Sitting next to Johnny in the car, I wanted to cry. I hated pulling him away from Christmas with his mother. Sammy and Logan had decided to stay and spend the rest of the time with her and would catch the train back.

“I’m so sorry, Johnny,” I apologized for the thousandth time.

“Stop apologizing.” He took my hand before bringing it to his lips. He pressed soft kisses to the back of it before resting our clasped hands on his leg. “She’s family. Mom understands that.”

I smiled, loving the feeling of warmth that spread up my arm from his touch.

When we told Gill about Joy’s fall, she basically packed my bag for me telling me that family comes first. Before we left, she squeezed me so hard I thought I was going to bust. I had come to love Gill’s hugs. She made you feel so loved with just one hug. It reminded me a lot of my own mother.

I gazed up at Johnny, my fingers gently rubbing his leg. He looked at me from the corner of his eyes before smirking.

Fuck, he was sexy.

“Baby, you need to stop that.” He tried looking stern but the twinkle in his eye gave him away.

“Stop what?” I asked, rubbing my fingers harder against his leg and inching further upwards.

“If you don’t stop…” His hand grabbed my wrist, stopping my movements. “I will be pulling over and christening that back seat with you.”

I giggled, imagining him doing just that. We hadn’t been intimate since my sloppy hand job before Christmas.

“Maybe I want you to,” I teased, whispering in his ear.

He groaned, his pants starting to get tight. “If I didn’t know who else had christened that back seat, you’d already be back there.”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust, pulling my hand away. “Fair enough.”

No way was I doing anything sexy with Johnny anywhere near where Chunk might have done it.

We arrived back in town but went straight to the hospital. I followed Johnny to the correct ward and we were quickly shown to Joy’s room. Johnny walked in with me behind. I hated hospitals. Ever since I was little, I’d classed hospitals as the place death came.

“Hi, sweet boy,” Joy greeted, accepting a hug off him. It was like watching a giant hug a smurf.

“I’ve brought a surprise for you.” He stepped aside so that Joy could see me.

I wanted to cry when my eyes met hers. She had bruises all over her face. I burst into tears and went straight to her. Within minutes, my feet were off the floor and I was sobbing into her chest. I couldn’t lose Joy. She had slowly filled the large hole that my mother had left behind.

“Hush now,” she whispered, gently smoothing the hair away from her face. “It’s okay.”

After a few minutes, my sobs subsided leaving me to inhale her fresh vanilla scent. I loved the way that she always smelled like summer. My eyes went to Chunk when he walked in, giving him a small wave. He grinned, responding with that cheeky wink that he always gave me. He looked at Johnny, nodding his head toward the hallway.

Johnny nodded, quickly following and leaving Joy and I alone.

“How did your Christmas go, sweet girl?” she asked, rubbing my back.

“It was good.” I tilted my head to look up at her. “I met Johnny’s mom.”

“And how did that go?”

“Good.” I nodded my head. “I think she liked me.” I was pretty sure that she did.

Before we left, she’d asked Johnny to go for a walk with her. He came back looking a little flustered. I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or not, but Gill looked so happy. Maybe it was something she had wanted to say to him and was now relieved that she had. He never brought it up and I never asked. I guessed he’d tell me if and when he was ready.

“Munchkin!” Chunk greeted me when he came in. “How about you and I go and get something sugary for Joy? This hospital food is crap and I say she needs some perking up.”

I nodded, pressing a quick kiss to Joy’s cheek before leaving her with Johnny. We took extra-long as Chunk couldn’t decide between pink iced donuts or whether she’d prefer plain glazed ones. I didn’t think I had ever met anyone who put as much thought into sugary products as he did.

Walking back in, I noticed that Joy had a flush on her cheeks. She kept grinning at Johnny strangely. I wasn’t sure what that was about.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, looking between them.

“Of course.” Johnny cleared his throat. He looked nervous for some reason. “Just talking about the next season.”

I nodded my head, playing along. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to tell me.

“Stop fussing, missy,” Joy chirped in, smirking at me. “Now give me those donuts and you two go home and get settled.”

I nodded, placing the donuts on her bedside table, giggling at Chunk who couldn’t stop staring at them.

Arriving back home, I dragged my bag into Johnny’s, feeling too lazy to go home and unpack it just yet. I just wanted to crash. It had been such a long day. Johnny must have been more tired than I was from all that he’d done. He took my hand and began leading me up the stairs. I guessed he had the same idea.

I followed him into his room. His bed looked so comfy and I knew it was going to knock me right out. I turned to shut the door and the second it clicked shut, I was jolted from behind me. I gasped when I felt Johnny press himself against me, trapping me against the door.

“I have thought of nothing but being alone with you all week,” he growled. His lips quickly descended to my neck where he began to lick, kiss and suck my skin.

I groaned, arching my back and tilting my hips, rotating my ass cheeks against his erection. I could feel how turned on he was, and it was making me horny as hell. Considering we had only had sex once, it hadn’t dampened down how much I wanted him. Our first time had been slow and gentle. Judging by how roughly he was kissing my neck and holding my hips to his, I had a feeling this was not going to be soft or gentle.

“You want me…” I gasped as he thrust himself harder against my ass. His teeth sunk in to the column of my neck, making me moan.

“I always fucking want you.” His hand fisted in the back of my hair before pulling my face to his. He thrust his tongue into my mouth, sucking my tongue into his. “You have bewitched me.” He spun me around before lifting me up by my ass and grinding his jean-clad erection against my open legs. He held me against the door with his hips before grabbing the hem of my top and ripping it upwards. His lips quickly descended, sucking the tops of my breasts.

I groaned, grabbing his top and pulling it upwards. He pressed his chest against mine, making goose bumps spread all over my skin. His head dropped back to my neck, locking my legs behind him.

“I just want to fuck you so bad.” He groaned, reaching his hands up and roughly grabbing my bra-clad breasts.

“Do it,” I gasped, tilting my head backwards. Having his hands on my skin sent me into pure bliss.

He froze, pulling back a little to look into my eyes.

“If you’re sure…”

I nodded, needing him. I had never been a highly sexual person but being with Johnny was different. I felt different when I was with him. He was it for me and I never wanted it to stop. I tightened my legs around him, holding on as he walked us over to his bed.

He lowered me to the floor, looking at me with hunger. His fingers went to the button on my jeans, undoing it. I kicked my flats off before he lowered himself down, sliding my jeans down my legs as he went.

I placed my hands on his shoulders, leaning on him for support. Sitting down on his bed dressed in only my white bra and panties, my eyes followed him as he stood back up. I lifted my hand, intending to do the same for him but he quickly stepped back, his Adam’s apple bobbing. That was always a nervous habit of Johnny’s, but he had nothing to be nervous about.

He tossed his jeans on top of mine and I gasped when I realized he had been going commando. I rubbed my legs together, feeling the tingles shoot straight to my core. He leaned over me, pressing me back so that I was lying sideways on the bed. His hands gripped the elastic at my hips and pulled it down. He tossed it on our discarded pile of clothes before picking me up and laying me down the right way so that my head was on his pillow.

Seconds later, he was joining me. It was different from last time. This time he was the one on top of me, his erection trapped between us.

“If you want to stop…” He tucked some loose curls behind my ears before softly kissing the tip of my nose. “We’ll stop. Okay?”

I nodded, spreading my legs wider for him. The thing I had come to learn about Johnny was that he would only do what I wanted. If I didn’t want something, that’d be enough for him. If he was going to be rough with me, I would have to initiate it. I slid my hands down his back, loving the shiver that rippled through him. Grabbing his ass cheeks, I roughly pushed him down against me.

“I want you to fuck me,” I whispered in his ear before turning my head and licking up the column of his neck and nibbling his earlobe.

He groaned, pushing his hips forward.

In one swift movement, he was deep inside me. I gasped at the feel of him inside me. Before I could get used to the feel of him, he began rocking his hips back and forward. Not slow or gentle. He had one hand settled on my ass and the other was massaging my breast. Even though it was covered by my bra, it didn’t lessen the desire that was coursing through me from the actions.

He lifted himself up on his hands and began moving faster.

“Feel good?” he gasped, circling hips in between hard thrusts.

“Yes.” I moaned, my hands leaning up to press against his chest. “You feel… so good.”

“You like that? You like watching me fuck you?”

Fucking hell. Johnny’s dirty talk was going to be the end of me.

“You like knowing how much of me you own? You like it when my rock-hard cock is inside you, fucking your sweet pussy?” He grinned down at me, knowing exactly the effect he had on me.

I slipped my hand over my mouth, trying to contain the noises that were coming from me.

“No, no, baby.” He pulled my hand away, moving it back to his shoulder. “I want to hear you. No one is here. I want to hear you fucking scream.” He leaned his weight down on me further, our chests pressing together.

I could feel him start to grow harder inside me, if that was possible. His hips sped up causing his head board to lightly hit the wall. I pulled his head down to mine, needing to feel as much of him as I could. He thrust his tongue inside, imitating what his hips were currently doing.

I moaned, ripping my lips from his. I could feel myself start to come undone.

“I…I’m.. I think I’m going to… Oh, fuck, Johnny!”

His hips sped up, determined to draw it out of me.

“That’s it, baby girl. Come for me.” He continued thrusting, my legs tightening around his hips. “Come apart for me!”

Within seconds, I was moaning out loud, thankful no one else was in the house. It was neither quiet nor something I wanted anyone to hear. Several thrusts later, he groaned into my neck, collapsing some of his weight onto me as he came inside me. Minutes later, he began to pull back, lifting his weight off me.

“Don’t go yet,” I whispered, tightening my arms and legs around him. I was clinging to him like a monkey, but I didn’t care. Feeling his skin against mine made me feel warm inside.

He dropped his head, pressing a small kiss to my shoulder.

“Tillie,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

“For what?” What could I possibly have done to deserve a thank you?

“For this. Being with me. Accepting me as I am.” He turned his head, pressing his lips softly to mine. He pulled back, rubbing his nose against mine. He stared into my eyes, making me nervous. “Tillie Jacobs, I think I’m in love with you.”

I froze at his words. In love? Was he serious? Did he feel everything that I felt? Did I plague his thoughts as much as he plagued mine? He had quickly become everything to me and I was so scared to allow myself to fall over that ledge with him—scared he wouldn’t catch me, that I would plummet to the shore below and get washed out.

“I know it’s early and…” He shook his head, unable to hide the look of disappointment. “I know I’m rushing it but…”

I couldn’t stand it any longer. If he was in this for the long haul, then so was I. He began to lift his weight off me, but I forced him back, taking his face in my hands.

“I think I love you too,” I whispered. “I know that’s not the most romantic thing, but I have nothing else to compare it to.” I smoothed his hair back, loving the way his green eyes filled with warmth. “You’re all I think about and even when we’re not together, you’re on my mind. You’re my missing piece, Johnny.”

He grinned, apparently liking the idea of me repeating those inscribed words back to him.

From that moment on, we became inseparable. We had spent most of our time together before but since hearing Johnny tell me that he loved me, it just seemed to cement our connection further. Over the next few days, we spent our time between spending our evenings together and visiting Joy in the hospital. Johnny was focusing on getting as many of his essays completed as possible before college would start back up in the New Year.

Hanging out at the hospital had become my norm. I spent my nights at Johnny’s and my afternoons with Johnny. In the mornings, I would spend the time catching up on my essays and cleaning the house. Joy was house-proud, and I didn’t want her to be disappointed when she came home.

“So,” Joy said, “What are you doing tonight?”

“Tonight?” I was confused. “Nothing that I can think of.” I shrugged my shoulders, dismissively.

“Tillie!” she admonished me, sounding appalled. “It’s New Year’s Eve.”

I laughed at how disgusted she sounded. “It’s just another night, Joy.” I chuckled at the way she rolled her eyes. “I haven’t celebrated New Year’s Eve for a few years.”

“Since losing your mama?” she asked, concerned.

I shrugged, not sure how to answer that. It’s not like we never celebrated because of her, but it usually just ended with my nose in a sketchpad and my dad falling asleep in the chair.

“Well, you’re not staying here.” She had a fake stern expression on her face but her cheeky smile gave her away. “There’s an outfit waiting at home for you and a party with Johnny that you will be at, young lady.”

“Parties are not really my thing.” I hated hanging out with large groups of people that I didn’t really know. “Besides, you’re here. Who’s going to make me go?” I giggled at the flustered expression before we were interrupted.

“Knock, knock,” a voice called from the doorway. “Reporting for Tillie duty.”

I looked up and grinned. Logan and Sammy were both standing there with matching grins on their faces. Sammy had a box of chocolates in his hands and Logan was holding a pink ‘Get Well Soon’ balloon. They both greeted her with hugs and kisses. None of her blood relatives had visited as they had only come to visit for Christmas Day, but she still had us.

I disappeared into my sketch pad, trying to capture details from my mind for my animation subject. I fucking hated animation. I didn’t have the imagination for it and it was stupid that I had to jump through this hoop just to pass the damned course.

After a few moments of feeling someone watching me, I flicked my eyes up.

Logan stood to the side of me, smirking down at me with his arms crossed. “You ready?”

Before I could even answer, he ripped the sketch pad from my lap and cocked an eyebrow at me, his eyes flicking between the sketch and me.

“Why are you drawing freaking unicorns?”

See? Even he thought it was stupid. I snatched it back, shoving my sketch pad back in my bag.

“Stop winding her up, bro.” Sammy slung his arm over my shoulder giving me a wink.

“She knows I’m teasing, man.” He grinned, bending down and giving Joy a quick kiss goodbye.

I gave her a tight hug, promising to come back and see her the next day. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, sweet girl.” She waved us off, smiling at us as we left.