“WHAT’S WITH ALL THE FUCKING SECRETS AROUND HERE?!”
“WHAT’S WITH ALL THE FUCKING SECRETS AROUND HERE?!”
Jess
“See! You’ve got it,” Cassie encourages right as I lean back too far and bust my ass. The longboard jets out from under my feet and races down the sidewalk as Cassie cringes. “Well, you’re getting there.”
“I don’t think falling eight times within one hour means I’m getting there,” I volley, wincing as I lift my sore ass off the concrete. I chase down my board as Cassie rides smoothly beside me, like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
“It just takes time. You’ll get it.” She hops off her board and stomps her foot on the back end, popping it up and tucking it under her arm.
As we walk, I continue rubbing my ass. I was serious during rush when I told Cassie I wanted her to teach me how to ride, but I didn’t think it would be this difficult.
Then again, I’ve never really been active in any capacity other than catching cycling and Zumba classes at the gym, so it doesn’t really make sense that I thought I’d be a natural.
I guess I just thought my experience riding other people – er, things – would come in handy.
“So, you excited about your first semi-formal?” I ask Cassie as we walk.
The sun is fading over the campus, casting it in a soft orange glow.
Her hair looks even redder in this kind of light and my appreciation for it grows with every passing minute.
I feel like there are too many blondes in the world.
I’d love to be a redhead – to stand out the way she does.
“Yeah, but I don’t really know what to wear.”
“It’s kind of like high school. Remember how you got kind of dressed up for homecoming, but really decked out for prom? Well, semi-formal is homecoming, formal is prom. Just get a short, sexy dress and do something nice with your hair and makeup.”
Cassie sighs. “I need to go shopping.”
“Oh! I want in. Let’s get the girls to go later this week.”
“Deal. Speaking of which, who are you bringing with you?”
My stomach drops at her question, which doesn’t make any sense because it’s an easy enough one that I already have the answer to, but for some reason my mind immediately snaps to Jarrett. “I think I’m taking Matt.”
“The O Chi president?” I nod. “Well, looks like we can be twinzies.”
“Wait.” I halt, grabbing Cassie’s arm. “Are you taking Clay? Holy shit. You like him, don’t you?”
Cassie’s face screws up. “I don’t know. Maybe. He’s nice.”
“Nice enough to take you home and bang the shit out of you on Halloween?” I waggle my brows and Cassie’s face turns crimson red.
“Uh, no. I mean, I went home with him for a while but… we didn’t… do… it.”
“Oh? What did you do?”
Cassie covers her face with her hands and starts walking again.
“Oh my God! Spill!” I jog to catch up with her and she mumbles something into her hands, but I can’t make it out. “What was that?”
“He went down on me.” She says the words just above a whisper even though we’re the only ones on this path.
“He ate you out?” I say louder. “Well damn, get it, Cassie!” She shushes me and I just laugh. “You should be proud. Why are you acting like it’s a bad thing?”
“I didn’t really like it, to be honest. And I think he expected… more.”
“Ugh,” I groan. “I hate when they don’t know what they’re doing down there. It’s like, why even make the effort if you’re just going to slobber and make a mess without getting me off?” Cassie blushes and looks down at the ground, which makes me laugh. “Sorry. I’m kind of crass, aren’t I?”
“I’m just not very experienced in this kind of stuff.”
I pat her shoulder with sympathy, leaning in a bit. “It just takes time. You’ll get there,” I tease, repeating her encouragement about me on the longboard. She smacks at my arm but misses as I drop my board and hop on it, speeding down the sidewalk.
“How’s my carving?” I call out behind me, my eyes on my feet as I shift my balance from my toes to my heels.
Cassie yells something back at me but I don’t hear it.
My speed is picking up faster than I anticipated and I realize I’m on a hill.
Before I have the chance to jump off or correct it, I slam hard into what feels like a brick wall and bounce back off the board, crashing to the ground.
I groan, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain already throbbing in my skull. When I finally lean up on the heels of my hands and squint to see what I hit, I immediately regret it.
“Well, fuck.”
Jarrett reaches down and helps me to my feet, steadying me as I try to gain my balance again. Just having his hands on my arms sends flashbacks of Halloween parading through my memory and suddenly it’s not just the fall that’s making me feel disoriented.
“Are you okay?”
“Peachy,” I remark, snatching my board from the ground. The quick motion of bending over and standing upright again sends me spinning and Jarrett’s hands find my waist to steady me again. “My phone on the other hand, not so much.”
At that, Jarrett’s lips twitch into a devilish smirk. “It was a necessary casualty.”
My heartbeat quickens and my mouth feels like I swallowed cotton.
I know Jarrett can sense it. He feels my nerves.
He can feel me trembling. I know, because he’s smirking wider now, his dark eyes hooded in a mixture of lust and amusement.
When he bites his lower lip and drags his teeth along the tender flesh, my eyes flutter closed before I realize what I’m doing.
“I can buy you a replacement, if you’d like,” he adds, but he says it huskily and I know it’s on purpose. “We could go to the mobile store on campus after class Wednesday.”
“It’s fine,” I say, snapping out of my trance.
“It’s already being fixed.” Why is my voice shaking?
Why am I staring at him like he’s stark ass naked instead of fully clothed in a tight gray t-shirt and basketball shorts?
Wait… he’s wearing basketball shorts? My eyes fall lower and I can clearly see the outline of him straining beneath them.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
Really? Like really?
Jarrett coughs and my eyes snap to his. He’s clearly entertained by my squirming, one brow quirked as he nonverbally calls me out on my crotch staring.
Clearing my throat, I salute him. “Okay. See you in class.” When I turn around and race back toward where Cassie stands watching, I cringe and shake my head. Did I just salute him? Like a fucking skipper or a sergeant? Good God, I’m a fucking idiot.
“Was that – ”
“Yep. Let’s go.” I grab Cassie by the crook of her arm and drag her in the opposite direction, regardless of if it was where we were originally heading.
When I glance over my shoulder, Jarrett is still watching, his arms crossed over his chest and a smug look cemented on his face.
He knows he has the upper hand now. He knows he affects me in a way I can’t control.
Fuck me.