All Grown Up (17 page)

Leo picked it up out of the box and wrapped i
t around my wrist, fastening it.

"It’s called the Eternal Circle," he spoke quietly before look
ing up into my eyes. "I’m eternally yours," he leaned in and kissed me firmly, but quickly. My heart melted and a fire started to blaze in the pit of my stomach.

"Stay here," I ordered and walked toward my bathroom, stopping at my closet along the way.

I looked into the pink bag and took a deep breath.
If I ever have the nerve to do this, then it’s now.

I slipped off my pajamas and slid the red lace over my body. Looking into the mirror
, I positioned the Santa hat on my head before taking one last deep breath and opening the door to my room.

Leo had been lying back on my bed with his arms behind his head, until he saw me. He sat straight up and inched to the edge of the bed as I got closer. I hesitated and his hands reached
out, pulling me to him quickly.

"My
God, you are gorgeous," he whispered as he appraised me. I was nervous and getting self-conscious. "Mmm…and the lip biting is the icing on the cake," he whispered out as he pulled me down to straddle his lap.

His lips attacked my collarbone as one hand ran across my ass and the other held me by the small of my back. Pulling me closer to him
, I reached into his hair and fisted handfuls. He moaned and rolled us so that he was lying on top of me.

I p
ushed his shirt off of his body. He loosened his pants, pushing them off quickly. His hands ghosted over my body leaving fire in their wake. My body ached for him and his erection throbbed against the inside of my thigh. I instantly felt my thighs dampen in arousal.

Grabbing his hair tighter
, I pulled his mouth to mine, assaulting him hungrily. He replied with an equal amount of hunger. Sliding his fingers into the sides of the red lace he quickly sat back on his heels and pulled it off. I hooked my toes into his boxers, sliding them off as he moved back over my body, planting wet, fiery kisses on his way back to my mouth.

Once his mouth was on mine again I could feel him at my entrance twitching, it was driving me crazy. He pulled away for a
moment and, when he returned, I heard a wrapper rip. He repositioned at my entrance and his tip slipped between my folds. He didn’t move and I was going crazy, so I pushed my hips up and he slowly, achingly, entered me.

I felt every long
, hard inch of him as he became completely buried within. I heard his sharp intake of breath once he was fully seated within me. He kissed the flesh between my neck and shoulder as he started to thrust slowly in and out of me. My left hand tightened in his hair as my right hand gripped onto his shoulder. I tightly wrapped my legs around his waist and rocked my hips forward to meet his thrusts.

"Fuck
, Chloe," he moaned, "you are perfect, so perfect." He attacked my mouth again, swallowing my moan.

"Oh
God, Leo." My voice rose a little too loudly.

"Shh…" he whispered. I moaned again and he placed his mouth over mine to muffle the sounds that I couldn’t hold back. He felt amazing and the coil that had tightened in my stomach was about to burst. I felt his fingers slip between us
, starting to rub rhythmically.

"Sh
it…oh..mhmm…" I bit my lip hard. It hurt. The coil burst like fireworks throughout my body.
If I'd been coherent enough to speak, I might have burst into song. ‘
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air...’

Leo moaned out my name as he thrust into me a couple more times and his face contorted into ecstasy and release. He collapsed onto me and then rolled over onto his side, wrapping his arm around me.

"You are perfect," he murmured into the bare skin of my shoulder. We fell asleep not too long after.

"Wake up!"

Not this again. Jesus!

"Chloe, wake up!" This time it was Roni. Then realization hit me and I sat up quickly, remembering to keep the blanket pulled up over my chest.

I looked down on my right and there he was; this gorgeous man whose touch could melt a glacier. My eyes flickered back to Roni who was grabbing clothes from her bags. Without looking at me she yelled in a hushed tone.

"You need to get him out of here before someone comes popping in."

"I know." I whispered back.

I heard the bathroom door close and the shower start. I turned back to look at him. Damn, he was beautiful.

Then the bedroom door opened. I quickly threw the blanket over Leo and laid back on him, trying a weak attempt at hiding him. I felt him shift as Christy’s eyes widen and then she turned away quickly. She started laughing.

"Chloe."
She laughed so much she couldn’t finish. I could feel Leo shifting around under me and felt him get real still, realizing he was being hidden.

"Shut up, Christy
." I spit out, trying not to laugh with her. "Is there a reason you are entering without knocking?"

She walked into the room and shut the door behind her. I heard her click the lock on the door. Sitting down on Roni’s bed with a smirk
, she crossed her legs and leaned back on her palms.

"So
, who do we have visiting us this wonderful Christmas morning?" She started giggling again.

"No
one." I tried not to laugh again. "Now, if you would be kind enough to get the fuck out."

"Oh
, hell no, this is too fun. I could never just walk out on this." An evil smile spread across her lips. "Is it Santa?"

"Christy…" the bathroom door opened and Roni walked out
, fully dressed with wet hair.

She looked from Christy then to me, then to the lump that was Leo
and burst out in hysterics. I couldn’t hold it any longer. I shifted off of Leo and buried my face in my pillow laughing at the situation and my own embarrassment.

I didn’t see Christy get up, but
, when I looked up, she was standing over my bed and grabbed the blanket Leo was hiding under. She ripped it back and her eyes widened as she looked from him to me and then back. She smirked.

"Merry Christmas
, Leo. I see your gift exchange was last night." Christy choked out before laughing again.

He smiled and wrapped his arm around me. I yanked at the blanket to pull it back up.

"Merry Christmas, Christy."

"So
, did Judith send you up here to get us?" Roni asked as she brushed her hair. It was like Leo wasn’t even in the room.

"Yeah, so you better hurry
." Christy turned to wink at me. "I’ll tell them to give you twenty before we bug you again." Christy smiled at us and left the room.

"I guess I should get going
." Leo sat up.

"I would think so
." Roni said over her shoulder before going back into the bathroom.

I stood up
, wrapping myself in my sheet. Leo grabbed the sheet and pulled me toward him, kissing me deep and hard.

"Merry Christmas
." he smiled.

After he left
, I jumped in the shower and got dressed. I headed downstairs quickly to be met by everyone in the living room.

"Merry Christmas
." I shouted and found a spot near Michele.

New Years -
Chloe

The holidays
flew by so quickly and, before I had realized it, New Years was already here. I would only have a short time left with Leo. We had spent most nights with each other: talking, kissing and lots of orgasms. He set my body on fire.

Christmas had really come for Mina. Oliver had broken off his relationship with
Alicia and he had talked to Mina about them being a couple. Mina wanted to immediately agree, but being rational won over and she told him she needed to think about it. Roni and I were pretty sure that tonight, New Year's Eve, would be her night to accept him as her boyfriend instead of just a friend.

Roni and Max were, well, Roni and Max. Kenneth and Judith were so fed up with telling them to keep their hands to each other that they eventually just told them to take it elsewhere. Max had no problem complying with their orders. It also helped that Max had taken up the habit of calling Roni the future Mrs. Gallagher or his trophy wife with a brain.

Of course we were all bringing in the New Year at the Mackey house. They had arranged a party full of family and friends. Elaine and Mina had also made sure to arrange things so that the ‘parents’ were somewhat in their own separate party.

After a couple of drinks
, about fifteen minutes from the New Year, Leo pulled us away to be alone. He was heading to his room, but I pulled him to Mina’s room instead. He hesitated for a second. I grabbed a thick blanket from Mina’s room and headed out to the tree house. Leo then followed quickly.

I wrapped us up in the blanket tightly, me straddling his lap. We sat that way for ten minutes whispering to each other and kissing.

His kisses were lighting the flame in my belly and I couldn’t control the urge to capture his lips and greedily taste his mouth.
Mmmm….sex and honey.

I moaned into his mouth when I felt him harden between my legs.

Reaching down between us, I undid his pants and pulled my dress up to my waist. Pulling him free of his pants, I slid onto him and rocked back and forth, increasing my rhythm as I went. He moaned into my collarbone and licked my skin. As the voices from the party increased counting down to the New Year, our moans increased with our approaching releases.

W
e both gasped each other’s name as I came around him. He lifted me from him right as he was going to release and I used my hand on his rigid flesh.

"Happy New Year
," I whispered as he fisted my hair and pulled me in to kiss him.

Chapter Nineteen
End of an Era
Chloe

It was crazy how quickly things had gone; the holidays passed by, the New Year had begun and we were already approaching graduation. Roni was finishing up her first year of college, Oliver and Leo were graduating college and Max had been drafted into the NFL.

Mina had been busy with the committee responsible for graduation and I had been working with my school counselor to set up my college courses. Mina and I had both been accepted
into Seattle University. My computer technology teacher had also helped me get a job for the summer with a local company, helping to develop programming for their clients.

Graduation approached and Mina and I were having a combined graduation party at her house. Mina and Elaine had decorated the backyard with Chinese lanterns that were lit throughout the yard. There was a ton of food and drinks. Leo, Max and Roni had all arrived for the weekend and for the party. Roni was back for the summer.

A lot of our friends had arrived earlier in the day and we were all in the pool. Everyone was splashing around as we played pool volleyball. Leo set the ball and I hit it over, Jay was on the opposing side and he hit it back hard, just missing Leo’s head. He laughed and Leo scowled at him. When the game was over, I got out of the pool to dry off and pull on my dress. I felt a light touch across my back and turned around expecting Leo. It was Jay.

"Jay
, stop." I scowled at him.

"What?" he
smirked.

I shook my head and walked away from him. When I suddenly heard raised voices
, I turned back. There was Jay and Leo, looks to kill on their faces. Max jumped in between them and I grabbed Leo away.

"What are you doing?" I hissed
.

"Me
? What about him? He can’t just—"

"I handled it
, Leo." I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a stern look.

He calmed down. "I’m sorry, I j
ust—." I pressed my lips to his and smiled.

"Just calm down, I can take care of unwanted advances." I smiled.

"Hmmm…and what about wanted advances?" He wrapped his arms around my waist, sliding one hand over my ass.

"Oh, I can handle those
, too." I kissed him, firmly. He grabbed the back of my head before I could pull away and deepened the kiss. Warm tingles zinged through my limbs. I moaned and felt him smile against my lips.

The party went smoothly for the rest of the night and I attempted to keep Leo and Jay away from each other as much as possible.

"So, when are you coming to visit me?" Leo whispered into my ear as we sat together on a lounge chair by the pool.

"Um…I’m not sure."
I watched his brow furrow. "I have a job over the summer. Kenneth and Judith also bought Roni and me a two week vacation in Florida. As a graduation present."

"When are you going to Florida?" he asked quietly.

"At the end of summer, sort of like our last getaway before we start college." I tilted my head to look at him. He looked annoyed.

"So
, you’re going to go on a vacation for two weeks but you haven’t thought about coming to Seattle to see me?" He wouldn’t look at me.

"Leo?" he still didn’t look. "Leo, please look at me
?" He looked down, brow still furrowed. "I will be in Seattle in a few months, please don’t act as if I am trying to avoid you. I have a responsibility to the company I am going to work for and Florida is a graduation present. It will be Mina, Roni and I going on what could be one of our last getaways for a long time." I looked at him, pleading with my eyes that he would understand.

"I’m sorry. I guess I’m just disappointed. You’re right, it’s your summer after graduating and you guys should have some fun." He smiled, but it wasn’t genuine.

"Leo, what did you and your friends do after graduating?" I looked away from him. I already knew the answer.

He shrugged.

"We headed to Cancun for a week and then we spent the summer on road trips and..." He finally caught on to what I was trying to get at. "Nicely played, Fisher," he leaned down and kissed my head.

"You see what I mean
? I just want to do some things before I have to return to another round of reality with school." I smiled up to him and this time he smiled back genuinely. "I promise we will still see each other before the end of the summer." I leaned up and kissed his chin, he nuzzled into me.

Summer was actually a hot one this year. Roni had gotten a part
-time job working with a local daycare, Mina was working with her mother at her design company and I was spending obscene amounts of time at work. The people I worked with were nice but they were also much older and some weren’t pleased with the fact that programming came so easily to me.

By the time the end of summer arrived
, I had kept my promise and made a weekend trip to visit Leo. We had spent most of that weekend in his apartment, more specifically his bed. The Sunday night before I left, we went out to dinner and to see a movie. I left Monday morning to get back home.

It was three days before we were going to head to Florida for two weeks and I was packing clothes with Roni when Leo called.

"Hey," I answered on the second ring.

"Hey, you."
He hesitated. "Are you getting ready for your trip?"

"Yeah, Roni and I are packing now. Don’t want Mina to kill us for not being ready and messing up her schedule." I laughed.

"I wish that I could go with you," he sounded sad and disappointed.

"I wish you could
, too," I quickly responded.

"So
, what do you three have planned, or should I ask what Mina has planned?" He chuckled.

"Well, now that we have a group of people heading down with us…" he cut me off.

"A group of people?"

"Yeah.
Calvin and Jess, Will and Beth, Clint and Clair, Kevan, Jay, Lauren, Kim…"

"Jay is going with you?" I could hear the tone he was getting.

"He’s not going ‘with me’. It’s a group of people that will be down there. I don’t even know when he is going to leave or arrive there." I was trying to soothe his worries. I mean, didn’t he realize that he had nothing to worry about? There was no one that made me feel the way he did.

"Yeah
, sure," he snapped.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" I spit out. I saw Roni turn to look at me.

"You know how he is and you are going to ‘vacation’ with him. That’s just fucking great, Chloe."

"I think you need to calm down. I have never given you any reason to think that anything like that would ever happen and I don’t appreciate you not trusting me." I was getting just as angry as he was.

"It’s him I don’t trust, Chloe," he shouted.

"Jesus Christ
, Leo, do you think that I would let him do anything? Do you think I want him to do something?" I was snapping out now.

"Chloe…I just…"

"No, Leo, you just didn’t think. This is why I said that being just friends would be best in the first place. Do you trust me enough to know that nothing will happen or not?"

He hesitated a little too long.

"Thanks a lot." I hung up and screamed.

"What the hell was that?" Roni questioned.

I told her the conversation with Leo.

"I mean
, I get that he may feel jealous and not like it but I also get why you’re angry." She sighed and looked at me as I was lying back on my bed.

"I tried to reassure him, but he acts as if I am going to do something or put myself in the position that something would happen. That’s not me
. I wouldn’t do that." I sat up looking at Roni as I felt tears start to slide over my cheeks.

"Shh…it will be okay." She wrapped an arm around me and tried to soothe me.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

Leo and I had attempted to talk
more two times before I left but each call ended with him being more jealous and angry. I finally gave up and he seemed to as well.

We left for Florida.

I didn’t hear from Leo for the entire two weeks. I called him twice, with no answer. I sent him multiple text messages and got no responses. I was miserable for the first week, though I tried to hide it. I barely even interacted with Jay the whole time. I may have seen him once or twice in passing. Mina and Roni did their best to cheer me up.

By the second week I had pushed it all out of my mind
, determined to have fun. We all ended up at a tattoo parlor and, after twenty minutes of begging Roni, we all went in and got matching tattoos. We decided on the Chinese symbol for friendship. Mina got hers on her foot, Roni’s was on her shoulder blade and I had mine put on my lower back.

Arriving back to Washington was comforting until we exited the plane. Max was standing there and bounded up to Roni the minute we were passed security. He lifted her into a crushing hug and spun her around. Oliver slowly walked up to Mina and embraced her tightly. I was standing at the conveyor belt waiting for the luggage to start coming around when I felt a presence next to me.

I looked over and there was Leo. He didn’t say anything he just looked at me with his brow furrowed. He started to open his mouth but I stopped him by putting my hand up.

"Don’t," he looked at me sadly. "I’m not going to do this
, Leo. I care about you a lot but I won’t be ignored because you are upset. It’s not fair." He nodded to me and tried to get the suitcase that I had just grabbed. I pulled it back from him and gave a half smile. I walked away from him and he didn’t follow me.

Welcome home.
I thought to myself as I waited alone for Roni and Mina to catch up to me.

Heading off to college was rough on all of our parents. Elaine and Judith were really starting to feel that the houses were too empty, Kenneth hated losing his girls and Robert was crushed that his baby girl was leaving for college.

After all of our goodbyes, Roni, Mina and I headed to Seattle. Judith and Elaine had helped us to find a small house that wasn’t too expensive and it was close enough to the college for all of us. Elaine and Mina did the interior designing, of course. Kenneth and Robert just paid the bill. Our parents had paid for our first four months in the house, allowing us to get situated with jobs.

Mina was working for a local fashion boutique, Roni was working at a local garage as a mechanic and I had gotten a part-time job with a local company that developed software programs for companies. We all got our college schedules for the first semester and coordinated our jobs and schedules with each other. Then we all worked out the bills between us.

I had talked to Leo a couple of times since the airport, but things were still awkward. We were friendly, however, neither one of us would mention our relationship. Everyone was already assuming that we were no longer exclusive. Or together in any way, for that matter. I tried calling again after we were settled into the apartment. No answer. No call back. Eventually, I just gave up all together.
If he wanted to be left alone, then FINE.

I missed him greatly and a part of me felt like it had been ripped
out. He only acknowledged me when he felt like talking to me and even then he really didn’t say much. I let him go. What other choice I did I have?

Halfway through first semester
, I started to struggle with one of my classes. Creative writing. I had to take an English class as a requirement and I thought that it would be easier for me to write a story rather than any other kind of English assignments. I was so wrong! Yeah, I loved to read stories, but writing a story was completely different. Plus, when the professor put all the restrictions and requirements on top of it, I felt as if I was drowning in the grammar.

Luckily there was bulletin board where people offered tutoring help. I found a couple of people who were English majors and tutoring was something that they could put on their resumes after college
. After talking with a couple of them, I found a girl named Carrie who became my savior. She also became a close friend.

Carrie quickly fit into our threesome and ended up spending most days and nights at our house. The other nights she was spending with her boyfriend
, Brent. They had been together for three years; since their senior year of high school.

Carrie and I were heading into my house when I heard the phone ringing. I ran and grabbed it. It was Elaine.

"Hello, dear, is Mina there? I tried her cell but she didn’t answer."

"No
, El, she’s at work. She probably has it on vibrate or turned off. Is anything wrong?"

"Oh
, no. I was just hoping she would come home this weekend. Leo is going to be coming home and is bringing someone with him. He wanted us all to meet her."

I froze
, almost dropping the phone.

"Chloe?"

"Uh…yeah, I’m here." I choked.

"Could you tell Mina to g
ive me a call to let me know?" She paused. "You know, you and Roni are family. You should think about coming in too," she said excitedly.