Second Chance Mine, page 6
The last month flew by. I spent a lot of time at the library avoiding the Drake’s apartment like it was the new age plague. I didn’t want to see Adrian. Mostly because I had no clue how to act around him now that I was aware he was behind the reason guys stayed away from me all these years.
The unexpected news of his whatever you’d call it, hit me like a ton of bricks. The only way I knew how to handle it was by avoiding him. It wasn’t like he was actively trying to make things right with me either.
“Hey!” Cade waved his hand in front of my face. “Where did you go?”
“I’m here,” I responded, smiling wide, trying to play it off as if I wasn’t just thinking about his brother.
“You’ve been kind of MIA lately. What’s up?”
“I’m just trying to adjust to college life, that's all.”
“I miss you.”
Talk about making me feel like crap.
“You don’t have to miss me anymore. I’m sitting right in front of you.”
“For how long?”
“Cade…”
“Is this about Hayley?”
“Of course not. I love you two together.”
“It just seems a little weird we’re finally on our own in college, and I’ve barely seen you this last month. I don’t want things to continue this way. You’re my best friend, Paige. I don’t want to lose you to anything or anyone.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the guilt of what he was saying in the pit of my stomach.
“I promise I’ll make more of an effort to see you, okay? Where is Hayley anyway?”
“She’s meeting us here.”
Wanting to get rid of this remorse he was triggering, I grabbed one of the shots he poured and took it down in one swig. At the last second, I decided to drink the other one too.
“Damn. That bad? You didn’t even do the salt and lime.”
“I’m a professional.” I coughed up a lung. “I don’t need the salt and lime.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Paige?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You act like I don’t know you or something. It’s written all over your face.”
“Oh, so you’re an interpreter of my emotions now?”
“You’re easy to read.”
“Enlighten me then.”
He poured another two shots and slammed his down before confidently stating, “I’m fine with you usually means you’re losing your shit. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ means I’m fucked. When you sigh, it means the world is coming to an end. When it’s that time of the month, you eat chocolate as if it’s your last meal. Also, you turn into a raging emotional wreck where all your reasoning goes out the fucking window. It’s one of those things where you just have to cry it out.”
“Wow.”
“I’m not done.” He chugged down the other shot, slamming it back down on the table again. “‘Go ahead,’ means I better stay my ass home if I know what’s good for me. Do I look fat in this? Means I better lie if I value my balls. Don’t get me started on the ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ which always means you want to talk about everything.”
This time it was me who filled two more shots, swallowing them whole like a champ. Barely coughing now.
“How did I do?”
“A plus, Cade. I guess you have me nailed.” I smirked, once again trying to change the subject from me to him, I questioned, “You engaged yet?”
He chuckled, “You itching to be my best man, or I’d guess you’d be my best woman?”
“I’m not entirely sure how that works, but the fact that you’re considering me your best anything in a wedding I didn’t know about seems very serious to me.”
“I never said I didn’t want to get married.”
My eyes widened. “Are you thinking about marriage?”
He shrugged.
“Oh my God! Have you guys said I love you?”
“You’d know if you were around more.”
Feeling the liquor coursing through my veins, I openly sighed. Proving to him there was something on my mind. I wasn’t a big drinker. It wasn’t shocking I was quickly experiencing its effects.
“I’m sorry, okay? I haven’t been available to you like you’re used to, but from here on out, I’m at your disposal.”
“You make it sound like a chore.”
“Cade, why are you being so sensitive?”
“Sensitive? I’ve barely seen my best friend in the last month for the first time in twelve years. You think you’d be a little more understanding?”
Caught off guard by his attitude, I countered, “Are we fighting?”
“You tell me.”
“I never want to fight with you. I miss you too, okay? Can we just call a truce?”
He eyed me skeptically. “Is this about a guy? Are you seeing someone?”
I jerked back. “Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. You’re acting differently. I can’t put my finger on it.”
“I just told you I’m not hiding anything from you. Why don’t you focus on your own life instead of butting into mine?”
“Butting into yours?” He scoffed, abruptly standing.
“Cade, I didn’t mean—”
“You obviously did. Listen, if you wanted space, all you had to do was be honest with me.”
“I don’t want space. You’re just on my butt like I’m hiding something from you when I’m not. I don’t appreciate feeling like I’m on the witness stand with my best friend and he’s trying to catch me in a lie.”
“I wouldn’t have to if I felt like you were telling me the truth.”
“Cade, don’t be like that.”
“Fine. Keep your secrets.” He nodded behind me. “Hayley’s here. I’ll catch you later.”
With that, he turned and left, never once looking back to see how I reacted to his outburst. I couldn’t take anymore. It seemed as if it was one thing after another and I had no control. Cade and I didn’t fight and even when we did, we always made up almost immediately.
“What just happened?” I asked myself, taking down yet another shot.
The longer I sat there, the more time I had to contemplate how messed up my life became from the moment I learned of Adrian’s dirty little secret as he called it.
I started to get mad.
Really, really mad.
This was all my fault.
Actually, this was all his fault.
Before I knew what I was doing, I called an Uber and put in their address.
Adrian
She beamed. “I can’t believe I’m here with you.”
“Is that right?” I retorted on cue.
It was always the same.
Women had been telling me this for as long as I could remember. It was never a big deal. I didn’t care about the illusions they created in their heads of what they thought was going to happen between us.
I made no promises.
Ever.
Not. One. Fucking. Time.
“Hey, you listening?” whatever her name was questioned. “Do you remember my na—”
“I don’t care about your name.” I purposefully walked toward her.
“Well I know your name” she sassed.
“I’m sure you do. I’ll tell you what I want to know.” With my thumb, I reached out to rub over her mouth in a back-and-forth motion. “How these pouty lips would feel wrapped around my cock.”
Her breathing hitched.
I shoved my thumb into her mouth, ordering with conviction, “Get on your knees and show me how far you can deep-throat my dick.”
She sucked on my thumb like a damn pro, unbuckling my belt.
“Good girl,” I praised, removing my thumb. Bringing her closer to me by the nook of her neck, I groaned in her ear, “Pull out my cock.”
Her skin immediately warmed my hand. She was one of the sorority girls or some shit. All their faces blended, all but one. I didn’t know her name and I didn’t care. She took it upon herself to follow me back to my apartment from the party on the third floor of our complex. I was simply giving her what she wanted.
She did as she was told with unsteady hands.
“Stroke it. Harder,” I demanded.
“Like this?” she breathed out.
“Yeah…”
I jerked her head back and she moaned as I dragged her down to the ground. Taking my cock out of her grasp, I stroked myself up and down in front of her face. Showing her how I liked it.
She peered up at me with hooded eyes. When she realized what I was doing, they glazed over like she’d never seen a man stroke himself before. Or it could have been the size of my dick.
Either way, I was used to it.
Looking down at her, I rasped, “It’s not going to suck itself, sweetheart.”
She didn’t have to be told twice. Her soft, wet, hot mouth swallowed me whole until she fucking gagged.
“Deeper,” I insisted, enjoying the feel of the back of her throat.
This woman followed directions nicely, but she wasn’t sucking me as far as I wanted, so I did it for her. Gripping onto the sides of her face, I began fucking her mouth, making her choke and I growled. Swiftly, I found the rhythm that had my head falling back.
“Good girl, such a good girl,” I groaned, staring up at the ceiling, simply thinking about the girl I shouldn’t.
I relished in the feel of her lips wrapped around me, but I’d been drinking. I wasn’t going to come fast. Especially after I looked back down at her and she wasn’t who I wanted her to be. It only pissed me the fuck off.
Her hair was the wrong color.
Her scent wasn’t the same.
The feel of her skin.
The look on her face.
I closed my eyes, pretending she was who I yearned for. I was immediately frustrated with myself for allowing my mind to wander to the woman who was forbidden and off limits. To not only me, but to every man.
Continuing my descent, I fucked her face.
Faster.
Harder.
Until my balls started to ache.
I huskily groaned, opening my eyes. At first I thought I was imagining her. The woman who’d been captivating my thoughts for far too long.
Our eyes locked.
Focused.
Determined.
Unrelenting emotions.
It was all it took for me to fall over the edge. Coming harder than I ever expected, I shot my load down her throat growling, “Cherry.”
Then Paige was suddenly standing before me.
Ten
Adrian
After I recognized this wasn’t an illusion, I grinned at the woman standing frozen a few feet in front of us.
Her mouth was parted.
Her gaze was wide.
Filled with nothing but lust and a drunken haze.
In an instant, the chick released my cock, gasping for air I was denying her. “Did you call me Cherry?” She stood.
I didn’t pay her any mind, I couldn’t.
My stare was still fused with Paige’s.
Without missing a beat, I ordered, “Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.”
What’s her name’s glare shifted from me to Paige, back to me again. “What the hell?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” I argued, breaking the trancelike state Paige and I were unexpectedly in. I glanced at the other woman. “With cock sucking lips, I thought you'd be a goddamn pro.”
“You fucking asshole!” Her livid stare connected with Paige. “I guess it’s your turn now.”
Her question was enough to yank Paige’s attention while I stepped back, tucking my cock into my pants.
“Absolutely not,” Paige sternly denied, further pissing me off.
Before the last word left Paige’s determined tone, the chick was already opening and then slamming the door shut behind her.
Neither one of us said a word, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
However, I was the first to break the silence, asking the obvious, “What are you doing here?”
“I… I…”
Was she drunk?
“You…you…what? I never pegged you for a voyeur, Cherry.”
She cocked her head to the side, realizing it was her who I was referring to that made me come.
“I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Which part? Getting my cock sucked or kicking her out after?”
“Do you treat all the women like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like they’re nothing.”
“I wasn’t the one who followed her back to her apartment, Cherry.”
“Stop calling me that. It’s not my name.”
“It is now.”
“Ugh!” Her hands flew out in front of her. “You’re a disgusting pig!”
“Relax. She swallowed my cum; I didn’t kiss her goodnight.”
“You know what? You Drake brothers are the same and I’m over getting blamed for—”
“Ever heard of knocking? This is my apartment, Paige, and you barged in here like you own the damn place. This is what I do. This is who I am. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.”
I hated that I was being an asshole to her, but what other choice did I have? She had no business showing up here uninvited. I needed to cut whatever cord I created by telling her the truth about why guys stayed away from her. If I knew what was good for me, I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
Now, I was fucked.
Especially after her knowing she was the reason I came down that chick’s throat in the first place.
“Fuck!” I roared. Exasperated, fueling my temper toward the situation I created. “What are you doing here?”
“I came here to yell at you!”
“How’s that working out for you?”
“This is all your fault!” She sternly pointed at me.
“Trust me, I know.”
“Do you? Because I don’t think you do. Cade and I got into a fight and it’s you’re doing.” She staggered over her own two feet.
She was definitely drunk on the verge of fucking plastered. Instantly, I was pissed for a whole different set of reasons.
“If you drove here, I’m going to take you over my knee.”
She challenged my threat. “And do what?”
“Spank your ass until it’s bright fucking red.”
“Oh my God! Who the fuck do you think you are?”
I think this was the first time I ever heard her cuss, causing my cock to twitch at her dirty mouth.
“What have I done to you to deserve this?” With rage in her hazel eyes, she marched over to me as if she was going to do something.
I eyed her up and down, struggling to hold in a laugh as she stood in front of me. All five feet nothing of her.
“You’re the reason I’m fighting with my best friend.” She stomped her foot on the floor, pointing at me again. “It’s all your fault Cade’s mad at me. I’ve been avoiding you. This means I haven’t been around and now he’s mad at me. He thinks I’m hiding something from him. And the truth is, I am!”
I never expect what happened next.
Or maybe…
I did.
Paige
“All these years, I thought something was wrong with me, and come to find out, that’s your fault too. I always dreamed I’d fall in love. Experience things. You know, boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy asks girl to be his girlfriend. I can’t believe you did this to me! Not only did you embarrass me, but you also you scared off any boy who might’ve paid attention to me!” I shouted, jabbing my finger into his chest. “Who do you think you are?”
He just stood there, with no emotions whatsoever.
I didn’t falter, continuing , “You ruined everything for me!”
“I protected you.”
“From what?”
“From guys like me.”
“That wasn’t your choice to make! I don’t need your protection! You’re about to need some, though!” I shoved his chest as hard as I could.
He didn’t waver. Which only infuriated me more.
Thinking about Cade.
His truth.
The reality of where we all were now.
Not to mention, Adrian getting his dick sucked by a girl in front of me was all I could see.
Why did he call out my name?
I didn’t know what was worse. Him standing there all cool and collected, or the fact I couldn’t get a reaction out of him.
I just wanted to feel like a normal girl. Having a guy as my best friend was hard enough. What Adrian was putting me through was unacceptable. Except in the blink of an eye, he showed me what I longed to see.
His gaze.
It spoke volumes for the first time between us.
Not in a lustful way, but a loving one.
Am I imagining this?
I could feel his penetrating stare deep within my soul, roping me in, He took hold of my heart and for the life of me, I never wanted him to let it go.
I was conflicted.
My mind and heart raged war with one another.
My head hated him for his actions, but my heart… that stupid rapidly beating thing, thought maybe he did care for me.
Possibly even love me.
Feeling brazen, I stood on my tiptoes, getting right in his face. “You don’t get it. I have experienced nothing because of you, Adrian Drake.” I shoved him harder.
He still didn’t budge.
“Cherry, the only thing guys want in high school is in your panties. They want your pussy. End of story.”
“What about college men? Huh? They want the same thing?”
“Even more.”
“And you, Adrian? What do you want?”
“You just saw it firsthand.”
There was something about his shameless reply that had my fists pounding on his chest, finally losing all my resolve. He took it all.
“You have no right!” I didn’t let up on his chest, hitting him harder and faster until he gripped my wrists to hold me back.
“What about me?” I exclaimed. “What do you want from me?”
He stepped forward, closing the small distance between us before he freed my wrists. When his rough hands reached up and grabbed ahold of my cheeks, the smell of bourbon and mint immediately assaulted my senses. There was no hesitation on his part as he pulled me up to his lips.
