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  “Just once?” I giggle. It’s always more than once before we finally pass out at night.

  He swats my ass, and I squeal, running ahead of him so he has to catch me. With my short legs it only takes a few steps before he has me tossed over his shoulder. “I’ll always catch you, baby.”

  I’m the most ticklish person on the planet, and he knows it as he digs his fingers into my side. “Kipton, stop!” I beg.

  He waits until we’re the entire way up the deck steps and in front of the sliding glass door before he stops. I know he’d rather carry me the entire way up to my bed, but he releases his grip and I slide down his body, feeling his arousal rub against my stomach and chest before I’m placed back on my feet. A minute ago I was laughing uncontrollably, but now, all humor is gone.

  Kipton tucks a piece of my hair, which escaped my ponytail, behind my ear. “To answer your question, I plan to love you every way imaginable. I hope you weren’t planning on sleeping much tonight.”

  “I can sleep tomorrow.”

  “Good answer, beautiful. C’mon.”

  SOPHIE TRIED LIKE HELL TO stay awake all night, not wanting to miss out on a second of our time together. But after her last sleepy ramble about how rest could wait, she passed out with her cheek pressed against my chest. Her hair still damp with sweat after an intense round between the sheets, she looked fucking beautiful. No matter how many times I’m with her, it will never be enough.

  I forced myself to get some sleep, but I couldn’t have slept for more than an hour or two. Instead, I watched Sophie. All I could think about was saying good-bye to her today, and the idea of her leaving doesn’t sit well with me. Never in a million years did I imagine we would be in two different places this year.

  Of course my reasons for wanting to keep her close are somewhat selfish. All I want is to fall asleep next to her every night, and wake up the same way we have the entire summer. But it’s more than that. I need to keep an eye on her. She’s stronger than ever, but I’m already driving myself crazy worrying about all the ways her health could go to shit once we’re apart. It’s not that I’m waiting for her to fail, it’s that she’s still in a vulnerable place in her recovery. Add the stress of school to that, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

  Sophie’s the master of masking her emotions. I had no idea she purged a day in her life when I first met her. All I saw was a gorgeous girl who was different in the best way possible. Despite her shyness, I was captivated. And when she spoke, I could hardly keep my hands off her.

  The way she licked her lips when she was nervous, and the way she had trouble maintaining eye contact for more than a few seconds, was adorable. Everything about her screamed innocence yet she was stocked full of mystery—and I couldn’t stay away from her until I found out more.

  For the first time since my last break-up, when I gave up on the female population, I was intrigued by a girl. Not only did I want to know what made her tick, I had to know. And now, there’s not a single soul who can read my girl the way I can, but then again nobody loves her the way I do either.

  It took one hell of a fight to get her to be mine, and now that I have her, I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks that could make her slip away. I’ve seen how fast she can spiral, and I don’t want her to ever fight another battle alone.

  It scares me that I won’t be there to hold her hand, or to help get her back on track if she stumbles. And even though she swears I’m not, taking this job seems like the selfish thing to do. We’ve since come to terms with my decision, but if anything ever happened to Sophie, and I wasn’t there to help her, without a doubt it would destroy the both of us this time.

  How her family ever struggled to love her is incomprehensible. Because once Sophie gives you her heart, there’s nothing in this world worth more than her love. It’s intense, powerful, and exactly what I was missing in my life after shit blew up with my ex.

  Alisa and I met at the country club the summer before our junior year of high school. With long auburn hair, legs for days, and a killer smile, she barely had to blink to gain my attention. But she was more than just her looks, she was the most genuine girl I’d ever met, and genuine isn’t easily acquired at the club. All the other girls only cared about one thing—money. As long as they had their designer labels, expensive cars, and daddy’s cash, they were golden.

  Cara and I were never raised that way. I bought my first car, a beat up pick-up truck, with money I earned mowing lawns and stocking shelves at the grocery store. Neither job was glamorous, but I knew how to earn a dollar and how to make it last. The girls at the club only cared about how they could spend it.

  Alisa wasn’t like them, which made her even more attractive to me. She worked as a waitress at a diner in town. Once we started dating, I would sit in her section on my nights off just so I could spend some time with her.

  We stayed together our entire junior year, and got even closer the summer heading into our senior year. So when it came time to apply to college, applying to the same school was all we talked about. Everyone knew long distance relationships never lasted, especially straight out of high school, and we didn’t want to risk losing what we had.

  Cara told me I was whipped, mom cautioned me about first loves, and dad told me to have fun—safely. But naturally, it was my friends who gave me the hardest time. The guys couldn’t comprehend why I would want to hang onto old pussy when campus would be overflowing with new. I didn’t see it that way. Alisa was my girl, and I loved her. That was enough for me.

  As much as it pains me to admit, they were all right. After prom, Alisa and I had a summer filled with promises, and carried them with us to college. But it didn’t take long before I saw changes in her. She met new friends, and was spending time with her older roommate’s crowd. Every single day, temptation dangled in front of us, but while I was able to say no with my heart belonging solely to Alisa, she couldn’t. Just like the statistics predicted, we quickly fell apart.

  A measly two months into our freshman year, I walked into her dorm room and found her on top of one of my teammates. What stung even more was the fact that I introduced them to one another. There was no way to tell how long they’d been fucking. Alisa swore it was just that once, but I didn’t believe her. It definitely didn’t look like their first rodeo.

  After that, I decided my high school friends were right. I wasted over two years of my life on Alisa, and had nothing to show for it. From that day on, I lived more and cared less. I was drunk more often than not, and played the field like a boss. These were supposed to be the best years of my life, and I wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. Not when there were girls to hook up with without having to deal with the drama of an actual relationship. Thanks to Alisa, a new Kipton was born. But I could only use alcohol as an excuse to act like an asshole for so long. Eventually, I had to man up and stop making excuses.

  Looking back, I’m ashamed of the way I treated those girls. While they were looking to meet someone special, and hoping that guy was me, I was only worried about myself. That all changed the night one of them tracked me down to tell me she was late. Had she never come along, I’d still be lost, drunk, and going through the motions. I’d still be an asshole with a chip on his shoulder.

  Months after I turned it around, I met Sophie, and I knew right away that if she wanted me, I’d let her have all of me. No more sleeping around, no more close calls, and no more drinking myself into oblivion to forget.

  When doing the right thing finally worked in my favor, I felt higher than any drug could ever achieve. This time, a long distance relationship is the only choice, and after getting burned by Alisa, I’m hesitant to accept it. A couple times a day, I remind myself Sophie isn’t Alisa—that she would never cheat on me, and that brings me the comfort I need to keep moving forward with my plans.

  Fuck, I’ll miss her.

  Stirring next to me, Sophie curls up in a ball, pulling the blanket tighter around her naked body. I don’t want to wak
e her, but we need to get moving.

  I lean down, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “Sophie,” I whisper in her ear.

  “Kipton,” she moans in her raspy, sleepy voice. It sends a good morning directly to my dick.

  “Wake up, baby,” I whisper again, this time a little louder.

  “No. I’m asleep.”

  “Then you must be talking in your sleep. You snore too since we’re being so honest this morning.”

  Her head pops off the pillow. Her eyes are narrowed, and her hair’s all over the place. “I do not snore!”

  “Oh, good. You’re awake,” I joke.

  “Pfft.” She flops down on the bed, and rolls over so she’s facing away from me. “I’m still sleeping.”

  I chuckle, knowing full well she’s not a morning person unless she’s had coffee first. Even then it’s questionable. Deciding some enticing might be needed, I slip out of her bed and find my swim trunks on the floor near the door. By the time we made it up here last night, there was only one thing we needed. We successfully kissed our way into the shower, but after that, clothes were forgotten.

  Nothing like doing a walk of shame in your own house.

  Opening the bedroom door, I sneak out and almost knock Cara over. With her eyes barely open, she uses the wall for support. “Are you sleep walking?” What is it with girls in the morning looking like death warmed over.

  “I think I’m still sleeping.”

  “Seems to be the general consensus this morning.” I move around her, and she gives me her signature stink eye. “What’s up your ass, sunshine?”

  She stands up a little straighter, but rolls her eyes at me. “Like you don’t know. Bunch of freakin jackrabbits.”

  “Were we that loud?”

  “Yeah, you’re lucky Mom and Dad’s room is on the other end of the house.”

  Then it dawns on me, we really weren’t as quiet as we should have been. “Shit, you don’t think they heard do you?”

  “No. Only my ears were bleeding.”

  “Thank fuck for that.” Sophie and I are both grown adults at twenty-one and twenty-two, but living under my parent’s roof, we don’t push our luck. Still, I can’t help the smile that’s on my face when I think about how sexy Sophie was last night. I love how bold she’s getting.

  Cara smacks me in the chest. “Don’t look so proud.”

  I hold up my hands in surrender. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to. It’s the shit-eating grin on your face that’s pissing me off.”

  “Do I need to remind you about the fiasco I walked in on?”

  She waves her hand in the air, dismissing my comment. “That was nothing.”

  “Nothing! That was fucking awful.”

  “It was innocent fun.”

  “You’re even more delusional than I thought, Cara.”

  “Tomato, to-mato, brotha.”

  “Something like that.”

  Looking around the kitchen, I hunt for the box of mocha flavored coffee cups my mom bought for Sophie. “Where’s the coffee?”

  Cara sits down on the stool at the island, smirking at me. “Now you want my help. Because it has to do with Sophie.”

  “I was going to make you some too, but if you’re gonna be feisty, you can suffer without caffeine.”

  “Pantry, second shelf on the right,” she blurts out with her head resting on the counter top.

  “Was that so hard?” The coffee is exactly where she told me it would be which is lucky for her because I may have resorted to tossing her into the pool for being a pain in the ass. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.

  “You’re so domesticated in your old age, Kipton.”

  “I try.” I press a few buttons, and slide a mug under the dispenser. It’s not exactly a tough job, but like the saying goes, someone’s gotta do it.

  The first brewed cup I hand to Cara, as promised. How she drinks it black I’ll never know. Tastes like ass to me. Once Sophie’s is finished, I toss in a little milk and a whole lot of sugar. Light and sweet—just like my girl.

  “Thanks.”

  “See what happens when you play nice?”

  “Don’t get used to it.”

  “I know better.”

  “Hey, Kippy.”

  I stop and look over my shoulder. “Yeah?”

  “I really am just teasing. I’m happy you two have each other. It won’t be easy this year, but I promise I’ll do my best to keep her happy. You know, so she doesn’t sit around missing you the whole time, and well—”

  She doesn’t finish her sentence, but I know she’s referring to Sophie throwing up.

  “Thanks, Cara. Keep an eye on her therapy, too. She’s been solid, but I’ll still worry.”

  “I will. Is she still having the nightmares?”

  “Few and far between, but she says that’s because she’s sleeping next to me.” They’re scary as shit when they happen, and it’s hard to wake her up. When I do, she begs me to let her run to the bathroom. It kills me to see her so upset, but I can’t let her get sick. Instead, I hold her, reminding her that she doesn’t need to throw up to get through it.

  She never talks to me about the actual nightmare, and I’d probably end up in jail if she did tell me. There’s nothing more I would love to do than bash both Dean’s and Blaine’s faces in. They better hope I never have the chance.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her. You’re still coming on the weekends right?”

  Cara sips her coffee, becoming slightly more human as the caffeine hits her system. Chicks are scary without coffee. “Yeah. Unless the wrestling team has a tournament or a clinic. I’ll have to travel with them from time to time.”

  Cara nods her head, and I continue up the stairs knowing Sophie is most likely out cold again. But as I open her bedroom door, I’m surprised to find her awake in bed.

  “Morning, beautiful. I come with java.” The smile that stretches across her face paired with her crazy bed head is enough to almost knock me on my ass.

  Fuck. This girl has me by the balls and I don’t even care.

  “And this is why I love you,” she says as she holds out her hands.

  “Only this? Even after last night?”

  She takes a drink, but raises her eyes over the edge of the mug to stare at me the entire time. It’s the longest, sexiest sip I’ve ever seen her take. It only sweetens when the sheet falls away from her naked tits as she props herself up against the headboard. If she didn’t have the coffee in her hands, I’d be on her.

  “I love you for many reasons, Kipton. This is a bonus.” She takes another sip, savoring it with her eyes closed. “So good.”

  She reaches down to pull the sheet back up—ruining my show. I slide back into bed next to her, resting my head on her pillow. Reaching my hand up, I tug on the sheet, hoping she lets it fall into her lap again. Chuckling, she rolls her eyes, but humors me and lets it fall. “Better?”

  “Much.” We stare at one another, neither of us saying anything. Her eyes tell me everything I need to know. She’s hurting and putting on a brave face. “Wanna talk about it?”

  She shakes her head that she doesn’t, but speaks anyway. “This sucks, Kipton. I’m trying to pretend it’s just another day.” She hangs her head, and though her voice shakes, she doesn’t cry. But I know she’s fighting off tears when her bottom lip quivers the slightest bit. “I hate having to leave you.”

  “We have the whole day together. I’ll help you get settled in your apartment and then take you to dinner. You can even pick the place.”

  Sighing, she says, “but that just prolongs the inevitable. Maybe we should say our good-bye’s here instead.”

  Ain’t happening.

  We’ve had these plans since I accepted the teaching position. There’s no way she’s leaving here and moving in alone. Not when I’m sitting at home on my ass with nothing to do. “No, beautiful. You’re stuck with me today.” I squeeze her hand, reassuring her there’s no othe
r place I’d rather be.

  “I can manage.”

  “You’re capable of a lot, but you can’t lift a mattress, or rearrange furniture all by yourself.”

  She takes another sip of coffee before answering, “Well, no. Drew will be there. He can help me when he’s done with Cara.”

  “Sophie.” I bring our joined hands to my lips and kiss the back of her hand. “It’s not up for discussion. I want to take care of my girl—to make sure you’re settled. Another man doing that for me would make me look like a pussy.”

  She snorts at my blunt response putting a smile back on her face. “Thanks, babe. For being a real man,” she says with a laugh. Setting her mug on the nightstand, I expect her to curl up beside me, but she surprises me when she crawls on top of me, straddling my hips. “I love you, Kipton.”

  “I love you too, beautiful girl.”

  The slight shifting of her hips as she leans down to kiss me, has me wanting to do all kinds of bad things to her. But I ignore what I want. I take my time showing her how much she means to me, pulling her closer until she’s laying on top of me. There’s no urgency as she kisses me back like we have all the time in the world.

  She pulls away first, and as she does, her smile’s gone. “Promise me we’ll always have this,” she says as her lower lip quivers again.

  “Nothing’s going to change, Sophie. It’s only going to get better.”

  EVENTUALLY, WE MAKE IT OUT of bed when Sophie’s nose smells her favorite blueberry pancakes. Mom overdid it again, cooking up all of our favorites. Eggs and bacon for me, cinnamon rolls for Cara, and pancakes for Sophie.

  “This is like an orgasm in my mouth,” Cara says as she stuffs her face. I pause with my fork halfway to my mouth as mom drops her spatula on the tile floor. Leave it to my sister to keep things interesting at the breakfast table.

  She looks at us when she ignores her foodgasm long enough to realize we’re all staring at her. “What? It’s good.”

  “Nothin,” I tell her while Sophie covers her mouth to hide her laughter.