Best Friends Forever (23 page)

Five

Everything I’ve ever felt for Reece floods my mind, making the kiss that much more explosive. He’s more to me than any other guy I’ve ever met. He’s everything.

His body is flush with mine, his hard body pressing into my soft figure. “What do you want me to do?” he asks.

“Everything,” I whisper against his lips, voicing my thoughts.

He brushes his mouth against my ear. “I want everything too.” Then he backs away, leading me with both hands up the stairs to my bedroom. He leaves me in the middle of my room and then goes to close and lock the door. He faces me, a grin on his face.

“What haven’t you done?”

“What?” I wasn’t expecting to be that open with him, especially since the only sexual encounters I’ve had have been with Roman.

“Tell me what you haven’t done, sexually, that you want to do.” His eyes on me are nearly frightening with intensity.

“I …” I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and blurt the truth. “I’ve never done doggie style.”

I feel a light tickle across my shoulders and my eyes fly open. Reece has crossed my room and is now standing mere inches in front of me.

“Do you want me to take you doggie style?”

Embarrassment floods me. But I gulp down the lump in my throat and manage a whispered reply. “Yes.”

His grin grows wider; his fingers go to the hem of my cheer top and he removes it. He continues to undress me, slowly, seductively. Once I’m naked, I close my eyes again and my cheeks burn.

“Chey.”

I open my eyes and stare into his deep blue irises.

“You are so beautiful. Never be ashamed of your body,” he demands, his voice deep and rumbly, a sure sign of his own desire. “I’m in love with every inch of you.”

Just like that, I’m more than ready for another go with him. The thought of him taking me doggie style is more of a turn-on than his pretty words, but the whole situation is perfect.

He wraps his arms around me and kisses me deeply, igniting me again. He walks us backward to my bed, until the backs of my knees hit the mattress. Just as I’m about to sit, he turns me, encouraging me to crawl up on the bed.

I’m nervous about this, but, sensing my hesitation, Reece whispers in my ear. “I promise I’ll be easy. And if you want to stop, we will.”

His words calm my insecurities and I climb up, taking position near the edge of the bed. My toes are hanging off the mattress. I wait, ever so impatiently, for him to start, but he doesn’t. I turn my head to see what’s taking so long, and realize he’s stripping out of his clothes. When he pulls down his jeans and boxers, his dick springing up after being contained, I nearly salivate.

I didn’t see him very well in the Camaro, but he’s big, full. I doubt that he’ll fit into me, even though he already has. Once he kicks his pants away, he comes closer to the bed, his hands on my hips.

He leans over me, his chest against my back, his dick sliding against the cleft of my ass. “Spread out for me like this, I feel like I might come before I even get inside you again. But don’t you worry,” he says with a chuckle. “I’ll make sure I last long enough for you to squeeze my cock inside you again.”

His naughty words stir something in me, something primal, and I’m helpless to deny him anything at all. He stands straight up, trailing his fingers down my back and over my ass cheeks. With hands on my hips, he guides me back to him, going slowly. Before he tries to push in, though, he reaches around to rub my clit, circling it several times before he pushes against me. He pops the head in and I feel so vulnerable, so exposed.

He slides in a little and then pulls out, repeating the motion until he’s slick with my wetness. Then he pulls almost all the way out of me and slams in, the head of his dick ramming against my g-spot. I moan at the contact, arching my back. He pulls my hips against him again, the sensation building hard and fast. He’s still taking his time, though, not rushing me. He’s just thrusting long and deep instead of too fast.

“Are you ready for more?” he asks as he pulls back, keeping just the head inside me, teasing me.

“God, yes,” I moan, ready for whatever he wants to give me. The pleasure is so intense, I just want to live in this moment, right here, right now, forever.

“I’m going to fuck you, babe,” he mutters a scant second before his entire demeanor changes.

I feel him brace his feet, and then he’s fucking me. This isn’t a sweet, making love session; this is sex, pure and raw, the kind that gets you horny and keeps you that way. I’ve never been this excited, this turned on. His hands are everywhere, roaming over my body, making my skin tingle. When his hands reach my shoulders, something in him changes. He grips them, holding on, and fucks me in earnest. His hips slam against me, his arms pulling me back to him with force. He’s had me on the edge, but now … Now I know I’m going to come and he won’t settle for anything less than a mind-blowing orgasm.

Just as the pleasure starts, Reece starts to groan, and I realize he can feel my muscles tensing up.

“Keep squeezing me, babe. Fuck, squeeze that dick and come on it. Let me feel you come,” he mutters with ragged breath.

His words throw me over the edge and I come so hard, it’s almost painful. I let out a scream, the pleasure bursting through my entire body, from clit to toes and back again. I swear I see stars in front my eyes. Reece feels it and groans again, bucking faster but shallower than before, his own climax upon him. When he stills, I’m still floating on cloud nine, still caught up in the throes of this amazing, unbridled passion.

I bury my face in the comforter, hardly able to breathe. Behind me, Reece is shaking from his violent climax. The muscles of his stomach leap against my back. I hear him take a shuddering breath and then he lifts himself off me. I collapse, thoroughly sated and suddenly exhausted. My body hits the mattress and I turn on my side, curling up on my bed. I have a bathroom off my bedroom, so Reece helps himself to it. When he comes back, he grabs a blanket off the chair in the corner of my room and then climbs into bed behind me, draping the blanket over the two of us.

I snuggle against him, loving how warm and vibrant he is, as he wraps an arm around me and rests his hand against my stomach. It feels so right, so absolutely perfect, that I sigh, truly happy for possibly the first time in my life.

“I love you, Cheyanne,” he whispers against my ear.

I smile. “I love you too.”

Six

The next morning, I wake up to the sound of my phone, buzzing across the carpet from somewhere in the corner of my room. I blink a few times and automatically reach for Reece. My bed is empty. I didn’t actually expect him to stay all night, but I’m just a little sad he didn’t.

I get out of bed, still naked, and stumble over to find my phone. When I find it, the caller ID scares me. It’s Roman.

If Reece told him already, he might be calling to bitch me out. Deciding I’m not quite ready to face him, I let it ring and eventually go to voicemail. As the call disappears, though, my screen lights up with missed calls and messages.

I open up my texts first, having one from Reece and four from Roman.

Please don’t hate me. Last night was a mistake.

I need you.

Where the fuck are you? I’ve called you a hundred times.

There was an accident. Please call me.

I read them with ever-growing dread, my fear of him finding out about Reece and me turning into worry about Roman himself. I wonder if he’s in trouble. The final message is from Reece.

You are so beautiful, Chey. I had to leave, but I’ll be back. I would overcome death to come back for you.

I smile at his sweetness. I tap my phone to see my missed calls, and see I have more than ten missed calls. Most are from Roman, but there are a few from Riley and Ryder, too, which worries me.

I press the send button to call Roman back, my anxiety coursing through my veins.

“Where have you been?” Roman says as a greeting.

“I was asleep,” I defend myself. “My phone was on vibrate.”

“Well wake up. There was a car accident last night. I need you here at the hospital. Please, Chey. I don’t want to have to go through this alone.”

“What happened?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“Just get here. We’re in the ICU on the fourth floor.” He hangs up.

I growl at the phone but manage to put some clothes on without exploding into a million pieces. I’m thinking that something happened to Ryan, since he didn’t call me, and since Reece wouldn’t want to make waves if there was a family emergency. I run a brush through my hair and put it in a ponytail, tugging it tight. My makeup is messed, so I grab a makeup remover wipe and run it around my eyes and then get the rest of my makeup off.

I use the hall door of the bathroom and knock on Zach’s door.

“Go away.”

I stifle a laugh and barge in. Zach is underneath the covers, still half-asleep. I pull back the comforter and he groans.

“What the fuck?”

“Sorry, but we’ve got to get to the hospital. Someone in the Callahan family is in the hospital, and Roman won’t tell me who.”

Zach sighs, but gets out of bed and before he can ask for details I can’t share, I tell him to meet me downstairs in five minutes and leave his room. I go to the kitchen and grab an apple, hardly a decent breakfast, but for now, it’ll do. Less than two minutes later, Zach comes downstairs, dressed in jeans and an old tee. He pulls on his sneakers and looks at me, fully ready to go. I chuck what’s left of my apple in the trash and slip on my flip-flops.

We walk outside together and I notice my car isn’t out where it should be. “Where’s my car, Zach?”

“The garage,” he says, and a part of me wonders exactly when he got home last night. I don’t want to think about what he might have overheard last night, so instead, I just ignore the whole situation and open up the garage.

When I go to start the car, my hands shake and Zach asks me if he needs to drive. I assure him I’m fine, but the truth is, I’m not sure. We make it to the hospital in one piece, though the entire trip is a blur for me.

Zach and I don’t speak, both of us worried about our friends, the Callahan’s, these guys who have been in our lives for the past several years and have become more like family. The fourth floor waiting room is packed with people. Roman catches my eye and comes to me, wrapping his arms around me. Over his shoulder, I search the faces of these people, the ones I love. But one face in particular is missing.

“Where’s Reece, Roman?” I try not to let my anxiety show, but I’m not so sure I’m successful.

“He’s the one in trouble, baby.” His words, along with his signature endearment, cut straight to my heart.

“What happened?”

“After the game, he disappeared last night. He was on a back road and a trucker fell asleep and crossed the yellow lines. He collided with the Camaro and almost went up and over it,” Roman explains.

“Is … is he dead?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“No.”

I wait for him to continue, but there’s nothing, and his glare worries me. Maybe Reece decided to tell Roman the truth last night. I turn to Ryan, who has stepped up to hug me.

“What’s going to happen?” I ask him, since Roman is so suddenly tight-lipped.

“He’s being treated, but he’s definitely in a coma. There’s no word on whether or not he’s brain dead.”

They’re all so cavalier, as if the man I love isn’t lying somewhere past those double doors, completely unconscious, and he and I might never be together again. I gulp, unable to ask any more questions. The brothers line up and I hug them all. We’ve become regulars in one another’s lives, and I know they all think of me as a sister.

Except Reece.

The thought makes tears rise, my heart turning to ash at the thought of losing him. He’s been in my life so long, as a friend, that I’m not even sure I know how to function without him. Forget that we started something sexual last night and that he felt guilty as hell. Reece has been the one person I can talk to, about anything. He’s my very best friend, in every sense of the word, more so than any girl I’ve ever met. He’s everything.

* * * * *

Ten weeks later …

Reece has been in a coma for ten long weeks, exactly as long as I’ve been pregnant. Or, at least, that’s what I’ve convinced myself. The nausea and growing boobs started a few weeks ago, and I knew I was pregnant almost right away. I tried to convince myself there’s no way this baby is Roman’s, but the truth is, I don’t know. I slept with Rome a week before I slept with Reece. Granted, I always made Roman wear a condom, and Reece didn’t wear one, but I can’t let myself worry about who is this baby’s daddy right now.

I know I need to tell Roman, but I’m terrified. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Reece would be supportive, loving, and he would be an amazing father, but Roman … Rome is hard to pinpoint. He could be happy or pissed, or even completely uncaring.

With Reece still unawake, although the doctors have confirmed he does indeed have brainwaves, I make a decision. The hardest one of my life. I’m going to tell Roman I’m pregnant and never tell a soul about Reece and me.

Seven

Present Day …

Luckily for me, Roman is an amazing father. Not-so-lucky for me, Reece has never woken up from his coma. He’s remained in a coma, for the last few years, his brain fully functioning, and the doctor’s saying he could wake up at any point, even though they don’t have much hope. His parent’s refuse to pull the plug while there’s a chance. Reece is one of the reasons I left Columbia. I couldn’t stand to go to the hospital and see him, knowing, in the back of my mind, that Roman’s fatherhood is a lie. He never had any reason to second guess me, so we never had a paternity test, but I can feel it. When I look at Deacon, I see Reece.

It doesn’t help that once Roman came around to the idea of being a father, he insisted we name our son after his brother. Deacon is Reece’s middle name. It’s fitting, of course, but in the beginning, guilt like I’d never known filled me every single day of my life, every time I looked at my gorgeous son. Now, though, I just see Reece and my heart fills with joy at the knowledge that for the rest of my life, I’ll have a piece of Reece with me.

College is a learning experience. So far this year, I’ve been lied to, talked about, and pretty much had my name drug through the mud. The amazing part is, none of it matters when I get to visit Deacon on the weekends. It’s every other weekend, since Rome and I alternate, but I love getting home to him.

My parents take care of him while I’m in Myrtle Beach, though I would much rather be in Columbia. I went to a local school for the first two years of college and I was happy, but, eventually, the weight of all my secrets was too much and I had a serious discussion with Roman about switching schools and getting away from all the people we knew, at least for a little while.

When he agreed, wholeheartedly, I thought my luck was finally starting to change, but then he insisted on coming with me.

I can’t lie; over the past three years, we’ve actually been dating on and off. I didn’t sleep with him again after Reece; I just couldn’t do that to either of them, so I kept our relationship extremely casual through the years. When we decided to go to Coastal together, I told him flat out we were over. That first day, he actually believed we would get back together, but I wouldn’t let him.

So this semester has been quite an experience. Between a boatload of classes and homework, I’ve dealt with so much more drama than I did, even as a teen mom. It’s fine, mostly, although I haven’t yet figured out why Hazel hates me. I try not to let it bother me, but sometimes it’s near impossible.

Today is the start of our second semester, which is probably the best thing that’s ever happened. I’ve been asked out to lunch with Audric. He and I are good friends, although I thought for sure he would ask me out last semester; I was nearly devastated when he didn’t. A week ago, I got a text from him, though, asking me out for lunch today.

I’ve managed to keep myself from thinking about it too much, but since I dropped my stuff in my room, I’m sitting here, on edge, just waiting impatiently for lunchtime to come. When Hazel walks in with Nolan in tow, I roll my eyes from my spot on my bed.

“I figured you dropped out,” Hazel remarks.

Why is she always so mean to me? I haven’t done anything to her since we moved in together, but she’s acted like she hates me since day one.

“Whatever,” I mutter, not in the mood to deal with her shit today.

“Hazel, I thought you were going to try to be nice this semester,” Nolan chastises her.

“What, are you two dating now?” I ask, a little wary of their presence together.

“So what if we are? You got a problem with that?” Hazel snaps.

“What is your problem?” I ask, standing up off my bed.

“You are my problem! You walk around like your shit don’t stink, like every guy should want to worship at your feet, but you fucking use them,” she accuses, stepping closer to me. “You fucked up Rome’s life forever because you got pregnant, and now you treat him like shit, too, when you and I both know that he actually stepped up to raise that boy. It’s like you don’t even want him to be Deacon’s father.”

Her words hit too close to home. “Fuck you, Hazel. If you want to change rooms, you better go now because I swear to God, I’m about to deck you.”

It’s a warning she takes to heart. She picks up her bag and turns to Nolan. “I need a new place to live,” she tells him.

He nods to her and she leaves the room. Nolan turns to me. “Are you okay?” I’ve known Nolan for years; he’s a close friend of all the Callahan brothers. Reece’s death took a toll on him.

I shake my head, thinking about the day of the accident, when Nolan showed up in tears from college. He and I spent the day next to each other in the waiting room. He wasn’t well liked by Mr. and Mrs. Callahan, so he kept his distance as much as he could, but Reece’s accident was not something he could back off from.

Since then, Nolan and I have maintained a friendship, although his closeness with Roman bothers me a bit. I definitely don’t spill secrets with him, but I believe I can trust him.

“Are you really going to get her a new room assignment?” I ask him, ignoring his question.

“You two are so hostile toward each other, and fuck if I’ll ever understand girls. So, yeah, it’s probably easier to get you both a new roomie. That cool?”

“Yep,” I say, my voice clipped.

Nolan shakes his head. “Your new roommate will be here in an hour,” he promises and then steps out to follow Hazel.

I’m steaming mad, but when I pick up my phone, I see I have a message from Audric and he’s ready for our date. Right now, I can’t think of anything better.