Weathering the Storm by Brynn Paulin

 

 

 

Chapter Fourteen

~ Becca ~

The past few weeks, Heller had practically lived at my apartment. He’d graduated two weeks ago and despite the danger of running into Simon, I’d attended, taking pictures of my man as he walked in, as he accepted his diploma then walked off the stage with a wide grin on his face.

There had been a moment of silence after his name was announced. He had no family to congratulate him. But then, nearly so quickly as to consume that uncomfortable moment, almost his entire class had leapt to their feet and congratulated him. My heart had just about exploded with happiness, tears filling my eyes. His classmates knew how hard this had been for him, yet there he was, graduating with honors decorating his graduation gown, number four in his class. He deserved every accolade he could be given.

My fingers had tightened on that camera, recording every second I could.

I wished I could record every second between us. Now that it was June, the clock was ticking louder. He’d leave for Michigan the beginning of August, and I… I wasn’t sure how I’d handle it. We’d rarely spoken about that. Heller seemed to be of the opinion that we’d be fine. I guessed he didn’t want to face the truth of what was quickly looming before us. Soon though, we’d have no choice.

Tonight, I was having a girls night with some of the women from the station. Dinner then clubbing. I’d never spent time with them, but Addison, who was the one I considered a friend, had talked me into it. All four worked in production, none of them on-air personalities. That was fine with me. While the anchors at the other stations where I’d interned when first starting out had been personable and kind, the ones at this station… Well, one was always best advised to glance at their back frequently, to check for protruding knives. They put the “eat” in dog eat dog. Especially the only female anchor, Aubree.

These four, Addison, Shelby, Anny and Peta were all awesome, though. Awesome and fun.

“We should totally try to hook you up tonight,” Peta said, while we drank wine around my kitchen island.

“Well… I…”

“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Addison put in. “Maybe, someone who can beat the crap out of Simon.”

I already had a boyfriend like that, not that I could tell them. Said boyfriend was in my bedroom, probably disliking the turn of this conversation.

“I’m really not looking for a new relationship right now,” I told them.

“Sometimes one will just find you,” Shelby put in. “That’s what I’m hoping for. Well…maybe not a relationship. I’m down for any good-looking dicking tonight. Here’s to one-night stands!”

I choked on my white wine while she lifted her glass and the others lifted theirs with a cheer. They waited until I clinked mine, too. Then we all drank. But I was a liar. I’d tried a one-night stand once, a hookup, and it had turned long-term and waited in my room for me, right now.

“Oh! We should go. We’ll be late for our reservations,” Addison exclaimed. I smoothed down my short red dress that danced around my thighs whenever I moved. My toes curled into the carpet.

“I need to go find my shoes and grab my purse,” I said. Really, I wanted to kiss Heller goodbye. “I’ll meet you there.”

With a round of goodbyes, they headed out the door while I went to find my man. He yanked me to him the second I crossed the threshold into the bedroom, and I knew he’d heard every word.

“You’re not getting fucking hooked up,” he growled, his hand cupped hard behind my neck.

“Of course not,” I answered. As usual, my body was going all soft and wet from his dominance. What the hell was wrong with me? Heller touched me and I was mush. Even after all these weeks.

“I think you need a reminder.”

“They’re waiting for me,” I told him.

“I’ll be quick.”

“Heller…” I whined, though my tone spoke of compliance with whatever he wanted. Something else he did to me. I wasn’t genuinely opposed to any of it. I’d told him I was his, and it was true. I trembled as he bent me over the bed with my ass in the air and flipped my skirt up onto my back. After quickly yanking open his pants, his hand settled on the back of my neck, holding me there as he tugged down my panties.

“Mine,” he growled, shoving inside me, hard and fast. I was so slick for him, there was no resistance. As he promised, it was fast. But it was no less earthshaking as he had me screaming into the blankets within minutes. When his hand smacked down onto my ass, I careened over into orgasm so fast, I think it took both of us by surprise. I mewled beneath him as he found his release, filling me and ensuring I’d feel him all night.

He pulled my panties back up then straightened my skirt and helped me to my feet. He fastened his pants, not looking at me as I stared at him.

“You might need to fix your makeup,” he said. “But don’t clean up.”

“Heller.”

“Yeah.” It wasn’t a question to ask me what I wanted. Even with the hasty sex, his displeasure hadn’t abated, and his mood reflected it.

“I don’t want anyone but you.”

He didn’t look at me for a long moment, and I wondered how he could be that pissed about the innocent exchange in my kitchen, something he had to know I had no interest in pursuing.

When he looked up at me, his gaze was tortured. And I knew. It was far more than that teasing amongst the girls.

“But what about when I leave for school? When I’m not here to remind you you’re mine? When I can’t be here every night or hell, even every weekend? What then?”

Stepping close, I slipped my hand behind his neck and pulled him nearer so we rested forehead to forehead. I’d known we needed to discuss this. And now that need was turning to poison.

“And I’ll still be yours. But what about you? When you’re there and all those pretty coeds are around you? What about then?”

“I would never cheat on you.”

“And what if I think you should be free to live your life, discover all there is to have?”

“My life is you, Becca. Yeah, I have dreams, but you’re part of them now. Don’t start pushing me away.”

I wasn’t. Not on purpose. But so much space still lay between us, issues we hadn’t hurdled. Issues, I wasn’t sure I could get over, his age being the very least of it in some respects and the greatest problem in others.

“I need to go. They’ll wonder what happened to me,” I told him. We needed to finish this conversation, but there was no time now.