Rebound (Soulmates Book 3)

by Dykes, Nicole

  I heard the key in the door and Trevor and Julie walked in. Lindsay and I moved further apart and I'm sure we looked like we had been fooling around.

  They walked over and Trevor said, "Hey. You ready?"

  He and Julie were saying goodbye and before I stood up Lindsay said really quietly, "Are you sure? The offer may not be on the table after tonight."

  I nodded like an idiot and told her I was sure and then Trevor and I left.

  He kept eyeing me in the car, but never asked what happened.

  I tossed and turned the entire night. Lindsay had left me so fucking horny and confused. Of course I wanted to take her up on her offer. I was a twenty year old guy and she was a beautiful girl, but I knew it was a terrible idea.

  Chapter 15

  The next morning I woke up in a horrible mood and stayed in a bad mood all through the team meeting and practice.

  After practice I showered and the entire time couldn't help but to think about Lindsay's offer. Part of me was really tired of doing the right thing. I always followed the rules and look where it got me with Maddy.

  I turned off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist. I made my way over to my locker where Pete was getting dressed at his. "What's up with you today? You weren't all there at practice."

  I started to get dressed, "I couldn't sleep."

  "Well you better get it together. Camp starts tomorrow."

  "I'm aware of that."

  He was right though. I couldn't start camp like this or it would kick my ass. I finished getting dressed and combed my hair, "I'll see ya later."

  "You aren't going to dinner?"

  "No, I'm not hungry."

  I left and drove straight to Lindsay's apartment, hoping she was home. I knew if she wasn’t I would lose my nerve.

  I knocked on the door and Lindsay answered in jean shorts and a tank top. "Ryan, what are you doing here?"

  "Is Julie here?"

  She shook her head slowly, "No, she met Trevor for dinner."

  I moved a little closer to her, my heart was pounding and in a low almost gruff tone I asked her, "Is your offer still on the table?"

  The look on her face was a mixture of being nervous and excited. A sexy smile went across her face, "Yes."

  She opened the door a little more and I walked in and closed it behind me, "Good."

  I pressed my body against hers, cupping the back of her head with my hand and pulled her toward me and kissed her.

  I lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around me and we made our way to her bedroom. I tried to clear my head as much as I could and just stay in the moment.

  When we got to her room I laid her down on the bed and pulled my shirt off and threw it on the floor.

  She removed her tank top and wasn't wearing a bra. I undid my jeans, grabbed a condom out of them and kicked them off. She did the same with her shorts and then I joined her on the bed.

  My conscience got the best of me as I laid my body on top of hers. "Lindsay, are you one hundred percent positive this is okay with you?"

  "Yes. I'm sure. We can talk more after." She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down to her, kissing me deeply. She reached down and with my help removed my underwear. I sat up and rolled a condom on and slowly slid her panties down.

  I moved back up to her lips and kissed as I slowly pushed into her. She was already wet and it felt incredible.

  She started moving her hips up toward me, both of us moving together, alternating between fast and slow until she came. I finished shortly after that and slowly moved off of her and laid on my back next to her.

  She was the first one to say something, "Wow. That was even better than the first time."

  "Good." I really hated that I still couldn't remember that night.

  She turned onto her side facing me and propped her head on her hand, "Don't you feel a lot better?"

  I moved to my side also bunching the pillow under my head, "Yeah I do. But I really don't want to ruin our friendship, and I'm still skeptical."

  "Don't be. I swear I don't want anything other than friendship and sex. And if either one of us wants to stop for any reason at all, we're bored, or the sex just isn't good anymore, or one of us catches feelings, we can tap out at any time with no questions asked."

  "None? I like that idea. But we have both taken plenty of psychology classes, people are wired to connect sex with love."

  "But that's the thing. We both know that, so we can both keep ourselves in check."

  Maybe she was right. I hoped she was. We both laid there for a little bit when Lindsay said out of nowhere, "So what's your number?"

  "My number?"

  "Yeah, how many girls have you been with? Wow me."

  I kinda admired her, if she wanted to know something she just asked. There were no games with Lindsay. "Three."

  She furrowed her brow, "Three? Really?

  "Really."

  "Including me?"

  "Yep."

  "Wow. I figured you would at least be in the double digits."

  I shook my head, "Well what about you?"

  Her face got serious, "One."

  "What? One? Including me?"

  She laughed, "No. I'm kidding. You should have seen your face though."

  I laughed with her, relieved. I'm sure my face was hilarious, the thought of her losing her virginity to me on a drunken night I couldn't remember would not have sat well with me, "That was not funny. So what us your actual number? Including me."

  "Sorry I couldn't help it. Two."

  "Two? And you were giving me a hard time about three?"

  "Well yeah, Mr. Intense Green Eyes. Killer smile and body."

  "That's a long name. Good thing my mom cut it short and just called me Ryan."

  She laughed again. "You know what I mean. I just figured your number would be higher."

  "Well what about you? I know that number isn't from lack of guys trying."

  She scoffed, "Please. I was such a nerd in high school. I had a small group of five friends. The smart kids. And we did not mingle with anyone else."

  It was hard to imagine her as a nerd, "So you were smart. That doesn't make you a nerd. And you haven't been in high school for three years."

  "True. I'm still kinda geeky and I kinda scare guys off."

  "You aren’t geeky, you are just really smart. So your one other guy, he was your high school sweetheart?"

  She rolled onto her back, "Yeah. He was one of the guys in our little group. He was awkward and scrawny. He was really sweet through. But who would have known that two awkward people would have really awkward sex."

  I smiled, "Not good huh?"

  "No. We only did it a few times before graduation. And then we just parted as friends."

  For some reason at that moment I was very aware that we were both still totally naked and it felt too intimate, "You know what, maybe I should go. I mean talking naked in bed..."

  She sat up taking the sheet from her bed with her, covering her chest. "Feels like a relationship. Got it. So we make it a rule. When we’re naked no talking about anything other than sex."

  I sat up. "Okay. That works. We can still talk though."

  "Yeah absolutely. Just only clothed."

  I smiled, "I think we can handle this."

  I got dressed and then had to leave so I could go and lift weights before bed. She walked me to her door and there was no goodbye kiss and it truly didn't feel weird. We said bye, just like we did when we had been studying or hanging out. No big deal.

  I slept like a baby that night, completely relaxed, all of the tension had been erased from my body.

  I woke up the next morning in a great mood, a total contrast to the morning before. Fall camp started that day and was just as grueling and painful as the past two years, but my body was a lot more accustomed to it.

  I finally got home that night a ten o’clock and had a missed call from my mom so I called her back, hoping it wasn’t too late. My mom answered, “H
ello.”

  “Hey mom, sorry I missed your call. I didn’t wake you did I?”

  “No. I was just getting ready to go to bed. I know you are busy. I just wanted to let you know that we pushed the wedding to the beginning of June?”

  I sat down on my bed, my body was worn out from the day, “Why? Did something happen?”

  “Oh no, just need more time to plan the wedding.”

  “Oh okay. Cool. I should be off for break then.”

  “Yeah that’s what we figured. And hopefully by then you will have someone to bring as a date.”

  My mom was awesome at subtlety. “Who knows mom. I better get to bed. Love ya.”

  “Love you too. Sweet dreams.”

  I hung up the phone, went and took a shower, and crashed.

  I didn’t see Lindsay again for a full week. She and Julie came over at nine one night. Trevor and I had made sure we were back from the gym by then so we would have a little time to hang out.

  When we got back to the dorms, Lindsay and Julie were standing outside of my door. We all went into my dorm room to hang out. Pete had stayed late at the gym.

  Julie and Trevor were sitting on the couch, holding hands. He was so different around her, he was polite and was like a gentle giant. It was really funny to watch.

  I pulled up a chair from the kitchen table and let Lindsay have the recliner. My eyes kept catching hers as we all sat and talked.

  Julie looked between me and Trevor, "I just don't know how you boys do this for three weeks. Not one break."

  Trevor shrugged it off, "It's really no big deal. It's kinda fun actually."

  I put my feet up on the coffee table, "It is fun watching the freshman dragging ass."

  We all talked until it was almost eleven and the girls got up to leave so we could get some rest. Trevor walked Julie into the hall and Lindsay held back for a minute, "They are actually pretty cute together."

  We were standing in my kitchen, "Yeah. Told ya."

  "I'm not admitting I'm wrong yet. She's waiting for marriage..." She looked freaked out, "Oh shit. Don't tell anyone about that. She’ll kill me."

  "I doubt it's a secret. He probably knows. But I won't say a word."

  "He knows she isn't ready yet, but she's afraid to tell him she's waiting to be married. She doesn't want him to break up with her. She's just really religious."

  "Oh. Well she should probably tell him, but I don't think he'll break up with her for that."

  "Well I doubt he wants to get married any time soon and how long do you think he can hold out."

  I was afraid their relationship was doomed. "You never know."

  "Yeah." She moved a little closer to me. Her hands were on the top of my gym shorts. "So what time will you be home tomorrow?"

  I grinned at her, "Ten?"

  "That works for me. Will Pete be here though?"

  "Text me when you get here. Well figure something out."

  "Okay. See ya tomorrow."

  "Okay."

  She walked out to meet Julie in the hallway and I went to bed.

  The next day I couldn't wait to get through practice. After lifting weights at the gym, I took a quick shower and headed home with Pete. We walked in a little before ten and both sat down on the couch. I took my cell phone out and held it in my hand.

  Pete looked at the phone, "Expecting a call?"

  "Yeah. I'm gonna go get ice cream with Lindsay. She's gonna text me when she gets here."

  "Ice cream?"

  "Yeah. Ice cream."

  Lindsay sent me a text that she was out in the hall and I got up, "I'll see ya later."

  I went out in the hallway and saw Lindsay dressed casually in shorts and a t shirt. "Hey."

  She looked around the hallway, “Yeah I'm not doing it out here."

  "I know follow me." I led her to a study room on my floor. We didn't have to reserve them in the summer; they were never occupied.

  We went inside and I locked the door behind us. There was a table, four chairs, and a small love seat inside. We both quickly undressed and she guided me back toward the love seat. She pushed me down so that I was sitting on it and she took out a condom. She opened it and achingly, slowly rolled it onto me.

  She didn't waste any time after that and slowly guided herself down until I was fully inside of her.

  She moved up and down slowly. I leaned up and kissed her neck softly. I smiled when she let out a soft moan and her body started moving a little faster. I could feel that she was close and moved my lips up to kiss her.

  Not very long after that we came together and she gave me a quick kiss be for hopping up and getting dressed.

  I put my clothes on too and sat down on the love seat and she sat next to me. "I haven't told Julie about this. And I don't really plan to."

  "Okay. I haven't told anyone either. I don't plan on it."

  "Good. I mean Julie is my best friend, but she wouldn't understand."

  "I get it. I won't tell anyone. Pete thinks we went out for ice cream."

  She laughed, "Good."

  We stayed there for a little longer and then she went home and I went back to my room. We actually had the casual thing down. Lindsay was by far the coolest girl I had ever met.

  I made it through camp and saw Lindsay a few times. When Fall Semester started we didn't have any classes in common, but we still did our homework and studied together.

  Most of our study sessions included sex, but we always made sure to fit studying in also. Neither one of us wanted to fall behind in school, and we were both really busy outside of school.

  Right before Thanksgiving break we had just had sex after two hours of studying and were getting dressed. I watched as she pulled her shirt over her head, "So what's your family like."

  She never talked about them and it was a mystery to me. She pointed at me, "You aren't fully clothed. Can't answer."

  She always did that, tried to change the subject. I put my shirt on, "Now I am. Tell me. They can't be that bad."

  She sat next to me on her bed, "My dad is an executive, my mom is a housewife, and I have one sister. Pretty typical family."

  "Then why don't you talk about them? Come on Lindsay, what's between the lines."

  "You're gonna make a great psychologist someday. But you're not mine."

  I had known she was hiding something for a long time and didn't want to let it go, "I'm your friend. Just tell me. I told you about Maddy and being a pathetic loser."

  She smiled weakly. "My dad is an asshole. He was never home and has had numerous affairs. He never even tried to hide it and my mom just played the happy housewife. Keeping the house clean, dinner on the table, and ignored his affairs. I know, shocking right? I have daddy issues."

  I smiled. "So what about your sister?"

  She stood up abruptly, "You should go. You have to get up early and you don't want to be dragging tomorrow."

  Okay. Her sister was off limits. I stood up, "Isn't that what I'm supposed to say?"

  "Yep. I'm saying it for you."

  I gathered my stuff. "Okay. Well if you ever want to talk about it I'm here."

  She nodded and I left. I wondered on my way home what was up with her sister. She said she has one sister, in present tense, so she was alive.

  When I got home, Pete was already asleep and I went into my room and quickly fell asleep.

  Chapter 16

  The holidays came and went again. I made it home for Thanksgiving Day that year, but had to fly out that night. It was a really good thing that my mom and Troy changed the date of their wedding because we had a bowl game two days after Christmas, so I would have had to fly out the day of the wedding.

  We lost the game, but ended the season with only two loses total. Lindsay stayed in Auburn for most of Winter Break. She flew back in a few days after Christmas, and since Julie had spent most of her break at her parents’ we spent a lot of time at their apartments.

  On New Year's Eve, Lindsay came over to our dorm since we had a
n eleven o clock curfew. We had snacks and toasted with champagne.

  Trevor kept Julie on the phone as we counted down to the New Year. Lindsay had started to tolerate Pete, although she still called him a Neanderthal.

  A few evenings later we were laying in her bed, mostly clothed. Her hair was all messed up and she was trying her best to fix it with her fingers. I was watching her and for some reason I asked her, "Will you please tell me about your sister?"

  I regretted it when I said it. I expected her to yell at me for bringing it up again, but she just softly sighed, "Why do you want to know?"

  "I'm not sure. I just don't have any secrets from you. I guess I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me."

  She had tears in her eyes, "My sister...my twin sister...she's an addict."

  I closed my eyes. That made sense. I opened them again and looked at her, "That's why you want to help addicts."

  "Yeah. I thought maybe I could help. Maybe learn something new that all of the rehab facilities she has been to don't know about."

  "Where is she now?"

  "Some place in Texas. Supposed to be a three month program, but she's only been there for a week this time and has never made it for longer than three weeks."

  I sat up a little more on the bed. "When did it start?"

  "Ryan. You don't want to hear about all this."

  "Of course I do. Just talk to me."

  "We were best friends. We spent all of our time together and then in junior high she became a cheerleader and started hiding how smart she was. She was in the popular crowd and I wasn't so we kinda drifted apart a little."

  She looked over at me, and I was intently listening so she continued, "Freshman year she started drinking a lot and not coming home. My parents barely noticed. Then her idiot football player boyfriend got her hooked on pills. They were both always stoned, it didn't matter where they were. When Laura was sixteen she crashed her car and was ordered by a judge to attend rehab."

  Football player boyfriend. Everything was becoming a lot clearer now. She went on, "She left early and went to jail for ninety days instead. Luckily, it was during the summer so she didn't miss that much school. Not that it had mattered to her. She was barely passing before that. Anyway, after she got out of jail she did okay for a while, until her boyfriend begged her to take him back. She went back with him and broke her sobriety really fast. Then our senior year she dropped out and ran away with him."