* * *

She might have a point, but fuck if I care. I want those bitches to pay for what they did to her. She seems to think that because she’s doing better that all should be forgiven, but hell no.

Unbeknownst to her, I’ve been doing some investigating of my own. I don’t know what’s taking the cops so long, but I’m not hindered by their bureaucracy bullshit.

It was plain as the nose on my face that at least two of them had a hand in this thing. Females or not, I wanna punch them in the face.

I know I won’t do it, but I can fantasize. But more than that, I want justice for her. I want this chapter in our lives closed so we can move on.

No way in hell I’m letting shit slide. “Dammit, fine. I‘ll tell my boys to go easy on them.”

“You… you told the football team to shun them?”

“Damn straight. Let them see how that shit feels.”

“You seem to be forgetting something here. They used me to hurt you. Those two weeks we weren’t talking, they were there, lending a sympathetic ear, rubbing that shit in.”

“I saw your face everyday when you were sitting there alone and they were crowding around me. Now I know that they were just twisting the knife.”

Son of a bitch, and I just played right into their hands. “I’m the worst boyfriend in the fucking world.”

“What? Are you crazy? I could never have gotten through this without you. You’ve been nothing but amazing.”

“Yeah well I want to kick my own ass.”

“You can’t, that’s my job remember?”

“Sure tiny!”

* * *

* * *

He didn’t take me home but pulled into his driveway once we turned onto our street. I looked over to my house where the garden was showing some color and felt joy at that seemingly small thing that I’d once taken for granted.

We barely made it through the door before we were tearing each other’s clothes off and I didn’t have to question why he’d brought me here instead of taking me home where my mother was waiting.

We ended up in the pool with him inside me and my legs wrapped around his middle. The water protected my back somewhat against the side of the pool, but his powerful thrusts battered my insides.

By the time I got back into my clothes I was feeling very relaxed and the stress of the day had been left far behind.

“So what’s with that Ashton kid?”

“I think he’s seriously depressed. Why don’t you have a talk with him?”

“Babe, I can help you because I know you and I love you. I don’t know this kid, maybe he needs to see someone.”

“He doesn’t want to. He’s embarrassed for anyone to know what’s going on. I think the only reason he talked to me is because I’ve already attempted to do what he’s thinking of doing.”

“If he’s serious, then we’ve got to get him some help, but I know I’m not the one. Not that I don’t want to help. I’ll talk to him but he needs to go see someone.”

“But you helped me so much, you knew everything to say.”

“Again I know you, I love you. I’m not gonna fuck with this kid’s head because I haven’t the slightest clue. Why don’t you talk to your doctor? See what she says.”

“Good idea! See, you always know what to say.”

I didn’t panic when he left that night after dinner. Though I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping alone. In a couple weeks we’d be married and we’d never have to sleep apart again.

I’d barely put my head on my pillow, already missing him, when I saw him climbing through my window. I threw back the covers and smiled as he climbed in beside me.

“I missed you!” I kissed the words off his lips as he covered my body with his. It felt like the most natural thing when he slipped into me.

Good grief I’ve turned into a teenage nympho. I can’t believe we’d gone almost two years without sharing this, when now it felt like I couldn’t live without it.

“You’re in me so deep.”

“Yes!” He searched for my lips again and I got lost in his kiss. I felt naughty and free. And when he licked a path around my neck I came.

“No don’t leave, stay with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I don’t think I can sleep without you next to me.”

I cuddled in close with my knee on his junk, which was still hard and slippery from our juices. My engine was still revving, I wanted more.

Though I haven’t thought much about the situation lately, when he’s inside me nothing else matters. It’s like my mind just centers on us and what he’s making me feel.

“I wanna do it the way we did it in the closet.” I whispered the words in his ear.

“The bed will make too much noise.”

He rolled on top of me, licked my lips and bit my neck. I had the perfect answer for that.

Slipping out from under him, I got on my hands and knees next to the bed and gave him the Bambi eyes.

He was behind me before I could blink, slamming into me hard. I had to bite into the mattress to hold my screams at bay.

My eyes crossed and my body was on fire. He went longer this time and I enjoyed every minute of it. It felt like after each time I regained a little bit more of me.

“I like this new us. I can’t believe we waited this long.” We were back in bed under the covers and he was holding me close.

“We waited as long as we needed to. I love this new us too.” He kissed my head and I had a sudden thought.

“Brandon, have you done this before?”

“Kristi.” I lifted my head and glared at him. “You have haven’t you?”

“No, I’ve jerked off a lot, watched a lot of porn.” I looked at him skeptically. “But you’re so good at it.”

“And so are you, but you never did it before either.”

“So why did you wait?”

“I always knew it would be you. From the day we left I knew I was coming back here one day for my girl. No one else ever tempted me and believe me I had offers.”

I bet he did. “But I knew I wanted only you.” I felt stupid tears fill my eyes as I clung to him and his arms tightened around me.

“I love you Brandon, so much.”

“I love you too baby, now go to sleep.” I fell off easily now that he was here and didn’t stir until the next morning when the birds started chirping in the trees outside my window.

* * *

For the next few days we fell into a routine. Brandon would pick me up for school, where nothing much had changed. Then bring me back to his house in the evenings to make love.

My friends still hadn’t said anything to me, not even hello and though Brandon swore he’d had a talk with his boys no one would talk to them.

I’d given Ashton my doctor’s number and he sat with us for lunch. He was coming over this weekend to show me how to play the guitar.

Brandon flipped his shit until I told him that of course I expected him to be there, but inside I was tickled at his jealous streak.

Today was supposed to be my first day back at cheerleading practice. I was afraid the coach would cut me but she didn’t even mention the incident, other than to say she was happy to have me back.

I was a bit nervous but of course Brandon was there to walk me to the field before he too joined the team for practice.

“Kristi, I just wanted you to know that I’m really sorry you were sick.” I’d imagined this moment a thousand times, but as Beth stood in front of me, none of what I imagined is what came out of my mouth.

“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Her eyes opened wide and she took a step back.

“What happened to me in your house?”

“I don’t, I wasn’t…” Her mumbling only made me more certain that she knew something. “Just so you know, the cops know everything. They’re just tightening the noose so they can put you all away for a very long time.”

I don’t know if any of that was true, but I just wanted it over with. She lost the color in her face and looked around for reinforcements.

“They’re not gonna do your time for you, so if you know something you better start talking now.” I could see out the corner of my eye, Jill, April and Casey watching us.

Beth started to tap her foot on the ground; a sure sign that she was nervous and I went in for the kill. “Since it was your house, your bed, you know who’s gonna get the blame right?”

I checked my nails as I baited her. “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t my idea. I told those cops that.”

“And you think they believed you?” I smirked at her like I knew something she didn’t and watched her sweat.

“It was Jill, it was all her idea. She wanted Brandon. She said that it was just a joke, that no one would be hurt.” Her words came out in a rambling flow.

“Who was the guy?” My chest felt tight and I thought I was going to pass out. But I held my ground when it seemed like I was finally going to get some answers.

“I don’t know him.” I pretended to walk away and she panicked. “No wait, I really don’t know him. He’s just some guy that Jill met at a party. He wasn’t really in the room with you, it was photo shopped.”

“I don’t understand.”

“He was there to have sex with Jill. That’s why he was even in my room. You were out of it. They did it and then he left.”

“Jill took your clothes off and that’s when she took the pictures with your phone and fixed it so it looked like you and he were there together.

I looked over at Jill who was looking like she really wanted to know what we were talking about. I don’t even remember walking away.

The next thing I knew, Brandon was talking to me, calming me down, and my knuckles hurt. Jill was being helped off the field, with blood dripping from her nose.

Someone had called the cops and a few of my friends were being led away in handcuffs. “Brandon, what’s going on?”

“Blacked out again huh! Well, apparently Beth told you what happened, and you lost your shit. By the way, nice left hook.”

“How did you know what was going on? I thought you were at practice on the other side of the field?”

“Did you really think that I’d leave you alone your first day? I was watching you the whole time. It took great strength not to haul you off when I saw you talking to Beth, but I figured you needed it.”

“I can’t believe I hit her.”

“I can.” He hugged me to his chest and ruffled my hair. I wrapped my arms around him and felt like my world was finally back to rights.

“Did you hear?”

“Yeah, I got it out of Beth before the cops showed up.”

“How did they get here so fast?”

“I called them what do you think. We only have another week left of school, I don’t want this thing following us for the rest of the summer.”

“Do you think they’ll press charges against me?”

“I doubt it, but I wouldn’t worry about it. Exigent circumstances may apply.”

“Listen to you, sounding like a lawyer.” That’s what we were planning to do. He and I were going to open our own firm once we finished school.

We had it all planned out and other than this little blip, things looked to be on track. “Come on I’m taking you home.”

“But what about practice?”

“Screw it. Your hands needs looking at.” He carried me off the field as everyone watched.

By the next day everyone was talking about it. People who’d never spoken to me before came up to me at lunch and told me how horrible it was that this had happened to me.

Ashton sat next to me and Brandon, soaking it all up and I was hoping that it was helping him in some small way.

Brandon must’ve said something to his friends because they all showed an interest in his guitar, which he’d brought to lunch with him and I watched him smile and relax for the first time.

“See what you did?”

“It’s amazing.” I would’ve missed all this if I’d succeeded in taking my life. “It was a good idea getting him to bring his guitar to school.”

“Yeah I figured if he had some more new friends he wont be trying to hog my girl. I have plans for your weekends.”

I grinned and kissed his lips out of view of the monitor who frowned at such things on school grounds.