Page 50 of Begin Again Again

I’m gonna come al ovr your tits, Bethany. All over your mouth and cunt too.

Byron’s message snapped her into sexual focus. She saw him kneeling over her, jacking his cock, an angry look in his eyes. He was punishing her for teasing him, a good man pushed to his limits. He’d come on her then make her suck his cock clean. Beth inhaled, stomach contracting as she zeroed in on her orgasm.

Tell me you’r close? Tell me your gonna come all ovr that pillow.

Beth closed her eyes, rubbing as fast and hard as she could. She was going to have rope burn between her thighs, but it didn’t matter, it didn’t matter, it didn’t—

A hard knock at the door. “Beth?”

By some fucking miracle she didn’t yelp. She stood, legs as watery as though she was swimming. Her underwear was soaked, her cotton bra pulled wide, showcasing her nipples. A droplet slipped from her aching cunt onto the carpet. “I… Lara?”

To her infinite horror, the door creaked opened.

“Beth?”

Beth held her breath, waiting for the killing blow, but Lara held the door ajar, speaking through the gap. “Why are you hiding in your room?”

Beth could have cried. She could have fucking screamed. “I… I’m kinda tired.”

A short pause. “Okay…”

She pulled out her right AirPod and Purity Ring snapped off. Without it, the room was deafeningly silent. Beth’s face burned. Had Lara heard her getting off on the pillow? Heard rustling or moans or…?

Who gives a fuck!? Tell her to go away!

She swallowed. “I’ll be out soon, I promise! I’ll come downstairs.”

“Oh… okay.”

The door closed with a neat click and Beth fought the urge to run after Lara and explain. Apologise. Her phone buzzed next to her crushed, discarded pillow.

Fuck… tell me that was good for you, Bethany.

Beth’s cunt throbbed but the moment was truly broken. She considered picking up the phone and replying, but that was too damn depressing. Instead, she adjusted her underwear and pulled on the red silk dressing gown she’d bought herself at a year sober.

No, it hadn’t been good for her. And now that her arousal had been crushed, she was free to acknowledge that despite his personal honour system, Byron had done what all guys did—ghosted after they’d first hooked up, then texted a storm when nudes were being sent. Byron’s message flashed up again.

Fuck… tell me that was good for you, Bethany.

“Not really,” Beth told her phone.

She tugged on her rainbow pyjama bottoms then headed downstairs to make sure everything was okay with Lara.

Chapter 10

Beth yawned as she swept gold eyeshadow across her right lid. She drank another mouthful of coffee, her fourth of the day. She’d barely slept last night, instead tossing and turning with a blend of horniness and embarrassment. But she’d stuck to her plan and got up early before work to look for share houses online.

The rental market was a shitshow. Out of the hundreds of listings online, she’d shortlisted ten that seemed sanitary and safe. Time would tell if the occupants were tolerable, or if she was a desirable roommate. The competition in the comments was bloodthirsty. Post-COVID, a tonne of young professionals had abandoned their solo apartments to tighten their belts and flat share. As a broke former podcaster turned receptionist, Beth didn’t have a cute cat or access to free gourmet cheese. And half the places she’d shortlisted were seeking ‘someone to chill with on a Friday night with a box of wine or two.’ She didn’t relish the idea of telling the box-wine gang she was sober.

And getting a new place wasn’t even a clear-cut win. Just the thought of telling Lara she was moving out made her queasy. Things had been awkward between them all day. Beth would have assumed it was the pillow-humping, but Lara seemed to have no idea what she’d almost walked in on. Last night when Beth had gone downstairs, Lara accused her of ‘giggling on the phone with Byron,’ all angry, like her mum in 2009 or something.

“He’s a dickhead,” Lara said. “He’ll fuck and run.”

“I don’t care about that,” Beth said. “It’s not serious, but he’s a good guy. I wouldn’t be hooking up with him if he wasn’t.”

Lara gave her a dubious look. “You know you’re not that kind of girl.”

Beth returned the look with interest. “Are you serious? Do you not remember Pag Island?”

---