When I Fall

He takes one look at me and throws both hands into the air. “Uncle Weed!” His eyes widen in alarm, the smile vanishing from his face. Both hands fall to the front of his pajamas as his legs pinch together. “Uh oh.” He scrunches up his face, then whispers, “Uh oh. I didn’t make it.”

Shit. Poor kid.

“Oh, no, buddy. It’s okay.” Beth moves to help Nolan. She bends down and rubs his back. Nolan leans against her and digs his knuckle into his sleepy eye.

I step past the two of them to get out of the bathroom.

“Reed?”

I look back at Beth when I get out into the hallway. Her eyes are pleading me not to go, to finish this conversation with her. But what does she expect me to do? She said yes.

I jerk my chin down the hall. “I’ll get Ben or Mia, and then I’m going to go.”

Her hand stills on Nolan’s back. “Oh,” she says quietly. “Okay. Well, it was nice seeing you again.”

My breath catches. The air in the hallway becomes too thick to inhale.

Fuck. She’s so damn sweet. Too sweet for her own good. How does she do it? How does she make me feel horrible when I’m only doing the right thing here? She said yes. She obviously wants to go out with CJ. Why does she care if I hang around tonight or not?

I stare back at the woman who I really don’t want to leave, but need to leave. All long, dark hair, big eyes, the sweetest heart-shaped face. My eyes fall to her boots, and a weak smile tugs at my mouth. I look up at her and let her have it. Whatever. It’s fucking hers anyway.

I run a hand through my hair. “Yeah, sweetheart. Yeah, you too.”

I inform Ben what happened with Nolan, ignore CJ when he asks about Beth, tell everyone else at the table that Beth is fine and currently helping Nolan, and then walk out to my truck. If they asked me questions about what happened upstairs, I didn’t hear them. I didn’t hear anything, besides the voice in my head telling me to get the hell out of there.

I STEP THROUGH THE DOOR and take a quick sweep of the crowd.

The place is packed solid with women who barely look old enough to vote. Some are shaking their asses on the dance floor, grinding up against each other and loving the attention they’re getting. Others are sitting at the booths lined along the walls, giggling and whispering together.

I follow their eyes to the back of the room.

Assholes with stupid looking Greek letters on their shirts are standing by the pool table, fighting over who’s buying the next round. Frat guys.

Jesus fuck, it’s college night. This is why I don’t do this shit during the week.

I run a rough hand down my face.

Well, pussy is pussy. Legal pussy is all I care about. And after the shit that happened last night with Beth, I fucking need this.

Stepping up to the bar, I take a seat next to three girls huddled together, all of them sipping on something non-alcoholic. No way in hell are any of them twenty-one.

I wave over the bartender. Thank fuck it’s Mick and not Hattie.

“Give me a Coors, will ya? And another round for these three beauties.”

The one next to me turns her head, her eyes raking down the front of me, slowly taking me in. She’s hot enough. Blonde, short hair. Blue eyes. A smile that doesn’t make me stupid as shit. In other words, exactly what I fucking need.

Mick hands me my beer and gives the girls refills.

I lean closer to the one brushing up against my arm, doing all she can to press her tits into me. “I’m Reed. What’s your name, baby?”

Her eyes widen, she wets her lips nervously, biting and licking them like she can’t decide what to do. Her hand falls to my thigh. “Kellie. Thanks for the drink.”

“No problem. What brings you girls out tonight?”

I really don’t need her to answer this question. The way her nails are clawing at my leg is giving away why she’s really here, no matter what her next words are.

She sets her glass down and shifts on her stool. Her leg nudges between mine. “My boyfriend and I just broke up. My friends think I need to forget all about him. So I’m here.”

“Lucky me.” I grab my beer and take a long sip. “I’m looking to forget about someone too. We can help each other out with that.”

“Girlfriend?” she asks, leaning closer, practically crawling into my lap. “Did she break up with you?”

No, but shit if it doesn’t feel like she did.

“I just need a distraction.”

Smiling, she takes a sip from her straw, then pushes her drink away. Her free hand brushes against my cock. “I can be very distracting. My ex used to say I had the best mouth at Ruxton U.”

“Is that right?” I force myself to stay engaged. To seem interested. It’s a fucking struggle.

She nods, licking the corner of her mouth, pressing firmly against my flaccid cock. “Yup. Wanna find out for yourself?”

Christ, just do it. You’ll get into it once she starts.

I stand and Kellie takes the cue. Tossing two twenties onto the bar, I wrap my arm around her as needy hands tug at the bottom of my shirt, brushing against my lower abs. We get halfway to the exit before she pushes against me.

“Oh, wait! I forgot my purse.”

She runs back over to the bar. I stand in the middle of the dance floor, watching Kellie lean in and whisper to her friends. I’m trying to keep my interest on this chick. Problem is, my cock isn’t feeling it. I’m not feeling it.

Why the fuck am I here?