Lila's Thunder: The Almeida Brothers, Book One (15 page)

Lila brought her hand from her lips and used it to cover her heart.

"You clearly need something that I can't give you."

"You're the one who said that we could keep this casual."

"I was wrong,” he said. "I was stupid..."  He hesitated, and then looked into her eyes.  "I would have believed anything to have you... even my own bullshit."

“It wasn't bulls..."
  She couldn't even finish the words.

He raised his arms.
  “I gotta get out… right now.”  A bitter laugh touched his lips, and he said again, “right now,” with a trembling voice before grabbing his jacket and walking out the door.

"Why?"
  Lila suddenly asked, causing his retreating figure to pause in the middle of the living room.  "Why were you so awful to me for all these years if..."  Tears plummeted from her eyes. "If you felt like this?”

Jack turned slowly back to her, designer jacket hanging lifelessly at his side.
  He tried to speak, but couldn't, the sight of her with tears in her eyes was too much to bear.

"Tell me,
" Lila demanded, forcing herself to suck it up and stop crying.

Jack held his arms out, and then let them fall.
  "I treated you like shit because..." He swallowed hard, then looked up at her with cloudy eyes, "Because at least then I couldn't lose you.  Can't lose something you never had, right?”

"Well now you've had me,"
Lila whispered.  "So now what?"

"Now..." His eyes searched hers.
"Now..."

Lila crossed the room to him and tried to take his face in her hands, but he st
opped her, holding her wrists. Slowly, he broke and before he could stop himself he was backing her against the wall, once more.  Just touching her made him hard, but looking into her eyes sent him into pure insanity.  Lila allowed him to press her against the wall before cupping his face. "I was always yours,” she said, watching a feeling so intense cross Jack's face that it almost made her want to look away.  Instead she rose to her toes and kissed his lips.  "I was always yours, Jack... why can't you see it?"

He held solid as she kissed him once, twice, three times, begging himself to leave right now, to walk away before he really was a dead man walking, but he couldn't walk.
  With every peck on his lips she pecked away at his stony exterior a little more, until his arms were wrapped around her and he was returning her kiss desperately.

"I'm sorry,"
 she whispered between urgent kisses, lifting her leg and wrapping it around his waist.  Her gasps warmed his lips as she reached between them and dipped her hands into his slacks.  "I’m sorry, you're the only one I want."

"I'm sorry, baby,” h
e breathed, gripping a chunk of her hair in his hand when her fingers wrapped around his heat like a vise.

Lila lost herself and said the only thing she could. "Fuck me."

---

Lila stirred awake in her bed the next morning, squinting against the sun seeping through the curtains of her apartment.
  For a moment, she wondered why she felt so at peace, so content.  Usually whenever she woke up in the mornings there was an indescribable pit at the bottom of her stomach that didn't seem to be there this time.  She breathed deeply and rolled over with a smile, nearly screaming at the top of her lungs when her eyes caught sight of Jack Almeida sleeping soundly next to her.

She jumped into a seating position
with wide eyes, her hand covering her mouth as realization washed over her.  She and Jack had gotten into a huge fight the night before and he'd almost stormed out.  It was the first time in her life that she'd ever chased a man.

As her hand slowly fell from her mouth
, scene after scene from the night before came plummeting back to her.

Her second orgasm of the night was the last thing she could remember and, looking out of the open door of her bedroom and at the fallen chairs and random knick knacks scattered all over the floor, it was clear that they'd nearly torn her entire apartment apart in their desperation to get to her bed-- which they hadn't even made it to.
  The vision of him pounding her until she screamed on her kitchen table sent a chill through her spine.  She looked to Jack’s sleeping face. What was with them and kitchens?

A smile crept to her lips and she bit around the tips of her fingers while looking over her shoulder and back at Jack.
  He was lying on his stomach, leaving his strong back naked and chiseled in the usually unforgiving morning light.  Lila almost groaned.  It shouldn't be legal for a man to be so beautiful.  Her white sheet was covering his ass by only an inch and her fingers itched to reach out and touch him.  As she took in his sleeping face, lips smashed into the pillow he was holding, smiling ever so softly, she didn't have the heart to wake him.  Jack was asleep in her bed... and it didn't feel the way she thought it would, at all.  It felt... right.

She climbed out of the bed as quietly as she could, surprised to find herself still as naked
as the man sleeping in her bed. Lila made her way out of her bedroom, closing the door softly behind her and holding her heart while making her way to the living room.  What she saw stopped her cold.

Her front door was open, wide open, so much so that the wind blowing outside was making the door hit the wall, again and again, back and forth.
  Boom, boom, boom.  Lila's heart froze in her chest and she hurried over to the door.

"No, no, no."
  She said, the entire way, reaching for the keys hanging off of the front of the door.

Chase's keys.
 

Taped to the front of the door was a black and white photo of she and Jack sleeping naked next to each other, fluttering violently against the wind.

Chapter 8

Lila's disheveled hair blew into her eyes, causing her to blink rapidly at the sight of the black and white photo of her and Jack sleeping hanging on her door. She was so horror stricken at the idea that Chase had not only been in her apartment, but had been watching she and Jack sleeping for so long that he'd had time to take a photo of them. With a hand over her mouth she ran into the kitchen and grabbed the first cover up she saw, Jack's white button down, and threw it over her naked body before making her way back to the door.

After snatching the photo
down she stared at it under the tight grips of her fingers. It had been taken head on, with Jack spooning her from behind. To the casual observer, it wouldn't appear as an even slightly erotic photo, but peaceful, like two people who'd been sleeping together for years. How had they not heard him? Chill after chill ran down Lila's spine, and when she heard heavy footsteps coming from her bedroom she hid the photo behind her back. Just in time for Jack to turn the corner wearing only a pair of boxers.

He smiled at the sight of her.

Lila smiled as well, clutching the photo behind her back and standing on her toes.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have to get to the school early this morning." She began to make her way towards the bathroom. "I have a million things to take care of."

Jack took her arm as she was passing him. "Whoa, whoa." He smiled at her with sleepy eyes and pulled her back. "Slow down,” he whispered, waiting until she was next to him again before leaning down and placing a slow, soft kiss on her lips.

Lila
’s entire body shook from head to toe at the feeling of his lips on hers. She had to force herself to focus, placing a hand on his chest. "Make yourself at home, okay? There's... no rush, but I really have to get to work."

"I'll drive you."

"I can take the train.”

"Don't be ridiculous." He frowned. "I'll drive you."

Lila still held the photo in a death grip behind her back as she searched his eyes. She wanted so badly to tell him what she'd just found, but for some reason she just couldn't.

After a long moment she f
inally relented. "Okay. Thanks."

---

"So have I mentioned how much I hate my husband? Because I do. With a burning passion..."

Lila was speed walking through the school's office, giving halfhearted hellos to her coworkers and struggling to listen to Tracy all the while freaking out about what had transpired earlier that morning.

"Only every day of our lives,” she responded, hearing Tracy's high heels clicking behind her as they approached the door to Lila's office.

Both women slowed to a stop at the sight of a white, unaddressed envelope hanging down from Lila's door. Lila's mouth immediately went dry as de-
ja-vu from her front door that morning came rocketing back. Tracy, unaware of the torment plaguing her best friend's mind, pushed past Lila and opened the door to her office while snatching the envelope down and singing, "Package for Lila."

Lila panicked and followed Tracy in, snatchi
ng the envelope out of her hand.

"Give me that,” Lila
demanded, turning back to the open door of her office and taking in the inquisitive faces of her nosey coworkers before slamming the door shut.

Tracy had a fake pout splattered across her lips and it deepened dramatically once Lila had closed the door. "Well who pissed i
n your Cheerios this morning,” she mumbled. As she watched Lila practically tear the envelope open the pout on her face was replaced with a perplexed frown. "Where's the fire, woman?"

Lila had the envelope opened in seconds and when she reached inside her fingers froze. She could already feel it, the slippery glossiness on one side and the matte construction on the other. It was a photograph. She immediately withdrew her hand from the envelope, as if it
was
on fire.

Tracy took in the alarm all over Lila and was suddenly irrationally angry. It never took much to shake Lila up, she was far from the strongest person Tracy knew, so when anyone tampered with her friend's fragile emotions she immediat
ely went into momma bear mode.

“What the hell is going on?" s
he demanded. Without waiting for an answer, she snatched the envelope out of Lila's hands and removed its contents before there was even a second to object. Her dark brown eyes scanned the photo before widening in complete and utter, shock.

"What?" Lila asked, already knowing the answer. "What is it?"

Tracy swallowed hard and wordlessly handed the picture over to Lila, who took it with trembling fingers.

There they were, she and Jack, in the throes of their lovemaking. His long body lay between her splayed legs, every muscle in his arms and torso taunt, as if he were in mid thrust, his eyes gently closed and his mouth hovering over Lila's. Her head was thrown back, fingernails dug deep into Jack's hips and lips parted in ecstasy, too enthralled with the pleasure that was clearly engulfing her to even manage to return the kiss that Jack was offering her. It was a highly erotic, highly personal photo that appeared to have been taken from her bedroom window, which she rarely closed.

Without another word she blew past Tracy and jammed her trembling pointer finger into the multi-line phone on her desk.

"Principal's office."
The songbird quality of the lead secretary's voice wafted through the speaker and was a direct contradiction to the dark tone in Lila's office.

"I need to see Chase Almeida in my office, immediately." Lila attempted to control her wavering voice.

"Concerning?..."

Lila was about to come unglued.
"
Immediately
Marsha,” she said, before hanging up completely.

Tracy already had the door in her hand. "I'll walk him down myself."

"Room 202, World Lit," Lila said. "Don't say anything to him. Just bring him to me."

"Got it."
Tracy nodded, and then she was gone.

Lila covered her mouth with her hand and jammed her eyes shut while pa
cing her office back and forth.

Tracy was back in the office in less than five minutes, holding a clearly reluctant Chase's arm in a death grip under her small hand. Her normally youthful face was contorted in angry wrinkles and her full lips had transformed into a tight, straight line.
Chase's face didn't look much different. The walk to Lila's office had clearly been a rough one.

Lila crossed her arms over he
r chest at the sight of Chase. She stopped pacing in the middle of her office, eyes boring into his.

Having demanded an explanation for what the hell was going on during the entire walk to the office, Chase was clearly frustrated, but the sight of distress on Lila's face made all traces of anger vanish. He removed his arm from Tracy's death grip and took a step toward Lila. He was stunned when Tracy placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"What happened?" he asked, gently. Tracy removed her gaze from Chase and looked over her shoulder at Lila, eyes full of protectiveness.

"As if you don't know,
" Lila said, skeptically, her entire body trembling.

Chase raised his eyebrows and looked around the room before returning his gaze to her and shaking his head in dismay.

Lila’s blood boiled. "Trace, can you give us a minute?"

Tracy was hesitant.

"It's okay," Lila said, in the most soothing voice she could manage. "I've got this."

Tracy reluctantly stepped out of Chase's path and made her way to the door. After taking one last look at Lila, she opened the door and slowly left the office.

Chase waited for the door to click closed before making his way over to her. "Lila what is it?"

Lila broke their eye contact and opted instead to stare at the wall above her desk where various pictures and cards that she'd collected from her students over the years hung. Right in the middle was a picture of she and Chase at a basketball game during his freshman year. He was no NBA All-star
, and had spent the better part of the season sitting on the bench until the coach finally put him in the game. He’d scored the winning three-point. She remembered that day fondly, like it was yesterday, but looking at the picture now suddenly made her ill.

Chase was becoming frantic
, and he took her arms.

Lila shrugged out of his hold and turned away from him, her face going grey with agony.

Horror filled Chase’s eyes and he circled around her. "Is it Jack?" He looked like he might be sick. His voice rose desperately, "is it Jack?"

"Jack's fine,
" Lila spat, "But I don't think he would be if he had any idea what you've done. What the hell are you doing, Chase? What are you
thinking?
To hang that envelope on the door of my goddamn office? I could lose my
job
! Not to mention the insane fact that you took them in the first place."

Chase was stunned.

"Say something," Lila screamed, stomping her foot. "Fucking explain yourself right now!"

Chase's eyes narrowed
. "Uh... I'd love to... I'd be happy to, Lila, if I had any idea what the hell you were talking about." He was struggling to keep his cool but with every octave her voice rose the anxiety he felt made a sharp jump, as well.

"Don't do that. Don't play stupid with me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chase said with a frustrated finality, as if he were talking to a three year old, his eyes catching fire.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Lila
raised the two photos that were crunched in a tight hold at her side up to his eyes. She shook them violently. "What the hell is this?"

Chase's face went white. An agonizing amount of silence hung thick in the air between them as he took in the images before him. His he couldn't breathe, but he couldn't look away.

Lila flinched. "Answer me."

Chase’s knuckles had gone white from the tight fists he clenched at his sides.
Without a word, he tried to pass her but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He looked like he might catch fire right before her.

But Lila wasn't afraid, she was too angry. Her heaving breaths made her small nostrils flare as she pointed to
the photos. "You took these pictures."

Chase's entire face collapsed. "
What?"

"You heard me, Chase, you took them.
You took them
. Why?" Lila demanded.

He couldn't speak.

"Your keys were in my door. I know it was you. I know it was you, Chase, who else would it be?!"

"Okay." He shielded his face with both hands to block her from his sight completely before making his way to the door.

Lila followed and grabbed his arm, again, rearing back when he snatched it out of her grasp.

"Don't touch me,” h
e beamed, backing away and holding his hands up with closed eyes. "Don't touch me, Lila… Seriously? I'm about to
fucking
lose it on you."

Lila jolted when he raised his voice. It was the first time Chase had ever raised his voice to her, and she was naturally alarmed, but stood her ground. "How could you take a photo like this and... and hang it on my door
?"
A tear fell right from her eye and crashed against the carpeted floor. "That is..." She held her hands out in claws in front of her. "That is
crazy
, Chase."

Chase went to take a step toward her, but stopped himself, covering his mouth with his hand.

"You're really going to stand there and act like this? Who? Tell me who! Who else could have done this?
Who
?" Her mind was racing. He was the only one with a copy of her key. The only one who cared enough about her and Jack to have gone out of his way to take a picture. As she struggled to put the jangled pieces of this fucked up puzzle together it only made her more infuriated, but there was still a small part of her-- a very small part, that wanted to believe he didn't do it. She swallowed hard and shook her head at him. "Look, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions but there is no one else..." Her mind and her heart were at serious odds, and she felt like her brain was caving in on her. "Just tell me you didn't do this, Chase, and I'll believe you. Okay?"

Chase was horrified as the truth of the situation came crashing in around him. He tried to respond to her
, but the emotions eating him alive at that moment was making it impossible to speak. An inaudible sputter escaped his full lips but that was all he could manage.

Lila shook her head.
"Just tell me you didn't do it."

Chase took one step away from her, then another, as if she was covered in deadly toxins, before turning his back to her and snatching the door open.

Lila watched him go in shock.

---