The Single Game

by Amanda Black

  “I’m sorry I got so emotional,” I returned, relaxing under his gentle caress.

  “So…our first fight.”

  “Yeah,” I said, sniffing loudly. “I don’t think I handled it well.”

  “Are you kidding?” he chuckled. “You had way more ammo than I did. I was just being pissy.”

  “Did you really think I was sneaking around behind your back? It hurts so much to think you don’t trust me.”

  “Of course I trust you,” he said, pulling me closer. “I just got so jealous seeing you with another guy. It didn’t even matter that the pics were from last year. I saw them and just felt angry. I hated seeing you happy with someone else. I got mad and I took it out on you, and now that I think about it the worst part is that I let that asshole win. I have no doubt that’s just the reaction he wanted your new boyfriend to have.”

  “You’re probably right. He’s petty like that.”

  “Well, I’m sorry for that.” He pulled back a bit to look me in the eye. “That doesn’t change the fact that it really hurt me to find out he’s been trying to contact you.”

  “But—”

  “Let me finish, please,” he said calmly. “I understand what you said. You didn’t think it was important. It still felt like a punch in the gut. I’d rather you tell me that kind of thing so that it’s not such a shock later. If I had known going in, those pics might not have affected me so badly.”

  “Fair point,” I said with a sniffle.

  “I’m not gonna lie, though,” he added. “I don’t know if that would have helped. I know I said I didn’t care that you had a past, but it’s a lot easier to mean it when I don’t have to see proof.”

  I knew what he meant. I couldn’t even stomach the thought of him hanging all over another girl, let alone the idea of seeing him kiss her like I had been kissing Riley in some of those pics. They were nothing but little pecks, but I hated that Logan had to see them.

  “I’m sorry I ruined our night.”

  “You didn’t ruin anything,” he said quickly. “We just had a fight. I’m sure it’s the first of many to come. What’s important is how we handle them.”

  I kissed him gently and smiled. “You’re right.”

  “You know,” he smiled playfully, reaching up to unfasten my shirt buttons. “I’ve always heard that make-up sex can be amazing.”

  “Oh, have you?”

  It was.

  Chapter 30

  The best part of staying overnight with Logan was the morning after.

  Even with our sexy make-up session the night before, nothing compared to waking up in his arms. His chest was the warmest pillow and he held me close as we slept, cuddling me tight as if I were a favorite teddy bear.

  I had never felt so loved and cherished as I did upon waking and I never wanted it to end, but unfortunately my bladder had different plans. Trying not to wake Logan, I begrudgingly slid out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom, relieving myself quickly and hoping that the flush would be quiet. Damn you, morning pee!

  After washing up and sneaking back into bed, I was glad to find that Logan hadn’t stirred at all. Smiling to myself, I couldn’t help wondering if our previous night’s exertions had taken a toll on him. Even after the first round, he’d managed to go two more times before we finally collapsed on his bed in a sex coma. There had even been a surprise appearance from Professor Black, which thrilled me to no end.

  He’d whispered between each time how he just couldn’t stop; that he couldn’t get enough of me and he didn’t want to waste any of our time alone together. I swear it was as if he had been studying a manual entitled The Sexiest Things You Could Ever Say to Your Woman. There was no denying that my boyfriend was a sexual wunderkind.

  It also didn’t hurt that I was head over heels in love with him, either.

  There were times, like this very moment, when it physically pained me to look at him. He was so beautiful and amazing that I couldn’t help feeling panicked once in a while, wondering how the hell I got so lucky and how long we would be able to make it last. It scared the shit out of me when I realized that I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life, other than be with Logan. I felt like I was going through the motions that were expected of me, like graduating high school and going to college. I wasn’t attached to any of it. I hadn’t found my passion in life yet—except for Logan.

  He was the one thing I was certain of.

  Was that kind of attachment healthy at my age? I didn’t know, and I really didn’t care. All I knew was what I felt in my heart, and my heart wanted Logan forever.

  As if his subconscious somehow knew the exact moment I needed reassurance, Logan’s eyes slowly opened and he smiled at me sleepily, pulling me against him even tighter. I sank into his warm embrace, immediately feeling better. He needed me as much as I needed him.

  Proving the point, he slid his hand down my leg and grabbed the back of my knee, hitching it up over his hip as he slowly rolled over, placing himself between my thighs. His gaze was slightly unfocused as he looked down at me without his glasses, but there was so much love in it that I wanted to cry. He leaned down and kissed me without regard for our morning breath, sweetly at first, but quickly turning possessive and needy.

  I felt him hard and ready, rubbing against me as his hips moved back and forth while we kissed. I spread my legs wider in acceptance and without one word between us, he slid deeply inside me. Our eyes met as we both gasped, realizing that this was the first time we hadn’t bothered with a condom. The feeling was so different, so much more intimate.

  “I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered, thrusting again slowly. “This could get addictive.”

  The only sounds in the room after that were soft moans and sighs as we made slow, lazy love for what felt like the entire morning, but was probably much shorter than that. We built up a beautiful rhythm, rocking into each other gently as we kissed and touched each other everywhere.

  It wasn’t until after our bodies had finally given up and shattered around each other that anything was said.

  “I love you so much,” Logan sighed, collapsing on top of me and laying his head on my chest as we both fought to catch our breath. I stroked my fingers through his silken hair and smiled, both from his lovely words and from the ticklish sensation of his lips kissing the skin between my breasts.

  “I love you, too.”

  We cuddled together there for almost another hour, whispering and giggling and doing our best to avoid the fact that it was getting late.

  “I should really get going soon,” I said eventually, sighing loudly.

  “I don’t want you to go,” he pouted, looking like someone had kicked his puppy.

  “Baby, we really shouldn’t push it much longer. I never stay over at Amy’s very late, and I still need to clean up.”

  “I know, it’s just that…I wish this was our house and we lived here together. I feel spoiled after having you to myself all night. I don’t want this to end.”

  “I don’t, either,” I said, sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed. “I don’t think my poor body could take much more, though,” I teased. “I’m already going to have a hard enough time trying to walk normally in front of my parents.”

  “Sorry about that,” Logan replied with a smirk. “I don’t just mean the sex, though. I like this closeness between us. I like you being the first thing I see when I open my eyes in the morning. I want more of this,” he said, gesturing between the two of us.

  “I do, too,” I whispered, leaning over to kiss the tip of his nose before standing up and heading toward the bathroom. “It was only the first sleepover,” I called out to him as I turned on the shower. “I’m sure there will be more in the future.” I pulled the curtain closed and began washing my face. Not a minute later it opened again and Logan stepped inside.

  “Mind if I join you?”

  “Really?” I squeaked, rinsing the soap off my face.

  “I’ve alway
s wanted to shower with you.” He looked bashful admitting it, and the sight reminded me of the shy, unassuming boy he had once been.

  “Okay, but can you keep that thing under control?” I asked, pointing to his already hardening member. “I wasn’t joking about not being able to walk.”

  “I can try,” he laughed, “but I make no promises.”

  Logan took the soap and started lathering up my body, paying extra attention to my breasts. He was very thorough, and before I knew it I was covered in suds and his large, slippery hands were absolutely everywhere. He washed and rinsed my hair, and I couldn’t resist doing the same for him.

  The next thing I knew, his erection was slipping and sliding against my stomach as we made out under the hot spray. “Oh, fuck it,” I groaned, knocking over the shampoo bottle and propping myself up on the ledge it had been sitting on. Pulling him to me, I wrapped my legs around his waist and guided him to my entrance.

  “Are you sure?” he panted in my ear. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I need you, Logan. I’ll worry about walking later.”

  “Oh, thank God. I need you, too.” He pushed himself inside me, all the way in one thrust. He paused long enough to make sure that my answering moan was from pleasure and not pain, then proceeded to screw me senseless. That time was not slow or lazy, but the exact opposite. Something between us had grown frantic, as if we were trying to devour every drop of each other before our time together had to end.

  We moved and slid together quickly, increasing our tempo by the second. Before long I felt Logan’s hand slipping between our bodies and he ran his thumb over my clit in tight circles, summoning another powerful orgasm from my body until one just as violent was ripped from his own. He thrust a few more times for good measure, groaning into my neck before he licked at the trickling water there.

  “I need this, Eden,” he said again, pulling back to look at me with water streaming down his face. “I need more time like this with you…time where we can do whatever we want without worrying about someone walking in on us. Time where we can sit around eating breakfast naked if we feel like it, or spend all day doing nothing but cuddling in bed. I want to fall asleep in your arms every night and see your beautiful face every morning.”

  “That sounds so perfect,” I sighed. “I want that, too, Logan, but we have to be patient. There are still a few months left before graduation, and then we have to figure out what to do about school. Even if we both get in, I have no idea where our dorms are going to be or when we’ll be able to arrange alone time together. If our roommates turn out to be assholes we might be out of luck for a while.”

  “Let me handle that.”

  “What does that mean? How are you going to handle it?”

  “Just trust me, Eden. There’s something I’m working on, and it’s probably going to take me a while, but believe me when I say that we are going to make it work.” I had no idea what the hell he was going on about, but the determined look in his eye told me not to doubt him.

  We dried each other off and got dressed and then I treated Logan to some of my homemade French toast.

  “You didn’t have to cook for me, baby,” he mumbled around another mouthful of food. “I would have taken you to the diner. Mmm, damn this is good.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. I like cooking for you. Actually, I just like cooking. I like that face people make when they think something I made is really delicious. It makes me feel…I don’t know, special or something.”

  “You are special,” he said before slurping down another bite. “And this breakfast is amazing.”

  “Thank you.” I kissed his cheek with a loud smack before grabbing his plate to clean up. He followed me into the kitchen and helped me with the dishes, drying as I washed. When we were all done I knew that I couldn’t put it off any longer—it was time for me to go home.

  I considered having Amy pick me up, but figured it was late enough in the morning that it really wouldn’t matter, so I had Logan drop me off at my house. I leaned over and gave him a kiss, loving the way he held on to me a beat too long, as if he couldn’t bring himself to let me go.

  “Thank you for a lovely night,” I said.

  “Thank you for staying,” he smiled. He waited until I was swinging the door shut before calling out, “Oh, and don’t forget about prom!”

  Crap. Oh well, I’m sure there were worse things I could be forced to suffer.

  “Was that Logan dropping you off?” my father asked as I closed the door, a slight hint of suspicion in his tone.

  “Yeah, he took me to breakfast. Amy had to go do something with her family.”

  “Hmm. Well, that’s convenient.”

  “Wasn’t it?” I asked with a smile, refusing to rise to the bait.

  “Eric,” my mother said in a warning tone from the dining room, where she had her laptop set up and had clearly been writing over breakfast.

  “Maggie, I’m just pointing out to our daughter here how odd it seems that she left with Amy and then showed up with a very satisfied looking Logan—not to mention the fact that she’s walking funny.”

  “Eric!” my mom gasped. She had always operated under the “don’t ask” rule as long as I assured her I was staying safe. My dad had been oblivious before the whole Riley fiasco, but apparently he was much more observant now. I had a suspicion that he didn’t really want to know, though. He just wanted me to know that he wasn’t stupid.

  We stared each other down in silence, both of us daring the other to take it further. After almost a minute of our stalemate I finally threw up my hands and sighed.

  “Dad, be honest. Do you really want to go down this avenue right now?”

  He blinked a few times and slowly shook his head. “No. As a matter of fact, I think it would be in our best interest to forget this morning ever happened.”

  “Deal.”

  I grabbed my overnight bag and limped up the stairs, wondering how long it took a bruised cooter to heal.

  Chapter 31

  The next few months were…interesting.

  The moment Amy heard that I had accepted Logan’s prom invitation, she decided to reveal that she was actually Satan in disguise. At least, that’s the only explanation I could think of for the endless hours of shopping and browsing that Zoe and I were subjected to. She brought printouts from various websites to school and made us study them over lunch. She had lengthy debates—with herself—over which styles fit each of us best, then expected us to support her decisions. Whenever she would catch either of us snacking on a candy bar, she would unceremoniously rip it out of our hands and yell about empty calories and the effects of bloating while wearing a formal gown.

  Seriously, that last part pissed me off. Bitch, I need my Snickers during Shark Week! (“Shark Week” is what I’d not-so-lovingly called my dreaded period for years.)

  Poor Logan apparently agreed after I snapped at him on a particularly cranky day, because he showed up at my house later that night with pockets full of smuggled treats, then massaged my lower back when I complained about cramps.

  That boy just got me.

  He also earned himself a thank-you blow job while he was at it, which I secretly suspected was his goal from the beginning. Whatever—I had my chocolate.

  I knew Amy had to be stopped when she began to enter my subconscious. I had fielded so many of her questions about my non-existent opinions during the day that I was starting to hear them in my sleep.

  “Heels or flats?”

  “Curly or straight?”

  “Strapless or the cutest little bolero jacket you’ve ever seen?”

  “Thigh highs or control top?”

  “Diamonds or pearls?”

  “Amy, that’s enough!” I barked one afternoon, finally cracking after “Short and flirty or long and dramatic?”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked obliviously, her eyes wide at my outburst.

  “C’mon, you gotta give us a break with all the questions.”

>   “Thank God!” Zoe said in a loud exhale from the other side of the lunch table before looking at me. “I’m so happy you spoke first. I was about to throw something at her.”

  Amy whipped her head around and shot her a wounded look. “Et tu, Brute?”

  “Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Zoe huffed. “Listen, I like fashion and formals as much as the next girl—and way more than Eden here—but even I’m at my wit’s end with this.”

  “But—but this is important!” Amy sputtered. “It’s our senior prom!”

  “I appreciate that,” I broke in. “I really do, but you need to appreciate that I don’t have anywhere near the budget you’re talking about for this shit. My parents aren’t poor, but this is insane. You’ve been showing us expensive designer labels. This is prom, not the Oscars! I’m sorry that I haven’t been very supportive or enthusiastic, but it’s really hard to get excited about any of this stuff when you know damn well I’ll never wear any of it again.”

  She blinked a few times, taken aback. “I never meant to make you uncomfortable, Eden. Why didn’t you speak up sooner?”

  “Because there’s no stopping you when you get on a roll.”

  “She’s got you there, babe,” Owen mumbled over her shoulder. Devon grunted around his sandwich and nodded his agreement.

  When I saw her bottom lip start to quiver I jumped in, hoping to avoid a meltdown. “Hey, I still need your help. There’s no way I could dress myself for something like this. I just need you to tone it down a little bit, okay? Stop with all the harping and questions.”

  “I agree,” Zoe nodded. “Besides, I know something that you’re even better at than deciding between designer labels, and that’s bargain hunting. I bet Eden could use a few pointers.”

  “Ooh!” I knew her hurt feelings were gone when her eyes lit up like Christmas lights. “That’s true! I can help you find some of this stuff at a fraction of the cost. And what was I thinking? I have tons of formal dresses in my closet from holiday dinners with my dad’s firm. We should see if you like any of those before wasting money on something you’ll only wear once.”