New Beginnings (Forever and Always #15) Read online

  “In that case, I’ll tell him. But I’m going to give her a chance first.”

  Scarlet processed what I said for a long time and I did the same. A lot of things were changing and they were changing fast. She and I were the only thing that was unaffected.

  3

  Hazel

  When I saw a cockroach the size of my hand in the bathroom, I screamed and ran out. I locked the door behind me then put a chair in front of it just so the killer couldn’t get to me. Then I stuffed a towel under the door so he wouldn’t be able to fit his fat body through the cracks.

  “Eww. Eww. Eww!” I paced in a circle, unable to think about the disgusting parasite in the corner of my bathroom. “So gross!” I didn’t want to touch that thing. But I just woke up and now I really had to pee. I hopped on my feet, knowing I had to kill the cockroach in order to use the bowl. We were going to battle, and the urinal was the prize.

  But I couldn’t do it. Bugs grossed me out. Anything with more than two legs needed to stay away from me. But I didn’t know what to do. It was nine in the morning on Sunday. I didn’t want to bother any of my neighbors. Actually, I was pretty certain my closest neighbor grew weed on the roof. That wasn’t a good idea.

  I decided to turn to Flynn. I thought about calling him but I didn’t want to wait in the apartment when only a door was separating me from that…thing. So I just went to his apartment.

  I knew I looked like hell because I didn’t have a chance to brush my hair or wash my face. Oh well, Flynn had seen me like this before. And I didn’t have a choice. If I didn’t do this, I’d be killed.

  When I knocked on the door, I heard voices. I was surprised he had company this early in the morning on a weekend. The door opened and I was face to face with a pretty brunette. She was a little older than me, maybe a few years, and her hair was styled perfectly. She had more curves than I did, but then again, who didn’t?

  The first thing I did was panic. Why the hell was this girl at Flynn’s this early in the morning? Why was she so pretty? He didn’t have a sister, so they weren’t related. I immediately feared the worst. He betrayed me. He’s a dog just like all the others.

  But this is Flynn. He’s different. I forced myself to remain calm and rational. There was an explanation for this. This girl was at his apartment on Sunday morning for a very real reason…she didn’t sleep here.

  “Did you hear me?” she said.

  I zoned out for a second. “Hi…”

  “Um…can I help you?”

  “Flynn…I’m looking for Flynn.”

  “He’s in the bathroom.”

  “Oh.” I tried not to cry. That tended to be my initial reaction for everything.

  “Do you want to wait outside…?”

  “Yeah,” I said immediately.

  “Okay.” She walked away from the door and sat on his couch.

  Flynn came back into the living room.

  “Some girl is here to see you,” she said indifferently.

  “Who?” he asked.

  “I didn’t ask.”

  I was liking this less and less.

  He came to the door and his eyes widened when he saw me. “Hazel? What are you doing here?”

  A smartass comment came to mind but I didn’t say it. “I needed your help with something.”

  “Are you okay?” he asked immediately.

  “Yeah, I think so.” I eyed the girl on the couch. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Oh.” He glanced at the girl then turned back to me. “Come in and I’ll introduce you.”

  Introduce me?

  He led me to her. “Paula, this is my girlfriend, Hazel.”

  She extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Girlfriend? He introduced me as his girlfriend. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Paula is an executive producer for HBO. I was pitching my story to her.” Judging the distressed look on his face, I knew he felt rushed to explain just exactly who she was and her platonic purpose. “We were both busy this week so Sunday was the only suitable day.”

  Hallelujah.

  Paula grabbed her purse. “I need to run. But I’ll think this over.” She held the manuscript under her arm.

  “Sounds good. I’ll walk you out.”

  “It was nice meeting you, Hazel.”

  “You too,” I said quietly.

  Flynn said goodbye then shut the door. He eyed me cautiously as he came back to me. “So, what’s going on?”

  I completely forgot about the cockroach. “Oh yeah. Um, I need your help.”

  “With what?”

  I realized how stupid it was in light of what he was just doing, pitching his script to be made into a film. I was worried about a mutant cockroach making a home out of my bathroom. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

  “You came all the way over here. It must have been something.” He waited for me to tell him.

  “It’s…a cockroach.”

  He smirked. “A cockroach?”

  “It’s in my bathroom and it’s hogging the toilet. This thing is the size of my head. I’m not kidding.” The fear started to come back. “When I walked in there it tried to kill me.”

  His eyes lit up in mirth. “And you need me to come to the rescue?”

  “I feel bad asking you to risk your life, but I can’t afford an exterminator.”

  “Risk my life?” He chuckled.

  “You don’t understand how big this sucker is.”

  His eyes softened when he looked at me. “You’re so cute.”

  “Cute?”

  “Yeah. You’re scared of a bug?”

  “This thing is not a bug,” I said quickly. “It’s baby Godzilla.”

  He laughed again. “Now I have to see this thing.”

  “Do you have a gun?”

  He laughed a third time. “You’re making my stomach hurt, Hazel. Stop making me laugh.”

  “I’m being serious.”

  “I’m sure my foot will suffice.”

  “So you’ll help me?”

  “Yeah,” he said as he chuckled. “I can take care of it.”

  “I’m sorry to bother you. I didn’t mean to just stop by…”

  His hands moved to my hips. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re welcome here anytime.”

  I still felt like I was intruding. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your…meeting.”

  His face moved close to mine. “Thank you for not assuming the worst. It means a lot to me that you trust me. I realize that didn’t look good at first.”

  “I trust you more than anyone.”

  He kissed my forehead. “I’m glad we’ve made so much progress.” He grabbed his keys and wallet. “Let’s kill this thing.”

  We left his apartment then walked to mine. When we reached the door, I stopped him.

  “Are you ready?”

  He didn’t justify that with a response. He just rolled his eyes.

  I unlocked the door and we got inside.

  Flynn moved to the bathroom and stopped when he saw the chair and table in the way. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” I could tell he was amused.

  “I didn’t want him to get out!”

  He smirked then moved the furniture away. Then he pulled out the towel. “Why is this here?”

  “So he can’t crawl under the door.”

  “But you said he’s the size of your head.”

  “Well, maybe he can flatten himself or something.”

  He shook his head. “You are something else…” He unlocked the door then opened it.

  I jumped on the couch then held my hands to my chest. “Kill it. Kill it.”

  Flynn disappeared into the bathroom. “It’s so small I can barely see it, Hazel.”

  “Just kill it!”

  “Done.” I heard the toilet flush.

  I released the breath from my lungs and relaxed.

  He came out, amusement on his face. “I thought you were a badass that jumped your coworker, bu
t when a little bug comes to town, you tuck your tail between your legs and take off.”

  “Not the same thing.” I moved to the ground and finally felt the fear disappear. “Thanks for doing that. You’re my hero.”

  He smiled. “Thanks for asking me.” He sat on the couch.

  I eyed the bathroom.

  “Hazel, I got him.”

  “But I still remember it…”

  He rolled his eyes. “Does that happen often?”

  “They are everywhere.” My body twitched in disgust.

  “And what do you do then?”

  “I either put a jar over them and wait for them to die or ask Cortland to kill them.”

  “A jar?” he asked. “Wouldn’t that take weeks for them to die?”

  “Unfortunately…”

  “And what does Cortland do?”

  “I don’t look.”

  “And why didn’t you ask me instead of him?” He studied my face.

  “I don’t know…you’re my boyfriend. I hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s more than okay, “he said. “I would have been offended if you didn’t.”

  I suddenly remembered I looked like hell inhaled me then spat me out. My appearance must have been hideous, disgusting.

  Flynn eyed me. “You look beautiful first thing in the morning.”

  “Is that a joke?” I blurted.

  “No.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. “Not at all. In fact, I should be rewarded for coming to your aid...”

  “I knew you didn’t help me out of the goodness of your heart…”

  “I always have one thing on my mind.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The look in his eyes made me fidget in place. He was so handsome, it hurt. Sometimes I couldn’t understand why he wanted me.

  Flynn pulled me on to his lap as he leaned back against the couch. His hands moved under my shirt and up my back, feeling my bare skin. He dug his fingers into me, making my muscles tense.

  I gripped his shoulders then pressed my mouth to his. His hips automatically rocked up as our lips touched. He was an amazing kisser. I was glad I got to reap all the benefits of his talent.

  He pulled my shirt off then snapped my bra. It happened quicker than I could see. Flynn was a pro at undressing me. I wanted to see his naked chest so I peeled his shirt away. My hands automatically moved to his chest, feeling the hard muscle underneath. I loved his lean and toned body. He was perfect.

  He unbuttoned his jeans underneath me then kicked them off. I grabbed his boxers and yanked them off. His hard cock popped out then leaned against his stomach. It was long and thick. Sometimes I couldn’t believe it fit inside me.

  The heat burned in his eyes and his fingers went to my jeans. He yanked them off and pulled me forward so he could get them off my ass. Together, we got them off. Then he fingered my thong, his fingers moving to the front where he rubbed my clitoris through the cotton.

  He didn’t kiss me. Instead, he stared up at me while he touched me, getting harder by watching me. His fingers were a godsend. Even separated by fabric, he touched me in just the right way, making me quiver and moan. I was already wet but now I was soaked. When his breathing increased a notch, he gripped the string and yanked them off. I sat on his lap, his cock between my folds.

  I’ve never been on top before. I was always too scared to do it with Kyle. And the one time I did, he got limp. He was always impatient in the bedroom. I think my lack of spontaneity led him to cheat on me and find someone else. Ever since, I felt even more self-conscious about it. I knew I was bad in bed. “I don’t know how…”

  Flynn didn’t seem irritated. “I’ll show you.”

  “But I suck at it.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a gorgeous woman sitting on my cock. You could be terrible and it would still feel good.” He gripped my hips then lifted me. He adjusted his hips then moved his tip to my entrance. I grabbed his shoulders because I didn’t know what else to do.

  He lowered me slowly, stretching me with his thickness. It felt so good. I moaned immediately when he was completely inside.

  He moaned loudly. “You feel so good. Every time.”

  I pressed my head to his, knowing my small breasts were in his face. I was self-conscious about those too.

  Flynn sucked each nipple then kissed the barely physical valley between them. “I love your body.”

  I didn’t argue with him. His cock felt too good to think of anything else.

  He guided my hips up and down, showing me how to sheathe his cock over and over. Every time he moved inside me, felt even better than before. My hands dug into his shoulders and I gasped every few seconds.

  “Fuck, this is hot,” he said. “Don’t make me come too quickly.”

  I had no control over that. After I bounced up and down for a minute, he slowly released his hands, letting me go on my own. His hands moved to my breasts and he squeezed them both as I rode his cock. His breathing was heavy and he didn’t look like he would last long.

  He grabbed my hips again then guided me to pop my ass repeatedly, taking him in a different way. “Hmm…” One hand moved to my neck and he squeezed me gently. “Fuck.”

  Seeing how turned on he was by me excited me in a way I didn’t understand. The confidence allowed me to move harder and faster. I sheathed him far and whimpered because it felt so damn amazing. When the pleasure started in my center, I bounced on him harder, wanting more of him. “Flynn…” I exploded, my nails digging into his skin. “Oh god…”

  Flynn grabbed my ass and squeezed. I knew he was about to follow me. I rocked my hips and took him hard and fast. Flynn closed his eyes for a moment and his mouth opened as he moaned. I knew he found his release when those moans turned into loud grunts. He pressed his face into my chest while he finished.

  We clung to each other for a moment while we caught our breath. When he leaned back, I stared at him.

  “That was fucking awesome.”

  He chuckled. “It was, wasn’t it?”

  “I want to do it again!”

  “Give me a few minutes.” He trailed his fingers up and down my arm.

  “So, were you rewarded handsomely?”

  “Oh so handsomely.”

  He was still inside me but I didn’t want to pull him out. “Now I want more cockroaches to invade my apartment.”

  “I can’t believe you just said that,” he said with a laugh. “You’d risk your life for sex?”

  “No. Just sex with you.”

  He lay down and pulled me with him, still saying inside me. “This has been a wonderful and unexpected morning.”

  I cuddled with him and closed my eyes.

  “What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

  “Hopefully that exact same thing.”

  He smirked. “I’m having dinner with my family. Want to come?”

  What? To meet his parents? The serenity I just experienced disappeared. Wasn’t that too soon? “Um…do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “Why would it be a bad idea?”

  “Well, we’ve only been together for a few months.”

  “So? I love you. I want you to meet them.”

  I felt like he just asked me to go skydiving.

  He spotted my hesitance. “But if you don’t want to, that’s fine.” The disappointment was in his voice.

  “No, I do. I just…I guess I’m nervous.”

  “Don’t be,” he said simply.

  “But your dad is famous.”

  He rolled his eyes. “He shits and farts just like everyone else.”

  “And your brother too.”

  “He’s a douchebag. Don’t be intimidated by him.”

  “I…okay.”

  “Okay?” he asked.

  “If you’re sure…”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Well, you should introduce a girl to your parents unless she’s like…the one.”

  He gave me a serious look. “And what do you think you are?”<
br />
  That made my heart squeeze. “Really?”

  “You think I’d risk my life for just anybody?” The amusement was in his eyes.

  My eyes burned at his words. I never expected someone to love me in this way. And I never expected him to love me as much as I loved him. “I love you,” I blurted.

  “I love you too.” His hand moved through my hair. “So, you’ll come?”

  My heart raced. “Yeah…”

  “Good.”

  “Flynn?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Can I have some money?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You never ask me for money.”

  “I know. I hate to ask but I can’t afford to buy fancy clothes right now.”

  He smirked. “Jeans and a t-shirt are fine.”

  “But, aren’t we having dinner at the Hamptons or something?”

  He laughed. “We’ll probably get hot dogs and eat them in Central Park.”

  “Really?”

  “Like I said, we shit and fart just like everyone else.”

  4

  Ryan

  I was really dreading this. I put it off as long as I could, finding other things to do and making excuses. Janice kept pressuring me to step up and be a man, but this really sucked. Why did I have to find out? Why could it have been Scarlet? Or better yet, why did Monnique have to cheat?

  I invited Cortland to play basketball a few blocks from my apartment.

  “Where are the guys?” he asked.

  “Busy.” I made a few shots and then he stole the ball.

  When we played one-on-one, we were more competitive, so my body was drenched in sweat by the time we were done. We didn’t keep score, but that didn’t stop both of us from working hard.

  After we called it quits for the day, we walked into a burger joint and sat in a booth. I tossed the ball in the seat next to me and waited for our food to come. The place kinda reminded me of Mega Shake, but it wasn’t nearly as good.

  Cortland returned from washing his hands then leaned back against the chair. “My ass is about to fall off.”

  “That out of shape?” I asked.

  “I haven’t been working out lately.”

  I tried to think of something else to talk about. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt my friend. He was the best guy I knew.

  “Something wrong, man?” Cortland could read me pretty well.