I flip Alli over on all fours to take her deeper. Inch by inch, I push deeper until I’m buried inside. And I hit the sweet spot I know she loves. Alli cries out in pleasure, I feel her body going limp, and I start to see black dots lining my vision.
With one final thrust, I feel her clamp down around me, her body shuddering as the pleasure explodes.
We’re in pure bliss when I pull her close, her warmth melding perfectly with mine. Our breaths mingle, hearts racing like we've run a marathon. It’s messy, intense, and so damn good that nothing else matters.
“That was life-changing,” I say gently, brushing a strand of hair away from her flushed face. She smiles, that beautiful, satisfied grin that makes my chest swell with affection.
“You holding out on me, Collins?”
“Hardly, Castillo,” I say, dropping a lazy kiss to her lips. It starts slow, but then we’re lost in each other all night—senseless and charged, wrapped up in the kind of connection that makes everything else fade away.
Chapter 31
Jared
Break’s over. I’m leaning over the table, textbooks spread out in front of me, trying to focus on the chemistry concepts that seem to blur together. But my gaze keeps drifting to Alli, sitting across from me with her brows furrowed in concentration. The way she bites her lip as she studies makes it hard to concentrate on anything else.
“Keep biting your lip like that and I’m going to duct tape your mouth.”
She returns a breathy chuckle.
“Okay, tell me again why we’re torturing ourselves like this,” I say, pushing my hair back from my forehead. “Midterms are just a fancy way of saying, ‘let’s see how stressed we can make these kids.’”
She glances up, a smirk dancing on her lips. “Because some of us actually want to pass? You know that little thing called education?”
“Right, right. But what if we could just negotiate our way through life? ‘Hey, professor, how about a little extra credit for being cute?’” I raise my eyebrows, hoping for some kind of reaction.
“Nice try, Romeo, but I don’t think that’ll work,” she replies, laughter twinkling in her eyes.
Just then, my phone buzzes on the table, pulling me out of our banter. I check the screen, and my stomach drops as I seean email from my mom. I haven’t heard from her in months, not since she went into rehab. Hesitating, I open it and quickly scan the words.
Jared, I hope you’re doing well. I’m thinking of you and hoping to make things right. Can we talk?
Air leaves my lungs as if someone punched me in the gut. My vision goes blurry. I feel my heartbeat in my fingertips.
I don’t even notice Alli’s voice until she waves a hand in front of me.
“Babe, are you okay?”
I blink, trying to shake it off, but the gravity of the email hangs over me. “Yeah… I’m fine,” I say, but the lie bulks over me. I promised her I’d stay and study, but I can’t focus. Not with this. I start packing up my books, trying to act casual. “Actually, I think I’m gonna head out. I’m not feeling great.”
Concern and surprise pass over her face. “Oh—”
Before she can finish, I swing my backpack over my shoulder and lean down, pressing a quick kiss against her lips. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
Alli doesn’t say anything at first, but her eyes search mine, as if she’s trying to understand what’s really going on. I return the ghost of a smile, hoping to keep things light, then turn to leave before I fall apart right there in front of her.
I step out of the library, and the chilly fall air brushes my face, sharp enough to feel like winter. But it doesn’t clear the fog in my mind. My footsteps feel like lead as I walk aimlessly across campus, my phone still clutched in my hand. I keep rereading the email in my head, the words looping over and over.
Hoping to make things right.I want to believe her, but I’ve heard that before.
A tightness floods my chest, and I push it down, doing my best to ignore it. I shove my phone into my pocket and head for the courtyard, not giving myself a second to think. I sink onto a bench, fighting to calm the tension that’s gripped me like a vice since leaving the library.
A part of me knows I should call her. She’s reaching out, which is her trying, I guess. But what if it’s like last time? The apologies, the promises, and then nothing changes. I lean back against the bench, staring up at the darkening sky, my mind swirling with frustration and a gnawing sense of uncertainty.
Just as I’m about to pull out my phone again, it buzzes. For a split second, I think it’s my mom. But when I glance down, I breathe.
Alli:hey, are you sure you’re okay?
