mason here?" she asked.

  The man turned away from her and Emma saw Mason standing in a corner of his room.

  "Mason," she said, relaxing a bit and stepping into the room. "Where have you been? Didn't you get my messages?"

  Mason's eyes shifted from her to the man behind her. She realized how upset he looked.

  "Is this what you're doing with your time?" the man screamed at Mason, veins bulging in his neck. "How can you be a football player when you're busy fooling around with some little tramp?"

  Emma's eyes began to blur as Mason stood by, saying nothing.

  "Is this why you missed practice the other day?" the man demanded.

  "Dad," Mason finally said. She'd never heard him sound so fearful and uncertain. "It's not like that."