Chapter 20

The alarm clock tore through the quiet.Jeff pulled away from me to turn it off.I pretended to be asleep in the hope he would abandon the idea of running so early.

I was surprised when he rolled back against me,spooning me as he did through the night.He slid his arm around me again and sighed into my hair as he pulled me closer.

“Aaron?”he whispered.

I debated whether to answer when I heard him.Actually,I heard him and felthim.

“God,”he whispered into my hair,squeezing me closer.His hard cock pressed against my ass,and a thrill slid through me.

His hairy chest rubbed against my back,and I loved the sensation.Before I knew it,a moan slipped out of me as I wiggled my ass against his cock.

He froze.“Aaron?”

“Mmm?”I pretended to just be waking up.I stretched as I rolled onto my back,grimacing.“Please don’t tell me it’s already morning.Please don’t make me run.”

Jeff must have bought my act,because he grinned at me.“Tough luck.We made a pact and besides,it’s good for our bodies.”

“I know something else that would be good for our bodies,”I murmured as he slid out of bed

“What did you say?”

Crap!I have to quit saying things out loud.“Nothing.”

About ten minutes later,we were running down the block.About five minutes after that,I was begging him to let me quit.

“No!Stop whining,”he told me.Again.“You agreed to this.”

“I know.I know!Fine.”I pouted.“Well,maybe I can finally get sexy enough so I won’t feel so bad about my body.”

He stopped running and turned toward me,his hands on his hips,his mouth gaping.“You don’t think you’re sexy?”

I rolled my eyes.“Sure I am.Everybody wants a piece of this!”I waved my hands over my body.“I mean,they are lining up.”

“They who?”he asked,watching me intently.

“Lots of hot,sexy me—people.Lots of hot,sexy people are lining up to date me.”I laughed nervously.I wondered if he’d noticed my near slip-up.But,maybe it was time.I wasn’t even sure anymore why I wasn’t telling him.

His eyes widened.Yup.He’d heard me.I could read it all over his face.Just as I was about to spill the beans,though,he took off running.

“Come on,slow-poke!”he hollered as he left me in his dust.

I caught up with him and we spent the rest of the run keeping quiet.It wasn’t awkward,just companionable.

At home,he hopped into the shower first while I started the coffee.When I heard the water turn off upstairs,I headed up to grab some clothes.He was still in the bathroom and I swore I heard him say something.I walked up to the door and started to ask what he’d said,but I heard him talking again.I wondered if he was on his phone and waited for him to come out.

“Oh,yeah,that’s it,baby.Suck my cock.Lick it,baby.”His voice was low and hoarse.

Oh,my God!He’s jacking off.I can’t be hearing this.But I couldn’t move.Wow,he’s pretty vocal.I thought it was hotter than hell.

“That’s what I like,baby.Mmm,that feels so good.I’m going to slide so deep inside you.”

I was so fucking turned on,I wanted to strip and enter that bathroom—which couldn’t happen,of course.I felt like I was intruding,so I went to our room and waited on the bed,willing my dick to go down.Yeah,that didn’t work.

A few minutes later,he came in,dressed and ready for the day.His cheeks were flushed and his eyes seemed to sparkle.“Your turn,”he offered.

“Wow.You look really…refreshed,”I proclaimed.

He froze and looked at me,but I headed to the bathroom.

“I guess running doesn’t totally suck.Maybe I should stop whining like such a baby,”I said teasingly as I turned to face him from across the hall

His mouth opened,and I grinned as I closed the door.Today could be fun.But first,I needed to go to the hospital.No one had called,so I assumed my mom was still out.

On the way to the hospital,my phone rang.I didn’t recognize the number,but answered anyway.

“Hello?”

“Hello.Is this Aaron Pickard?”a guy asked.

“Yes.Who is this?”I asked,shrugging at Jeff’s furrowed brow.

“I’m calling on behalf of the fire station.I work in the administrative office and a claim was turned in for a Saturn that was crushed.”

My car.“Oh,yes,sir.”

“Yes.Well,I was calling to see if you wanted the check mailed to you or if you wanted to pick it up?”

“My what?”

“The accident is covered under our insurance,so we have a check for you for five-thousand dollars.It’s a little more than the value,but the station wants to take care of this quickly because we know you’re dealing with a difficult situation and we wanted to make sure and cover any other issues you may need to get a new car ready to drive.”

“Um,thanks.Wow.Yeah,I guess I can come pick it up.”

I listened for a few more minutes and hung up after the guy said he would text me the address

“What was that about?”

“You are not going to believe this.”I beamed at him.“The fire department is giving me five-thousand dollars for my car!”

His jaw dropped.“No way!That’s incredible!”

“I know!Now I can get a used car and you won’t have to drive me everywhere.”

He frowned.“Hey,I don’t mind.I like taking care of you.”He paled.“I mean…I mean I like…”

I squeezed his arm.“Hey,it’s okay.I know what you meant.”

He blushed and raised an eyebrow.I turned back to the window and let my hand fall to the side,sort of hoping he would grab it,even though I knew I was being crazy.

I was disappointed he didn’t,but I didn’t let it get me down.

During the short hospital visit,Mom was still sleeping,although she was doing better.The doctor explained they were keeping her sedated.The goal was to allow her body to heal without all the pain.I understood,but really wanted to talk to her.I had so much to share.

While I was there,I filled in my grandpa about the car and he said he would make some time in the next couple of weeks so we would check some out.

Grandma was taking Pamela back to the pool at the hotel,then they were going to a movie.It felt so surreal.Life was moving along even while my mom was in the hospital and my father was in jail.I guessed nobody really knew what to do.Keeping busy made the time move quickly.

I received no updates about my father,but I was glad he was still in police custody.I didn’t really need to think about him for the time being.

Jeff and I decided to head to the community center to go swimming in the indoor pool.We both had the day off of work and neither of us really wanted to do much of anything.Once we arrived at his house,I grabbed my trunks and changed in the bathroom while Jeff stayed in his bedroom.I was looking forward to fun at the pool,maybe letting off some steam.The last couple of days had been more stressful than anything else in my life.Not to mention all the weird feelings I was having about Jeff.

I leaned onto the bathroom counter and stared into the mirror.