Broken Ties, page 18
“Poppy’s right, you should tell them,” Aaron said from upfront.
“It’s my body. My decision.”
“Fine, whatever.”
The car pulled up outside Cole’s house. “Guess I’ll call you tomorrow.” He was talking to Aaron, but his eyes lingered on Sofia.
She didn’t look at him though, finding something on her lap far more interesting.
“Yeah, thanks for coming tonight.”
“Anytime. Night, guys.”
“Night,” I said, nudging Sofia’s arm. She was being unusually rude.
“Night,” she mumbled.
Aaron waited for Cole to reach his front door before driving off again.
“What was all that about?” I whispered.
“He’s such an overbearing ass at times.”
“Because he cares?” My brow arched.
“Just… leave it be, yeah?” She sighed, sagging back against the headrest.
“Fine,” I murmured.
A second later, Sofia laced her arm through mine and laid her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, he just… ugh, he drives me insane. How’s your face?”
“Sore, but I’ll live.”
“I still can’t believe we ended up in the middle of a bar fight.”
Ezra snorted, but a low growl vibrated from Aaron. Sofia sat up and leaned over. “Are you… growling?”
“No.”
“Oh, you are. You so are.” Laughter burst out of her, as she reached around and smushed his cheeks.
“Get the fuck off me,” he hissed, shoving her away.
Sofia landed with a huff, rolling her eyes. “So testy, Brother.”
“Yeah, well you two are enough to send me to an early grave. What were you thinking going to some bar and—”
“Oh, spare us the dad speech,” she shot back. “We were trying to have fun. You know, do that thing that teenagers do. Besides, Peyton said—”
“Peyton should have known better.”
“Relax, Bro,” Ezra said. “They’re both okay. Everything’s good.”
But Aaron’s eyes flashed to mine in the rearview mirror and it was obvious that everything was not fine. He was barely holding onto his restraint.
“Aaron,” I said quietly. “We’re fine.”
He didn’t answer and that was that.
I didn’t understand his obvious anger anyway.
By the time we pulled up outside the Bennets’ house, I had to force down the tears burning the backs of my eyes. My face hurt something fierce. I needed some pain pills, an ice pack, and at least eight hours sleep. But something told me, sleep wouldn’t come easy knowing Aaron was only down the hall.
We all piled out of his car and made our way toward the house. The door flung open and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet stood there, disappointment radiating from them.
“Poppy, what happened?”
“I’m fine.” I waved them off.
“You probably did the right thing coming here. When Jase sees the state of you, he’ll—”
“Ash,” Mya warned. “It’s late. I’m sure the girls are tired and want to sleep off their poor decisions.”
“Sure, Mom. Sounds like heaven.” Sofia slipped past them and traipsed inside. I followed, leaving Aaron and Ezra with their parents.
“You did the right thing, Son,” Mr. Bennet said.
Aaron had done what any good brother would, I guess. So why, even after everything, did my heart still misconstrue it?
She was fluttering with elation at Aaron’s white knight routine.
Fickle, foolish heart.
Hurrying after Sofia, I didn’t stick around to hear his reply.
I couldn’t sleep.
The house had fallen quiet hours ago, but I’d been unable to doze off. My jaw hurt too much and my head was too busy.
Dipping my cell phone under the covers, I checked the time. Almost two thirty. Maybe if I took some more pain pills I would finally manage to get some sleep.
Slipping off the covers, I tiptoed out of bed and across Sofia’s room into the Jack and Jill bathroom she shared with Aaron.
The door clicked shut behind me, sending my heart into a tailspin. But Sofia was out cold, snoring softly as she hugged her pillow. She hadn’t wanted to talk about anything when she got into bed. Not Cole or the fact she’d fainted again. And within minutes, she had fallen asleep. All while I’d laid there, listening to her little murmurs. The gentle hum of her television.
Turning on the vanity light switch, I searched the cabinet for some Tylenol, relieved when I found a packet. Popping a couple of tabs, I placed them on my tongue and dipped my head under the faucet.
When I was done, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and inhaled a deep breath.
“Poppy?”
“Jesus, Aaron,” I hissed, whirling around to face him. “You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry. I heard you come in here and wanted to check if you were okay.”
“I’m fine.”
His brow lifted as he stood there, leaning against the doorjamb looking every bit my fantasy and nightmare all wrapped up in one. “So the Tylenol is what exactly? Recreational?”
“Whatever. It’s late. I should—”
“Wait. Just wait here, okay?”
“I—”
“Please.”
The desperation in his voice softened something inside me and I found myself nodding. “Fine.”
“I’ll be right back.” He slipped out of the bathroom and I gripped the sink, forcing myself to take a breath.
The sensible thing would have been to leave, to remove myself from this potentially dangerous situation. Aaron would never physically hurt me, but the pain he could inflict on my already broken heart was immeasurable.
He only wanted to help though, I knew that. But things couldn’t just return to how they used to be, no matter how much I wished they could. Because I was tired of living a lie. Tired of pretending that I didn’t want him—that I wasn’t hopelessly in love with him.
The second he stepped back into the bathroom, the air disappeared.
“Here.” He stalked toward me and I couldn’t resist drinking in the sight of his body. Inches and inches of tanned skin, toned and cut with the hours upon hours he spent working out. His latest tattoo snaked around his bicep, trailing like vines up and over his shoulder. I had the sudden urge to reach out and trace it with my finger, to feel the heat of his skin.
But I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as he cupped my face again, ghosting his finger over my jaw. “Jesus, Poppy.”
“I’m fine.”
“Do you have any idea what I want to do to the asshole who did this to you?”
“It was an accident.” I pushed his hand away, dropping my gaze.
I couldn’t think straight when he reeled me in with his blistering gaze. It was too duplicitous. Telling me one thing when I knew he meant another.
“Is that for me?” I eyed the ice pack in his hand.
“Yeah.” He hesitated, looking at his hand and back again. “Can I?”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Aaron.”
“Please.” His voice cracked. “I need to do something, Poppy.”
“Why?”
My eyes fluttered closed the second the words left my lips.
“Because…”
A non-answer.
A coward’s answer.
Aaron was cautious as he pressed the ice pack to my jaw, cradling my face in his hand as if he was handling something fragile.
Something precious.
His eyes searched mine as we stood there, friends and yet not.
Not anymore.
“I wish… Fuck, fuck,” he murmured under his breath, letting out a resigned sigh.
“What do you wish, Aaron?”
“I wish for one night that I was just Aaron and you were just Poppy.” My heart stilled. “I wish… I wish I could kiss you, the way you deserve to be kissed. But most of all, I wish that you’d look at me again like I’m the most important person in the world to you.”
“Aaron…”
He dropped his head to mine, inhaling deeply. So deeply it felt like he was breathing me in.
“Aaron,” I whispered again, his name like silk on my tongue.
“Yeah?”
It was a mistake.
One I would regret later.
One I would wish I could take back.
But in that moment, there was only me and him and his honesty. His truth.
Aaron felt it. Whatever ties existed between us—ties I knew he’d forever resist—he felt it.
And maybe this would be our only chance. Maybe for a single moment in time, we could pretend. We could be just a girl desperately, hopelessly in love with a boy.
Maybe that’s why I said what I said. Or maybe it was because where Aaron was concerned, I’d always been weak. I’d always been completely under his spell.
It didn’t matter.
Because in that moment there was only one answer.
There was only two little words.
“Kiss me.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Aaron
“Kiss me.”
She wanted me to kiss her.
Fuck.
It was the worst possible idea.
So bad.
And yet, I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t say no.
Sliding my hand along the side of her neck, I dipped my mouth to hers. Hovering right there.
“Kiss me,” she said again. Breathless. Needy.
The tether between us, stretched so taut lately, snapped and my mouth crashed down on hers. Poppy gasped, throwing her arms around my neck and anchoring us together. Closer. Close enough for me to feel the heat from her body. To feel her soft curves pressed up against my hard lines.
I backed her up against the vanity cupboard, and grabbed her hip, hooking it around my waist.
“Aaron,” she choked out. “I can… feel you.”
“Yeah, you can.” I rolled my hips, grinding against her.
“Oh God,” she moaned, and it was like music to my fucking ears. My blood turned molten, coursing through my veins and burning me inside out.
I wanted her.
I wanted her so fucking much. But it was a line too far. Somewhere in the back of my lust-addled mind, I knew that. If we went there—if I went there—our friendship wouldn’t survive.
But I needed more.
Now that I had her here, like this, I needed so much more. Only Sofia was right beyond the door. And if she woke up—
“Do you trust me?” I breathed the words onto Poppy’s lips.
“Always,” she whispered, melting against me as I scooped her up. “Aaron, your shoulder—”
“Is fine.” I nipped her jaw. “Wrap your legs around me.”
Poppy complied, wrapping herself around me like a koala bear. I carried her into my bedroom, kicking the bathroom door shut behind me.
It was a risk bringing her in here. But all rationality had gone out of my head the second I saw the bruise on her face. The second I imagined some asshole putting his hands on her, hurting her.
My restraint was a frayed volatile thing and it had only unraveled more and more as I’d laid there, on the other side of my shared bathroom with Sofia, knowing Poppy was fucking right there.
The second the door clicked shut, Poppy flinched in my arms. I slid my hand under her hair to grip the back of her neck and touched my head to hers. “I got you.” Fixing my mouth over hers, I flicked my tongue along the seam of her lips coaxing her to let me in.
This kiss felt different. Slow and sure, our tongues tangled. She tasted so fucking good.
She wasn’t supposed to taste so good.
I was so fucked.
“Aaron, this is—”
“Shh. Just give me this, Poppy Star.” I gazed at her. “I need this.”
“Why can’t I say no to you?” Her voice trembled, matching her body. “Why can’t I tell you no?”
“Because you need this too. We need it.” And then when tomorrow came around, we could go back to how things were.
Friends.
The word echoed through me, taunting me, but I ignored it.
Walking Poppy over to the bed, I gently laid her down. She stared up at me, lust glittering in her eyes.
“You are so fucking beautiful.”
“I’m a mess.” Her hand went to her jaw but I tugged it away. Slowly lowering myself over her, I was careful not to put too much weight on my bad shoulder. It was already aching, but I wasn’t about to let it stop me from stealing this moment.
With featherlight brushes, I kissed Poppy’s jaw, the corner of her mouth, eventually moving to her lips. She let out a soft moan, making my dick twitch behind my sweats.
Her hands slid up my chest, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
“Fuck,” I hissed, plunging my tongue deeper as my hand found its way between our bodies. “Can I?” I gripped her bare thigh, stroking the smooth skin there.
Poppy pressed her lips together and nodded.
Thank fuck.
My fingers trembled as I pushed my hand higher, dipping into the leg of her shorts.
“Oh God,” she moaned as I found her center and rubbed gently.
“Aaron, it feels—” She lifted her hips seeking more friction as I captured her lips in another bruising kiss, swallowing the tiny moans caught in her throat.
I don’t know how long we kissed, how long I stroked her through her damp panties. But all too soon, Poppy’s breathing became ragged, her body writhing beneath me.
“Do you like that?” I whispered and she nodded, folding one of her hands around mine and guiding me into the thin material until it was skin on skin.
I quickly adjusted my tempo, rewarded with, “Yes, Aaron, oh God, yes.”
Pride filled my chest as I kissed my way down her throat, licking and sucking, all while my fingers pumped slowly in and out of her.
“Are you going to come for me, Poppy Star? Are you going to—”
“Yes,” she panted, bowing into my touch. “Yes.”
I smiled against her mouth, teasing her with my tongue. Her body began to tremble, her pussy clamping onto my fingers, demanding more. It felt like my heart might burst right out of my chest, it was so intense. Seeing her lose control like this, knowing that I was the one causing it… it did things to me.
Bad, bad things.
She came hard, crying my name into my chest as she buried her face there. My body was a live wire above her, desperate for more. Craving what I could never have.
Breathe, Bennet. Just fucking breathe.
“Poppy, look at me,” I forced the words past my lips, and slowly, she lifted her head.
“I—”
She shocked the shit out of me by sliding her palm over the obvious bulge in my sweats.
“Poppy, you don’t need—”
“I want to feel you. Just once I want to know what you look like when you lose control.” She dipped her hand inside and closed her fingers around my hard length.
Fuck. It felt good as she began to fist me. Up and down. Up and down. Slow, torturous drags that made me want to fuck up into her hand. But I forced myself to stay absolutely still. I wasn’t going to last long and I needed it to last. Because Poppy was touching me. She was touching me and it was everything.
Every-fucking-thing.
Too quickly though, that familiar tingle started at the bottom of my spine. “Fuck,” I hissed, kissing her, sucking her tongue into my mouth as she jacked me off.
“Is it okay? Am I doing it right?”
“Go harder… faster…”
“Like this?” She tightened her fingers and my eyes almost rolled back into my head.
“Yeah, like that. Shit, Poppy. I’m not gonna— fuck.” Release barreled up my spine and I came hard, groaning as I made a sticky mess of us both.
“I should probably—”
“Wait.” I grabbed Poppy’s waist as she tried to escape and kissed her. Because once I let her go that was it. The moment would be over.
She broke away, letting out a contented sigh, and went to clean up. When she reappeared, she was still flushed, barely meeting my gaze.
“Here,” she said. “I brought you some tissue.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking it from her and cleaning up. “How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.”
God, I really fucking hated that word.
“I should go back to Sofia’s room. She might—”
“Stay,” I said, not ready to say goodbye.
“Aaron, I can’t. If Sofia wakes up, or worse your parents—”
“Relax. No one is going to catch us and I’ll set an alarm. I’m not ready for this to be over yet.”
Her eyes flared, but she didn’t acknowledge my comment. “Fine, just a little while.”
“Deal.” I grabbed my phone and set an alarm for a couple of hours’ time. “Come here.” I lifted my arm and motioned for her to lay down.
She fit perfectly in the space beside me and I wrapped her up in my arms, kissing her shoulder. “I wish things were different,” I murmured.
“So do I.”
I closed my eyes and held on tight. Because when morning rolled around tonight would all be a dream, so we had to enjoy every second we had together.
But Poppy didn’t stay long.
When I woke up, an hour before the alarm was due to go off…
She was already gone.
Sunlight danced over my face as I cracked an eye open and let out a weary sigh.
Poppy.
My mind instantly conjured up images of her riding my hand, moaning my name as I touched her.
Fuck.
Not my best decision ever, but undoubtedly one of the best nights of my life.
Rubbing a hand down my face, I shoved the memories out of my head and climbed out of bed. Hardly surprised when my shoulder twinged.
The second I stepped into the bathroom, I could sense her. She was everywhere. Lingering notes of her perfume in the air, the discarded ice pack in the sink, a hand towel strewn over the counter.
Last night had been real. So real, I could still taste her on my lips.
Voices beyond the door startled me and I quietly moved to the door leading to Sofia’s room.
