15. Fifteen
Fifteen
Jake
I ’m halfway back to the clearing, where the party is winding down when a shadow slinks out of the tree line and latches onto me without warning. Jessica releases a series of high-pitched giggles, a clear indication she’s had a few too many, and rubs herself against me like a cat in heat.
“I’m so glad I found you,” she purrs, running a pointy fingernail down my front. “I’ve been waiting all night to catch you alone. Teresa’s a tad territorial, isn’t she? I mean, good Lord, that girl watches you like a hawk.”
Prying her arms from around my neck, I firmly set her back a step and give her a tight smile.
I don’t appreciate being cornered. It puts me in a position I don’t want to be in and disrespects Tessa.
Besides, her statement borders on creepy.
Has she been watching me all night, just waiting for me to take a leak so she could ambush me?
“Don’t you worry, your pretty little head,” I say, trying to muster up the patience needed to deal with her antics.
I don’t want to be rude, but this is beginning to move past a bit of harmless flirting.
“I know this is a hard concept for some people to grasp, but I actually enjoy my girlfriend’s company.
We’ve been friends for years, and that hasn’t changed just because we’re a couple now. ”
Jessica scoffs. “I just can’t imagine there being any passion between you. I mean, you pretty much grew up together. I guess I always thought of you more like siblings than lovers.”
I have a good chuckle at that before I meet her eyes and make sure she hears me loud and clear when I say, “Let me assure you, I don’t think of Tessa as a sister when I fuck her.
” Jessica’s mouth slackens, not expecting me to be quite so blunt, but her surprise is soon replaced by a slow, calculating smile.
“Quite the mouth you’ve got on you. I thought I’d have to be the one to corrupt you since you’re younger than me, but it seems I underestimated you.
I usually tend to go for older guys, but there’s just something about you,” she breathes, pressing her palms flat to my chest as she steps into me once more.
“I’ve wanted you for so long, Jake. All I need is a chance to show you how good we could be together.
I’ve been told I give a stellar blow job.
Care for a little demonstration?” She lifts up on her toes and suctions her lips to my earlobe in an effort to drive her point home.
I have no doubt she thinks her brazen approach is a surefire way to get me on board, but it does nothing for me.
The potent smell of alcohol on her breath reminds me of my father, which is a major turnoff in itself.
Pair that with the air of desperation that clings to her like old gum to the bottom of a shoe, and my balls are practically begging to retreat into my groin.
I jerk my head sideways to free my violated flesh and wrap my fingers around her shoulders, ready to step out of her unwanted embrace.
Unfortunately, Tessa chooses that exact moment to check up on me.
“What the hell is going on?” Her sharp question cuts through the air like a whip. I briefly squeeze my eyes shut and shoot Jess a warning glare before I turn around to face my furious girlfriend. “It’s not what it looks like.”
Jessica steps in front of me, the picture of innocence, while subtly brushing the back of her hand over my crotch hard enough to draw a startled grunt out of me .
“He’s right, Teresa. No need to be dramatic. We’re just having a chat. Everyone’s a little tipsy and having fun. You know how it is. I may have pushed my luck a bit.”
“You’re pushing your luck, alright, you two-faced skank. I suggest you go find someone else to rub up on before I forget I’m a pacifist.” Jessica gasps with outrage. “Did you just call me a skank?”
“If the shoe fits.”
The two of them stand nose to nose, glaring at each other in cold fury.
Am I about to have an honest-to-God catfight on my hands?
Part of me wants to stand back and see how this plays out.
I’m ninety-nine percent sure my girl can take her.
But I have big plans for Tessa later, and they don’t involve a bloody nose and bruised knuckles.
Time to stop this ridiculous display before one of them loses a fistful of hair.
“I think it’s time for you to go,” I tell Jessica in a tone that lets her know I’m done playing. It’s obvious she’s enjoying getting a rise out of my girl, and I’m getting tired of being an unwilling guest star in her little melodrama.
The way Jessica baits her, shamelessly hitting on me right in front of her, hasn’t gone unnoticed.
I’ve tried to stay out of it so far, trusting that Tessa can handle herself, but the longer I let this go on, the more evident it is that she has insecurities.
Insecurities I’m feeding into by not speaking up on her behalf.
Suddenly, I’m ashamed I haven’t shut this down sooner.
I love Tessa. Jessica, I don’t give two shits about.
The latter stares at me for a prolonged moment, like she’s waiting for me to come to my senses and change my mind about dismissing her.
Once it becomes clear I won’t, she huffs in annoyance and stomps off, leaving me alone with my fuming girl.
Tessa crosses her arms in front of her chest and arches an expectant eyebrow.
“I swear, I didn’t do anything,” I say, willing her to believe me.
“Sure, you didn’t.”
“I was on my way back to you when she came out of nowhere. She practically threw herself at me. I was about to push her off when you got here. ”
Tessa produces a sound caught somewhere between a snort and a chuckle.
“Is that so? And would you have pushed her away before or after she was done sucking your brain through your ear canal? I don’t know, Jake.
From where I was standing, it kind of looked like you didn’t mind her rubbing her boobs all over your chest. I knew you were into her,” she finishes with a look of utter betrayal.
Inhaling deeply, I will myself to remain calm.
As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t done anything wrong.
I’m the first to admit I got around a bit before committing to Tessa, but I was single then.
Since the moment Tessa and I started dating, I haven’t so much as looked at another girl.
I want her and only her, but she seems to have a really hard time believing it.
Truth be told, I found her jealousy kind of endearing at first. I thought it was cute when she got all possessive.
Now, her lack of trust is beginning to irritate me.
We’ve been friends long enough for her to know I’d never do anything to hurt her.
“Listen.” I cup her shoulders and dip my face to meet her eyes.
“Are you hard right now?”
“Fucking what?!?”
“You heard me. Are you hard right now?” she asks once more and extends a hand toward my crotch.
I jump back, gaping at her while I’m left wondering what the hell happened to my sweet, reasonable girl.
I’m not hard. Far from it, but that’s not the point.
I’ll be damned if I stand here and let my girlfriend grope me just to make some kind of fucked up point.
“What’s the matter? Worried I’ll find something to back up what I’ve known all along?”
I shake my head, disbelief and disappointment warring for dominance on my face.
“Do you hear yourself right now? You’re acting crazy. Where’s the sensible girl I know and love? Where is the friend who’s always trusted me and never questioned my character in all the years we’ve known each other? ”
“Are you seriously trying to spin this on me? Make me feel like I’m unreasonable when I literally caught you red-handed? I know what I saw, and what I saw was Jessica all over you, and you doing nothing to stop her.”
“I was about to,” I tell her again, getting more frustrated by the second.
“That’s what they all say.”
“Okay.” Giving a disbelieving chuckle, I run a hand through my hair to give myself a chance to cool down.
“I’ll say this one last time, so I need you to hear me on this.
I have no interest in Jessica. Not even a little bit.
I didn’t ask her to come find me, and I was most definitely not enjoying myself. Quite the opposite.”
Tessa stares at me tight-lipped with a stubborn tilt of her chin, but at least she seems to be listening.
“If you want this relationship to work, then you’ve got to start trusting me because I’m getting tired of having to defend myself.
The least you could do is give me some fucking credit.
You don’t think I see her for who she is?
I’d never cheat on you, but you seem to think I’m just out here looking to stick my dick into anyone who pays me a little attention.
Newsflash, I’m not that desperate. I love you,” I say, putting every ounce of sincerity I possess behind my words.
“I am so in love with you, it’s actually pathetic.
I just wish I didn’t have to keep proving myself to you when I’ve never done anything for you to doubt me.
” I’m panting by the time I’m done. I hadn’t realized how much her lack of faith in me bothered me until now.
Apparently, this has been eating away at me for much longer than I thought.
Biting my tongue to keep from saying anything I might regret, I push past her and head back to the party.
“Where are you going?” she shouts after me.
“Back to the fire pit, where people don’t rip me a new one for something I have no control over,” I call over my shoulder and leave my bewildered girlfriend standing in the dark.