Page 33 of Charger

It’s not a question. He knows I am. “Zach, I don’t want or need the foreplay. I just want you.” He smiles before he goes to the floor to grab his wallet, taking out a condom. I watch as he unwraps it, then works it over himself. He returns, kissing my neck.

“This is gonna hurt at first, but I promise it’ll get better, okay?”

“Yes, I just don’t want to wait anymore.”

He gently, slowly slides inside my wet opening. “Fuck, you’re tight.” I grip the bed sheet as he goes in deeper. I feel like I’m being ripped open. “You okay? Need me to stop?”

“No, I’m okay. Just keep going.”

He pushes the rest of his way in and I wince from the pain. He stops, waiting for the approval to keep going. When I give it to him, he starts thrusting into me, slow and gentle. And the pain is gone. All that’s left is this intense pleasure of Zach. Him being inside me feels so damn good. We share this moment, keeping our eyes connected with each other.

“Oh my God… this is incredible.” I manage to get the words out. Zach lowers his head to my shoulder, while he moans. I grab onto his hair, scraping my nails down his back. The way he rubs my clit is going to make me explode. “Zach, I think I might—”

“I know. Me too.”

We both release at the same time. Pure magic. My vision blurs from the intensity.

I just had sex with Zach. I try to wrap my brain around that one as he sinks into me. His heavy breaths touch my skin.

“Fuck, that was everything, Jules.”

“Yeah, it was.” I rub his back with circular motions. We stay like this for a couple of minutes before he pushes himself off the bed. I just let Zach take a part of me. A part of me I will never get back. But there are zero regrets and it was amazing.

“I better take this thing off.” He kisses my shoulder then heads for my bathroom.

I rest my arm on my forehead, staring at my ceiling. It might sound cliché, considering we just had sex, but if I wasn’t already thinking that I might be in love with Zach, this confirms it. Not that I would tell him as much. I can’t. He might take off running.

I put my panties back on, followed by my Blink 182 t-shirt, and snuggle inside my covers. Zach sinks in beside me. “Jules, don’t freak out over what I’m about to tell you, okay?”

I sit up and rest my elbows on my bed. “What’s wrong? Was it not good?”

“Hell, it was better than good. It’s not that. It’s just that, well, the condom broke.”

“What?” My heart jumps. Well, shit. “Zach…”

“It’s okay. They have things for these kinds of emergencies.”

“Things? What kind of things?”

“They have a morning after pill, so tomorrow morning, you can talk to your mom and she can take you somewhere to get one.” He cups my cheek. “Actually, I can take you. Or… if something were to happen, Jules, I mean, it wouldn’t totally suck. I would be there for you.”

Did he just say that? I shake my head, trying to knock myself back into reality. “Uh, Zach. We’re eighteen years old. I don’t fucking think so. And oh, great! I have to tell my mom we had sex, and I need a pill to make it all go away because the stupid condom decided not to hold up its end of the deal.” I crash back down on the bed in frustration. “Crap.”

“Look, I’ll take you. It’ll be okay.” He rubs my arm in comfort. “Let’s just lie down.”

He wraps his arm around me and pulls me to his chest. We don’t say anything. How could he be so calm about this? Well, fuck. I mean, what are the chances of something happening? Probably slim.

After what feels like hours of lying there in silence, we both finally fall asleep.

TWELVE

Jules

I jolt awake. The once warm spot next to me where Zach was lying is empty. He must have snuck out before morning, which is a good thing. My parents would kill me if they found out. But something doesn’t feel right. I don’t know what it is, but something’s off. I grab my phone from my nightstand and check my messages. The first one I read is from Zach—he sent it this morning.

Zach: I hate leaving before you wake up, but didn’t want your folks to murder me. Sleep tight, pretty girl.

I read the next one, which is from Garrett last night.