Chapter 32
EILEEN
The rehearsal dinner starts on time. The catering is good, our families are pleasant with each other. The speeches are short and surprisingly appropriate.
Great-Uncle Ernie doesn't try to steal the microphone at any point. Even Marek's dumbass friends keep themselves relatively sober.
Everything is right on schedule. Everything is going according to plan. Everything, except Jason. Other than when he gives his best man speech, I don't see him all night.
At one point, he texts me saying the kitchen almost ran out of our vegetarian option. Charlie's friends are so indecisive, I’m not surprised they pulled this. Then he added the question, should we order more vegetarian options for tomorrow?
The food doesn’t matter. What does is his stupid behavior.
He is avoiding me.
Not to sound paranoid, but in the entire time I've known Jason, he's never been an avid fan of social gatherings and would rather stick close to a single person if possible. Well, he’s not a fan of my family, and since most of his bailed, I can’t understand his absence.
I run into his brother’s girlfriend—who’s with said brother. Jack seems quiet and nice.
But if Jason isn’t with any of them, isn’t with Marek, isn’t with Jossie and her date, and isn’t anywhere on the dancefloor, where the fuck is he?
Why would he be avoiding this event he’s been so invested in?
Why has he up and disappeared right when everything’s falling into place?
The only thing that’s changed since yesterday when he was gung ho about being here and right now at the rehearsal dinner is me. I try to ignore his absence for a while, but it gets under my skin.
I don’t even want to be here anymore. Charlie’s whining every so often about how no one’s paying attention to her.
Maybe if I hide in the storage closet I saw by the kitchen until the night wraps up…
I sneak my way around the head of the table, making excuses to go to the restroom.
It takes a few minutes to get past some of the crowd and a few obligatory chats.
When I finally get there, I open the door so carefully, sliding into the darkness quietly.
I think part of me is worried I’ll give away my potential hiding spot.
What really happens is I slide into the closet and bump into someone else who jabs me in the forehead with their elbow.
“Ow,” I say. “What the fuck?”
“Eileen?” Jason’s voice echoes slightly in the darkness.
“Yeah. Hi.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Hiding from everyone else,” I respond logically. “You?”
“Also hiding,” he offers casually.
Great, we’re back to pleasantries and nonsense. Wait, we never shared those. In the dark, I decide to confront him—again. A redo from this morning.
“From me,” I supply.
“That’s not—entirely true,” he defends himself.
I yelp. “I knew it! You’ve been weird ever since we got here.”
Actually, since I woke up in your bed, but let’s not bring that up—yet.
“What gives?”
“I perhaps, potentially, remember some things that happened last night,” he whispers.
“You lied earlier today,” I supply.
He mumbles some nonsense.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you,” I whisper shout.
“Well,” he clears his throat. “I just thought it would be better if I weren’t out there making things awkward.”
“Why don’t you just say it as it is,” I push him further. “You remember everything that happened last night!”
“Okay, guilty, I—wait a second, remember what?”
“Oh, you very well know—”
“As I recall,” he says, his voice getting louder and pitchy, “Someone said they knew about as much as I did, which was supposed to be nothing.”
I cross my arms, dumbfounded. “Well, to be fair, I was technically telling the truth.”
He groans. “I can’t believe you!”
“Me? Believe yourself! Why couldn’t we have talked this morning like fucking adults.”
There’s an awkward pause before he sighs. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m sorry.”
I sigh in relief. Okay, I can work with this.
“It was just a drunken hookup after all,” he says, shattering my heart carelessly. “There’s no shame in that.”
I dust my chest, knowing that there’s nothing salvageable from the debris. It’s bound to happen. Na?ve girl believes in a handsome, unusual, playboy asshole and he kicks you like a puppy.
But I have to save face.
“Of course not!” I say quickly. “Hooking up with a friend as a one-time thing? In this day and age? That’s so not a big deal.”
He does that fake laugh thing he always does around Charlie when he’s ready to run for the hills.
“I don’t know why I was worried,” he says. “You get me, Eileen.”
Swallowing thickly, I nod. And then I realize he can’t see that, so I say, “Yeah.”
After a moment he says, “You know it’s also pretty normal to hook up with a friend multiple times in this day and age.”
I have no idea what’s his angle, but I’ll take the lifeline he’s giving. Anything to feel his lips on mine one more time.
The last round before we leave.
“You know, you’re totally right,” I say. “That’s something reasonable adults could do.”
“And if there’s something we are, it’s reasonable.”
I swallow again. “Well… I’m game if you are.”
Jason reaches out, tangling his fingers into my hair and tugging me against him. He crashes his lips against mine. I open, hungrily as his tongue pushes my lips. It’s a kiss of two lovers who have been starving for centuries, when it’s only been hours since he was inside me.
I whimper when he deepens the kiss. My hands holding onto his strong biceps, clinging to him as we hide in this tight space, running away from the outside and searching for a minute of peace. Or is it searching for each other’s company. Fuck, how can I miss him when he’s right here with me.
The only thing I know is that I want him raw, claiming my body, quieting the outside. Protecting me from every bad decision I’ve made that has put me in this place.
I just want him, branding me with his mouth. Claiming me. Setting my skin on fire with his hands.
Keeping me alive while I try to stay afloat.
My fingers fumble with his belt and his zipper while his hands roll up the skirt of my dress, his fingers shove my panties to the side and immediately begin rubbing against my clit. I’m breathing hard.
“It’s been a long day,” he says between breaths as I pull his cock free of his pants.
I run my hand along his thick, stiff length. I want to kiss it, swallow it. If I could, I would go down on my knees and suck it like I did last night. Make him come inside me.
He pushes me against the door of the closet.
“Fuck, I missed your body so damn much,” he whispers in my ear as he reaches around my ass, squeezing it and lifting my body. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”
I do as he says. He positions himself right at my entrance and pushes his cock deep inside me.
“Fuck,” I grunt as he stretches me, fills me, and brings me back.
“If we were at home,” he says, moving slowly. “I would bury my face between your legs until you scream out my name. This will have to do for now.”
Oh god, it feels so good as he buries his dick deep inside me. One hand holds me, while the other finds my clit and begins to rub it. My head falls back. I close my eyes as he fucks me against the door, hard, roughly.
He growls, pushing himself further as I say, “Faster, deeper.”
Ripples of pleasure throb between my legs as the ecstasy hits me hard. But he’s not done so he continues pumping, thrusting himself inside me. My hands clench onto his shoulders. It’s inexplicable how my body begins to convulse again, violently.
This is so good.
He swears under his breath and whispers my name in a low, guttural voice.
He is shaking, or maybe it’s me.
He slides in and out slowly, as if he doesn’t want this to end. Not just yet. We keep the connection as long as we can. But when he pulls out of me, I feel hollow, but there’s a wedding rehearsal just outside the very door we just fucked against and the horror hits me at once.
I just had sex. In the closet. With my family only a few feet away.
As Jason pulls me to him, pressing my body tightly against his and kissing my temple, I’m shaken to my very core.