March, 2013

When I woke up I had no idea what time it was. Rolling over to my side of the bed, I reached down to the mess of clothes next to the frameless box spring and mattress that my boyfriend Liam called a bed and rifled through them with bleary eyes. Finally, through the dirty t-shirts and underwear, my hand settled onto the familiar shape of my phone. Pulling it out, I turned it on, my eyes going wide when I saw the time.

It was one in the afternoon.

"Fuck!" I shouted out, my voice echoing through the small space of Liam's bedroom.

"Wh…what?" came the voice from the other side of the bed.

I was still naked, the air of the bedroom cool against my bare breasts. I pulled the blankets up, covering my body as though I could hide from the world.

"It's one o'clock!" I said, wanting to cry.

"So what?" said Liam, not turning over from where he was laying.

"'So what'?" I asked, crossing my arms, offended that he'd even ask such a question. "That means I've slept through all my classes. Again!"

Liam finally seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and rolled around. As my eyes locked onto his face, my heart jumped like it always did when I saw him.

Liam was a little on the lazy side, but man-oh-man was he gorgeous as hell. Lying on his side, he propped his face on his open hand as he looked at me with his striking, bright blue eyes, his sensual mouth curled into a slight smile.

"That a problem?" he asked, not jostled in the slightest by my little outburst.

"Are you serious?" I replied. "It's a major problem! It's Wednesday and I haven't been to a single class all week!"

"Might as well just take the rest of the week off, then," he said, his straw-blonde hair falling around his perfectly-sculpted cheekbones.

Sometimes I hated how gorgeous he was; it meant he could say the most unsympathetic crap and get away with it because I let myself get sucked into those baby blues.

"You don't get it," I said. "If my grades get too low then I'm gonna lose my scholarship. Then I'll get booted out of school, then I'll have to go back home to Nebraska, then I'll have to marry some dude who works at a gas station, then…then…"

"Chill, little lady," said Liam, his voice as steady and calm as ever. "Not gonna do you any good to get all worked up about it."

One important little detail I should mention about Liam: he's a townie. For those not in the know, a townie is someone who lives in a college town but isn't a student or an employee of the school. I met him at a "welcome to campus party" at the beginning of the semester, and our little…thing, whatever this is, that we've had going on since then has taken up about all the effort and attention that I should have been giving to my education.

I tossed the phone back into the pile of clothes and sulked. Looking around the room, my eyes went from the empty beer bottles to the row of empty liquor bottles that every college-aged guy seemed to find necessary to put on his window sill. My stomach tightened up into a hard little knot, and I wanted to cry. The hangover that was making my head throb didn't help matters much either.

"No sense in stressing about it; what's done is done," said Liam, sitting up in bed and wrapping his massive, muscular arms around my shoulders. "Might as well spend the rest of the day chilling out."

"I've chilled out enough for a lifetime," I said, thinking about all the assignments I'd missed so far this year.

I wracked my brain trying to think of excuses I could use to get my professors to cut me a break. I thought hard, trying to remember if any of my family members hadn't yet "died" so far this semester.

"This is awful," I said. "I don't know what I'm gonna do."

But even as I whined, my eyes drifted down Liam's bare torso, paying special attention to his amazingly-sculpted pecs. Against my wishes, I felt a pulse of arousal in my, ah, lady regions.

Damn him and his perfect, um, well, everything, I thought.

And what's more, he didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by any of this. I didn't expect him to be freaking out right along with me, but I would've liked a little bit of a hint that he understood that this as all a very big freaking deal. But no, instead, he stayed his usual cool-as-a-cucumber self.

Then, just as I was about to blow my top at him, he moved me over until I was sitting right in front of him. He placed a hand on each shoulder, and with the hands of a master, began rubbing my muscles.

"Oh-em-gee," I said, letting my head roll backwards as he worked.

"Damn, always with the tension in the shoulders," he said, kneading my muscles in a fashion that made me feel as though I very well might melt into a puddle any moment.

"It's because I have a ton going on….ahhhh," I said, barely able to form the words. "I have to graduate, I have to get perfect grades, and I have to get out of the Midwest once and for all."

"And do what?" he asked, moving his touch down my back. "What's wrong with just staying here in Missouri? Rent's cheap, weather's halfway decent, and the company…"

He made his point by moving his hands down along to the upper curves of my hips.

"…the company's just right."

"Mmm," I moaned, the sound leaving my mouth like honey. "No…I can't just stay here. That might be good enough for you, but I'm gonna…ahh….do big things."

That's the one real gripe I had about the stud currently giving me the massage of a lifetime- he just didn't seem to have any ambition. Working part-time at one of the local college bars, he made just enough to pay for his necessities, keep his motorcycle up and running, and have a little left over for fun. He didn't have a dime in savings, and if he thought about anything beyond the next party, I certainly didn't know about it.

"Cold beer and a good woman, that's all I need," he said, pulling me backwards against his chest.

His skin was warm against mine, and I'd be damned if, despite it all, I didn't want anything more than the feeling of him against me. The feeling seemed mutual; as I lay there, my head resting on his chest, I felt his gaze as his hand moved slowly from my shoulder, down to the curve of my hip, coming to a rest on my ass.

A little smile crossed my face. I knew what this meant he was in the mood for.

"We can't," I said, placing my hand on his, as if keeping it from moving.

"Oh, really?" he asked. "And why's that?"

"Because…I don't know."

Really, it was because having sex right now, after I'd missed my classes and slept the better part of the day away, felt like a reward that I didn't earn.

"Not good enough," he said, his hand moving out from under mind and stopping at my thigh.

He did have a way of talking me into things…

"I need to get out of bed," I said. "I need to see if I can make up the work I missed today, maybe see if I can get the notes copied from someone…"

Liam let out a little chuckle, that sexy laugh that I knew by this point meant he was up to no good.

"What's so funny?" I asked, a little indignation slipping into my voice.

"Nothing. Just that your mouth is saying one thing, but your body's saying something else."

My eyes went wide and I looked down. Sure enough, my legs had opened slightly, allowing Liam to slip his hand between them, his fingers tantalizingly close to right where I wanted them.

"You're such a little fucker," I said, giving him a playful slap that landed on his granite-hard chest.

As soon as my palm touched his skin, my eyes flicked down- my hand didn't want to move. This guy…he had me under some kind of spell. I knew he was wrong for me; I knew that I should be with some junior in student government who was already applying to grad school and not some townie with a motorcycle and a smile that froze me in my tracks. But just how my mouth was saying one thing and my body another, if a good boy was really what I wanted, then why was I here with Liam?

As his fingers moved closer and closer to my sex, I realized exactly why.

Part of me still wanted to protest, but more of me wanted to let him keep going. So, that's exactly what I did. His fingers teased me, moving closer and closer to my pussy. Just as he touched me right where I wanted to be touched, he moved his head in close and kissed me. His kiss was irresistible; it was like taking a long, slow sip some kind of sweet, intoxicating drink, one that I couldn't get enough of. And as his lips pressed against mine, I took in a long, slow draw of his scent, letting his smell of pure masculinity play on my senses.

I pulled my mouth away from his just for a moment, just long enough to make a quick sweep of his body with my eyes, taking in the sight of his cock –now firm and stiff-, his muscles, and finally settling on his breathtaking face.

Goddamn, he was sexy. I didn't have a chance.

Just then, he slipped his fingers inside me, and I took in a sharp breath as he did.

"Damn," he said, his voice now a low purr. "Speaking of your body sending messages…"

He was right; I was beyond turned on. We'd been seeing each other for months and still, all it took from him was just a touch in the way he knew how and I was ready to go. As he fingered me, the pleasure starting as something like a tickle and moving into something more intense, I wrapped my fingers around his thick cock and began to stroke him.

"Mmm," he moaned, the deep sound resonating through his body.

I teased him a little, my fingertips dancing around the sensitive skin of his head before dragging along his length. He grew harder and harder in my hand, and it took all the restraint I had to not simply jump onto his cock right at that second.

We touched each other for a little longer, moans slipping out my mouth as he worked his fingers in and out of me. Soon, the need for his cock was too much, and I couldn't hold back any longer.

"I need you to fuck me," I said, the words coming out like a command laced with sex.

He smirked, knowing that he'd been able to win me over yet again.

Like I said, I didn't stand a chance against him.

He slipped his fingers out of me and rolled over, his body now on top of mine. His ropy arms bulged as they supported the weight of him over top of me, and the wide span of the rounded muscles of his shoulders invited my gaze.

I spread my legs, and Liam knew right away what I wanted. Reaching down and taking his cock by the base, he slid himself into me in a slow, smooth motion, my legs quivering as he did. I took a moment to acclimate myself to the feeling of him inside of me; as unbelievably pleasurable as it was, he was still huge, and each time we fucked I needed just a moment to accommodate his size.

Soon, I was more than adjusted, and he began thrusting, driving deep into me, feeling my pussy over and over again with his perfect prick.

"Goddamn, you feel so fucking good," I said through my heaving breaths.

He responded with another one of his sensual smirks before lowering his head and placing his lips of my nipples, licking and sucking them as he fucked me. The feeling of his warm mouth on this most sensitive skin was heavenly; he knew just how to use that tongue of his.

His pace quickened and his face tightened with the tight concentration of ecstasy. He plunged into me over and over, and I felt as though I was being split in half time and time again, the carnal intensity building and building in my pussy. I knew that I was going to cum soon, and I placed my hands on his firm, round ass, guiding him right where I wanted him. He always seemed to know just how to fuck me; it was like he was born with the gift of knowing just how to please women.

His pounding became steadier, the tempo of his thrusts allowing me to slip into that otherworldly trance-like state that always proceeded my orgasms.

"Cum for me, baby," he said, his striking blue eyes staring down at me with a gaze of primal intensity.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm gonna…"

And just like that, as though he was able to command my body with just a word, I came, and I came hard. My body shook, my legs quivered, and the moans leaving my mouth were so intense that I'm sure it sounded as though I was in pain. The pleasure rocked my body, and I dug my nails into Liam's back as though I were holding on for dear life.

Liam's orgasm was next, and with a grunt and a heave, he came, draining himself into me, filling me up in the way that only knew could. The idea of him shooting his cum into me was so arousing, so satisfying, that it always managed to push my orgasm just a little bit further. His face tightened and released as he came, and soon both of our orgasms had faded. Liam pulled his cock out of me, and fell at my side.

Spent and satisfied, I rolled over onto him, placing my face on his solid chest and allowing myself to drift off into another long sleep.

* * *

When I woke up, Liam was gone, likely at a shift at the bar where he worked, and the sun was already going down. Alone in Liam's room, it struck me just how dirty and depressing it was, and I quickly dressed and head out, taking care not to attract the attention of his roommates.

Right as I stepped out the door into the cool, early evening air, the orange and red leaves the autumn-turning trees falling gently from above, my phone buzzed twice, meaning that I'd gotten two texts at the same time. I slipped out my phone as I walked towards my car and checked the messages. The first was from Liam, and said nothing more than "Alderman's tonight, party after."

Alderman's was one of the local bars where we hung out, and he'd already had a line on tonight's party. It was Thursday, which meant the weekend's parties were already getting started. Against my own better instincts, I was ready to go out and get crazy again; Liam just brought that out of me.

Going back to my messages, I checked my other text. It was from Lauren, my dorm mate and friend. Well, dormmate and kind-of friend. We got along for the most part, but she was a little too much of a goody-two-shoes for my tastes.

I opened the text, not really sure what to expect.

My stomach sank when I read it.

"Where tf were you? Midterm!!!!"

My blood ran cold when I realized what she was referring to. I didn't just miss any class today; I missed the midterm to my Intro to Western Civ course. I was fucked.

I called up Lauren, my heart pounding.

"What the hell, Mia?" she asked. "Where were you?"

"With Liam…" I said sheepishly.

The sigh she let out alerted me that she knew right away what that meant.

"That guy…" she said. "Listen, I know he's totally hot, but Mia! You keep hanging out with him and you're gonna flunk out!"

"I know, I know," I said, not in the mood to be lectured to.

"But you're lucky," she said. "I told Professor Steele that you'd come down with something major last night and had been totally out of it. She seemed skeptical, but seemed like she'd at least be kind of open to a make-up. You're welcome."

My feeling of defeat was replaced by one of joy.

"Oh-my-God," I said. "Lauren, thank you so much."

"Don't worry about it," she said. "Thank me by not skipping any more classes because of mister beautiful townie. And call Professor Steele; I think she's having her office hours now."

I said my goodbyes and pulled up Professor Steele, getting her number from the syllabus. I "confirmed' Lauren's story, letting her know that it must've been some food poisoning and that I was feeling a little better now. She said if I wanted to make-up the midterm, I needed to come to her office right now. I happily agreed.

The drive to campus was beyond stressful; I spent the entire trip going back and forth between my anxiety about my midterm and the influence of Liam on my life. Lauren was a goody-goody and a little bit of a busybody, but I'd be lying if I said she wasn't about Liam's influence on me.

I rushed onto campus after parking, and soon was in Professor Steele's office. She was a trim, well-dressed woman with dark blonde hair of which a single strand was never out of place. She was youngish, but seemed to be all business; I don't think I'd once seen a smile cross her face. Soon, I was seated at the table that she'd cleared off in her office, the midterm in front of me. I blew through it; academics were never much a challenge for me. After about a half-hour, I handed in the midterm to Professor Steele.

"You know," she said, taking my test from me. "When I was your age, I was dating this guy on campus. Total stud, you know? Name was Drake."

A faraway look crossed Professor's Steele's face as she spoke. Was she really telling me this?

"Worked at a local music shop part-time. Played the drums. The townie-type."

She shook her head, as though picturing the guy as she spoke.

"We dated for a year, and we spent so much time together that my grades started to go down the tubes. Eventually, I realized that it was going to be him or my future. So, I broke it off. It was hard, but I knew it needed to be done. Sure enough, my grades went back up, and I graduated with honors. And where do you think Drake is now?"

"Um, I don't know," I said, still a little shocked that Professor Steele was opening up to me like this.

"Same town, same job. Same Drake, but with less hair and more weight."

She let the words hang in the air before speaking again.

"Just a little something to think about. Have a good evening, Ms. Hunter."

With that, she turned her attention back to the stack of tests she'd been grading. I backed out of the office, thanking her profusely as I left. But as soon as the anxiety left me, I realized what, exactly, she'd said.

She knew. Somehow, she knew. I don't know if Lauren told her, or what, but she knew that the food poisoning excuse was BS, and that the real reason I missed the exam was because I was hanging out with some slacker townie. As I stepped into my car, I'd fully grasped the gravity of the situation, the fact that the only reason that I wasn't currently looking at a scholarship-sinking F was that Professor Steele just happened to be able to empathize with what I was going through, and took pity on me.

I drove back to my dorm feeling like I'd just had a near-death experience. Something had to change; this was a wake-up call from the universe. As I entered my tiny dorm room, a space where I hadn't slept for weeks, I knew that Professor Steele was right: it was my future or Liam. Stepping into the shower and preparing for my night out, I thought long and hard about my life, and by the time I got out, the sweat and grime washed clean from my body, I resolved to put my life on the right path.

I needed to break up with Liam, and I needed to do it tonight.

Driving through the streets of downtown, I saw that the Thursday night partying was already well underway. Drunk coeds were stumbling from bar to bar, the girls screaming and wooing, the guys yelling and carrying on. I scanned the faces of the dozens of students, wondering just how many of them wouldn't be here next semester, wondering just how any of them had, whether consciously or not, decided that partying, drinking, and screwing was more important than their future.

I wasn't going to be one of them.

I parked and made my way down the cozy streets of downtown until I arrived at Alderman's. Alderman's was your standard college bar with neon lights, pool tables, and college rock playing on the speakers. Liam was there, sitting at a bar with a few guys and girls, some faces I recognized, some I didn't. The group was carrying on just like the rest of the students in the packed bar, shots lined up in front of them.

Liam's eyes flicked to mine as I walked in, and that same, sensual smile that had attracted me to him months ago was on full display. But I knew what had to be done, and I was going to stay strong.

"There's my girl," he said, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me tight.

There were a couple of girls in the group –very pretty girls- who all shot me the same dirty look as Liam planted a kiss on my cheek. They all wanted what I was getting ready to get rid of.

"Perfect timing," said Bryce, one of Liam's friends from work as he set a shot glass in front of me.

"Um, none for me," I said, pushing the glass of caramel-colored liquid a few inches away. "Taking it easy tonight."

Liam looked at me funny, knowing right away that something was up.

"Whatever," said Bryce, taking my shot. "More for me."

The group cheersed and woo'd, clinking their drinks together and downing them. Another round of beers was placed in front of us, and I ordered a small glass of club soda with a lime from the bar. Sitting back down at the table, I noticed that all the guys and girls in the group had heavy eyes, stupid looks on their faces, and were being loud and obnoxious. Was this how I always was, just that I was too drunk to notice it?

My resolve was steeled, and about a half hour into the evening, I knew that it was time to rip the Band-Aid off.

"Can we go outside for a minute?" I asked to Liam.

His eyes narrowed for a brief moment; he knew something was up. Liam was a party dude through and through, but he'd always been perceptive and sharp, which made his slacking off even more painful to watch.

"Sure," he said, walking with me to the patio outside.

And out there in the back, I did it. I explained everything, how I'd missed the midterm, how I needed to start thinking about my future, how this couldn't go on any longer.

"I'm just some loser townie, huh?" he said, a trace of anger in his voice.

"No, I mean, yes, I mean-"

"I get it," he said, his eyes cutting shards of blue. "You're a college girl, going off to do important shit; can't have some part-time bartender weighing you down."

I wanted to get defensive, even to go on the attack, but he had me dead-to-rights. All I could do was look down sheepishly.

"Then I'll make this easier for you. Have a nice life."

With that, he stormed back inside, leaving me feeling more alone than I'd ever felt in my life. I stood there for a little while, tears trickling down my face as I gathered the nerve to walk back into the bar. Finally, I took a deep breath and left the patio, rushing through the bar as fast as I could. But I couldn't help but look over at Liam and his friends. To my shock, Liam already had his arm around one of the girls at the table. Figures that a guy like him wouldn't think anything about replacing a girl.

I ran out the front door and into the chilly evening air, trying to hide my tears from the crowds of people who were packed on the downtown sidewalks. And a strange thing happened as I made my way back to my car. I felt a new sense of resolve and determination that I'd never known in my life. I knew that these next few weeks might be rough as I regained my footing, but I knew that it was nothing I couldn't handle.

I was ready for whatever was next.