We Belong Together

by E. L. Todd

  “How is that different from any other night?” I teased.

  “Well, if you were drunk it wouldn’t be the end of the world either…” He sipped his drink and looked away.

  I recalled his story of our first kiss. Apparently, I was ripping his clothes off because I wanted him right then and there. I guess I was brave when I was drunk, fearless.

  Trinity downed her beer then held up the cup in victory. “One down!”

  Slade eyed her. “I guess I’m DD tonight.”

  “Me too,” Cayson said with a sigh.

  “We haven’t had fun in ages,” Trinity said. “I say we get drunk off our asses!”

  “That sounds good to me!” I downed my drink but only drank half before I needed a break. I liked beer but it wasn’t my favorite.

  Slade rolled his eyes. “I guess Cayson and I will entertain ourselves while you do that.”

  “Okay.” Trinity grabbed my hand and we walked away, getting into trouble like always.

  ***

  “Look, I’m humpty dumpty.” Trinity fell off the couch and started laughing. She laughed so hard tears ran down her cheeks.

  I pointed at her and laughed. “God, you’re stupid.”

  “No, you’re stupid.” She tried to hit my knee but fell over again.

  “You want to take a hit?” A guy held out a doobie to me.

  “Sure!” I grabbed it and brought it to my lips.

  Cayson snatched it away. “No drugs.” He passed it back to the guy. “Ignore her.”

  The guy turned away.

  I rolled my eyes, and just the act alone made my head spin. “Geez, Cayson. You’re so lame.”

  “I know.” He headed back to Slade and talked to him again.

  Trinity laughed. “Your man is boring.”

  “Your man is a walking STD.”

  She suddenly became thoughtful. “I wonder if I have anything…”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

  She shrugged. “I’m a whore.”

  “Such a whore.” I hit her knee but ended up falling off the couch.

  Trinity pointed at me. “Humpty dumpty!”

  “Guilty!” My face felt hot and my body was moving in slow motion. I kept laughing, not sure what was so funny.

  “Easy targets,” a guy said as he came to our side. “Hey, you girls need a ride?”

  Slade suddenly appeared and growled at him like a dog.

  The guy immediately backed off.

  Trinity let her head fall back as she laughed. “He totally acts like a gorilla! See?”

  I started making monkey noises. “Me. Want. Banana.”

  Trinity fell over laughing. “Oh my god!” Then she sat up and beat her chest with her fists. “King Kong!”

  “Donkey Kong!” I copied her and beat my chest.

  “Go to hell,” Slade muttered.

  “Go climb a tree,” Trinity snapped.

  Slade rolled his eyes. “I hate you.”

  Trinity tried to reach for him even though he was five feet away. “No, I love you! I love you so much!”

  Slade the crowd, suddenly noticing all the attention he was getting.

  “I fucking love you!” Trinity yelled. “I want to have all your babies! Five of them!”

  “You’ll have twins,” I yelled. “Because Slade is a twin!”

  “Oh my god!” Trinity yelled. “That would be so cute! Awe!”

  “And they’ll look like monkeys,” I said.

  “Even cuter,” she squealed.

  “Stop talking,” Slade snapped. “Keep it down.”

  “You’re so hot,” Trinity blurted. “Turn around and show Skye your fine ass.”

  “Eww,” I said. “He’s my cousin!”

  Slade was turning red in the face. “Okay, it’s time to go home…”

  “Hey, who’s dick is bigger?” Trinity asked. “Yours or Cayson’s?”

  I held my hands apart, trying to measure Cayson’s size. “I think Cayson’s is this big…”

  Cayson grabbed my hands and pushed them together. “Time for bed.”

  “No.” I whined like a child. “We’re having so much fun!”

  “We’ll have fun when we get home,” he said as he pulled me to my feet.

  “Show Trinity how nice your ass is,” I said. “Turn around.” I tried to move out of his grasp but he held me still.

  Cayson sighed then swung me over his shoulder.

  I was face-to-face with his ass. I squeezed each cheek. “Yum!”

  “I’m getting her out of here before she starts flashing everyone,” Cayson said.

  “Good idea,” Slade said, picking up Trinity.

  “Would you be mad if I flashed everyone?” Trinity asked with an evil smirk.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Slade said with a growl. “Otherwise I won’t show you my fine ass.”

  Trinity pouted. “But I love that thing.”

  “Then keep your shirt down,” Slade threatened.

  “You’re such a dumb monkey,” she said.

  Slade rolled his eyes and didn’t say anything. “See you later, Cayson.”

  “Good luck with her,” he said.

  “You too,” Slade said with a sigh.

  Cayson got me into the car, but I wouldn’t sit still. I turned up the music and started singing and dancing. Cayson smirked as he watched me out of the corner of his eye. Then I rolled out the window and stuck my head out like a dog, screaming while I sang.

  Cayson kept his silence and drove to his apartment.

  When we got inside, he carried me to his bedroom. I was still restless, wanting to keep drinking and being wild. I wished Trinity were there. She was always so much fun.

  “Time for bed,” Cayson announced.

  “No!” I sat up then pushed him away. “More beer!”

  “You hate beer,” he said with a laugh.

  “But I love you…”

  “I’m not following.”

  I stared at his broad shoulders and wide chest. He had such beautiful blue eyes, the kind you could get lost in. “I want you…” I pulled my shirt off and yanked my bra off, breaking a strap in the process.

  “Just go to bed, Skye.”

  “No!” I stood up then stumbled. “I want sex!” Then I started laughing for no reason.

  He gripped my waist then pulled me back to the bed.

  “Don’t be a pussy!” I swatted his arm then pulled off my jeans. When they got stuck around my ankles, I growled. “Stupid pants! They’re broken.”

  Cayson kneeled then pulled them off. “I fixed them.”

  “You’re a genius.” I swatted my forehead. “How did you not get into medical school? You’re, like, the smartest guy I’ve ever known.”

  He shrugged but didn’t say anything.

  “They are stupid, Cayson. Don’t let them get you down.”

  “Thanks. But I’m okay.”

  I grabbed my thong and pulled it off. “Now let’s get dirty.”

  He smirked while he watched me.

  I yanked on his jeans and tried to get them down without undoing the button. “Shit, these are broken too.”

  He laughed then undid the button.

  “You should be the President of the United States!”

  “I’ll think about it.” He kicked off his jeans.

  I yanked his boxers down and revealed his cock. “So pretty…”

  “What?” He narrowed his eyes. “No guy wants to hear that.”

  “But he is pretty.” I grabbed the base then shoved the tip into my mouth, licking and sucking.

  He moaned and his head rolled back for a moment. He enjoyed it for a second before he pulled out of my mouth. “You need to go to bed.”

  “No!” I smacked his thigh. “Sex. Now.”

  “You’re drunk.”

  “So?” I stammered. “Don’t be such a good guy. It’s boring.”

  “You like that I’m a good guy,” he argued.

  “Not right now. Come on, take advantage
of me. Be a dick for once in your life.”

  His eyes darkened while he stared at me. “I’ll never take advantage of you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Ugh, you’re annoying.” I grabbed his arm then yanked him to the bed. Then I pulled off his shirt and pushed him down. “I want sex and you’re going to give it to me.”

  “Bossy…”

  “You’re just a pussy.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m not a pussy. I’m just a gentleman.”

  “Same fucking thing.”

  “Fine.” He grabbed me and rolled me to my back. “You want drunk sex. I’ll give it to you.”

  “Yay!” I fisted the air in victory.

  He moved over me and pinned my legs back. Then he was inside me instantly.

  “Oh my god, this is great!”

  He rocked into me hard. “Stop talking.”

  My nails moved into his ass, wanting him to go faster. “Harder!”

  “Shit, this is as fast as I go,” he said through his heavy breathing.

  “Yes!” I hit my climax immediately, my head rolling back. “You’re so good at that.”

  Cayson kept going, taking longer to get off than normal. He finally found his release with a loud moan, sweat dripping from his chest and forehead. He released a deep breath and pulled out of me before he lay beside me. “Now shut up and go to bed.”

  I was already asleep.

  ***

  Blinding pain radiated through my head. It pounded inside my skull, making me cringe and curl into a ball. It was like someone was blaring bass in my mind. My eyes fluttered open, and the light from the window only made me feel worse. My arm searched for Cayson beside me but he wasn’t there.

  I sat up slightly, rubbing my forehead. I felt terrible, sick and weak. My eyes squinted as I adjusted to the light. I looked around, seeing the Cayson was indeed gone.

  “Cayson?” I called.

  No response.

  Where was he? I reached for my phone on the nightstand even though it wasn’t there. It was somewhere in my purse. But I found a note.

  Went to get coffee and breakfast. Be back soon.

  At least nourishment was on the way. I desperately needed a cup of coffee and something in my stomach. I rubbed my head again, feeling the thud crash against my skull.

  I immediately opened his nightstand and searched for a bottle of painkillers. Condoms were littered inside as well as lube and Vaseline. I pushed them aside and kept looking, feeling the headache become worse with every passing second.

  I found a stack of envelopes and tossed them on his nightstand. Finally, I found the bottle and twisted the cap off. I didn’t mess around and swallowed three pills without any water. Now I just had to wait for the pain to disappear.

  I took a deep breath then tossed the bottle back inside along with his other items. When I reached the envelopes, I spotted the one on top. It was from Stanford.

  Anger welled inside me when I remembered he was rejected. What were they thinking? They were the ones missing out on a phenomenal student, if you ask me. The letter was sticking out slightly and I noticed a random sentence.

  It’s our pleasure to accept you to the Stanford Medical Program…

  What? Did I read the right? I squinted my eyes and read the sentence again.

  What. The. Fuck.

  Invading his privacy, I snatched the letter and opened it, reading through it. When I got to the end, I felt sick to my stomach. Not only was he accepted, but he was offered a full ride.

  Why did he lie?

  This was his dream school. He told me that when we were sixteen. He’d been working his ass off his entire life to get this opportunity.

  Now he didn’t want it?

  This wasn’t making sense.

  I disregarded any morals I had and looked through the rest of his mail. Every single one was an acceptance letter to a medical problem. He wasn’t on a single waitlist.

  What was going on?

  I finally reached the last one, the one from NYU. I opened it and read it.

  He was rejected. It was the only one he wasn’t accepted to.

  I processed everything, trying to disregard the pain behind my eyes. He was accepted into plenty of medical schools, including his first choice. But he told me he wasn’t accepted anywhere.

  Why?

  The front door opened and closed.

  My whole body jumped and I quickly shoved everything back into his nightstand, trying to hide the fact I went through his personal belongings. I shut the drawer and lay down just as Cayson opened the door.

  “You’re awake.” He came inside then sat at the edge of the bed.

  “Yeah…”

  “You look horrible.” His hand moved through my hair, soothing me.

  I knew it was because of what I just read, not the hang over. “Yeah…I’ve felt better.”

  He kissed my forehead tenderly. “You need any Aspirin?”

  I didn’t want him to know I was in his nightstand. “No, I had some in my purse.”

  “Okay. I’m going to get breakfast started. You must be hungry.”

  “I am.” I stared into his eyes, unable to believe he would lie to me so easily.

  “I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” He kissed my forehead again then stood up.

  I watched him walk out, my mind full of confusion and pain.

  What was going on?

  Chapter Ten

  Skye

  I need to talk to you. Now.

  Trinity texted me back immediately. What’s wrong?

  Can you meet?

  I’m in the library.

  No! Not there. Somewhere private.

  What’s with the secrecy?

  I needed to go somewhere where we wouldn’t be seen or overheard. Meet me at the coffee shop down the road.

  Should I bring my stun gun and night goggles too?

  Shut up and meet me there ASAP.

  Which one? You want me to shut up or meet you there?

  God, I hated her sometimes. Both if you can manage it.

  I got to the coffee shop first but I didn’t order anything. I was shaking with the nerves that couldn’t be stilled. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

  Trinity arrived then joined me at the table. “Please don’t tell me you’re pregnant.”

  “I’m not in the mood for jokes,” I hissed.

  “I wasn’t joking.” She stood up then put her purse down. “I’m getting a latte. You want anything.”

  “No. Now sit. This is serious.”

  She sighed then sat down. “Serious, like the nail lady messed up on your pedicure, or serious like you think you failed an exam?”

  “Neither.”

  She leaned over the table close to me. “I’m all ears.”

  “Okay…you know how Cayson said he didn’t get into school anywhere?”

  “Yes…” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

  “Well, he was lying.”

  Both of her eyebrows shot up. “What?”

  “He lied. I went through his mail and found all the letters. He was accepted everywhere. He even got a full ride from Stanford.”

  Her eyes were about to fall out of her head. “But that doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know! The only school he didn’t get into was New York.”

  She stared at me with wide eyes and shook her head slightly. “I can’t believe he would lie like that…and why?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out…”

  “Have you said anything to him?” she asked.

  “No. I’ve been in shock.”

  She covered her lips with her hands while she remained lost in thought. She stared out the window looking at nothing in particular.

  I stared at her, waiting for a response.

  “You know who has the answers, right?”

  “Who?” I blurted.

  “Slade. We can talk to him.”

  “You think Slade knows anything?” I asked incredulously.

 
; “Oh yeah, definitely. I know they tell each other everything.”

  “But Slade didn’t tell Cayson about you,” I argued. “Cayson probably didn’t tell Slade because he knew Slade would tell you, who would tell me.”

  “It’s worth a shot,” she said. “Because I can’t think of an explanation. Maybe he’s scared or something?”

  “Cayson isn’t scared of anything,” I said quietly.

  She looked out the window again, thinking. Suddenly, her eyes brightened like a light bulb went off in her head.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “He didn’t get into New York.” She said it like she found the cure to AIDS.

  “Your point…?”

  “Every other school is on the other side of the country—away from you. He isn’t going because he doesn’t want to leave you, and since New York rejected him, he’s going to apply again next year. It all makes sense.”

  “You think?”

  She nodded. “He lied to you because he knew you’d make him go anyway.”

  I covered my face while I processed her words. Was that the truth?

  Trinity sighed. “That has to be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. Cayson is giving up his dream just to be with you.”

  I was still in shock, processing it.

  “Cayson literally loves you more than anything, including the thing he’s been working toward his entire life.”

  I didn’t know what to think. My heart hurt just thinking about it. It did sound like something Cayson would do. “I can’t believe he did that…”

  “I can.” Her eyes were full of confidence.

  “That’s so sweet.”

  “Really sweet,” she agreed.

  My head was pounding with the revelation.

  “What are you thinking?” she whispered.

  “A million things…”

  “Why don’t you guys just do a long distance relationship?” she asked. “You both get what you want.”

  “For three years?” I asked incredulously. “We’ll grow apart and become different people. Then we’ll resent each other. And then we might lose our friendship altogether. I love our relationship, but I love our friendship more. If I lost him completely, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

  “I guess I understand that. Why don’t you move to California and find something there?”

  “I guess I could do that…” Even though I didn’t want to—at all. “But my dad is depending on me. He’s been preparing to give the company to me for years. He’s excited to retire. And if I don’t take it, who will? Roland is doing his own thing, you’re in fashion, and no offense to Conrad, but he can’t do it…”