Legacy by M.A. Foster

April

_____________________________

Three years and four months ago

Dylan

“Let’s go upstairs so I can give you your birthday present,” Elaina purred into my ear.

It was after midnight, so technically it was my birthday.

“Come on.” She pressed her lips to my neck just below my ear, rubbing my dick through my jeans. “I want this inside me.”

Elaina and I were, for lack of a better term, “fuck buddies.” It started on prom night when she made good on her promise to sit on my face. It was hot. We were weeks away from graduation, and neither of us was looking for anything more than fun since we’d be going our separate ways. We hooked up through the remainder of the school year and part of the summer until I went to California and she moved to Tallahassee. We kept in touch, and if she was in town and unattached, she’d hit me up. The last time she was in town, she texted, but I told her I had a girlfriend. She replied with an LOL.

She texted me last week to let me know she’d be in town for spring break and asked if I was still involved. I replied with a quick Nope.

We were three days into spring break. We’d spent the day at the beach, and now we were back at the house. A party was in full swing around us. It wasn’t as big as our normal parties because a lot of people had left town. Elaina was snuggled up beside me on the sofa in a short pink dress that clung to her slim body and left nothing to the imagination. Not that I had to imagine anything. I knew exactly what was under that dress, and I also knew if I slid a hand between her long, tanned legs, she’d be bare.

Pushing up from the sofa, I held out my hand to Elaina, amused as she shifted awkwardly, pinning her knees together, trying not to flash her pussy to the entire room.

With her hand in mine, I pulled her through the crowd toward the private door leading to the second floor. We slipped through the door and took the stairs with her pawing at me the whole way. Stopping on the small landing between the first and second floor, I spun Elaina around, putting her back against the wall and pinning her hands above her head.

“Yes,” she panted.

Elaina liked it rough and dirty, which was why we were so sexually compatible.

But I could be gentle, too. I was always gentle with Jade.

Stop thinking about her.

I dipped my head, slanting my mouth over Elaina’s, pushing thoughts of Jade out of my mind. She didn’t belong in my head.

My tongue slid against Elaina’s, tasting the sugary drink she’d been nursing all night. Her body writhed against mine as I moved a hand between her legs, and just as I expected, she was bare. She lifted a leg and hooked it around my backside, anchoring herself to me as I slid two fingers through her sensitive flesh, circling her clit before pushing them inside.

“Fuck me right here,” she panted against my lips.

I stilled my fingers, pulling my head back, and she moaned in protest. “Don’t tell me what to do or I won’t let you finish,” I warned, and her inner walls contracted around my fingers. She loved to play.

“Dylan,” she breathed. “Please.”

“That’s better.” I lowered my head, teasing her tongue with mine as I stroked my fingers in and out of her pussy, curling them at just the right angle and hitting her sweet spot.

Arching her back, she rocked her hips, and I deepened the kiss, swallowing her moans as she fucked my fingers. Her body stilled as her orgasm hit and she shuddered against me.

“You’re so good at that,” she panted as she dropped her leg.

Releasing my hold on her wrists, I stepped back and waited as she straightened her dress.

“My turn.” I took her hand and led her up the second flight of stairs.

As we reached the top landing, I froze at the sight of a small figure at the end of the dimly lit hallway sitting against the wall beside my bedroom door. Her head was down, and the light from her phone gave me a clear view of her pretty face.

“Fuck,” I murmured.

“Who is that?” Elaina whispered.

I looked over at her. “Go back to the party. I’ll come find you in a few.”

“Are you serious?” she hissed.

“Just give me fifteen minutes, okay?”

She blew out a breath. “Fine, but you owe me.”

I raised my brows. “I’m pretty sure you owe me.”

“Then don’t keep me waiting.” She pursed her lips, then brushed past me and descended the stairs.

I waited for the distinct sound of the door opening and closing before I started down the hall.

It’d been nearly three months since Jade and I broke up, and to be honest, it was hard. I wasn’t the kind of guy who wore his feelings on his sleeve, and I was pretty good at keeping my emotions in check. I’d managed to make it almost twenty-two years without having my heart broken. Until Jade. I didn’t know how to process that kind of hurt. Even my dad knew something was up. He’d asked if everything was all right, and I told him I was good. He asked if I was having girl trouble, and I told him there was no girl. He didn’t ask any more questions, but I caught him watching me a few times with a concerned expression on his face. Dad knew I was a private person and that I kept my shit close to my chest; if there was something I wanted to share, I would when I was ready.

My roommates continued to throw parties and tried to get me out of my funk, but drinking only made me miss her more, and hooking up with anyone else—even for just one night—was a hard no for me.

As one month rolled into two, I let go of the anger and the hurt, because I truly believed Jade never meant to hurt me. I still felt the ache in my chest, but at least I was able to breathe again, and I was finally getting back on the horse, so to speak.

“Hey,” I said, stopping outside my door and shoving my hands in my pockets. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey. I’m sorry for interrupting,” she replied as she struggled to get to her feet. “I just wanted to see you.”

I’d felt like the biggest asshole for not offering a hand to help her up. But I’d have been an even bigger asshole for offering her a hand after I just had my fingers inside Elaina.

Pulling my hands from my pockets, I punched in the four-digit code, unlocking my door and gesturing for her to come in.

She stepped through the doorway, stopping beside my desk as I closed the door. My stomach knotted, and suddenly my room felt too small. Having her in my space again felt awkward. My room was a mess, and a hint of Elaina’s perfume lingered in the air.

“I’ll be right back.” I turned and headed into the bathroom to wash my hands.

When I came out, Jade was still standing in the same spot, and for the first time, I noticed she was holding a box.

“What’s that?” I pointed to it as I dropped down on the edge of my bed.

“Oh.” She held out the box to me. “I brought you a cupcake. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.” I smiled warmly as I accepted the gift. “How long were you sitting out there?”

She shrugged. “About an hour.”

“It’s late, Jade.” My eyes dropped to her midsection briefly. She was wearing an oversized black T-shirt and hot pink scrubs, but I could see her baby bump. “You should be home resting.”

She pressed a hand to her belly and reached for the desk chair with the other. “Do you mind if I sit down?”

“Of course not.” I jumped to my feet and gestured to the bed. “You can sit here if you want.”

“No, thanks.” She grimaced, and her eyes darted to Elaina’s open suitcase on the floor. The girl was a fucking slob. “I hope my being here doesn’t cause any problems with your girlfriend.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to respond with “She’s not my girlfriend,” but honestly, it wasn’t her business.

I gave a careless shrug. “She’s not the jealous type.”

“That’s good.” She sighed, dropping her attention to her fingernails.

“Thank you for the cupcake,” I said at the same time she started with “Listen, Dylan.”

Her head jerked up, and I smiled politely as I set the box on the bed beside me. “Go ahead.”

“I want to apologize for what I did, and the way things ended between us. I’ve spent the last few months struggling, wishing I could go back to that night and do things differently. Because of my selfish behavior, I ruined a good thing, and I lost my best friend.” She rubbed a hand over her chest as her eyes moved to Elaina’s suitcase again. “I’m glad to see you moved on.”

I wasn’t touching that last comment. I had moved on, just not the way she thought. I was a month away from graduation. I was moving out of the house in a couple weeks and into my new apartment on the island. Then I was getting the fuck out of Heritage Bay for a while.

“Did you find the father?”

She shook her head. “I’ve gone over that night so many times in my head. Every time I try to picture his face, it’s blurry. I remember him asking if I was okay and insisting on walking me to my car. I remember he had dark hair. I remember he said he was a freshman. I remember his voice, but why can’t I remember his face?”

“Because you were drunk?” I offered, lifting a shoulder. “What does your dad think?”

She averted her gaze. “He wasn’t happy, but he supports my decision. I’ve got my LPN certificate, and I can always go back to school later. Dr. Graham switched me to full-time, and I have money in savings from my mom’s life insurance.”

“Life insurance?” My brows dipped in confusion.

“My mom passed away a couple of years ago from breast cancer.”

Shaking my head, I exhaled a heavy sigh. “See? How can you say I was your best friend when you never even told me about your mom?”

“Our relationship was new, and it’s not something I just throw out there. I would’ve told you eventually.”

“Would you, though? You know plenty about me, but I hardly know anything about you.”

She frowned. “That’s not true,” she murmured.

Leaning forward, I propped my elbows on my thighs and clasped my hands together. “Tell me something about you that no one knows.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m scared I’m going to be a bad mom.” Her voice cracked. “I have no business bringing a child into this world, but I love her so much.”

My heart twisted in my chest. “You’re having a girl?”

She nodded as a tear spilled down the side of her face. She quickly wiped it away. “I found out today.”

Standing from the bed, I reached for her hand and pulled her into a hug. “You’ll be a great mom.”

Retreating from my arms, she swiped her hands over her face and looked up at me with uncertainty. “Do you really think so?”

“I do.” I nodded. “You’re kind and loving, but you’re also fierce and protective. Those are qualities of a good parent.”

Her shoulders dropped. “I miss you, Dylan. I miss having you in my life.” She drew in a deep breath. “More than anything, I miss our friendship. I know I made a mess of things, and I know I’m probably asking for a lot, and I’m not above begging, but it would mean everything if I could have your friendship.”

She looked so small and vulnerable, and the need to protect her was strong, but she wasn’t mine anymore. She never would be. I missed her, too, and I wanted to be her friend. I just had to find a way to keep my heart out of it.

“You’ve got it.”