Thanks for reading and reviewing, and for sticking by my anxious boy.
Little 2-ish month jump here.
Chapter 22.
A gust of crisp, fall air comes in through the window before Bella closes it and turns to me with a smile, returning to bed. She brings my head to her shoulder and runs her fingers absentmindedly in my hair. We're supposed to be studying on this Sunday afternoon, or at least that was the plan, but I'm beat after work in the morning and then training with Jasper.
Even though Coach and Jasper already know about us and have promised not to tell Bella's parents, she is worried someone might get compromising pictures of us and post them online. It's been weird since the week of Bella's birthday and the aftermath of the lake house party bust. Coach has been testy. Bella has been wary of our teammates.
So we still keep a low profile. We hide in her room or mine whenever we have some free time. We're not affectionate with each other outside of these walls.
It fucking sucks.
I'd like to hold her hand whenever I want. I'd like to be able to take her out, to dinner or a movie, and not have to worry about someone seeing us. I'd like so many things, but at least I still get to spend most of my time with her.
Bella reaches behind her, for her phone, quickly checking it before dropping it on her nightstand.
"Did you send the video?" I ask softly, my eyes fluttering closed.
"Right at the deadline." Bella hums under me.
She was making the final editing touches on our qualification video for the NCA partner stunt competition, which takes place during the National Cheerleading Championship in Daytona. As part of the three-day competition, we would perform with the A Team for the Coed title and also, if we qualify, as a pair in the partner stunt event. I was hesitant to even send in a video application since I know our main goal is to win with the A Team, and I fear that committing to a separate, yet simultaneous, event might all get to be too much—especially for our first time.
But there's just something special about partner stunting. It's become my favorite part of the sport.
The idea of two individuals working toward that feeling of accomplishment, where it's just us two and we both need to be perfectly in sync for it to work. Every time we hit a new skill or get better at it, it feels so fucking good that I find myself constantly chasing that feeling.
Maybe it's the partner stunts, or maybe it's just that I get to do them exclusively with Bella, but I've been pretty much obsessed over it and have gotten better than anyone could have expected.
So for the past couple months, Bella and I have been using every chance we get to put together a routine, and I have to admit, even though it's been challenging, I wouldn't change it for the world.
"Are you really not going home for Thanksgiving?" Bella asks softly next to me just when I'm about to doze off, her fingers still running their calming patterns in my hair.
"It's a long drive…" I say through a yawn. "And my mom is working through most of it. It doesn't seem worth it to make the trip for just a few days."
"What are you going to do instead?" She turns to look at me, the sun coming in through her window lighting up her face.
"Catch up on sleep…" I nuzzle my face into her neck. "Give my arms a little rest." I loop my arms around her waist, bringing her closer to me as she giggles. "I'm working Wednesday and the weekend. And I also have a few sessions scheduled with Sammy. So I'll be busy."
"Or you could come with me." Her hands run over my arms until one sneaks into the sleeve of my T-shirt and her fingers start pressing on my shoulder in the most delicious way.
"Right…" I laugh softly, fighting the urge to roll my eyes back as she massages my shoulder. "That'll go down great with your parents."
"I mean, they know you're my friend, and we have plenty of room." Her hand leaves my shoulder, and I almost pout. "You'd probably have to stay in the basement. But I could sneak out at night." Her eyes shine devilishly, her lips stretch.
"Do you really think they'll take it well?" I ask seriously, my eyes fixed on hers.
"Yeah," she says easily, but I'm not convinced.
"I think we should still give them some time to get used to the idea of me before I show up there." I'm hoping for the best, but I really don't know what to expect. Bella said she's never had a boyfriend before, so this will all be new territory. Not just for them, but for us too.
With a sigh, Bella lies on her back next to me. "I just hate the thought of you being here by yourself for the holidays."
"I won't be by myself." I reach for her arm, my fingers roaming from her shoulder down to her wrist, until they close over her bracelet, the one I gave her for her birthday, the one she never takes off. "Emmett's here, and Coach invited everyone who isn't going home over to her place for Thanksgiving dinner, which I think is what swayed Emmett into staying," I say through a laugh, bringing her hand back to my hair and pulling her to me.
"Ugh…now I want to stay."
"It'll go by quickly," I say, kissing her neck. "You'll be back in no time."
"You promise?" She moans a little, fisting my hair while I trail kisses over her collarbone.
"I promise." My lungs fill up with her as I inhale deeply—shea butter everywhere. Before I know it, her lips are crashing on mine, her fingers scraping over the scruff on my jaw, and her leg hitches over my hip.
"Where's Vicky?" My hands roam all over her, my fingers digging into her skin as I clasp my hand on her thigh.
"I don't know," Bella says, moving to straddle me before her lips are on mine again.
It's been two months since our "almost" time at the house. Two months of over-our-clothes heavy petting and dry humping, of interruptions, of cut-short moments. I've let Bella get more comfortable with me, exploring any new part of her that she has let me. I don't want to pressure her into anything she's not ready for, but, fuck, I am ready for more.
I'm a hundred percent ready right now between her legs as she rubs herself against me while my hands clasp around her bare waist. The training gear she's often wearing, tiny shorts and sports bra, will be the end of me.
She pulls my shirt off as I sit up, and she bites her lips as her eyes roam over me. My hands tingle at her hips, wanting to do so much more.
In the next second, Bella is off me, leaving the bed altogether, and rushes to the door. The click of the lock makes me smile, and when she turns around, she's smiling too. I scoot to the edge of the bed as she comes closer and then stands in front of me, between my legs.
She hesitates a little, her bottom lip again trapped between her teeth.
"We won't do anything you don't want to do," I reassure her, and she nods, wrapping her hands around my neck. "I won't touch you anywhere you don't want me to."
She pulls back, with wide, trusting eyes, and without words, her hands trail down from my neck, over the length of my arms, and end over my wrists. She moves my hands then, guiding the left up her rib cage until it covers her breast. It's something she's let me do before. Something I'm very much a fan of.
Then, with her eyes still on mine, she moves my right hand as well, over her stomach and down, until it's between her legs. That's new.
The air comes out of me in a huff as her lips land on mine again, and then I bring her to the bed, under me, where I finally allow my hands to touch her the way they've been dying to.
~.~.~
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Vicky and Bella take the shuttle to Salt Lake City where they'll fly to Florida. She texts me when she's boarding, then she texts me when she lands. I text her when I get out of work, but she doesn't answer. After my session with Sammy, I text Bella again to see what time she can Facetime, but I still hear nothing back from her.
"Boys night out?" Emmett asks, coming out of the bathroom.
"Nah, I'm good." I'm already in bed.
"You sure? We're just heading up to the house," Emmett says, drying his hair with his towel. I know James and Jacob are staying behind too, and while things have calmed down at the house, people still congregate there—to hang out, play pool or whatever, and sneak in an occasional drink. My stomach turns a little, even though it's been over two months. The practice that followed the afterparty bust was brutal. At least I wasn't the first one to throw up, Emmett took that prize on the first run.
"Remember we're going to Coach Hale's tomorrow at three," I remind him.
"As if I could forget!" He smiles broadly, throwing a shirt on. "Don't worry, babe, I'll be good. Just want to enjoy my little time as a free man."
I shake my head as he laughs. I don't really get his relationship with Vicky, but I also don't judge.
When Emmett leaves, I go back and forth between typing and deleting texts to Bella, afraid that I sound too clingy or desperate, but it's the first time we've been apart for longer than a night since the beginning of summer. We promised we'd Facetime at night, and she still hasn't replied to my last text.
I never thought it would hit me this hard.
My chest is tight with uncertainty. That she's not around. That I don't know where she is, or what she's doing, or if she's okay and safe. I get a rotten feeling in my stomach with her lack of replies. I worry that something happened.
I try to convince myself that she's probably fine and just enjoying her time with her family.
I guess I just miss her.
I miss her so fucking much.
Not knowing what else to do, I call my mom and leave her a message when she doesn't answer.
Then, I look at Bella's Instagram videos until my eyes start fluttering closed, and I pass out with my phone on my chest. I wake up Thursday morning with no text or missed call from Bella and feel more anxious than I've ever felt before.