Unconditional

“Baby…” he starts.

“No, that’s not fair. You can’t be my boyfriend and that Cal at the same time. You have to pick one.” I demand.

“Fine. You’re grounded.”

I can’t even stop the giggle that escapes my lips before I’m full-on laughing. “Good one.”

“I mean it, Maddie. You can’t go.” He points at me.

I blink my eyes a few times as I wait for him to tell him that he’s kidding. Excuse me? “I can’t? You’re insane.”

“You heard me.”

“So, let me get this straight: I’m grounded and that means what exactly? I have to stay home? At Margie’s? Or here? Does my grounding include fucking you?”

“Don’t be so crass, Maddie.” He stalks past me and picks up his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling my mother.”

What!? “You’ve lost it.” I reach for his phone and yank it out of his hand and he tackles me to the bed in response, pinning me down and pushing my hands above my head and pushing his phone to the ground.

“Watch your tone, Maddie.”

“Or what?” I lift my chin defiantly and raise an eyebrow, daring him. We stare at each other for a moment, both of our hearts racing, and I can almost feel his beating in perfect rhythm with mine.

He pushes my panties to the side and slips his digits inside of me. “I don’t want you to go,” he whispers.

“Why?”

“Do you have to ask?”

“Maybe I want to hear it.”

“Because the idea of you being around a bunch of horny guys pisses me off, okay?” He pulls his fingers out of me and takes a step back off the bed. “I know I can’t stop you from going…”

Now that he’s acting more rational, I see more than just the possessiveness in his eyes. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course, I do, it’s just…those guys can give you something I can’t.”

“There’s nothing they can give me that I want.”

“You can be out in the open with them…”

“I don’t care about that.” I shake my head. “I mean I would love to be able to go out on dates and stuff with you.” I get off the bed and wrap my arms around him. “I won’t stay, but I have to go. It’s her birthday and I’ve been neglecting my friends ever since you and I got together.”

His shoulders sink and I see the red tinge in his ears. “I know, and I’m sorry I’ve been keeping you from them.”

“You haven’t been keeping me from anything. I’ve wanted to be with you. I still want to be with you.” I raise onto the balls of my feet and wrap my hand around his neck bringing him closer. “Every second of every day. But…that’s unhealthy, or whatever.” I press a kiss to his mouth. “I’m still figuring out who I am, and I have to be able to exist outside of a relationship with a man. With you.”

He sighs and wraps his arms around me. “Fair. I guess,” he grumbles. “When did you get to be so smart?”

“I don’t know. I had a pretty great father figure who taught me some pretty important shit.”

“Oh really.”

“Like how to fuck, for one.”