10. Memphis
TEN
Memphis
S he’s full of fear and doubt and worry. I can see it written across her face, but I also see indecision. She wants me, but she isn’t sure she can trust me. But there’s only one way to prove that she can, and that’s by being here every day. I’ll prove myself to her again, even if it’s the last thing that I do.
I reach for her and pull her against me, kissing her passionately without her answer. She doesn’t have to answer. I already know her answer. She wants me. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be kissing me right now. Instead of pushing me away, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls herself closer.
My hands move up and down her back as I give her everything I am with this kiss. I want her to feel it all: all my regrets about leaving her the way I did, all the love I have for her still to this day, and every promise I’ll ever give her. We will be together in the end. That’s all that matters. I won’t stop fighting for her. She just needs to see that.
I walk her back and press her against the door while my lips fall down to her neck, moving toward her breast. I push her jacket off her shoulders, and it falls into the floor before I reach for the hem of her shirt and yank it over her head. She doesn’t stop me; she just keeps bringing her mouth back to mine while I work to strip her down to nothing.
When she’s completely bare, I pick her up against me and set her down on the desk as I work my jeans down my hips. I’m already painfully hard and ready to push into her. My hands are on her hips, and I pull her closer to the edge of the desk as I guide her onto my dick. The moment we connect, she lets out a deep, throaty moan that makes me twitch inside her.
I wrap my arms around her as I thrust into her, our mouths never leaving the others. I move inside her with rapid thrusts, pushing her closer to the edge. Her muscles begin to tighten around me, and her breathing becomes labored. Little whimpers fall from her lips, making me work harder to push her over. The moment she explodes around me, her nails dig into my back, and her head falls backward, exposing her throat to me. As my hips keep moving, my lips find that sensitive spot on her neck, and I bite down gently, making her moans louder.
Seeing the reaction she has to my body pushes me over the edge with her, and I explode my inside of her with a deep moan. My hips start to slow as I ride out every last wave.
Once we’ve both calmed down, I remove myself for her and tuck my dick back into my jeans before bending down and gathering her clothes. As she dresses, I sit on the couch with my elbows on my knees. I run one hand over my head as my eyes lock back on hers.
“Do you have an answer now?”
She bites her bottom lip. “Want to stay the night at my place?” She pulls her jeans back up her hips.
I smile and nod. “Let me lock up.”
I wake in the morning with a smile on my face. Her warm body is pressed against mine, and her heat is sinking into me. My arms are around her, keeping her close as I breathe in her sweet scent. Everything is perfect and exactly how it’s supposed to be. I was supposed to be right here all this time. Finally, everything is right .
Her dog jumps up onto the bed, and she stirs in my arms. He licks her face and she giggles.
“Okay, Noodle. I’m up.” She sits on the edge of the bed and looks back at me. “What time is it?”
I look at my watch. “It’s going on ten.”
Her eyes stretch wide. “Wow, no wonder Noodle is waking me up. He goes out at seven every morning.” She stands and stretches before pulling on some clothes. “Come on, Noodle,” she says, leaving the room to take the dog out.
While she’s out, I stand up and pull on my clothes before heading to the bathroom. When I come out, she’s on the couch with her computer on her lap. When she notices me walking into the room, she closes it and sets it on the table.
“Internet boyfriend?” I ask, taking the open seat next to her.
“I thought if we’re really going to do this, that I needed to call things off with him, but he hasn’t been online in over a week.”
“Maybe to him, there’s nothing to end.”
She nods. “Maybe, but just in case, I broke up with him anyway. If he ever bothers to log back on, that is.” She looks at me and forces a smile. “It’s Saturday. What are your plans? Do you work today?”
I rest my elbows on my knees. “Usually, I would, but today is the homecoming parade, and they’ve asked me to be on a float. I need to go home and see if I can find my old jersey.”
“Oh, hold on,” she says, getting up and rushing back to her room. A few minutes later, she back with my jersey in hand. She tosses it over, and I hold it up, looking at it.
“You still have this?”
She smiles and her cheeks turn pink. “I didn’t have the heart to get rid of it. I mean, I know it’s your jersey, but to me, it was a lot more. It held a lot of memories, you know?”
I nod my head and smile. “I’ll make sure you get it back after the parade.” I lean forward and give her a quick kiss.
“Really?”
“You’ve been the one taking care of it for all these years. It’s been yours longer than it was mine.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
“Why didn’t you go to college and play? I know you got a scholarship. At the time, I thought you turned it down to stay with me, but that clearly wasn’t the case.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I mean, football wasn’t it for me. I liked to play, but I played for fun, not because I loved it, not like most guys do. I didn’t want to just be known for one thing. I wanted to go out and find what I was passionate about.”
“And did you find it?”
I level my eyes on her. “Not for a long time. I kept looking and kept wondering why I wasn’t finding it. Then I realized that I had it all along. It wasn’t a game or a career. It was you.”
“That’s the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard.” She laughs.
“It’s not a line. It’s the truth. I thought I needed more, needed to be more, that more was expected of me. Then I realized that everything I needed, everything that’s really important in life, I already had…and left.”
“You’re really not leaving this time?” she asks, her eyes filled with worry.
I raise my hand and place it on her cheek, forcing her eyes to mine. I shake my head. “I’m really not leaving this time.”
Her smile breaks free, and she closes the space between us with a hug and a long kiss.
I head back to the house and I shower, shave, and get ready for the parade. I pull on my old football jersey, and it fits like a charm. Leaving my room, I find my mom already gone. I wonder if she’s going to the parade. I drive through town to the starting spot for the parade, and I find the float I’m supposed to be on. It’s got a giant paper-mache football on the back. On the front, it says, “Class of 2010.” I climb up on the float and start talking with some old classmates, some of who only came in for this parade. Before the parade starts, the entire football team here from my senior year has gathered. It’s fun talking and catching up with everyone after being away for so long. We all make a plan to meet up tonight at The Place for drinks and to talk about old times.
The band starts playing, and the line of floats begin to move slowly forward. Someone shoves a bucket into my hands, and I look down to find it full of candy and beaded necklaces. It seems like the whole town has come out for this year’s homecoming parade. The float behind mine has today’s football team on it, and they’re loudly cheering as we drift down the road. It’s hard to believe that ten years ago today, I was right where they are. I look back and see the cheerleaders walking alongside their float, shouting and chanting. I remember being on that float and looking down to find Jade cheering in her uniform. I’m pretty sure the whole time I was on that float, I had a massive erection. It’s funny how little things can cause all these memories to come flooding back, even though I haven’t thought of them in years.
We’re about halfway down Main Street when I look up and find Jade in the crowd, standing with Pearl and Blake. I toss them a handful of candy, then toss Jade the only beaded necklace that has tiny little footballs instead of rounded beads. She catches it, puts it on her neck, then smiles and blows me a kiss before waving like I’m her favorite person in the world. I see Pearl whisper something to her, and she smiles and nods. She looks content, and that makes me happier and more excited for the day.
By the time the parade ends, I’m out of candy and hopping off the float. Jade, Pearl, and Blake make their way over to me. Jade jumps into my arms, and I pull her against me for a hug with a wide smile. I set her on her feet just as Pearl and Blake walk up.
“A lot of people from my class are meeting up tonight at The Place. You guys want to go?”
They all agree to go, and we all walk over to the bar, which is already filling up with the townspeople. Blake snags us a table while I grab us all a round of drinks. I get a pitcher of beer and four glasses. Jade meets me at the table with shots for everyone.
She takes her seat and holds up her shot. “To us, just like old times.”
We all toast to that and toss back the liquid.