Rebellious: A Best Friends-To-Lovers Romance

by Kristy Marie

  Except my father doesn’t sleep, so that secret lasted for all of about two hours. I assured him I was just checking Aspen’s locks and fell asleep at her house when she caught me. It was an accident. Which coincidentally happened every single night, but he never asked me about it again. He simply requested I drive up after dinner—rather than the middle of the night—and not be late to class in the morning.

  My point is, nothing has ever stopped me from getting to this girl. Except for now. Her going to Boston mucks up me playing football. But if she works for Thad in Atlanta, that could work.

  “Bennett.” She jostles me like someone would a horse. “You all right?”

  Yeah, I nod. “Salmon.”

  I head to the coolers of seafood and pick out a package of salmon and toss it over my head. Just like last time, she stuffs it between us and directs me to about four other items before she’s finished.

  “Lane four is open,” she tells me.

  I ignore her and head to the frozen section and pull out a bag of crinkle fries. “You want this size or the bigger bag?”

  “We’re not getting fries, Bennett. Didn’t you just inhale a boatload of carbs? You can’t eat those.”

  “I’m not planning to eat them.”

  She scoffs. “I can’t eat them in front of you.”

  I toss the bag over my head. “I’m not a carb-lusting vampire, Asp. I think I can handle you eating a plate of fries in my presence.”

  Seriously.

  “I know, but—”

  “Eat the salad with me,” I negotiate, “and for dessert, I’ll have water and you can have the fries.”

  “Bennett,” she tries again.

  Ignoring her, I head toward the checkout. “You said lane four, right?” I pause, spotting a pack of passion fruit bubble gum on an end cap. I snag it and toss it up to her. “Anything else?”

  She kisses me on the cheek. “No, I suppose you have it covered.”

  I always do.

  It only takes a few minutes before we’re back in the car, Aspen’s pants having stayed on the entire time.

  “Looky there,” she says as she slips off my sweats. “No one attacked me the whole time we were in the store. Your baggy pants scared them off.”

  I start the car. “You’re hilarious.”

  “Next time, you’re getting dressed or we aren’t leaving the house.”

  She arches her brows. “Is that a dare?”

  “It’s a promise. I don’t want anyone seeing you in anything remotely resembling pajamas.”

  She waves her hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah. Drive before I pass out from lack of nutrition.”

  I chuckle. “So dramatic…”

  It takes us nearly a half hour to get home. Even with the streets clear, we hit every traffic light on the way. It’s close to two in the morning by the time we actually get to eat. It’s almost not worth it, but when Aspen moans with every other french fry as we lay in my bed, flipping through the channels, I reconsider.

  “Are you sure you’re not going to attack me to get one of my fries?” Her humor is still in overdrive as she ribs me for saying I wasn’t a carb-craving vampire earlier.

  “I don’t know,” I say, my voice deepening as I set my bowl on the bedside table. “Maybe I will after all.”

  I lunge, tackling her as she squeals, holding the fries out like I really plan to take one.

  “Maybe I’ll take a kiss,” I tell her. “I heard they taste the same.”

  “Ew! Not salmon breath,” she protests, putting her hands up.

  Grabbing her hands, I place them on my chest. “Rule,” I start, and she groans. “Before the summer is over, I’ll have tasted every flavor your lips have tasted.”

  “And if I don’t want to taste the same?”

  My lip twitches, holding back a smile. “Too bad.”

  And then I close the space between us, smothering her squeals with my mouth.

  Red Rover is not foreplay

  Bennett

  Kissing her never gets old.

  Four weeks later and I’ve sampled every flavor of Aspen Von Bremen: mouth, arms, sunscreen, carbs, and pussy—my personal favorite. What I haven’t done is taken her virginity. She hasn’t let me forget it either.

  “Bennett,” Aspen whispers, rousing me from sleep. I try to roll but can’t, something heavy is weighing me down.

  “What time is it?” I strain to open my eyes. Since we’ve been here, with no rules to stop us, Aspen and I have indulged in each other’s bodies nonstop, every minute of every day. Our days turn into nights, and sleep has become optional. Which is how I opened my eyes to a darkened sky with a pink pussy hovering over my face.

  “It’s time to get up,” she says, lowering her center down to my lips.

  Groaning, I grasp the outside of her thighs and take a long lick up her slit. Her back arches and her hands grab the headboard behind me.

  “I could get used to waking up this way,” I tell her. “Pussy is better than an alarm clock.”

  She laughs, dropping one hand to my head. “Fenn and Drew want to go back to the island tonight.”

  Ignoring her comment, I swipe lazily over her folds. She whimpers. “Is that what you want to do?”

  After the first day on the island, we have done little with our brothers. You could say we’ve been distracted, making up for all the time we lost in college. When our brothers were hanging socks outside their doors, Asp and I were stuck, drowning out the noise with surround sound.

  “Aspen!” A fist bangs on our door. “Wake Bennett’s ass up! We’re ready to leave.”

  She flashes me a wink right before she hits the wall. “Oh, Bennett!” Her voice pitches as she moans. “Right there.”

  “I swear to God,” Fenn says, his voice low and angry. “You better not be fucking right now.”

  “Ahh!”

  “Stop, Aspen. You aren’t funny!”

  I grab her thighs and squeeze, her moan sending a rush of euphoria down my spine.

  “What? You want to moan too?” She gazes down, her golden hair falling like curtains, shielding most of her face.

  Shaking my head, I scoot down the bed. “Not exactly.”

  She wants to play? Let her give Fenn a real moan.

  “I ought to beat your ass,” is the first thing Fenn says to me when I come into the kitchen, an hour after he first banged on the door.

  “You ought to,” I return, “but you won’t.”

  Fenn may not like that I’ve been spending my days locked in a bedroom with his sister, but he’s been the most vocal about Aspen and me fucking and getting it out of our system for years. Apparently, I’ve been a real dick to live with.

  “You’re right,” he sighs. “But not because of you.”

  I arch my brows and Fenn turns, giving me his back to root around in the fridge. “My sister has been happier than she’s been in a long time.” He pauses. “Even if it’s only for the five minutes I get to see her every day.”

  Huh. I guess I knew the guys would miss her when she leaves, but I didn’t really consider they would want to spend that much time with her. Honestly, I thought Fenn and Drew came here to party with no parental oversight. “My bad,” I tell him, clapping him on the shoulder. “I promise to share her the rest of the summer.”

  Fenn rolls his eyes. “Don’t be weird. That’s not what I’m saying.”

  “Isn’t it?” Aspen’s voice pipes up, turning mine and Fenn’s head. “Are you going to miss me, Fennius?” A ridiculous smile is plastered on her face as she holds her hands out as if she plans on hugging her brother.

  “Have you and Bennett been huffing bathroom cleaner all evening?” he snaps, shutting the refrigerator, attempting to remain unaffected as Aspen rounds the island and launches herself at him.

  At first, I worry he might not catch her, but even he has a limit to being an asshole and catches her around the waist. “Get off me,” he whines when she kisses his cheek. “You smell like Bennett.”

 
; I laugh. I’m sure she does, considering I used up all her shower time with multiple orgasms. She had to beg for me to let her out of the bed so we could go to the island.

  Setting her down, Fenn wipes the side of his cheek. “You both are gross.”

  Aspen punches him in the arm. “Says the man who licked a crushed Cheerio off the floor.”

  He levels me with a glare. “You swore you’d take that to the grave.”

  Chuckling, I shrug. “Your sister can be very convincing.”

  He gags. “Disgusting. Let’s go before I change my mind about hanging out with the two of you.”

  Aspen holds her hand down low for me to slap it. She loves getting a rise out of Fenn.

  “Where’s Drew?” I ask, grabbing the bag Fenn sets on the counter.

  “He’s waiting for us at the island.” He frowns. “Had I known you were going to need a whole fucking hour, I would have gone with him.”

  I scratch my face, pleased that Fenn is finally feeling some payback for all the hell I’ve endured with him and my brother. “I didn’t actually need an hour—”

  “I will punch this new, happy Bennett right out. Do not test me.”

  In the dark, with only the moon and our flashlights, the island looks pretty creepy.

  “Hold my hand.”

  I roll my eyes, which Aspen misses since only her hand sticks out behind her.

  “You’re not scared,” I tell her, taking her hand anyway. It’s difficult to walk with the bags on my shoulder and Aspen’s hand and the flashlight in the other.

  “How do you know I’m not scared? There could be huge water rats living here.” She follows Fenn through the brush.

  “What do you think they eat?” he asks, playing into her bullshit.

  “Do you really think there’re rats here?” She actually sounds nervous.

  “Possibly. But I think there’s more likely to be snakes and turtles.” I glance down at her bare heels in front of me. “I told you not to wear flip-flops.”

  Stopping mid-stride to turn around and point the flashlight in my face, she snaps. “Had I thought you weren’t being typical, overreactive Bennett, I would have. I had to prove a point—just like the grocery store incident.”

  “What happened at the grocery store?” Fenn seems honestly concerned.

  I wave him off. “Nothing. Your sister just enjoys testing my patience with her clothing choices.”

  “Fenn, carry me,” Aspen begs, attempting to pull her hand from mine. I know her game. She can get mad at me for critiquing her clothes, but Fenn will have to break my hand before I let go of hers.

  “I’m not carrying you,” Fenn scoffs.

  “What a great brother you are.” The huff in her voice is cute.

  “Just take high steps,” I tease her.

  “Shut up, Bennett. I swear if something runs over my foot, I will leave both of you behind without a second thought.”

  “Wow,” Fenn clips. “Don’t we feel special.”

  I chuckle and sigh in relief when Fenn pushes the last branch out of the way, revealing the sandy area.

  “Fucking finally,” Drew calls, standing up as a fire roars in a circle of stones.

  “Are you supposed to have fires here?” I ask. I’m not in the mood to deal with getting a ticket.

  “How old are you?” Fenn asks with a disgusted look on his face. “Who the fuck cares about a fire? It’s contained. Relax, fun police.”

  Sure, I’ll relax as I babysit these two idiots getting drunk around flames. I think I must groan because Aspen whispers, “It’ll be fine. They’ve probably done this a thousand times.”

  That’s true.

  When we reach the fire pit, I place the bags down, pulling Aspen around and into my arms. “I see you made it safely out of the forest full of trees and possible water rats.”

  She looks up, her brilliant blue eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “You’re not cute.”

  I take a moment and steal a kiss, my hands drifting to her ass. Every day has become harder to turn her down for sex. It’s not like I’m scared, but I wanted to spend this summer like I would any other summer without rules. I wanted to experience everything in the right order. No cheating and skipping to the best part. We’ve waited this long, what’s a few more days?

  “Here,” Drew shoves a blanket at me, “cover that up before we all get horny.”

  Aspen pulls back, taking the blanket and following Drew to a spot in the sand. Logs are circled around the fire, giving us a natural backrest. Copying Aspen, I lower behind her, resting my back against the log, and sliding her between my legs. She fans the blanket, covering her legs and part of mine.

  “Beer?” Drew offers to Aspen.

  She turns to look at me.

  “I’ll have one,” I tell her, knowing she won’t drink if I can’t. We’ll have to check my blood sugar when we get back, but one should be okay. It’s not like I’ve eaten any carbs today. After the night at the grocery store, Aspen made an actual list, and we went back (with her fully dressed) and got everything we needed for healthy snacks and meals. We’ve had to go back several times a week since no one can ever agree on dinner. Also, we clearly misjudged how much Fenn and Drew would eat with all the alcohol and swimming.

  Aspen takes the beer, passing it back to me, and in a matter of minutes we’re all settled with beers in our hands, laughing and ribbing each other like we’ve always done. It feels like old times. Times before I dreaded the day Aspen graduated. Times when I wasn’t considering transferring schools and delaying my football career by an entire year.

  No, this moment feels like it used to—before the day I changed everything and created the rules…

  “Theo, don’t!”

  Mom is sobbing into Aunt Anniston’s shirt while Uncle Theo glares at my father.

  “I won’t let him do this alone, Anniston! I don’t give a flying fuck what that crack-pot therapist of yours said.”

  “Daddy?”

  Aspen reaches for her father, but I pull her back. At ten years old, I’m already taller than her twelve-year-old frame.

  “Take care of the girls, Bennett.” Her father clips angrily, his jaw twitching like it does when he needs to go outside and smack around a few baseballs with my dad.

  “Yes, sir.” I nod, squeezing his daughter’s hand tighter.

  When our parents took this trip to Arlington, Aspen and I weren’t supposed to come. But Drew and Fenn came down with a stomach bug, and our parents brought us along so we wouldn’t catch it.

  As it stands now, I think I’d rather be home with my brother, conning Uncle Hayes into taking me for a spin on his motorcycle. Seeing my mother and aunt crying is not how I prefer to spend my weekend.

  Theo kisses my mom on the top of her head and smooths a hand down her back. “I need to be there, B. Let me do this for him—for you.”

  My mother nods just as another sob shakes her entire body, watching as Theo walks away.

  Everything in me wants to go to her—to ease whatever pain she’s going through. But I don’t. Aspen’s mom is her best friend, and I know if anyone can calm her, it’s Aunt Anniston.

  “Bennett, baby,” Anniston says over the top of my mom’s head. “Why don’t you and Aspen go back to the car and turn on some music?”

  Aspen stiffens in my arms.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I take a step back, pulling a reluctant Aspen down the path headed towards the car. “I’m not leaving,” she grits out, pulling us to a stop just as we’re out of sight from our parents.

  “We have to,” I argue.

  She rips from my grip. Aspen hasn’t been my biggest fan for a couple of years now. It’s my fault. I’ve been an angry brat to her. Or at least I tried. Aspen is pretty stubborn when she wants to be. She didn’t care that I pushed her away or said girls were gross. She just kept pushing, and I kept leaving my window unlocked as an apology.

  I was torn over my friendship with her.

  When my father was
good, I seemed to be good. When he struggled, so did I. It was a vicious cycle. One that destroyed mine and Aspen’s friendship.

  I missed hearing her laugh, seeing her smile. I missed being her friend.

  Instead, we fought. All. The. Time.

  Aspen challenged me at every corner, needing answers as to why I suddenly decided I wanted nothing to do with her. I couldn’t tell her. Yet, my silence didn’t stop her as she crawled through my window every night, wrapping her arms around me. It was the only way I could sleep, and she knew it.

  I felt guilty how I behaved toward my best friend and how I was betraying my father by loving Theo’s daughter. Something had to give, and I decided it would be me and Aspen. We were young. She would find someone else.

  Except she hadn’t. She still considered me her best friend. “Go then.” She pulls from my grasp. “But I’m not. Uncle Cade needs all of us and if you’re gonna be a little bitch and sit in the car, then go right ahead.”

  It wasn’t the swear word that caught my attention. It was the fact she was willing to risk punishment to be there for my father—mine, not hers.

  “They’ll be okay,” I say, but even I didn’t believe it.

  She shrugs. “Fine. See ya.”

  She darts back up the path and I have to sprint to catch up. Reaching the top of the hill, Aspen draws to a stop. There, amongst thousands of white headstones, is my father, sobbing into Theo’s shirt. My mother and aunt are on the ground, locked in each other’s arms, consoling each other as they watch my father break down in front of one specific gravestone.

  “That’s my uncle’s grave,” I tell Aspen, my voice detached.

  She nods. “I know.”

  “He’s never visited his gravesite before.”

  She doesn’t hesitate. “I know.”

  “He still thinks he killed him.” I’ve heard him and my mom argue about it when they think Drew and I are asleep. It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally, something will spark those memories and he breaks down.