To Live Again Read online

  Then she stomps off and I feel relief. I’m so glad that’s over with.

  With Chloe in the picture, I didn’t even remember Alyssa existed so I didn’t think to call her and tell her our arrangement was over. I tell Connor thanks and he slaps me on the back. Then he has to rub it in and tell me that I need to get tested and hope that along with a STD, he hopes that crazy isn’t contagious or I’m screwed. I laugh it off and we head into Calculus, but I make the decision to get tested at the hospital because even though I keep my junk wrapped up, I don’t want to put Chloe at risk.

  Thinking about us sleeping together has my dick standing at attention, but it goes away quickly because Calculus is far from arousing, so for the moment, I give my schoolwork my attention. I know it is too soon to think of us in that way, but with the way she looks and how sweet she is, it’s hard for my thoughts not to go there. My last thought before I turn my attention to my assignment is that I’m not going to rush her. I don’t want her to think this is only about sex and the meet up with Alyssa only reinforces that.

  After my classes are over, I hurry to my truck with both Chloe and Alyssa weighing heavily on my mind. I wonder if I should tell Chloe about Alyssa. I want to be honest with her, but I’m a little embarrassed. I know Alyssa was spouting some crap about me coming back to her, but I don’t think she really means it. She just can’t stand the fact that I ended it first. I decide I’m not going to give her any more thought. I don’t see the need to tell Chloe about her right now because we aren’t dating, but if we do I will have to bite the bullet and let her know.

  I get to the hospital and quickly change into my scrubs. The ER is full and I know it’s going to be a busy afternoon. I don’t mind because it will make the time go by faster. Hopefully, I won’t get any crazies or drunks that throw up or piss on me. With that thought, I go to the nurse’s station to check in and find out where to start.

  My supervisor is a lady in her fifties, but she likes me and says if she was twenty years younger, she would be after me. That makes me laugh because she reminds me of my grandma, but she insists she is a cougar and wants a younger man. We joke around for a bit before she gives me my room assignments and it keeps me busy for the rest of the afternoon. I’m so busy that I don’t get clocked out until 5:15 PM, which doesn’t give me time to shower. Maybe Chloe will take pity on me and let me use hers. I don’t want to be late so I wash off in the bathroom, spray some cologne, and take off to my truck.

  While I’m driving, I give Connor a call and he says he is on his way there too and will wait for me in the parking lot of their apartment complex. He sounds excited and I give him grief about Madison, but he says he is excited about the food. I call bullshit on that; I see how he watches her because it’s the exact way that I watch Chloe.

  I make it to their complex with ten minutes to spare and we walk to their door. Madison opens it and Connor looks like his tongue is going to fall out of his mouth. She’s not for me, but I admit that she is hot. We walk into the apartment and stand there talking in the living room when the door opens and Chloe walks in. Now my tongue is the one hanging out because she looks gorgeous.

  She looks classy, but sexy, and just when I’m about to compliment her, she says she is in lust. She blushes so hard that it looks like she is going to ignite from the heat in her cheeks. I can’t help but laugh because I know just what she means. I’m hard as a fucking rock from looking at her legs and envisioning her ass. Yes, I am a legs and ass man and that skirt is right up my alley.

  I know she is embarrassed so I whisper that I’m in the same boat when I hug her and she relaxes into me. It is the best feeling in the world and I don’t want to let her go. But she steps back, and we go into the kitchen while Connor and Madison stay in the living room. Filling the glasses with ice and Coke, we make small talk and I already know this is going to be the best study session/date I’ve ever had.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chloe

  Dinner is ready and I go in the living room to let Connor and Madison know it’s time to eat. Before I see them, I hear heavy breathing and I know something is going on. As I round the corner, I see Maddie sitting on Connor’s lap kissing him. Well, that didn’t take long at all. I should have made a bet with her because I would have totally won.

  With my hands on my hips, I say, “Ok, you two, break it up. Dinner is ready and I’ve worked too hard for us to eat it cold.”

  Connor breaks the kiss and says, “Priorities, babe…let’s get to the food.”

  Madison rolls her eyes, but she is smiling. They follow me to the table where Jayson is waiting and we all sit down to eat. I’m really proud of my meal because everything came out perfectly. The guys look like they are in heaven with their steaks and vegetables and I know I had the right idea. Maddie is still smiling at Connor and I’m doing the same to Jayson. To be fair, they are doing the same as well so if anybody was watching, they would say we are one happy crew.

  I want to find out as much as I can about Jayson so I ask him about his job. I can tell he works in some kind of medical place since he has on scrubs. He tells us that he just came from his shift in the Methodist hospital ER where he works as a tech. He tells us about all the crazy people he meets, but he also tells us about the patients that he comes in contact with.

  I can tell he is a caring person and I bet he will make a great doctor one day. He apologizes for coming here in his scrubs, but I’m thinking he looks yummy so I’m not upset at all. He asks if he can take a quick shower after dinner because he feels dirty from the hospital and I have absolutely no objection. I want him to feel comfortable and if that gets him naked in my shower, I can handle that. Actually, it makes me want to jump up and down and clap, but for the sake of looking like an idiot; I restrain myself, but just barely.

  We have a great dinner and it seems like we have all been together forever. Everyone says the dinner was awesome and the talking and laughing continues. Jayson and Connor are hilarious and don’t stop ragging on each other. The longer it goes, the worse it gets, but I’m laughing so hard that tears are running down my face. Madison looks so happy and I want to hug her because I feel the same.

  Once dinner is over, Jayson and Connor say they will clean up, but Connor tells Jayson to go take his shower and that he will do it. We decide to have dessert later on in the evening and I leave Connor and Maddie together in the kitchen. I take Jayson to the bathroom and show him where everything is. I bring him a towel and washcloth and as I lay it on the sink, I feel his arms on both sides of me caging me in. Not a shabby place to be at all.

  Looking down at me, he says, “I’m having a great time, Chloe. I can’t say how glad I am that I was in your seat in PSYC class.”

  We laugh and he wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me. I do the same and we stand there for a moment, soaking in the wonderful feeling that surrounds us. I want him to kiss me, but I’m not making the first move. I guess he is telepathic because he lifts his head from the top of mine and leans down.

  Right before his lips touch mine, he stares into my eyes and says, “I know this might be fast, but I want to kiss you. Is that ok with you?” Can this guy be any more perfect?

  I shake my head yes and he presses his lips to mine. I tighten my arms around him to let him know its ok to keep going and he sucks on my bottom lip. I open my mouth to let him in and his tongue slides in. It’s so hot and he tastes so good that I can’t help but moan. He seems to like this because the kiss gets even hotter and we start devouring each other. I press even closer to him and I can feel his hard cock against my stomach. I feel the same if my sopping wet panties is any indication. Finally, he pulls back and looks into my eyes and then buries his face in my neck.

  We stand there hugging each other some more and I want to cry because it is so perfect. I hear him saying something, but I can’t make out what it is.

  I pull back and he says, “I like this a lot, princess, but I think I better get in the shower…a cold shower.”

/>   We both laugh and as we are pulling away from each other, Connor bangs on the door and says for us to quit fucking already. I’m going to kill him when I get outside this bathroom, but I know if they weren’t here, I think he might not be too far off base. Maybe we might not sleep together, but there would definitely be some fooling around going on.

  I open the door and tell Connor he’s a jerk, but he laughs and says, “I knew you were freaky, little bit.”

  I tell him to shut up and we go back into the living room so Jayson can finish his shower. While we are waiting, Connor and Madison give me grief, but I tell them they shouldn't be saying anything since I caught their little show in the living room. Of course, they don’t care, which I should have known. I decide to go and get dessert ready and leave them to each other. But before I go, I tell them not to make a mess on the couch. That gets a big laugh from the peanut gallery, especially from Connor. I think he lives to be inappropriate, but he’s funny so I can’t help but laugh at him right back.

  The brownies go in the oven and I make a mental note to set the ice cream out so it won’t be so hard to dish up. A little while later, as I am taking out the chocolate syrup, my hottie walks in wearing jeans that can only be classified as sinful, a white t-shirt that highlights his chest and arms, along with black Harley motorcycle boots. I think to myself that chocolate syrup would make a great accessory for him, but I keep that to myself. I definitely don’t want to say that out loud.

  Remembering the ice cream, I let him know that it’s going to be a few minutes so we join Connor and Madison in the living room. I know we have to work on our presentation, but I can’t bring myself to get started on it. Jayson brings it up and I tell him we can study after dessert. So, for the next 15 minutes, we all laugh and joke some more while I sit next to the best man I’ve ever met. I know I’m in so deep and that I should be worried, but I shove that out of my mind. Right now, I’m happy and I’m not going to let my past mistakes screw this up for me.

  I hear the oven dinging signaling me that the brownies are ready. Madison and I go into the kitchen to get the dessert dished up and I let her know that Jayson kissed me in the bathroom. She smiles widely and gives me a hug while whispering that I deserve this and to just be happy. I decide to take her advice and as I walk back to the table with our desserts, I know I’m ready to take a chance with Jayson.

  After we finish dessert, Jayson and I go to my room where my laptop and study materials are. I guess Maddie was right after all about studying in the bedroom. I hope it leads to some more kissing while we’re studying. We have to hear from the peanut gallery as we go to my room, but I’ve got their number. As soon as my door closes, they will be on each other like white on rice. At least Maddie will keep Connor occupied and away from my door. I know if he could, he would be barging in and teasing me.

  I’m not completely stupid to think that we are only going to study, but since Professor No Life made this assignment due for tomorrow’s class, I know getting it done is first on the agenda. When we get inside my room, Jayson shuts the door, backs me up to it, and starts kissing me. I enjoy it for a little bit because I am only human, but then I pull away.

  “Ok buddy, enough of that. Let’s get this assignment done and then we can get back to the kissing.”

  Jayson winks while agreeing with me and we spread out on my bed with our laptops and books. Even though we are just studying, I love being with him. I know we aren’t technically dating, but it feels like we are and I hope this is the beginning of one of many nights together.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jayson

  Kissing Chloe is like winning the lottery. When she kissed me back in the bathroom before my shower, I thought I was going to embarrass myself. It was easily better than any actual sex that I’ve ever had. Stopping and letting her go so I could get in the shower was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But, I knew if we didn’t stop, something major was going to happen right there with Connor and Madison just steps away.

  Like any guy, I’ve screwed in the bathroom before, but she means more than that, especially for our first time. I knew I needed to get my head back on straight. We have only known each other for two days and we aren’t dating, though I am going to do my best to change that in the near future. To make matters worse, asshat Connor bangs on the door and says for us to “quit fucking already.” He is going down when we get home. I guess I won’t hurt him too badly this time since he ruined the mood and I was able to get my head out of my pants.

  Chloe’s brownie and ice cream dessert is awesome. When I walk in the kitchen, she is preparing it, but she looks like she wants to cover me in chocolate syrup and lick me. I’m up for that in more ways than one. I think I’m having a Connor moment. Lust is definitely eating away at my brain.

  I manage to get myself together and we have a great time laughing and talking while we eat. That’s the thing with Chloe; while I find her all kinds of sexy, she also has a great mind and laugh. I can spend hours talking to her. I know my mancard is in jeopardy, but I can’t find it in myself to care. From where I stand, things can only get better and I like the sound of that.

  Once we finish dessert, we try to get our heads out of the clouds because our PSYC assignment isn’t going away. She takes me to her bedroom and I can’t help but kiss her one more time. This girl can kiss like no other and I don’t want to stop, but she tells me our study session has to come first and kissing later. Although I hate losing her mouth, I know I have to keep my grades up and it helps knowing there is a fucking awesome reward waiting for me at the end, both tonight and in the future.

  Getting comfortable on her bed with our laptops and books, we both get lost in the work. In no time at all, the clock shows after midnight and we’re both yawning. I go to look for Connor, but I don’t see either he or Madison so I head back to Chloe’s room to finish up. About 12:30 a.m., I can see she is wearing down so I suggest a little nap. We stretch out on the bed, lying with her head on my shoulder, and soon we are both dead to the world.

  I forget to set my alarm and at 2:30 a.m., I jerk awake, realizing that we never finished our schoolwork. Chloe is sleeping so peacefully that I don’t have the heart to wake her up. So I get up and finish the work on our outline and then fall back into bed with her. I know I need to get up and go home, but I am so tired and I don’t want to leave her. Right before I fade away, I wake up enough to set my alarm for a time that will insure I can go home to clean up before school.

  At 6:30 AM, Chloe’s door flies open and Madison runs in yelling Chloe’s name. Both of us sit up at the same time and Madison points at the clock while laughing. I don’t know what the significance of the clock is, but they both look very happy.

  Hearing all of the commotion, Connor walks in and says, “Way to go, my man.” Then he puts his fist out for a fist bump, which makes me shake my head, but I give him one anyway.

  He’s not Connor if he isn’t inappropriate so he asks or tries to ask, “Did you two fu…?”

  Before he can get the words out, Chloe throws a pillow at him and Madison shoves him. He loves the attention and it just amps him up more, but I give him the look that says he better shut it or he’s getting it, so he lets it go.

  I hate to up and leave, but I know I have to get home and get ready for school. On top of that, Chloe has her hand over her mouth while proclaiming “morning breath” and forbids me to come any closer. That just makes me hold her down and tickle her which has her wriggling around like a little kid. Also, she is trying not to laugh with her mouth open and it is cracking me up. I don’t smell any morning breath, but I don’t want to scare her with mine either, so I get up and gather my things while telling her I will meet her in class. I also threaten her that if she is late, the seat is mine. That puts a fire under her little ass and she pushes me out the door. She cracks me up with the way she owns that seat.

  I drive home with a permanent grin on my face and walk into our house in the same condition. Connor is s
haking his head and telling me that he can’t believe how whipped I am and I haven’t even gotten any. I tell him he is in the same boat with Madison, but he says they are just friends and that he doesn’t want anything serious. What a liar! I know him like I know myself; he is my twin after all. I don’t know why he holds himself back like this. He is so convinced that he doesn’t need a relationship, but I can see Madison is different for him. I tell myself that there is nothing I can do and he is going to have to figure it out on his own. I hope he doesn’t take too long to figure it out and then she ends up getting close with someone else.

  I rush through getting ready, not because I’m late, but so I can get to class early to talk to Chloe. Also, I am worried about our instructor approving our work; the outline for the paper and presentation was difficult because we didn’t have all of the sources we needed. I don’t know how he can expect us to have 12 sources in one day’s time, but sometimes academic types are on another planet.

  Rushing through my shower, I throw on a black Dallas Stars t-shirt, some black athletic pants, and Under Armour tennis shoes. I don’t have time to eat and get there early so I’ll grab lunch after class. Everything in the world is conspiring to make me late; traffic is backed up and I end up having to park in BFE. I run the whole way to class, but I already know my seat is taken.

  As I walk in, I see her sitting there, but she’s in her old seat and saving mine for me. We grin goofily at each other and I give her a hug.

  Of course, the instructor has to walk in and interrupt us with clearing his throat and saying, “Mr. Reece, please take your seat; you can hug on Ms. Schaeffer after class.”

  This whole class breaks out into laughter, especially me and Chloe. We present our idea and the old turd ends up liking it so I know we are on the right track. He lets each group go after their mini-presentation to him and that is fine with me because now I have time to spend with Chloe before my next class and hopefully get something to eat.