Page 52 of Never Enough

My pussy walls spasm one more time, strangling his cock until he has no choice but to release every drop from his aching balls into me.

In the aftermath, we lie entangled in each other’s arms. He trails tender kisses along my collar bone. “I need you,” he murmursagainst my skin, and I can hear the vulnerability seeping through his voice. “Don’t leave me.”

“Never,” I promise softly. “I’m not going anywhere.” And with that promise hanging palpably between us, we allow sleep to claim us—wrapped in each other’s arms—as our hearts whisper declarations of love only the other can hear.

Chapter nineteen

Daphne

Today is Alex’s last football game, the final chapter in a story that has defined him. I feel privileged to witness this a bittersweet end to a new beginning.

The icy metal bleachers bite into my skin, adding to the evening chill. In my hand, I hold an unopened letter. Its edges are sharp and unforgiving. It’s just paper, but its weight feels crushing, a burden I’m not ready to face alone in my dorm room.

Here, I’m with thousands of other people, though they don’t know the struggle I’m about to embark upon. Because I’m finally reading the letter mom sent me weeks ago. Well, the one I didn’t throw away.

The crowd roars around me. The game’s frenzy catches everyone except for Eden, who is in class with her private cello lesson.

I glance at the field. Alex is out there for his last college play. He’s all focus and fire, the way he always is on game days. I’m just another face in the general audience, but my heart’s down there with him on the turf.

I’m glad it gave him the confidence needed, but I’m excited to see what he makes of his life. Like how his eyes gleam when he’s cooking. Sometimes he pokes the corner of his tongue against his lip, all adorable-like.

Victoria’s sitting in the VIP section. Her dark hair and smug satisfaction makes her easy to spot. Even from here, I can see her perfect posture, the kind that says she owns the place. Which, in a way, she does.

Then there’s Celeste, with the other cheerleaders on the sidelines. She is expected to rally the crowd, but her eyes are fixed on Alex, as if waiting for something.

Alex jogs to the bench for a break and grabs a bottle of Gatorade. He’s breathing hard with sweat glistening on his forehead. Celeste seizes her chance by slinking over. She sits close—too close—and starts talking to him.

Aren’t cheerleaders supposed to be waving pom-poms and, I don’t know, cheering? She’s so comfortable with him that she has no problem just waltzing right up in the middle of a game.

They laugh together, and it looks intimate. Everybody already knows they’ve broken up, but seeing them now feels like a punch in the gut. I hate how it makes me feel.

Betrayed. Small. Invisible.

Shifting my focus back to the letter in my hand, I will myself to block out the sight of Alex and Celeste. I take a deep breath, steel myself, and tear open the envelope.

It’ll be the only thing keeping my mind off my boyfriend and his ex.

I rip at the corner of the envelope but don’t pull out the letter. I’m unable to focus with the group in front of me, whispering.

“Look at Celeste and Alex,” one girl gossips.

“Totally back on,” her friend chimes in, pointing with a manicured nail. “They’re inseparable.”

Their words sting. I glance up. The cheerleaders are peppering the air with their chants, except for Celeste. She’s planted next to Alex, so close it’s like she’s trying to merge with him.

“Isn’t she supposed to be cheering?” Another student snickers.

My hands tremble, making the unopened letter crinkle between my fingers. Worse, hot, traitorous tears well up, making me out to be a loser.

Furious with myself, I blink them away.Stop it, Daphne. You’re being a baby.

I look at Alex’s sharp profile again as he’s lit up in the stadium lights. He’s here, not with Celeste, but with me—just secretly. It’s a thought that should comfort me, but it’s a thin blanket. At least now he’s back on the field.

This isn’t forever. Now that everyone knows they’re broken up, he’ll start properly dating me. Tomorrow, even. We’ve given Celeste time to move on. If I tell him how I’m feeling, I’m sure he’ll listen.

I force a smile, though there’s no one around who cares to see it. I have to believe things will change. That tomorrow, he’ll look at me the way I need him to. The way I look at him.

Everything will be fine. I love him, and I know he loves me, too. It’s a mantra. If I just hold on to those words, I’ll make it through this night.

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