YOU ARE ALL SO INCREDIBLE! Thanks so much for your feedback on the last chapter. We seem to have hit a rocky road for these two but hopefully things will get better….

And now for some words of caution: you're about to be reminded of why the story is rated M. It's been pretty light the past few chapters in terms of adult content, but not so much anymore. It's at the end of the chapter. You have been warned.

FOUR WEEKS LATER

Cindy's POV

The past few weeks have been... rough to say the least.

It wasn't easy to find out that my boyfriend would in fact not be joining me back home after being apart our first semester of college and that we would be spending our first holiday season as a couple separated.

Our situation, much as our entire past, is unique and unfortunately, consists of far too many hurdles. But since I would end up back at the most familiar and comfortable place I knew, Jimmy's absence was not going to be as difficult as I had originally thought.

I was able to see my best friend again. Just as I had with Jimmy, Libby and I stayed in constant communication. Seeing how busy the two of us had gotten along with our grand distance, I was incredibly grateful that we were able to keep in touch throughout all of it. We were still able to arrange a lunch together and even though I didn't want the conversation to go in that direction, the majority of it was spent talking about Jimmy and the NASA internship.

I figured Libby would be able to understand my frustration which is why I was surprised to learn her opinion on the matter. Despite the small part of her that agreed with me, because of her personal experience with her own romantic partner being -much farther- away from her, she turned out to be more on Jimmy's side on the matter.

"I know it's a different example but, this is something Jimmy has to do." I recalled her saying with our glasses of lemonade sitting between us. "It's good for him. And who knows? Maybe one day, it'll be good for you too. It's not like he's off vacationing with his friends and didn't tell you about it at all."

Prior to her saying that, I hadn't really thought about it in that way. It wasn't until after I saw it from her perspective that I felt guilty for getting as mad as I did.

It hasn't been easy, but I was slowly getting over it.

Thankfully, Jimmy was able to acknowledge that something was wrong. With the way it's been going between us lately, how could one not?

The best word to describe how things are going with Jimmy and I right now would be... tense.

I have spoken to him many times since he told me about his holiday break plans but it is not as easy-going as it was before he delivered the news. And I know he can sense it as well. Our conversations are shorter and I have a feeling it's not just because he's busy all the time. As bad as it sounds, I haven't been invested in listening to when he explains details of what's going on at the internship and how excited he gets over certain parts about it. In a sick and unfair way, I suppose that hearing how well it's going for him only gets me more upset about our situation.

The only time it really seemed to go back to the way things were was the time he called me from the airport while he was waiting for his plane to Florida to board. I had arrived back home just the day before and even though I had let him know I arrived safely, it was the first time I spoke to him on the phone since then.

"Did you get the flowers I sent?" Jimmy spoke nervously and with a rushed tone through the phone.

"The ones to my dorm room or the ones to my house?"

"Both."

"Yes." I smiled as I remember how surprised I was when I opened my bedroom door and saw a large basket of multicolored roses sitting on my desk. They were identical to the ones that were delivered to my room at Columbia just a few days ago. "Though you do know the ones in New York will be dead by the time I get back next semester?"

"Hmm." He replied, probably not realizing it until I said it.

"By the way, the bracelet arrived this morning." I smiled to myself. "I love it. Thank you."

As a birthday gift, although I thought it served as something of an apology as well, Jimmy got me a pearl (of course) bracelet with a charm attached that had the date we started officially going out engraved on it. It was impressive, gorgeous, and by the looks of it, completely out of his price range.

"Good, you got it." He sounded relieved. "I'm glad you like it. I had a lot of help. Some of them may be my friends but I owe most of the geology department a huge favor now."

A warmth erupted within me at realizing out all the trouble he actually went through to get this done for me.

The jewelry in question was currently sitting on my dresser across the room but was impossible to forget about. I've worn the bracelet everyday since it arrived and think about Jimmy everytime I look at it.

At times, it even helps with the pain of not being able to see him.

On a positive note, Jimmy not being around meant there would be practically zero distractions from me getting prepared for spring semester.

Shortly after registration, I was able to find out some pieces of the required reading for a couple of my classes. Getting my hands on the books ahead of time had many advantages, primarily being that I could get ahead in the reading in the comfort of my own home.

It's how I've spent many nights since I've been back, including this one. Jimmy and I may not be at an ideal place, both physically and figuratively, but it won't stop me from continuing on with the rest of my life. Even though, I have to admit, not having him as an academic adversary anymore takes away some of the fun of it all.

Just as I was starting a chapter on socioeconomics, I noticed my phone light up from my bedside table with a very familiar name on the caller ID. Because of how late it was where the call was coming from, I answered it warily. Before I could speak, the voice on the other side beat me to it.

"What are you wearing?"

Confused, I took the phone away from my ear and checked the screen to confirm who it was.

"Jimmy?"

An indistinguishable chuckle came through the phone.

"Who else would it be?"

"Isn't it like one in the morning over there?" I sat up, preparing myself to get out of bed if necessary. "Is something wrong?"

I, as always, appreciate any chance I get to talk to him. It does seem odd however, that he would call in the wee hours of the morning on the east coast.

"I'm fine. I have the graveyard shift of checking the computers for any new data that comes in and it's boring as hell. I was passing the time by thinking about you." He said that last part in a low voice and I smiled, glad that it was all that was going on.

"You were?"

"Yeah. I was also looking at that photo you sent me."

"You were?" I repeated in a slightly different tone, this time to confirm something else.

"I never told you what I thought about it, huh?" I heard him suck in a breath. "Damn, I miss you." He said gruffly and before I could respond, he spoke again. "The photo's great but nothing compares to the real thing. I can't see you or…touch you." The last two words come out differently and I knew it was intentional.

And then, all of a sudden, the reason for his phone call, despite it being for something completely new, made sense.

"Are-are you really trying to do that right now?" I didn't say it like in the annoyed tone I used to have with him when we were younger and he was about to do something life-threateningly stupid. It sounded more like a caution.

"'Try' being the operative word here," he answered. As enticing as the idea sounded, I still had some hesitation.

"Are you sure? No one is going to barge in on you or anything?"

"Nah, every night they get one of the interns to do this. No one is going to come back in here until morning. The nighttime custodian even left an hour ago." He clarified. "Are you okay to do it?" He asked urgently, like he didn't previously ask if I was alone, which he actually didn't.

"Yeah." I replied honestly. "My parents are already asleep and I'm just… lying in bed." I giggled at how appropriately accurate, both to the situation and reality, that was. After a couple of seconds of thinking over my options, I answered his original question. "Boy shorts. The lacy kind you like. In red."

Since I was actually wearing an oversized Columbia blue t-shirt and plain white cotton underwear, I wasn't going to tell Jimmy the unsexy truth of what really made up my clothing. After all, we are supposed to be using our imaginations, aren't we?

"Anything else?" He breathed into the phone.

"A camisole." I lied. "It's a size smaller than I'm used to so it's a little tight. I think I'm just going to take it off." I distinctly heard him grunt on the other end.

"Why don't you go ahead and do that?"

"Okay." I said it in a way that he could hear the feigned innocence in my voice.

I closed the book and it set it down on the same place where my phone was just sitting. I took a few seconds to actually remove my shirt, wanting to give a little bit of reality to the fantasy. In just my underwear this time, I tried to keep it a bit more private and covered myself with the sheet.

"Now what?" I said once I had the phone in my hand again.

"Now I want you to reach up," he spoke, "and grab one of your tits." My breath escaped from my body, like I had suddenly and unknowingly been thrust into outer space. While I knew he was going to ask me something like that, to actually hear him saying it is something else.

"Touch 'em. The way I do. The way you like." Doing as he said, I cupped my right breast with my left hand and began kneading it. After a few seconds, I closed my eyes and tried to picture him over me, squeezing one breast while his mouth and tongue teased the other, just as he would do if he were really here.

While I recalled how it felt, my nipples hardened and as I gently pinched them, I knew the sounds of pleasure I produced could be heard through the phone.

"Good girl." He said like he was rewarding me.

"How do you know I'm doing it?" I managed to ask even though I already knew.

"Because I can hear you moaning baby." It was almost as if him saying that word made me do it again. "You're thinking of me, aren't you?"

"Yesss."

"You know what I'd do if I were there right now?"

"Hmm?" The sound wasn't entirely in response to his question.

"I'd have you naked." I exhaled a breath as I worked on taking off my underwear. "On your hands and knees," he continued. "And your perfect little ass in the air, waiting for me."

As he spoke, I was able to steadily balance the phone between my ear and shoulder so I could use both hands on myself. One hand was still on my breast while the other started trialing down towards the growing familiar moisture.

Besides following his orders, which were getting me hot on their own, I used memories of our times together to keep it going. And they weren't any of the softer, gentler examples either.

"I'd push into you, but you're gonna be tight. And so wet." He paused then, and I realized he was probably positioning himself. "I want to know how wet you are Cin. Let me hear it."

My fingers slid under my folds and touched my swollen bit of skin.

"Ughh... Jimmy..." I hoped the shudder in my voice would serve as proof for him. "Ohh..."

"That's my girl," he groaned. "All wet. Just for me."

"Fuck," I said breathlessly. "Yes... Just for you." I didn't say anything after that and he must have interpreted that as an action, especially because my heavy breaths could still be heard on his end.

"Mmm... You're so damn sexy..." He trailed off. I kept myself going at a growing pace and it resulted in a series of breathy gasps. I wanted to say something but was in way too deep to be able to formulate anything.

"What is it?" Jimmy groaned as he understood what I was trying to do. "Tell me what you want."

"I want- I need your... cock…inside me." I uttered out a word I've never spoken before.

"Yes," he breathed.

"Fucking me. Hard. And deep. Until I'm... screaming your name over…and over." My fingers dipped lower and the noises I let out surely gave it away .

"Are you fingering yourself?"

"Uh huh."

Close to the edge, more images came to mind.

I thought back to when we were still casually together and fervidly used the couch down in his lab. That time we did it in the school's chemistry lab was also unforgettable due to so many factors. And then there was Cancun.

Ohhh, Cancun...

"God, I'm so close...!"

"Shit..." he let out with a hoarse voice. "Ahh.. FUCK."

I reached the familiar peak at nearly the same time he did with a smile that he couldn't see plastered on my face.

"Jimmy... That- that was..." I couldn't even finish my thought.

"Yeah, I know." He let out. "You okay?"

"Much more than okay." I let out with a light laugh.

"I love you." He said it like a reinforcement. "Don't ever forget it."

"I won't," was my soft reply. "I can't wait to see you."

"Soon. I promise."

I nodded, more to myself than anything.

"Good night."

"Good night."

A few of you were curious as to what was going to happen during a Jimmy-less holiday break. Please let me know if you were expecting anything like this.

Not going to waste any more time or space on here but for those that follow me on Twitter, (D13Tribute) be aware that I will be sharing my feelings on THAT particular scene. So look out for that.

I hope you enjoyed it and please remember to leave me a review. Love you guys.