It's What You Do

by C L Wesley

  Jensen pulled me up to my feet. “I know you’re hurting but do not give his mother the satisfaction of seeing you broken.” He puts his arm around me. “Don’t. Taryn don’t. Wait til we get to my truck.” He whispers into my ear.

  The next week, Jensen and I sat quietly in the back while the testimonies went on between Josh and Noah until I was called to the stand. Finally, able to open my eyes up, I sat there with the tell-tale bruises still colorful as ever on my face while I answer questions intended to make Noah look guilty. I looked at Noah a lot throughout the process and his eyes never left mine, the anguish and sorrow written clearly across his face.

  The night before the last day of their trial, Jensen and I were watching a movie when Matt knocked at the door. “Hey Man, Is Taryn here? I heard she’s been staying with you.” I hear Matt ask from the other side of the door.

  “It’s okay.” I tell Jensen as he opens the door revealing me on the couch cuddled up underneath a soft black fuzzy blanket that I tease Jay for owning.

  “Taryn, I am so sorry.” He walks in and I offer him a seat, Jensen watching us carefully from the kitchen island. We catch up for a few minutes before Jensen asks why he’s here. “To get the Omegas out of trouble for underage drinking, we had to prove we were checking ID at the door. Our President installed security cameras last year for things such as this. Anyhow while streaming the front door, I checked the back porch and back yard to make sure nobody snuck in.” He hands me a flash drive. “It’s all right here. Everything Josh did to you, how Noah reacted when Josh pulled a knife. It’s all right here.”

  “You’re kidding me! Jay, call your dad. I didn’t know Josh pulled a knife.” I said as Jensen immediately pulled out his phone and told his father what we’ve come across. “Thank you for this.”

  “I would have brought it sooner had I known those cameras actually recorded.” Matt stood. “I’m so sorry this happened to you and to Noah, he is a good guy.” He touched my shoulder before shaking Jensen’s hand and leaving.

  “My dad is on his way. He’s calling the detective to get it submitted into evidence.” Jensen informs me as we wait patiently for his dad to barrel through the door, laptop in hand.

  “Taryn, are you sure you want to watch this?” Mr. Marshite asked as he plugged in the flash drive. I shook my head and the three of us watched the night unfold with Josh, both Marshite men holding their breath, red faced as hell. Mr. Marshite placed his hand over mine. “You fought back. I’m so proud of you.” Matt was right. Josh did pull a knife when he saw Noah. It’s clear as day in the video. You can see Josh holding it in his right hand as he was standing halfway out of the shed.

  The next day, the video was submitted into evidence and played for the court. I watched as Noah and all parents present did all but cover their eyes as Josh assaulted me. It was when Mr. Marshite pointed out the knife that Josh said he never had, that the case took a turn. Noah was then claiming self-defense and the assault charges were dropped. Josh was then charged with attempted rape, aggravated assault, and public intoxication. As Mr. Marshite said, the public intox was not sexy but it holds merit when paired with the other two. Over the course of the next couple weeks, Josh was sentenced to eight years in prison with a chance at parole in five. My parents were at the last two court proceedings. I finally told them what had happened and who I was staying with when Noah went to their house to retrieve his things. Noah walked out of the courthouse to see us on the steps waiting for him. His eyes met mine and I smiled hoping he would come over and talk to me. His mother tugged at his arm and he left the courthouse with his parents, only turning around once to look for me before I spun into Jensen’s arms so they wouldn’t see me cry.

  15

  It’s the first day of classes and it has been a week since Noah has went home, as did I. I tried to text him a few times and got no response so I need to try and move on but I see him all over campus. I keep waiting for big strong arms to envelope me and to hear that sweet southern accent call me ‘darlin’. I talked to Izzy about everything finally and she is dumbstruck. All she can tell me is that if it is true love, we will be okay. I am so proud of her for going through therapy. Part of her therapy requires her to write an apology to Jensen.

  I can tell Jensen is lonely. He has been throwing himself into classes, the gym, and spending his free time with me. He has convinced himself that staying busy is healthy for both of us. He tries to keep my mind off Noah by making me play his video games or getting me hooked into Netflix series that we then binge watch.

  January 10th: It is lonely here without you. I love you Noah

  I have six classes today and work at Olive Garden tonight only to get up and do two more classes tomorrow with another two being online. Matt has a brother that works in admissions and told Matt that Noah is still a registered student. With that being said, I’ll be damned if he falls behind before he even starts. Izzy said I’m delirious for taking his classes too but he will need notes to study from when he comes back.

  January 13th Me: You are still a registered student. You can still come to classes until the college finalizes things.

  January 20th Me: I love you and I miss you so much.

  I’ve been spending a lot of time hanging out with Jensen at his place. We got involved in several television series that we binge watch until we both are so damn tired all we can do is sleep. I started keeping a few things at his place just in case I don’t feel like driving home so now when you open his medicine cabinet you see his stuff next to my personal items which could cause a huge issue should he bring someone home some time. That would also mean I’d have to give up my side of his large king size bed. I’ve stayed here almost a month now on and off and besides the night I first came here we cohabitate pretty well.

  My face has been healing nicely and I’m down to just some scarring and some ugly yellowish bruising I notice as I wash my face. “Taryn, popcorn is ready.” Jensen yells for me. I take my place on the couch next to him and the popcorn bowl snuggled into his soccer hoodie that I have claimed as mine when I’m here and have demanded stay clean for my use only. “Ready?” He presses play on our newest series Sons of Anarchy.

  I woke up that night with my face pressed against Jensen’s chest. Jensen breathing heavily in sleep, his right arm resting behind my back, his hand on my hip. I stood up to head to bed when he must have felt me move. Laying himself on the couch, moving onto his side, he held his arm up in the air for me to lay with him. “Come here baby.” I laid down with my back facing him, his arm firmly thrown across my waist.

  Somewhere throughout the rest of the night I had rolled over, waking up with my head buried into his chest, his chin resting on my head, my leg nestled in between his, and my entire body on fire. I move and Jensen loosens his grip on me, allowing me to turn and sit up, leaning forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I pull the hoodie off over my head, my shirt riding up in the process. I hear Jensen take in a deep breath. “Good morning.” I say, standing up and throwing the hoodie on the couch behind me. “You are a fireball when you sleep.” I tell him as I beat him into the bathroom. I look in the mirror at my heated cheeks and wipe the tears that started to fall. God, I miss Noah.

  February 1st Me: Please let me know you are okay

  Valentine’s Day rolled around and was extremely rough. I spent the morning in class and the afternoon into the evening working at Olive Garden watching happy couples share bottles of wine and slurp spaghetti Lady and the Tramp style which was more humorous than romantic. I was on break and after fixing my makeup from crying in the stall, I pull out my phone because I am a masochist.

  February 14th Me: I’m working today, keeping busy. I can do anything but let you go. I love you.

  I was walking out to my car after work when I saw Jensen’s truck parked next to me. “Hey!” He jumps out of his truck to give me a quick hug. He looked cute in his soccer hoodie, backwards hat, and loose jeans.

  “Hi! What are you doing here?” I let go of him
quickly and started my car so it would warm up for the ride home. Things between the two of us have been a little awkward since the night we snuggled on the couch.

  “You and I are on the same singles’ cruise and it sucked being alone all day surrounded by happy couples or people that were at least going on dates. I was going to see if you wanted to go play pool or something before you went home.” Jensen spun his backwards hat around so the bill kept the snow from hitting his face. “I think I just need to talk.” He laughed. “I sound like a fucking girl.”

  “Yeah, you do.” I smile. “Meet me at Club 9?” He shook his head in agreement.

  Club 9 was booming, surprisingly. The club had blown up what had to be thousands of pink, purple, white, and red balloons, letting them go to the ceiling, their ribbons hanging down just enough that you had to walk through them. “I talked to Izzy today. I answered when she called me.” He tells me before breaking our next game. “She said she will be back for the summer semester. She’s taking online classes right now but I am assuming you knew that.” He missed his next shot before grabbing his Bud Light. “Then we started fighting as usual. I can’t stand the fighting.”

  “Yeah, I knew about the online but not summer.” I take my shot at the solids sinking the five ball. “I’m going to break girl code and tell you something.” I sink the three. “She’s asked me to tell her if you start dating someone.” I sink the seven.

  “Why? Does she think I am dating?” He finishes off his beer. “She left me and caused her issues. I can do whatever I want.” He admits before walking over by me. “As long as we are breaking girl code, there is something I need to tell you too but I swear to god if you tell Taryn, I will never tell you anything else.”

  “She’s not pregnant, is she?” I ask, missing the eight ball.

  “Oh hell no. It’s about Noah.” I turn around and find myself a foot or so from Jensen. “Promise me, Taryn.”

  “I promise, now spill!” I grip my pool stick with a death grip awaiting the news that I assume is not good.

  “He texts me every day.” Jensen tells me. “I swore I wouldn’t tell you. I am trusting you not to say anything to Noah.”

  “Every day?” I ask. I feel the tears start to form, dammit!

  “Every single day. I know when you text him. He said those days are the hardest. That is also why I came to OG tonight. He told me where you were. He’s just stuck in a hard place.” Jensen stood there before pulling me against him.

  I start crying into his chest. “He’s in a hard place? How about the people he left here? We are just fucking peachy?”

  “We are pathetic, aren’t we?” He rubs at my back.

  “Just a little.” I lean back and wipe at my eyes. “How is he?” I ask.

  “Pathetic, like us. He hates his job at Dow. His mom is all over him to forget you.” Jensen laughs.

  “He doesn’t have to be pathetic. He can call me anytime and we could make it work. He is choosing not to.” I take a drink of my beer, finishing it off. “Makes me think I am wasting my time.”

  “I haven’t told him about your extra class load. And we need another.” He pulls me towards the bar.

  “I appreciate that. I made his second payment today. I have three more to go and his semester is paid for.” I tell him.

  “Noah’s a lucky guy.” He says as we make our way through all the ribbons.

  “Too bad he doesn’t know it.” I say as we belly up to the bar. Numerous beers later, we have discussed Izzy and Noah until there wasn’t anything left to discuss. We made fun of people dancing on the dancefloor. We made up a game of ‘what are they saying’ as we watched other people play pool guessing their words based on body language only. Jensen went to the restroom just as Chris Lane’s Number One blared through the speakers. A somewhat cute guy came up to me and asked me to dance just as Jensen returned his hand out for me.

  “Sorry man.” He said to the guy before pulling me off my bar stool and out to the ribbon clad dance floor. Jensen spun me around, bringing my hands up over his head, and sliding his hands down to lock behind my back. We swayed back and forth until the second verse hit when he swung me around and dipped me playfully. He pulled me back up and I found myself genuinely smiling. I kept my hand in his and laid my cheek against his chest where I found myself tearing up.

  Jensen put his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from my cheeks. “I’m tired of feeling alone.” I tell him, my eyes meeting his.

  “And I’m tired of seeing you cry.” He says before his face gets closer to mine, pausing before he presses his lips to mine taking me off guard. He pulls back for a second when I don’t respond, leaving a sliver of space between us. “You’re not alone, Taryn.” He says and I push my lips firmly against his. Jensen slides his hands from my cheeks down to my neck while his lips dance against mine. I hear the song end and push myself away, beelining it for the ladies’ room leaving Jensen standing in the middle of the balloon infested dance floor.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I say to myself in the mirror, running cold water and pressing it to my cheeks. I hide in the restroom, knowing damn well Jensen is waiting for me. I hear the next slow song come on and I make a run for it, quickly walking through the pool hall excusing myself through the crowd of people until the cold air hits my face.

  “Taryn!” I hear Jensen yell out, running out the door after me.

  I spin around, “What!” I scream out only to be shut up when he crashes his lips to mine. He backed us up until we were against the brick wall of the front of the building. Jensen’s tongue swiped across my bottom lip asking for permission. I hesitate only for a moment until he picks me up by the back of my thighs, my legs wrapping decisively around him. His kiss keeps at me firm, fierce, full of a passion I have been lacking since Noah left. I tilt my head back when he trails his tongue along my jawline, retracting with the gentlest of kisses until he finds my mouth again.

  “Come home with me?” He asks against my lips, his hips firmly holding me in place.

  “Yes.” I answer and he lowers my legs to the ground, grabbing his phone, and ordering a Lyft, his lips never leaving mine for more than a second or two. In the car on the way to his house he kept me close to his side, placing featherlight kisses on the inside of my wrist of the hand he was holding while his other hand kneaded at my hip. We got out of the car and to the side of the building when he caged me against the wall his lips burning into my skin with each caress. Jensen picked me up, his erection evident when I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked us to his door where he managed to unlock it without putting me down, kicking it shut on the way to his bedroom.

  I released my legs when we were near his bed, my arms locked around his neck, my lips molded to his. I move my hands down to his hoodie’s hem and push it up, Jensen grabbing it behind his neck and pulling it and his t-shirt off unanimously before pressing his lips back to mine while making quick work of the button up shirt I had to wear for work. I rested my hands against his pecs lightly scratching at the dusting of chest hair covering his toned muscles with my nails. Jensen takes his time sliding my bra strap off, trailing kisses in its wake while unlatching the hooks allowing it to fall between us.

  He backed us up to the edge of the bed, his right hand splayed across my shoulders, his left around my waist lifting me while he crawled until we were laying on his bed, Jensen supporting his weight on his elbows. Starting at his shoulders, I ran my nails down his back until I reached the belt on his jeans, sliding my fingers just below the waistband rounding his hips, Jensen hitching his breath when I pulled on his belt and unbuttoned his jeans.

  I hitch my legs up around his hips, Jensen grinding down on me with a rumble that instantly made me hot. His lips never left mine when he lifted himself up to release the button on my pants making quick work of them and my panties one-handed leaving me bared to him. When he lowered himself back on top of me it did not take me long to feel his engorged memb
er laying stiffly against my thigh. I pull my legs up giving him the okay, knowing damn well I was ready to go.

  Jensen pressed his forehead to mine before adjusting himself at my entrance and sliding into me slowly allowing me to adjust to him. “Are you okay, Baby?” I shake my head and let out the deep breath I was holding when he reached under me, holding me by my shoulders as he started to thrust. Jensen’s lips never left mine, fully devouring and exploring every inch of my mouth, his left-hand entwining with my right, his right reaching down between us to massage my clit as he moved within me.

  I felt a pressure building in my core as he continued his fast, slow, slow rhythm that had my heart racing. “Come for me, Taryn.” He whispers in my ear. “Come on baby, come for me.” I feel the heat from his breath and I unraveled, Jensen releasing the pressure his thumb had on my clit. He moved his hands beneath me, holding my head in his hands supporting my back on his forearms while his tempo changed to fast and needy. I feel him enlarge inside me when his breathing picked up, pouring himself into me, leaving me on edge as he continues to hit my spot.

  “Don’t stop.” I moan out. Jensen keeps moving within me only softening for a moment before he was rock hard and thrusting again, my walls clenching tight around him. I push him up, rolling onto my stomach as he pulls my hips up giving him access to me again. I feel him enter me as I hold myself up on my forearms, his body leaning over me while he reaches beneath me tweaking my nipples in between his fingers.

  “Jesus, Taryn.” He growls out when I start meeting him thrust for thrust, slamming myself back onto him harder each time. Jensen nips and nibbles at my shoulders before pulling me up into a kneeling position, his forearm wrapped tightly around my abdomen holding me into place while his other hand traced a path over my hip and down to my sensitive nub. Once he began rubbing my clit again, I looked over my shoulder where his lips were waiting for mine. It did not take long for either of us to find our release, both of us collapsing onto his bed, side by side. Jensen slid out of me and I felt myself wince, so fulfilled, yet so sore from his size. I went to get up when he pulled at me rolling me onto my back. “Don’t.” He kissed me sweetly. “They both left us. We’ve done nothing wrong.” He descended his mouth on mine where it remained the rest of the night.