Chapter 6 – Age 17 （before the incident）
CHAPTER SIX
Everleigh
Age 17 (before the incident)
Leah Kate - Fuck Up the Friendship
A shton’s tongue moved against mine as he held me close, flush against his firm body. His grip was tight against my waist, like he couldn’t get close enough.
Jameson cleared his throat, tapping his foot against the ground with false impatience. I laughed, pulling away from my boyfriend. Kash had an arm draped around Crystal’s shoulders who was glaring daggers in my direction, but I’ve grown to ignore her. She knew not to disrespect me in front of Ashton. He made sure of that.
“She’ll be fine,” Jameson groaned. “Now go.”
Ashton had a wedding to attend, and Jamie promised to keep me company in the meantime. His older brother was getting hitched and I didn’t want to intrude, despite how much he begged me to go. He kissed me again, a smile playing along the edges of his mouth.
“Leave your window unlocked.” He winked, taking a step back to put more space between us.
It didn’t matter how long we’ve been dating at this point; he still made me feel everything . I could never get used to his touch, his kiss, the warmth of his body. He made me feel things I never even knew existed. We’ve been dating for two years now, and it still felt like it hadn’t been anywhere near as long as it has.
“Okay,” I agreed, my heart smashing against my ribcage.
Crystal snorted with an eye roll before leaning into Kash. Even though the two of them were dating, she still looked at my boyfriend like he was the true prize.
Ashton took a step backwards toward his vehicle, his eyes glued to me. “I love you.” He always said it so intensely with this serious admiration in his gray eyes. He hated having to part from me and I shared that sentiment. We spent every single day together. It’s been like that since freshman year.
I laughed as Jameson moved in, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I love you, too. Now go.”
Ash hesitated but finally relented with a nod before turning on his heels and making his way toward his car. I watched as he slipped into the driver’s seat and started it. I waited until he was backing out of the school parking lot before I leaned into Jameson, reveling in his comfort.
Ash brought me to school today, so I didn’t have my car. Which was the main reason I got stuck with Jameson in the first place, but I wasn’t complaining. He had quickly become my best friend, and I did enjoy hanging out with him.
“You ready, Evie?” he asked, his warm breath feathering against the top of my head.
When I nodded, he let me go. He moved toward Kash, holding out a fist for him to bump before sliding a disgusted glance over at Crystal. He couldn’t stand her for whatever reason, but I was glad we had that in common. Once the guys were done screwing around, he led me to his motorcycle. His dad wouldn’t spend the money to buy him an actual car, so when the weather got bad, he’d either ride with me or Ashton since Kash typically picked up Crystal and he hated being near her.
I shouldered my bag as he moved to straddle the bike, kicking the stand down and using his weight to support it instead. Climbing on the back, my hands wound around his waist.
“Tighter,” he said.
I obeyed, tightening my grip around him.
“Tighter.” He said again, breathier this time, but in a playful way. I tightened my grip even more.
“Tighter,” he moaned.
I laughed, slapping him on the back of the head. “Screw off.”
His chest vibrated with his own laughter before he started his bike and took off, shooting out of the parking lot of the school. The wind whipped through my hair as we made our way onto the main road. My thin shirt flapped against my back while we rode, a calmness settling over me. I always liked riding his motorcycle. It made me feel so free and offered a rush of adrenaline that I couldn’t get anywhere else. He expertly wove in and out of traffic before slowing at the first stoplight.
We were pulling into my driveway way too soon for my liking and he killed the engine. He braced his feet on the ground, holding the bike in place to let me climb off. To my dismay, I did, running my hands through my hair to smooth it out.
He was behind me moments later, grabbing his bag out of the back compartment of the motorcycle and slinging it over his shoulder. He glanced around my empty driveway with a stitch between his brows.
“Briley had a game right after school,” I explained. “It’s out of town, so my family is heading there now.”
He nodded, but his throat bobbed like the thought of being alone with me wasn’t a good idea. We’ve been alone before. Kind of. I usually had a sibling here, or my family was asleep when he came, but we’d still been secluded.
“You don’t have to stay if it’s weird to you,” I offered. “I’m fine by myself.”
He hesitated before his charming mask slid back over his features. “Nah. Unless you try to seduce me, we’re good.” He grinned.
I scoffed. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” I teased. “Now come on.” I grabbed his hand, leading him to the front door. Once we reached the entrance, I dropped his arm and slipped inside.
I kicked my shoes off by the door and he did the same before we moved into the kitchen.
“Do you want anything?” I asked, rummaging through the cabinets for a quick snack. When I found a box of popcorn, I held it up with a grin, like I’d just won the lottery.
“Hell yeah. We can make popcorn and then I’ll watch you hide your face like a little girl while we watch a scary movie.”
I snorted in response. “I don’t do that.”
But it was a lie. I very much did do that. He was an asshole for pointing it out. He laughed, not caring to call me on my bullshit. I grabbed two bags of popcorn, popping one in the microwave before leaning against the counter.
Jameson stood a few feet away with his hands tucked into his pockets. His dark hair shined beneath the bright lighting. The electricity was usually off at his place, sometimes the water was too. Poor guy could never catch a break. So, when he needed to shower, he came to one of our places. My parents adored him as much as they did Ashton. They didn’t know a lot about his home life, but they’d seen the bruises, too.
When the popcorn was done, I grabbed it and slipped the second bag into the microwave in its place. I turned toward one of our many cabinets and reached for one of the large plastic bowls, but my legs were too damn short.
“Damnit,” I hissed, my fingers brushing along the edge of it. I tried jumping but that only made the counter dig into my stomach, shooting an uncomfortable sting through my abdomen.
Jameson laughed, coming up behind me. He was careful to keep his distance, but the warmth of his body still bled through my clothes. He reached over my head, grabbing the bowl before taking a step back. I whirled around, snatching it from him.
“I could have gotten it myself,” I lied.
He arched an eyebrow. “Yeah. I’m sure you could have.”
I shoved against his chest to put more distance between us, but he just laughed again, throwing his hands up in surrender. I moved back toward the microwave, placing the bowl on the counter beside it. Grabbing the bag of popcorn, I broke the seal and dumped it inside. When the other bag was done, I repeated the process and snatched a container of nacho cheese powder from our spice cabinet, sprinkling the orange substance all over the steaming popcorn.
Discarding the trash, we made our way back into the living room and settled onto the large sectional. I grabbed a throw blanket, placing it over both of our laps before putting the bowl on top of mine and reaching for the remote.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him staring at me. But I couldn’t even begin to decipher why. So, instead, I just pretended not to notice it and hit the power button on the TV that took up a huge portion of the wall before us. The lights were off, only allowing the sunlight to bleed in through the windows. He reached across me, taking a few pieces of popcorn before popping them in his mouth.
I scrolled for a while until we agreed on a movie neither of us had seen before. As most scary movies begin, it started out with some couple getting murdered mid-make out session.
“Amateurs,” he muttered, shooting me a boyish grin.
I rolled my eyes, but a small smile played around the corners of my mouth, too. I reached into the popcorn, grabbing a handful before dropping some in my mouth. We sat in silence for a while, watching the movie unfold as we both took turns grabbing popcorn. After a little while, I glanced over at him again.
“There are drinks in the fridge if you want some,” I offered.
He groaned, dropping his head back against the sofa. “But I’m so comfortable.”
“You’re such a child.” I laughed. “I can get you one.” I moved to stand, but his hand wound around my waist, pulling me back down onto the sofa. I didn’t think much of it because he’d always been a bit touchy feely. I think he needed it given his home life, so I never said anything about it. Ashton never seemed to care, either.
“Nah. I’ll get it when I’m ready.” He kept his arm around me even as I settled back into the sofa. His fingers brushed against the area where my shirt had rode up, his skin eliciting a series of shivers. Alarm bells resounded within my head, but I wasn’t even sure if he noticed that he was touching my skin and not my shirt. His gaze was fixated on the movie again, and when I glanced at the TV, I realized why.
The main character’s boyfriend was hooking up with her best friend, and it was graphic. They were naked, and he was thrusting into her in a dark secluded part of the house. Her head fell back as she moaned out in pleasure.
“I-I didn’t realize there was sexual content,” I admitted sheepishly.
“All good.” He shrugged, but his breathing had become deeper. His fingertips dug into my sides as he stopped running them along my bare waist. Like holding me there would ground himself somehow.
Suddenly, I was acutely aware of how inappropriate this had become. His arm around my waist, moans and nude body parts coming from the TV in front of us, his deep breathing filling the small space between us. Suddenly, I was thankful for the blanket covering our laps, because I was half tempted to look for an erection.
“Jameson,” I warned in a small voice, my words trembling more than anticipated.
He tore his gaze from the TV, directing his eyes at me now, but that felt even more intense. He slapped on one of his boyish grins. “I’m still a guy.” He laughed, lightening the tension. “It’s like porn but with a backstory.” He motioned to the TV for emphasis.
Relief filled my lungs at the knowledge that it wasn’t me he was interested in, but the naked girl on the screen. Huffing a laugh of my own, I relaxed, leaning my head against his shoulder. That could have gotten way too complicated way too quickly, and I wasn’t willing to lose our friendship over something so trivial. As the sex scene came to an end, he started rubbing his hand along my side again, which I found comforting.
The tension in the room had dissipated and we were finally getting to the scary parts. My heart thudded rapidly as the main character walked down the narrow hallway by herself, silence flooding the speakers. I watched with rapt anticipation as she moved along, and even though I knew what was about to happen, I still jumped when the killer jumped out of his hiding spot. Popcorn flew all over our laps and I buried my face in his arm.
Jameson’s body vibrated as he laughed at me, his hand dropping down to my hip from my sudden movement.
“You’re such a girl,” he teased.
“Fuck you,” I shot back, but it was muffled by his shirt. “Tell me when it’s over.”
He shifted in the spot next to me and with his free hand, he leaned over to grab some popcorn from the bowl, like he couldn’t bear to take his other hand off of me even though it would have been easier.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I slipped my hand beneath the blanket to retrieve it, holding it up in front of my face.
Ash
This shit is so boring without you.
A smile curled around the edges of my mouth as I worked out my own reply.
Everleigh
You’ll live.
Probably. What are you doing?
Watching a movie with Jamie.
He didn’t reply right away, and for a moment, guilt gnawed at me. Had I misread the signs before, and it actually did bother him? Ashton wasn’t typically the kind of person to shy away from his emotions. But Jameson was one of his best friends, so maybe he ignored it for his sake.
Oh yeah?
I worried, pulling my lip between my teeth, Jameson turning his head to glance down at my phone screen. When I looked at him, he just smirked and turned back to the movie, gripping me tighter, almost possessively. I wish I hated it, but honestly…it felt nice.
My fingers started moving across the screen again, a smirk of my own playing across my lips.
Why? Jealous ;)
Is he cuddling you again?
I snorted in response. Jameson had no shame. He’d do it regardless of who was around, and that included my boyfriend. He must have had immense trust for both of us to allow it, because if I saw him wrapped around another girl like this, I’d lose my shit.
His arm is around me.
Is your family there?
Nope.
You going to let him fuck you?
I bristled at that, alarm bells resounding through my skull.
What the hell, Ashton? NO!
Just checking. Would be kind of hot, though.
I swallowed thickly, not bothering to reply this time. Was he screwing with me? The only person I’ve ever been intimate with was Ash. I’d never even really considered being with someone else, but with that last text he sent, it made it kind of impossible not to.
“You good?” Jameson asked from beside me, making me startle.
I sucked in a sharp breath, not sure whether I should tell him or not. But I’d be surprised if Ash didn’t tell him himself considering they told each other everything. “He asked if I was going to fuck you and then said it would be hot.”
Jameson snorted, shaking his head. “That’s Ash for you. He’s always had a bit of a ‘sharing’ kink.”
I mulled that over for a few moments. “Have you guys shared in the past?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I’d only ever been with one girl before you guys started dating. But me and Kash shared sometimes before he got with Crystal.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say to that and turned my attention to the movie again. My heart was racing after my conversation with Ashton, and with what Jameson had said afterwards. A vivid image entered my mind. One of Jameson sliding in and out of me while Ash stroked himself to it. Fuck. And Kash. What would it be like to be fucked by him, too? Three sexy guys. But I shoved the thought out of my mind as quickly as it had come, knowing it would complicate shit. Things were fine the way they were. Jameson and Kash both ran through girls faster than anything and never paid them another thought. These guys were my friends, and it would kill me if they treated me like that. I wasn’t na?ve enough to think it wouldn’t alter our friendship.
So, I stopped thinking about it, and nestled into Jameson’s arm, reveling in the warmth his body provided. Kash was with Crystal, Jamie was a wild card, and Ashton was my boyfriend. It could stay that way. As long as I didn’t lose them.
After dinner that night, I made my way upstairs and took a quick shower before drifting into my bedroom for the night. I was about to turn off the light when a thud sounded from outside my bedroom window. My heart palpitated as I stared, the horror movie from earlier still getting under my skin. This was why I hated scary things. It messed with my head for days, or even weeks, afterwards.
When Ashton’s head came into view, a breath of relief fluttered past my lips. I’d already forgotten he planned on visiting me tonight. He pushed open the window and crawled inside, ducking so he didn’t hit his head. His feet made contact with the polished wood and then he straightened his posture, turning to shove the window back in its rightful place.
“You scared me, asshole,” I accused.
He shot me a smirk, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked toward me, pulling me flush against his body. “Fuck. You smell so good.”
Wrapping my arms around him, I buried my face into his pecks. He was freakishly tall, or maybe, I was just freakishly short. But I loved that I fit perfectly into his frame. Like a missing puzzle piece.
He shifted, moving his hand to lift my chin with the crook of his finger. Heat was blazing in those gray eyes of his and my legs were wobbling with desire. All day I’ve thought about Jameson and how he’d acted when we watched that movie. I’ve been friends with him for two years, and not once has he acted that way around me. Even if it was just because there was a naked girl on screen, there was no denying the way he’d tugged me against him, stroking his fingers along my bare side absently.
Ashton leaned down, placing his lips against mine. I still couldn’t believe that Ashton had a sharing kink. Anytime someone flirted with me at school, Ash warned them off me. Maybe he just wanted to share only with his friends.
As if sensing where my train of thought had gone, he pulled back, searching my gaze for a moment. “Jamie turn you on that bad, huh?” he teased.
I rolled my eyes. “No. He was acting weird today. Like…touching me more and wouldn’t let me get up.” I forced a laugh, but I was trying to understand it. It was almost as if he wanted me there for the sex scene. A chill swept through me at the thought.
He gave me a sheepish smile. “That might be my fault. I might have mentioned how hot it would be to have them fuck you in front of me. Kash won’t because of Crystal, but Jameson seemed interested in the idea.”
Shock punched through me, my head reeling at what he’d just said. It kind of made me feel cheap at the same time though. Someone for them to fuck because it would be hot, but then I’d be discarded like trash, and we’d go back to things like it never happened. I wasn’t the type of girl to have meaningless sex. It meant something to me.
I took a step back and moved to sit on the edge of my bed, knowing that if I didn’t, there was a chance my clumsy ass would trip with how weak my knees had become.
“You don’t want to.” It wasn’t a question. He could read me pretty well.
I sighed, glancing up at him. “You’re the only person I’ve ever been with.” I shrugged. “Maybe that means something to me. Plus, it would probably make things weird between me and Jameson if I did anything like that with him.”
“It wouldn’t. Jameson loves you. Maybe not like I do, but you’re one of his closest friends. If you didn’t mean anything to him, he wouldn’t come here all the time.”
I mulled that over for a minute before shaking my head. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to look at him the same way again.” I snorted. “Even if he didn’t make things weird, I might. Things are fine the way they are, right?”
“Of course. If you don’t want to, I’ll respect it. But you might want to be more firm with Jamie, because he’s a persistent little fucker when he wants in someone’s pants.” He smirked, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
The thought of having to tell Jamie to stop touching me, to tell him no, didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. I’d never had a problem with it, aside from the earlier stages of our friendship, but today he was more adamant. If I wasn’t with Ashton, I might have done it. But I wasn’t willing to be someone’s one-night-stand. Especially his. There was too much history there. We played video games, threw mud at each other like children, I’ve even started my period on his bed one time, and he had to clean the sheets. It was humiliating. But he didn’t act repulsed at all, and certainly didn’t look at me any different for it. He laughed it off.
I was lucky enough to just be his friend.