CHAPTER 16
Sparks
“Hit me again,” she urges. A red blotch is already forming on her cheek.
She left me. Everyone leaves me. My breathing is labored and rapid, but I don’t feel like I’m getting any air. I clench my fists and look toward my ceiling, trying to calm myself down.
“Do it!” Astrid gets in my face. “Get it all out now because I’m not doing this anymore. After today, we’re going to be friends again and you’re going to like it. So whatever it takes to get out all of your pent-up resentment, now is the time.”
She stands still, jutting out her chin, a challenge in her eyes. This is stupid I know, but the first slap felt so cathartic. No, I’m not going to hit her again. She catches my eyes again, a slight nod. I swing without thinking.
She stumbles to the side, scrunching her eyes.
I feel as though a weight has lifted off my shoulders.
Astrid stands and strides to me. I brace for her to hit me back – it’s only fair – but she grabs my head in her hands and kisses me with a violent ferocity.
Stunned, I tense in her arms and push her off. She takes a step back, dejected.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Astrid says, crestfallen.
Something comes over me at that moment. She yelps as I roughly grab her t-shirt, pulling her lips to meet mine.
I force my tongue through the gap between her lips, feeling the edge of her teeth.
She clings to me as I hitch her thighs around my back, carrying her to my bed.
I throw her down on the mattress, caging her in by leaning on my forearms. Heat radiates from her body as my knee presses between her legs.
She squirms beneath me, flustered by my sudden shift of behavior.
“Do you want me to fuck you?” My voice comes out somewhere between lust and contempt. “I’m not going to be gentle and loving. I’m going to pull your hair and―”
In one fluid movement, Astrid wraps her legs around my waist and flips our position.
I slam onto the mattress as Astrid flings her shirt to the ground.
My shirt quickly finds a spot on the floor next to hers.
Her nails scratch against my bare skin as she holds my wrists above my head.
She kisses me carnally, driven by desire and need.
I hiss as she bites my lip before moving to leave a hickey on my collar bone.
I buck my hip to regain the top position, ripping off her jeans.
Two fingers plunge into her without warning.
She cries out at the sudden intrusion, arching her back.
I aggressively thrust my fingers in and out as I massage her chest. Once her breasts are free of her bra, I take a nipple in my mouth, pinching the sensitive flesh between my teeth.
She fists my sheets as her eyes roll back in delirious ecstasy.
“I hate you,” I seethe. “I can’t stand how stubborn you are. Your optimism borders on obliviousness. I feel like I’m always saving your ass from things that are your fault.”
“Yeah?” She retorts. “I hate you too. You’re selfish. You think you have a monopoly on suffering and depression? You’re only miserable because you’re scared to be happy. You―”
I force my lips onto hers, shutting her up momentarily as her words hit too close to home. Astrid sees through my plan and slides out from under me. She shoves my shoulders onto the mattress, her eyes flash with lust.
“There are better ways to keep me quiet,” she admonishes.
Astrid slides to the floor and nudges my legs apart. She drags her nails down my thighs, discarding my shorts and underwear at the same time. Her nail catches on my thigh and a single drop of blood dibbles down my skin. Jesus, that was so hot.
Nestled between my thighs, she demonstrates how to better silence herself. Moans escape my mouth as hers is focused on me. My hips rock, infatuated with the sensations coming from below. Astrid chuckles and pins me to the bed. Her breath tickles as she gasps for air before going back down.
While this is a fantastic use for her mouth, I think there’s slight room for improvement.
My foot guides her shoulder to the floor, and she lays on the conveniently-placed pillow I threw earlier.
Her neck cranes as I sink to my knees, hovering just out of reach.
I tsk as I weave my fingers in her hair and pin her to the ground.
She grins impishly as I straddle her face, slowly lowering myself onto my awaiting seat.
Her tongue eagerly lashes out, flicking at the most sensitive parts of my body.
I cry out as she nips at my clit, yanking her hair in retaliation.
She wins the battle as she sucks on that spot, swirling her tongue with malicious precision.
I brace myself as I grind on her, feeling closer and closer to climax.
“I hate you so much, you fucking bitch,” I groan, throwing my head back. “I seriously can’t stand you.”
Astrid speeds up her torment as my thighs clench.
The muscles in my stomach tighten as I cry out her name.
She pushes me over the edge, and I collapse onto the ground, panting.
But my work isn’t over yet. Too many incompetent men have left me unsatisfied, and I refuse to let any of my partners experience the same disappointment.
Astrid moves to get up, but I violently push her back onto her pillow. She’s going to climax, and she’s going to like it. I position myself between her legs, hooking one over my shoulder for easier access. Astrid tugs at my hair, craving release. I can make that happen.
I go to work, fingering, licking, nipping where it garners the biggest reaction.
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since Astrid was in my arms, I could never forget how to draw out her little gasps and moans.
Within minutes, her gasps have turned to screams. Her legs twitch as she nears her peak.
Her breath catches in her throat as I send her over the edge.
Panting, I lay down next to her. Sweat glistens on her bare chest, and for a moment, I allow myself to appreciate how beautiful she is. Her lightly tan skin, her toned stomach, her tousled hair. I force myself to look away before she notices my gaze.
“I still hate you,” I mumble.
“Didn’t feel like it two minutes ago,” Astrid teases.
“I’m serious.” I turn my head away from her. “This doesn’t change anything.”
“You’re not allowed to hate me.” She rolls onto her stomach, propping herself on her elbows. “Remember? You were supposed to get everything out of your system. We’re friends now, like it or not.”
I huff and cross my arms. Astrid slides a finger along my bicep.
“Do you need to go another round?” There’s a hint of sincerity behind her condensation.
“...yes.”
And so, we undergo another tour of each other’s bodies.
By the end of the night, we both have new bruises and scratches decorating our limbs and torsos.
Astrid goes to leave but is surprised when I pull her under my covers, holding her against my chest while tracing little circles on her back.
I don’t know why I do. Maybe it’s because I miss having another warm body in my bed.
Maybe it’s because I miss the smell of her shampoo.
Either way, she doesn’t complain as she nuzzles into my shoulder and drifts asleep.
Astrid leaves early the next morning after saying goodbye to Licorice.
I’m sure she has to go man the cafe or whatever.
I go through my normal routine and try not to notice Derek’s disappointed glances at the hickeys on my neck.
He pushes me hard today, sprints on the treadmill, maxing out my weightlifting, and after all that, full out in the sparring ring.
“You won’t always be fighting boys,” Derek taunts, as one of his right hooks catches me a bit too hard. “You’ll have to fight men.”
I spit blood on the floor, staggering back to my feet. I barely have my blocks up when Derek barrages me with another string of blows.
“They’ll fight dirty,” he continues. “They’ll be bigger than you, stronger than you. You need to be smarter than them.”
Right now, it doesn’t feel smart to let Derek take out his aggression on me. I duck under his arms and dart to the other end of the ring, chest heaving from the exertion. My arms feel like lead, weighing me down. I fall to my knees.
“Stop,” I pant. “Time out, I’m done.”
“No, you’re not,” he scoffs under his breath as he ducks under the ropes.
“No more, Derek.” I stand, woozy. “I need to sit down.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He unwraps his hands aggressively. He’s never talked to me this way before.
“Are you punishing me for something?” I slide out of the ring and grab a bottle of water. “Is that why you’re pushing me so hard?”
“I’m pushing you hard because you need to focus.” He throws his hand wrap into his cubby. “I won’t always be there to protect you.”
“Is this about LaRusso?” I place my hand on his shoulder. “You’re safe, we took care of him.”
“This isn’t about LaRusso,” he snaps. “This is about how when faced with a decision, you always take the one that hurts you. It’s like you don’t have a bone of self-preservation in your body.”
“Are you mad about Astrid?” I laugh, bewildered. “We’re not together. I just used her for an orgasm. You’d be surprised how hard those are to find nowadays.”
“I told her to walk away.” Derek kicks over a stack of towels. “I told her to leave you the fuck alone, but she just had to dig her talons into you deeper. I’m going to kill her.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I get in front of Derek and wave my hands.
“Firstly, huge overreaction here. She and I are not together. We are not friends. Second, you have no say in who I fuck. Ground rule. Boundary. You stick your dick in whatever you want. I don’t care. But you can’t police who I sleep with.”
“Sure,” Derek scoffs. “It’s not my problem until you nearly set your bedroom on fire.”
“That’s not fair.” I recoil as his words hit deep.