Chapter 4 – Age 15
CHAPTER FOUR
Ashton
Age 15
Maneskin - I Wanna be Your Slave
I ’d officially asked Everleigh to be my girlfriend last night, and she agreed. I’ve been sitting in the cafeteria all morning, watching the door for her. She’d been on my mind all damn night, making sleep impossible. Finally, I’d gotten to touch her—to feel the warmth of her skin. Even if it wasn’t as far as I would have liked to go with her, it was enough. For now.
But fuck I wanted more.
To know what it would feel like to sink inside of her. To feel her clamp down on me as she writhed under my weight. My dick stirred to life at the mere fantasy.
The girl beside me shifted her weight, pressing her chest against my arm to get my attention. I glanced in her direction, groaning internally when our eyes locked. Her blonde hair fell around her shoulders in curls. Crystal Hopkins. I’ve had sex with her a couple times when there was nothing better to do. She was pretty, but she’d also already ran through a quarter of the guys soccer team.
“Are you going to the pumpkin patch this weekend?” she asked.
We lived in an average sized town, and there were tons of activities going on this time of year. My family was huge on holiday traditions and making the most out of everything. So, yes. I was going.
“That’s the plan,” I replied, swinging my gaze back to the door. She still hasn’t shown, and my stomach was beginning to twist with anxiety. What if she was already having regrets? Maybe she’d felt obligated to agree because of what we’d been doing.
Crystal’s voice had me turning to look at her again. “Maybe we could hang out there,” she suggested with a tilt of her head.
I thought about that for a moment. Crystal was one of my best friends. Yeah, the lines were a little blurred there, but I enjoyed spending time with her here and there. Maybe if she really got to know Everleigh, she’d like her, too.
“Yeah, sure,” I agreed. Maybe Everleigh would want to go, too, and they could officially meet. Maybe if they got time to hang out one on one, Crystal would actually view her as another human being.
She perked up at that, winding her arms around my bicep, clinging to me like she was my girlfriend. I shifted uncomfortably, torn between shoving her off me, and not knowing what to do. I didn’t want to be a dick to her.
As if fate decided to fuck me up the ass with a giant cactus, my gaze moved from Crystal to the entryway of the cafeteria. Right where Everleigh was now standing with confusion written all over her face, a stitch between her brows, and disbelief sparkling within her eyes as she stared right at me. She looked between me and Crystal for a moment before shaking her head, hitching her bag higher over her shoulder, and turning in the opposite direction.
“Shit,” I muttered, shaking Crys from my arm. She stumbled sideways, catching herself on the edge of the table.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
But I was already rising, hurrying across the room and darting in the direction I’d seen her go. Suddenly, I felt like an idiot. I never should have let her touch me. Even if it wasn’t sexual or wrong by my standards, it could easily be perceived that way. I shoved through a group of students, whipping my head back and forth to find her, but she was gone.
Sighing, I leaned against the nearest wall, running my hands through my hair in frustration. It wasn’t like there was a handbook on teen dating. All I knew was that I actually wanted her and didn’t want to mess it up.
When the warning bell rang, I made my way to first period, my head a mess. I slipped into a seat near the back, dropping my bag on the ground beside my desk. My math teacher was quick to take the front of the room, going over a quiz we’d taken recently. As she talked, my mind drifted back to the dark-headed girl I couldn’t stop thinking about even if I tried.
She probably hated me now.
My friend Jameson slipped into the seat nearest to me, propping his feet up on the basket beneath the desk before him. “Hey,” he greeted, shooting me a lazy smile. His eyes were rimmed with red, and the distinct scent of marijuana clung to his clothing.
We’ve been friends since grade school. He was the one person I knew I could count on for anything. His mom passed away when he was younger, leaving him with his piece of shit father. Because of their strained relationship, he’d often spend the night with me. Hell, the dude practically lived with me. My parents adored him, so it wasn’t an issue.
“Sup?” I replied, allowing my gaze to take in his disheveled appearance. His dark hoodie was wrinkled, his brown hair sticking up at all ends.
“Not shit. You tryna dip after class?”
I huffed a laugh, shaking my head. As tempting as the thought was, I needed to speak with Everleigh. I didn’t want her thinking that what she saw meant anything. It just looked bad. That was it.
“Nah. I have some shit to take care of. But if you do it, I won’t tell.” I smirked, knowing this was the last place he wanted to be. Home was supposed to be a sanctuary, but that wasn’t the case for him.
He thought about it for a moment before sinking back into his seat. “It’s cool,” he relented with a sigh. “Not much fun when you don’t have anywhere to go.”
“Have you tried asking Kash?”
He snorted at that. “Are you kidding me? He’s been up Crystal’s ass for months. He won’t miss an opportunity to see that bitch.”
I reeled back with surprise. I didn’t even know he’d been interested in Crystal. Then again, I’ve kind of been off in a world of my own lately. Guilt gnawed at me at that realization. Kash was our other best friend, and James was right. If Kash had a girl he was interested in, nothing would stop him from pursuing her. He’d take any opportunity he could.
“Crystal hasn’t shown any interest in him?” I pried as our teacher started passing out papers.
He shrugged. “Not sure. He hasn’t really talked about it other than to say that he wants to bang her.”
“Haven’t they already hooked up?”
He huffed a laugh. “Yeah, but apparently it wasn’t enough.”
She was an easy lay, but I haven’t tried to turn it into something serious. Maybe she preferred just being casual. Wasn’t anything wrong with that I supposed, but she did come on pretty strong. If she was treating Kash the way she did me, then she was leading him on. Simple as that. It was fucked up if that was the case. I’d have to dig deeper into it to make sure. Kash wasn’t good at casual, not when feelings were involved already—hell, I wasn’t sure anyone was.
Leaning back in my seat, my head spun with this new information. Suddenly, I felt like even more of a jackass for letting her cling to me earlier in the cafeteria. She’s been our friend for a while, but that didn’t offer her immunity to do whatever the hell she wanted at no cost.
My mind was still reeling by the time class ended and I trudged into biology. My thoughts immediately disintegrated when my eyes caught Everleigh’s from across the room. She was seated at one of the large round tables in the back. She quickly tore her gaze from mine, redirecting her attention to her fingers.
My heart pounded furiously as I made my way toward her and slipped into the seat next to hers. “Hey,” I whispered.
She shot me a weary look, confusion twisting her facial expression. She probably thought I was an asshole.
When she didn’t reply, I released a loaded sigh. “Look. I’m sorry. That wasn’t what it looked like.”
Her teeth sank into her lower lip, the sight doing things to my dick that should have been illegal. She was breathtaking. Even when she was mad at me. Even when she wore baggy T-shirts and hoodies with joggers and sweats. Being around her was an addiction in itself—one I wasn’t willing to let go of yet.
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” But I could tell she didn’t mean it—that she just didn’t want the confrontation.
“I’m being real with you, Everleigh. She had just grabbed me when you walked in. I was frozen for a moment, but I promise you, I don’t care about her that way.”
She hesitated, not willing to believe me that quickly, and I couldn’t even fucking blame her. “Was this just some kind of game to you?” she countered, disregarding everything else I’d said. “Because if it is?—”
“It’s not,” I replied firmly.
“I don’t know what to believe.”
I scooted closer to her, reveling in the floral scent of her perfume. “Then believe this,” I muttered, cupping her face in my hands. My lips came down on hers in the middle of class and I was thankful that the teacher was running late as usual.
She parted for me, almost like she couldn’t help herself. Even as the class erupted in shocked gasps and murmurs, she still kissed me back. My grip tightened around her, my tongue slipping through the gap in her mouth. The cherry flavor of her lip-gloss melted against my tongue and I fucking devoured it.
She pulled away, her skin flushed with embarrassment and desire as she turned her head. I watched the accelerated movement of her chest while she worked to catch her breath, and I couldn’t help but grin. Knowing I had that kind of effect on her was empowering.
“You’re crazy,” she murmured, turning to look at me again, but a small smile played around the edges of her mouth, and I counted that as a win.
“Hell yeah, I am.”
I moved my hand beneath the table, placing it on her upper thigh. My fingertips brushed along the smooth surface of her sweats. If she’d let me, I’d slip my hand beneath her waistband and stroke her pussy, but she already said she wasn’t ready yet, and I didn’t want to push my luck. My gaze drifted to her soft facial features, noting how she bit her lower lip when she was nervous. The skin was irritated and red as she chomped down on it, her attention fixated on the white board across the room. She knew I was staring; she could feel it. It was obvious in the rigid way she sat, the slowness of her breathing, and the slight flush on her porcelain skin.
I loved how inexperienced she was. I also loved how she’d banter back and forth with me when she thought it meant nothing. That was who she was. Not this small, meek thing. But when it came to her, I’d take whatever side she gave me. I just wanted her .
My fingers moved upwards on her thigh, the heat of her body radiating through my palm. Her throat bobbed with nervousness when she swallowed, and I could feel my own heart rate pick up at the mere sight of her reacting to me.
“Are you going to King’s Hollow this year?” I asked in a raspier tone than intended. King’s Hollow was a pumpkin patch with extra activities set up for all ages. There was a haunted house, a few bouncy castles, a place for face painting, the field for pumpkin picking, and a spot to get temporary tattoos. There were also food trucks littering the parking lot.
“Probably. We go every year.” Her gaze met mine. “Are you going?”
“This weekend.” I grinned. “Crystal invited me, but I was hoping you’d be there, too.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized it had been the wrong thing to say. A scowl captured her lips, and she shoved my hand from her leg. “Pass,” she hissed. “Look. If you have feelings for Crystal, maybe you should be with her instead.”
“Everleigh,” I warned.
“I’m serious. I don’t want to get pulled into some weird love triangle. Especially with her, of all people.”
A groan of frustration got lodged in my throat. My fingers twitched with the urge to touch her again, but knew she’d push me away just like before.
“It’s not like that,” I protested. “We’re just friends.”
She rolled her eyes, glancing away. Like she couldn’t stand the sight of me right now, and that bothered me more than I cared to admit. “So, you guys have never hooked up?” she challenged.
I hesitated but knew that lying at this point was futile. “We have in the past. It’s not like that anymore, though.”
“Friends don’t hook up with each other,” she countered. “Do you hook up with Jameson or Kash?”
I snorted in response. “I’m not a fan of dick.” I smirked.
Swallowing, she nodded. “Just go with Crystal. I’ll go on a different day or something.”
Why couldn’t she understand that Crystal was just my friend? Was she so jealous that the thought of me being friends with a girl while dating her was a deal breaker? Or was it simply because it was someone I’ve had sex with? I didn’t have time to mull that over, because our biology teacher stepped into the room fashionably late. Instead of taking the front of the room as expected, she sank down into the seat behind her desk, ignoring our existence.
Blowing out a breath, I turned to Everleigh again. “Will you just talk to me about this?” I pleaded. “Is there a reason you don’t want to hang out with her?”
She shot me an incredulous look. “Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several months, you already know the answer. She’s a bully, Ash. She hates me, and that feeling is mutual. Plus, you asked me to be your girlfriend, and when I came into school today, she was all over you. You didn’t even think to put space between you. That’s a red flag to me. Even more so since you’ve hooked up.”
The wheels were churning in my head, making room for the words she just uttered. On one hand, I was relieved that it didn’t have anything to do with her wanting to control me. But on the other, Crystal was one of my first friends here. I didn’t want to just drop her because I had a new girlfriend who may or may not work out.
I didn’t want to argue about it. I didn’t want to risk losing this so early on when I’d only just asked her to be mine. So, I leaned over after checking to make sure our teacher was busy doing other shit. My breath feathered against the side of her face, forcing a small gasp from her lips.
“I’ll eat your pussy if you go,” I whispered, trying to distract her instead of fighting.
Her gaze snapped to mine, warmth coating her cheeks from the blush that was now rising at my forwardness. “I-I…shit,” she stammered, unable to form words. Sucking in a sharp breath, she worked to calm her racing heart. “What if I’m not ready for that?”
I shrugged, a smile curling at the edges of my mouth. “Then I’ll do anything you want me to.” My hand moved back to her thigh. “I can make you feel good again.” I breathed, slowly working my fingers toward her heat.
As soon as my fingertips breached her crotch, her hand came down on mine. “We’re in class,” she warned in a breathy tone, her eyes now dilated with desire.
I shrugged. “No one will know. Unless you’re loud,” I teased.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, an emotion flickering across her face that I couldn’t quite decipher. Only yesterday she told me she wasn’t ready for me to touch her there. So, I wasn’t confident that she’d let me now. But she did look like she wanted it.
When she didn’t respond, I continued. “Can you be quiet for me, Everleigh?”
Her hand loosened around mine, but I don’t think it was intentional. She could tell me to stop if I did something she wasn’t ready for, and a part of me didn’t want to finger her anyway while being in a room full of people. However, it would be hot as fuck. So instead of reaching for her waistband, I allowed my fingers to graze over her pussy through her clothes.
Her breathing deepened as soon as I made contact, and I used that as motivation. I applied more pressure, making sure she could really feel it before working my thumb up and down across where I knew her clit would be. I’ve only been with three girls, but I’ve had sex enough to know what to do. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with the pleasure I provided, and my dick was straining so hard against my jeans that it ached. Fuck. I wanted her so damn badly.
I wanted to know what it felt like to be inside her. I wanted to hear those sexy whimpers and gasps of pleasure from her.
As if my mere thoughts stimulated something inside of her, she clamped a hand over her mouth as my thumb flicked over that sweet spot between her legs. Her other hand came down on my wrist, but she didn’t try to remove it. She just held it there, allowing me to continue. If anyone looked over here, they’d probably be able to assume what was going on. Her face was flushed, her pupils blown wide, and her breathing was erratic.
After a few more movements with my fingers, she gasped. Her body started convulsing so fucking hard, I wondered if she’d ever had an orgasm before. That thought turned me on even more. Once she slumped, her hands moving to the edge of the table, I removed mine from between her legs. She was breathing hard, embarrassment flashing within her light brown irises.
“That was so hot,” I muttered, squeezing her knee in a reassuring way, to let her know she had nothing to be ashamed of.
She glanced over at me with uncertainty. “I-I’ve never…”
She didn’t even have to finish that sentence. I knew what she was trying to say. “Goddamn,” I growled in a low tone. “I want you so bad.”
She huffed a laugh and glanced away, her nerves getting the better of her. But it didn’t matter. Eventually, I would have her. She just needed to say yes. I could be patient. For her, there was no alternative. If she made me wait a year, or even two, that was fine.
Anything for her.