“Fuck, Dan!” Tyler arms tightened around me. “You should’ve brought her inside. She’s freezin’. My lips feel like they’re gonna turn blue from kissin’ her.” Tyler took my shoulders and turned me around, pulling me to his neck. “Let’s get you inside,” he whispered in my ear.
“Hey,” Dan said. “I’m gonna go on in.” I heard him walk across the porch and open the front door.
“Sorry baby.” Tyler put his cheek against mine, his body enveloping me. “I didn’t know it was this cold or I wouldn’t have let you stay out here so long.”
I nuzzled his neck and collar bone, reveling in the feel of his warm body. “You feel so good, Ty.”
“Mmm. So do you,” he growled in my ear. “I’m gonna take you inside and warm you up.”
“Okay.”
He looked down into my eyes. We both smiled. How could he possibly be more endearing? All this talk of taking me inside because it’s so cold, but his drunkenness had obviously crowded out his common sense. We could have already walked inside to where it was warm. But it was nice to be alone with sweet, sloppy-drunk Tyler.
Would it really be so bad to move to Montana and have lots of babies with this man? Maybe he doesn’t want babies. Maybe he doesn’t even want to move back to Montana...
Tyler’s smile got even bigger. He cradled my cheek in his palm and gently brought my face closer to his. “Girlfriend. Hope you didn’t forget who you belong to.” He bent down to kiss me, his tongue pressing deep inside my mouth. I put my arms around him and dug my nails into his back.
The taste of beer was definitely stronger than it was earlier that evening. But somehow his kiss was slower and more measured. His mouth completely overtook mine. I heard him moan and felt his hot breath against my face, warming me up as we melted into each other.
Tyler’s hand moved down my back, then further. I felt him kneeling slightly in front of me as his hand slid down the back of my skirt. He let me go and jumped up when he reached the back of my thigh.
“You’re frozen! Why didn’t you say something?” Tyler gritted his teeth and gave my butt one good, sharp swat.
I giggled as he led me along to the front door with his arm around my shoulders.
Just live in the moment, Susie. I heard Aunt Lydia’s words in my head. The moment was much easier to live in if I spent it in Tyler’s presence. Being around him somehow made me forget about everything else.
I spotted Dan as soon as I walked inside the living room. He was talking to two girls I didn’t know. Our conversation on the porch already felt so far away. He made eye contact with me for a split second then immediately resumed flirting with the girls, both of whom were dressed like Lady Gaga, I assumed.
A tiny piece of me ached as I looked at Dan. I knew I’d never be the same. That part of my life was over, no matter how much I wanted to hold onto it. A force greater than myself had whisked me away and there was no turning back.
My mind flashed to something from my childhood. Wrightsville Beach with my brother and sister. The three of us were working feverishly to build a sand fort when Tabby screamed that our stuff was floating away. Seconds later, I felt the cold ocean water around me as sand and rocks pounded into the bottom of my bathing suit. I tried to stand up, but right then another wave crashed in, knocking me down to my knees. I could still see Matt’s little mop of curly brown hair bounce along as he ran after a beach ball. Apparently, Mom had also been too busy to notice the tide coming in because I heard her voice violently screaming my name as the wave pulled me forward into the ocean like I belonged there. It lifted me up and sat me down, gently. I stayed there kneeling, waiting for the next wave to suck me in completely. I remembered being too calm. I had no fear, even when the second, larger wave came. It lifted me to my feet and pulled me out further, this time landing me on my behind. I didn’t know how badly my legs were scraped until a few minutes later when I sat on a dry blanket, huddled next to Mom while she pulled bottles out of a first aid kit.
What was I doing when Tyler came in and swept me away? Why am I so scared?
Mom asked why I didn’t scream when the ocean sucked me in. I told her it was because I thought it was God’s way of telling me that I was supposed to be a mermaid, and I had accepted my destiny. She just stared at me silently, then smiled and kissed my cheek and told me I was too smart for my own good.
Was Dan right about my life being a controlled burn? I missed that fearless little girl.
Tyler pulled me along to the kitchen. He had one arm around my shoulder, and had somehow procured another red plastic cup. He drank from it as we wove among some of the costumed guests. We stopped at the kitchen counter in front of the makeshift bar.
“So, girlfriend.” Tyler leaned down to give me a peck on the lips. “What’re you drinkin’ tonight?”
“Nothing.”
“Huh?”
“I haven’t had anything to drink.”
“Well.” He wrapped his arms around me. “We need to fix that...” His sentence ended with his tongue in my ear.
“Stop!” I squealed and laughed, trying to push him away. I knew he was just being playful but a tongue that deep in my ear felt icky, no matter who it belonged to.
Tyler laughed and moved down to my neck. He made happy noises as he used his mouth in ways he knew would drive me crazy. I couldn’t keep myself from moaning even if I tried. I knew full well that I couldn’t stop him and most of the people in that house were drunk anyway. So I put up no resistance when he pushed me backward, pinning me against the counter. I heard a few of the bottles behind me clanging gently against each other.
“Tyler...” I tried to say his name.
He explored my throat with his mouth, then squeezed my left breast like it was his next target. “What is it?”
“We need to go to your room.”
Tyler either ignored me or didn’t hear me. He just kept on kissing my neck and fondling my breast. His other hand moved down to the back of my skirt, then further down to my thigh to lift my knee to his waist.
“Hey! Tyler and Susie!”
It was Corbie.
“Hey,” I said.
Tyler was undeterred. His mouth was attached to my neck, making its way back up to my ear. And if anybody happened to be on the floor, they could get a very naked view up my skirt. He’d drawn my leg into the air.
“Hey.” Corbie reached behind Tyler.
Tyler’s head jerked back. He stood up and let go of my thigh but his hand was still groping my breast. “Not cool, man. You never fuckin’ pull a guy’s ponytail.” He glared at Corbie. I hoped they weren’t both wasted enough to have some stupid, drunk-boy fight. I’d hate to see who might win that one.
“Had no choice.” Corbie put his hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “I’d tell you guys to get a room, but you live here. You have a room. Please use it.”
And then another voice appeared in the kitchen. “I heard you guys were usin’ my room earlier.” Cyrus’ head popped up beside Corbie. He extended his hand. “Hi, Susie. We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Cyrus.”
I shook his hand. He looked exactly like he did in his Facebook pictures. Taller than me, and not as tall or wide as Corbie or Tyler. Olive complexion, shaved head, cute in a non-obvious way. “Pleased to meet you,” I said.
He laughed. “Pleased. I’m sure you are. I heard Campbell was pleasin’ you on my bed tonight." He let go of my hand and gave Tyler a mean look. “You fucker.”
“No.” Tyler grinned. “We did it on the ottoman. Not your bed.”
“That’s great.” Cyrus smirked. Then he saw Tyler’s hand on my boob, and chuckled. ”You okay?” He put his hand on my shoulder. “This guy ain’t hurtin’ you, is he?”
I sensed his concern. Tyler was pretty drunk and a little more forceful than usual, but it was nothing I couldn’t take. In fact, as I thought about my answer, I realized how much more relaxed I felt around Drunk Tyler. He was happy and uninhibited, and I craved more of his unabashed manhandlin
g of my body. “No. I’m fine, really," I said.
Tyler took his hand from my breast and put it around my back, pulling me to his chest. “I won’t hurt her." He pushed Cyrus’ hand from my shoulder. “She’s my girlfriend. I love her.”
I couldn’t see Corbie’s reaction. My face was smooshed against the yellow number 4 on Tyler’s football jersey. He had me locked against him, kissing the top of my head. One of his hands was in my hair. The other rubbed my back.
“Okay,” Corbie said. I felt his hand on my back near Tyler’s. “But at least move away from the counter so people can get to the booze.”
“Fine.” Tyler took a few steps backwards. I heard the vinyl from his jersey rip away from my cheek but it didn’t hurt. He stretched both arms out in front of him to coax me back into his arms.
Instead of getting my face stuck to his shirt again, I smiled at my “boyfriend” and turned around to back into him. “Since when are you drinking again?” I asked Corbie. Cyrus had already left the kitchen. Tyler wrapped his arms around my chest and pressed his stomach against my back.
“What? I’m not allowed?” Corbie opened a bottle of vodka and poured some into a plastic cup.
“No, it’s not that," I said. “I thought you stopped drinking.” For some reason, Corbie had started obsessing about his weight at the beginning of the fall semester. He had gained about forty pounds since his freshman year and he blamed it on partying. Personally, I thought he was hot. I had always been attracted to big, stocky guys like him. And I was surprised we’d known each other for so long without me having the pleasure of feeling that big, stocky body slam into me for at least one night. It wasn’t for lack of trying on my part. But he would never go beyond making out with me. He always said it was because he had too much respect for me as a friend. But if that were the case, why was he always the one most obsessed with me behind my back?
Corbie shrugged. “It’s been a long week.”
Right then, Tyler lifted my hair and started nibbling on a spot at the base of my neck - that rarely appreciated spot he’d discovered a few weeks earlier. Chills started down my spine the moment I felt the warm, wet touch of his lips. Like a sharp reflex, all I could do was throw my head back. My breath caught in my throat before I could respond to Corbie. “Oh!” I screamed.
Tyler’s hands rushed to my breasts, his fingers tweaking my hard nipples on top of my blouse. I closed my eyes and gave in to his hands and his lips, completely aware of what a rude spectacle it was in front of one of my best friends. But I was powerless to do anything to stop the man standing behind me.
It was then that I realized why I liked his drunken uninhibited behavior so much. It made him seem real. Like he wasn’t the perfect combination of jock and brainiac his mom bragged about any chance she got. He was merely this sweet, horny drunk guy who couldn’t get enough of me. I just hoped he wouldn’t end up passed out downstairs before we made it up to his room.
Corbie took a step closer to us. “Take her to your room!”
I forced myself to look up and make eye contact with him. “I’m sorry, Corb.”
“Just fuckin’ go upstairs, okay?” And with that, Corbie stomped out of the kitchen. I wondered why he was so upset. Surely his drunkenness had something to do with it, but it was a little odd for him.
“We should go to your room,” I said. My eyes were closed in response to Tyler’s amazing mouth on the back of my neck.
“Soon.” He let his mouth linger against my skin for a little longer. Then he lifted the back of my skirt and wasted no time parting my lips with his fingers, thrusting them between my thighs, teasing me. “Shit, you’re soaked.” He breathed into my ear. “I wanna bend you over right here and fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before.”
I turned my head and found his gorgeous brown eyes giving me a look like he meant exactly what he said. He wanted me bent over in that kitchen and he didn’t care who walked in. Physically, I knew it was impossible. He was almost a foot taller than me and his legs were really long. Unless I could prop myself up on something, like I had when we showered together, there was no way we could have sex standing up. But I knew he might just be drunk enough to try.
“Honey,” I said, “we need to go up...”
And then I was startled by laughter. At the kitchen’s entrance was a small group of people. They were all dressed in costumes, standing there watching us. I made eye contact with a pirate, who started laughing. Then the rest of them followed suit, all of them laughing at once. How long had they been there?
I smiled. “Enjoying the show?” I acted cool about it, but inside I was just relieved that they could only see what Tyler was doing to me from the front. “Sweetie.” I pulled the back of my skirt down and put my hand on his back. He stood there looking completely oblivious as his hand tried to force my skirt back up. I stared in his eyes and nodded toward the spectators.
Tyler casually turned to their general direction as he cupped my ass. “Hey.”
A few people in the group mumbled as they filtered into the kitchen. Some of them were still giggling. They started to open the bottles on the counter.
“Come on," I said, taking Tyler’s hand, leading him out of the kitchen.
My first glance around the living room showed me that about half of the guests had left for downtown while Tyler and I were busy in the kitchen. My second glance around the living room showed me Kate and Joan sitting on the couch together, drinking.
Shit, why are they still here? I looked away before either of them could make eye contact with me, making sure Tyler and I stopped at the base of the stairs. “So, we gonna go up to your room and finish what we started?”
Tyler’s eyes lit up. He put his hands around my back and grinned, but didn’t answer my question. He looked off at someone behind me and craned his neck. “Hey!” Tyler yelled to get the person’s attention a few more times.
Caleb strolled up beside us. “‘Sup? You look like you’re having a pretty good time, Susie girl.” He smiled knowingly.
I simply nodded in return, thinking back to how sweet he was earlier. How many other girls had ever seen that side of him?
“Do me a favor,” Tyler said. “Get my woman here a drink, okay? Like, rum and Coke. With a lotta rum.”
“What?” I asked. “You really wanna get me drunk, huh?”
“Fuck yeah.” He gave me a huge smile. “We’re gonna get drunk and go to my room and do bad things to each other we can’t remember later.”
Caleb shook his head, laughing.
“What’s so funny about that?” Tyler’s eyes narrowed at Caleb. “It’s finally my turn to keep you awake all night.” He grunted, looking at me, pointing at his roommate. “This asshole.”
“Stop it, man," Caleb said.
Tyler knocked on the wall beside him with a disgusted look on his face. “These piece of shit walls.”
Caleb exhaled with a loud groan. “That’s enough."
Tyler continued, either drunkenly oblivious to his roommate or deliberately ignoring him. “Every fuckin’ weekend. Some girl...”
“Hey!” Caleb stared at Tyler, pleading for him to stop. I wondered if he was ashamed of himself after the conversation we had earlier, or if it was out of respect for Joan. I couldn’t see her past Tyler but if she was still sitting with Kate on the couch she might have been able to hear this conversation.
“Look.” Tyler pulled me so close so quickly, my face slammed into his chest. I smiled, even though my nose smarted just a little. He rubbed my back. “It’s my turn. My turn for some loud fuckin’. For hours. And don’t you even think about knockin’ on my door.”
“Camp-bell!” A voice cried out for Tyler. It sounded like Joe again.
“Shit!” Tyler’s grip loosened just long enough for me to step back and see him grit his teeth. “What the fuck now?” He let go of me and started to walk away, but then came back a moment later. “Sweetie.” I had to keep myself from laughing out loud at how dramatic he was, but I cou
ld tell he was dead serious. “I’m so sorry. I gotta go help my dumb fuckin’ roommate do somethin’ a five year old could do.” He took both of my hands in his. “I’m sorry I almost left you. I’ll never leave you, Susie.” He picked up my right hand and kissed the back of it. “I love you so much.” Tyler then dropped my hand and turned around to scream at Joe for calling him away.
With concern, I observed his wobbly gait as he walked off toward Joe. “God, he’s drunk,” I said. I also pondered the fact that in his drunkenness he said ‘fuck’ a lot more and most of the ‘ings’ on the ends of his words no longer had ‘g’s.
“I’ve seen him worse,” Caleb said. “And you didn’t really want that drink, did you?”
Safe With Me, Special Edition Page 38
