by L A Cotton
“Thank fuck,” Jason murmured, and she elbowed him in the ribs.
“Without Darcy I probably would have flunked my classes.”
“You would have figured it out.”
The two of them started bickering quietly while the rest of us watched the flames lick the inky sky. There was something about ending the summer with your girl and best friends and stepping into a new year. It was a tradition we’d started the summer before college. One I intended on keeping. We may have had less and less time for one another now we were all at college, but when we came together it was like no time had passed.
“What are you thinking?” Mya brushed the hair from my eyes.
“Just how perfect this is.”
“Another year,” she sighed.
“Another year closer to the rest of our lives together.”
“Ash...”
“I know. No rush, right?” I touched my head to hers.
“We have time.” Mya brushed her lips over mine and I was a goner.
There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this girl. If she wanted time, I’d give it to her.
So long as she knew she was my forever.
“God, Asher, it’s—”
“Fuck, babe, I know.” I thrust up inside Mya again, curling my hand around her hip, encouraging her to ride me harder… Faster… Deeper.
“You feel incredible.” Leaning up on my elbows, I took one of her perfect tits in my hand and flicked my tongue over the dusky bud. Mya cried out, throwing her head back as I sucked and laved, teasing her sensitive skin with my teeth.
I wanted to mark her, to brand her permanently as mine. I’d never been a possessive asshole, at least not like Jason... until Mya came along.
I couldn’t explain my need to possess and consume her. I wanted her tied to me in every way possible.
Heart, mind, body, and soul.
I guess you could say I was a lot to handle. But Mya loved me. She loved our life together. And we openly talked about the future.
“Fuck.” She ground her hips slower, rocking in tortuous circles, making my body tremble with pleasure. “Fuuuuck.”
Mya smirked, aware of the power she held over me. I’d gladly handed over my balls to her when I’d chosen Temple—chosen her—over my place at Pittsburgh. But I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
When you’d grown up under the stifling expectations of my father, having something—someone—to call your own, to love and cherish and worship... well, it was a rare thing of beauty.
Need burned through me and I flipped Mya onto her back, slamming inside her, so deep she cried my name. Threading our fingers together, I pressed our hands beside her head as I pulled out and rocked back in, over and over, driving us to the point of sweet ecstasy.
“I’m close.” She raked her fingers down my spine, moaning into my ear as I trailed hot wet kisses down her throat.
A familiar tingling started at the bottom of my spine just as Mya pulled me deeper into her body, locking her legs around my hips and shuddering around me.
I kissed her deeply as I fucked her into complete submission.
Nothing... nothing would ever feel as good as this.
Except maybe our wedding night.
Or the day I watched her birth our kids into the world.
Okay, so I was a little more than ahead of the game. But I was a Bennet. I had a game plan. One that included me and Mya and a happily-ever-after.
Mya
Sunlight framed Asher’s face, making him look angelic. Although the way he’d loved my body last night was nothing short of sinful. A shiver ran through me just thinking about how he’d flipped me onto my back and fucked me as if it was the last time he would ever get to be inside me.
I let my fingers linger on his chest, tracing his cut abs, loving how warm his skin was. Sometimes it was hard to believe this was my life. I was halfway through my bachelor's in social work and living in an amazing building with my boyfriend. It was a far cry from life in Fallowfield Heights. But I’d earned it. I’d made sacrifices and worked my ass off to get here.
Asher, and all that came with being his girlfriend, was just the icing on the cake.
“You should probably move a little lower.” His voice was thick with sleep.
“No can do, I’m meeting Faith for a run.” I dipped my head and kissed him. It was supposed to be a chaste gentle peck, but when I tried to pull away, Asher buried his hand in my thick curls and captured my lips with his.
“Good morning,” he breathed, finally letting me up for air.
“Morning.” I smiled. I couldn’t help it. I was one of those annoying girls now, sickeningly in love with her boyfriend. A football player no less.
“Are you going to the gym with the guys?”
“Yeah, l think Aiden wants us there.”
I kissed him again. “Well, don’t work too hard.”
“What do you want to do later? I was thinking we could get dinner at Dukes or we could stay home and Netflix and Chill.” His brows waggled.
“Or... we could go to The Hideout for open mic night.”
“Yeah?” He frowned. “You enjoyed that?”
“What?” I batted his chest. “Faith is on the roster tonight and I want to support her.”
“But what about supporting me and my very, very,” he grabbed my hand and cupped it over his morning wood, “real problem?”
“You’re insufferable,” I chuckled.
“No, I’m just a guy in love with a girl.” Asher nuzzled my neck, sucking and licking.
“I know what you’re doing.” I tried to push him away.
“I have no idea what you mean.” He sucked harder, making blood rush to the surface, bruising me.
“Ash, you’ll make me look like—”
“You're mine. I’ll make you look like you're mine.”
With a heavy eye roll, I untangled myself from him and climbed out of bed before he could grab me again.
“Tell Faith we’ll be there,” he called, just as I disappeared into the bathroom.
Every time. I smiled to myself.
Every damn time.
“So you’re coming tonight, right?” Faith pressed her hands to her knees, breathing deeply.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I smiled.
Faith and I had been friends since our first day of freshman year. We’d met in orientation and never looked back. Like me, she wanted to make a difference: to work with those less fortunate, and help kids flourish, despite their often dire circumstances.
Felicity and Hailee aside, she was my best friend. So of course, I was going to be at the poetry slam night at The Hideout later.
“Asher’s coming too.”
“You know, it’s cute that he wants to support you supporting me, but it wouldn’t hurt him to relax the reins now and again.”
My brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m just saying, he’s like your shadow. It’s... a lot.”
We stretched our calves before breaking into a gentle jog through Fairmount Park.
“We enjoy each other’s company. Is that such a crime?”
“No.” She chuckled, but it did little to ease the knot in my stomach. “I just think it would be nice to hang out occasionally without Asher tagging along.”
“We hang out, Faith.” We hung out all the time with the rest of the people from our class.
“Forget I said anything.” She brushed me off, but her words lingered.
Before the summer, Faith had ended her relationship with her childhood sweetheart Max. She said they’d outgrown each other. I knew she’d embarked on a summer of self-discovery and sex with strangers, but I hadn’t expected her to come back so judgmental of my relationship with Asher.
Awkward silence followed us as we jogged under the leafy canopy of the oak and ash trees.
“I know things have been hard since you and Max—”
“Honestly?” She shrugged. “I feel like
a new woman. I’d been with Max since junior year in high school and I hadn’t realized how suffocating our relationship was until I walked away.”
“I’m glad you’re in a better place, Faith, I am. But some of us are happy in our relationships.”
“Asher is a total babe, and he’s rich. Trust me, I get it.”
She got it?
My stomach sank. Is that what she thought? That I was with Asher for his money?
“I love Asher,” I said defiantly, annoyed at myself for even feeling the need to defend our relationship. “It has nothing to do with how wealthy his family is.”
“I know you do.” She shot me a weak smile. “But do you really think you’ll go the distance?” Faith picked up her pace and left me trailing behind…
Wondering what the fuck had just happened.
Asher
“You don’t have to come tonight, you know?” Mya said, making me frown.
“What? Why wouldn’t I want to come?”
“I know poetry isn’t your thing and I think some of the guys from our class are going to be there. You’ll probably be bored.”
I glanced over at her. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“What? No! I’m just giving you an out.” She shrugged as if it was nothing.
An out?
What the actual fuck?
“We always spend Sunday together,” I said.
“I know and I love it, I do.” Mya came toward me and I opened my legs, letting her slip between them. Linking her hands behind my neck, she gazed down at me. “I just didn’t want you to think you have to come.”
“Is everything okay?” My brows furrowed deeper. “You’re acting weird.”
“Everything’s fine.” Her lips pursed a little and I knew everything was not fucking fine.
“You want me to come, right?”
Shit. I sounded like a pussy. But we always spent Sunday’s together during the semester. It was our way of making time for each other when the weeks got busy and our schedules got hectic.
“Of course.” Mya brushed her lips over mine, but I intensified the kiss, sliding my tongue into her mouth and tangling it with hers.
“Keep kissing me like that and we’ll never make it out of here.”
“Now there’s an idea,” I chuckled.
“I can’t believe it’s junior year already.” She exhaled a small sigh.
“Believe it, baby.” I kissed her again.
“Okay, I’m going to finish getting ready and then we can head out.” Mya’s hand lingered on my shoulder and then she walked away, disappearing into the bathroom.
My cell phone vibrated, and I plucked it off the coffee table, scanning the text message.
Diego: A few of us are hanging out later, you should come.
Me: It’s Sunday. Got plans with Mya.
My teammates knew the deal.
Diego: You are so fucking pussy whipped...
Me: Never claimed to be anything else.
I smirked, running a hand over my jaw. The guys liked to bust my balls about Mya, about how serious I was about her. But I didn’t give a fuck. I loved her. And I’d almost lost her once... there was zero chance of me ever losing her again. I didn’t care that it was college, that it was supposed to be the time for partying and sowing your wild oats. Football wasn’t my life like it was for so many of my friends, like it was for Jason. I loved playing and I enjoyed the brotherhood and camaraderie, but it wasn’t the end goal for me. I had zero intention of going pro.
Diego: Well, you know where we’ll be if you change your mind.
Wasn’t going to happen but I appreciated him getting off my back about it.
The Hideout was crammed but Faith had reserved a table upfront for Mya and a couple of their other friends. It was an eclectic crowd. Preppy types with something to prove. The stoners, all high on weed, free love, and peace. The drama students all desperately trying to get their big break. Then Mya and her friends; the ones out to change the world and make a difference. There wasn’t a jock in sight, but I didn’t care because although football was a big part of my life, it didn’t define me. I had ambitions and plans just as much as the rest of the people here.
“You know, Asher,” Rex, one of Mya’s friends said, “it’s nice you support her passions.”
I frowned at that. “Is that not what two people in a relationship usually do?” Taking a long pull on my beer, I offered him a tight smile.
“Of course.” His laughter came out strangled. “I just meant, what with you being on the football team and all.”
“We’re not all the conceited, selfish, shallow guys you paint us to be, ya know?” My lips thinned.
“I didn’t... that’s not...” He pulled at the collar on his sweater. “That came out wrong.”
“Relax, Rexy boy. I’m secure enough to not give a crap about your stellar opinion of me.”
“Asher, I didn’t...” He released a heavy sigh, running a hand down his face. “You really love her, huh?”
I looked at the guy, really looked at him. He’d only really migrated into Mya’s group last year, but I’d been around Rex enough times to know the dude had confidence issues.
“Have I ever given you or the gang reason to think I don’t?” My brow arched.
The ‘gang’ was tight. They looked out for each other, hung out a lot, and shared the highs and lows of their emotionally demanding course. And until today, I’d never really questioned my position among them. But in less than a couple of hours, Mya had suggested that I didn’t have to tag along, and now Rex was acting like I didn’t belong.
Not how I saw the beginning of semester going.
As if she heard my thoughts, Mya glanced over at me and mouthed, “You good?”
I nodded, because I wasn’t about to let Rex, or anyone else for that matter, know how I really felt.
Maybe I should have taken Diego up on his offer after all.
Faith took the stage and we all clapped. Aside from Hailee and Felicity, she was Mya’s best friend. Freshman and sophomore year, we had hung out with her and her ex-boyfriend a lot. It had been nice, having another couple on campus to do things with. But Faith and Max had broken up before the end of sophomore year and that was that.
“Hey everyone. I’m Faith and this poem is called Freedom...”
Freedom is the power to breathe. To live and grow and feel.
Freedom is the power to speak. To think and consider and be.
Freedom is the power to love. To ask and give and hold.
You told me you loved me, but you hurt me the most. You took all that freedom and stripped it from my soul, leaving me weak and ruined.
You gave me your word, you promised me the world... and then stole it away in the blink of an eye.
Freedom is the power to change. To realize I’d become who you wanted me to be. Not who I needed to be.
Freedom is the right to say no. To protect my heart and body and soul and refuse to submit.
Freedom is the me saying I’m done... you don’t get to hold all the cards anymore.
I’m free.
And you’re no one.
The room was silent, the pain and passion in Faith’s words rippling in the air, making it thick and heavy. She was Mya’s friend, not mine, but it didn’t take much to figure out she was talking about her ex. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I knew Max. I’d witnessed them as a couple: saw the way he’d loved her, the way he’d made her laugh. He’d wanted more and she hadn’t. That’s what Faith had told Mya, so the fact she was standing up there, publicly dissecting their relationship, and making him sound like a possessive asshole, left a sour taste in my mouth.
From the earsplitting applause she received, it was apparent no one else agreed with my assessment of her poem.
“Holy. Shit. Girl,” Mya said, “that was awesome.”
“I’ve been feeling inspired.” Her twinkling gaze landed on mine and she narrowed her eyes. But as quickly as it was there, it was
gone, as she lapped up the praise from her friends.
“Rex, help me get the drinks in?” Faith crooked her finger at him, and he went willingly.
Mya slid into his seat and looped her arms around my neck. “What did you think?”
“It was... a little harsh.”
She reared back, confusion clouding her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Come on, babe. She made Max out to be a complete asshole.”
“It wasn’t necessarily about Max.”
“It was so about him. She dumped him, and yet she stood up there making it sound like he was some possessive narcissist, which we both know couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Huh. I guess I didn’t think about it like that.”
“He wanted more, and Faith freaked.”
“It’s just slam poetry, Ash. You don’t need to get so upset over it.”
“I’m not upset,” I sighed, running a hand over my head. “I just think it’s a little unfair.”
“You know what she’s like.” Mya brushed her nose over mine, stealing a kiss. “She’s all for girl power and independence.”
“And making her ex out to sound like a total asshole apparently,” I grumbled.
“It’s their business. Who are we to say how someone should or shouldn’t feel? Max was a good guy, but he was kind of intense, always glued to her side. I guess she felt smothered.”
“Is that what earlier was about?” I asked, the chips falling into place with a resounding thud.
“What?” Mya’s gaze widened.
“When you said I didn’t have to come tonight. Did Faith say something to you about me?”
“I...” Mya let out a small breath. “Not exactly,” she admitted. “She’s just in a weird place and wants to make the most of her newfound freedom.”
“So she did say something to you?”
