He looks around, still slightly confused and disoriented before focusing back on me. “What the fuck, Madeline?”
“Sorry, I…”
“This is exactly why I got the sleeping bag.” His ears are red, a telltale sign that he’s embarrassed. His cheeks don’t pinken like most people. Instead, his ears are his giveaway. He moves backwards away from me and shakes his head before turning his alarm off, which I didn’t even realize is still blaring with the way my subconscious is screaming at me for my stupidity.
“I’m…sorry.” Tears well in my eyes as I hear his disappointment, his regret, his…disgust. “Please don’t hate me. You know I get a little…vulnerable during storms.”
“Yeah, I’m more than aware. And when you were younger it was fine that you snuggled up to me. Now…you can’t do that shit anymore and you fucking know why. So, don’t act like you don’t,” he snaps.
His posture is combative, despite the fact that he’s still sitting and I shrink slightly into myself. I don’t say anything, and I try to look anywhere but the heated eyes staring at me.
“Go get ready for school, Madeline.” I hop off the floor and basically sprint out the door. I make it to my room and fall back against the door, letting a breath out that I feel like I’ve been holding since I slipped into his bed last night.
It isn’t until my heart has started to slow from the accelerated speed that I realize I left my phone in his room. I groan, thinking about going back in and facing Cal, and I honestly think I’d rather go the day without it. I spend the next thirty minutes showering and getting ready for school, suddenly excited that this is the last day before Thanksgiving break.
I’m pulling my boots on when I hear the door close and my head snaps towards the window. I’m immediately off my bed and bolting towards the window just in time to see Cal already in his car, backing out of the driveway. What the fuck?
When he makes it into the street, his black Jeep Patriot stops, and for a moment I swear I meet his gaze through the window. I just only hope he doesn’t see the tears forming in my eyes before I turn away. I jog down the stairs, and I see that he’s left enough coffee for me and my phone on the table. I pick it up, prepared to text Sasha when I see I have one waiting for me.
Superhero: Have a good day. Be safe.
IT TOOK TWENTY MINUTES AND a lukewarm shower for my dick to go down after I willed myself not to touch it. I had a paralyzing fear that Maddie’s face would flash through my mind the second I wrapped my hand around my dick and I didn’t want to risk it. So, I let the cooled water rain down on my cock until it softens enough for me to wash my balls. I let my head hit the tile and shame slides over me; I wish it would slither down the drain like the water.
I was hard. Holding Maddie in my arms. Her soft warm body rubbing against my dick like she had the right to.
I run a hand through my hair as I wonder how in the hell I’m going to face her as I step out of the shower. I open the door of the bathroom, peeking my head out as I didn’t put it past Maddie to be sitting on my bed so that we could talk, and I let out a sigh of relief when I don’t see her anywhere in my room. I move towards my door and lock it, suddenly feeling like a seventeen year old is preying on me like she’s the hunter and I’m the hunted.
You’re being dramatic, Cal. She was scared and you make her feel safe. Protected. It’s always been this way. Nothing’s changed.
My cock stiffening under my towel refutes that thought, confirming my suspicions that in fact, everything has changed.
“Hey hey!” Aria drops into my chair on the other side of my desk and props her foot up on the wood surface as she takes a bite of the protein bar that she treats like a major food group. Her hair that is usually pulled into a slick bun is wild and free around her shoulders with sunglasses perched on top of her head.
I tap her foot with my pen and she rolls her eyes and crosses her legs. “Listen, what are you doing tonight?”
“Why isn’t your hair up?”
?
??Chill out, boss man. I just got here.”
“You were due at eight. Why are you just getting here at nine-thirty?” I look at my watch.
“Because your brother wouldn’t let me out of bed.” I go to tell her that I so didn’t want to know when she holds up a hand. “And told me to tell you to take the stick out of your ass before I knock it out of you, little bro.” I blink my eyes at her several times and she giggles. “Listen, I didn’t say it, he did.”
“Don’t make me put you on parking duty.”
“You wouldn’t.” She frowns and I shoot her a look willing her to test me. “Not when I have such good news for you.”
“It better be a lead on that mysterious fire in the warehouse across town.” I wince, wondering if foul play was involved and thus no real suspects as everyone had covered up the evidence.
“No. Well… maybe, but that’s not what I was referring to.”
“Maybe?” I ask wondering, what the lead is.
“Focus, Cal.”
“I am focused!”