Chapter 32
COSETTE
Nero was looking at me like I grew a second head, his brows furrowing, which made my blood boil.
What is up with him?
“This is not working at all,” Dex spoke up, eyes flitting between Nero and me.
“What isn’t?” I asked through gritted teeth, even though my angry stare was still on Nero.
“Siege and I are not learning because you and Nero keep going at it with all this sexual frustration between you two.”
“That’s not what’s happening,” I snapped, looking his way when Siege decided to knock some sense into me.
“You’re not even using the right table, little vixen.”
I was about to protest, to ask what the hell he’s talking about, but then it dawned on me.
Nero and I used the t-test table when we should’ve used the z-test one.
I bit the inside of my cheek, realizing they were right.
We’re not fighting for the answer we thought was correct, we were arguing for the sake of arguing.
I’m not to blame, anyway. It was Nero who started the whole thing.
Ever since he picked me up so we could ride together to the Azuls’, he’s been ignoring my attempts to start a conversation, even going as far as turning up the volume of the radio earlier.
He’s been pulling away like my touch burned when our skin would touch, and he would look so annoyed with that clenched jaw of his, combined with his nostrils flaring as if he was losing patience with me.
There was a heavy pause in the room that made Dex and Siege share a look, and completely in sync, they stood up, rounding the table, hauling me and Nero out of our seats.
I don’t know how the hell Siege was dragging Nero, but my guess is he couldn’t do it if Nero wasn’t even a tiny bit compliant. They were both huge, and Nero’s a football player, for Christ’s sake.
Dex opened the basement door, pushing us inside, and I heard a beep sound seconds later.
Son of a gun locked it.
“Dex!” I shouted, trying to get it open, but I’m not sure if they can even hear me from the other side.
I was patting my clothes down, looking for my phone, only to realize I had it sitting pretty on the dining table where we were studying.
“C,” Nero called out softly, but I was too annoyed to think straight.
“What?” With my tone clipped, I quickly turned to confront him, causing him to recoil ever so slightly.
It was almost comical. Seeing the football captain and quarterback drawing back from the irritated expression on my face.
Nero lifted his hand up where he was holding his phone, the screen bright in the dark stairs that led to the basement.
Dex
Talk it out
Or fuck it out
Siege
What he means is we’ll give you time to work out your issues
I let out a grumble, stomping down the stairs and then flopping down onto the couch with my legs and arms crossed.
Holy hell, I feel like I’m acting bratty, but I’m annoyed out of my frickin' mind.
I heard Nero’s footsteps as he made his way down the stairs, and I kept my eyes on the wall, not wanting to meet his eyes.
“Did I do something wrong?”
My jaw clenched, not sparing him even a glance. I could see him from the corner of my eyes, however, and he visibly took a deep breath before taking two steps closer to me.
“C, you have to talk to me. I don’t get why you’re suddenly so annoyed with me.”
Is this guy for real?
“Suddenly? Me?” I asked, my eyes wide and my brows arching up to my forehead as I couldn’t believe he’s making me out to be the bad guy. “You’re the one who’s acting like you have a gigantic stick up your ass ever since this morning!”
“What? What did I do?”
“Uh, let’s see,” I replied a bit too sarcastically, raising up a finger to count his offenses as I listed them.
“I was asking you in the car earlier if you wanted to take advantage of the jacuzzi with me after studying, and you let out a grunt before turning up the volume of the music to end the conversation.” Strike one.
“When we parked and got down, I was trying to help you with the bags, but you stormed off without a single word, leaving me there in the driveway confused, with my feelings hurt.” Strike two.
“And last, while we were eating lunch, I don’t even know what I did wrong that time, but I saw you judging me, your stupid face looking annoyed as all hell like I kicked a puppy or something.” Strike three.
“So, I’ll ask you your own question. What did I do?”
I hate it. I hate it so much that my eyes are teary. I was so angry that I wanted to cry.
Not just because Nero is being mean for no reason, but because I was hoping we’d take the next step this weekend.
Dex was right. I really was sexually frustrated. Out of all three, Nero was the guy I’ve fantasized about being with the longest.
Call me fucked up. Or a bad friend to both him and Andy, but it was the truth.
At my tears, Nero came to me, and with his long limbs, he was able to reach me immediately with just a single step forward. He went down on his knees in front of me, cradling my face with both his palms and caressing my skin with his thumbs to wipe the tears that already spilled over.
“I’m sorry,” he finally whispered after a few seconds of us just staring at each other. His was understanding and apologetic, while mine was straight up full of rage.
I was still glaring at him, but he wasn’t budging. If it was even possible, his eyes and expression were only softening more the longer I gave him what I hoped was a death glare.
“I don’t want you to misunderstand this.
I’m not annoyed or mad at you.” Then a pause.
“Do you remember when you and Siege were still new? Wasn’t necessarily because of me, but you’d be easily irritated, and I offered to help you so you can,” he trailed off, eyes expecting me to finish his sentence.
“Get laid?”
Nero nodded once.
Dammit, Dex was right. Got it two for two.
It was sexual frustration for both of us.
“Then why the hell are you not meeting my attempts to get us there?” I asked, getting even more annoyed now because, it turns out, we could’ve actually solved it if only he weren’t rejecting me.
“You left your scrunchie in my car the other day. I came over to return it, then I heard you defend this entire weekend to your dad, that it was for us to study. I was controlling myself, C. When you asked me to do the jacuzzi with you, my mind instantly went there, so I tried to drown it out by playing the music louder. I almost dropped our bags earlier when you accidentally touched me while reaching for yours. During lunch? You let out a moan while eating that goddamn burger, and I instantly got hard under the table.”
Jesus Christ.
This man has the hots for me.
“Well, still. You could’ve told me.”
Where did my voice go? I was melting.
“Told you what? That I fear one touch from you will make me come in my pants?” He asked, the boyish smirk back on his face, that I wanted nothing but to sit on it.
Did I really just think that?
God, we need to have sex. Stat.
“Well, I hope that’s not true. I’ve dreamt of our first time far too many times for you to finish that fast,” I said with my eyes not leaving his.
And there it was again.
His nostrils flaring and his jaw clenched.
Only now, I know that it’s for the right reasons.
Nero lunged forward as if he was the predator and I was the prey.
His hand found the back of my head, fingers threading through my locks, and I welcomed the sting on my scalp the same way I did his kisses full of teeth and desperation.
My own palm found his chest, feeling his heart beating hard and fast under my hand before he was scooping me up and wrapping my legs around his waist when he stood back on his feet.
We didn’t get that far before he was tumbling on his feet because not once did his lips leave mine, and my back felt the cold wall behind me when he caged me in with his body.
Nero was intense. I don’t know if he’s always like this, or just because this is all pent-up lust finally spilling over, but I loved it.
He pulled away for the first time when I nudged him with my nose, needing to breathe, and he looked down at me with his eyes almost black from the need in them.
“Can I touch you in every fucking way I’ve been dreaming to?”
A whimper escaped my lips, the sentence equal parts filthy and covered in sweetness as he asked for my consent.
When I nodded, I swear I heard him growl, his hand wasting no time slipping between us and beneath the waistband of my shorts and underwear.
He was impatient as his fingers found my moist cunt, spreading me with his index and ring finger while his middle circled my sensitive nub.
“Combs,” I whined, my eyes fighting to stay open at the feel of his callous fingers touching the softest parts of me so intimately.
“I could’ve been the first guy to ever touch you like this, C.”
My guy best friend. The man of my dreams since the first time I saw him.
Nero Combs was finally touching me the way I always wanted him to.
“I could’ve been the first to ever feel your pussy this wet.”
Then he slipped his finger inside me, my walls constricting around the single digit as he continued, “The first guy to feel you this tight.”
“You could’ve been.”
Because it was true. If he and Andy weren’t a thing and we somehow ended up together?
My virginity would be for no one other than Nero’s.
“And this is my punishment. My consequence. I can never be any of your firsts ever again, can I?”
I could hear the jealousy in his voice.
The self-loathing that we could’ve had this way before.
And I didn’t want him to keep thinking that, so I spoke the truth I’ve been holding on to.
“I still have a first I may have saved for you.”