Long time no see! I've been focusing on school and writing original work. Better late than never though. Big thanks to my beta, Kupkakes, who's been a lot of help getting through this chapter and the next one. I do not own anything in this chapter, besides Savannah, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.
Chapter 24
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So maybe coming back to New York early wasn't the best of ideas. She came back after , wanting to be in the city for the ball dropping. Juice had told her on phone how awesome it was to actually be standing there in the glitter falling all around you, the crowd chanting down the count down mom wasn't happy to cut the trip home short, but after some debate, she gave in.
Saying goodbye was never easy, especially for Savannah. Gemma didn't make it any easier than she had to with her 'woe is me' act she put as the sad abandoned mother. There was only so much of the older woman she could take. She loved her ma, there was no doubt about that, but she wanted to be an adult. She couldn't do that with Gemma dictating everything she did.
Jax might have been okay with her controlling how his life went, but Savannah wasn't . She knew her dream of a future with Juice was out of the question, but that didn't make seeing what she had to look forward to any easier. He was living his happily ever after with his whore.
Being with Kozik was . . . familiar. It was good, even if it felt bad. He'd used her like he'd done so many times before and that was what she'd needed. Juice had gotten her lost in what she could have if she didn't live in Charming. Kozik reminded her of who she was and what she'd be after college. An old lady, where all she did was suck dick and make dinner. Unfortunately she was never going to do well at the latter.
She knew going to college was just to humor her. Clay wanted her away from the club, and he was getting what he wanted. He thought she was a distraction to the boys. Especially Kozik. It was clear to her that Clay knew on some level that something was going on between her and the blonde. He'd caught them sneaking away enough times.
Truth was, it was more so Clay she didn't want to be around than it was her mom. It'd been a few days since her hook up with Kozik, and it was like Clay somehow knew. He'd stare her down when she was talking to Koz in the clubhouse. Hell, he'd even made a subtle threat. Maybe not exactly a threat, but it definitely wasn't heart warming either.
When she broke the news of her leaving early, she tried not to notice the smug look on her step father's face. So maybe her step father didn't like her, she didn't care. Tig, Bobby, Chibs, they were all enough of a father figure to last her a life time. She didn't need Clay, and she didn't want him either. Unfortunately, she didn't get a say on that.
So, here she was, walking down the streets of New York alone. She wasn't sure how many more goodbyes she had in her. Those were bad enough. Thankfully the guys were going on a run tonight, so that made it a little easier to leave. She didn't have to have that awkward 'what happens now?' conversation with Kozik. She knew how that'd go, and she didn't want to do it.
It was gonna hurt because she knew she was just a piece of ass to him. He wasn't looking for another old lady so soon after Jenn, and she wasn't interested in long term with him. It'd never go anywhere, especially not when she knew she cared for someone else and he had an old flame burning. Looking around at all the Christmas lights still up, she couldn't help be bitter remembering that said someone else was currently rooming with his cougar.
So much for waiting for her to come back to figure out what was going on. Did he think that meant he got a free pass this vacation? He'd lied to her about where he was. She didn't understand why. Now she did, he didn't want to tell her where he was really staying. When she sawhim, she was gonna kick that Puerto Rican's ass.
She was Savannah Teller, she was going to be an old lady like her ma someday. She wasn't some sweetbutt he could just two time because she was out of town. If he wanted her, he needed to show her that.
Savannah stopped short when she spotted something familiar parked between two brick buildings. It was Juice's car. She could recognize that thing from a mile away. He was the only one she knew that would have a COD sticker on his bumper. What was it doing parked in some alley? Looking around, she didn't see him anywhere near by.
Going over, she was curious to what she'd find. She knew Juice parked his car in odd places, but this was new. It was only a block from her apartment, no where near the diner or the school. Wasn't he staying with that woman too? So what was he doing here? There was only one way to find out.
Using her sleeve to wipe off the frost on the window, she gasped when she saw what was inside. Juice. He was sleeping in the back seat, and from the look of it, he was freezing his ass off with a thin blanket pulled over himself. There was no way she could just walk away after seeing him. She was pissed at him, sure, but she wasn't cruel.
Knocking on the window, she took a deep breath. She knew this could end badly and she was putting her nose where she didn't belong, but this was Juice. She couldn't just let him freeze to death.
Juice jerked awake at the noise, looking around in a panic before his red tired eyes settled on her. Fear flashed through the brown orbs when he saw her standing there. This wasn't happening. This was his worst nightmare, he realized as he scrambled to get out of the car. "Savannah, wh-what are you . . . you're not . . . this isn't what it looks like."
Savannah looked like she was still trying to process this. She wasn't sure what this actually looked like. Looking behind him, she saw the inside of his back seat again. All his stuff was there, even blankets and pillows. He was living here. This was his home, not some run down apartment like she thought.
She'd never put a lot of thought into where Juice slept at night. He never mentioned it, and she never asked. Savannah had just figured it was a piece of crap little apartment in a bad neighborhood, somewhere he didn't want to bring anyone. Could she not be more wrong about that. "You wanna tell me what it looks like then? Cause it kind of looks like your living in your back seat. I thought you were staying with that-that bitch?" She asked, confused beyond belief.
Juice looked sick. He was caught, Savannah knew he was living in his car. This was what he'd been fighting to keep from her. He didn't want her to know any of this, know how bad it was for him. The cat was out of the bag though. She knew. "Savannah, I. . ." He had two choices. He could lie, or he could come clean. "I was, but I left. It's a long story."
Hesitating, she could see that the last thing he wanted to do was tell her. She thought that they were at least good friends. If he was doing this badly, she wanted to know so she could help him. Of course, that was probably exactly why he didn't tell her. Regardless, she wasn't gonna let him freeze out here. "Come on, it's gonna snow soon. Grab some of your shit and come back to my place with me." She said, nodding her head in the direction of her apartment.
Surprise crossed his expression. Clearly that was the last thing he expected. He only fumbled for a minute before he grabbed his gym bag and packed what he needed. Savannah tried her best not to stare at his pit inside the car. She still couldn't believe this was happening, or the fact she was taking him home. Twenty minutes ago, she was pissed at him for lying to her about where he was staying. Now she was taking him back with her.
This was going to be one hell of a night.
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Savannah unlocked her apartment's door, letting herself and Juice inside. She was still reeling over finding him. Seeing him sleeping in the back seat, that had definitely been an eye opener for her. How he lasted this long, she didn't know. It was the middle of winter and freezing here in New York. He was just lucky it hadn't snowed lately, and that she'd come back from vacation early.
Glancing back, she noticed that he looked as out of place as she felt. This wasn't easy for either of them. He didn't know what to do here, and she didn't know how to react to all of this yet. "Um, I'm sure you're hungry. I called take out a few minutes go, it should be here soon. The shower's down that way if you want to get warmed up." She explained as she shut and locked the door behind them.
Slipping off her jacket, she watched as he looked around, as if trying to take in everything she had in her apartment. It wasn't the first time she'd had him in here, but she knew it had been a while since either of them had been here.
"Yeah, uh, thanks." Juice said as he shifted around awkwardly.
An awkward silence fell over them then as they settled in. Juice dropped his bag down next to the couch and she went to cleaning up what she'd left a mess before she went back to Charming. They were avoiding the elephant in the room, and she knew it was gonna be that way for a while when he got into the shower.
Savannah decided to tidy up while he was in there. There were stray clothes she'd missed when packing up hanging around. The last thing she needed was him finding her panties laying around between the couch cushions.
Hearing the buzzer for the door go off, she knew the food was here. She was surprised that someone still had food this late. She could imagine places were packed with people and take out orders because of New Years.
She was just setting up the food on plates when Juice came out with the towel around his waist. Biting her lip, she watched the way his muscles moved while he walked. She'd forgotten how good looking he was. The fact she could see the V leading down under the towel, didn't hide much to her imagination.
Clearing her throat, she shook her head and averted her eyes. "Um, the food is here. Hope you like Chinese."
Juice couldn't help but feel better upon seeing her blush. He'd been worried this past week because she'd been ignoring his calls. It was a good sign to see her flustered seeing him like this though. That, at least, was a good sign. "Who doesn't like Chinese? Just, uh, just let me get some pants on first." He said, grabbing his gym bad from beside the couch.
Watching him go back into the hall toward the bedrooms, she couldn't help herself. He was wet and good to look at. She was only human, and it wasn't like she wasn't already attracted to him. Attraction was never the problem for them. They had plenty of that. It was figuring out a relationship.
If he couldn't hold out three weeks for her, let alone the originally planned two months, how was she suppose to trust him? She couldn't, especially with that cougar he liked to go to. That led her to the question of why he wasn't there now? She would have thought Juice would be where it was nice and cozy. Obviously, she was missing a few pieces to the puzzle.
When Juice came back just in his sweatpants, it wasn't any better. She put on a smile and handed him a plate though. She could play nice, find out her questions later. The two made their way to the couch, sitting on opposite sides . They sat in silence for a few minutes before Savannah turned on the T.V. to see what was going on with the ball dropping.
She'd wanted to go see it drop in person, but by the time she'd gotten back, she knew the crowd would be so insane she wouldn't see anything. So she'd try again next year. This year, she'd enjoy her take-out and watch it from her apartment.
"I know you've got some questions for me." Juice finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
Savannah definitely had questions, but she didn't know where to begin. Putting her plate down, the beginning was probably the best place to do that. "How long have you been sleeping in your car?" She finally asked, getting right to it.
Juice looked uncomfortable as he shifted around. He didn't want to have this conversation with her. He knew if they got together, it would have to happened, but he wasn't expecting on it to happen now. "Uh, since I got here. I didn't have enough cash on me to pay for housing, let alone a place to crash. Traded in my bike for a cage. I didn't really get it from my mother" He explained.
His eyes stayed locked on the plate of food in front of her. He didn't want to see the look of pity on her face. He didn't need it, nor did he want it. Savannah shifted around, tucking her legs underneath her. "And that woman? Where's she fit in? I thought you said she wasn't your girlfriend." Savannah couldn't help the hurt that was in her voice.
Juice glanced at her then. This was the real part he was dreading having to explain. He wasn't even sure he knew how to explain Mel to her. "Mel, that's complicated." He paused, glancing over to see her giving him a look, as if telling him to uncomplicate it for her. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "She isn't my girlfriend. Really just a friend with benefits. We met back a couple years ago. She'd just gotten a divorce, the douche left her for someone younger. I needed a place to crash when it got cold. She'd cook for me too. It just . . . works." He tried his best to explain. "Or well, worked."
Confusion hit her then. This was the piece she was missing. How Juice went from this woman's house to back to his car within a couple of days? Something wasn't clicking when she tried to figure it out. "What do you mean 'worked'? What happened?"
"You." He blurted out.
He knew it didn't make any sense to her. She didn't know all the little details. She didn't know how he felt about her. Hell, he didn't even know how he felt about her. "I've slept with other girls, you don't have to be a genius to know that. It's always only been one nighters though, nothing she had to worry about. When we met, I didn't . . . I didn't expect to see you in class the next day. Let alone be partnered with you." He smiled faintly at the memory.
Savannah wasn't sure where this was going, and that made her nervous. She didn't like not knowing what to do. She could tell he wasn't done yet though. "We got to know each other, which was new to me. You got a job at the diner and we spent even more time together. I've never . . . that was new for me. I, uh, I think she finally got the hint something was off when I crashed that movie date. She's been . . . I don't know, paranoid since then. Like she's afraid she'll lose me if we got too close." He went on.
That wasn't something she wanted to hear. This was him breaking up with her for that woman, he was setting her straight. Letting her down easy. The Gemma in her wanted to tell him she'd heard enough and kick him out, but she couldn't help but hope this went in a different direction. "I guess she was right to be paranoid, huh? Cause I-I fell for you, Sav, and . . . and I was gonna drop her cold turkey after we hooked up that night. I wanted you, only you." He said, looking over with a pleading look.
He could see the confusion in her eyes and knew there was more he had to explain, but he was hoping she'd say she wanted him back. That she did feel something for him too. There was just one last thing in the way. How he ended up at Mel's on Christmas? That was something he was hoping they could drop.
"Then why did she answer your phone when I called? Were you even in Queens at all?" She asked, the hurt clear in her voice.
Juice was nervous, trying to find a way of explaining that without bringing his bad home life into this. He couldn't find one. "I was, Savannah. I didn't lie about that, I really was there this past month. I just . . . my ma, she's got this new husband. Real piece of work, you know? He hates my guts, hates when I come home. He's got my ma's head so fucked up, she actually defends him instead of me." He tried to explain.
Savannah knew she could relate. She had her own step dad problems. Clay was a real piece of work too. He wasn't the only thing that fucked with her ma's head though. Her dad's death, her baby brother's death. It was a bunch of things, Clay was just the most recent. "My step dad's an ass too. Thinks I'm just a distraction to the guys. It's why he jumped on the chance to pay for school. He wanted me out of the way." She confessed.
Laying back, Juice couldn't help the chuckle leaving his lips. Out of all the things to bond over, it was piece of shit step dads. "That's fucked up. What's your ma say?" He asked, glad that the topic had changed from him to her.
Savannah wasn't sure how to explain that. Explaining that her ma had no say in the matter would lead to the questions of why. That would just get into the mess that was the club and she wasn't ready to let him into that world yet. "You're avoiding the question. How did you end up at that woman's place?" She said, getting them back on track.
Clearing his throat, he shifted around in his seat. "Right, so I got into it with the old man. He was pushing around my ma and I just . . . snapped. All the frustration from these past years, they just hit me. Ma shoved me off and said to get out. So I did. I didn't have anywhere to go. It was snowing and I couldn't stay in the car that night. So, I called Mel and she picked me up." He explained.
Could she really be angry with him for finding a place to stay warm for the night? Did she like where it was? Hell no. She didn't like who it was with any better either, but he was still breathing and not frozen to death in his car. That led her to the question of how he ended up in his car anyway. "Yet you ended up in your car anyway. How does that happen? It doesn't sound like she'd kick you out." Savannah asked, chewing on her nail as she curled up.
It was a nervous habit, one he'd seen her do before in the diner when she working on her homework. How could he tell her it was because of her he'd been sleeping in his car? He didn't want to put her on the spot. "Well, uh, because of you. You called and she answered, I'm sure you remember that." From the look she was giving him now, he'd take that as a yes.
"Right, well, I came out of the shower, caught her with my phone. She said it was you. I just . . . I lost it on her. We're not together, her and me. She knows what we were, and I just . . . had to remind her. Then I stormed out." He said nervously, not knowing how she'd take it.
He waited on baited breath for her reaction. What he wasn't expecting, was her to lean over and press her lips against his. He was only stunned for a moment before he kissed her back, threading his fingers through her dark hair to pull her closer. His other hand found her waist, pulling her onto his lap.
Straddling him, she grinded into him. His lips left a trail of kisses down the curve of her throat, his hands pulling her flat against him. A gasp left her throat, her fingers gripping his hair as he left a bite mark on the crook of her neck. "JC," She moaned.
Hearing his name from her lips left him hard as he shifted them around. Laying her on her back, he stared at the beauty beneath him. Her hair was splayed out around her, her bottom lip puckered out for his kiss. Her tiny hands ran up his chest, needing to feel him. Her fingers curled around the back of his neck, pulling him down into the kiss.
Resting on his arm, he kept most of his weight off of her. His other hand roamed her frame, squeezing on her hip every few minutes as their lips danced together. Panic flashed in his eyes when she pulled back, scooting back on the couch enough to give her room to pull off her shirt.
If he wasn't drooling before, he was now upon seeing her laying under him shirtless. Her purple lace bra clashed well against her creamy skin. Stroking her cheek, he leaned down and nuzzled her neck. In the back of his mind, he was wondering if the panties matched. He'd find out soon enough.
He left kisses down her throat, sucking on her clavicle before moving on in between her breasts. A strangled moan left her mouth, her body arching into his. Taking the opportunity, he tugged on her sweat pants, wanting them off to see if he was right. Kicking them off, she wrapped a leg around him, his hand slipping down her frame to stop at her thigh.
His other hand slipped in between them, first feeling the fabric covering his destination before running a finger over her covered slit. Her body tingled in expectation of what was about to happened. He could feel how wet she already was. Pushing the fabric aside, he pressed his thumb against her clit, circling around it.
Her body felt like it was on fire from just his touch. This was nothing like when she was with Kozik. Juice always made sure it was good for her first. Fuck, why the hell was she thinking about Kozik now? Juice slipped a finger inside of her, pulling her thoughts away from anything to do with another man that wasn't him.
Her body came alive as he worked in another finger. The pumping motion was enough to get her hips rocking against his hand. "Fuck, Juice. Please." She moaned, her nails digging into his biceps as she held on.
It just felt so good, she wasn't sure how long she'd last. It was too soon though. She didn't want to come yet. Not yet . . . not . . . fuck. Panting, she looked up to see his smug grin, loving the fact he'd gotten her off. She didn't want this to end, and if she was going off his hard-on, she'd think he didn't want it to either. "You got a condom?" She whispered up, her fingers playing with the waistband of his sweatpants.
Fumbling around, Juice ended up falling off the couch in his struggle and landing on the floor. Laying up, Savannah giggled as she stood up. Juice searched his bag for the box of condoms he knew he kept there. For a moment he panicked, thinking this would be the only time he'd forget them, but luckily he found them.
He was about to return to their spot on the couch when he realized she was no longer there anymore. Looking around the room, he couldn't see her anywhere. For a moment, he wondered if he had fallen asleep and just dreamed it all, but then he saw it. That fucking purple lace hanging on the lamp that led down to the bedrooms. That was his hint.
Scrambling to his feet, he hurried down to the hall and found her bedroom easy enough. He froze where he stood upon seeing her sitting in her bed, holding the sheet to her chest as she fixed her hair. Gulping, he hurried to push down his pants. Savannah's brow raised as she took in the sight of him. He was definitely hung, she'd realized that a while ago. This was the first time she'd actually seen him naked though, and vice versa.
As he climbed into the bed, he pulled out one of the squares before tossing the box onto the night stand. Ripping it open, he hurried to roll it on before pouncing on her. A surprised squeal left her as she hit the bed. Juice's mouth reattached to hers in a heated kiss. He tugged the sheet off her, getting rid of the only thing keeping them from being skin to skin.
Positioning himself between her legs, he only paused when she touched his chest. He was really hoping she didn't want to stop now. He was so hard it hurt. "Don't rush, we've got all night." She said up, a warm smile playing on her lips.
Stroking her cheek, he smiled before pulling her up into kiss. Their mouths danced together as he lowered them back onto the bed. Their stomachs touched now, nothing in between them. Hooking one of her legs around him, he pushed in. A gasp left her, her body tingling as he pulled out and pushed back in further.
Juice moved in a slow pace, his head nuzzled in her neck. His nose nuzzled behind her ear, his lips leaving slow, wet, kisses down her neck. Her ankles locked around his lower back, pushing him in deeper. His slow pace was killing her. She could feel her climax slowly building, but then right as she got close, he'd slow down.
A gasp left her lips when he hit just the right spot. Her body arched up, her head falling back into the pillow. "JC, oh god." She moaned, her fingers digging into his back.
His grip on her waist tightened, sure to leave a mark now. His thrusts were getting choppier as he got closer. He didn't want this to be over so soon. It needed to last as long as he could pull off. Switching it up, he rotated his hips, sending her into a frenzy of new feelings. Thrusting in hard, he could feel himself getting closer. "Fuck, that's it. That's it, baby. Fuck."
His other hand raised up, squeezing her offered breast. He twisted the little bud between his knuckles, getting a little moan out of her. She purred, closing her eyes as she bit her lip while he went to work on her. His mouth was attached to her neck, sucking on the skin as he thrust slow and deep inside of her.
The sensation was putting her on the edge, so close to sending her right over. "JC, I-I'm so close. So . . . close." She whispered, biting her lip as his paced grew faster. "Oh, my god, yes, yes, yes! JC, please! Yes, yeah, ye-ah!" Her chants were cut off as she came with a cry. He followed after her with a grunt.
He lifted them both up, keeping Savannah on his lap. The new angle of penetration sent a wave of pleasure through Savannah's spasming body. Sitting on his lap, she bucked against him. The blankets were crumpled around them, laying behind him. Savannah pulled her head back so they could look at each other, both panting as she worked him.
He reached up, brushing back her hair before pulling her into a slow kiss. This was it. This was the moment he'd been thinking about the past month. He rested his head against hers, their lower bodies both still moving against the other. Their eyes were locked. "Wha-what is it?" She asked, confused by the expression on his face.
"I love you."
Savannah's body stilled, shock clear on her face as she looked at him. The two sat there, neither noticing the fireworks going on outside. She stared back, thinking that shed misheard him until he whispered it again moving his mouth by her ear. "I love you, Savannah."