Page 119 of I Blame the Rival

Not giving him a chance to say anything else, I take him in my mouth. Gliding my tongue along his ridge, I swallow as muchas possible before sucking my way back to the top. It helps that he’s not that big, I can almost make it to the base before my gag reflex kicks in.

“Easy, Flower. Don’t hurt yourself.”

He strokes my jaw and I relax, focusing less on the deep pulls and more on the sensitive underside of his tip. Skylar’s breathing grows heavy as I play with the spot he showed me in the shower, the suction of my lips and teasing pressure of my tongue making him come undone.

“Fuck.”

His hips thrust forward and I take him to the back of my throat again. Another curse slips out when my tongue hits the same spot, his hands threading through my hair as I suck him off.

“I’m about to come.”

The warning doesn’t impair my progress and I keep going until the salty stream shoots down my throat. Skylar is shaking by the time I sit back on my heels, his eyes glowing against the flushed state of his cheeks.

“That wasn’t your present.” I blurt out, suddenly self-conscious, “It doesn’t seem that way, but I promise I didn’t drive all the way here to give you a blowjob.”

Giving me a heart-stopping smile, he bends down and presses a kiss against my lips.

“You never need a reason to see me. I will always be waiting.”

Skylar

She bought me a plant.

I study the white tinge of the leaves, the unusual colour making me wonder whether she picked it because it matches my hair.

“It needs a lot more sunlight than most succulents, but your window faces the south, so I thought it would be okay.” Lacey gives me a bright smile, “You only have to water it a couple times a week and there’s a fertilizer sample in the bag in case you want to replant it with new soil.”

“Is it okay in this pot?”

“Yeah. I already transferred it from the original plastic container.” She bites her lip, “If you don’t want it though, there’s no pressure to keep it.”

“This is my first plant. Don’t go stealing my firstborn now.”

She laughs and the sound has my lips pulling into a smile.

We’re both sitting on my floor, leaning against my bed while Lacey explains the intricacies of owning a succulent. Her face is alight with unbridled excitement as she walks me through the different watering techniques and I can’t help but ask more questions just to keep her passion alive.

“I have this little watering can that is more of a mister… oh my God.” She claps a hand over her mouth, staring at me with wide eyes, “Why didn’t you say something? I’ve been talking about plants for the last half hour.”

“I like hearing youtalk about plants.”

A flush creeps up her cheeks and she quickly looks away, “You can’t let me go on tangents, Skylar. I’ll put you to sleep in no time.”

There’s a shift in her voice, a quiet vulnerability that makes me think this isn’t the first time those words have been spoken.

“Flower.” I wait for her to look at me, “You could talk to me about plants for hours and I still wouldn’t fall asleep.”

“I’m such a nerd. I’m so-

“No.” I cover her mouth with my hand, cutting her off, “Don’t say that like it’s a bad thing. You have the confidence to share your passion with the world and I have the privilege of witnessing it. It’s a gift to be cherished, not an apology to be delivered.”

Lacey blinks, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as I give her the last shred of reassurance inside me.

“I love all your pieces, Flower. The broken ones, the hopeful ones, the romantic ones. They all come together to form the mosaic you are and I love every single piece.”

The tears spill over and I kiss away each one, cherishing the best present I have ever received. Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me close enough to feel her fractured heart beating in time with my own.

I clutch her tightly, knowing there will never be anyone else. No matter what the future holds, no matter what decisions come to play, there will only ever be my flower.

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