Page 77 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

She cuddles close to me and kisses my chest softly. “I’m bad at this relationship stuff, and I don’t know how to get better. I keep overthinking, and by the time I make a choice, the moment is gone.”

I squeeze her.

“And – and – I don’t want to get too attached.”

“Kind of fucked that we just had sex then, isn’t it?” My tone is harsher than I mean it to be. “Why?”

“I’m leaving in January. I am. Nothing is going to stop me. I’m going to college. I’m going to be in Arizona, studying what I love. I don’t want to leave Bonnie, I’m afraid to leave my dad alone, but I’m going.”

“You should,” I say, kissing her forehead. “Don’t let anything stop you.”

She doesn’t say anything to that, and we stay cuddled for a while longer until she grabs some bottoms, and we go to a drive through to get some food. As we watch T.V. together in the living room, she suddenly perks up with a gasp.

“Go to my room,” she orders.

“Chase?”

She swats me with a pillow, urgency stamped on her face. “Go!”

Jogging upstairs, I shut the door, but it’s not enough to muffle Chase’s booming voice. He asks if she’s been home alone all day and where their dad is. She replies that he’s doing some admin work at the office. Chase says okay and tries to ask her about the date, for what is clearly the third or fourth time and asks when he’s going to meet the guy and she turns that into a reason to leave and comes right up the stairs to shut her door hard.

“Upset?” I whisper softly.

“No. I’m being a little sister and giving myself a reason to lock up in my room,” she whispers back, taking a few steps toward me. “I have incentive here.”

“If you say the spider when I am laying right here as a hunky piece of man …”

She joins me in bed, sitting on my lap, and tracing the bite mark – the painful bite mark – she left on me. “I love Dracula, but he’s not great with cuddling.”

“Almost a compliment. Try again,” I tease.

“You provide good cuddles, asshole.” She kisses me softly. “And now I have to figure out how to sneak you out of the house.”

It takes some clever maneuvering, and I make it into a spy movie, which irks Sky, but I end up pecking her lips before sneaking out the door. I’d be happy to do this all summer. Hell, I’d be happy to do it as long as she’s here.

But that nagging reminder that she’s leaving the state, going all the way across the country in just a few short months is eating at me. I write in a notebook I should have used for classes in college, trying to map out a pros and cons list.

No part of me wants to end what we’ve started, but keeping this a secret from our families while also going out and spending healthy time together is going to be tricky until Peter leaves for school, and Chase is back in grad school where he belongs.

And I hate it. I don’t want to hide her. I don’t want my brother thinking he has even the slightest shot withmygirlfriend. Not to mention I feel so much pressure to show her a whole relationship, but there’s no way to hit fast forward on that.

Not to mention we’re going to approach the question of ‘what happens’ when she does leave. We haven’t been together long enough to decide a damn thing, so all I can do is offer her what I can.

The next day at work is a true hell. Instead of the normal eight hours, I find myself on a twelve-hour shift. Rather than mixing concrete, I’m laying brickwork for the house, hauling beams, helping to set up x, y, and z, and actually putting my body to the test. By the time we’re allowed to leave for the day, I slump against the newly finished wall, using my shirt to take care of the sweat dripping in my eyes.

Kenney nudges me. “What did Sky say about the invitation?”

“She was very happy to receive it.” I sigh. “I haven’t brought it up again.”

“Wednesday, as long as you’re not fighting.”

“Nope. It’s Friday this week.” I glance at the time. “Fuck. I have to get to the gym.”

I make it on time to training by the skin of my teeth. I change, throw myself into three hours of work, then drag my nearly limp body home. Even a shower doesn’t revive me. At dinner, I sit quietly until attention is turned to me.

“Where have you been lately?” Peter asks.

“Hmm?”

---