Underneath It All (25 page)

Raven instantly stood up off my bed. “His words consumed you, Agata,” Raven stated.

“What do you want me to
do?
Turn against him when you all gang up on him?”

“You’re betraying your best friends. We don’t know you anymore.” Raven began to shake her head in obvious disappointment as she grabbed her bag in the process and banged the door behind her.

Tats gathered her coat and left without a word.

“The heart wants what it wants, they say, huh? Good luck with that,” said Apple; she waited a moment before she, too, left the room.

My eyes started to water. I looked at the floor and closed my eyes. They thought I betrayed them.

I opened my eyes, gazed around my now empty room, and broke down in tears.

Chapter XXVIII

Predicament

Things went rough for me for a few days. By the time Friday rolled around, my friends still weren’t talking to me.

I bumped into Miranda one day and she spilled her milkshake all over me. She claimed it was an accident, but I could tell from the look on her face she intended on doing so. Tats walked by but she didn’t even look my way.

Every time she walked into our room, Tats no longer sat on the edge of my bed, instead opting to stand at the other side of the room, her back against the wall. She always brought so much cheer, her smile brightening the room the instant she walked in, but since the protest she had been quiet.

It made me miss home, and the feeling of being alone in this room was beginning to make me miserable.

I didn’t want to have to choose between Reeve and my friends. If I had to, I would choose Reeve, but that decision would definitely feel so wrong.

It had been a week without any real communication between the three girls and me. It sucked; everyone in the university was giving me judging glances. Most of the students were treating me like I had the plague or something. But what I hated the most was when people acted nice to my face then talked shit behind my back.

All of it drove me insane. It was like they were punishing me. What had I done wrong? Or was it because I wasn’t doing anything to rectify the issue?

One night, the girls were polishing their nails while I was finishing some report papers.

Someone knocked on our door. Tats looked through the peephole and announced to them excitedly, “It’s Tim.”

“Who’s Tim?” Apple asked.

“Tim Wilson, our running Cum Laude,” Tats replied, and peeped back in the hole.

“Are you kidding me? This is a den of progesterone. You can’t invite a guy in here,” said Apple.

“Well, I’m going to let him in, we are having a one on one session. He’s helping me pass physics,” Tats said.

“Seriously? Oh my gosh you can’t let him in; this is a woman cave!” Raven shrieked as she scrambled to gather her scattered clothes, socks, and underwear everywhere.

“Okay, I’m inviting him in now,” Tats shrugged.

“Don’t let him,” warned Apple.

“Don’t let him in,” Raven seconded.

“I’m gonna let him in.”

“Tats, do not let him in,” Apple scoffed. “We’re having such a great girl time right now.”

Tats opened the door.

“Oh shit, she just let him in,” Raven muttered.

“What the…?” said Apple, irritated. “Open the door. I don’t care.” Apple rolled her eyes.

I was just listening to them the whole time. They were deliberately ignoring me; I was seemingly invisible, my presence not acknowledged, almost like I didn’t exist.

“Hey. I hope I’m not interrupting,” greeted Tim. He wasn’t wearing that stereotypical nerd look with his hair deep side-part. He may be a nerd but he didn’t look bad this night. His dark brown hair was impeccably tousled, a dark, fitting shirt emphasized his broad shoulders over his acid washed blue jeans, bright grey eyes and magnetic “boy-next-door” charm.

He shut the door and turned around to face us with his hands behind his back.

“Wow,” Raven mouthed silently. “For a nerd he did look pretty good.”

“Hi,” Apple greeted and in an instant, Tim had the biggest smile plastered on his face. Their eyes met and a smile passed on Apple’s lips. It was as though they were the only people in the world. Of course, I knew Tim liked Apple, a lot. He told me that while we were on the rooftop sharing a cigarette.

Tim glanced my way, nodded curtly and smiled nicely at me.

And so, their mini session started. They were all over him. From across the room I was examining Tatiana. It was clear. She was crushing on Tim. Her body language was among the telltale signs she was into him. Tats was gazing at him as he smiled, leaning forward when he was talking and touching him lightly.

I caught Apple looking down shyly when he caught her gaze. After a couple of hours, Tim bade his goodbye. Tats sent him to the door and insisted on walking him out the dorm but Tim refused.

“Thank you, I really appreciate the time and effort, Tim,” Tats said, and before he could leave, Tats pulled him in for a kiss.

He was clearly surprised. The nerve of this guy! He was kissing Tatiana while his eyes were fixated on Apple!

He said his goodbye and gave her a final peck. I could have punched him already in that strangely good-looking face.

“Tim!” I called. I discreetly followed him down the hallway when the girls went back to doing their nails.

He looked back at me inquisitively.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” I questioned.

“I’m trying to help your friend,” he said, playing innocent.

“Oh fuck you!” I snarled. I’d had enough. “Don’t you dare fool around with Tatiana just so you can get into Apple’s pants,” I warned him.

“What are you talking about? I’m here to help. Don’t you know that Tatiana’s application to graduate was turned down?” he asked. “But she was given another chance. How? Because I backed her up. Now she needs to pass each and every subject, ’cause once Gates has been taken down, if she didn’t graduate there’s no way she’ll finish college,” he went on to explain.

“Tatiana will surely find another school who will offer her the same scholarship program ’cause she’s smarter than you think.”

“No, Agata, not for a graduating student like her, like most of the students whose futures are in jeopardy right now.”

Dumbfounded by the harsh reality he presented to me, I stood motionless, unable to speak.

“Stop acting so concerned when you’ve turned into someone nobody wants to be around,” he paused, and looked past me. “See you tomorrow, Tats.” He turned his back and walked out of our dorm.

I turned to see Tats standing there with her hand across her chest. Having witnessed the entire episode, she approached me.

“I’m sorry, Tats, about the news that your application was turned down. I confronted him because I just wanted to protect you,” I pulled her into a hug, but she was stiff. She wasn’t budging either. Had I lost my best friend already? “Please don’t be so difficult,” I begged.

“Yeah, my application was turned down, Mom’s medical expenses, and Dad’s perfect timing to evanesce. That’s how very freakin’ difficult things have been for me these past few days, Agata. Don’t tell me that I’m being difficult, because right now my whole life is difficult! I don’t need this from you! Just stay away from me already.”

I loosened my arms around her to see her face. She pulled out her hands, walked away from me, and shut the door behind her.

My chest ached from sobs that hadn’t escaped. I walked on shaky legs down the hallway, out the dorm. I was already sobbing until loud gut wrenching cries were escaping from my mouth and I had no control over them.

Outside the dorm building, I pulled out my phone. I shivered in the cold air and wrapped my arms around me tightly. I took a deep breath as my lungs hit the cold air and called Reeve’s phone.

“Sunshine,” he answered on the second ring.

“Uhm…can you come and get me?” I asked with a grimace on my face.

“Of course. Why? What’s wrong?” Reeve asked in a frantic voice.

“It’s nothing, I just need you to come and get me.” I dissimulated my shaky voice as much as I could.

“Where are you?” Reeve asked, his voice sounding more concerned as the conversation went on.

“Outside the dorm.” I cleared my throat in attempt to hide the way my voice cracked.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I’ll explain everything when you get here. Just get here soon, please,” I said, trying to calm him down and myself.

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Reeve said before ending the call.

A few minutes later, Reeve showed up. He climbed out of his car and slammed the door shut. With hurried steps, he walked toward me. “Are you okay? Come here,” Reeve said sweetly, folding his warm arms around my shoulders and drawing me against his chest. When he swallowed, I tipped my head backward and looked up at him and smiled.

“I’m going to be,” I smiled, and blinked my eyes that felt dry and miserable.

“Let me take you home.”

I recounted the conversation I had with Tim and Tatiana on our way to his house but left out the details about the students’ “future is in jeopardy” quote by Tim.

“Agata, you should never get involved. If she didn’t understand you, it’s her loss anyway for letting your friendship be broken because of something she couldn’t accept,” Reeve said flatly, his tone icy. “Whatever, it’s not my business.” He held my hand and kissed it. “They will come around and will probably thank you for it later.” He smiled wholeheartedly.

My stomach dropped at the tenderness in his voice. The sadness in his eyes were a mirror of mine, and I knew he had a lot of other problems that I didn’t understand.

He pulled into the driveway of his house and reached for me, pulling me closer, his strong hand cupping my neck and angling my chin with his thumb to position my gaze straight into his eyes. I felt his breath on my lips as flames streaked up my body when we kissed.

The hair on my neck stood up as a surge of electricity passed through my suddenly sensitized body, pooling heat between my thighs. My nipples sprang to life, hardened and aching to be touched.

My arms soared to his neck, hands stroking into his hair, drawing him closer to my starved body. His teeth nibbled gently on my lower lip while his hand traced slowly down my chest and his skillful hand caressed my breast.

The throbbing was intense, like the first time. I recognized the sexual need zinging through my body.

I reached desperately for his zipper, slid his boxers off, and grabbed his length. He looked down at me, giving me the all clear signal. I bent down and wrapped his length around my mouth.

Comfort or lust, my awakening body would take either. I needed him badly.

I began to suck harder and faster than I had previously. A moan of encouragement escaped from his lips as he threw his head back in pleasure. His groans and whines were getting louder as I felt a hand grip my hair harder. I smiled at the control I had over him, which usually didn’t happen. Normally, I was the one under his mercy, begging for relief.

“Agata…slow down, you’re stress eating.”

I almost gagged and we both chuckled. “Stay put, you’re ruining the momentum.”

“Slow and easy this time, okay?”

I noticed his cock twitched more than before, he was about to come soon. I pumped his length faster.

“Agata, stop, no, continue, please babe I’m gonna—” he couldn’t even form a sentence. He thrust his hips forward once and released himself inside my mouth.

“That’s was amazing,” he said. “I think I need to return the favor.” His words made my insides lurch. He grumbled as he took my lips between his with fuming passion, his tongue dancing a violent salsa with mine.

I kissed him for everything he’d been, for everything he was, and for everything he would become.

***

I woke up feeling heavy, as though every limb weighed an extra five pounds and was pressing me further into the mattress. I was warm and surrounded and it felt pretty nice, actually. So, I ignored it for a minute while I allowed myself to come awake completely.

Breakfast was simply chaotic. The kitchen was a crush of dogs barking, sniffing, and devouring their meal.

Reeve came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Why don’t you go get a seat at the table? I’ll bring you a glass of orange juice.” He spun me around, leaned down, and brushed his lips against my temple.

Moments like this reminded me how easy it was to be happy. Yes, there was a whole world of a mess going on outside this house, but now, with him, I couldn’t be happier.

We chatted happily as we ate. Reeve was even humming a song.

“Something seems to have you in a good mood.”

Reeve smiled brightly and dug into his pile of eggs. “I received the notice of Mom’s pending release.”

“What? That’s definitely good news!” I stood up from my chair and hugged him.

“I know, I know, Agata. I am so happy that she will finally be released.” He was smiling from ear to ear. He had such an infectious smile that I found myself smiling too.

“Oh, by the way there will be a Photo Expo at the Boston Convention tonight. Come with me.”

“Hmmm, tonight?” His eyebrows twitched. “I have scheduled a dinner meeting with Travis. It’s his last day in Boston. I’m sorry, sunshine. Neither us have much time to spare during the day. Can they not re-schedule that expo?”

I laughed. “It’s okay, I can go alone. Besides, I wouldn’t think you’d enjoy it.” I smiled and reached for his hand, not wanting to ruin the moment.