Awakened in September

by Kelsey Clayton

  Kayleigh: Morning. Can I come over?

  We need to talk.

  Staring at the words ‘we need to talk’, I remember it being the same thing I said to Bree when I wanted to break up with her. Fuck, she’s leaving me. Then again, she’s going to do that anyway once she finds out what I did last night. I sigh and type back a quick response.

  Me: Of course. I’ll be there in

  a few to pick you up.

  I grab the keys off my desk and head downstairs. Caleb and Jason are in the living room. I give Jay a quick nod but ignore Caleb entirely. He’s really been pissing me off lately, especially with the smug attitude he had yesterday. Kayleigh would only talk to him and he was rubbing it in my face.

  The drive over to campus is filled with nerves. As soon as I arrive, I send her a quick text. Bree may know about us now but I don’t think her seeing me would be a good idea. A few minutes later, Kayleigh emerges from the building and heads toward my car. The sight of her makes my pulse race.

  She gets in and thanks me softly, though I’m not exactly sure what for. When I notice her shivering, I turn up the heat. We ride back to the frat house in silence but it’s not awkward. My mind is going crazy with trying to figure out how I’ll break the news of my mistake last night. I don’t want to, per say, but it would be better if she found out from me than someone else.

  I pull into the driveway and she takes notice of the guys cleaning up the front yard.

  “Do you guys ever take the night off from partying?”

  “Nope. Well, not on weekends at least.” To be honest, it gets kind of annoying at times, but I don’t tell anyone that.

  When we walk in the door, I motion for her to follow me to the kitchen. I’m trying to buy some time before we go upstairs and she tells me she’s met someone else. I need to be around her just as much as I need to breathe, so I’ll take every second I can get.

  “Want something to drink?”

  She smiles. “Sure. Thank you.”

  Her tension is making me uneasy, but I try not to think about it. I take two waters out and then grab a small bottle from the cabinet. It’s something I picked up from the store the other day, knowing the lack of calories in it will help her adjust to drinking something other than straight water. I mix both drinks and hand one to her. She looks at it carefully.

  “Peach Iced Tea.” I clarify.

  She takes a sip and I can tell by the way her eyes widen that she likes it. Reaching over, she grabs the bottle of liquid and looks at the back of it – checking the calories. She glances at me and I wink, basking in the blush that coats her cheeks.

  I can see Caleb coming towards the kitchen so I quickly try to leave with Kayleigh. Unfortunately, I’m too late. The second we get to the door, he stops us.

  “Ah, Holden. Did you take Hailey home yet?”

  What the actual fuck, prick? If Kayleigh wasn’t here right now, I’d deck him straight in the face. My whole body freezes and the only thing I can think to do is play stupid.

  “Who?”

  He raises one eyebrow. “The girl who spent the night in your room.”

  My jaw clenches. He knows damn well she didn’t sleep here. “She left last night.”

  He nods and then pretends he’s just now noticing the girl standing next to me. “Oh, hey Kayleigh. I didn’t see you there.”

  I can’t stand here anymore. I grab Kay’s wrist and pull her with me. By the grace of God, she comes willingly. Once we get inside, I release her and shut the door – locking it so no one can come in and interrupt us.

  “Fucking asshole.” I sneer.

  My intention was to tell her myself, in a setting where it didn’t seem like I was hiding something. I could have explained how much of a mistake it was and that it meant nothing. Instead, Caleb had to go and fucking ruin it because he’s jealous.

  I put my drink down and climb next to her on the bed. “I’m sorry.” We both say at the same time. My eyes narrow slightly. “What are you apologizing for?”

  “Our argument yesterday. It was wrong of me to put the blame entirely on you.”

  I can’t help but smile. “You think?”

  She rolls her eyes, amused. “Wait, what were you apologizing for?”

  “Caleb.” I all but whisper.

  “I take it you hooked up with her?”

  Breaking our eye contact, I fiddle with my hands and nod. “I was mad. I got drunk and you weren’t answering me, and it just kind of happened.” My explanation sounds ridiculous but what else can I say? A few minutes pass and she still hasn’t replied. “Please say something.”

  She exhales loudly and looks up at the ceiling. “What do you want me to say, Holden? That I’m ok with you hooking up with some bimbo? Because I’m not. But you and I aren’t together, so it’s not really up to me what you do.”

  The fact that she’s not halfway out the door by now has me speechless. Never in a million years did I think she would still be sitting here after finding that out, but she hasn’t left. I settle on saying the only thing I can think of that won’t go wrong. “I’m sorry.”

  “Do you like her?”

  “No.” I answer without hesitation. “It was just sex. Honestly, I closed my eyes and pretended it was you.”

  That makes her laugh. “That poor girl.”

  “I don’t think she really cared.”

  “You told her?!” She asks, surprised.

  I chuckle. “Kind of. I told her to stop talking because it was making it hard to imagine she was someone else.”

  Thinking back on it now, it was probably a dick move but it worked. She went quiet and I was able to finish with the mental image that it was Kayleigh beneath me. When she left, she put her number in my phone and told me to call her sometime. Needless to say, I deleted it as soon as she walked out the door.

  “So, is that what I am? Just sex?”

  I have to keep myself from spilling word vomit. My mouth stays shut until I can figure out what to say without telling her too much. I smile when it comes to me. “No. You’re my best friend, and I mean that in the least platonic way possible.”

  She opens the bottle of iced tea and brings it to her mouth. “Some would call that a girlfriend.”

  “Is that what you want to be called?” Please say yes. For the love of God, please say yes.

  Her head shakes immediately. “No. Like I told you. I don’t want to be the next girl you end up cheating on, and last night proves exactly what I meant by that.”

  I mentally groan. “Touché.”

  Knowing she isn’t running, I can’t hold back anymore. I close the gap between us and press my lips to hers. It catches her by surprise but she kisses back anyway. When we break away, she has a look on her face that scares me.

  “Can we come to an agreement?”

  “Uh oh.”

  She giggles. “No. Just… if we hook up with anyone else, can we not kiss the person? It seems intimate.”

  An involuntary smirk appears on my face. “I kiss you.”

  “That’s different.” She waves me off. “Like you said, I’m your best friend.” Her tongue pokes out teasingly.

  To be honest, I wouldn’t mind never kissing someone other than her for the rest of my life, but I sure as hell won’t be telling her that. Besides, the thought of her kissing someone else causes me to feel things I don’t particularly like. “Okay, no kissing other people. That’s fine.”

  She grins proudly and turns so her head is lying in my lap. I can’t believe she didn’t leave, even after finding out about Hailey. This is definitely not how I thought this morning would go. I run my fingers through her hair, so glad I’m still able to do this.

  “So, Bree is requesting a new roommate. She wants me to stay elsewhere until we get new rooms.”

  Before I have time to think about it, words are pouring out of my mouth. “Well, if you want you can stay here. Mi casa es su casa.”

  My heart starts to race at the thought of what I just said. Offering to l
ive together? Have I lost my mind? She won’t date me, let alone live with me. Why is it that when it comes to this girl, I lose all sense of logic?

  She rolls her eyes but when she smiles afterwards, I know she isn’t mad. “Your casa is also like twenty other guys’ casa.”

  “Tomato Potato.”

  Her hand comes up and smacks her forehead. “It’s tomayto tomahto.”

  I grin in the way I know she can’t resist. “I know, but I made you laugh.”

  Using her flustered moment to my advantage, I lick my lips and kiss her softly. I hadn’t really intended on it becoming anything heated but I can’t help myself when she pulls me closer. Her fingers interlace in my hair and I grind myself against her.

  “Please tell me you’re mine for the rest of the day.”

  Sadly, she shakes her head. “I’m going to the movies with a friend.”

  “What friend?”

  A nervous expression appears on her face. “His name’s Dawson. I met him at the coffee house yesterday. He’s cool, you’d like him.”

  So that is who she was with in that picture. I was going to ask about it, but if I’ve learned anything about Kayleigh, it’s that sending someone to spy on her would only piss her off. It’s better if she doesn’t know.

  “So, you have a date?” I ask the question even though the answer terrifies me.

  She sits up and faces me, looking completely serious. “Not a date. He has a girlfriend.”

  “Means nothing.”

  “Maybe not to you.” Okay, ouch. “He doesn’t get out of work until three though, so I’m yours until then.”

  That’s still hours away. I raise my eyebrows and she pushes me backwards. Suddenly, I remember my offer has still gone unanswered. “Will you come back here after?”

  The moment she nods, happiness radiates through my entire being. I reconnect our kiss and lay her back, running my hands up her sides. She moans as my tongue explores her mouth. It’s amazing to me how she’s the only person to ever make me feel these things. In order to even stay hard last night, I had to close my eyes and envision it was Kayleigh – but nothing beats the real thing.

  She pulls my shirt over my head and rolls us so I’m lying on my back and she’s next to me. Her fingernails lightly drag down my torso. When her eyes hover on one spot, I look down to see what she’s focused on. There are three light hickeys along my pant line, left there by Hailey.

  “I really am sorry.” I whisper.

  She bites her lip before bending down and placing her mouth over the first one. She sucks the small section of skin into her mouth, leaving her own mark over top of the original. I watch her with my heart pounding loudly inside my chest. Her actions are so possessive as she repeats them over each of the three love bites but I don’t mind. She’s absolutely mesmerizing. Make me yours, babe.

  BY THE TIME KAYLEIGH leaves with Dawson, I’m having trouble holding in my anger. Between her going to the movies with some guy and Caleb’s douchebag move from earlier, I’m fuming. I watch from the door as Kayleigh smiles brightly in the passenger seat. When they pull away, I turn around to see Caleb leaning against the kitchen counter. I storm into the room, ignoring Jason and Jesse.

  “What the fuck is your problem?”

  He rolls his eyes. “My problem is that you’re a piece of shit. You have a great girl right in front of your face, and yet you still fuck random chicks at parties. I’m not sorry I blew up your spot. She had the right to know.”

  “I was going to tell her myself!”

  “Yeah, right.” He snorts. “You never own up to anything. She deserves so much better than you.”

  “You think I don’t know that?! You think I don’t grasp how perfect she is?! I wake up every morning, praying to God that she doesn’t realize she’s a fucking goddess and I’m just some stupid frat boy. But if you think you’re going to be the reason that happens, you’ve got another thing coming. She could be with you but she’s not – she’s with me. So be a man and get the fuck over it!”

  All of them are stunned into silence. I turn around and march out the door, slamming it shut as I leave.

  Chapter Eighteen

  It feels like hours pass until Kayleigh finally gets back from her ‘not-date’ with the barista. After going off on Caleb, I went for a drive. When I got back, I went straight to my room. Not a single one of them dared to say a word to me. Since then, I’ve been listening to music while trying not to pace.

  My door opens and Kayleigh walks in, smiling at me as soon as our eyes meet. I take out my headphones and put them on the nightstand. Making grabby hands at her, she chuckles and puts her purse on the desk before climbing onto the bed. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.

  “How was the movie?”

  She lays her head against my chest and hums as I run my fingers through her hair. “It was good. I had fun.”

  “Did he try anything?”

  “No.” She snickers. “I told you, he has a girlfriend. Your jealousy is adorable, though.”

  I scoff. “I’m not jealous.”

  “Oh, you’re not?” I shake my head. “Good, then you won’t be mad when I tell you I got a job at the coffee house.”

  “You what?!”

  She sits up and looks at me. “Yeah, I mean, he’s an awesome friend and wants me to work with him. I think we’d have fun. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra money.”

  “Baby, you don’t need money. I can pay for everything we do.”

  Her eyes roll. “That’s not the point, Holden. I really want to do this. It’ll get me out more, and since I’ve already lost Bree – you can’t be the only person I have here.”

  “Why not?” I pout.

  She coos and leans over to press a kiss to my puffed bottom lip. “You’re cute, but I’m not changing my mind.”

  As I sigh, she lays back down and cuddles into my side. I rest my head on top of hers and rub my thumb over her hip. She was right, I’m insanely jealous. Every minute she spends at work with Dawson is just time she won’t be spending with me. My stomach churns as I think about them being together so much. I don’t like this.

  THE NEXT MORNING, KAYLEIGH excitedly leaves for her first day at the coffee house – kissing me goodbye and heading out the door. I watch out the window as she climbs into Dawson’s car. There is something about him that irks me.

  “I never took Kayleigh as the type to date two guys at one time.” Caleb says from my doorway.

  I grumble lowly. “They’re just friends.”

  “Then why do you look like you want to strangle him with your bare hands?”

  “Is there something you needed or did you just come in here to be a pain in my ass?”

  He raises his eyebrows and chuckles softly. “Damn. You’re hostile when it comes to her.”

  I’m in no mood to deal with this. I walk towards him and lightly press my hand against his chest – pushing him back and closing the door in his face. I can hear his irritating laugh as he walks down the hallway. Dick.

  I take out my phone and send her a quick text, trying not to seem too clingy.

  Me: Have a good first day at work.

  Don’t let him try anything with you.

  Her response is practically instantaneous.

  Kayleigh: Yes Dad.

  Me: Don’t roll your eyes at me young lady.

  P.S. I’d prefer Daddy.

  Kayleigh: Never going to happen.

  I can’t help but smile at the way she shut that down before it even began.

  Me: Noted.

  Me: Seriously though, I have a

  bad feeling this job is just his way of

  getting more time around you.

  Kayleigh: Him and I are friends, Holden.

  Me: So are we.

  Kayleigh: Not the same.

  At work now. Have to go. :-*

  Trying to ignore the feeling in my stomach from the stupid kiss emoji is easier said than done. I don’t understand any of this. I’ve never
been so hung up on a girl that I actually worried when she was around another guy. I just want her to spend every moment of her free time with me, not someone else. This is all new to me and I’m not sure I like it.

  A COUPLE DAYS PASS, and I can no longer resist the urge to go see Kayleigh at work. All I’ve heard since she started there is how great Dawson is. I figure it’s time for me to meet the guy who could potentially be trying to steal her from me – not that she’s even mine to begin with.

  I pull up to the coffee house. It’s a small place with a big sign above the entrance. DOLCE. Taking a second before I go inside, I can see Kayleigh through the window. She’s leaning against the counter while her and Dawson are talking about something. When he steps closer to her, I decide to make my entrance. She’s focused on her phone as I approach the counter, so she doesn’t see me yet.

  “How can I help you?”

  “Well, you could start with your phone number.” I quip.

  Her head snaps up with eyes widened. She seems flustered for a moment and I watch her blatantly check me out. Almost as if she realizes her actions, she shakes herself out of it and smirks.

  “Mmm, you’re not my type, sorry.”

  What? Is she just saying that because he’s here? “Oh? And what is your type?”

  She looks back at Dawson for a second and I feel my stomach churn. Thankfully, she returns her focus to me before I make a fool of myself. “Hockey players, frat boys, you know.”

  When all the tension leaves my body, I feign surprise. “Well, lucky for you I’m both of those.”

  She giggles. “You don’t say.”

  When I lean on the counter, Kayleigh steps back. It’s not that I was going to kiss her but knowing she doesn’t want me to, is slightly disappointing. I play it off well, however, and instead decide to look for the guy who has been stealing all her time.

  “So, where’s your new beau?” I stretch forward to see past the coffee machines.

  She turns toward her new friend. “Daws, please tell him you’re interests do not involve getting in my pants.”