Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
HARPER
F ocusing on school has been so hard the past few weeks, and I know my grades are reflecting it. Which is why it’s not a surprise that one of my professors calls me up at the end of the class. I glance out the door and see Cy watching from the hall.
“Harper, do you know why I’m calling you up here?” Dr. Andrews asks.
“Yes.” My nose burns with shame. “My grades are down.”
“Do you need a recommendation for a tutor before finals? It’s against school policy to offer extra credit, but I know you’ve been dealing with stressors outside of the classroom.”
“I’m so sorry. A tutor would probably help.”
“Don’t apologize.” He scrawls out a name and email address on a scrap of paper. “She’s great and very knowledgeable on this class specifically as she used to be my TA.”
“Thank you, Dr. Andrews.” I take the paper.
“Have a nice day, Harper.”
I wave over my shoulder as I exit the class. Cy pushes off the wall and crosses the hall to get to me. Concern bleeds from his eyes as he looks me up and down as if I was assaulted by my professor or something.
“What did he want?” Suspension lingers on the fringe of the question.
“To offer me a tutor since I’m doing so poorly in the class.”
“Seriously? That bad?”
“Yeah.” I pull my jacket closer as we walk out of the building. “I’m not that smart, you know? It was probably a mistake for Cillian to pull strings to get me admitted at all.”
Cyrus grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop. “Nope.” He shakes his head. “We’re not doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Talking down to ourselves. You are smart. You do deserve to be here.”
I shake my arm free and keep walking. I don’t want to argue, and I don’t believe his words. Thankfully, he lets me walk a few steps ahead of him, knowing I need to work this out on my own. It’s one of my favorite things about Cy, the way he gives me space.
It feels like he just instinctively knows what I need. He’s never afraid to give me the time or space I need to think. That quality is what has made our relationship effortless to fall into. He immediately felt like my boyfriend.
Wait.
My boyfriend?
I stop in my tracks, taken aback by my train of thought. We haven’t had any type of discussion about titles or being officially together. Is it okay that I just assigned him the role of being my boyfriend?
“What’s wrong?” He stands protectively at my side, scanning our surroundings and ready to protect me.
“Are you my boyfriend?”
He blinks. “Huh?”
“I was just thinking about how everything always feels so natural with you. How you instinctively understand my moods and what I need. Then in my head I called you my boyfriend. It feels like a foregone conclusion, if I’m being honest. But I don’t know if that’s what we are. We have sex. We cuddle. We run together. We live together. But are we more? I don’t know. It felt presumptive to just give you that title like that.”
He puts a finger over my lips to stop my babbling. “You bet your perfect little ass that I'm your boyfriend. I want to be your everything, asteraki mu.”
“ What does that mean?”
“My little star in Greek.”
Butterflies take flight in my stomach. “I love that.”
“I love—” He pauses. “I love that you love it. It fits you so well.”
“I wish I could kiss you right now.”
We’re on the quad with dozens of people walking around us. I wouldn’t feel comfortable kissing any of the guys out in the open like this, at least not yet. Some people still give me sideways looks because of the video.
“As soon as we get home.” He winks at me.
“Have you guys figured out who put the video out yet?”
The question erases the happiness from his eyes. “Not yet, but we have it narrowed down. We’re just waiting for confirmation from Declan’s cousin.”
“Will we have to make a police report?”
He slants his eyes over to me like I just asked if the sky is green. “No. We’re going to handle it on our own.”
“Without violence?”
He takes my helmet and puts it over my head without answering, which is all the answer I need. I’ll talk to Emerson about it. Cooler heads will hopefully prevail. Declan and Cy throw punches first, at least one of them acts rationally.
He gets on his bike first and then I climb on behind him. I rest my helmet against his back while he pulls out onto the road. As soon as we’re away from campus, he slides a hand over my thigh in a teasing caress. He knows what he’s doing; I’ve told him before how much I love it.
In an uncharacteristically bold move, I move my hand down his stomach and underneath his hoodie. His abs clench as I run my nails softly along the waistband of his jeans. Back and forth I tease him. My fingers slide under the denim when he shifts his weight, making it easier for me to maneuver my hand. I can feel his breath hitch as I work my way down to his tip and find the piercing that drives me absolutely wild with pleasure.
The way he grows firm from my touch makes me feel heady with power. Just knowing I can bring this gorgeous, strong man to his knees makes me feral with need. I wish I could slide around to his front and ride him right now.
He pulls right into the garage and closes the door behind us. His helmet flies off before I can even pull my hand free from his pants.
“You have twenty seconds to get off, strip down, and bend your pretty little ass over my bike.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I swing my leg over while balancing against his shoulders. He pulls my helmet off gently while I start pulling my clothes off. By the time I’m naked and at his mercy, he’s dropped to his knees behind me.
“Rest your forearms on the seat.” He taps the inside of my ankle, instructing me to widen my stance. “Good girl,” he says as I do what he wants.
Heat floods my body with the praise. Those words always used to chafe at me, but now I want to hear them every day. At least when he’s the one giving them to me.
“Do you want to learn how to take us in your ass? So that one day we can fill all your holes at once?”
My core clenches in excitement. “Yes.”
“Good.” He strokes my slit. “I’m going to start playing with your ass. I won’t put anything inside you yet, but I am going to touch you here.”
I feel his fingertip circle the tight hole ever so gently. It feels so forbidden, so taboo. I swear I’m so turned on, I’m probably about to drip on the floor. I don’t know how much more teasing I can take. Then I feel the hot, wet heat of his tongue tracing the same circle his fingers were just exploring.
It’s so foreign, such a taboo feeling that my entire body feels aflame. I drop my head to the leather of the seat while Cy feasts on my body. His fingers circle my clit while he trails light kisses from my ass to my entrance. I gasp as he thrusts his tongue inside me, his piercing drags along my walls. I reach back and cover his hand where it grips my hip while I arch back against him. He links our fingers and uses his other hand to reach up and pinch my nipples.
“Fuck.” I moan the word just loud enough for him to hear if his answering groan against me is anything to go by. “I’m going to come.”
His fingers drop from my nipple and begin to circle my clit. All while he continues to fuck me with his tongue. Pressure builds deep within me as he drives me higher and higher to the peak. The second he switches his fingers and tongue I explode with an orgasm that leaves my knees weak. I’m soaked from his mouth and my release.
My walls are still trembling when he stands behind me, dragging his length through the mess between my legs. I don’t have a moment to come down before he’s thrusting inside me. Each glide rocks me forward, my breasts swinging free beneath me.
He lifts one of my legs, placing my knee on the seat behind me and leaving me wide open for him.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous.” His hands run over my ass, kneading and separating my cheeks. “So perfect. Hold on tight, baby. I’m going to fuck you harder than you’ve ever been fucked.”
My walls flutter around him at his words, pulling a deep chuckle from his chest. Then he pulls back and rushes back in. This position allows him to get so much deeper. He stills to let me adjust to the feeling.
“You good?” he asks, his voice strained.
“Yes, hard as you need.” I look over my shoulder at him, and damn, I wish I could take a picture of him. A piece of his dark hair has fallen free from his bun, covering the side of one his eyes which are nearly black in the dim light of the garage. It doesn’t stop them from burning through me with desire. “I want you unleashed.”
My words release him from whatever chains he was holding himself back with. I feel every single inch of him as he moves inside me. His apadravya hits the perfect spot with each thrust. His breaths become ragged as I whimper in pleasure.
My nails dig into the leather beneath me as the first wave of my orgasm crashes over me. My walls clamp around him over and over as I come. He wraps his hands around my waist and pumps inside me even harder until he joins me, his cum fills me as my pussy continues to flutter with aftershocks of bliss.
“I’ve never wanted an attached garage more in my entire life,” he mumbles against my back. “Fucking Declan and his need to have the most gothic house in the fucking state.”
He pulls out of me with a groan and proceeds to clean me up with his own shirt. Then he helps me back into my pants and shirt, shoving my bra and underwear into my backpack. Before I can slip on my shoes, he throws me over his shoulder and starts jogging into the house.
“I’m not fucking done with you yet.” He slaps my ass hard enough to sting, but I can’t stop the giggles from coming.
“So if they win this game, they go to the championship game?” I ask Cy as I sit down beside him in the stands.
“Yes.”
“And that’s in Atlanta?”
“Yes.”
That’s perfect. Maybe Banks will be able to come and watch it. I’m not worried about them not winning. They’ve only lost one game this season. I can feel the win coming already.
Cillian and Mom are on their way to this game, so are Emerson’s parents. I feel two hands come down on my shoulders and turn to see Saylor and Lou and sit down behind us. We exchange hellos and watch the team go through warmups.
Declan and Emerson both look fully locked in. They’ve waved at us in acknowledgement, but that’s it. It’s incredible to watch the two of them in their element. Even as a spectator, I can tell that so many of the guys look to them for leadership on the pitch.
“Hello sweetheart.” Mom’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.
“Hi Mom.” I turn and stand up, wrapping her in a hug. “Hi Cillian.” I hug him next because even though I haven’t spent much time with my stepfather, I know how protective he is of my mom. I’ll forever be indebted to him keeping her safe and coaxing happiness back into her smile. “How was your drive?”
“Uneventful, just how I like it.” Mom settles onto the bench seat behind me. “How has school been going?”
“I’m doing okay. I’m going to have to pick up a tutor for one of my classes.” I hold my breath and wait for her response. Mom was never cruel like my father used to be, but how much of his ideology rubbed off on her? Does she think it’s stupid that I’m even trying? Is she going to get mad at me?
My thoughts must be easy to read for her because she gives me a sad smile. “It’s okay to need help, Harper. You’ve gone through a lot the past couple years.” She shakes her head with a bitter laugh. “Longer than that actually. I don’t care what you have to do to succeed and achieve your goals.” She runs her hand over my hair. “I just want you to be happy and surrounded by love. It’s all I care about.”
I cover her hand with mine and smile up at her. “That’s all I want for you, too.”
More than a mother-daughter bond, she and I have a survivor bond. We experienced the lowest and darkest days together. I can only believe it has to be similar to the bond soldiers have when they go through battle together. Because life with my father really felt like an endless war.
I turn back around to stand and watch as a woman comes out to sing the national anthem. Goosebumps race across my flesh as she begins, not because she’s good, but because it feels like someone is watching me. I hold completely still throughout the length of the song as the hair on the back of my neck rises. When everyone goes to sit down, I glance around the crowd beside me, wondering if my stalker is here or if I’m just all in my head from thinking about my father.
I’m probably just being paranoid. Thoughts of my father still work their way into my psyche and mess with me. That has to be what this is. I drag a deep breath through my nose and blow it out through my mouth. Nothing is going to happen to me here, surrounded by friends and family. I’m safe. Not to mention the bodyguards lurking behind my mother.
The opposing team gets the ball first, but it only lasts for seconds before Emerson steals the ball and passes it to Declan. He takes it down the field and passes to one of the other guys on his team, but the ball is stolen again. The entire first half of the game goes by without a score. I can see the frustration on Declan’s face, but Emerson remains calm and centered as they run off the field for halftime.
“I’m thirsty,” Saylor says to me. “Want to go get a drink?”
“Yeah.” I look at Cy, who is busy speaking with Cillian. “Do you want anything?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No.” I put my hand on his arm. “I’ll be fine. I’m going with Saylor and Lou. Plus, this place is crowded, no one’s going to try anything here.”
I’ve basically managed to shake off my earlier unease. It was probably because of thinking about Dad and being uncomfortable about telling my mom disappointing news. I’m over it now, there’s no reason for him to follow me around today, especially when I’m not actually going to be alone.
He opens his mouth to say no, but I shake my head and squeeze his hand. “You can trust me.”
The words do the trick, and he gives me a hesitant nod. I’m sure he’s worried, but he also doesn’t want to stifle me. It’s one of the reasons I look to him first in moments like this. Emerson and Banks are both more inclined to follow me everywhere. Declan would handcuff me to him if he could. Heck, he’d probably tuck me inside his body if he could.
Cy is different, though. He wants to protect me, but he also wants me to feel like I’m free. I think he can sense my desire to not feel caged, especially now that I’m out from under my father’s thumb. It’s something I treasure about him. Deeply. He’s my kindred spirit.
I link my arm through Saylor’s while Lou cuts a path through the crowd. She tells us she’s going to use the restroom while we wait in the concessions line. I let myself relax as people mill about around us. No one is going to try anything here. There’s security and cameras everywhere.
A few people bump into me as we work our way up the line. Most of them are apologetic and mumble sorry or excuse me . But some are rude, like the guy who bumps into me as he walks straight through the line.
“Watch it,” Saylor yells at his back while she steadies me. “What a dick.”
“He’s definitely on a mission.”
“A mission to be an asshole.” She rolls her eyes. “Fucking men.” We step forward in line. “But speaking of men, are you getting excited for fall break?”
“Yes. I’ve never been on a yacht before.”
“Have you been to Europe?”
“Only to France. My mom’s sister has a house just outside of Nice. Have you been?”
She nods. “I’ve been all over Europe. I loved Greece, though, I’m sure it’s going to be amazing.”
Our conversation is interrupted when we get to the counter to order. I get a Diet Coke for me, a Coke for Cy, and a pretzel for us to share while Saylor orders for her and Lou. Lou joins us as soon as we walk away from the counter and that same feeling crawls up my back again. I glance over my shoulder and search through the crowd, but no one stands out as suspicious.
“What’s wrong?” Lou asks, immediately clocking my uneasiness.
“Just felt like someone was staring at me.” I force a smile. “It’s probably my imagination.”
Lou and Saylor both narrow their eyes and look around at the people in the crowd. I decide to just push past the discomfort and walk back out to the stands. There’s no reason to ruin the day by being paranoid. I’m absolutely not going to say anything to Cyrus.
The second half starts with a bang, Declan takes the ball all the way down the pitch and scores a goal. That play seems to awaken the team and two more goals are subsequently scored. The semifinal ends with Trinity taking the match three nil.