Chapter 26
Emerson~
B eing around Ramsey- without wanting to stab him in the neck -still felt a little surreal to me.
We’d spent all weekend going warp speed into our relationship, but I had expected nothing less. Ramsey had spent most of the weekend introducing me to all kinds of things that I’d never known about my body, and I had loved every single lesson. Still, in between bouts of aggressive sex, we had talked, and we’d spoken about things that we shouldn’t have spoken about, considering that we’d only known each other a couple of weeks.
Ramsey had told me all about his parents and their plans for his future, but then had proceeded to tell me about his plans for his future. He’d told me all about being groom from a young age to be cunning and ruthless. He’d actually gone so far as to begin to tell me all about his blackmail stash, but I had ended up stopping him. I’d already known that this town’s adults were crap, and that their children weren’t faring any better; I hadn’t needed proof of it.
In turn, I’d told Ramsey about my father and mother, and all the years of abuse that we had endured. I’d even told him about how my upbringing had shaped the way that I felt whenever he touched me. I’d been completely honest, vulnerable, and open.
Ramsey had fucked me in the most brutal way after that particular admission, showing me that darker side of him. He’d done everything that he could to make me welcome his viciousness and not feel the shame that came with it sometimes.
I had also believed him when he’d told me how much he loved me. However, the mention of marriage this morning had thrown me for a loop. Granted, we were going full speed on this crazy train, but marriage? I was only seventeen-years-old, for Christ’s sakes.
I was already sitting down in fourth period when Deke took the seat to the right of me, then Roselyn dropped in the seat to my left.
“What the hell, Emerson?” she started in immediately. “You get attacked on Thursday, basically tell every student in school to go fuck themselves on Friday, then tell me you’re going to rest all weekend. And now, you show up arm-in-arm with the devil incarnate. What in the hell happened this weekend?”
“Ramsey quit pulling on my ponytails, and I stopped stealing his crayons,” I quipped. Deke chuckled next to me, and I suspected it was because he thought that was close enough to the truth.
Roselyn rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Emer, you gotta give me more than that.”
“He broke into my house on Saturday, then held me hostage until I gave in and professed my undying love for him,” I exaggerated, but not really.
She straightened in her seat as she said, “Now, that , I believe.” Then as she was opening her textbook, she whispered, “Just as long as you’re happy and know what you’re doing, Emerson, then I’m game.”
I smiled over at her because Roselyn was proving to be the best kind of friend. “Thanks.”
Deke shattered the near intimate moment when he snorted, saying, “Don’t act like Emerson’s the only person riding on her own personal crazy whirl ride.”
Roselyn leaned forward to look around me, then gave him some serious stink-eye. “Mind your own business, Deke Marlow.”
My brows rose. “Well, well, well…what’s this all about, kids?”
Deke mimicked Roselyn, leaning forward, so that he could look at her. “Just that Roselyn has her own closet full of dirty, private, little secrets. Don’t you, Linnie?”
I didn’t care what it was that I didn’t know. Roselyn had been nothing but a great friend to me, so I wasn’t going to let Deke intimidate her. “Leave her alone, Deke.”
His dark green gaze shot towards mine, but he just grunted as he righted himself back in his seat. I knew that something significant had just happened, but I didn’t want to push him. I also didn’t want to push Roselyn. If there was something that she didn’t want me to know, then I could respect that. Everyone was entitled to a little privacy.
The teacher’s voice turned our attentions to class, so nothing more was said. It wasn’t until the bell rang, and Deke silently got up, then walked out of class, that Roselyn finally spoke. “Sorry about that,” she mumbled.
I shook my head as I gathered up my stuff. “No need to be sorry, Roselyn,” I reassured her. “If something isn’t my business, then it’s not my business.”
“Emer-”
“It’s fine, Roselyn. It really is.”
I thought that’d been the end of it, but as soon as we exited the classroom, she grabbed my arm, then dragged me into one of the nooks that the design of the hallways created. “Ugh, fine,” she huffed dramatically. “Beat it out of me, why don’t you.”
“Uh…”
“What I’m about to tell you, no one else in the world knows besides Deke, Liam, and Ramsey,” she whispered, and I was blown away by the sheer fact that she shared a secret with Satan’s Trio.
This entire time, I’d been under the impression that Roselyn had hated the boys. “Okay, but, Roselyn, if you don’t want-”
She flapped her hand in my face, shutting me up. “It’s not that,” she said. “I trust you, Emerson. I trust you more than anyone else here. It’s just…” She trailed off, and I knew that whatever she was about to tell me was something big. My heartbeat actually started to turn into a hummingbird flutter.
“Roselyn, whatever it is, you’re my friend. That won’t change with whatever it is that you want to share.” I watched as Roselyn’s eyes darted around to everything but mine. She looked utterly embarrassed and…scared, I think. “Roselyn, I don’t want to know, okay. Whatever-”
Her big, beautiful, serious blue eyes landed on my grey ones, then she blurted out her secret with no caution or grace. “I sleep with Liam and Deke.”
I wasn’t sure how long I was silent for, or how many times my eyes blinked just staring at her, but after about seventeen centuries, I finally managed to ask, “Do you mean…that…that you’ve slept with both of them at some point?”
Her light, flawless, perfect complexion took on a rosy hue. “No, Emerson. I mean…I sleep with them,” she corrected. “As in I’m fucking them both, and sometimes at the same time.” Her voice lowered to a barely audible whisper. “Most of the time, it’s at the same time.”
Holy. Mary. Mother. Of. God.
I needed a moment, and she graciously gave it to me.
Finally, after that deafening pause, I asked, “So, you’re in a sort of ménage relationship with Deke and Liam?” Then I remembered the night that we’d gone to Club Pounce. “What about the guy you see over in Manotile? Nate?”
She had the grace to flush. “There is no guy,” she confessed. “Well, not a guy like that. Deke and Liam are the only boys that I’ve ever been with.” Then she damn near broke my heart when she asked in a voice full of shame and heartbreak, “Do you hate me? Do you think I’m disgusting?”
My shock notwithstanding, I wasn’t about to let my only friend believe such a thing. “Hell no, I don’t hate you or think you’re disgusting, Roselyn,” I rushed out. “I’ll admit that it’s not something I’m familiar with, but I don’t think you’re disgusting for it. Hell, I imagine a lot of girls would kill to be in your position. I mean, Deke and Liam are hot as hell.”
“It…” she sounded so shamefully embarrassed that her voice was breaking my heart. “It started during winter break during our junior year. It…Brandon was having a party, and I was in my bedroom, trying to mind my own business, then the door swung open, and Deke and Liam walked in.” She had my attention like free candy called to a toddler. “It started out all innocent enough…they claimed that they’d been looking for Brandon. They shut the door, made themselves comfortable on my bed, and then Liam pulled up the bottle of liquor he had in his hand. One shot led to many, and the next thing I knew, we were all naked in bed together and…”
All of my attention was focused on her story. “And…?”
“It was the most incredible thing that I had ever experienced in all my life. It was…was…they made it like…I wasn’t there to please two guys, two guys were there to please me, ya know.” No. No, I didn’t know. However, it sounded hot as hell. “They had worshipped me in a way that had trumped the horrible shame that I felt the next day.”
“What happened the next time that you saw them?” I asked, and I knew that my voice sounded raspy.
She swallowed before answering, “They came back over to the house that evening and flat out told me that I was going to be their girlfriend-which made no sense-and that the three of us were in this together. There were no rules about how we’d all be together though.”
“So…” I hated to bring this up, but I was curious. “I’ve seen them flirt with other girls before, Roselyn. Are you guys allowed to date other people?”
She gave me a small smile. “No. We’re…faithful- God, that sounds so ridiculous,” she groaned. “The flirting is their way to make sure that no one ever finds out about us. About me. Can you imagine how hellish my life would be if people here knew?”
She was right, of course. The jealousy would eat these people up, and she’d be in the same boat that I was in now. While I might be obsessed with Ramsey, I wasn’t blind. Deke and Liam were delicious in their own right.
“S…so, you don’t hate me?” she asked again. “Are you sure?” Roselyn gave me a wobbly smile, but I could see the sheen still coating her eyes.
I looped my arm around hers, then said, “Next girls’ night, I’ll tell you all about Ramsey’s eight inches if you tell me what it’s like to be worshipped at the same time by the likes of Deke and Liam.”
This time, her smile was genuine, and her face relaxed tenfold. “Deal,” she laughed, then we separated, heading towards our lockers.
When I turned the corner, I saw Ramsey leaning against his locker, waiting for me, and I was about to make his day. Even though threesomes weren’t for me, Liam and Deke were scorching hot, and imagining what it must feel like when Roselyn was with them…well, it had me wet.
I walked up to Ramsey, dropped everything that I’d been holding, then wrapped my arms around him, kissing him like we were invisible.
When we finally broke apart, I was panting, and Ramsey was hard as steel. “Not that I’m complaining-because I’m not-but what was that for?” he asked, still holding me in his arms.
“Roselyn just told me about her, Liam, and Deke,” I whispered, making sure that only he could hear me.
Ramsey’s eyebrow twitched. “And that got you all wet and horny?” he asked. “You want to try a threesome, Emerson? A foursome?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” I started. “You’re the only guy that I want touching me, kissing me, and anything else, but…but the images in my head of how sordid their behavior is…”
Ramsey smirked, then leaned into my ear. “Is your pussy wet, baby? Do you need me to take you somewhere and fuck you?”
I whimpered, “Please, Ramsey…”
“Say it, Emerson,” he teased. “Say the words.”
I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck, then brushed my body up against his. “Let’s skip lunch,” I suggested. “Let’s skip lunch and take me somewhere, Ramsey.”
Without another word, Ramsey took my hand, then led me into an empty classroom.