Too Hard: Chapter 28

WE SPENT THE EVENING EATING COLD TAKEOUT, watching the lame romantic comedy I bought, cuddling on her uncomfortable, navy-blue couch, and making out like a pair of teenagers.

She didn’t elaborate on what she needs to take care of before we tell my family about us, and despite the curiosity gnawing at my brain, I decided pushing for answers wasn’t the way ahead.

When she fell asleep on the couch, around midnight, I carried her to bed and stayed, cradling her to me all night.

What I didn’t do was set the alarm. The bachelor party meets at Nico’s at seven am. He’s got the biggest driveway, enough space for the guys to leave their cars there all weekend.

The moment I open my eyes and glance at my wristwatch, I know I’m screwed. It’s six-thirty already. I’m not showered or dressed. I may have grabbed a shower last night when I went to pack a bag for the weekend, but that doesn’t count. I need a shower in the morning to wake up properly.

“Fuck,” I hiss, leaping out of bed. “I need to go, B. I’m late.”

She grumbles something, tucking the comforter closer to her chin before peeking with one eye. “It’s too early.”

“It’s late for me.” I yank my pants on, gather the rest of my clothes, and bend over to kiss her head. “You better not be on your period when I come back.” Grabbing her hand from under her pillow, I settle it over my cock, groaning when she applies the right amount of pressure. “This needs taking care of.”

She sits up with a half-asleep, dreamy smile. “I know how to make it all better.”

“Me too, but I don’t have time, B. Behave.”

“You’re already late. What’s three more minutes?”

“You think you can jerk me off in three minutes?”

“If that doesn’t work, there’s always another way.” She wiggles her ass to give me a hint.

Heat detonates behind my ribs. The idea of exploring her this way is music to my ears. Too bad it’s not possible. “Seeing that you think I can just slide in there the same as your pussy tells me you never had a cock in your sweet tight ass. We need lube, a plug, and more than three minutes to get you nice and ready.”

She hooks her index finger in the pockets of my sweats, tugs my pants down and quickly does the same with my boxers.

“B, we don’t—” I shut up when she takes my dick in her hot mouth, twirling her tongue around the head. “Fuck,” I hiss, my balls pulling taut, orgasm already building at the base of my spine. “You might be onto something with those three minutes.”

She sucks me in deeper, her head bobbing back and forth, long nails gouging into my hips to keep me in place when she swallows me down.

“Good girl, fuck, that’s good… a little faster.”

I gather her hair, holding it in a ponytail with my fist, eyes on her pretty face. The orgasm gains momentum, hurtling to the surface faster once she grips the base. It’s a sensory overload. That stubborn part of my character not prone to giving up or letting someone else win is fighting it, but B knows how to drive me incoherent with need. How to make me lose control.

“Out,” is all I rasp before nothing more than my guttural noises fill the room. My throat constricts as the orgasm rattles through me, powerful enough to cramp my thighs.

B arches back in time, working my length with her small hand, milking my warm cum over her chest and throat.

“That was…” I suck in a harsh breath. “Thank you, baby.”

I grip her underarms, helping her up when she tucks my cock back in my boxers and readjusts my sweats.

“I like making you lose control,” she admits, smoothing her hands down the sides of my sweatpants.

“I hate that I can’t return the favor, but—”

“I’m on my period, Cody. I wouldn’t let you return the favor even if you weren’t late.” She smiles, looks curiously down her cleavage, wipes up a fingerful of my cum, and sucks it into her mouth.

One small move, but it drives me feral. I could easily rise again and bend her over the bed.

Her eyes widen in surprise as her finger pops out of her mouth. “It’s nothing like I imagined.” She dabs her finger again, licking it clean as she looks at me. “You can come in my mouth next time.”

“Jesus… What are you doing to me?”

She’s careful not to touch her chest to mine as she stamps a quick kiss on my lips. “I’m making sure not one show you see this weekend tops this.”

I slap her butt, squeezing hard. “Nothing tops this, B, but you look good in green. I like that you’re jealous, as long as you don’t take it too far. If I wanted to fuck someone else tonight, I wouldn’t have told you I don’t hate you.” I slap her butt again and drop one last kiss on her head. “Go take a bath. I’ll see you Sunday. Call me if you need me.”

A smile is all I get before she locks herself in the bathroom, and I exit her condo, determined to grab the fastest shower in the history of mankind.

But that goes to shit the second I yank the door wide open, stalking out of Blair’s condo with a bare chest, wild hair, and half my clothes in hand.

It goes to shit because I come face to face with my brother, strutting down the corridor. He halts mid-step, narrowed eyes taking me in.

“I thought you could use a lift,” Logan says, weighing every word. “All those cars will be a tight fit at Nico’s.”

“Am I glad it’s you and not one of the others.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “If you think I won’t give you any shit, you’re sorely mistaken, bro.”

A small smile plays across my lips despite the atmosphere thickening, tangling, and getting too hot to breathe as I cross the hallway. “I know, but among all that shit, you’ll be helpful. Come on, I need a shower.”

“Yeah, I bet…” he mutters, following me inside. “Shower first, then I get to call you names, and then you can talk.”

“While you’re thinking of those names, make me a coffee.”

He punches my shoulder on his way to the kitchen while I take a left to my bedroom, Logan’s quiet asshole hitting my ears as I pull fresh clothes from the closet.

“That’s one!” I shout back. “Why don’t you take five minutes to remember what it was like when you were in my shoes.”

“I wouldn’t fucking fit in your shoes, bro,” he snaps, annoyed but nowhere near as angry as I expected. “Shut up, let me think, and get a move on. We’re late.”

“It’s your party. The guys won’t leave without you.”

“If you don’t start moving, I’ll leave without you.”

Ever since Blair crawled into my bed, I’ve imagined my brothers’ reaction if they found out about us. I wondered how much shouting I’d have to endure, how pissed they’d be on a scale of one to ten, and how long Nico would growl, snap, and avoid me.

How hard would he punch? Would he break my nose or rein his temper enough that I’d only end up with a black eye?

I was jittery and restless when these thoughts overwhelmed me, my stomach tied into elaborate knots, anxiety chewing at the edge of my mind.

But now that Blair’s mine, my head is quiet.

Logan just caught me red-handed. I should think of the best way to lie my way out of this, but I don’t. No matter what he might say, or if he demands I come clean today, I’m not nervous. I know what I want.

I’m ready to face the consequences.

Once I step back into the kitchen, showered, dressed, and wheeling my small suitcase, the atmosphere makes my skin crawl.

Fine, maybe I am a little nervous after all.

“So?” Logan prompts, handing me a cup. “Are we just gonna pretend nothing happened, or will you start talking?” He leans against the counter, sipping his steaming americano. “I know who lives across the hall, so tell me… what were you thinking?”

“I found her,” I say simply, looking him dead in the eye.

“Was she lost in her condo? Cody, I’m a patient person. I have two kids, so patience is necessary, but if you don’t start explaining, I can’t promise I won’t fucking hit you.” He sets the cup aside, grinding his teeth, the reaction he’s kept in check thus far blowing up in my face.

He’s fifteen feet away, but his shoulders tense so hard I can fucking see it. His posture changes from careless to a statue, and along with his posture, the atmosphere shifts, the air heavy, loaded with tension.

“Fuck, Cody,” he clips, starting off resigned, but his voice grows sharper with every word. “Blair? Seriously? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t,” I admit, plopping down on the couch. We’re not going anywhere until this conversation is over. “I didn’t expect it would go this far. There’s more to Blair than meets the eye, Logan. She told me about her past, the bullying, why she was doing it, and—”

“She burned Mia’s hair! You have any idea how pissed Nico was when he found out? How long it took to calm the fucker down? and you…” He massages his temples with both hands. “You were going out of your way last year to keep Nico from hurting Mia. Now you’re fucking around with the girl who did nothing else? That’s…” He trails off, clearly at a loss for words.

“We’re not fucking around. Not anymore. She’s my Cass, Logan.” I pump my fists, clenching and unclenching to rid the inferno behind my ribs. He has every right to ask questions. I’m sure it’s a walk in the park compared to what Nico will put me through, but that fucking around comment just rubs me the wrong way. “She’s my Thalia, Mia, Vee… my girl,” I add to clarify. “I know it’s complicated.”

“No shit,” he huffs, but his tone is gentler as he runs a hand down his face. “Fuck. If this is how you see her… it changes things.” He stares at me over his coffee, taking another long sip.

Logan and I have grown closer since I became Noah’s favorite uncle. Or maybe it’s because I’m no longer an annoying teenager that we get along better.

My dynamic with all four of my older brothers has changed over the past two years, but Logan and I are similar on more levels than we realized.

He gets me. Sometimes pulls thoughts straight from my head like Colt and Conor do.

“Love is always complicated. Name one of us who had it easy?” he challenges but doesn’t wait for an answer. “We’ve all been through shit to get our happy ever after.”

“This is as close to you and Cass as it gets, so you’re my best hope for support.”

“That’s why you were happy I caught you sneaking out of her condo, not one of the others, right?”

“Yeah. You’re least likely to bite my head off.” I crack my knuckles and straighten my spine, setting my empty cup on the coffee table. “Tell me what I’m supposed to do.”

“You want me to tell you what to do? Don’t get me wrong, bro…” he pauses, pulling a dumb fucking face.

It’s probably not dumb, but I’m on edge and easily irritable. Sue me.

“Alright, let’s backtrack a bit. I need more information, Cody. How did this happen? How did you justify it?”

“Blair’s different now. She changed. I know how it sounds, but it’s the truth. She had a fucked-up life. It still haunts her, but she’s working on herself…” I hide my face in my hands.

It’s not easy explaining how much she changed to someone who hasn’t spent time with Blair. How what she went through shaped her into the person she is now.

Even I don’t know exactly what her life looked like or what bodies she’s still hiding in the closet.

It’s not easy explaining how much sheer will and character she’s shown, never making excuses even though she’s got plenty of raw material for one.

How resigned she is to her deluded belief that she doesn’t deserve to be happy because she made mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes. What we do about them proves who we are. Blair’s amazing. Strong, beautiful, kind… so fucking fragile. Filled with regret, careful, sweet.

I’m in fucking love with her for every one of those things.

“The point is,” I say, peering at Logan. “I get it. I understand her. She’s not a bad person.”

He mulls it over, scratching the stubble he’s growing out. “Does she know how you feel?”

“I haven’t told her I love her if that’s what you mean. I think it’s pretty damn obvious. We were casual for a while and—”

“Ah, ah, ah,” he tuts, wagging his fingers. “I’m not done yet. Do you want my blessing? You need assurance that your brothers will have your back?”

“No. I know what I want, Logan. She’s mine.”

He bobs his head up and down a few times. “Good answer. Means you’re serious. I didn’t wait for your blessing before I went after Cassidy. I wanted her, and nothing would’ve changed my mind.” He folds his arms across his chest. “So? What is it you want from me? Lay your cards down, Cody. I’m too old to play games.”

“Pointers. Advice. What do I tell Nico and Mia? How do I break the news? How do I explain that Blair’s not all fucking evil?”

“Well, for starters, don’t tell anyone this weekend. I love you, but if you fuck up my night, I will hit you. You waited however long, so wait a bit longer.”

“I wasn’t planning on telling anyone today. B asked for a few more days before we make it official. Once I’ve got the green light… what do I do? Call everybody in like you did or talk to Nico and Mia first? I’m pretty sure everyone will listen, but Nico—”

“Bring her to the wedding,” Logan cuts in.

“What?”

A small smirk curls his lips, soothing the furious look he’s had on for the past few minutes. Though furious might be an exaggeration. Logan’s unpredictable, hot-headed, and ruthless when the situation requires, but his face is soft. He doesn’t look intimidating. At least not as intimidating as he thinks he does.

“Bring her to the wedding,” he repeats much slower. “Shock therapy. Show her off and deal with the aftermath.”

“I don’t know… I don’t want to put her in the firing line.”

He pushes away from the counter, setting his empty cup in the sink. “You’re not avoiding that, bro. She’ll be on the spot one way or another. You want Nico to listen? Bring Blair to the wedding. He can’t leave or avoid you there. You’ll say what you want to say.” He snatches his keys from the breakfast bar, motioning for me to follow. “Besides, what kind of a fucking wedding would it be if someone didn’t get their ass kicked?”

This is the last way I’d plan this, but it’s not an entirely idiotic idea. If Logan thinks it’s good, I won’t question him. Not just because he went through the same thing and wouldn’t advise me to do something that could seriously backfire but because I’m selfish. I want my girl on my arm at his wedding.

Looks like it’s settled… I’m getting my ass kicked in a tuxedo.