Bash

Tori pretended not to hear me as she walked out the stadium, her face twisted in anger and her cheeks red and blotchy. Fucking Harper. I should have known that she would only put up with my excuses for so long before she tried to hurt me. And by getting to me, she also hurt Tori.

After Tori had left, my mojo was off. I felt sick to my stomach. Still, do. We won the game by a field goal when we should have won by a lot more. Everything was on track for the complete annihilation of the Cougars before my lucky charm had abandoned me. I fucked up. That much I already know.

With Tori back in my life, I didn’t want to run the risk of fucking things up too soon by coming clean about the scholarship. It was my fault that Tori had missed so many classes, to begin with, so I felt as though it was right for me to make up for the scholarship she had lost.

Once we finish up with our team meeting and shower, I call Tori. The phone rings a few times and then goes to voicemail. I dial her number six more times, all with the same result. She’s ignoring me. While I deserve it, she can’t shut me out this time. I need to tell her everything.

Finch slaps his hand down on my shoulder as we exit the locker room. “You’ll get her back. Don’t worry, man.”

“I wish I was as confident as you. You should have seen Tori’s face. She was devastated. I bet she hates me all over again.”

“It’s not like you did something wrong. Stop being so hard on yourself and come party with us. We’re going over to Mickey’s for a drink.”

“I’m not in the mood to sit in a bar tonight, and I have to go over to Tori’s dorm and smooth things over with her. If she’ll even let me in.”

“I don’t see the issue.” He shoves his hand through his dark hair, his eyes shifting to a hot blonde busting out of a tight red tank top. “Tori was already getting a scholarship from the school. What difference does it make where the money comes from?”

“It’s a pride thing with Tori. That’s why I never wanted her to know. I knew she would overreact and stop talking to me again.”

A few of my teammates catch up to us by the time we reach Broad Street. I’m exhausted but still hopped up on adrenaline from the game, and in desperate need to see Tori. I cannot lose her again. And I don’t feel like spending any more time with these idiots. They will try to talk me into hooking up with some random chick, which is not going to happen.

“I’ll catch you guys later,” I say, crossing the street at the light, going in the opposite direction.

“Later, man,” Finch says. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, I’ll need it.”

My teammates wave and fall in line with Finch as they head toward the bar on the corner.

After my feet land on the opposite side of the street, I pick up my pace, my light jog turning into more of a run. I was planning to celebrate this win with Tori. Now, I’m going to spend the night begging for her forgiveness. In a hurry, I fling open the door to the senior dormitory and take the stairs up to Tori’s suite.

People I know try to stop me on my way, but I’m too focused on my mission to be deterred by anyone. When I find her door, I raise my hand to knock, shaking the wood in the process. Sometimes, I don’t realize my strength.

“Go the fuck away,” I hear Tori yell from the other side.

“C’mon, Queenie, don’t do this again. I need to talk to you. Just let me come inside.”

“No!” She shouts, and this time, her voice sounds closer, as if she’s standing in front of the door, peeking through the hole at me.

“Please, Tori, just let me explain everything to you. I’m sure Harper didn’t tell you everything. She was just trying to get under your skin.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Bash. I need some time to process.”

I place my palm on the door and lean closer, lowering voice because we are drawing the attention of those around me. “People are starting to stare at me,” I tell her, hoping it will work. “Just open the damn door, already.”

“You love the attention.” I can practically see the smirk forming on her lips as she speaks. “So, let them stare at you.”

“But you hate it, and everyone will hear what I have to say to you if you don’t open this door.”

She grunts loud enough that I can hear her, and the door swings open. Standing in the entryway in my navy boxer shorts and a white tank top with no bra, Tori holds out her hand, indicating for me to come inside.

As I move forward, she steps to the side, allowing me to come inside. She closes the door behind and locks it, and then leans her back against the wood, flashing an evil stare at me.

“Just let me explain everything before you chop my head off, okay?”

She folds her arms over her chest. “You can talk all you want, but I don’t want to hear it, Bash. As much as I hate Harper, maybe she did me a favor. I hate that you kept this secret from me and that everyone on your team, including Jessica, was in on it. I feel so stupid. So betrayed. How could you? You even had my best friend and roommate hide this from me.”

“Don’t be mad at Jessica. She didn’t want you to leave school, and neither did I. That’s why I created the scholarship to replace the one you lost.”

“Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get here, Bash? I know things come easy for you and the Prince name opens doors for you, but the Reynolds name does not. I had to bust my ass to make this dream a reality. And all you had to do was hand someone a check. How do you think that makes me feel? All my hard work down the fucking drain.”

I move closer, hoping she won’t kick me in the nuts. Luckily, she doesn’t make any advances and stays in position.

“Your hard work was not a waste because you earned those grades, whether I paid your tuition or the college did. The money part is irrelevant. All that matters is that you aced your classes, and now, you will graduate on time. This is all I ever wanted for you, babe. Can’t you see that? I didn’t want to take anything away from you. I wanted to give you a future; one I was hoping I would someday be a part of if you’ll still let me. I owed you this much. Don’t go doubting yourself over one tiny thing that has no bearing on everything you have achieved on your own.”

“Bash,” she says and lifts her hands up to her face, sobbing into her palms. “I can’t believe you did this, and you didn’t tell me.”

I move her hands from her face and kiss her skin. “I made up the scholarship because I was in love with you, Tori. And I’m even more in love with you now than before. I couldn’t stand to see you hurting so much. It was my fault that you lost your scholarship. It was my fault that you lost that sparkle in your eyes. Everything bad that happened to you was my fault, and I couldn’t stand to see you in pain.”

Her tears slide down her cheeks. “Bash,” she chokes out, “I love you, too, but I can’t take money from you. I just can’t.”

“Yes, you can and you will. Your tuition is paid until graduation. Books, food, whatever you need.”

“I wish you could understand how this makes me feel.”

“I know you’re proud and hate taking a dime from me, but can you forget where the money came from and focus on graduating with honors? I want nothing more than to see you on that stage at graduation, wearing your honors sash and tassel, as you wave to your dad and me. I’m so proud of you, babe. You have no idea. Think of me as a silent investor in your future.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she says, a soft moan escaping her lips as I continue to kiss my way from her hands up to her arms. “Bash, stop trying to control the situation. I will not let you distract me…”

Her voice trails off the closer I get to her neck. Once I’m there, she leans her head to the side, giving me the go-ahead. “Don’t fight it, babe, just let it happen.”

She does as I command, lowering her guard along with her inhibitions. She wants this as much as I do. Tori brushes her hair off her neck and looks up at me.

I take her face in my hands, and her lips part for me. Slipping my tongue inside her mouth, I tug at her hair, as I deepen the kiss. Everything I have done was with one goal in mind. Tori. She has always been my end game. Losing Tori was the worst thing that ever happened to me, and if paying her tuition to keep her here was selfish, then, at least it was worth it.

I carry Tori into the bedroom, and kick the door shut. At first, we crash into the wall with our lips stick locked. Moaning, she sucks on my bottom lip, before her tongue caresses mine once more. Our kisses are animalistic and hungry, full of the passion I crave.

I set her on the floor, our eyes trained on one another. She lifts her shirt over her head and throws it on the floor, exposing my breasts. My palm falls to her back, pulling her closer, as I lean down to suck on her nipple. Feeling my way down her stomach, I slid the shorts over her hips along with her panties, and she steps out of them.

Staring at her gorgeous body, I lick my lips and drop to the floor in front of her. Tiny bumps dot her skin as my hand slides up her inner thigh. As I lick the inseam of her thigh, I stare up at her, not wanting to take my eyes off my girl. She’s beautiful and tastes so fucking good. When I lick between her folds, Tori digs her fingers through my hair, holding my head in a vise. She moans even louder as I slip two fingers inside her wetness. It doesn’t take long before her body trembles, and she rocks her hips against my mouth and comes for me. I love the way her body responds to me.

Licking her juices from my fingers and then my lips, I come to a standing and take off my shirt, followed by the rest of my clothes. She steps forward, pressing her breasts against my chest and hooks her leg around mine. I pick her up and kiss her until the backs of my legs hit the edge of the bed, and we fall back onto the mattress.

I roll Tori onto her back and position myself between her legs. Fisting my cock, I rub the tip along her entrance, before I ease into her, giving Tori some time to adjust to my size.

As I slide in and out of her, always careful not to hurt her, she gets used to me, and her face relaxes. She moans and hooks her legs around my back, digging her heels into my ass. I grip her hips and pick up the pace.

“Bash,” she moans and rakes her nails down my arms, crying out with pleasure.

“Come for me, babe” I whisper, as I dip down to kiss her on the lips.

When her insides clench around me, her cheeks redden, and a brush of heat spreads down to her chest. She screams my name as an intense orgasm rocks through her body. She has come undone beneath me.

I pump faster, the sweat trickling down my forehead with each thrust. With my orgasm brewing, I let out a guttural groan, and glance down at Tori. She has a look so sexy as she comes for me again, and I am right behind her.

My body trembles one last time before I kiss her, slow and passionate. After I leave a trail of kisses along her neck and chest, I slide out of her and roll onto the mattress. She scoots closer and lays her head on my chest. I hook my arm around her and kiss her hair.

“I love you, Tori. And I promise to show you how much I love you for the rest of my life.”

“I love you, too, Bash,” she says out of breath. “But please don’t lie to me ever again. No more secrets. No more barriers.”

I hold her so tight as if I’m afraid she will change her mind, and whisper, “I promise, babe. You’re my queen, now and always.”