Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

My pulse triples in speed and I feel myself trying to keep from hyperventilating. I’m already lightheaded from my physical reaction to him which makes it even harder to grasp his words. Bentley’s hands move away from my back pockets and he takes my hands, his thumbs roll circles in my palms. He’s trying to calm me, just one more reason why I love him. Whoa-love him? I need to slow down but it’s not my fault, he’s the one making me think this way when he makes those kinds of comments.

  His low chuckle draws me out of my thoughts. When I look at him, I realize I must have been scrunching up my face as I let it relax. His finger runs down my cheek and he smiles. “You’re cute when you’re deep in thought. Now, let’s go before you’re late and my sister turns into bridezilla,” he says and pats my backside to get me moving.

  On the drive to our siblings’ house, Florida Georgia Line fills the unfamiliar silence between us. Bentley’s hand rests on my thigh, his thumb gently stroking my leg in an appeasing manner. I stare out the window and catch him stealing glances my way but I refuse to look at him. I don’t even know why I’m freaking out but it seems like the right thing to do. Bentley takes sex seriously, something I’ve never done. To me, sex was never about emotions. I always kept it casual, no real commitment to ensure there was no way I’d get hurt.

  I glance over at Bentley who is focused on the road. Now that he’s laid it out there, I share the same fear he has. Our emotional connection is so intense that I’m afraid once we do become intimate, I won’t want anyone else. This is about to get real and I’m not sure I’m ready for it. I avert my eyes back out the window before he catches me staring.

  A block from my brother’s house, the truck slows and Bentley puts it in park as he pulls up to the sidewalk. I knit my eyebrows and shake my head confused as I look at him for an explanation. He turns to face me and takes both his hands in mine.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he says softly, his fingers moving slow against my hand.

  I swallow hard, too afraid to speak.

  “Julianna, I want more than anything to connect even deeper than we already do, but I already want more of you every time we’re together. When you’re not around, I crave you, I need you. Your smile, your laugh, the way you crinkle your eyes when you’re nervous.” He smiles and nods as I’m doing the crinkle right now. “I want that every day. When you’re ready for me to be your lover, I’ll be waiting, but I just want you to understand what that means.”

  I screech around the lump in my throat and ask, “What does it mean?”

  Bentley’s fingers push a stray hair behind my ear as he leans in close to me, my heart ready to beat out of my chest. “It means I’m not going anywhere,” he says softly and his hand slides to the nape of my neck. “Don’t let this scare you, Julianna. I’ll wait as long as you need me to.”

  Looking into his eyes, I know he would. He’d wait an eternity for me if I asked him to. Part of that freaks me out, while the other part of me wants to tell him I’m ready, right here, right now. I look into his dark, chocolate eyes and a smile twitches at my lips. Bentley’s face lights up and he grins before he leans over and kisses me.

  “The ball’s in your court, babe. You tell me when you’re ready,” Bentley says, starting the truck again and driving the block to our destination.

  I shake my head laughing. “You give me the power to decide the future of our relationship and end it with a basketball analogy?”

  He pulls into the driveway and leans over to kiss me again. “One of the many reasons you love me,” he says jokingly until the reality of his words hit both of us.

  Now it’s my turn to smirk as I lean over and tease him with a playfully nip of his ear. “You’re really trying to scare me away tonight, aren’t you?”

  He takes my hand and squeezes it tightly. “Not trying, but I probably am, aren’t I?”

  Finally, the calmness I normally feel with Bentley comes over me and I shake my head. “Nah, you’re going to have to try harder than that.”

  Grinning, he gets out of the truck and helps me down. Hand in hand, we walk to the front door where he rings the doorbell. I turn to him, sticking out my bottom lip in a pout.

  “You sure you have to go out of town this weekend?” I ask.

  It’s Labor Day weekend and I’m back to work teaching. The weather has cooled off so work has picked up for Bentley as well. Our time together has been almost cut in half and the weekends are usually when we get to spend the most time with each other.

  He runs his thumb over my bottom lip and smiles. “Yes, although keep doing that and I might change my mind.”

  I slide my arms around his neck. In the four inch turquoise heels I’m wearing to match my hot pink shirt, I’m at the same level as Bentley, making it much easier access to delve into his mouth. Bentley sucks on my pouty lip and my body is immediately hot for him in two seconds. We don’t realize the door is open until my brother clears his throat and I pull away, embarrassed at being caught. Bentley laughs and shakes his hand.

  “Hey there, J.P. You’re in charge of making sure our ladies don’t get into too much trouble tonight,” Bentley says.

  Paulie nods. “I’ve been taking care of this one her whole life, I think I can handle it,” he responds and if I didn’t know better, I almost hear a slight hint of jealousy in his tone.

  Bri runs by the front door in her own white “Mrs.” crop top and waves to us, calling out, “Come on, Jules. We don’t want to be late!”

  Bentley waves and says hi and bye to his sister as she rushes down the hallway. Paulie turns to follow her, leaving the door open. Bentley looks at me, his hands drop to my hips and he pulls me against him.

  “Have fun tonight, babe, and be careful. I’ll see you at my parents’ for dinner on Sunday,” he says with a quick kiss. I know he’s trying to keep us both from getting too worked up before we spend the weekend away from each other.

  I return the kiss, dragging my tongue across his lips into his mouth. I want this kiss to last because I’m not used to going more than twenty-four hours without seeing Bentley. I close my eyes and his words echo in my mind. I inhale and his woodsy scent make my final decision for me. I’m ready. I want Bentley to be my lover. My last lover, forever and always.

  ***

  Driving down the interstate, I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I think about Jules. Damn, she looked amazing tonight, probably a good thing I’m leaving town. But I put it out there for her, let her know if she wants to take our relationship to the next level then I was ready. At the same time, a small seed of fear sits in my stomach, afraid I might have frightened her off letting her know there was no turning back. Glancing at the sign on the side of the road, that fear grows. If my words didn’t scare her off, this probably will. I’m coming back to town tomorrow and I’m bringing a surprise with me.

  Chapter 19

  “What is this?” my sister-in-law asks with a giggle as she holds the shot glass full of apple pucker and Bailey’s.

  My face next to hers, I yell loudly so she can hear me over the bumping bass and drunk voices around us, “Kermit Sperm!”

  She gives another drunken giggle. “What?”

  I smile knowing that the longer the two liquors sit together, the more disgusting the shot is as the Bailey’s will begin to curdle. Waiting an extra second longer, I yell again, “KERMIT SPERM!”

  Beside us Nikki rolls her eyes and nods to the other bridesmaids who follow her lead. Their idea for the bachelorette party was a day at the wineries but it was Bri who ultimately decided we would be barhopping along Main Street. She and I are having a good time. I’m pretty sure a couple of the other bridesmaids are too, but they’re trying to hide it from Nikki who is making it very obvious that she does not approve of our penis straws or the book of dares that Bri has been assigned to complete.

  Bri tilts her head back and downs the vile shot, one I’ve only taken once and know better than to ever try again. Her nose wiggles and her lips purse into a disgusted pout then she
shouts, “Ew, Jules! That was gross!”

  I laugh and grab her hand. “Come on, what’s next in the dare book?”

  She flips through it and reads, “Kiss a bald man on the head and leave a lipstick mark.”

  Facing the two bridesmaids that were dancing with Bri and I earlier while the others sat in a booth staring at their phones trying not to watch us, I recruit them to help us with the task. I point to the three bald men I see and tell them to go find out who is willing to play along. Turning back to Bri, I pull lipstick out of my purse and apply it to her lips which is difficult to do between her drunken laughter. I finally finish without making her look like a clown and drop the tube back in my purse. Taking me by surprise, Bri throws her arms around me and squeezes tightly.

  “Thank you,” she whispers into my ear.

  Her arms like a vice grip around me, I nod against her cheek and whisper back, “Thank you.”

  She pulls away and looks at me confused. Over her shoulder I see the blonde bridesmaid walking toward us with a bald man in tow. I kiss Bri’s cheek and whisper quietly, “Bentley.” She grins and hugs me again, letting me know I have her approval on our relationship.

  “Hey sugar, heard you’re looking for a bald man?” the short, stocky middle-aged man says as he wiggles his eyebrows. I have to stifle my laughter as Bri shakes her head seductively and leans down, planting a bright red lip print on the top of his head.

  The blonde and I cheer loudly as I mark the dare off the list. The Cha-Cha Slide comes over the stereo speakers and Bri squeals. She grabs the blonde’s hand and they rush to the dance floor as I make my way to the bar to get another drink. I shake my hips to the rhythm of the music and mumble along with the words. This is our fifth bar and probably the last. Bri is feeling real good and I’m not sure how much longer she can hang.

  Since my brother first announced their engagement in February, I have a totally different opinion of Bri. At first, I couldn’t stand her and dreaded any time I was forced to spend with her. Now, I actually look forward to chatting with her on the phone and our Mexican and margarita dates. Being raised by Paulie, Doug, and Smitty, I’ve never had a close girlfriend and it’s nice to have someone to chat with about periods, the Kardashians, and the latest fashions. The only downside to dating Bentley is there’s no way I’ll ever be able to talk to Bri about our relationship because I know that I never want to hear about the things her and Paulie do. I get a chill and shake at the thought—ew, just ew!

  My fingers drum on the counter until I feel a soft set of fingers slide around my stomach and my body turns ice cold. The hand’s owner has delicate, silky skin but it’s much too large to belong to a woman. I know who it is before I turn around and my heart beats erratically. My eyes dart from left to right looking for someone, anyone that will save me.

  “Hey Jules, miss me?” Kevin’s familiar voice whispers in my ear.

  Shifting slightly, I’m able to turn around and his hand moves to my hip. He grins his bright pearly white smile and licks his lips, flashing his tongue ring as though that’ll make me drop my panties right here, right now.

  I fold my arms over my chest, standing my ground and assertively answer, “Not in the least.”

  The ballsy jerk doesn’t stop, his fingers walk across my tummy. I’m completely repulsed at the sight of him and his touch makes me want to punch him in the face. His other hand effortlessly pushes my arms away from my chest and he squeezes my left breast. Yelping, I shove his chest but he just laughs.

  “I’ve been watching you all night, Jules, and I know your scrawny boyfriend nor your hovering brother are here to save you,” he says in a low voice. Then he says louder for the people who we’ve caught their attention, “Come on, baby. You’ve had too much to drink, let’s get out of here.” Turning to the man beside us, he explains, “My girl gets a little feisty when she drinks if you know what I mean.”

  Kevin takes my hand and pulls me to the exit. I try to drag my feet and twist out of his hand, protesting as he drags me along, but no one tries to help me. They all take his word that I’m an angry drunk and he easily gets me out to the sidewalk despite my best efforts to get away. The streets are filled with music overflowing from each bar and the few people on the sidewalk are too drunk to even notice us. My chances of someone intervening aren’t looking promising. My purse is still on the bar top with my phone in it. Panic sets in as I know there’s no way for me to call for help.

  In a last ditch effort, I scream at the top of my lungs. Not even getting out the “he” of help, Kevin shoves me against a building and his mouth closes over mine to shut me up. He invades my mouth with his tongue ring, something I use to love and beg for, but tonight I clamp down on it. It’s his turn to scream and I smile proudly although I’m still not out of his grip. His hips keep me pinned against the wall as his hand goes to his mouth and he wipes the blood from my bite.

  “You little—” he starts to say but is interrupted.

  “Get your hands off her!” Bri shouts and shoves him.

  No, no, no! Yes, I need help, but not Bri. She’s three sheets to the wind and if anything happens to her, both Paulie and Bentley will kill me.

  “Go back inside, Bri,” I order her, ready to sacrifice myself. I don’t know what Kevin has in store for me, but I don’t want Bri to get hurt. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to her.

  Kevin growls as he turns to face her, yanking me by the arm. His grasp on my wrist sends a shooting pain up my arm, but I bit my lip to not yell out.

  “If you know what’s best for you, honey, you’d go back inside,” Kevin warns Bri.

  Unwavering, Bri puts her hands on her hips and raises her eyebrows tauntingly. “I’m only going back inside with Jules.”

  He laughs and nods in my direction. “Why are you wasting your time on her? Jules hates that you’re marrying her brother. She can’t stand you, hates being around you, and your annoying little voice makes her want to claw her own eyes out,” he says with a smirk.

  Bri’s shoulders drop and I can see the pain in her eyes. Oh no! No, no, no… Taking a step toward her, Kevin snaps me back fast. I call out to Bri but she’s already turned away and is walking back inside. Tears fill my eyes, not because of what Kevin is about to do to me, but because I just hurt Bri. Sure, I felt that way in the beginning, but not now and I may never have a chance to tell her that.

  Kevin looks down at me sneering. “Now that I got rid of her, let’s go back to your place and have some fun.”

  Loosening his grip on me, he turns us toward the parking lot, his arm draped over my shoulder. Hot tears roll down my cheeks. Everything was too good to be true and now it’s all gone. Poof! In one quick instant, I’ve lost Bri’s friendship, the only female friendship I’ve ever had. I don’t know how I’m going to explain—

  “Oof!” Kevin screams out like a little girl and doubles over, falling to the ground. I spin around and Bri grabs my hand. With a firm grip, she pulls my arm and takes off sprinting in the opposite direction.

  Stumbling in my heels, I follow her, trying to keep up the best I can. We finally reach the corner and Paulie’s car is waiting for us. Bri crawls into the backseat and I follow behind her. Paulie looks at us in the back seat, confusion all over his face, but we both ignore him.

  Bri throws her arms around me and starts crying. “Oh Jules, I was so scared!” she mumbles in a drunken slur.

  “I’m so sorry about what he said. I don’t think that,” I say back. My arms squeeze tightly around her and tears fall down my cheeks.

  “You two okay back there?” Paulie asks.

  Bri nods against me, not letting me go. “Yes, I just had to protect my sister.”

  I lean back and look into her eyes, more tears welling up behind my lids. Nodding, I say, “Thanks, sis.”

  We both giggle, tears still streaking our cheeks. Bri and I continue to hold each other, sobbing like drunken hot messes until my brother finally starts the car and begins to drive
.

  ***

  I hate not sleeping in my own bed. Well, unless it’s Jules’ couch. I’ve spent many a night there, but never in her actual bed. Hopefully that’ll change soon but in the meantime, I’m tossing and turning like crazy in this hotel room. I’d been getting steady pictures and texts from both my sister and Jules from the bachelorette party but suddenly they stopped. I’m trying to convince myself Jules is just too busy holding Bri’s hair out of the toilet but my gut tells me that isn’t the case. The clock shows it’s just now midnight. If I don’t hear from her in another fifteen minutes, I’m going to break down and call J.P.

  Chapter 20

  My eyes flit open and close as Sweet Home Alabama plays on the television and Bri snores on the couch beside me. I’m trying to fight off the sleep that’s invading me because I know Bentley will be here soon. I heard Paulie and him on the phone last night. Bentley told my brother he was heading home first thing this morning.

  Paulie brought us drunken girls back to their place after we jumped in his car. Luckily, we got all the sobbing out on the ride home and somehow my brother had managed to piece together the events that led up to that moment. After a trip to Jack in the Box for greasy tacos and heartburn, Bri and I took over their bed giggling about the kiss on the bald guy’s head, the condoms we’d collected from random men, and all the other dares she’d completed. Finally, around three, we fell asleep only to wake up a few hours later and move our hangovers to the couch for a chick-flick movie marathon coupled with McDonald’s breakfast delivered by Paulie. A belch burns my throat and I vow to never eat Jack in the Crack ever again.

  Twenty minutes later, I’m giving in to sleep and my eyes have just squeezed closed when I hear the front door open. My brain hasn’t even told my eyelids to open when I feel his calloused hands on either side of my face. I inhale deeply, smelling him before I actually see him. My eyes flutter open and I smile as Bentley is kneeling beside the couch.