by C. Shell
“My point being, the things you do behind closed doors, don’t always stay hidden. You’re the perfect definition of a manwhore. All of you are, including my brother.” My nose crinkles in disgust at the thought. “You three bozos’ have done a tremendous job of keeping the opposite sex from ever looking my way. “I’m not…” I pause, embarrassed to say the rest, but do so, because it needs to be out in the open.
“I’m not experienced the way you are. Your threats to guys who showed me interest were taken seriously. I’ve never made it past third base without the guy getting scared and practically running away with his pants down.” I can see Dex gearing up to speak, so I place a hand on his chest, willing him to wait and let me speak my peace. “You’re one of my closest friends. I don’t want to screw that up, and most of all, I don’t want to hurt my brother or Nate. What transpired in that bed was a one-time thing that stays strictly between us. As far as I’m concerned, this never happened.”
I dart to the left and slip into the bathroom before he can stop me. I’m mortified, turned-on, scared, and royally fucked in the head right now. Gripping the shower, I turn the temperature to warm, shed my clothes, and jump in. The water beating down my body isn’t enough of a distraction to keep Dex’s voice from wafting through the door.
“It happened Jelly Bean. I still have your scent coating my skin to prove it. I won’t push you right now, but I refuse to give up and let things go back to the way they were. I can’t. I’ll give you some time to make peace with what happened, but I won’t wait long. Patience has never been my thing and one day soon, your virtue will be mine. Tick Tock, baby girl.”
Chapter Nine
Addison
My phone beeps with a message from Cammy letting me know that she’s waiting for me outside. Grabbing my backpack off my bed, I head downstairs and to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. Seeing my father sitting with Jimmie at the breakfast table, each with a cup of coffee in hand and talking about sports as if it’s a regular occurrence for them, makes my stomach turn in the worst of ways. I understand Jimmie’s need to want to bond with our dad, but I can’t find it in me to return the sentiment. Jimmie has always held a soft spot for our father. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl or lack the need to feel accepted by a man who’s practically a stranger to us, but I refuse to let my guard down around him.
Hearing the pitter-patter of my shoes slapping across the kitchen tile flooring, they both turn my way and flash me a welcoming smile. From this advantage point, Jimmie looks like a replica of my father, only younger and sporting more muscles thanks to his grueling soccer regimen. They are both tall –about six one- with dark hair, broad shoulders, expressive green eyes, and an angular jawline. The two of them together make a nice family portrait. With my traits coming from my mother’s side, my golden-blonde hair, light brownish eyes, and small frame, labels me the black sheep of the family.
“Morning Princess,” my dad calls out as if everything is amicable between us. He’s been this way since I got home Sunday morning. I guess in his world, if you ignore the bad, then it doesn’t exist. Too bad for him, I believe in facing the ugly head on. You can’t obliterate what you can’t see.
Jimmie pats the empty seat next to him. “Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee before school? Dex and Nate are running late, so we’ve got time to spare.”
At the mention of Dex’s name, my heart sinks. After taking a quick shower at Nate’s house Saturday morning, I changed back into my old clothes, gave Nate a weak excuse and rushed home like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. The whole time I was gathering up my things, I was expecting one of them to try and stop me. Besides sitting on the bed, watching my every move, they didn’t interfere. Their behavior was odd, to say the least. Guilt ate me up with every passing second that I waited for one of them to make say something.
Dex’s reserved demeanor terrifies me more than if he blew up and called me every dirty name imaginable. His silence is telling. The jerk is planning something. Knowing I can’t let my guard down for the next few days, I’ve decided to go out of my way to stay off his radar. Cammy has a habit of arriving at school early so she can work on the school newspaper without a ton of interruptions. I’ve plotted to bum a ride from her knowing I will be out of the house before either Nate or Dex arrive and can try to stop me. Now, I just need to get around Jimmie and his brotherly concern.
“No thanks. I’ll just have some of mom’s french toast.” I throw a few pieces of food onto a napkin and start inching toward the front hallway. The closer I am to the door the better chance I have of getting out of here unscathed. “Cammy’s already waiting for me outside. I need to hurry before she blows a gasket.”
Jimmie’s frown forms the moment my words register. My hands clench into fists as his accusing glare lands on me. Since starting High School, the CW Boys have kept me on a short leash. I get shuffled around from one of them to the next depending on their hectic schedules. Cammy and I’ve gotten good at sneaking away from them but our freedom never lasts long. Somehow they always find us. I’ve always gone along with their insanity to keep the peace and everyone’s stress levels at a minimum.
By skipping out on the guys and climbing into Cammy’s car, I’m going against their set rules. Consequences be damned; I’m not backing down this time. It’s not the first time I’ve gone rogue and done my own thing, but I try and keep my rebellious streaks at a minimum. I shoot Jimmie a smile, hoping he can see that my actions are honest and not motivated to get a rise out of him.
“I’ll see you at school Jimmie.”
I rush out the door as if my ass were on fire, and slip inside Cammy’s car. My ragged breath comes out in small puffs as I speak. “In case I’ve forgotten to tell you lately, you’re my best friend in the whole wide world. Now, unless you want to get read the riot act by Dex and Nate, I suggest you put the pedal to the metal and get us the hell out of here.”
Cammy gives me a knowing nod, and I laugh watching as her hand caresses the padded gear shift with a yearning for speed. She looks like a hyped up Nascar driver getting a taste of their first set of wheels. Knowing her poor 1994 Toyota Corolla struggles to hit 60mph in five minutes, makes the moment that much funnier.
A grin tugs at the corner of her mouth. “Well, since you put it that way. Let’s burn rubber, baby.” Cammy drives to school with the music cranked up and the windows rolled down. My bestie can’t carry a tune to save her life, but that doesn’t stop her from singing during the fifteen minutes it takes us to pull into the school parking lot. I physically shudder with every high pitch note she attempts.
The moment the car pulls to a complete stop; I fall out of my door with glee. I’ve never truly appreciated silence until being enclosed in a small space with a girl who sings like a banshee. I survey the area as I stretch out my tired muscles. With it being so early, there are only a handful of cars scattered around, most of them belonging to the school personnel. Without teenagers flocking about the building looks almost sad.
Heading past our row of lockers, I follow Cammy’s lead as she mindlessly darts down one half-lit hallway after another. I’ve never thought of our school as creepy before, in fact, I’ve always enjoyed all the skylights and colorful patterns dotting the walls, but when it’s empty and quiet as it is now, I can’t think of a better word to describe it.
I glance around, noticing that nothing around us looks familiar. “Where did you say the journalism room is again?”
“I didn’t,” Cammy answers with a snort. “We’re in an old section of the school that’s not used anymore.” She points to the chipped paint and dozens of spider webs clinging to the dark corners. “The school board didn’t want to spend their precious tax money to have it torn down after they built the new wing a few years back. Instead, they pretend that this section doesn’t exist and ignore it. Besides our teacher Mrs. King and three other students who make up the newspaper staff, this area is off limits. For whatever reason, Mrs. King thinks the solitud
e and space will help expand our creative boundaries. She convinced the principle to let us use the old auditorium for all of our classes and production purposes.”
The idea of our principle doing anything nice without asking for something in return makes me snort out a laugh. “I’m sure Mrs. King either has rug burns on her knees or signed up for every chaperone event over the next five years on that deal. Principle Burns has no clue what the word sexual harassment means. I’ve never seen him lift a finger for anyone out of the goodness of his shriveled-up black heart.”
Cammy chuckles as she shakes her head. Her face splits into the largest grin. “Here we are,” she says as we round yet another corner and come to a stop before two large solid wood doors. The air this far down the corridors is musty with the smell of old books, making my nose twitch with the threat of a zillion sneezes.
With a hard pull, Cammy pryes one of the doors open and makes a swooping motion with her hand. “After you sweet cheeks.”
I stumble my way through the dark and unacquainted room until Cammy finds the switch and throws the lights on. My eyeballs get big as I take in my surroundings. I expected to find a dingy room and a rotten old stage with more dust accumulated than chairs. Instead, the room before me is immaculately clean with a beautifully wood paneled stage and antique theater seats set before it in the shape of a thumbnail.
“Holy cow,” I breathe, turning in a small circle as I take it all in. With the brass fixtures, heavy stage curtains, and strategically placed intimate lighting, you can tell that whoever created this room had a love for the theater. “I can see why Mrs. King went out of her way to request this place. It’s awesome.”
“It’s also a big secret, so keep your trap closed about it. On the first day of class, we were all sworn to secrecy. I don’t think Mrs. King would mind me showing you, but if others found out, I’ll be in a load of trouble.”
I nod and move forward to take a seat on the stage. “My lips are sealed,” I confirm. A chill from the well-oiled wooden floor seeps into my jeans as I flip around trying to find a somewhat comfortable position. Cammy pulls out her computer to work on her piece for the upcoming paper while I start-up my phone and begin a riveting game of Angry Birds.
The hour passes quickly and before long the warning bell for the first period is ringing. Scooping up my books and backpack, I follow Cammy back through the maze of dark hallways and unused classrooms to the central corridor where our lockers are stationed.
“Thanks again for picking me up this morning,” I say while storing away my math homework that I did over the weekend and grabbing my Spanish book. “I would have taken my car, but mom forgot to fill it up with gas after she borrowed it last and I would rather walk than have to ask my dad for gas money.”
She lifts a shoulder. “No biggie. That’s what friends are for.”
Cammy is watching me carefully, and I fidget under her scrutiny. Being my best friend and the only person I know who doesn’t gossip, I confided to her what happened between Dex and me. The secret was eating at me, and I was curious as to what advice she would give. In true Cammy fashion, she told me to put my nerves on ice, shave my legs, and go for it. I swear if Cammy had been born several decades earlier, she would have made the perfect hippie, screaming a mantra of Free love and Go with the flow.
“Not to sound harsh, but I think you need to stop being a prude and get your freak on. If anyone has a problem with you two together, tell them to kiss your ass and move on.” She expels a ragged breath. “What’s the real problem, because I’m not buying into your bullshit about sparing everyone else’s feelings? No one, including you, could be that generous. I mean, this is the CW Boys were talking about. Every girl I know would kill for the chance to be with one of them.”
Shutting my locker, I turn and gulp against the accusation in her eyes. My heart dropped before kicking into high gear.
“Why would you say that?” I ask.
“For as long as I’ve known you you’ve had feelings for those bad boys, and I’m not talking about the brotherly kind either. Nate and Dex are just as sunk as you are. Whenever you’re around, their eyes never drift far. A girl could be naked doing the cha-cha in front of them and their eyes would still be glued on you. If I had two guys hovering over me the way they do you, I wouldn’t be spending my weekend nights pumping my vibrator full of batteries the way you do. Given the chance, I would spread my legs and do them both in a New York minute.”
I stare straight ahead, too scared to scan the crowd to see if anyone around us heard her little spill. “Could you please keep your voice down?” I whisper yell. Cammy looks back at me wide-eyed and innocent like. I shake my head in frustration. For a girl with a four-point GPA, it amazes me how inept she can be at times. “I don’t need the whole school knowing my business and for your information, I don’t spend my weekends playing hide the salami with my vibrator.”
“That is a sight I would pay good money to see. I don’t have any salami to spare, but I do have something we can use in its place. I can ensure you’ll enjoy it much more and unlike the salami, mine comes with a one-hundred percent approval rating.”
My heart shudders then jump to an unhealthy speed as I squeeze my eyes shut. I slowly count to ten, wishing for the flooring to open up and swallow me whole. A set of strong arms wrap around my waist and despite my humiliation, I allow them to hold me. At least for now.
My eyes spring open to catch Cammy’s animated face as she tries with little success to smother her laughter. “Thanks for the heads up,” I mouth, as anger and embarrassment ware inside of me.
“You didn’t wait for us this morning,” Dex accuses, his breath tickling my ear as he speaks. “Nate thought you might be hungry and brought you breakfast.” A paper sack is held in front of my face. The familiar scent of cinnamon and sugary goodness drifts through my nose. “Your favorite cinnamon rolls from that little bakery downtown.”
I snatch the bag from Dex and waste no time in retrieving a gooey warm roll. My stomach rumbles with happiness as I sink my teeth into the savory pastry. “Thanks. I brought french toast with me, but was saving it for after first period.”
Cammy looks away as she hikes her backpack over her shoulder. “I need to talk to Mr. Roberts before class. You going to be okay here?” Her eyes dart between Dex and me, no doubt judging our moods.
Dex slips a hand under my hair and cups the back of my neck. I start to protest, but then his fingers begin moving, rubbing over the tight knots embedded in my muscles, and my words die before they can take flight. He looks up, frowning at Cammy. “Of course, she’s okay. She’s with me isn’t she?” Dex says, his voice hard as steel. “I would never let anything happen to Addison. Her happiness and safety is always our top priority.” His hand slides down the natural sway of my back, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.
I feel my cheeks burning, which makes Cammy appear confused. Not wanting to explain my reaction to Dex’s roving hands, I inch forward and give her a one handed hug. “Go on. I’ll catch you at lunch.”
She hesitates for a short second before grunting a goodbye over her shoulder as she turns to walk away, leaving Dex and me alone. Well, not exactly alone since we are standing in a hallway full of other kids, but everyone seems preoccupied with their drama filled lives and isn’t paying us a bit of attention.
Turning in his arms, I raise my gaze and our eyes lock. All of my worries and questions I’ve been mulling over since running away from Nate’s house evaporates on the tip of my tongue. Nothing needs to be voiced; his sensuous eyes say it all. Within them, I see certainty, understanding, loyalty, lust, and above all else, I see something that resembles close to love staring back at me.
At that moment, I know that no matter what happens between us – if we decide to take our friendship further or leave things as they are - I will always be part of the CW boys life.
No matter what path we take, they won’t leave me.
Chapter Ten
Dex
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br /> “Coach is looking for you.”
Nate sounds pissed, but that is nothing new for him. He’s been this way since he caught Addy and I making out in his bed. I should’ve stopped things with her the moment I realized his breathing pattern had changed, but I couldn’t make myself do it. She felt so fucking soft and pliant in my arms. The little sounds she made and the way her body rode my hand was fucking hot.
I sit on the metal bench in front of my gym locker and shrug off my practice uniform. The charged silence between us passed the uncomfortable mark ten minutes ago. We’ve never let a problem between us go on this long and that in itself irritates the hell out of me.
I hesitate a beat, then ask, “What does he want?”
Nate continues to change his clothing, not once glancing my way. “Didn’t stand around to find out. You’re a big boy, ask him yourself. He’s in the office.”
Unlatching my locker, I throw the rest of my gear into it before slamming the door shut. My eyes land heavily on Nate. “Yell at me, hit me, do whatever it takes to make you feel better. Just stop giving me the cold shoulder. I know you’re mad at me over Addy. I don’t blame you one bit. Making out with her in front of you was a dick move and for that I’m sorry.”
Nate zooms forward, and before I can dodge his advance, he has me pushed up against the lockers with his hand digging painfully into my shoulder. “You took that shit too far. Addy isn’t like the girls you always bang and then forget about the next day. She needs romance and …” he backs off and runs a shaky hand down his face. His voice is thick with frustration when he speaks again. “Don’t fuck up this chance Dex. You’re a lucky sonofabitch, and if it weren't for the pact we made when we were young, I wouldn’t be standing on the sidelines like a fucking dipshit with my dick in my hand. I love you like a brother, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight you for her if it comes down to that.”
