Break My Fall

by Chloe Walsh

  “Shh baby, don’t cry.” I would have given a kidney to stop the pain for her. I knew how she felt; I was feeling it too. It shredded me to know that I was the cause. I was destroying this amazing girl, piece by piece.

  She clung to me like a child and I held her tighter. Her eyes were clenched shut; she couldn’t look at me either. “I can’t help it, Kyle you’re hurting me so bad,” Lee said and I swear that was a new low point in my life.

  “I don’t want to hurt you baby,” I whispered, hoping she’d believe me, but that’s what I do, I fuck things up. I’m not good for you Lee, I’m destroying you.” I needed her to walk away from me, while I could still let her go, but she held onto me even tighter, her frail fingers clasping my shirt.

  “I love you,” she whispered. Her eyes met mine and my heart fucking leapt out of my chest. “I'm so in love with you, please, please don’t leave me again,” she repeated.

  I was drowning in an overwhelming cocktail of emotion. My heart was bouncing between utter possessiveness and sheer adoration for her. Fuck staying away from her, I couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted so bad not to let her down again. I wanted to deserve her love.

  I stood up with my new found resolve and carried her inside. “Shh, baby I’m here, I’m not leaving anymore.” I wasn’t. I couldn’t. I carried her upstairs her to her room; there was no fucking way I was leaving her tonight.

  I sat her on the bed and undressed her, and then undressed myself. Tonight there would be no more barriers. Lee had blown them clean out of the water anyway.

  I pulled back the covers and laid her into bed, then climbed in beside her and drew her into me. I felt her body relax against mine and then I did something with Lee that I had never done with anyone before. I made love.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Lee

  I knew I was asleep but on the cusp of waking up. The wonderful dream I was having pulled further away from my reach as I was dragged into consciousness. Sunlight poured into the room and I tried to twist myself u, but couldn’t move. I was trapped under six feet two inches of man and muscle.

  Kyle’s face was tucked into the crook of my neck, his arm and leg thrown over my chest and legs and he was naked. I wiggled out from underneath him and turned on my side. I was also very much naked.

  Kyle grunted softly in his sleep, his hand snaked around my waist pulling my back up against him, his face nuzzled into my neck. He mumbled something incoherent and shifted closer. He curled against me, fast asleep, his penis pressed against my butt. He was aroused; he was rock hard.

  I couldn’t keep my mind in the present as the memory of last night flooded into me. He had come back. I had truly thought it was over, but Kyle had come back for me and taken me to my room.

  My toes curled when I remembered his gentle touch as he undressed me and took me in his arms, kissing away every one of my doubts, touching me as if I was made of glass. He had been different last night. He had been with me, really, truly, completely with me.

  He didn’t fuck me.

  Last night he made love to me.

  He’d taken precautions and I had been amazed to watch him slide on a condom with such ease. I had been so overwhelmed with my feelings for him, overflowing as I responded to kisses, touching him in a way I would normally be too shy. Last night there had been nothing separating us and everything pulling us together.

  My heart skipped and I tucked into Kyle’s embrace, wanting to feel as close to him as I was my own skin, but those pesky doubts gnawed away at me until I was questioning everything.

  What if he was back to the old Kyle today? What if he ignored me again until I left the room? What if last night was a one off and it didn’t mean as much to him as it had to me? Oh god, talking about dousing the fire, I was cold to the bone now. I pulled away from him again.

  “You keep running away from me.” His voice was gruff as he clamped a strong hand down on my hip.

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered, unsure as to what to say.

  He pulled himself up on one elbow and lowered me onto my back with the other. I went easily. “Are you sorry?” he asked, stroking my cheek with his thumb, as he looked down at me, “About last night I mean, do you regret it?”

  I stared up at his face and gasped. “What happened to your face?” I touched his cut lip with my fingers; he also had a cut over his left eye and a bruise on his cheek.

  He shook his head and smiled. “I told you, I had something to do last night.”

  I pulled myself up on my elbows. “Something that caused you to get beat up?”

  He grinned, his dimple stretching the skin under the bruise. “You should see the other guy,” he chuckled, skimming his thumb across my cheek.

  Even all battered up; I’d never seen anything so perfect or beautiful in my life. God I was so in love with him.

  “Do you regret last night?” he asked again, this time there was a nervous tone to his voice and vulnerability in his eyes. I reached up and smoothed his worried brow.

  I shook my head. “Do you?” I whispered, needing to hear his answer.

  He smiled down at me, stroking my cheek. He leaned down and kissed me softly. “I could never regret you princess. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes,” he sighed contently. “I’ve never seen or felt anything so fucking close to perfect as you.”

  I studied him, his eyes were full of truth and my breath caught in my throat. Closing my eyes, I exhaled deeply. “Please don’t ignore me again Kyle, that’s all I’m ever going to ask from you, just to not ignore me.”

  He shuddered and closed his eyes. He pulled me close to him and whispered into my ear, “I won’t leave you again baby.”

  LEE

  “Do you want to see him before we leave?” Cam was piling our bags into the trunk of her ford focus.

  “I don’t think so. I mean, I know he’s alive and going to be okay. I am glad for him, but that’s all I can feel for him right now.”

  Cam smiled. “Good, I’m happy for you babe.” She gave me a one armed hug and I melted into her side. “Uh, oh, lover boy is coming,” she said and pointed towards Kyle.

  I’d told Cam about last night, not every detail, but the important part that Kyle and I had made up. She took it well, much better than I had anticipated, considering all the warnings she had given me. I had a feeling she knew how Kyle got those cuts and bruises because Derek was sporting a black eye.

  “Are you going to tell me what the boys did last night to get those bruises?” I asked for the third time this morning.

  Cam shrugged nonchalantly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Oh, she knew all right, but the way she kept denying it made me think that I’d be better off not knowing. I decided to let it go.

  “Are we really bringing the flea bag with us?” Kyle asked as he approached us with a grumpy looking Bruno on a leash. I had to laugh at the nervous look on Kyle’s face.

  “Yes.” Cam and I said together.

  “Well, he can ride with you and Derek,” Kyle said, handing the leash to Cam. “He keeps giving me this evil dog stare. It’s freaking me out.”

  Cam took Bruno’s leash and opened the car door for him. “He can smell your fear,” Cam chuckled as Bruno jumped in, she closed the door. “And he’s sizing you up, to see if you’re good enough for his girl.”

  Kyle grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder, causing me to yelp in surprise. “Yeah, well see that dog? She’s my girl now,” he laughed, slapping my ass.

  Bruno started barking and pawing at the window. “Ooh, you’re so brave when he’s locked inside the car,” Cam choked out through fits of laughter. “Let’s see how brave you’d be when I leave him out.”

  She motioned towards the door handle and Kyle placed me back down, holding his hands out in front of him. “Let’s not do anything hasty,” he said, edging closer to his truck. My stomach was churning from Kyle throwing me over his shoulder. “You coming princess?” he called, opening the passenger door for me.

>   I covered my mouth with my hand and held two fingers up, before making a sprint for the house.

  I made it to the bathroom just in time to empty the contents of my stomach.

  I knew drinking was a bad idea. I should have learned my lesson the last few times.

  “Whoa, hard night Lee?” Derek laughed, walking past the open door laughing.

  I got up and cleaned myself up.

  This was going to be a long drive home.

  Kyle

  “Are you okay princess?” Lee’s face was white as a ghost when she came out of the house.

  She smiled weakly as I lifted her into the passenger seat of my truck. “I drank too much last night. I’ll be fine in a little while,” she said quietly.

  I couldn’t argue with that, Cam had fed her too many shots. I shut her door, ran around and hopped into the driver’s seat. Lee’s pale, tired face made my heart constrict. “You’ll tell me if you’re feeling sick again right?”

  She nodded and laid her head back.

  I pulled away from her old house, fucking thrilled at the thought of taking her home to Boulder as mine. Everything else could wait, because right now I wanted to focus on the amazing girl beside me.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Lee

  The next few weeks were like my own little slice of heaven. I ate, drank and slept Kyle Carter. He was filling up the largest contours of my heart. Kyle had stayed true to his word. He hadn’t ignored me, not once since that night at my father’s house.

  Instead, he lavished me with attention and I loved every second of it. I wasn’t sure what we were exactly; we never titled our relationship, but I knew he had no other women. He spent all his free time with me. He always touched me when we were alone together, held my hand or made some intimate gesture.

  “I’m making sure any horny little shits that think about looking twice at you, know you’re mine,” is what he told me the other night when I asked him why he branded my neck with a love bite. He didn’t need to do any of that, because, God knows I was his, heart and soul, every slither of me was irrevocably his.

  Kyle didn’t touch me in front of anybody besides Derek and Cam and it stung a little, but he was coming around slowly. I just had to have patience and have a little faith in him.

  He came into the restaurant every time I had a shift, minus the dates now. Now he came with Derek or by himself. My heart contracted in my chest every time I saw him in in my section.

  Mike had backed off quite a bit since I came back from Louisiana. He didn’t eat lunch with me anymore or ask me out again. Of course, I did not tell Kyle about Mike hitting on me.

  I didn’t want anything to burst the bubble we were in. They truly disliked one another and I was yet to discover the reason.

  Bruno was even beginning to warm to him, happy every time Kyle took him out for a walk. I guessed Kyle was trying to win my old dog’s affection, especially since he bought Bruno his very own doggy bed and allowed him to sleep in the kitchen. Kyle was so blindingly beautiful; I had a hard time focusing on work when he was there. Truth be told, I was having a hard time focusing on anything besides Kyle.

  “There you are.” A familiar deep voice whispered in my ear.

  I shivered, as two strong arms came around my waist and pulled me against a warm muscled chest. The cleaning rag and can of polish I was holding, fell from my hands.

  “Why aren’t you at college? I thought you had classes today?” I admonished gently, as Kyle nipped at my neck with his teeth. “I’m trying to work.” It was a feeble argument, one I would lose.

  “Just one class,” he murmured. “And you can’t expect me to able to concentrate in class, when I know you’re in my office looking like that,” I moaned as his hands moved up to cup my breasts. “Baby you’re so distracting, I think I need to change your job description.”

  I laid my head back against his chest, panting. “Oh, and what would my new job entail, sir?”

  Kyle growled and squeezed my breasts hard. I felt heat pooling inside me, as Kyle’s erection dug into my back. “Would you be opposed to being tied up naked in my bed all day,” he suggested.

  Turning me to face him, he claimed my mouth with a heart-searing kiss. “I’m pretty sure that goes against company policy. There are rules about that kind of thing,” I whispered, running my finger through his silky hair.

  “Oh yeah?” he said huskily, tugging at the skirt of my housekeeping uniform until I was exposed from the waist down. “I’m fairly certain that what I’m about to do to you blows those rules out the window.” He turned me around again and ran his hand down my back, cupping my butt cheek. “Bend over, princess.”

  I obliged, placing my hands on his office desk, which I was supposed to be polishing. I felt his hands tug at my panties, a moment later they fell to the ground. I trembled with anticipation as his cock rubbed against my wetness.

  “Do you want this baby?” he asked and I knew why he was asking me. Kyle knew all my dark secrets and he wanted my approval.

  “Yes. Oh yes,” I muttered. “Don’t ask me. I’m yours. Take me when and wherever you want.”

  I heard the foil wrapper tearing, before he gripped my waist and plunged into me. I cried out at the feel of him filling me, stretching me to the core. “You feel so good,” I whimpered, as I pushed my ass against him, “I love you so much.”

  His pace slowed as he leaned over me. “You’re mine Lee. I am always going to want you. That’s never gonna change baby,” he vowed. I turned my head and accepted his lush wet kiss. He didn’t say he loved me, but would always want me. I focused on those words as the swell of pleasure building inside me boiled over.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Kyle

  “Mr. Carter, how good of you to grace us with your presence today.” Mr. Peterson, my econ professor, blocked the door of the classroom, “Can I be assured that you will be in full attendance next semester?”

  For a short man, he had an intimidating aura. “Sorry Larry,” I muttered, shifting my notebook bag to my other shoulder. “I’ve had a lot on lately.” Like my sexy roommate who I couldn’t keep my hands off.

  As fond as Larry Peterson was of me, I didn’t think he would take too kind to me skiving off class to make out with my girl. Then again, if he saw Lee I reckoned he might understand.

  “I understand you’re under a lot more pressure than my other students,” he said in a kinder voice. “You graduate in June and then your business can have your entire attention. However, you have six more months and I’d hate to see you lose your focus on the final hurdle. You’ve worked too hard for this. Don’t blow it.” I nodded curtly and he stepped aside.

  I stalked out of the classroom feeling hard done by. I had straight A’s in his class and all my other classes. It was fucking petty to badger me for missing a couple of classes. My grades hadn’t even slipped.

  I made my way across the campus quad to the entrance of the student café. Cam waved from the table inside the window. Good, she was early for a change. I met Cam and Derek for coffee during class breaks most days, which was less this year because I only had eight hours’ worth of classes a week.

  “Hey,” I said, slumping down in the chair across from her.

  “Hello to you too sunshine. Dare I ask who’s put you in such a good mood?”

  I dropped my notebook bag on the chair beside me and leaned my elbows on the table. “Professor Peterson,” I growled. “Thinks he knows fucking everything as usual.”

  Cam raised her brow as she swallowed a sip of her latte. “Really, I thought he liked you?” she said, wiping foamy milk from her top lip.

  “He does, that’s the problem. He’s all up in my shit because I missed a few of his classes.” The brunette waitress with the huge rack placed a steaming cup of black coffee in front of me. “Thanks Lauren,” I said reading her nametag, slipping a twenty out of my pocket and handing it to her.

  “No problem. I know how you like it.” She twirled her hair around her
finger and smiled down at me.

  “Uh, keep the change?” I told her, feeling a little uncomfortable from the way she was staring at me.

  “Oh thanks, you were always big with your tips.”

  I edged further away from her. “Okay...”

  I raised a brow to Cam for help. She scoffed and shook her head with that ‘you’re on your own buddy’ expression.

  “So my shift finishes in five minutes and my place is just off campus. You remember where…” Oh, so that was what the sexual innuendos were about; I had forgotten.

  “Sorry, not interested Lauren.” I was getting tired of girls throwing themselves at me. I wished I could have Lee here with me, so they’d back the fuck off, but as much as I wanted her here, the need to protect her from Rachel and all my bullshit outweighed that want.

  Lauren pouted and put her hands on her hips. Jesus Christ, take the hint.

  “I’m sure I can get you interested. You sure were interested last time.”

  I mentally scolded myself for sleeping with the girl, but in my defense, I’d been a horny freshmen and she’d been an easy fuck. I was a different person now.

  Cam cleared her throat. “Um, sweetie, maybe you could go and interest yourself in a book? Preferable one that explains body language, so next time you can read the signs when a man isn’t interested.”

  I doubled up with laughter, as Lauren marched off. “That was brilliant. Her face was priceless.”

  Cam smiled, checking her nails. “What can I say, I’m amazing.”

  The café door opened and Derek strolled in. “Hey,” he said, chirpier than I had. He kissed Cam on the head before sliding into the chair alongside her. “Oh, thank Jesus we’re finishing for the holidays today,” he said, beckoning a waitress with a hand. Thankfully, a different one came to take his coffee order. “If I have to sit through another one of Professor Garethy’s lectures on maternal fucking monkeys, I swear I’ll stab myself in the eyes with this spoon.” He gestured towards to spoon on the table.