Bash

After we finish making out in the shower, Tori strolls into her bedroom and drops her towel, peeking up at me beneath her brows. She’s so fucking beautiful my dick gets hard with one look. I couldn’t have sex with her, even though she begged me. This weekend is about nursing her back to health—not getting her off. While I’m glad I was able to do that for her, I cannot take advantage of this situation, no matter how many times she tries to convince me that it’s okay and that she wants this.

For all I know, she’s having complications that are making her say and do things she wouldn’t normally do. I don’t need her having a moment of regret and assume that I am only here for sex. Because I’m not. It was never about sex with Tori. That was just a bonus.

I’m about to help her to bed, when she flings her arms out at her sides, her tits shaking in my face. Tori is not making this easy for me. Hard, horny, and rocking the worst case of blue balls, I want to bend her over and fuck her so bad. But I have to fight the urge. She needs my help in other ways, and I plan to show Tori she can count on me for more than an orgasm.

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and bend down to kiss her forehead, hooking my arm around her back. She stirs in my arms, her eyes closed, as she mumbles my name under her breath. Running my fingers down her arm, I let out a sigh. I’ve never been so happy to have a naked woman standing in front of me, except this is different. Tori isn’t just any naked woman.

She opens her eyes and smiles up at me. We stare at each other for minutes. My heart thumps out of my chest, overcome with a strange mixture of emotions. When it comes to football, my hands are steady as fuck, but when I’m around Tori, she makes me nervous, a feeling so foreign it feels unnatural. I’m always in control—except when it comes to Tori.

She leans in as if she’s about to reach up and kiss me before she slips from my grasp to sit on the bed. I follow her lead, the mattress sinking beneath my weight.

Her naked body is too much of a distraction for me, so I focus on her face. But her lips make me think about how they would feel wrapped around my cock, which makes me hard again. Leaning back against the wall, I thread my fingers together and slide them behind my head.

She’s beautiful, her smooth alabaster skin absolute perfection. With her perky tits and pussy on display as an offering just for me, I’m so goddamn hard I cannot think straight. But I find it impossible not to look at her.

For a second, her eyes fall to her breasts. She peeks up at me and pulls her bottom lip down with her index finger. “Don’t you want me, Bash?” She coos, killing me with the seductive look in her eyes.

“Of course, I do, but you need to rest.”

I don’t miss the disappointment on her face, which makes me feel like the dickhead she assumes I still am. I’m trying to do right by her. If only she would see it that way.

“Look,” I continue, “I want you more than I wanted The Heisman, but not under these circumstances. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you with your condition.”

She blows out a gust of air, and her face twists in anger. “I don’t get it, Bash. You’ll fuck girls like Harper but not me?”

“It has nothing to do with you or her,” I say, feeling like an asshole because she’s right. “It has to do with you being sick. I asked you to let me stay here with you this weekend for one reason. No matter how much I want you, I think we should wait until you’re feeling better.”

She sighs but looks as though she understands, and points at a tall chest on the other end of the room. “Would you mind handing me a shirt from my top drawer and some underwear?”

“Of course.” I slide off the bed and pull a Strickland University T-shirt from the drawer and a pair of black cotton panties.

“Sit up, so I can help you get these on,” I command.

Accepting my help, she allows me to slip the tee over her head. I pull her arms through the sleeves and tug it over her stomach, finding it even harder not to touch her again.

Curling the soft cotton around her finger, she hikes it further and raises an eyebrow at me. “You forget the last part of my wardrobe.”

I laugh at her comment and give her a hand. She tortures me, taking her good old time, as she raises her hips just enough to slide the panties on.

Her hair brushes against my cheek when she leans back against the wall with me, the scent of her sweet shampoo filling my nostrils. She laces her fingers between mine and runs the pad of her thumb over my knuckles. “I hate that this feels right when I’m with you.”

I slip my other hand through her hair and bring her closer to me. “There’s nothing wrong with that. We were always good together.”

She lays her head on my chest and whispers, “I just don’t see how we can get past everything. But I appreciate you being here with me.”

“You’re welcome.” I kiss her forehead. “Why don’t you get some sleep? You need to get better, so I can take you out.”

She looks up at me, confused. “Take me where?”

“On a proper date.”

“You want to take me on a date?” I don’t miss the shock in her tone. “I know you feel bad about everything, but that’s not necessary.”

“Why do you seem so surprised? You know how I feel about you. It’s not like I haven’t tried to tell you a thousand times. For some reason, you’re tolerating me, and I’d like to show you that I’m not a bad guy. Just let me help you. Okay?”

She doesn’t speak for a few seconds, ignoring my comments. Why am I not surprised? Nothing is ever easy when it comes to Tori, and I doubt I’d want her this much if it weren't such a challenge. As always, she keeps me on my toes.

After a long moment of silence, Tori peels herself from my arms. She scoots over just enough to give me some room and falls onto the stack of pillows at the head of the bed. Then, she peeks up at me, giving me the most adorable look. “Will you cuddle with me? I’m getting sleepy again, and you make a good snuggle buddy.”

I plop my head down on the pillow next to her, and she reaches behind her back to find my hand, tugging until she has it wrapped around her stomach. With Tori in this position, dirty thoughts are running through my head. I fight the urge to palm her breast and kiss her neck. Instead, I curl up against her back, taking in the scent of her soap, as I close my hand over hers.

“Sweet dreams, Tori,” I whisper.

No response.

Just like that she’s fast asleep and snoring in my arms. For the first time in years, everything feels right. This is my chance to make things right between us.

* * *

A few hours later, Tori staggers into the living room in a T-shirt and panties. Even with bed head and one eye open, she still looks amazing. She stretches her arms above her head, exposing her bare stomach, and yawns. “What’s that smell?”

She follows the scent of the Italian food I had delivered, assuming she would be starving by the time she’d woken up. I slept for twenty minutes if that. How could I sleep with her tight ass digging into my erection? I had to get up and release the tension from my body after she left me with the worst case of blue balls. Again.

“I ordered your favorite, or at least what used to be your favorite.” I pull a chair out from the kitchen table, gesturing for her to sit, which she ignores.

“Chicken cacciatore. Yum!” She hugs me for a second, just long enough for me to run my hand over her back before she peels her body from mine. “Thank you, Bash.”

“I thought we could get a head start on our date. Obviously, I plan to take you somewhere nice, but this will have to do for tonight.”

She giggles with delight. “I guess I was wrong about you after all, huh?”

I nod. “You’ll see. Mark my words.”

She holds her hand over her heart with her lips puckered into the cutest smile. “I can’t believe you did this for me and that you remembered.”

“How could I forget? Your dad tried to make it for us that one time when I came over for dinner.”

She laughs. “Yeah, but my dad can’t cook. Not like my mom used to, anyway.”

“At least he tries. My dad can barely heat up mac and cheese without burning it.”

“Your dad would just order food.”

“I guess that’s where I get it from. I’m good at ordering from a menu,” I say, laughing.

When I bend down, she kisses me on the lips. It’s just a peck, but it means so much more. She quivers at the slightest touch, my fingers traveling over her skin. I love the way she responds to me.

Even though the food was warm when it got here, I’d been waiting a while for Tori to wake up. We chat about our classes until I finish heating up the chicken and pasta, acting as if no time has passed between us. Tori stands at my side in front of the small stove, with her hand in my jeans pocket. It’s as if we picked up where we had left off before she had found that girl in my bed. A girl I never even touched.

This is my chance to set the record straight.

After we sit down to eat, Tori lifts her fork and shoves the chicken into her mouth, as if she’s in a hurry.

“Oh, my God. Whoever made this could give my mom a run for her money,” she says between bites.

“My dad told me about this restaurant the last time he was in town. They have the best Italian food in the city.”

She nods. “Ain’t that the truth? This is unbelievable. It’s like a party in my mouth.”

Matching her pace, we finish our meal in record timing. I love that Tori isn’t one of those girls who picks over a salad, pretending to eat as she swirls her food in a circle on the plate. Harper does it every time I have the displeasure of sharing a meal with her.

“Are you ready for dessert?” I ask, getting up to clear our plates from the table.

She follows me to the sink and stands next to me as I wash the dishes. Without saying a word, she just watches me, waiting for me to hand them over for her to dry with the towel on the counter. We do this in complete silence. But it’s not the eerie, uncomfortable silence you get during a bad date. It’s the kind you have when you are comfortable enough around a person that there’s no need to exchange words.

After we finish, I dry my hands and pull Tori close to my side. “I missed you,” I whisper. “I fucking miss you. Missed this.”

Her lip trembles as she peeks up at me. “Then, why did you do the things you did, Bash? That’s the one thing I don’t understand. I trusted you. You were my first, the one and only guy I have ever been with, and you betrayed me.”

Taking her face in my hands, I gaze into her big, blue eyes. “I never cheated on you, Tori. Never. Not with anyone. I meant every single thing I ever said to you.”

“But…I found that girl. You were with her. She said you two were together.”

“She lied,” I spit back, defensive. “I didn’t even know her name until after the whole thing blew up in my face.”

“You don’t have to know a girl’s name before you have sex with her.” Her words sound painful on the tip of her tongue. “I’m sure you’ve done it plenty of times.”

“Look, I’m not going to lie to you and say that I haven’t been with a lot of girls because I have had more than my share. But I did not have sex with the girl you found in my bed. I promise. Ask Clay or Finch. They will both tell you the truth.”

“They are your friends. The two of them would kill for you. There’s no telling what most of the people on campus would do just to cover for their golden boy.”

“Hey,” I say, stroking her cheek, “I am telling you the truth whether you want to hear it or not. I know how things must have looked to you. If I were you, I would’ve thought the same thing. But you have to believe me when I say that I never cheated on you.”

“Walk me through that night then. Tell me everything that happened.”

“Most of it is a blur. I was drunk. So were you. We all were. That night was crazy.”

“Bash,” she says against my hand. “Please. Humor me. Tell me everything that happened in the exact order you remember. I need to hear it. If you do this for me, I will try to let it go so that we can move on. I would like to believe that we had something.”

“We still have something,” I tell her. “I know you feel it, too.”

“I know. That’s why I need to hear it. Just this once, and we can forget about it.”

I let out a sigh of relief. For years, I have wanted to tell Tori everything about that night. She never gave me a chance.

Moving my hand from her face, I slide my palm down her back, guiding her toward the table. “Sit down. This might be a long story.”

She does as I instruct, and I sit next to her, scooting my chair along the tile, so I can hold her hand as I tell her everything I can recall from that night.

“The team had just made the playoffs. I’d broken my record for rushing yards and was on a high like you would not believe.”

Tori smiles. She was always proud of my accomplishments, even though she didn’t understand much about football. She squeezes my hand as if telling me to keep going.

“We had that big party at the house to celebrate after the game. I’d never seen the house so packed. It was like a frat party on steroids. You were hanging out with your friends, dancing in the living room, and I was doing shots with Clay and Finch in the kitchen. We drank about half a bottle of tequila before I stumbled back into the living room to look for you. I couldn’t find you or any of your friends. I called and texted you a few times, but you didn’t answer me. The music in the house was so loud. There were people screaming in my ear when I tried to leave you a slurred voicemail that made no sense.”

I take a second to compose myself before continuing with the last half of the story. This part gets complicated. So much of that night plays in my head like movie clips, though none of it vivid enough to piece together.

“I looked through most of the rooms on the first floor of the house and found nothing but drunken idiots, who were trying to get me to drink more with them. When I couldn’t find you anywhere, I had given up and decided to check my bedroom. I’d just assumed you went back to your dorm. It was well after three in the morning, and I couldn’t see ten feet in front of me to go after you. The lights were dim when I walked into my room, just a single lamp in the corner turned on low, but it was still hard for me to see. I saw blonde hair fanned out on my pillow and a girl who I had thought was you wrapped in my blankets. She had her back turned to me so that I couldn’t see her face. It was dark, and I was drunk.”

Tori wipes the corner of her eye, causing me to stop long enough to comfort her before I finish dredging up some of the worst memories of our lives. But this conversation needs to happen. Because it should have happened years ago.

“I stripped down to my boxers, hopped into bed with the girl, and ran my hands down her arms and legs, but only because I thought she was you. When I leaned down to kiss her neck, she rolled onto her back before I could touch her and smiled up at me. I was in shock, paralyzed by the fear of you finding me with her. By the time I tried to get away from her and throw her out, you had burst into my bedroom. How could I explain what had happened? I thought she was you. We never kissed. We never had sex. I felt guilty about touching her at all, but again, I had no idea she wasn’t you. It was all a misunderstanding.”

“But girls always sneak into your room. They knew that was okay because you’d allowed them. Or at least that was what I’d heard around campus after the rumors started.”

I shake my head. “No, that was the first time a girl had climbed into my bed. Now, they do it all the time just to see if I will let them stay. Do you know how many girls I have had to throw out of my bed every week?”

She rolls her eyes at me in disapproval. “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you, Bash?” The corner of her lip curls into an angry scowl. “Because I don’t. That’s just disgusting.”

“I’m not saying this to get on your nerves just stating a fact.”

“Well, you managed to do both,” she deadpans, crossing her arms over her chest.

“C’mon, Tori. Don’t be like that. You wanted to hear the truth, and you got it. I’m not going to pretend that I’m a saint, but I sure as hell didn’t do anything with that girl. It took me a while to figure out who she was and what she was doing in my bed.”

“Was she a cheerleader from another school?”

“Yes.” I let out a puff of air, frustrated. “One of the guys on the other team set me up. He wanted to get to me. And he did. Earlier in the season, the same guy broke Clay’s arm with a bullshit sack, and even with Clay out of the game, we still made it into the playoffs. That asshole wanted to hurt the team and me, and in the process, he also hurt you. The plan had worked, because we lost to their team that year. Not having you in the stands to cheer for me and with all the drama that had gone on around campus had sucked the life out of my game.”

“But you’re Sebastian Prince, football royalty and God’s gift to Strick U,” she says, with sarcasm in her tone. “You didn’t need me to win a game.”

“Maybe, but you were always my lucky charm. Seeing you in my jersey and screaming my name in the stands made me play better. I kept searching for you and finding your seat empty. It wasn’t the same after you were gone. And I never had the opportunity to state my case. Every time I saw you on campus, you would walk the other way, drop classes, and change your phone number. I even showed up at your dorm until you made campus security throw me out. And then—”

“Then, the rumors started,” she finishes, choking on her words. “You have no idea what it was like for me, Bash. People are so mean. I couldn’t even show my face without hearing whispers behind my back. I’d thought about switching schools, but I was on a scholarship and couldn’t afford to pay for another college. My dad has no money, financial aid doesn’t pay enough for a school this prestigious, and I almost lost everything over that girl and the drama that comes with being your girlfriend.”

“But you didn’t lose your scholarship, and you’re still on track to graduate on time.”

She can never know that I am the reason she is still on campus. That’s the secret Harper knows. The secret I hope to keep until the end of the school year. Tori cannot find out about my intervention and the things I have done for her. When it comes to Tori, I have no problem throwing around my father’s money or my last name because I will do whatever it takes to make her happy. In her mind, I am the bad guy. And I don’t blame her. I have earned the reputation over the years. But she’s wrong about me. I think she sees that I’m not as bad as she had thought.

She sighs. “I lucked out. If I had lost my scholarship and had to switch schools in the middle of all that drama, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. Losing you destroyed me, wrecked me from the inside out.”

“You never lost me, babe. I tried to get you back, explain my side of the story.”

Her gaze lowers, zoning in on our hands intertwined. “I was in love with you, Bash. You were my world. Everything revolved around you.”

I tip her chin up with my finger so that our eyes meet. “I never stopped loving you.”

“You still do?” She asks, her voice sounding hopeful.

I nod. “Still do.”

With that, she lunges herself at me and wraps her legs around my back. I grab the back of her head and press my lips to her neck to taste her, lick every inch of her delicious body. As she pries her lips from mine, her fingers work at a feverish pace. Tori pops open the button on my jeans and then unzips them.

She leans forward, tugging on the hem of my T-shirt as she moans in my ear, stopping to suck on it. “Take this off.”

Following her orders, I pull my shirt over my head and throw it onto the floor. She grinds on my dick, taking my belt off in one swift motion. Once our eyes meet, I see the fire brewing behind her bright blue irises. Tori slides off me, long enough to strip me down to my boxers and remove her clothes, before resuming her position on my lap. Our lips meet, the hunger of our kisses satisfying a deep aching between us.

She presses her bare breasts into my chest and breathes against my neck. “Bash, I want you inside me.”

“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“You’re not. I am fine. I haven’t felt dizzy since before my nap earlier. This is my decision. It’s not like you’re forcing me into bed with you. I want this. Don’t make me beg.”

I smile against her lips. “I might like it if you beg.”

She laughs and smacks a hand against my chest. “Not funny. Now, do you want me or not?”

“More than anything,” I whisper. “Why don’t we take this into the bedroom instead of the kitchen table?”

She hops off my lap, and I follow behind her. Stopping in the entryway of her bedroom, she leans against the wall, her arm raised above her head. My God, she looks sexy. And she’s mine. I grab her ass in my hands and part her lips with my tongue, making my way down to her neck and breasts. Her body quivers with each flick of my tongue on her nipples, the pink buds hardening as I nibble on them.

I pull my boxers down with one hand and give myself a quick stroke. As much as I want to take my time and devour every inch of her body, I can’t think straight when Tori moans in my ear, purring against my neck.

Leaving a trail of kisses down her stomach, I drop to my knees and spread her legs wider. Each sound of pleasure makes me so hard I am in physical agony. I try to occupy my mind with anything other than how good she tastes and how amazing she feels as I slip my fingers inside her slickness. She rocks her hips against my mouth, twisting her fingers through my hair, as the hottest orgasmic screams echo in the quiet air.

She’s going to kill me. But it will be worth it. At this rate, I’m not sure how long I will last, but I have to fuck her. It has been too long since the last time we were together. I need this. I need her.

I lead her by the hand toward the bed. Kissing her until the backs of her legs hit the mattress, I fall on top of her, our mouths still melded together. Positioned above her, I rub the tip of my cock against her clit, and a soft purr escapes her mouth.

The warmth that pools between her legs sends me over the edge when I rub myself along her folds, wishing it could be like old times without any barriers between us. But I stop myself and let out an irritated grunt when I realize my condoms are in my wallet…on the floor in the living room.

Fuck. Way to kill the mood.

“Hold that thought,” I say, crawling off her. “I’ll be right back.”

When I get back to her room, I’m about to hop back into bed with her when I stop myself. Curled into a ball on her side, Tori has her eyes closed, her face twisted in pain.

I drop to the floor next to her and slip my fingers between hers. “Are you okay?”

She doesn’t respond, even though I know she’s awake and just ignoring me. I’m so confused by the recent turn of events. Did I do something to upset her? Nothing comes to mind. Everything was perfect before I left the room.

Trying once more to get her to talk to me, I bring her hand up to my lips and plant a kiss on her skin. She doesn’t budge an inch. It’s as if she’s dead to the world. Only a few minutes ago, she was wide awake and grinding against my mouth, as she came for me.

“Tori, C'mon, babe.” I hover over her, my breath brushing against her cheek. “I need to know you’re okay. Open your eyes for me.”

She stirs a bit, a soft moan escaping her lips. But it doesn’t sound like one of pleasure—more like pain. “Bash,” she says, her voice soft. “I think you need to call the doctor for me.”

I scoot closer to the bed and tighten my grip on her hand while stroking her face with the other. “What happened after I left the room?”

“It hurts,” she chokes out, struggling with the words.

“What hurts? Talk to me. Tell me what you need.”

“My head,” she slurs, opening one eye for a second before she closes them once more.

“Fuck,” I mutter to myself, even though I know she can hear me.

And here I thought she was doing better. Or at least that’s the impression I got. If anyone should know better, it’s me. A concussion can sneak up on you when you least expect. Everything will appear to be okay, and then the next minute, you’re hanging over the toilet, puking your guts out.

Unhooking my fingers from hers, I come to a standing. Naked and staring down at my girl, I have no idea what to do to take away her pain. I have been through this before. Head traumas are as much a part of the sport as parties and women. I can take the pain. I can take a hit no problem. But Tori isn’t built for this. She’s fragile, always has been.

I bend down to kiss her forehead and stroke her cheek with my hand. “I’ll be right back, babe. I’m going to call Doc real quick.”

In a hurry, I dart into the living room and grab my phone from the pocket of my jeans. Doc answers on the second ring and promises to come right away. I’m worried about Tori. I know the ball hit her hard enough to knock her on her ass, but I had no idea it could do that much damage. I guess I’m used to playing rough.

After I hang up with Doc, I run back into the bedroom to find Tori holding one hand over her mouth, the other over her stomach. She sits up, or at least attempts it before she sinks back into the mattress with a loud groan.

I rush over to her side and clamp my hand around her tiny biceps.

“I’m gonna be sick,” she mutters, her words almost inaudible.

Helping her up from the bed, I maintain a firm grip on her arm. At first, she tries to walk, but I don’t want to leave anything to chance. So, I pick her up and take her into the bathroom. She’s still naked, her face and chest now covered in sweat. I don’t even have time to remove a washcloth from the linen closet to place on her forehead before she drops to her knees on the cold tile floor. Under different circumstances, her position would excite me. But not tonight.

Scooting closer to the toilet, she glances up at me for a second. With beads of sweat dotting her brows and the color draining from her face, I have no doubt she’s in for a long night.

It’s been a while since I had a night like the one Tori is about to experience as if the night before wasn’t bad enough for her. Hunched over in pain, she runs a shaky hand along the toilet seat, feeling the porcelain as she opens the lid.

I stand behind her and gather her hair in my hands, making sure to keep it off her face. As if on cue, she empties the contents of her stomach, all while I stroke her hair and tell her things will be okay, keeping my fingers crossed that they will be.

If someone had told me that my weekend with Tori back in my life would go this bad, I would’ve thought they were full of shit. It was a risk to ask Clay and Jessica to help me out with Tori, full well knowing she would turn me down. But, by some miracle, I’m still here, in her apartment and helping her nurse a wicked concussion. This was unexpected.

What were the chances that our first meaningful encounter where she didn’t run away would start with Tori getting hit in the face with a football going over fifty miles per hour? And it’s all because of Clay. He over threw the ball. I couldn’t have caught it even if I had superpowers. It was a bad play and an even worse pass.

I guess to some extent Clay helped me get Tori back. But I didn’t want it to be under duress or whatever you would call these circumstances. I fear that Tori is open to having me back in her life again just for the weekend, only because she needs me here. I hope that’s not the case.

At least ten minutes of puking and dry heaving continue before Tori pulls a strip of toilet paper from the roll and wipes her mouth. She sits on the floor, cupping her head in her hands. I can tell she’s embarrassed as if having me see her so vulnerable is killing her more than the concussion. I have seen her at her absolute worst. This is not it.

I doubt she even remembers the time I went to visit her in the psychiatric hospital. She was so doped up on drugs and whatever they were feeding her that she looked and sounded nothing like herself. It’d taken a long time to see the same glimmer in her eye I once saw from her. That’s also why Jessica was so hesitant to help me out.

She wasn’t convinced that I was good enough for Tori. I’m not even sure that I am good enough for her, so I can’t say that I blame her friend for being concerned. She has seen enough of what goes on at my house to have some doubt about me being a different person. But I want to be the man Tori needs. Or at least I will try to be what she needs. So far, she’s allowed me to show her that I have changed.

I dampen a washcloth and drop next to her on one knee to wipe the sweat from her face. She looks awful, tired and pale and so unlike herself.

“I can’t believe you have to see me like this,” she mutters, as she watches me dab her cheek with the cloth.

Her words stop me for a second. I sit behind her on the tile and wrap my arms around her stomach, pulling her against my chest. It feels so good to be with Tori again and to have her back in my life. I missed her so much. For years, I have tried to drown the pain of losing her with football, girls, and parties, but Tori was always the one thing I was missing. She’s the missing piece to my puzzle.