Third Chances - Chapter 31
Daphne
All mine? He kept saying stuff like that, but it didn't feel like he meant it in the way I wanted. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. What am I doing? I just had sex with a complete stranger.
So why didn't it feel that way? I had never had a one night stand, so I had no idea how it was supposed to feel. But I was pretty sure it didn't involve holding hands and having lunch with the guy's friends.
I opened my eyes and looked down at Rob's legs.
They were really hairy. Why did I find that so sexy?
They were just legs. I tried to shake away the feeling that I was starting to latch on to him.
I couldn't afford to get my hopes up. I wouldn't do that to myself.
"Are you getting excited for your wedding, James? " I asked.
A smile spread across his face. "I think excited is an understatement. I've been waiting to marry this girl for two and a half years."
"Such a sap," Matt said.
The waiter placed a tray of burgers down on a nearby table with a dozen beers. I usually ordered burgers with just American cheese, but these burgers were piled high with all the fixings. And I almost never drank beer.
"That looks delicious," Mason said. He was the first to get up. "Not sure if this is up to Daphne's standards, though."
I was surprised when he handed the first burger and beer to me.
"Oh, thanks. I'm sure it's great." I was almost positive it was not going to be great, but I didn't want to be rude.
It was easy to wait patiently for everyone to get their food, because I wasn't excited to eat it at all.
I moved in the seat so that I was facing Rob.
He smiled. I liked this almost as much as having his arms wrapped around me.
"Aren't you even going to try it?" Rob asked. "Living is all about trying new things."
I hadn't realized that everyone else was already eating.
I was a little embarrassed that I had stormed into Rob's room rambling about not wanting to die before I knew what living was.
What did I even mean by that? I just knew that in that moment I wanted him to teach me how he lived.
And maybe I wanted to have sex with him. A little. I bit my lip. A lot.
He held out his burger for me. I had my own on my plate, but there was something sexual about him wanting to feed me.
"What's on it?"
"Everything a burger is supposed to have on it."
I laughed. "According to you."
"Sure, according to me. But you should listen to me, Daphne. I think I could make you pretty happy." He put the burger closer to my lips.
He was doing it again. Saying things that I was probably interpreting way wrong. Of course he could make me happy. Just seeing that grin on his face made me happy. He raised his left eyebrow.
I didn't want to say no to him. Not when he was looking at me like that.
I leaned forward and took a bite of the burger.
It was freaking delicious. I started laughing and put my hand over my mouth.
"It's so good." There were fried onions, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and seasonings I had never tasted before, and they all exploded in my mouth in the most wonderful way.
"Told you. Think about all the things you've been missing out on. You should probably stick with me." He winked at me.
"I might just take you up on that. What time are you guys leaving today?" I tried to ask as casually as possible.
"Around 5," Mason said. "I made Penny a promise that I intend to keep."
"And what promise was that?" James asked.
"That I'll have you back before midnight."
"Well, that was sweet of you to promise to return her kidnapped fiancé at a specified time."
"Psh. Kidnapped?" Mason laughed. "If we had really kidnapped you, we wouldn't have let you do whatever you wanted all weekend."
"Whatever I wanted? You wouldn't even let me call Penny. Rob had to sneak me out of the room before you guys woke up and I only got to leave a hasty message on her phone before all three of you came charging toward me."
He let James talk to her? I tilted my head to the side to look up at Rob. "That was really nice of you, Rob," I whispered.
"Why do you seem so surprised? I can be very nice." He leaned back, pulling me on top of him.
"I know." I tried to sit up again, but his arms were wrapped tightly around me. "Let me up." I squirmed and he started tickling me. "Rob!" I started laughing even harder as his fingers slipped under my shirt, tickling my stomach. "Stop, I can't breathe," I said through bursts of laughter.
This time when I pushed on Rob's chest, he let me sit up. The smile on his face was contagious.
"Let's play a getting to know Daphne game," Matt said. "Before they start having sex right in front of us."
"I'm not into public nudity like Rob is," I said.
Matt laughed.
"What does a getting to know me game entail?" I asked. I took another bite of the delicious burger. I really had been missing out.
"A heated round of never have I ever. If you've done something you have to take a drink."
I laughed. "I don't see how that gets you to know me."
"We'll just make statements about you," Mason said. "Like...never have I ever had sex with Rob." He laughed at his own cleverness.
I didn't have to be embarrassed about it. Rob had already sung about our sexual escapades to the whole pool. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the beer. It actually went pretty well with the burger.
"You like it, don't you?" Rob asked.
"It's okay."
He smiled. "It's okay to be wrong, you know." He put his hand on my shin. "Never have I ever ordered food like a dead chef who came back to life with the purpose of ruining every other chef's delicious dishes."
"Is that supposed to be me?"
"It is you."
I laughed and took a sip of my beer. "Fine. Never have I ever shared a bed with Rob."
James laughed. "In the least sexual way possible...I think the rest of us are all guilty of that." He took a sip of his beer.
Mason shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of his beer.
"In the most sexual way possible," Matt said and winked at me.
Rob choked on his bite of sandwich. "What? Gross, man."
Matt laughed and took a sip of his beer. "I was definitely kidding. However, I am not kidding about this. Never have I ever sucked cock."
I could feel myself blushing. "Why are you guys teaming up against me?
" I took a sip of my beer. I could see Rob staring at me intensely out of the corner of my eye.
Earlier he had said he wanted to see his cum dripping down my chin.
Apparently he hadn't been joking around.
I swallowed hard and my throat made a weird squeaking noise.
"Anxious for later?" Rob whispered.
I looked up at him. I did want to taste him. But I didn't have to answer his question, because James had one of his own.
"Never have I ever had sex at The Blue Parrot Resort."
"Lame," Rob said. He grabbed another drink from the tray and took a sip.
Matt and I also both took sips. I was glad to know that James and Mason were faithful.
Maybe that meant Rob would be too. Not that we were dating.
I really needed to talk to him alone. He was only going to be here for a few more hours and we had a lot to figure out.
How could I get him away from his friends?
By telling him you want his cum dripping down your chin.
I took a bite of my burger to try and stop thinking with my hormones.
"Never have I ever been a teacher," Mason said. "Wait, no, that's a lie. I've just taught people things outside of a classroom."
Matt laughed.
I wasn't sure what was so funny, or what on earth he was referring to.
"Let me clarify," Mason said. "Never have I ever been a teacher at a school."
James and I both drank. He looked a little sad after he set down his beer. Again I got the feeling that he still wanted to be a professor. I just didn't understand why he didn't realize it. I glanced at Rob. He was staring at James too.
Rob cleared his throat. "Never have I ever been in love." Apparently he thought that statement would fix it. And I did see a smile cross James' face. Mason and James were the only two to drink.
I had loved so much. And so much had been taken away from me.
I had never been in love, though. As much as I wanted it, I wasn't sure I could handle it.
The thought of putting my heart in someone else's hands was terrifying.
They'd probably just squash it. Rob would squash my heart.
It already felt like he was. I was getting attached and he had such a casual air about him.
He took showers outside because he hated how stifling a roof was.
Love was stifling too. I knew my love would be, because I'd be so scared of losing it.
I'd suffocate him. I needed to make this game fun again.
I needed to not think about Rob leaving in a few hours.
"Never have I ever had a threesome," I blurted out.
Mason laughed. "I'm probably the most guilty of that one."
"With the girl you're going to propose to?"
He shook his head. "No. I would never share Bee with anyone. I've just had a sensational past." He laughed again and took a sip of his beer.
James tried to discretely take a sip of his beer.
"You too, James?"
He looked a little embarrassed when he made eye contact with me. "That was way before I met Penny, although I would never refer to my past as sensational. More like a string of mistakes."
"So you've never had one with Penny?"
He laughed. "No. I'm known to get a little jealous. I'm not sure I could handle that. And I like to think that I'm enough for her. She's certainly enough for me."
How did his confession of having a threesome turn into something sweet? Penny must have a hard time winning arguments with him. He didn't play fair at all.
"I've never had one," Matt said. "Maybe we could experience our first time together, Daphne."
"Shut the fuck up, Matt. You had a threesome the night after Penny's graduation party," Rob tossed his empty beer bottle at him.
"I know because James and Penny wouldn't let me spend the night and I had to listen to you sloppily trying to please two women at once.
Or was it a devil's threesome? I can't quite remember. "
Matt laughed. "It was definitely two girls. And it was only because you passed on one of them. You were acting all weird that night. I wasn't going to leave one of them alone. Besides, you're not so innocent yourself."
I looked at Rob. He had a strange expression on his face. His empty beer bottle was laying on Matt's chair. "Did you take a sip?"
"I'm not sure if I have to answer that. You should have been paying attention."
"Just tell me."
He let go of my leg and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"It's not a big deal. I'm just curious."
Rob smiled. "Why, do you want one or something?"
"Not at all."
"Well good, I don't want one with you either. I only want you."
"That doesn't really answer the question."
Matt cleared his throat. "Never have I ever had sex with three women at the Blue Parrot Resort."
Rob took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He looked even more upset than he had last night when I had walked out of his room. He didn't have to take a sip. His demeanor completely gave him away.
I laughed awkwardly. "So, last night then?
" Really? I tried to take a deep breath.
We got in a fight and he went and had a threesome?
I had walked all over the resort crying like an idiot and he had had a threesome?
God, we were so different. How did I ever think there could be more than this weekend between us?
"No, it's not what you think."
I didn't want to stand up and storm off. I didn't want to give him the impression that I cared more than he did. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. I laughed again. "How could you possibly think you know anything about what I'm thinking? We don't know each other."
"Daphne, it was before I met you." He leaned forward and put his hand on my thigh.
Don't touch me. I tried to ignore the tingle his touch gave me.
"Yeah, sure whatever. It's fine." But it wasn't fine.
Had he had sex that morning right before he met me?
Why the hell was he so persistent then? Why hadn't he just left me alone?
I didn't need this. This was why I didn't do stupid shit without thinking.
"Never have I ever seen my brother happier than he was a few minutes ago," James said.
I looked over at him. I knew James was trying to help. But he didn't realize that what he said just reminded me of my brother. Of how Derek never got to be happy again. About how I couldn't even remember his smile without looking at a photograph.
I couldn't believe I had gone up to Rob's room with the idea in my head that I was going to tell him about my brother. Rob didn't deserve to know anything about Derek. He wouldn't understand. He couldn't understand because his brother was still alive. And James was a whole lot nicer than Rob was.
"That's very sweet of you to say." I gave James what was probably the most un-genuine smile ever. "It's actually getting kind of late guys. And I know you probably have some more stuff planned for your bachelor party. I have to get back to my friends too. They're probably worried about me."
"Can I walk you?" Rob said. His face looked so guilty. Or upset. Or I don't know, because I didn't know him well enough to tell.
"Don't you dare fucking follow me," I said quietly enough for only him to hear. "You got what you wanted from me. Just...please leave me alone." I stood up. "It was nice meeting all of you," I said without looking at any of them. I walked as quickly as I could toward the hotel.