April acted with her heart; Brad was driven by revenge. She wanted to help him; he just wanted to use her. In a sea of betrayals, lies, and grudges, they battle an attraction that could either consume them... or set them free.
Even though he's tall...
When I kissed April for the first time, I wanted to take her by surprise, to hit back, to mock her for having fooled me with the Shannon Turner story; it was a fantastic excuse to continue with my fruitless game of seduction. However, what started as just another move in my revenge against Madison quickly turned into something different, something I hadn't anticipated at all, something that pulled me to kiss her again.
An electric current ran through every fiber of my being when my fingers tangled in her hair to draw her a little closer, encouraging her to open her mouth with my tongue; I wanted to be inside her, to explore her inch by inch. Her sweet taste brought me immense pleasure, and my excitement increased when she let out a moan of pleasure, responding to my invasion with abandonment. Every touch, every sigh, every caress further fueled the fire burning between us. It was just the two of us in that living room, lip to lip, tongue to tongue, caught up in each other.
When we parted, the air around us was charged with a suffocating sexual tension. I swallowed, unable to take my eyes off her tempting mouth.
"Owens, I... think I should go." April suddenly stood up, avoiding my gaze. Her trembling fingers began to hurriedly gather all the things scattered on the table.
I remained motionless, unsure how to react. I wanted to apologize, to tell her not to take my joke so seriously. For some unknown reason, I couldn't do it.
"Already? But we haven't finished the homework yet." I was desperate to find any excuse to make her stay a little longer.
She gave me a look I couldn't interpret.
"It's better that I go home," she replied in an unsure voice, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and turning around.
I stood still, watching her walk away, feeling a void growing inside me. The afternoon, once warm and full of laughter, had lost its shine.
"See you next Friday?" Those were the last words I managed to say, but there was no response, only the echo of my own voice followed by a door slam.
Maybe I had gone too far? As far as I knew, April Storm was not some prudish inexperienced girl. In fact, Chase Braddock, a manager who had joined the football team the previous year, claimed they had been friends with benefits for quite some time. In the locker room, many jokes and comments were made about it. It was said that her blowjobs were legendary and that in bed she was a milk machine. Which is why she had earned the cruel nickname "the vacuum cleaner." Curiously, it had been incredibly difficult for me to get a bit close to her, and things had ended abruptly and unexpectedly. I didn't know what to think, to be honest.
Madison's voice brought me back to the present, away from the memory of that kiss that had haunted me all week.
"Aren't you even going to say hello?"
It was my first day back at school, and we were in the middle of the crowded hallway, next to the lockers. Maddie had just hung herself around my neck, pressing her large breasts against my flesh. Standing on her tiptoes, she stretched as much as she could to reach my mouth. I didn't lean down an inch, determined to make it difficult for her. Unlike the kiss with April, this time I felt disgusted. The image of my girlfriend naked on top of my best friend, moving in search of pleasure, made me want to vomit.
Finally, almost reluctantly, so she wouldn't suspect anything odd, I lowered my head a bit and brushed her lips. I did it unwillingly, pretending an emotion I didn't feel.
"Forgive me, baby. I'm a bit overwhelmed," I lied, removing her arms from my neck without any gentleness. "Besides, my leg is hurting a lot."
It had been four weeks since my accident, and the cast had been removed the previous afternoon.
"Ouch, I didn't want to hurt you." Madison took a step back, looking guiltily at the crutch I was leaning on.
"It's okay," I replied in a neutral voice.
In reality, I felt like shaking her by the shoulders, screaming at her that she was a fake and that we were over. Instead, I kept my composure, trying to hide my irritation behind a forced smile.
"Is everything really okay, Brad?" She paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "Lately, I've noticed you're a bit... odd."
"Me?" I arched an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "I don't know what you mean."
Maddie frowned, examining my face closely.
"Well, it's just that... it seems as if you're in another world. And your attitude..."
"What about my attitude?" I took a deep breath to keep calm. "I'm as usual."
"That's not true," she insisted, with a troubled expression. "And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Chloe, Bella, and Oliver have noticed too."
I tensed imperceptibly at the mention of "my best friend." I didn't want to shake him by the shoulders; I wanted to punch his face in.
"I think you're exaggerating a bit."
Madison sighed, disappointed by my evasive response.
"Maybe... I'm being a bit toxic. Though since the accident, we haven't seen each other much, you haven't even bothered to reply to my messages, and when I've visited your house, you've barely spoken to me." My soon-to-be ex-girlfriend looked at me with her large, innocent eyes, eyes as treacherous as they were deceitful.
"I know I haven't been the best boyfriend in the world during this time, I just wanted to be locked in my room, playing video games. I didn't want to see anyone. But now that I'm feeling somewhat better and in a good mood, everything will go back to how it was before. I promise." A part of me laughed inside, knowing things would never be the same.
It was true that I had barely replied to Madison's messages, and Oliver was temporarily blocked on my social networks. Throughout those weeks, I couldn't stop thinking about the subtle gestures that betrayed their intimacy. Things that had previously gone unnoticed now took on a new dimension: hand touches, complicit smiles, secrets whispered in the ear, steamy conversations, spicy jokes, and a long etcetera. The evidence had always been there, right under my nose, though I had been unable to see it. The mere idea made me furious. However, revenge is a dish best served cold, and I was determined to wait for the right moment to act.
Before my girlfriend could say anything else, Mr. Madden's voice echoed down the hallway.
"Owens, follow me to class, I need to speak with you alone."
I felt relieved by the interruption.
"See you at lunch, baby."
Madison stretched her neck in anticipation of a kiss, but I turned on my heels and walked behind the literature teacher, a rough and cynical man who enjoyed picking on his students, especially the football players. He had a particular disdain for us, perhaps because for several generations we had all mocked him due to his last name.
