Page 10 of Only With You

“How does it feel to live my dream?” She ignores my statement, a megawatt smile stretching across her face. “I’m so jealous of you. What’s it like being around him?”

I glower. “There’s nothing to be jealous about. And if you really want to know, it’s soul-draining. Can we move on?”

“Is your vision not twenty-twenty anymore? Have you all of a sudden gone blind?”

I reclined back on the booth. “I seriously don’t understand your obsession with him, or anyone, for that matter.”

“It’s not an obsession.” She wipes her greasy fingers on a napkin and throws her brunette braid over her shoulder. “But you can’t deny Landon Taylor is insanely fine and has beautiful hair. So, come on, spill. You literally have the inside scoop. You live with his two best friends, so I’m sure he’s over a lot, huh?”

“Okay, TMZ, chill the fuck out.” I twirl a lock of my blonde hair around my finger. “I really can’t tell you anything because he’s hardly around, and when he is, I stay in my room.”

The less we’re around each other, the better. Somehow, someway, we always break out into an argument and I know the girls are over it.

The jar Polly set up in the living room has racked up a lot of dollar bills over the past few weeks. It also got painted over by Gabby. In the middle it has a J & L with flowers around it.

“Boo-hoo, you’re no fun.” She sticks her tongue out at me. “If he’s not stressing you out, then what is?”

I chuckle, but then her question reminds me why I’m really irritated and stressed.

“Sex,”

She quirks a brow. “Sex? But aren’t you and Parker hooking up?”

Parker and I met in a class last semester, and we’d been casually messing around.

“He cut things off.” I’m not disappointed, because I had contemplated ending things.

She stares, stunned, both brows raised to her hairline. “What? When?”

“Just a few weeks ago. He said he met someone over the summer and things seem pretty serious. But it doesn’t matter because I was considering doing the same. So, it worked out.” I give a noncommittal shrug.

I’m not upset he beat me to it, but it does suck to have lost someone who was sweet and respectful. Sex with Parker wasn’t mind-blowing, but he wasn’t horrible. He stayed in his comfort zone and so did I. It was the biggest reason why I liked him.

After what happened my sophomore year, it’s hard to trust anyone.

That’s why I stuck with Parker. He was a safe bet and respected my boundaries.

But I’d be lying if I said things didn’t get boring over time. It was great at first, but then, I don’t know…I wantedmore, and it was hard to voice that.

When we were in the middle of having sex, I wanted to tell him to completely take over, to do with me as he pleased, but then it felt daunting, and I’d internally freak out. Because what if he did and didn’t stop?What if…

My stomach churns at the reminder ofhishands on me.

“You didn’t tell him, did you?”

“No, but even if I had, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done it. Sometimes, he seemed like he didn’t know what he was doing.”

Sometimes, I was taking control, leading him, and telling him what to do. Especially when it came to eating me out, he just never quite got the hang of it.

“I get that. It’s hard to find guys who know what they’re doing, and who are good at it too. Wait a minute…” She wickedly grins. “What if, you and Lan?—”

“Absolutely not.” I stare at her like she’s gone mad. “Why would you even suggest that?”

“You ever heard that enemies make the best lovers?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. “And his credentials check out.”

I scoff, staring at her incredulously. “His credentials?”

“I’ve heard he likes itrough…and the sources don’t lie.”

---