I stare at the trees with light bleeding through them until I see the couple kissing in the shadows. I tilt my head to get a better angle and noticing a smudge, I lean forward to fix it.
I let out a deep breath and decide to call it a day. I pack up my things and shrug my bag over my shoulder, and pulling out my phone, I send Forest a text.
A: Dinner?
He responds quickly.
F: Already at the restaurant. What should I order for you?
A: The biggest slice of chocolate cake.
A: Scratch that. Just get me the whole cake.
F: Get your sexy ass over here so I can get my daily dose of food porn.
I grin, and tucking my phone back in my pocket, I make my way out of the art building. The campus is quieter, with it being a Sunday evening. When I walk into the restaurant, and I see the cake waiting on our table, I let out a burst of laughter.
Forest’s head snaps up, and he grins at me. “Big enough?”
I first lean down to press a kiss to his mouth, then murmur, “Yeah, but it’s not half as big as you.”
As I sit down, Forest places his hand on my thigh and gives me a squeeze. “How long until Aunt Flo hits the road?”
“Hopefully, by tomorrow.” I load a slice of cake onto a side plate then gesture for the waiter to take the rest of the cake back. Picking up a fork, I break off a piece of the dessert and hold the first bite to Forest’s lips. “Open up.”
He takes the bite, then presses a quick kiss to my lips.
I shove a forkful of chocolaty goodness into my mouth and let out a moan when the creamy sweet taste hits my tongue.
“Yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about,” Forest teases me. “Food porn at its best.”
“Hey, guys,” Kennedy says, and then she sits down next to Forest.
My good mood flies out the window at the speed of light, but I keep the smile on my face. “Hey.”
“What a week,” she sighs. “But I’m finally caught up with the work I missed.”
“Good for you,” I say as I reach for a glass of water.
As I take a sip, Kennedy turns to Forest. She reaches up to his face, and in horror, I watch as she wipes a freaking smudge of chocolate from the corner of his lips before she pops her finger in her mouth. “Mhh… so good.”
She did not… holy shit… what the hell?
Everything I’ve managed to suppress hits me like a tsunami. My heart cracks wide open, and my lungs refuse to breathe as I slip back to the past…
After school, I go to Eli’s house so we can hang out. The butler lets me in, and I take the stairs up to his room. I go in, and as I shut the door behind me, my eyes land on the bed, and I see Eli pounding into Taytum from behind.
The sight is sickening, and I make a gagging noise, drawing their attention.
“Oh, look who’s here,” Eli says breathlessly while he continues to thrust his cock into Taytum. “You’re just…” Thrust. “In…” Thrust. “Time.”
In horror, I watch him orgasm. He pulls out of her and slumps down on the bed. Disgust wells in my chest as I watch him remove the condom.
“Mhh… so good,” Taytum moans. She lies down on her back, not caring that I’m seeing her naked.
I’m still frozen in horror as Eli begins to fondle Taytum’s breasts. He sneers at me. “Now, this is a woman. I don’t have time for a virgin crying because it hurts when I fuck her.”
Traumatized, I take a step backward from Eli’s cruel words and the disgusting scene before me.
“Aria,” I hear Forest’s voice, but it sounds like he’s thousands of miles away.
It feels as if walls are closing in on me, and I try to take a breath but only manage to make a strangled sound. I see Forest’s lips move, but I can’t hear anything.
Somehow I get up and walk away from the table as fast as I can. The moment I’m out of the restaurant, I break out into a run. I try to get away from the intimate image I just witnessed, but it only brings back memories of Kennedy and Forest when they were dating.
Memories of Eli and Taytum.
My stomach churns as my past and my present collide.
Forest used to kiss her, touch her, make love to her.
The memories use my heart as a punching bag until the ache is so intense it feels as if I’m being torn in two.
Fingers clamp around my arm, and I’m yanked back against a solid body. “I’m sorry,” I hear Forest. His arms come around me, and he holds me tightly. “I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t know she was going to do that.”