Breathless (113 page)

Purple and white were everywhere. There were so many banners for Jesse and Camden, that I couldn’t count them all. My favorite was the one that read ‘Jesse can Hunt me down any day!’ It was surrounded by girls wearing skimpy purple and white tops tied under their breasts, the rest of their bodies were painted in the colors. They all had on tight jean shorts as well, flayed at the ends, with their butt cheeks sticking out.

The stadium was packed; hip hop music blared from the speakers above, but when the team came out, the sound was deafening. I cringed at the screams from the girls when Jesse ran in with Camden. Half were going crazy over Jesse while the other half seemed to cheer for Camden. And the screams never died down, not even when they started playing.

Despite all the other girls, the game was exhilarating to watch.

Jesse was in his prime. I understood why he’d been dubbed the Golden Boy. When he got the ball, he made the shot almost every time. After he sunk his sixth three-pointer in a row, the crowd was on their feet in hysteria.

Angie nudged me and bent down. She had to yell in my ear, “Your boy’s gotten better.”

I nodded with a foolish smile on my face. I couldn’t wipe it off. I didn’t want to. I was proud of him. He’d been unstoppable at our school, but she was right. He’d doubled his training and it paid off. That was when I realized why his father was making such a big deal out of him. Jesse was going places. A person would have to be a fool not to realize that; it was no wonder his father wanted everyone to remember whose son he was. More than once, the camera had zoomed in on Malcolm Hunt in the first row, sitting beside my parents. I heard the commentary and knew they were discussing what it meant to have the prestigious movie producer in the building and what kind of career that might mean for Grant West’s Golden Boy. One of the commentators remarked they only hoped to hold on to the Golden Boy until the inevitable professionals would take him away. He hoped that wouldn’t happen until Jesse finished college, but it rarely happened for an athlete of his caliber to remain until getting a degree.

As I watched the rest of the game, it was bittersweet. I had the same hopes as everyone else in the stands. They loved Jesse and they wanted him to stay with the team. And I knew Ethan would’ve wanted the same. He would’ve pushed Jesse to finish college, so because of that, I knew there was a strong probability that Jesse would last until the end of his four years.

I enjoyed the game, or I did until halftime. After the dance team did their show, the lights went back to normal and everyone left for the restroom or concessions. It was then that I looked up to the video screen and saw Ethan staring back at me.

I froze.

His eyes seemed to penetrate me as he smiled. Then the picture was replaced with another of him and Jesse together. Their arms were thrown around each other’s shoulders. They wore the same basketball uniform and both looked so happy. Then a third picture came over the screen, this one was of Ethan and his prom date. He was tall and proud in a black tuxedo as she gave the camera a forced smile in her green dress. Then it was him at graduation. He wore his black robe, with his cap in hand. He had flipped the camera off with his middle finger. A few people laughed at that image.

Another was of him and our parents, but more and more pictures showed him and Jesse together. As the slideshow continued, a haunting melody came across the speakers. Then the stadium quieted as so many were pulled into the slideshow.

Angie’s hand found mine and gripped tight.

I tasted something wet on my lips and realized there were tears on my cheeks. I’d been crying and I hadn’t known it.

The images never seemed to stop. There were so many. Ethan, Ethan and Jesse, Ethan and their other friends, more of Ethan and our parents, Ethan and his girlfriend. I gasped when there was one with me. I couldn’t believe my parents had considered that image, but it felt right to see it. More tears burst forth from me. The picture was my last morning with him. It was my birthday, his graduation day, and he had smeared my birthday cake all over me. I was trying to pull away from him as his hand reached past my arms with more cake.

A whimper left me and I looked down. I couldn’t see anymore, but a force that wasn’t mine led my eyes back. I couldn’t look away now. Image after image. All of them were of Ethan and the life he had led. He looked happy in every photograph. He looked content.

Oh god. Why did he die? Why was it him?

Torment and agony sliced through me, back and forth, back and forth. It was as if someone took a butcher knife to me. Each picture, each memory, was another stab deep to my gut. I wanted to bowl over. I wanted to cry until I had nothing left in me. It was too much pain. I couldn’t handle any more.

Then Angie gasped, her hand squeezed mine in a knee jerk reaction.

The camera was on me. Blood drained from me as I saw the tear-drenched cheeks, the swollen look of misery, and how even my eyes would have haunted me. But then I was switched to an off camera, a screen to the side stayed on me, and the slideshow continued of Ethan.

I saw the words scroll over the screen.

In memory of Ethan James Connors, the brother that will never be forgotten. November 24, 1993 - June 2, 2012.

I couldn’t stop myself. I shrunk in my seat and pulled my knees to my chest. I buried my head in them as I kept wiping the tears away. But I still couldn’t look away. Then I saw that the same camera that had found me in the stands was on my parents, across the court. My mom was crying and my dad had his arm around her. Malcolm was next to them. His arm was stretched across as my mom held onto his hand. The only one who was unaffected was Sabrina, as she yawned and fanned herself with the program.

I surrendered after that. I didn’t even try to stop the tears. As they slid down, I let them go. When the game resumed, there was no announcement of what had happened. I figured the commentators had probably talked about Ethan, who he was in relation to Jesse Hunt, and they probably even realized that I was his sister, but everything else went back to normal. The buzzer sounded and people started to watch the game, but I felt their eyes. People below us snuck back glances. I knew those behind were watching me, and the few in my aisle wouldn’t look away. Even when Jesse sank the last shot in and the buzzer sounded, everyone jumped to their feet, but the weight of their gazes wouldn’t leave.

As we left the stadium, I was recognized and stared at until we were finally outside and in the confines of a taxi.

And then a different set of tears came out.

Something had happened in that stadium. It was something beautiful that I couldn’t comprehend. I had left Ethan inside. I had left a part of me behind, and as we pulled away, I knew I would miss that. I would miss him, but a weird peace came over me. I didn’t welcome it, not altogether, but I knew it was there. I knew it was time.

“You okay, girl?” Angie asked in a soft voice. Her hand hadn’t left mine the entire time.

I nodded. I missed Ethan, but I nodded to her. I would be okay. I knew it then, and I knew Jesse and I were done. It was time to walk away. I’d been ready before the game, and that feeling was still with me. It hadn’t left.

It was time, but I still had my one night.

We went back to Haze. Angie wore a white dress while I wore a light blue one. The fabric was thin and loose. The ends tied around my neck and also under my arms around my back. It had been between this one and another, but Angie had picked the backless dress. She told me it was Jesse-to-die-for and even gave me a wink at the end of that statement. I knew she didn’t approve, but at least I didn’t feel her disappointment at the mention of his name.

When we got there, I hadn’t heard from him, but it didn’t matter. We got our drinks and headed to the dance floor. We stayed there the whole night; we moved and swayed when the tempo slowed and sped up. The beat was hypnotic. I was in a trance when a pair of hands slid around my waist. I didn’t have to look. I knew those hands. I leaned back against Jesse’s chest. His arms pulled me backwards and his hips moved with mine. His hands held me in place.

My hair was moved to the side as his lips settled in place. They nibbled on my neck and slowly began to move upwards. Heat flared within me. As his hand went around my waist and slid down, I gasped. I arched my back against him. My neck was exposed to him even more. He grasped the back of my neck and tilted me further out. My breasts ached for his touch. I knew he could see them through the dress. He could see them from the top as he had it pulled away from my body. His hand slid underneath and caressed the side of my stomach.

I melted under his touch.

When I tried to turn towards him, Jesse held me in place. His arms tightened around me. We were molded together; every inch of us was cemented to each other.

I didn’t want it any other way.

His lips kept nibbling on my neck. His tongue swept out and licked at my artery. That sent a rush of heat between my legs and I pressed against his hand. I wanted it down there. I wanted it to stop the throbbing and fulfill it, but his fingers curled around mine. I felt him grin against my skin and held my breath. What was he going to do? But then he led both of our hands down my side. He slipped them in through an opening in my dress. It flared by my hip and our hands touched the top of my V-string. It was such a tiny piece of cloth; it covered almost nothing, but he played with it in his fingers. As he did, his finger swept against the tip of my vagina. I throbbed for him. I salivated for his touch. And I felt a deep chuckle reverberate from his chest as he was pressed against me, but then his hand left the back of my head and circled around. It slipped underneath my dress as well and skimmed the top of my breasts.

I shuddered under his touch.

But then he switched positions swiftly. I was thrown around and slammed back into him. He was molded against my front now. My breasts were pressed against his chest. I felt him through his pants and he held my hips in place as he grinded against me.

I gasped. All thought left me as I only felt him. I only wanted him.

One of his arms held me up behind my back, but I tipped back. My head fell back and my neck was exposed to him. I rubbed my breasts against him, delighting in the shiver that wracked through him. I couldn’t get enough of him.

He held me paralyzed as he bent forward. His lips moved down from my neck and lingered between my breasts. His hand had a cement hold on my hip and he moved against me. We moved together in rhythm to the music, but also to our own rhythm. As he kept kissing me, I wanted to feel his lips on my breast. He would catch the tip between his teeth and he would sweep his tongue around it. I wanted him to do that now, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t go further. I opened my eyes through a haze of lust. I wanted him now.

He lifted his head, saw the plea in my eyes, and grinned. His hand skimmed up my back. He lifted me back to him so we were pressed against each other once again. I purred in satisfaction. We were so close, only a few barriers kept us apart. My hand slid down and fumbled for his jeans. I wanted it open. I wanted to feel him against me, skin to skin, but he caught my hand and lifted it up.

I mewled in protest.

“Not here, Alex,” he whispered against my lips. “Soon.”

It didn’t make sense. Why not? I wanted him, but then I hoisted myself up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and looked down. My breasts were eye-level to him, but he watched me. The same lust had taken over him. I watched as he tried to fight it, but I was blind to anything else. I wanted him to be blind to it too.

Then I was ripped from his arms.

Angie cursed and panted as she pulled me away. “Holy hell. You two can’t even be around each other in public. I swear you were ready to rip off his pants and sink down on him right then and there on the dance floor. Weren’t you?”

I struggled to understand her words. None of them made sense, but I needed Jesse. So I headed back to him.

“Oh, no.” Angie threw me into a room and slapped a hand on the door. The lights were flipped on.

I hissed against the sudden bright light of the bathroom. It was painful and seeped through the trance I’d been under. “What?” I gasped out, still reeling.

“Finally.” She cursed again and crossed her arms. Angie propped herself against the door, on top of the garbage bin, her feet thrown up on the nearest sink. She was immovable and stuck her chin out at me. “You’re going to cool off for awhile.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I…” Fully formed thoughts were a struggle for me. So much was beyond my understanding then. “I—what’s going on?”

“Are you drugged?” She raised an eyebrow. “That would make sense, but he was barely holding it in too. Holy, Alex, the two of you are hot. I almost lost it. I wanted to drag Justin to this room and have my way with him, but I can’t leave you alone for a second. Were you really going to screw him on the dance floor? I mean, really?”

“Ugh,” I grunted and held my head between my hands. A searing pain was in my head. It wouldn’t go away.

“Don’t call me that.”

“What?”

“You said I was a pain in your ass. You’re going to be thanking me later. People would’ve had that on video. Can you imagine that? Going to school on Monday, and there’s video of you and Jesse Hunt boning on a dance floor? I’m surprised they didn’t call security on you two. Everyone was watching. Well, hmmm, maybe that was why. Free entertainment and all.”

“Angie,” I seethed through gritted teeth. It was painful as reality sunk back in.

“Hmmm?”

“Please shut up.”

“Oh. Sure.” She shrugged, but gave me a fuck-off smile as she switched her legs. When she was more comfortable, she sank back against the door and wiggled her eyebrows. “But, man, that was hot.”

“Oh god,” I groaned. Flashbacks of us came at me at breakneck speed. His hand was under my dress; both of our hands were under my dress. I wanted him to touch my breast. Then I was on top of him. I groaned as they kept coming.

“Yep. Sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Stop,” I moaned, cradling my head with my hands. Shame coursed through me, filled with regret. I didn’t regret Jesse or wanting Jesse, but the place. I wholeheartedly regretted the place. Oh my god. We were in a nightclub. We were in public.