Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
JAYDEN
I need to leave this room. I’ve been trying to peel myself away from Colby for the last hour, but I simply can’t get my body to move from this bed.
From her side. From staring her in the eyes while I tickle her arm with my fingers.
I’m tempted to roll her on her back one more time and devour her breasts while I sink into her sweet pussy.
Her candy pink nipples keep tempting me.
“I see those thoughts you’re having. Uh uh,” she whispers, shaking her head. Her eyelids are heavy, but she forces her gaze to remain on mine.
“I’m not even close to tired,” I say, dragging the backs of my fingers along her collar bone, then circling my thumb around her nipple before pinching it. She hisses as her eyes finally give in and close, her thighs squeezing as she pushes her own hand against her pussy. She moans.
“I can’t take any more, Jayden. I’m spent.”
“You don’t look spent,” I say, giving in and suckling her tit in my mouth. I swirl my tongue around the hard tip as her legs part and she pleasures herself.
“No, really. I . . . I can’t,” she whimpers.
I cover her hand with mine and guide her fingers into slow strokes along her wet pussy.
“One more. For me,” I say at the base of her neck. I nip at her earlobe and she moans louder.
Her thighs squeeze around both of our hands, clasping our touch to her as she writhes. Her head falls to the side, and her lashes kiss the bright pink color on her cheeks. Her lips form a drunk smile that I need to kiss, so I do.
“One more,” I say against her mouth, pushing a finger inside her as she continues to squeeze her legs together.
She cries out the moment I slip into her, circling her hand on her clit while I fuck her with my fingers. Her legs fall open wide as her hips buck, and she rests her other arm over her eyes.
“That’s my girl,” I praise her.
I swipe at her tit one more time with my tongue, then suck her sweetness from my fingers before forcing myself from the bed. She pulls the sheet around her body and nestles her head deep into her pillow, letting out a soft groan.
“No more. That’s all I can take. And you have to be great in the morning,” she says, her voice hoarse and barely audible. She’ll be asleep in seconds.
I clutch my clothes to my body and lean over the bed, kissing her cheek.
“I already was great. Don’t you think?” I murmur into her ear.
“Mmm,” she hums, her satiated expression frozen as her smile pulls up her cheek before everything falls slack and her lips part with slumber.
“I love you,” I whisper, knowing she might hear it. I hope she does.
I slip on my pants and ball up the rest of my clothes and shoes before slipping out her door.
I scan the hallway, and exhale at the quiet.
I’m one floor below her, almost exactly, so I take the stairs and feel around my pants pocket as I approach my door.
I slow my steps, however, when I see it is propped open with the deadbolt out.
My heart stops and my stomach suddenly grows heavy, as if I swallowed rocks.
I hover in the hallway for a moment, wondering whether I should head downstairs and alert someone or push forward into my room.
“It’s just me, asshole,” Adriel’s comes from inside my room.
Fuck.
I drop my forehead against the door for a beat, then push it open to see my brother sitting comfortably in my bed, his legs crossed, the television on mute replaying the day’s sports news.
“You in Colby’s room?” He arches a brow.
I scowl at him.
“Fuck off,” I say, ignoring the sudden rush of adrenaline that soaks my organs.
Double fuck!
“You don’t have to worry. I won’t say nothin’,” he says, chuckling. His words are slow. He’s a little drunk. Shocker.
I ignore his statement and lock my door for real before heading into the bathroom to throw water on my face and wash away Colby’s scent. I’m exhausted, but if I shower, my body is going to think it’s time to get up and go.
But hell, I might have to shower anyway. Colby is everywhere. My skin soaked her up, every drop of her. But I also want to wear her for a little while.
I swish some water in my mouth and shut the light off, stepping out into my room. I march to the bed and shove my brother’s outstretched legs out of the way before grabbing the remote and turning off the TV.
“Okay, I get it,” he chuckles. “Baby brother is embarrassed. You and Colby are a sore subject.”
I point at him, my hand jerking as my finger lands inches from his face and my molars gnash together so hard they might crack.
“You keep your fucking mouth shut, Adriel. You don’t know shit!”
His mouth curves into a grin, and he slides over, making room for me, patting the mattress next to him.
“Whatever you say, Jay. You’ve been in love with that girl half of your life. Good for you, is all I’m saying. Hit that while it’s in its prime,” he says through more chuckling.
I fling my body onto the bed and press a palm against his chest while I form a fist with my other hand and ready myself to nail him in the jaw.
“Whoa, hey!” His expression is still amused, but his wide eyes seem to say he gets that I’m not fucking around.
He peels my hand from his chest and then pushes me to my side. I glare at him as he holds up both palms, then crosses his heart with his index finger.
“Swear to God, baby brother. I won’t say a fucking word.”
My nostrils flex, my heavy breaths not slowing as my eyes remain locked on him. This is my worst nightmare. It’s definitely Colby’s worst fear come to life.
Flopping to my side, I sink into the pillow and bury my eyes under my folded arms.
“I’m serious, Adriel. This isn’t some game I’m playing. Colby is—”
“Important. Dude, I swear. I understand.” There’s something in his tone that makes me sense he’s being honest. I exhale and peel one arm away so I can give him a hard sideways look. He holds out a pinky finger, and I slap it away before hiding my eyes again.
“Okay, you’re pissed. But I swear, Jay. My lips are sealed. Besides, I need her if I’m going to get my ass a free agent offer that ain’t worth shit.” The bed dips with his weight, and I move my arms when I sense he’s gotten up.
Thank God. Maybe he’s leaving.
He sits in the chair by the small table, and my chest tightens again. At least he’s less comfortable in my space.
Adriel leans to his side, pulling out a small Ziplock bag with a few tiny white pills inside. He holds it up to me, and I blow out a sharp laugh.
“Are you fucking serious? What is that?”
“Adderall. I think,” he says with a smirk, undoing the baggie and pulling out one of the pills. He pinches it and holds it up to the light before shrugging and popping it in his mouth.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
He chuckles, then puts the bag back into his pocket.
“Relax. It’s a small dose. And it’s my prescription,” he boasts.
I roll my head to my left to get eyes on the time.
“It’s fucking one forty in the morning, jackass. I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t be taking your meds right now.” I shift to my other side again and prop my head on my palm. Might as well get comfortable. I think Adriel is my responsibility for the night. So much for my own damn sleep and self-care.
“I can’t sleep. I might as well be alert,” he says, shrugging it off again.
I open my mouth to lecture him, but it won’t do any good. And bringing up how disappointed our mom would be only leads to a fight. I’ve been down that road with us.
“She’s really good at what she does,” I say instead.
His eyes flicker to mine, his brow pulled in.
“Colby. She’s a good coach. If you’re having trouble at the plate, even if it’s just the bullshit of pressure, she can help.”
My brother isn’t the most coachable, but I mean it. Colby could help him get his swing on track, even if it’s just a matter of tweaking his mental game.
Adriel snickers, leaning back in the chair and slipping his phone from his pocket, probably to flip through social media posts.
“I don’t need her to help my swing, man. I just need her to tell Coach I’m ready, and get my ass back to Texas before the Pittsburgh series. I’ve got shit to do.”
He rubs his arm, and I zero in on our matching dove tattoo. His has a red eye, like a crow. I’ve always found it fitting.
“She’s not going to lie for you. You know that, right? Like . . . you have to put in the work.”
My stomach twists with a new pain. I feel defensive, perhaps protective. My brother, more than anyone, should understand how delicate and complex our relationship with Colby and her father is. He can’t ask something like this of her.
“Pssh, I’m not you. She’ll want to get rid of me,” he says, waving his hand. His eyes never veer from his phone screen, so I sit up to make him look me in the eyes.
“Adriel, she’s not going to cheat for you. She’s going to do her job. And you asking her to . . . what . . . sell her boss on fucking fiction about you . . . is not cool. No, it’s fucking bullshit, is what it is. I won’t let you—”
He lowers his phone so his gaze hits mine, and his mouth forms a strong line. Several seconds pass with zero words between us, and slowly, I understand.
I won’t do shit. Because Adriel knows about us.
I jet from the bed and grab my phone, wallet and key card, leaving my brother to gloat and pull an all-nighter on his own.
“I have to go. Just . . . don’t do anything stupid. More stupid,” I say over my shoulder.
I let my door fall shut and head back to the stairwell, climbing the steps two at a time until I get to Colby’s floor. I tap on her door gently at first, not wanting to scare her or wake up the entire floor, but when nearly a minute passes, I give her door a solid knock.
“Who is it?” she shouts. I can sense the panic in her voice.
“It’s me. Hurry,” I say, stepping in close to her door so I’m out of view from the hallway.
Her door lock disengages, and I practically fall over my feet when she opens the door. I push the door closed and take her hand, leading her back to bed. She’s giggling softly, dragging her feet, and it would be cute if I weren’t so upset with my brother right now and the situation he’s put us in.
“Again?” she says as I bury us under the covers. I pull her body into mine and hold her close.
“Adriel knows.”
I get the news out in the open fast. If I don’t just blurt it out, I know I will struggle. But the sudden rigidity of her body, the lack of movement in her lungs, makes me wonder if perhaps I should have eased her into the knowledge.
“Knows . . . what?” Her voice crackles with sleepiness and, I think, nerves.
“About us. He . . . he was in my room when I got there. Waiting. And I tried to lie, but he’s my fucking brother. He can read me like a book. And he knows.”
Colby snuggles deeper into my chest, pressing her cheek against my heart, her hands balled into fists under her chin. I squeeze her to me, syncing my deep breaths with hers.
“Is he going to say anything?” she finally asks.
I shake my head, then speak, “I don’t think so.”
“Think?” She picks up on my hedged language.
I draw in a long breath, sorting through the facts mentally before laying the situation out for her completely.
“He wants to get moved back up before the Pitt series. He’s trying to get leverage for free agency, and a good series against Pitt would set up his numbers for some of the teams they’re looking at.”
I figured it out on my own. I get the business of this game.
I know when I finally get called up for good, it’s going to become just as important as my stats.
Only, where Adriel fails—attitude, teamwork, humility—I intend to excel.
And I can’t help but believe that will get me further in the long run.
“Coach wants me to get him out of here, fast,” she says.
I saw them talking at dinner. I assumed.
“Can you?” I kiss the top of her head and let my eyes fall shut.
She doesn’t answer for nearly a minute, and I assume she’s fallen asleep, until finally she lets out a heavy breath.
“Maybe.”
And I know what that word really means. If Adriel does the work. If my brother earns it.
I fear he won’t.