Page 74 of Off Limits

Sighing, I push up on my toes and give him a quick peck on the lips before stepping back. “Fine. I put your shirts in your hamper.”

“Thank you.”

“Where are we going for dinner?” Chelsea asks distractedly as she walks down the hallway, phone in her hand. We both take another tiny step backward.

“I was thinking Japanese?” He glances at me to catch my smile.

“Sure.” Brendan still hasn’t said a word. He almost looks like he’s cowering behind Chelsea.

As we walk out the door, I let Brendan and Chelsea go first, Lochlyn holding the door open for everybody. Thinking we’re right behind them, Brendan and Chelsea start walking down the hall, giving me the chance to push on my toes and give Lochlyn a quick kiss before we walk out. As we follow them down the hallway, he loops his finger into my back pocket. Sometimes the tiny moments can be fun.

Friday went relatively smoothly. Chelsea isn’t a huge fan of Japanese food but ate it without complaint. Until this morning. Which is how we find ourselves eating pizza, per her request, at five on Saturday. Lochlyn and I decide it’s best to keep her happy, especially since we had a close call last night when we heard a noise in the hallway, jumping apart so fast I bit my tongue.

We had decided it was probably best to keep things tame the first night. Tame turned into a heavy make-out session with our hands all over each other and barely any clothes on. As soon as I squeaked out a moan, we stopped.

Lochlyn can’t keep himself from me, not that I mind. Any time Chelsea and Brendan are out of sight, his mouth and hands are on me. When he took a shower, eyes dashing to me before closing the bathroom door, I itched to join him.

It’s the one weekend we have together between the break in March and the end of school. While it’s great to see him and just be close to him, it’s not exactly what I’ve been hoping for.

Chelsea is, of course, making things hard on Lochlyn. Thankfully, the rest of us, Brendan included, are trying to help take the burden off him. Wes is surprisingly great with her. Better than Brendan, if I’m being fully honest. He’s able to make her laugh, distract her, and will interject when Chelsea is about to explode all over Lochlyn for whatever unknown reason comes to her mind. They have a strong bond, but Chelsea takes most of her anger and frustration out on him, even if it has nothing to do with him. I think it’s because he’s the person she feels safest with. Maybe a little because she’s mad at her parents, but he’s the one who’s around.

It’s become apparent she’s not happy that better arrangements hadn’t been made in terms of sleeping. Lochlyn has made it exceptionally clear that he hadnotintended for Chelsea to be here, which is why other arrangements weren’t made. That he’s not going to kick Weston out of his own apartment just for her comfort.

One fight earlier today got particularly heated, and I had to push Lochlyn into his room while Weston and Brendan took Chelsea for a walk.

“Why is she pushing me so hard this weekend?” His hands gripped the edge of the mattress.

“She’s not happy about this.”

“Obviously. But what did she expect? It’s a two-bedroom apartment.”

“You know Chelsea, she always expects people to bend over backwards for her. Especially you.”

Pulling me close, wrapping an arm around my waist while his other hand rested against my cheek, he kissed me tenderly. “All I wanted was to spend this weekend with you. How did it turn into this mess?”

It was how we had decided on pizza. When they returned to the apartment, Lochlyn offered to order, whatever kind Chelsea wanted, as an olive branch.

After eating, we all start to get dressed, Brendan and Chelsea locking themselves in Weston’s room, and Weston hopping in the shower and taking some clothes with him. He’s been a real trooper with having his home invaded and room taken over.

“She’s trying to break me.” Lochlyn has his head resting against my shoulder, hands on my hips.

“I know. She’s in rare form this weekend.” I run one hand through his hair while the other tips into his pocket. “Think she’s suspicious?”

“I don’t know. I think she’s regretting having come for something she’s not going to enjoy.”

“Wes, he wouldn’t…he wouldn’t say anything, right?” There’s a moment of fear that seizes my lungs in a vice. Of all the ways for Chelsea to find out, that’s probably the least favorable.

“No. We had a very extensive conversation about it. He doesn’t agree with it, but he understands and promised not to say anything.”

“Doesn’t agree with what? Us being together?”

“The lying part.” There’s a bite to his tone, and I know it’s because he agrees.

“Yeah. That’s kind of hard to swallow.”

Twirling a few curls through his fingers, he exhales so heavily my hair flutters. “We should get dressed.”

“Yeah, probably.” Really, all I want in this moment is to stay like this, with his breath caressing my face, his hands on me, and us being so close that I can feel the heat emanating from his body.

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