“So, it’s our last night here, what do we want to do?” Cindy asked cheerily.
“Bed,” Haven and Sam said in unison.
“Bed?” Jeremy asked surprised.
They both giggled.
“Look we are running on almost zero sleep and we are tired,” Haven whined.
“How about grabbing a bite to eat and then we can retire to our rooms?” Cindy suggested.
“That we can do. Out of curiosity, why are you not fighting this?” Haven asked Cindy.
I was curious as well. Cindy had a big personality and loved to be out in the middle of everything, constantly going. She reminded me of the energizer bunny.
“Well… Teddy is on his way up. We’re going to spend the night here before we head to San Diego to look at places.” She said bashfully.
Bashful was not a word one would associate with Cindy. However, that she was in this moment. I couldn’t wait to meet this Teddy guy that she was marrying. He had to be one hell of a guy.
“Oh,” Jeremy shouted jumping up and down. “Can we go with you tomorrow? We totally need to apartment hunt.” He said pleading with Cindy.
“Oh My Gawd, Yes, you can totally come. We have got to get places close together. I can’t have my best friends far away from me.” She shrieked excitedly.
“Okay, let’s go eat. I’m starved.” I said trying to herd them in the direction to the bus.
I couldn’t wait to get Haven back to my room. I wanted to ravish her body, but before I did I needed to convince her to move in with me.
Chapter Twenty
Haven
We had just finished having dinner at an all you can eat buffet. The guys were starvin’ like Marvin and would accept nothing less. Cindy and I tried our best to persuade them to eat somewhere normal but it was no use. Two girls against three starving guys, we lost by a landslide.
It ended up not being so bad. As much as I like to complain about a buffet style restaurant, I loved being able to have a variety of foods. I could have my steak, pizza, and meatloaf and there wasn’t a thing anyone could do about it. What can I say, I am a carnivore.
Tristin had asked me to come back to his room after my shower. To be honest, I was nervous as hell. I had no idea what to expect. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go all the way and I didn’t know if he would expect it. Would he be upset if I didn’t? All of the questions that ran through my head only made me more and more confused and hesitant in going to see him.
I had thrown on a pair of red and black plaid baggy thermal sleep pants and a red tank top. My hair was piled high on my head in a damp messy bun. I had even put on my house shoes, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk out the door. That’s where Sam found me, pacing in front of the hotel door like a fool.
“Why are you just standing there?” He asked confused by my presence.
I knew he had expected me to be gone by the time he got out of the shower. He exited the bathroom wrapped in a small white towel. I tried not to look at his body but I couldn’t help it. He had bruises all up and down his torso and back. I felt my heart crack a little more. I was going to kill Jessie if he ever showed back up. I tried to avert my eyes and keep them fixed on the wall behind him. I didn’t want him to know I had seen the bruises.
I knew he would find pity in my eyes. That was the last thing he needed. I knew he didn’t want my pity. Ne needed my love and support. I nervously chewed on my nails and dropped my head. Seeing more of Jessie’s handiwork just fueled my anger at him.
“Why are you standing at the door?” Sam tried again.
I knew I couldn’t avoid him. I had to answer.
“I don’t know what to expect,” I told him honestly.
I was nervous as hell. I took a deep breath.
“What do you mean?” He asked.
I could hear the concern growing in his voice. I loved him for it.
“I’ve never, you know, been with a guy before,” I mumbled out.
I was immediately embarrassed. Yes, Sam was my best friend. But we had never had talks like this. This was a first for the both of us and I flushed red. I could feel my cheeks burning.
“Haven, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You know that right?” He asked.
I could hear the trepidation and concern in his voice.
“Yeah, I know. But like how do you know whether or not you want it?” I asked.
I looked up at him pleading with my eyes for answers. I watched as a small smile crept up his face.
“Trust me; you will know if you want it, there will be no question.” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes. Why did he have to be so vague?
“UGH,” I groaned exasperatedly.
“Listen, if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. You can stay here and chill.” He offered.
“No, I have hurt and avoided him enough. You’re right. I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to.” I said reconciling my emotions.
“If he says or does anything you don’t like you tell me straight away and I’ll kick his ass.” Sam offered smiling.
I beamed up at him brightly.
“My hero,” I pretended to swoon.
“You’re so lame. Get out of here so I can get dressed.” He chided.
I ran over to him and gave him a quick hug and a kiss on his cheek.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now go see your man.” Sam said shooing me away.
I inhaled deeply and mentally pulled on my big girl panties.
I knocked tentatively on Tristin’s door. It only took a moment for him to open it. He was wearing a pair of black net shorts sans his shirt. His hair was slicked back from the shower.
He reached out and pulled me into the room. The door slammed behind me and he had me pressed up against the wall, his lips on mine before my brain had a chance to catch up.
“I fucking missed you.” He murmured against my lips.
“I missed you too,” I confessed.
It was true. I had missed the hell out of him.
Tristin pulled me into his arms and walked me backward toward the bed. The back of my legs hit the mattress as he gently shoved me into a seated position. My stomach took flight with a swarm of butterflies. I had expected Tristin to push me back and cover my body with his, only he didn’t. He released me and backed away until he was leaning back against the wall in front of me.
“I want to ask you a few questions.” He said hesitantly. I could tell he was nervous by the way his hands shook slightly and the way his eyes darted from me to the floor.
“Okay,” I answered slowly.
“How do you feel about moving to San Diego?” He asked.
I was surprised by his question. I thought they would be more, I don’t know, intense, I guess.
“It’s a big change from my plan but the results are the same, so I guess it’s more of a jump start,” I replied honestly without hesitation.
“Do you really want to live with Sam and Jeremy?” I could hear the hesitation in the question.
He was concerned, I could understand that. I would be concerned too if he was moving in with a couple of girls. Perhaps this was why he was so nervous. Maybe he was afraid I would freak out.
“Sam and Jeremy are like brothers to me. I couldn’t imagine a life without them so a life in which I live with them makes me happy. It means I won’t be alone and I will always have them to look out for me.” I gave him a small smile.
“What about me?” He asked quietly, his eyes cast to the floor.
“What about you? I know that you would look out for me as well. But what if things don’t work? What if you find someone else? What if…” I was silenced by Tristin’s lips.
I had been so focused on what I was saying that I never even saw him move. Tristin scooped me up in his arms and crawled up the bed with me. He laid me down gently and covered my body with his. His forehead was pressed against mine, our fingers interlaced. I could feel the heat from his body
seeping into mine.
“I will never in my lifetime find another girl like you. You’re one in a million and you’re all mine.” He said kissing me softly.
“Never for a second think that I could leave you or move on. You’re it for me baby.” He whispered across my lips.
“I love you, Haven.” He said looking into my eyes.
I could see it there in his eyes. He meant every word he said. He loved me. I could feel the conviction in the words and taste the honesty on his lips when he kissed me.
“I want us to live together.” His words were like a whisper against my lips.
I kissed him back, pouring all of my emotions into that one kiss. I could feel my body heat with a warmth that only he created in me. His hands began to explore my body and I let him. Every touch and caress sent a new pleasurable sensation through my body. Sam was right. I would know when I was ready. I loved Tristin. I wanted to share myself with him.
“I love you, too,” I whispered across his lips.
Tristin tugged at the hem of my shirt, silently asking for permission. I pressed my lips to his in an answer. He slowly removed my shirt, leaving be bare to him.
Tristin kissed along my jawline down to my neck. I moaned as soon as his lips reached his favorite spot. It was my favorite spot too. I knew what he was doing. The same thing he had done before, he was marking me as his. I had always found hickeys atrocious until Tristin first marked me. I quickly changed my mind on the subject.
I fisted my hands in his hair, guiding him lower. He needed no further instruction as his lips found their way down my body. I didn’t know what I wanted but I knew that it felt right. Everything he did felt more than right, it felt amazing.
His lips trailed down my chest, in between the valley of my breast and down my flat stomach. He kissed a path along the waistband of my pants. I writhed beneath him in pleasure. As he slowly lowered my pants his lips left a trail of wet kisses. I moaned in delight, my hands fisted in his hair encouraging him to continue.
I completely gave myself over to Tristin. I trusted him. I trusted him with my body, my heart, and my life. He took his time making love to me with his mouth. It was a sensation I would never forget. After he had thoroughly made love to me with his mouth, he made love to me with his body. I gave him my innocence. He took his time with me. His lips locked on mine through the pain. Our kisses became more heated when the pain turned to pleasure.
We spent the rest of the night making love. He licked, kissed, and caressed every inch of my body, over and over again. We lay wrapped in one another’s arms talking in between bouts of lovemaking. We were finally able to take the time to get to know one another. I couldn’t believe how close I felt to him.
We had shared everything together, our bodies, our lives, and our hopes and dreams. Then we shared our bodies all over again. I had never known my body could reach such heights of pleasure until Tristin walked into my life.
I told him that I wasn’t sure if I was ready to share a living space with him every day, but I wouldn’t mind if he stayed over a few nights a week. I thought that having that talk with him would be a hard one. Tristin surprised me when he told me that he understood.
We both agreed that we would take baby steps into the living together direction. We would be spending a lot of time practicing for the team together and staying over once in a while. We would need some time apart. I was so grateful that Tristin understood. He even offered to help us move.
I hoped that Jeremy and Sam would be as understanding. We would all be sharing a house or apartment together. Everyone would have to be on board. I felt pretty confident that I would get their blessing.
The next morning when I got the two of them alone together, I had asked them how they felt, both Jeremy and Sam had both seemed very supportive which was comforting. Though, I had noticed that there was something different about Sam and Jeremy. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I knew it was there. I made a mental not to keep an eye on the two of them. Something was brewing and I wanted to know what. I didn’t really need to know. But come on, it’s two of my best friends. A girl has to know. It’s like an unspoken rule.
I was so excited to be moving into our new place. Ms. Grace had surprised us all when she announced that she would be moving in with Tristin and his dad. She would be moving at the same time we were so that Tristin and I wouldn’t have to be apart. I knew she really did it because she wanted to keep an eye on me. I didn’t care what the reason was. I was so happy that I wouldn’t have to leave her behind.
It didn’t take long for us to load everything we owned in the back of a U-Haul. All four of us shared the same truck, Me, Ms. Grace, Jeremy, and Sam. To be honest, I didn’t own much. I took everything that was mine from my bedroom and a few family photos. I left the furniture in my room as well as in the rest of the house. I canceled all of the utilities that were in my name and transferred them to our new house. Jeremy and Sam didn’t own much either. We decided that we were all going to start from scratch and build our new life.
Ms. Grace offered us her furniture since she wouldn’t need it now that she would be living at Tristin’s. We decided to accept it and build off of what she gave us to develop our own style.
The house we found was just a few blocks away from Cindy and Teddy’s as well as from Tristin’s. It gave us enough space apart so that we weren’t all right on top of one another, yet close enough that we were all just a short drive away.
I couldn’t wait for the adventure to start. This was a whole new chapter in our lives that was ready to be written.
Echo
A. D. Herrick
Copyright © 2017 A. D. Herrick
All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, events, or locales are coincidental and not intended by the author.
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
In loving memory of Betty J. Kilgore.
November 19, 1946 – December 27, 2016
Chapter One
How to be a teenage girl…
Allie rapidly typed into the search bar on her laptop. Hoping that she would find all the answers she needed on the small screen in front of her. She diligently pecked away at the keyboard. She had never been a teenage girl. At least not that she remembered anyway. Thinking that perhaps trying to be one now would help extinguish this restlessness inside her. Her skin itched and crawled beneath the surface. A soft hum of energy reverberated throughout her body. The feeling had been growing and growing with each passing day, driving her to near madness.
She sat cross-legged on the thick gray cotton rug in her living room, her laptop computer resting in her lap. Her jean clad legs warm from the heat radiating off the computer’s fan. She leaned back against the front of the charcoal gray suede sofa as she stretched her arms above her head. Tilting her head side to side she popped her neck. As each vertebra cracked and settled into place, a warm tingling sensation worked its way down her spine, and her pink, faded cotton t-shirt lifted to expose her midsection. She watched the search results populate her screen. Growing Impatient, she chewed at her bottom lip, dragging it between her teeth before releasing it with a plop – a nervous habit she had adopted since watching teen dramas on the television. She twisted her long brown hair into a messy bun on top of her head, securing it with a set of chopsticks that were left lying on the coffee table. It was a trick that took her weeks to master, having watching hours of demonstration videos online.
As the search results compiled on the screen Allie scrunched her nose up in frustration. She
scrolled through the results looking for one that fit her needs, none of which looked promising. “How to be a gorgeous teen… Not exactly what I was looking for. Come on, I know it’s here.” She said becoming anxious. ”How to have a great life when you’re a teen… Nope, not it,” She spat out irascibly letting out a huff of air. “How to be a perfect teen girl... Perfect!” Allie exclaimed excitedly to herself, clapping her hands, wiggling and shaking her body in excitement. Still full of glee, she clicked on the link to read the article, her attention laser focused on the screen in front of her.
Gleefully skipping past the introduction paragraph, she went straight to the highlighted points. “Keep smiling... I can do that, seems easy enough.” She spoke out loud optimistically. She set the laptop to the side and began practicing her smile. The corners of her mouth turning up, she smiled brightly, the whites of her teeth flashing as she tilted her head from side to side. Raising her right hand, fingers pressed together she smiled brightly and began waving softly, gently tilting her hand side to side. “Perfect, I am so going to be the best teen ever.” She said excitedly between clenched teeth trying not to break her smile.
“Practicing for a beauty pageant?” Sam razzed from across the room watching her practice her smile and wave. Annoyed Allie turned toward him, stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry. “Very mature Al.” Sam scolded from the door way. “I’m learning how to be a teenager.” Allie said excitedly, her eyes gleaming. Sam Paled. “Why would you do that?” Sam’s faced pulled in distaste. “I’ve never been a teenager and I want to be one now.” Allie said adamantly pursing her lips at his dejection.
Sam was bewildered. “I have never heard of anyone wanting to be a teenager. They usually want to skip straight to being an adult Al. What happened to your quest to train goldfish?” Allie scrunched up her face in distaste. “Why would anyone want to be a grown up? It’s boring and it makes you itchy. Besides, I doubt you know anything about being a teenager. Oh, and to answer your question, I got broken fish so I couldn’t train them.” She shrugged him off. ”They kept opening their mouth like they were trying to talk but nothing came out. How can I teach them how to ice skate if they can’t communicate with me? ” Sam chuckled warmly and turned his back on her, calling over his shoulder. “Have fun with learning to be a teenager, Al.” He walked out of the room leaving Allie to continue her research. Accustomed to Sam’s teasing, Allie returned her focus on practicing her smiling.
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