Save Me (32 page)

Chapter Fifty-Six

Tegan

I met Lucas in the café halfway between our houses.
We’d been meeting every week since we made peace last month and it was really nice. It hadn’t always been easy but we wanted to stay friends so we both put the effort in.

The first time we’d decided to meet he’d offered to pick me up and go somewhere local to me. I didn’t mind when we were together but we were trying to redefine boundaries so it didn’t seem right him going right out of his way to see me.

It was still early days but last week was the first time that there was no awkwardness at all so hopefully that part was done. There was now less than two months until Christmas and everyone was starting to get in the sprit of the season. Kai’s birthday was the twenty-ninth of October – two days away. We were having a small party at his that I’d planned and I wanted to invite Lucas, too, since and Kai were talking.

“Hey,” I said, sitting down at the
tinsel-decorated table he’d chosen. There was a latte waiting for me, too. “Thanks.”

“How’ve you been?”

“Good. You?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He ignored his phone as it buzzed once in his pocket. “Sixth form still going well?”

“Ugh, it’s going.”

He laughed. “No university plans then?”

“No,” I replied. “I think I’m pretty much over the learning thing now.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“Kai thinks I should open a music shop,” I said, rolling my eyes and taking a sip of my latte.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“That was Dad’s dream. I don’t want to do it without him.”

“Do you honestly think you’d be doing it alone? That he wouldn’t be right there with you?”

“I don’t know.” It was something to consider. I certainly had enough money to start up a business, Dad made sure of that with his three life insurance policies. I knew the amount now. My eighteenth birthday was only a few months away and on that day I’d be two hundred and fifty thousand pounds richer.

His phone buzzed again and I saw him squirm in his seat. “You don’t need to make a decision yet. How’s Kai?”

Kai and Luke were fine now; all they had to do was give each other a chance. It was less awkward them talking at first than me and Luke!

I narrowed my eyes and put the oversized mug down. “Alright, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play stupid with me. You’re acting weird and ignoring your phone. Spill, Lucas.”

He opened his mouth and closed it again.

“Oh, okay,” I said, realising what was going on. “Tell me about her.”

Frowning, he replied, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“I thought we agreed to be friends.”

“We did.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Really, Tegan? You were my first serious girlfriend, we’ve only just got to a stage where things are comfortable between us and you want me to talk about this?”

“Yeah, I do. We talked about this, about what we really were. I loved you, Luke, but you know, because you said it first, that it wasn’t real.” I loved him, that much I was sure of, but it was as a friend and someone that was so important to me. “I’m not just any ex
, so please don’t treat me like one.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “I do love you, shorty.”

“Good, now tell me about her.” I held my finger up as he opened his mouth. “No, let me guess… Annie?”

“Alright, Sherlock. Yeah, it’s Annie. We’re not together.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I know I’ve only met her once but I liked her.”

“We’ve been hanging out more.”

“You like her.”

Avoiding my eyes, he replied, “I do. We’ve been out before, as you know, but this time seems different.”

“You’re both older and one of you isn’t fucked up.”

He laughed and I felt the tension melt away. “You weren’t that bad.”

“You’re too nice.”

“So, you’re not seeing anyone?”

“No. I’ve gone off men.”

He smirked. “Really?”

I could tell what he was thinking: Kai. Honestly, the guy turned me on so much I wanted to keep him locked in the bedroom but I couldn’t even think about being in a relationship.

“Maybe not forever
, but right now I’m working on myself and rebuilding a relationship with Mum and Ava. I hurt them for a long time and the old me wouldn’t have done that. I think I’ve got about another five hundred cupcakes, lots of apologising and doing housework before I’ll consider forgiving myself for how I behaved.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Why haven’t you made me any cake?”

I grinned and picked my latte up again. “I don’t feel that bad about you.”

“Oh, thanks,” he said sarcastically. “I’m proud of you, Tegan.”

“Thank you. Hey, I know you and Kai have been getting on a lot more, his birthday is coming up and I wanted to know if you’d like to come? It’s at his and you can bring Annie if you want?”

“When is it?”

“Saturday.”

He thought for a second and then nodded. “Okay, that’d be nice actually.”

I thought so, too.

I smiled. “Cool.
Wanna finish this and take me to the track?”

“Annie won’t be there today.”

Damn, he could see right through me. I shrugged. “Well, I’ll just have to watch you race then. Honestly, Luke, you deserve to be happy and if she makes you happy then got for it. And text her back, you’re being rude.”

Chapter Fifty-S
even

Kai

It had been around three months since Tegan and Lucas had sorted things out and realised they were, and would always be, better as friends. They were both doing good and getting along, and I was going fucking crazy. How long was long enough to give someone after a break-up? I wanted to pour my heart out to her about two months ago.

But
I cared about her more than I cared about me so I could wait until I knew she was ready for a relationship. There was no way I was jumping into anything with her and risking it getting fucked up like Lucas had. I understood what she’d been through and that she needed to sort herself out first. She’d done that now so it must be the right time. And I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on having blue balls for.

Tegan waved her hand in front of my face, snapping me ou
t of it. “Hello? Where were you?” she asked. My eyes went straight to her chest and snapped back up. Fuck, that was a perfectly tight top.

Don’t jump her.

I replied, “Sorry. So, what film did you pick?” It was early January and absolutely freezing outside so instead of going out we spent a lot of time at mine having movie nights.

The corner of her mouth turned up in that little half grin that meant she was hiding something. Her hands were behind her back. I groaned as I realised what s
he had picked. “No way, Tegan. Come on, not again.”

She flopped down on the sofa next to me, practically on top of me
, and pouted. Her breast pressed against my side. Yeah, we were watching that again.

“Please, Kai?”

“Fine. But no more this week,” I said, a little breathlessly.

She grinned triumphantly and got up
. Well, I guess I didn’t have the same effect on her as she did on me. I was ready to strip her clothes off and take her on the sofa.

The start menu for
Magic Mike
appeared on the screen. I died a little more inside and Tegan pressed enter. We had a pact that she’d never tell anyone I’d watched it if I didn’t complain about how unhealthy her perverted little mind was.

Sighing, I pushed myself up. “I’l
l make popcorn. Sweet or toffee?”

She thought about it hard, as if she was deciding something life changing. “Sweet
, please.”

“
Tough decision, was it?”

“Bite me, Kai.”

Don’t tempt me.

Memories of biting her collarbone while she was beneath me flooded my mind. I took a deep breath and went to the kitchen.

I threw a bag of cinema sweet popcorn in the microwave
and grabbed a couple cokes from the fridge. When the popcorn was ready and I couldn’t hold off watching that fucking film again, I went back to join her. Tegan was laid out on the sofa with her feet up like she owned the place.

“Thanks,” she said, grabbing a handful of popcorn and leaning against my side. I put the bottle of coke on the floor in front of us and wrapped my arm around her. She moved straight away and let me pull her closer against my body. “You missed the first couple minutes. Want me to rewind it?” she asked, surprising
ly managing to keep a straight face.

“Oh, I think I’ll be alright.”

She giggled quietly and snuggled closer. “Good. We can watch it again on Monday and I’ll go for popcorn.”

I smiled sarcastically. “So thoughtful.”

Her body shook lightly as she laughed but she didn’t make a sound.

The past few
months had been the same, she’d come over and stayed until late or sleep over if Alison was cool with it, which she usually was since she trusted Tegan again. I was beyond ready for more than flirting and innocent hugs. I wanted to hold her and kiss her and throw her down on my bed and make sure she couldn’t walk properly the next day. Since the camping trip we hadn’t slept together again and the sexual tension was building. It’d been five
long
months.

She was getting better every time I saw her. Her smiles were bigger, brighter and made her eyes shine. I saw more and more of who she was every day and I loved that person, too.

Once the shit movie was over we went to bed. When she slept at mine she stayed in my room, dressed in my t-shirt and laid all over me, not that I minded in the slightest, in fact, I was ready to make it a rule. Flopping down on my bed, she pulled the cover over her, covering up her toned legs.

I flicked the light off and got in beside her.

“I can’t wait to see your grandparents again tomorrow,” she said.

Neither could I. I
t was different than taking your girlfriend home, I knew that, but I still really wanted her to meet everyone properly. Although I was shitting myself, my family knew how I felt about her and I just prayed they kept their mouths shut.

Tomorrow
was my nan and grandad’s anniversary and Mum insisted that I bring Tegan so everyone could see her future daughter-in-law. Her words, not mine. She better fucking not say them in front of Tegan either.

My nan was under strict instructions not to say or do anything embarrassing, not that me
talking to her was going to make the slightest bit of a difference. Tomorrow could go two ways and I really hoped it was the way that ended up with Tegan being my mum’s future daughter-in-law and not ending with her running for the hills.

I’d warned Nan not to say anything. We’re staying overnight,
with
Alison’s permission. The only rule she stated was that if Tegan had a drink it had to be in moderation. That was fine by me. Plus, without a no sex rule I was definitely trying my luck.

Chapter
Fifty-Eight

Kai

I woke up to Tegan kissing my chest. Shit! She looked up and smirked. “Finally! I’ve been trying to wake you for ages. We have to go in half an hour so have a quick shower, the bacon sandwiches are almost ready.”

She jumped off the bed and skipped out of the room.
Fuck, she was perfect.

We pulled up at my
nan’s forty minutes later and I groaned as she came running out of the house. This was going to be painful. Nan wasn’t exactly subtle.

“Kai, there’s my little man,” she
gushed as she pulled me into a huge bear hug. Well, that was just great. I could hear Tegan laughing quietly behind us. “Tegan, we meet again. Come here and give me a hug.”

Oh, kill me now.

Tegan had met them when we went camping but there was no time to get to know her, it was all about Isaac. This time could be about me and her, not that there was an official me and her. I was working on it.

Thankfully
, Mum came out and pulled my nan inside. “Come on, little man,” Tegan teased, walking inside ahead of me.

“Don’
t start,
princess
,” I whispered in her ear, making her laugh.

Why couldn
’t I have a normal family?

We walked inside and Tegan slammed back into my chest. I looked around to see what was wrong and Nan’
s dog, Milo, was sitting in front of us. He was a Great Dane and bloody massive but he was the softest dog in the world.

“Scared of the puppy?”
I asked her. My turn to be smug.

“
That 
is not a puppy!” She pushed back hard into my chest.

I laughed
and moved in front of her. “Come on, Milo,” I said, leading him into the kitchen. She didn’t follow me, probably because she was scared of the dog. “Can you get Tegan, she’s scared,” I said to Mum as I made Milo sit on his bed in the kitchen until she got inside. Dramatic woman.

She walked in behind M
um and grabbed my arm, making sure I was between her and the dog. I wrapped my arm around her waist – she was single, I finally could. I re-introduced her to my grandad. My uncle, aunt and my cousin, Rylan, would be here soon. He was barely a teenager but had already turned into a horny sexpest.

Tegan listened politely as Grandad told a story about working in coalmines when he was in hi
s twenties. I could recite those stories in my sleep. Nan batted his arm with a wooden spoon, trying to get him to continue helping make lunch and stop talking to Tegan and ‘boring’ her. She didn’t look bored, she laughed and asked questions, which was absolutely the worst thing to do because it encouraged another story out of him.

After
covering my granddad’s first year on the mines the rest of the family arrived. Rylan’s eyes immediately fell on Tegan, as I’d thought. He was a weedy little thing that had just starting exercising and thought he was a fucking body builder already.

“Well
, hello,” he said, brushing his boy band hair out of his face. “We’ve not met before, have we? I’d definitely remember you.”

Tegan arched her eyebrow.

She pressed closer to me. I could handle Ry being around if she was going to get all feely. “This is Tegan. Princess, my cousin, Rylan.”

“Hi,”
Tegan said, grinning in amusement as Ry kissed the back of her hand. I bit my tongue. Thank fuck I was more interested in getting high or wasted than being a teenage twat like him. “How old is he?” she asked once he left to get a drink.

“
Thirteen, almost fourteen if it helps. I think he likes you.”

“Lucky me,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “He’s not my type at all, I don’
t do toy boys or underage.”

“Yeah
, I forgot you like older men.”

She
smiled shyly and then her eyes widened. “Kai, your Nan’s downing cocktails!”

I looked up to see Nan finish her drink and start to make another bowl of some pink crap. “
Yeah, my nan’s not exactly the normal stereotypical chain tea drinking, jumper knitting nan.”

“I can tell,” she replied. I wasn’t sure if she was horrified or impressed. The latter probably.

Nan caught her eye and waved. “Tegan, come and have some of this, love.”

Stopping Tegan getting fucked up on booze tonight was going to be difficult.

She walked over a little too eagerly and started drinking with Nan, Mum and my aunt, Sandy. Well, at least she’s not afraid of the dog anymore.

Two hours later and Tegan was
tipsy. Besides me and Ry she was the soberest one here. My family liked to ‘enjoy’ their time together. We’d moved into the living room to sit on the sofas and I had Tegan curled into my side, listening to my nan tell yet another fucking story about me when I was a kid. I’d prefer to listen to how my grandad rescued a cat from the coalmines for the millionth time.

When Nan was disturbed by Grandad telling her the cookies were burnt, she leapt up and Tegan turned to me. I wasn’t convinced she was even baking cookies.
“Your family is awesome, and I can’t believe how cute you look in a dress!”

I
glared. Two. I was two and pretty much just wore whatever was put on me. Very soon I was burning that photo album. “Never mention it again.”

She laughed and snuggled closer. “But you didn’t look bad. Pink is definitely your colour.”

“He looked gorgeous, didn’t he?” Nan said, coming back into the room. Grandad was nowhere to be seen so he was either rescuing cookies or she’d murdered him for making it up to get her away from Tegan. Both options were entirely plausible.

I need a new family.

Tegan, slightly more happy and touchy feely from the alcohol, laid her head on my shoulder. “You’re my favourite, you know?” she said.

I forgot how am
using she could be when she was drunk. “Yeah? I’m your favourite what?”

“Everything
, silly.”

I’d take that.

“You’re my favourite everything, too,” I whispered into her hair.

She tilted her head; smiling up at me and for the first time I saw some of the light in her eyes. It took my breath away.
There was no sadness at all. Fuck, I wanted her bad. Wanted to bury myself inside her and kiss her until we couldn’t breathe. I had it bad and I was getting impatient.

For a second I was sure she was seeing everything. She stared back, eyes becoming more intense with every second.
I was going to kiss her and she was going to let me.

“So
, babe, you staying here tonight? You can sleep with me if you like?” Ry said, sitting on the other side of Tegan. Well, he had the balls to come straight out and ask.

She frowned and looked away from me.
Nan laughed, sticking her thumb up. Thank God, Tegan wasn’t looking in her direction. “I’m good, thanks. You’re a little young for me.”

“It’s not about age
, it’s about experience. Answer me something honestly?” Tegan rolled her eyes but nodded. “Would you really rather be sitting with Kai or me?” he asked confidently, obviously expecting her to say him. Why he was so cocky I had no idea. Although at school he probably had the girls eating out of his hands.

“Kai,”
Tegan replied. That was the right answer.

“Oh
, that’s cold, babe,” he said, shaking his head and walking back to his seat. I don’t think I could be a teenager now, not without hating myself with a vengeance.

Ry
came back and sat in front of us a minute later. He’d thought of his comeback. “Hmm, why does it feel like the most beautiful girl in the world is in this room,” he said, smirking at her. Laughing, he added, “Okay, okay. Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?”

Now I wasn’t sure if he was just joking around now.

“Do any of these ever work?” Tegan asked.

Shoving his shoulder, I said,
“No, they don’t, do they, Ry?”

“You won’t be able to resist me forever
, baby cakes.” I was pretty sure ‘baby cakes’ had put him securely in the do-not-touch pile.

Two hours later and Tegan was
still tipsy but she’d not taken it past that. We excused ourselves and went to bed when my aunt and uncle did. Mum and Nan were still going strong. If Carly and Elle were here they’d probably go all night.

“Sleep naked with me,” she
said as I closed the door to the spare room behind us. I watched, hard as hell, as she removed her top and unbuttoned her jeans.

Not needing to be asked twice, or
once, really, I followed suit and stripped. When she was down to her underwear she stopped and the air thickened. We’d seen each other naked plenty of times. All I had to do was close my eyes and I could see every smooth curve of her milky skin.

Her eyes never left mine as she reached around and unclasped her bra. Her breathing was heavier, matching mine. I
stood to full attention, straining against my boxers. Her breasts fell free and I had a hard time refraining myself. I wanted to caress every inch of her skin, roll my tongue over her puckered nipple and mouth her to an earth shattering orgasm.

Shi
t, I might be hornier than Rylan.

“You’re so beautiful,” I said, taking a step closer. I reached out for her and she stepped into my embrace, running her hands up my back. My hands glided over her skin and landed on her supple breasts. She moaned and arched into me when I rolled her nipple between my thumb and finger.

She hooked her fingers under my boxers and pushed them down. I sprang free only to be caught in her eager hands. Gasping as she gripped my cock, sweeping her thumb over the head, I kissed her hard, invading her mouth.

She pulled, squeezed and raked her nails until I was ready to fucking come all over her stomach. “Tegan?” I said, gripping her wrist and stopping her from getting me off. I wanted to punch myself.

She bit her lip. “What?”

I wasn’t sure what actually.

Laughing, she pulled me over to the bed and shoved me down. After removing her underwear she climbed on the mattress. I held my breath as she lowered her body over me and sealed her mouth over mine. I loved her so fucking much.