A Hope and a Chance

by Jennifer Foor

  I lay next to her and stroked her hair. “Do you have any idea what you mean to me; what it’s like to finally feel like I matter?”

  Hope traced my lips as she replied. “Why do you think I’m here with you, naked in your bed?”

  I let her suck on my finger while I closed my eyes and focused on speaking. It was becoming a task with the current actions. “I don’t want you to ever forget how important you are. Without you, my life would be meaningless. You make me want to be a better person.”

  “Chance, you were already a good person. Don’t you see that? Don’t you know that you got dealt a shitty hand? It wasn’t because you deserved it.” She smiled and leaned closer to my face. “Now, would you please make love to me, before I burst?”

  “Burst? Hell yeah! I wouldn’t want you combusting.” I teased her for the choice of words she’d used.

  For the next half hour, I kissed every inch of Hope’s body. I started slowly below her knees and then worked my way up to her neck. When I got to her most tender spots, I took my time and used my tongue to savor her sweetness.

  Hope’s body jerked in ecstasy as I slid my head between her legs and pleasured her until she screamed my name. Just as I had finished, she pulled my face up to hers and kissed me deeply. She always knew how crazy it made me when she did that. My rock hard cock beckoned for attention immediately.

  Hope positioned herself on top of me, and when our bodies became one, she took control of the movements. I intertwined our hands, while she rocked back and forth on top of me. I wanted to grab at her hips, but I couldn’t make myself let go of her hands. Things were perfect, and our bodies seemed in sync with one another.

  For the second time, Hope began to pick up the pace. Her loud cries let me know that she’d reached euphoria once more. Seeing and hearing her in that condition got to me. I felt a burst of release, and succumbed to my own reward.

  Afterwards, I rubbed her back and played with her hair while she remained on top of my sweaty body. “How do you do that?” I asked.

  “Do what?” She asked as she rested her head on my chest.

  “You make every time just as good as the first time, maybe even better,” I admitted.

  I felt Hope shrug her shoulders. “You’re just being nice because I gave you some.” She didn’t get it.

  “Nope, it’s the truth. You’re so damn irresistible. All I want to do is be with you.”

  Hope began rubbing the top of my chest with her fingers. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course you can. Ask me anything, baby."

  “Did she love you?”

  Except that. Damn! “I don’t know, Hope. I don’t want to know.”

  “How long did it go on? I mean, how many times?”

  I didn’t count how many times. Hope was fishing for answers and she really didn’t need to know details like that. Hell, I didn’t even want to think about them. Doing that with Susan made me feel sneaky. When my sister found out she flipped. It definitely contributed to their severed friendship. Obviously they kept in touch, but they were never as close as they were. I think Buffy refused to trust her, even though she wouldn’t admit it.

  “Can we please not talk about it? I’m not trying to be mean or hurt your feelings, and I surely didn’t tell you that to make you feel insecure. I just wanted you to know the truth, so that if she said anything you would not get the wrong idea about us. Please, can we just lie here together without the third degree?” I begged.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right.” She wrapped her arms around me.

  “I want you to sleep here tonight. Do you think you can sneak out later?” I asked.

  I could feel Hope beaming as she lay against my chest. Her head began to nod up and down. “I’ll find a way.”

  “Hope?”

  “Yes?”

  “What do you want for Christmas? I mean, you haven’t told me anything.” I needed ideas, because I had that and a birthday to shop for.

  “Surprise me. I’ll love whatever you choose. My necklace is my most prized possession. It’ll be hard to beat that,” She taunted.

  “I smiled, knowing exactly what I wanted to get her. She would love it, I was certain.

  45

  I woke up in Chance’s arms early the next morning. Sneaking out hadn’t been a problem the night before. My dad and Buffy came in from shopping around nine and went right to bed as a result of exhaustion.

  When I looked at the clock I knew I had plenty of time to cuddle with Chance before anyone noticed that I wasn’t in my room. I couldn’t wait for this charade to finally be finished. Maybe other people wouldn’t be able to understand how Chance had fallen in love with someone that hadn’t turned eighteen yet, but it wasn’t like he was dating a child. I was a woman who was old enough to make my own choices. I’d come on to him at first, and though he tried to push me away, our chemistry was undeniable.

  I’d been with other people, well one other person, and that relationship lasted a year. I was familiar with commitment. I’d graduated high school and was now attending college. What more could they expect out of an adult? I was on the right track, and I had one person to thank.

  The three-year difference in our age meant nothing to us when we looked at the big picture.

  There had been so many times when I wanted to tell my mother about him, but each time I had chickened out. If my mother was in the wrong kind of mood or not feeling well, it could have sent her over to my father’s house on the warpath. She couldn’t afford to stress about things. I had to play my cards right so that nobody got hurt.

  When I finally felt Chance’s strong arms squeezing me tight, I knew he was awake. “Good morning, baby,” he said with his eyes still closed.

  “How did you know it was me?” I joked. “I could have placed an imposter here to fool you.”

  “Your morning breath gave it away,” he kidded.

  “Ha ha.” I said as I leaned up and purposely kissed him.

  “I knew because I never once let you out of my arms last night, and because your skin always smells like heaven.”

  “I like your answer. I’ll let you live to see another day now.” I stood up and headed into the bathroom, where I found my spare toothbrush that Chance always kept for me.

  “Mind if I use your toothbrush?” I joked. He gagged at the idea of sharing toothbrushes, even though I’d done it before. I found it funny that he had little quirks. I stood there waiting for him to reply, but I didn’t hear him. Then he suddenly appeared in the doorway, standing there naked in front of me.

  “You have your own, smart ass. Watch out for a minute. I have to piss.” He said as he walked toward the toilet and began going, while I stood there brushing my teeth.

  “Seriously? I hate when you do this.”

  “Do what? I am going to the bathroom. You go to the bathroom at least ten times a day. What is the big deal?”

  “You never want privacy though.” I was a woman who sometimes needed my privacy. There were things that a female needs to do without a man in the room.

  “No. I do want privacy, except from you. I have nothing to hide from you. I want to be able to share everything. We all poop, Hope. It’s natural human disposal.”

  I cringed as he’d said it.

  “Don’t give me that look. I know that’s what you’re getting at. Trust me I eat the same food as you. I’m fully aware that you sometimes have to shit. Everyone does it.”

  “Oh my God, please stop. This is so embarrassing.”

  He stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around the front of my waist. “Everything about you is sexy to me. Don’t be embarrassed. If you need privacy, I understand. I just get a kick out of giving you a hard time about it.” He kissed my shoulder and stepped back.

  “Why do you always know what to say? You suck!” I wanted to act mad, but I knew I couldn’t. He was utterly amazing.

  “I suck because I say the right thing? You do realize that is a contradiction right?”

&nbs
p; I laughed out loud. “Yeah, I know.”

  Chance sauntered out into the bedroom. I knew he was getting dressed. He may be comfortable around me naked, but he didn’t generally traipse around like that. He always had on a pair of boxers. I enjoyed him either way, but I always feared my father would walk in on us being together in this house, naked, and it scared the shit out of me.

  I headed back into his room behind him. I didn’t want to seem like a stalker but I loved to look at him. Chance was bent over, like that first day we met. He was slipping his boxers on around his ankles and started pulling them up. I noticed all of the muscles in his back moving, and for a second it was so perfect that I had to close my eyes; looking at Chance this way, made me want him. He was so tan and so perfectly sculpted. I pictured being in his arms and how he could carry me around like I was a bag of feathers. His strength was so appealing to me.

  “Like something you see, cause you’re literally staring a hole in my chest.”

  I cleared my throat. A slight part of me seemed embarrassed, but that was only because I’d been caught. “Actually, I like everything I see.” I bit my bottom lip. “The things I want to do to you right now are sinful”. I managed to say with a straight face.

  Chance shook his head and slid a pair of shorts over his boxers. “If you continue to watch me and talk like that, I am going to snatch your ass up and fuck you all over again,” he threatened.

  My nipples tingled as I licked my lips. “Mmm, what’s stopping you?”

  A shirtless Chance came walking towards me. He didn’t waste any time grabbing my waist and pulling me against his lips. He kissed me so hard that I thought I was going to lose consciousness.

  I put my hands over his chest and pushed him down on the bed. He watched as I removed my top and then my bottoms, before climbing over top of him. I licked his navel and placed small kisses all over those beautiful abs of his. He played with my hair as I drug my lips over his tanned skin.

  I sat up and ran my hands over his stomach again playing with his belly button, then finally making it to where the elastic on his shorts sat. As I worked, I could feel his readiness pressing against my hand and I focused on pulling the shorts down.

  It was ironic how I used to hate being intimate, and I loathed the idea of having other partners, but Chance made that all go away. I loved him, maybe even from the first time our eyes met, as corny as that seems. Maybe his body pulled me in, but his demeanor and kind soul showed me what it is was really like to love someone. Chance had been saving me since before he really knew me. That meant more to me than anything. He was truly my best friend.

  46

  Hope wasn’t very cautious with her father being in the house across the yard. She had successfully gotten me back into bed. I have trouble saying no to her, especially since I’d been back home. Being away from her was painstaking and I never wanted to experience that again.

  As she removed my shorts I wondered if I should stop her. Hope massaged my thighs with her hands, and placed kisses on my stomach which made me crazy. It was the little things she did to me that made me want her like there was no tomorrow.

  When I couldn’t take it anymore, I grabbed her and pulled her body up to meet mine. Without any effort I slid into her and she let out a small moan as it happened. I watched as my beautiful girlfriend sat straight up, and placed her hands on my thighs behind her for support. It caused her chest to stick out further, and as she moved, so did her breasts. I couldn’t help but reach up and run my fingers over her nipples. They were so hard, beckoning me for attention.

  “Does it feel good, baby? That’s it, ride me. Fuck, you’re so sexy. Touch yourself. You know what I like.”

  Hope smiled as I ran my hands down to her small waist and began guiding her yet harder. I watched as the grinding became rapid. She threw her head back and let out a beautiful cry as she reached up and squeezed both of her own nipples. “Chance…”

  When I heard that, I couldn’t help but finish myself. Hearing her say my name turned me on, but seeing her touching herself made me erupt. It was like a direct order sent straight to my penis. This time Hope collapsed on top of me. We were both breathing heavy, when we heard my door open.

  I grabbed Hope, who was still attached to me by her legs, and carried her into the bathroom. I lifted her up, sticking her in the shower, then turned on the water and jumped in myself. I hoped that whoever was here did not notice the water turning on after they’d already marched in.

  As Hope stood there in the shower behind me, I heard two sets of voices. We were caught, I just knew it. All I could think of was that my life was officially over. I was about to die at the hands of her father.

  I heard my sister’s voice first. “Chance? How long are you going to be in there?”

  I stuck my head out from behind the curtain, even though she clearly was not standing in the bathroom. Then I realized Hope’s clothes were thrown all over my bedroom. This couldn’t get worse.

  “I just got in. What’s up?” I tried to sound calm.

  “Mark and I need to talk to you. We will just wait in the living room until you finish,” she yelled.

  I looked down at Hope who appeared as if she was going to be sick. “I love you.” I whispered in her ear. “No matter what happens, we’ll find a way.”

  I pulled back and watched as she mouthed the same words to me. Figuring this might be our last time together, at least for a while until I either recovered from Mark beating the shit out of me or somehow being arrested for sleeping with a minor, I started washing Hope’s hair. She closed her eyes and didn’t fight me. When I started to do my own and then wash my body I saw the tears in her eyes. She knew why I was taking my time, and her fear matched mine. Before turning off the water, I gave her one last kiss over her lips.

  “It will be okay. I promise,” I whispered.

  I turned off the water and reached a towel for Hope first. I helped her out and grabbed a towel for myself. When I made it to the hallway I peeked out realizing Mark was sitting in a chair with his back facing us. Buffy was sitting across from him, not even noticing me standing in a towel. I grabbed Hope and led her into my bedroom so that she could get dressed at least.

  Before I could even find shorts she was already fully dressed, sitting on the edge of my bed. I threw on my clothes and kissed her one more time, trying not to get choked up over it.

  When I headed out to the living room, I knew it had only been about ten minutes in total from the time they had come into the apartment. I threw on a t-shirt as I made my way into the room where Buffy and Mark sat waiting.

  “Morning, you two. What’s up?” Even though I knew what was up. I tried not to look Mark in the eyes as I sat down next to my sister, reliving all of the ways his daughter had satisfied me only a short time ago.

  Mark had both hands on the ends of the chair’s arms. To me, it appeared he was trying to control his temper. I could feel the beads of sweat already starting to form across my forehead, even though I had just gotten out of the shower. I didn’t care if he hauled off and hit me. I’d gone against his word time and time again. There was no way he would understand how I felt about her. This could only end badly.

  47

  I was prepared for anything. If he wanted to call me out about being with his daughter, I was going to tell him the truth. I was in love with her and probably had been since we started this affair. She made me want to live again and I couldn’t imagine spending one day without her. That had to count for something.

  When his mouth opened, I hung my head high and waited.

  “So, as you know the wedding is just a month away. Your sister and I drove a few towns over to shop for Christmas. I realize that this may be too forward of me to ask, but I wanted to know if Hope had talked to you about school? I know that you help her study all the time, and I think it has been a big influence on her. Did you know she hates school?” Mark asked.

  So far, I wasn’t getting the crap beat out of me.

&nbs
p; “Yeah, she mentioned it a few times. And to answer your question, no, she never really talks about it. Why? What’s up?”

  Mark looked over at Buffy and then back to me. “Chance, I have some connections here in Virginia. I have made several calls on your behalf, and I personally went to college with the baseball recruiter over at Virginia Tech. I know I should have talked to you first, but I felt so bad for sending you away to South Carolina. I want you to know that I trust you and that I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not sure I’m following you?”

  “My friend, who is the recruiter, he knew of you, Chance. He watched you play in high school, but you’d already picked Penn State. Anyway, his short stop broke his leg last week and they say he won’t be able to play for at least a year. I told him how you lived with us and were planning on enrolling at the community college next semester. After explaining everything that happened, he pulled your transcripts and saw your college grade point average. They want you to play for them, Chance, at least for one year. What do you say about that? Would you like to go back to school at a university instead of a community college?”

  I was stunned; this had nothing to do with Hope, but actually it had everything to do with her. “I’m kind of in shock right now. Do I need to give you an answer this minute? I’ve already enrolled at the community college,” I stated.

  “He needs to know before they look into other options. They’ll need to know by week end.”

  I was surprised, excited, and even overwhelmed. Who was this guy? How did he know all of these important people? My mother always said ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ and I finally got it! “Wow, I want to say yes, but I think I need a couple days to think about it. I feel like I’m dreaming.” I scratched my head, looking to my sister for some kind of sign. “Why did you ask about Hope? What does she have to do with this?”

  “We figured if Hope saw you going there, she would want to follow. She looks up to you, almost like you’re her brother,” Mark replied.