After Midnight

Chapter 34- Gage

The night goes on, and I realise we, Ace and I, have passed out on the couch when the sun shines through the living room window.

"Ugh." We both grunt as we try to get up.

"What time is it?" Ace asks. I grab my phone. "Shit! We have twenty minutes before class."

We both jump up, not having time to shower, and quickly change our clothes. I grab my bag and keys and run outside to see Star and Laura sitting on our porch.

"Well, good morning." She says and begins to laugh.

"I'm late because of you," I say as we walk toward my truck.

"Me? What did I do?" she questions me while laughing.

"You tired me out last night." I narrow my eyes at her before I let out a chuckle.

"Oh, yeah, blame me for that one." She laughs as she jumps in.

I drive down the road and sped past every car. I look in my rearview mirror to see Ace right behind me. We get to the parking lot of the university and park my truck. I kiss Star goodbye as we run to our classes.

I make it just in time before the professor walks in. Ace following right behind me. I quickly take my seat and pull out my notebook, ready to take notes. The professor starts the lecture, and I try to focus, but my mind keeps wandering back to Star.

☾

Class ends, and Ace and I walk out. We head toward Laura and Star. Both girls smile as they see us, and I can't help but kiss Star's lips. I take her hand and walk to class. She tells me that she has figured out her way of studying this year and that the project we have for the end of the year will not be solely her responsibility. Her words: "Just because you're the star player doesn't mean I'm left to do all the work." I slyly laugh and nod. "I'm serious, Gage," she says. I back her up against the wall next to our class and cup her face. "I know. I promise I'll do my part."

"Good, now kiss me." She smiles, and I happily do as I'm told.

☾

Chem class goes by fast, and I'm excited to get home. I take Star's hand and walk to the truck, yawning as we make our way there. She puts out her hand. "What?"

"Keys, now," she says with a stern voice. I dig into my pocket and take out my keys. She gets in the truck and starts the engine.

"I'm so confused right now," I say.

"Yeah, no kidding. You're exhausted, so I'm driving," she tells me.

I get into the passenger seat and lay my head back. My eyes begin to close as she pulls out of the school grounds. The drive is silent, and even though I never let anyone drive my truck, I feel at ease with her taking control.

I'm awoken by her slowly shaking my shoulder: "Gage, wake up. We're home." I open my eyes and rub my face. My bed is all I can think about. She hands me my keys and jumps out. I grab my bag and grab her arm before she can walk away.

"Sleep with me tonight. Please." I beg as I try to fight my sleep. "We don't have classes tomorrow." I remind her.

"Fine, let me go get some stuff." She walks away, and I head inside.

I enter my bedroom, remove all of my clothing, leaving only my boxers on, and then I lie down in bed. I try to stay awake to wait for Star, but my body has other plans. As I close my eyes, I can feel myself drifting off to sleep, and before I know it, I am sound asleep. When I wake up, Star is already here.

"How long have I been sleeping?" I ask her.

"About four hours. I set dinner aside for you." She gets up and leaves the room, returning a few minutes later. She hands me a plate. "Thank you," I say as I take the plate from her. The aroma of the food fills the room, making my stomach growl with hunger. I eagerly take a bite and savour the delicious flavours. "This is amazing," I say, complimenting her cooking skills. She smiles and goes back to sitting on the floor, working away on her assignments.

"Do you ever take a break?" I ask her.

She shakes her head no, and I begin to laugh. "Well, put that all away and come to bed. Let's watch a movie." I get up and head to the sink to place my plate.

When I walk back into my room, I see her already under the covers. I close my door and lock it. I jump into bed and join her. I wrap my arm around her waist and realise she has nothing on.

"You're going to be the death of me," I say as my lips find hers. She giggles and pulls me closer. "I can think of worse ways to go," she whispers before our kisses become more urgent. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminates her flawless skin, and I can't resist trailing kisses down her neck.

As we lie tangled in the sheets, our moans are what fill the silence in the air. I feel her heart beating fast against my chest, and I know mine is racing just as fast. We both hit our climax and collapse into each other's arms, our breathing heavy and laboured. The only thing left in the room is the lingering scent of our passion and the sound of our satisfied sighs.

She kisses my cheek and giggles. "Now get some real sleep," she says. "Only if I can hold you all night," I say. "Of course." A smile crosses her beautiful face.

I wrap my arm around her torso and pull her as her back presses against me. As time passes, my eyes begin to grow heavy, and I listen to her heartbeat as I fall asleep.

☾

The smell of coffee fills the air, and I wake to find Star not in bed. I rub my face and grab my phone to look at the time: a quarter past one in the afternoon. I stand up and open my blackout curtains. The midday sun is penetrating through and blinding me. I head into my bathroom and brush my teeth before throwing on some pyjama pants and walking out to the kitchen.

Star sits at the table with coffee in one hand and a book in the other. I yawn as I walk toward her.

"Morning," I say as I kiss her cheek.

"Afternoon, sleepy head." She smiles. I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down.

"Shit, I don't think Ace went and bought our energy drinks." I say as I look at the list he left on the table.

"Check the fridge." She says this without taking her eyes off her book. I get up and realise the thing is stocked. Drinks, food, everything you can name. I turn to face her.

"Did you do this?" She nods and continues reading. "When?"

"This morning, while you were sleeping, you were out of milk when I went to make my coffee, and the rest is history." She looks up at me and smiles.

"Okay, now how much do I owe you?"

"Well, whose turn was it to buy groceries this time?" She asks.

"Ace's," I tell her.

"Then you don't owe me anything."

"Star–" She puts her hand up and gets up; she walks to me and kisses me. "Just say thank you," she says.

"Thank you," We head to my room and chill for a while until it's time for the game. As time passes, I just hold her close, kissing her and making her laugh. The sound of her laughter is music to my ears. I finally get up and get dressed.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I ask her again.

"I'm sorry, babe, but I have so much reading to do." She grabs her things and kisses me, saying, "I promise, next game."

"Okay, well, after the game, I'm coming home to shower, and then the boys are coming over for drinks. It's a thing we do after every game."

"Okay, well, have fun. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiles. As she walks away, she looks back at me. "Good luck."

I load up my truck, and I watch Ace walk out with Laura. He heads toward me and tells me Laura is coming along. I laugh and say it's her choice if she wants to hang out at the rink two hours before the game. I get in my truck and head down the road. The smell of ice calms me, the only thing missing is my shining Star. Despite missing my "shining Star," I feel calm as I head towards the rink.