Moments of Clarity, Moments of Insanity
Disclaimer: Switched At Birth is owned by Lizzy Weiss and ABC Family. No
copyright infringement is meant. I am using the characters for entertainment
purposes only.
Disclaimer: There will now be "M" rated themes in most chapters......
A/N Here is part 2 of Episode 12 :)
#-----------
Chapter 11- episode 12 part 2
I was at the park, the one Emmett and I liked to go to hang out, make out and
sometimes jut nap under a tree. Well okay, I'd be the one napping and he'd be
holding me. Probably glaring daggers at anyone who looked like they were going
to disturb me. It was dark out now, and for some reason that I couldn't place,
he'd asked me to meet him at our tree.
I'd gotten here and the blanket he always brought was spread out like normal,
but there was no sign of him. I sat and waited, letting the minutes tick by. I
was getting more anxious by the second. Finally, I got up, trying to head
towards the entrance to see if he was in the parking lot. It seemed so far away
though. I kept walking and searching, searching and walking. I don't for how
long. It felt like I'd been walking for hours, the gates never seeming to get
any closer. I was getting so desperate. I finally just started calling out his
name, not caring that my efforts would be fruitless.
"Emmett, Emmett…..Emmett!" I called out endlessly.
Suddenly, there in the distance, I thought I saw him. It was so dark that all
I could make out was the outline of him. I didn't care. It was more than I had
seconds ago and it was enough to spur me on. I started jogging towards him, then
I broke out into a full run. I started reaching my arms out the closer that I
got. Just as I was about to grab his arm, a shrill shrieking pierced the night's
silence and Emmett slipped away.
"NOOO!" I sat bolt upright in bed, panting and looking around.
Gradually, I got my breathing under control, collecting myself as my heart
slowed it's frantic pace. Slowly, I realized that the park was just a dream, a
nightmare as my alarm clock still blared through my room. Just as I was reaching
to shut off my clock, there was an insistent pounding that made my door shake.
"Would you turn that off! Some of us want a quiet morning," came the sound of
Toby's irritated voice. That boy was not a morning person.
Then again, I couldn't blame him for being upset, When I looked at my blaring
alarm clock, it proclaimed the time to be 4:30 am in green flashing numbers. I
hit the off button and my room went silent, except for the sound of Toby
shuffling away from the outside of my door. Slipping out of my bed, I grabbed a
stack of books and headed for the bathroom attached to my room.
Once inside, I pushed the door closed behind me. Boosting myself up, I sat on
the counter in front of my mirror. I opened up several of my ASL books in front
of me, flipping to the sections that I needed. Setting my timer, I spent the
next two hours going through my morning ASL drills like I did seven days a week,
ever since the car wash.
While I struggled to turn one dimensional images into three dimensional
actions, his words and anger from so long ago assaulted me again, "YOU'RE…
GOING… TO….. DROP… THIS… THE WAY YOU DROP EVERYTHING!"
I don't think Emmett ever realized how much he hurt me by questioning my
commitment to our relationship or how much he made me question and doubt myself.
This was my way of dealing with those fears. I never wanted anything like
that to happen again, so I made a plan. I spent two hours first thing in the
morning doing this. Study halls, lunch time and any free periods I got at school
were spent in front of a bathroom mirror, or on an ASL website in the library.
For an hour after school and an hour before I crashed out, and any other bit of
free time that I could find. I'm pretty sure I was even starting to sign in my
sleep!
I even put studying before my art, cutting drastically down on the amount of
time I spent painting. School, Emmett, ASL, homework and art being dead last was
how my life was defined. I also had plans about talking to the parental units
about taking a PSO (Post Secondary Options) class at the local community
college, starting next school year since it seemed like the only language
Buckner didn't offer was ASL. Of course, that meant dropping French and I wasn't
sure how keen Mom would be to agree to that.
I never told Emmett any of this. I didn't want him to know how much I
struggled or how hard I pushed myself. I didn't want him using the knowledge of
how much effort I had to put in as a reason for rethinking our
relationship. So, I let him think that it came easily to me when it was anything
but. Shaking off my brooding thoughts, I turned back to the mirror.
I worked tirelessly till the time on my counter buzzed, signaling that the
rest of my day was just starting. After turning it off, I put my books away and
prepared for school. I took a shower, got dressed, did my hair. Ya know, all
those little acts required before leaving the house.
One thing left to do. I eyed my cell phone with a grin.
I threw myself back down on the bed, while grabbing my lifeline to the
outside world. I smiled like I was holding a present and in a way I was. Emmett
always sent me a text in the morning. Usually just a reminder that I was
on his mind. After what happened last night, I was giddy about what might be
waiting for me this morning. Eagerly, I hit the power button turning my phone
on.
My face fell when my main screen indicated that there were no new messages,
"But…?"
It wasn't something that had ever happened before. Just like it wasn't normal
for him not to tell me to text him after leaving his house to go home. All these
changes to what had become our routine scared me. I would have continued
brooding over it if a certain older brother hadn't picked that moment to barge
into my room.
"Come on, for someone who gets up so early, you're always the last one outta
your bedroom in the morning," He said. I waved Toby off, but he ignored me,
"Just saying, you can't afford another tardy, because if Mom finds out, you can
kiss any time with Emmett good-bye."
I looked over at him, rolling my eyes, "Alright, already, I'm coming."
I got up off my bed just to prove I was serious, waiting for another
sarcastic remark. Toby rolled his eyes. Then, he stopped to really look at me. I
don't know what he saw reflected back at him, and I didn't want to, but for a
second he almost looked concerned. Just when I thought he was going to ask me
something, he turned and left the room, apparently deciding against the thoughts
he was having.
"Finally," I thought, before promptly falling back into bed, putting
off going downstairs just a little bit longer.
#-----------------------------
Opening my eyes the next morning, I was greeted by bright light in my eyes.
Damn it, forgot to shut them, again. Getting up, I thought about last
night. How could I get my mother and Bay on the same page? Bay was trying hard.
Even I could see that. My mother, however, was a whole other ball of wax. She
was not budging her stance. Nothing short of breaking up with Bay would sway
her. Of that, I was positive.
Why was taking Speech Therapy such a huge deal to her? She talks, albeit very
briefly. Daphne talks. There is nothing wrong with me wanting to do the
same. So, what exactly is her problem? Then, it hit me. She doesn't want
me to speak, because she thinks Bay put me up to it. I was sure of it! Should I
confront Mom, confirm my suspicions?
After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs. Mom was sitting at the
table, drinking her coffee. I grabbed a bowl and dumped cereal into it. Making
my way over to the table, I sat down across from her, and buried my face in my
food. I felt the table vibrate. Glancing up, I saw Mom tapping the table, trying
to gain my attention. Ignoring her, I concentrated on my food.
The vibrating started again. I kept my head down, refusing to look at her.
Let her figure out how pissed I still am about yesterday! How does she like
it?
Mom must have realized I wouldn't be speaking to her, because she finished
her coffee, and got up from the table. Once she left the room, I breathed a sigh
of relief. Ignoring her was starting to wear on my nerves. I finished my cereal,
and headed out the door. I was going to surprise Bay at home. Usually, first
thing in the morning, I text her to let her know I am thinking of her. However,
after yesterday, I really wanted to see her face to face. I needed to know if
she was alright. Mom was pretty shitty to her, and I felt terrible that I didn't
do anything to stop it.
With that thought in mind, I hopped on my bike and made my way toward the
Kennish home. I hope Bay isn't mad that she hasn't gotten any texts from me,
yet.
#---------------------------------------
I'd finally decided to come downstairs and grab breakfast, only
because my stomach demanded it. Rounding the corner, though, I was more than a
little shocked by what I found. My Mother wearing an apron- not so weird. Now my
Mother an apron and evening dress with heels was way over the top,
even for her.
"Oh, heels and an apron. How "Mad Men" of you, Mom," I announced my presence
using my trademark wit, smiling.
"I have a meeting today," Mom quipped in response, not even acknowledging my
sarcasm.
Then, Dad ruined it by coming around the corner behind Mom and saying,
"Yowza, nice outfit." The man practically leered at her. Gross! "You
should bring this next time we go somewhere."
"Ew," came a voice from my right that I recognized as Toby.
"Ew." I confirmed. He just had to up the ick factor, didn't he?
Mom laughed. Apparently, she thought it was appropriate to nauseate
your children by flirting in front of them, so I changed the subject. I was
trying to spare my digestion, "Who are you meeting?"
"Oh. Tina Choy," Mom looked between Toby and I, noting our cluelessness. "The
reporter from the "Kansas City Herald."
Toby decided to pretend that he had a clue, "Oh yeah." Dork.
Then, Dad chimed in too, "Yeah, she called your Mother. She wants to check in
and see how we're doing."
Don't you really mean she wants to invade our privacy and take a picture
of the golden family, minus one curly haired wild child like last time? I
thought to myself, still feeling the sting of that night.
"Oh, uh, I told Wilkie I'd meet him early. I'm heading out," Toby said,
making a smooth exit before I could tease him about me making it downstairs
first, even though he'd left his room before me.
Mom pulled on her jacket, clearly ready to head out too. "Well, I'm gonna let
her know how we felt about her last article," You mean how YOU felt about her
article, nobody asked me. "And make sure that she doesn't do it again." It
was always a scary thing when my mom looked so sure that she was right.
I raised my eyebrows watching my Mom go, as I realized something was
off. Uh…"Might be more intimidating without the apron." Just
saying….
"Or, you could just add a wooden spoon," Toby followed up, as he went with
Mom out the door, giving me a scary mental image of 50's
adult…..entertainment. I shuddered internally.
"Ha ha, very, very funny," Mom said, clearly not amused. We sure were,
though.
Dad had a big, dopey smile on his face that vaguely reminded me of a dog.
"Yeah, they get that from me."
I looked over at him. I'm okay with that, as long as I don't get that
smile from you.
Mom just shook her head at us and left out the side door, following Toby this
time.
#--------------------------------
After I left, however, I realized it was kinda early to make an unexpected
drop in on my girlfriend. Realizing that the best way to stay on her parents
good side, was not to drop in at the break of dawn, I instead drove
around KC, watching the light flow of traffic. It was always nice to get away at
this time of the morning. It was so peaceful. So few cars were driving
the roads. It made for a pleasant driving experience.
I drove aimlessly for another hour, finally deciding I could make an
appearance at the Kennish home, without worrying that her Dad would slit my
throat for being there too early.
#-------------------------------------
I checked my cell phone for the hundredth time that morning. Still nothing.
Pocketing the device with annoyance, I headed for the door. Maybe I'll bail
on first period and try to catch him at Carlton. Or, last period is study hall I
could skip that, or maybe lunch….
My thoughts continued to go in circles while I decided what to do. The door
slammed shut behind me and I looked up, figuring I might as well watch where I'm
going. That's when I came face to face with a sight that lightened my heart and
twisted my stomach. Emmett was there, talking with Daphne. The same
Emmett who hadn't bothered texting me, his girlfriend, was talking
with the girl who had a sugar high crush on him and was bent on ruining my
relationship. Great, just great.
But then, I realized something important. Emmett's here!
I could feel the dopey grin light up my face. I realized it was probably the
same one my Father gave my Mother. Oh well, he's never complained before.
That's when he spotted me coming up on the side. When he smiled at me, his whole
face lit up and I felt like I was the only one that mattered. I could feel my
cheeks heating at the thought. God, I felt like I could giggle.
"I wasn't expecting to see you until later,"I said, glad he couldn't hear the
relief in my voice. I wasn't expecting you at all, actually. You've had me
worried Bledsoe. I don't like it!
Then, turning his head, Emmett made it even better by giving Daphne a
dismissive, "you're in the way" sort of look, that I fully intended on
kissing him for later. He may not have realized that there was a cat fight going
on over him, but that didn't stop me from cringing whenever he gave her
attention. Especially when it was because Daphne slipped behind my back, like at
the festival.
Daphne looked at Emmett, clearly reading the vibe. "I'll see you at school,"
Joy….. Then the strawberry blonde temptress turned to me, "and you too.
I've got cooking class today."
Wanna switch all your classes to Buckner? I know that'd make me feel
safer. Would she get mad if I said that? Instead, I gave her a tight lipped
smile and waved instead.
I watched her sigh dejectedly as she beat a hasty retreat. I almost felt bad
for her. Almost…..but then I remembered her vow to not give up on Emmett
and the moment passed. You brought it all on yourself. I'm
innocent…...mostly. When I looked back at Emmett, I caught him staring and
not in a pervy sort of way.
He looked so upset, almost worried that it worried me. Finally, he said, "I
wanted to make sure you were okay," that concerned look quickly faded into
annoyance so strong it lined his face, "After yesterday with my Mom."
And now, for the million dollar question, "Yeah…What was that about? I
can't follow you when you're talking with her." I could feel my own
annoyance seeping through.
Then, he got an odd sort of look on his face that told me I was either going
to love what he had to say or hate it. "I signed up for speech therapy."
Huh? Did he just say what I think he said? For a second, all I could
do was stare at him in shock, eyes wide in my face. "You did? That's great!" I
felt hope blossom in my chest at the thought that he too wanted to work as hard
as me. The prideful smile he gave me was answer enough. Learning my language
like I was learning his was important to him, and I was not alone in my bid for
a deeper connection with him. All of this new information begged the one
question I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Hesitantly, I asked, "But why was she
mad? She talks, Daphne talks." Double standard much?
Then, he got a sad look on his face that was clearly laced with resentment.
"I don't know."
Bullshit for a $1000 please. I gave him a blank look at his lame,
copout blanket answer. "She must have a reason for not wanting you to
take it."
That's when the real truth came out. Slowly, Emmett said, "She
thinks you…." and dropped the sentence.
Any hope I'd gathered for me and Emmett bottomed out as the statement sunk
in. "She thinks that I made you?" I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't
believe….
"She's crazy," was Emmett's sad attempt to reassure me, but it wasn't enough.
I could already see the impending demise of our relationship.
"And, if I did ask you to?" I'd been working so hard to learn his
language, that I just had to know.
Emmett's reaction was firm and instant. "I don't care what she thinks about
you."
"But I do!" Damn it Emmett, this is important to me.
Doesn't he understand that it's only a matter of time now, or has he never
brought home a girl his Mom didn't like? I entertained the idea that Daphne was
the only girl he'd ever brought home or even looked at before me. If Daphne
was my competition, I knew that we wouldn't last. The walls started to close
in on my heart as a sense of loss set in.
"You shouldn't." Emmett looked at me like I was crazy for feeling the way I
did.
I could see anger on the edge of his expression. Question was, was it for me,
his Mom or the whole freakin' situation? Again, it struck me that it wasn't
until Emmett entered my life, that I really cared what others thought of me. I
just wanted her approval and not just because she was the mother of my
boyfriend, either.
"Emmett, she is not just your Mom. She's my Mom's best friend;
she coaches Daphne's basketball team with my Dad." I felt desperation
flood me, as I added, "I can't have her Hate Me!"
He waved off my anxiety like it was nothing. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
That's your great advice? Don't worry? The woman raised you and that's
all you've got? Easy for you to say. You don't feel like you're on the verge of
losing everything that matters because of one woman's opinion of you. Life
sucks….
"Oh she does! She hates me!" Emmett confirmed my worst fears with just the
swing of his hands.
"I gotta go. I'll call you later." He gave me a sympathetic look, telling me
that he wasn't completely clueless, but it just wasn't enough to set my mind at
ease.
"Emmett, I…" I couldn't even begin to put it all into words.
"I'm telling you, it doesn't matter." He gave that look that told me
to trust him.
I gave him a scared but accepting look, trusting him to handle it.
Then he pulled me in, calloused fingers holding my chin. His lips brushed
gently and too briefly against mine. For just a moment, I felt all the tension
in me release with his touch. No one else had ever been able to soothe me the
way he could. I gave him a shaky, small smile, feeling some of my earlier
strength and hope flutter to life in my stomach.
He gave me that small, sweet smile that never failed to make me feel safe,
but I needed more this time. Stepping closer, I pulled him in this time,
my arms sliding around him as our lips moved together. I held onto him tightly,
pouring all my love and hope into him, taking the strength and comfort his
embrace offered. Slowly, reluctantly my lips slipped from his, but I
wasn't ready to let go.
Leaning my head on his shoulder, I felt Emmett close his arms around me more
tightly. I felt one of his hands at the nape of my neck, his fingers in my hair
while the other rubbed the tension from my shoulders. I just leaned into him,
his bike the only thing between us as I deeply breathed in his scent.
Leather, oil, dust and something just a little wild mixed with that purely
boy smell. These were the things I always smelled when I was near Emmett and
it never failed to relax me.
I felt him turn his head, before gently placing a soft kiss on my cheek and I
sighed contentedly. I wasn't ready to pull away, but I knew that I had to. I
wanted more time, but that would have to wait till later. I stepped back from
him, feeling his lips brush over my cheek one more time as I did. I gave him a
small, somewhat stronger smile than before.
"Feel better?" Emmett asked, smiling, but his eyes were filled with concern.
"Yes, and no." His fingers trailed over my cheek, "but it's enough to get me
through. Just don't leave me hanging later. okay?"
"Never!" It was such a simple sign, but it was delivered so firmly and yet
lovingly that I knew I could trust it. I would always trust him.
#-----------------------------
When I arrived at the Kennish's house, I saw Daphne making her way toward her
car. I only felt a small twinge of guilt that I no longer gave her rides to
school. Quite frankly, after the stunt she pulled at the festival, she's lucky
she still has all her teeth. I still hadn't told Bay about waking up next to
Daphne. I honestly didn't need to break up the fight I knew would ensue.
Pulling to a stop, Daphne waved and walked toward me. I pulled off my helmet,
waiting.
"Wow. De-ja vu," she told me. Yeah, it wasn't that long ago, I would be there
to pick her up. I gave her an impassive look. Yes, she was still my
friend. But, I wasn't there to see her….
Trying to be polite, I asked, "How do you like your car?" I just couldn't
be rude to her.
Shrugging, Daphne said, "Not as much fun as a motorcycle." Was that a broad
hint? Sorry, not biting.
Trying to change the subject, I said, "But it's safer. The Kennishes are very
big on safety." That being said, I was surprised they even let Bay ride
on the bike with me.
I was running out of things to say. I started to say something trivial, when
I caught sight of Bay walking toward me. Daphne forgotten, I smiled brightly and
focused on Bay. "Hey," I mouthed to her. Bay's answering smile brightened my day
considerably.
"I wasn't expecting to see you until later," Bay said, clearly happy and
curious at the same time. I started to answer her, but then, I remembered Daphne
was still there. I looked over at her, telling her with my eyes that I wanted
alone time with Bay. She caught the hint. For Once…..
With a sad attempt at a smile, Daphne said, "I'll see you at school," before
turning to Bay and adding, "and you too. I've got cooking class today." Bay
looked less than thrilled at that prospect. Finally, Daphne walked away, heading
toward her car.
Turning toward Bay, I used the fact that she was temporarily distracted by
Daphne's retreat to stare at her. Bay looked back and caught me staring.
Yeah, so I'm kind of a perv. Can't help that my girlfriend is freaking
hot!
Then, I remembered my reason for coming here so early in the morning. I
looked her over, as if looking for physical damage, before saying, "I wanted to
make sure you were okay," annoyance permeated me, thinking again about
yesterday, before finishing up with, "After yesterday, with my Mom."
For a split second, Bay's face lit up. In the back of my mind, I wondered at
her reaction. Just as quickly, her face took on a questioning look, before she
asked, "Yeah…What was that about? I can't follow you when you're talking
with her." I could feel annoyance seeping through again. My mother never
wants to make the effort to sign slower, so Bay can follow.
Sighing, I told Bay the main reason for yesterday's blowup. "I signed up for
speech therapy."
Bay wore a shocked look, which was followed by a happy grin. "You did? That's
great!" In almost the same beat, Bay's face took on a quizzical expression. I
almost knew the next thing she was going to say. I wasn't disappointed. "But why
was she mad? She talks, Daphne talks." Yeah, I know. Lots of double standard,
there.
Not knowing the best way to answer her, without upsetting her, I settled on
the generic answer of, "I don't know."
Bay's look clearly told me she did not believe that I didn't know the
real reason for my mother's outburst. Her next reply confirmed it. "She
must have a reason for not wanting you to take it."
Knowing this was not going to end well, I reluctantly told her, "She
thinks you…." before I thought better of it and dropped the sentence.
But, Bay was too smart not to pick up on what I had been attempting to say.
Looking like she had been slapped, she finished my sentence. "She thinks that I
made you?" How do I fix this? What can I say?
"She's crazy," I finally settled on. Not the most brilliant comeback,
but the quickest that came to mind.
"And, if I did ask you to?" Bay asked imploringly. Bay hadn't asked
me, but, after the carwash and the festival, I really started to realize that I
needed to be able to communicate better with Bay. Yes, she was excelling at ASL
at a rate that astounded and delighted me. I guess I just wanted to be able to
do the same for her, as she was doing for me.
My response was immediate. "I don't care what she thinks about you."
"But, I do!" Bay said just as quickly.
I was starting to see just how much this had been weighing on Bay. Did she
think our relationship was doomed, because of my mother? Wasn't gonna happen.
Not by a long shot. We had both fought too hard to throw all this away.
I could almost taste the pain and fear emanating off of Bay. Her fear ate at
me, and I tried to think of the best thing to calm her down. "You shouldn't."
My mother doesn't control me. Daphne doesn't control me. I make my own
decisions, especially about whom I date!
Bay was almost frantic now in her signs. "Emmett, she is not just your
Mom. She's my Mom's best friend; she coaches Daphne's basketball team
with my Dad." I felt her desperation as she added, "I can't have her
Hate Me!"
I tried to wave off her anxiety. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." Mom will
just have to deal with Bay being my girlfriend! She'll get over it….eventually.
Unfortunately, Bay picked up on what I wasn't saying. Her response was
instant and damning. "Oh, she does! She hates me!"
Realizing we would only keep going in circles if this conversation continued,
I cut off her ranting, telling her, "I gotta go. I'll call you later." I tried
to give her a sympathetic look, letting Bay know I understood her fears and was
working on the solution.
"Emmett, I…" Bay started, but I cut her off.
"I'm telling you, it doesn't matter." I gave her the "Trust me" look.
Bay looked scared, but nodded, trusting me to fix the problem, my way.
I pulled her in, gently taking hold of her chin. I kissed her softly, willing
her to feel the love I felt. Bay kissed me back, but I could feel the tension
within her, still. Pulling back, she gave me a shaky smile. I smiled in return.
Suddenly, Bay was wrapped around me. Her lips crashed back onto mine. I followed
her lead, wrapping my own arms tight around her. Slowly, almost reluctantly,
her lips slipped from mine.
As she leaned her head against my shoulder, I pulled her more tightly against
me. Something told me that she needed this tangible proof of my affection. I
trailed one of my hands over her neck, up into her beautiful curls. The other
hand, I used to try to rub tension from her shoulders. I felt Bay inhale against
me. For some reason, my scent always calmed her down.
I turned my head, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Finally, Bay started to
step back and away from me. I brushed one more kiss against her cheek, before
she looked at me fully. She looked slightly calmer than she had moments earlier.
I took it as a good sign. She gave me a small, slightly stronger smile.
"Feel better?" I asked, a smile on my lips, but I was still concerned. This
must really be bothering Bay. She doesn't get emotional. Not like this. I had to
make this all right somehow. I had to get Mom on our side.
"Yes, and no," she told me, as I trailed my fingers over her cheeks. "But,
it's enough to get me through. Just don't leave me hanging later, okay?"
"Never!" I replied instantly. She needed to know that she could trust me
implicitly. That she would always be able to trust me. Just as I trusted her.
#-----------------------------
It had been an okay kind of day, so far at school. I wasn't late, so
there wasn't any nasty run ins with any teachers. For once, I had not forgotten
homework assignments, and I was only caught once doodling in class. Ms.
Wyant had caught me and taken my sketch book away. I'd feigned annoyance with
her until her back was turned and pulled a spare one from my book bag. Take
that!
On top of the little, to no teacher trouble I'd had, there had also been next
to no activity on the peer radar either. Only a couple morons leered at me. No
dirty looks from insecure girlfriends and other girls in general. No being
accidentally shoved into my locker, or general doucheness detected from
anyone. So Weird.
So far, so good today. Or so I thought, until I turned the corner.
Ah hell.
Daphne, I expected to see. What I hadn't expected to see, was Daphne
and Simone together and chatting. Why could I already picture this
blowing up in Daphne's face? Short answer- because she had no idea that she's
communing with Satan, that's why! That's when Daphne looked up and
spotted me. Crap!
"Uh, hey!" I figured it was better if I spoke first. I was still trying to
figure out how Simone fit into this situation.
"Do you know Simone?" Daphne chimed in.
"Yeah, like since kindergarten." Unfortunately.
Simone planted a smile on her face, but somehow, everything about her felt
false and forced. "How's that Mr. Waffles? Cutest dog ever."
Like you actually care. "He died last summer."
"Oh." Look! She's actually capable of feeling awkward… it's a miracle.
That's when it finally hit me, exactly how Simone fit in. "You guys
are in cooking class together."
Daphne nodded her head at me, smiling broadly. Bingo!
"Yeah, Daphne pulled my bacon outta the fire today," Simone smiled at Daphne
and the two laughed, giving off some serious lesbian fluff vibes.
Okay…..ewww.
"Always looking to save that pig." Okay, cue the blank stares and
crickets. "She's a vegetarian? So…uh, ya know what? It's cool, forget it."
Oh God! Somebody kill me now.
Then, a familiar male voice intruded. "Hey, thanks for sticking me with the
clean up!" I never thought I'd be so happy to see Wilkie!
Simone decided to toy with Wilkie. As long as the attention is off of me.
"Ohhh, but its so much fun to watch you try and figure out how soap
works." Wilkie scoffed.
Just then, the between class bell rang, thankfully saving me any further
embarrassment. YES! I turned to walk away, not bothering with
good-byes. Daphne and Simone continued talking to each other. I was only mere
steps away, when I heard Simone invite Daphne to play basketball after school.
Crap! And, it sounded like Daphne was interested. Double crap!
Wait a minute. Why do I care? Deep down, I knew why. I just didn't
want to admit it. It was because I knew just what Simone was capable of. I
remembered the things that I used to do, when I was still sucked in by her. I
knew how far Simone could take things, and that she didn't care who got hurt in
the process. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even Daphne. The real
question was, what to do about it. Do I let her find out on her own? Do I warn
her? I could even corner Simone and threaten her? After all, she's the one who
taught me how. There were too many questions and no answers to be had.
I would have continued to stress over this latest development, it if I hadn't
felt a familiar vibration, just as I was reaching my locker. Looking up and down
the hallway, I quickly snatched my phone from its hiding place. Cell phone's
weren't technically allowed, but no one really cared and brought them
anyways. I just didn't want to run the risk of some teacher being in a mood, and
taking mine from me, so I was more careful than most.
After finding I had a middle of the day message from Emmett, my mood
drastically improved. Opening it, I looked at what he sent. "There's only
you."
The sweet simplicity of that statement resonated within me so strongly that I
swooned. I was also mildly surprised. Emmett wasn't usually so poetic in his
texts. He had teenage boy down pat, but this was something completely
new. A mischievous grin curved my lips as an idea came to mind. I think that
I'll be the hormonal texter today. Let's see how he likes getting a
message, that makes him feel things in a public place.
After hitting the reply button, I typed, "Standing at my locker. Wish you
were here." I hit the send button, wondering just how the comment would go
over with him, "Take that."
#----------------------------------
School, so far, had been a blah experience. Ever since this morning, I
had been thinking about what Bay had said. The animosity that emanated off of my
mother was, most likely, evident to even a casual acquaintance. What pissed me
off the most, was that Bay was trying so hard to get along with Mom, and
she couldn't even reciprocate. I sighed, utterly frustrated.
Daphne was at Buckner, taking her cooking class. Jackson was out today, so I
was mostly keeping to myself. Actually, I really missed Bay. I felt really bad
about how things were left this morning. I hated seeing Bay that upset.
What made it worse, was that it was because of my Mother.
She was right, though. We couldn't not see her. My mother was too
intimately involved in the major people in her life. Her mother, her father,
Daphne….me. What a messed up situation!
I hadn't told Bay, but I had noticed the slight animosity between her
and Daphne. Actually, I had seen it since just before we had left for the
festival. I hadn't asked Bay what had happened, but I had a strong feeling I
wouldn't like the answer if I did ask. Daphne hadn't been inclined to share any
information, so presumably, this was something that would work itself out, in
the end.
Smiling to myself, I took out my phone. I knew what would cheer Bay up, even
if it was only for a little while. Typing quickly, I wrote, "There's only
you." I hit send, and started trying to think of a solution to our
problem.
An hour later, my phone vibrated, indicating a new message. Opening it, I
smiled when I saw it was from Bay. Then, her words hit me, and I wanted to
groan.
"Standing at my locker. Wish you were here."
Oh, man! Instant hard-on. Thank you for that visual….right in the
middle of school. Oh, you'll pay for that, Bay Kennish.
#--------------------------------
I was slumped down in the backseat of my car, listening as the late bell rang
out in the distance, signaling that my lunch period was starting. Of course, I'd
started lunch 20 minutes ago. After leaving Ms. Baker's class to go to the
bathroom, I had decided not to bother going back. Which lead me to where I was
now. My eyes closed, staring dejectedly up at the sky, feeling the sunlight on
my face, while I laid out in the backseat, sulking.
Maybe we could avoid her…..but how? Melody was so intermeshed in my
life through my Dad, Daphne, my bio Mom and my boyfriend. I'm screwed…..
It was the sound of a gentle tap, tap, tapping that broke through my inner
musings. I could feel annoyance trickle through me, thinking I'd been busted by
Buckner's glorified hall monitors with badges. Normally, they didn't bug me the
way they bugged everyone else, but apparently, today was my day to be subjected
to a special sort of Hell, that included them.
I asked, not even bothering to open my eyes, "What?" The only response I got
was even more insistent and annoying banging against the side of my car. "I'm
Not Going Back Inside! So Buzz OFF!" I sat bolt upright, eyes flying
open, while I yelled angrily at….Emmett. Oopsie…
Emmett was grinning down at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. I blushed, but
refused to either comment or apologize on my ranting just moments ago. As far as
I was concerned, abject embarrassment was enough. I kicked the door open for
him. Scooting back farther I made room for him, but still staying curled up and
comfortable. Instantly, I switched gears, raising my hands to sign.
"Aren't you supposed to be in study hall…..on the other side of town?"
I accused him playfully, feeling bone deep joy over him crashing my pity party.
Emmett just took a seat, pulling the door shut. A greasy, spicy smell filled
my nose, making it twitch and my stomach grumble. Smells like… Sitting up
a bit straighter, I noticed he carried a fast food take out bag with him.
TACOS! God I love this man.
Barely managing to keep myself from drooling, I tore my gaze from the
bag, watching his hands move in response, "Aren't you supposed to be in
the cafeteria, 500 yards in that direction."
Emmett was pointing in the general direction of where lunch trays were
currently being lifted, carried, thrown, dumped on other students and otherwise
abused. It made me cock my head to the side realizing he knew the lay out around
here that well.
In fact, the general creepiness of that fact temporarily made me
forget about the delicious smell of the food he'd brought and I asked, "What
makes you so sure it's not on the other side of the school?"
"It's called the internet," A grinning Emmett held out his phone, showing a
map of Buckner Hall from the Buckner website.
I'm not entirely sure how safe I feel after seeing that. He just
smiled at me with his eyebrows lifted, a superior expression on his face that
rubbed me the wrong way. So before he could stop me, I reached out snatching the
bag of yummy, cheesy, meaty goodness from him.
Just as I was starting to unwrap and partake of the crunchy goodness my
boyfriend had brought, I saw an affronted look cross his features out of the
corner of my eye. I watched him huff in his seat and could barely contain
myself. I looked up, giving him a perfectly innocent and naïve look, as if I
didn't know what could possibly be bothering him.
"It figures that you give the food more attention than you do me!" he gritted
out. He looked hurt, but I could tell that it was mostly an act.
Oh! I know there is no way he just accused me of being remiss in my
girlfriendly duties. I put the bag to the side, giving him an appropriately
chastised, demure look as I crawled closer to him. "I'm so sorry. Let me make it
up to you." Emmett's eyes widened.
Smiling invitingly, I gripped the collar on his jacket, feeling the soft
supple leather as I pulled him to me. I kissed him sweetly and slowly, savoring
the feeling of his tongue running along the seam of my lips. I opened for him,
gasping when he bit gently on my lip, his tongue now moving slowly against mine.
The taste of Emmett filled my mouth. Pulling back, I smiled again.
"Hello…." I said, teasing him. Emmett gave me a breathless look that never
failed to heat my blood.
I decided to really get him going. Reaching for the zipper on my Buckner
jacket, I started to pull it down at a teasing pace. Emmett's hand's were
shaking as he asked, "What are you doing?"
Emmett's eyes got ever wider in his face, when I answered, "Making it up to
you."
Finally, the zipper was all the way down, the jacket framing my body as it
hung open. I started to slip out of it. First, one shoulder and then the other.
I let it fall to the seat behind me. I heard Emmett suck in a breath as he
stared at me. The red shirt I wore was skin tight, clinging to every
curve of my body. I knew that he could even see the outline of the lace on my
chest and the indent my belly button made. His eyes slowly roved over me as if
he couldn't believe it. You think you're getting a treat, but I'm not done yet.
Maybe next time you won't whine….or maybe you will.
That's when he reached for me and I let him pull me close. His lips
moved skillfully over mine, making me sigh against him and I wanted to be even
closer to him. Reaching between us, I made sure to pull his jacket open, wanting
to be as close as possible. I pressed myself up against him, until his back hit
the door, my breasts pressed against him. Emmett broke the kiss, looking more
than a bit shocked, with glazed eyes.
I chewed on my lip, till it plumped up even further, although they were
already swollen from his kisses. I leaned down, nibbling on his ear trying to
think, but I couldn't. All I could feel was my temperature shooting up when
Emmett flattened his hands on me, teasing my ribcage, making me want more. I
moved my hips, rolling against him as I felt this pressure, this seeking desire
start low in my middle. He seemed to know just how to touch me, making me seek
something only he could give me.
That's when I stiffened, whimpering his name softly. I could feel his hand
pressing on my breast. I shivered uncontrollable, feeling him manipulate my soft
globe with an expertise I didn't know he had. Opening my eyes, I looked down,
wanting to see what had made him so bold. That's when I realized I was
the reason. My delicate fingers were wrapped around his wrist, suggesting I had
placed his hand on my body.
He squeezed my tender flesh a bit, making a thrill run through me as I
whimpered his name breathlessly. That need was growing stronger inside me.
"Emmett…."
Then, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in the backseat of my car.
My topless car! I was with my boyfriend, letting him feel me up in
public in the middle of the day at school! Craptastic! I
didn't want to pull away. I whined internally, mourning the loss of his touch
when I did finally pull away, scooting back to the other side of the seat.
Before he could react and pull me to him again, I dove for the Taco bag. I
grabbed one and proceeded to start crunching into it, hoping that he wouldn't
find the girl with taco sauce dripping out of the corner of her mouth
attractive.
I held one out to him, trying to maintain a facade of calm. "Taco?"
Emmett took the proffered item, giving me a bewildered look.
I just sat there eating. Despite how calm I looked on the outside, I was
hyperventilating on the inside. Oh My GOD! I just let Emmett feel me up
in the back seat of my car in daylight! What if somebody saw? What if my
parents find out? That'd be fun to explain. Of course if that happened, I
wouldn't have to worry about Melody liking me. Just her pressing charges against
my Father because my Dad would kill him for touching his little girl.
#------------------------------------
I knew Bay's lunch was coming up, so I decided to skip Study Hall and
surprise her. On the way, I stopped into a taco place that we had been to
before. After pointing to my selection, I paid and waited. The food was up
within a couple minutes, so I made my way to Buckner. By my calculations, Bay
shouldn't be starting lunch for several minutes. As I pulled into the parking
lot, I was surprised to see her curly hair hanging out of her car. Was I
late? I parked my bike, and grabbed the food. As I made my way toward Bay, I
could tell that she was spaced out from everything around her. Her eyes were
closed, yet somehow, she was still staring up at the sky, a thoughtful
expression on her face. Gently, I started tapping the side of her car,
not wanting to scare the daylights out of her. Bay just kept staring upward. I
rapped a little louder, and watched her face take on an irritated expression.
Without opening her eyes, she said, "What?" Since I can't really talk
to her, without her seeing my hands, I banged louder, knowing she would get
angry and open her eyes. I wasn't disappointed. As she sat upright, her eyes
finally opening, I saw her say, "I'm Not Going Back Inside! So Buzz OFF!"
When Bay realized it was just me, her face turned pink with embarrassment. I
grinned at her, knowing we would laugh about all this later. Without comment,
she kicked her door open, and scooted further into the car. Just as I was
getting in, Bay raised her hands and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in
study hall…..on the other side of town?" She was playing with me, I was sure of
it. Two can play at this game.
Silently, I took a seat, pulling the door shut. Almost immediately, Bay sat
up straighter and started sniffing the air. She vaguely reminded me of a lioness
catching the scent of prey. Then, she noticed the bag. A grin stole across her
face.
Realizing I hadn't given her an answer, I replied, "Aren't you supposed
to be in the cafeteria, 500 yards in that direction." I pointed
toward the direction of the cafeteria, watching Buckner kids being stupid. Bay
cocked her head, and gave me a questioning look.
"What makes you so sure it's not on the other side of the school?"
Grinning, I pulled out my phone, and showed her the map of Buckner Hall on
it. "It's called the internet."
Bay eyed me, a leery look crossing her face. I'm not a stalker, really!
Just as I was getting ready to put thought to words, Bay reached over and
grabbed the taco bag, taking one out. Sure, the food would come first…guess I
know where I stand.
I must have looked a bit miffed, because Bay stopped unwrapping the food, and
looked at me, a small smile across her face. Sure, yuck it up and smile away,
you little brat.
"It figures that you give the food more attention than you do me!" I finally
forced out. I was only mildly angry, but there was no point telling her that.
Let her think what she wants….
Setting down the bag, she gave me a demure look, before bodily crawling
closer to me. Then, with what I could only describe as a sultry look, she said,
"I'm so sorry. Let me make it up to you." I think my eyes bugged out of my head.
Smiling, she gripped my jacket collar, pulling me in. She kissed me slowly,
but I wanted more. I ran my tongue along the seam of her lips, begging entrance.
She opened, and I delved inside, dueling with her tongue. She pulled back, and
gave me a smile.
"Hello…." she teased. I gave her a special look, knowing it would heat her
up. Apparently, I didn't realize how MUCH it would.
Bay reached for the zipper on her Buckner jacket, and started pulling it down
at a teasing pace. Was she going to…? My hands shook, as I asked, "What
are you doing?"
If it was possible, my eyes widened even more, when she said, "Making it up
to you."
Finally, the zipper was all the way down, and the jacket framed her body,
hanging open. Slowly, she started to slip out of it, one shoulder at a time,
letting it fall behind her. Nothing was left to my imagination after that. I
could see all her curves and indentations. Seriously, at that moment, I wanted
to drool. I let my eyes wander over her body, thanking anyone who would listen
for this "treat" I was receiving. I reached for her greedily.
Swiftly, I played my lips over hers, causing her to sigh into my mouth. She
reached between us, pulling my jacket off. I shrugged out of it willingly,
wanting nothing between us. She pressed against me, and I felt the door against
my back, her breasts pressing into my front. I pulled back, slightly shocked.
The little seductress….
She chewed on her lips, and my eyes were drawn there. She leaned down, and I
felt her nibble on my ear. I flattened my hands against her ribcage, and ran my
hands up and down, teasing her. Her hips rolled, pressing against me, as I felt
her heat. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist, bringing my hand to her breast.
Oh my Gooooddddddddd…..
I squeezed and caressed the soft globe in my hand, wishing the cloth wasn't
covering it. Suddenly, I felt Bay stiffen against me. I stopped, my hand
pressing lightly into her breast. Was she nervous now? She glanced down
between us, her eyes homing in on her hand around my wrist. She breathed in
quickly, as if just realizing that she had grabbed my wrist. Experimentally, I
squeezed her flesh a little, causing her to shudder under my grasp. I saw my
name on her lips…"Emmett…."
Almost immediately, her eyes widened and she scooted away from me, right to
the other side of the car. What the….? I made a grab toward her, but she
avoided me and practically dove into the taco bag. She pulled it out, and
started inhaling it. All the while, I stare at her, trying to figure out just
what in the hell happened! One minute, we were practically all over each
other, the next I had a proverbial bucket of water dumped on me. What
gives?
As if nothing had happened, Bay held out another one and asked, "Taco?"
I took it, all the while wondering if my girlfriend had suddenly gone around
the bend. As we ate in silence, I thought back to a few moments ago. Bay had
willingly participated in our "play", so why was she suddenly acting like a
leper? Maybe it's that time of the month…
Or maybe…nah.
#------------------------------
I watched him outta the corner of my eye as a random hormonal thought snuck
up on me. Would he touch me again if I let him? After pulling away, would he
deny me? It felt so good having his hands on me, too good. That
thought snagged in my brain, making me wonder. Had he touched other girls the
way he touched me or was it beginners luck? That's when I realized I'd been
staring at him and he knew.
Hastily, I asked my smirking boyfriend, "So what brought you here?"
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I know you said you were, but you
still seemed…..shaken." Even as Emmett answered me, I could tell that he had
something else on his mind.
I just shrugged my shoulders at him, not ready to cop to all my fears and
anxieties.
"I was thinking about how my Mom treats you. I think I came up with a
temporary solution," Emmett baited me with that statement, forcing me to speak
up.
"And that would be….?" I asked, all the while giving him a bored look. I was
pretty sure the only real solution was the "Let's take a break" speech.
Then, Emmett threw me for a loop by saying, "We avoid her completely. We hang
out at your house or go other places."
He's not really suggesting that we hide our relationship again, is he?
I balked at his statement. "Emmett, that's not possible. We can't avoid
her. Do you not remember all the ways I pointed out to you that she's
connected to my life? It's not just through you!"
Emmett held his hands up, shaking them rapidly, a weighty expression on his
face that told me to stop and asked me to wait. "I said temporary, not
permanent. I just need some time to come up with something better. Alright?"
I flushed, embarrassed that I thought he meant to hide me from the world.
"Temporary?" Emmett nodded at me in response. "How temporary?"
"Just until I can come up with a better idea," Emmett said, radiating
sincerity and I cracked.
"Okay, I can live with that." My anxiety about dealing with Melody was
starting to melt away.
#--------------------------
As we munched on our lunch, I kept sneaking glances toward Bay. At one point,
I noticed her doing the same, but refrained from commenting. It's not like I
wasn't doing the same thing. One time, we happened to glance up at the same
time, and she caught me watching her. Her face pinkened.
Hastily, she asked, "So what brought you here?"
Beside the chance to see my hot, sexy girlfriend? "I wanted to make
sure that you were okay. I know you said you were, but you still
seemed…..shaken." I hope she likes the idea I have in mind….
Bay shrugged her shoulders, as if she really wasn't bothered by anything. I
knew it was a put on, but I let it slide, and forged forward with my idea.
"I was thinking about how my Mom treats you. I think I came up with a
temporary solution," I told her, trying to force a response from her.
"And that would be….?" she finally said, a bored expression on her face.
Wait'll she gets a load of my solution.
With a straight face, I replied, "We avoid her completely. We hang out at
your house or go other places."
Bay looked utterly shocked at my statement. Her eyes narrowed and I swear her
chest started heaving. "Emmett, that's not possible. We can't avoid her.
Do you not remember all the ways I pointed out to you that she's
connected to my life? It's not just through you!"
I held up my hands, shaking them, trying to get her to stop talking. "I said
temporary, not permanent. I just need some time to come up with something
better. Alright?"
Bay flushed. Clearly, she had thought I meant something else. "Temporary?"
She asked, her eyebrows raised. I nodded. "How temporary?"
"Just until I can come up with a better idea," I reiterated, hoping she could
read the sincerity in my signs.
"Okay, I can live with that." Thank God.
#---------------------------------------
After that had been settled though, other thoughts about him started plaguing
me, much baser ones. How had he felt touching me? Did he like touching me? Did
he want to touch me again or had my retreat completely turned him off? Or worse,
did he just not enjoy the way my body felt against his? I know I had reacted
like a complete head case, but I wondered all the same. So, I finished the last
of the taco I was eating and wiped my hands off on a napkin.
I licked the last bit of sauce off of my fingers. Looking up, I caught Emmett
staring again. Swallowing hard, I started to ask, "Emmett, I uh… about earlier.
I kind of have a question…errrr request… um. I mean, earlier was so…, you were
so and it was so… uh," Oh God don't say it, don't say it, don't say it,
"ne….unexpected," Damn I almost said it, "Was I too….did you like…you
wouldn't want… would you want to…?" Great, now I sound like a freaking
lunatic. Finally, I just stopped and spared myself further humiliation by
looking away, Why does this stuff have to be so awkward and hard?
I felt Emmett's hand brush hesitantly over my knee. The sensation made me
jump just a bit and I look up at him. I could see the questions filling his
eyes, but there was a sense of hesitancy too, as if he were unsure somehow. I
felt my mouth go dry, realizing he probably wanted me to explain my little
outburst. Well isn't that just peachy.
"Tell me what's wrong." Sometimes, I hate being right.
I wanted to change the subject or find a distraction. My eyes landed briefly
on the bag that still contained one taco, but Emmett snatched it back. I looked
over at my school building, wondering if I bolted, could he catch me? Looking
back at him, I realized that he could and would if I tried. I took deep
breaths, cursing the fact that I had parked so far from the doors. Great, so now
I have to try all that again.
Turning my body in the seat to face him, I raised my hands. "I took my jacket
off and you touched me. I…..wanted you to touch me, but… did you like it? The
way I look and the way I felt, I mean. Did you?" I felt myself go scarlet
waiting for the answer to a question that made me feel far too vulnerable.
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. The seconds ticked by and I
got more antsy by the second. I was reaching for the door handle just as
something flickered on his face. He shook his head at me, his fingers raking
through his hair, as if he were thinking of a way to answer me. He didn't
like…. I felt my lungs close off at the thought, as pain blossomed in my
chest. I turned the handle, trying to make a break for it. I could not endure
the humiliating pain of hearing him out. That's when I felt his large hand wrap
around my much smaller wrist. I gave him a pleading look.
"Emmett, please just let me go. I shouldn't have asked…." I couldn't
sign, so I didn't know if he caught everything I said.
I could feel tears welling in my eyes as I stared at him. It hurt more than I
thought it would, realizing my inexperience would kill his desire for me. A
vision of perfect blonde, toned, athletic Daphne flashed through my mind,
and suddenly I knew what he wanted. Who he always wanted. I whimpered
when he jerked me closer. Before I could get away, the door was slamming shut
behind me. Then, he did something that made no sense.
Emmett's eyes bored searchingly into my own tear filled ones. His fingers
brushed gently over my blushing cheeks. Then he kissed me softly, his tongue
begging entrance, but I resisted, instead stiffening in his embrace. That's when
he pulled my body flush with his, making me straddle his lap. I tried not to
give into to the fire he lit within me, but I lost control when I felt his hands
under my skirt, palming my butt. I gasped sharply when his tongue thrust inside
the hot cavern of my mouth.
I shuddered against him as rational thought fled my mind. Using one hand, he
continued massaging my ass, making me whimper against his mouth. His other hand
traveled back up, cradling my head. Emmett started leaning forward, laying me
out on the backseat. Never once did he let me go or stop kissing me. His
possessiveness made me want to swoon. I jerked against him, breaking the kiss as
I realized I could feel his erection pressing between my legs. I looked up at
him, shock clear on my face at feeling so intimately the very real
evidence of his desire.
I was just about to remind him that this was not the place, but he shook his
head at me. "Trust me. I won't take it too far."
I sputtered at him, having never done this before. Feeling him pressed so
close to me fogged my mind and all I could do was nod.
Emmett shed his jacket, wearing only a t-shirt underneath. Folding it up, he
slipped the soft leather under my head and shoulders, cushioning me. I stared up
at the sight of him hovering above me and it made my breath catch. I reached my
hand out to him beseechingly, my fingertips brushing over his stomach. Just like
that, his body was pressed to mine as Emmett consumed me. My arms wrapped around
him, holding tight, craving his touch. I jerked against him, my legs tangling
with his as his lips brushed over my sensitive skin. His breath was hot and
moist against my ear.
His lips dropped to my throat, making me groan. I wanted to touch him so
badly. Tentatively, I brought my hands between us, gripping his shoulders.
Emmett stopped kissing my neck and looked down at me. I could tell he was
surprised by my touch. So was I.
"Can I touch you?" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop
them.
Emmett's eyes widened again, but he nodded his head jerkily, giving the
impression that he couldn't believe that I was asking as he mouthed the word,
"Always."
I pinkened, realizing just how much what he said meant to me. Leaning up, I
kissed him lovingly but I could still feel uncertainty as it radiated through
me, threatening to make me run. Then, Emmett returned my kiss just as lovingly,
his hands dropping to my shoulders encouragingly as he mirrored my actions. I
thought I knew what he was doing, but I wasn't sure.
Testing my theory, I moved my hands down, letting them curl around his upper
arms as I reveled in the feeling of his lean muscles under my fingers. It was
when Emmett moved, exploring the softness of my arms, tickling underneath,
teasing over my elbow that I realized he would follow my lead on this.
Mostly anyway. I knew he would not touch anywhere that I wasn't ready to
touch him. Emmett's willingness to curtail his hormones, not letting them
override things and giving me the chance to relax so that I might enjoy this,
warmed my heart and made room for my curiosity about the boy above me to take
hold.
I let my fingers wander down over his cotton shirt, past his elbows. The
second my fingertips grazed over his skin, I shivered and heated in response. I
brought his arm down to me, wanting to more than touch him. I breathed in the
heady scent of leather, oil and the earth, but a muskier scent that wafted from
him overpowered everything, turning what was always so comforting to something
hot and arousing as it burned through me. Slowly losing control, my tongue
darted out, licking him. I couldn't help groaning at the taste of his skin.
This time it was Emmett who jerked and I could feel surprise radiating from
him. Ignoring it, I felt a strong hunger for him take root deep within me, I'd
never wanted a boy more than I wanted him. I kissed and licked my way down his
arm, tracing his winding muscles with my tongue. I whimpered and bit into his
skin gently, feeling him pull up the sleeve of my shirt and doing the same.
His breath was searing, while his wet mouth moved down the underside of my
arm, making me yearn for more. Then his mouth covered my wrist, making me jerk
and whimper as I felt the gentle press of his teeth. My pulse jumped against his
tongue as my heart thumped harder in my chest. I moved my mouth to his wrist,
sucking gently as I enjoyed the shivers I managed to draw from him.
Then he sucked one of my fingers in his mouth and I moaned softly, pulling
back from his wrist. I never knew something so simple could feel like that. I
wiggled uncontrollably beneath him as Emmett paid homage to my small hand. I
moved one of my legs up, sliding against him, as I shifted restlessly, wanting
more. I felt some part of him twitch against my leg. The second that happened,
Emmett jerked back with a groan. My ears drank in the sound I'd never heard him
make before.
It was when he looked down at me with wide shocked eyes that I became
concerned. Had I done something wrong? Looking down, I searched for my
error and I blushed too bright. My moving leg was poised directly under the
massive bulge in his jeans. I'd brushed against…and he hadn't wanted me
to.
"I'm sorry….." That was pathetic. Utterly pathetic.
I scrambled backwards, trying to pull away, but Emmett was having none of
that. Reaching around my waist, he pulled me back under him. His hand slipping
under my shirt made me call out his name and my struggling ceased as I quivered
against him. Still holding onto me tightly, Emmett ran his other hand slowly up
my leg. I twitched under his touch, knowing he could feel the heat of my skin
through my black hose. It was when he squeezed my thigh, so gently that I jerked
and whimpered, my legs unconsciously opening even farther for him in a silent
offering of everything I had. I knew now that our gentle exploration of each
other had suddenly become much more and it felt too good to stop.
#------------------------
While Bay made eating taco's an Olympic sport, I watched her covertly. I had
enjoyed touching her earlier. A little too much, truth be told. I mean, I
get that we're in the parking lot, in her open top car. But, touching her felt
so good, I really didn't want to stop. When Bay pulled away, I thought I
had done something wrong. But, she didn't yell at me. She just started
inhaling her food.
Even now, Bay was watching me. I didn't have to look at her to know it. It
was like I had a sixth sense. I just knew. I also knew she was analyzing
everything in her head now. That was just what she did. I watched as she
finished her taco and wiped her hands off.
Bay licked some residual sauce off her fingers and glanced up, effectively
catching me staring at her. Blast! Her face colored and I knew she wanted
to talk about something. Her mouth opened, and….
She started rambling too fast for me to catch more than a few words. I saw
Emmett, earlier, question and unexpected before she stopped talking and flushed
darker. What was she trying to say? Finally, she got out, "Was I too….did
you like…you wouldn't want… would you want to…?" Was she trying to ask if I
enjoyed what happened earlier? Or, did she want me to continue what we started
earlier? Before I could answer her, Bay looked away, effectively cutting off
my means of communication.
Hesitantly, I lightly brushed my hand over her knee, not wanting to startle
her. Unfortunately, Bay still jumped, but she did finally look me in the eyes. I
could see the fear in her eyes, but I also say something else. Desire?
"Tell me what's wrong," I begged her. Talk to me, please!
Bay's eyes darted around, as if she were searching for something. Our eyes
landed on the bag of tacos at the same time. I saw her move and I snatched the
bag away before she could eat that too. No more TACOS! Suddenly, bringing
them felt like the worst idea on the planet. I swear, the girl is gonna look
like a taco soon! Then, she looked over at the school, before glancing back at
me again. I got the distinct impression she was measuring the distance to the
school from her car. Run, I dare ya. I WILL catch you! I watched her
breath deep, knowing whatever was going through her mind involved me.
Just as I was ready to start pulling my hair out, Bay turned toward me and
raised her hands. Well, finally! I watched her avidly, not wanting to
miss anything she had to say. Bay took a shaky breath and said, "I took my
jacket off and you touched me. I…..wanted you to touch me, but… did you like
it?" Did I like it? Was she CRAZY? Of COURSE I liked it! "The way I look
and the way I felt, I mean. Did you?" she finished up, her face turning scarlet.
All I could do was stare at her stupidly. I think my jaw may have dropped,
even. I couldn't think how to answer her. If I told her that, "yes, I did
absolutely like it," she would think I wanted to jump her bones. I did,
but that's besides the point. If I lied and said, "Nope, not in the least,"
she'd probably never let me touch her again. I caught sight of Bay's hand
inching toward the door. I forced my hands through my hair, shaking my head a
little. What the hell do I say to her?
Bay must have taken my head shake the wrong way, because the next thing I
knew, she was turning the door handle and trying to make a mad dash out of the
car. I caught her smaller wrist in my much larger hand, effectively stopping her
movements. She turned and gave me a pleading look. Her eyes were starting to
mist a little.
"Emmett, please just let me go. I shouldn't have asked…." she said.
With my hand around her wrist, she couldn't sign, but, I read the words off her
lips. Not on your life!
I saw the tears begin to well in her eyes. I knew then that she had
misconstrued my actions from moments ago. She thought I didn't want her. I'd bet
my life on it. From past experience, I knew exactly where her mind went.
Straight to Daphne. Didn't she get it yet? I didn't want Daphne anymore.
I hadn't for a long, long time! I pulled her closer, slamming the door
shut at the same time. Bay's eyes widened. That's it. I really don't care who
sees this. I'm proving my feelings once and for all.
I looked deep into the dark pools of her eyes, searching. Her tears shimmered
and pulled at my heart. Ever so gently, I reached out my hand and brushed my
fingers gently over her heated cheeks. Shifting forward, I kissed her gently, my
tongue lightly pushing against her mouth. Bay resisted, and stiffened noticeably
against me. Realizing she was going to make this difficult, I pulled her bodily
onto my lap, her legs straddling me. Reaching under her skirt, I palmed her
rear, causing her to gasp. I took advantage and thrust my tongue deeply into her
mouth.
Bay shuddered against me, and I almost lost it right there. This slip of a
girl could do things to me that no one else ever had or would again. Her
responses were all natural. There was absolutely nothing artificial about her.
She was just my Bay. Still holding her rear with one hand, I moved my other hand
up, cradling her curls in my hand. Without much conscious thought, I leaned
forward, so Bay was now laying under me on the backseat of her car. Bay jerked
against me, her heat cradling my growing erection. Bay looked up, shock evident
on her face. Only you make me feel this way, now and always.
Bay looked alarmed, as well. She opened her mouth, but I shook my head.
"Trust me. I won't take it too far." Hopefully…
Bay finally nodded, her faith and trust now entirely on me. I hoped I didn't
let her down.
Shedding my jacket, I folded it and placed it under Bay's head, giving her a
pillow of sorts. As I stared down at her, I wasn't thinking about where we were.
All I was thinking about was the beautiful girl who was sprawled under me, her
curls flying around her head. Her eyes met mine and in that second, I was lost
in the depths of her eyes. She pulled me toward her, without any movement. Her
fingers brushed my stomach, and I lost the thin strip of control that I had been
holding onto. I pressed our bodies together, wanting…. No, needing to
feel her completely. Her arms wrapped around me, her legs tangling with mine. I
kissed her jaw, her cheek, my breath ghosting across her ear. She shuddered in
my arms and I again wished that we were somewhere private. God, how I want
her….
I kissed her throat, and felt the vibration of her response. I felt her grip
my shoulder, a demand for attention. I stopped and stared down at her. Bay
surprised me with her next words.
"Can I touch you?" I could tell she was embarrassed to ask me that.
I nodded my head quickly. Not trusting myself, I mouthed, "Always." Yes,
touch me, beautiful. Touch me anywhere you want.
Bay pinkened, and leaned up to kiss me. Her hands rode my shoulders, so I
copied her actions. I would do whatever she was comfortable with. I matched my
movements to hers, trying to put her more at ease.
When her hands curled around my arms, feeling the muscles under her hands, I
repeated her actions, teasing the underside of her arm slightly as I did. Bay
gave me a look that spoke volumes.
Her fingers wandered down to my elbows. As soon as she made contact with my
skin, Bay shuddered. She pulled my arm down, and breathed deeply against my
skin. I felt her tongue brush quickly against the palm of my hand.
Gooooddddddddd….. I jerked uncontrollably and stared at her, vastly
surprised at her guile. My Bay was just full of surprises. She kissed and licked
down my arm, tracing with her tongue as she did so. I felt her bite into my
skin, and the overwhelming need to do the same took me over. Gently, I pulled
the sleeve of her shirt up and bit her just as gently.
I kissed a path down her arm, to her wrist. Taking it gently in hand, I bit
gently into her wrist, causing Bay to jump. I felt the pounding of her heart,
and knew she could feel mine pounding just as strong. She copied me, and I felt
her mouth on my wrist, biting gently. I shivered, wanting to end the torture.
Sucking one of her delicate fingers into my mouth, I had visions of other
things, as well. I wanted to worship her body, inch by delicious inch. I wanted
to strip away her clothes and pay homage to her beauty. I wanted to stoke the
fire that I knew was building within her. I wanted to consume her,
utterly and completely. I wanted to be consumed by her fire. By her
desire….
Bay slide her leg up, brushing against my erection. The sudden sensation
startled me, causing me to jerk back and I wanted to cry out. Oh,
please…..please, do that again! I groaned, needing to feel her against me
again.
Bay glanced down between us, and blushed even deeper than she had before. I
grew still, not wanting to scare her. Bay finally looked back at me, her eyes
wide.
"I'm sorry….." Wait…..what? Why is she sorry?
Bay tried to pull herself out from under me. I grabbed her waist, blocking
her movements. I slid my hand under her shirt, causing her movements to stop
immediately. I saw my name on her lips and I couldn't help smiling. As I held
her flush against me, I slowly ran my hand up her leg. Her heat called out to
me, and I responded. Gently, I squeezed her thigh, and Bay mindlessly opened her
legs further. I settled in between.
Right then, I knew that whatever happened after this, I wouldn't regret any
of it.
I wanted Bay. In every way.
#--------------------------------------
The sunlight shone down on us while Emmett's eyes searched mine. I didn't
know what he was looking for. All I knew was that I hungered for him. He must've
found what he was looking for, because his arm around my middle tightened, and
his lips came crashing against mine. I returned his passionate embrace while his
body settled more heavily against my smaller one. I could feel his bulge
pressing between my legs, making my skirt ride up completely to my waist. It
left me in full view, completely exposed. I didn't even care.
Emmett dominated my mouth sucking, licking and nipping. His hand massaged my
thigh, coming close, so close to my aching center that it pushed me
deeper into the haze, where all that mattered was his body over mine. Please
just a little higher. I almost couldn't believe that wanton thought had come
from me. Just as suddenly though, his hand left my leg and I whimpered against
his mouth in regret.
I felt that hand slip slowly up my body. My lungs burned, needing air, but I
didn't want to let go. Emmett released my swollen lips just long enough to let
me gulp in the much needed air. His hand grazed up my stomach and over my chest,
making my breath catch. His name fell from my lips, just before he reclaimed my
mouth, his tongue thrusting deeper than before. His hands teased over my breasts
making me tremble beneath him. More…..I want more…..
I felt a sharp tug as my body jerked. Emmett leaned back to look down at me
as I panted beneath him. Slowly, I became aware that a bit of my white lace bra
peeked through the collar on my shirt. I slowly realized he had pulled my bra
off and away from my breasts. He looked just as lost in the fog as I felt. He
cupped my breasts through my shirt, feeling the weight of them in his hands. A
warm tingly sensation spread through me with his touch. I blushed in response as
he stared down at me, unable to meet his gaze.
Then he started toying with my nipples that showed easily through the fabric.
My eyes slipped closed, as I heard myself release a low mewling sound. My skin
was suddenly too tight and too hot as all these new sensations flooded me. I
could feel liquid heat pooling low in my body. Using his hands, he massaged my
breast, his thumbs still using my hardened buds like little buttons. More,
I needed more.
"Emmett," I choked out his name, a silent plea, as I begged for that
more.
As if that's what he'd been waiting for, Emmett thrust his hips against me,
grinding against my needy center. I bit my lip, trying to hold back the moan I
felt building, as heated pleasure shot through me. By now, I was running on pure
instinct when I hooked my legs on his hips, grinding and rubbing against him
wanting more of that friction. Emmett moaned in response and I swear I heard
surprise in his tone.
Emmett reached down, wrapping one arm back around my waist, holding me
tighter to him. He angled me just a touch, like he was trying to position me
correctly. Just when I thought it couldn't feel any better, he thrust his hips
against mine so hard I saw stars and my hips jerked in response. This time, I
couldn't hold back the soft moan.
Emmett smirked down at me and using one hand he signed, "You like that?" I
nodded to him not trusting my hands. "You want more?"
"God, yes." Anything to relieve this pressure.
Emmett leaned down over me, grinding his hard on against me again and again.
Everything else fell away. I didn't care where we were. All I cared about was
feeling him pressing against me. His lips moved over my neck, and I found that
my arms were winding tightly around him, my hands roving over him as I traced
his muscles. Nothing else mattered as I held him against me. I moved with him,
rolling my hips, just letting my body guide me. Every time he moved against me,
I moaned. Every time he shivered, I gasped his name, lost to the rhythm as we
moved as one.
He drove his hips against mine faster and harder, making the pressure expand
and fill me. The more pleasure I felt, the more I wanted. My body was reaching,
searching, grasping at something, but I didn't know what. I was consumed by
pleasure, chanting his name. My breath was coming in harsh gasps, pressing my
chest against him like an offering. I felt everything inside me tighten like I
could explode. Oh God, I was almost there. I knew it.
"Damn…." I heard a voice say and it was closer than it should have been.
#-------------------------------
I could feel the sunlight beating against my back, as I searched Bay's eyes.
I knew she wanted me as badly as I wanted her. I saw the passion and desire in
her eyes. I knew she wouldn't say no to anything I did. But now, I had to be
careful. I had to tread lightly and carefully. She was trusting me, and I had to
make sure I didn't lose that trust. Tightening my arm around her middle, I
settled my lips heavily upon hers. She held me tight as I settled more fully on
her, and felt her soft, pliant body beneath mine. My erection settled into the
open space of her legs, causing her skirt to ride up. I looked down, enthralled
with what I had unearthed. Her dark hose still left her some modesty, but my
imagination covered what my eyes couldn't readily see.
I dominated her mouth, as I sucked and licked her plump, swollen lips. My
free hand massaged her thigh, teasing her flesh. My fingers coasted by her hot,
wet center. I wanted so badly to cup that center, but I knew that would probably
freak Bay out, so regrettably, I removed my hand from the temptation of her
flesh. I think Bay whimpered against my mouth.
Continuing to kiss her relentlessly, I finally had to pull back to get air
into my starving lungs. Bay also took air in. I plied my hands and fingers along
her stomach and over her chest, causing Bay to stop breathing. I saw her say my
name, just before I claimed her mouth again, thrusting into the hot, moist
cavern the way I wanted to do to other parts of her body. I teased her breasts,
and I felt her tremble beneath me.
Jerking upward, I pulled her bra away from her breasts. I could vaguely see
the dark tint of her nipples through her shirt. I had to force myself to not rip
her shirt off and sample her flesh. Instead, I palmed her breasts, feeling their
weight in my hands. I saw her blush, but couldn't force myself to stop touching
her.
Carefully, I ran my fingers over her dark nipples, watching Bay as her eyes
slid closed and she unconsciously arched into my hands. I massaged her breasts,
my thumb rubbing over the hardness of her nipple. Bay was panting now, her head
thrashing from side to side. Her lips moved…
"Emmett." That was the moment I had been waiting for.
I thrust my hips sharply against her, grinding against her softness. I cursed
the clothing that blocked me from the ultimate pleasure, but Bay was too far
gone to care anymore. Her legs hooked around my hips and she rubbed against me,
causing my already rock hard erection to get even harder. I knew I moaned
loudly, but I didn't care. This felt too damn good to stop now.
I reached down, holding her tightly to me as I positioned her against me. If
we couldn't remove our clothes, we would at least have the best feeling we could
get with our clothes on. I thrust my hips against hers, causing her to
jump.
Using one hand to hold her, I held the other up. "You like that?" I asked
her. Her only response was a nod. "You want more?"
"God, yes." Thank God. If she said no after all of this…..
I leaned down, grinding against her again and again. I so badly wanted
release, but knew that wasn't going to happen. At least, not today. Soon,
though. Very soon. Everything else fell away. I didn't care where we were. All I
cared about was feeling her pressing against me. I kissed her neck, and felt her
arms wind around me, her hands roving over my skin. Nothing else mattered as I
held her against me. She moved with me, rolling her hips, letting our bodies
guide us.
Faster and faster, harder and harder, I drove myself against her. Her body
jerked and thrashed. I knew she was close. So was I. Another few minutes and I
would have to stop or risk embarrassing myself. Her breathing was harsh,
pressing her breasts into my chest. So close….come on baby.
Bay suddenly went stiller than death under me. What the…?
#-------------------------------------
Forcing my eyes open, I looked over Emmett's shoulder. The sight that greeted
me made me want to die. Standing just behind my boyfriend, watching the
whole show, were two guys from MY school. Kill me, just kill
me. For me, everything stopped and I pushed as hard as I could on my
oblivious boyfriend, pointing frantically behind him. Instantly he whipped
around and I hid behind him, struggling to right my clothing while I shook.
Emmett made sure I was directly behind him while staring down the guys who
made me feel so violated. I pulled my bra back in place, smoothing down my skirt
in the same beat. Emmett did his best to cover me, but I could still feel their
eyes on me, like I was something to be bought or sold. I decided against
grabbing my jacket. Instead, I grabbed Emmett's much larger one, needing to be
as covered as humanly possible. All the while the guys were talking.
"You didn't have to stop on account of us baby," Jackass one said.
Jackass two followed with, "Yeah, it was just getting good. I mean, damn
girl, we could hear you two rows over." I swallowed thickly hearing that.
Then, they started talking to each other. "Isn't that….?" The other answered,
"Yeah, I think it is."
"Hey baby, aren't you Liam's girl?" Jackass two asked, curiosity strong in
his voice.
This time, I whipped around and felt my stomach drop out of my body. They
were… Oh God, they were football players. They were Liam's friends. This is
gonna be all over school by next period. Why did they have to recognize me?
"Hey, hey it is! It's Kennish." I knew both of them, but I couldn't place
their names.
"I'm not with him anymore." I tried to stay firm while still hiding behind
Emmett.
"Obviously," they both leered like they were imagining me without my clothes,
"but damn, Liam never mentioned how much fun you were. Or did you never
give him a taste?"
The whole time they were talking, I watched the tension in Emmett ratchet
higher and higher. The muscles in his shoulders were tightening with every
passing second. I couldn't see his face, but it wouldn't be hard to imagine the
rage it held. Then, the impossible happened. It looked like one of them was
trying to reach for me and I knew what would go down next. I reached for Emmett,
trying to stop him, but all I got was jarred backwards when he vaulted over the
side of my car. The next thing I heard was the smack of skin on skin and a
sickening wet cracking sound.
A howl of pain, then pleading. Someone said, "Dude, he wasn't gonna hurt her
or anything. We were just messin'."
I sat bolt upright, scrambling out of my car as my boyfriend stalked closer
to the twosome. One was babbling, while blood poured out of the other's clearly
broken nose. Emmett didn't even bother telling them he couldn't hear them and I
was really barely registering what they said, either. My sole focus was Emmett.
"Emmett, NO!" I called out even though he couldn't hear me.
I grabbed his arm, hoping my touch would be enough…. it wasn't. It only
stopped him for a moment before he pulled from my grasp. Just as he was pulling
back for the strike, I jumped in front of him, my hands on his chest. The look
in his eyes was like bright blue fire. He pulled his arm back just in time to
keep from clocking me and I did some pleading of my own.
"Emmett, stop," My signs were jerky and half remembered at best, "You're
scaring me." And it was the truth.
That stopped him cold. Dumb and Dumber took the chance and bolted in the
other direction. Emmett pulled away from me. I walked closer, but he wouldn't
let me near. I could see pain, regret and self loathing in his eyes and lines of
his face. The fire in him had been instantly put out by my fear.
"Emmett, it's okay," He still kept me at arm's length.
"It's okay? No, it's not. I promised myself you'd never feel
this way with me after Toby…." Here he dropped off, scowling harder.
I thought it was sweet that he wanted to protect me, not only from myself but
him if need be. I loved that he was bothered by the fact that he'd freaked me
out even more. What meant the most however, was that even though it was not
needed, he was more than willing to knock out assholes for me. So I had to find
something to soothe his nerves and make him smile again.
I couldn't help the grin that crossed my face, "If it makes you feel any
better, I think they'll need to change their shorts when they get inside."
At first, Emmett just stared at me like I'd grown a second head. Then a grin
cracked over his face and I was suddenly relieved. Shaking his head, he drew me
back in the protective circle of his arms.
"What am I gonna do with you, Bay Kennish?" Emmett smirked.
A wicked grin crossed my face as I answered, "Whatever you want to."
#---------------------------------------
I stared down at Bay. Her eyes were wide and she was staring at something
over my shoulder. Then, she started pushing frantically at me, pointing behind
me. Instantly, I went on alert. I whipped around, and came face to face with two
guys from Buckner. And, from the looks of it, they had been standing there
awhile.
I could feel Bay behind me, struggling to right her clothes. I cursed my
stupidity. Why the hell had I let it go that far? Protectively, I stayed
in front of Bay, blocking her body with my own. The guys continued to leer.
Angrily, I glared at them, willing one of them to be a jackass. Come on, just
walk away…
Turning slightly, I saw that Bay was wrapped up in my jacket. Couldn't blame
her. Turning to face the douche bags, I saw that they were talking to Bay. I
stared hard, wanting to know what they were saying to her.
Douche one said something about stopping on their account. Douche two said it
was getting good and….they heard us two rows over? The pervs wanted a free
show apparently.
Then, they started talking to each other. Their heads were together, so I
couldn't read their lips. Finally, the second douche looked directly at Bay and
said, "Hey baby, aren't you Liam's girl?" Shit! They knew that ass wipe Liam?
Awesome….
Bay whipped around, finally facing the pair. Her eyes widened and she started
sweating. I kept my eyes going between Bay and the other two. Douche one was
gesturing and talking, but I wasn't looking at his lips to read them. I was
focused on Bay.
"I'm not with him anymore," Bay said, still half hiding behind me. I had to
twist to read her lips. Bay was blushing furiously. Now, I focused completely on
the boys.
"Obviously," douche one said, leering. Then, he said, "But damn, Liam never
mentioned how much fun you were. Or did you never give him a taste?"
You son of a…..!
The anger had been building since I realized the two were spying on us,
getting a peep show. I was furious at how they kept eyeballing Bay. She's
MINE, Damnit! Keep your eyes in your freaking skull! I would fight anyone
who dared to try anything.
I also realized that they had seen Bay in her greatest moment of passion,
something only I should have been privy to. That thought made my anger boil to
an explosive level.
Then, one of the jackasses moved, his hand reaching toward Bay. I didn't
think, I just reacted. Vaulting over the side of the car, I stalked toward the
pair. Douche one looked at me, fear in his eyes. I pulled back my fist and let
it fly into his nose. Bone crunched under my knuckles. Immediately, blood began
poring down his shirt. Good, I hope I broke it!
I saw the other one's mouth moving, but I wasn't focused enough to care what
he was saying. I wanted to draw blood from him, as well. I walked purposely
toward him.
I felt a pull on my arm. Glancing down, I saw that Bay was pulling on me. I
stopped for a few seconds, but the need to defend her honor won out. I pulled
from her grasp, and continued forward. Reaching the other one, I pulled back to
strike….
And suddenly, Bay was right in front of me, her hands on my chest. Her hair
was in wild disarray, and she had a pleading look in her eyes. I stopped mid
swing. Shit, I almost clocked Bay!
"Emmett, stop," she begged, her signs jerky from fear. And then she said,
"You're scaring me."
All the fight went out of me at that statement. I felt like I'd been sucker
punched in the gut. The one thing I promised myself I would never do…. And I
broke that promise. I pulled away from Bay, needing to get away from her, now. I
had almost hit the girl I love…..
Bay came up to me, but I held my arm out, keeping her back. "Emmett, it's
okay," she told me.
I stared at her. "It's okay? No, it's not. I promised myself
you'd never feel this way with me after Toby…." I stopped, disgusted with myself
for scaring Bay like that. I never wanted her to see me like that again.
Bay started grinning. I watched her, wondering if she had suddenly gone
crazy. "If it makes you feel any better, I think they'll need to change their
shorts when they get inside."
Did she seriously just crack a joke? Yep, she's nuts. Finally, though,
her words settled into my brain. I started grinning. The mental picture was
pretty funny. I shook my head, and pulled Bay toward me, into my arms.
One handed, I asked, "What am I gonna do with you, Bay Kennish?"
A wicked grin crossed her face. "Whatever you want to." Oh, WOW! If she
ONLY knew….
#--------------------------------
I'd managed to make it back into school before my next class. Said class was
history, so it passed by in a whirlwind of daydreaming. This daydreaming mostly
consisted of reliving every moment of what it felt like to have Emmett's hands
on my body, with his pressed so close to mine. The shrill whine of the school
bell jolted me from my daydreaming. I quickly gathered my things, following suit
as everyone made for the classroom exit.
So far, thankfully, no one had come up to me asking about any rumors
about a clandestine parking lot rendezvous. If I was lucky, it wouldn't really
start getting around school till tomorrow. Looking around the hallway, I was
starting to get the distinct impression that the fallout would be hitting me
much sooner than expected. People were staring. Freshmen were staring.
Oh, this is not good.
It was when I got to my locker that my worst fears were confirmed. Our school
nurse gave out condoms on the down low to the girls at Buckner. Currently, about
twenty of those individually wrapped multi-colored raincoats were all
taped to my LOCKER! It was too late to do damage control- the whole school
already knew!
Hastily, I started ripping them all off as quickly as I could. I panicked,
not knowing what to do with them. Opening my locker, I just threw them inside,
covering them with my books. I stood there taking a few deep breaths, trying to
calm down. I wondered briefly if I could avoid all the rest of my classes by
shoving myself in my locker and shutting the door.
No way Bay! You're just gonna calm down, pull on your big girl panties and
go to class. Who cares what they say about you anyway. You're not here to
impress them.
After giving myself the best pep talk that I could, I straightened my spine
and squared my shoulders. Grabbing my sketch and some pencils, I slammed my
locker door shut. You can do this. You can do this. You ca….
Turning, I found myself face to face with Toby of all people, holding a
condom that I had missed. "Drop something?" I can't do this.
The sight of him made me jump. Irritated, I hissed, "Don't sneak up on me,
Toby!"
"Who's sneaking? I've been standing here the whole time you've been
hyperventilating into your locker." Really? God, that sucks.
"Hyperventilating? Wow, that's a big word. Did Daphne teach you that one?"
I was feeling snarky, so sue me.
Toby grinned, knowing not to take things too personally, "No I looked that
one up all by myself." Then his face turned serious, "So are the rumors true?"
"Depends. What are the masses tweeting about now?" I groaned softly,
considering the possibility that they might actually be tweeting about
it.
Without missing a beat, Toby answered, "That you had sex in your car in the
parking lot over lunch." Damn that's an awful specific rumor. Too bad it's
partly true.
"WHAT? I did not have sex in public!" It was true, I was still a
virgin…for now.
Toby smirked, "Tell that to Chad and his broken nose."
"Emmett broke his nose?" And with that, I officially outted myself.
"Ah, Ha! So, you were with him! Bay what were you thinking?" He looked
vaguely concerned and disappointed.
"It wasn't like that," Toby gave me a look, clearly wanting to know if he
needed to jump my boyfriend. So I gave him the short edited version,
"Emmett brought me tacos. We made out. The jocks showed up and started leering.
Emmett punched Chad out to protect me. Happy?"
"And that's all that happened, right?" I was only telling him half the
truth and he knew it. Holding the condom between his fingers he asked, "So you
don't really need this right?"
"I don't need it." I answered quickly.
"Are you sure?" He hedged. Definitely suspicious. That's never good.
I nodded my head, trying to get him off my back.
"Good, you shouldn't need it for a long time." He pocketed the condom
and I gave him an annoyed look.
Then he turned, walking away. What is it with brothers and double standards?
He's NOT a virgin. I know because I've covered for him. Yet, somehow in
his twisted head, I can't have sex, even though it's not his decision to
make. Well isn't that just peachy! I grumbled all the way to my next
class.
#-----------------------------
Reluctantly, I made the drive back to Carlton. I knew I would be late to my
next class, but damn it, those assholes had that coming to them. My only regret
was that I hadn't gotten to take a swing at the other one. Oh, well. Maybe that
would teach them not to spy, next time.
Next time? No way is THAT ever gonna happen at Buckner again! No sirree. Next
time, we'll be someplace that was COMPLETELY private. Preferably a bedroom….
I thought back to what Bay had said to me. "Whatever you want to." The
images of what I wanted to do to her would shock her if they were ever
verbalized. Had those two jackasses not interrupted us, I would have given Bay
the best orgasm she had ever experienced. Just thinking about her sexy body had
me rock hard again. I really wish we had gotten to finish what had been
started….
Bay pressing herself against me. Bay's eyes, wide and searching. Her knee
brushing against my erection. Her heat driving me insane. Her nipples, pebbles
under my fingertips. I groaned, the mental images bombarding me in their
intensity.
Bay lying under me, her clothes gone. My eyes feast on her soft flesh. Her
breasts call out to me, and I squeeze them gently. She gasps and grinds against
me, my hard on nudging her. Just a little closer….
I shake myself, and realize I am in the Carlton parking lot. Shifting, I
adjust myself and get off the bike. Grabbing my bag, I turn around….
And run smack into my mother. Greeeeaatttt. She eyeballs me, a sour
expression on her face.
"Where have you been?" she questions. I shrug. Her eyes narrow. "With
her?"
"Yes. I've been with Bay," I told her, stressing Bay's name. Mom
scoffed.
"You're 20 minutes late for class. They called me, in my office, wondering
where you were," Mom informed me.
"I had lunch with Bay, and we…..lost track of time."
Mom looked me up and down. Her eyes homed in on my bloody knuckles. "What
happened?" she asked, concern painting her features.
"Nothing. Just had to take care of…something."
"Did you get in a fight?" Was it considered a fight if only one punch was
thrown?
"Some guy was being a jerk," was all I was willing to tell her. Mom read
between the lines, though.
"So, you hit him? Emmett, how could you?" she chastised me.
"Look, I wasn't gonna let that asshole diss my girlfriend!" I told her
harshly.
"I'm disappointed in you, Emmett. I thought I raised you better than that,"
Mom said, an angry look on her face.
"You did. But, I'm not letting some guy…." I broke off, not wanting to let
Mom know what all had happened.
"We'll discuss this later. You better get to class," Mom said, finality in
her statement. She turned to walk away. I waved my hand, needing to say one more
thing. She turned back.
"About family game night….."
#-------------------------------
After school, I was searching through all the art work I had back logged in
my garage. I needed something to turn in for a class, but hadn't had any real
time to paint anything. So, I was trying to figure out if I had anything stashed
away that might be passable for a grade. Then, I spotted a piece that was all
colors, sharp angles and circles.
This just might work, I thought, as I picked it up. I headed out of
the garage to see what it looked like in real light and not the too dim bulbs I
was currently working with.
Only problem was, the thing was so big that it covered my head when I went to
take it outside. I was barely onto the pavement when I heard a quick thud, thud
like footfalls coming towards me. I stopped instantly, realizing someone had
almost run into me. I peeked over the edge to see…. Crap, it was Melody.
It would have to be her, wouldn't it?
"Oh, uh…ahh I didn't see you there….." Great Bay, just great. She probably
thinks you did this on purpose!
She ignored my feeble attempt at an explanation and instead turned her
attention to my canvas. "Big."
Great, now she's one word signing me like I'm slow. Wait a minute…she asked
about my work. Is she interested in it? Could this help her look at me
differently? God I hope so. Oh no, she's waiting on me to say something.
"Oh, uh…sometimes I like to see how the colors are working in the natural
light." Oh no, she's giving me that confused look I use to get from Emmett all
the time, "Ya know what? Never mind, it's not important. Are you here to see
Regina?" All things considered, she could be here to ax murder me.
"Roots. I better go." She looked thrilled at the change of subject and seemed
to jump on the opportunity to have an escape.
Wish I had asked her that sooner. As she walked dismissively around me, I
knew I had to stop her. I had to make sure she knew that I hadn't put Emmett up
to speech therapy. Melody needed to know that really was something that he'd
decided on his own and I hadn't pushed my opinion on him. It was when she turned
back to me, that I realized I must be a glutton for punishment.
I reached out to her. "Oh, uh wait," I said, hastily putting down my canvas,
"Uhhhh, I just… I wanted you to know that, uh… speech therapy was Emmett's idea.
I didn't, um, ask him to take it."
I gave the woman a pleading look as she walked down towards me a couple of
steps and said, "You didn't have to."
Then, smiling like it was nothing, she turned and sprinted up the steps,
leaving me scared and confused at the bottom. I gripped my discarded canvas
tightly, trying not to hyperventilate as fear assaulted me. We really are over!
This woman will find a way to end us! I felt tears threaten to spill as a
feeling of heartbreak overwhelmed me.
I wish I was good enough. I wish I was Deaf.
In a fit of frustration and pain, I picked up the canvas. Staring at it, my
own brush strokes seemed to mock me, with its abounding sense of warmth. Right
now, I only felt cold all the way down to my bones. I heaved it against the side
of the stairwell, listening to the cracking sound it made. I did it until it
broke and splintered, the physical pain helping to hold back the tears of what
felt like defeat. Breathing heavily, I left the pieces laying there, not caring
who found them, as I shuffled back into my garage, wanting nothing more than to
have Emmett's arms around me, but to be alone at the same time.
#------------------------------------
After school, I made a quick stop at my Dad's place. Mom was still being a
bitch about the Speech Therapy class, so I was going to have Dad sign the paper
for me. Going up to the door, I rang the doorbell. Seconds later, it swung open,
revealing Olivia, my dad's new girlfriend. This was only the second time I had
seen her. I didn't want to remember the first time…..
"Emmett! What a nice surprise! Come on in," Olivia said, stepping back. I
walked inside and looked around. "You looking for Cameron?" she asked. Why
else would I be here?
"Yeah. I need him to sign something for school. Is he here?" I asked her, not
wanting to divulge too much information.
"He's gone to the store, but he should be back any time. Have a seat," she
invited, gesturing toward the couch. I sat in the chair, instead. Olivia
shrugged and situated herself across the couch. "So, what's new?" she asked,
trying to make conversation.
"Nothing much. I had a History test that I'm pretty sure I bombed, but other
than that…." I left the sentence hanging. Olivia laughed and shook her head.
"History? Who needs it? It's just about a bunch of boring, old men anyway.
Who cares?"
"My Mom," I said, watching her cringe.
"Your Mom is….ya know what? Never mind. Are you hungry? We have take out,"
Olivia said, effectively changing the subject. I declined the food. As soon as
Dad signed the paper, I was heading over to Bay's to tell her about Game Night.
Mom had reluctantly agreed to allowing Bay to participate. I wouldn't
tell her about the argument that had followed my asking. She didn't need to know
that part.
I was just getting ready to ask for a glass of water, when the front door
swung open, and Dad stepped inside, his arms loaded with groceries. He caught
sight of me, and gave a small wave. He headed into the Kitchen, and was back
seconds later, the groceries on the table, no doubt.
"Emmett! What a surprise," Dad said, giving me a quick hug. I laughed at how
much he had just sounded like Olivia. "What brings you here, son?"
"I want to make a class change on my schedule, but Mom is…..can you sign it
for me?" I said, digging the paper out of my bag. I handed it to him. As he read
it, I saw his eyebrows raise.
"You want to drop AP Bio to take Speech Therapy instead?" Dad questioned.
"Yes. Is that a problem?" I asked, my defenses rising. Here we go again.
To my surprise, Dad smiled. "This is for your girlfriend, isn't it?" Dad and
Bay haven't even met yet, and Dad knows way more about her than even Mom does.
He's a lot more accepting too.
"Yeah," I said, not needing to elaborate. Dad grabbed a pen and signed the
paper. He handed it back with a smile.
"Come back soon and visit longer, okay?" he asked, probably guessing I was in
a hurry to get back to Bay.
"I will, I promise," I said, grabbing my bag. Olivia waved from the couch. I
waved back and made my way out the door.
Now, off to Bay's house.
#------------------------------------------------------
I was mixing paint on my palette, making a lighter shade of purple while
studying the canvas in front of me. I was more than irritated, because I'd had
to give up my after school study session with my ASL books. All because I'd let
my temper get the better of me earlier. Of course, that didn't stop me from
setting my books out and glancing at them while I waited for real inspiration to
strike.
Maybe, I'll just turn in the broken pieces and call it interpretive art.
I'd done weirder, so it wouldn't shock my teacher. My thoughts rattled on as
I added a brush stroke to the canvas in front of me.
It was just at that moment, I felt a hand brush gently over my shoulder. I
turned to find Emmett smiling at me. Without slowing down, his hands moved
swiftly, clearly excited to tell me something. Unfortunately, I only caught a
few words and not much else.
I pulled my headphones out trying to piece together what he'd said. "Whoa,
whoa, okay. You, me, your Mom…" What! I turned, dropping my
paintbrush, wondering just what was happening. "Wait, what?"
I was so lost and Emmett knew it, because he slowed his signing down and
tried again, "We'll hang out, play some board games. She'll get to know you.
Happy?"
Emmett looked so damn proud of himself, but my stomach was suddenly
regretting the pint of ice cream I'd had earlier. "WHAT! NO!"
Now he looked confused. "What? I thought you wanted…."
"No, no, no, no, no." My head was spinning, "We will avoid her!" I can't be
around her, not after earlier and I don't want to tell him what happened,
either.
Emmett's eyes squinted as his confusion grew, "You told me we couldn't avoid
her." Then, he looked like he wasn't opposed one way or the other,. "Okay, so I
should cancel?"
Perfect! "Yes!...NO!" I didn't need Melody knowing I was afraid of
her. "Oh, oh that looks weird. Now I have to go." Damnit!
"Hey!" I heard suddenly. Turning my head, I found Regina of all people
in my garage…..okay, "I just wanted to say that you guys make a really
cute couple." I looked back at Emmett, with a sort of shocked look on my face.
He just gave a smug look that was a borderline, "I told you so" look.
Yeah, Emmett, you can give me that look all you want, but part of me's not so
sure that she's legit. Part of me thinks Daphne put her up to it, to spy on us.
So, I don't trust her sudden interest in my life. Finally, that
inspiration I'd been waiting for struck, and it wasn't in the form of my next
big art piece, but rather a way to kill two birds with one stone.
"Regina?" I called out just as she turned to leave.
Now, my Mom had a bit of a cornered look on her face that worried me,
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing tomorrow night?" I asked pleadingly, hoping my instincts
about Regina were way off base, because she might be my only hope.
"Uh, nothing. Why?" Regina looked unsure as she took a couple of steps into
my studio.
Her eyes kept flicking in Emmett's direction, giving me the distinct
impression that he was talking behind my back, while I answered, "Well I'm going
over to Emmett's tomorrow for a game night. Things are….It'd be nice to have you
there."
Regina had a confused look on her face as she walked by me and closer to my
boyfriend. Stopping in front of him, she asked, "Emmett, is everything okay?"
I watched Emmett look in my direction and then shift nervously. I wondered
what he was thinking. Regina looked over at me too. Apparently, she didn't know
what was going on either. I just shrugged my shoulders at her, too lost to
explain. That's when she looked back at Emmett.
Without speaking, I saw Regina say to Emmett, "Tell me!"
There was strength and an authority as she spoke that only a Mother could
pull off. Unfortunately, that was the last thing that I completely understood.
Emmett instantly launched into a speech, his hands flying too fast for me to
follow. I'm pretty sure I saw him use my name a couple of times, but it was the
expressions flying across his face that really caught me. I saw anger,
resentment, annoyance and fear. What did he have to be afraid of?
Then Regina asked a question without speaking. I think she wanted to know if
she should take Daphne somewhere, but I wasn't sure, because she turned her body
slightly away from me.
Emmett instantly responded with a resounding no! Then he started talking
again, his hands again moving faster than I could follow. For a second, he
looked over at me and I saw a love that knew no bounds reflected back at me. It
was so overwhelming, that a shock almost like electricity went right through me.
Then, he looked back at Regina, this time with compassion on his face and said
something about Daphne that I couldn't piece together.
Regina nodded her head at Emmett, telling him, "It's okay." Looking happy and
sad at the same time, she touched his shoulder before turning towards me.
Raising her hands and opening her mouth she said, "I'll be there. I
promise."
Then, she turned sharply on her heel, walking out leaving me to stare numbly
after her. What the HELL just happened? Then, I turned to Emmett, fixing
him with a demanding glare. "What was that all about?"
Emmett gave me a sheepish look. "What was what all about?" Right,
like I'm gonna go along with that one.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no. You know what I mean. You and Regina. What did you
talk about and how does Daphne fit in?" He looked at me a little surprised.
"That's right, I'm not completely clueless. I caught her name a couple of
times." Suddenly fear burned through me, like acid crawling up my throat.
He must have seen it, because he got that look in eyes. That look that I
always saw back before my birthday, when I was still begging Emmett to come
clean with Daphne. But, he'd always had an excuse. Chief among them was that
it wasn't a good time for her to know. It was a cross between apologetic
and worried as he approached me slowly. Then he asked a question of his own…..
"Do you trust me?" Emmett asked me calmly, but I could still feel worry
pouring off of him and it broke my heart.
'Yes, but Emmett…" He jumped on my answer, "No buts, Bay."
Then he took a deep breath, flexing his fingers, "Do you trust me to
handle this? To take care of you? To protect you?"
"You don't know what you're asking…." My voice was weak and my signs showed
it.
"Answer me." I could see agitation mixing with his worry, while a touch of
fear poisoned everything else.
I looked up at him pleadingly. He was asking for my unconditional trust,
which was something I hadn't given to anyone but Toby. My parents didn't even
get that kind of trust, let alone Liam, Ty or any other boy who looked in my
direction. Liam had asked me for that kind of trust once and I told him there
was no one who deserved that kind of trust. Yet, here was Emmett asking for it.
Does he really understand what he's asking me to give him? Was I ready
to give more to him emotionally than I'd ever given to anyone else? As
scared as I was to admit to him or myself for that matter, the answer was
simple…
"Yes." I looked him dead in the eye, praying that he understood how much I
was giving up to let him through the concrete graffitied walls that surrounded
my heart. "I trust you with everything."
I watched as relief pounded through him almost instantly as he closed the
distance between us. "Then don't worry about it. Let me take care of it for
you."
"You better be worth it." I told him half joking, half serious and
completely exposed.
His fingers brushed over my cheek, sending more of that sparkage from earlier
through me. Could he feel it too? With that said, Emmett kissed me
softly, a sweet caress while cradling my jaw in his hands.
#---------------------------------
Arriving at Bay's house, I parked my bike near her studio. I was rather
excited to tell Bay my news. I could see her inside, mixing paint together on
her palette, coming up with a light purple shade. He head bobbed slightly,
leading me to believe she was listening to her IPOD, as was her usual when she
painted. As I made my way toward Bay, I happened to glance down at the ground. A
broken canvas lay by her door, the vibrant colors on it, jagged and broken.
Why had Bay destroyed her work? That wasn't like her at all. I made my
way inside, brushing her shoulder lightly, alerting her to my presence. Before
she had fully turned to look at me, I started talking.
"Tomorrow night. You, me, my mom. My house," I told Bay, grinning wildly. I
would ask her about the painting later. I just hoped my news would make her
happy. Bay looked at me, confusion written all over her face.
Bay pulled her headphones out, and said, "Whoa, whoa okay. You, me, your
Mom." Her face took on a look of horror at the word "Mom." Dropping her
paintbrush, she asked, "Wait, what?"
Apparently, I had signed the last part too fast for her. Slowing down, I told
her, "We'll hang out, play some board games. She'll get to know you. Happy?"
I thought Bay would be pleased. So, I was more than shocked when she damn
near shouted, "WHAT! NO!" I didn't have to hear her to know she wasn't as
pleased as I thought she would be.
Confused, I told her, "What? I thought you wanted…."
"No, no, no, no, no," Bay cut me off. Her eyes wide, she added, rather
decisively, "We will avoid her!" Hadn't we just agreed earlier that we couldn't
avoid her? I was way past confused at this point. Had something changed?
Putting thought to word, I said, "You told me we couldn't avoid her." So much
for my brilliant plan. "Okay, so I should cancel?"
"Yes!...NO!" was the answer I got. What the hell was going on? Bay was
starting to freak me out. Then she said, "Oh, oh that looks weird. Now I have to
go." Internally, I shook my head, all the while wondering if Bay was going to
have a nervous breakdown in a minute.
Bay turned sharply, looking to her left. Following her gaze, I saw Regina
standing there. She smiled at us and said, "I just wanted to say that you guys
make a really cute couple." Bay turned to me, shock on her face. I smirked just
a little and gave her an, I told you so" look.
Bay stared at me, probably trying to figure out if Regina's statement was
legit. See, knowing Regina for as long as I have, I know she's telling the
truth. She isn't trying to win points with Bay, or anything. She isn't just
paying lip service. Regina turned to leave, and suddenly Bay grabbed her
attention again. I watched Bay, wondering what she was doing.
Regina looked surprised. "Yeah?"
Bay suddenly got a gleam in her eye. "What are you doing tomorrow night?" she
asked her, before turning completely toward Regina. I used the opportunity to
"talk" to Regina without Bay's knowledge.
"You need to come to my house tomorrow night, please!" I begged her.
"Don't tell her no!" Regina's eyes narrowed, but then she told Bay, "Uh,
nothing. Why?" That's it. Play dumb. Regina stepped more fully into the
garage. "Thank You!" I told her.
I couldn't see Bay's response. I assumed she was asking her about Game night.
Regina kept glancing at me, but I wasn't going to say anything else.
Regina took that decision away from me, however. Walking over and standing
directly in front of me, Regina asked, "Emmett, is everything okay?" Damn
it…..
I looked in Bay's direction, shifting uncomfortably. If I told Regina what
was happening, Bay would be angry. If I didn't tell Regina, she would just find
a way to pry it out of me. Regina glanced at Bay, then back at me. Her face took
on a hard, set look. Firmly, without speaking for Bay's benefit, Regina signed,
"Tell me!"
I sighed, knowing it would all come out eventually, anyway. Might as well get
it over with. Signing quicker than I knew Bay could follow, I launched into my
story.
"The other day, Mom caught Bay and I making out in my room. She launched into
a tirade about a class I wanted to change. She made Bay feel like an insect and
after she left, Mom basically told me she doesn't want me to be with Bay
anymore. She wants me to get a new group of friends. Earlier, Mom caught me
coming back from Buckner and we got into a pretty heated argument. She called
Bay some things that I don't want to repeat to you. I told her I wanted to
invite Bay for game night and she tried to blow it off. I insisted that
Bay would be there, whether she liked it or not. Mom won't even try! She has
never liked us as a couple. Can you please, come tomorrow?"
"Should I bring Daphne along? To distract Melody from Bay?" Regina asked,
still not talking aloud.
"NO! I want her to accept us together." I looked over at Bay, the love
I felt for her shining in my eyes. Could she see it? I looked back at
Regina, and told her, "No offense, but if Daphne comes, Mom will be focused on
her and will completely cut Bay out. I can't let that happen," I finished,
begging Regina to understand.
Regina nodded, and told me, "It's okay." She reached out and touched my
shoulder, giving a slight squeeze before she turned toward Bay again. Using her
hands and mouth, she said, "I'll be there. I promise." Then, she turned
quickly and made her way out the door. Bay turned to me, her glare telling me
she was now pissed as hell.
"What was that all about?" she forced out. Play it cool, Emmett.
Play dumb.
I gave her what I hoped was a blank look. "What was what all about?"
Please, please don't make me tell you. I'm only trying to protect you.
Bay looked livid.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no. You know what I mean. You and Regina. What did you
talk about and how does Daphne fit in?" My eyebrows raised. Shit, I thought I
had signed faster than she could follow. She's getting better than I thought.
At my surprised look, Bay steamrolled ahead. "That's right, I'm not
completely clueless. I caught her name a couple of times." I saw fear enter her
eyes.
Internally, I debated with myself. I was reminded of when Bay and I first
started seeing each other. I didn't want Daphne to know about our relationship,
because I knew she would be hurt by it. I wasn't trying to keep my feelings for
Bay a secret though. I was actually trying to protect her, just like now. If Bay
knew how my Mom really felt about her, our relationship would be over. I
needed my Mom to see the type of person Bay was. She was Regina's daughter,
after all. Regina is her best friend. Surely, she could find a way to like Bay,
eventually. I walked over to Bay slowly.
"Do you trust me?" I asked her, as calm as I could. Inside, I was freaking
out, but I wasn't going to show Bay that.
'Yes, but Emmett…" Before she could continue, I cut her off. "No buts, Bay."
Taking a calming breath, I flexed my fingers and asked honestly, "Do you trust
me to handle this? To take care of you? To protect you?"
"You don't know what you're asking…." she said, her signs weak and listless.
"Answer me." I was slightly aggravated. Why couldn't she give me a straight
answer? What was she hiding from me?
She gave me a pleading look. Why was she so scared to tell me what was on her
mind? Did she think I would look at her differently or something? Obviously,
whatever had her so worried was upsetting her. Couldn't she see that I wanted
to help her, no matter what? I needed her to trust me, to know that I
would always stand by her. That I would always love her, no matter what bad shit
went down.
"Yes." she finally answered, looking me dead in the eye. "I trust you with
everything."
Instantly, I was flooded with relief. I pulled her close. Using one hand, I
told her, "Then don't worry about it. Let me take care of it for you."
"You better be worth it," she said. Was she serious or joking? Her
face gave nothing away.
I brushed my fingers over her cheek, and pulled her in gently for a kiss. She
melted and stepped into me more fully. She's trusting you, Bledsoe. Don't let
her down.
#--------
End of part 2:)
Disclaimer: Switched At Birth is owned by Lizzy Weiss and ABC Family. No
copyright infringement is meant. I am using the characters for entertainment
purposes only.
Disclaimer: There will now be "M" rated themes in most chapters......
A/N Here is part 2 of Episode 12 :)
#-----------
Chapter 11- episode 12 part 2
I was at the park, the one Emmett and I liked to go to hang out, make out and
sometimes jut nap under a tree. Well okay, I'd be the one napping and he'd be
holding me. Probably glaring daggers at anyone who looked like they were going
to disturb me. It was dark out now, and for some reason that I couldn't place,
he'd asked me to meet him at our tree.
I'd gotten here and the blanket he always brought was spread out like normal,
but there was no sign of him. I sat and waited, letting the minutes tick by. I
was getting more anxious by the second. Finally, I got up, trying to head
towards the entrance to see if he was in the parking lot. It seemed so far away
though. I kept walking and searching, searching and walking. I don't for how
long. It felt like I'd been walking for hours, the gates never seeming to get
any closer. I was getting so desperate. I finally just started calling out his
name, not caring that my efforts would be fruitless.
"Emmett, Emmett…..Emmett!" I called out endlessly.
Suddenly, there in the distance, I thought I saw him. It was so dark that all
I could make out was the outline of him. I didn't care. It was more than I had
seconds ago and it was enough to spur me on. I started jogging towards him, then
I broke out into a full run. I started reaching my arms out the closer that I
got. Just as I was about to grab his arm, a shrill shrieking pierced the night's
silence and Emmett slipped away.
"NOOO!" I sat bolt upright in bed, panting and looking around.
Gradually, I got my breathing under control, collecting myself as my heart
slowed it's frantic pace. Slowly, I realized that the park was just a dream, a
nightmare as my alarm clock still blared through my room. Just as I was reaching
to shut off my clock, there was an insistent pounding that made my door shake.
"Would you turn that off! Some of us want a quiet morning," came the sound of
Toby's irritated voice. That boy was not a morning person.
Then again, I couldn't blame him for being upset, When I looked at my blaring
alarm clock, it proclaimed the time to be 4:30 am in green flashing numbers. I
hit the off button and my room went silent, except for the sound of Toby
shuffling away from the outside of my door. Slipping out of my bed, I grabbed a
stack of books and headed for the bathroom attached to my room.
Once inside, I pushed the door closed behind me. Boosting myself up, I sat on
the counter in front of my mirror. I opened up several of my ASL books in front
of me, flipping to the sections that I needed. Setting my timer, I spent the
next two hours going through my morning ASL drills like I did seven days a week,
ever since the car wash.
While I struggled to turn one dimensional images into three dimensional
actions, his words and anger from so long ago assaulted me again, "YOU'RE…
GOING… TO….. DROP… THIS… THE WAY YOU DROP EVERYTHING!"
I don't think Emmett ever realized how much he hurt me by questioning my
commitment to our relationship or how much he made me question and doubt myself.
This was my way of dealing with those fears. I never wanted anything like
that to happen again, so I made a plan. I spent two hours first thing in the
morning doing this. Study halls, lunch time and any free periods I got at school
were spent in front of a bathroom mirror, or on an ASL website in the library.
For an hour after school and an hour before I crashed out, and any other bit of
free time that I could find. I'm pretty sure I was even starting to sign in my
sleep!
I even put studying before my art, cutting drastically down on the amount of
time I spent painting. School, Emmett, ASL, homework and art being dead last was
how my life was defined. I also had plans about talking to the parental units
about taking a PSO (Post Secondary Options) class at the local community
college, starting next school year since it seemed like the only language
Buckner didn't offer was ASL. Of course, that meant dropping French and I wasn't
sure how keen Mom would be to agree to that.
I never told Emmett any of this. I didn't want him to know how much I
struggled or how hard I pushed myself. I didn't want him using the knowledge of
how much effort I had to put in as a reason for rethinking our
relationship. So, I let him think that it came easily to me when it was anything
but. Shaking off my brooding thoughts, I turned back to the mirror.
I worked tirelessly till the time on my counter buzzed, signaling that the
rest of my day was just starting. After turning it off, I put my books away and
prepared for school. I took a shower, got dressed, did my hair. Ya know, all
those little acts required before leaving the house.
One thing left to do. I eyed my cell phone with a grin.
I threw myself back down on the bed, while grabbing my lifeline to the
outside world. I smiled like I was holding a present and in a way I was. Emmett
always sent me a text in the morning. Usually just a reminder that I was
on his mind. After what happened last night, I was giddy about what might be
waiting for me this morning. Eagerly, I hit the power button turning my phone
on.
My face fell when my main screen indicated that there were no new messages,
"But…?"
It wasn't something that had ever happened before. Just like it wasn't normal
for him not to tell me to text him after leaving his house to go home. All these
changes to what had become our routine scared me. I would have continued
brooding over it if a certain older brother hadn't picked that moment to barge
into my room.
"Come on, for someone who gets up so early, you're always the last one outta
your bedroom in the morning," He said. I waved Toby off, but he ignored me,
"Just saying, you can't afford another tardy, because if Mom finds out, you can
kiss any time with Emmett good-bye."
I looked over at him, rolling my eyes, "Alright, already, I'm coming."
I got up off my bed just to prove I was serious, waiting for another
sarcastic remark. Toby rolled his eyes. Then, he stopped to really look at me. I
don't know what he saw reflected back at him, and I didn't want to, but for a
second he almost looked concerned. Just when I thought he was going to ask me
something, he turned and left the room, apparently deciding against the thoughts
he was having.
"Finally," I thought, before promptly falling back into bed, putting
off going downstairs just a little bit longer.
#-----------------------------
Opening my eyes the next morning, I was greeted by bright light in my eyes.
Damn it, forgot to shut them, again. Getting up, I thought about last
night. How could I get my mother and Bay on the same page? Bay was trying hard.
Even I could see that. My mother, however, was a whole other ball of wax. She
was not budging her stance. Nothing short of breaking up with Bay would sway
her. Of that, I was positive.
Why was taking Speech Therapy such a huge deal to her? She talks, albeit very
briefly. Daphne talks. There is nothing wrong with me wanting to do the
same. So, what exactly is her problem? Then, it hit me. She doesn't want
me to speak, because she thinks Bay put me up to it. I was sure of it! Should I
confront Mom, confirm my suspicions?
After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs. Mom was sitting at the
table, drinking her coffee. I grabbed a bowl and dumped cereal into it. Making
my way over to the table, I sat down across from her, and buried my face in my
food. I felt the table vibrate. Glancing up, I saw Mom tapping the table, trying
to gain my attention. Ignoring her, I concentrated on my food.
The vibrating started again. I kept my head down, refusing to look at her.
Let her figure out how pissed I still am about yesterday! How does she like
it?
Mom must have realized I wouldn't be speaking to her, because she finished
her coffee, and got up from the table. Once she left the room, I breathed a sigh
of relief. Ignoring her was starting to wear on my nerves. I finished my cereal,
and headed out the door. I was going to surprise Bay at home. Usually, first
thing in the morning, I text her to let her know I am thinking of her. However,
after yesterday, I really wanted to see her face to face. I needed to know if
she was alright. Mom was pretty shitty to her, and I felt terrible that I didn't
do anything to stop it.
With that thought in mind, I hopped on my bike and made my way toward the
Kennish home. I hope Bay isn't mad that she hasn't gotten any texts from me,
yet.
#---------------------------------------
I'd finally decided to come downstairs and grab breakfast, only
because my stomach demanded it. Rounding the corner, though, I was more than a
little shocked by what I found. My Mother wearing an apron- not so weird. Now my
Mother an apron and evening dress with heels was way over the top,
even for her.
"Oh, heels and an apron. How "Mad Men" of you, Mom," I announced my presence
using my trademark wit, smiling.
"I have a meeting today," Mom quipped in response, not even acknowledging my
sarcasm.
Then, Dad ruined it by coming around the corner behind Mom and saying,
"Yowza, nice outfit." The man practically leered at her. Gross! "You
should bring this next time we go somewhere."
"Ew," came a voice from my right that I recognized as Toby.
"Ew." I confirmed. He just had to up the ick factor, didn't he?
Mom laughed. Apparently, she thought it was appropriate to nauseate
your children by flirting in front of them, so I changed the subject. I was
trying to spare my digestion, "Who are you meeting?"
"Oh. Tina Choy," Mom looked between Toby and I, noting our cluelessness. "The
reporter from the "Kansas City Herald."
Toby decided to pretend that he had a clue, "Oh yeah." Dork.
Then, Dad chimed in too, "Yeah, she called your Mother. She wants to check in
and see how we're doing."
Don't you really mean she wants to invade our privacy and take a picture
of the golden family, minus one curly haired wild child like last time? I
thought to myself, still feeling the sting of that night.
"Oh, uh, I told Wilkie I'd meet him early. I'm heading out," Toby said,
making a smooth exit before I could tease him about me making it downstairs
first, even though he'd left his room before me.
Mom pulled on her jacket, clearly ready to head out too. "Well, I'm gonna let
her know how we felt about her last article," You mean how YOU felt about her
article, nobody asked me. "And make sure that she doesn't do it again." It
was always a scary thing when my mom looked so sure that she was right.
I raised my eyebrows watching my Mom go, as I realized something was
off. Uh…"Might be more intimidating without the apron." Just
saying….
"Or, you could just add a wooden spoon," Toby followed up, as he went with
Mom out the door, giving me a scary mental image of 50's
adult…..entertainment. I shuddered internally.
"Ha ha, very, very funny," Mom said, clearly not amused. We sure were,
though.
Dad had a big, dopey smile on his face that vaguely reminded me of a dog.
"Yeah, they get that from me."
I looked over at him. I'm okay with that, as long as I don't get that
smile from you.
Mom just shook her head at us and left out the side door, following Toby this
time.
#--------------------------------
After I left, however, I realized it was kinda early to make an unexpected
drop in on my girlfriend. Realizing that the best way to stay on her parents
good side, was not to drop in at the break of dawn, I instead drove
around KC, watching the light flow of traffic. It was always nice to get away at
this time of the morning. It was so peaceful. So few cars were driving
the roads. It made for a pleasant driving experience.
I drove aimlessly for another hour, finally deciding I could make an
appearance at the Kennish home, without worrying that her Dad would slit my
throat for being there too early.
#-------------------------------------
I checked my cell phone for the hundredth time that morning. Still nothing.
Pocketing the device with annoyance, I headed for the door. Maybe I'll bail
on first period and try to catch him at Carlton. Or, last period is study hall I
could skip that, or maybe lunch….
My thoughts continued to go in circles while I decided what to do. The door
slammed shut behind me and I looked up, figuring I might as well watch where I'm
going. That's when I came face to face with a sight that lightened my heart and
twisted my stomach. Emmett was there, talking with Daphne. The same
Emmett who hadn't bothered texting me, his girlfriend, was talking
with the girl who had a sugar high crush on him and was bent on ruining my
relationship. Great, just great.
But then, I realized something important. Emmett's here!
I could feel the dopey grin light up my face. I realized it was probably the
same one my Father gave my Mother. Oh well, he's never complained before.
That's when he spotted me coming up on the side. When he smiled at me, his whole
face lit up and I felt like I was the only one that mattered. I could feel my
cheeks heating at the thought. God, I felt like I could giggle.
"I wasn't expecting to see you until later,"I said, glad he couldn't hear the
relief in my voice. I wasn't expecting you at all, actually. You've had me
worried Bledsoe. I don't like it!
Then, turning his head, Emmett made it even better by giving Daphne a
dismissive, "you're in the way" sort of look, that I fully intended on
kissing him for later. He may not have realized that there was a cat fight going
on over him, but that didn't stop me from cringing whenever he gave her
attention. Especially when it was because Daphne slipped behind my back, like at
the festival.
Daphne looked at Emmett, clearly reading the vibe. "I'll see you at school,"
Joy….. Then the strawberry blonde temptress turned to me, "and you too.
I've got cooking class today."
Wanna switch all your classes to Buckner? I know that'd make me feel
safer. Would she get mad if I said that? Instead, I gave her a tight lipped
smile and waved instead.
I watched her sigh dejectedly as she beat a hasty retreat. I almost felt bad
for her. Almost…..but then I remembered her vow to not give up on Emmett
and the moment passed. You brought it all on yourself. I'm
innocent…...mostly. When I looked back at Emmett, I caught him staring and
not in a pervy sort of way.
He looked so upset, almost worried that it worried me. Finally, he said, "I
wanted to make sure you were okay," that concerned look quickly faded into
annoyance so strong it lined his face, "After yesterday with my Mom."
And now, for the million dollar question, "Yeah…What was that about? I
can't follow you when you're talking with her." I could feel my own
annoyance seeping through.
Then, he got an odd sort of look on his face that told me I was either going
to love what he had to say or hate it. "I signed up for speech therapy."
Huh? Did he just say what I think he said? For a second, all I could
do was stare at him in shock, eyes wide in my face. "You did? That's great!" I
felt hope blossom in my chest at the thought that he too wanted to work as hard
as me. The prideful smile he gave me was answer enough. Learning my language
like I was learning his was important to him, and I was not alone in my bid for
a deeper connection with him. All of this new information begged the one
question I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Hesitantly, I asked, "But why was she
mad? She talks, Daphne talks." Double standard much?
Then, he got a sad look on his face that was clearly laced with resentment.
"I don't know."
Bullshit for a $1000 please. I gave him a blank look at his lame,
copout blanket answer. "She must have a reason for not wanting you to
take it."
That's when the real truth came out. Slowly, Emmett said, "She
thinks you…." and dropped the sentence.
Any hope I'd gathered for me and Emmett bottomed out as the statement sunk
in. "She thinks that I made you?" I couldn't believe it, I just couldn't
believe….
"She's crazy," was Emmett's sad attempt to reassure me, but it wasn't enough.
I could already see the impending demise of our relationship.
"And, if I did ask you to?" I'd been working so hard to learn his
language, that I just had to know.
Emmett's reaction was firm and instant. "I don't care what she thinks about
you."
"But I do!" Damn it Emmett, this is important to me.
Doesn't he understand that it's only a matter of time now, or has he never
brought home a girl his Mom didn't like? I entertained the idea that Daphne was
the only girl he'd ever brought home or even looked at before me. If Daphne
was my competition, I knew that we wouldn't last. The walls started to close
in on my heart as a sense of loss set in.
"You shouldn't." Emmett looked at me like I was crazy for feeling the way I
did.
I could see anger on the edge of his expression. Question was, was it for me,
his Mom or the whole freakin' situation? Again, it struck me that it wasn't
until Emmett entered my life, that I really cared what others thought of me. I
just wanted her approval and not just because she was the mother of my
boyfriend, either.
"Emmett, she is not just your Mom. She's my Mom's best friend;
she coaches Daphne's basketball team with my Dad." I felt desperation
flood me, as I added, "I can't have her Hate Me!"
He waved off my anxiety like it was nothing. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
That's your great advice? Don't worry? The woman raised you and that's
all you've got? Easy for you to say. You don't feel like you're on the verge of
losing everything that matters because of one woman's opinion of you. Life
sucks….
"Oh she does! She hates me!" Emmett confirmed my worst fears with just the
swing of his hands.
"I gotta go. I'll call you later." He gave me a sympathetic look, telling me
that he wasn't completely clueless, but it just wasn't enough to set my mind at
ease.
"Emmett, I…" I couldn't even begin to put it all into words.
"I'm telling you, it doesn't matter." He gave that look that told me
to trust him.
I gave him a scared but accepting look, trusting him to handle it.
Then he pulled me in, calloused fingers holding my chin. His lips brushed
gently and too briefly against mine. For just a moment, I felt all the tension
in me release with his touch. No one else had ever been able to soothe me the
way he could. I gave him a shaky, small smile, feeling some of my earlier
strength and hope flutter to life in my stomach.
He gave me that small, sweet smile that never failed to make me feel safe,
but I needed more this time. Stepping closer, I pulled him in this time,
my arms sliding around him as our lips moved together. I held onto him tightly,
pouring all my love and hope into him, taking the strength and comfort his
embrace offered. Slowly, reluctantly my lips slipped from his, but I
wasn't ready to let go.
Leaning my head on his shoulder, I felt Emmett close his arms around me more
tightly. I felt one of his hands at the nape of my neck, his fingers in my hair
while the other rubbed the tension from my shoulders. I just leaned into him,
his bike the only thing between us as I deeply breathed in his scent.
Leather, oil, dust and something just a little wild mixed with that purely
boy smell. These were the things I always smelled when I was near Emmett and
it never failed to relax me.
I felt him turn his head, before gently placing a soft kiss on my cheek and I
sighed contentedly. I wasn't ready to pull away, but I knew that I had to. I
wanted more time, but that would have to wait till later. I stepped back from
him, feeling his lips brush over my cheek one more time as I did. I gave him a
small, somewhat stronger smile than before.
"Feel better?" Emmett asked, smiling, but his eyes were filled with concern.
"Yes, and no." His fingers trailed over my cheek, "but it's enough to get me
through. Just don't leave me hanging later. okay?"
"Never!" It was such a simple sign, but it was delivered so firmly and yet
lovingly that I knew I could trust it. I would always trust him.
#-----------------------------
When I arrived at the Kennish's house, I saw Daphne making her way toward her
car. I only felt a small twinge of guilt that I no longer gave her rides to
school. Quite frankly, after the stunt she pulled at the festival, she's lucky
she still has all her teeth. I still hadn't told Bay about waking up next to
Daphne. I honestly didn't need to break up the fight I knew would ensue.
Pulling to a stop, Daphne waved and walked toward me. I pulled off my helmet,
waiting.
"Wow. De-ja vu," she told me. Yeah, it wasn't that long ago, I would be there
to pick her up. I gave her an impassive look. Yes, she was still my
friend. But, I wasn't there to see her….
Trying to be polite, I asked, "How do you like your car?" I just couldn't
be rude to her.
Shrugging, Daphne said, "Not as much fun as a motorcycle." Was that a broad
hint? Sorry, not biting.
Trying to change the subject, I said, "But it's safer. The Kennishes are very
big on safety." That being said, I was surprised they even let Bay ride
on the bike with me.
I was running out of things to say. I started to say something trivial, when
I caught sight of Bay walking toward me. Daphne forgotten, I smiled brightly and
focused on Bay. "Hey," I mouthed to her. Bay's answering smile brightened my day
considerably.
"I wasn't expecting to see you until later," Bay said, clearly happy and
curious at the same time. I started to answer her, but then, I remembered Daphne
was still there. I looked over at her, telling her with my eyes that I wanted
alone time with Bay. She caught the hint. For Once…..
With a sad attempt at a smile, Daphne said, "I'll see you at school," before
turning to Bay and adding, "and you too. I've got cooking class today." Bay
looked less than thrilled at that prospect. Finally, Daphne walked away, heading
toward her car.
Turning toward Bay, I used the fact that she was temporarily distracted by
Daphne's retreat to stare at her. Bay looked back and caught me staring.
Yeah, so I'm kind of a perv. Can't help that my girlfriend is freaking
hot!
Then, I remembered my reason for coming here so early in the morning. I
looked her over, as if looking for physical damage, before saying, "I wanted to
make sure you were okay," annoyance permeated me, thinking again about
yesterday, before finishing up with, "After yesterday, with my Mom."
For a split second, Bay's face lit up. In the back of my mind, I wondered at
her reaction. Just as quickly, her face took on a questioning look, before she
asked, "Yeah…What was that about? I can't follow you when you're talking
with her." I could feel annoyance seeping through again. My mother never
wants to make the effort to sign slower, so Bay can follow.
Sighing, I told Bay the main reason for yesterday's blowup. "I signed up for
speech therapy."
Bay wore a shocked look, which was followed by a happy grin. "You did? That's
great!" In almost the same beat, Bay's face took on a quizzical expression. I
almost knew the next thing she was going to say. I wasn't disappointed. "But why
was she mad? She talks, Daphne talks." Yeah, I know. Lots of double standard,
there.
Not knowing the best way to answer her, without upsetting her, I settled on
the generic answer of, "I don't know."
Bay's look clearly told me she did not believe that I didn't know the
real reason for my mother's outburst. Her next reply confirmed it. "She
must have a reason for not wanting you to take it."
Knowing this was not going to end well, I reluctantly told her, "She
thinks you…." before I thought better of it and dropped the sentence.
But, Bay was too smart not to pick up on what I had been attempting to say.
Looking like she had been slapped, she finished my sentence. "She thinks that I
made you?" How do I fix this? What can I say?
"She's crazy," I finally settled on. Not the most brilliant comeback,
but the quickest that came to mind.
"And, if I did ask you to?" Bay asked imploringly. Bay hadn't asked
me, but, after the carwash and the festival, I really started to realize that I
needed to be able to communicate better with Bay. Yes, she was excelling at ASL
at a rate that astounded and delighted me. I guess I just wanted to be able to
do the same for her, as she was doing for me.
My response was immediate. "I don't care what she thinks about you."
"But, I do!" Bay said just as quickly.
I was starting to see just how much this had been weighing on Bay. Did she
think our relationship was doomed, because of my mother? Wasn't gonna happen.
Not by a long shot. We had both fought too hard to throw all this away.
I could almost taste the pain and fear emanating off of Bay. Her fear ate at
me, and I tried to think of the best thing to calm her down. "You shouldn't."
My mother doesn't control me. Daphne doesn't control me. I make my own
decisions, especially about whom I date!
Bay was almost frantic now in her signs. "Emmett, she is not just your
Mom. She's my Mom's best friend; she coaches Daphne's basketball team
with my Dad." I felt her desperation as she added, "I can't have her
Hate Me!"
I tried to wave off her anxiety. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." Mom will
just have to deal with Bay being my girlfriend! She'll get over it….eventually.
Unfortunately, Bay picked up on what I wasn't saying. Her response was
instant and damning. "Oh, she does! She hates me!"
Realizing we would only keep going in circles if this conversation continued,
I cut off her ranting, telling her, "I gotta go. I'll call you later." I tried
to give her a sympathetic look, letting Bay know I understood her fears and was
working on the solution.
"Emmett, I…" Bay started, but I cut her off.
"I'm telling you, it doesn't matter." I gave her the "Trust me" look.
Bay looked scared, but nodded, trusting me to fix the problem, my way.
I pulled her in, gently taking hold of her chin. I kissed her softly, willing
her to feel the love I felt. Bay kissed me back, but I could feel the tension
within her, still. Pulling back, she gave me a shaky smile. I smiled in return.
Suddenly, Bay was wrapped around me. Her lips crashed back onto mine. I followed
her lead, wrapping my own arms tight around her. Slowly, almost reluctantly,
her lips slipped from mine.
As she leaned her head against my shoulder, I pulled her more tightly against
me. Something told me that she needed this tangible proof of my affection. I
trailed one of my hands over her neck, up into her beautiful curls. The other
hand, I used to try to rub tension from her shoulders. I felt Bay inhale against
me. For some reason, my scent always calmed her down.
I turned my head, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Finally, Bay started to
step back and away from me. I brushed one more kiss against her cheek, before
she looked at me fully. She looked slightly calmer than she had moments earlier.
I took it as a good sign. She gave me a small, slightly stronger smile.
"Feel better?" I asked, a smile on my lips, but I was still concerned. This
must really be bothering Bay. She doesn't get emotional. Not like this. I had to
make this all right somehow. I had to get Mom on our side.
"Yes, and no," she told me, as I trailed my fingers over her cheeks. "But,
it's enough to get me through. Just don't leave me hanging later, okay?"
"Never!" I replied instantly. She needed to know that she could trust me
implicitly. That she would always be able to trust me. Just as I trusted her.
#-----------------------------
It had been an okay kind of day, so far at school. I wasn't late, so
there wasn't any nasty run ins with any teachers. For once, I had not forgotten
homework assignments, and I was only caught once doodling in class. Ms.
Wyant had caught me and taken my sketch book away. I'd feigned annoyance with
her until her back was turned and pulled a spare one from my book bag. Take
that!
On top of the little, to no teacher trouble I'd had, there had also been next
to no activity on the peer radar either. Only a couple morons leered at me. No
dirty looks from insecure girlfriends and other girls in general. No being
accidentally shoved into my locker, or general doucheness detected from
anyone. So Weird.
So far, so good today. Or so I thought, until I turned the corner.
Ah hell.
Daphne, I expected to see. What I hadn't expected to see, was Daphne
and Simone together and chatting. Why could I already picture this
blowing up in Daphne's face? Short answer- because she had no idea that she's
communing with Satan, that's why! That's when Daphne looked up and
spotted me. Crap!
"Uh, hey!" I figured it was better if I spoke first. I was still trying to
figure out how Simone fit into this situation.
"Do you know Simone?" Daphne chimed in.
"Yeah, like since kindergarten." Unfortunately.
Simone planted a smile on her face, but somehow, everything about her felt
false and forced. "How's that Mr. Waffles? Cutest dog ever."
Like you actually care. "He died last summer."
"Oh." Look! She's actually capable of feeling awkward… it's a miracle.
That's when it finally hit me, exactly how Simone fit in. "You guys
are in cooking class together."
Daphne nodded her head at me, smiling broadly. Bingo!
"Yeah, Daphne pulled my bacon outta the fire today," Simone smiled at Daphne
and the two laughed, giving off some serious lesbian fluff vibes.
Okay…..ewww.
"Always looking to save that pig." Okay, cue the blank stares and
crickets. "She's a vegetarian? So…uh, ya know what? It's cool, forget it."
Oh God! Somebody kill me now.
Then, a familiar male voice intruded. "Hey, thanks for sticking me with the
clean up!" I never thought I'd be so happy to see Wilkie!
Simone decided to toy with Wilkie. As long as the attention is off of me.
"Ohhh, but its so much fun to watch you try and figure out how soap
works." Wilkie scoffed.
Just then, the between class bell rang, thankfully saving me any further
embarrassment. YES! I turned to walk away, not bothering with
good-byes. Daphne and Simone continued talking to each other. I was only mere
steps away, when I heard Simone invite Daphne to play basketball after school.
Crap! And, it sounded like Daphne was interested. Double crap!
Wait a minute. Why do I care? Deep down, I knew why. I just didn't
want to admit it. It was because I knew just what Simone was capable of. I
remembered the things that I used to do, when I was still sucked in by her. I
knew how far Simone could take things, and that she didn't care who got hurt in
the process. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even Daphne. The real
question was, what to do about it. Do I let her find out on her own? Do I warn
her? I could even corner Simone and threaten her? After all, she's the one who
taught me how. There were too many questions and no answers to be had.
I would have continued to stress over this latest development, it if I hadn't
felt a familiar vibration, just as I was reaching my locker. Looking up and down
the hallway, I quickly snatched my phone from its hiding place. Cell phone's
weren't technically allowed, but no one really cared and brought them
anyways. I just didn't want to run the risk of some teacher being in a mood, and
taking mine from me, so I was more careful than most.
After finding I had a middle of the day message from Emmett, my mood
drastically improved. Opening it, I looked at what he sent. "There's only
you."
The sweet simplicity of that statement resonated within me so strongly that I
swooned. I was also mildly surprised. Emmett wasn't usually so poetic in his
texts. He had teenage boy down pat, but this was something completely
new. A mischievous grin curved my lips as an idea came to mind. I think that
I'll be the hormonal texter today. Let's see how he likes getting a
message, that makes him feel things in a public place.
After hitting the reply button, I typed, "Standing at my locker. Wish you
were here." I hit the send button, wondering just how the comment would go
over with him, "Take that."
#----------------------------------
School, so far, had been a blah experience. Ever since this morning, I
had been thinking about what Bay had said. The animosity that emanated off of my
mother was, most likely, evident to even a casual acquaintance. What pissed me
off the most, was that Bay was trying so hard to get along with Mom, and
she couldn't even reciprocate. I sighed, utterly frustrated.
Daphne was at Buckner, taking her cooking class. Jackson was out today, so I
was mostly keeping to myself. Actually, I really missed Bay. I felt really bad
about how things were left this morning. I hated seeing Bay that upset.
What made it worse, was that it was because of my Mother.
She was right, though. We couldn't not see her. My mother was too
intimately involved in the major people in her life. Her mother, her father,
Daphne….me. What a messed up situation!
I hadn't told Bay, but I had noticed the slight animosity between her
and Daphne. Actually, I had seen it since just before we had left for the
festival. I hadn't asked Bay what had happened, but I had a strong feeling I
wouldn't like the answer if I did ask. Daphne hadn't been inclined to share any
information, so presumably, this was something that would work itself out, in
the end.
Smiling to myself, I took out my phone. I knew what would cheer Bay up, even
if it was only for a little while. Typing quickly, I wrote, "There's only
you." I hit send, and started trying to think of a solution to our
problem.
An hour later, my phone vibrated, indicating a new message. Opening it, I
smiled when I saw it was from Bay. Then, her words hit me, and I wanted to
groan.
"Standing at my locker. Wish you were here."
Oh, man! Instant hard-on. Thank you for that visual….right in the
middle of school. Oh, you'll pay for that, Bay Kennish.
#--------------------------------
I was slumped down in the backseat of my car, listening as the late bell rang
out in the distance, signaling that my lunch period was starting. Of course, I'd
started lunch 20 minutes ago. After leaving Ms. Baker's class to go to the
bathroom, I had decided not to bother going back. Which lead me to where I was
now. My eyes closed, staring dejectedly up at the sky, feeling the sunlight on
my face, while I laid out in the backseat, sulking.
Maybe we could avoid her…..but how? Melody was so intermeshed in my
life through my Dad, Daphne, my bio Mom and my boyfriend. I'm screwed…..
It was the sound of a gentle tap, tap, tapping that broke through my inner
musings. I could feel annoyance trickle through me, thinking I'd been busted by
Buckner's glorified hall monitors with badges. Normally, they didn't bug me the
way they bugged everyone else, but apparently, today was my day to be subjected
to a special sort of Hell, that included them.
I asked, not even bothering to open my eyes, "What?" The only response I got
was even more insistent and annoying banging against the side of my car. "I'm
Not Going Back Inside! So Buzz OFF!" I sat bolt upright, eyes flying
open, while I yelled angrily at….Emmett. Oopsie…
Emmett was grinning down at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. I blushed, but
refused to either comment or apologize on my ranting just moments ago. As far as
I was concerned, abject embarrassment was enough. I kicked the door open for
him. Scooting back farther I made room for him, but still staying curled up and
comfortable. Instantly, I switched gears, raising my hands to sign.
"Aren't you supposed to be in study hall…..on the other side of town?"
I accused him playfully, feeling bone deep joy over him crashing my pity party.
Emmett just took a seat, pulling the door shut. A greasy, spicy smell filled
my nose, making it twitch and my stomach grumble. Smells like… Sitting up
a bit straighter, I noticed he carried a fast food take out bag with him.
TACOS! God I love this man.
Barely managing to keep myself from drooling, I tore my gaze from the
bag, watching his hands move in response, "Aren't you supposed to be in
the cafeteria, 500 yards in that direction."
Emmett was pointing in the general direction of where lunch trays were
currently being lifted, carried, thrown, dumped on other students and otherwise
abused. It made me cock my head to the side realizing he knew the lay out around
here that well.
In fact, the general creepiness of that fact temporarily made me
forget about the delicious smell of the food he'd brought and I asked, "What
makes you so sure it's not on the other side of the school?"
"It's called the internet," A grinning Emmett held out his phone, showing a
map of Buckner Hall from the Buckner website.
I'm not entirely sure how safe I feel after seeing that. He just
smiled at me with his eyebrows lifted, a superior expression on his face that
rubbed me the wrong way. So before he could stop me, I reached out snatching the
bag of yummy, cheesy, meaty goodness from him.
Just as I was starting to unwrap and partake of the crunchy goodness my
boyfriend had brought, I saw an affronted look cross his features out of the
corner of my eye. I watched him huff in his seat and could barely contain
myself. I looked up, giving him a perfectly innocent and naïve look, as if I
didn't know what could possibly be bothering him.
"It figures that you give the food more attention than you do me!" he gritted
out. He looked hurt, but I could tell that it was mostly an act.
Oh! I know there is no way he just accused me of being remiss in my
girlfriendly duties. I put the bag to the side, giving him an appropriately
chastised, demure look as I crawled closer to him. "I'm so sorry. Let me make it
up to you." Emmett's eyes widened.
Smiling invitingly, I gripped the collar on his jacket, feeling the soft
supple leather as I pulled him to me. I kissed him sweetly and slowly, savoring
the feeling of his tongue running along the seam of my lips. I opened for him,
gasping when he bit gently on my lip, his tongue now moving slowly against mine.
The taste of Emmett filled my mouth. Pulling back, I smiled again.
"Hello…." I said, teasing him. Emmett gave me a breathless look that never
failed to heat my blood.
I decided to really get him going. Reaching for the zipper on my Buckner
jacket, I started to pull it down at a teasing pace. Emmett's hand's were
shaking as he asked, "What are you doing?"
Emmett's eyes got ever wider in his face, when I answered, "Making it up to
you."
Finally, the zipper was all the way down, the jacket framing my body as it
hung open. I started to slip out of it. First, one shoulder and then the other.
I let it fall to the seat behind me. I heard Emmett suck in a breath as he
stared at me. The red shirt I wore was skin tight, clinging to every
curve of my body. I knew that he could even see the outline of the lace on my
chest and the indent my belly button made. His eyes slowly roved over me as if
he couldn't believe it. You think you're getting a treat, but I'm not done yet.
Maybe next time you won't whine….or maybe you will.
That's when he reached for me and I let him pull me close. His lips
moved skillfully over mine, making me sigh against him and I wanted to be even
closer to him. Reaching between us, I made sure to pull his jacket open, wanting
to be as close as possible. I pressed myself up against him, until his back hit
the door, my breasts pressed against him. Emmett broke the kiss, looking more
than a bit shocked, with glazed eyes.
I chewed on my lip, till it plumped up even further, although they were
already swollen from his kisses. I leaned down, nibbling on his ear trying to
think, but I couldn't. All I could feel was my temperature shooting up when
Emmett flattened his hands on me, teasing my ribcage, making me want more. I
moved my hips, rolling against him as I felt this pressure, this seeking desire
start low in my middle. He seemed to know just how to touch me, making me seek
something only he could give me.
That's when I stiffened, whimpering his name softly. I could feel his hand
pressing on my breast. I shivered uncontrollable, feeling him manipulate my soft
globe with an expertise I didn't know he had. Opening my eyes, I looked down,
wanting to see what had made him so bold. That's when I realized I was
the reason. My delicate fingers were wrapped around his wrist, suggesting I had
placed his hand on my body.
He squeezed my tender flesh a bit, making a thrill run through me as I
whimpered his name breathlessly. That need was growing stronger inside me.
"Emmett…."
Then, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in the backseat of my car.
My topless car! I was with my boyfriend, letting him feel me up in
public in the middle of the day at school! Craptastic! I
didn't want to pull away. I whined internally, mourning the loss of his touch
when I did finally pull away, scooting back to the other side of the seat.
Before he could react and pull me to him again, I dove for the Taco bag. I
grabbed one and proceeded to start crunching into it, hoping that he wouldn't
find the girl with taco sauce dripping out of the corner of her mouth
attractive.
I held one out to him, trying to maintain a facade of calm. "Taco?"
Emmett took the proffered item, giving me a bewildered look.
I just sat there eating. Despite how calm I looked on the outside, I was
hyperventilating on the inside. Oh My GOD! I just let Emmett feel me up
in the back seat of my car in daylight! What if somebody saw? What if my
parents find out? That'd be fun to explain. Of course if that happened, I
wouldn't have to worry about Melody liking me. Just her pressing charges against
my Father because my Dad would kill him for touching his little girl.
#------------------------------------
I knew Bay's lunch was coming up, so I decided to skip Study Hall and
surprise her. On the way, I stopped into a taco place that we had been to
before. After pointing to my selection, I paid and waited. The food was up
within a couple minutes, so I made my way to Buckner. By my calculations, Bay
shouldn't be starting lunch for several minutes. As I pulled into the parking
lot, I was surprised to see her curly hair hanging out of her car. Was I
late? I parked my bike, and grabbed the food. As I made my way toward Bay, I
could tell that she was spaced out from everything around her. Her eyes were
closed, yet somehow, she was still staring up at the sky, a thoughtful
expression on her face. Gently, I started tapping the side of her car,
not wanting to scare the daylights out of her. Bay just kept staring upward. I
rapped a little louder, and watched her face take on an irritated expression.
Without opening her eyes, she said, "What?" Since I can't really talk
to her, without her seeing my hands, I banged louder, knowing she would get
angry and open her eyes. I wasn't disappointed. As she sat upright, her eyes
finally opening, I saw her say, "I'm Not Going Back Inside! So Buzz OFF!"
When Bay realized it was just me, her face turned pink with embarrassment. I
grinned at her, knowing we would laugh about all this later. Without comment,
she kicked her door open, and scooted further into the car. Just as I was
getting in, Bay raised her hands and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in
study hall…..on the other side of town?" She was playing with me, I was sure of
it. Two can play at this game.
Silently, I took a seat, pulling the door shut. Almost immediately, Bay sat
up straighter and started sniffing the air. She vaguely reminded me of a lioness
catching the scent of prey. Then, she noticed the bag. A grin stole across her
face.
Realizing I hadn't given her an answer, I replied, "Aren't you supposed
to be in the cafeteria, 500 yards in that direction." I pointed
toward the direction of the cafeteria, watching Buckner kids being stupid. Bay
cocked her head, and gave me a questioning look.
"What makes you so sure it's not on the other side of the school?"
Grinning, I pulled out my phone, and showed her the map of Buckner Hall on
it. "It's called the internet."
Bay eyed me, a leery look crossing her face. I'm not a stalker, really!
Just as I was getting ready to put thought to words, Bay reached over and
grabbed the taco bag, taking one out. Sure, the food would come first…guess I
know where I stand.
I must have looked a bit miffed, because Bay stopped unwrapping the food, and
looked at me, a small smile across her face. Sure, yuck it up and smile away,
you little brat.
"It figures that you give the food more attention than you do me!" I finally
forced out. I was only mildly angry, but there was no point telling her that.
Let her think what she wants….
Setting down the bag, she gave me a demure look, before bodily crawling
closer to me. Then, with what I could only describe as a sultry look, she said,
"I'm so sorry. Let me make it up to you." I think my eyes bugged out of my head.
Smiling, she gripped my jacket collar, pulling me in. She kissed me slowly,
but I wanted more. I ran my tongue along the seam of her lips, begging entrance.
She opened, and I delved inside, dueling with her tongue. She pulled back, and
gave me a smile.
"Hello…." she teased. I gave her a special look, knowing it would heat her
up. Apparently, I didn't realize how MUCH it would.
Bay reached for the zipper on her Buckner jacket, and started pulling it down
at a teasing pace. Was she going to…? My hands shook, as I asked, "What
are you doing?"
If it was possible, my eyes widened even more, when she said, "Making it up
to you."
Finally, the zipper was all the way down, and the jacket framed her body,
hanging open. Slowly, she started to slip out of it, one shoulder at a time,
letting it fall behind her. Nothing was left to my imagination after that. I
could see all her curves and indentations. Seriously, at that moment, I wanted
to drool. I let my eyes wander over her body, thanking anyone who would listen
for this "treat" I was receiving. I reached for her greedily.
Swiftly, I played my lips over hers, causing her to sigh into my mouth. She
reached between us, pulling my jacket off. I shrugged out of it willingly,
wanting nothing between us. She pressed against me, and I felt the door against
my back, her breasts pressing into my front. I pulled back, slightly shocked.
The little seductress….
She chewed on her lips, and my eyes were drawn there. She leaned down, and I
felt her nibble on my ear. I flattened my hands against her ribcage, and ran my
hands up and down, teasing her. Her hips rolled, pressing against me, as I felt
her heat. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist, bringing my hand to her breast.
Oh my Gooooddddddddd…..
I squeezed and caressed the soft globe in my hand, wishing the cloth wasn't
covering it. Suddenly, I felt Bay stiffen against me. I stopped, my hand
pressing lightly into her breast. Was she nervous now? She glanced down
between us, her eyes homing in on her hand around my wrist. She breathed in
quickly, as if just realizing that she had grabbed my wrist. Experimentally, I
squeezed her flesh a little, causing her to shudder under my grasp. I saw my
name on her lips…"Emmett…."
Almost immediately, her eyes widened and she scooted away from me, right to
the other side of the car. What the….? I made a grab toward her, but she
avoided me and practically dove into the taco bag. She pulled it out, and
started inhaling it. All the while, I stare at her, trying to figure out just
what in the hell happened! One minute, we were practically all over each
other, the next I had a proverbial bucket of water dumped on me. What
gives?
As if nothing had happened, Bay held out another one and asked, "Taco?"
I took it, all the while wondering if my girlfriend had suddenly gone around
the bend. As we ate in silence, I thought back to a few moments ago. Bay had
willingly participated in our "play", so why was she suddenly acting like a
leper? Maybe it's that time of the month…
Or maybe…nah.
#------------------------------
I watched him outta the corner of my eye as a random hormonal thought snuck
up on me. Would he touch me again if I let him? After pulling away, would he
deny me? It felt so good having his hands on me, too good. That
thought snagged in my brain, making me wonder. Had he touched other girls the
way he touched me or was it beginners luck? That's when I realized I'd been
staring at him and he knew.
Hastily, I asked my smirking boyfriend, "So what brought you here?"
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I know you said you were, but you
still seemed…..shaken." Even as Emmett answered me, I could tell that he had
something else on his mind.
I just shrugged my shoulders at him, not ready to cop to all my fears and
anxieties.
"I was thinking about how my Mom treats you. I think I came up with a
temporary solution," Emmett baited me with that statement, forcing me to speak
up.
"And that would be….?" I asked, all the while giving him a bored look. I was
pretty sure the only real solution was the "Let's take a break" speech.
Then, Emmett threw me for a loop by saying, "We avoid her completely. We hang
out at your house or go other places."
He's not really suggesting that we hide our relationship again, is he?
I balked at his statement. "Emmett, that's not possible. We can't avoid
her. Do you not remember all the ways I pointed out to you that she's
connected to my life? It's not just through you!"
Emmett held his hands up, shaking them rapidly, a weighty expression on his
face that told me to stop and asked me to wait. "I said temporary, not
permanent. I just need some time to come up with something better. Alright?"
I flushed, embarrassed that I thought he meant to hide me from the world.
"Temporary?" Emmett nodded at me in response. "How temporary?"
"Just until I can come up with a better idea," Emmett said, radiating
sincerity and I cracked.
"Okay, I can live with that." My anxiety about dealing with Melody was
starting to melt away.
#--------------------------
As we munched on our lunch, I kept sneaking glances toward Bay. At one point,
I noticed her doing the same, but refrained from commenting. It's not like I
wasn't doing the same thing. One time, we happened to glance up at the same
time, and she caught me watching her. Her face pinkened.
Hastily, she asked, "So what brought you here?"
Beside the chance to see my hot, sexy girlfriend? "I wanted to make
sure that you were okay. I know you said you were, but you still
seemed…..shaken." I hope she likes the idea I have in mind….
Bay shrugged her shoulders, as if she really wasn't bothered by anything. I
knew it was a put on, but I let it slide, and forged forward with my idea.
"I was thinking about how my Mom treats you. I think I came up with a
temporary solution," I told her, trying to force a response from her.
"And that would be….?" she finally said, a bored expression on her face.
Wait'll she gets a load of my solution.
With a straight face, I replied, "We avoid her completely. We hang out at
your house or go other places."
Bay looked utterly shocked at my statement. Her eyes narrowed and I swear her
chest started heaving. "Emmett, that's not possible. We can't avoid her.
Do you not remember all the ways I pointed out to you that she's
connected to my life? It's not just through you!"
I held up my hands, shaking them, trying to get her to stop talking. "I said
temporary, not permanent. I just need some time to come up with something
better. Alright?"
Bay flushed. Clearly, she had thought I meant something else. "Temporary?"
She asked, her eyebrows raised. I nodded. "How temporary?"
"Just until I can come up with a better idea," I reiterated, hoping she could
read the sincerity in my signs.
"Okay, I can live with that." Thank God.
#---------------------------------------
After that had been settled though, other thoughts about him started plaguing
me, much baser ones. How had he felt touching me? Did he like touching me? Did
he want to touch me again or had my retreat completely turned him off? Or worse,
did he just not enjoy the way my body felt against his? I know I had reacted
like a complete head case, but I wondered all the same. So, I finished the last
of the taco I was eating and wiped my hands off on a napkin.
I licked the last bit of sauce off of my fingers. Looking up, I caught Emmett
staring again. Swallowing hard, I started to ask, "Emmett, I uh… about earlier.
I kind of have a question…errrr request… um. I mean, earlier was so…, you were
so and it was so… uh," Oh God don't say it, don't say it, don't say it,
"ne….unexpected," Damn I almost said it, "Was I too….did you like…you
wouldn't want… would you want to…?" Great, now I sound like a freaking
lunatic. Finally, I just stopped and spared myself further humiliation by
looking away, Why does this stuff have to be so awkward and hard?
I felt Emmett's hand brush hesitantly over my knee. The sensation made me
jump just a bit and I look up at him. I could see the questions filling his
eyes, but there was a sense of hesitancy too, as if he were unsure somehow. I
felt my mouth go dry, realizing he probably wanted me to explain my little
outburst. Well isn't that just peachy.
"Tell me what's wrong." Sometimes, I hate being right.
I wanted to change the subject or find a distraction. My eyes landed briefly
on the bag that still contained one taco, but Emmett snatched it back. I looked
over at my school building, wondering if I bolted, could he catch me? Looking
back at him, I realized that he could and would if I tried. I took deep
breaths, cursing the fact that I had parked so far from the doors. Great, so now
I have to try all that again.
Turning my body in the seat to face him, I raised my hands. "I took my jacket
off and you touched me. I…..wanted you to touch me, but… did you like it? The
way I look and the way I felt, I mean. Did you?" I felt myself go scarlet
waiting for the answer to a question that made me feel far too vulnerable.
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. The seconds ticked by and I
got more antsy by the second. I was reaching for the door handle just as
something flickered on his face. He shook his head at me, his fingers raking
through his hair, as if he were thinking of a way to answer me. He didn't
like…. I felt my lungs close off at the thought, as pain blossomed in my
chest. I turned the handle, trying to make a break for it. I could not endure
the humiliating pain of hearing him out. That's when I felt his large hand wrap
around my much smaller wrist. I gave him a pleading look.
"Emmett, please just let me go. I shouldn't have asked…." I couldn't
sign, so I didn't know if he caught everything I said.
I could feel tears welling in my eyes as I stared at him. It hurt more than I
thought it would, realizing my inexperience would kill his desire for me. A
vision of perfect blonde, toned, athletic Daphne flashed through my mind,
and suddenly I knew what he wanted. Who he always wanted. I whimpered
when he jerked me closer. Before I could get away, the door was slamming shut
behind me. Then, he did something that made no sense.
Emmett's eyes bored searchingly into my own tear filled ones. His fingers
brushed gently over my blushing cheeks. Then he kissed me softly, his tongue
begging entrance, but I resisted, instead stiffening in his embrace. That's when
he pulled my body flush with his, making me straddle his lap. I tried not to
give into to the fire he lit within me, but I lost control when I felt his hands
under my skirt, palming my butt. I gasped sharply when his tongue thrust inside
the hot cavern of my mouth.
I shuddered against him as rational thought fled my mind. Using one hand, he
continued massaging my ass, making me whimper against his mouth. His other hand
traveled back up, cradling my head. Emmett started leaning forward, laying me
out on the backseat. Never once did he let me go or stop kissing me. His
possessiveness made me want to swoon. I jerked against him, breaking the kiss as
I realized I could feel his erection pressing between my legs. I looked up at
him, shock clear on my face at feeling so intimately the very real
evidence of his desire.
I was just about to remind him that this was not the place, but he shook his
head at me. "Trust me. I won't take it too far."
I sputtered at him, having never done this before. Feeling him pressed so
close to me fogged my mind and all I could do was nod.
Emmett shed his jacket, wearing only a t-shirt underneath. Folding it up, he
slipped the soft leather under my head and shoulders, cushioning me. I stared up
at the sight of him hovering above me and it made my breath catch. I reached my
hand out to him beseechingly, my fingertips brushing over his stomach. Just like
that, his body was pressed to mine as Emmett consumed me. My arms wrapped around
him, holding tight, craving his touch. I jerked against him, my legs tangling
with his as his lips brushed over my sensitive skin. His breath was hot and
moist against my ear.
His lips dropped to my throat, making me groan. I wanted to touch him so
badly. Tentatively, I brought my hands between us, gripping his shoulders.
Emmett stopped kissing my neck and looked down at me. I could tell he was
surprised by my touch. So was I.
"Can I touch you?" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop
them.
Emmett's eyes widened again, but he nodded his head jerkily, giving the
impression that he couldn't believe that I was asking as he mouthed the word,
"Always."
I pinkened, realizing just how much what he said meant to me. Leaning up, I
kissed him lovingly but I could still feel uncertainty as it radiated through
me, threatening to make me run. Then, Emmett returned my kiss just as lovingly,
his hands dropping to my shoulders encouragingly as he mirrored my actions. I
thought I knew what he was doing, but I wasn't sure.
Testing my theory, I moved my hands down, letting them curl around his upper
arms as I reveled in the feeling of his lean muscles under my fingers. It was
when Emmett moved, exploring the softness of my arms, tickling underneath,
teasing over my elbow that I realized he would follow my lead on this.
Mostly anyway. I knew he would not touch anywhere that I wasn't ready to
touch him. Emmett's willingness to curtail his hormones, not letting them
override things and giving me the chance to relax so that I might enjoy this,
warmed my heart and made room for my curiosity about the boy above me to take
hold.
I let my fingers wander down over his cotton shirt, past his elbows. The
second my fingertips grazed over his skin, I shivered and heated in response. I
brought his arm down to me, wanting to more than touch him. I breathed in the
heady scent of leather, oil and the earth, but a muskier scent that wafted from
him overpowered everything, turning what was always so comforting to something
hot and arousing as it burned through me. Slowly losing control, my tongue
darted out, licking him. I couldn't help groaning at the taste of his skin.
This time it was Emmett who jerked and I could feel surprise radiating from
him. Ignoring it, I felt a strong hunger for him take root deep within me, I'd
never wanted a boy more than I wanted him. I kissed and licked my way down his
arm, tracing his winding muscles with my tongue. I whimpered and bit into his
skin gently, feeling him pull up the sleeve of my shirt and doing the same.
His breath was searing, while his wet mouth moved down the underside of my
arm, making me yearn for more. Then his mouth covered my wrist, making me jerk
and whimper as I felt the gentle press of his teeth. My pulse jumped against his
tongue as my heart thumped harder in my chest. I moved my mouth to his wrist,
sucking gently as I enjoyed the shivers I managed to draw from him.
Then he sucked one of my fingers in his mouth and I moaned softly, pulling
back from his wrist. I never knew something so simple could feel like that. I
wiggled uncontrollably beneath him as Emmett paid homage to my small hand. I
moved one of my legs up, sliding against him, as I shifted restlessly, wanting
more. I felt some part of him twitch against my leg. The second that happened,
Emmett jerked back with a groan. My ears drank in the sound I'd never heard him
make before.
It was when he looked down at me with wide shocked eyes that I became
concerned. Had I done something wrong? Looking down, I searched for my
error and I blushed too bright. My moving leg was poised directly under the
massive bulge in his jeans. I'd brushed against…and he hadn't wanted me
to.
"I'm sorry….." That was pathetic. Utterly pathetic.
I scrambled backwards, trying to pull away, but Emmett was having none of
that. Reaching around my waist, he pulled me back under him. His hand slipping
under my shirt made me call out his name and my struggling ceased as I quivered
against him. Still holding onto me tightly, Emmett ran his other hand slowly up
my leg. I twitched under his touch, knowing he could feel the heat of my skin
through my black hose. It was when he squeezed my thigh, so gently that I jerked
and whimpered, my legs unconsciously opening even farther for him in a silent
offering of everything I had. I knew now that our gentle exploration of each
other had suddenly become much more and it felt too good to stop.
#------------------------
While Bay made eating taco's an Olympic sport, I watched her covertly. I had
enjoyed touching her earlier. A little too much, truth be told. I mean, I
get that we're in the parking lot, in her open top car. But, touching her felt
so good, I really didn't want to stop. When Bay pulled away, I thought I
had done something wrong. But, she didn't yell at me. She just started
inhaling her food.
Even now, Bay was watching me. I didn't have to look at her to know it. It
was like I had a sixth sense. I just knew. I also knew she was analyzing
everything in her head now. That was just what she did. I watched as she
finished her taco and wiped her hands off.
Bay licked some residual sauce off her fingers and glanced up, effectively
catching me staring at her. Blast! Her face colored and I knew she wanted
to talk about something. Her mouth opened, and….
She started rambling too fast for me to catch more than a few words. I saw
Emmett, earlier, question and unexpected before she stopped talking and flushed
darker. What was she trying to say? Finally, she got out, "Was I too….did
you like…you wouldn't want… would you want to…?" Was she trying to ask if I
enjoyed what happened earlier? Or, did she want me to continue what we started
earlier? Before I could answer her, Bay looked away, effectively cutting off
my means of communication.
Hesitantly, I lightly brushed my hand over her knee, not wanting to startle
her. Unfortunately, Bay still jumped, but she did finally look me in the eyes. I
could see the fear in her eyes, but I also say something else. Desire?
"Tell me what's wrong," I begged her. Talk to me, please!
Bay's eyes darted around, as if she were searching for something. Our eyes
landed on the bag of tacos at the same time. I saw her move and I snatched the
bag away before she could eat that too. No more TACOS! Suddenly, bringing
them felt like the worst idea on the planet. I swear, the girl is gonna look
like a taco soon! Then, she looked over at the school, before glancing back at
me again. I got the distinct impression she was measuring the distance to the
school from her car. Run, I dare ya. I WILL catch you! I watched her
breath deep, knowing whatever was going through her mind involved me.
Just as I was ready to start pulling my hair out, Bay turned toward me and
raised her hands. Well, finally! I watched her avidly, not wanting to
miss anything she had to say. Bay took a shaky breath and said, "I took my
jacket off and you touched me. I…..wanted you to touch me, but… did you like
it?" Did I like it? Was she CRAZY? Of COURSE I liked it! "The way I look
and the way I felt, I mean. Did you?" she finished up, her face turning scarlet.
All I could do was stare at her stupidly. I think my jaw may have dropped,
even. I couldn't think how to answer her. If I told her that, "yes, I did
absolutely like it," she would think I wanted to jump her bones. I did,
but that's besides the point. If I lied and said, "Nope, not in the least,"
she'd probably never let me touch her again. I caught sight of Bay's hand
inching toward the door. I forced my hands through my hair, shaking my head a
little. What the hell do I say to her?
Bay must have taken my head shake the wrong way, because the next thing I
knew, she was turning the door handle and trying to make a mad dash out of the
car. I caught her smaller wrist in my much larger hand, effectively stopping her
movements. She turned and gave me a pleading look. Her eyes were starting to
mist a little.
"Emmett, please just let me go. I shouldn't have asked…." she said.
With my hand around her wrist, she couldn't sign, but, I read the words off her
lips. Not on your life!
I saw the tears begin to well in her eyes. I knew then that she had
misconstrued my actions from moments ago. She thought I didn't want her. I'd bet
my life on it. From past experience, I knew exactly where her mind went.
Straight to Daphne. Didn't she get it yet? I didn't want Daphne anymore.
I hadn't for a long, long time! I pulled her closer, slamming the door
shut at the same time. Bay's eyes widened. That's it. I really don't care who
sees this. I'm proving my feelings once and for all.
I looked deep into the dark pools of her eyes, searching. Her tears shimmered
and pulled at my heart. Ever so gently, I reached out my hand and brushed my
fingers gently over her heated cheeks. Shifting forward, I kissed her gently, my
tongue lightly pushing against her mouth. Bay resisted, and stiffened noticeably
against me. Realizing she was going to make this difficult, I pulled her bodily
onto my lap, her legs straddling me. Reaching under her skirt, I palmed her
rear, causing her to gasp. I took advantage and thrust my tongue deeply into her
mouth.
Bay shuddered against me, and I almost lost it right there. This slip of a
girl could do things to me that no one else ever had or would again. Her
responses were all natural. There was absolutely nothing artificial about her.
She was just my Bay. Still holding her rear with one hand, I moved my other hand
up, cradling her curls in my hand. Without much conscious thought, I leaned
forward, so Bay was now laying under me on the backseat of her car. Bay jerked
against me, her heat cradling my growing erection. Bay looked up, shock evident
on her face. Only you make me feel this way, now and always.
Bay looked alarmed, as well. She opened her mouth, but I shook my head.
"Trust me. I won't take it too far." Hopefully…
Bay finally nodded, her faith and trust now entirely on me. I hoped I didn't
let her down.
Shedding my jacket, I folded it and placed it under Bay's head, giving her a
pillow of sorts. As I stared down at her, I wasn't thinking about where we were.
All I was thinking about was the beautiful girl who was sprawled under me, her
curls flying around her head. Her eyes met mine and in that second, I was lost
in the depths of her eyes. She pulled me toward her, without any movement. Her
fingers brushed my stomach, and I lost the thin strip of control that I had been
holding onto. I pressed our bodies together, wanting…. No, needing to
feel her completely. Her arms wrapped around me, her legs tangling with mine. I
kissed her jaw, her cheek, my breath ghosting across her ear. She shuddered in
my arms and I again wished that we were somewhere private. God, how I want
her….
I kissed her throat, and felt the vibration of her response. I felt her grip
my shoulder, a demand for attention. I stopped and stared down at her. Bay
surprised me with her next words.
"Can I touch you?" I could tell she was embarrassed to ask me that.
I nodded my head quickly. Not trusting myself, I mouthed, "Always." Yes,
touch me, beautiful. Touch me anywhere you want.
Bay pinkened, and leaned up to kiss me. Her hands rode my shoulders, so I
copied her actions. I would do whatever she was comfortable with. I matched my
movements to hers, trying to put her more at ease.
When her hands curled around my arms, feeling the muscles under her hands, I
repeated her actions, teasing the underside of her arm slightly as I did. Bay
gave me a look that spoke volumes.
Her fingers wandered down to my elbows. As soon as she made contact with my
skin, Bay shuddered. She pulled my arm down, and breathed deeply against my
skin. I felt her tongue brush quickly against the palm of my hand.
Gooooddddddddd….. I jerked uncontrollably and stared at her, vastly
surprised at her guile. My Bay was just full of surprises. She kissed and licked
down my arm, tracing with her tongue as she did so. I felt her bite into my
skin, and the overwhelming need to do the same took me over. Gently, I pulled
the sleeve of her shirt up and bit her just as gently.
I kissed a path down her arm, to her wrist. Taking it gently in hand, I bit
gently into her wrist, causing Bay to jump. I felt the pounding of her heart,
and knew she could feel mine pounding just as strong. She copied me, and I felt
her mouth on my wrist, biting gently. I shivered, wanting to end the torture.
Sucking one of her delicate fingers into my mouth, I had visions of other
things, as well. I wanted to worship her body, inch by delicious inch. I wanted
to strip away her clothes and pay homage to her beauty. I wanted to stoke the
fire that I knew was building within her. I wanted to consume her,
utterly and completely. I wanted to be consumed by her fire. By her
desire….
Bay slide her leg up, brushing against my erection. The sudden sensation
startled me, causing me to jerk back and I wanted to cry out. Oh,
please…..please, do that again! I groaned, needing to feel her against me
again.
Bay glanced down between us, and blushed even deeper than she had before. I
grew still, not wanting to scare her. Bay finally looked back at me, her eyes
wide.
"I'm sorry….." Wait…..what? Why is she sorry?
Bay tried to pull herself out from under me. I grabbed her waist, blocking
her movements. I slid my hand under her shirt, causing her movements to stop
immediately. I saw my name on her lips and I couldn't help smiling. As I held
her flush against me, I slowly ran my hand up her leg. Her heat called out to
me, and I responded. Gently, I squeezed her thigh, and Bay mindlessly opened her
legs further. I settled in between.
Right then, I knew that whatever happened after this, I wouldn't regret any
of it.
I wanted Bay. In every way.
#--------------------------------------
The sunlight shone down on us while Emmett's eyes searched mine. I didn't
know what he was looking for. All I knew was that I hungered for him. He must've
found what he was looking for, because his arm around my middle tightened, and
his lips came crashing against mine. I returned his passionate embrace while his
body settled more heavily against my smaller one. I could feel his bulge
pressing between my legs, making my skirt ride up completely to my waist. It
left me in full view, completely exposed. I didn't even care.
Emmett dominated my mouth sucking, licking and nipping. His hand massaged my
thigh, coming close, so close to my aching center that it pushed me
deeper into the haze, where all that mattered was his body over mine. Please
just a little higher. I almost couldn't believe that wanton thought had come
from me. Just as suddenly though, his hand left my leg and I whimpered against
his mouth in regret.
I felt that hand slip slowly up my body. My lungs burned, needing air, but I
didn't want to let go. Emmett released my swollen lips just long enough to let
me gulp in the much needed air. His hand grazed up my stomach and over my chest,
making my breath catch. His name fell from my lips, just before he reclaimed my
mouth, his tongue thrusting deeper than before. His hands teased over my breasts
making me tremble beneath him. More…..I want more…..
I felt a sharp tug as my body jerked. Emmett leaned back to look down at me
as I panted beneath him. Slowly, I became aware that a bit of my white lace bra
peeked through the collar on my shirt. I slowly realized he had pulled my bra
off and away from my breasts. He looked just as lost in the fog as I felt. He
cupped my breasts through my shirt, feeling the weight of them in his hands. A
warm tingly sensation spread through me with his touch. I blushed in response as
he stared down at me, unable to meet his gaze.
Then he started toying with my nipples that showed easily through the fabric.
My eyes slipped closed, as I heard myself release a low mewling sound. My skin
was suddenly too tight and too hot as all these new sensations flooded me. I
could feel liquid heat pooling low in my body. Using his hands, he massaged my
breast, his thumbs still using my hardened buds like little buttons. More,
I needed more.
"Emmett," I choked out his name, a silent plea, as I begged for that
more.
As if that's what he'd been waiting for, Emmett thrust his hips against me,
grinding against my needy center. I bit my lip, trying to hold back the moan I
felt building, as heated pleasure shot through me. By now, I was running on pure
instinct when I hooked my legs on his hips, grinding and rubbing against him
wanting more of that friction. Emmett moaned in response and I swear I heard
surprise in his tone.
Emmett reached down, wrapping one arm back around my waist, holding me
tighter to him. He angled me just a touch, like he was trying to position me
correctly. Just when I thought it couldn't feel any better, he thrust his hips
against mine so hard I saw stars and my hips jerked in response. This time, I
couldn't hold back the soft moan.
Emmett smirked down at me and using one hand he signed, "You like that?" I
nodded to him not trusting my hands. "You want more?"
"God, yes." Anything to relieve this pressure.
Emmett leaned down over me, grinding his hard on against me again and again.
Everything else fell away. I didn't care where we were. All I cared about was
feeling him pressing against me. His lips moved over my neck, and I found that
my arms were winding tightly around him, my hands roving over him as I traced
his muscles. Nothing else mattered as I held him against me. I moved with him,
rolling my hips, just letting my body guide me. Every time he moved against me,
I moaned. Every time he shivered, I gasped his name, lost to the rhythm as we
moved as one.
He drove his hips against mine faster and harder, making the pressure expand
and fill me. The more pleasure I felt, the more I wanted. My body was reaching,
searching, grasping at something, but I didn't know what. I was consumed by
pleasure, chanting his name. My breath was coming in harsh gasps, pressing my
chest against him like an offering. I felt everything inside me tighten like I
could explode. Oh God, I was almost there. I knew it.
"Damn…." I heard a voice say and it was closer than it should have been.
#-------------------------------
I could feel the sunlight beating against my back, as I searched Bay's eyes.
I knew she wanted me as badly as I wanted her. I saw the passion and desire in
her eyes. I knew she wouldn't say no to anything I did. But now, I had to be
careful. I had to tread lightly and carefully. She was trusting me, and I had to
make sure I didn't lose that trust. Tightening my arm around her middle, I
settled my lips heavily upon hers. She held me tight as I settled more fully on
her, and felt her soft, pliant body beneath mine. My erection settled into the
open space of her legs, causing her skirt to ride up. I looked down, enthralled
with what I had unearthed. Her dark hose still left her some modesty, but my
imagination covered what my eyes couldn't readily see.
I dominated her mouth, as I sucked and licked her plump, swollen lips. My
free hand massaged her thigh, teasing her flesh. My fingers coasted by her hot,
wet center. I wanted so badly to cup that center, but I knew that would probably
freak Bay out, so regrettably, I removed my hand from the temptation of her
flesh. I think Bay whimpered against my mouth.
Continuing to kiss her relentlessly, I finally had to pull back to get air
into my starving lungs. Bay also took air in. I plied my hands and fingers along
her stomach and over her chest, causing Bay to stop breathing. I saw her say my
name, just before I claimed her mouth again, thrusting into the hot, moist
cavern the way I wanted to do to other parts of her body. I teased her breasts,
and I felt her tremble beneath me.
Jerking upward, I pulled her bra away from her breasts. I could vaguely see
the dark tint of her nipples through her shirt. I had to force myself to not rip
her shirt off and sample her flesh. Instead, I palmed her breasts, feeling their
weight in my hands. I saw her blush, but couldn't force myself to stop touching
her.
Carefully, I ran my fingers over her dark nipples, watching Bay as her eyes
slid closed and she unconsciously arched into my hands. I massaged her breasts,
my thumb rubbing over the hardness of her nipple. Bay was panting now, her head
thrashing from side to side. Her lips moved…
"Emmett." That was the moment I had been waiting for.
I thrust my hips sharply against her, grinding against her softness. I cursed
the clothing that blocked me from the ultimate pleasure, but Bay was too far
gone to care anymore. Her legs hooked around my hips and she rubbed against me,
causing my already rock hard erection to get even harder. I knew I moaned
loudly, but I didn't care. This felt too damn good to stop now.
I reached down, holding her tightly to me as I positioned her against me. If
we couldn't remove our clothes, we would at least have the best feeling we could
get with our clothes on. I thrust my hips against hers, causing her to
jump.
Using one hand to hold her, I held the other up. "You like that?" I asked
her. Her only response was a nod. "You want more?"
"God, yes." Thank God. If she said no after all of this…..
I leaned down, grinding against her again and again. I so badly wanted
release, but knew that wasn't going to happen. At least, not today. Soon,
though. Very soon. Everything else fell away. I didn't care where we were. All I
cared about was feeling her pressing against me. I kissed her neck, and felt her
arms wind around me, her hands roving over my skin. Nothing else mattered as I
held her against me. She moved with me, rolling her hips, letting our bodies
guide us.
Faster and faster, harder and harder, I drove myself against her. Her body
jerked and thrashed. I knew she was close. So was I. Another few minutes and I
would have to stop or risk embarrassing myself. Her breathing was harsh,
pressing her breasts into my chest. So close….come on baby.
Bay suddenly went stiller than death under me. What the…?
#-------------------------------------
Forcing my eyes open, I looked over Emmett's shoulder. The sight that greeted
me made me want to die. Standing just behind my boyfriend, watching the
whole show, were two guys from MY school. Kill me, just kill
me. For me, everything stopped and I pushed as hard as I could on my
oblivious boyfriend, pointing frantically behind him. Instantly he whipped
around and I hid behind him, struggling to right my clothing while I shook.
Emmett made sure I was directly behind him while staring down the guys who
made me feel so violated. I pulled my bra back in place, smoothing down my skirt
in the same beat. Emmett did his best to cover me, but I could still feel their
eyes on me, like I was something to be bought or sold. I decided against
grabbing my jacket. Instead, I grabbed Emmett's much larger one, needing to be
as covered as humanly possible. All the while the guys were talking.
"You didn't have to stop on account of us baby," Jackass one said.
Jackass two followed with, "Yeah, it was just getting good. I mean, damn
girl, we could hear you two rows over." I swallowed thickly hearing that.
Then, they started talking to each other. "Isn't that….?" The other answered,
"Yeah, I think it is."
"Hey baby, aren't you Liam's girl?" Jackass two asked, curiosity strong in
his voice.
This time, I whipped around and felt my stomach drop out of my body. They
were… Oh God, they were football players. They were Liam's friends. This is
gonna be all over school by next period. Why did they have to recognize me?
"Hey, hey it is! It's Kennish." I knew both of them, but I couldn't place
their names.
"I'm not with him anymore." I tried to stay firm while still hiding behind
Emmett.
"Obviously," they both leered like they were imagining me without my clothes,
"but damn, Liam never mentioned how much fun you were. Or did you never
give him a taste?"
The whole time they were talking, I watched the tension in Emmett ratchet
higher and higher. The muscles in his shoulders were tightening with every
passing second. I couldn't see his face, but it wouldn't be hard to imagine the
rage it held. Then, the impossible happened. It looked like one of them was
trying to reach for me and I knew what would go down next. I reached for Emmett,
trying to stop him, but all I got was jarred backwards when he vaulted over the
side of my car. The next thing I heard was the smack of skin on skin and a
sickening wet cracking sound.
A howl of pain, then pleading. Someone said, "Dude, he wasn't gonna hurt her
or anything. We were just messin'."
I sat bolt upright, scrambling out of my car as my boyfriend stalked closer
to the twosome. One was babbling, while blood poured out of the other's clearly
broken nose. Emmett didn't even bother telling them he couldn't hear them and I
was really barely registering what they said, either. My sole focus was Emmett.
"Emmett, NO!" I called out even though he couldn't hear me.
I grabbed his arm, hoping my touch would be enough…. it wasn't. It only
stopped him for a moment before he pulled from my grasp. Just as he was pulling
back for the strike, I jumped in front of him, my hands on his chest. The look
in his eyes was like bright blue fire. He pulled his arm back just in time to
keep from clocking me and I did some pleading of my own.
"Emmett, stop," My signs were jerky and half remembered at best, "You're
scaring me." And it was the truth.
That stopped him cold. Dumb and Dumber took the chance and bolted in the
other direction. Emmett pulled away from me. I walked closer, but he wouldn't
let me near. I could see pain, regret and self loathing in his eyes and lines of
his face. The fire in him had been instantly put out by my fear.
"Emmett, it's okay," He still kept me at arm's length.
"It's okay? No, it's not. I promised myself you'd never feel
this way with me after Toby…." Here he dropped off, scowling harder.
I thought it was sweet that he wanted to protect me, not only from myself but
him if need be. I loved that he was bothered by the fact that he'd freaked me
out even more. What meant the most however, was that even though it was not
needed, he was more than willing to knock out assholes for me. So I had to find
something to soothe his nerves and make him smile again.
I couldn't help the grin that crossed my face, "If it makes you feel any
better, I think they'll need to change their shorts when they get inside."
At first, Emmett just stared at me like I'd grown a second head. Then a grin
cracked over his face and I was suddenly relieved. Shaking his head, he drew me
back in the protective circle of his arms.
"What am I gonna do with you, Bay Kennish?" Emmett smirked.
A wicked grin crossed my face as I answered, "Whatever you want to."
#---------------------------------------
I stared down at Bay. Her eyes were wide and she was staring at something
over my shoulder. Then, she started pushing frantically at me, pointing behind
me. Instantly, I went on alert. I whipped around, and came face to face with two
guys from Buckner. And, from the looks of it, they had been standing there
awhile.
I could feel Bay behind me, struggling to right her clothes. I cursed my
stupidity. Why the hell had I let it go that far? Protectively, I stayed
in front of Bay, blocking her body with my own. The guys continued to leer.
Angrily, I glared at them, willing one of them to be a jackass. Come on, just
walk away…
Turning slightly, I saw that Bay was wrapped up in my jacket. Couldn't blame
her. Turning to face the douche bags, I saw that they were talking to Bay. I
stared hard, wanting to know what they were saying to her.
Douche one said something about stopping on their account. Douche two said it
was getting good and….they heard us two rows over? The pervs wanted a free
show apparently.
Then, they started talking to each other. Their heads were together, so I
couldn't read their lips. Finally, the second douche looked directly at Bay and
said, "Hey baby, aren't you Liam's girl?" Shit! They knew that ass wipe Liam?
Awesome….
Bay whipped around, finally facing the pair. Her eyes widened and she started
sweating. I kept my eyes going between Bay and the other two. Douche one was
gesturing and talking, but I wasn't looking at his lips to read them. I was
focused on Bay.
"I'm not with him anymore," Bay said, still half hiding behind me. I had to
twist to read her lips. Bay was blushing furiously. Now, I focused completely on
the boys.
"Obviously," douche one said, leering. Then, he said, "But damn, Liam never
mentioned how much fun you were. Or did you never give him a taste?"
You son of a…..!
The anger had been building since I realized the two were spying on us,
getting a peep show. I was furious at how they kept eyeballing Bay. She's
MINE, Damnit! Keep your eyes in your freaking skull! I would fight anyone
who dared to try anything.
I also realized that they had seen Bay in her greatest moment of passion,
something only I should have been privy to. That thought made my anger boil to
an explosive level.
Then, one of the jackasses moved, his hand reaching toward Bay. I didn't
think, I just reacted. Vaulting over the side of the car, I stalked toward the
pair. Douche one looked at me, fear in his eyes. I pulled back my fist and let
it fly into his nose. Bone crunched under my knuckles. Immediately, blood began
poring down his shirt. Good, I hope I broke it!
I saw the other one's mouth moving, but I wasn't focused enough to care what
he was saying. I wanted to draw blood from him, as well. I walked purposely
toward him.
I felt a pull on my arm. Glancing down, I saw that Bay was pulling on me. I
stopped for a few seconds, but the need to defend her honor won out. I pulled
from her grasp, and continued forward. Reaching the other one, I pulled back to
strike….
And suddenly, Bay was right in front of me, her hands on my chest. Her hair
was in wild disarray, and she had a pleading look in her eyes. I stopped mid
swing. Shit, I almost clocked Bay!
"Emmett, stop," she begged, her signs jerky from fear. And then she said,
"You're scaring me."
All the fight went out of me at that statement. I felt like I'd been sucker
punched in the gut. The one thing I promised myself I would never do…. And I
broke that promise. I pulled away from Bay, needing to get away from her, now. I
had almost hit the girl I love…..
Bay came up to me, but I held my arm out, keeping her back. "Emmett, it's
okay," she told me.
I stared at her. "It's okay? No, it's not. I promised myself
you'd never feel this way with me after Toby…." I stopped, disgusted with myself
for scaring Bay like that. I never wanted her to see me like that again.
Bay started grinning. I watched her, wondering if she had suddenly gone
crazy. "If it makes you feel any better, I think they'll need to change their
shorts when they get inside."
Did she seriously just crack a joke? Yep, she's nuts. Finally, though,
her words settled into my brain. I started grinning. The mental picture was
pretty funny. I shook my head, and pulled Bay toward me, into my arms.
One handed, I asked, "What am I gonna do with you, Bay Kennish?"
A wicked grin crossed her face. "Whatever you want to." Oh, WOW! If she
ONLY knew….
#--------------------------------
I'd managed to make it back into school before my next class. Said class was
history, so it passed by in a whirlwind of daydreaming. This daydreaming mostly
consisted of reliving every moment of what it felt like to have Emmett's hands
on my body, with his pressed so close to mine. The shrill whine of the school
bell jolted me from my daydreaming. I quickly gathered my things, following suit
as everyone made for the classroom exit.
So far, thankfully, no one had come up to me asking about any rumors
about a clandestine parking lot rendezvous. If I was lucky, it wouldn't really
start getting around school till tomorrow. Looking around the hallway, I was
starting to get the distinct impression that the fallout would be hitting me
much sooner than expected. People were staring. Freshmen were staring.
Oh, this is not good.
It was when I got to my locker that my worst fears were confirmed. Our school
nurse gave out condoms on the down low to the girls at Buckner. Currently, about
twenty of those individually wrapped multi-colored raincoats were all
taped to my LOCKER! It was too late to do damage control- the whole school
already knew!
Hastily, I started ripping them all off as quickly as I could. I panicked,
not knowing what to do with them. Opening my locker, I just threw them inside,
covering them with my books. I stood there taking a few deep breaths, trying to
calm down. I wondered briefly if I could avoid all the rest of my classes by
shoving myself in my locker and shutting the door.
No way Bay! You're just gonna calm down, pull on your big girl panties and
go to class. Who cares what they say about you anyway. You're not here to
impress them.
After giving myself the best pep talk that I could, I straightened my spine
and squared my shoulders. Grabbing my sketch and some pencils, I slammed my
locker door shut. You can do this. You can do this. You ca….
Turning, I found myself face to face with Toby of all people, holding a
condom that I had missed. "Drop something?" I can't do this.
The sight of him made me jump. Irritated, I hissed, "Don't sneak up on me,
Toby!"
"Who's sneaking? I've been standing here the whole time you've been
hyperventilating into your locker." Really? God, that sucks.
"Hyperventilating? Wow, that's a big word. Did Daphne teach you that one?"
I was feeling snarky, so sue me.
Toby grinned, knowing not to take things too personally, "No I looked that
one up all by myself." Then his face turned serious, "So are the rumors true?"
"Depends. What are the masses tweeting about now?" I groaned softly,
considering the possibility that they might actually be tweeting about
it.
Without missing a beat, Toby answered, "That you had sex in your car in the
parking lot over lunch." Damn that's an awful specific rumor. Too bad it's
partly true.
"WHAT? I did not have sex in public!" It was true, I was still a
virgin…for now.
Toby smirked, "Tell that to Chad and his broken nose."
"Emmett broke his nose?" And with that, I officially outted myself.
"Ah, Ha! So, you were with him! Bay what were you thinking?" He looked
vaguely concerned and disappointed.
"It wasn't like that," Toby gave me a look, clearly wanting to know if he
needed to jump my boyfriend. So I gave him the short edited version,
"Emmett brought me tacos. We made out. The jocks showed up and started leering.
Emmett punched Chad out to protect me. Happy?"
"And that's all that happened, right?" I was only telling him half the
truth and he knew it. Holding the condom between his fingers he asked, "So you
don't really need this right?"
"I don't need it." I answered quickly.
"Are you sure?" He hedged. Definitely suspicious. That's never good.
I nodded my head, trying to get him off my back.
"Good, you shouldn't need it for a long time." He pocketed the condom
and I gave him an annoyed look.
Then he turned, walking away. What is it with brothers and double standards?
He's NOT a virgin. I know because I've covered for him. Yet, somehow in
his twisted head, I can't have sex, even though it's not his decision to
make. Well isn't that just peachy! I grumbled all the way to my next
class.
#-----------------------------
Reluctantly, I made the drive back to Carlton. I knew I would be late to my
next class, but damn it, those assholes had that coming to them. My only regret
was that I hadn't gotten to take a swing at the other one. Oh, well. Maybe that
would teach them not to spy, next time.
Next time? No way is THAT ever gonna happen at Buckner again! No sirree. Next
time, we'll be someplace that was COMPLETELY private. Preferably a bedroom….
I thought back to what Bay had said to me. "Whatever you want to." The
images of what I wanted to do to her would shock her if they were ever
verbalized. Had those two jackasses not interrupted us, I would have given Bay
the best orgasm she had ever experienced. Just thinking about her sexy body had
me rock hard again. I really wish we had gotten to finish what had been
started….
Bay pressing herself against me. Bay's eyes, wide and searching. Her knee
brushing against my erection. Her heat driving me insane. Her nipples, pebbles
under my fingertips. I groaned, the mental images bombarding me in their
intensity.
Bay lying under me, her clothes gone. My eyes feast on her soft flesh. Her
breasts call out to me, and I squeeze them gently. She gasps and grinds against
me, my hard on nudging her. Just a little closer….
I shake myself, and realize I am in the Carlton parking lot. Shifting, I
adjust myself and get off the bike. Grabbing my bag, I turn around….
And run smack into my mother. Greeeeaatttt. She eyeballs me, a sour
expression on her face.
"Where have you been?" she questions. I shrug. Her eyes narrow. "With
her?"
"Yes. I've been with Bay," I told her, stressing Bay's name. Mom
scoffed.
"You're 20 minutes late for class. They called me, in my office, wondering
where you were," Mom informed me.
"I had lunch with Bay, and we…..lost track of time."
Mom looked me up and down. Her eyes homed in on my bloody knuckles. "What
happened?" she asked, concern painting her features.
"Nothing. Just had to take care of…something."
"Did you get in a fight?" Was it considered a fight if only one punch was
thrown?
"Some guy was being a jerk," was all I was willing to tell her. Mom read
between the lines, though.
"So, you hit him? Emmett, how could you?" she chastised me.
"Look, I wasn't gonna let that asshole diss my girlfriend!" I told her
harshly.
"I'm disappointed in you, Emmett. I thought I raised you better than that,"
Mom said, an angry look on her face.
"You did. But, I'm not letting some guy…." I broke off, not wanting to let
Mom know what all had happened.
"We'll discuss this later. You better get to class," Mom said, finality in
her statement. She turned to walk away. I waved my hand, needing to say one more
thing. She turned back.
"About family game night….."
#-------------------------------
After school, I was searching through all the art work I had back logged in
my garage. I needed something to turn in for a class, but hadn't had any real
time to paint anything. So, I was trying to figure out if I had anything stashed
away that might be passable for a grade. Then, I spotted a piece that was all
colors, sharp angles and circles.
This just might work, I thought, as I picked it up. I headed out of
the garage to see what it looked like in real light and not the too dim bulbs I
was currently working with.
Only problem was, the thing was so big that it covered my head when I went to
take it outside. I was barely onto the pavement when I heard a quick thud, thud
like footfalls coming towards me. I stopped instantly, realizing someone had
almost run into me. I peeked over the edge to see…. Crap, it was Melody.
It would have to be her, wouldn't it?
"Oh, uh…ahh I didn't see you there….." Great Bay, just great. She probably
thinks you did this on purpose!
She ignored my feeble attempt at an explanation and instead turned her
attention to my canvas. "Big."
Great, now she's one word signing me like I'm slow. Wait a minute…she asked
about my work. Is she interested in it? Could this help her look at me
differently? God I hope so. Oh no, she's waiting on me to say something.
"Oh, uh…sometimes I like to see how the colors are working in the natural
light." Oh no, she's giving me that confused look I use to get from Emmett all
the time, "Ya know what? Never mind, it's not important. Are you here to see
Regina?" All things considered, she could be here to ax murder me.
"Roots. I better go." She looked thrilled at the change of subject and seemed
to jump on the opportunity to have an escape.
Wish I had asked her that sooner. As she walked dismissively around me, I
knew I had to stop her. I had to make sure she knew that I hadn't put Emmett up
to speech therapy. Melody needed to know that really was something that he'd
decided on his own and I hadn't pushed my opinion on him. It was when she turned
back to me, that I realized I must be a glutton for punishment.
I reached out to her. "Oh, uh wait," I said, hastily putting down my canvas,
"Uhhhh, I just… I wanted you to know that, uh… speech therapy was Emmett's idea.
I didn't, um, ask him to take it."
I gave the woman a pleading look as she walked down towards me a couple of
steps and said, "You didn't have to."
Then, smiling like it was nothing, she turned and sprinted up the steps,
leaving me scared and confused at the bottom. I gripped my discarded canvas
tightly, trying not to hyperventilate as fear assaulted me. We really are over!
This woman will find a way to end us! I felt tears threaten to spill as a
feeling of heartbreak overwhelmed me.
I wish I was good enough. I wish I was Deaf.
In a fit of frustration and pain, I picked up the canvas. Staring at it, my
own brush strokes seemed to mock me, with its abounding sense of warmth. Right
now, I only felt cold all the way down to my bones. I heaved it against the side
of the stairwell, listening to the cracking sound it made. I did it until it
broke and splintered, the physical pain helping to hold back the tears of what
felt like defeat. Breathing heavily, I left the pieces laying there, not caring
who found them, as I shuffled back into my garage, wanting nothing more than to
have Emmett's arms around me, but to be alone at the same time.
#------------------------------------
After school, I made a quick stop at my Dad's place. Mom was still being a
bitch about the Speech Therapy class, so I was going to have Dad sign the paper
for me. Going up to the door, I rang the doorbell. Seconds later, it swung open,
revealing Olivia, my dad's new girlfriend. This was only the second time I had
seen her. I didn't want to remember the first time…..
"Emmett! What a nice surprise! Come on in," Olivia said, stepping back. I
walked inside and looked around. "You looking for Cameron?" she asked. Why
else would I be here?
"Yeah. I need him to sign something for school. Is he here?" I asked her, not
wanting to divulge too much information.
"He's gone to the store, but he should be back any time. Have a seat," she
invited, gesturing toward the couch. I sat in the chair, instead. Olivia
shrugged and situated herself across the couch. "So, what's new?" she asked,
trying to make conversation.
"Nothing much. I had a History test that I'm pretty sure I bombed, but other
than that…." I left the sentence hanging. Olivia laughed and shook her head.
"History? Who needs it? It's just about a bunch of boring, old men anyway.
Who cares?"
"My Mom," I said, watching her cringe.
"Your Mom is….ya know what? Never mind. Are you hungry? We have take out,"
Olivia said, effectively changing the subject. I declined the food. As soon as
Dad signed the paper, I was heading over to Bay's to tell her about Game Night.
Mom had reluctantly agreed to allowing Bay to participate. I wouldn't
tell her about the argument that had followed my asking. She didn't need to know
that part.
I was just getting ready to ask for a glass of water, when the front door
swung open, and Dad stepped inside, his arms loaded with groceries. He caught
sight of me, and gave a small wave. He headed into the Kitchen, and was back
seconds later, the groceries on the table, no doubt.
"Emmett! What a surprise," Dad said, giving me a quick hug. I laughed at how
much he had just sounded like Olivia. "What brings you here, son?"
"I want to make a class change on my schedule, but Mom is…..can you sign it
for me?" I said, digging the paper out of my bag. I handed it to him. As he read
it, I saw his eyebrows raise.
"You want to drop AP Bio to take Speech Therapy instead?" Dad questioned.
"Yes. Is that a problem?" I asked, my defenses rising. Here we go again.
To my surprise, Dad smiled. "This is for your girlfriend, isn't it?" Dad and
Bay haven't even met yet, and Dad knows way more about her than even Mom does.
He's a lot more accepting too.
"Yeah," I said, not needing to elaborate. Dad grabbed a pen and signed the
paper. He handed it back with a smile.
"Come back soon and visit longer, okay?" he asked, probably guessing I was in
a hurry to get back to Bay.
"I will, I promise," I said, grabbing my bag. Olivia waved from the couch. I
waved back and made my way out the door.
Now, off to Bay's house.
#------------------------------------------------------
I was mixing paint on my palette, making a lighter shade of purple while
studying the canvas in front of me. I was more than irritated, because I'd had
to give up my after school study session with my ASL books. All because I'd let
my temper get the better of me earlier. Of course, that didn't stop me from
setting my books out and glancing at them while I waited for real inspiration to
strike.
Maybe, I'll just turn in the broken pieces and call it interpretive art.
I'd done weirder, so it wouldn't shock my teacher. My thoughts rattled on as
I added a brush stroke to the canvas in front of me.
It was just at that moment, I felt a hand brush gently over my shoulder. I
turned to find Emmett smiling at me. Without slowing down, his hands moved
swiftly, clearly excited to tell me something. Unfortunately, I only caught a
few words and not much else.
I pulled my headphones out trying to piece together what he'd said. "Whoa,
whoa, okay. You, me, your Mom…" What! I turned, dropping my
paintbrush, wondering just what was happening. "Wait, what?"
I was so lost and Emmett knew it, because he slowed his signing down and
tried again, "We'll hang out, play some board games. She'll get to know you.
Happy?"
Emmett looked so damn proud of himself, but my stomach was suddenly
regretting the pint of ice cream I'd had earlier. "WHAT! NO!"
Now he looked confused. "What? I thought you wanted…."
"No, no, no, no, no." My head was spinning, "We will avoid her!" I can't be
around her, not after earlier and I don't want to tell him what happened,
either.
Emmett's eyes squinted as his confusion grew, "You told me we couldn't avoid
her." Then, he looked like he wasn't opposed one way or the other,. "Okay, so I
should cancel?"
Perfect! "Yes!...NO!" I didn't need Melody knowing I was afraid of
her. "Oh, oh that looks weird. Now I have to go." Damnit!
"Hey!" I heard suddenly. Turning my head, I found Regina of all people
in my garage…..okay, "I just wanted to say that you guys make a really
cute couple." I looked back at Emmett, with a sort of shocked look on my face.
He just gave a smug look that was a borderline, "I told you so" look.
Yeah, Emmett, you can give me that look all you want, but part of me's not so
sure that she's legit. Part of me thinks Daphne put her up to it, to spy on us.
So, I don't trust her sudden interest in my life. Finally, that
inspiration I'd been waiting for struck, and it wasn't in the form of my next
big art piece, but rather a way to kill two birds with one stone.
"Regina?" I called out just as she turned to leave.
Now, my Mom had a bit of a cornered look on her face that worried me,
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing tomorrow night?" I asked pleadingly, hoping my instincts
about Regina were way off base, because she might be my only hope.
"Uh, nothing. Why?" Regina looked unsure as she took a couple of steps into
my studio.
Her eyes kept flicking in Emmett's direction, giving me the distinct
impression that he was talking behind my back, while I answered, "Well I'm going
over to Emmett's tomorrow for a game night. Things are….It'd be nice to have you
there."
Regina had a confused look on her face as she walked by me and closer to my
boyfriend. Stopping in front of him, she asked, "Emmett, is everything okay?"
I watched Emmett look in my direction and then shift nervously. I wondered
what he was thinking. Regina looked over at me too. Apparently, she didn't know
what was going on either. I just shrugged my shoulders at her, too lost to
explain. That's when she looked back at Emmett.
Without speaking, I saw Regina say to Emmett, "Tell me!"
There was strength and an authority as she spoke that only a Mother could
pull off. Unfortunately, that was the last thing that I completely understood.
Emmett instantly launched into a speech, his hands flying too fast for me to
follow. I'm pretty sure I saw him use my name a couple of times, but it was the
expressions flying across his face that really caught me. I saw anger,
resentment, annoyance and fear. What did he have to be afraid of?
Then Regina asked a question without speaking. I think she wanted to know if
she should take Daphne somewhere, but I wasn't sure, because she turned her body
slightly away from me.
Emmett instantly responded with a resounding no! Then he started talking
again, his hands again moving faster than I could follow. For a second, he
looked over at me and I saw a love that knew no bounds reflected back at me. It
was so overwhelming, that a shock almost like electricity went right through me.
Then, he looked back at Regina, this time with compassion on his face and said
something about Daphne that I couldn't piece together.
Regina nodded her head at Emmett, telling him, "It's okay." Looking happy and
sad at the same time, she touched his shoulder before turning towards me.
Raising her hands and opening her mouth she said, "I'll be there. I
promise."
Then, she turned sharply on her heel, walking out leaving me to stare numbly
after her. What the HELL just happened? Then, I turned to Emmett, fixing
him with a demanding glare. "What was that all about?"
Emmett gave me a sheepish look. "What was what all about?" Right,
like I'm gonna go along with that one.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no. You know what I mean. You and Regina. What did you
talk about and how does Daphne fit in?" He looked at me a little surprised.
"That's right, I'm not completely clueless. I caught her name a couple of
times." Suddenly fear burned through me, like acid crawling up my throat.
He must have seen it, because he got that look in eyes. That look that I
always saw back before my birthday, when I was still begging Emmett to come
clean with Daphne. But, he'd always had an excuse. Chief among them was that
it wasn't a good time for her to know. It was a cross between apologetic
and worried as he approached me slowly. Then he asked a question of his own…..
"Do you trust me?" Emmett asked me calmly, but I could still feel worry
pouring off of him and it broke my heart.
'Yes, but Emmett…" He jumped on my answer, "No buts, Bay."
Then he took a deep breath, flexing his fingers, "Do you trust me to
handle this? To take care of you? To protect you?"
"You don't know what you're asking…." My voice was weak and my signs showed
it.
"Answer me." I could see agitation mixing with his worry, while a touch of
fear poisoned everything else.
I looked up at him pleadingly. He was asking for my unconditional trust,
which was something I hadn't given to anyone but Toby. My parents didn't even
get that kind of trust, let alone Liam, Ty or any other boy who looked in my
direction. Liam had asked me for that kind of trust once and I told him there
was no one who deserved that kind of trust. Yet, here was Emmett asking for it.
Does he really understand what he's asking me to give him? Was I ready
to give more to him emotionally than I'd ever given to anyone else? As
scared as I was to admit to him or myself for that matter, the answer was
simple…
"Yes." I looked him dead in the eye, praying that he understood how much I
was giving up to let him through the concrete graffitied walls that surrounded
my heart. "I trust you with everything."
I watched as relief pounded through him almost instantly as he closed the
distance between us. "Then don't worry about it. Let me take care of it for
you."
"You better be worth it." I told him half joking, half serious and
completely exposed.
His fingers brushed over my cheek, sending more of that sparkage from earlier
through me. Could he feel it too? With that said, Emmett kissed me
softly, a sweet caress while cradling my jaw in his hands.
#---------------------------------
Arriving at Bay's house, I parked my bike near her studio. I was rather
excited to tell Bay my news. I could see her inside, mixing paint together on
her palette, coming up with a light purple shade. He head bobbed slightly,
leading me to believe she was listening to her IPOD, as was her usual when she
painted. As I made my way toward Bay, I happened to glance down at the ground. A
broken canvas lay by her door, the vibrant colors on it, jagged and broken.
Why had Bay destroyed her work? That wasn't like her at all. I made my
way inside, brushing her shoulder lightly, alerting her to my presence. Before
she had fully turned to look at me, I started talking.
"Tomorrow night. You, me, my mom. My house," I told Bay, grinning wildly. I
would ask her about the painting later. I just hoped my news would make her
happy. Bay looked at me, confusion written all over her face.
Bay pulled her headphones out, and said, "Whoa, whoa okay. You, me, your
Mom." Her face took on a look of horror at the word "Mom." Dropping her
paintbrush, she asked, "Wait, what?"
Apparently, I had signed the last part too fast for her. Slowing down, I told
her, "We'll hang out, play some board games. She'll get to know you. Happy?"
I thought Bay would be pleased. So, I was more than shocked when she damn
near shouted, "WHAT! NO!" I didn't have to hear her to know she wasn't as
pleased as I thought she would be.
Confused, I told her, "What? I thought you wanted…."
"No, no, no, no, no," Bay cut me off. Her eyes wide, she added, rather
decisively, "We will avoid her!" Hadn't we just agreed earlier that we couldn't
avoid her? I was way past confused at this point. Had something changed?
Putting thought to word, I said, "You told me we couldn't avoid her." So much
for my brilliant plan. "Okay, so I should cancel?"
"Yes!...NO!" was the answer I got. What the hell was going on? Bay was
starting to freak me out. Then she said, "Oh, oh that looks weird. Now I have to
go." Internally, I shook my head, all the while wondering if Bay was going to
have a nervous breakdown in a minute.
Bay turned sharply, looking to her left. Following her gaze, I saw Regina
standing there. She smiled at us and said, "I just wanted to say that you guys
make a really cute couple." Bay turned to me, shock on her face. I smirked just
a little and gave her an, I told you so" look.
Bay stared at me, probably trying to figure out if Regina's statement was
legit. See, knowing Regina for as long as I have, I know she's telling the
truth. She isn't trying to win points with Bay, or anything. She isn't just
paying lip service. Regina turned to leave, and suddenly Bay grabbed her
attention again. I watched Bay, wondering what she was doing.
Regina looked surprised. "Yeah?"
Bay suddenly got a gleam in her eye. "What are you doing tomorrow night?" she
asked her, before turning completely toward Regina. I used the opportunity to
"talk" to Regina without Bay's knowledge.
"You need to come to my house tomorrow night, please!" I begged her.
"Don't tell her no!" Regina's eyes narrowed, but then she told Bay, "Uh,
nothing. Why?" That's it. Play dumb. Regina stepped more fully into the
garage. "Thank You!" I told her.
I couldn't see Bay's response. I assumed she was asking her about Game night.
Regina kept glancing at me, but I wasn't going to say anything else.
Regina took that decision away from me, however. Walking over and standing
directly in front of me, Regina asked, "Emmett, is everything okay?" Damn
it…..
I looked in Bay's direction, shifting uncomfortably. If I told Regina what
was happening, Bay would be angry. If I didn't tell Regina, she would just find
a way to pry it out of me. Regina glanced at Bay, then back at me. Her face took
on a hard, set look. Firmly, without speaking for Bay's benefit, Regina signed,
"Tell me!"
I sighed, knowing it would all come out eventually, anyway. Might as well get
it over with. Signing quicker than I knew Bay could follow, I launched into my
story.
"The other day, Mom caught Bay and I making out in my room. She launched into
a tirade about a class I wanted to change. She made Bay feel like an insect and
after she left, Mom basically told me she doesn't want me to be with Bay
anymore. She wants me to get a new group of friends. Earlier, Mom caught me
coming back from Buckner and we got into a pretty heated argument. She called
Bay some things that I don't want to repeat to you. I told her I wanted to
invite Bay for game night and she tried to blow it off. I insisted that
Bay would be there, whether she liked it or not. Mom won't even try! She has
never liked us as a couple. Can you please, come tomorrow?"
"Should I bring Daphne along? To distract Melody from Bay?" Regina asked,
still not talking aloud.
"NO! I want her to accept us together." I looked over at Bay, the love
I felt for her shining in my eyes. Could she see it? I looked back at
Regina, and told her, "No offense, but if Daphne comes, Mom will be focused on
her and will completely cut Bay out. I can't let that happen," I finished,
begging Regina to understand.
Regina nodded, and told me, "It's okay." She reached out and touched my
shoulder, giving a slight squeeze before she turned toward Bay again. Using her
hands and mouth, she said, "I'll be there. I promise." Then, she turned
quickly and made her way out the door. Bay turned to me, her glare telling me
she was now pissed as hell.
"What was that all about?" she forced out. Play it cool, Emmett.
Play dumb.
I gave her what I hoped was a blank look. "What was what all about?"
Please, please don't make me tell you. I'm only trying to protect you.
Bay looked livid.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no. You know what I mean. You and Regina. What did you
talk about and how does Daphne fit in?" My eyebrows raised. Shit, I thought I
had signed faster than she could follow. She's getting better than I thought.
At my surprised look, Bay steamrolled ahead. "That's right, I'm not
completely clueless. I caught her name a couple of times." I saw fear enter her
eyes.
Internally, I debated with myself. I was reminded of when Bay and I first
started seeing each other. I didn't want Daphne to know about our relationship,
because I knew she would be hurt by it. I wasn't trying to keep my feelings for
Bay a secret though. I was actually trying to protect her, just like now. If Bay
knew how my Mom really felt about her, our relationship would be over. I
needed my Mom to see the type of person Bay was. She was Regina's daughter,
after all. Regina is her best friend. Surely, she could find a way to like Bay,
eventually. I walked over to Bay slowly.
"Do you trust me?" I asked her, as calm as I could. Inside, I was freaking
out, but I wasn't going to show Bay that.
'Yes, but Emmett…" Before she could continue, I cut her off. "No buts, Bay."
Taking a calming breath, I flexed my fingers and asked honestly, "Do you trust
me to handle this? To take care of you? To protect you?"
"You don't know what you're asking…." she said, her signs weak and listless.
"Answer me." I was slightly aggravated. Why couldn't she give me a straight
answer? What was she hiding from me?
She gave me a pleading look. Why was she so scared to tell me what was on her
mind? Did she think I would look at her differently or something? Obviously,
whatever had her so worried was upsetting her. Couldn't she see that I wanted
to help her, no matter what? I needed her to trust me, to know that I
would always stand by her. That I would always love her, no matter what bad shit
went down.
"Yes." she finally answered, looking me dead in the eye. "I trust you with
everything."
Instantly, I was flooded with relief. I pulled her close. Using one hand, I
told her, "Then don't worry about it. Let me take care of it for you."
"You better be worth it," she said. Was she serious or joking? Her
face gave nothing away.
I brushed my fingers over her cheek, and pulled her in gently for a kiss. She
melted and stepped into me more fully. She's trusting you, Bledsoe. Don't let
her down.
#--------
End of part 2:)