Author's Note

Hey guys! Thank you so much for starting to read this book. Just a few points I would like to make out:

 

 

 

1. This is a standalone.
2. Any names used in the book that are similar to those of any reader are purely coincidental.
3. Some names of towns used in the book are fake.
4. Please forgive me if I haven't painted a full description of some areas in the book.
5. Also forgive me if there is any grammatical error. I have gone through the book five times by now (plus extra for the chapters that I saw really needed it)
6. The book is mature and is intended for adult audience because of curse words and scenes depicting sexual relations.

That is all. Enjoy!

Chapter 01

The sound of multiple gunshots had Kate opening her eyes and flinching in fear as she looked around the room. Her beating heart slowed its pace when she realized where she was, and a relieved sigh escaped her lips.

'It was just a dream,' she thought, observing her surroundings.

"...your computer is a machine, and it needs to be checked regularly. It is important that you take these measures..."

The professor droned on with the lecture, motioning with his hands to keep himself focused.

Kate Marie wondered how much of the class she had missed while she had been asleep. It was a good thing she had her phone's recording app switched on or else she would have missed what her professor was saying. 

She turned to the computer that was switched on in front of her, but with the way things were going, it did not look like she would use it. In fact, she was starting to zone out once again.

To force herself to stay awake, Marie decided to look at the other students in the room. Just like her, they were seated on the comfortable leather chairs. Some had their elbows on the smooth, maple furniture, tables as they listened to Mr. Bernard's words.

The large room was made up of cream walls. The tall glass windows that were on the right that offered the view of the campus environs had been obstructed by large, gray curtains, forcing everyone to use the ceiling bulbs as a source of light in the room.

Kate looked back at her professor, but then her eyes moved to the large white space behind him that would usually be used when he had a projector. Kate wished that he did have a projector. The room would have been darkened with the only source of light coming from the projected screen, and that way, she wouldn't worry about Mr. Bernard spotting her dozing off.

She started playing with a strand of her long and black, curly hair as she swallowed back a yawn. For some reason, her professor was going through the measures of maintaining a computer. They had already done that during freshman year, and so it was confusing to have to go through it again.

As Mr. Bernard kept talking, Marie scoped out the class again. It was full, and most of the familiar faces she was used to seeing were present. Her eyes landed on a hunched form at her far right. The person pushed his blonde hair off of his forehead. Just as he was turning to face her, Kate quickly fixed her gaze back to her professor.

"Alright! Now to the main point of today's class: I know that you have all been wondering what this semester has in store for you," the lecturer said. "You are juniors now, and apart from the usual classes, you will all be doing a project."

In an instant, groans of boredom sounded in the room.

"I have no idea why you are not excited about this. You are not freshmen anymore, and so you will have to participate in such projects in the coming years."

The professor then proceeded to hand out printed papers to someone at the front. Afterward, the papers were being circulated to everyone in the room. Once a copy reached Kate's desk, her eyes widened in surprise.

It was a form. Apart from requesting her name and admission number, it had a list of projects that included:

❒ Software programming

❒ Computer building and installation

❒ Motion graphics

"Those are the choices you have to select the project you will do for this semester. Some of them will be due before Christmas, and so you should all be done by then."

More groans followed afterward.

"I doubt any one of you would want me to explain what the choices entail for you to do," Mr. Bernard stated. Marie looked at her paper again, and she looked confused as to how to reply.

"You have until tomorrow to choose what you will do. After making your selections, I will give you the guidelines for them."

The students rose to leave the room.

"I'm not done yet," the professor stated. "If you do not feel like you can do any of the choices I have given you, or if you want to pitch another idea for your project, feel free to consult me."

Everyone waited as the lecturer started to pack his suitcase. He turned to face the class, surprised that everyone wasn't moving.

"You can leave now," he said, and the students went to exit the class.

*********** ******************** ******************* ****************** *************

Kate's heart was beating fast as she walked through the hallways of her university. Along the way, she passed a couple of people whom she greeted as she headed towards the exit of the building. Her mind was still focused on the project assignment, and she did not know if she should worry or dance in happiness. 

It had been two years ever since she had joined the University of Charles Darwin to pursue a Bachelor's degree in IT. She had expected college to be harder and more different from high school. In a way, it was, but she had gotten used to it. Moreover, she had not been having doubts about the course she had picked like a couple of people she knew from home.

She loved the university, more so because of the privacy. She used to be among the populars in her former high school, and it got tiring towards the end. Being in a place where people did not care about 'being cool' made her feel relieved and comfortable in doing what she wanted.

Marie looked at the form sticking out of her course units' book for her junior year before quickly looking back up. The sudden talk of projects had caught her off-guard. Sure, she had seen them coming. In fact, she had expected them to come when she was a sophomore. She had been anxiously waiting for them, but now that they had been announced, she felt unsure.

"Oomph!" came a sound when Marie collided with someone. She accidentally caught a quick whiff of some men's cologne as she adjusted the backpack on her back as she shifted to face the person.

"I'm sorry--" Marie stopped herself from speaking further when she noticed whom she had accidentally bumped into.

"It's okay," the guy said, equally tense as she was before he turned to walk away.

Marie stood still, her mind blank for a moment as she watched him walk farther into the university hallways. Once he was out of view, she started cursing at herself for not watching where she was going.

She soon resumed her walk towards the university gates.

 

Chapter 02

 

Kate left the campus grounds, following a road that led to the nearby university boarding houses. They were all dorms with some having five floors. 

Kate made her way through a large, three-story building where she headed towards her apartment.

"Hey!" she greeted as she walked into her housing area. Purple walls decorated with notes met her view along with a clean dining area. Opposite it was the kitchen, and there was also a small hallway that led to the bathroom and the bedrooms. Overall, the dorm wasn't big, but it was spacious enough for her and her friend.

"Hey," her roommate greeted as she made her way out of the small kitchen.

Her name was Gwen. She had straight blonde hair, and her skin was a shade lighter than Marie's tanned brown skin. She was around the same age as Kate, and they had been friends ever since she joined college on the previous year. Gwen was a sophomore, and she was pursuing a career in business.

"How was class today?" Gwen questioned as she made her way towards the couch in the room. Marie groaned in response.

"Oh," her friend frowned as she made herself comfortable. "You too?"

Marie looked at Gwen in question before asking: "What?"

"You too were given projects to do, right?"

Kate wondered if her friend could read her mind.

"How did you know?"

Gwen waved her hand nonchalantly. "I hear most of the juniors are assigned projects as soon as they start their academic year."

"Oh," Marie said.

"Anyway," Gwen continued as she faced her with a grin. "What were you told to do?"

Kate went to speak, but then she turned to reach for her form. She took it out of her bag and handed it to her roommate.

"Whoa!" Gwen exclaimed as she examined the document.

"I know," Marie sighed.

"No. I mean, you are given options?"

"You aren't?" replied Kate. Gwen gave her an incredulous look.

"You lucky bitch!" she exclaimed. "So which one did you pick?"

"Gwen, I just got it like an hour ago. I still have a lot to think about."

Kate's roommate shrugged her shoulders.

"Being your roommate, I know you're talking crap. We both know which project you will pick," she said, eyeing a pencil drawing of a deer pinned on the wall beside her. "Okay. Take all the time you need. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a couple of things to do."

"Bye," Kate waved as she saw her friend leave the dorm. After the door had locked with a click, she turned to look at her document.

Gwen was right. Marie knew what she wanted to do, but then she was scared of the choice. What if she messed up in the middle of it? The project could cost her college credits, and she needed them if she wanted to have a good graduation certificate.

She eyed the other options and sighed. She reached for a pencil on the table in front of her and made a cross on one of the options.

************** ******************** ********************* *************** ***********

"Okay, class!" Mr. Bernard shouted. "I have given you enough time to pick what you want to do for your projects."

It had only been a day, but Marie was not complaining.

"Now, would you please handout your forms?"

The room was immediately filled with murmurs as everyone went to grab their papers.

"Pass them along to the people in front of you," the professor continued. After grasping her form, Marie waited for the people behind her to give her their forms. Then she proceeded to give them to the person in front of her.

About a minute later, the professor had stacked everyone's forms.

"Okay. Now..."

To everyone's surprise, the lecturer turned his attention to another subject. They were expecting him to sort out issues with the project first, but it looked like that was not going to happen. It was apparent that the class would go on as usual.

Time passed, and soon, ten minutes were left until the end of the class. The professor had ended his lecture to sort out the filled forms.

"These are the groups I have formed according to the choices everyone had ticked."

'What?' Marie thought, feeling surprised by the speed with which his professor had grouped everyone according to their project's choices.

In an instant, he started calling out names. Marie's ears perked up as she waited to hear her name.

"Brian is with Lucy and George..." Mr. Bernard continued. An eternity seemed to have passed before she heard her name.

"Kate Marie..." the lecturer trailed off. Kate felt worried by the tone of his voice.

"Wow. This is a surprise!" The professor stated, turning to look at Kate. Marie thought she was the only one who had made the selection for her project. She relaxed in her seat, but when she noticed the professor turning to look at someone else, she tensed in dread.

It didn't take long for Kate to realize that she had been partnered with someone else. She didn't know who, and as a result, she found herself clenching her fingers in anticipation.

"Well, Kate, you are going to do your project with Chris Robins."

 

Chapter 03

Kate had been in a state of shock ever since she had heard Chris' name.

'Partnered with Chris...?'

Kate wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. How could that have happened to her?

As if automatically, she turned to look at Chris. She spotted him looking back at her with an unreadable expression, and that had her quickly swerving her head to face the front.

Kate had always been nervous about Chris ever since she had joined the class. She had gone her first two years of college without talking to him, and then suddenly, it seemed like the universe had decided to end that.

Marie's mind started running with thoughts that made her worry. For instance, she wondered how she would act in front of her project partner. What would she say, especially since she had been trying her best to avoid him for two years?

She was startled out of her thoughts when she saw the people around her suddenly rise from their seats.

'Oh. Is class over?'

Kate stood up from her seat and began to gather her items. She was planning to leave the class and to retreat to her dorm. The project had taken her by surprise, more so because of the person she had to do it with, and she wanted a moment to think about how she would proceed.

"I would like to see Kate and Chris before they leave," the professor requested.

'Crap,' Marie thought. With a sigh, she began making her way towards the front desk. In her peripheral vision, she spotted Chris approaching the professor, and it made her nervous all of a sudden.

Chris and Kate soon found themselves facing their professor. By then, most of the students had already left the room. The few who had remained were probably the ones who wanted to talk to Mr. Bernard.

'Do not act weird,' Marie told herself.

"I do not know how to begin with the two of you," Mr. Bernard started. "Although I must say I am surprised with the option the both of you had chosen to do as your project. I mean, motion graphics. Do you even know what you are up against?"

"We do," Chris answered before Kate could. The deep yet smooth level of his voice made Kate tense in awareness of him.

Meanwhile, the lecturer was looking back and forth between the two. Then he sighed.

"Most of my students would opt to avoid such a project. However, I am glad that you picked it. You just made this semester interesting for me."

Kate felt pleased by the professor's words.

"That is why I'm planning to make the guidelines for your project special. I know it will take a lot of time and effort, and so that is why I'm giving you up to the end of the semester next year to come up with a short film."

A moment of silence passed before Chris and Kate said: "What?"

"You should also feel free to get help from the students in drama and film."

"Sir--" Chris sounded excited.

"No stick figures," the professor cut him off. "I want actual detailed cartoons. You can choose drawing styles between those of Adventure Time, and those of Disney characters. Or even anime characters. Your pick. Just no stick figures."

"Sir--"

"The film should be at least 20 minutes long."

Kate was shocked. If she had known what the project expected from her, she would have chosen another one. More so, she would have done that in order to avoid being partnered with Chris.

"I also want an original, creative story."

As the seconds went by, Marie started feeling like she was less in I.T and more in English Literature.

"Anything with a clichéd happily ever after will cost you. Put your minds and effort into this. Do something that will shock me and the rest of the class, okay?"

"Okay," Chris and Marie agreed at the same time. They glanced at each other before looking back at the professor.

Kate wanted to back out of her choice for the project. She was just about to voice it out, but the pleased and excited expression in her professor's eyes had her thinking twice.

Mr. Bernard smiled before saying: "You are dismissed."

It was evident that the choice had been made. The problem was, how was Kate going to talk to Chris, especially with the past they shared?

 

 

Chapter 04

 

Chris Robins...

There was no way that Marie could forget him, especially with the way he looked. He had the form of a jock. His blonde hair, olive skin and sharp jaw did nothing to deter his attractiveness, and that had made him known as one of the hottest guys around the college grounds.

However, that was not why Marie was hesitant to be around him. It was something else entirely that had happened in the past when they were in the same high school.

"Hey," came a voice from her right. She turned, and she felt herself straighten in surprise.

It was sudden. Even though Marie had been expecting it, it had been quick, and she still felt unprepared. Chris had settled himself on Marie's left with the computer designated for the student who had sat there switched on.

"Hi," she replied with an unsure smile before facing the professor at the front as he droned on about printer basics.

Usually, a girl would occupy the space beside her. But then, every I.T student in the class had been grouped according to their projects. The professor had come that morning and advised everyone to sit near his or her partners. And so, in the process, many were dislocated.

Marie, like a few, had found herself situated far from her common spot. She usually sat in the middle where she was close enough to hear Mr. Bernard but not close enough to be suddenly picked to answer a question; it was perfect for her. However, the project had ruined that. She was forced to sit at the back of the class. 

She found it foreign, but she knew she could get used to it. What she was not sure of was getting used to Chris' presence.

Marie eyed his form on her left. Chris was facing the front, and his brown eyes screamed focus. Kate took her time to observe him, realizing that there was no doubt about his good looks. In fact, he seemed to have grown in the past years. His blonde hair had been styled into a spiky haircut that surprisingly worked well for him. The green T-shirt he had worn exposed part of his forearms, showing off the biceps that had increased in volume over time.

Marie found it odd that he had worn the shirt since the room was always air-conditioned.

She suddenly turned away, realizing she had been looking at him for a couple of seconds too long.

'What the hell am I doing?' she thought to herself. She tried to listen to the lecture, but after a while, she gave up. It was hard for her to focus, especially with a certain someone sitting right next to her. She had to think of how to approach him. But then, what would she tell him after years of ignoring him?

"What do you think we should start with?" Chris suddenly asked as he turned to face her. Kate had not been paying attention, and her thoughts seemed to jumble themselves in her brain.

"Uh... What?" she was able to make out. The person facing her furrowed his eyebrows.

"You are right. We should come up with a story first. Then that way, we can--"

"Okay. Okay. What is going on?" Marie asked.

"Class dismissed!" Mr. Bernard announced before Chris could reply, and many students stood up to leave the room.

"So we can agree to come up with stories for our project, right?"

Marie chose to nod her head in agreement.

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

Then Chris proceeded to take off without saying another word. Kate's mind had caught up with his words, and she was going to ask him where they should meet up when he had upped and left. 

'The F?'

Kate was surprised. She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking that her former high school classmate was nervous around her.

'No,' she denied the thought. 'That can't be possible. What does he have to be nervous about?'

With a sigh, she gathered her things and turned to leave the class.

*************** ******************** ********************* *********************** **

The following day had arrived much quicker than Kate had anticipated. She had been dreading meeting up with Chris, but the universe had made the hours feel like minutes. Her class had passed with barely any word exchanged between her and Chris. In fact, their conversations seemed strained.

It was evident that neither wanted to talk to each other.

Marie sighed as she scratched the back of her head. After class, she had made her way towards the campus library. She had situated herself in one of the secluded areas of the building, busy trying to think of a story that she and Chris could use for their project. Nothing was coming to mind, and it made her want to smack her head into the table.

Apart from the project, Kate's class had been given an after-class assignment. Part of it was an essay related to her course, and another part involved reading.

She hadn't even started on either of them.

Marie knew she wasn't in the mood of forming a story, and so she decided to focus on her school work. Just as she was about to type the heading on her small Lenovo laptop, she felt a presence occupy the seat in front of her.

She looked up from the device, and whom she saw made her form tense in surprise. Chris had occupied the space.

"Hi," he greeted as he turned to his bag. He was taking out his own laptop.

Kate was tongue-tied, not knowing how to speak to him. He had surprised her again. She wanted to ask him why he had chosen to sit right in front of her when there were many empty spots in the library.

It had three floors for Pete's sake!

But then, she stopped herself. 

'When are you going to get over this?' she wondered. It was ridiculous for the both of them to keep speaking like strangers who were afraid of each other. They had an assignment that would take them months to complete. It would be time-involving, and if they didn't start on it soon, they would fail and find themselves repeating the semester.

"Have you started on the story?" Marie spoke, and she was surprised to hear the clarity in her voice.

At her question, Chris angled his head to look at her. He had already taken out his laptop and logged into his device.

"I have," he replied, much to Kate's shock. "I just have to make some adjustments to it."

Marie found it hard to nod. She meant for that to be the end of the discussion as she turned to her laptop.

"What about you?" Chris questioned.

"I've got nothing," Kate answered, and that had him furrowing his eyebrows at her.

"Okay... Just don't expect me to do all the work," he said. Marie had been typing on her laptop, making the formats for the essay she would have to type when she heard Chris' words. That forced her to stop and look at him.

His eyes were not even on her as he typed on his device.

"I'm not stupid, you know," she said. That ceased Chris' typing, making him turn to look at her.

"I never said that."

"But the way you said it implied that I am incompetent in doing my own work."

"Wow. Incompetent... Do you even know what that means?" he said with a smirk. 

Marie narrowed her eyebrows at him.

"I'm not the same person I used to be."

Chris snorted. "Says the person who believed that the weekend lasted a month."

She found it unfair. Chris knew about the troubles she had faced in her studies when she was in high school. Having him make fun of her for it just made her furious. It was one of the reasons why she had been avoiding him. He was a constant reminder of her early teen years, and she wanted to put them behind her.

With quick movements, she had placed her laptop into sleep mode. It was when she went to grab her books that Chris noticed the change in the atmosphere.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving," Marie replied as she quickly grabbed her stuff to walk away from him.

"Why? Kate, I was joking," he said.

Marie knew, but she did not want to talk about it.

"Kate--" Chris cut himself off with a sigh.

She did not look back as she headed towards the stairs that led to the ground floor of the library. 

Kate was glad Chris had said those words. It just proved that he would always see her as the thoughtless idiot she used to be.

 

Chapter 05

 

Marie sighed in anger as she made her way towards the campus gates. The morning had turned out to be bad for her, and there was no one to blame but Chris. It had only been minutes since she had seen him, and the comment he had made when they were in the library still echoed in her mind. 

'How dare he?' she thought. Just the memory of it made Kate wish she could have just smacked his face with his own laptop.

Honestly, Marie had never felt that way towards him. They had rarely talked to each other in high school, even though Chris had been a popular jock at that time. Sitting around the same table in the cafeteria had done nothing to change their lack of communication because they always talked to the people around them.

Kate's phone suddenly started ringing in her pocket, disrupting her thoughts. She quickly reached for it to identify the caller.

'Mom,' it read.

"Hey, Mom," Kate greeted as soon as she answered the call.

"Hi, Honey!" her mother greeted back. "Your dad and I were calling to ask how you were doing so far. Is school still treating you okay?"

"Is that Kate?" Kate heard her father shout. He seemed to be a distance away from the phone.

"Hi, Dad," Kate said with a smile. Hearing their voices made her miss them. "You don't have to worry about anything. School is fine. In fact, I just got assigned a project for my semester."

"Oh! That is so excellent! What is it about?" her mother asked.

"Well, you guys know how much I love stuff that include drawings," Kate said. "It's about motion graphics."

There was static heard on the other end.

"You know. That stuff to do with CGI? Like cartoons."

"Seriously? You guys are allowed to do that?" Marie heard her father comment, the volume of his voice indicating that he was close to the phone.

"Well, if that is what you want to do, then go ahead."

"Thanks. Love you guys," Marie said. It was at that moment that she spotted Gwen waving frantically at her.

"Look. I have to go. There is some work I have to catch up on. I'll call you later."

"Okay. Love you!"

Marie smiled before she ended the call. Once she had securely placed her phone, she hurried her steps toward her friend.

"Hey! Did you hear?" Gwen started.

"What?"

"There is a party tonight."

Kate was puzzled.

"On a Tuesday?"

Gwen rolled her eyes before saying: "It will be at a frat house."

Marie was already thinking of ways to decline the invitation.

"Come on," her friend begged. "With what you have picked for your project, who knows when you will be free again?"

Kate sighed, knowing she was right. Also, she had just started her junior year of college. A party sounded like a good distraction from thinking about her project.

"Fine."

******************************* ******************************** ******************

Night had rolled in. Gwen and Marie had left their dorm, and they were on their way to the party. The moon and stars were out, but they were outshone by the light provided by the street lamps that led the path to the university. The party was going to be hosted outside the campus grounds, but not too far for it to be a driving distance.

"Is my hair okay?" Gwen asked, turning her head so that her friend could get a good look at it.

"It's okay," Kate replied. With a sigh, she turned to look around the area. She spotted a couple of people walking towards the same direction as they were, no doubt heading towards the party.

"Look at that ass!" someone hooted. Both Marie and Gwen swiveled their heads to face a group of boys checking them out. One of them was even making hand gestures on how he would squeeze the buns. Kate blushed, whereas Gwen blew a kiss towards them.

Marie eyed her friend.

"What?" she questioned. "They can look, but they aren't going to touch this."

Kate chuckled at her friend.

A couple of minutes later, they found themselves going through a crowd of students that had formed outside a  mansion. Just like many parties they had been to, it was full. Christmas lights were taped outside the residential building. A couple of people were dancing to the music that was blaring from the inside of the house, and then there were the usual couples making out.

"Let's go!" Kate encouraged, and so they both entered the house.

The scene inside was not better. The colorful lights that illuminated the area were not enough of a distraction from the loud music that thumped everywhere. Moreover, the room was packed.

Marie and Gwen pushed past drunk people. Some were dancing in the dining room, albeit in an unsynchronized manner, and others were even close enough to having sex in public with the way they humped against each other.

All in all, it was an energetic yet claustrophobic scene.

'Why do I always go to these?' Marie questioned herself. She had no idea of what to do at first, but Gwen made the choice for them when she pulled her towards the kitchen. It seemed less crowded there for some reason.

"Hey, guys!" Gwen greeted the people in the room. Kate recognized some of them from college. They all responded with incoherent words, no doubt from all the alcohol they had consumed.

Marie was suddenly not feeling the whole party vibe. She was wishing she could be back in her dorm where she could be spending the night watching a couple of 2 Broke Girls episodes.

It would have been fun to watch Caroline pee on herself again.

A cup was suddenly thrust into her vision. She looked to the side, noticing that her friend was the one offering it to her. With a shrug, she took it and drank the contents in one gulp.

"Kate!" Gwen seemed to chastise her, more so because she was shocked.

It was no big deal. Kate had drunk more than a cup of her fair share of alcohol. If Gwen had known the number of times Kate had participated in anything that involved drinking when she was in high school, she would have changed her belief of her being a loner and more of a party freak.

It was even a miracle her kidneys were still working fine.

"Another one," Kate demanded, impersonating DJ Khaled. Gwen did as requested, but when her friend went to gulp it down again, she stopped her.

"Not again. I don't want you falling face first before we even leave the house," she said, and Kate smiled as she pictured the scenario in her mind.

An hour filled with drinks and dancing soon passed. The two found themselves comfortable in the crowd of dancing people, and they lost themselves to the beats of the songs that were played. Moments later, Gwen found herself being led away by a boy she knew from her class. With the way they were locking lips before they had left, one did not need to ask what they were going to do.

Marie found herself alone, but she didn't mind it. It made things better because she wouldn't have to look for her friend if she wanted to leave.

Kate returned into the kitchen. She stood by the island, slowly nursing the drink in her styrofoam cup. Then somebody bumped into her. The cup slipped from her grasp, and the contents went splashing onto the ground.

She turned to confront the person, but when she saw who it was, she didn't even bother to hide her groan. 

"You have got to be kidding me," she said, facing Chris. He looked a bit disoriented, and Kate knew he was a bit drunk.

Or a lot. It was hard to tell because she, too, was drinking.

"We need to talk," he said without wavering.

"I don't want to see you right now," Kate said, going to leave the room. However, a couple of people had flocked around the entrance of the kitchen.

"Um, excuse me? Could you move?" she asked the laughing group of boys, but they either didn't hear or chose to ignore her. It looked as if they were transfixed by something in front of them. Kate continued to call over them, but no one budged. She had no option but to wait in the kitchen where Chris was looking at her.

She gave him a glare.

"I mean it, Kate. We need to talk. It depends on our assigned project."

There was basically no way out of it. The two of them were trapped in the kitchen, so they might as well get done with it.

"Okay," Kate said. "But I doubt we'll be able to hear ourselves in here."

Chris shook his head at her with a sigh before he grabbed her arm. She was startled when he began pulling her away from the room, but she relaxed when they turned to a door that she thought had been locked. It led to a dark hallway. A couple of seconds later, they found themselves in the outside open air where the music wasn't so loud.

The glow from the streetlights was bright enough to illuminate their surroundings. It looked like they were at the back of the mansion.  And surprisingly, there was no one else but the two of them.

"First of all, I would like to apologize for what I said today," Chris started. "Could you forgive me?"

"Wait. First of all?" Marie chose to focus at the beginning of his statement.

"It's just that I don't know how to act around you," he admitted. "I kind of keep expecting the person I used to know when we were still teenagers, but you keep showing me someone else."

Kate understood how he felt. She, too, remembered the girl she used to be when she was in high school. Things had changed since then, and it shocked everyone who knew her.

"It's okay, Chris," she said. "I also feel the same way around you. I don't know what to expect from you now that we are doing the same project."

"Really?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

"Seriously?" Marie stated with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," he replied. "I mean, I haven't changed as much as you."

Kate's eyes did a perusal of his form.

"You have, but it's not that."

She combed her hand through her hair as she contemplated on opening herself to him. Then an idea came to her mind.

"How drunk are you?" she questioned.

"Not too drunk to misunderstand what I am saying," Chris replied.

Kate sighed, knowing there was no way out of her situation.

"Okay. Can I be honest with you?"

"Kate, what is it? You're starting to freak me out," he said with a small smile to hide his sudden anxiety.

"It's just that... You know, since high school..." Marie trailed off.

"What?" Chris wondered out loud.

"Chris, you do remember what happened in high school, right?" she managed to say. 

Kate watched as his expression turned into one she couldn't read.

"What about it?" he asked.

Kate sighed before saying, "That's why."

"Huh? That's why what?" 

"That's why I find it hard to be around you."

"Kate, I am not following," Chris persisted, and it was making her infuriated. The memories Kate was trying to push away were flooding her mind, and with the alcohol running through her system, they made her lose the control she had over her emotions.

"Why are you making me do this?" she asked him, clearly pissed off. "Is it some sick game of yours? Do you really want me to spell it out?"

Chris' eyes had widened at her outburst.

"Kate, what--" 

"I know what I did, okay?" she spat. "I know I wasn't the nicest person to be around with. I know I was a stupid bitch."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Chris exclaimed.

"I was a bully, Chris. How can you forget that?" she replied, moving towards him. "I made fun of people for their appearances and their actions. I picked on them and insulted them. I dumped people's lunches on their heads."

"Kate--"

"You were also bullied for goodness' sake!" she cut him off. "How can you be around someone like me, especially with the last thing that happened?"

Tears had clogged Kate's vision by then. Her form hunched as gut-wretching sobs escaped her lips. She couldn't bear to see Chris' look, believing to know what she would find. Hate. Anger. Disdain. It was what she deserved after everything that she had done.

After a while, she managed to calm herself.

"You're a walking reminder of everything that I did. I find it hard to look at you or even speak to you. I'm sorry about all of that. I'm so sorry about everything."

"I--" Kate's voice wavered before she took a deep breath. "I understand if you want to do the project on your own. I could even change the option I picked--"

"You got it all wrong, Kate," Chris cut her off. It threw her off for a moment, but it didn't take long for her to figure out what he meant.

She looked up at him in confusion. He looked back at her in surprise.

"You barely did those things," he added, causing her to furrow her eyebrows.

"What? Chris, I--"

"I know," he interrupted her. "But you didn't do it a lot of times."

"I don't think it matters how often I did it," she said.

Chris sighed before saying, "You don't remember it the way I do; the way everyone from school does."

"Chris--"

"Do you remember Darcy?"

Kate's form tensed at the mention of the name. 

"How could I forget?" she replied with a bitter smile.

"Don't you remember how she was?"

"The bitch practically had an iron rule over the school," Kate added. "I thought she was my friend."

"She wasn't, Kate," Chris stated. "She was just using you to do her bidding."

"I know, but Chris--"

"You didn't mistreat everyone a lot like she and her other followers did. Kate, she used you during freshman year to gather followers who would do what she said, and she reduced her dependence on you when we were sophomores."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to remember what Chris was saying. The memories played in her mind, and to her shock, she found out he was right.

"Don't you even remember how clueless you used to be?"

"Yeah," she said with a small smile. "But for some reason, Darcy kept me around." 

"Who knows why? But listen. You are not the person you believe you are. Sure, you did some of the things you mentioned, but you had no idea how things would turn out."

Chris moved forward before grabbing her hands. A warm sensation began spreading through her form when his fingers clenched around hers.

"And you didn't bully me. That was the all on the popular boys."

"But what about what happened with Emma--"

"You didn't see it coming. You had nothing to do with it. It wasn't your fault, and you shouldn't take responsibility for what happened that day."

Kate didn't think as she moved forward to him. She wrapped her arms around him, and Chris tensed at the sudden action. He soon relaxed, welcoming the hug. 

"I cannot believe you've been avoiding me all this time because of this," Chris said, rubbing his hand on her back. "I wish I had known sooner."

"So you don't hate me?" Marie asked, momentarily afraid of his answer.

"Of course not," Chris scoffed, and she smiled. "I never did. We are good, Kate."

 

Chapter 06

 

For the first time in years, Kate had an actual conversation with Chris. She had not expected them to talk about the tension between them, but she was glad because they managed to clear it. At least they would be able to carry out their group project.

After the emotional talk at the party, Chris offered to escort Marie back to her dorm. She agreed, and they had walked in silence, not saying a word until he bid her goodnight at her door. They had some stuff to think about away from each other, and it revolved around everything they had said to each other.

Marie believed Chris' words. He was right about her rarely taking part in the bullying, but then, a part of her did not agree with him. She was still responsible, no matter what he said. 

When she was a high school student, Kate had been a very different person. She had not been the knowledgeable person she currently was, and so she had done a lot of stupid stuff. One of those things included being in a sort of friendship with a cheerleader named Darcy. The cheerleader had been what people referred to as the queen bee of the school. Kate could not recall how she had caught Darcy's eyes. What she could remember were the awful acts she had done with her that made her feel ashamed. She had helped Darcy during their first year of high school, and that had helped increase the power she had over the school. And together, they had ruled it.

Like dictators.

At first, Kate had not clicked that she had been in a group that bullied everyone whenever they saw fit. She had also not realized that Darcy wanted her to be in the group because she needed some stupid follower she could control. 

It was at the start of the sophomore year that things started to change. Marie felt more aware of what was happening around her, and it had her doubting her 'friendship' with Darcy when more people were targeted. There was also an addition of a duo in the group that did not help with matters; Chris and his friend Alex, who had been scrawny teenagers the year before, had gained muscle over the summer and transformed into hot guys. Kate thought they would form some kind of rebellion against the control Darcy had over the school, but instead, they joined the same group that bullied them.

Around that time, the bullying had gotten worse, and she had wanted out. Kate came to loathe the times Darcy had her present to watch other kids being mistreated, especially when one unfortunate person had become a target a year later. A new girl, Emma, had just joined the school as a junior. She had looked miserable ever since she entered the school doors. It was obvious that something was very wrong in her life. Nevertheless, Darcy did not hesitate to start mistreating her. She took it further than she had with the others because Emma fought back.

Marie would rather not go into the details, especially with the last thing that had happened to the girl. No one had seen it coming. But then, she didn't have enough time to worry about that. The bullied girl came to seek out revenge. She had looked manic on that day, and when Darcy tried to prove she had control over her, things progressed quickly.

It turned awful.

Kate could still remember the loud screams that had echoed in the school cafeteria. That event was what she and probably anyone who went to her high school referred to as the incident. Nobody from the school wanted to talk about it because it brought unwanted memories everytime it was remembered.

****************** *********************************** ***************** ***********

"Kate!" Gwen called out as she rushed around the dormitory. The sound of thudding footsteps echoed in the dorm room.

Marie groaned as she rose to sit on her bed. Her head was aching like crazy, and she was feeling a bit nauseous.

"Kate!" Gwen yelled again.

"What?" Marie yelled back, and she winced at the volume of her voice. It seemed to intensify her headache.

"We're going to be late!"

Marie groaned before asking: "Isn't it a Saturday?"

A pillow smacked her face, and the force of it was close enough to throw her back onto the bed.

Kate started grumbling, thinking about the ways she could use the pillow to silence her friend for waking her up so early in the morning.

"It's a Wednesday!" her roommate yelled.

'WHAT?' thought Marie. She slowly searched for her phone in her comforters. Once she located it, she unlocked it to read the time.

08:20

She had about forty minutes to get ready before her class would start.

Without a minute to waste, she scrambled towards the bathroom. She tried her best to ignore the pain in her head.

It was a good thing she had not drowned herself in an alcoholic stupor on the previous night or else she would have wasted the minutes left puking her guts out.

It had taken a great effort, but after eighteen minutes had passed, Marie had finished preparing for the day. Her head was still aching, so she went and swallowed a couple of ibuprofen pills.

'I am never drinking again on a weekday,' she vowed, knowing that she might not keep her word.

"Gwen?" she called out, but when she heard no reply, she realized her roommate had already left without telling her.

Kate considered having a quick breakfast outside. She believed that to be wise, and so she quickly locked and left her dorm.

*************** ************************** **************************** ************

A couple of minutes were remaining before Kate's class would start. Marie threw her empty cup of coffee into the hallway trash bin as she made her way through the packed hallway. There were many students who were rushing to head toward their classes. They were late, no doubt from having spent the night at the frat party.

Kate thrust herself into her class. Fortunately for her, the lecturer hadn't arrived yet. She moved towards her new spot in the class, and she almost tripped on her feet when she saw who had arrived.

Chris was present, and he was busy working on the computer designated for his seat. He looked well-dressed with his black cotton shirt like he hadn't been at a party hours ago.

Marie was, yet again, unsure of what to do. Sure, they had talked on the previous night, and Chris had even walked her back to her dorm. Did that mean they could talk normally to each other? And if it did, what would she even say to him?

Kate approached her seat. As she was moving toward it, Chris turned to face her.

"Good morning to you too," he said with a smile. "How did you wake up?"

Kate was surprised by the calmness radiating off of Chris. Usually, they would barely say anything to each other unless they had to. Chris was acting differently toward her...

Kate knew that Chris recalled the conversation they had on the previous night. She also knew that he had to ponder over what she had told him. But then, why was he talking to her as if they hadn't avoided each other for two years?

"Not so well," she decided to reply. She settled herself in her seat, but then she turned to face Chris in befuddlement.

"How are you even awake right now? Don't you have a headache?" 

"Please," Chris said, bragging. "I'm used to it."

"Good morning, cla--" Mr. Bernard was in the process of introducing himself, but he stopped himself short once he saw the state of the room. Only six students were present, and that included Chris and Kate.

"Does anyone know what happened to the rest?" the professor asked. Everyone who was in the room remained silent.

"Fine. I had an important item to discuss with all of you today, but since most of you are absent, I'd rather we talk about it at a later time. Class dismissed."

A moment of silence passed in the room as the people wondered if they had heard their lecturer right.

"Is he serious?" someone asked in a whisper, but it echoed in the room.

"Yes, I'm serious," Mr. Bernard replied. "You are all dismissed. Might as well take this time to focus on something productive."

Everyone stood up with their stationery, ready to leave the class.

"Hey, Marie," Chris called out. "Can we go to the library? We could discuss our project there."

Kate was thinking about lying to him. But then, she knew it wouldn't be nice to push him away. She had to be fond of him for the sake of their assignment.

"Okay," she replied.

Chris switched off his PC before turning to the exit. Marie followed suit, and she found herself following him to the library.

The library was another building by itself. It was a short walk from Kate's IT building. It was large, and it housed all the books and sources that students needed for their courses. It even had a cyber section for all things related to the Internet.

Chris and Kate found themselves walking into the gray-painted structure. Once they had checked in, they headed towards a secluded area at the back.

"Did you bring your laptop today?" Chris questioned.

"No," Marie replied. "I didn't have enough time to pack it."

They both made their way towards a mahogany table that was hidden behind a large shelf filled with books. Leather seats were arranged on each side of it.

Once Chris and Kate had made themselves comfortable, they both settled into work.

"So, I have been thinking about the story we could use," Chris started. "What if we make it into one of the medieval time books?"

Marie blinked at Chris before saying: "What?"

Chris looked cautious as he continued: "Well, what about a kingdom of kingdoms?"

"An empire?"

"... Yes. But for the story, I was thinking of having a main king who rules over the others, and the others get greedy for his spot. So--"

"So the kings try to take over as the main ruler, right?" Kate cut Chris off.

"... Yes. How did you know?" Chris looked surprised.

"You are basically quoting Game of Thrones."

He blinked at Kate before asking: "What?"

It was Marie's turn to look astonished.

"Wait. You don't know Game of Thrones?"

"No, I don't," Chris replied.

"How? Dude, everyone knows Game of Thrones!"

"Oh! Now I remember what it is about. I just don't watch it."

Marie frowned at the reply she received.

"You do not know what you are missing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Chris said, motioning for a change of subject. Kate wasn't having it.

"It has everything a guy likes! Magic, fights, boobs, war, blood... Boobs."

"So you think that guys watch TV shows which fully expose a girl's breasts?" Chris said with a smile, arching an eyebrow.

"You don't?"

"Oh, I do," he replied. "I'm a guy, aren't I?"

Kate found herself rolling her eyes at him.

"So, what about you? What story ideas have you come up with?"

Marie was nervous about her reply.

"Well, I was thinking about making the theme African."

Chris did not reply, and so she continued: "Like, we can base a story from an African tribe."

"What?"

"We can agree it is something that has rarely been done. Think about it!"

"What about The Lion King?"

"That involves animals. My story would involve human characters, and trust me when I say that it is hard to get the materials for such a story. Question is: what will be the elements for this?"

Chris looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I think we can work with that. Do you have anything for it?"

Marie sighed before saying: "I'm still working on it. It is a bit hard. I don't have a lot of sources I can use."

"Hmm. We can discuss the story later. For now, let's focus on the animation type."

That was something that was on Marie's mind. She knew how to draw people and everyday items, and so she had no problem about doing them in the regular 2D animation. However, a year before she had even joined college, she had discovered 3D art.

It had always amazed her, especially with the details in all the 3D models she found posted online. That had urged her to start learning how to turn drawings into their third-dimensional formats.

The activity had turned into a private hobby.

At times, the results were not that excellent. But with a lot of effort and practice, they turned out well. She had even learned to manipulate the positions and shapes of 3D objects, and it helped her know how to animate them in 3D.

"Because I was thinking 3D," Chris said when Marie did not reply. At his voice, she turned to face him.

"What did you say?" said Kate.

"Um, 3D? Look, it's okay if you aren't--"

Chris cut himself off when he saw the smile on Kate's face.

"Yes, Chris. We'll do it in 3D."

Chris furrowed his eyebrows at her before asking, "What? Really?"

"Yeah, I don't mind."

He remained silent, eyeing Marie in disbelief.

"You do know that I'm having a hard time believing what you are saying, right?" he confessed, earning a bored look from Kate. "Which programs are you familiar with?"

"Blender and Z-Brush."

"Really?" said an amazed Chris. "You know about Z-Brush?"

"Of course, I do! It's my favorite modeling software, even if it can mess me up at times, especially with the zspheres." Marie grumbled.

Chris grinned in excitement.

"Well, that settles it. We'll do it in 3D."

 

Chapter 07

"You can go now," Mr. Bernard said. The students in the room swiftly rose up as they took their books with them. 

It was the end of another class. Marie was unsure about what she would do afterward. She had barely begun on her project, and she didn't know if Chris was free to discuss it with her.

She turned to face him, only to realize he had already left his seat. She looked up, but she didn't see him among any of the leaving students.

'Huh,' she thought, rising to leave the class. He must have left before she could talk to him.

Seconds later, Kate found herself walking along the hallway. She was browsing her phone for messages while she looked around for Chris. She didn't spot him, and her multitasking had her bump into someone. 

"Alex?" she called out in surprise once she noticed who it was. 

"Hey, Kate," he replied, slightly disturbing his crew cut with his fingers. His body language showed he was nervous.

Alex was Chris' friend. They both shared the same height that ranged around six feet. His features consisted of black hair, entrancing blue eyes and a defined jaw on his square face. He was also muscular in form, and all that accounted as to why he was considered attractive by most of the female population in the university. Unlike Kate, Alex was a senior pursuing a Business degree in the university.

"Can we talk?" he asked with a serious expression.

"Sure," she replied. He turned, and she followed him. The two passed a couple of classes until they reached one that was unoccupied. Once Marie had entered the room, Alex turned to close the door.

Kate's nerves got the better of her when she realized she was talking to Alex. Just like she had done with Chris, Kate had been avoiding him. It was much easier for her to do so because his classes were in another building on the campus grounds. She could even count the number of times she saw him in every semester so far, and they were usually at the college parties.

It made her wonder why he wanted to speak to her.

"I talked to Chris," he said, and that had Kate confused. "He mentioned you and what had happened in high school."

'Oh,' Kate thought. It dawned on her that he knew what she had told Chris.

"I can't believe he told you," she complained.

"We're friends. Of course, he did," Alex said with a smile that lasted a second. "I hope you're still not bugging yourself with it."

"It's not that easy, Alex," she decided to be honest.

"But it should be," he told her. 

Marie sighed. "It doesn't change anything. A part of me still feels responsible for everything."

Alex went to say something, but he decided to keep quiet.

"What?" she inquired.

"You are right," he replied. "I can't lie and say you did nothing wrong. Even I am responsible for it, whether we like it or not."

Kate sighed, letting Alex's words dawn on her.

"I won't go through some of the stuff that I know you talked with Chris. Yes, shit happened when we were still teenagers. Yes, we did nothing to stop it. But Kate, we were teenagers at that time. We were still kids."

"But we could have done something to stop it."

Alex sighed.

"We were all cowards. Tell me, Kate, would you have stood up to Darcy?"

Kate hesitated to answer.

"No, and I would have done the same thing," he answered for her. "You and I know the kind of hell she could have brought onto us." 

Alex shuddered.

"But on a serious note, why are you still bothering yourself with it?" he asked, puzzled. Kate's expression showed she was surprised by the question.

"It happened years ago, Kate," he continued, not giving her a chance to speak. "Do you think that anyone we know is bothering themselves with it?"

"Alex--"

"The answer is no. No one is bothering themselves with it. Don't you remember what happened after the whole incident with Emma?"

Kate was unsure of how to reply.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you were at the hospital. I'm surprised it took you a lot of time to recover," he said, and she tensed. She hoped he wouldn't ask about that.

"But anyway, things changed. The school was in the center of the media's attention that lasted for months. You know how that ended."

Kate remembered reading that on the news.  People found out about the bullying and how ignorant the teachers were towards it. The students had already begun transferring to other schools, and that was before the learning institution got shut down.

"No one wants to remember the events of that day. No one wants to associate themselves with it. We all want a fresh start, just like you, Chris and me. That's why I'm studying here in the first place."

"So, yes. There is no one to blame but everyone who was there. We all played a part in it, and we did nothing to stop it. It's our fault as much as it is yours. So, let it go."

"I understand, Alex," she said. "But don't you hate me? I mean, I was there when Darcy started bullying everyone in high school."

"To be honest, I did. So did Chris."

Kate nodded, not feeling surprised by the answer.

"But we watched you, and you helped us figure that we couldn't hate you anymore."

"Huh?" Kate replied. "How? I don't understand."

"You showed us a side of you we didn't know exists. At first, we thought you would be a bitch like Darcy."

"What?" Kate screeched, taking offense.

"But you proved you are actually a nice person. Also, it is pointless to hold a grudge against someone who barely understood what was happening in the past. You do remember how you were in the past, right?"

"How could I forget?" Kate drawled out. Alex smiled at that.

"My main point is that we are in college now, and college means new beginnings. We are preparing ourselves for what the future has in store for us. Keeping ourselves stuck in the past will make that impossible. So I'm asking you again, Kate, to stop thinking about it. It was solved a long time ago. Do not let it define the last years of college that you have here."

Marie's heart swelled with every word that came from Alex's mouth. She had not known him to be quite a motivational speaker. 

"You are right, Alex," Marie said, and he smiled. "Chris kind of told me the same thing. But it's just that seeing the two of you here..."

She sighed before saying: "I worried that you guys would come after me. I know it may feel too late to ask this, but do you forgive me for all--"

"There is nothing to forgive," Alex cut her off, making her frown.

"But you guys were bullied, and that incident--"

She was cut off by a hug from him. She released a sigh as she relaxed in his hold, already knowing the answer to her question. 

"You didn't have a role in all of that, even though you were friends with Darcy. I have nothing to hold against you, so there is no need to apologize," Alex said, and Marie sighed in relief.

"Well then, it's been great," he said with a grin, ending the hug with a pat on her back. "I knew I had to see you. I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too," Kate replied.

"Now if you will excuse me, I have a class to go to. Catch you later?"

"Sure," Marie replied with a smile. Neither of them made a move to exit the room.

"Aren't you going out?" she asked, confused. Alex grinned.

"This is my class," he said just as a girl entered the room. She turned, spotting the two of them, and that had her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh. Okay," Kate blushed, rushing to leave the class. 

She walked on the hallway floors, feeling lighter after the chat with Alex. For a moment, she had no idea of where to head to next. Then she remembered her group project with Chris, and that had her turning towards the direction of the library.

It took her a couple of minutes to reach her destination, and it took her another one to settle at her usually secluded spot.

Well, it had been secluded at one point. Chris had started occupying the space ever since he had been assigned to do the project with her. Kate had been wary at the beginning, but as time passed, she found herself growing fond of him.

"Hey!" he greeted, and Marie replied with a bored look.

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Alex wanted to talk to me?" she said as she occupied her seat in front of him.

Chris was surprised. "Already? Wow. I didn't expect that."

"Chris!" Kate chastised him.

"Okay, okay," he said. "He told me he wanted to see you. I thought it would be today, and so I didn't tell you anything in case you planned to avoid him again."

Marie kept giving Chris her bored look.

"Why? Did he flirt with you? Did he touch you inappropriately?"

Kate rolled her eyes at him. "I have known that friend of yours since high school. Believe me when I say I am not interested."

Chris looked more confused.

"Really? Did you notice the hair? The eyes? His muscular form?"

Marie eyed him with doubt in her eyes.

"Are you sure you are not gay for your friend?" she questioned, and the look Chris gave her in reply made her want to laugh.

"Kate, did he try anything?" Chris asked again.

"No, Chris, he didn't. We got to talk about stuff."

"Do you regret having seen him?"

Marie took her time to reply. "Actually, no. He helped me see the past in a way I hadn't before. I am glad about it."

"What did he tell you exactly?" Chris asked.

"Something about letting go of the past," she answered. "And Chris, do you forgive me for bullying you in high school?"

Chris looked at her as if she had asked a stupid question.

"I am over it. I forgive you. Didn't you get this after the talk we had on that party?"

Kate grinned. Then she turned her attention to the project they had to do.

 

Chapter 08

 

The days passed like a chicken laying an egg. Before anyone could tell, the month of October had reached.

Marie was among those who were taken aback by how fast time had flown. At the pace things were going, she wouldn't be surprised if she found herself graduating.

Anyway, something important had happened in the weeks that had passed. Kate had cleared the air between her, Alex and Chris. It was a big deal because it meant the end of the silence that had lasted between them. It made things easier for Marie since she could approach them without having to ignore them.

Moreover, the assignment that she had to do with Chris had brought them closer. Marie had not expected a friendship to grow out of that, but it did. They got to know each other, and they liked what they found out. 

It had definitely been a weird month for Kate.

"So, class, this..." Marie zoned out of her lecture once again. It had been something that had been taught before, so she saw there was no need to listen to it. She turned her head to the left, spotting Chris focused on something below him. Kate looked down, and that was when she saw the phone he was using.

"Are you looking at my texts?" Chris asked, and Marie was amazed he could see her. His eyes were zeroed in on his phone, so it was confusing to comprehend how he had spotted her.

"No," she replied. "Wait. You're texting? I couldn't tell from the slow movements of your fingers."

Marie spotted Chris smiling, and she wondered whether it was from the notification ping that had sounded from his phone or from her words.

Minutes later, the class ended.

"Kate! Chris! May I have a word?" the professor said.

"Crap," Chris muttered under his voice, and it made Marie smile. The two of them made their way to the lecturer.

"How is your project coming along?"

"It's going great, Mr. Bernard. We have already designed the plot for the film. At the moment, we are focusing on the characters and elements of the story."

"Well, that is very good," Mr. Bernard replied in amazement. "You didn't beat about the bush with the story. Just remember to keep it interesting and not a cliché, okay?"

"Of course," Kate replied. The professor nodded, allowing the two of them to leave the room.

"What are you up to this afternoon?" Chris asked Marie as they made their way out.

"Nothing much, really," Kate replied. "I was thinking of getting something to eat before I go back to my dorm to watch a movie."

"I was just about to ask you out to lunch," Chris explained, and Kate stopped and stared at him with wide eyes.

Her friend's eyes widened in recognition, realizing how he had said that statement.

"Oh, no! Not like that."

"You don't think I'm pretty?" Kate decided to play with him.

"It's not that," Chris replied, looking really concerned.

"Relax, Chris. I was just playing with you," she said, grinning at him. He gave her a bored look in return.

"I want us to go out as friends," Chris stated.

Kate sighed. "I don't know. We just cleared the air between us, like, weeks ago. And suddenly, we are going out to eat together."

"So?" Chris wondered. "It's just lunch. We are friends now, aren't we?"

"We are."

"Then that settles it. Let's go."

Marie thought they would walk, but she was surprised when Chris grabbed her hand and started leading her toward the college parking lot.

"You own a car?" she voiced out.

"Of course I do," Chris furrowed his eyebrows at her. "I thought you knew!"

"But I didn't," Kate said just as they stopped by a white Mercedes.

 

"Wait. Is this your car?" she asked him, shocked.

"Ah, yeah," Chris said, scratching the back of his head. He looked a bit flustered, and Kate wondered why. She could not recall ever seeing him flustered.

"Is it too flashy?" he proceeded to ask.

"Oh, no. But even if it was, I wouldn't mind," Kate replied, meaning every word. "As long as it gets us to a place where we can eat before my stomach eats itself."

Chris looked relieved, and so he gently led Marie to the passenger's side of the car. He unlocked the door, revealing the shotgun seat.

Marie entered, situating herself onto the comfortable leather. Chris closed the door for her before heading towards his side of the car. Once he had settled himself, he started the engine before taking off from the university.

************** ********************************************************** *********

Kate and Chris found themselves in the parking lot of a Wendy's restaurant a couple of minutes later. Chris led his friend out of the car after turning it off. They both headed towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Kate opened the tinted glass doors, and she was immediately greeted by the aroma of delicious fast food. The spacious area had only been occupied by a countable number of customers, and Marie was glad she wouldn't have to wait long.

She and Chris headed towards a booth that was close to a window. They quickly settled themselves, and a server followed to ask their orders.

Chris had ordered a large helping of French fries and chicken. Marie did the same, but with the addition of a beef burger.

"What?" she said when she spotted Chris looking at her in surprise. "I'm hungry!"

"I didn't say anything," he replied with a smile just as the waiter left them.

"But why are you smiling?" Kate asked him. "It's a bit... I don't know, weird?"

"It's just... in the past weeks, I've come to realize you are completely different from the person you used to be."

Chris' words made Kate feel an emotion she couldn't decipher. She did not know how to reply to his words, but they were making her thoughts run a mile a minute. It made her feel pleased.

"Are you blushing?" Chris teased her. Marie had not known that, but when Chris had asked, she acknowledged a heating sensation on her cheeks.

'Oh my goodness. I am blushing,' Marie thought, and she felt horrified. Chris started chuckling, and that made her cheeks turn even redder.

"Oh, will you sh-shut up?" Marie stuttered. Chris didn't. In fact, he started laughing.

"You know you look cute when you blush, right?" he asked her, and that had Kate blushing all over again.

"Stop it," she said. "You don't know what you are saying."

"Oh, but I do, Kate," Chris said, a heated look in his eyes. "You have gorgeous hair, beautiful brown eyes, and don't even get me started on those large--"

"Chris!" Marie chastised him. He was not helping matters with the words he was saying.

"I was going to say 'eyes'," Chris corrected Marie with a smirk. "You thought I was going to say something else? Why, Kate, I didn't know you had quite the dirty mind."

His words just made her narrow her eyes at him. Chris just winked, barely even affected by the look he was receiving. The guy was lucky they were in public or else he would have received a pinch on his arm.

"Here you go," a waiter returned with a tray full of food. He divided the food between the two.

"Let's dig in," Chris said, and without wasting another second, they both delved into their foods.

****************************** ****************************** *********************

After their lunch at Wendy's, Chris and Kate went back to the car. 

"You know, we could go over our ideas for the short film again," he suggested as he drove them back to the campus.

"Okay," Marie accepted, "but I don't have my laptop with me."

"We could always go to the library," Chris said.

"Sure. What the heck," Kate said.

Minutes later, the two had entered the university grounds. They had parked the car near the library before they started walking to the entrance of the building.

'CLOSED FOR REPAIRS', read the sign posted on the closed doors of the building.

"What repairs?" Chris asked. "I don't think books need repairs."

"Oh, I think I know what it's about," Kate said. "Gwen told me something about a couple of clogged toilets and how there was shit--"

"I get your point," Chris interrupted, grimacing at the picture she painted in his mind. "So, where can we go?"

"How about my place?" Kate suggested. Chris nodded, and so they got into his car before driving to her dorm.

"This is where you live?" he asked once they had parked outside her residential building.

"Yes. I even have a roommate."

Marie and Chris were approaching her dorm room, but when they were a few feet from reaching the door, certain sounds ceased their movements.

"Oh, yes! Harder!" Marie could not mistake Gwen's moans. They were followed by deep groans of a guy in the dorm, much to her displeasure.

'What if she's doing it in my bed?' she wondered in horror.

"Looks like that roommate of yours sounds occupied," Chris stated with a smirk.

"I was not expecting this," Kate confessed, turning to look at him. "I don't think we can go anywhere else. Maybe the campus park, but then if the weather changes..."

"Kate, you don't have to ask twice. We can go to my place," Chris cut her off. She eyed him in disbelief.

It had only been hours since they had gone out to eat. It was their first time as project partners spending time outside the university. Kate thought that going to his place would be too soon.

"You are kidding," she said.

"I'm not," he replied with a shrug. "It's either that or the park, and you know how noisy it can get there."

'Going to Chris' house?' she thought.

"Isn't there like some waiting period before I get to see your house?" Marie voiced out. Chris looked at her in disbelief.

"Ooh!" Gwen moaned out loud. "Yes! Yes! YES!"

"Well, that settles it. Lead the way," Kate said, quickly walking away from her dorm. Chris laughed as he followed her.

It did not take long for the two to reach his apartment. In fact, it had been a thirteen-minute drive from the campus grounds.

The two had driven through a neighborhood of detached houses. They all looked the same, especially with the two-floor design and the red bricks they had as walls. Kate also noticed the ample space outside the houses that were occupied by green lawns. The only thing that could distinguish each house were the numbers placed on the doors. There were very few houses that had gates and fences installed, and it puzzled her.

"You live around here?" Marie questioned. 

"Yep," Chris replied, turning the car into the driveway. In front of them was the garage door. He opened the compartment box, taking out a small remote that he used to automatically open the door.

"By the way, why does your house lack fences like the others we passed?" Kate asked as they entered the garage.

"Kate, the neighborhood is close to the university. Most of the people who live around here are students just like you and me."

"Oh."

"Besides, the only ones who have to be wary are those who live in the expensive apartments fifteen minutes from here," he said as switched off the car before helping her out of the vehicle.

It was dark in the room. Kate heard Chris walk around the area, and seconds later, light filled the place. The walls in the garage were blue, and apart from the car, a few boxes had occupied the space. 

"Should we be expecting someone? You know, like any roommates?" Kate asked as she watched Chris head towards the door on the side.

"No," he replied, taking out a bunch of keys to unlock it. "I live here alone."

The interior of the house was much different from the exterior. Smooth, yellow-green walls met Kate's view. A few feet from where she stood was a large dining/entertainment area. She could spot a large flat-screen TV placed against the wall far in front of her. The floors were ceramic, and looking at them made Marie remove her shoes so that she could feel the texture underneath her feet. It also provided her with a cooling effect due to the autumn season being experienced in the area.

"You live here alone?" Kate couldn't help but express her shock. "Look at this place!"

She went towards the dining room, and that was where she spotted the two, large black couches placed near the walls. A table had been placed in-between them, and it was decorated with a floral-patterned sheet.

On her right was the kitchen. Marie could spot a large grey fridge located on the side. Other electronics like the microwave and mixer were placed on an island that was centered in the middle of the room.

"How many bedrooms?" she asked.

"Two," Chris replied.

"You lucky..." Marie trailed off, suddenly wishing she had been living in such a place. It could have been quite advantageous for her in terms of silence and space.

"Yes, I am lucky," Chris smirked. "But honestly, the house is not mine. One of my uncles used to live here, but after he retired, he offered this place to me."

"What?"

"He used to be a lecturer in TUCD."

"Oh," Kate commented.

"But what about you?" Chris could not help but ask. "I thought you were living in a luxurious apartment near the college for the past years. Why did you settle for the university dorms? I thought your parents are still rich."

"They are, but I chose to live in the university dorms," she replied.

She received a weird look before being asked: "Why?"

"You remember how I was in high school?"

"You mean when you couldn't distinguish vinegar from water?" Chris said with a raised eyebrow, earning a punch on the shoulder from Kate.

"It wasn't funny. I could have died," Kate said, shivering at the memory. "Anyway, I realized I was dependent on the people around me. I had looked up to Darcy and my parents to lead my life. I couldn't do stuff on my own," Kate moved a strand of her hair that had fallen in her view. "So I decided that if I were to join college, I would do it my way. I planned to find myself and to learn how to deal with problems on my own, you know?"

"Oh," Chris replied. "So it's like you're training for adulthood?"

"Yep," Kate confirmed,

"I didn't expect that as an answer."

"Why?" she chuckled. "Because you thought I would still be completely living off my parents' earnings?"

"Do you want the truth?" Chris asked, earning another punch on his shoulder.

"What you said hadn't even reached my mind," he continued. "I thought you were here because the other colleges denied your applications."

"Hey!" Marie frowned.

"I don't mean to insult you. It's just that everyone in high school always saw you as the stupid girl who could barely add the hundreds."

"I could have added that. I could have even added the tens."

"Uh huh," Chris doubted. "But that's not my point. What I'm trying to say is that you changed, Kate. You have come from barely understanding what a computer is to learning about it in college. You are even doing a motion graphics project with me. It's shocking, but then it also shows there is hope for people who believe they cannot amount to anything in life."

Kate felt her heart pound at Chris' words. She was feeling the same good emotion that she had felt when he had complimented her earlier.

"Wow. Thanks, Chris," Marie said softly with a smile. 

He looked back at her, and the look in his eyes showed an emotion she could not decipher.

"So, should we get started?" he asked, changing the subject.

 

Chapter 09

 

The hallway was already bustling with students as Marie made her way towards the exit of the building. Her IT class had ended, and she was happy to back to her dorm to catch up on some series.

She took out her phone, intending to call Gwen when she appeared in her view.

"Hey! Are you busy right now?" she asked her. Before Marie could even reply, her hand was grabbed, and Gwen started pulling her towards the exit of the building.

"Watch the nails! Watch the nails!" Kate repeated, referring to her friend's nail extensions that had been digging into her skin.

"Sorry," Gwen apologized. Kate looked at her hand, and she was glad there was no blood drawn.  "I just wanted to talk to you. There's another party tomorrow--"

"No," Kate cut her off. Gwen chose to scrunch her eyebrows, trying to make a cute face.

"You look like you're having difficulties taking a shit," Kate replied, and that had her friend eyeing her in boredom.

"Come on! It's going to be huge."

"No."

"Kate--"

"You know what happened the last time I went to a party on a school night."

"Please?" Gwen begged.

"No," Kate replied. "I can't afford to be late again for class. Besides, I have plans with Chris."

Gwen went to beg again, but at the mention of Kate's new friend, she stopped. Her lips pulled into a smirk.

"What is that look for?" Kate asked. "Are you coming up with something? You're acting really weird today."

"Oh, now I understand," Gwen continued to smirk. "Chris, huh?"

Marie furrowed her eyebrows at her friend. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," she started nodding at that point with her eyebrows jumping.

It took Kate some time to get what her friend was saying, but once she did, her eyes widened.

"Oh, no. No! It's not like that."

Marie could deny it all she wanted, but Gwen suspected something was happening between her and Chris. 

"Mm-hmm," Gwen hummed. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything. I hear he's good in bed, so I'm glad you're tapping his fine ass."

Without waiting for Marie to reply, she turned to head back to the university.

"What? Gwen, it's not like that! I haven't tapped anything. I'm still a freaking virgin!"

Shocked gasps were heard around the area, and that made Marie actually acknowledge the people around her. Almost everyone was looking at her at that point.

'Oh crap,' she thought. 'Where the hell did they come from?'

"You heard nothing!" she yelled, running towards the doors.

************************* ***************************** ************************** *

Marie had made it back to her dorm room. Fortunately for her, Gwen was not around to tease her further about Chris.

'Huh, Chris. That would be strange.'

Sure, she used to have a small crush on him when she was in high school. But that was just what it was: a crush. They were adults now, and there was nothing between them to explore.

However, Marie's thoughts betrayed her as they decided to take a different direction. She remembered Chris' transformation from his nerdy self to his brawny form. It had been a surprise to her and everyone else in the school.

Not that Kate didn't find him attractive before the change.

His body features had changed, and the growth displayed on his face made him look intense.

'Oh, no,' Marie chastised herself. No way was she planning to think about Chris that way. She found the thoughts she was having about him to be strange. They had just become friends, and thinking about him like that felt wrong.

She turned to focus on the blank page in her drawing book. She had a pencil in her hand, but then she was not sure of what to draw.

She was stuck.

Weeks earlier, she and Chris had agreed on her African theme. They had even sought help from some people they knew in the Literature, Drama and Art departments. The story was polished into something that did not sound like a cliche, and Kate couldn't wait to put it in picture. However, one of the hard parts of making the short film was figuring out the appearance of the characters. 

Kate had been drawing lines on the paper when her phone rang. Marie thanked the universe for the distraction from her lack of creativity.

"Hello?" she answered without checking the caller ID.

"Hi," Chris' voice sounded through the phone, and Kate found herself smiling. "Where are you?"

"At my dorm," she replied, still smiling. "I'm thinking of starting on that essay we were given today."

"Oh. Okay," he said. "Look. I know we had plans, but something came up."

"Oh?" Kate tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Alex came to me and complained that I don't spend a lot of time with him anymore. He even pulled out the I'm-a-senior card. Can you believe the guy?"

Kate chuckled.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said, still smiling. "Have fun together. Make sure to also greet him for me."

"'Sure will. So, anyway, you're a virgin?"

Marie's smile disappeared before she groaned.

"Who told you that?"

"A couple of guys heard you yell it out as if it was an important announcement before you ran away like a maniac."

Kate groaned again, rubbing her forehead with her head bowed.

"Why does this happen to me?"

"You? What about me? I'm the one shocked here. Why the hell did you even yell it in the first place? And again, you're still a virgin?"

"I didn't mean to yell it out. I was talking to my roommate, and she forced it out of me."

"Your roommate forced you to yell that you have never had sex?" Kate could hear the smile as Chris spoke, and it caused her to sigh.

"She thought I was having sex with you when I told her that. And did you actually call to discuss matters involving my reproductive system?"

"Kate, it's okay to call it your vagina. "

"Chris!"

"What? It's not like I said  something crude like 'pussy'."

"Oh my goodness," Kate said, shaking her bowed head in disbelief. 

"You're blushing, aren't you?"

"... No," Kate had paused a second too long to reply. "But let's talk about the project. I'm stuck, Chris. I have no idea of what to draw--"

"That can wait. Now, back to what you so boldly exposed today."

"Chris!" Kate exclaimed, feeling a blush overcome her cheeks.

"Honestly, I'm surprised. I mean, how are you still a virgin? I saw you making out with the popular guys when we were in high school!"

"So what do you suggest we do about the characters?"

"You can't change the topic," Chris was onto her. "And if you think about ending the call right now, I will come with Alex, and we will tell you a lot of dirty stuff that will leave you blushing for a month."

"I can handle it," Kate said.

"We could even bring sex toys for in-depth explanations."

"Dammit!" Kate cursed. "Are you really going to force me to talk about this? I already feel bad that everyone knows."

"Yes, I am. Now spill, woman!"

Kate chuckled before she said: "Okay. For some weird reason, this seems like a big deal to you. It should be private."

"It became public information the moment you yelled it out, remember?"

"Fine. Yes, I'm still a virgin. Yes, I made out with guys. But Chris, that was just what it was. Making out. I didn't let anyone get further than that."

"... Seriously?"

"Well, there was this one time I went down on--"

"Okay," Chris cut her off. "I get the picture."

"What? Are you suddenly feeling shy?"

"Nope. It's a turn-off to hear about a guy getting a blow--"

"It ended badly for me," Kate cut him off. "And I'm glad it was like that. If I were to have sex, I'd rather it be with someone I trust and love."

"Oh," Chris commented in disappointment. "That was surprisingly cheesy."

"Please don't tell anyone," Kate pleaded.

"Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Your secrets are safe with me. Besides, this thing will blow over in a few days."

"Really? How?"

"I have my ways."

"Oh, thank you, Chris."

"You're welcome," he spoke just as a knock sounded through the phone. "Oh, fuck. Alex is here. Can we talk later?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Bye."

The call ended at that point. 

"Now, what to do with you..." Marie trailed off as she turned to her drawing book.

********************* ************************************** **********************

"Kate? Are you in here?" Gwen called out as she entered the room. She turned to the side, and that was when she spotted her sprawled on her bed in slumber.

"You're still asleep?" she called out, making her friend groan. "What did you do?"

"Gwen, will you please shut up and let me sleep?" Marie grumbled.

"No," she replied, sitting on the unoccupied bed space. "I want to know why you are still in bed. I went to a party last night. I should be the one too tired to even talk, but here we are."

Gwen looked at Kate, seeing she had dozed off. She rolled her eyes, going to wake her friend again, but a text message notification stopped her. She turned to her friend's phone, and what she saw made her smile.

'Hey! Just wondering if you are free today. We could meet up to discuss the project.'

Gwen saw the message was from Chris. She shook her head with a smirk, realizing she had no need to bother Kate. Seeing the message was enough for her.

Without a word, she walked to her bedroom and closed the door. 

 

Chapter 10

 

"I'll be out for a while!" Kate yelled, observing her form in the bathroom mirror as she bunched her hair into a ponytail. Her roommate, Gwen, was heard groaning from her bedroom.

"Why are you up this early?" she grumbled. 

Kate rolled her eyes before replying, "It's cool right now."

She had worn a pink tank top with a pair of gray workout leggings that reached her ankles. Her sneakers squeaked with each step as she prepared to head out in the early Saturday morning.

"See you later," Marie said as she went towards the door. With quick steps, she walked down the stairs until she reached the ground floor. Then she proceeded to walk for a couple of minutes before taking off in a run.

It had been weeks since Kate had exercised. She was hardly getting enough time to do that because her project was costing her time away from class. To be specific, she was still stuck on the drawings for the characters of her short film.

It was going to take quite some time, and it made her doubt ever picking her choice for the project.

Marie shook the thoughts off, deciding to focus on the environs around her. Because it was early, there was a comforting silence. There was also a cool breeze in the area that raised goosebumps on Kate's arms. The sun was on its course to rising, illuminating everything hidden in her path.

Kate preferred to run around the campus grounds very early in the morning because it provided her with some privacy. She was not willing to do it when the sun had fully risen. People, especially the male population in the campus, would stare at her with hungry gazes. She would even catch some staring at her butt or boobs, or both, and it made her wary of being outdoors. 

She did not like the attention. She just wanted some alone time away from people, especially those who would look at her like a piece of meat.

Marie sighed, picking up her pace. She continued running around the campus for more than ten minutes. By then, her form was getting covered in sweat. She had started breathing through her mouth. Her feet had begun to protest every time they hit the ground, and she knew she would have to run back to her dorm to rest soon. It wasn't good for her to keep pushing herself, especially when she would need her legs to work once the weekend ended.

"Kate!" she heard someone shout her name behind her. She stopped running and turned, glad about the momentary rest. To her surprise, she spotted Chris heading toward her.

"Hey. I didn't know you run," Chris commented once he was in front of her. He was panting with his hands on his knees, staring up at Kate. A green, wet tanktop was hanging off his torso. It was sleeveless, and so it showed off the perfect bulging muscles in his arms. He had also worn a pair of tracksuit shorts that reached his knees, showing his muscular legs.

Kate found herself speechless for a moment.

"Do you always get up this early?" Chris asked as he rose to stand.

"Yeah," Marie replied. "It's good for privacy, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Chris said, still panting. "Man, do I feel like I'm on fire."

Kate's lips turned, ready to release a laugh as she watched Chris reach for the hem of his shirt. He raised it high to wipe his forehead, and Marie froze with a gulp at what she saw.

She knew that her project partner was fit, but she had no idea how good he looked shirtless. The last time she had seen his naked chest was in high school, and his muscles weren't as developed as they were now. 

Kate remained speechless at the sight of Chris' torso that glistened with his sweat. His shirt had been raised high enough to reveal the base of his pectorals, and they seemed to heave with every breath he took. Kate noticed a couple of dips and ridges she hadn't noticed on his form, especially on his sides and where his abs began. His six-pack clenched and relaxed, and Kate spotted a bead of sweat drip directly in between. She watched, mesmerized as it traveled lower, touching the contracting muscles before moving to his shorts.

Kate's mind caught with her actions, and she turned her eyes away, feeling a hot flush overcome her body. She couldn't explain the emotion she felt. Her cheeks had turned red, and she suddenly felt bad for checking Chris out.

"How long have you been running ?" he questioned, forcing her eyes back to him. His naked chest was hidden once again, and Kate tried not to feel disappointed.

"I think twelve minutes... I don't know for sure. It feels like it's been a while," she replied. Chris stared at her with a grin.

"Wow. It's like you never fail to surprise me every time I learn something new about you," he commented. 

"What are you talking about? I used to be a cheerleader in high school, remember?" she said with a raised eyebrow. He answered with a shrug.

"Well, I'm heading back," she told Chris. "My legs are aching right now. It will even be a miracle if I'll be able to walk later."

Chris laughed at her, and that caused her to smile a bit.

"After you get changed, would you mind if we meet up for breakfast? I know a café nearby, and--"

"Sure," Marie cut him off. "You had me at breakfast."

"Okay, see you soon," Chris said with a smile before jogging away from her. Kate observed his behind, and she shuddered at the sight of his clothed ass. 

And damn, was that ass fine.

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it," Kate said, slapping the side of her head each time to calm her thoughts as she jogged back to her dorm.

********************** ************************ ********************** *************

More than half an hour later, Marie found herself preparing to leave her dorm. She had showered and dressed in casual clothes, waiting for Chris to call and tell her where they would be meeting.

She went to unlock her phone, but a knock on her door interrupted her movements. She headed to it, making quick work of opening it.

To her surprise, Chris was standing at the entrance. He had changed out of his workout clothes, choosing to wear a short-sleeved checkered shirt with a pair of blue jeans.

"Chris!" Marie could not help but voice out her surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"We have that breakfast thing, remember?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"It's just that I thought you would call me or something," Kate answered as she exited her dorm, closing the door behind her. She found herself unconsciously moving closer to Chris, and her nose picked up a whiff of the cologne coming off him.

It did things to her that she couldn't explain.

"Yeah," Chris replied, forcing her attention back to him. "I didn't think it through."

Kate eyed him before saying: "I must say that I didn't even think you would remember where I live."

Chris chuckled at her before replying, "You know how our minds work. They can choose to remember small details at times. Now come on. Let's go eat."

Chris had led Marie to a café that was a short walk from her dorm. It was surprisingly packed with students like them and other people who were probably heading off to work.

"So, how is the project going?" Chris asked Marie once they had occupied a booth and given their orders to a waitress.

Kate groaned before replying, "Not good. I feel stuck."

Chris nodded along before saying: "Me too."

"This is bad, Chris," Marie commented.

"It's normal," he replied with a frown. "It is usually not very easy to come up with designs for characters."

"And the bad thing is that we cannot copy character designs from other sources."

Kate hated that. Sure, she understood copyright laws and other stuff, but it was a huge inconvenience for her at the moment.

"Kate, let's not think about it now. The important thing is that we have our story. We also have made the designs for the scenes, remember?"

It was true. On one evening when Marie had complained about the problems with the character designs, Chris had suggested that they save the characters for later and to instead focus on the scenes for their story. It meant that they had to draw everything they needed for the film, and that included trees, rocks, hills and other structures found in the wild. Weeks later, they had completed that. The only thing they had left to deal with was to change the drawings into 3D.

"Yes, you are right. And again, thanks for helping me with the scenes," Kate replied, earning a pleased smile from Chris.

"You're welcome. So, do you have any plans today?"

"Yes," Marie replied, earning a frown. "There are a couple of movies I wanted to watch today--"

"Those are your plans?"

"Spiderman Homecoming should be available on DVD soon," Marie said with a smile.

"I wanted to ask you out to the movies today."

Marie seemed to freeze once she had heard those words come out of Chris' mouth.

"Not like a date," Chris corrected with widened eyes. "As friends. If you want."

Kate felt a little disappointed all over a sudden. Then she wondered where that emotion had come from.

"Oh. Okay," she replied.

"Really?"

"Yes, Chris. Why wouldn't I go out with you? It sounds better than my plan to stay in my dorm." 

"Okay," he grinned. "I'll pick you up later."

"Here you go," a waiter appeared before them with a large tray filled with their breakfast options. The two thanked the server before digging into their meals.

************************ ******************************* *********************

That evening, Marie had found herself being driven to a movie theatre that was in the town near the campus. Before Chris had arrived to take her out, her roommate made her endure minutes of nonstop teasing.

"Make sure you kiss him!"

"Don't be afraid to get bold. Touch his abs if you want to!"

"Kate, it won't be slutty if you make him take you in his car."

Those were some of the words Gwen had told her, and Marie had been a blushing mess by the time Chris arrived at her place. 

He had asked her what was wrong, but Kate silenced him with a quick "Nothing!" He knew she was lying, but he decided to let it go.

As they drove to the town, Marie wondered about Gwen's words. Gwen was teasing her about Chris, and it didn't take a scholar to know she wanted them to date. Sure, the guy was great. He was good company, and he also made Kate smile whenever he was around.

She also felt comfortable around him as if they had known each other for hundreds of years even though they had been hanging around each other for weeks. She felt as if she could tell him anything, like when she had told him about her virginity. He proved she could trust him with her secrets, and it was a good shock for her.

She sighed, turning to look at Chris. He was focused, staring ahead as he drove the car. In a way, the orange lights provided by the street lamps outside made Marie view him differently. Her heart swelled again with an emotion she still did not understand.

Six radio songs later, the two pulled into a parking lot near the large cinema. They had quickly got out and made their way into the lobby.

"Oh! That It movie came out!" Chris said as he pointed at something behind Kate. She turned, and she almost jumped in fright.

Among the movie posters pinned high on the wall in front of her was of the famous IT movie. Marie had forgotten about it, but once she saw the poster, she remembered it. She had not seen the movie, but she had seen the trailer.

The movie features a clown with red hair, a fading clown attire and a sinister look. It was enough for Marie to say no to it.

"We could go watch it," Chris suggested, and that had Marie turning to give him a look of disbelief.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yes," Chris replied. With a sigh, Marie took out her phone and entered her browser. She searched for news related to the film.

"This movie got high ratings," she pointed out.

"So?"

"Chris, let me repeat. It. Got. High. Ratings. Shouldn't that be enough of a warning to tell us it will be creepy?"

Chris frowned before saying: "Insidious got near-average ratings, and it is still scary as hell."

Marie did not know how to reply to that, but she still continued: "Chris, let us not watch this movie. I saw the trailer, and on that same night, I had a nightmare about the freaking clown. It should be enough to tell us we cannot handle it."

Chris snorted. "Please, it's just a poster. It's not scary at all. Now come on. Let's go see it."

He had already purchased the tickets for the movie. Marie turned to see the other options available, but they were all related to horror and paranormal stuff.

"What kind of movie theatre offers only one genre of movies at one showing?" Marie grumbled as she found herself walking with Chris towards the viewing area.

********************** ******************************* ****************************

"So... I was wrong," Chris replied hours later, staring ahead as he drove the car away from the theatre.

"You think?" Kate stated, shivering a little when he noticed the vehicle moving faster.

"Um, Chris, could you slow down?" Marie asked him.

"Oh. Right," he gave her a sheepish smile before doing so.

A couple of seconds filled with silence passed.

"That movie was frightening," Chris commented.

"I told you!" Marie pointed out.

"I mean, wow. That scene with Georgi, the one with the bloody sink, the projector scene--"

"Chris, please stop," Kate cut him off. "I do not want to relive the memories of that movie, especially during this hour."

It was around nine in the evening by then. For a Saturday, the road looked a bit deserted. That was not helping with Kate's imagination. The dark areas of the road had her picturing a giant version of Pennywise coming to eat them.

'Damn it, Chris!' she thought, wishing they hadn't watched that film at all.

The dude had acted all calm and cool, carrying their popcorn and drinks as they made their way into the auditorium. But minutes into the movie foretold that the snacks would remain untouched.

"Oh, why did we watch it?" Marie whined.

"Because we were idiots?" Chris suggested with an uneasy smile. It just made Marie sigh.

"Now I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep tonight."

"Did it really affect you that much?" Chris asked her.

"No," she lied. "Don't worry about me, Chris. I will get over it the same way I got over The Conjuring 2."

"Kate!" Chris whined in boredom, remembering the scary scenes from the film, and that had her laughing.

They continued to talk on their way back. It was a good distraction from the movie they had seen.

Minutes later, the two were parked near Marie's place.

"Thanks, Chris," she told him. "I had a great time."

"You're welcome," he replied with a smile. "Hope to do it again?"

"As long as it's not another scary movie," she warned. "Good night."

"Have a great night, Caitlyn," Chris told her. The name brought a warm sensation to her heart. She smiled at him before proceeding to head back to her dorm.

It was only after she had locked the door behind her when she heard the car speeding away from the area. 

"Gwen?" she called out. When she heard no reply, she sighed in relief.

Marie's heart thudded with an unknown feeling. It felt pleasant, especially when she remembered their outing that had ended seconds ago.

Kate knew there was something going on in her body whenever she was with Chris. She didn't understand it then, but she was determined to figure it out.

Chapter 11

 

Kate's mind kept replaying the events of the previous weekend. It brought a smile to her face each time she remembered the moments she had spent with Chris.  Even though it had been the most they had seen each other in a day, Kate had enjoyed spending time with him. 

But why was she still thinking about him?

"Do not forget about your essays," Mr. Bernard spoke, bringing her attention back to the class. "I will want you to hand them over tomorrow. That's all for today."

The students quickly rose to exit the class. As they moved towards the exit, Kate unlocked her phone and dialed Chris.

"Hey! This is Chris. If you are hearing this--"

She ended the call, sighing when it went straight to voicemail.

Chris's spot beside Kate had remained unoccupied for the last two days. It was a Wednesday, and he still hadn't shown up.

Marie tried to think of what could have happened to make him miss classes. She had grown fond of him ever since they were grouped to do their short film. She had even come to consider him a close friend of hers. Seeing that he hadn't been around the campus for the past two days made her concerned.

Marie got up from her seat with her things. She was just about to leave the room when her professor called her.

"Kate, may I talk to you?" he asked, and she found herself nodding.

Once she was standing in front of his desk, he asked: "Do you know anything about the whereabouts of your partner?"

"I'm sorry, but no," Kate decided to be honest. "He hasn't told me anything."

Mr. Bernard furrowed his eyebrows before asking: "Is he making you do all the work?"

Kate was shocked by the professor's words. If anything, she expected him to ask Chris those words about her.

"Oh, no. We're a team. The project is coming along great, and I believe we are almost halfway done."

The professor's eyes widened in amazement.

"Really?" he questioned.

'Whoops,' Marie thought. She realized she had almost messed up. She needed the lecturer to retain the period he had given her and Chris to finish the project.

"It's the other stuff that will take longer to do," she added, and that had the professor nodding in understanding.

"Okay. Off you go," he motioned towards the exit.

With a smile, Kate left the room. She went to reach for her phone, thinking about calling Chris again, but then she decided against it. Instead, she planned to visit him.

**************************** ********************************** *******************

It took Marie a long time to walk from the university all the way to Chris' place. Certainly, she could have just taken a taxi, but she decided that walking would be best; it was because she wasn't even sure if she would get the chance to exercise again during the approaching weekend.

Kate spotted Chris' house. It surprised her that she could remember it, seeing that all the neighboring houses had the same exterior design, but she didn't dwell too much to find out the reason.

She knocked on the door, waiting for Chris to open it. More than thirty seconds passed with no reply. Sighing, she knocked again. Still, no one came to the door.

She went to support her form on the door when it pushed open.

"Chris?" Kate called out as she looked around the area. The dining area looked clean, and so was the kitchen. There were no dishes lying around to be picked up, and it had her thinking that he wasn't home. She went to leave the house, planning to call Chris later, but she heard noises coming from upstairs.

Kate tensed.

'Is there a thief in here?' she wondered. That could have explained the unlocked door.

Without wasting time, she headed toward the kitchen. She looked around, spotting the knives sticking out of a plastic container. Her hand reached for one. She held it firmly before grabbing the frying pan hanging below the kitchen shelf on her left.

With quick but silent steps, Marie made her way up the stairs. All the while, her heart was pounding in her ears. She felt scared, picturing what would happen if she found the intruder. Would she be forced to attack? And what if the thief had a gun?

Kate silently cussed at herself. She did not think through her plans. At that moment, she realized she could have just gone out and phoned the police for help. However, it was too late. She had already reached the floor.

'Maybe I can sneak out of the house,' she thought. She turned just to do that, but male groans ceased her movements.

'Chris,' Kate realized. She began tip-toeing towards the source of the sounds. All the while, her heart was beating fast with worry and fear. She hoped her friend was okay and not hurt in any way.

Soon, she was standing near the source of noises. It had been coming from one of the rooms. It was left slightly ajar, making it known that someone was there. Kate thought of just charging in there and attacking the intruder. But she analyzed it and believed it wouldn't be wise. Peeking into the room to have an idea of what she was up against seemed to be a better idea.

Another groan sounded from the room, and that had Kate looking through the slightly-opened room. She was standing on the side of the door where she could easily reach for the handle.

She was prepared to jump on the attacker, but what met her eyes was not what she was expecting. She quickly turned away, feeling her cheeks blush. 

'At least there is no thief in here,' she spoke in her mind.

Marie felt mortified. She shook her head, willing for what she had seen to disappear from her mind, but it didn't work. She thought she had seen it wrong, and so she took another look.

Chris was in his lime-green bedroom with a girl. He had settled himself on a sofa chair, and he had his head tilted back with his eyes closed. His pink lips were parted open, and soon, another groan escaped his mouth. 

Kate's eyes traveled lower. Below him, and on her knees, was a long-haired blonde girl who was topless. Chris' shorts were covering the area around his knees, and the girl's hands had grasped firmly onto his muscular thighs. Moreover, she was moaning around something between his legs.

Kate felt angered by the sight. How could Chris do that to her? She had been worried about him. He hadn't talked to her during the past few days. He hadn't even called her. She believed that he was either mad at her for something or that he had been hurt.

From what she was seeing, Chris was okay. There was nothing wrong with him. And he was happy being pleased by some slut.

Kate's fury had her thinking about ending his fun right there. But then, she got carried away by what happened next.

Chris' hands reached for his shirt. He pulled it off his form slowly, revealing his naked chest. The lighting in the room showcased his muscles. His biceps were flexed as he voiced out his pleasure. His chest heaved with every breath he took, and the defined muscles of his abdomen contracted and relaxed as he moved his hips towards the girl.

Kate unconsciously shifted to get a closer look, biting her lower lip.

"Fuck," Chris groaned with a voice level that Marie did not know existed. It was deep yet whisper-like, and it stirred something in her body. "Yeah, suck it like that."

Kate knew what he meant, and it made her blush.

"Oh, fuck," Chris gasped out. Kate's eyes widened as he forced his hips towards the girl. The action caused his abs to contract, and the sight did things to her that she couldn't explain.

She worried for a moment about the blonde, but the moan she heard proved she was enjoying it.

"Yeah, you like my cock?" Chris continued to speak, and the loud moan from the girl was a confirmation. His hands moved low, cupping her head. 

"Show me how much. Take it deep."

The girl happily moaned again, moving until her face hit his pubic area. Chris groaned again in bliss.

'Wait. What the hell am I doing?' Kate thought, and she felt like a bucket of cold water had been dunked on her.

She moved away from the door, her cheeks blushing in shame. The images she had seen had left her a bit shaken. Her heart was thudding, and there were some emotions coursing through her form. She couldn't explain what she felt, and she knew that staying there while Chris continued getting a blowjob would not help.

With slow steps, Kate walked down the stairs. She continued at the same pace until she was out of the house. She closed the door, and without another thought, she made a break for it to the university.

 

Chapter 12

"Hey, Kate!" Chris greeted with a grin as he made his way to their usual spot in the library. Marie had a large book that she was using for her class essay when she spotted him.

It was a Thursday. The lecturer had not come in on that day, and Kate had made quick work of going to the library to focus on her project and her essay that was due in a week.

Seeing Chris made her blush as feelings of shame overcame her. She still remembered what she had seen on the previous day. The image of a groaning Chris with a girl sucking him off was still fresh in her mind, and it made her worry about how she could act around him without him knowing what she had seen.

So she chose to ignore him, continuing with her work.

"How have things been?" he asked once he had settled opposite her, taking out his laptop and switching it on. He was still ignored.

"Kate?" he called out in confusion. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, seeing the furrowed eyebrows on his face.

Kate was mad at him in spite of what she had seen on the previous day. He had made her concerned about his well-being when he was actually at his home. In his bedroom.

With a girl.

It also angered her that he didn't even call to tell her about missing classes.

With a sigh, she shook off the thoughts. She felt it was ridiculous to act that way. Kate thought she would be bugging Chris if she questioned his absence. He had a life, and he had a choice if he decided to hide some stuff from her.

She tried to tell herself it didn't matter, even though she and Chris had only been hanging out for about two months. She thought that doing the group project with him could label them as friends. Maybe they were friends and she was just being nosy. Marie had no idea how he would act if she questioned about his private life. He could call her out on it, so she decided to drop it.

"Nothing," she answered. She sighed, flipping the page of the book in front of her.

"It does not feel like nothing," Chris commented. "I can sense that something is disturbing you. What is it?"

"Chris, it's not a big deal," she tried to maintain a straight face. "I'm just tired, and I have this after-class assignment to work on."

Kate returned to her books, but all the while, she felt Chris staring at her. She angled her head to face him, noticing the frown on his features.

"What?" she asked.

"You are lying," he commented, making Marie sigh. "What is this about?"

"Chris, nothing is wrong. I'm just tired," Kate repeated, all to no avail.

"Is this about the days of class I missed?" he suggested, but Kate did not reply to him.

"It's about that, isn't it?" he stated, shocking Marie.

"How--?"

"Your face betrays your emotions," he smiled, making Kate eye him in unamusement.

"Chris, let's not talk about this," she said.

"But I want to," he opposed. "Look. I'm sorry about it."

"You don't have to apologize--"

"But I do. I hadn't noticed how much our relationship had grown over the past weeks."

Kate did not mean to do it, but she found herself blushing at the words.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything, Kate. I thought it wouldn't matter if I didn't come to class without anyone knowing."

Kate was tongue-tied for a moment.

"I was worried about you," she confessed. "I thought something had happened to you--"

"Aw, you missed me?" Chris cut her off with a grin.

Kate's cheeks turned red.

"Sh-shut up!" she said, quickly directing her attention to her books while Chris laughed.

The two stopped speaking for a while, turning their attention to their stuff. It was after Kate had finished her assignment when they started talking again.

"So, what did you do yesterday?" Chris asked. It was a question she was dreading. Without another thought, Kate accidentally dropped her pen.

"Oh!" she sighed, ducking to reach for it.

"I didn't do a lot of stuff," she said, having reached for her pen. She was flustered by then. There was no way she could answer that question while facing Chris. He would notice the color in her cheeks, and he would get the truth from her.

"I just watched a movie," she continued, still reaching for her pen. "You?"

Kate wanted to hit herself for asking that. They both knew what he was doing, but Chris didn't know that she knew.

"Just had another lazy day," he said, and Kate caught him shrugging as she turned to face him.

"Oh. Lucky you," she replied, managing a bored look.

"You know, we could do it," he said.

"Do what?"

"Skip classes."

"Wha--" Kate stopped herself short, and she wanted to hit herself in the face. Of course, he had been skipping classes for the last three days. It felt tempting, but Kate was hesitant to do so, mostly because she was afraid of ruining her college credits.

"Chris, I can't do that. We are in college!"

"Exactly," he said, rubbing his hands together like an evil mastermind.

"Bu--"

"Not tomorrow. I'll check for the best day," he assured her. "Are you in?"

"Chris, I've never skipped my classes."

Chris blinked at her before asking: "What?"

"I only do it when I get sick."

"Kate, we are in college," he deadpanned.

"Exactly!" she threw back at him.

Chris sighed. "Alright. We are going to skip a class one day."

"But--"

"We will go out, have fun, and even eat a lot of food. What do you say?"

Kate could not ignore the look he was giving her. She sighed before replying with a "Fine."

Chris smiled in reply.

"You won't regret it," he promised.

Kate surely hoped she wouldn't.

 

Chapter 13

 

Another busy week had passed. The days remaining until the end of October were few, and Halloween was around the corner. The students around the university were buzzing and anxiously waiting for it. They had already prepared the decorations, putting them all around the campus grounds. There was no place anyone could avoid seeing either a ghoulish pumpkin or some stuffed, frightening monster.

"This is so exciting!" Gwen grinned. "I can't believe how close we are to Halloween!"

Kate chuckled at her friend, observing the way she was acting about the holiday. They were in their dorm. The sun had set hours ago, and the two were preparing to go to a party that was being hosted nearby.

It had not been quite a battle for Gwen to convince her friend to come along. Kate felt guilty for having spent most of the past weeks with Chris ever since they had started their project. Even though Gwen had said it was okay whenever Kate turned down a party invitation, she still felt that she had to make up for that.

It was how she found herself applying makeup after wearing a blouse that matched with a black skirt to prepare for the party. The attire did not hide her legs. Kate thought it was a bit revealing, but she decided not to think too much about it.

"Are you done yet?" Gwen asked, earning a nod as a reply from Kate. "Good. I want us to reach there early enough before someone can spike the drinks."

Even though it was a rare occurrence, some people had the tendency to put drugs in shots and any other alcoholic drink during a party. Gwen and her friend would usually go to the kitchen of the house party when they knew the owner. However, if they were going to a party hosted by someone they didn't know, like the one they were heading to, they would have to be early.

Talk about a pain in the ass.

Kate decided not to complain, seeing that she had missed being around her roommate for the weeks that had passed.

Seconds later, she and Gwen found themselves walking away from their apartment. Clouds had covered the sky, and were it not for the street lamps in the area, the two would have been walking in darkness.

"So, how is everything between you and Chris?" Gwen questioned.

"Eh, okay, I guess," Kate shrugged. She did not want to have the conversation about her project partner, knowing that her roommate would tease her about him.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Gwen replied. A few seconds of filled with heels hitting the ground passed before she added: "It seems like you two spend an abnormal amount of time together."

"We are doing it for the sake of the project," Kate went to deflect the subject. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"Even when you are in the dorm, I notice you spending time on the phone chatting with him."

'Uh-oh,' Marie thought. 'How did she find out?'

"It's okay if you are dating," Gwen added, and that had Kate frozen in shock.

'Dating?'

"We aren't dating," she said. Her friend replied with a doubtful look. "I'm telling the truth!"

"With the way your cheeks are acting right now, I find it hard to believe you."

Kate wondered if she was blushing again, but seeing the smirk on Gwen's lips confirmed that to be true.

"Look, Kate. I find it great that you are dating him. I'm happy for you."

"But we are not dating!"

"Not yet," Gwen added, earning a bored look from Kate. "It is bound to happen."

"I can't date anyone," Kate sighed. "You know my history with guys."

"I'm sorry, but the guys you dated were assholes. Even that nerd in your sophomore year."

Kate grimaced at the memory of the guy she had dated a year ago. It could have been his constant Grammar Nazi tendencies, but it was mostly his 'better-than-everyone' attitude that broke their relationship.

Specifically, he had looked down upon the course she was taking in the university once she told him about it.

"I can't disagree with that," Kate admitted.

"So date Chris," Gwen stated, earning a sigh.

"Why are you pushing this?"

"Because he is a good guy. I've seen you act all giddy and happy when you are around him. I mean, you've known each other since high school--"

"But you know our history," she pointed out.

"Yes, Kate. But that is history. Emphasis on 'history'. Why are you hesitant toward this?"

"Because I don't know how I really feel about him," Marie replied, suddenly feeling aware of what she had confessed. "I can't start dating him all of a sudden. We just got over what happened in high school, and I've won him as a friend. Even if I develop feelings for him, I still can't date him. We're doing a project that costs more than half of our semester grade. What if I ruin all that?"

"Kate, you may not know how you feel about him. But with the way you look worried right now tells me you care about him."

"Gwen--"

"It's okay to date him, you know? Who else have you met who cares about you and also makes you feel good about yourself?"

Kate did not know how to answer that. Gwen looked shocked for a moment, realizing that she might have stepped over some line.

"I have no idea where that came from," she said, honestly surprised. "Look. I don't mean to push something if there is truly nothing there. And I'm sorry for teasing you about him. I mean, he is the whole package a girl can ask for. It makes me wonder why you haven't claimed that yet."

"Gwen--"

"You haven't dated anyone for over a year now. It makes me worried that you would become a cat lady in the near future."

"It's not going to happen," Kate reassured her friend with a laugh. "I plan to have a boyfriend, but not yet. I'm just waiting for the one, as cheesy as it sounds."

"And Chris can't be the one--"

"Shut up," Kate cut her friend off with a playful slap on her shoulder. Gwen laughed as they continued walking towards the party.

'Chris? The one?' Marie thought with a shake of her head. It sounded ridiculous.

But then, Gwen was right about her spending most of her time with Chris. She had come to like him after all the time they had spent together. It was as if he attracted her attention every moment he was around. She could even sense him in a room. 

Kate's heart thudded at the realization, and a warm, pleasant emotion erupted in her stomach.

'What?' she questioned herself. She wondered what the hell she was feeling at the thoughts of Chris.

'Could it be that I'm falling for him?'

Kate quickly dismissed the idea. She had just started hanging out with Chris. The feelings were merely brought on by the thought of their friendship.

Right?

 

Chapter 14

 

"It's a Halloween party?" Kate exclaimed once they were approaching the house that was hosting the party. It resembled the design of Chris' house, and the only thing different was that the walls were painted gray.

"I'm sorry," Gwen replied with a wince. "Nobody told me we were to dress up."

Kate eyed the scene before them. Just like the last party she had been to, the current one was packed. She could spot that the house was illuminated by colorful lights from where she stood. The music was so loud that she could hear it clearly, and she could even spot a couple of drunk college kids mingling around the lawn.

"It's okay, Gwen. Maybe we can go back and--"

"No," Gwen cut her off.

"What? Gwen, we aren't dressed up for this kind of party. If we go in there right now, we'll be making fools out of ourselves."

Kate was ignored as her roommate reached for her button-up blouse.

"What are you doing?" she asked, but Gwen didn't answer as she unfastened a few buttons on the article of clothing. 

"There," she said, looking at the handiwork. The unbuttoned part of the blouse showed off Kate's skin, even exposing the top of her blue bra.

"How will we get in?" Marie asked.

"Easy," Gwen said as she moved to expose a bit of her cleavage on her own blouse. "We'll be going as disguised witches."

"Disguised witches?" Kate repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"You're right. That doesn't sound smart. Let's go with slutty witches."

"What?"

"We look the part. Just look at your chest," Gwen spoke. Kate looked down, and that was when she spotted the ample cleavage that her roommate had revealed.

"I can't go in like this," she said, itching to button up her blouse.

"Relax, Kate. It's a party," Gwen winked. "Now come on."

It did not take the two long to enter the house. Nobody bothered to ask why they weren't dressed up, and Kate noticed that not everyone had worn costumes for the party.

It made her realize there was no need to expose her cleavage. She went just to cover it up when Gwen slapped her hand away.

"No," she said.

"Oh, come on," Kate whined.

"I'm helping you out here. If you cover those babies up, no guy will come to you," Gwen explained, much to Kate's displeasure.

"I thought we were coming here to have fun," Kate stated.

"We are going to have fun," Gwen said, "but with other guys."

Kate sighed, finding herself agreeing to her roommate's plans for the evening.

"Now let's go dance," she smiled, grabbing her hand and leading them to the dance floor. Students, just like them, were already moving to the beats of the song playing.

It didn't take long for the two to be part of the crowd. They did a couple of dance moves, and Kate laughed when Gwen tried to twerk.

It went on like that, and the two laughed each time they did an embarrassing dance. Kate had missed it, and she was glad she was having fun with her friend after such a long time.

Then came a song that she was familiar with.

'I've been there all night,

I've been there all day,

And boy, got me walking side to side.'

Kate's body seemed to move on autopilot from that point. Gwen laughed beside her, trying to move in sync with her dance moves.

Two hip thrusts and a shake of her ass later, Kate felt hands grab her waist. She tensed, turning to look at the person who was trying to grind on her.

"Yeah, baby," the guy said, his fingers clenching hard enough to leave imprints. "Move that ass for me."

"Let me go," Kate said, trying to move away from the guy. He didn't budge, and his hands started traveling up her form.

"She told you to let her go," another voice sounded. Kate turned, and her body relaxed when she spotted Chris. Just like her, he had not dressed up for the party. He had only worn an orange shirt with a black pair of jeans.

"Who are you?" the person behind Kate growled. Kate got a whiff of his breath, and it revealed he was slightly drunk.

"Her boyfriend," Chris answered like it was casual. Marie looked at him in shock.

"What?" Kate voiced out. Chris looked at her, signaling for her with his eyes to go along.

"I don't believe you," the man's grip tightened around Kate.

"I don't care whether you believe me or not. Get your hands off of her or else I'll knock you out till next week."

'Whoa,' Kate thought as she looked at Chris. He had taken a stance that showed he was ready for an attack as he glared at the person behind her. Kate had never seen Chris mad before, and the look he was sporting was menacing. There was no doubt that he was willing to carry out his words. It left Kate feeling both frightened and glad.

"She's not worth it," the guy said, pushing Kate forward. She gasped, but Chris was there to support her. "There are other babes with bigger breasts than hers in here, anyway."

Kate scoffed at the nerve of the guy. She soon faced Chris.

"Thank you," she replied. He still maintained his look.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, and his voice was low enough to sound like a growl.

"I came here with Gwen to party just like everyone else. What are you doing here?"

"Alex," Chris replied with a bored look. "He complains I haven't been to parties with him for months."

"So does my roommate," Kate said with a shrug. "By the way, have you seen her?"

Kate looked around the room, but she couldn't spot Gwen anywhere.

"I think I saw her with a guy--"

"You have got to be kidding me," Kate interrupted him. "It's only been like, what, ten minutes?"

Chris chuckled, and the sight of his smile calmed down her impending anger.

"Well, just do what she did to you," he replied.

"Huh?" Kate asked.

"She went away with a guy. I'm a guy."

Kate released a nervous laugh.

"What?" Chris questioned with furrowed eyebrows even as he smiled.

"You do know what my roommate plans to do with the guy, right?"

He chuckled before saying, "Yes. But I want to spend time with you. We could have a couple of drinks then go out to talk."

Kate didn't ponder for long to give out her reply.

"Okay. But first, let's dance."

"Wha--"

Chris's voice got muddled with the music as Kate went back to the people dancing in the room. She moved on the floor, doing a couple of hand motions as her eyes searched for Chris.

She soon spotted him coming towards her. He shook his head at her with a smile before approaching her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What does it look I'm doing?" she asked, moving her arms at her sides in a wavelike motion. Chris laughed at that.

"Careful. You could slap someone with those," he said with a grin, grabbing her hands. "I don't think you should be dancing like this. You were better off at the beginning, but now--"

"I'm a pro?"

"You're like a clock that doesn't know which direction to move," Chris stated, and Kate laughed.

"Let's just go out. This place is getting packed anyway," he said. Kate remembered he was holding her hands. She seemed to enjoy the sensation of his palms on hers.

She didn't dwell too much on it as he began pulling them towards the exit. The two were soon outside the building, and they spotted the clouds in the sky.

"Oh, crap. Do you think it's going to rain?" she asked.

"No," Chris replied. 

"I'm not sure I have asked, but where is Alex?"

"With a girl," Chris replied in boredom.

"Oh, you too?" Kate feigned sympathy. "How long?"

"I think twenty minutes since we got in. He didn't even tell me."

"What wonderful friends we have," Kate replied with sarcasm, and Chris chuckled. He looked at her, and Kate found herself momentarily lost in his brown orbs.

'Wait. What?'

"Oh, fuck. I forgot the drinks," Chris said, ruffling his hair. "Look. I'll be right back."

Kate went to object that they didn't need drinks, but he had swiftly moved back into the house. She sighed, turning to look at her surroundings.

The house was, indeed, filling up. More people were standing outside the entrance of the house. It made Kate wonder why she had even shown up in the first place. She could have been in her dorm with her laptop. There were movies that had come out, and she hadn't started on them.

Minutes followed, and Chris had not yet returned.

'What's taking him so long?' she wondered. She was just about to go back into the house to look for him when she spotted him coming out with a beer bottle and two styrofoam cups.

"Sorry I took a while," Chris said as he handed her one of the cups. "The house is full. It was hard enough to get a beer with that many people in there."

"Thank you," Kate smiled as he filled up her cup. She took a sip of the drink, and she sighed as the contents made their way past her throat.

"So, you're still a virgin?" Chris asked casually.

"Chris!"

"Can you blame me after seeing the way you danced?"

"Oh, you think I dance well?" Kate asked.

"I meant your ass and hips," he corrected, earning an unamused look from her. Chris chuckled, and that had Kate slapping his shoulder.

The two soon engaged themselves into anything that came to their minds. Chris spiraled into a conversation involving their high school, Stonedale High. He recounted events that had the both of them laughing like maniacs. Some of them were antics that Kate had pulled off, but she still laughed with him.

"So, what did you do before coming here?" Kate asked. By then, the alcohol had lowered her inhibitions. It took her mind a while to register what she had asked.

Chris sighed, and he remained quiet for the seconds that followed. Kate thought he wouldn't reply, and so she went to change the subject.

"I transferred," he replied. "And so did Alex. Nothing much happened after that. You?"

Kate should have seen the question turned to her.

"Oh. You know about my long stay at the hospital."

"Yeah," Chris replied with furrowed eyebrows. "By the way, what was up with that?"

"Well," she ignored his comment, "after that, I didn't go back to high school."

Chris was quiet for a while. He turned to face her before asking, "What? Why?"

"I didn't feel like it. I was embarrassed," she replied. "I had spent two years there, and I had barely grasped anything that was being taught."

"You still could have gone back," Chris stated.

"But I didn't. I was afraid of what everyone would think of me. I didn't want anyone to remember me as the brainless idiot."

"Kate--"

"And I couldn't bear the thought of starting over when everyone I knew was ahead of me," she continued. She looked at Chris, and she noticed the shocked look he was giving her.

"Yes, I know. My reasoning sounds absurd. But after all the shit we went through, I was afraid of it happening again."

"I understand," Chris stated. "But, Kate, what did you do if you didn't continue with high school?"

She knew the question was coming, but she was nervous about how he would react.

"I took a GED test before I joined a community college," she explained. Chris didn't say anything for a while, and it had her on edge.

"What?" he finally spoke.

"It's basically how I got in TUCD in the first place," she continued, looking away from him. She tried to maintain a calm exterior, but she was worried about how Chris would receive her confession.

"It was either that or have my parents forge a high school diploma. The latter sounded to be illegal and to have too much work, so I went with studying everything I could for the test."

"It's okay, Kate. You have no reason to be embarrassed. It doesn't change the way I think about you," he said, and her form hunched as she sighed in relief. Chris moved to hug her, and she welcomed the embrace. 

"I know it must have taken some guts to tell me and to even go through with it. But I am glad you did it. You managed to prove to yourself that you have a brain in here," he said, lightly tapping on her head with a smile. "More importantly, I get to be around you."

"Me too," she replied, her form relaxing on his shoulder.

 

Chapter 15

 

Kate took out the leftover slices of pizza from her fridge. She placed them on a large plate before putting them in her microwave.

"Is it done yet?" Gwen's voice echoed from her bedroom.

"I'm just starting," Kate replied with a shout, sighing as she set the timer. She had just taken a bath and dressed for another IT class. She was heating up breakfast for herself and her friend before they could leave their dorm. 

It had been a few days since the party where she had confessed about her GED to Chris. The month of October had officially passed. It had been busy for the students of Charles Darwin University, especially for those with group assignments. Chris and Kate's project had taken up their time away from class, and it was because of the characters they had to design for their story. Fortunately, they had gotten some inspiration, and they had finished drawing every character for their short film before Halloween.

The microwave dinged to signal the food was done.

"Ready!" Kate called out. In an instant, she heard the sound of rushing footsteps coming from her roommate's bedroom. As she placed the food on the small island, Gwen entered the kitchen.

"Thank goodness. I am starving!" she exclaimed before taking out a plate from the kitchen shelves. She took a couple of slices and placed them on it.

"Hot, hot, hot!" she said, waving her hands hurriedly over her mouth after taking her first bite. Marie laughed at her.

"Go slowly," she advised her.

"I'm as hungry as a pig. You try to go slow," Gwen said before taking another bite. She groaned in pleasure.

"Why the hell didn't you eat last night?" Kate asked her, amazed at how fast her roommate had finished the first pizza slice. She was just getting started on hers.

"You know about my diet," she replied.

"You had a diet?" Kate inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Have," Gwen corrected.

Kate's expression turned to doubt before saying, "I think you broke it. Doesn't pizza ruin all the progress you've made?"

"Today's my cheat day," she replied.

"I don't think skipping a meal is good for your diet. I also don't think that eating three slices of pizza can count for a cheat day," Kate stated as she watched her roommate chew out half of her third slice. By the looks of things, it seemed that Gwen wasn't full.

"Shut up," Gwen said before taking her fourth slice.

'Thank goodness I ordered two pizzas last night,' Kate thought as she started on her second slice.

The two said no word as they ate, only making appreciative sounds at the taste of the meal.

"Oh, crap. What time is it?" Gwen suddenly asked.

"7:20," Kate replied.

"Crap!" she exclaimed, rising from her seat. "I've got to go."

"What?" Kate stated as she opened her yogurt. "Already?"

"Yeah," Gwen replied. "There's this place that makes a smoothie blend that can help with my diet. The earlier I get there, the earlier I will be to class."

"You don't need to go on a diet," Kate sighed, but her friend ignored her. "Oh. Well, okay. See you later."

"Bye," Gwen said, moving to exit the room. The door closed behind her as her footsteps receded.

Kate sighed, deciding to hurry up with her meal before she could leave the dorm. She couldn't afford to be late to her own class as well.

************************** ****************************************** *************  

Kate had made it to her class ten minutes before Mr. Bernard, and she had taken that time to greet the people she knew.

Soon, the class was in session. Kate had switched on her phone's recording app, turning it so that the microphone faced her professor. He was speaking about a topic she had forgotten but planned to find out after he was done. Around her, students were taking notes on either the computers or on the books.

It went on for a while like that. Marie was typing something on her computer when her stomach made a low gurgling sound. She stopped and focused on the source of the sound. She thought it was from something or someone around her, but when the same sound appeared again, it came with a sensation in her stomach.

'Oh no,' she thought in worry. Her mind had turned away from the professor at that point.

'Calm down. Maybe it's nothing,' she told herself. She believed that it was the start of a belch, but nothing came afterward.

She sighed in relief, believing it was nothing as she returned her focus back to the ongoing lesson.

Then the sound came not less than three minutes later. It was quickly followed by a pain that settled below her stomach.

Kate hunched her form in pain as her gaze was directed to the keyboard. She questioned what was going on in her stomach, and her mind replayed what she had eaten that morning.

Had the pizza been going bad? Was it the position she had taken while eating?

It did not take long for Kate to remember the vanilla yogurt she had accompanied with her meal.

She mentally cursed at herself, swallowing as she tried to hold in her pain. Her drink choice for the morning had been a big mistake, and it made her worry about people spotting her predicament.

"Hey, are you okay?" Chris whispered beside her. She turned to face him, trying to hide how surprised she was that he had noticed.

"I'm fine," Marie answered with a stiff nod just as her stomach rumbled again.

'Oh crap,' she thought. Chris continued eyeing her for a couple of seconds before turning to face the professor. Kate could have relaxed in relief were it not for the pains she was experiencing in her stomach.

She tried to think of something to distract herself, and her mind played the memory of the party she had gone to recently. It was the wrong time to have such thoughts, but she still could not believe she had told Chris about getting her General Equivalency Diploma test. Truly, there was nothing to be ashamed of, but Kate had worried he would look down on her education history like her last boyfriend did. But he didn't. In fact, he said he was glad because he got to hang out with her.

It made any remaining doubts she had about trusting him with her secrets disappear. It was puzzling yet comforting.

Another grumbling noise sounded from her stomach. Kate shifted in her seat, but then a small fart escaped.

'Uh oh,' she thought, visibly paling. She hoped that no one had heard, but then she noticed that Mr. Bernard had paused to look around the class. 

"Who did that?" he asked. No one replied, and Kate hoped no one would discover it was her. Luckily, he resumed the lesson.

'This is bad,' she thought, feeling a familiar pressure reside near her backside. Marie worried about asking to head to the bathroom because it would lead everyone to find out it was her.

She looked at the time on her computer.

'Fifteen minutes left,' she calculated, and she sighed as she adjusted her posture on the seat. 'Maybe I can hold it for that long.'

So Kate braved through the tension in her gut for a period that felt like hours. She turned to look at the clock on the computer.

To her dismay, only five minutes had passed.

'I don't think I can hold it in,' she said, and the words rang through her mind. Her body was tense all over, and the pressure in her butt had increased.

She released a small whimper, and that had Chris looking at her in concern. He was going to say something when a song played out loud.

'Let it go, let it go,

Can't hold it back anymore...'

Demi Lovato's version of the popular song from Frozen echoed in the room. 

"I'm sorry," a girl at the front apologized with a sheepish grin as she sent the call to voicemail. Still, Kate's face paled at the lyrics. Even though they weren't discussing her dilemma, they seemed to do so at the moment.

It did not help matters at all.

'Ah, fuck it,' she thought, rising from her seat. The action had several heads turn to face her, but she didn't care. 

"Kate?" Mr. Bernard asked.

"I have an emergency," she said with a grimace. She moved to him, even though it was hard, and whispered, "I forgot my pads."

The professor's eyes widened in shock.

"Go!" he practically screamed the word. With quick steps, she had made it out of the class. Then she ran through the hallway to head to the nearest bathroom.

************************** ****************************************** *************

"That was embarrassing," Kate stated as she made her way into Chris' house. He trailed behind her, laughing as he shook his head in disbelief. "I don't think I can go back to class after that."

Chris' laughter bounced through the walls, and he had to hug himself.

"Stop!" he said, waving his hands around. "I'm going to poop!"

When he realized what he had said, his words sent him into another round of laughter, and Kate eyed him without amusement.

"Are you done now?" she asked him after a while, receiving more laughs as an answer. "I'm glad you find the situation humorous."

Kate was already regretting telling Chris the truth about her quick exit from the classroom. The whole class probably thought she had a menstruation emergency after the lie she had told Mr. Bernard. 

Between that and the truth, she did not know which one was worse.

"Oh," Chris breathed, wiping away the tears from his eyes as his laughter died down. "I mean, who eats pizza with yogurt?"

"I thought it was a good meal! It doesn't always disagree with me," Kate pointed out.

"Until today," he said as he chuckled.

"Chris!"

"Sorry!" he replied, even when he was still laughing. "And when that phone started ringing Let It Go..."

"Oh my goodness," Kate said, moving to cover her face with her hands as he continued laughing.

"Oh, Kate," Chris said as his laughter died down. "You've made my day."

"You're welcome," Kate said with sarcasm. "Now let's get back to our project."

"Give me a moment," Chris whispered, laughing again. She rolled her eyes at him.

Chris and Kate had drawn everything they needed for their project. After that was where things would get hard. They had to map the images on their 3D modeling programs. The pictures would serve as profile guides for what the objects they would turn into 3D.

"Why the hell did we pick this project?" Kate wondered as she dropped her bag on the black sofa before she settled herself on it. "And to think we'll later have to animate everything..."

Chris chuckled, wiping the tears from laughing so hard. "It's not that bad. We already know what we want to have, and we also have a vision of it."

"True," Kate shrugged. "I just feel a bit exhausted, you know? I want to push the project till next week, but I know it will cost us."

"This is what we get for wanting to model stuff in 3D," Chris mumbled under his breath.

"Okay," he said. "What if I told you that I have a surprise for our projects that I'm sure you are going to love?"

Marie narrowed her eyebrows at Chris. "What is it?"

Chris just smirked before he left to head upstairs.

"Here they are!" he announced minutes later as he made his way down the stairs with two cardboard boxes. Marie had a hard time reading what was printed on them, but once Chris was near her, she gasped.

Her project partner held two boxes that contained laptops by Alienware.

"No..." she trailed off as Chris delivered the items on the table. "Are you kidding me? Is this a joke? Are you joking?"

"This is real, Kate," Chris said with a smile. He then proceeded to remove the laptops from their boxes. The devices had polystyrene cushioning. One was black, and the other one was gray. By the looks of their sizes, the display was definitely seventeen inches.

"What are their specifications?" Kate proceeded to ask, her eyes wide as she stared at the magnificent beauties in front of her.

"Um, you know. The 17-inch display, NVIDIA 1060 6GB graphics, Intel Core i7 quad-core graphics... Was it 6700k or 7700k? I forgot."

Kate released a choked gasp, and that had Chris looking at her in concern.

"Are you okay?"

Marie knew how she currently looked like in front of Chris. She expressed the sight of someone having a hard time breathing, but honestly, it was her reaction to the laptops' specifications.

"What else is there?" she proceeded to ask in a whisper.

"Um... 32gb DDR4 RAM. I also incorporated 1 TB HDD and 500GB SSD. You know, for faster file transfers and--"

Kate released the excited scream she had been trying to hold in for quite some time.

"OMG! OMG! OMG! AAH!" she continued screaming as she clapped her hands, feeling excited.

"See? I told you that you would like your surprise," Chris said with a grin.

Kate jumped up and down in excitement, but then she stopped herself when a thought came to her mind.

"Wait. Did you buy these?"

Chris took his time to reply, and that had Kate freaking out. The laptops that he had brought were worth more than a thousand dollars. If she were to accept one of them, how would she repay him? She doubted she could use the very expensive device without Chris wanting some sort of payment.

"I didn't buy them. I actually borrowed them from someone," he said.

"Borrowed?" Kate screeched. That felt a bit worse. The owners of the laptops would throw fits if anything were to happen to them.

"Fine, they're mine," he confessed. Kate was stunned, mostly because the devices still looked new.

"I use them for 3D modeling," he added, and his words made sense. "I usually use one; the other one is for emergencies."

"Wow," commented Marie. "So I can use one of these?"

"That was why I brought them down here," Chris stated. "We need to prepare them for the projects. We also need to know the programs we will be using to model and animate our story."

Marie nodded away.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.

"Well, we could use Zbrush and Blender..."

She and Chris proceeded to talk about the characters and items they would model. Afterward, they switched on the laptops, much to Marie's excitement. Chris had already set up everything for her device, having installed a 64-bit Windows 7 OS with the latest updates. They proceeded to install the necessary Adobe programs and the two modeling software for their project.

"Thank you, Chris," she told him as the laptop shut down. Without thinking twice about it, she had her arms wrapped around his waist in a side hug. "I will make sure to take good care of it. You'll have it back by the end of the semester."

He went to say something, but he stopped. Instead, he smiled as he replied, "You're welcome."

The two spent the rest of the day in the apartment. They took some time to model two characters in the 3D programs installed, and they later decided to take a break by watching a movie on the TV. Kate found herself eating takeout for dinner at Chris' place, and he later drove her back to her dorm.

 

Chapter 16

 

 

The first half of November was going by quickly. It had become busy for Kate and Chris, and they could barely think about anything other than school and their project. They had already modeled some of their characters and objects for the scenes. Many more were left to go, and afterward, they would have to animate them.

Kate wanted to groan at the thought. She caught herself once again thinking about how things would have turned out if she had picked another option for her project.

"This seems ridiculous," Chris said, sighing in frustration. He was in the library with Kate, and they had brought along their Alienware laptops. They had also entered the building with their graphics tablets.

Marie turned her attention from the rock she was detailing to observe what was angering Chris. He was in the process of applying the polypaint future to a tree, and somehow, the colors had mixed themselves.

"Have you tried to undo?" Kate suggested. Chris grumbled before he did what she had proposed. Just like that, the colors on the tree were back to their original form.

"Kate, I feel exhausted. We have been spending a lot of time focusing on the project."

"Yeah," Marie agreed. "But we have to finish modeling them first. After we're done, we'll be able to focus on other things."

"We need a break," Chris stated. "I heard there's a party tonight. We should go."

Kate was shocked by the proposal.

"You know we can't do that. We are still behind with the project--"

"But we are halfway done with making the drawings into 3D," Chris interrupted. "I believe we have earned the break."

Marie thought about what he said, and she found herself agreeing. Indeed, she had spent the past two weeks thinking about her project. She couldn't even catch up with the series that had come out on TV.

"Okay," she replied. "But does it have to be a party? We could do something else."

"Kate, it's a Friday," Chris smiled. "Let's go have some fun."

"But--"

"If you agree to go with me to the party, I will agree to spend the day tomorrow watching movies with you. I will also make the popcorn and we could have a mini-pizza party."

'Damn,' Kate thought, her mouth salivating at the mention of the food.

"You drive a hard bargain," she said, but Chris grinned nonetheless. He knew he had won her over.

*********************** ************************************* *********************

"Hey, Gwen," Kate said as she opened the door to her dorm. She found her roommate lying on the sofa with a book above her.

"Hey," she greeted with a wave of her hand.

"There's a party tonight. Want to come?"

"Nope," she replied quickly, and that had Marie stop to look at her. It was then that it dawned what she was seeing.

Gwen was reading a book.

"Are you reading a book?"

"Yes. I'm studying."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows.

"Gwen, I think you missed the exam dates wrong. They are in December."

At that, Gwen rolled her eyes. Still, it bothered Kate.

"Why are you reading?"

"Well, I remembered I'm in college. I want to know stuff, you know?"

That sounded like a lie in Kate's ears.

"Is this your way of trying to impress that guy? What's his name... Ben?"

Gwen's eyes widened in shock, proving that Kate was right.

"Who told you?"

"Well, it is simple," Kate stated. "Alex saw you hanging out with a guy at the park. He knows the guy to be one of those silent yet smart types, which is weird because he was seen hanging out with you. Anyway, Alex told Chris, and then Chris told me."

"Dammit!" Gwen cursed.

"Whoa! It's okay," her roommate reassured her. "I won't say anything. What you do with him is your business."

Gwen sighed, turning to sit on the couch so she could face Kate.

"Have you noticed how I have rarely been around lately?"

"You have?" Marie was shocked. She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought about it.

"How could I have missed it?"

"He's sort of tutoring me. He's helping me with my studies," Gwen blushed, and that had Kate shrieking with excitement.

Hardly did her roommate ever blush.

"I'm so happy for you!" she said. "So are you guys dating already?"

"What? Pfft. No," Gwen turned back to her books.

"Why?" Kate wondered.

"He doesn't see me that way. Sure, he's cute and smart, but I know he wouldn't want to go for a girl like me."

"A girl like you?"

"You know. Wild, outgoing... Loud!"

"Gwen, if I were a guy, I would have been all over you," Kate said, not even bothered by her words. "You are beautiful and sexy. Who wouldn't want to be near you?"

"Aw, thank you," Gwen said. "Just don't turn lesbian on me."

"What? That's not--"

"I have to get some studying done, Kate. Can we talk later?"

Marie narrowed her eyelids at her friend. She was ignored, and that made her eye her with an unamused expression.

"Make sure to tap that," she added with a smirk. Kate knew she was talking about Chris, but Gwen quickly walked to her room before she could deny her words.

************************** ****************************************** *************

Marie had made it to the party that evening with Chris. They had been late, arriving around the minutes close to ten.

Once they had parked the car, they were met with the same, usual scene that they witnessed in college parties. In fact, it told them that the party had really progressed.

Just like the other one she had been to, the party was being hosted in a mansion. A couple of frat brothers yelled something in a chant as they passed by Marie, frightening her from the loudness of their voices.

Chris rolled his eyes at them, gently grabbing Kate's hand and leading her toward the front entrance of the mansion. The contact had goosebumps rising on her skin, and she decided not to think too much of it.

Fortunately, the styrofoam cups lying on the ground and the passed out college students provided a distraction for her.

"Is it too late to turn back?" Kate questioned Chris when they were at the door, making him chuckle.

"You have nothing to worry about. I'm sure it will be just like many parties we have gone to," he told her.

They entered the house, and the smell of alcohol met their senses. Drunk young adults were dancing to the loud music that pounded from some corners in the large room, causing a slight headache to start in Kate's mind.

'Seriously. Why did I even come to this party?' she wondered.

"Chris!" a male voice yelled, causing Marie and her project partner to turn to the person.

They spotted Alex making his way through the crowd. He was shirtless, having worn a pair of dark blue jeans. His state of undress revealed a toned and muscled chest that would have made girls drool. Surprisingly, Kate was unaffected.

'Strange,' she thought.

"Dude!" Chris greeted Alex with a bro hug. "What did you do? Where's your shirt?"

"Oh, you know... I was with a girl in one of the bedrooms, but then her boyfriend interrupted us."

"Oh," Chris commented.

"I know, right?" Alex stated. "Dude has the worst timing!"

Kate shared a look with Chris.

"But enough about that. I met with a couple of people I know from class. You should come! We're having a game."

Chris looked excited for a second, but then Kate noticed his expression change.

"Oh. I'm sorry, but I'm here with Kate."

"Oh, hi Kate!" Alex greeted with a smirk. "Didn't see you there."

"Hey, Alex," she sighed, not bothered by spotting him checking her out. Kate turned to Chris, and that was when she noticed him giving his friend a look she couldn't decipher.

"You should come with," Alex added.

"Sure," Kate replied without hesitating. He grinned, and then he proceeded to lead her and Chris farther through the room. They passed by couples grinding on the dance floor, others kissing, and other people laughing loudly at something they were talking about.

Nothing unusual.

A couple of seconds later, they found themselves entering a room that was on the first floor. The furniture that was present had it resembling a dining room with a homey feel to it. 

A couple of people they knew from college were already there, and they had situated themselves on couches that surrounded a mahogany table.

"Hey, Kate!" Marie noticed Helen, a girl she knew who was learning the same course as Gwen.

"Helen!" she greeted back, running towards the girl and hugging her. She observed her, noticing that she had the same ginger hair she had ever since she was a freshman.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Kate turned towards the voice, spotting a blonde guy checking her out.

"Dude, she's taken," Alex announced, much to Marie's shock. She went to deny it, but Chris was quick to approach her.

"Just let it be like this. If they discover the lie, they will flock all over you," he told her, and that had her shut up. Kate wouldn't mind the attention at times, but at that night, she didn't want it. She wanted to have fun without having to deflect the attention of guys looking to get it on.

"So, what are we playing?" she asked.

"We were thinking truth or dare," the blonde said with a smirk.

"Seriously, Mark?" a girl beside him stated, voicing out Kate's thoughts. "We can do better than that."

"How about 'never have I ever?'" another brunette girl beside him suggested.

"What are we? High school kids?" Alex said. "We can do better than that."

"I thought you said you had a drinking game," Chris told him.

"Yes, but we haven't figured out what it is."

"Guys, it's almost ten, and I'm barely even drunk," Helen stated. "Let's just pick a game and start playing."

"Fine. I guess we'll go with 'never have I ever'," Mark said. "So, are we all playing?"

Everyone in the room nodded.

"Great!"

"It sounds like a high school game..." Kate heard the blonde guy grumble, and she chuckled.

Someone brought a couple of styrofoam cups, placing each one in front of each person that was participating in the game. Some strong alcoholic content was quickly poured into the cups.

"Okay! Never have I ever undressed in public," another girl started, but no one drank from their cups.

"Okay," she said, looking anywhere but at the people around her.

"Never have I ever skipped classes," someone who was next to the girl said, and everyone drank from their cups.

Chris eyed Kate.

"What?" she said. "Taking advantage of a sick sheet also counts for skipping class."

"No, it doesn't," Alex and Helen stated.

"Guys, this is lame," Mark commented. "Let's make things interesting. How about: never have I ever had sex in a dorm."

Kate's eyes widened in shock. She blushed as she looked at everyone around her, even Chris, drink from their cups.

She was mentally thankful that nobody asked her about it.

The game continued, getting more and more interesting as the questions became more daring.

"Never have I ever peed in a teacher's coffee!"

"Never have I ever slept with my lecturer!"

"Never have I ever slept with my boyfriend's best friend!"

"Never have I ever taken a shit on a roommate's bed!"

Kate was surprised by the number of times people drank as the minutes passed. It didn't take long for everyone to get disoriented from all the alcohol they had consumed. Some were already laughing at nothing, and others looked like they wanted to make out.

Marie had only drunk two cups of the tequila, and that was little when compared to what everyone had taken. 

She looked around, seeing that everyone was lost in their drunken haze, and it made her feel uncomfortable to be in their presence. She thought she had been a party animal since she was in high school, but she was wrong.

'Crap. Have I been doing college the right way?'

"I have to pee," Marie said as she slowly got up from the couch. She momentarily lost her balance, but Chris was there to help her regain her balance.

"Oh. Did I say that out loud?" she asked, and the people around her laughed. It proved that she, too, was drunk, even if it was a little bit.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Downstairs," Mark answered. Kate frowned at the reply. She wanted more details.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Chris asked. His voice seemed a little off. He was as drunk as Kate was, but she worried about him. She didn't want him to fall on their way downstairs or even pass out on her. That would be a lot of weight to carry.

"No, I'm good," she smiled at him as she stood to head out. "I'll be back in a sec."

Kate made her way down the stairs. To her surprise, she noticed that the dining area was more full than it had been when she had arrived.

Or maybe it was the alcohol in her system making her see things.

She walked, slightly stumbling on her steps as she passed by the drunk students around her. It took her a while, but she managed to find the bathroom. She closed the door behind her before she tended to her duties. 

Once she was done, she went towards the large mirror on the wall in front of her. She studied her features, spotting the mess on her face. Her eyeliner seemed to be going off course, her hair looked in disarray, and her lips felt dry.

"Eh," she commented with a shrug, knowing that people wouldn't care how she looked like at the moment. In fact, some could even be worse than her.

Kate went to exit the bathroom, but she was momentarily surprised when someone made their way in. It was a guy.

"Oh," she said as she relaxed. She didn't say anything else, heading towards the door. However, an arm was pinned on the door.

"Hello, sexy," he spoke, unabashedly checking her out.

'I look sexy right now?' she thought.

"Hello to you too," Kate said with a nervous smile. "Will you let me pass?" she added, moving to pull the arm off the door. However, the arm did not budge.

Marie took her time to observe the guy. He was a blonde. He had muscles on his form. His physical looks and the cocky smirk he was giving her clued her in on the fact that he could be one of those sports students in the university.

It was then that she noticed the look in his eyes. They were bloodshot, probably from all the alcohol he had been drinking.

Kate moved to push his arm off again, but the guy still did not budge. She felt a sudden shiver run down her spine.

"Dude, this is not funny. My friends are waiting for me," she proceeded to speak. But the guy did not heed her words. Instead, he pushed her towards the mirror behind her. Kate gasped at the action, lucky that the mirror had not cracked behind her. She started getting really freaked out when the guy started touching her.

"You look so hot," he said, grabbing her lush breasts. The force applied to her chest made her feel pain.

"Stop it!" Kate yelled, moving to push the attacker away from her. He didn't move, and at that moment, he used his legs to part her thighs.

'No. No!' Kate started thrashing in his hold, using all her strength to push him away from her. It was all for nothing as the man started grabbing her hands and pulling them up to the wall. He pushed himself into her thighs, grinding his hips into hers.

Marie was in a moment of frozen panic. She did nothing as the guy trailed his lips onto her neck before he found her lips.

The moment his tongue wanted action, Kate maneuvered herself in his hold and bit his tongue. The guy released a muffled cuss, and she took that moment of weakness to knee him hard in the balls.

"Fuck! You bitch!" the guy yelled as he cupped his groin. Without wasting another minute, Marie moved around him and headed towards the door. The guy groaned as he moved to follow her.

Fortunately, Kate closed the door behind him and locked it.

"Open the door, you bitch!" he yelled from the bathroom. The door shook behind her from the force of him pounding on it, slightly shocking Kate. She observed her surroundings, noticing that a couple of people were watching her.

Some were drunk, and some were looking at her in shock. Kate did not know whether to feel pleased or angry about it. A part of her did not want to be the talk of the campus, while another part of her didn't care and wanted the attacker to be dealt with.

She ran from the area, turning to head upstairs to her new friends. What had just happened had sobered her up pretty good. She felt rattled, and she wanted to leave the house because the loud music and the people around her made her feel crowded. She was about to enter the room, but the sight that met her made her stomach churn.

Chris was on the couch, and he was furiously making out with Helen.

She looked away from the sight, noticing that the others in the room were not even paying attention. They were too busy laughing at something someone had said, and they looked drunk off their asses.

Kate turned her attention back to Chris, noticing how he was still kissing Helen. By then, their hands had tangled into each other's hairs, and they were pressing themselves close to each other so that there was no space in between. They were even moaning around each other.

Marie did not expect to feel anything from what she was seeing, but she was surprised when she became angry.

"Hey, look at those two getting it on!" someone yelled. A couple of cat whistles sounded in the room. Chris and Helen abruptly ended the kiss, panting as they stared at each other.

Kate believed she had seen enough. The evening had been too much for her, and so she turned to leave the party.

 

Chapter 17

"I knew you'd take all my honey. You selfish motherf*****," Kate's laptop speakers sounded in her room.

She sighed as she shifted on the bed to get comfortable. However, it did not help with her state.

After arriving from the party hours ago, she had taken a long shower. It was there that she let out all the emotions she had been bottling. She cried for a long time until she was able to calm down. Then she went to her bed and covered herself with the duvets before turning to her laptop. Gwen had been absent, leaving a note about a tutoring session, and she was glad to have time to herself.

The events of the night were still fresh in her mind. Kate was tense, especially after the memory of what had happened in the bathroom. She wanted to forget it all, but the darkness in the room filled her with a paranoia that the guy who had touched her would appear and continue what he started.

Kate felt her eyes brim up with tears. She did not want to focus on the events of the bathroom, especially after she had spotted Chris with Helen. She could not understand why it bothered her after what she had been through. Could it be that she was angry because Chris was enjoying himself when a guy was forcing himself on her?

Kate shook her head, knowing that her thoughts were not okay. Chris had nothing to do with her current state. He had no idea of what would transpire in the bathroom.

'He had even offered to escort you there,' her mind reminded her, and she wanted to smack herself for not taking up his offer. Maybe she wouldn't be affected too much to go to sleep.

She directed her eyes back to her laptop's screen, noticing that the clock read four in the morning. The music video playing on her screen was not helping her. She had thought that watching stuff on YouTube would help her direct her thoughts away from the events of the night, but it was not working. 

It continued on for an hour. Kate's eyelids were soon droopy as she listened to a user react to savage text replies. She thought she was going to fall asleep, but then furious knocking sounded at the door. They didn't stop, and she groaned as she rose from her bed.

A headache made its presence known as she slowly moved to the door. She soon opened it, revealing a disheveled yet fuming Chris. His hair looked messy, and his bloodshot eyes showed his sleep deprivation.

"What the--"

"Where the hell have you been?" he interrupted her with a glare. "Do you know how worried I was about you?"

"Chris, not so loud. What--"

"You didn't tell me you were leaving," he stated. "Why didn't you tell me you came to your dorm? The least you could have done was send me a freaking text!"

"Chris--"

"I have been worried sick, looking for you at that party, wondering if something had happened to you."

Kate looked stricken for a moment once she remembered what had almost occurred hours ago. She forced the memory away, allowing guilt to overcome her.

"Look. I'm sorry," she told him, ushering him into her dorm. "I know I should have told you that something came up. I didn't mean to do it on purpose."

Chris' features relaxed a bit, but not enough to cool down his anger.

"Thank goodness. I thought you had been raped," he said, and that had Marie tense in shock.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well," Chris sighed, "a commotion started after you went to the bathroom. Apparently, there was this guy who was at the party just to look for girls he could take advantage of."

"What?" Kate exclaimed.

"He waited for some poor girl and went after her in the bathroom."

Kate felt her stomach sink.

"The girl was screaming, and by the time someone went into the bathroom, they found her topless with the guy groping her breasts."

"That is awful!" Marie commented. Her feet wobbled, and that had her turning to head to the couch.

"I know," Chris said, heading toward the couch and sitting next to her. "The girl had been crying, and I believe it is a good thing that someone had heard her and saved her before it got too far."

"Oh, thank God," Kate said with a sigh. "Did the police come?"

"Yes. They arrested him, and because of that, the party ended early."

"...Oh."

"But then, some people said there was another victim."

Kate did not want to hear about it. She thought she had escaped having to explain her ordeal with the attacker, but it looked like she had not.

"The guy had tried to do it with another person. He had followed her into the bathroom and trapped her in there. Somehow, the girl got lucky and escaped him."

"That blonde guy had the nerve," Kate revealed.

"I know. At the time, people thought it was a fight between a couple, but it was entirely a different thing."

Kate sighed in relief. Thank goodness the people at the party were not too drunk to notice what was happening around them.

"Well, that's good to know," she said.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?"

"How did you know the guy is a blonde?" Chris asked, and that had her tongue-tied for a moment.

She chose to blame her exhaustion for letting that slip.

"I assumed," she answered after a while.

"You took your time to answer that," Chris pointed out as he looked at her. Kate looked down at her thighs before turning to face him. He looked confused as he stared at her. She hoped he wouldn't realize what she knew, but then a shift of emotions on his face told her otherwise.

"Kate..." Chris trailed off. "Was it--"

"I don't want to talk about it," she cut him off, looking anywhere but at him.

"Kate," Chris' tone turned deep and angry. She did not want to deal with it.

"Chris, let it go."

"How can I let it go?" he shouted, and that had Marie turn to face him. "That guy almost... I should just go to the police station and beat that person to a pulp!"

"Chris, let it go!" Kate shouted at him. "Nothing happened."

"But that's the thing. Something could have happened to you!" he yelled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kate turned furious all of a sudden.

"How could I have told you when I saw you sharing spit with Helen?" she exploded, and Chris flinched in shock. "That... that bastard forced himself on me! I was shocked it had happened. I couldn't bring myself to focus..." Kate shook her head as tears clouded her vision. "A part of me feels ashamed like it was my fault. I couldn't continue staying there, so that's why I left. How could you have wanted me to tell you about that?"

"But you should have, Kate!" Chris fired back.

"But that's the thing, Chris," she said. "I was afraid you would have looked at me in a different way."

A sudden silence took hold in the room. Tears blurred Marie's vision, but she was determined not to cry. She blinked them away, but unfortunately, one escaped and trailed down her cheek.

"Kate..." Chris spoke in a gentle voice, and that had more tears running down her face. He didn't waste time in embracing her, making sure he rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," Kate whispered on Chris' shoulder, but he knew she was not fine.

"It's okay, Kate. It's over," he said. "I wouldn't think of you differently. And it isn't your fault. You have nothing to be ashamed about. It's all on that guy who had the nerve to try to rape you."

Kate flinched at the word, urging Chris to wrap his arms tighter around her. She felt safe in his hold. The heat coming off his body brought a sense of comfort and peace to her. It made Kate realize something fluttering in her heart.

His hands unexpectedly went to her back, and she flinched.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm taking you to bed."

She relaxed again in his hold. Chris hoisted her as he moved to the bedroom. He moved her laptop away and lay her on the bed.

He was just about to leave when Kate said, "Please, stay."

Chris stood still for a moment, undecided. He soon moved to sit on her bed.

Kate scooted over to give him space. He turned to face her, moving his hand over her head.

"It's okay, Kate," he said. letting his hand trail down her cheek before he started caressing it. "No one will hurt you. I'm here, and I'll keep you safe."

Chris continued the same motion of his hand for minutes. Kate's eyes closed at the soothing feel of his fingers on hers. Coupled with the exhaustion from the events of the night, sleep took over her form.

When she woke up hours later, she didn't spot Chris in her dorm. But he had left a note telling her to call him if she woke up. She did, and they were able to carry out his promise for movies and a mini-pizza party.

 

Chapter 18

Chris continued to be present around Kate for the days that followed. He was there for her, helping her keep her mind off the incident at the party. It worked, and after some time, she believed she was not affected by it anymore. 

"How about this one?" Marie asked Chris, loading a preview render of an African gourd she had modeled on her laptop. 

They were at the university, and the day's class was one that the professor designated to the students for their projects as he marked their assignments. They had dispersed in the large room, and Kate and Chris had already situated themselves at the back of the class.  

"It's okay," he answered with a furrow of his eyebrows. "How about adding a little more lighting and increasing the samples for it?"

Lighting referred to how the 3D objects would appear in an environment to match with its colors, while the samples added to the clarity of the objects. It also reduced the noise people would get if they rendered with low settings.

"Chris, I don't think anyone would want that," she told him. "It will increase our render times."

"I don't think anyone would mind," he shrugged. Kate eyed him with a raised eyebrow.

"Chris, we have no time for that. We are yet to make the comic-version of the story to guide us with the modeling."

"Don't worry about it. I'll work something out," he countered. "So, are you free this weekend?"

Kate glared at Chris.

"I promise it's not another party," he added.

"Okay. What is it about?"

Chris shifted in his seat, looking nervous. That made Kate worried.

"My sister is getting married this weekend," he announced.

"Hold up. You have a sister?" she chose to focus on his siblings.

"Three, actually," he corrected.

"Wow. I thought you were the only child in your family!"

"I'm the second born," he said, making Kate gasp. "But it feels like I'm an only child 'cause I'm a boy. Anyway, my sister is getting married this weekend."

Kate blinked at him before saying, "Well, congratulations."

"Yeah... And my family wants me to bring a date."

"... Oh," she responded softly.

"Please come with me. You wouldn't have to do much," he pleaded. "You just have to be there to accompany me."

"Chris, I don't understand. Why do you want me to come along with you? Can't you go alone? Or better yet, don't you have anyone else in mind? I think it's too soon for me to meet your family."

He sighed.

"To be honest, my family is kind of worried about me."

"Huh?" 

"Okay, not exactly worried," Chris corrected himself. "They believe I should have a girlfriend by now."

Kate paused for a few seconds before saying: "What?"

"They've been breathing down on me ever since last summer, urging me to be in a relationship with someone. I was against it, but then my parents said they could partner me up with one of my cousins during my sister's wedding."

"Why don't you just accompany one of your cousins?" Marie chuckled.

"Because we wouldn't get along. I mean, you know how it is with distant relatives. Imagine how awkward it will be to take one of your cousins to such an event."

Kate nodded, understanding where Chris was coming from.

"So will you come with me?"

"Chris, I haven't been in the dating game for the past year," she confessed.

"It's okay. You don't have to pretend to be my girlfriend. We'll just tell them that we are friends. They will think that it will grow to be something more, and they will back off."

"Okay," Kate answered, much to Chris' shock.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. But I need to know when exactly the wedding is."

"Um, on Saturday. We can go on Friday."

"Chris--"

"There is a party on Thursday outside the school. No one will come on Friday anyway."

"Chris--"

"I'll figure something out. You don't have to worry about telling the professor about our whereabouts."

"Okay," there was nothing else for her to say.

"Great!" Chris grinned. "Think of it as a way of skiving class with you. We will have so much fun."

Kate doubted her friend's words, but she smiled nonetheless.

**************************** ********************************* ********************

Friday reached much quicker than she had anticipated. Just as Chris had told her, many people had gone to a party the other night. The campus was mostly silent with sleeping students, and they were probably not even bothered about classes.

Marie had already packed her bags. She was dressed and ready to leave. Chris had phoned her on the previous night to discuss their plans for the weekend. He had told her that he would come to her place before they could leave.

Kate's phone rang, and as expected, it was Chris. She answered it with a greeting.

"Are you ready?"

"Yup. I'll be downstairs," she said before ending the call. She grabbed her bags as she headed toward the door.

"Bye, Gwen!" Kate yelled. Her roommate groaned in reply, earning an eye-roll from Marie before closing the door behind her.

"Hey!" she yelled as she made her way down the stairs. Chris had already parked his car in the parking lot, leaning against it. The green, cotton shirt he had worn hugged his form. It was short-sleeved, and it showed off the muscles in his arms and chest. The sunglasses he had worn coupled with the spiky hairstyle he was rocking made him look hot. It caused a flutter in Marie's stomach, but she chose to drag her thoughts away from it.

"Hey," Chris greeted with a smile as he took off his glasses. Kate looked into his eyes, and she found herself momentarily lost in his brown orbs.

"Oh! Um, where should I put these?" she asked, motioning towards the two bags she was carrying. Chris quickly grabbed one before heading towards the trunk of the car. With a key, he opened it before delivering Kate's stuff in it.

"Are these the only things you're going to carry?" he asked her.

"Yup," she replied.

"For a moment, I thought you would carry a lot more than two bags. Maybe even a suitcase."

"Chris, I'm not the kind of person who carries all their belongings just for two days," she said with a humored smile. She suddenly found Chris looking at her with a look in his eyes.

"What? Is there something on my face?" she wondered, touching the area before running her fingers through her long, curly hair.

"Nothing is on your face," Chris replied, much to Kate's relief. He turned toward the doors of the car, helping her settle on the shotgun seat before he took place in the driver's seat.

"So, how long will the drive be?" she asked him.

"Hmm... Not that long. About three to four hours," he replied.

Kate furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Back to our hometown, Kate," Chris replied, much to her shock.

'Stonedale?' she thought.

"Oh," she commented. Chris looked surprised by her reaction.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Marie denied. "It's just that I haven't been there in a long time."

"You have nothing to worry about," Chris gave her a comforting smile as he started the car. "We'll just go to my place. I doubt we'll run into anyone we know from high school."

Kate sighed just as they started pulling from the parking lot. Minutes later, they were off.

*********************************** ************************ **********************

Hours of driving had passed. Kate and Chris had barely found signs of civilization through the silent yet comfortable drive. They spotted the hills and the small groups of trees that passed their view. It was during the afternoon when the two spotted a diner. They decided to stop by to eat before they could continue with their journey.

"I was so hungry," Kate moaned as she took another bite of her hamburger. "I'm going to carry snacks whenever we'll be having a road trip from now on."

"Sorry," Chris replied with a chuckle as he paused to watch her eat. "It's a good thing we stopped by this place."

The diner they had entered was not fully packed. Chris had told Marie that it was famous because motorists who drove by the area would stop to eat there.

"Thanks, Chris," she told him. "In a way, this road trip is turning out to be fun for me."

"You're welcome," he told her with a smile before digging into his French fries. "Hmm. I saw a convenience store nearby. We should stop by to get a couple of things."

Kate nodded in agreement, continuing with her meal.

After they had paid for their meals, they left the diner and took a small walk towards the convenience store. They bought snacks and a couple of cold drinks before they headed back to the car to continue with their journey.

************************** ************************* *********************** *******

Unlike the time before they had stopped by the diner, Kate and Chris talked a lot and sang to a couple of songs that played on the radio for the hours that followed.

At the moment, Kate was laughing at something Chris had told her. He was recalling a college party where Alex had an embarrassing moment. He had struck a conversation with a girl and had enticed her enough to take her to a nearby bedroom that happened to be on the first floor of the house. They had gotten naked, and Alex was shocked when he saw the girl was not actually a girl. In a moment of panic, he left through the window and fell without getting hurt. Then he ran off.

"Oh my..." Kate trailed as guffaws left her lips. Tears were streaming down her face from that and other hilarious moments Chris had told her.

"I know, right? The bastard called me to help his ass," he continued, earning more laughter from Kate. "He had me drive to a deserted park with his clothes."

"You laughed when you saw him, right?"

"Of course. It also didn't help when he told me he was freezing his balls off."

Kate continued to laugh.

"Stop! Stop! I'm going to pee!" she said, and that had Chris laughing. After a while, their laughter died down.

It was at that moment when Kate spotted a welcome-to-a-town sign. Her laughter faded at the sight of the blue board that mentioned her hometown.

Stonedale was a place that Kate never thought would make her nervous. It was a peaceful area. It was just that it reminded her of the events that had happened in her former high school.

In a couple of seconds, she found herself passing by familiar buildings of the town. She spotted the five-floor mall that was located opposite a grocery store where she used to hang around with Darcy.

"This is amazing! I can't believe we are already here," Chris commented, slowing the car's pace as requested by a speed limit sign.

Chris had told Kate that they would arrive at either four or five in the evening. It was three in the afternoon, much to their shock.

"It really has been a long time since I've been here," Kate said, and that had Chris momentarily glancing at her.

"What? Seriously? How long exactly have you been away from the town?" he questioned.

"I believe it has been more than two years. Maybe three?" Marie answered, making Chris' eyes widen in disbelief.

"I didn't know. I thought you were still in the area!"

"If I were, I believe we would have seen each other at some point. The town may be big, but that doesn't reduce the chances of running into someone you know."

"But Kate, if you weren't here, where have you been living?"

Kate sighed before she answered: "With my parents. They retired, and so they decided to spend some time going around the world. I usually go along with them when I'm not in college."

"Oh," Chris commented with a confused look. "Doesn't it get tiring?"

"At times it does. It's a good thing I spend most of my time in college."

"So, next summer, will you be with your parents again or--"

"I don't know. All I know is that we're planning to move back here. They say they are getting tired with the whole touring-the-world thing, but I doubt them. They can change their minds when they want to."

Chris said nothing afterward. Kate did not know whether to consider that silence to be comforting or awkward, but fortunately, she didn't have to focus too much on it. She found the car pulling nearby a large house.

'Wow. That was quick,' Kate thought. She and Chris were approaching a large, modern building.

Indeed, it was Chris' house. She recalled the large building because he had hosted parties when they were in high school. It had gray-bricked walls, and it looked to be about three levels high. It had sliding windows, which was a change from the double hung ones that used to be in their place.

A fence had been placed around the house and a gate that did nothing to hide it was present. It was open, and so Chris drove through it. He soon parked the car in front of the garage door with the engine still on.

"We should get out," he stated before he and Kate exited the car.

Kate sighed, stretching her back after she closed the car door.

"What a drive," she said with a sigh. "Isn't it weird to find yourself tired after a journey, even though we just sat in the car?"

"Tell me about it," Chris said as he headed towards the car's trunk. Kate was quick to follow him, helping him deliver their bags onto the freshly-mowed grass.

After they had gotten their stuff out in the open, the sound of a door opening was heard. It didn't take long for someone to appear in their view. 

"Chris! My son!" a blonde woman greeted Chris by embracing him in a hug and raining kisses down his face.

"Mom!" he complained as a blush appeared on his face. Kate found herself smiling at the scene.

Chris' mother looked like a slightly older version of himself, but more feminine. The woman had his oval face structure, but she had rosy skin.  

She soon turned to face Marie. The smile that was on her face turned immediately into a frown.

"Oh. And who are you?"

Marie was surprised by the change of expressions. She looked serious, and her aura had a threatening feel to it.

"Mom, cut it out. That's Kate," Chris answered. The serious expression turned into a look of shock.

"Wait. Kate? Is it another Kate or the Kate?" the woman asked.

"Mom, she's--"

"Hello," Marie went to greet the woman herself. "I'm Kate, a friend of your son."

The woman stared at the hand Kate was offering. It went on like that, and Kate was feeling a bit awkward. Much to her surprise, the woman went and embraced her in a hug.

"Welcome!" she said, squeezing her tight. Kate eyed Chris, noticing how he was silently chuckling.

"Is this all the stuff you've brought?" she asked, motioning towards Chris and Kate's luggage.

"Yes, Mom," Chris said. "But it's okay. We'll get it inside--"

"Nonsense!" she cut him off, grabbing the bags that were on the ground. "No guests of mine will carry their luggage into my house."

"No, let us carry them ourselves," Kate interjected. The woman stopped and turned to face her. Then she broke into a smile.

'Okay?' Kate thought.

"No worries. I can handle this."

"Mom," Chris groaned again in protest, but his mother did not listen as she grabbed a bag on each hand.

"Wait. What about the car?" Kate wondered, pointing at the vehicle that was still running.

"Oh, we'll sort it out later," the woman said in between pants as she walked into the house.

Kate still felt bad for letting her carry their luggage. But she was quite stubborn as proved by Chris continuing to offer his help.

"Mom, let me help!" he yelled at his mother.

Either way, Kate was glad about the warm welcome. She soon followed the two inside the house.

 

Chapter 19

"They're here!" Chris' mother announced once the three were past the door. Kate barely had enough time to look around when the sound of footsteps was heard heading towards them.

"Bro!" a girl with straight, blonde hair yelled as she crashed into Chris' form. 

"Hey, little sis!" he greeted back, embracing her in a hug and raising her off the floor. From what Kate could see, the girl was close to being the same height as her mother. The difference between them, apart from their looks, was that she was a bit thin. 

Once Chris' sister had settled, she turned to look at Marie.

"Who is she?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm--"

"She's Kate, dear," their mother interjected. The confused look evaporated from the girl's face before a look of excitement took over.

"Oh! You are much prettier than I imagined," she commented.

"Thank you," Kate was hesitant on her reply.

"I kind of get why Chris brought you here. He must like your big--"

"Violet!" Chris' mother chastised, mortified.

"What? I was going to say 'head'. Although ass can work, too."

Kate found herself blushing, momentarily not knowing what to say.

"Your sister is quite..." she trailed off as she turned to Chris, not knowing how to explain what she thought about her without offending anyone.

"Open?" he filled in for her, earning a nod. "Yeah, she's always like that. She has the ability to ruin the best-laid plans. Like last Christmas, she told one of my younger cousins the presents they were getting."

"Is my brother home?" another female voice shouted. Kate turned, noticing a girl with black hair make her appearance in the hall.

She had the same facial structure as her mother, and she had her skin. However, they did not look alike.

Perhaps she took after the father.

"Ana," Chris stated with a grin, embracing her sister in a hug. The sister smiled, but then she also noticed Kate.

Her eyelids narrowed.

"Did you bring another one of your--"

"No!" Chris interjected with wide eyes. "Ana, she's Kate."

Ana turned to look excitedly at Marie. "Oh. You are much prettier than I imagined."

"That's what I said!" Violet commented, earning an eye-roll from her brother.

"Children, I'm sure our guests are tired from their journey. Give them time to get freshened up, and then we can continue talking afterward."

"Sure."

"Fine."

"I can lead you to my room," Chris' mother told Kate. "Chris, you can use your father's. I'm not yet done preparing the guest rooms."

After grasping her two bags, Chris' mother grabbed Marie's wrist. Kate tensed, but then she noticed Chris giving her a reassuring look.

"You'll be fine," he mouthed before he walked away from view with his sisters.

"So, how do you know my son?" Chris' mother questioned as they walked up a flight of stairs.

"We study the same course," Marie answered.

"Oh? I didn't know that. Why didn't he tell me that such a pretty girl like you are in the same class as him?"

Kate blushed for a moment, but when it dawned it wasn't a rhetorical question, she wondered how she would reply.

"Um, we didn't usually talk to each other."

"Really? What changed that?"

"Oh, we got assigned to do a project for the semester," Marie replied. "I believe that if it weren't for that, we wouldn't be talking right now."

"Well, thank goodness you got grouped with him," Chris' mother replied just as they passed by another door in a hallway they had reached.

"You can put your bags here for now," the woman informed Kate, opening the door to a bedroom that had blue walls. There was a large, sliding window, and it showed the view of the lawn and the road they had used to come to Chris' place.

Kate maneuvered past the large, Victorian bed as she made her way toward her bags. A lingering flower scent met her senses, and it made the room have a certain homey touch to it.

"The shower is right through that door," Chris' mother continued informing her, motioning towards a white door on the side.

"Thank you," Kate replied. The woman smiled before leaving the room.

**************** *************************** **************************************

Kate took her time in the shower. All the while, she was wondering how she would approach Chris' family. So far, she had already met his mother and his sisters. It puzzled her that they had looked down on her before Chris had told them who she was. 

Apparently, his family didn't take well to the people he brought. If there were more family members she would have to meet, how would she react to them? More importantly, how would they view her?

After wearing a casual but formal choice of clothing, Marie left the room and entered the hallway. She remembered the way she came, and so she went down the stairs and into the dining room.

"I hope you found the shower relaxing," Chris' mother greeted her with a smile.

"It was wonderful, thank you," Kate replied before furrowing her eyebrows. "Where's Chris?"

"I'm here!" he yelled, forcing the people in the room to turn towards the direction of his voice. Chris appeared, having worn a brown checkered T-shirt that was loose around him.

"Chris, why are you wearing that shirt?" his mother asked him with a frown. "It's going to get cold soon. You should try putting on larger clothes."

"Mom, I'm fine this way," he replied with a roll of his eyes. Kate smiled at the action.

"Does he always wear such clothes?" his mother asked Marie who nodded earnestly. Chris gave her an unamused look.

"Go put on something else."

"Mom--"

"Would you rather I force you out of that?"

Chris' cheeks turned a bright pink. Kate almost laughed at him had she not bit her tongue.

"Fine, I'll go change," Chris grumbled before leaving the room. Once he was out of earshot, Kate felt free to laugh.

"That boy of mine can be a handful at times," the mother said, making Kate laugh more.

"I've never seen him act like that," Marie confessed.

"When you are in the presence of family, you tend to show your true colors. Well, enough about us."

Chris' mother turned to face Marie.

"I want to know more about you."

Kate's heart dropped.

"Me?" she asked, earning a nod as a reply. "I'm no one."

"Please," Chris' mother stated with a grin. "You are the famous Kate that we keep hearing about."

"Wait. Famous?"

"Isn't it obvious by now? Every time we talk on the phone, my son keeps mentioning you. Whether it's about calling you or going to see you... He always does it. Sometimes he does it without even realizing it. And the way he speaks about you..."

Kate's heart clenched with an emotion she couldn't make out. She couldn't believe Chris talked about her to his parents. She had not even talked about him to her own parents! Surprisingly, instead of feeling crowded, she felt okay with it.

"So I want to know more about the girl my son keeps talking about," Chris' mother gushed, making Kate blush in nervousness.

"Well, Mrs. Robins--"

"Please, call me Florence."

"Okay. Florence," Chris' mother smiled at that, "I don't know if you'll like much about me."

Florence frowned.

"To be honest, I've known your son since I was in high school," she sighed. "I wasn't that much of a... Great person."

"I know," Chris' mother commented, surprising Kate. "He told me you weren't a smart person. He also told me about your involvement with Darcy."

Marie winced, looking anywhere but at Florence.

"It's okay. My son got over it, and I got over it too."

"I'm sor--"

"It's okay. According to what I remember, you too had been affected. I will be honest: I was angry with you kids at that time. I mean, bullying someone so much that they retaliated by wanting to kill you?"

Kate winced again. It was bad hearing it from her parents, and it was still bad to relive it through Chris' mother.

"Anyway, that was in the past. I know you have learned from it."

Kate nodded. Florence's serious expression changed when she smiled.

"You could imagine my surprise when Chris told me you had enrolled at Charles Darwin University, more so when he told me you are doing the same course as him. How did it all come to that?"

"I didn't expect Chris to be studying there as well. It's just that after what happened in high school... The incident made me realize things I didn't like about myself," Marie confessed. "I knew I acted like a dumb girl that anyone could have easily taken advantage of. I was seen as an airhead. No one took me seriously, and I was the laughing stock of the class."

Kate revealed a sad smile. "It made me feel awful. I didn't even want to go back to school. And so, I had to make changes for myself."

Florence nodded in understanding.

"Sometimes, I even wonder if Chris still sees me as that person I used to be."

"He doesn't," Florence was quick to reply.

"Thank you for confirming it," Marie replied in gladness. "Now I know."

************************* ******************************** ************************

Kate spent the next hours that followed thinking that she had been too open too soon with Chris' mother. But she later became fine with it. It had been the fact that Chris trusted his mother so much with serious things that made Marie talk to her.

Also, it wasn't like they were going to see each other again so soon after the weekend passed.

The evening came much quicker than anticipated. Around that time, more guests appeared at the Robins' residence. Kate had the pleasure of meeting Chris' father. He was a brunette with brown eyes, a square face, and a few wrinkles on his skin. His form made him look like an older version of Chris. Kate engaged in a conversation with him to get to know him. He was a computer engineer, and his interests included novels and politics, much to Marie's surprise.

Afterward came Chris' uncle named Gerard, and then came the bride to be. Kate met Susan, Chris' elder sister. She had her mother's features but her father's hair, and she was getting married to a guy named John that weekend. She had come to stay with her family for the night before her wedding the next day.

'Huh. It's tomorrow!' Kate exclaimed in her thoughts. It had only been hours since she had arrived, and the time seemed to be moving quickly.

"Who is this bitch?" Susan had greeted Marie with narrowed eyelids once she made it to the dining room. It wasn't a surprise to Kate. She had gotten used to the greetings by then. Even Abraham, Chris' father, had been wary around her until things were cleared up.

Marie spotted Chris shaking his head in awkwardness as he looked down at the table.

"Susan, that's Kate," Violet had to inform her, and just like that, the sister did a 180-degree attitude change.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay. I'm used to it," Marie went to laugh it off.

"No, it's not. You see, the people my brother brings..."

"Are they usually bad?" Kate inquired.

"They're sluts," Susan deadpanned. Chris, who had been drinking a glass of water, spat the contents out in shock.

"He always passes them along as 'dates'," Susan used air quotes, "but we know he's just bringing them so that he can--"

"Susan!" Chris cut her off, looking flustered all of a sudden.

"They seem to fake interest in us, and some even flat out ignore us."

"That's not true," Chris stated.

"Chris, you know that I'm right. And don't you dare deny it because the noises we hear coming from your bedroom are sex sounds and not some pitiful excuse you come up with."

Chris looked away, not even bothering to meet his sister's eyes.

Kate laughed at the exchange.

"That was in the past, Susan," Chris countered.

"How about last Easter?"

"That was months ago!"

"Exactly."

Kate's laughter had died down by then, and she felt a weird sensation in her chest. It confused her. She decided to ignore it the same way she was trying to ignore the conversation about Chris' conquests.

"Where's the bathroom?" she decided to ask.

"It's upstairs, dear," Florence replied. Kate moved quickly towards her destination.

'Control yourself, Kate,' Marie told herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. For some weird reason, she was angry.

'Why the hell am I acting like this?' she wondered. Having heard about Chris bringing girls to his home and having sex with them seemed to bug her.

'I'm so pathetic. So what? Chris slept with a couple of girls. No big deal,' she sighed. However, the revelation was still fresh in her mind. She took a deep breath, deciding not to let her confusing emotions cloud her judgment.

After she was done, Kate slowly made her way downstairs. The sounds of shouting had her cease her movements. She knew she should not listen in to whatever Chris' family was arguing about, but she could not help herself.

"... You might have ruined it for me!" she heard Chris yell.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Susan yelled back. "I didn't know she was that Kate!"

"Of course she was that Kate! Why did you even mention those slu--"

"ENOUGH!" Abraham's voice thundered from the room. "I will not have my children fight tonight, especially when one of them is getting married tomorrow. Now apologize to each other before you cause a scene in front of the guest."

Kate listened in on the silence that seemed to go on forever.

"I'm sorry," Chris apologized first. "I know you didn't mean to do it."

"No, I'm sorry," Susan said with a sigh. "It's my fault anyway for not picking up on what was happening and what she means to you. If you want, I'll try to fix the mess I made."

'What the hell are they talking about?' Kate thought.

"Thank goodness. Now we can have a peaceful night without worrying about jinxing the marriage," Abe said, and just like that, things seemed to turn normal for the family.

Kate mind was swarmed with questions, but she knew they wouldn't be answered. She waited a couple of seconds before making her way back into the dining room.

"It took me a while to find the bathroom," she said, walking towards Chris and Susan. "So, what were we talking about?"

"Um, nothing," Chris said.

It was obvious they were talking about something that they would rather keep secret. Marie wondered why she wanted to poke her nose in the subject. She never thought she would be that type of person.

"Who's going to help me with dinner?" Florence asked, successfully diverting Kate's attention.

"I'll do it!" she offered. Chris' mother smiled in gratitude.

************************* ******************************** ************************

The hours passed. After dinner, the family flocked in another room. They found out more about Kate and her family, and Marie came to discover more than she had ever thought about the Robins. They were an affluent family, but they chose not to show it. Violet was a sophomore in high school, whereas Ana was learning in a community college nearby. Susan was the oldest, and she had already scored a job working at a popular bank.

"Here he is crying in the pool," Florence showed Kate a couple of Chris' baby photos, much to his dismay. The photo revealed a young, teary Chris who was holding onto the ledge of a pool. "He was scared of letting go, even though the pool wasn't that deep."

Kate laughed at that and the other pictures that were shown.

"You better prepare for me to see your baby photos," Chris threatened Kate with an evil smirk.

"No way will that be happening, Mr. I-Slept-With-A-Teddy-Bear-At-Middle-School," she replied, making him groan in embarrassment.

"Oh, come on, Mom! You showed her that?" Chris whined, making Kate laugh harder. She was shown more photos for an hour, and she marveled at the transformation that he had gone through. Chris had been cute when he was a kid, and his growth had favored his appearance.

Soon, it was time for bed. Everyone had to sleep early because of the wedding that would follow on the next day.

"We're sleeping together?" Kate freaked out at the news.

"I'm sorry," Florence apologized. "It's just that we weren't expecting Chris' uncle to visit. There is no other available guest room."

There was nothing that could be done. Minutes later, after brushing her teeth and changing into her sleeping shirt and shorts, Kate found herself sharing a large bed with Chris. It was twice the size of the bed in her dorm, giving her ample space to move about in the bed.

Kate knew the room was Chris' bedroom. It was like the one she had entered when she had gone to have a bath earlier. There were a shelf and a desk on the side that supported a working computer. The only thing different was that the room had gray walls.

"This is weird," Marie commented. She had known her project partner for two months by then. Even though their friendship had grown in such a short time, having to share a bed with him felt too soon.

Not that it was ever in her plans.

"I know," Chris grumbled beside her. "But it doesn't have to be weird."

Seconds of silence passed between the two. Marie heard the bed groan, indicating that Chris was turning.

"We can talk until we fall asleep," his voice sounded louder then, and it made Kate realize that he was facing her.

She blushed, especially when Chris' minty breath hit her nostrils.

"What?" he asked, shocking Kate into realizing he could see her. She thought the little light coming into the room from the street lights wouldn't be enough to illuminate the items in the dark, but she was wrong.

"Nothing. I still feel this is weird."

Chris laughed, his breath hitting her in the face again. It didn't bother Kate as much as she expected it would.

"How close are you?" she wondered, reaching out with her hand to search for Chris. She came to realize he was centimeters away from her when her fingers grazed the slight stubble on his cheek.

She felt a fluttery sensation in her stomach.

"Wow. You are that close," she said.

"Is it a problem?" he asked. "I can move back if--"

"No, no," Kate sighed. "It's just, this is the first time I'm sharing a bed with a boy."

"Seriously?" Chris was shocked. "You can't be serious. What about when you were young?"

"You do have a point there," Kate stated. "But we were kids then. I can barely remember sharing a bed with my male relatives. It rarely happened because we had a lot of rooms in the house. Also, the moment we joined high school, things changed."

"Oh."

A moment of silence passed before Kate called out: "Chris?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you and Susan arguing about?"

A long moment of silence passed.

"Chris?"

Kate received no reply.

"Look. It's okay if you don't want to say anything. I don't want to come off as a nosy--"

"It's not that, Kate," Chris cut her off. "It's just... I don't know how to talk to you about this."

"About what?"

Chris sighed.

"Have you noticed how my family has been rude when meeting you?"

"Wait. Really?" Kate decided to downplay the subject.

"It's okay, Kate," Chris said with a small chuckle. "In fact, it was all my fault. I'm sorry."

"Chris, how can it be your fault?"

"I told them I was coming with someone to my sister's wedding, but I didn't specify that it was you. As Susan had told you, I used to bring some girls with me to meet my family during the college holidays."

"You don't have to go through those details."

"But I want to tell you, Kate, that I'm not that guy anymore."

Somehow, Chris' hand had found hers.

"Were you a manwhore?" Kate wondered, ignoring the delicious sparks traveling along her skin at the skin contact.

"In a way, yes," he shrugged in the darkness. "It's just that I didn't do it all the time like Alex does."

Kate nodded. Still, learning about his habits did not reduce the hurt Kate felt as he spoke.

"What I'm trying to say is that I want a relationship. I want to be with someone who has nearly or the same interests as me. I want someone who can trust me, and I them."

The words Chris spoke made Kate feel as if he were talking about her. In fact, he was looking at her as he spoke, adding to that notion.

'Could it be?'

Kate quickly dismissed those thoughts. Chris holding her hand and speaking with that warm voice of his was doing things to her.

"I'm glad for you, Chris," Kate said, and she felt Chris squeezing her hand gently. "I hope you find that person soon."

A moment of silence suddenly overcame them. Marie felt a shift in the air, and she didn't understand why.

"Actually, I have," Chris replied. At his words, Kate's heart clenched with a horrible emotion she still couldn't name.

"Oh," that was all she said. She sounded dejected.

"Yes," he continued, and Kate could hear the smile in his voice. "She's in the same university as me. She has beautiful brown eyes and wonderful black hair. She's gorgeous."

"Chris, I get it. The girl you are describing sounds like a catch." 

"But looks don't matter as much as a person's heart. She's a good person, and she makes me smile whenever I see her. She may be insecure at times, believing that she is not perfect, but she is. I just wish I could hold her and show her how much she means to me."

Kate's heart seemed to crush at those words.

"Why don't you do just that?" she tried to hide the hurt she was feeling.

"It's not that easy. I'm scared of how she'll react. She doesn't know it yet, but she's just too good for me."

At that moment, Marie decided to turn to face away from him. She withdrew her hand from his hold in the process, and she felt suddenly lonesome without his touch.

She heard him chuckle. She thought he had noticed her reaction, and it angered her further. Her form was tense after all he had told her. She was conflicted about whether to feel sorry for him or to feel happy about his uncertainty about approaching his crush. She couldn't understand her own emotions either, and so she couldn't say anything at the moment. She needed some time to think.

"I'm tired. Can we continue this at another time?" she said, unsuccessful at hiding the emotions in her voice.

"Did I mention that the girl went to the same high school as me?"

"Good night, Chris," Kate said, wanting to end the conversation.

Marie did not want it to continue. For some reason, hearing Chris talk about a girl he was falling for was making her chest hurt. The emotion in his voice had told her that he had truly fallen for her. He was happy about it, and instead of feeling the same, it made her sad. It baffled her.

"Good night," Chris replied before shifting to face away from Kate.

Kate sighed, her form relaxing as a calm quiet took over the room. Moments passed, and afterward, the two fell into a peaceful slumber.

 

Chapter 20

The next morning met Kate in a mood. Her mind was still on what Chris had revealed to her on the previous night, and it was still affecting her.

Chris had feelings for someone else.

That revelation had her feeling hurt the moment she remembered it that morning. She was angry, and it was because of the emotions Chris was unknowingly making her feel. She was also furious as to why she cared so much.

Never had she ever felt such strong emotions around a guy. What could be the problem? Why was the thought of Chris dating another girl such an issue to her? And why was she still thinking about it?

Kate sighed as she turned on the bed, noticing that Chris' side was empty.

'Huh,' she thought. That was when she heard the shower running.

'Wait. There's a shower in here?'

She looked around the room, quickly spotting a white, wooden door on the side in front of her.

Kate felt relieved all of a sudden. She didn't have to wander across the halls to get to the bathroom. She was not ready to see the rest of Chris' family. She could imagine how awkward it would be if Abe ran into her in her state.

She slowly got up from her bed. She walked around as she untangled the curls in her hair, searching for her bags. Once she found them, she took out her packed toothbrush and a selection of clothes. She even took out a towel she had packed just in case Chris' home didn't offer any.

Marie turned to her phone. She looked at the time, surprised that it was seven in the morning. She had stayed up with Chris' family to the minutes close to midnight, and so it was a surprise she was awake and energetic.

Her phone dinged with a notification, showing a message from Gwen. It had been sent at one in the morning, and it made Marie question why it was appearing then.

'Have you tapped that yet?' it simply read. She rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore it. 

Just as she started squeezing toothpaste on her brush, the shower stopped running. She was glad that she wouldn't have to wait long for her turn. She went to walk towards the door leading to the bathroom. Midway, it was opened. Steam came out of the other side, and soon, so did Chris.

Kate's eyes widened as she struggled not to drop her jaw in shock.

Chris had gotten out of the shower, wearing only a brown towel. They hung low on his hips, showing off the defined 'V' that led to his crotch.

That was the only article of clothing that was on him. The rest of his skin was exposed, and Marie took her time to take it all in.

As Chris wiped his hair with another towel, his biceps bunched and relaxed to the momentum. His naked torso was in view, and it showed off the bumps and curves of the muscles there. They made his skin look tight, and Kate's fingers ached to touch him. His pectorals were also on full display, and they made him look hot. His abs clenched and relaxed as he breathed. Water still trickled down his chest, illuminating his smooth skin and providing a slight glow in the lighting.

"Oh. Morning, Kate!" Chris greeted with a smile as he went to pat down his naked chest. Kate did not reply, watching as his muscles bunched when he used the towel. His muscles moved at the action, rendering Kate speechless as he kept wiping over them. 

Seeing all that was making Marie feel different. She felt aware of her body all of a sudden. Her heart was beating fast, her breathing seemed to have picked up, and a pulsing sensation had started between her thighs.

"Kate?" Chris asked her, causing her to focus her eyes back to his face.

"Oh, morning, Chris."

Chris decided to stop wiping himself.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned. "Is it your time of the month?"

"No, I'm fine," Marie shrugged, trying to focus on him and not on his exposed torso. "And seriously? You think I'm having my period?"

Chris just shrugged with a grin in reply. The motion entranced Kate once again.

'I need to get away from him,' she thought.

"I was just going into the bathroom."

"Well, it's free. Go in," he said, motioning to the door with the hand that had grasped the towel.

For a moment, Kate wished she was the towel. She soon wondered what she meant by that thought.

"Oh, okay," she said, walking quickly into the shower to avoid embarrassing herself further.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' she asked herself. With a shake of her head, she went to prepare for what the day had in store for everyone.

********************** **************************** *******************************

"I'm so happy for you," Kate watched as Florence made her way to the newly-wedded couple. Susan, having worn a white, floral organza gown, smiled at her mother.

"Thank you," she replied to her mother's well wishes.   

It had been hours after the wedding took place in the Stonedale Cathedral. Everyone invited had been led to a large, five-star hotel minutes away from the town where the reception was being held. Speeches had already been said. Family members of both the bride and groom's side were wishing the couple a happy marriage and biding them farewell before they could leave for their honeymoon.

Florence smiled as she turned to face the groom. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, too."

"Thank you, Mrs," John Austin replied with a smile. He was a man in his early thirties with a small beard and a round face. Surprisingly, he still looked young.

"Oh, none of that," Florence said with a carefree wave of her hand. "I'm your mother from now on. So call me mom."

"Mom," Susan groaned, much to John's humor.

"It's okay, honey," he said. "I don't mind being a part of your crazy family."

Kate smiled at the ongoing spectacle before turning to face the people she had sat with. Violet and Ana were among those who had occupied the seats around the table. They had been the bridesmaids along with some of their cousins and current in-laws. Chris had filled out for one of the groomsmen who had failed to show up. He wasn't seated with Kate because he had gone to catch up with his relatives.

Marie soon spotted him heading towards his wedded sister and her husband. Her heart thudded at the sight of him in his black tux. He managed to pull it off. People could mistake him for the actual groom, and it had the girls swooning around him. Some had even approached him to talk, giving him smiles as they 'accidentally' touched his arms, and Kate did not like that.

"Hey, man!" Chris greeted John after he had spoken to his sister. He went for a bro hug that was well-received. "Make sure you take good care of my sister. If I see as much as a scratch on her face, I will come after you and disembowel you before I feed your remains to the dogs."

Chris had said all that with a calm smile on his face. John looked freaked out, but he managed to nod in agreement.

"Welcome to the family!"

Once he was done, the bride and groom were greeted by other family members.

Chris then turned to walk away from the couple. His head moved from side to side. It looked like he was looking for someone. Kate watched as he did so, and seconds later, he locked eyes with her. He smiled, starting to walk towards her.

"So, when are you going to get married, Kate?" Violet dared to ask, much to the surprise of everyone at the table. The cousins soon chuckled at Marie's shocked reaction.

"Um, isn't it too early for me to start thinking about marriage?" she stated as Chris moved to sit next to her.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking back and forth between the people on the table.

"Mom got married when she was in her 20s," Violet countered.

'Oh,' Kate thought. 'That explains why she still looks young.'

"Chris, when are you going to marry her?" Violet persisted.

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he struggled to find an answer.

"I agree with Kate. It's too early to be talking about this."

"Didn't anyone hear me when I said Mom got hitched when she was in her early 20s?"

"But that was the 80s," Ana, who had been silent for most of the night, stated to her sister.

Violet remained silent, thinking over her sister's words.

Suddenly, a voice blared through the speakers as soft music filled the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to dedicate this song to the wedded couple," a man's voice from the band that had been booked for the wedding announced. 

"When are you two going to start dating?" she decided to ask instead.

'OMG,' Kate thought in embarrassment, knowing her cheeks were turning a bright red.

"Ooh! Would you look at that? Kate, would you like to help me out with something?" Chris interrupted.

"I--"

Kate did not get enough time to reply because Chris had quickly grasped her hand and led her towards the dance floor. 

"Hey! I'm not done with you two!" Violet yelled, but they ignored her. Kate and Chris walked around the room, finally settling on a spot that was far from his sister. It also offered the view of Susan and John dancing to the slow music blaring from the speakers.

Other people flocked around them, and they watched newlyweds with smiles.

"Chris, what was that back there?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But you have to understand why I did it. My sister can be nosy at times, and she can be quite straightforward with stuff."

"Yes. I gathered that," Marie replied, remembering how Violet had mentioned her ass when they first met. "Still, she made quite the first impression."

"I hope she didn't upset you."

"Are you kidding? No! Your sister is fun to hang out with. In fact, she gave me a little confidence boost yesterday. She, just like the rest of your family, is wonderful."

Chris gave Kate a look that she couldn't decipher. He was smiling at her, but then his eyes were making her feel warm all of a sudden.

"I kind of wish my family was like yours."

Chris' smile slightly turned at her words.

"What?" he questioned.

"Nothing," Kate sighed. "It's just that we are few. I'm an only child, and you have sisters."

"Hey. Having siblings can be miserable, too," Chris commented, making Kate chuckle.

The couple continued dancing until their chosen songs ended.

Kate went to speak to Chris, but she was interrupted by a frantic Ana.

"What is it?" she asked her.

"Susan is going to throw the bouquet!" she yelled.

'Bouquet?' Kate thought, having forgotten what it was, but the meaning dawned on her seconds later.

"I'll be back," she promised Chris before rushing through the crowd with his sister. Girls and women alike also rushed towards the stage. The bride was standing on a podium, wearing a smile with her flushed cheeks as she held the bouquet.

"Are you ready?" Susan yelled over the music as she turned to face away from the crowd.

"On the count of three! One, two..." Susan took her time. "Three!"
Immediately afterward, the bouquet of white roses came soaring through the air. All the women shrieked as they jumped and stretched their arms out, eager to grab it.

"I got it!" Ana yelled in excitement. Disappointed sighs sounded around them, but Marie was happy for Chris' sister.

"Violet was wrong. Even a person like me can find a husband!"

'A person like me? What does she mean?'

In the minutes that followed, Susan and John bid goodbye to the guests. They were soon congratulated as they were led out of the reception area.

Kate and Ana returned to their booth, boasting about how Ana had grabbed the bouquet. The relatives were happy for her. Unluckily for her, Violet started asking about the men in her life.

"I honestly did not see that coming," Chris commented as he led Kate away from his family. They were heading back to the dance floor.

"Me too," Marie chuckled. "So your sister is next in line to get married, huh?"

"I don't think so," Chris replied. 

"Hey!" Kate frowned at him.

"I don't mean that in a bad way," he explained with a chuckle. "I just don't know any guys in her life."

"Could it be that she knows one and is hiding him away from you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, she might worry that you could embarrass her in front of her," Kate shrugged. "But I don't know. Life can decide to bring out surprises."

Slow music started to play from the speakers.

"Want to dance?" Chris offered. Kate was surprised by his suggestion.

"Um, sure," Kate replied, trying to act nonchalant.

For some reason, she was aware of how fast her heart was beating. She felt nervous all of a sudden, and she did not know why.

"You know how to dance to this one?" Chris asked her. Kate laughed, remembering the party where she had made a fool out of herself by showing off her nonexistent moves in front of him.

"Yes," she replied with a smile.

"Good," he smiled back, letting an arm wrap around her waist. Kate inaudibly gasped at the contact, feeling something that was like a spark run through her form. She proceeded to wrap her arms around Chris' neck.

He wrapped another arm around her waist, bringing them close up to the point where their torsos were almost touching.

No word was exchanged between them as they moved. Kate's mouth felt dry at the feel of Chris in her hold. She was hesitant to look at him. Her emotions were out of control, and she couldn't understand it.

But then, something told her to look at him. She did so, and their gazes quickly locked.

Chris looked as if he was devouring her at that moment. Kate's heart pounded in her ears as she stared into his brown orbs. They had captured her attention, and as a result, her insides felt warm.

It was at that moment that she realized what was happening to her. Her mind went back to the memories of the weird feelings she had been having around Chris. She remembered his confessions on the previous night, and it made something click in her mind.

Kate almost gasped at the startling realization. She couldn't even believe it had taken her that long to figure it out.

She was falling for Chris.

The fact both shocked and frightened her.  

Kate looked back at his eyes, noticing that he hadn't taken them off her. His brown orbs screamed warmth and affection, and they did nothing to calm her thudding heart. 

The look Chris was giving her made it slightly easy for her to accept the new facts. Kate liked him, and with the way her heart was reacting in his presence, she liked him a lot. His eyes seemed to be telling her something, and it made her heart flutter.

"Are you okay?" he asked her with a grin. It caused her heart to flutter.

"Mm-hmm," Kate nodded back with a small smile. His grip tightened around her, pushing their chests close.

She sighed at the contact. Kate knew she had to figure out what to do with her feelings. Maybe they were a result of spending most of her time with him. Maybe she was wrong, but she doubted it.

Only time will tell.

 

Chapter 21

 

It had been a week after Susan's wedding. Chris and Kate had returned to college, and fortunately, their professor did not question them about their absenteeism. They quickly went back to their usual class routine that included a lot of time spent on their short film. They were not even close to animating their characters.

Apart from that, Kate could not help but feel that something had changed between her and Chris. She had started seeing him in a different light more so than she had when they had begun doing their project. She noticed small details about his features and him in general. He never failed to smile around her, and he always seemed focused on her when she called for his attention. Kate didn't think she was that much of an interesting person, but with the interested look Chris gave her at times, she believed she was wrong.

It did not help with her plans to deny the feelings she had for him. She had known she was crushing hard on him ever since his sister's wedding, and she had no idea how to stop it. It was unexpected. Even though a part of her loved it, another part left her feeling like a perv. For instance, during one of their library meetings, she spent minutes watching his lips move and sneaking glances at his muscular frame.

She had felt bad afterward. It made her wonder if she wanted Chris only because of his physique. Maybe she was infatuated with him. Maybe it would soon pass and she would not have to keep feeling aware of his presence every time he was around. Maybe she could avoid ruining the friendship they had formed.

Kate did not know how to feel about that. 

'Not now,' she decided to push it to the back of her mind, forcing herself to pay attention to her surroundings. She had found herself walking along the road that led to Chris' house that morning. They had not made plans for the weekend, but she had decided to pay him a visit. Gwen was not at the dorm, and the idea of spending the day there made her feel lonesome.

Kate soon turned up in front of Chris' home. She went to knock on the door, but it opened by itself.

"Hello?" she called out, wondering why the door was unlocked once again. After she had made her way in, Marie took a walk around the dining area. Everything looked clean, including the kitchen behind her. There were no signs of Chris or anyone being in the house. It was a surprise he had not been robbed yet.

Marie wondered if he was not in, and it had her feeling dejected. She turned to leave, but then she noticed a couple of articles of clothing on one of the couches. There was a yellow blouse, a red pair of jeans and a pair of heels on the floor. Inches from those was a distinct green shirt that Kate knew belonged to Chris.

It left her baffled. But soon, she was filled with a sense of déjà vu. The moment looked almost like that time when she had seen Chris getting a blowjob from a girl. Well, except for the clothes lying around.

She shook her head in denial, not wanting to believe that Chris had a girl over. But the doubts in her mind were screaming at her to confirm it. She wanted to be sure she was right.

Kate turned to look at the stairs, hesitant to head towards Chris' room. She waited to hear something, but she heard nothing from where she stood.

She was unsure that nothing was happening, and so she made her way up the stairs. Her heart thudded with each step as her mind pictured the scenarios she could encounter and what she would do afterward. She was soon in the small hallway, walking towards Chris' room with her heart thudding when she heard a loud, feminine moan.

The sound ceased her movements. At first, she thought it was in her heard. Maybe her mind was envisioning what she could expect. But when she heard it again, it confirmed it was real. Kate also heard Chris' voice from where she stood, and her form tensed in disbelief.

'No,' she thought, feeling angry. 'Not again. How could he do this to me?'

A heavy weight had settled on her chest. It threatened to have her drop to the ground.

'Maybe he's watching porn,' she tried to comfort herself, knowing that it was highly impossible. The moan she had heard did not sound like it came from speakers.

"Oh!" the moan sounded again, and it was quickly followed by a loud groan.

Chris' pleasured groan.

Kate could not deny it. Chris was in his room having sex with someone else. 

For a moment, she stood with no movement. She was having a hard time breathing with all the noises she was hearing from where she stood. She felt as if something sharp was cutting her heart and putting it in a meat grinder, and she did not want to admit that she was close to tearing up.

Even though she was angry, Marie knew it was not Chris' fault. The guy had no idea how she felt about him. It had only been recently that she realized her feelings for him. Did she really expect him to feel the same way after all the time they had spent together?

The answer was obvious, but it still did not quell the anger that Kate felt at that moment.

She turned to walk away, but another moan from the girl had her stopping. She closed her eyes, trying to calm down the emotions that threatened to have her bawling over.

A thought came to her mind, coercing her to go look. It was a bad idea, and Kate knew it would hurt her. But she didn't care. She believed she couldn't be any more hurt than she was at that moment. She knew she was setting herself up for a moment of awkwardness if she were to be caught. But she decided she needed to do it. She needed to know whether her feelings for Chris were just an infatuation. If they were not, then seeing him with another woman would force her into accepting he wouldn't like her back.

Having made her decision, Kate tip-toed to the slightly-opened door. She was on the side where the doorknob was opposite her, and there was a space between the door and its frame. 

"Yes! Faster!" the girl yelled much louder than she had seconds ago, and that piqued Kate's curiosity. Without thinking much about it, she took a peek through the open space.

Marie seemed to freeze instantly. She was not ready for what she saw. In fact, she gasped and almost stumbled to the floor.

She already knew what to expect when she took a peek. But the sight of a naked Chris with a black-haired girl had her blushing. They were on his bed, facing away from her. They were standing on their knees, and Chris had the woman bent over as they went at it doggy-style. The girl was vocal about her pleasure, and it seemed to urge Chris to keep pistoning his hips.

The sight of his tight, bare ass made Kate's cheeks turn red. The position he was in had the cheeks clenching and relaxing as he fucked the woman, and it did things that she couldn't explain.

Marie's gaze turned to the side, and she gasped when she spotted a mirror. It gave her a full picture of what was happening. She spotted the girl's rosy face, and it was conjured up into one of pleasure. Her lips were parted open, and her eyes were closed as she tightly gripped the white bed sheets beneath her. She had skin that looked unmarred, and she was thin. Kate couldn't tell if she had curves, but she noticed the big breasts that shook with each thrust from Chris. She looked hot, probably even more than her, and that had Kate feeling dejected.

The sound of a slap had Kate tensing in alert. It came again, and Kate's eyes zeroed in just in time to see Chris' hand on the girl's ass. She squealed, and the sound made Kate feel suddenly aware of her body. In fact, the air around her seemed to be getting hot.

"Yeah, take my cock," Chris groaned. Marie's eyes turned to his reflection, and the feeling stirring in her body seemed to rise. 

The first thing she noticed was his hands. They had a tight grip on the girl's waist as he kept moving into her. Her gaze turned up his arm, noticing the slight sweat on his beautiful skin until she reached his shoulder. The muscles of his arm looked tense, and that had his biceps on show. 

"Fuck!" Chris growled, and the sound made Kate squeeze her thighs together. She kept looking at him, turning her gaze to his neck. Her eyes soon traveled lower, and she whimpered at the sight of his chest. Sweat had already matted onto the skin, and it helped show off the dips and rises of his muscles. His muscular pecs had her wishing she could touch them. His abdominals were also on show, contracting and relaxing with each movement. And the look on his face...

Kate bit her lower lip at that look. His eyes were closed, and his beautiful lips were slightly parted as he released another groan. His hair was not in its usual style, probably roughened from what he was doing, and it made him look sexy.

The air around Kate seemed to have gotten really hot. She fanned herself, but it did not seem to calm down her body.

Chris suddenly bent, pressing his form along the girl's back as he kissed her neck.

"You like that?" he growled loudly into her ear. The deep level of his voice coupled with what Kate was seeing sent tingles to the area between her legs.

"Yes. Please..." the girl whined back earnestly, pushing her butt into Chris' groin. Chris groaned, tightly grabbing the girl's waist with both of his hands before pushing her butt to his crotch in a harsh thrust.

She gasped and moaned, still standing on her knees with Chris as he drilled into her.

The sound of their thighs slapping was loud, and it did things to Kate that she couldn't understand. All she could do was watch, mesmerized, as Chris fucked the girl's brains out. She found herself entranced at the sight of him. The sight of his muscles contracting and relaxing confused her body with intense emotions. It had her squeezing her legs together.

Chris suddenly stopped. He grabbed onto the girl's sides as he shifted to sit on the bed. The action had the girl in a sitting position with her legs over Chris' muscular thighs, and she suddenly mewled. 

"You know, it has been so long since I've fucked pussy," he started. Kate seemed shocked at his words, but she could do nothing to deflect the effect they had on her body.

"Please..." the person beneath him whimpered.

"And what a hot pussy. Fuck, you're so wet," he continued, grunting as he started an upward thrusting motion. His eyes suddenly shifted in the reflection, and it made Marie tense in alert.

Chris' eyes were on her, and she could hear her heart thudding in her ears. She remained frozen behind the door, waiting for him to do react. He did not say anything, and Kate started freaking out.

She looked ready to bolt, but Chris' next words stopped her.

"Are you going to come?" he said. The girl whimpered, trying to ride him. 

Marie had thought he was speaking to her, but when the girl shifted in his hold, it soon became clear that he was looking at their reflections.

That had her calming down.

"No," Chris growled, and the woman mewled in protest. "You don't get to come until I tell you."

Kate squeezed her legs together when the flutter between them seemed to increase. Her eyes seemed to be fixed on his reflection. She gulped, letting her eyes travel down the reflection of him with the girl.

"Please, put it back in," the girl whispered.

'Put what in?' Kate thought. Something caught her gaze, and she almost gasped at what she saw.

Kate's knees wobbled at the thing between Chris' legs. She couldn't remember seeing anything like it in her lifetime, and it made her wonder if she had ever seen such a thing. The condom did not hide the fact that Chris' dick was large and thick. It stood hard and erect, curved towards the belly of the woman. The appendage looked a little dark and angry-red as it peeked out between the girl's thighs. It was coated in a colorless liquid, making it slightly shine in the lighting. Veins protruded along the length as it throbbed. Kate could not measure its length, but she was sure it could be the length of her pencil or longer.

For some reason, Kate found it fascinating.

"What do you want?" Chris said, placing his lips on the girl's shoulder.

"Please, fuck me with your huge cock," the woman's breathy reply sounded in the room.

Chris grasped onto the girl's thighs. He widened her legs, revealing her nether regions to Kate. His cock stood higher, almost close to touching the girl's navel.

"Do you want my cock back here?" Chris questioned, grabbing his cock with one hand and pushing it against the girl's cunt. 

"Ooh," the girl moaned, seeming to open her legs wider for him. Kate bit her lip, watching as Chris dipped his cock back into her pussy. In a second, he had fully seated himself inside her. The girl moaned in pleasure, throwing her head back to his shoulder. Kate averted her eyes from the point they joined, looking up at the mirror. She spotted Chris staring at their reflection. It still disturbed Kate that he looked like he was staring back at her.

He grabbed onto the woman's thighs again, bringing them over his. There was no way he could partially hide their groins from Kate at that point.

Then he resumed fucking her. And he moved quickly.

"Ooh," the girl moaned, grasping onto Chris' muscular thighs as he fucked her in a sitting position. Their thighs slapped against each other, making a loud noise that echoed in the room. Marie watched as a colorless liquid dripped from the girl's cunt, flowing down the shaft and towards Chris' balls. The sound that was made everytime his cock dived into her pussy seemed to make things more erotic.

At that moment, Kate felt aware of a sudden rush of liquid flowing past her nether regions. She pushed her hand into her jeans, cupping her own cunt and gasping at the liquid that coated her fingers. It seemed to have even soaked her panties. She felt it still moving down her leg, and it shocked her.

"Oh, yes!" the girl yelled. Kate looked back at them, seeing where their groins met.

Chris' cock kept appearing and disappearing each time he drove into the girl's cunt. His balls bounced with the motion. More of the woman's juices kept flowing down his cock, dripping onto the sheets. The growling and groaning sounds he made increased the level of arousal Kate was feeling.

"Scream for me. Show me how much you love my cock," Chris growled. His hands moved upward, quickly grabbing the girl's breasts.

Kate was suddenly aware of her own breasts. They felt heavy, and her nipples had pebbled behind her bra.

Chris squeezed the girl's breasts, stopping his thrusting motion. A loud moan bounced off the wall as the girl arched her back into him. They were followed by more as he massaged the large organs. 

Meanwhile, Kate was feeling drenched between her legs. She kept squeezing her thighs to stop the ache but to no avail. It was all because of what she was seeing.

In fact, she let out an inaudible moan when she saw Chris touch the girl's nipples. It almost felt like his hands were on her own breasts, and it made her wish he was doing that to her.

"Are you going to make this pussy come hard for me?" Chris growled. The girl nodded as a reply, breathless from all the activity.

Chris kept toying with her nipple with one hand. Marie watched as the other slowly descended between the girl's thighs. He parted them wide, revealing to Kate the girl's pussy.

In an instant, he was toying with her clit as he resumed his fast thrusting motion. Kate squirmed and whimpered at the sight. The ache between her legs had increased, and she wouldn't be surprised if her jeans were wet.

"Come for me," he groaned into the woman's ear. Kate heard it, and it made her pant as more liquid came from between her legs. The woman on the other end screamed in the room, and Kate was in awe of what she saw.

The girl's form tensed as she arched back in pleasure. Chris kept toying with her nipple and her clit as he moved into her, prolonging the orgasm. His eyes were still fixated on the reflection, and he still looked like he was staring at Kate.

Marie could not direct her eyes away as the girl's legs trembled. To her surprise, wet liquid pulsed from between her thighs. It came out like a spray of water, flowing onto the sheets as she released a high-pitched moan. Chris kept moving into the woman, his cock moving faster into the woman's cunt.

"Fuck!" he groaned out loud in a yell, tightening his hold on the woman's thighs. Marie watched as his eyes closed and his lips parted. His form tensed. His cock, still lodged in the woman's cunt, seemed to throb significantly before it stopped.

Kate felt feverish after all she had seen. She felt aware of her body. Her breasts still felt heavy, her breaths were coming out unevenly, and she was aware of a fluid oozing from her nether regions.

It had even coated an area of her jeans.

"Who's there?" Chris called out. For a moment, Marie was in a daze. She directed her gaze to the mirror, and that was when she spotted Chris staring back at her with a glare. His heated gaze was gone, and his eyes were fully focused the reflection of her eyes behind the door.

'Oh no,' she thought. She froze for a moment, feeling her cheeks light in embarrassment. Just like that, her arousal had been dampened. 

'How can he see me?'

She suddenly realized where she was, and more specifically, what she had been doing. She couldn't believe she had let herself get carried away by all that she had seen. She couldn't even believe she had coerced herself into doing it in the first place.

Chris moved to push the girl away from him, his gaze determined.

"Hey!" the woman yelled in protest. Kate's eyes widened, and without a word, she quickly took off the hallway.

"Is someone there?" Kate heard the girl ask, but she couldn't focus on that. She was cursing herself as she ran down the stairs. She skipped a step, and that had her almost tripping on the floor. 

To her surprise, she heard footsteps approaching her.

"Kate?" Chris shouted from behind her in disbelief. For some reason, there was an edge of panic in his voice.

She couldn't look at him. Her humiliation knew no levels. She was already at the door, and she pulled it open before making a run out of the house.

Chris' steps had faltered behind her, and she was glad he wasn't following her.

"Kate!" she heard him call out to her again, but she didn't stop to face him. Tears had already started blocking her vision, and she quickly wiped them off so that she could see where she was running.

In fact, she wondered what she would do if she were to see Chris again.

 

Chapter 22

 

Kate returned to her dorm forty minutes later with her heart thudding in her chest. She was still reeling from what had occurred at Chris' place.

'Oh, crap. He saw me!' she thought, worry lines appearing on her face. She was very ashamed. However, that thought was pushed back when she remembered what she had seen.

Chris had been with another girl, and Kate was there to witness what he did with her. She remembered how he had touched her and how he let her touch him. Jealousy coursed through her veins, but anger and sadness were the emotions that reigned.

Tears soon brimmed in Kate's eyes.

'No, Kate!'  she thought to herself, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't control the immense sorrow that overcame her at that moment. She had been holding back on her way to her dorm, and now that she was back in it, she could release it all.

She made quick work of entering her bedroom. As soon as she had closed it, she ran to her bed where she collapsed in tears.

Marie was surprised by the sobs that escaped her lips. They were loud, and they echoed how she was feeling. She couldn't believe how she was reacting after seeing Chris with another person. It had been her choice to do so. But instead of clearing things up, it made them more complicated. It should have been easy to get over the feelings she had for him, but it wasn't. 

'At least now you know how you feel,' she thought, but it did not help matters. She had known when she had heard the sounds coming from Chris' bedroom. There was no doubt about her crush on her former high school classmate. But after what she had seen, how would she get over it? How could things return to normal, especially after he had caught her?

Kate continued to cry for the hours that followed. Her sadness did not leave, and it frustrated her. Reliving the memory of Chris with another girl was all it took for her to break down in tears again. And it also angered her.

It made her wonder, 'Why him?' Of all the people she could develop feelings for, why did her heart choose him? How could she have fallen for him?

More questions started in Kate's mind, but the answer became clear as the minutes passed. It was because of all the time they had spent together. Throughout that time, he had shown her all the things that made him him. And she had grown to like that about him.

'What was I thinking?' Marie wondered as she rubbed her temples. She started regretting ever spying on him in bed with another girl. Now things were bound to be uncomfortable and awkward. 

In spite of all that, Kate was strangely glad she did it. She now knew that there could be nothing between her and Chris. The door for that opportunity was closed if it were ever there, and she had to move forward with her life.

Kate's mind returned to the scene in his bedroom. She remembered the moans and groans, the touches shared, and the way Chris made the girl scream in pleasure for him.

She was jealous, and it all made her want to scream in frustration. Tears brimmed in her eyes once again when she heard a knock on the door.

'It's probably Gwen,' she thought, sighing as she headed to the bathroom to freshen up. No way was she going to reveal to her roommate how sad she currently felt. She would pry, and Kate was not in the mood for it.

After cleaning up her face, she went to the door. Kate sighed as she wiped her cheeks for any residual water before opening the door.

To her shock, Chris stood at the entrance. He stared back at her with a look she couldn't decipher.

Kate didn't wait to close the door on his face. But then, something stopped the motion.

"Kate," Chris called out. She looked down, noticing his shoe-covered foot.

'Damn it!' she thought.

"Go away," she voiced out.

"We need to talk," he said.

Tears started blocking Marie's vision all over again. She didn't want to face Chris. He reminded her of the events of the morning, and she was not sure she could handle herself in front of him. He would ruin her plans of getting over him.

"There is nothing to talk about," she replied, hoping her voice did not betray her emotions.

"You closing the door on me proves otherwise," he stated. Kate wasn't sure if she detected a smile in his voice. Either way, it proved to anger her.

"I'm busy, Chris," she stated. When she heard no reply, she thought he had left. Her form seemed to relax on the door.

But then he pushed the door open. Kate had been taken off-guard, and she turned to close it. However, Chris had already made his way into her dorm.

She looked at him, and that was when she noticed his appearance. His hair looked unkempt, and his eyes looked a bit red. Something seemed to be disturbing him, and Kate could not understand what it was.

It disturbed her when she realized she wanted to make things better for him.

"Look. We don't need to talk right now," Marie dived into the subject he was sure to spring up. "We can forget that ever happened."

"Kate--" 

"I saw nothing, Chris, so there is no need to be awkward around each other."

"But we do need to talk about it."

"Chris, why the hell do you want to talk about it?" Kate asked, trying hard to control the anger she felt in his presence. "Look. It was a mistake on my part. I thought you weren't in, but then I saw clothes on the floor. I went to look for you, but I saw you were preoccupied with someone else. I am so ashamed right now. I'm sorry."

Chris remained quiet for a while.

"Are you okay?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows. The concern in his eyes had Kate tearing up again. She took a deep breath, trying to quell the urge to cry all over again.

"I'm fine," she sighed, looking away from him. "I just hope I didn't ruin that moment with your girlfriend."

"Um, what?" Chris asked, causing Kate to look at him in confusion.

"Your girlfriend," she said. "The person who was with you just this morning?"

"Oh!" a look of recognition passed over his face. "Yeah. I remember her. But no, she's not my girlfriend."

Kate was still confused.

"She's just someone I found at a party last night..." Chris trailed off, his look turning into one of a person caught doing something wrong.

'He went to a party without me?' she thought. She felt sad, but she shrugged the emotion off.

"It doesn't matter," Kate tried to smile it off, even though the accidental reveal was hurting her.

"Kate, I'm sorry--"

"Chris, it doesn't matter. You have a life, and so you don't have to tell me everything you do. Besides, I've sworn off parties ever since..."

A moment of silence that lasted a few seconds passed over them.

"So, what are you up to?" Chris asked.

"I have plans with Gwen today," Kate lied. "She's about to come from her tutoring session any minute."

"Oh," Chris frowned. "Well, okay. How about tomorrow?"

"Even tomorrow. It's been a while since we've hung out, you know?"

"Oh. Okay. I understand," he said, turning to face the door with a frown. Kate wanted to make him feel better, but she remembered what she had seen that morning. She also remembered what he was making her go through. Being near him wouldn't help, and so she needed time away from him.

"Kate, are you crying?" he said, furrowing his eyebrows. Kate noticed her vision was going blurry again.

'Oh crap,' she thought, struggling hard not to bawl in front of Chris.

"No," she lied again with a small smile. "I just got something in my eye. This dorm needs to be dusted."

"See you Monday?" he asked. Kate nodded with a smile that was hard to muster. "Okay."

Chris seemed to stand there for a while as if he was waiting for something. He soon turned to the door, opening it before closing it behind him.

Kate rushed to lock the door behind her. She slid to the floor, and she allowed her tears to escape. She hugged her knees to her chest, looking down as she cried. A sob escaped from her lips, and it was followed by another.

'Calm down, Kate!' her mind shouted at her. She couldn't, and so she continued tearing up on the floor.

"Hey, Ana," she heard Chris' voice from the door, and her head shot upright in shock. "I'm sorry if I am disturbing you right now. I need your help."

'No. Please, no. Tell me he did not hear me.'

Kate remained silent as she waited for Chris to speak.

"I've fucked up. I've fucked up so badly, sis. I don't know how I can fix..." he said, his voice getting lower and lower. Kate did not understand why, but it soon dawned on her that he was leaving her dorm.

'What the--' Kate was confused. Even in her state of sadness, Kate knew it was her fault that things were so tense between her and Chris. How could it have been his fault?

'Oh crap,' she thought, feeling another round of embarrassment at the knowledge that he was talking to his sister about what had happened hours ago. 

'What kind of guy does that?'

She should have never gone to his room. He wouldn't have seen her watching him, and the air between them wouldn't be uncomfortable. He wasn't the one who made things awkward; she was to blame.

She sighed as she walked back to her bedroom. She was not feeling hungry. All the emotions and the crying she had gone through that morning had left her exhausted. She did not mind sleeping at that moment. It would provide her an escape from her current reality.

 

 

 

Chapter 23

 

"Hello, Kate," Chris made his presence known as he entered the room. Kate, who had settled on her desk with her books, turned to look up at him.

"Chris? What are you doing here?" she asked as she turned to face him. "I thought you would be busy tonight."

"Ssh, that doesn't matter," he told her. Kate looked back at him, and to her shock, she found him naked. 

"Chris--" she was cut off when he was suddenly in front of her. His hands touched her cheeks, and his lips found hers in a passionate kiss.

Kate moaned into the kiss, welcoming Chris' embrace. When she felt his skin on hers, she was shocked. She momentarily ended the kiss to look at herself, suddenly realizing that she was also naked.

"Wha--"

"I must have you, Kate," Chris cut her off, placing his lips on Kate's again and throwing her back. She gasped, wondering if she would hit her head, but she landed on a bed with blue sheets.

Chris climbed on top of her, and his lips quickly found hers once again. His arms encircled around her form, and his hips settled themselves between her legs. 

"Chris," Kate groaned, arching her back into him. His lips found her neck, kissing them as his hands grabbed and fondled her breasts. They pinched her nipples, and she moaned in pleasure. She arched her back, offering her breasts to him.

'Is this really happening?' she thought.

The appendage between Chris' legs rubbed against her pussy. Kate tightened her legs around his waist, urging him closer. He started a grinding motion, making sure his cock toyed with her cunt.

Kate felt her pussy flood with her juices. They dripped onto the bed, coating Chris' shaft.

"Chris," she moaned.

"Don't you like my cock?" he asked her, moving faster. The motion had his dick bumping against her clit. Kate gasped and moaned.

"Come for me, Kate," he ordered, sucking her nipple into his mouth and biting it. "Let me hear you scream my name."

************************ ************************* ********************* ***********

"Chris!" Kate yelled out in pleasure from her sleep, feeling her body tremble as something powerful took over her form. Her vision was momentarily filled with whiteness, slightly frightening her.

Her fingers clenched her bed, holding on as she enjoyed the feeling. The sweet ache between her thighs slowly disappeared, and the tremors that had taken hold of her body were stopping.

The sensations seemed to go on and on, having her taking deep breaths through it.

"Chris--" she whispered his name, cutting herself off when she realized he was not in the room. Kate groaned in disappointment.

It had only been a dream.

She sighed, not knowing whether to curse it away or to keep asking for more.

Things had been strange ever since that weekend that Kate had spotted Chris having sex with another girl. It had been hard to speak to him or even look at him without wanting to cry all over again. A couple of days after that incident, the sadness was replaced with longing. She believed it was a good thing because it meant she could get over him.

The tension between them soon dissipated. Even though they were talking comfortably again, Kate was still hurting after seeing Chris with another girl. It also didn't help that she was having dreams about him.

They had started innocently during the Thanksgiving week that had passed. She had dreamt of spending time with him, laughing and talking about random stuff. But then the dreams turned romantic where he told her he wanted to date her. And then suddenly, they turned sexual. She had experienced her first orgasms through them.

Groaning, Marie moved to sit up from her bed. She noticed the large pillow she had cuddled with when she was asleep, and her eyebrows furrowed. She moved her hand around, stopping when she felt a wet spot on the bed. She looked down, realizing that a part of the bed had been coated with her release.

She groaned as she blushed, remembering the dream and dreading to have to clean the bed sheets.

If Kate was honest with herself, she did not know how to handle the situation. It was new to her. More importantly, she needed to find a way to stop thinking sexually about her friend or else things would get complicated. They were already partners for their college year project. If she were to ruin that with a relationship, it could cost them their grades.

Also, she was sharing a dorm with Gwen. She did not want to face the teasing that would come her way.

"Morning," Gwen greeted with a singsong voice when Kate was making her way to the bathroom. She turned to eye her roommate, surprised at seeing her in a cheery mood.

"Did someone die?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"You're smiling," Kate pointed out, and Gwen gave her an unamused look.

"No. I have a date with Ben this evening."

Ah, Ben. He had been Gwen's tutor at first, but then things had progressed and they became a couple. Kate was still shocked by it. She knew her friend never went for the nerdy guys, and seeing her with one of them had taken her aback. 

"Tell him I said 'hi'," she said, even though she had never met the guy.

"Will do," with that, Gwen closed the door behind her.

Kate sighed in relief. Her friend had not heard her moan in her sleep, and so she was safe from ridicule. She still had time before classes would start, and so she decided to think of what she would do with her bed.

****** *********************** ************************ ****************************

"... so I think we should rotate the eyeball..." Chris went on, motioning to the main character's 3D model with a pen.

Kate zoned out, looking at him as he worked. They were at his place. On that day, he had worn a yellow T-shirt that did nothing to hide the definition of his muscles. His biceps had been on display all day, and it had her distracted. She found it hard to focus on anything other than him.

"Kate," Chris called out as he faced her.

"Hmm?" she said, dazed.

"Are you even listening?"

"Uh, yes."

Chris raised an eyebrow at her. Kate realized at that moment how cute he looked.

"Really?" he doubted. "What have I said?"

Marie momentarily looked at the laptop in front of him. It showed one of the characters they had modeled, and Chris had zoomed in to view the eye.

"Something about the eye," Kate said, not knowing if she was right. Chris kept giving her a doubtful look before he turned back to the 3D model of the character.

"So..." he continued, and Marie zoned out again.

'Ugh. This is bad!' she thought. 'I have to concentrate or else he'll realize he's the distraction! I can't go through that level of humiliation right now.'

"Kate?" Chris called out again. "You don't look like you're here. Did something happen on Thanksgiving Weekend?"

"Oh, no," she replied with a shake of her head, praying that she was not blushing as she remembered her first sex dream. "I actually had a great time. It's just that I'm missing my parents."

The last part was true.

"Oh," Chris commented. "Well, it's okay. There's still Christmas."

Chris had a point, and Kate found herself nodding. He furrowed his eyebrows before minimizing the window of the 3D modeling program.

"Some of my relatives and I stayed at my mom's place. Where did you spend yours?" he asked.

Marie proceeded to tell him about how calm the holiday had been for her. She had spent some quality time and even caught up with her parents at a hotel in Stonedale.

"Wait. You were in town?" Chris asked.

"Yeah," Kate replied. "We were there to see how the renovations were going."

"Renovations?" Chris furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You're moving?" 

"Well, yes," she told him. "I'll be coming back to the house. My parents will still be traveling around the world. It's just that they'll like to have a place to stay when they want to get a break from it. Didn't I tell you this when we were going to your sister's wedding?"

Chris was grinning.

"What?" questioned Kate with furrowed eyebrows.

"You're moving back to Stonedale."

In an instant, he had his arms wrapped around her form. Kate was surprised for a moment, but then she felt delicious electric currents run through her form. The feel of Chris pressing against her was wonderful. She immediately hugged him back, enjoying the feel of his hands on her back and the heat coming from his body.

'Crap,' she thought. She needed to control herself around him.

"That is very good news. You've made my day, Kate," Chris said next to her ear. His breath hitting her skin caused goosebumps to rise and a shiver to slightly rack her form.

"Chris..." she trailed off.

Never had she ever been aware of a guy before him. Being near him, smelling his musk mixed with some cologne he had worn, and the fact that he was hugging her disrupted her thinking process.

Chris retracted the hug, and Kate found herself looking at his orbs.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked her.

"What?" she asked him.

"You're blushing," he said, grinning. Kate raised her hands to feel her cheeks.

"No, I'm not," she said.

"You are," he pushed. "Your cheeks are red right now, see?" he said, moving to poke a finger onto her cheek.

"Chris!" she stated, and he laughed. She felt a fire in her cheeks, and she knew that she was definitely red-faced.

"It's times like these that I enjoy being around you. Watching you smile," Chris spoke, and his words did not cool down the flush in Marie's cheeks. His smile soon disappeared, and he looked sad.

"Kate, I'm sorry."

"Why? What about?" Marie was confused.

"That day at my house. When you saw me with another girl--"

"Oh," she said. Marie expected to cry, but she felt nothing except for the hurt in her chest. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," he said.

"You do know that I'm the one who is supposed to be apologizing in the first place, right?" Kate stated with a raised eyebrow.

"You did," Chris replied with a small smile. "But that's not exactly what I mean to talk about."

"Huh?"

"Do you remember when I told you about the girl I like?" Chris stated, moving to grasp her hands in his.

"Yes..." Kate stretched out the word as she looked warily at him. Why was he touching her hands?

"She knows what I did," he sighed. 

Kate's eyes widened. Her heart thudded with an emotion that felt like... Happiness? 

She suddenly felt shameful. There Chris was, feeling bad for himself for ruining something that could happen between him and someone else. Instead of being selfish and jealous, she ought to help him.

"How?" she decided to ask him.

"I don't know," he shrugged in reply as he looked at her. "But when I went to see her... When I looked in her eyes, I noticed she had been crying. She didn't want to be around me."

"Oh," Kate commented. She hoped he didn't know that she, too, had been crying.

"I feel awful, Kate," he said, grasping her hands tighter in his. It made it hard for her to focus on his words because his touch was pleasant on her fingers.

"I talked to my sister about it, and she told me that she liked me the same way I liked her. But now, I've ruined the possibility of a relationship between us."

Marie looked at Chris, and that was when she saw his eyes tearing up.

'He must really like her,' she thought. She felt jealous of the person he was talking about. She still wished it was her, but she knew it couldn't happen.

Her mind started racing in figuring out what to tell him. A part of her wanted to ruin the chances he had with the girl. But then, another part wanted to make things better for him. It wanted her to help him fix things between him and the girl. That was how much she cared for him, even if it would hurt to see him with someone else.

"Tell me this, Chris," she started. "Why did you do it?"

"Huh?" he replied. "What?"

"Why did you sleep with someone else?" she explained. 

"I-- I don't know," he replied.

"WHAT?" she fumed in anger. "Are you seriously telling me that you had sex with someone else because you don't know?"

"I wasn't sure, okay?" Chris replied back. "I wasn't sure there was a chance between us. I thought I sent enough signals to tell her that I was-- am interested in her, but she doesn't get them. I felt sad. I felt angry and believed I had lost her, and so I went and fucked someone else. It was after she knew what I did that I realized there was something between us. And I ruined it like the idiot I am."

Chris bowed his head, rubbing his temples as he stared at the couch. Kate's eyes had widened after his confession, and she took some time for herself to let it all sink in. A part of her understood why Chris had slept with someone else. She understood how people felt when their crush was unrequited. But for Chris, there was still a chance.

"I know I'm not perfect," Chris continued, "but I am willing to do everything I can to get her. I have wanted her for a long time, and I won't make the same mistake again."

"Chris--"

"I used other girls to get my mind off of her, but it didn't work. It still doesn't. I always thought there was no chance between us, but now that I know there is, I want to make it happen. I don't want anyone else other than her."

Kate tried hard to feel happy for Chris even though his words made her feel sad.

"Chris, have you apologized to her?" she asked him.

"Yes, but it's like she does not trust me."

'How could she?' Kate stated in her mind as she gave Chris an unamused look.

"Of course she doesn't trust you," she deadpanned. "So that is why you have to make her trust you again."

Chris furrowed his eyebrows before asking "How?"

Kate stared at him, wondering if she should continue. But she had already started.

"Spend more time with her," she started. "Be around her. Notice the small things about her. Do the things you don't do with her."

"I already do that," he stated.

"Then up your game. Give her stuff. Take her out. Make her smile. Give her new, better memories that would take away the focus from the mistakes you made. Show her that you mean what you have told me. Do all these things and express to her how much you want her and how much she matters to you."

Marie could not believe she had said all that. It had hurt to voice those words out, knowing that they were not for her. However, she was glad that she did. It was better than lying and postponing the truth you've known all along. The only difference is how much the hurt would be. 

More importantly, it would give her time to get over Chris.

"Do you think it will work?" he asked.

"I'm a girl. Of course, it would work," Kate deadpanned, earning a smile from him. "But it could take some time."

"What if I turn things up a bit? You know, teasing and getting a little sexual?"

Kate's eyes widened at that.

"NO," she stated, making him laugh.

"What?" Chris chuckled. "Come on. Have you seen this?"

He motioned his chest with his hands, and Kate gulped.

'Oh, yes. I have.'

She scoffed before laughing.

"I don't think it would work that way. Speeding things can ruin the chances of you ever being with that girl. Also, you could end up making the girl feel like some slut you picked up. Just, take it slow."

"I won't treat her that way. But what if she likes it?" he prodded. "What if it actually works?"

Kate went to reply, but she stopped herself when she saw the serious look on his face.

"I don't recommend it, but sure. Go ahead. I still don't think it will work."

"Oh?" Chris said, raising an eyebrow. "Let's make a bet. It will work."

"But what if it doesn't?" she asked, smiling at him. She was confident in her advice.

"You'll know," he replied with a smirk.

'Oh crap,' she thought as she looked at him. Her form seemed to tense at his cocky expression, and she felt something stir between her legs.

"Now, let's go back to this character," Chris said as he turned back to his laptop. Kate took a deep breath to clear her head before turning to look at the device as well.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 24

 

"Morning," Kate greeted Chris as she settled herself on the shotgun seat before closing the door. "Where are we going?"

"Hmm?" he wondered as he started to drive his car towards the direction opposite their school. "We're going to a diner for breakfast."

"Oh," Kate replied. She checked her phone, seeing that the time read 9:00 AM. Classes on that Friday were to begin later because their professor had a family affair to handle. Lecturers missing classes rarely happened at Charles Darwin University, but it did not mean that it was abnormal.

Marie focused on the view offered by the windscreen as she tried to keep her emotions in check. Seeing Chris had her cheeks tinted red, and she was glad he had not noticed. It was because the car's environment reminded her of a vivid dream that had featured her with him in the back seat of the vehicle. 

She shook the memory off, sighing as she moved a strand of hair back in place. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Chris angling his head to face her, and so she quickly turned to stare at the view at her side. She could not afford him asking about the blush on her cheeks.

They passed by familiar buildings and trees that were shedding their leaves in preparation for the winter season. They were calming sights that had Kate thinking again.

Being alone with Chris seemed to have Marie's heartbeat skyrocketing. She thought that she would be over him by then, especially after seeing him have sex with another girl. However, she wasn't. She still had feelings for him, and it hurt to know that he would never reciprocate them to her.

Kate was surprised at how fast her mood turned sour. She decided to think of other things, like the Mandela Effect.

'Nope. Don't go there either.'

A couple of minutes later, she and Chris pulled into the parking lot of a diner.

"I'll pay for my stuff this time," Marie said as they exited the car. Chris raised an eyebrow, expressing with a look that he doubted her words.

The two quickly settled around a booth. The diner was packed, and it was a surprise that a waiter came to quickly tend to them. 

After they had ordered their breakfast, Marie pulled out her phone to check on notifications. The time read 9:50 AM, much to her shock.

"Have we really been on the road for an hour?" she asked Chris.

"What?" he replied, puzzled, and that had her turning her phone so he could see it. "No. Kate, it's only been twenty minutes. Your time is right."

'Oh crap,' she thought. Her phone's time had been messed up again. The network-provided time option was no good for her, and it had her thinking about using the GPS-Provided time feature. 

"So, we're left with an hour before class?" she said.

Chris shrugged before saying, "Don't worry. We'll reach there in time."

Kate decided to listen to him. Their breakfast arrived some minutes later, and they slowly ate as they talked about anything that came to their minds. She did not know how much time had passed before she looked at her phone.

"Chris--"

"It's all in the plan," he cut her off with a grin.

"What plan?"

"Kate, we're skipping school."

She blinked her eyes in disbelief before exclaiming: "Again?"

"It doesn't matter. It's a Friday, and we're close to Christmas. Everyone is practically focused on that."

"And the exams next week. Don't forget about them," she reminded him.

"But they are next week," Chris shrugged. "I'd rather we spend today doing something fun before we get all serious with our studies."

Kate worried about missing her classes again. It had not been easy for her to do so with Chris the first time. She didn't mention it to him, but she had been concerned about what would happen if the lecturer were to pay attention to it. They had gotten away with it that time, mostly because there was a party on the previous night and many students were suffering from hangovers. She was concerned there would be repercussions the second time.

"I hope you're right," she told Chris.

"I am," he replied with confidence. "Don't worry about anything. If it is brought up, I'll take full responsibility."

That made Marie more concerned.

"No. I'll also take the blame."

Chris smiled at her.

"Are you sure you'll be okay with that? I mean, I wouldn't want to ruin your good girl reputation."

'Good girl reputation?'

Marie narrowed her eyebrows at Chris who just smirked at her. It was obvious that he was challenging her.

"Oh, I see what you're doing."

"Whatever do you mean?" Chris asked with a fake innocent smile.

"You know what I mean," she narrowed her eyebrows at him. "You're testing me. You want to see if I'll actually follow along with this plan of yours, right?"

Chris gave her an expectant look.

"Alright, fine. Let's do it."

************************** ******************************* ************************

Chris and Kate headed back to the car after they had finished their breakfast. It did not take them long to re-enter the highway. They began speeding away from the diner, going towards the direction that led them away from the campus.

"Where are we going now?" Marie questioned.

"It's a surprise," Chris stated, earning a disagreeing look as a reply.

"Please don't do that. What if I don't like your surprise?"

"But that's the thing. You will like it."

Silence overcame them as Kate made herself comfortable in her seat.

"Are we going to the beach?" she wondered.

Chris furrowed his eyebrows before saying: "No."

"Museum?"

"No."

"The park?"

"No."

"The movies?"

"No."

"Hiking?"

"The fuck? No."

"Restaurant."

"No. We just ate," Chris chuckled as he said that.

Kate couldn't think of anywhere else to ask. She sighed, giving up.

"This place you're taking me better be fun."

"Oh, I'm sure you will love it," Chris chuckled.

About an hour later, Marie found her answer. The two had turned towards a less tarmacked road that led away from the highway, and they found themselves heading towards an area with a sign that had Kate gasping in surprise.

"You're kidding," her expression glowed as she looked at her surroundings.

"I'm not," Chris grinned, driving the car towards one of the parking lots.

"An amusement park?" she couldn't wait to enter it. Once the engine was off and the doors had been unlocked, Kate exited the car.

The area was already filled with customers even though it was still morning. Balloons were found pinned on every stationary object in their surroundings. Marie could spot a couple of rides from where she stood, and one of them was a Ferris wheel. Sweet smells of delicious food such as popcorn hit her nostrils, and she found herself salivating even though she had come from having breakfast.

"Let's go!" like an excited kid, Marie grabbed onto Chris' hand and led them toward the entrance of the park. They paid for their entry tickets before moving into the area.

"Ooh! Cotton candy!" Kate yelled as she pointed at a stall where the delicious concoction was being made. Without telling him, she began pulling him towards the stall.

"Are you sure you want to start with that?" Chris asked. "There are a couple of games--"

"Games!" Kate yelled again, pulling him towards an orange stall that had stuffed animals hanging from its ceiling.

"Hey, kids. Which one of you would want to have a go?" a balding, bearded man wearing a striped suit asked as he showed them a red ball in his palm. Kate diverted her eyes from him, noticing that there was a game that had to be played. She spotted three coconuts that were placed on tall stands and were supported by a table.

"I'd like to play," Chris answered the man as he grabbed the ball. "How much for each try?"

The man answered him, telling him that he had to knock all three coconuts in one round with three balls to win a stuffed animal. The first trial was free, but if he lost and wanted to play again, he would have to pay for the rounds that would follow. 

Chris nodded to the terms before moving back. He closed an eye, focusing on the targets he had to hit. He moved his arm back, and then he threw the ball at the first coconut.

He missed.

The man managing the stall looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Chris stretched his hand to receive another ball. After he had it in his hold, he narrowed his eyelids to view the target in concentration before throwing the ball at the coconuts. Unfortunately, he failed again.

The man managing the stall showed him a smile.

Kate watched with raised eyebrows as Chris tried to hit the targets again with the third ball.

He failed as she expected.

"Ooh. Nice try there. Would you like to go again?" the balding man asked Chris. Kate went to decline, but Chris interrupted her.

"Sure," he replied, handing a couple of dollar bills to the man.

"Okay," he said with a shrug.

The two balls he threw went away from the target, bouncing on the wall behind them. One of them was close to hitting the guy in the head.

"One more go," the man announced. Chris sighed, grabbing the ball offered to him.

"Relax," Marie told him. "Just focus on the target."

She found herself touching one of his shoulders. She felt that they were tense, and so she applied a small amount of pressure on them to help him relax.

Chris looked at her. His eyes held hers in a trance that made her momentarily forget where they were.

He nodded at her before looking back at the targets.

He still missed.

"Another--"

"Stop," Kate cut him off. "It's okay. If you keep doing it, you might end up wasting your money on this stall."

"Don't you like stuffed animals?" Chris asked her with furrowed eyebrows.

"I do," she said, "but there are other things I like."

"Look. Just one more time. If I lose again, we'll just go do something else," he told her.

Kate held her breath before sighing in agreement.

"Fine. But it better be the last time," she told him. Chris just grinned in reply before looking back at the man in the stall.

"I want to try again," he told him as he handed out more cash. The man took the cash as he raised his eyebrows, clearly showing his doubt.

"Okay," he stretched out the word as he handed Chris a ball. Chris moved back, trying to calm his form before he threw the ball at the target.

The ball hit a coconut, sending it falling towards the table with a thud.

Kate jumped, clapping in excitement. Chris almost let the exhilaration of finally hitting a coconut take hold of him, but then he remembered he had a price to win.

He sighed, throwing another ball at a target. He won that second time.

"Last one," the man of the stall told him as he handed him the last ball.

He threw it at the last coconut remaining. The ball hit it, and a smile graced his features.

"Whoo-hoo!" he hooted, raising his fists in the air. Marie hugged him in excitement.

"I knew you could do it!"

"Which animal do you want?" they were interrupted. Chris turned to look at the stuffed creatures hanging near the stall's ceiling.

"That one," Kate stated, pointing at a brown teddy bear. The man grumbled as he went to pull it down with a long stick.

"Here you go," he said, unceremoniously throwing the prize at Chris. Chris caught it before it could hit the ground, frowning at the man.

"Thank you?" he said before he and Kate started walking away from the stall.

"He's just mad you won something for a change," she said, grinning. Chris looked down at her, shaking his head with a smile before looking back at his surroundings.

"So, where to next?"

************************ ********************************* ************************

About an hour had passed after Chris and Kate had entered the amusement park. They had gone to other stalls to see what they offered. There were other games, and Kate found herself carrying other stuffed animals. They had even gone to a mirror house that distorted their reflections. Another one had Chris looking like Johnny Bravo, which he explained as he flexed, and it made her laugh. 

Kate found herself having fun. The amusement park was giving her a break away from her thoughts, and she was glad Chris had brought her there.

"Why did I agree to this?" Chris questioned with a frown.

"Because I tricked you into it," Marie said, smirking at him.

They had just come from depositing their stuffed animals into the car, and they were in line to experience one of the rides; a roller coaster. They were among the next group that would board it.

"Is it too late to turn back?"

"Yes, it is," Kate stated. "And you agreed to this. What are you, chicken?"

"What? Pfft, no," Chris stated with an unsure grin. "I'm not scared."

Kate knew he was definitely scared.

"I'm just worried about you, you know?"

She doubted his words.

"Also, did you know that 'roller coaster deaths' is a thing?"

Marie rolled her eyes at him.

"Chris, it's okay. No one has been hurt so far. From what I can see, the rides are totally safe."

Screams sounded, and Chris blanched.

"They are just having fun, see?" Kate said, pointing at the group that had been in front of them. They were totally enjoying the ride, seeing that they were going down a steep drop.

"Okay," Chris chose his reply. Kate tried hard not to chuckle at his reaction.

About four minutes later, the roller coaster stopped in front of them and the group that had boarded it began to leave. Once the ride was empty, Kate and a doubtful Chris made their way into it, taking the seats that were immediately those of the front row.

"Can we change seats?" he questioned, even though it was too late. The other people who had been behind them were already filling the seats.

"Chris, relax," Marie told him. "There is nothing to worry about."

'Wow,' she thought. Chris was usually the one who kept telling her not to worry. Currently, she was the one saying that to him. She tried not to enjoy the turn of the events too much.

"Oh, fuck. We're moving," Chris said once the cars started sliding on the tracks at a slow pace. They were, at first, moving on a flat area.

That did not stop Chris from being a rambling mess.

"Are we going to die? We're moving. The ride is moving. We are going to die. We are totally going to die. Why did I ever listen to you?"

"Dude, we aren't even up yet!" someone yelled from behind him. Chris ignored him, focusing on what was ahead.

Kate soon found herself clasping her hand around Chris'. He looked at her. She had not been thinking when she did it, and she blushed. To her surprise, he gave her a brief smile of thanks before looking forward.

By then, they were moving up. Chris clenched his fingers around Marie's, barely leaving any space in between the contact. The feel of Chris' calloused hand on hers seemed to shake her focus. Kate was tempted to trace her fingers on his, and she tried hard to ignore the impulse.

She closed her eyes and sighed a deep breath. When she opened them, they were at the top of the ride.

Then they were going down. Everyone started screaming from that point.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Chris stretched out in a yell as they went down. Kate could have laughed were it not for the fact that they were going down the rail tracks. She screamed out her excitement, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her blood.

She looked to her side, finding Chris' eyes closed as he held firmly onto her hand and on the handle of the ride.

"Open your eyes!" she yelled at him. Chris did as she asked. His eyes were widened, and he started screaming in terror.

"Fuckity fuck fucking fuck!" Chris cursed at some point during the ride, making Kate laugh.

The ride went on and on with steep areas and high grounds including sudden turns.

Minutes later, the cars were pulling right by the station. They stopped, and everyone went to leave the roller coaster. Kate's hair was in disarray, and Chris looked shaken.

"Can we do it again?" she asked, and Chris looked at her in disbelief.

"I'm kidding," she said seriously, and then she broke into laughter.

"What?" Chris asked her.

"Son of a bitch!" she said, imitating his screams when they were on the ride. Chris blushed in embarrassment, making Kate laugh.

"Shut up!" he said, but it did not stop cease her laughter.

************************* ************************* ********************* **********

The hours went by. The afternoon passed, and it was soon sunset. Around that time, Kate and Chris had boarded a Ferris wheel. It was their last ride before they would leave the amusement park.

"Wow," Kate stated in amazement as she looked at her surroundings. She could see the rest of the amusement park from where she was. The stalls had started being lit, and they all formed a pattern of lights. She could also spot the sun setting in her view. There was a clear sky, and there were streaks of pink, orange and purple across it. It was already turning a dark blue as stars made their appearance. 

"Beautiful," Chris stated. Kate found herself blushing as she turned to face him. She noticed he was looking at the view in front of them, and she tried not to feel disappointed.

"Thank you, Chris," she said with a smile. "I had a fun time."

"I'm glad," he said, facing her. Then he looked away.

"You made my day," she added. The two spent a couple more seconds of silence staring at the view they kept passing as the ride continued. Kate looked back at the sky again, noticing it looked grand and wondering why she did not look at it most of the time.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?" 

"Do you want to do this again sometime?"

"Yes," she answered without a second thought.

Chris took his time to reply before saying, "Good."

She looked back at him, and it was at that time when she realized how close he was to her. Their faces were inches apart, and their noses were close to brushing each other. Kate's heart thudded in her chest as she stared back at Chris, wondering what he wanted to do. Because at that moment, she could think of nothing but kissing him.

"Chris?" she meant to voice out his name clearly, but it came out in a whisper. He seemed to move his face to her, still staring at her eyes.

"Alright, kids! Ride's over!" someone yelled, interrupting the moment. Chris stopped inching his head toward Marie. Instead, he sighed and looked at his lap.

"Chris?" Kate called out to him. He looked back up at her and smiled.

Something about his smile did not sit well with Marie. It felt forced.

"Well, you heard him. Let's go."

Kate was hesitant to voice out her question. She wanted to know what that moment that passed between them had been about. It had looked like Chris had wanted to kiss her. But then, what if she was wrong? What if he did not want to kiss her?

'But what was that stare all about?' Marie wondered as she and Chris were helped out of the Ferris wheel.

"Let's go get something to eat," Chris told her. Kate found herself once again looking at him. She forced herself out of the trance and nodded.

He grinned, seeming to have gone back to his usual self. Then he started heading towards the exit of the park. Kate quickly followed, and at that moment, she realized how much she missed holding his hand. 

 

Chapter 25

Two weeks had passed ever since the events at the amusement park. During that time, winter had finally arrived. It covered the whole area around Charles Darwin University in its frosty snow. Also, everyone in TUCD was busy with exams. No one made a joke about them; not even Gwen. There were no parties during that period because people knew how important good grades would be for their college credits.

Like everyone else, the IT class was also having their exams. However, it had been hard for Kate to focus on her studies. She had spent a lot of her time on her assigned project with Chris, and it had cut into her planned study sessions. Also, after discovering the feelings she had for him, being around him was distracting.

It also didn't help that he had called her that weekend to study with her. The moment they shared on the Ferris wheel had only been hours ago, and being around him reminded her of what could have happened. She had wanted to ask him about it, but she decided against it when she noticed how calm and unaffected Chris looked in her presence. It had saddened her, and it forced her to remember he did not like her the way she did.

Luckily, she was finally able to get her wits, and she managed to score Bs on her exams. It had been a surprise for her since her mind kept wandering during the tests. She had also rushed to answer a paper when little time was left. Still, she was glad about it. She was also happy because the Chrismas break would start soon for the university.

Kate really needed it, especially because she would have time away from Chris. 

The dreams about him still continued. However, ever since they went to the amusement park, things had turned out differently. She still dreamt of being naked with him, but she could not reach her release. It both confused and irritated her.

"That's the last one," she said with a sigh after depositing a folded shirt in her suitcase. She reached for the zipper and struggled to close it for a couple of minutes before she succeeded.

"There."

It was a Saturday, heading towards the afternoon. Kate had just finished packing her clothes. She planned to leave the campus grounds on the following day for the Christmas break just like everyone else.

After checking that she had not left anything important, she turned to her laptop. She switched it on, determined to spend the day watching a couple of movies and reruns of her favorite series.

Just as she had logged into her device, knocks sounded at the door. Marie ignored the sound, believing that her roommate would answer it.

A couple of seconds later, the knocks rang through her dorm again. She sighed, rising up from her bed to head towards Gwen's bedroom.

"Gwe--" she cut herself off, noticing that the room was empty.

'Where could she have gone?' she wondered in confusion. Once again, the knocks sounded at the door.

"Ugh, coming!" she yelled, heading towards it. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

At that moment, she wished she could have checked who was on the other side before opening it.

"Morning, Kate," Chris greeted her with a grin, but she was too stunned to move. He had dressed in a black jacket and a pair of black jeans. The colors matched his appearance. Seeing his face reminded Kate of what she had recently dreamt of, and her cheeks tinted red.

"Kate?" 

"Hmm?" she said, catching herself looking at his face. "Oh. Hey!" she said.

Chris looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Can I come in?" he decided to ask.

Kate's mind was telling her 'no', but her heart was saying something else.

"Oh, sure. Come in," she said, moving to let him pass. Chris smiled at her before making his way in. 

She closed the door and turned to face him. But then, she stopped short when she noticed him taking off his jacket.

"Chris, what are you doing?"

"Hmm?" he asked absent-mindedly, pulling the article of clothing off and revealing the white shirt he had worn underneath. "Oh. I'm preparing to take a bath."

"Bath?" Marie was confused.

"Yes," he replied. "Oh, sorry. I didn't explain. I stayed at Alex's place last night, but then he had a problem with his shower."

"What?" she asked him, surprised.

"The water cut off when I was taking a shower," Chris explained. "So that's why I came here. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

Kate's eyes widened as her thoughts started running. With the way things were going, it looked like she was in one of her naughty dreams about Chris.

"Uhm, sure. Go ahead," she replied, pulling her lips into her mouth.

"Thanks," he grinned at her. Kate thought he would walk to the bathroom, but Chris shocked her when he reached for the hem of his shirt. He pulled it over his head, slowly revealing the muscles of his torso.

'Oh, crap,' Kate thought as she tried to look away, but her hormones wouldn't let her. His tanned torso was revealed to her, and she took that moment to remind herself of the fine specimen in front of her. Chris' six-pack abs looked more defined than it had been the last time she saw it. She wanted to trace them with her hands and to feel their dips and curves. The lighting in the room enabled her to see a light dusting of hair on his skin. It even covered his firm pectorals.

"Are you checking me out?" Chris suddenly asked. Time seemed to stop for Kate.

"Uhm, what?" she decided to play dumb. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you checking me out?" he repeated.

"What? No," Marie went to deny it, even though her cheeks were betraying her at the moment. Chris showed her his smirk, and it made her heart flutter.

"It's okay," he said, his hands moving to his chest. Marie watched as they touched his skin, slowly stroking it as they moved down his abs.

"I like it when you watch me," he said, moving his hands downwards as they touched his six-pack.

Kate felt a familiar wet sensation between her thighs.

"In fact, I can show you more," he added. His thumbs hooked into the waistband of his trousers and boxers, slowly pulling them down. He began exposing the Adonis belt of his hips. Kate got a glimpse of his pubic hair before she quickly turned away from the sight with a blush on her cheeks.

"Chris!"

He laughed.

"Hoped you enjoyed the show," Chris' words echoed in the room, making her blush harder.

"I--I--" she stammered, wondering what she would say.

Chris chuckled before he headed into the small hallway. Kate turned, noticing he was only left in his boxer briefs. She watched his ass and the muscles of his back as he walked. 

Kate wondered if Chris knew where the bathroom was, but she saw him opening the right door to his target.

Once the door closed, she sighed before collapsing on the couch.

'Oh, no,' she thought in worry. Chris had caught her staring at his body.

It did not help that she had waited too long to turn away as he pushed his jeans down. His frame had put her in quite the trance, and she blamed it all on the frustration she was experiencing because of the dream.

'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'

She sighed, thinking that it was not that bad. Just like with other stuff in her life, she could get over it. Girls often looked at guys who had defined bodies. It was no big deal.

She tried to tell herself that, but when she remembered the wet sensation between her thighs, those thoughts evaporated.

Only Chris could affect her that way. She had gotten flustered just from seeing him shirtless!

She knew she needed to deal with the issue before it got out of hand. She didn't want him to think that she was just interested in his body. She wanted him to know that she was interested in him as a person. If they were to have a relationship, his good looks would not be the only thing she would rely on.

'Wait. If I were to have a relationship with him?' she thought. It was at that moment when she remembered him telling her of a girl he was interested in.

Her heart broke once again at that memory. She sighed, determined not to let her feelings win over her brain. She needed to keep herself sane or else she would ruin their friendship.

"So, what are we doing today?" Chris asked behind her. Marie was shocked by how fast he had showered. She turned to face him, and what she was momentarily muted her voice.

Chris had already worn his blue jeans and boxer briefs. His shirtless torso had her fixated on it as he dried his hair with a green towel.

Her towel.

"Kate?" he called out, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

'Damn him!'

"I was thinking of staying here and watching a movie," she replied.

"Okay," he said. "But we could do it at my place."

"What?" Kate voiced out her thoughts.

"I have a large-screen 4K TV. It will be much clearer than the laptop you'll have us watch."

"It's not that bad. We can watch a movie on a 15-inch screen," she tried to oppose his suggestions.

"Really? Do you want us to share your bed while watching a movie on your laptop?" he asked, still shirtless.

Memories of naughty dreams played in Kate's mind, making her blush.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not!" Kate answered quickly, even when the blush intensified. Luckily for her, Chris did not push for an answer.

"Okay. So, my place?" he asked, earning a nod from Kate.

"Sure," she said, even though she was a bit reluctant.

"Great!" he replied. "Let me put on my shirt."

Chris bent to pick up the shirt he had thrown on the floor. Kate watched, entranced as he pulled it back over his form.

She wondered if it would be smart to be around him after the dream she recently had.

 

Chapter 26

Chris and Kate rushed to his house, mostly because of the cold air outside that was expected in the winter season. As soon as they had gotten inside the house, Chris turned on the heater and dialed a pizza-delivering restaurant.

That was going to be their lunch and supper.

"So, what do you want to watch?" he asked Marie as soon as he had ended the call. Kate had her hands on her arms, slightly shivering from the cold that had managed to seep into her body.

"Honestly, I don't know," she replied, making her way towards the dining room with Chris following closely behind.

"What about Despicable Me 3?"

"You have it?" she asked him in surprise.

"Of course," he replied. "It came out on DVD a few months ago."

Through that conversation, their decision had been made. Chris popped the 4K movie into the DVD player before settling on the couch next to Kate.

"What about popcorn?" she asked him. Chris gave her an unamused look before pausing the movie.

"Hey!" Marie yelled in protest. "Didn't you watch this movie already?"

"Yes," he replied, heading towards the kitchen.

"Then why did you pause it?"

"Because I want to watch it again!"

Kate sighed into her seat, staring at the TV that showed the Illumination logo. The silence in the house allowed her thoughts to run through her mind. They were all not good because they revolved around the fact that she was in Chris' house. With him. 

Alone.

They had done it before for the sake of their short film. She was confused as to why she was anxious in his home. Then she remembered the frustrating sex dream she had on the previous night.

'Okay, Kate. Act normal,' she told herself. However, her mind went back to the dream. She had been with a naked Chris, and he had been kissing her and making her moan his name. It did not help that Chris had appeared after the dream and removed his shirt not less than an hour ago. 

Heat returned to the area between Kate's legs as a wet sensation made itself known.

'Crap.'

Marie shook her head as shame overcame her. She was in Chris' house. She could not allow herself to think that way about him. She was his friend, and she had to try to see him as a person and not a star of her fantasies. Besides, he was interested in someone else.

The sudden dejection Kate felt was all she needed to calm down her body. 

"What's taking so long?" she yelled, realizing that minutes had passed as she waited for Chris to return. When she received no reply, she got up from the couch to go see what was happening in the kitchen.

She had been expecting a disaster, but to her shock, it looked clean. Chris had already placed a pot over the oven.

"Chris?" she called out to him.

"Hmm?" he replied. "Oh. Five more minutes."

"Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

"No, you go sit," he said.

"But I'm bored," Kate whined. "What can I do? Is there anything else I can make?"

"The drinks," Chris said. "I have a couple in the fridge."

Kate headed towards the steel shelf, opening it to find the drinks. She found a one-liter orange juice box, and so she took it out.

"Is that it?" she asked.

"Nope," Chris replied. "I also have a beer hidden in there."

"What?" Marie checked the fridge, and that was when she saw the beer bottle hidden behind a carton of milk.

"But I'd rather we save it for later," he added.

A couple of minutes later, the two went back to the dining room to continue with the movie. But then, they were barely fifteen minutes into the movie when the doorbell rang.

Kate groaned, seeing the film being paused again.

"Must be the pizza," Chris stated, and that had her grateful. He got up from the couch and headed towards the door. Kate soon heard a couple of voices talking. A minute later, she spotted Chris carrying three boxes of pizza as he went into the kitchen. He then returned to the dining room.

"So, where were we?" he said as he grabbed the remote, pressing play so that the movie could resume.

***************** ******************************* ********************* ************

The hours quickly passed. Kate spent the whole day watching a number of movies with Chris. They had just finished with Spiderman: Homecoming, looking at the end credits of the movie.

Kate noticed that the room looked darker than it had been in the morning. She turned to look at the analog clock hanging on the wall. The light from the TV illuminated it, and she gasped when she noticed the time.

"Chris, it's seven," she stated. Kate even looked at the kitchen, seeing how it had been hit by total darkness.

"I think I need to go back," she suddenly said, rising from the couch. There were a couple of things she had to pack for the holiday.

"Wait," Chris said, making her face him. "What about the pizza?"

He and Kate had already gone through the two pizza boxes. Kate loved pizza, and so it did not bother her to have it again for supper.

"Chris, it's late," she told him.

"But it's not that late," he countered. "We've been together for hours much later than this. Don't you remember us going to the movies and the amusement park?"

Marie couldn't forget them. She was trying hard to remember them as regular outings and not as dates.

"Yeah, I do," she said. "But I haven't finished packing."

"Neither have I," Chris stated with a grin. "I'm sure you can stay much later than this. I could even drive you back if you want."

Chris' offer made her heart swell, but a part of her told her it was a bad idea. Being in the same house alone with Chris, and in the hours of the night... It looked like a recipe to make Kate embarrass herself in front of him. Unfortunately, she couldn't decide to leave at that moment. She didn't want to disappoint him. Also, she had been doing a great job in controlling her libido. What could happen in a few hours?

"Okay. But what other movies can we watch right now?" she asked him as she sat back next to him.

"I was actually thinking of not watching a movie right now. We went through a lot today."

"What do you have in mind?"

Chris furrowed his eyebrows in concentration before saying, "Exercise."

Kate widened her eyes at him in shock.

"Exercise? What? At this time?"

"Not for you," Chris said, chuckling. "It's for me. I need your help with something."

"Chris, we just ate slices of pizza not less than an hour ago," Marie stated.

"Exactly," he replied. "I have a couple of weights in my room."

'Weights?' she thought. An image of Chris working out filled her mind. She pictured him shirtless as he lifted a couple of weights on each hand. She imagined how the muscles in his torso would move, and it had her breath picking up.

"Not a good idea," she stated, both for him and for herself. 

"Relax, Kate. I've done this before," he said. "Or are you scared?"

"Of what?" she questioned with a raise of her eyebrows.

"Of seeing me without my shirt on," Chris smirked.

"What?"

"It's okay, Kate. If it helps, I could put a vest on."

"Chris, I'm not scared of seeing you without a shirt," Marie opposed.

She was actually terrified of the feelings that would be invoked in her at the sight of his naked form.

"Really?" Chris still doubted her words.

"Yes," Kate nodded.

"Okay," he nodded back. "Let me give you a test."

"Wha--"

Kate cut herself off when she noticed Chris reach for the hem of his shirt. He quickly pulled it over his head, and Kate did not have enough time to control her reactions.

"Look at you. You can't even say a word, now can you?" Chris said with a cocky smirk. Kate narrowed her eyelids at him even though she felt a pulsing sensation between her thighs. The sight of Chris' exposed torso had her trying to control her breathing as her heart thudded behind her chest.

"I actually can," Marie replied with a clear voice.

"Oh?" Chris said. "Then I dare you to come here and touch me."

Kate's eyes widened at the demand. For a moment, she could not comprehend what he had just said.

"W-what?" she stammered.

"Go on," he replied with a smirk. "Come sit on my lap and touch me, Kate. Show me you wouldn't be affected by me."

A sudden surge of anger filled Kate. How dare he ask her to do such a thing? And how dare he reveal his muscular torso in front of her? Didn't he know how much she struggled to keep her feelings for him at bay?

'Relax, Kate,' she told herself. 'You can do this. He said just a touch.'

"But we're on a couch," she stated. Chris had his feet on the floor, and Kate wondered if he would feel uncomfortable with her on his lap.

"I can handle it," he told her, slapping his thighs.

Marie breathed through her nose before she started approaching him. Her legs felt like feathers as she walked towards him. The few feet she covered actually felt like a meter as she tried to control herself.

"Sit on my lap, Kate," Chris said, his smirk gone and replaced with a serious expression. She swallowed, moving down to settle herself on his jean-covered thighs.

His muscular thighs.

She felt the heat of his lap spread on her ass. The pulsing sensation between Kate's legs increased. Wetness had gathered there, and it threatened to flow down her legs.

'What the hell am I doing?' she wondered, not moving away from Chris.

She looked back at him, surprised by the heated look in his eyes. She raised a hand, her form slightly shaking as she directed it to his chest. Her hand soon landed on his pectoral, and her eyes widened a fraction. The heat of his skin coursed through her hand as she felt him. More wetness formed between her legs.

"With both hands," Chris stated in a gruff voice. Marie swallowed, moving her other hand on his chest.

'Oh crap,' Kate thought, feeling a little feverish over what she was doing. The feel of Chris' skin on her hands was wonderful. He was soft yet hard with muscles, and the small hairs that tickled her hands was marvelous.

Kate bit her lower lip as she looked at Chris' torso. She had an urge to close her legs together because she feared he would find the wetness there.

"Look at me," Chris said. Her eyes directed back to him, seeing a sudden shift in his expression. His brown orbs seemed to have darkened as he stared back at her. 

Kate let her hands travel lower. She unconsciously bit her lower lip again as she felt Chris' torso tense and relax. Her fingers touched his shoulders, making him sigh as he grazed the skin. They soon moved back to his pectorals before descending to his defined abs.

'Is this really happening?' she wondered as she swallowed. She continued feeling him, enjoying the heat of his skin as she traced his muscles. She felt his abs again, her fingers finding the dips and curves, and the fever she felt around him seemed to increase.

Her eyes lowered to his abs, and she slightly shivered at the sight of them.

"You lied, Kate," Chris suddenly spoke. It shocked her out of her trance as she looked at him.

"W-what?" she said, her voice quivering.

"You said you weren't affected by me. Look at you. You're already feeling me without me telling you where to touch me."

Kate opened her mouth, planning to deny his accusation, but she realized he was right. She had been touching his torso, and it had made her wet with arousal. Humiliation burned her cheeks, giving her the sudden urge to leave.

"Where are you going?" Chris growled, raising his knees up. The action made Kate gasp as she was forced to sit near his crotch. She could feel his shaft hardening beneath his jeans.

"I didn't tell you to leave, now did I?"

"I didn't mean to touch you like that, Chris," her attempt at defending herself sounded weak, even to her.

"Oh? You're still going to deny it?" Chris moved closer, having his torso brush up against her clothed one. The contact did not fail to make her shiver.

"Tell me, Kate. Aren't those your nipples poking through your shirt?"

Kate looked down, gasping when she noticed the pebbled organs.

"Didn't your breath pick up when you touched me?" he continued, staring at her with his heated expression.

"Chris--"

"And if were to reach a hand between your thighs, wouldn't I find you wet and ready for me?"

A sudden silence filled the room. Kate was speechless in front of Chris. Her crotch was pulsing with need, and she did not know how to proceed.

"You want me, Kate," Chris confirmed. "Just as much as I want you."

In an instant, his lips had covered hers. Kate tensed in shock at the feel of his lips. They rubbed against hers, making her feel the difference in textures, and uncontrollable sensations took hold of her body. Her lips felt hot on his, and tingles spread through her form.

He groaned into the kiss, his hands wrapping around Kate's waist as he brought her closer to him. She found herself settled on his groin area with barely any space between them.

"Oh, Kate," he whispered, resuming his scorching kisses. Kate could do nothing but welcome it, feeling her heart thud as she let go for him to do what he wanted.

His hands soon reached for her shirt. He stopped the kiss to lift it off of her, revealing her beautiful chest. Her breasts were hidden in her bra that did nothing to hide the size of them.

"Fuck, Kate," Chris groaned, moving back to kiss her. Kate mewled at the feel of his bare skin on hers. His bare chest pressed against hers, rubbing sensually and leaving heat all over her form. His hands touched her back and hair as he ravaged her with his mouth. It increased the pulsing sensation between Kate's thighs.

"Chris," she spoke before he dove for another kiss. "Chris, wait."

He did as he asked, eyeing her with desire.

"I'm a virgin," she said.

"I know," he grinned at her. "And I'll give you so many orgasms that will be better than those you give yourself."

Kate paused for a moment.

"What?"

"You know. When you touch yourself," Chris explained. Kate still looked at him in confusion.

"When you masturbate."

"What?"

Chris mirrored her confusion before shock took over his features.

"You've never fucked yourself?" he exclaimed, and his words had her blushing. "You mean to say that your pussy has never been touched before?"

Kate shook her head 'no', and she was surprised when she saw anger on Chris' expression.

"I'm going to show you right now," he said, determined as he moved to unzip his jeans. The sound rang through the room. Kate slightly rose to allow him space to work, and she watched in shock as he pulled down his jeans together with his boxers.

His erection sprang free, slapping at his abs. Kate could do nothing but gasp and marvel at the sight of it.

'It definitely did not look that big that other time,' she thought.

He held it in his hand, making sure to show off its length.

"This is my cock. Take a good look at it, Kate," Chris said.

Kate was at a loss for words at the sight of it. The nine-inch appendage was at its maximum hardness as precum oozed down the shaft. It had a generous girth that accompanied the big head. Veins ran through the length as it throbbed in the air.  A light dusting of hair was at the base, not hiding the large balls beneath it. The sight of it aroused Kate in a way she couldn't explain.

"Look at me, Kate," Chris demanded. Her eyes turned to him in time to watch him slowly lick his palm. He wetted it with his saliva, and for some reason, it made the pulsing sensation between Marie's thighs increase.

His hand moved low to grasp his hard cock.

"Fuck," he sighed as he squeezed it. Kate's eyes widened at the action, more so when the shaft jerked in his hold. She couldn't look away as he slowly brought his closed fist down his cock. It pulled at the skin, making it look tight and firm in the lighting. It also gave definition to the veins on it. 

In the next second, Chris brought his hand back up, making the skin loosen near the head of his cock.

Kate watched as the clear liquid continued oozing out of the slit of his cock. Chris repeated the action over and over again.

He continued to jerk himself off, sighing and groaning as Kate watched. His heated expression had started to lose focus on her as he began losing himself to the sensations on his cock. It was all an erotic show for Kate as she watched him touch himself.

Moans and groans sounded in the room as he played with his dick. More precum oozed out of the appendage, making his shaft look glossy in the room's lighting. Kate found it oddly appealing, more so when Chris slightly increased the speed of his jerking motion.

For a moment, he stopped just to tease the area where precum had started flowing down his shaft. The action made him groan before he resumed his jerking motion.

He continued for a while, touching himself and releasing sounds of pleasure as he did so. After a while, he upped his speed. Kate's mouth opened in a gasp, watching him move his fingers in a twisting motion as he jerked his dick. He had also started a thrusting motion, moving his hips into his hand and slightly bouncing her as he did so. His chest muscles moved as he stroked his cock, giving her a mouth-watering show of his muscles contracting and relaxing. She focused on his abs, watching them gain their definition and completely relax with each jerk.

"You like what you see?" he asked, stopping his jerking motion but still caressing his shaft. Kate's face blushed in arousal.

"Tell me, Kate. What are you thinking about right now?"

Kate bit her lip before she tried to reply, "I...I--"

"You what?" he asked her, staring at her face. "What is in your mind? Do you still want to touch me?"

Chris tightened the hold on his cock and aimed it at Marie.

"Do you want to touch it?" he proceeded to ask. "Where do you want it? In your mouth?"

Images started flashing in Kate's mind at his proposal. She imagined herself on her knees as she sucked Chris' cock.

It made the pulsing sensation in her cunt anew.

"Or do you want it in your pussy?"

Kate bit her lip as she tried to hide a moan.

"Oh. You want it in your pussy?" he found out. "You want it buried deep in your cunt? You want it touching the spots you never knew existed? Do you want to feel your pussy walls clench around it as I move inside you? Do you want me over you right now with your legs behind my back, fucking you so hard that you see stars?"

There was no way she could control herself at that point.

"Chris," she found herself unexpectedly moaning. Her cunt felt wet, and the juices that had flown had coated her jeans. Her legs were shaking, and she was needing something she did not know.

"Show me your pussy, Kate," Chris said, slightly disrupting Marie out of her trance.

"There is no need. I—I'm okay," she stammered.

"No, you're not," Chris said with a deep voice as he shifted closer to her, making his cock touch her stomach. "Your nipples are so hard behind your bra. You're trying to clench your thighs around me. I can even smell your cunt weeping for me."

Marie found herself shifting on his lap.

Chris looked at her before saying, "We're doing it, Kate. I'm going to show you what you've been missing. Take off the rest of your clothes."

"What?" Kate was taken aback.

"Take everything off. Let me see you."

Marie could not believe what she had heard. For a moment, she considered running out of the house. There she was, in front of a naked Chris, and she was worried about embarrassing herself.

"Or would you rather I take them off for you?" he said, his hand reaching for the clasp of her bra.

Kate gulped. She believed it would be best if she took her own clothes off. If Chris were to touch her, she would explode.

She made quick work of removing her jeans. That left her in her matching bra and panties.

"Take them off," Chris practically growled.

Kate gulped before doing what he had ordered. She stretched a hand to her back to unclasp her bra. It slowly fell onto her lap, revealing her breasts. 

"Fuck," Chris commented, staring at her boobs. They weren't small, but they weren't large either. They could fill Chris' hands perfectly. Kate blushed, seeing the heated look in Chris' eyes as he stared at her breasts.

"Take off your panties," he told her. Kate sighed, moving to slowly reach her undergarment. With a slow breath, she shifted on Chris' lap as she removed her panties.

At that moment, she and Chris were naked in front of each other. His eyes were drinking her form, and Marie noticed his cock bob in attention as it slapped the skin of his stomach. If possible, more precum was trailing down his shaft.

She wondered what would happen next.

 

Chapter 27

"Fuck," Chris said, devouring Kate with his eyes. He eyed her breasts, watching them slightly move with the breaths she took. Her pink nipples were hard, and it made Chris wonder if they were very sensitive. Maybe he could make her come with his mouth on them.

"Open your legs for me," he breathed. Kate was hesitant, but she did as she was asked, blushing as she slowly revealed her nether regions.

"Fuck," Chris commented, causing her to blush harder. "Look at yourself."

She looked at her crotch, and she wasn't surprised by what she saw. Her cunt was wet, and the juices she had been oozing had also coated the area of the thighs near her legs. 

"Chris--" Kate couldn't continue, feeling so insecure at the moment.

"Beautiful," he said, shocking her. "And so wet."

Kate went to close her legs, but Chris used his hands to stop her. She gasped at the contact, more so when he used his legs to bring her closer.

"Touch yourself for me," Chris told her. Kate blushed.

"W-What?" she stuttered as she faced his hungry stare.

"I want to watch you play with your pussy," he explained, still eyeing her form.

"I don't know how," Kate confessed, turning to look away from him. Chris was silent for a moment, but she knew he was still there because she could feel his eyes on her.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked her in a growl. She turned to look at him, momentarily worried about what he would do to her.

Chris closed his eyes. His hand went to his painfully-hard shaft that was still standing in attention. Marie looked at it, and she was surprised when she saw more precum oozing out of the slit. It was trailing down his shaft and hitting his balls.

He jerked himself off for a moment, locking his eyes onto Marie's.

"Play with yourself, Kate," he told her, stilling his jerking motions. "Grab your breasts."

She was shy at first, but she did what she was told. Chris stopped to watch as she held them in her palms, raising them up towards his gaze as some sort of offering. For some reasons, they felt slightly heavy.

"Squeeze them," he told her. Her hands groped them, and she gasped when she felt delicious shocks running through her form. They seemed to increase her arousal.

"Move them around as you squeeze them, Kate," Chris continued to instruct her. Kate clenched her boobs, moving them slightly away from each other before squishing them close. She felt as if a pressure was being lifted from her breasts. It was replaced by a warm sensation that went straight to her pussy, making it wetter than before.

"Now play with your nipples."

Kate's fingers moved to the center of her breasts where her nipples had hardened. She grazed a nub with a finger, and she gasped again when she felt a tingling sensation in her pussy. She soon had two fingers encircling the nipple, and she squeezed it.

A loud moan escaped her lips, and Chris swore at the sound. The pressure between her legs increased.

'It feels good,' she thought. 'It feels really, really good.'

Marie went to do the same with the other nipple. She encircled it with her fingers before she started rubbing it. She was soon experiencing twice the pleasure when she started playing with her nubs. She closed her eyes, moaning and sighing as she touched them. Her fingertips grazed the tips, squeezing the whole nipples before twisting them in her hold.

"Fuck!" Chris shouted. That forced Kate to open her eyes, and she saw him once again stroking his cock.

"You're dripping, Kate," Chris growled at her, eyeing her cunt. Marie moaned in reply, not caring at the moment as she started bucking her hips towards him. Her pussy was pulsing as more of her juices oozed out of it, coating her thighs.

"Chris," she called out to him in a sigh.

"You need more?" he asked her in a groan. "Let me see you play with your pussy."

Kate momentarily stopped touching her aching nipples when she heard his words.

"Move a hand there, and don't you dare close your legs," he warned her. She gulped, moving one of her hands away from her breasts to her crotch. She moved past the small patch of hair that was growing on her pubic area as her fingers cupped her pussy.

"Oh," she whispered, feeling giddy at the emotions she was feeling.

"Touch your lips," he said. She was confused at first, but then it quickly dawned on her what he meant.

Her fingers moved, and they encircled around the opening of her cunt.

"Touch them, Kate," he growled at her, pushing a thigh wider with his hand. She swallowed before she moved her fingers toward her cunt. The first contact had her tensing her form as pleasure rocked her body.

"Chris--"

"Continue touching them, Kate," he cut her off, staring at her cunt. She moved her fingers along the sensitive area of her lips, sighing and gasping at the pleasure she felt.

"Now part them wide open."

Marie blushed at the order, choosing to ignore him.

"Part your pussy lips with your fingers, Kate," he repeated. Her legs shook as she went to do what he asked. With slow, cautious movements, her fingers touched her cunt. She parted the lips, showing Chris what was inside her.

"Fuck," Chris growled, his eyes staring at her wet cunt. He was seeing the pink skin that was coated in her juices. It glistened in the lighting as more of the liquid poured out of her pussy.

"Dip a finger into it."

Marie was wary, but then she moved her index finger towards her opening. She was worried about what would happen if she did what she was told.

"Trust me, Kate," Chris told her, trying hard to sound calm. "You'll like it."

She dipped the finger into her cunt. In an instant, her walls started squeezing around it. Strange sensations echoed in her body.

"Chris--"

"Push it all in," he told her, still staring at her cunt. Kate did as she was asked. A tingling sensation overcame her once she had the finger lodged inside her cunt. Her knuckle grazed the skin above her pussy, forcing her walls to clench around the finger once again.

"Now, fuck yourself with it."

Kate was taken aback by his words. Her legs shuddered as a new wave of juices escaped her cunt, coating her fingers. Without a word, she moved the finger out.

It glistened with her juices. They had even coated her knuckles.

'Is this even normal?' she thought before dipping the finger back inside.

Then she started a motion that had her moving the finger in and out of her. Her pussy walls clamped around it. She felt a little discomfort at first, but after a while, she got used to it.

"Add another one," Chris told her. She stopped moving the finger, pulling it out so that she can join it with her middle finger before she pushed it back.

Just like before, she was met with a bit of resistance.

"Damn it, Kate," Chris groaned. "You've got me so hard just by looking at you."

Marie had no idea of what to say to that. She chose to slowly move the fingers in and out of her.

She was feeling nothing.

"Kate, move those fingers around," he told her. She did as he told her, twisting the two fingers as if she was searching for something.

She grazed a spot in her cunt, and she gasped when electric shocks ran through her form. Her form tense as she stopped, and Chris answered by smirking at her.

"There it is," he said. "Now move those fingers to that spot."

Kate shifted on his thighs as she angled her fingers. They moved, dipping in and out of her cunt, making her feel how drenched she was.

"Chris," she moaned, throwing her head back when her pleasure increased. She kept hitting the spot that had her moaning, making her tighten her legs.

She felt it wasn't enough, and so she moved her hand upward to her breast. She touched her nipple, and it made her gasp when her pleasure intensified.

She moaned louder than before, losing her focus to the feelings racking through her form. She had started thrusting her hips to the motion of her fingers, and it had her squeezing her pussy walls in earnest. The sensations felt so good.

"Kate," Chris groaned, having her open her eyes. She was met with the sight of Chris jerking off as he faced her. His hand was moving at a fast pace, showing off his dick that had been coated with his precum. His abs clenched and relaxed with the motion, and his form tensed as he sought out release.

Kate found it arousing and mesmerizing to watch, more so when his biceps tensed. He looked ready to shoot, and it had her moving her fingers quickly.

It was at that moment when she felt something building inside of her.

"Chris," she gasped in a moan, not wanting to stop the motions. "Something's--"

"Are you about to come?" he groaned, looking at her eyes. Kate closed her eyes, shaking her head while moaning his name again.

That had Chris stop his jerking motions to see what was happening.

Indeed, she was on the edge of coming. She couldn't focus on anything other than the approaching orgasm.

"Chris," she gasped his name again.

"Do not stop it. Don't deny it. Let it come to you," he said, making her moan.

"I know that pussy is wet for me. Let me see that pussy drench your fingers," Chris' words spurred her on.

"Come for me, Kate," he growled at her as he continued jerking off his dick.   

Marie continued touching herself, and the thing that was growing inside of her seemed to tighten before it snapped.

"CHRIS!" she closed her eyes as she arched her back, moaning loudly as her release pounded over her. Her form tensed as her pussy walls clamped around her fingers. Her juices rushed out of her, coating her fingers and even her hand. Her form shook as she moaned and whimpered in pleasure. The sensations were so strong that they had her trembling in front of Chris.

He steadied her with his hand as he watched her orgasm, feeling himself also close to letting go.

"Kate!" he groaned in earnest. His jerking motions continued as his form tensed. Marie opened her eyes just in time to see his cock jerk in his hand. It throbbed as streams of white cum started shooting out of the slit. It coated his hand, his torso and her stomach.

The fluid felt warm on her skin, and it caused a fluttery sensation in her belly.

Chris moaned through his orgasm, still jerking himself off to prolong it. The rest of his cum flowed down his shaft, coating over the precum that had flown.

Kate collapsed on his chest, sighing in content as his cock throbbed between them. She was breathing heavily, still feeling the aftershocks of her fingers being in her cunt.

"Fuck, that was hot," Chris commented, still catching his breath.

It was at that moment that what they had done dawned on Marie's mind. She and Chris were naked in the dining room, having masturbated in front of each other.

'Oh crap,' she thought.

"Don't go where you're thinking, Kate," he said, wrapping his arms around her. He shifted her on his lap, bringing her flush to his torso so that her head was on his shoulder. "There is more that I want to do to you. I'm not done--"

The sound of the doorbell cut through the moment.

Disappointment washed over the both of them.

"Maybe we can ignore it," Chris said.

The doorbell rang again.

"Dammit!" Chris cussed.

"I don't think that person is leaving," Kate said with a smile.

"I'll get it," Chris grumbled as he got up with her in his arms. Kate moved away from him to allow him space to get to his clothes. She watched as he put them back on, and the sight caused a familiar stirring to start once again between her legs.

"Let me handle this. I'm not done with you yet," Chris said, looking at her with a promise in his eyes. He left the room to go to the door. 

"Chris!" Kate heard a woman exclaim in greeting. Something told her that whoever was at the door would not be leaving soon, and so she started putting her clothes back on. 

 

 

Chapter 28

 

"Tiffany!" Kate heard Chris exclaim in a greeting as she put her clothes back on. That urged her to hurry up to avoid being spotted in the nude.

A minute later, Chris appeared at the dining room entrance.

"Kate," he called out to her. She ruffled her hair, making sure she looked presentable and not fresh from having an orgasm. Chris made his way into the room, and there was a grinning girl who followed after him.

"This is Tiffany," he said with a smile, pointing at the tall brunette standing next to him. She had wheatish skin and an oval face. Her brown eyes could be seen in the room's lighting, and they accentuated her beauty.

"Hi!" Tiffany greeted Kate with a handshake.

"She's a freshman in the campus," Chris mentioned, grinning as he faced Tiffany.

"Oh, stop," she said, rolling her eyes. "But I do study there. I'm doing a course that has to do with nursing."

"Oh," Marie commented, her eyes dancing between the girl and Chris.

"I decided to drop by. You know, to greet my friend before I go home for Christmas."

"Friend?" Kate stated, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"Oh, yes," Tiffany stated. "We've actually known each other since we were in high school."

"The same high school?" Marie wondered.

"Yes," she admitted. "I was a freshman when he was a junior. But not in Stonedale High. Thank goodness I never went to that place."

"Oh," Kate commented again. "Well, okay."

"Kate also studies in IT. We're in the same class," Chris informed his friend.

"Wow. You must be lucky," Tiffany said, slightly elbowing Chris while smiling at him. He just grinned before looking back at Kate.

'Wait. There is something I am missing...' she trailed off in her thoughts. Her gaze swept over Tiffany again. Something about her made her remember the conversation she had with Chris when she had gone to his home for his sister's wedding. Specifically, she remembered him telling her about a girl he likes.

'Black hair, brown eyes, studied in high school with Chris, now studies in the same university with him.'

Something clicked in her mind. Marie was sure about the description of the girl he had been talking about, and she was shocked to realize she was looking at her.

Kate's heart clenched when she acknowledged the current situation. She had just come from being with Chris, and now, she was meeting the girl he had a crush on. She looked pretty, more so than her. It made Kate understand why Chris liked her. All hope of finally getting to date him disappeared at that moment, and Kate tried hard not to reveal her sadness.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I have to go," Marie announced.

"Now?" Tiffany asked her, surprised. Chris also mirrored her expression. 

"But I just got here. I thought we could get to know each other."

Marie smiled at her before saying, "I just received a message from my roommate. She told me there was some kind of emergency, and so I have to go help her."

"Emergency?" Chris questioned.

"Oh, you know how she can be," Kate shrugged. "I think it has something to do with her plans for Christmas break. Or maybe she lost the keys to our dorm..."

Kate was surprised with the way she was lying to their faces. She wondered how she was pulling it off when it was killing her to be in the same room as them.

"I can take you back," Chris offered.

"No! No," Kate tried to keep a straight face. "I'll be okay. In fact, I need the walk."

"In this cold weather?" Tiffany said. "It's okay. I don't mind. He can take you back. I know the dorms aren't that far from here."

"Don't worry," she told her with a smile. "It will just be a short walk if I rush back."

Kate looked back at Chris. His confused stare told her that he was trying to figure out if she was hiding something. She summoned all the energy she had to look convincing.

"Okay," he finally said.

Kate smiled at him and Tiffany before moving towards the exit of the house. She grabbed her coat along the way, knowing that it would be cold once she was outside.

"It was nice to meet you," Kate said, moving out of the door.

"You too," Tiffany waved at her with a grin.

She turned to the door. She grabbed the knob, and she stood frozen for a couple of seconds as she tried to control the emotions that threatened to have her cry. Chris approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her form. It made her heart beat fast, and it had her eyes start to tear up.

"I'm so sorry about Tifanny," he told her. "I know we had plans for this weekend, but it's her, Kate. We haven't talked in a while so--"

"Chris," she cut him off, "it's okay."

"We'll talk soon," he whispered to her, tightening his arms around her. Kate's eyes teared up again, and she forced herself to control her emotions.

Chris soon retracted the hug. The loss of his arms around her made Kate feel incredibly sad. She quickly headed out of the house, not wanting to look at Chris.

Kate started a slow walk back to her apartment. Her mind remained blank for a moment as she moved along the snow-covered ground. She forced herself not to stare back at Chris' house, knowing he could be staring at her. 

The moment she heard his door close, her vision turned blurry. She collapsed on the snow-covered ground on her hands and knees. She could feel her heart breaking with each breath, but she was determined not to let the emotions take over.

With a deep sigh, she stood up to continue her walk back to her dorm. Her vision remained blurry for the few minutes that followed, and Kate had to blink them away to avoid tripping on her feet.

'I will not cry. I will not cry,' she told herself, but she found herself doing the exact opposite when her vision became unclear once again. Her mind went back to the sight of Chris and Tiffany. She remembered how happy they looked to be in each other's presence. Chris had looked excited to see her. They had known each other far longer than Kate had known Chris. Tiffany looked like a fun person to hang out with, and so it was kind of clear why Chris wanted her.

Kate could not hold the sadness back anymore. One tear started trailing down her cheek, and then another followed. More continued falling rapidly, and she was soon crying.

Marie stopped walking as she silently cried into the night. She let go of the control she had over her emotions, exposing herself to the sorrow she felt at that moment.

'And he told me,' she reminded herself, shaking her head and smacking herself on the side for being stupid. Chris had told her that he wanted someone else. She just met that person, and the thought of them being together was unbearable.

Kate wondered if he would make his move. She wondered if he would let Tiffany touch and see him the way he had done with her. She wondered if he would kiss Tiffany just as he had recently kissed her. But the answer seemed obvious, seeing they were alone in his house.

Anger and jealousy coursed through her veins. Kate wished she was the one Chris wanted, but she felt furious over what had happened. He had touched her. He had shown her pleasure, the likes that she had never experienced before. She had been naked in front of him. He had tricked her into believing he wanted her the same way she wanted him, only to be thrown away when Tiffany came. She felt used.

'I am such an idiot!'

Kate continued to cry, letting more tears fall down her cheeks. She paid no attention to the people who had passed her with curious looks. Her heart was too broken to acknowledge how awkward she looked in public.

'Get it together, Kate!' she told herself, wiping her cheeks as she observed the sky. Clouds had begun to gather again. With the way things were going, Kate knew that it would snow once more. She stopped to calm herself before she continued her walk back to her dorm.

More than twenty minutes had passed before she found herself entering the living room of her dorm. She looked around, noticing that her roommate was not inside.

'She's probably hanging out with Ben,' she thought.

Her phone soon beeped with a notification.

'Are you there yet?' read a message from Chris.

It hit her in her heart, and she started tearing up again.

'Yes,' she struggled to reply, some tears falling onto the phone. She wiped them away, knowing it was futile when she sniffed as more began clouding her vision. Her phone soon beeped with a reply.

'Good. Tiffany is still around, but we will talk when she's gone.'

Kate's heart clenched at the message. She did not bother replying to it. 

She proceeded to remove the coat she had worn, allowing the heater in the dorm to do its work. With quick steps, she moved to her room. She closed the door behind her before collapsing on her bed.

She cried as she remembered Tiffany and Chris. Images of them kissing and touching each other filled her mind. She felt jealous, but then sadness and loss became the emotions that reigned. There was nothing Kate could do. She had to accept that she couldn't have Chris. She had to accept that nothing other than their friendship could happen between them. 

It was time to move on.

 

 

Chapter 29

 

Two weeks later

Christmas break had come and gone faster than anyone could sneeze. Kate wished it could have run on longer because it meant she had to go back to college. 

The holidays had been a wonderful distraction for her. It had been nice to spend the break with her parents, and they caught her up with everything they had done. They had also shown her pictures of the countries they had visited in their traveling. 

She looked all right in front of them, but she had been down ever since she had left the college for Christmas break. She was successful at hiding it, but as the days until the reopening of the campus shortened, her sorrow started showing up.

Marie did not want to see Chris, especially after what had happened the last time they were together. It made her wonder what she would do if she returned to her campus routine.

"Honey, are you going back to college today?" her mother asked, directing her attention back to her.

"Well, yes," she told her as she cut an apple on the kitchen island.

Kate was back in her hometown with her parents. The house that had been undergoing renovations throughout November was ready before Christmas, and they wasted no time moving in.

"Aw, there's my smart girl," her mother said, walking towards her and embracing her in a hug.  

Kate's mother looked like an older version of Kate, even though she was a bit shorter than her. Kate had gotten her skin from her mother, and she had gotten her hair and brown eyes from her father. She looked like a combination of the two, but in a nice and normal way.

"Mom," Kate groaned, still welcoming the hug.

"You go back there and get that degree of yours," she told her with a smile. "Now, your father and I are heading back to the Bahamas today."

"Already?" Kate exclaimed.

"What? You seriously don't expect us to be around the area in this cold weather, now, do you?"

Marie shrugged, knowing that her mother had a point. It was winter, and the temperatures in Stonedale could get very low at times.

"Now you understand my point," she said. "We'll be leaving at the same time as you."

"Mom, I'll be leaving around three," she told her. 

"Oh," her mother commented. "Well, your father and I were hoping that we would all leave in the afternoon. Why did you change your mind all of a sudden?"

Marie wanted to avoid any possible encounter with Chris on her way back to college. She felt calm knowing he lived nearby, but the thought of actually seeing him rattled her nerves.  

"Um, it's nothing," she lied. "It's just that I wanted to check on some things before I leave."

"So you wouldn't mind if your father and I decide to leave in a few hours?"

"I won't," she told her with an accepting smile. "Besides, we'll be heading towards different directions."

"You're the best!" her mother clapped before embracing her in a hug once again. It had caught her off guard.

"Okay, Mom," Marie said, prying off her mother's hands. "Let me get started on those things I have to do. Will you mind if I go back to my room?"

"Feel free to do whatever you like," her mother replied before leaving the kitchen. Kate smiled, grabbing her apple before turning to walk towards the stairs in front of her.

The house was a detached house. Its interior and exterior had cemented walls. The two levels provided ample space for Kate's family and whichever guest that may decide to visit. There were two bathrooms, a garage, the usual kitchen and living room, and three bedrooms.

Kate entered her room a few seconds later. It looked the same as the one she had when she was in high school. Pale-green walls surrounded her. There was a white dresser on her right that was positioned next to the closet, and on her left was a desk for her studies. In the middle of the room was her queen-sized bed. Her laptop was on the sheets, placed in the same position she had left it hours ago.

Marie went to her bed, landing on it before turning her laptop on. Her phone soon started ringing with a number she didn't recognize, but she picked it up.

"Hello?" she said.

"Happy New Year!" Gwen yelled, making her flinch away from the phone as she grinned.

"Gwen!"

"Hi, Kate. It's been so long since we've talked. How've you been?"

Marie hesitated before saying, "Good."

"Yeah, I know you are lying," her roommate replied, making her sigh. 

"It's been great! I've had fun with my parents, but we're all leaving today."

"About that..." Gwen trailed off.

"Gwen..." Kate sighed.

"I wouldn't be coming today."

"What? But--"

"It's snowing hard here in New York. But don't worry. I think I'll be there tomorrow if the storm clears up."

"Oh. Well, okay. It's just that I wanted to spend time with you before you can go all boyfriend crazy."

"Boyfriend crazy?" she snorted.

"You and Ben," Kate reminded her.

"Oh, now I get it."

"Mm-hmm," Kate hummed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kate, is there something you haven't been telling me?"

"I don't know what you mean," she said, and she immediately wanted to smack herself for uttering those words.

"Chris called me today," Gwen stated, and Marie stiffened at the name of her crush. She didn't want to think about him, more so talk about him.

"He told me he has been trying to contact you, but you won't answer your phone."

Kate remained silent.

"What happened, Kate?" 

She sighed before going into the details that had caused the lack of communication between her and Chris over the holidays.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Gwen started.

"I didn't want to ruin your mood when you were with Ben. I was embarrassed--"

"That fucking a-hole!" she cut her off, jumping onto another subject. "Oh, when I see him, I'm gonna--"

"Gwen--"

"How could he do that to you? I mean, you're you. That douche is going to see me tearing off his ass when I call him--"

"No!" Marie cut her off in a panic. "No. Don't call him."

"What? But Kate--"

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."

"How? The two of you are in the same class, and you are partners for a project that could cost you a good grade."

"Exactly."

"What?" Kate could hear the doubt in Gwen's voice. "Are you going to flunk it on purpose?"

"No!" she yelled in reply. "But I plan to get out of the project without hurting our grades. I'm actually typing an email right now to Mr. Bernard."

"Whoa."

"Yeah," Kate nodded as she rubbed her temples. "It's the only way. I don't want to talk to Chris. I can't face him, Gwen. After what he did, I just can't..."

Tears started blurring her vision, and Kate shook them off.

"I understand," she heard Gwen reply on the other end. "But listen to me. Don't send the email yet."

"Gwen--"

"It could backfire on both of your asses. Wait for me to come tomorrow. We'll talk about it, and if you are completely sure about this, we'll go through with it."

Marie took a moment to go through her friend's words. She realized she was right. The email was an impulsive action on her part. She had not thought about what would happen after she sent it.

"Okay," she relented. 

"I have some stuff to do right now, but I'll talk to you soon."

"K. Bye," Kate ended the call.

She stared at her phone for a while before turning to face the email she had been typing on her Microsoft Word program. It had some editing to be done. 

'Later,' she thought, saving it and closing the window.

**************** ****************** ***************************** ******************

Some hours later, Kate found herself outside of the house with her parents. It was after lunch, and a taxi had arrived for them. Marie's mother had already boarded the taxi, her father was bidding her goodbye.

"I'll miss you my little Kitty-cat," he told her as he embraced her in a hug.

"I'll miss you too," Kate told him.

Kate's father was a man in his forties. He had black hair, and the wrinkles on his round face showed his age. He also had a small belly pushing against his clothes, but it did not deter the energy he had that made him mistaken for a teenager.

"Remember, do not get pregnant in college," he proceeded to tell her as he turned to head inside the taxi.

"Dad!" Kate exclaimed, much to the humor of the taxi driver.

"Love you too, kiddo," he replied with a grin as he closed the door of the vehicle.

"Make sure you lock the house before leaving!" her mother yelled from the taxi.

"Sure will," Kate smiled as the vehicle's engine was started.

"Bye!" they waved as the taxi left her view. Kate waved back until she couldn't see them, watching as the car sped off.

She turned to head back to the house, starting to think about what she would do once she commenced her journey back to the university. There were a couple of things she had to buy, but she had not finished packing her stuff.

Kate went to her room and spent a half hour loading stuff into her bags for her journey back to TUCD. She paused to do a check for everything in her suitcases when the doorbell rang.

'Strange,' she thought. Her parents had told her that a cousin of theirs would come to stay in the house and act as a tenant while they were away. He was supposed to come in a week, not in a few hours.

The doorbell rang again, and it forced Kate to move out of her room. She walked down the stairs, wondering who it could be at the door. She soon reached for the knob and pulled it back. Whom she saw had her momentarily frozen.

"Kate," Chris called out to her in a soft voice. 

Marie's eyelids widened in surprise at the sight of him. Her form instantly tensed as her eyes observed his form. He looked a little off; his clothes were wrinkled. His spiky hair was out of order, and his eyes looked bloodshot like he had come from crying or rubbing them too hard. 

Still, it did not stop the hurt she had been holding back from taking control of her mind and heart.

Kate's swirling emotions told her she was not ready to face him. She panicked, moving to close the door. However, Chris' hand shot out to stop her from blocking it. He forced it wide open, his expression turning into one of fury.

"We need to talk," he said, glaring as he walked towards her.

'No,' she thought, backing into the house. She tried to put some distance between them, but Chris covered it and then some more.

"What the hell, Kate?"

"How did you find me?" she asked, her eyes showing her shock.

"You told me you would be here for Christmas," he replied. Kate continued moving away from him, but then she found herself backed into a corner.

Literally.

"Why have you been ignoring me, Kate?" he started. "Why have you not been answering your phone? What is it that I did?"

Kate swallowed as she stared at him. She said nothing, and that made him sigh.

"Gwen called me," he told her. Her expression of shock turned into anger. She couldn't believe her roommate had talked to him. But why?

"She had no right to do that," Marie stated.

"But how could I have found out why you've been avoiding me?" Chris countered. "She yelled at me when I answered the phone. I didn't understand her at first, but she told me that I hurt you and used you. She called me an asshole and told me you were thinking about getting out of our project just to avoid being near me. Is that honestly how you feel?"

Kate was infuriated by his clueless expression. Her anger for her friend quickly turned to gratitude. She was glad about the push Gwen had given her because she was done hiding everything she felt around Chris.

"What else was I supposed to think?" she yelled at him. "You kissed me, Chris. You had me naked in front of you. You touched me in a way that I thought meant something, only for you to shove me aside when Tiffany came. So excuse me if I feel used."

Chris sighed before saying, "This is why I wanted to talk to you. But you have been ignoring my texts and calls for weeks."

"How can I talk to someone who planned to treat me like a slut and dump me?" she said, and Chris flinched at her words.

"Oh, fuck," he said, his expression softening. "Is this what it actually is about? I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

"But you did," she stated, feeling tears cloud her vision.

"It was not supposed to happen like that. Believe me, Kate. If I were to use you, I wouldn't have let you play with your cunt in front of me. I would have been impatient and fucked you on that couch. I wouldn't have even let you orgasm," he stated.

"But why did you do it, Chris? Why did you do it, especially after telling me you want someone else?"

Chris seemed to freeze at her words.

"What?" he inquired.

"Tiffany, Chris," Marie explained. 

Chris furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"It's not her."

"Don't try to lie to me!" Kate yelled at him, making him widen his eyes at her outburst. "I know she's the one you have a crush on."

A short moment of silence passed between them before Chris said "What?"

"Damn it, Chris!" Marie shouted, wiping the tears that had escaped her eyes. "Don't you remember the night before your sister's wedding? You told me you have a crush on someone who went to the same high school as you. You told me she is in our college. You also told me that she has black hair and brown eyes. Who else could you have possibly meant?"

Chris looked confused at first. A look of understanding dawned on his face, and then he softened his features.

"Kate--"

"Even after I caught you in bed with someone else," Chris winced at that, "you came to me and told me you are serious about her. You told me and showed how much you wanted her. And when we kissed and you..."

Kate sighed a deep breath.

"I thought it was me," she decided to tell him the truth. "All the time we spent together, you holding my hand and staring into my eyes with a look that makes me feel warm and wanted, and what we did at your place... I thought you meant me."

"Kate--" he was cut off once again.

"But you want Tiffany. I looked at her, and I immediately knew you wanted her. Seeing the two of you together broke my heart. It still hurts to know I can't..."

Kate sighed before saying, "That's why I was typing the email to Mr. Bernard. I just can't handle the image of you being with someone else. I want distance, Chris. And because I have to move on, I have to stay away from you--"

"No," he cut her off with a determined expression.

"What?" Kate furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "Haven't you heard anything I have just said? I just told you that I have feelings for you--"

"And you don't think I feel the same way around you?" Chris shouted at her.

"What?" Kate was taken aback.

With quick steps, he was in front of her. Marie was confused, more so when Chris' hands reached for her cheeks. In a quick move, he had his lips pressed against hers.

She had not been expecting it, mostly because of the emotions he suddenly evoked in her. The moment their lips made contact, Kate felt fireworks light up in her stomach. Her eyes closed on their own accord as she kissed him back.

His hands moved lower, grasping her waist and bringing her form flush against his. Chris brought one of his hands lower to hold onto her back, caressing it as his lips rubbed against hers.

Kate soon realized what she was doing, and she moved to end the contact.

"Chris--"

"It has been you all along, Kate," he told her, shocking her. "You are the one I was talking about. You are the girl I have a crush on. How could you have not seen it all this time?"

Kate had so many questions, but she was cut off when his lips descended on hers again. It felt more intense that time as he held her firm against him, not giving her space to escape him.

At that rate, he was going to leave her breathless and putty in his hands.

"Chris--"

"Tiffany is my cousin from my father's side, and she has a boyfriend," he confessed as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

Kate stared at his brown orbs, unsure to believe what was happening.

"What?" she asked, losing herself in his brown orbs.

"You are not some girl that I can just use, Kate. No one else matters to me like you, and I want you to be mine."

"Chris--"

"I was going to tell you that night. I didn't plan to let you leave without knowing if you felt the same way. I was going to show you how much you mean to me."

Kate's heart thudded at his words.

"Tiffany showing up... It was unexpected. We don't usually see each other, and I can actually count the conversations we had last semester. She lives some towns away from Stonedale, and so I had to talk to her before the year ended."

Chris' words seemed to make sense to her.

He hugged her to his form, burying his chin into her neck as he caressed her back. Kate felt a delicious shiver run through her form as she accepted his embrace. Her eyes teared up again, but in relief.

She had been wishing for that moment, and it had come true. Chris wanted her as much as she wanted him. It felt so wonderful that she had a problem accepting it was reality.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked, but she had intended it to be in her thoughts. Chris had heard her, and so he moved to face her. His eyebrows furrowed as he frowned when he saw her glassy eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's a good thing we know now because I wanted to do this," Chris warned before placing his lips back against hers again.

His lips devoured hers in a passionate kiss that made her feel momentarily lightheaded. Her heart thudded from all the emotions she was experiencing once again through the feel of Chris' lips. They rubbed against hers, producing sounds that were loud to her ears. In an instant, their breathing picked up as they held onto each other.

Chris' hands held firmly on her form, hugging her close to him so that no contact was left between them. Her clothed chest pressed against his, allowing no movement as Chris ravaged her mouth. Kate gasped and moaned into the kiss, tightening her arms around his neck. His lips kept moving and rubbing against hers, making her shiver with all the shocks traveling through her form. 

He soon opened his mouth, probing Kate's lips with his tongue. She tensed in surprise. He kept probing, licking and tapping, but Kate was uncertain on whether to give him access to her mouth.

He decided to lower his hand to her back. His hand grabbed on her ass and squeezed, and Kate gasped at the unexpected action. Chris took that moment to push his tongue in.

Kate was tense for a moment at the foreign feel of Chris' tongue in her mouth, but she moaned when it moved in her orifice. Pleasure shot down her body the moment his tongue rubbed against hers. The difference in textures and body heat had her moaning in delight, and she could have sworn she felt Chris smirk into the kiss. 

"Chris," Kate gasped his name when his lips moved to her cheek. He pecked her there, giving her small kisses as he nipped at the skin. His hand buried itself in her hair, holding her as he devoured her with his hot mouth.

His lips moved back to hers, and he groaned when his tongue found hers once again. He rubbed it against hers, and Kate mewled at the contact. Chris' hold on her tightened, pressing her closer to him.

Seconds of furious kissing passed, and their bodies needed air. Chris stopped kissing Marie, and they soon started panting for breath.

"Did that feel like a dream to you?" he asked her, his eyes a deep shade of brown as he stared at her. Marie felt a bit disoriented from the kiss. She knew she looked it too when she noticed Chris' rumpled shirt and his slightly-red lips. 

"Are you going back to college today?" Chris asked her. Kate had been in a daze, thinking over what had happened in the last few minutes, when she focused on him.

"Hmm?" she asked. Chris went to repeat his question, but the ringing of Kate's phone cut him off.

"Let me get that," she said with a smile before moving into the dining room. She found her phone placed on the table, and so she quickly went to answer it.

"Hello?" she replied.

"Honey, are you still at home?" her mother had called.

"Yes, Mom," she replied.

"Good. Stay there," she said, puzzling Kate. "Your father and I are at the airport, and we are about to board the plane."

"Mom--"

"We were watching the news on a TV here when we saw an emergency broadcast. It says that there's a snowstorm coming that could last for days."

"What?" Kate was shocked. At that moment, her phone dinged with two notifications.

"I suggest that you should stay in the house. Go do some grocery shopping if you have to because I doubt the storm will let anyone out."

"Mom, why are you even boarding a plane right now? Shouldn't you be home?"

"It's okay," she replied. "Your dad and I will be flying away from the affected areas. Stay indoors, and I will call you to make sure you are okay."

"Mom--"

"We'll talk soon, honey," she said, and with that, she ended the call.

Kate stared at her phone in disbelief when she noticed the notifications on her screen. There were a message and an e-mail from her university, and they were confirming her mother's words about the storm. It was also going to affect the campus environs, and the opening day was being postponed by a week.

"Hey, did you see this message from school?" Chris said as he made his way towards the dining area.

"Yes," Kate sighed. "So, what do we do?"

"We should just do what they say," he said. "If we head back right now and get in the middle of that storm, it wouldn't be pretty."

Kate stayed a moment before exclaiming, "Damn it!"

"It won't be that bad," Chris told her with a shrug. "We had the same one last year."

"Seriously?" she said.

"Yep."

"So what do you usually do in such situations?" she asked him.

"Well, I stay with the family," he told her. "We buy enough food to last us for something like a week, and we also make sure that the generator is working."

"We don't have a fully-functional generator," she told Chris, shocking him.

"What?" he asked.

"You know how my parents are with traveling the world all the time," she told him, and he nodded for her to go on. "They didn't think too much about buying a generator because we were only here for two weeks. So basically, I'm screwed."

"You could come and stay with me," Chris told her. "My family is away visiting a sick relative. They were supposed to come today, but I don't think that will happen."

Kate thought about his offer. It did not take her long to make a decision.

"Can you help me with my stuff?" she said. 

 

Chapter 30

 

"You weren't kidding when you said no one was home," Kate commented as she entered Chris' house with her bags. She was immediately greeted by silence and the warm air from the heater that forced her to remove her winter gear. She looked around, noticing that the dining area and the hallway looked partially dark, even though it was still afternoon. 

"My parents texted me when we were coming here," Chris said as he dragged his own luggage and the groceries they had purchased into the house. "They will not be coming back today. Maybe after a few days or even next week."

"Huh," Kate said, looking around the deserted house. The living room and kitchen areas looked surprisingly clean from where she stood.

"How many days did you spend alone in this house?" she asked as she turned to face Chris.

"Just two," he told her. Kate looked away from him, silently admiring how he was able to keep the house tidy by himself.

"Do you want to change?" he asked her.

"No, I'm okay like this," she replied, motioning to her jeans and her blouse.

"Really?" he prodded. "Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"

Marie thought over his words. A part of her agreed with him, but then another part wanted to stick with her clothes. She was at his parents' home, and she felt like they would know if she dressed inappropriately in their home.

"How about some shorts?" she suggested. 

"And a different shirt," added Chris, eyeing her torso. Kate looked down at her form, not understanding why he was looking there. 

"There is nothing on my shirt, is there?"

"Nothing I wouldn't want to touch," Chris stated.

"Chris!" Kate exclaimed, feeling her cheeks flush as she widened her eyes.

"That blush on your face makes me want to kiss you," he added, making her blush even more.

"Chris, stop," she said, and she heard him chuckle.

"What? You're my girlfriend now, and so I have the freedom to speak my mind and get away with it."

Kate shook her head at him with a smile.

"So, where am I staying?" she decided to change the subject.

"In one of the guest bedrooms. I'll show you," Chris said, reaching for her hand. She grabbed his, and she felt small shocks travel up her arm. She tried not to focus on the feel of his hand as he led them up the stairs and into a hallway. They didn't go far before he stopped them in front of an open room with a white door.

"You can take this one," he suggested. The room was spacious. It was composed of orange walls, and there was a large window that had been obstructed by a gray curtain. A closet, a dresser and a large bed that was positioned in the middle of the room were also present.

"This is a guest room?" she asked him in surprise, earning a nod as confirmation.

"My parents want anyone who visits to feel at home," he explained. "But unlike some rooms in the house, this one does not have a bathroom."

"Oh."

"It's actually right over there," he pointed with his thumb to his side. Kate looked around the hallway, spotting two doors at the far end that were facing opposite each other.

"How many bathrooms does this house even have?" she asked him in surprise.

"Four," Chris replied simply.

"So I'll have to walk to those doors if I want to go to the bathroom," Kate stated, not liking the idea. The memory of walking to a bathroom hours after Susan's wedding played in her mind. The house had looked creepy at night, and so it had her mind playing tricks with her eyes.

"My room has a bathroom. You could come sleep with me," Chris stated, smirking when he saw Kate blushing again.

"I think I'll stay in this room," she said.

"Okay," Chris chuckled before turning to head to the dining room. Kate sighed and walked farther into the room before closing the door behind her.

Kate released a contented sigh as she looked around the room. The events of the day had not been expected, but she was glad they had happened. She felt happy that Chris had confessed his feelings for her. He had wanted her all along, and she was glad they were dating. 

But then, she remembered that she and Chris had just become a couple only a few hours ago, and they were suddenly in the same house. Kate started thinking that they should have stayed away from each other for some time so that they could think about their relationship.

But what was there to think about? They had known each other for months, and their friendship had grown into something beautiful. She could not deny how she had felt when Chris had told her he wanted her, especially when he had kissed her and had practically stolen her breath. Things had felt right after that moment, and Marie did not want them to change.

However, a sudden thought came to her mind. Kate worried about how she would act around Chris. She knew things would change now that they were dating, and so she wondered by how much.

A sudden breeze passed through the room, bringing her thoughts back to the present. She remembered she had a shower to take, and so she decided to save the thoughts for later.

******************** ************************ ******************** *****************

"Hey," Chris greeted when Kate descended into the kitchen. He too had taken a shower, and he looked much better than he had when he had come to her house. He had changed into a loose T-shirt that showed off his arms and a pair of cotton shorts that reached his knees. Kate had also worn the same, but of different colors.

"Hey," Kate said as she approached him, feeling self-conscious about her choice of clothes. Chris smiled at her once she was in front of him before capturing her lips in a kiss.

Kate was not expecting the action, but she welcomed it. It was a slow kiss, but it did not fail to make her feel sensations in her mouth and stomach.

"Have I told you how hot you look right now?" he asked with a deep voice that sent warm chills down her spine. Kate shyly smiled at him, and he grinned at her.

"Is this how you'll act whenever you see me?" Kate teased him with a smile.

"Oh, Kate," Chris smirked. "You have no idea about the number of times I plan to kiss those beautiful lips of yours."

She felt flushed all of a sudden.

"So, what do you want to do right now?"

"We should sort out what we would do in the coming days," she told him.

"Or we could watch a couple of movies right now before we think about that and food," he suggested.

"Okay," Marie did not hesitate to reply. 

 

Chapter 31

Marie moaned in slight exhaustion as she fluttered her eyes open. Orange walls stared at her from the bed, and she blinked her eyes to make sure they were actually there.

She slowly moved to sit on the bed, noticing the comforters and realizing they were not hers. For a short while, she was confused as she wondered where she was. Then the memories of the previous day played in her mind.

Kate's heart thudded at the fact that she was in Chris' house and that they were alone.

'So it had not been a dream,' she thought, smiling at the memory of the events that led her to be in his guest room. She also remembered him kissing her to express his feelings for her.

And what a kiss that was.

They were a couple, and Kate could not be any happier.

She strayed away from those thoughts, looking back at the room and realizing it was a bit dark. She wondered how much time was left before the sun could fully rise.

Kate searched for her phone on the bed. Once she found it, she double-tapped on the screen to observe the time.

The widget glowed '9:00 AM', much to her astonishment. She quickly got off the bed and headed to the window that was hidden behind the curtain. She pulled the material back, and what she saw explained the room's darkness.

The sky was completely filled with gray clouds as snow continued to fall. The ground below her was also covered with the cold substance, and it was close to concealing the road.

"Kate?" Chris's voice called out as he knocked at the door. "Are you up?"

She turned away from the window to head towards it. She opened the door with a grin, only to be greeted by an embrace from Chris.

"Thank goodness," he said on her neck. The heat coming from his body made her feel comfortable in his hold. 

"Good morning to you, too," Kate grinned. Chris gently kissed her nape, and she shivered, making him smile on her skin. He soon retracted the hug.

"I thought it was a dream," he told her.

"What was a dream?" she questioned.

"Our conversation yesterday," he confessed. "We're actually a couple now."

Kate was surprised by the grin he showed her. She was happy he felt the same way, but she did not expect him to tell her that.

"Now, come give me a kiss."

"Chris--" Marie was cut off by the feel of his lips on hers. She soon turned away, whispering "What about morning breath?"

"You brushed your teeth last night, didn't you?"

"Yes--" he cut her off again by angling his head to have better access to her lips. His mouth forced hers open, and his tongue darted in as his lips moved along hers. The action had been quick, and it made Kate gasp as warm tingles traveled through her form. She felt his arms wrap around her form as he brought her flush to his chest. His embrace felt wonderful, and she lost herself in the sensations he brought onto her. 

"How was that for a good morning kiss?" Chris said on her lips, still staring at Kate who looked flushed. He smirked, clearly enjoying the effect he had on her.

"Let's get breakfast," he told her.

*************** ***************** ******************* ************************* ****

Chris and Kate had spent some minutes in the kitchen preparing their meals. As soon as they were done with that, they went to the entertainment area to watch the TV.

"... and as predicted, the storm hit major parts of the country last night," a news reporter said. "No casualties have been confirmed yet."

"Well, that is good," Marie said before taking a bite of the sandwich she had made for breakfast. At that moment, the TV showed the areas that had been covered with snow. Some clips showed the storm heavily hitting other towns, while others showed people struggling to walk in the snow.

"I didn't expect it to be horrible," an individual commented. "People have things to do. I have to go back to college, but I cannot because of the storm. Now I'm stuck here for God knows how long."

"That is one weird person," Chris commented. "He's complaining about staying at home. I know other people are rejoicing right now that they've got an extended holiday."

Kate nodded in agreement, smiling.

"By the way, what are we going to do about our project?" she asked him, and he frowned.

"Why are we talking about it?" he questioned.

"Well, we are alone in your place," Kate explained. "I thought it would be good if we picked up where we left off. It could help reduce all the stuff we'll have to do once we get back to college."

"To be honest, I have forgotten about it for the whole Christmas break," Chris shared.

"It's okay, Chris," she said. "I already did some of the work--"

"You what?" he asked in shock, his form tensing as he stared at her.

Kate wanted to smack herself for revealing that bit of information.

"Well, I needed to do something to take my mind off... You know," she said.

"What did you do, Kate?" he asked her.

"I started turning the comic you had created for our film into a video guide for the animation process."

"What?" he exclaimed.

"I said started. I haven't gotten along that far with it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chris looked hurt, and Marie felt bad.

"Because I was mad at you. I thought you wanted Tiffany as your girlfriend, remember?" Marie told him before sighing.

"But I wanted you to be my girlfriend," he told her before revealing a smile. "Now you are my girlfriend. Do you want me to remind you again?"

Kate blushed, seeing Chris looking at her like a hungry prey as he reached to caress her cheek.

"BREAKING NEWS," the TV speaker sounded through the room, cutting their moment short. "A new report of the storm has reached us. Instead of lasting for four days, the storm could last up to a week."

"WHAT?" Kate and Chris shouted. They faced each other, both shocked before looking back at the screen.

"As you can see here," the screen cut off to a weatherman who had a map of the US behind him. "These areas will be hit the hardest."

A couple of purple swirls were displayed on the screen, showing the regions that would be affected by the storm. The screen soon displayed a list of towns that would experience heavy snowfall, and Stonedale was one of them.

"This is bad," Chris stated.

"It can't be that bad," Kate said.

"Well, for one, we might stay indoors for more than two days. That is if the storm wouldn't clear up."

"Okay," Marie said without a second thought. "I'm not much of an outside person anyway."

"Also, the generator can't support the whole house for a week," he said.

"That's okay," Kate told him. "We still have the electricity. It could sustain us."

As soon as she had said that, the TV turned off. The heater turned off as well.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Marie yelled, believing she had jinxed the whole house.

Then the TV turned back on.

"Oh. The electricity is back," Marie sighed in relief.

"No, it's not," Chris countered. "That is the generator."

"How sure are you?"

"Do you hear a buzzing sound that seems far away?" he asked.

Marie kept quiet. She focused on the sounds around her, and she soon picked up on it. It could have easily blended with the noise from the TV.

"Oh crap," she commented with a groan. "So, what do we do? Do we have to switch it off and suffer in the cold for some days?"

Chris grinned before saying, "No, but we'll have to save on power. We will have to switch off some devices in the house."

"Like?"

"I don't know yet, but we'll figure them out by the end of the day."

************* ***************** ********************* ******************************

Chris followed through with what he had told Kate. He turned off the heaters in the rooms that were not being used, explaining that it would possibly have the generator running for a couple more days.

Kate felt okay with that, but then he had suggested something that had surprised her.

"We should share a room together."

She had been tongue-tied for a while, not knowing how to reply.

'Sharing a room with Chris...'

Even though it would not be the first time, Kate felt nervous about the idea. Especially when they were in a relationship.

"Or we could keep staying in separate rooms," Chris offered, but he had not looked happy with that suggestion.

Kate had her eyes on him, and she wondered if she was making a big deal out of it. Chris wanted to save on power, and if sharing a room with her could help, who was she to deny the proposal? Besides, it didn't feel like something he had formed just so that he could touch her at night.

"Okay," she had replied to him, and he had grinned like a boy receiving a gift on Christmas.

Marie had hoped the day would slow down, but her prayers were ignored. In one moment she was eating lunch, and in the next, she was in Chris' room and in his bed. They had switched off the lights, intending to fall asleep as soon as possible.

"This feels comfortable," she commented, snuggling herself in the comforters.

Somehow, her worries had been erased. It was not weird at all. In fact, she enjoyed Chris' presence because he comforted her in the dark.

No, seriously. It was so dark that she couldn't see but feel the things around her. Also, the wind harshly blowing outside and the cold air in the room made her feel like she was in a scary movie. 

"Where are you?" Chris asked, and Kate felt the comforters being moved.

She had earlier suggested that they switch off the space heater in his room. Kate started doubting if it was a good idea at all.

"Here," she replied, stretching her hand out towards the direction of his voice. In an instant, she felt Chris' fingers graze hers. He pulled her form to his, wrapping an arm around her and snuggling her to him. The heat of his form seeped into hers through their clothes, and it made her sigh in content.

"Better?" he whispered in her ear.

"Hmm," she told him. Kate was not much of a cuddler, but being in his embrace had her changing her mind. She even moved her legs to entwine with his, enjoying the warmth provided from their body heat and the comforters above them.

"You're so soft," Chris told her as he felt her hand. His fingers rubbed against her palm, and she laughed. She shifted, moving her form so that she could bury her head on his chest. She smelled him, sighing in delight at the mixture of cologne and him.

"Did you just sniff me?" he asked out loud. Marie was glad that it was dark because she was blushing at that moment. She chose to ignore him, pretending to be asleep.

"Kate?" he called out to her, but she remained silent.

"Wow. You went out like a light," he chuckled before kissing her on her forehead. Kate's heart fluttered at the action. His hand kept caressing hers, and the action felt like a massage.

Seconds later, pretense became reality. The coldness of the room mixed with Chris cuddling with Kate was a recipe for her to fall asleep instantly.

"Goodnight," Chris said, just as she zoned into the dream world.

 

Chapter 32

 

The air in the room was colder than it had been on the previous night. Kate breathed and shivered in the bed, trying to bury herself further into the comforters.

Chris groaned, shifting so that his form was pressing against hers.

'We should have left the heater on,' she thought as she opened her eyes. She noticed she was in Chris' bedroom, remembering how she had decided to share the bed with him. Even though it was morning, the room looked partially dark.

Marie slightly shifted away from Chris, deciding to stretch her hand out of the comforters to feel the outside temperatures. The freezing air hit her fingers, and she quickly pulled them back in the comforters. The swift motion had disturbed Chris from his slumber.

"Why are you up?" he grumbled beside her, startling her for a second. "Go back to sleep."

He moved to wrap his arm around her stomach.

"Chris, it's morning," she whispered to him.

"So?" he whispered. "It's still cold. Go back to bed."

'It will still be cold in the evening,' she thought, but she didn't voice it out.

Marie sighed, finding herself agreeing with him as she shifted to press her back against Chris' torso. He tightened his hold on her, moving his hand so that it lay on the bed.

She soon found herself falling back to sleep.

 

 

A while later, she opened her eyes. The darkness in the room had dissipated.

Kate shifted on the bed as she yawned. Then she proceeded to sit on the bed.

It was at that moment that she noticed Chris was not in the room. Also, the room felt warm. The comforters she had been using were folded and placed on top of the dresser in the room. Confused, she slowly got up from the bed to head to the door.

"Chris?" Kate called out as she descended the stairs. She looked around when she had reached the dining room, not spotting him anywhere.

"Yes?" he answered behind her, and she shrieked as she turned to face him.

He looked fresh from a shower, and he had donned on a long-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts. He was also giving her a questioning look.

"Oh, there you are," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Just making breakfast."

"Oh," Kate commented.

"Have you seen the snow outside?" he asked her.

Marie remembered the storm that had hit the area on the previous night. With quick steps, she made her way to the nearest window. She pulled back the curtain, and she gasped at all the whiteness she saw.

Evidently, it had, and it looked close to reaching the window.

"What the hell?" she commented in disbelief. "How are we going to get rid of this?"

"It's worse in other places. Trust me," Chris stated, making her turn to face him. "So, breakfast?"

Kate found it ironic that Chris was thinking about breakfast when there was snow outside that was threatening to cover the whole house. She thought about how they could clear it off, but then she realized it would be futile. Maybe the sun would make an appearance during the day.

"Sure. But let me get changed first," she replied to Chris' offer.

******************* ******************************** **************************** **

Kate took a short time in the bathroom. She later descended into the kitchen, having donned on a large shirt and a long pair of cotton shorts. She was so glad about the heater that she decided not to ask Chris to switch it off ever again.

"So what are we having for breakfast this time?" she asked as she faced Chris.

"Eggs and bacon," he replied, pointing at the food he had served on four plates. "I could even fry up some sausages. It's good we eat a lot in this weather."

Kate nodded as she approached her meal on the island. Before she could even grab her plates, Chris had wrapped his arms around her.

"Chris, what—?" she was cut off by his lips. Kate immediately forgot what she was about to say as she lost herself into the kiss. She welcomed it, pressing her form back into Chris.

"Good morning," he told her with a smirk a couple of seconds later.

"What was that for?" she asked him, feeling a little heated after what they had just done.

"That was our morning kiss. We'll be having that and more now that you're my girlfriend," he grinned before pecking her lips again. "Now let's go eat."

Chris grabbed a couple of plates, and Kate took the remaining two. They went into the entertainment room, planning to catch up on any news that could be airing on the TV. However, the screen displayed an error that explained there was no connection. They couldn't even access the rest of the channels.

"I blame the snow," Chris commented, bored.

"Maybe it will be better later," Marie tried to give him hope. "We can do something until then."

It did not take long for the two to find a topic they could talk about while they ate their meals. They found themselves taking a walk on memory lane, humoring themselves about the things they had done when they were in high school.

"Do you remember that time you drank that solution in the chemistry lab?" Chris asked her, laughing.

"I'd rather not relive the memory," Kate winced.

"Everyone found it funny. What the hell were you thinking when you took it?"

"It looked yellow. I thought it was orange juice or something," Marie replied, slightly smiling. "Most of the time, I used to zone out and wonder about stuff that should make sense within seconds. I even remember that when it was 2011, I thought the earth was two thousand and eleven years old."

Chris laughed, clutching his stomach.

"And I continued adding one after each year passed," Kate added, chuckling at the memories.

"Stop! I'm going to pee!" Chris said in between laughs. That had Marie laughing.

"Oh! Speaking of you peeing..." Kate trailed off with an evil smirk, and that ceased Chris' laughter. He looked at her in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," she grinned. "You did that at a party."

"What?" Chris was confused.

Marie explained, "It was during one of the high school parties. I was in the hallway of someone's house, waiting for some cheerleader I forgot about, and then I saw you rushing into the toilet."

Chris looked more confused, but then realization dawned on his features.

"You have got to be shitting me," he commented without an expression, and Kate guffawed.

"I have no idea what you had been drinking that night..."

"Kate--"

"... but rushing into the toilet didn't stop you from peeing in your pants!"

Kate continued laughing, remembering the incident like it was yesterday. 

"I was drunk!" Chris stated, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

They continued like that, laughing at any memories that were funny. It lasted for a while before the two of them realized they had finished their meals.

"Oh, crap! I forgot about the dishes. Let me wash them," Kate stated, moving to grab the plates on the table in front of them.

"No, let me," Chris stated.

"But, Chris, I've barely done anything since I came into your house," she pointed out.

"You could help with the food like you always do," he offered, earning an unamused look from her.

"Okay," he chuckled. "You can help with the plates."

"Gladly," Kate said before grabbing the dishes from his hands. She went into the kitchen to deal with them.

The hours of the day quickly passed. Before they even knew it, night had reached, and they were snuggling in Chris' bed. It was not that much of an eventful day, but Kate had fun and was happy being with her boyfriend.

 

Chapter 33

The next morning caught Kate snuggling deeper into the bed. For some reason, it felt warm, and it was even slowly moving up and down.

'Wait. What?'

She furrowed her eyebrows as she moved her hand around what she had lain on. Her fingers came in contact with a material that seemed to cover a body.

'What am I lying on?' she wondered as she opened her eyes and angled her head to see who was above her. Kate only saw the jawline of a person with a little stubble growing along the skin. Her eyes traveled lower, and it did not take her long to figure out that she was lying on Chris.

A blush spread to her cheeks at the realization. Even though she had started a relationship with Chris, being in contact with him made her both nervous and relaxed at the same time. She wondered if she would get used to it.

"Hmm," Chris groaned, and Kate held back a surprised yelp when his arms tightened around her. Her hand was cradled on his chest, giving her a feel of the muscles contained underneath his loose shirt. 

She slowly turned in his hold, trying to bury her head in the crook of his neck. Chris grumbled, shifting his hold on her and turning so that he could face her.

"Morning," he said in a deep yet breathy voice. Marie had swiftly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"I know you're up," Chris said with a smile in his voice. "You shouldn't have moved if you didn't want me to find out."

Kate moved to support herself on the bed with her hand as she rose up to face Chris below her. The lighting in the room showed off the features of his face, making him surprisingly more handsome in the morning. Even his ruffled hair and his sleepy state could not ruin that for him.

"Morning," she replied, smiling down at him. He returned the smile, moving his hands so that they caressed her back. His left hand soon reached her face, cupping her cheek as he moved her hair back with his fingers.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look right now?" he told her, and she felt her cheeks redden at the compliment. Chris grinned before slowly rising up to kiss her.

'I have got to get used to this,' Kate thought as she welcomed the feel of Chris' lips on her. Just like always, he awakened butterflies in her stomach. His hand caressed her cheek as she moved her lips against his, causing slight shocks to travel through her form.

"Mmh," she softly moaned into the kiss, more so when Chris used his tongue to part them. It did not take a while for the kiss to turn into a makeout session. By then, Chris' hands were around her; one buried in her hair and the other on her back. His tongue was stroking hers, making Kate whimper and moan into his mouth. Chris expressed his pleasure by groaning and tightening the fingers that were in Kate's hair.

In an instant, he had them flipped over with him on top. His arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her flush to him so that he could continue kissing her. Marie continued moaning and whimpering, welcoming the strong emotions that were brought on by Chris' mouth. Her legs moved to wrap themselves around his waist, and she gasped when she felt something hard poke her stomach.

That had Chris ending the kiss, panting along with Kate.

"Fuck, Kate," he commented in between breaths. "You're going to make me crazy with your lips."

Marie smiled as she blushed, glad to know she had the same effect he had on her.

"That was one hell of a morning kiss," she told him, staring at his eyes. Chris smirked.

"Well, there's more where that came from."

Chris went to kiss her again, but Kate brought her hand up.

"We have some stuff to do today," she told him.

"That can wait," he said, kissing her fingers and making her shiver in delight below him.

If that was how he was affecting her with just his lips, Kate wondered how he would affect her with the rest of his body.

"What about the snow?" she reminded him. "It's going to continue piling out there, and we'll barely have any light coming inside the house."

Chris stopped pecking her fingers, sighing in disappointment.

"Fine," he relented. "But you owe me your lips when I'm done."

He gave her a small peck and smiled before moving out of the bed. Kate slowly followed, her heart thudding at the promise behind his words.

********************** ******************************* ****************************

"Hey, Gwen," Kate greeted on the phone. She was in the kitchen, having just come from talking to her parents and telling them she was alright.

"Hi! How are you?" Gwen replied in an overly-excessive nice tone.

Marie grumbled in reply, making her roommate laugh an uneasy laugh.

"I don't know whether to hit you or to thank you when I get back."

"Why? What happened?"

Kate smiled, knowing she couldn't be mad at her friend for long.

"Chris."

"What about him?"

Kate did not reply, letting the static on the phone fill in on what she meant.

"Oh. Oh! Really? Kate!" a loud shriek sounded from the phone, making her grin.

"Is he...?"

"Yup. We're dating now."

Gwen shrieked again.

"See? I told you he liked you. You should have listened to me earlier."

Marie snorted before pointing out, "You were threatening to cut his balls off three days ago."

"... in happiness," Gwen filled in, making her laugh.

"I am so happy for you, Kate," she said. "So, where are you right now? It's raining snowballs here in New York."

The snowstorm had hit most parts of the continent, affecting the flow of communication in some areas. It had even hit TUCD, and it had blocked the roads leading to the campus.

"Oh. Um, I'm actually with Chris at his place," Kate replied.

Gwen paused before yelling "What?"

"I don't have a generator at my place. He does, and so--"

"Oh, you naughty girl!"

"Gwen!" Kate exclaimed, blushing.

"What?" her roommate stated. "You're alone with him in a house. What else am I supposed to think?"

"Nothing has happened."

"Nothing?"

"Well, except for a couple of makeout sessions."

"Kate!" Gwen screeched, making her laugh.

"But it won't get that far."

"Yeah, right," she snorted.

"What?"

"You're alone with him. You're alone with Chris, the guy you like and are currently dating. It's bound to happen."

"No, it's not."

"Really?" Gwen said. "Then tell me this: are you sharing a bed with him?"

Marie opened and closed her mouth, not knowing how to reply to that.

"You slut! You are sharing a bed with him!" Gwen playfully commented in confirmation.

"Shut up," Kate tried to sound serious, but her voice wavered.

"What? Have you seen your boyfriend? I wouldn't judge if you let him fuck you."

"Gwen!"

"Have you seen his abs? His muscles? And there are rumors that he has a big--"

"I get it," she cut her off, blushing. "But he's my boyfriend."

"Oh. Kate, I'm just stating facts. I don't want your guy. No need to get jealous."

"What? I'm not--"

"Ooh. My mom's calling me. Talk to you later?"

"Gwen--"

The line went dead, and Kate stared at her phone in disbelief. That had been one weird conversation with her roommate. It did not shock her that much, remembering such phone calls in the past.

"It was a lot," Chris said as he made his way into the kitchen. He had donned on his black winter gear, even going as far as wearing the ear muffs and wool cotton gloves. After breakfast, he had gone out to deal with the snow that had covered the yard. The storm had cooled down around that time.

"Who was that?" he asked as he started removing the heavy clothes on his form.

"Gwen," Kate replied as she locked her phone. She took a look through the window, noticing how little the snow had covered the area outside the house. She could even see the frozen grass on Chris' lawn. Also, a couple of people from the neighboring houses had even come out to deal with the snow on their sides. The area looked much better than it had in the morning.

"How did you do it?" she asked him, remembering how much the snow had been in the morning. The level had been close to reaching the windows.

"I have my ways," Chris stated with a smile before looking at her. Then he noticed the state of the kitchen.

"What are you making?" he asked her. 

"Hmm?" Kate stated. Then she remembered she had worn an apron and placed a couple of food items on the kitchen island. A chicken breast, tomatoes, onions, garlic, coriander and a couple of ground spices were present.

"Oh. I'm making pilau," she told him as she sliced the onions.

"What is that?" Chris inquired as he looked at the ingredients.

"It's a spicy Asian dish with rice and meat. It could also have fried potatoes at times."

"Huh," he commented as he made his way towards her. "So what do you need help with?"

"I got this," she told him. He furrowed her eyebrows, seeming to not believe her words.

"I just need to slice the onions, then I'll blend the tomatoes and the garlic before I can fry the chicken."

"Okay..." Chris trailed off, unsure.

"Don't worry," she told him. "Wait. Are you a fan of spicy foods?"

"I'm okay with them," he answered.

Kate smiled before saying, "Then you will enjoy it."

"You're sure you don't need my help?" he asked her.

"I'm sure," she smiled.

*************** ************************ ***************************** *************

"Holy..." Chris trailed off with a moan as he devoured another spoonful of rice. Kate smiled in satisfaction as she watched him close his eyes, clearly enjoying the pilau she had cooked for him.

The meal had taken a little bit longer to get ready, making them have their lunch late in the afternoon.

"How did you learn to make this?" Chris proceeded to ask, motioning with his spoon towards the meal served before him. The food was ready, and a salad of tomatoes, onions and coriander had been placed on the side.

Kate shrugged before saying, "I don't exactly remember when it was, but my parents and I had gone to Kenya. Their friends had told them something about an African safari. It had piqued our interest because we had never traveled to Africa. So we went there and later dined at a hotel. I opted for the pilau, and my taste buds had never been the same afterward. I asked for the recipe and got it from the waiters."

"Wow. Is this your first time cooking it?"

"No," Kate replied with a chuckle. "I actually did it afterward. The first few times were horrible, but I got the hang of it."

"Damn!" Chris groaned as he took another spoonful of the meal, and the action caused a fluttering sensation in Kate's stomach. She did not expect him to make such a big deal about it, but he had surprised her by showing his appreciation for the food.

Her doubts about having prepared the meal for him evaporated at that moment. Minutes ago, she had been mad about doing all the cooking, even though Chris had offered to help. But then, her anger had simmered down when he showed gratitude for introducing him to the meal.

"Is there more of this?" Chris asked, pointing at his half-filled plate. Kate laughed, nodding in reply. The meal was also going to be their supper. With the way Chris was devouring the food, she wondered if some would be left for later.

 

Chapter 34

 

The day had progressed much faster than anyone had anticipated. Night had turned the clear sky into a dark blue one, and there was darkness all around the area due to the raging snowstorm that had cut off the electricity.

Kate was startled awake at the sound of an object hitting the ground outside. She looked around the room, noticing that it was still dark. 

'Why am I up?' she thought. She wondered how many hours were left until morning. She shifted to look for her phone, but then she found she was constrained by an arm.

'Oh,' she thought with a relaxed sigh, remembering whose it was. She was glad about sharing the bed with Chris. The rooms in his house could play tricks on someone's eyes at night, and she was glad he was there with her. He made her feel safe.

She scooted closer to his form, allowing herself to close her eyes once again. Then she heard a groan coming out from him.

It alarmed her, making her think he was going to wake up. But he had just moved to place his chin above her shoulder.

Marie sighed as she closed her eyes, willing for sleep to take over once again.

A couple of hours passed with her in slumber. The storm outside continued, making her and Chris snuggle closer to each other even when the heater was still working. Some tosses and turns later, she found herself opening her eyes. The room was still dark, and at that moment, she realized her back was firmly pressed against Chris' form. His hand had somehow buried itself under her blouse, and his touch against her naked stomach made her feel comfortable.

She closed her eyes again, only to open them when Chris groaned before shifting the position of his hand. It moved slightly upward, causing Marie's breath to hitch. Her heart thudded as she wondered what to do, more so when she felt something hard poking at her butt.

Marie did not understand what it was, and so she shifted on the bed. She went to move Chris' hand away from her form, but then she felt him also moving.

Kate wanted to groan at the position she was in, but then it turned into a gasp when the thing poking against her butt shifted to bury itself between her butt cheeks in her shorts. It was warm and hard, spreading the heat to Kate through her clothes.

She blushed, instantly realizing what it was. She would have laughed at the situation, but then the hand on her torso shifted upward.

"Kate," she heard Chris moan softly. Her eyes widened in surprise.

'Is he... dreaming about me?' she wondered, her plans of returning to sleep instantly ruined. Images started playing in her mind of what could be happening in the dream. She remembered her own dreams about Chris, and they awakened her arousal.

Kate then remembered that Chris still had his hand on her torso. He was close to touching her breasts. She thought of waking him up before he did something that could be awkward, but she found that she was enjoying his touch. 

"Kate," she heard him say her name again. She blushed, knowing he was still dreaming about her. But then, nothing else came from him for a couple of seconds. Marie felt her breath quicken. Her arousal had increased, and Chris was not doing anything.

She couldn't allow herself to remain aroused while he slept. She could stay awake for hours and would have to explain to Chris her sleepiness during breakfast. She did not want that, and so she tried to move away from him. However, the motion of her legs had him groaning again. He counteracted by moving closer to her and pushing her back firmly against his, unconsciously pressing his clothed penis deeper between Kate's ass cheeks. 

Kate released a silent gasp, more so when she felt the length of his cock on her butt. It seemed to have hardened over the time that had passed. Her heart thudded as she lay frozen on the bed. She could feel the heat of the enlarged organ through her clothes, and it did nothing to stop the arousal she was feeling.

'Stop it, Chris,' she thought, but the opposite happened. The hand that was on her torso moved higher, and Kate tensed when it fully covered her breast.

She released an inaudible gasp before shutting her mouth. For a moment, she couldn't breathe as sensations barreled through her form. The feel of Chris' hand and the heat emanating onto her breast disturbed her focus. She couldn't think, and so she started taking deep breaths to control herself, believing that Chris' hand would move away in his sleep. However, the heat of his hand over her breast made her feel aware of him, more so when her nipple puckered for attention.

'Stop it,' Kate thought to herself, but her body ignored her demands. Her nipple puckered further, slightly grazing itself on the skin of Chris' palm. The touches were fleeting at first, but then the hand moved around her breast and squeezed it.

Kate bit her lip to hide her moan. It became harder when the hand squeezed again. Her control started shaking, and it did not help when she felt the fingers encircle her hardened nipple. They rolled it, feeling the texture and teasing Kate in the process.

Her lips were parted open, not letting a sound as Chris explored her breast. His fingers kept rolling the nub while squeezing the rest of her breast. In the next instant, they grabbed the nub and slightly pulled it outward.

Marie couldn't hold it back. She let out a moan into the air, and that ceased Chris' movements. She remained silent, hoping he had not heard her.

"Kate?" Chris called out. Her heart thudded behind her chest as her breath turned erratic. She tried to calm herself, but the hand on her chest made it impossible to feign sleep.

"Fuck," she heard Chris groan before she found herself turned to lie on the bed. Kate was taken aback by the action, but before she could respond, Chris attacked her lips.

Delightful shocks traveled through her body at the contact. The feel of his lips on hers heightened her arousal, and so she found herself moaning seconds later. His tongue forced her mouth open, and when it stroked against hers, she bucked into his touch.

Chris' hands moved to grasp her waist. In an instant, he had them sitting on the bed with his lips still on hers.

Kate could do nothing but experience the feel of Chris around her. She shifted on the bed, moving so that she sat comfortably on his lap.

"Kate," Chris groaned before attacking her lower lip with his teeth. She gasped as he gently bit and nibbled on it, only to shove his tongue back in her mouth. Kate bucked as she moaned into the kiss. His arms tightened their hold around her form, not letting go as he devoured her with his intoxicating kisses.

Kate moaned again into the kiss, feeling bliss as her tongue rubbed against Chris'. The difference in body heat and texture had her tightening her legs around his waist.

Chris' hands moved lower, grabbing her butt and pushing her form closer to his. Her hardened nipples pressed against his clothed chest, and the contact was enough to bring out a shudder from Kate.

Kate's hands moved to his form, holding tightly as she caressed his muscular back. The kiss went on and on for a while, making Kate feverish as she kept touching him.

He soon left her mouth, making Kate gasp. She opened her eyes, realizing that the room was still dark. For some reasons, it intensified the emotions controlling her body.

She whimpered when she felt Chris' lips on her neck. He kissed her there, sending slight shivers all over her body. His teeth soon followed, tugging at the skin. He kept doing that, and Marie could only sit there and breathe.

Then his teeth found a juncture at her neck. They attacked the bundle of nerves there, and Kate gasped when she felt immense pleasure clash over her body. 

"Chris!" she called out, having him support her with his arms as he went to town on her neck. He kept kissing and nibbling on the spot, and Kate threw her head back as a moan escaped her lips. The sensations were too much, having Kate delirious with desire.

"Tell me to stop," Chris growled as he moved to kiss her mouth again. Kate shifted on his muscular thighs, gasping when she felt his bulge press against her center.

Her pussy walls contracted as her juices resumed to wet her shorts.

"Tell me to stop, Kate," he repeated, groaning as he attacked her lips.

"Don't stop," she said with a whimper, slightly shuddering when their tongues touched again. Chris groaned, kissing her for a couple of seconds before stopping to breathe.

His hands left her form. The action disturbed Kate's arousal, and she was about to ask what was wrong when light filled the room.

She was about to ask how Chris did that when she caught him reaching for the hem of his tanktop. He quickly tugged it off, and she was left speechless at the sight of his naked torso. The lighting in the room gave definition to his muscles. She spotted the 'V' of his waist and his abs, and a delightful shudder passed through her.

"I want to feel you," he said, reaching for the hem of Kate's blouse. She raised her arms, allowing him to take it off.

It was at that moment she remembered she had not worn a bra. She went to cover her chest, but it was too late.

"You sleep without a bra?" Chris asked, staring at her exposed chest before she could speak. Kate blushed as she caught him looking at her. 

"I think you'll make me come like this," he growled before attacking her lips again. Kate gasped, but then she moaned when she felt Chris' naked torso pressing against her own. 

As their lips and teeth moved against each other's, Kate's breasts kept brushing against his hard chest. Her nipples dragged across the heated skin of his pecs, hardening into pebbles and sending pleasure straight to her core. She arched her back into him, and Chris was more than happy to push her chest to his. Her breasts were squeezed on his torso as he kissed her, increasing the arousal she felt.

Chris moved his lips to her neck, finding the hickey he had given her. Kate moaned when his lips attacked the spot. The wetness between her legs increased when she found her breasts rubbing against his chest once again. She squeezed her legs around him, trying to find relief for the pressure building in her crotch.

Chris swiftly left the spot, and his lips proceeded along the area below her neck. He kissed her throat, making her shudder as his lips traveled lower. She watched as his mouth kept pecking her skin, moving to kiss the space at the beginning of her breasts.

It was all teasing, and it had Kate whimper for his attention.

Then Chris stopped his ministrations. Marie wondered why, but then she caught him ogling her breasts.

"Beautiful," he said as he reached for them with his hands. Kate tensed when they perfectly filled his hands, but she moaned when he squeezed them. The heat and the feel of his hands on them sent a jolt between her legs. Her nipples pebbled further for attention.

"You have no idea how long I have wanted to kiss these," Chris said before kissing her left breast. Kate gasped when she felt his lips on the skin. They descended lower, moving to kiss the rest of the skin. He nipped at a small pink spot on the skin, making her whimper. Kate felt slightly tickled, panting as he moved around the areola.

Chris then stopped to admire her nipple.

"It's so hard," he said, moving his thumb over the nub. He grazed it, and Kate bucked in his hold when she felt shocks going straight to her core. Chris noticed, and so he did it again. He moved the finger back and forth, making the hardened nub move as he did so. Kate whimpered in pleasure each time, tightening her legs around him. He soon stopped.

Before she could recover from his touches, his mouth soon enclosed her nipple. Moistness and heat covered her skin, and she froze for a moment. Kate soon released a loud moan when she felt his lips around her nub. She bucked in pleasure, more so when his lips tightened and started sucking on it.

Kate thrashed in his hold in pleasure, but his hands held her firmly on his lap as he went at her boobs. He pulled air into his mouth as his lips rubbed against the nub, making her shudder.

Kate felt that the feel of his heated mouth on her breast was too much. She gasped, reaching for the sheets below her as she arched her back to Chris. The action had her pressing her breast towards him, and he groaned. The vibrations moved around her, and they went straight to her pulsing cunt.

Chris groaned again as he sucked at the nipple. His lips rubbed along it, and before long, his tongue soon followed. It toyed and grazed the tip, stabbing it a couple of times before repeating the motion. Kate shook at the pleasure he brought to her.

He kept toying with the nub with his lips and his tongue. He lapped around it and even tickled the tip.

Marie thought she could find a way to control herself, but then she was proved wrong in the next moment. 

His teeth followed.

She made a shocked sound, moaning when the teeth grazed her nipple. Her hands reached out, instantly diving into his hair as he tongued her nipple once again.

Then Chris started a rhythm. He kept alternating the way he played with her breast, kissing her nipple with his lips before using his teeth to squeeze and tug at it. He even went at it with his tongue before using his teeth once again.

Kate was a moaning and mewling mess.

"So sensitive," Chris commented, moving his mouth away from her left nipple. Kate's chest heaved with much-needed air as she stared at her nipple. It looked wet with Chris' saliva yet still puckered for attention. His breath hit the nub, making her shiver, and he smiled.

Then Chris directed his attention to the neglected nipple. He did to it what he had done to the other, playing and toying with it by using his teeth and his tongue all over again. His lips encircled it, pulling it and rubbing it towards him.

Marie had lost control of her thoughts by that point. She could do nothing but feel Chris, especially his mouth on her breast. She never knew she could feel so much pleasure from what he was doing to her. His tongue, teeth and lips were heaven as they had her bucking and moaning each time they grazed her nub.

The pressure between Kate's thighs kept building. She knew what it was, but she was surprised that she could feel it approaching so soon.

Chris grasped her attention when his fingers found the nipple he had earlier sucked on. They squeezed and grazed on the nub, plucking and twisting it as he sucked on the other. The tip of his fingers dragged across the tip of the nipple, toying with it before rolling it on his callused skin.

Kate moaned, pressing herself further to him. The pressure growing between her thighs had her shifting her legs, but it was difficult to do so because Chris was between them.

"So hot," Chris groaned on her wet nipple, tugging at it with his teeth before lapping it with his tongue.

Kate's breathing picked up as he dealt with her nipples with his hand and mouth. She couldn't back the delicious feeling between her legs. As Chris kept tugging and sucking at her nipples, the tightness between her thighs kept growing and growing.

In the next seconds that followed, it exploded.

Kate arched her back, screaming in pleasure as her release rocked through her body. It took her breath away as she clenched her legs around Chris' waist. Her form tensed as she saw stars in her vision, letting the pleasurable sensations wash over her. 

Chris kept toying with her breasts, and it seemed to prolong her orgasm. Her body was wracked with shivers as the evidence of her orgasm kept coming out of her pussy. She shook and panted, waiting for it to simmer.

Chris then stopped playing with her breasts. He was looking at her, and his eyes expressed the want he had for her. It had taken him seconds to realize that she had reached her climax.

"Kate, did you just come?" he asked.

Marie felt like a deer in headlights. She blushed, feeling embarrassed for what she had no control over.

"I'm sorry--"

"Sorry?" Chris cut her off with a growl, surprising her. "That was fucking hot!"

He soon changed their positions, moving to press her flat against the bed.

"I want to see you do it again," he said, moving his lips back to hers.

Kate moaned, more so when she felt Chris' torso press against her sensitive breasts. Even though he had tugged and toyed with her nipples, they never failed to harden once again because of his touch. And it renewed her arousal.

His tongue stroked hers again as they started making out again.

"Oh, Kate," he moaned, shifting so that his pelvis was close to hers.

His hands moved along her back, and one went under her head to caress her hair.

"Chris!" she moaned, letting him kiss her. His other hand moved to her butt, and he raised her to meet him. 

Kate gasped into the kiss when she felt his hard shaft poking against her cunt.

"Chris," she said with her eyes wide with surprise.

"Do you feel how hard I am right now?" he groaned, tilting his pelvis so that his cock hit her groin again. "It's all because of you."

Chris started a grinding motion with his hips as he helped Kate wrap her legs around his waist. Each tilt of his hips had her feeling the heat and the hardness of his dick against her cunt.

It had her feeling wet again.

Kate moved her hand to his back, feeling the muscles tense as he moved against her. She bucked, moaning as she arched her breasts towards Chris.

"Kate," he moaned, kissing her once again. His hard cock shifted, and Kate felt its length running across her cunt lips in her shorts.

"Chris!" she gasped, tightening her legs around his waist. He just groaned, not stopping his grinding motions. In fact, it urged him to move quicker.

Kate decided to move back, countering his motions with her own. Pleasure continued hitting her, and she gasped and moaned through it.

"Fuck, Kate. You're so wet," Chris groaned into the kiss, tightening his hold on her. She moaned, moving faster against him.

Chris shifted, and Kate mewled in pleasure when he rubbed against something between her legs. He groaned as he momentarily stopped, slightly turning so that he could rub against that spot when he continued.

Kate moaned and gasped, not knowing why her pleasure seemed so intense at that moment. Her juices were soaking through her shorts once again, and they even threatened to wet Chris'.

"Chris," Kate moaned, feeling the tension between her legs start again.

"Are you going to come for me?" he asked, slowing his speed but making sure he shifted hard against Kate. She whimpered when she felt his clothed cock hit her spot again.

She nodded to the question.

Chris groaned, resuming his thrusts. Kate gasped, bucked and then moaned when the pleasure intensified.

It did not take long for the next climax to hit her. She moaned loudly through it, feeling her pussy walls spasm as her juices erupted out of her. She shook under Chris as it passed through her, her form tensing in pleasure.

"Kate!" he groaned as his motions above her stilled. His form shuddered as his own orgasm hit.

Seconds later, he collapsed beside her. The two of them breathed in pants, trying to regain their energy. Kate shifted on the bed, moving to snuggle next to Chris. His arm moved over her naked torso, and sleep soon overcame them.

Chapter 35

A curtain that had not completely closed a window had light entering the room, and it hit Kate in the face. She turned to the side to avoid the glaring light from the sun.

Her face soon came into contact with a skin. The smell emanating from the person was distinct, and it had her furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

'What the--' she thought as she fluttered her eyes open. She came face to face with a person's throat as they breathed in their sleep. Her eyes traveled lower, seeing the person's defined chest softly rise and fall in their slumber.

Seeing Chris' sleeping form reminded Kate of what had happened in the night. She remembered everything they had done together, and her cheeks immediately tinted red. She recalled his touches, his kisses, and even the feel of his chest against hers. They immediately had her wet between her legs.

But then, thoughts made an appearance in her mind that had her doubting herself. She wondered if she had made Chris feel the pleasure he brought onto her. Had she been good? Was she too vocal about her feelings? Did he feel like she was too needy? Was she selfish?

The questions continued, making her feel insecure as the seconds ticked by. Marie wondered how she would act when Chris woke up. 

She went to get up, but Chris' arm on her waist prevented that. She had not even acknowledged it. Then she remembered she was naked from the waist up.

Her eyes moved up to see Chris. He looked handsome even as he slept, and his peaceful look made Kate's heart skip a beat.

She had fallen for him, as he had for her. It made her happy yet it also frightened her, especially with what they had done during the early hours of the day. Was it a mistake for him? Would it affect how they talked to one another?

The thoughts were not helping, and Kate decided she needed space away from him to think. She went to escape his hold, but Chris wouldn't budge. Instead, his arm was splayed on her stomach before it moved to grab her breast.

Kate released a surprised sound at the contact, especially when skilled fingers found her nipple and rolled it in between.

"Where do you think you're going?" Chris grumbled as he woke up. His out-of-bed look did nothing to hide the heat in his eyes. In fact, it made him look sexy.

Kate thought he looked sexy all the time.

He rolled her nipple between his fingers, making her aware of the heat between her thighs. She was aroused, and it had her clenching her legs.

Chris' hand left her breast as he moved to sit. He grabbed her waist, helping her up and onto his muscular thighs.

"Why were you leaving the bed?" he asked, his lips trailing along her throat. His kisses had her unable to think for a moment. Kate's breathing quickened at the sensations of his lips below her chin.

"I was going to the bathroom," she said in a whisper.

"Is it urgent?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"Good," he said, moving his lips to hers. Kate softly moaned at the kiss, her attention focused on what Chris was doing to her.

He moved his hand away from her nipple and settled it on her back. He urged her close, having her press her breasts against his naked chest once again. She sighed, but it turned into a moan when his tongue moved to stroke hers, adding to the arousal she was feeling.

Kate reached out a hand to hold onto something, and she found it clutching onto his shoulder. It felt large under her fingers, and the feel of the muscles rippling underneath made her shiver.

Chris' lips moved lower, and he quickly found her nipples. Kate moaned and sighed as he tended to them, sucking as he used his teeth to nibble on them. His tongue lashed out at intervals, rolling the nubs around before flicking the tips.

The sensations still felt new to Kate, and she voiced out her pleasure by moaning.

"Chris," she sighed his name, bucking into his touch. His lips encircled one of her nipples before his hand moved to touch the other. He plucked and toyed with them, enjoying as he watched Kate's reaction to his ministrations.

She was moaning and gasping as she writhed on his lap. Chris loved it, and so he wanted to see how far he could push the responses.

An idea came to his mind, and the hand on her nipple went lower to her shorts. Kate was too busy moaning to notice his hand move to her crotch. When he came in contact with the light patch of hair on her pubic zone, Kate tensed.

Chris noticed, but he paid no attention as his hand traveled lower.

"Chris..." Kate trailed off with a soft moan when his hand cupped her cunt. He stilled for a moment, feeling her juices coat his hand.

"Fuck!" he commented with a look that had Kate's pussy pulsing on his hand. More juices seemed to coat his hand, and his orbs deepened with desire.

"You are so wet, Kate," he stated, feeling her cunt on his palm. "I want to see."

Marie's doubts returned. She went to speak, but her words turned into a gasp when Chris' other hand swiftly pulled down her shorts.

"Chris!" she yelled as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She realized she was naked in front of him, and she went to tighten her legs.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to see this pussy again. Don't hide it from me," he growled, completely removing her shorts before prying her legs apart.

His eyes zeroed in on her wet pussy, seeing it covered with her juices.

"Fuck, look at your cunt," he said with a voice level that sent delicious shivers all over Kate. "You're drenched!"

Kate felt her cheeks redden further.

Chris soon moved his hand back to her crotch. Kate went to move away, but his hand on her thigh stopped her. His fingers brushed the lips of her pussy, slightly parting them and making Kate release a ragged breath.

"Is all this for me?" Chris said, still observing her cunt. He slightly moved his hand away, only to use his fingers to touch her slit.

She bucked as she gasped, feeling his fingers move to part her pussy lips. More of her juices poured out to his fingers, and Chris watched the glistening pink skin of her cunt.

He moved a finger in, and Kate flinched away from his touch.

"Relax, Kate," he told her. She seemed to obey the order, and he took that moment to play with her cunt. Up and down. Up and down. His finger toyed with the opening, rubbing the skin that was covered with her arousal. Then he pushed the finger inside.

Kate tensed again as she released a silent 'oh' when his index finger moved deep into her cunt. It felt big and long, and the difference in texture and heat felt wonderful. Her walls clenched around the long finger, and Kate gasped at the spark-like sensations in her cunt.

Then Chris removed the finger, bringing it to his face.

The whole finger was coated in her clear juices. Kate watched as he brought the finger to his mouth. She was shocked when she watched him suck it, especially when he groaned.

His finger moved back inside, and Kate released a shocked gasp at how fast it had entered her. All of it had gone in, and the knuckle was pressing against the lips of her cunt.

Chris did not move it out, letting Kate's pussy walls pulse around it. Kate's tense form slowly relaxed, getting used to Chris' finger inside her.

Then he started moving the finger around. Kate gasped as she slightly shifted on the bed, having not expected the action. Chris' hand squeezed her thigh, urging her to stay still. His heated look on her cunt made it clasp tighter around the finger.

"Fuck, you're tight," he whispered with a calm, deep voice that had her walls clasping around him.

The finger kept moving, brushing something inside Kate. She gasped when she felt pleasure.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, concerned. Kate was touched by the care he showed her. She shook her head in denial, blushing as he slowly brought the finger back to the spot he had hit.

Kate slightly jumped at the sensation that soon followed. She had bit her lower lip, and her pussy was releasing more juices on Chris' finger.

The concerned expression on Chris' face turned into realization. His heated look seemed to intensify as he withdrew his finger before pushing it back in. He hit the same spot again.

"Oh," Kate moaned, feeling another burst of pleasure hit her. The finger moved back again before it returned.

Chris started a slow, thrusting motion with the finger. He turned and twisted it, making sure it brushed against the walls of Kate's pussy before hitting the spot that would bring her pleasure. Kate's silent moans became loud ones when Chris picked up speed. At a point, he stopped just to add another finger.

Kate gasped when his middle finger joined his index, more so when they brushed against her pleasure spot. It took her a short while to get used to two fingers inside her. She started moaning by then, feeling excited as Chris brought her pleasure with his fingers.

He slightly shifted, not interrupting the momentum of his fingers before his lips attacked her nipples. Kate gasped, twisting on the bed with her eyes closed as he feasted on the exposed nubs.

Shocks of pleasure traveled from the nipples, and they added to the ones she was experiencing in her pussy.

"Chris," Kate moaned, arching her breast to his wanton mouth. His tongue lapped hurriedly at her nipple, and the friction had her crying out.

Her cunt was wetter by then, and her juices were soaking up the sheets. Chris held her legs open for the exploration of his fingers, picking up speed and not moving away from the spot he had found inside of her cunt.

His teeth had joined his tongue on her nipple, tugging and lapping at it before his lips sucked at it.

Kate thought she was about to burst with all the things he was doing to her. But then, Chris proved her wrong when she felt his thumb on her pussy.

It shifted higher, and it found a hardened nub near her slit.

Her clit.

Kate bucked as she moaned in pleasure when she felt his thumb tap on it.

'How--?'

"Come for me," Chris growled before tending to her nipple. His thumb continued rolling her clit as his fingers fucked her. They were even bent to press against something inside her that had her seeing stars.

Kate's hands clenched on the sheets, and in an instant, she was screaming out her climax. Chris' fingers did not seem to stop, penetrating her cunt and prolonging her orgasm. She shook and moaned, her form tensing as tremors took hold of her form.

"That's it. Come on my fingers," Chris spoke, coaxing the orgasm out of her. Kate moaned again, feeling her juices coat his fingers that were still moving inside her as she collapsed on the bed.

After a while, the orgasm passed.

Kate heard a groan beside her a couple of seconds later. She turned, weak from the orgasm, and she was surprised when she saw Chris' hand on his cock.

He had brought it out from his shorts, and the large organ jutted out towards her as he quickly stroked it. The tip looked red, coated with his precum as his hand kept moving up and down on it. He groaned again, and seconds later, Kate saw it pulse before his cum came out. It came out in streams, landing on the bed and on his contracting abs a couple of seconds later. The sight mesmerized Kate.

"Why didn't you let me take care of it?" she asked him with a frown. Chris opened his eyes after his climax had passed to stare at her.

"I wanted it to be about you," he told her with a smile.

"Chris--" she went to speak to him further about the subject, only to have his lips on hers again.

The kiss was slow, but it did not lack intensity.

Chris detached his lips from hers before saying, "You don't have to worry about it, Kate."

"But--"

"I know you are a virgin. I don't want to pressure you into doing something you are not ready for."

"Are you sure it's okay?" she asked him. "What did you want me to do?"

"You've done enough," Chris replied with a heated look, observing Kate's naked form with his eyes. She soon picked up on what he meant, and a grin appeared on her face.

"Besides, it wouldn't be the last time I touch you," Chris added with a smirk. "Now, do you want to have breakfast?"

"Sure," Kate replied. "But let me help this time."

Chris pretended to be bored before he said, "Fine."

As the two started putting their clothes back on, Kate felt calm and comfortable. Her boyfriend had told her there was nothing to worry about when it came to what they did to each other. He had promised to shower her with pleasure again, and she wondered what he would have in store for her.

 

Chapter 36

Kate exited her dorm. A breeze passed by, making the cold air hit her in the face. It had her blinking her eyes closed for a couple of seconds. She looked around, moving her beanie so that it covered the exposed parts of her head.

It was snowing once again as expected in the winter. Usually, Kate liked the weather. But when she had things to do that had her leaving her dorm, like school, she hated it.

With a sigh, she descended down the stairs and walked onto the snow. Her boots squelched as she stepped on the cold ground, and she tightly hugged herself in her jacket when she felt the cold air trying to make its way into her form.

Kate continued walking, moving past the apartment at a medium pace as she made her way along the path towards the campus grounds.

"Kate!" someone shouted behind her before a loud beep sounded. She turned, and her eyes zeroed in on Chris in his car. He was waving frantically at her, urging her to come to him.

She smiled, trying her best to move quickly in the snow. Once she was in front of the car, Chris opened the door for her. He moved a bit to allow her to take her spot on the shotgun seat.

"I think I was about to freeze my face off," Kate commented, slightly shivering as she turned to face her boyfriend.

She turned just in time for him to place his lips against hers. She softly hummed into the kiss, surprised that he was not affected by her cold skin. Chris' warm lips seemed to defrost hers, especially when she felt the usual pleasurable emotions when he made contact with her body.

"Morning, babe," he said, grinning. "Next time, just call me so that I can come to get you."

Chris turned away from her to focus on the view in front of him. He reached for the steering wheel and the gearshift before he pulled the car off its parked position, having them move on the road towards the school.

Kate took that time to shrug off the heavy jacket she had worn. The heater in the car was doing its work, and it gave her a break from the freezing atmosphere outside the vehicle.

A week had passed ever since the New Year's. She and Chris had returned to the campus grounds two days ago. The storm had subsided at that time, allowing everyone in the affected areas to go back to their jobs.

"Were you seriously planning to walk to campus?" Chris asked her.

"Yeah," Kate replied with a sigh.

"In this weather?"

"I have my winter clothes. See?" she said, touching the articles of clothing that she had placed above her feet.

"It's settled. I'll be picking you up every morning," he said.

"What? Chris!"

"I'll also want to get some time to kiss you before class," he added, grinning at her.

"We'll have time for that after classes," Marie stated as a fact.

"But most importantly, I don't want you to be walking in the cold."

"Chris, it's just a ten-minute walk from my dorm," she told him. "I have been doing it ever since freshman year."

"Well, now that you're my girlfriend, those days are over."

Kate went to speak, but then she stopped herself. She knew how her boyfriend could be stubborn at times.

'Huh, boyfriend,' she mused with a smile. She recalled how Chris had come to her home and confessed his feelings for her. They had become a couple after that, and their relationship seemed to have progressed when they stayed in Chris' house during the storm. They had gotten to talk and bond over some things, and Marie realized that a lot of things did not have to change just because they were dating.

She blushed when she recalled what she had done with him in his room. She remembered his kisses and his touches that had given her powerful orgasms. But what she thought was wonderful was the care he had shown to her, especially when he did not press to take her virginity. He knew about her inexperience, and he did not ridicule her for it. If possible, Kate had fallen further for him.

"We're here," Chris announced as they turned to pull into the school parking lot. Kate looked through the windshield, noticing the snow that had piled all around the campus buildings.

"Do you think it will snow like it had last week?" she asked Chris as he switched off the engine.

"It's possible," he replied, reaching for a bag below him. "But in case it does, I want you to be at my place."

The look he gave her after that sentence had Kate's cheeks redden. Chris smiled before pecking her on her cheek.

"Ready to make a dash for it?" he asked her as they got out of the car.

Kate was confused for a moment, but she realized what he meant when he sprinted off towards the large building of their university.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, running after him. The stairs were slippery from the snow, but the boots Marie had worn prevented her from losing her steps.

She soon burst into the hallway of the university, and the heater in the area reached her form.

'Thank goodness,' she thought as she approached a smirking Chris who was leaning against a wall.

"Let us not do that again," she told him, panting. "It's too early and too cold for exercise."
Chris laughed, shrugging in agreement.

"Yo, Chris!" a voice called out. Kate watched as his eyes zeroed in on someone behind her. She turned, and that was when she noticed Alex making his way toward them.

"How were the holidays, man?" he greeted as he did a bro hug with Chris.

"Not bad," he replied with a smile. "What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just spent Christmas with my family. In Hawaii."

"Huh," Chris commented.

"So..." Alex trailed off, motioning with his eyes towards Kate.

"We're dating," Chris announced before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She blushed, more so when he smacked a wet kiss on her cheek.

"Chris, we're in public," she blushed, looking at his clothed torso.

"Who cares?" he said, tightening his hold around her. "Let them see. I want everyone to know that you are mine."

Indeed, a couple of people in the hallway saw their moment. But no one paid too much attention to it.

"Okay, I'll have to stop you there," Alex stated, cutting through the heated moment. "As much as I like the two of you being together, I'd rather not watch you make out."

"I thought you find her hot," Chris stated, confused.

"Exactly," Alex admitted. "You are making me think twice about taking her from you. Or better yet, having a threesome."

"Fuck, no!" Chris said, making Alex laugh.

"Guys!" Kate chastised them, feeling awkward.

"What?" Alex shrugged. "I know girls think about it sometimes. Can you picture it? The three of us, naked on a bed..."

"Oh my goodness..." Marie trailed off with her head placed on her hand as Chris shoved his friend. She raised it up, unconsciously staring at the entrance of the building.

At that moment, something caught her eye. She spotted someone entering the hallway. It was a girl. Her curly, brown hair bounced as she moved. She had worn a button-up shirt and jeans that clung to her legs. She had bronze skin, and it added to her beauty.

Kate could not help but feel that the person looked familiar.

It wasn't until she was a couple of feet from passing her when she realized who she was.

"Guys..." Kate trailed off.

"What?" Chris asked, looking as confused as Alex when they noticed her surprised expression. They turned to face what she was looking at, and they also tensed. The girl who had entered the building turned to face them, and the look she sent them showed that she recognized them.

"Fuck me," Alex commented. 

 

Chapter 37

About seven years ago...

"Do you think this dress makes me look fat?" Darcy asked as she twirled around in front of the cheerleaders of Stonedale High. They had worn the official green cheerleading uniform with the SDH sign on their chests whereas Darcy had worn a yellow batiste dress that hugged her form. The dress also matched with her hair color.

"Darcy, are you sure you should be wearing that here?" one of the cheerleaders asked the blonde girl before drinking from her water bottle.

"Please," she snorted with a roll of her eyes. "The teachers are busy with whatever meeting they have scheduled right now. Besides, everyone in here knows what will happen to them if they tattletale."

Darcy took a look around the crowded cafeteria. About five tables had been left unoccupied around them in the center of the room to make her dominion known over the school, and it made her smile.

"But Darcy, we need you," another girl said. "We have cheer practice after class."

Darcy thought about it before saying, "Let Kate handle it."

The girls turned at the mention of Marie's name. She was looking down at her food, frowning at it.

"What's wrong, Kate?" one of the girls asked her.

She sighed before saying, "I heard somewhere that we can eat food with our minds. I'm trying, but it doesn't seem to be working."

A couple of seconds of silence passed before Darcy trailed off "Okay..."

"You see our problem? How can we work with her when she thinks she has superpowers?" someone else pointed out with an unamused look.

"You know what? I don't care," Darcy stated, narrowing her eyelids at the girl. "You can all figure out what you'll do. Right now I have plans that concern my boyfriend."

"Darcy!" a male voice called out. She smiled, turning to face the entry of the cafeteria.

Some of the people who were blocking the view moved to give way to the person who had shouted. Alex smirked as he walked towards Darcy, and Chris was following close behind him. They were quarterbacks, and they had come out from P. E having worn shirts and jeans that showed off their muscular forms.

"Alex!" Darcy exclaimed before falling into his arms. A long, make-out session that mostly involved tongues ensued, and it made Chris and the girls seated around the table to grimace.

"Are you ready for today?" Alex asked her.

"Definitely!" Darcy grinned. "But we should move soon before lunch is over."

"Dude, I thought we had plans today," Chris frowned.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you. We're going out for the weekend," Alex grinned at his friend.

"Out? Where to?" Chris prodded.

"We're going--"

"To stay at a hotel!" Darcy cut Alex off, but he smiled nonetheless.

"Dude, what the hell?" Chris expressed his disbelief in a shout.

"What? You know how much we love each other," Alex stated before placing his lips back on Darcy's.

"Alex!" Chris yelled.

"What?" he glared back.

"Do your parents even know about this?"

"Why should they know? They're too busy working to even think about me anyway."

Chris went to say something else, but the sound of a feminine shriek stopped him. Everyone on that table turned to face the entrance of the cafeteria where the commotion had started.

"Well, well, well," Darcy said with an evil smirk. "It looks like our entertainment is here."

The cafeteria fell into a silent hush as everyone faced the doors. At that moment, a girl was seen speedily walking towards the table where Darcy and his girls were.

Emma stared forward, glaring at her targets.

"What the hell did you do?" she yelled at Darcy. The blond girl frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Darcy shrugged.

"I am not in the mood for your fucking games, you bitch!" Emma yelled, glaring at her.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that!" Alex stepped in before Darcy could fend for herself. "Do you know who you are talking to? We could ruin you if whenever we want."

Emma's glare turned into a smile as tears clouded her vision.

"As if you haven't already?" Emma said in a whisper. "That bitch you call your girlfriend had the nerve to post my nudes all over the Internet!"

A loud, collective gasp sounded through the hall.

"So?" Alex stated, shocking her. "It happens all the time."

"Unlike all you rich people who can have this buried under the radar, I can't. Don't you fucking get it? She ruined me! Everyone will see these photos! My education and my reputation were the only things I had going for me! I had plans for my future, and because of her, they're all in ruins!"

"I warned you not to play with me!" Darcy yelled back at the brunette with a glare. "I told you I have the power to make and break you. Now do you believe me?"

"Fuck you," Emma replied, and it displeased Darcy.

"Do you want me to teach her a lesson, babe?" Alex called out, much to the shock of Chris and everyone at that table.

"Go ahead," Darcy shrugged.

Emma stared at the people in front of her in disbelief.

"I cannot believe this. I can't believe that every one of you is right here, and you are still taking this shit!"

"Whoa. That is quite the mouth you have on you right now. Are you sure you want Darcy to make your life much worse than it already is?" someone on the table commented, and the rest laughed.

It angered Emma.

"Take one more step in front of me and you will regret it," she warned Alex.

"What are you going to do?" he smirked, still approaching her.

Emma quickly reached into her jeans pocket and took out something that had him stopping his movements.

"What the fuck?" Alex, suddenly scared, said as he stared at the gun pointed at him. Movement started all around the cafeteria as people seemed to back away in their seats.

"I am tired of letting you bitches ruin my life! Let's see how you'll all feel when I ruin yours," she said, making sure the gun clicked loudly when she switched the safety off.

"I'm sure it's fake," Darcy said nonchalantly. "You can do what you want to do with her, Alex."

The scared look on Alex's face turned into back into a smirk.

"For this stunt you just pulled, do you know what I'm going to do to you?" he said, resuming his approach towards Emma.

"No," Emma said, "but I know what I'm going to do to you."

She aimed the gun and fired it towards the ceiling. Two shots sounded in the area as they hit the roof, and everyone screamed as they went to the floor.

A pin drop silence fell upon the cafeteria as everyone watched what was happening.

"How is that for fake?" Emma smirked at Alex who looked more frightened than he had recently. He quickly backed away from her, and Emma walked slowly towards him with an evil grin on her face.

"Emma, c-calm down," Darcy stated as she raised her hands in front of her. "Let's talk about this."

"Talk about what, bitch?" Emma exclaimed as tears clouded her vision for a moment. "Ever since I came into this school, you guys have done everything you could to make my life hell."

"Emma--"

"You humiliated me on a daily basis. You never stopped to see the suffering I have gone through. You just wouldn't leave me alone!"

No one spoke as Emma breathed in the room.

"What I want to know is: why did you do it?"

Darcy gulped as she turned to look around her. The surrounding people had raised their hands in surrender, and they had panicked expressions on their faces.

It angered Darcy that she had lost control, and so she glared at Emma.

"Because I can. You are just a stupid, weak girl who doesn't even have the strength to stand up for herself. I mean, seriously? You waited until I uploaded your nudes on the Internet so that you could come here and threaten me?"

Emma's hold on the gun shook, and Darcy smirked. She believed there was a way she could get her to drop it.

"Just face it, Emma. You are nothing but a worthless attention-seeking little bitch. Everyone hates you, and no one will like you after what you did today. So just go back to that little hole you crawled from and die."

No words were spoken between the two. Emma was soon crying, her form shaking as her sobs rang through the room.

Darcy smirked. With quick movements, she went and slapped Emma on the face. The motion had taken her off guard, and it loosened her hold on the guard.

"Listen here, you little bitch!" Darcy yelled as she glared at her. Her fingers had held onto her chin, forcing her to look at her.

"I am going to make you regret what you almost--"

Darcy was cut off when Emma punched her in the stomach. Darcy let her go, and Emma moved to grab the gun. In quick movements, she was standing back up with the weapon aimed at her.

"No," Emma declared, shaking with uncontrollable fury as she stared at Darcy. "You are the one who is going to regret bullying me ever since I came to this school."

The blond yelled as she charged after her. Emma did not hesitate to pull the trigger.

Her expression turned into one of shock as the shot rang through the school. It seemed to echo for a long time, even though it had been seconds. The shot had stopped Darcy, and she stared at Emma in shock before looking down at her torso. Blood was coming out of it at a fast rate, soaking through the material of her dress.

Without a word, she collapsed onto the floor.

Then all hell broke loose.

Screams pierced the air as every student started rushing for the exits. Emma panicked at the sudden flurry of activity, and it had her accidentally pushing the trigger of the gun again.

The bullet had bounced off a wall, but it did not cease the screams.

"You bitch!" Alex screamed, charging toward Emma. She acted out on impact, and so she fired again. The bullet hit him in his chest, stopping him from making further movements. More screams sounded afterward.

"Alex!" Chris, who had been silent throughout the ordeal, yelled as he ran to his friend. Emma was prepared to shoot him, but then she noticed he wasn't coming after her.

She looked around the cafeteria, hearing the screams of the other students as they went to exit the room. Some pushed others as they rushed for the doors, not caring whether they stepped on those who were on the floor.

'What have I done?' she asked herself, staring at the mess around her.

"Darcy... Darcy..." Alex was sobbing as he stared down at the blonde girl. She was unresponsive to his calls as blood continued pouring out of her torso.

"You shot my friend!" someone yelled. Emma turned just in time to see Kate charging towards her.

"Kate, no!" Alex stated as he crawled towards Emma. He looked determined to get to her, and so she had her aiming the gun at him. She was about to shoot him, but Marie jumped on her.

Screaming, they went to the ground.

"Let go of it!" Kate yelled at Emma as she reached for the gun. Emma held tightly onto it, not loosening her grip. 

"Stop it, Kate!" Chris yelled in fear, but the two did not listen to him. They rolled on the ground as they fought to grab the gun, but seconds later, a shot sounded in the room again.

Emma panted as she stared at the confused look in Marie's eyes. She soon collapsed above her. She pushed her form away from her, moving to quickly stand up. That was when she saw the bullet wound on her torso.

"Kate!" Chris yelled out, shocked at how things had turned out that afternoon. Marie was still alive, but she was having a hard time breathing as blood seeped out from her stomach.

Emma looked around, panicked that she had fired a gun at three people. Students around her were still rushing to escape the cafeteria. Her eyes started tearing up as the revelation of what she had done fully dawned on her. At that moment, she started regretting ever coming into the school with the gun.

The distant sounds of police sirens soon reached her ears. Emma's heart thudded in both fear and worry as she wondered what the authorities would do to her.

There was no way she could easily get out of the mess she had created. She believed the police could decide to take her to jail or even kill her as punishment for firing a gun at a couple of students!

Emma looked down at the gun, and she knew what she had to do.

"Kate!" she heard Chris call out again. By then, he had placed her head on his thighs. Alex was also next to him, staring helplessly at the girls who were shot. Marie was trembling as blood continued to pour out of her torso, coating the clothes she had worn.

Emma aimed the gun at the spot near her heart. Her eyes teared up once again. She closed her eyes, and within seconds, she had shot herself. Excruciating pain shot through her form as she fell to the ground. Fortunately, it did not take long for the darkness to swallow her.

 

Chapter 38

Back to the present...

Time seemed to still as the four stood in the hallway, staring at each other.

Emma stared at Alex, Chris and Kate, and she could not hide the shock of seeing them. They all could still remember what had happened in high school, and being in the same building reminded them of the incident.

They continued looking at each other for a while longer. Emma slightly shook her head in denial before she quickly moved towards the building exit. She took off in a run, having the people around staring at her in confusion.

No word was spoken between Kate, Chris and Alex until she had disappeared.

"You have got to be kidding me," Marie commented, still shocked.

"What the fuck?" Alex stated, infuriated. "What is she doing here? I should go after her and--"

"Alex, no," Chris stretched out his hand to stop his friend from going after Emma. "Let her go."

"But..." Alex trailed off before releasing an anguished sigh. "You know what she did to me. To us."

"Yes, but we can't do anything. We are in college, and if we go after her, the university heads will go after us. They will ask how we know each other. Is it really worth ruining the life we have formed for ourselves here?"

Alex did not say anything for a while as he thought through Chris' words.

"This is unbe-fucking-lievable," he said with a shake of his head before storming farther into the building. A couple of people he had passed turned to face him, and they curiously looked at each other, wondering why he was in a mood.

"Why does the universe hate us?" Chris wondered, and that had Kate directing her attention to him. "Why did she have to come here of all places?"

Kate stood there, silently watching as he shook in anger. 

"Let's go to class," he said with a sigh, grabbing Kate's hand and dragging her towards the direction of their class.

************************ ************************* ************************ ********

The day's lecture passed much quicker than anyone had anticipated. Most of the students had filed out, including Chris who had told Kate that he had to go check on Alex. She had remained behind to make sure the files she had typed on the computer she was using had been uploaded to her cloud storage.

Once she was done, she got up from her seat and started heading towards the doors.

"Miss Velias, may I talk to you for a second?" her professor called out, making her stop to face him.

"Mr. Bernard?" she said as she approached him behind his desk.

"How are things between you and Chris?" he asked. Marie was confused for a moment, but then she understood he was asking about the project.

"Things are fine, sir," she replied, giving him a genuine smile.

"And how is the project coming along?"

Kate seemed to pale at the question.

"You have been making progress on it, right?"

"Oh! Yes. We have started the animation process."

"Good," Mr. Bernard commented.

Kate seemed to relax in relief.

"You can go," he added, and she did not waste time leaving the room.

Just as she had exited the class, she bumped into someone.

"Oops! I'm sorry," she apologized, using her hands to grasp on the person's shoulders. She froze when she noticed who she was holding onto.

"It's nothing," Emma said with a strained smile as she moved to escape from Kate.

Marie seemed frozen for a moment as she watched her walk away to the building exit. A thought came to her, and it had her sprinting towards Emma.

"Wait!" Kate yelled, having a couple of heads turn to face her. Emma also turned, and she hesitantly stopped.

"We need to talk," she told her once she was in front of her.

"About what exactly?" Emma asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Look. I won't judge you like the rest did. I just want to understand why you did it."

Emma knew what she was talking about, but she let out a humorless laugh.

"Why? It still won't change the thoughts you have about me."

Before Kate could get a word in, Emma turned and resumed walking towards the doors at a hastened pace.

She sighed.

************* ************************* *********************************** ********

"You bitch!" Gwen yelled in greeting as she entered the dorm. Kate turned, expecting a raging expression, but she found her roommate smiling.

"Gwen?" she called out, confused.

"Why didn't you tell me you and Chris are dating?" she said, approaching the couch that Kate had occupied.

In an instant, her cheeks turned red.

"Wait. Didn't I tell you last week?" Kate said with furrowed eyebrows.

"Oh, right," Gwen replied with a slight nod. "Now come on. You know I want to know all the stuff you did."

"Gwen--"

"Don't you Gwen me," she cut her off. "You never tell me anything."

"That's not true!" Kate exclaimed.

"You waited days to tell me that things between you and Chris had been rocky before Christmas."

Kate sighed, knowing that her friend was right. She was glad she wasn't mad at her. And so, she decided to tell her everything.

"Well, we just started last week," she started, earning a congratulatory shriek from Gwen that made her laugh.

"Explain."

Kate then proceeded to tell her roommate how Chris had come to her house to talk to her and the events that followed.

"OMG! I'm so happy for you!" Gwen said, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Thank you," Kate replied.

"So tell me. Have you already done it?" her roommate asked.

"What do you mean?" Marie asked. Gwen's suggestive look that involved her smirk and bouncing eyebrows quickly clued Kate on what her friend was suggesting.

"Oh. Oh! No," she replied, earning a frown as a reply.

"As in no you wouldn't tell me, or--"

"We didn't do anything."

"Really?" Gwen looked a bit shocked. "But you were staying at his house during that freak storm."

"Well, we only kissed and made out. Then we did some stuff with our hands and mouths..."

"Ooh," Gwen said, smirking. "Like horny teens."

Marie blushed, not wanting to talk more.

"I'm so happy for you, Kate," Gwen said as she stood up from the couch. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

"What? Already? Where are you going?" Kate asked her roommate.

"Hmm?" Gwen stated. "Oh. I'm just going to see Ben."

Honestly, it had shocked Marie. She knew that her roommate could barely last two months with a boy because they turned out to be 'boring'. Kate had expected her to end the relationship, but it seemed like he had captured her interest.

"Okay. Tell him I said hi."

"Will do!" Gwen grinned as she left the room.

Kate found it weird that she told her roommate to greet her boyfriend even though they had never met.

With a sigh, she turned to focus on her assignment.

 

Chapter 39

In spite of the snow, things had been okay during the first week of the new semester. Everyone resumed their studies, going back to their normal college routines.

The arrival of Emma had taken Kate, Chris, and Alex aback. They had not expected her to make an appearance in their lives, especially in Charles Darwin University of all places. Nobody knew about the school shooting in Stonedale High, and it had them worried about the secret being exposed. Unexpectedly, things had gone okay. It seemed that no one knew about their past with Emma, and it confused them.

Kate's conscience had been bugging her about it, and so she planned to visit Emma after her IT class that Tuesday. She had no idea of where she lived, and so she asked the students who were around the campus. It had taken her a while to find out that she lived in one of the university dorms.

As she walked on the stairs of the building, she wondered how she would approach Emma. They had barely talked to each other in high school, and so having a conversation with her was bound to be uncomfortable because of their history. A part of her worried about what would happen in her place, but Kate was determined not to let it change her decision to confront Emma. She just couldn't ignore she was in her life again, and so they had to have a talk.

Marie soon found herself standing in front of a door with the dorm number. She knocked, her heart thudding as she waited for it to be opened.

The knock was answered, and Marie found Emma standing in front of her. Her hair looked out of place, and it looked like she had been in bed.

"What are you doing here?" Emma's harsh voice pulled her out of her trance.

"I came to talk to you," she explained.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you," Emma replied, moving to close the door on her face. Marie moved quickly, placing her boot-covered foot to stop her.

"I mean it," she stated with a serious voice.

"You must be crazy," Emma said as she moved into her dorm. Kate followed, pushing the door wide open to let herself in before closing it behind her. Her vision was immediately met with the interior design of Emma's place. It looked just like the dorm she shared with Gwen, and the only difference was the cream walls.

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Emma stated with a bored look. "After everything that happened--"

"I want to know why you did it," Kate cut straight to the point. 

"You know why," Emma rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? You let the bullying push you to that point?" she found it hard to believe that.

"Don't start getting all judgmental on me," Emma stated. "You have no idea of the crap I went through."

"I do," Marie replied. "I was there to see it at times, remember?"

"Then why are you asking? Why did you come here for an answer that you already know?"

Kate remained silent, looking away from Emma.

"It's the guilt, isn't it?" Emma said.

"I did nothing to stop it," Kate did not bother to deny Emma's suggestion. "I was afraid of doing something because Darcy would have retaliated. I am so ashamed--"

"But not as ashamed as I am," Emma interrupted with a sigh. "I still can't believe I went to school that day with a fucking gun."

She looked at the floor.

"People could have died."

"But why did you do it, Emma?" Kate asked softly. 

"I was... I was going through a hard time, you know?" she sniffed as tears clouded her vision. "There were problems at home."

Kate noticed the frightened, faraway look on Emma's face, and it made her feel uncomfortable.

"You don't have to explain--"

"I wanted to get away. I wanted to be somewhere else, and that could only happen when I got to college. I needed a break from everything in my life."

Emma hiccuped a sob.

"But Darcy..." she trailed off, her hand forming a fist as she spoke. "That bitch wanted everyone to believe she could control the world. I fought back, but she ruined my future in the end."

She had turned to look at Marie at that point.

"I wasn't even going to stay for that long. I had planned to graduate early. But after Darcy posted those photos online..." 

Emma wiped the tears on her face.

"Things went bad for me. She ruined my chances of getting into a revered college. She had taken away my escape, and that's why I snapped that day."

Kate could do nothing for a moment as Emma silently cried. The wheels in her mind were turning, and what Emma was saying made sense. She understood the pain she felt and the guilt of what she had done. It made the grudge she held on her go away.

That is if it was there in the first place.

"But why the gun?" she asked.

"I didn't mean to shoot at anyone," Emma stated with a look that told Kate she meant it. "I just went with it to make a point. I only planned to fire warning shots so that Darcy and the rest would leave me alone."

"But it didn't work," Marie stated.

"I know," Emma revealed a sad smile. "I didn't think it through. I had brought it from home on impulse and I didn't allow myself time to think about what could happen after."

Kate swallowed as her eyes darted around the room.

"Also, that bitch was more courageous than I thought. I mean, who the hell comes after a person holding a gun?"

Emma smiled, and she tried hard not to laugh despite the topic they were talking about.

"So, anyway, I'm sorry, Kate," she said, surprising her. "I didn't mean to shoot at you."

"It's okay, Emma. I understand," she replied. 

"What?" Emma couldn't help but voice her shock. "I shot you."

"You did, but honestly, I'm not mad at you."

Emma looked at Kate in disbelief before inquiring, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she chuckled, relaxing in her presence. "I know you are telling the truth. You didn't mean to fire at me because it was an accident."

"Oh," that was all Emma could say.

"Also, I wanted to thank you."

"Why?"

Kate's throat constricted at the thought of relaying what she was about to say at that moment.

"When I was in the hospital, the doctors found a tumor during one of the checkups."

Emma could not speak for a while before she said, "What?"

"It had been growing for a while in my head. They said it affected some of my brain functions and that it could have me dead before I could reach my mid-twenties."

"Whoa," Emma exclaimed with wide eyes.

"I was lucky they were able to get it out because it was still developing. In a way, I'm glad you shot me. You helped them find it."

"You definitely are crazy," Emma stated, but a small smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Kate. Thanks for coming to see me."

"Something just told me that I had to talk to you," she said with a shrug. "Oh! And will we be able to meet up for lunch?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Emma replied.

"Why?"

"You still hang out with Chris and Alex, right? I don't think they like me, especially now that I'm here."

Kate frowned at those words.

"I won't lie to you and say you are wrong. But listen, Emma. The three of us all came here to have a new start in life. Just like a lot of movies say, a college is a place for new experiences. Don't let what happened in the past ruin this for you, okay?"

Emma hesitated with furrowed eyebrows before nodding.

"Okay. Well, it's been great talking to you," Kate stated as she turned for the door. "See you later?"

"See you around," Emma nodded. Kate smiled before turning to exit the room.

 

 

Chapter 40

The months passed in a blur, and the winter season was approaching its end. Every student in TUCD was glad about the approaching spring season because it would lead to an increase in environmental temperatures. However, reports of another snowstorm hit the country, so it was hard to tell when spring would actually come.

The area was still covered in snow, and that Saturday morning caught Kate heading towards her boyfriend's house. During the first three months of the year that had passed, the two had spent a lot of time together. They had even gone out for dates whenever they found the opportunity. Kate was enjoying every moment she could get with Chris, and the thought of him still made her heart flutter.

However, he had not touched her the way he did that cold winter night. He seemed to have stopped for some reason, deciding to settle on mere makeout sessions that left them panting for more. Kate understood why he did it. The two had just started dating, and being in bed together seemed to be something that had to wait as their relationship progressed. Still, Chris had reawakened the naughty dreams that Kate had about him. They were not frequent, but each one of them had her lusting after him. She chose not to tell him about them.

Kate returned her full focus on her surroundings as she entered Chris' house. She had a talk about him always leaving his door unlocked, and so he gave her a spare key to his place. 

The place looked empty as usual, but Marie knew that her boyfriend was inside from the text she had received earlier. She wandered around the dining area and kitchen where she did not find him. She only spotted a couple of things that belonged to her, and it made her smile. She looked towards the stairs, and she seemed to find her answer.

Within seconds, she was in the hallway, walking towards Chris' room. The area was dark due to the cloudy sky outside, but it was not dark enough to hide the objects in her vision. 

Kate wondered if Chris was still asleep, but then, a loud, masculine groan stopped her movements. Her eyes widened as thoughts flooded her mind. The first one involved him being in pain, while the others focused on Chris cheating on her.

'No, he wouldn't,' she thought, wanting the idea out of her mind, but then she recalled she had been in such positions before. The moment around her felt like déjà vu. Her mind flashed her with memories of seeing Chris with other girls, and it had her heart clenching.

Kate shook her head, not wanting to accept the thoughts in her mind. She decided to give Chris the benefit of the doubt. He had told her that he wanted her, and so there was no way he could be in his room with another girl.

Marie decided to take short steps to the door of his room. It was open, and there was a gap between the door and its frame. 

'I hope this is the last time I'll be doing this,' she thought, using the space to peek into Chris' room.

What she saw had her mouth open in an inaudible gasp. She soon turned away, her heart thudding as she tried not to dwell too much on what she had witnessed. 

'At least he's alone,' she thought, remembering the image that met her eyes as her cheeks flushed red.

Chris was on his bed, naked, and he was groaning because he was masturbating.

'Maybe I should come back later,' Marie thought to herself. She went to do just that, but then another groan sounded from the room.

She sighed, knowing what she had planned to do. She wanted to chastise herself against it, but the temptation to take another look won. It had been a while since she had seen him without clothes, so she looked back into the room.

Her eyes first spotted the tangled sheets on the bed. Chris' gloriously naked form was on them, his legs shifting as he brought himself pleasure. The color of his tanned skin and the sheets made him look like he was a model in a photoshoot. His muscular legs were parted wide, tensed with the heels dug on the sheet-covered mattress as he jerked himself off. 

His cock... His hard cock was covered with his precum as his hand moved along it in fast strokes. Some of it had even dripped down the length, settling at the top of his big balls that looked ready to bust. The light hitting his exposed torso showed off the muscles he had, and Kate watched his abdominals tense and relax in awe. His head was thrown back with his lips parted open in a groan, and the image made a tingling sensation start between Kate's legs.

"Kate," she heard him moan as he continued jerking himself off. That made the arousal she was feeling heighten within seconds. Her mind wondered about what he was thinking. What was he doing to her in her head? How was he taking her? 

"Squeeze that pussy around me," Chris groaned, and Kate bit her lower lip to hold back a moan. Her eyes were entranced at the sight of his biceps tensing and relaxing with each jerky movement. The dick in his grip looked shiny in the room, proving more precum kept flowing along its length.

Marie found herself swallowing, more so when she felt her cunt becoming wet. Her heart was thudding behind her chest as she watched Chris pick up speed. His muscles jerked with the movement of his hand on his cock as he released a deep groan that vibrated in the room.

"KATE!" she heard him yell. Her eyes did not leave him as he started coming. He arched his back into the air, and the action gave definition to all the muscles of his form. His cock throbbed in his hold as he groaned his release. He still jerked it off, and his moans lowered when thick, white cum erupted from the slit, coating his heaving abs and the sheets. It kept coming, some of it even landing as far as his pecs.

He sighed, collapsing on the bed and settling on it.

'Oh crap,' Kate thought as she turned away from the sight. That had been one erotic show she had seen. The image of Chris stroking his cock was stuck in her mind, and it did not help with the arousal she was feeling. 

She shook her head to clear out the emotions threatening to control her whole body. She believed she had seen enough, and so she planned to leave and return in a few hours. Her body needed to cool down from all that had happened in the room.

She turned to leave, but her legs felt wobbly. She stumbled on her steps.

"Whoa!" she shouted as she went to the ground, but she found support when her hands settled on the floor. 

"Who's there?" she heard Chris yell as she regained her posture, and her eyes widened in fear.

'Oh, crap,' she thought, turning to leave the hallway. She planned to quietly yet quickly walk down the stairs. However, she wasn't quick enough.

Chris had exited his room in seconds.

"Kate?" he called out in shock, staring at her. Marie was blushing, mostly because he was standing in front of her naked. She could still see the evidence of his release on his chest, and it had her arousal increasing.

"Hi, Chris," she greeted him with an awkward smile as she tried to look at his face. He looked confused for a moment.

"What were--" he cut himself off, letting his eyes look at her form. 

"What?" she asked him, trying to look innocent.

Chris maintained his confused expression for a couple of seconds before it turned into a knowing look.

"You were watching me," he stated, a slow smirk appearing on his lips.

"What?" Kate asked, trying to act like she did not know what he was talking about.

"Don't try to deny it," he said, fully smirking at that point.

"Chris--" Kate huffed.

"I can tell by the color of your cheeks," he said, and it intensified the blush she had no idea was in her cheeks.

"You're standing naked in front of me," she pointed out.

"True," he said, "but I can see your hard nipples behind your shirt."

Kate looked down, and she wanted to curse at her biology. Her hardened nubs were sticking through the shirt she had worn, practically screaming to be noticed.

"And you're clenching your legs."

"No, I'm not," she said, standing at ease when she realized he was right. She felt slight tremors on her feet, but she was determined to hide how affected she was because of him.

"You were," Chris reported. "Tell me, Kate. How turned on are you?"

Kate was momentarily surprised by the words he had said.

"Chris--"

"What turned you on, Kate?" he asked, slowly walking towards her. Kate also started walking backward, but she found herself being cornered to a wall.

"Was it my body?" he stated once he was inches away from her, raising his arms to flex his biceps. He even moved his hands to his chest to touch his abs. The fingers grazed the dips and curves, and Kate was speechless as she watched the muscles tense and relax.

She couldn't believe his cocky side was winning her over.

"Or was it my cock?" he said, grabbing the appendage. Kate looked down, and she gasped when she saw it was hard again.

He started a slow, jerking motion.

"Tell me, Kate," he said, moving closer so that his cock pressed against her clothed stomach. She felt its heat seep into her clothes, and it made her tense.

"What made your pussy wet?"

Marie gulped.

"All—All--" she stammered.

"All of it?" Chris prodded.

Kate nodded.

"I want to hear you say it."

She gulped before admitting, "All of it."

"No, Kate," he said, his hand touching her stomach. He saw her press her legs together, and he smirked.

"I want to hear you say it. What made you wet for me?"

His fingers caressed her cheek, and she shuddered at the touch.

"What was it, Kate?"

"I loved..." she gulped, "...watching you move."

"Oh?" Chris pretended to be shocked. "What did you love?"

"Your hand on your... your--"

"My cock?" he said, pressing the said organ hard against her shirt. Kate nodded as she swallowed her lips.

"Say it."

"I loved your hand on your cock!" she announced, closing her eyes as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Chris looked at her, and if possible, his cock got harder.

"Take off your clothes," he said.

Kate slowly opened her eyes before asking, "What?"

Marie might not have known it, but she was making Chris aroused. He had planned to tease her some more, but watching her react to him was not making things better. His arousal had returned all because of her in a couple of seconds. He wanted her under him.

Soon.

Without a word, Marie found her shirt being lifted up. She was shocked, more so when she felt Chris' fingers reach behind her to unclasp her bra.

"Chris--" she was cut off with his lips on hers. Shocks traveled through her form at the feel of his mouth on hers. Kate found herself unexpectedly moaning, her arousal taking control as she arched her form to press against Chris.

His tongue soon followed, and Kate opened her lips to let it in. She shuddered the moment it stroked against hers. The difference in texture made her mewl in pleasure.

Marie had not gotten used to the effects of Chris' kisses. She realized at that point that she never will, but it did not disturb her. That was how he affected her.

Chris' hands released her bra before moving to cup her butt.

"Up," he ordered as he patted it. Kate understood, and so she pressed her back to the wall before raising her legs and wrapping them around him.

Chris started walking back to his room as he kissed Kate. He kicked the door closed behind him before dumping her unceremoniously on his bed.

He stayed still for a moment, looking down at her. She caught the heated look in his eyes and the way they stared at her form. Her chest heaved in anticipation as she waited for him to do something.

In an instant, he pounced.

His hands reached for her jeans, and he quickly pulled them down together with her panties. 

"Wait!" she yelled, but he didn't listen. He had her naked in seconds, and Kate suddenly felt shy in front of him. 

Chris used his hands to push her legs apart before he settled himself above her. His lips soon found hers, and they continued devouring each other. Tongues stroked each other, and moans sounded in the room.

Kate arched her back into him, and Chris took that as a sign to move lower. His lips kissed her neck before moving to her breasts.

"Chris," Kate moaned, arching herself to his kisses. He groaned in reply before locking his lips around a nipple.

Kate's moan became loud when he tended to her nipple. His tongue lashed at the nub, flicking it back and forth at a fast pace before his teeth could tug at it. His lips soon rolled it before repeating the pattern. Kate mewled and gasped, shuddering when he sucked hard on her tip.

She clenched her thighs around his waist, feeling her cunt become wetter than it had when she had seen her naked boyfriend.

Then he turned his attention to the neglected nipple, using his hand to play with the one he had just sucked. Kate whimpered, feeling the ache between her legs build.

She couldn't believe he was capable of making her come so fast.

Chris' hand that had been on her nipple moved lower. Kate shivered when his fingers traced her skin. They moved to her groin, feeling her recently-shaved pussy before attacking her cunt.

Kate bucked with a moan when she felt his fingers move into her cunt. They were making a sound that she was not used to.

"Fuck," Chris softly cursed at her wetness as he explored her pussy. The sounds of his fingers in her cunt echoed the evidence of her desire for him.

Chris groaned into the nipple he was sucking, sending vibrations down her pussy before letting it go.

He stared at Kate before turning to her pulsing cunt. He looked at it, and the heat in his eyes seemed to intensify.

"Fuck, Kate," he said, amazed and turned on at the same time as his fingers kept exploring her cunt. She had missed his touch, and she believed she could come in seconds just like that.

"I have to taste you," he said. Kate was moaning and gasping in pleasure when she heard Chris' words. It penetrated through the fog of arousal and had her facing him.

She was just about to speak when his hands grasped her thighs, opening her legs. He got a full view of her cunt that was coated with her juices.

"Chris--"

He ignored her protest as he turned to her left leg, kissing the skin before moving higher. Kate tensed as he kept giving her little kisses, making her shiver each time. His mouth moved higher, currently at her thighs. He kissed the inside of her thigh, making her buck as he approached her cunt.

"Chris..." she trailed off, watching him observe her wet pussy. She had an idea of what he wanted to do, but she was stuck between forcing him to do it or pushing him away. Even though it frightened her a little, her cunt walls clenched in preparation for what he had planned. But then his mouth turned to kiss her inner right thigh.

Kate sighed, slightly frustrated. He moved down her leg, giving her little pecks until he was at the spot under her knee. He kissed her there, and Kate released a small giggle. Chris had heard it, and he looked at her with a smirk.

Marie thought he would continue moving downwards, but the hands on her thighs parted them farther. He moved his head, positioning it so that his heated breath hit Kate's pussy.

She shuddered, looking down at him with wide eyes. She felt insecure at the moment, wondering if he found her pussy ugly.

"Fuck, Kate! You're this wet for me?" he growled, making her blush as he sniffed at her cunt.

"This pussy can't wait for my mouth to claim it. It's so wet. So drenched. It wants my tongue in there. Do you want my tongue in your pussy?"

"Chris," Kate whimpered. That was all he needed to go to work.

"Oh!" she gasped, suddenly feeling Chris' tongue on one of her pussy lips. The sensation was foreign; a bit ticklish yet good. She looked down at him, finding him looking back at her.

The tongue rubbed against her skin, teasing her and making her buck on the bed. She shivered when it moved to her other lip. He stroked her there, and it made her gasp again.

"You taste so good," he groaned, right before he brought his hand to her cunt.

Chris used his fingers to part her lips. He looked at her, seeing the juices that coated the revealed skin of her pussy.

His tongue moved, flicking over the exposed skin. Marie bucked, shivering slightly at the action. He moved again, sticking his tongue into her.

"Chris--" she went to speak, but she tensed when she felt his tongue move deeper. It was slightly tickling her, and it had her wanting to clench her legs together.

He noticed it, and so he used pressure to force her legs open. He groaned as his tongue moved farther, his chin close to hitting the lower part of her pussy.

Kate moaned as she lay on the bed. Chris' tongue lapped at her, sucking the juices that had poured out of her.

He groaned at the taste before moving his head closer. From that point, he did not hold back.

His tongue stroked against Kate's pussy, making her buck and moan at certain intervals. He lapped at the juices that had escaped before forcing his tongue back into her cunt.

"Chris!" Kate shrieked, and she felt him groan as his tongue explored the inside of her cunt. The pleasure felt too much, and it had her searching for something to hold onto with her hands. Her fingers soon landed on the sheets, and she grasped them as she moaned again.

Chris groaned, forcing his tongue deeper. He lapped and lapped at her, stabbing at the walls of her cunt. His hands moved lower until they purchased her butt. He squeezed her ass cheeks as he forced her to his face, and it had Kate moaning and arching her back to him.

Kate mewled when his tongue lashed at her again. By then, she had lost herself in the sensations he was giving her as her juices kept pouring out. Chris kept lapping and drinking them in, groaning as he did so and making her more aroused.

Kate could not believe what she was doing. Chris was between her legs, eating her pussy. She had not expected it to feel so good, but it did. It felt better and much more intimate. She was even close to sobbing with pleasure.

Chris groaned once again, and the vibrations had Kate tightening her legs around him. Holding onto the sheets for support was no longer helping her. She had nothing to grasp onto as Chris devoured her pussy.

It did not help when one of his hands moved higher to play with her nipple. It rubbed against it before a couple of fingers rolled it in their hold.

"Chris! Chris!" she was chanting his name and shifting on the bed. Her hands moved lower to his head, not knowing whether to urge him on or to make him stop.

She found her answer when she felt his teeth nibble at one of her lips. Her hands instantly delved into his hair, and she tugged. Chris groaned into her cunt, and Kate bucked into him.

She rode his mouth as he kept fucking her with his tongue. As time passed, Kate felt her arousal building up. Her cunt walls were clenching around Chris' tongue. Her breathing was becoming ragged with every lick he gave her. The pressure that was growing inside her had increased, and it threatened to snap.

"Chris..." Kate warned, moaning when his tongue stroked her again. His tongue momentarily left her cunt to toy with her hardened clit before moving to lick her again. He did this for a few more times.

Marie's climax reached, and she saw stars. She yelled out Chris' name as she arched her back into him. He groaned as her juices poured freely into her mouth. She shuddered, feeling her cunt walls squeeze around Chris' tongue as her juices poured out of her. He moaned, licking and sucking at them as his tongue lashed against her walls.

The orgasm passed, but Chris kept kissing her pussy lips.

Kate's hands urged his head backward, wanting him to stop. He soon did as he turned to look up at her. She noticed the area around his mouth was wet with her juices, and she blushed.

"You taste so good," he told her. 

"I want to see you come this time," he said. Marie went to speak, but she moaned when she felt his lips descend on her nipples once again. He tugged and toyed with them with his tongue and teeth.

Kate kept bucking into his touch, and she was surprised when she felt her arousal start between her thighs once again.

 

Chapter 41

As Chris made love to Kate's breasts, his hand moved lower. He caressed her stomach, bringing goosebumps to her skin before venturing back to her crotch.

"Chris--" Kate went to speak, but she let out a soft moan when she felt his finger enter her pussy. He looked at her face as he used his teeth to tug at her nipple.

The finger in her cunt moved farther inside her until she felt the knuckle brush against her lips.

"Chris," Kate moaned when the finger started shifting inside her. Chris removed it, seeing that it was coated with her juices again. He groaned into her nipple as he added his middle finger to the mix. He pushed the fingers into Kate's pussy, and she gasped in unexpected pleasure.

Chris stopped kissing Kate's nipples to see her reaction to his touch. Her eyes were half-open, and she was moaning in delight.

He stilled his movements, using his fingers to search for her erogenous spots. He found one when Kate gasped, and so he started thrusting them to that spot.

Marie bucked into his hand and mewled, feeling her pleasure build up at a fast rate.

"Look at me, Kate," he told her, and she turned to face him. He stared into her orbs, feeling her heartbeat in her cunt as he thrust his fingers inside her. The feel of them in her was too much, and her walls threatened to close in around them.

"What a tight pussy," Chris commented with furrowed eyebrows. "You have no idea how many times I've fucked it in my mind."

Kate moaned at his words, and her hands looked for something to hold on to. One of her hands found Chris' cock, and it had him groaning while slowing the motions of his fingers.

"Kate," he warned, but she started feeling the organ she was holding. It had already been coated in his precum. Her hand went up and down, just to feel the length and girth. She was impressed by it, and she was surprised when she heard Chris groaning above her. Her fingers rubbed at the head, watching more of his precum coat her hand. She tightened her hold around him and toyed with the skin behind his head, and she soon felt him still.

"Kate!" she heard him yell. Kate looked at his cock, and she was shocked when she felt it pulse in her hand. His cum started coming out of the slit, coating her hand and her leg.

Marie was surprised she had made her boyfriend have an orgasm right in front of her. If anything, it added to the arousal she was feeling.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that," he growled once he had calmed down from his climax. Kate did not understand what he meant, but she gasped when she felt his fingers move inside her at a fast pace.

"Chris," she called out his name in a breathy tone. He looked down at her, admiring the way she was reacting to him.

"You shouldn't have made me come so early, Kate," he said, speeding his thrusting motions. "Now I have to rectify that."

'How?' Kate meant to ask the question, but she had thought it. She was too preoccupied with the feel of her approaching orgasm to question what Chris meant.

"Squeeze around my fingers, Kate. Pretend its my cock in your pussy. Pretend it's in there fucking you so hard until you come--"

The release seemed to snap inside her, and it had her screaming in bliss. Her juices gushed out, coating Chris' fingers as he still played with her pussy. She seemed to be unconscious of what was happening around her for a while.

Chris groaned as he used his fingers to fuck the cum out of Kate. He had seen her cunt open up with her juices when she orgasmed, and he wanted to see that happen again.

Kate regained focus on her surroundings, but she was shocked when she realized Chris was still fucking her with his fingers.

"Chris," Kate said.

"Come for me again," he ordered. "Let me see this beautiful cunt cover my fingers with your juices."

Marie was shocked when she felt another climax heading her way. She did not know how he was doing it. How could he bring another orgasm out of her in such a short time? What was he banging against that made her delirious with pleasure?

She did not have enough time to think about it. She screamed again when another orgasm rocked through her, shaking her form. Chris' fingers never left her dripping cunt, prolonging the orgasm until it was done.

Kate felt weightless as she lay on the bed. She thought they had stopped then, but Chris proved her wrong when he grabbed her hands.

"We aren't done yet," he announced, making Kate grasp onto his shoulders as he raised her to a sitting position. She had made herself comfortable when he grabbed her ass, startling her as he started moving them to the wall behind her.

Chris pressed her against it, kissing her once again. Marie found herself agreeing to the kiss. It took some time for her arousal to return. The kiss soon became needy, and Kate found herself rubbing her body against Christ.

With her ass on his hands, he hoisted her up.

Marie yelped at the unexpected action. Her legs were currently being supported by his shoulders and arms. The position of his head near her cunt had her thighs parted, exposing her crotch to him.

"Chris, what are you--"

"Let me have another taste," that was all the warning Kate got.

She choked on a gasp when Chris' tongue darted quickly inside her cunt. It licked around, coming out to toy with her clit before dipping back into her pussy.

Kate found it hard to focus on what Chris was doing to her. She was on his shoulders, and she was scared of falling.

Chris moved his arms up, pressing them on Kate's breasts and pressing her back firmly to the wall. His tongue moved inside, darting around her wet cunt.

"Chris!" she screamed when he started toying with her clit. He lapped at it before attacking it with his teeth. He also tugged at it, and it seemed to increase her arousal at a fast rate.

Kate moaned, her thoughts lost as she focused on Chris feasting on her. He was making her wet, and her climax was right around the corner.

Her fingers reached for his head. They delved into his hair just as she arched her back when his tongue darted into a spot that had her tightening her legs around him.

Chris groaned into her cunt, and the vibrations added to her arousal. He did so again and again, using his teeth to tug at her clit and her pussy lips before darting his tongue into her cunt.

Kate screamed as another orgasm barreled through her. Chris held onto her thighs, letting her ride it out on his face as he lapped at her leaking cum. Kate bucked into his tongue, feeling him lick at her juices as she shuddered.

Once the orgasm had ebbed, Chris gently lowered her to the ground. She lost her balance on her legs, and Chris moved to support her with his hands.

He pressed her to the wall again, trying to capture her mouth with his. She turned away from him each time.

"Kate--" he started to complain.

"I don't think I can have another orgasm," she told him, panting from all he had done to her.

"Oh, I can make you have another one," he smirked.

"But I'm sensitive," she said, frowning as she felt the ghost touches of his fingers and tongue on her cunt.

"You won't feel it this time," he said, quickly descending his lips on hers before she could change his mind. Kate sighed into the kiss, momentarily wondering if she should continue with it.

The touch of his tongue on hers erased her thoughts. She softly moaned into the kiss, and she squealed when she felt Chris' hands on her butt. He urged her to raise her feet up, and she did so, wrapping them around his waist.

Chris pressed her against the wall, holstering her up so that he could position his erect cock on her pussy.

"Chris!" Kate gasped, feeling it press on her cunt. The sensation of his hard cock on her pussy made her arousal anew. The throbbing shaft was placed at the opening of her cunt. She could feel its girth and some of the veins on it as they rubbed on her pussy.

"Is this what you wanted?" he asked.

"I--" Chris silenced her with his lips, moaning when he shifted his cock against her.

Kate's legs tightened around Chris' waist as she felt her arousal return. His hardening cock did not help matters. It felt hard as it pressed itself against her cunt.

"You are not putting that in me," Kate told him when they parted for air. Chris chuckled.

"Trust me. This is not the way I plan on fucking you the first time," he said, grinding his hips upward. Kate gasped at unexpected pleasure when she felt his cock slide against her pussy lips.

"Then what are you—Ooh!" Kate moaned as he ground his hips into hers.

"I want to feel you cum on my cock," he replied with a groan before kissing her again. Kate's hands moved to wrap themselves around Chris' form. His arms also moved to wrap themselves around hers as he thrust against her wet cunt.

Chris continued with the motion, making the both of them moan with pleasure. Kate even moved her leg for better access, placing the heel right above his butt. The area contracted on her heel, making her eyes widen in surprise.

"Touch me, Kate," he moaned, moving his lips to her breasts. Kate moaned as she arched her breasts to his lips, feeling him tease her nipples. Her hands moved on their own accord, feeling the muscles in Chris' exposed back.

They were defined, and they tensed with each movement. She moved her hands higher, feeling the tension and the strength in his arms. She felt his biceps, and it had her cunt pulsing.

"Yes, Kate. Touch my abs," he encouraged, moving a bit backward so that her hands could feel his chest. She felt his pectorals, tugging at the nipples and enjoying it when she heard Chris groan.

Her hands moved lower, and she moaned when she felt his abdominals clench and relax with each thrust of his hips.

"You like that, don't you?" Chris growled, earning a whimper from her.

Her hands moved back up, feeling the tight muscles near his neck.

"Kate!" he groaned as she shifted, making his shaft hit her clit.

"Chris!" she moaned his name, arching into his movements.

His cock moved back and forth, sliding against her wet pussy lips. Each thrust rubbed against her clit. Kate did not understand how, but she enjoyed it with each moan she released.

She clutched onto his shoulders as he rocked against her, moving to kiss his arms. She would have gone lower were it not for the position they were in.

"Kate," Chris groaned again, pressing his chest against hers. Kate gasped when her puckered nipples brushed against his hard torso. They slightly rubbed against his pecs, making her delirious with pleasure.

"Chris," she whimpered, feeling an orgasm begin in her cunt.

"Are you about to come?" he growled.

"Yes," she whispered before moaning.

"Good. Me too," he said, moving his lips to capture hers.

Chris kept grinding against her, and Kate tried her best to grind back to him. Their orgasms kept building up with each motion. Chris kept directing his attention from Kate's lips and breasts, intensifying her pleasure.

"Chris, I'm--"

"Me too," he cut her off, moving at a fast rate.

Seconds later, they reached their climax. Kate yelled out Chris' name as her orgasm reached. He had pressed himself against her, leaving no contact as their release washed over them.

Chris groaned out his orgasm as his cock pulsed throughout Kate's. Her juices came out and coated his cock as he sprayed his ejaculate between their chests. It lasted for a while, having the both of them pant for air.

Once their climaxes had passed, exhaustion hit their bodies.

Kate went to stand on the floor, but Chris' arms tightened around her to stop her motions. He slowly walked back to the bed, turning before he lay on it.

Chris shifted his position on the bed, letting Kate lie her head on his shoulder. She adjusted her sleeping position so that she felt comfortable with him near her.

"Wow," she commented, and he smirked.

"The weekend has just started, Kate," he said. "I'm not done touching what's mine. Now let's go to bed."

Kate hummed on his shoulder and fluttered her eyes closed. Chris did the same, and it did not take long for the two to fall asleep.

 

Chapter 42

 

Kate had ended up spending the weekend at Chris's place. Instead of going out, they decided to stay in his house where they ordered takeouts and watched movies.

Among other things.

Her mind was still fresh with the memories of what they had done during those two days. She blushed every time she remembered them, and she still felt the ghost touches that Chris had left all over her body.

She shook her head, blushing when she remembered she was in class. She and Chris had driven from his place and straight to the university that morning, arriving early before the professor could show up.

"I can't believe you guys are forcing me to explain the difference between integrated and discrete GPU..." Mr. Bernard complained after a student asked, waving his hands around as he did so. Kate looked at the projected screen, seeing the brief notes the professor had typed in his Microsoft PowerPoint program.

She turned to glance at her left, and she found herself frozen when she spotted Chris looking at her. He was giving her the same heated look he had worn all weekend when he was making her scream out his name. He smirked at her, and something about his look promised a continuation of what they had started at his place.

Marie blushed as her mind replayed the images again. They made her worry that someone would know what she was thinking, even though it was impossible. A wet sensation had started once again between her thighs, and it had her in disbelief.

'Oh, come on!' she thought.

"Class dismissed!" the professor announced minutes later, and Kate had to hold back the urge to sigh in relief. She and Chris made quick work of shutting down their computers before exiting the room.

Once they were in the hallway, Chris grasped her hand and backed her to a wall before attacking her lips. She gasped, but then she moaned when she felt his hand reach for her back. He caressed it, pressing his form against hers on the wall.

His tongue soon delved into her mouth, stroking along the inside of it. He soon found her tongue, and the two were soon moaning into each other.

Someone gave a cat whistle, and it interrupted their moment. Kate ended the kiss before she looked around, seeing that people were looking at her and her boyfriend. She felt slightly awkward that people had seen her make out with Chris.

"Should we give them more to see?" he growled, his lips whispering closer to hers.

"Chris!" she chastised him, her reddened cheeks not lessening. He smirked at her reaction.

"Hey, Kate," a voice greeted, and it seemed to cut through the moment. Chris and Kate tensed as they turned to face Emma. They didn't get a chance to reply because she was already moving towards the doors.

"Um, what was that?" Chris asked her, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why did she greet you? Is something going on?"

Marie sighed, knowing that her boyfriend would not like the answer to the question.

"Let's go to the library. I'll tell you there," she said, intertwining her fingers with his. She soon started pulling them towards the exit of the building.

A couple of minutes later, they had entered the library and had secluded themselves in their usual private space. Unfortunately for Kate, Chris had not forgotten the greeting that Emma had given her.

"Kate, are you talking to her?" he asked as he opened his bag to remove his Alienware laptop.

Marie sighed before answering, "Yes."

"What?" Chris voiced out his shock.

"I went to talk to her about what happened in high school."

"Why?" he asked, trying to hold back his anger.

"I just felt bad for her. I wanted to know her side of the incident."

Chris remained silent for a while, his lips moving as he struggled to think of what to tell Kate.

"I'm sorry, Chris," she apologized. "I didn't mean to hide this from you."

"Don't you remember what she did to us?" he said.

"Yes," she told him. "But I wanted to know why. She told me, and she even apologized for what she did to us."

Chris looked baffled at her answer.

"You are not to see her again," he ordered, and the tone he had used made Marie tense.

"Excuse me?" she asked slowly, emphasizing on the words.

Chris sighed before saying, "I care about you, Kate. I'm worried that Emma will do something to--"

"She won't," Marie interrupted. "After everything she told me, I know she won't."

"How can you be so sure?" Chris stated.

"Chris, it's been three months," she pointed out. "If she wanted to do something, she would have done it by now."

Chris shifted in his seat before saying, "I just don't like the idea of you being hurt."

His words seemed to calm Kate. She smiled, happy to know her boyfriend cared that much about her.

"I'll be okay," she told him, moving to peck his lips. "Now, let's focus on the project."

Kate and Chris soon turned their attention to the motion graphics project they had been given at the beginning of their junior year. So far, they had already turned their drawings into their third dimension versions. They had even created the world for their story and the comic-like video guide for it. The only thing left was to actually animate the story.

Chris and Kate soon delved into a discussion of who would voice certain characters in their short film. Moreover, they discussed the background music. Those two things were important for them to start the animation process.

An hour in the library passed. By then, they were still unsure about using their own voices for the sake of the animation before allowing other people to voice the characters. It could ruin the flow of their story, but the idea of finding people to voice their characters would be tasking. They weren't coming to a final decision, and so they planned to sort it at another time.

"So, what do we do now?" Marie asked as she stared at Chris. Chris looked back at her, and the sudden heated expression he was giving her clued her in on what he wanted to do.

"Oh, no," she said, moving to stand from her seat. Chris quickly followed, but then he started approaching Kate.

"Why not?" Chris stated. "We're alone up here. There's no one else on the floor, and," he said, backing her to a shelf of books, "we have a lot of books to shield us."

The words that Chris said were seductive to Kate. A part of her wanted to disagree with what he was proposing, but another part of her was yearning for it. In fact, it surprised her when the idea of getting caught seemed to appeal to her.

"Chris," she whispered his name. That was all it took for him to kiss her.

His lips glided against hers, causing her to moan. The kiss soon turned sexual as Chris' lips moved against hers in a frantic pace, making her arch towards him. His hands moved around her form, touching and groping the sides he was able to reach.

As his teeth nibbled on Kate's lower lip, his hands moved to her torso. The moment he plunged his tongue into her mouth was the same moment that he groped her breasts in his hands.

Kate moaned into the kiss, especially when she felt her breasts being squeezed.

"I want this off," Chris said, stopping the kiss to tug at her shirt. Kate lifted her arms, giving him access to the article of clothing. It came off swiftly, and soon, Chris was tugging off his own shirt.

Kate found herself once again staring at her boyfriend's naked torso. It was hard to believe she was dating him as he stood in front of her, admiring the look of desire she had for him.

He soon backed her into the shelves once again and resumed the kiss. His hands moved to her waist, making Kate arch into him as the feel of his touch added to her arousal. Chris' hands moved up her back as they kissed, quickly sorting out the clasp of the bra. The article of clothing fell off, and Kate sighed when she felt her breasts press against Chris' torso. The nipples had already hardened into pebbles, and the sensation of them dragging across his chest made Kate wetter with desire.

Chris' hands moved back to her waist as he kissed her. His tongue stroked hers, and he groaned while she moaned and whimpered into the kiss. He loved the feel of her breasts against his chest, and he wanted to touch them. By then, his cock was hard, and it wanted out.

He detached his lips from Kate's, making her whimper for more.

"Turn around," he told her. Marie did as he asked, not thinking twice about it. His lips soon sought out her neck, and Kate arched into him when he started attacking the hickey he had formed on the weekend.

Kate's mouth opened in a silent moan as she closed her eyes, letting the sensation of Chris' lips on her neck take her higher. She shifted on her feet, trying to squeeze out the arousing sensations she was feeling between her legs.

Chris' hands moved to her stomach before they started inching higher. Kate's heart thudded behind her chest, especially when she felt the hands on her naked breasts.

Chris squeezed them, making her arch towards him.

"Kate," he groaned, still kissing her neck as he clenched his fingers around her breasts. Kate moaned, feeling her nipples harden for attention.

"I love your breasts," he said, moving his fingers so that they could find her nipples. Kate whimpered, but then she moaned when he started playing with them. He plucked them into the air before rubbing them between his fingertips.

"So sensitive," he whispered.

The feel of his hands playing with her nipples increased the arousal Kate was feeling. She was even worried her juices would soak through her jeans.

Chris kept kissing and toying with her breasts for a while. Afterward, one of his hands moved lower to her waist. He grabbed the hem of her jeans, slowly pulling it down.

"Chris," Kate sighed as she tensed in surprise.

"Ssh," he whispered to her, pushing her jeans down until they pooled around her feet. Kate was soon left in her panties, and the sight of her in them made Chris groan.

Marie soon heard clothes rustling behind her. She turned to observe what was going on, but Chris' hand on her shoulder forced her to stay put.

Then Kate felt his erection.

"Chris," she gasped, more so when he reached for her undergarments and quickly pulled them down.

"Kate," he groaned back at her, looking at her delicious, naked ass. He moved, positioning his cock between her ass cheeks.

"What are--" Marie went to ask, but she was cut off by the feel of his lips on the back of her neck. She turned to reach for them, and she moaned when she felt them back on her lips. The two of them stood, letting their lips do the work for a moment.

Chris' hands moved to her ass, holding her still. Then he rocked.

Kate gasped, feeling a sudden wetness on her ass as the cock glided against her skin. It made her blush, more so when she felt the head at the top of her butt.

"You feel so good, Kate," Chris groaned, continuing his grinding motion. The head and shaft of his dick kept gliding and poking at the skin. They rubbed against the area close to her pussy, making Kate clench her legs in need. She whimpered for it.

"Can you imagine me taking you like this?" he growled. "Can you imagine my dick being inside you right now? Taking you right here where people could just walk in and see us?"

Kate whimpered at the image he produced in her mind.

"Your tight pussy would squeeze me in," he continued. "You'd be dripping for me."

"Chris..." she trailed off, panting for air as her arousal increased.

"Where would my cock be, Kate?" Chris asked her, stopping his motions.

"In my..." Kate bit her lower lip.

"Where, Kate? Where will it be?" Chris kept talking. At that moment, the sensation of his dick on Marie's ass ended. She went to whine, but then she gasped when she felt the head nudge at her wet pussy.

"Here?" he growled, attacking her neck with small kisses. Kate couldn't hold back her moan as she arched towards him.

"That's right. I'll be fucking your pussy so hard," he continued speaking, shifting so that the appendage was between her legs.

"It will be so deep in you. I'd fuck you so hard and fill you with my cum."

"Chris..." Kate whimpered, moving to squeeze her legs. Her whimper soon turned into a gasp when she felt Chris' cock between her thighs.

"Fuck!" he yelled, closing his eyes for a moment. His hold on Kate's ass tightened as he tried to control himself.

Then he moved forward.

Marie gasped when she felt Chris' dick rub so deliciously against her pussy lips. It made her even wetter, making her juices trail down her thighs.

"Chris," Kate called out to him in a whimper. "Please."

Chris' hands moved to her torso. He held her still, and then he resumed his grinding motion.

He moved forward and backward, each time pushing his cock against Kate's cunt. She tightened her legs and gasped at the sensations that flooded her body. She moaned and whimpered, tightening her legs wantonly around Chris' cock.

"Fuck," he exclaimed his pleasure, especially when his cock rubbed against her bare pussy lips. "You're so wet."

Kate whimpered in reply. Chris moved his lips back to her neck, kissing her as he moved his hips into hers. Kate soon got in tune with the moves. She started copying the motion, grinding her hips back to his.

Every motion of their hips caused their thighs to slap against each other, and it could have made Kate gasp were it not for the arousal that was increasing by the second.

She hummed in pleasure, but then it turned into gasps when she felt her breasts caged in Chris' hands. He squeezed them before playing with her nipples, making her moan and push her hips back to him.

Marie felt the beginnings of her orgasm. Her breath was coming in fast, and her pussy walls kept clenching in need as her nipples kept being rubbed and toyed with.

"Chris," she whimpered before she moaned.

He left one of her nipples to toy with her clit. Kate bucked into Chris as the hardened nub was pressed against his hard shaft.

"Come for me, Kate," he growled in her ear before kissing the lobe. "Come on my cock."

Chris upped his grinding motion, and Kate gasped in pleasure. Her orgasm was approaching sooner than she thought.

Chris covered her mouth as she moaned out her release. Her body shook as Chris kept grinding his cock against her pussy, feeling her juices come out of her in a rush. Her pussy walls tightened and relaxed as her vision became blurred from all the pleasure.

Chris soon groaned, and he reduced his grinding motion as his cum started jetting out of his cock. He jerked between her legs for some seconds with his form tensed.

By then, Kate's orgasm had passed. Chris' arms were around her form, holding her as he caught his breath.

"I can't believe we did that," she said, shocked. Her eyes caught the stains they had left on the floor and on some of the books in front of her.

Chris kissed her on the cheek before saying, "We are not done yet."

"What?" Marie commented as she turned to look at him.

"Put your clothes back on. We're going to my place where I'll eat that pussy of yours and make you come so many times for me."

Chris' words returned the stirring in Kate's loins. She said nothing to object to his plans as she went to put her clothes back on.

They packed their bags before they checked out of the library, rushing to continue what they had started there.

 

Chapter 43

"Blender and its keyframes..." Marie muttered to herself as she struggled to make her character's lips move. She was in her dorm, catching up with the work left for the short film. 

She and Chris had decided to start choosing people to voice the characters for their short film. It had surprisingly taken them a week to select and record them according to their script. Kate had a recording of a dialogue intended for the character she was animating, and she was trying to sync it with the movement of the mouth.

But then, a knock sounded at her door.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Kate stood up from the couch and headed towards it. She flung it open, and her eyes landed on a stranger.

"May I help you?" she asked him, observing his features. His round face, sharp bearded jawline, brown eyes and bronze skin accentuated his features. He also had curly hair that reached the nape of his neck. He had a slightly-bulk build to him, and the eyeglasses he had worn did not deter his handsomeness.

"Is Gwen around?" he asked her with furrowed eyebrows.

"No," Kate replied, feeling that she knew the person in front of her. "Who are you?"

"Oh. I'm Ben," he replied, and Kate was surprised. She did a once over of his form again.

'No wonder Gwen likes him,' she thought.

"I'm--"

"Kate," he replied with a slight smile. "Gwen told me about you."

"Nothing bad I hope," Marie stated, making Ben chuckle. "Come in. Gwen would be in any second now."

Gwen's boyfriend made his way into the dorm, and Kate closed the door behind him. She turned, and she was surprised when she noticed him looking at her textured 3D model on her Alienware laptop.

"You did this?" he asked, turning to face her.

Kate blushed before replying, "Yes."

"It looks good," he commented, moving to sit on the couch as he stared at her screen. "How did you do it?"

Marie was tongue-tied for a moment, not knowing how to answer the question.

"Did you sculpt this or..."

"Oh," she commented, relieved that she didn't have to explain a lot about what she was doing. "I used vertices first to animate the character. Afterward, I used Zbrush to polish the rough edges of the model. Literally."

"Wow," Ben said, making Kate unsure on how to act. "What course are you taking?"

"IT," she replied.

"Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Are you sure you aren't taking the wrong course?"

Kate chuckled before saying, "The 3D stuff is just a hobby. My true passion lies in computers."

"Oh," he said, adding nothing else.

Marie went to say something else, but the door behind her opened.

"You will not believe the kind of crap I had to take from my pro--" Gwen was speaking, but then she cut herself off when she made it into the small dining room.

"Gwen?" Kate called out. To her shock, her roommate did not answer as she quickly made her way to Ben. She collapsed on top of him, and in a second, they began making out.

On the couch.

A blush highlighted Kate's cheeks as she watched her roommate passionately kiss her boyfriend.

"Hi, Gwen," she greeted, but she was still engrossed in the passionate kiss.

Kate cleared her throat, and it ended their moment.

"Guys, save it for the bedroom," she said, and she watched Ben's cheeks light up in embarrassment.

"Oh, please," Gwen stated as she got off her boyfriend. "It's not like I don't see you on the verge of undressing yourself when you make out with Chris."

Kate narrowed her eyelids.

'Touché.'

"So you guys have met already," Gwen stated.

"We were just getting to know each other," Marie replied. "Now I get why you're dating him."

"Shut up," Gwen said jokingly, making Kate smirk. "Anyway, we're about to head out for lunch. Want to join us?"

"Sure," Kate replied. "It's not like I have plans for the afternoon anyway."

The three slowly made their way out of the dorm. Kate had to watch as Gwen made small talk with her boyfriend. They laughed and grinned after every second as they whispered to each other. It made Kate pause every time she wanted to talk to them, and she wondered if it was a good idea to go out with them.

She had even considered calling Chris to join them, but he had some class assignments to finish. 

"What would you like?" a waiter asked the three after they arrived in a nearby diner. Marie remembered it being the first place that Chris had taken her out for lunch, and it made her wish he was with her. She made her order just before the couple sitting in front of her did. The waiter soon left, promising that the food would be ready in fifteen minutes.

"So, what did you guys talk about?" Gwen asked.

"Nothing much," Ben replied. "Though I must say that your friend is excellent with 3D art."

"I know," Gwen stated.

"Guys, I'm doing it with Chris," Marie stated.

"But you also modeled stuff before the project."

Kate rolled her eyes, but a smile slipped from her control.

The three continued talking about random stuff. Kate found out that Ben lived in New York with his family. 

Weirdly, he was not neighbors with Gwen.

He had two brothers and a sister, and their parents had recently retired. He was called a smarty pants ever since middle school. Ben also spoke about funny stuff that happened in his childhood, like how he and his brothers used to frighten the boys that wanted to date their sister.

Kate found herself laughing and feeling bad for the poor girl.

"Here you go," a waitress interrupted their conversation minutes later, placing the trays of food on the table.

"Thank you," Marie said, and the server nodded in acknowledgment before she walked away.

"What are we waiting for? Let's dig in," Ben stated.

The conversations resumed as they ate. They talked about their families before focusing on stuff involved with the school.

"I'm not done with my project," Ben said.

"Oh, thank goodness," Kate replied, earning a confused look. "I thought I was the only one,"

"Oh," he replied before chuckling.

"Kate?" someone called out, interrupting their meals. Marie turned, and her form tensed at the person she saw.

"Emma?" she replied, and the mentioned female started approaching the booth. She gave a hesitant smile.

The last time Kate had spoken to Emma was in January. A few months had passed, and even though they had gotten over the subject of their past, things seemed to be uncomfortable between them. Kate was unsure about how to talk to her.

"Hi," Emma greeted.

"Hey," Kate replied before looking at the people behind her. They stared at the both of them in curiosity.

"Oh! This is my roommate, Gwen, and her boyfriend, Ben."

"Hi," the mentioned smiled as they waved.

"Good luck forming a couple name with that," Emma commented with a nervous smile, and it seemed to decrease the tension in the air.

"You want to join us?" Kate asked, motioning at the space beside her.

"Oh, no. I'm fine," she replied. "I actually bought some food here to eat at my place."

"Oh," Kate replied. "Well, okay."

"See you later," Emma said before turning and making her way to the exit.

'How odd,' thought Marie as she turned to her friends.

"Who was that?" Gwen asked with a curious look.

"Hmm?" Kate replied. "Oh. That was Emma."

"How do you know her?" Ben asked at that time.

"We went to the same high school. We didn't talk to each other during that time though."

"Yeah... I don't know how to say this without coming off as a bitch," Gwen stated.

"Gwen?" Kate said with a raised eyebrow.

"Something about that girl does not feel right. I don't know..." she trailed off, scratching her head. "I just felt it in the air, you know?"

Kate knew, but she was not willing to delve into the subject that was Emma. It would force her to reveal some stuff about her past that she did not want to relive, especially with Ben sitting in front of her.

"It's okay, Gwen," she said. "Honestly, that girl has gone through some stuff."

"Huh?" Gwen commented.

"I don't know what happened," Kate stated. "She seemed off since high school. She had problems with her family and stuff. I thought it would all be done by now, but it looks like nothing has changed."

"Well, let's hope she gets through whatever she is going through," Ben said, earning slow nods from Kate and Gwen.

Then they changed the conversation to other topics.

 

Chapter 44

Narrator: In yo' business bitches be like:

You ask me how I know?

You ask me how I know?

I know because I'm real observant.

Narrator: Bitch you just nosy.

Narrator: Thirsty bitches be like:

Girl #1: Girl, I need a boyfriend for these cold winter nights.

Girl #2: Bitch, shut your thirsty ass up and buy a coat.

Kate's laughter echoed in her bedroom as she watched her favorite YouTube videos again. She was perched on her bed in casual clothes that late morning, having no plan for the day.

Well, except for catching up with her project and class assignments.

The thought of them just made her sigh in exhaustion. They seemed to be the only things she did nowadays. Kate was aware that a lot of time had been spent on them, especially on her junior year project. Even though she was tired with it, she couldn't just leave it incomplete. She just had to focus on the fact that she and Chris were close to finishing it. 

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting the video she was watching. She furrowed her eyebrows as she got out of bed to head towards it. Gwen was absent, having spent the night with her boyfriend. So it seemed clear about who was outside the door.

"Hey-- Oh," she cut herself off when she saw it wasn't Chris.

"Hi, Kate," Emma greeted her with a hesitant smile. Her brown hair was curled, and she had applied a decent amount of makeup on her face. She had also donned on a leather coat over her orange shirt with a black pair of jeans.

"Emma, this is a surprise," she confessed. "Do you want to come in?"

"Sure," she replied with a smile, slowly making her way into the dorm. As soon as Kate closed the door behind her, what was happening seemed to fully dawn on her.

Emma was in her house, and the two of them were alone.

"Your place looks much better than mine," Emma stated, walking around the living room and observing the area.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You can imagine how messy my dorm looks right now."

"What?" Kate commented with furrowed eyebrows. "Don't you live alone?"

"Lived sounds more like it," she sighed as she moved to sit on the couch. 

Kate said nothing as she took note of what was happening in the room. Emma had come to see her, and things seemed different between them. There was an ease in conversation, even though there was a bit of uneasiness in the air, and she chose not to dwell too much on it.

"Is the new girl that much of a bitch?" Marie asked.

"Try a huge dick," Emma replied with a knowing smirk that had Marie confused.

"What?"

"Alex is my roommate."

Kate's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Emma. The girl had a serious expression on her face, and with the past conversations they had, she knew she was not lying.

"WHAT?" Kate exclaimed. "Wait. Is it the Alex we know?"

"The very same person."

"How? And when?"

"He got kicked out of his place for sleeping with his roommate's girlfriend," Emma deadpanned.

'Yeah... That sounds like Alex,' Kate thought with a shrug.

"But he swears he didn't know and that the girl came onto him. I don't know what to believe. But what I know is that he's been my roommate for months now."

"MONTHS?" Kate exclaimed.

Emma sighed before saying, "Yeah, but not a lot of people know. Alex wants it to stay that way."

Marie hummed with a frown on her face as she pondered over the information she had just received. It was a shock to hear that Alex was rooming with a girl, more so the one who had shot him in high school.

"So, how is he?" Kate questioned, settling herself on the couch.

"Well, things were tough between us for two months. But we eventually got to talk and get over our past. After that..." Emma trailed off with a grimace, and it made Kate smile.

"That bad, huh?"

"I know Alex can be a rude son of a bitch, but what he does when I'm around..."

"What?" Kate found herself settling comfortably on the couch as she asked for more details.

"The guy can be lazy and irresponsible at times."

"Leaves clothes and dirty dishes all around?" Marie guessed.

"Yes," Emma nodded vehemently. "And dude walks around shirtless all the time."

"Isn't that normal?"

"Kate, he also walked shirtless during the winter."

"That's crazy!"

"I know," she rolled her eyes. "But it's not as crazy as seeing him naked in the mornings."

If Kate had a drink in her mouth, she was sure she would have spat it all over the floor.

"I have seen his ding-a-long many times by now."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows.

"Ding-a-long?"

"His penis," she clarified, making Kate blush. "I mean, I get it. He's hot. Dude's acting like a god. Can't he just stop with these shenanigans?"

"Could it be that he wants to bone you?" Marie suggested.

"What?" Emma exclaimed before laughter escaped her lips. Kate raised an eyebrow, clearly seeing that she was trying to deny it.

"I think so," Emma replied after she stopped her fake laugh, "but I always see him with another girl on his arm. And the noises they make in his room... "

Kate winced in understanding, knowing how annoying it could be to be woken up late in the night by sex sounds.

"I'm not going to sleep with him," Emma stated with a faraway look.

"So anyway, how have things been for you?" Kate went to change the subject.

"Other than the whole issue with Alex, they've been good. Classes have been great, and I've even made a friend."

"Really?" Kate questioned, earning a nod from her. "That's good."

"Yeah," Emma nodded along.

"I'm not sure if I've asked this, but what course are you taking?"

"Hmm? Oh, right. CS."

"CS, as in--"

"Computer Science. Bachelor."

"Damn," Kate commented with her eyes widening in surprise. "Congrats."

"Thank you," Emma replied with a glad smile. "It's what I've wanted to do since I was in high school. I would have been doing my Masters by now if only..." she trailed off, and Marie understood what she meant. She could have been far into her studies by now if only Darcy had not gotten in her way.

"So, what about you?" Emma asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Marie. "How have you been, especially now that you are dating Chris?"

Kate smiled before saying, "Wonderful."

"You are one lucky girl. Do you know how many people want to snag your boyfriend?"

"What?" Kate questioned in disbelief.

"But they can't," she continued. "I mean, look at you. Then look at him. Quite a couple made for each other."

"Oh," Kate had no other words as a shy smile formed on her face.

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Everyone practically paved the way for you two to date. Wait. What are you doing right now?"

"Nothing much. Just watching some videos before I start on my college assignments."

"Well, okay. I have some stuff to do too," Emma said as she got up from the couch to head to the door.

"Wait," Kate stopped her. "You could stay if you want."

"You sure? Wouldn't I be distracting you from your work?"

"Nope. Now let's go to my room."

Emma looked warily at her.

"Are you trying to hit on me?"

"What? NO!" Kate denied furiously, making Emma laugh.

"I'm just kidding," she said, earning an unamused look from her. 

"Let me just get my laptop. You will love this guy I found on YouTube..." she trailed off as she went into her bedroom. She came out seconds later with the device and set it on the table in front of them.

The two sat on the couch, and laughter ensued from that point. They even watched a couple of movies. Emma ended up staying in Kate's dorm until the evening had reached. She bid her goodbye, saying they could meet up again sometime. Kate nodded, and she wondered if things were getting better between them.

 

Chapter 45

Kate had found herself once again in Chris' room that Saturday morning. She had gone there so that they could continue with their project.

"I told you to get away!" a female voice spoke according to the printed script Marie was holding.

"But I can't," a male voice replied as the recording played on the speakers. "I had to see you again."

The two were playing a scene they had prepared for their short film on the TV. Even though it was still in the pre-rendered stage, it showed the movement of the characters and everything in their environs. Kate and Chris were looking for any possible errors involving the audio syncing with the video, but it looked good so far.

"I can't believe we're halfway done!" Kate exclaimed once the video had finished playing.

"Me too," Chris smiled. "But we still have another half to finish. We haven't even rendered this scene."

Kate looked unamused before exclaiming, "Damn it!"

"Relax, Kate," he told her. "I have a powerful computer to help us with that. It shouldn't take a long time."

"What about finishing the whole clip?"

Chris chuckled before saying, "No."

"Really?" Marie frowned. 

"It wouldn't be a lot to do. I'll just merge the video to the audio."

"But you'll have to let me help with editing the videos," Kate insisted. "I know how to use some Adobe programs."

"Oh," Chris said, surprised. "Okay. But for now, we relax."

He stood up from his office chair, and he started stretching. Kate's eyes were immediately transfixed on the sight, watching as the muscles bulged underneath his blue polyester shirt. His arm muscles stood out as he pulled his arms back, stretching his form.

'Oh crap,' Kate thought the moment she felt a sudden wetness between her legs. It had only been a few days since they had fooled around. She never thought she would react like that so quickly, and she blamed it all on Chris. He had her addicted to his touches, and it slightly worried her.

"Kate?" he called out, forcing her eyes on him. "Is anything in your mind?"

"No," she replied, blushing as she turned to look at the wall beside her.

"Kate..." Chris stretched out, forcing her to look back at him. "Were you checking me out?"

She blushed at the suggestion. Her boyfriend immediately realized he was right, and he smirked.

"It's okay," he said, moving his hands to casually tug his shirt off. His torso was soon revealed, showing off the muscles that he had. 

"Chris!" Kate exclaimed.

"What?" he said, feigning cluelessness. "It's not like you haven't seen all this before."

Marie bit her lower lip.

"In fact, I check you out all the time," he admitted.

"Oh," Marie commented, still blushing.

Chris stood still, staring at his girlfriend. He didn't bother putting his shirt back on because he loved the look she was having.

"Kiss me, Kate," he suddenly said.

"Huh?"

"You heard me, or do you want me to do it? You should know by now how I get when I'm near you."

Kate was hesitant on following the order, even though her body was protesting her mind. Her nipples were puckered behind her bra, and her pussy quivered with anticipation as it got slick with her juices.

Kate stood up from her chair. The moment she was a centimeter apart from her boyfriend, Chris moved his lips forward. He groaned the moment they made contact with Kate's, clouding her mind with arousal.

Kate moved forward, her clothed form pressing against Chris. She felt aware of him, even through her shirt, and her nipples hardened for attention.

Marie moved to unbutton her shirt, and she was soon left with her bra.

"Take it off too," Chris whispered into the kiss. Kate's hands quickly found the clasp of her bra, and she immediately felt relief when her bare torso pressed up against Chris'.

Chris' arms wrapped around her back, pushing her flush against him as he kissed her. His tongue lapped and toyed with hers, rubbing as he did so and making her moan for him. His hands moved against the soft skin of her back, caressing it. Kate felt her nipples pebble against his chest, spreading shocks of pleasure straight to her pussy.

When she felt Chris' lips descend to her chest, she stopped him by grasping his shoulders.

"Wait," she said. He stopped kissing her, looking up at her with desire. 

"What?" he asked.

Kate answered by grasping his head between her soft hands before moving him towards her lips. Unlike the hastened pace of Chris' lips, Kate moved slowly. She kissed him tentatively, softly moving her lips against his. Her hands moved to hold onto his shoulders as she kept kissing him.

Chris went to increase the pace of the kiss, but before he could do so, Kate ended it. Then her lips moved down from his mouth. She kissed his cheeks and chin, feeling the small hairs tickle her skin before moving down his Adam's apple.

"Kate," he released a soft groan, and she smiled on his neck. She moved her lips downwards until she reached the base, kissing the small dip at the top of his chest.

Kate moved to his shoulders, kissing the skin as she felt the muscles tense underneath her lips. It made her feel good to touch him, and it increased the evident arousal between her thighs.

Marie grasped his hand, and she brought it forward. She rubbed her fingers against the callused skin, feeling the difference in textures and body heat. She soon moved to kiss his palm.

"Kate, are you trying to kill me?" Chris groaned, fighting to stay still. She ignored him, going to kiss his wrist before moving up his arm. Her lips pecked the veins running along the limb. The muscles underneath tensed under her ministrations, and she found herself enjoying the reaction Chris was having for her. Her lips moved up from his elbow, making sure to leave a hickey near his biceps.

"Kate," he groaned again. "Can't I just take over now?"

"No," she denied him before kissing his shoulder once again. He sighed, but he did not complain any further.

Kate stopped and shifted backward to stare at her boyfriend's naked torso. She observed the definition of muscles on his form, and the lighting in the room made them look like a wonderful work of art. There was also a matt of small, golden hair that was barely visible.

She looked downward, observing his defined abdominal muscles. His six-pack stood out at certain intervals as he breathed. And below them was the defined 'V' of his waist that led to his crotch.

Marie moved to kiss one of his pecs. She was hit with the delicious scent of him, and it had her mind losing focus for a bit. Chris tensed, forcing himself to relax when he felt her lips on his skin. She soon moved her hands to his torso, rubbing as she felt the skin shiver on her fingers.

Her hands explored the muscles underneath as she kissed his pectorals. They moved lower, and Chris trembled when she touched his six-pack. All of what Kate was doing was making her wet, but she was determined not to focus on herself. She wanted Chris to feel the same way he usually made her feel each time they got in bed.

Her lips soon found his pink nipples. She experimentally sucked one in, and she heard him groan his pleasure. Kate was surprised to find that he too loved to have his nipples sucked, and it made her glad. Her teeth soon followed, nipping at the hardened pub. She tried to do what he usually did with hers, also using her tongue to play with the hardened nub.

She soon altered her attention to the other pectoral. Her hands clenched around his waist as she kissed him there, toying the nipple with her tongue, lips and teeth.

"Kate," Chris groaned.

She smiled, ending her kisses on his pecs. She soon turned her attention to his abs. 

'Hot damn,' she thought with a low gulp as she stared at the muscles. She went down, moving her lips along the skin as she kissed the area. Chris' breathing soon became ragged, and the action had his muscles contracting and relaxing at each moment.

Kate's tongue moved out, lapping at the top set of his abs. She explored the skin and the area, feeling it tense underneath her touch. She soon explored the dips between them, moaning at the sensation.

'Focus, Kate,' she told herself when she felt her pussy clench in need.

She kept kissing his abs, looking up at Chris as his breathing became ragged under her ministrations. He threw his head back at one moment with a deep moan, and the sight made her shudder.

Marie soon knelt on the ground as she reached Chris' navel. She was unsure of kissing him there, but the gasp he gave her when she licked it made her worries cease.

She soon stopped, directing her focus to Chris' jeans. The hem of his black boxer briefs stood out above the jeans. That coupled with the clothed erection that had curved sideways to one of his thighs made her breathing pick up.

Kate's heart thudded as her hands reached for the clothing.

"Kate," Chris stated. "Are you sure about this?"

She looked up at him before saying, "I am."

"It's just that I don't want you to--"

"Chris, I want to do this."

He did not say anything afterward, and Kate took that as her cue to continue. Her fingers found the button of his jeans. She opened it, and the action revealed the zipper attached to the article of clothing.

She looked up at Chris, finding his eyes looking back at her. Her mouth moved for the zipper, and she wanted to laugh when Chris' eyes widened. Her teeth held onto it, and slowly, she started unzipping it.

Chris seemed to buck as she opened his jeans. The sound of the zipper being opened was arousing, and Kate found Chris tensing above her.

She soon reached the end of the zipper. Her teeth released it as she looked forward, seeing the boxer briefs that Chris had worn as the jeans fell on their own. Her eyes traveled to his thighs, and she swallowed at the muscles on them.

Kate turned to the bulge in Chris' boxers. It had stretched against the material, making its shape more evident. She gulped in nervousness before moving her lips to Chris' hips. She kissed the 'V', feeling Chris' form tense on her lips.

"Kate..." Chris trailed off in a groan. She soon grasped the hem of his boxer briefs, and slowly, she pulled it down.

The material slowly revealed the skin of Chris' cock. Kate noticed the veins at the base with the light hair around the shaft. Under the dick were Chris' balls, and they looked huge.

She could not help but focus on the appendage. The moment the boxers landed on the floor, it jumped in her vision. It had been close to slapping her face, making her almost lose her balance.

It was then that she noticed it was right in front of her. She gulped, drinking her view of Chris' cock. The slightly-red appendage was more than eight inches long, and the wide girth it had momentarily scared Kate. Staring at it kept her in a trance even though it was not the first time she saw it. 

'How do girls even put this inside them?' she wondered.

She froze in place as she focused on it. Veins that ran from the head were pulsing along the shaft. Precum had already started oozing down the length, coating it and making it look a little bit shiny in the lightning.

And it throbbed in front of her.

Marie licked her lips, unsure of what to do for a moment. Her tongue moved out, and she experimentally licked the head.

"Kate!" Chris hissed as his form tensed.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, looking up at him in concern.

"It's rather the contrary," he struggled to reply.

Kate looked back at the dick in front of her. She opened her mouth, moving to pull it in. She was hesitant for a moment, but then she wrapped her lips around the head.

"Mm," Chris hummed. Kate felt his form tense and his cock pulse in her mouth. Soon, she felt a rather salty taste hitting her tongue.

It wasn't that bad.

"Wrap your lips around your teeth," Chris told her.

She did as he ordered, and with a deep breath, she moved down on his cock. It moved past her teeth, going down towards her throat.

"Kate, wait," Chris said, grasping her shoulders. "You don't have to go that--"

He was cut off with a groan when she felt his cock hitting her throat. Kate stopped for a moment, feeling tears cloud her vision as she struggled to breathe through the appendage in her mouth. Her gag reflex was acting up, and she struggled to push it down.

Kate's eyes zeroed in on the rest of the shaft that had not entered her mouth. She inched closer, pushing some of it inside her.

'This is so hard!' she thought as she felt the shaft pulse in her throat. She took deep breaths through her nose, determined to push it all inside her.

"Kate," Chris said, but it turned into a groan at the end when she moved her lips down his cock. Minutes later, she reached a point where she couldn't take more of him. 

"Are you ok--" Chris groaned when Kate moved back on his cock. The shaft rubbed against her lips as it bobbed, tenderizing the area for a moment.

Then she moved back in.

"Fuck!" Chris moaned, feeling Kate's lips tighten around his cock. Her hands moved to his thighs, holding onto them for leverage as she sucked at him. The muscles underneath her hands tensed, and it did nothing to curb her arousal.

It was difficult at first, but Kate soon started a motion that had Chris' cock moving in and out of her mouth. At a point, she moved the shaft back into her mouth, humming around it as it rubbed against her lips. Her tongue moved to stroke it, and Kate felt the shaft pulse on it.

"You are going to kill me," Chris whispered before groaning when Kate's lips moved against him.

The motion continued. She moved her head back and forth on the cock. It was difficult to suck on all that length, but as time went by, she got used to it. She soon found herself enjoying it as she moaned and hummed around it.

The feeling of Chris' cock in her mouth was surprisingly good. Feeling the heat of it as it pulsed in her mouth added to the arousal she felt.

Her hands soon followed, fondling the ballsack underneath the shaft. Chris moaned loudly at the action. It continued for a while, and it had him lose control.

"Kate!" Chris exclaimed, his hands moving to her head. The feel of his fingers delving into her hair was a surprise to Kate. He held her still as he guided his cock in and out of her. The action had taken her off guard, and it threatened to make her gag on the shaft in her mouth.

Her hands inched higher, and she found herself grasping onto Chris' firm ass. Her fingers clenched on the ass cheeks as he used her mouth to fuck his dick. He was a groaning and a moaning mess by then.

Kate looked up, and the sight that met her made her clench her legs in need. Chris' head was thrown back, and his lips were parted as he groaned and moaned in pleasure. His arm muscles were tense, and his abs provided an erotic show as they clenched and relaxed every time he thrust into her mouth.

Kate mewled around his cock. He slowed down for a moment, looking down at her as she sucked him off.

"Fuck, Kate," he breathed out, his eyes flooded with desire. "You look so hot right now."

She moaned her reply around his cock, making him buck into her. She inched closer, and the action had her breasts brushing against his legs.

Marie's lips escaped the dick that was currently coated in her saliva. She moved down to the balls underneath the shaft. She took one in her mouth, moaning as she suckled it. Chris bucked again in pleasure. Kate did the same to the other as her hand found the shaft above her.

It was slick with her saliva by then. She stroked it, loving the way Chris groaned for her.

She decided she was done sucking on his balls, and so she moved her mouth back to his cock.

"Shit!" Chris exclaimed when he felt lips wrap around his cock once again. His hands moved to Kate's hair, holding on as she sucked him like a vacuum.

He moved into her mouth, increasing his speed. Kate held tightly onto his ass and muscular legs, powerless to do anything but to enjoy what was happening. Feeling the constrained strength of Chris' muscles under her hands did nothing to ebb her arousal. She found that she enjoyed it, especially when he was moaning for her like he was.

"Kate... I-I'm going to..." Chris trailed off, but she knew what he meant. She continued mouthing his cock, and hearing that he was about to come made her move faster.

"Kate!" Chris exclaimed as he arched his back. The action shoved his cock deep into her mouth, and she felt it pulse on her tongue. In an instant, she felt a warm liquid erupt from the head. It coated her mouth in jets, covering every inch of it. Kate moaned at the unexpected taste and the pleasure that came with it. She gulped it down as she resumed sucking on Chris' cock, making sure she had taken all of him.

By then, his groans had turned into low moans. Kate soon stopped, and she released the shaft from her mouth. She looked up, seeing Chris' pleased expression.

She slowly stood up to face him.

"How did I do?" she asked, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Wonderful," he replied, looking relaxed from all that she had done for him. "And now, it's time for your reward."

"Wha--" Kate was interrupted when she felt Chris wrap an arm around her back. He forced her on his lap as he sat on the office chair before he attacked her exposed nipple.

Kate released a loud moan when she felt him suck at her breast. His tongue lapped around the nub in fast strokes. His other hand soon moved to her shorts. He shoved them down along with her panties, revealing her soaked pussy.

"Fuck, Kate," he whispered on her breast before delving three fingers inside her. Kate tensed at the intrusion before moaning in pleasure when the fingers explored her pussy. Her walls clenched around them in arousal.

"Were you ever going to tell me about this?" Chris asked before tonguing her puckered nipple.

"N-No," Kate managed to answer with a whimper. "I wanted it to be about you. I didn't want you to worry about me."

Chris growled in anger.

"Really, Kate?" he said, moving his hands away from her pussy. She shook and whimpered at her denied pleasure. "Were you really going to let me be by your side with your pussy this wet?"

Kate was unsure of how to answer. Her mind was still focused on her release and how she wanted it badly.

"Were you going to let me put my clothes back on and continue on with the day without getting you off? Would you be okay with me leaving you like this and not touching you for a week?"

"No," she whimpered. "I need you. I want you, Chris. Please--"

That was all he needed to hear. He moved his fingers back into her cunt, and she moaned loudly in pleasure.

"That's what I wanted Kate," he said, sucking her nipple. "Don't you ever hide your wet pussy from me. No girlfriend of mine should be left unsatisfied," he said as he stared at Kate's pleasured expression. He continued fucking her with his fingers, listening to the sounds that came from her lips as her juices kept coating his hand.

"Do we have an agreement?" he growled.

"Yes!" Kate squealed.

His thumb soon found her clit.

"Good. Now come," he commanded. Kate screamed as she bowed her back. She grasped onto Chris' shoulder as her juices erupted onto his hand. He did not stop the motion of his fingers as he continued fucking her through her orgasm. Kate's moans of release lasted a while longer as her cunt continued squeezing itself around Chris' fingers.

"Come again, Kate," he growled.

"Wha--" she was cut off with a squeal when Chris unceremoniously bumped into her pleasure spots. His fingers kept hitting them, and she was surprised by how fast she was approaching her climax again.

"I know how turned on you usually get. Make this pussy cream hard on my fingers or else you'll feel my tongue for the whole day."

Chris' dirty words did it. Kate opened her mouth to yell out her release, but a fierce kiss from Chris muffled it when her release peaked. She tensed in his hold, feeling his fingers still moving inside her as she climaxed again. 

As soon as she was calm, Chris released his fingers from her pussy. He licked at them, moaning at the taste.

"I'll still eat your pussy," he promised with a smirk. Kate chuckled as he proceeded to take them to his bed. 

 

Chapter 46

"... and now we are done," Chris said, moving a few steps back from his computer. 

"Wow," Kate stated. "I can't believe it."

"I know," Chris replied. "And it only took a few weeks!"

The two of them were in one of the rooms in his house. Chris had his gaming computer delivered from his family's home after spring break for the sake of the project he and Kate were doing. It had all the hardware specifications needed for rendering the scenes of their short film. 

Kate looked around the room, spotting both Alienware laptops placed on Chris' bed. They had copied the files that they needed to the computer so that the device could render their short film without the need of charging a battery every now and then. The PC had an excellent power saver, and that was very relevant for the render process.

"Are you sure you can stay with the computer running like that?" she asked him.

"Don't worry. I put this here for a reason," he told her with a smile. "I also have a generator installed in case the power goes out. Now let's go for our date."

"Date?" Kate stated, looking at him in surprise. "Chris, we've been here for more than five hours. It's practically eight right now!"

"It's not too late to take my girl out and show everyone who she belongs to."

Kate found herself blushing at the words Chris said. She smiled, looking at him as he stared back at her.

"You do know that I don't mind staying in your house again, right?" she stated with a raised eyebrow.

"But we've been doing that since March. This film has been cutting into our time more so than often. Now that we are done--"

"There are more scenes to render," Kate reminded him.

"Now that we are done," Chris insisted, "we can finally do the things we want as a normal couple."

Marie went to reply with a smart-ass comment, but she stopped herself when she saw the look in Chris' eyes. Sure, she had dressed up for the possibility of going out with him in her green sleeveless dress; but when he said they could finish a major part of their project that day, she thought their plans of going out had changed. It was a shock to her that they had finished it and Chris still held enough energy to take her out.

"Okay, let's go," she gave in, and Chris grinned before slowly kissing her. As usual, his kisses stole her breath away.

"You are going to love it," he said with a promise in his tone.

********************** ***************************** ***************** *************

Some minutes later, Chris and Kate had ended up in a fancy restaurant. It was a major change to the usual places they went out to eat, and it had Kate looking at Chris with a confused look.

"What is this?" she asked him from where she sat.

"A restaurant, Kate," he replied, earning an unamused look from her. "I was planning for us to eat here."

Marie's eyes widened at the revelation.

The restaurant they had entered was majorly different from the places they usually went out to eat. It looked quite expensive with huge chandeliers that were hanging from the high ceiling. The interior design looked like a scene from a Gossip Girl's episode. The sitting areas were composed of large, furniture chairs and round tables that had glass jars of water and potted flowers on top of them. The butlers in the area wore black, matching suits, and they talked formally and politely to every customer who entered the establishment.

"You can't seriously expect us to eat here," Kate stated.

"Why not?" Chris questioned with a frown. "I want my girlfriend to enjoy the best night of her life."

Kate was tongue-tied.

"What? You don't like it?" Chris continued, looking sad with surprise at the thought.

"Oh, no!" Kate was quick to decline. She bit her lower lip before adding, "It's just that I didn't expect all this. In the past, I had quite the trouble with understanding fancy restaurants and rich people etiquette."

Chris smiled at her.

"You have no need to care for those," he said. "No one here will mind how you act. They're too busy with their own stuff."

Kate raised an eyebrow, slightly turning her head to face the people behind him. She saw a couple of guys looking back at her, and she cleared her throat to pretend she was thinking of something else.

"You are wrong, Chris," she told him. "I've spotted some guys looking at me."

"What?" Chris exclaimed.

"Don't turn!" she said, grabbing his hand to force his attention back to her. Her expression turned to shock when she saw the anger on his face.

"You are mine, Kate," he practically growled. Kate wanted to admonish his sudden behavior, but she found herself getting aroused by the way he talked.

He reached for her hand, grabbed it and brought it close to him. But then, he couldn't get it close enough to his lips.

"Why did the table have to be so big?" he said to himself, and it caused Marie to smile.

"Sir," a waiter greeted, interrupting the moment. "What can I get for you and the young lady?"

Marie noticed the server stealing glances at her, and for a moment, she had no idea of how to reply to that.

"Could we get a menu first? Oh, and your finest bottle of wine," Chris ordered. The waiter faced him.

"Certainly, Sir," the server nodded before moving along.

"I did not like the way that guy was looking at you," Chris commented.

"Now do you believe me when I say we should have stayed at your place?" Marie pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Chris said nonchalantly, causing Kate to chuckle.

The time they spent at the restaurant flowed by at a medium pace. After the waiter had returned with the red wine and menu, Chris and Kate proceeded to order some of the grandest dishes cooked in the establishment. A couple of appetizers were sent their way as their orders were being prepared, and close to an hour later, Chris and Kate were eating their meals.

The two talked as they ate, and some moments later, they left the establishment.

"I had a fun time," Kate told Chris, watching the view that the windshield provided as they drove back to his place.

"I hope you don't think that was the end of our evening," Chris stated, eyes on the road.

"Really?" Marie wondered. "What other plans do you have for us, boyfriend?"

Chris chuckled, not saying a word after that.

"Chris?" Kate called out, but he did not say anything. She called out again, and that was when she caught him smiling.

"Please tell me it's not a surprise," she stated. He didn't reply, still smiling.

That was all she needed to confirm that it was indeed a surprise. Kate sighed, knowing she wouldn't get a word out if she prodded for details.

It took a couple of minutes for them to return to his place. Chris had parked and switched off the engine of his car, and they were on their way into the house.

Kate stayed silent, but then she gasped when they made it into the dining room.

Somehow, flower petals had decorated the floor, leading up to the staircase. A couple of scented candles had also been lighted around the room, and they filled the area with a pleasant aroma.

"How did you do all this?" Kate wondered, still in awe of what she was seeing. She soon felt Chris' arms wrap around her from behind. His chin was soon pressing onto the area near her neck as he rubbed his warm cheek on hers.

"I had help from Alex," he replied.

"Alex?" she stated in disbelief.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Chris said. "I came up with the idea. He just had to prepare the room for us."

"How... weird," Kate stated, and her boyfriend chuckled. "Still, I'm happy with the surprise."

Chris ended the hug, walking forward so that he could grab her hand.

"Chris?"

"Let's go to my room," he said, tugging her hand in his to lead them to the stairs. Soon, they started their slow ascent to the hallway.

Kate's heart thudded in her chest, seeming to know what her boyfriend had planned for the evening. If it wasn't the scented candles and the flower petals all over the area, it was the sight that was in Chris' room that confirmed what they would do.

Candles met her vision, and she was surprised to see the flower petals on the bed.

"Chris..." Kate trailed off in amazement.

Yes, it was a cliché sight that had met her eyes, but she did not mind it. In fact, experiencing it seemed to make her feelings for Chris grow even further.

"Do you like it?" he asked her, seemingly unsure. Kate turned to face him, seeing tears block her vision for a moment. "Is it too much? Is it too..."

"Common?" she filled out for him. "Yes. But I don't mind it."

Chris smiled at her.

"Look, Kate. I think you know what I want to ask you. But you should know that we don't have to do it tonight. I don't want to push you. We could just continue our date here. It's practically why I had the flowers and the chocolate--"

Kate cut him off with her lips. Chris stood still for a moment, but then he started kissing her back.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked on her lips when they paused the kiss. Kate's heart thudded behind her chest as she looked up at him. She could see how much he cared for her, and it erased all doubts about her decision.

"Yes," she replied, moving to continue the kiss. Chris groaned at the contact, wanting to remove their clothes.

"Wait, Chris," she said, panting.

"What?" he asked, concerned. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"No," she replied with a chuckle. "I want to get changed out of this first."

"Does it really matter?" he asked with a grin.

"My makeup will get in the way," she added. Chris' expression suddenly turned to one of understanding.

"Oh, yeah. You're right. Okay," he agreed.

Kate nodded, and she moved to do what she had said.

 

Chapter 47

Kate had taken about fifteen minutes in the bathroom. She had also changed into a pair of shirt and shorts that she had brought from her dorm. Her heart had been thudding all the while as her thoughts ran in her mind about what was about to happen.

To be honest, the whole changing clothes thing was sprung up out of nervousness. 

'Chris wants to have sex with me,' that was the recurring thought in her head. She had been ecstatic at first, but minutes later, his words seemed to fully dawn on her. It was as if she had not heard him when he said them.

And she was freaking out.

'Am I ready for this?' she wondered. In the past weeks, she had felt sure of herself, especially after what Chris had done to her as a reward for the blowjob she had given him. He brought out feelings in her and reactions that she did not know she had in herself. He made her admit that she wanted his cock during the times he made her come. Realizing she was really about to have sex with him was a whole other deal that slightly frightened her.

Marie forced the thoughts away as she breathed deeply before returning into Chris' room. He was present, and he had changed into loose shorts and shirt. She met his eyes, and she found him looking at her with a heated expression.

"It was either this or being naked," he exposed, causing her to blush as she gave him a small smile. "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Chris..." she trailed off, uncertain of what to say. He began walking towards her.

He gave her a kiss on her forehead before asking "Are you really sure?"

Kate bit her lower lip as nerves ran through her form.

"It will still be okay. We don't have to do this tonight. We can do it another night. You know, when you are sure you are ready. We could just have another movie night--"

'No,' she thought.

Marie cut her boyfriend off by pressing her lips against his. He stood still for a moment, but then he started kissing her back.

A few seconds later, Chris detached his lips from Kate's as he looked at her.

"I'm sure," she replied with a small smile. Chris stood still for a moment, his eyes searching for something in hers. In a moment, he descended his lips back to her once again as he resumed the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her torso as he did so, bringing her flush against him.

Just as always, Kate felt shocks of pleasure running through her form at the passionate kiss. The feel of his mouth coupled with the heat coming from his body served as a good distraction from her thoughts.

After a while, he paused the kiss as started backing them to the bed. Slowly, he laid her on the mattress. Kate moved to be close to the headrest, and Chris soon followed, crawling so that he was on top of her.

Kate looked up at him, seeing the emotions swirling in his eyes. She released a nervous breath, and then he resumed kissing her.

His hands pressed onto the bed to support his own weight as his lips moved against hers. Kate wrapped her arms around his form, holding him close to her. Her fingers clutched around the material of his shirt as they continued kissing.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, not moving at a fast pace as they held onto one another. It made Kate experience the kiss on a whole other level, letting her feel all the intense emotions Chris evoked in her.

Soon, the kiss turned rough when his tongue probed the opening of her lips. She gasped at the hastened pace as Chris groaned. Tongues stroked against each other as lips furiously rubbed, causing moans to sound in the room. 

Chris' lips descended downward, attacking a hickey he had formed in the morning on Kate's neck. She moaned as she clutched onto his back for support. The muscles shifted under her fingers, causing a tingling sensation to spread through her form.

Chris renewed the hickey, lapping at it with his tongue before kissing it and tugging at the skin with his teeth. Kate bucked at the sensations he caused, mewling as the motions were repeated. It went on for a while, and she was left delirious with all the pleasure he was giving her. Soon, the attack on the hickey ended.

Chris stood above Kate on his knees, panting as he stared at her. She looked back at him, her body feeling heated from all they had done so far. Then her breath hitched when she saw him reach for the hem of his shirt. He pulled it off and she swallowed, once again entranced with the sight of her shirtless boyfriend. 

She was observing his defined pecks when his hands reached for her shirt. He quickly tugged it off of her. Kate had not worn a bra to bed, and the sight of her naked chest caused Chris' erection to throb in his shorts. 

Marie was soon distracted when she felt lips on hers, resuming the passionate kiss between them. Chris moved to sit on the bed, wrapping his arms around Kate and bringing her flush against his chest. She moaned into the kiss when she felt her nipples pebble as they brushed against his chest.

His lips left hers, moving to kiss down the column of her neck. The feel of his kisses on her neck brought goosebumps on Kate's skin, causing her to shudder with each breath. It soon turned to a gasp when she felt his mouth descend to the top of her breast. Her pebbled nipple seemed to harden further as it was caressed by the heated air between them.

Chris moved his lips to the skin of the breast, licking and sucking at it. Kate shuddered with an inaudible moan. Chris' eyes moved up, and he felt pleased with the aroused expression on her face. He moved to kiss the underside of her breast, and in his vision, he observed the pebbled nipple.

"Chris..." Kate whimpered, and he knew what she wanted. He ignored her, still kissing her breast. A short while later, he stopped to observe it.

Kate thought he was going to suck her nipple at that point, but then he turned to her other breast. She whimpered again, especially when she felt him kissing the area around her nipple. He licked the areola, ignoring the hardened flesh, and Kate struggled to hold back a frustrated yell.

Afterward, Chris moved to kiss her stomach, forcing her to lie back on the bed. Marie felt a bit off for some reason. She couldn't believe that he had ignored her nipples. She wanted to voice out her want, but she was silenced when she felt his hands on the hem of her shorts.

Slowly, he helped her out of them. Kate blushed, hit by a sudden sense of insecurity as she revealed her complete naked form to Chris. It was weird, especially since she knew they had done other stuff naked before the current night.

Chris' hands moved to her legs, and he parted them to view the jewel hidden in the middle. Kate's pink pussy was revealed to him, and it was already coated with her juices.

"Mmh," Chris commented, and Kate blushed as a reaction. "Always wet for me, aren't you, Kate?"

Marie did not have enough time to respond because his lips soon attacked her cunt. Kate gasped at the unexpectedness of the action, but it soon turned into a moan when she felt his lips move around her pussy.

He was kissing it, or in that case, Frenching it. Kate whimpered and shook at the movement of his mouth against her bare, pussy lips. The texture of his lips on her cunt felt so good that it had her bucking into him. Her walls squeezed around nothing as her juices poured out of her.

Chris moaned at the taste of her, and the vibrations of the sound shook her form and increased her arousal. His tongue soon struck out, licking at the lips of her pussy.

"Chris!" Kate shouted, shuddering at the sensations between her legs. Chris held her legs firmly as he moved his tongue around her opening. She was moaning and whimpering, shaking her head at the pleasure that racked her form.

Chris groaned again before his tongue moved into Kate's cunt. A silent scream left her mouth, especially when she felt the tongue tap at her walls. More of her juices kept pouring out, no doubt coating her boyfriend's mouth.

His tongue moved around, sucking and licking at her juices. Chris kept groaning on her cunt, making Kate buck and whimper at the sensations.

"Chris," she moaned again, feeling her climax begin its approach. Chris continued playing with her cunt. He soon added his teeth, and Kate bucked when she felt them nibble at her pussy lips. It spiked her arousal and made her opening flood with her juices.

She held firmly onto the sheets with her fingers, feeling her climax approach. She was moaning and whimpering Chris' name, waiting for it to take over.

However, the sensations suddenly stopped. Her approaching release was cut off, and she knew why when she saw Chris looking at her.

"What?" she wondered out loud, panting. He did not reply with words but with actions. His lips moved up to her stomach, kissing the area. Kate sighed, deciding not to dwell too much on her denied orgasm.

Chris hummed as he moved up her chest, and in a short while, his lips had wrapped around a neglected nipple. He groaned, using his teeth to graze the tip of it.

Kate moaned loudly at the feelings that flooded her cunt. It seemed as if her arousal had been reawakened, like a light switch. 

Chris tongued her nipple, sucking it into his mouth as he rolled it with his lips. His teeth followed once again, clenching around it before pulling it gently to him.

Marie whimpered as she bucked into his mouth. As he continued to suck on her nipple, he used his other hand to play with her other one.

"Chris..." Kate trailed off in a shudder as she felt a finger rub along the tip of her other nipple. The sensation of the fingertip on it made her clench her legs in arousal. Two fingers soon encircled around the nipple, rubbing it around and making Marie moan as a result.

Kate looked down at Chris, realizing his eyes were on her as he continued toying with her nipples.

Then he alternated his attention on the nipples. He was soon sucking the one he had been toying with his fingers, and his fingers soon tugged at the one he had been sucking.

The hand on her breast did not take a long while to move downward. Kate had been distracted by the feel of Chris' lips around her nipple when she felt fingers cover her wet cunt. She moaned as she bucked into the hand, wanting to seek relief.

Chris did not take a long while to delve three fingers into her wet cunt. Marie moaned in relief when she felt her walls clasp around the fingers, and it had her juices flowing out again.

Chris groaned on her hardened nub, feeling his fingers being squeezed by Kate's walls. He soon moved the fingers inside her, and Kate whimpered in bliss. Then he pushed them out, beginning a thrusting motion.

Chris was soon fucking Kate with his fingers. It did not take long for his hand to be coated in her juices as she moaned in pleasure.

Kate felt her pussy walls spasm around the fingers inside her as a release began its ascent.

"Chris," she whimpered, trying to reach for her orgasm. Her hardened clit was begging for attention, but it was ignored. Chris kept thrusting his fingers in and out of her, leaving her in a state of near orgasm.

Then he stopped.

Her climax stopped its approach, making Kate feel disoriented once again.

Chris soon resumed his thrusting motions, making Kate sigh in relief. He had started slow, but seconds later, he upped his speed.

Then he stopped moments later.

"Chris!" Marie yelled his name, panting with anger. "What are you doing?"

"Beg me, Kate," he said.

"What?" she asked, still panting as she faced his heated expression.

"Beg me to make you come."

'You have got to be kidding me,' she thought.

"Beg me," he said, moving his fingers faster in her cunt, "or else I will leave you wanting like this.

The thought frightened Kate, and she was quick to do as he had ordered.

  "Tell me what I want to hear," he growled.  

"Please..." she begged, but it turned into a loud whimper when Chris moved his fingers out of her cunt.

"Please, what, Kate?" he growled, moving to kiss her neck. "What do you want me to do?"

"Make me come," she sighed, and Chris moaned on her neck.

"Where exactly do you want to come?" he asked. "On my fingers, on my tongue..." he lapped at her nipple, making her whimper, "...or on my cock?"

"Chris!" she yelled again.

"Tell me, Kate," he insisted.

"Please, Chris," she panted. "Make me come... on your cock."

Chris moved to kiss her back on her mouth. She moaned at the feel of him, aching for his touch. His legs moved, and Kate was surprised to feel him naked from the waist down.

She looked down, and that was when she noticed the red, angry erection poking at her stomach. Precum was still oozing down the shaft, coating it and making it look shiny in the room's lighting.

"This is what you do to me, Kate," he said, still kissing her. "Now, open your legs."

Kate did as was asked, parting her thighs wider for Chris. He groaned before he stopped kissing her, moving to stand on his knees.

His hands moved back to Kate's cunt, making her mewl as she focused on her arousal. She could barely even hear the crackling of the condom packet as Chris palmed her pussy with his fingers.

He stopped again, causing her to whimper for more. Not knowing when she had closed them, Kate fluttered her eyes open to look at him. She found him opening a condom packet and throwing it away. Then he started pulling it over his hardened cock.

Kate's heart thudded behind her chest at the sight. It was a sign he was about to enter her for the first time. Also, it was kind of arousing to see him struggle to put the condom on his cock. Then he was all over her again.

"Chris," she moaned into his lips, feeling her nipples brush against his chest once again. "Please..."

"I got you, Kate," he whispered, moving to place himself between her thighs. "Look at me."

Kate stared up at his brown orbs, and that was when she felt it. She tensed, feeling the head of Chris' cock on her pussy.

"Relax. I promise to make you feel good," he said, moving to touch a nipple with his fingers. Kate moaned, feeling pleasure shocks move to her cunt.

Then the head entered.

Kate tensed once again, and then it turned into a loud cry when the length began entering her.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked, watching her in concern. Kate's arousal seemed to be mixed with pain as the shaft entered her. Her face was scrunched up into a look of discomfort as she tensed on the bed.

"No," she confessed, holding back tears. "But I can manage."

"Kate--"

"Push it in, Chris," she told him. He did as she asked, pushing in more inches of his cock into her cunt. She bit her lower lip as she closed her eyes.

"Are you inside yet?" she asked him.

"Not completely," he replied before moving inside her once again. Marie winced in pain as tears flooded her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kate," Chris told her, moving to wipe the tears that had escaped. "I wish I did not cause you this much pain."

"It's okay," she tried to smile at him despite the discomfort she was feeling in her cunt.

"Don't worry," he told her. "It won't hurt for long now."

He moved inside her again, pausing for a while as he fed more of his inches into Kate's cunt. She cried out at some point, and it had him touch her nipple to take her mind off the pain. After a long while, he was buried to the hilt.

"I'm in," he told her, holding himself still above her. Kate's form was still tense as she struggled to accommodate Chris' cock in her cunt. 

"Are you okay?" he questioned in concern.

"Give me a moment," Kate replied. Her pussy had clamped itself around the cock inside her. It seemed too much, especially with the pain she was feeling.

"Why do people like this?" she asked, and Chris smiled above her. "Give it time, Kate. You'll understand why."

His hand resumed stroking her nipple. It had softened from the pain of his intrusion, but the actions he was doing to it was making it hard again. He plucked at it before rubbing it between his fingertips.

Kate whimpered, feeling her pussy slightly loosen around the cock inside her.

Chris noticed that, and so he moved to support himself on his elbows before touching both nipples with his hands. The sensations began afresh in Kate's body, and they traveled down to her cunt.

"I love your sensitive nipples," he said, causing her to blush.

Chris shifted above her to move his hand to her pussy. His hand quickly found her clit. Kate tensed when she felt him rub it with his fingers, and in a way, it started her arousal once again.

"Chris--"

"Can I move?"

"Yes."

He stopped touching her nipples and flicking her clit. He faced her as he started pulling out of her at a slow pace. Kate tensed once again, but it was ignored as the cock moved out of her.

Then it moved back in.

"Okay, maybe I'm not ready," she breathed. The pain had lessened, but it was still there.

"Give it time," Chris told her, moving out of her pussy once again before moving back inside.

He moved slowly, making sure he did not hurt her as much as he had when he had entered her. It took a while, but Kate found herself relaxing around him.

They did not say anything as Chris continued moving above her. All the while, he stared at her to gauge her reactions.

"Do you feel anything?" he asked her.

"No," she replied honestly.

"Hmm," Chris commented before stopping. He angled his hips with his cock inside her, making the head brush against spots in her cunt.

"That feels weird," Marie stated. Chris looked determined as he rotated his hips around hers, and she gasped when he brushed against a spot inside her.

"There?" Chris questioned. Kate did not have time to answer when he moved away before pushing back inside.

She gasped again when he bumped on that spot again.

"I think I found it," Chris stated, smiling in relief as he continued moving in and out of Kate.

"Wha-- Ooh," she cut herself off, feeling her walls spasm around him.

Chris continued his slow thrusts, and Kate found the pain inside her receding completely. She relaxed into the motion, feeling the discomfort of having his cock inside her lessening with each thrust.

Chris soon bent his head to kiss her. Marie moaned at the contact of his lips, and they soon started a slow, passionate kiss. The feelings that were brought by the slow thrusts of Chris' hips increased, and she soon realized she was aroused without the pain in her cunt.

"Chris..." she whimpered. He seemed to know what she wanted because he increased his pace. Kate moved her hands up, and they held onto his shoulders.

"Kate..." he groaned into her lips, moving to kiss her neck. His hands caressed her sides as he moved, leaving goosebumps along the skin.

His lips quickly found her nipples, and Kate moaned loudly at the sensation of his heated mouth on them. All the while, Chris was moving inside her and igniting the fire between her legs. Her arousal seemed to increase, and her cunt was once again slick with her juices.

It was an odd yet delicious feeling for her.

"Chris--"

"What? Am I hurting you?" he asked, slowing his pace.

"No, it feels good. So good..."

He smiled at her before kissing her nipples once again. Kate moved her legs to wrap around his waist, and the action seemed to force his shaft deeper. She gasped when her walls clenched around him, causing him to groan out his pleasure.

Chris picked up his speed, and Kate gasped each time her cunt walls caressed his cock. Her legs around his waist had the appendage delving farther into her cunt. Shocks of pleasure traveled through her form. It felt different at that time, more so because her cunt was filled with his dick.

"Chris..." she whimpered his name, tightening her legs around him. Chris held her, still toying with her nipples. He shifted his hips, still thrusting inside her.

The next thrust made Kate gasp because her clit was touched.

"That's what I want to hear," he said, moving at a faster pace. "Let me hear you moan my name as I make you come."

Kate whimpered, wrapping her arms around him as he thrust inside her. Each time he brushed the spot inside her, and each time, he increased her arousal. The new angle he had found made sure his pubic zone rubbed against Kate's clit with each thrust. Surprisingly, the few hairs on his crotch added to her pleasure.

"Chris..." she mewled in warning.

" Let it all go, Kate," he growled, moving to kiss her neck. "Come for me."

Her pussy walls squeezed around his cock with each word, and in a short while, she screamed.

Her orgasm was more intense than the previous ones she had endured with Chris. A low-frequency sound momentarily clouded her hearing as white stars blocked her vision. She could not hear her scream of release as her pussy squeezed around Chris' cock that did not stop moving inside her. Her form tensed as she felt her release rack her form. Her juices poured out, dripping onto the bed and on the cock moving inside her.

Chris soon groaned, and his cock throbbed as he reached his climax. His cum splashed into the condom, but it did not stop Kate from feeling its heat. It made it more incredible, and it made her wonder how it would feel to have sex without the condom in place.

Once their orgasms had ebbed, Chris slowly pulled out of her. Kate felt a slight pain after he had left her cunt, but she also felt as if Chris' cock was still touching her pussy. 

"Let me get us washed up," he said, giving her a soft kiss before moving out of the bed.

Kate sighed in reply as she heard his footsteps on the floor. Her mind was flooded with thoughts over what she had done with him.

'So that's what sex feels like,' she mused. It had been her first time, and Chris had made it enjoyable in spite of the pain she had felt. She had never had such an orgasm like the one he had just given her, and it had her thinking about when they could do it again.

A minute later, she heard him approach the bed. She turned to him, seeing him with a cloth and a bucket of water in his hands.

"What is that for?" she asked him.

"To clean you up," he replied as if the answer was obvious.

"Shouldn't I just go to the shower?" she said.

"Can you walk?" Chris countered with a raised eyebrow. Marie sat on the bed, moving to stand on the floor. But her legs felt like jelly, causing her to collapse back on the bed.

She looked up, spotting Chris smirking at her.

"Shut up," she said, making him laugh.

He started cleaning up the area between her legs. Kate expected the water to be cold, but it was warm. It made her feel relaxed.

"You okay?" he asked as he cleaned up her thighs. 

"Never better," she replied with a small smile. "Thank you, Chris."

"For what?" he said with a raised eyebrow. "It should be me who should thank you. You trusted me enough to give me your virginity."

Kate rolled her eyes as she chuckled.

"Seriously, Kate. I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life."

She doubted she had heard him well, but she chose not to focus on it. Her eyes fluttered close, and minutes later, she fell asleep.

 

Chapter 48

 

The next morning caught Chris and Kate cuddling in the living room after showering and having breakfast. They had switched on the TV, watching a movie that had recently come out on DVD.

Kate's attention directed away from Hugh Jackman's character in the movie and back to her thoughts. She still could not believe she had made love to Chris on the previous night. It had been painful at first, but it had become enjoyable afterward.

She did not regret losing her virginity to him. In fact, she was glad because he had held her as they slept and talked to her when they had woken up. He had even made her breakfast. He told her how amazing she had been, and it erased all doubts about her performance in bed. He made her feel special, and she was glad to have him as her boyfriend.

Weirdly, she wanted to do it again. Kate blushed, surprised that she was thinking about having sex with Chris even though she was still tender between her thighs.

"What are you thinking about?" Chris questioned, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh, nothing," she replied with a shrug, focusing back on the dancing characters on the screen. The movie was reaching its end.

"Kate..." Chris trailed off with raised eyebrows.

"I want us to do it again," Marie confessed. Chris' confused look lasted four seconds before shock took over his features.

"I know we just did it last night. Is it weird--?"

Kate was immediately cut off by Chris' lips on hers. He gave her a passionate kiss that stole her breath.

"I thought you'd never ask," he said, moving to switch the TV off with the remote.

Kate squealed when Chris moved her to lie on the couch. He pinned her with his body, resuming to kiss her senseless.

All thoughts fled out of Kate's mind. She could only concentrate on Chris and his lips on hers that brought on her arousal.

"Bedroom," she sighed into the kiss. Chris' hands moved below her back, and he quickly hoisted her to a sitting position. He held her to him before standing up with her in his arms.

Quickly, he ascended the stairs. Kate laughed all the way, but it turned into a gasp when she was thrown on the bed.

In an instant, Chris was all over her. Clothes were swiftly removed, and it did not take long for the two to get naked.

"Chris," Kate sighed as he kissed her, pushing his chest to brush against hers. Kate enjoyed the feel of Chris on her, more so with his hands wrapped around her waist. Her nipples had hardened, brushing on his pecs as they kissed.

"I have got to have you again," he said, moving to kiss her neck. Kate nodded with a moan, and Chris took that as a 'yes'.

He moved back and away from the bed to the desk in the room. He quickly opened it, taking out a couple of condoms.

Kate looked at him as he did so, observing the large erection that bobbed near his defined six-pack. It throbbed in anticipation, causing her to swallow.

Chris moved back to the bed, struggling to open the packet.

"Let me help," Kate said as she moved to grab the condom packet. She opened it, seeing the transparent object in her view.

"How should I put this on you?"

"Here," Chris guided her with his hands. Kate did as he instructed, hearing him hiss when her hands made contact with his erection. The heat coming off of it increased her arousal, and she couldn't wait to have it in her again.

When she had worn the condom over his cock, Chris pushed her back to the bed and started kissing her again. Kate moaned into the kiss, more so when she felt hands reach for her breasts. Chris squeezed the mounds, making her gasp into his mouth. Then he toyed with her nipples, rubbing them between his fingers.

"Chris..." Kate trailed off in a moan. He moved below her, using his hands to push her legs open. 

He held his erection in his hand, nudging it towards Kate's wet pussy. Slowly, he pushed it in, filling her to the hilt.

Marie felt a slight pain between her legs. She felt full of his cock, and it surprised her how comfortable she was with it inside her. 

Chris soon angled his head to kiss her breasts. He nipped at her nipples, making her moan out in bliss.

Then he started moving. 

"Fuck, you're still tight," he groaned as he kissed her. 

Marie blushed at the words. She went to speak, but she gasped when Chris brushed a spot inside her pussy.

"I guess I found your spot again," he said with a smirk, slightly increasing his thrusting motion. Kate raised her legs to support herself by her feet. The action seemed to squeeze her walls around Chris' cock, and he stopped to groan.

"Chris!" Kate pleaded. He answered her reply, moving to grind his hips at a quicker pace. Kate started moving back, and each time, pleasure shot through her form. Her pussy walls contracted around his dick as more of her juices poured out of her.

Soon, her orgasm was approaching. It shocked her, but she could do nothing but voice out her desire in moans and gasps.

"Chris," she whimpered. "I'm about to--"

"I know," he said, moving quickly. "I can feel your cunt closing in on me."

His hips slapped against hers, and the noises sounded arousing to her ears. His lips on her nipples added to the heat between her legs, and the pressure inside her was close to snapping.

"Come for me," he all but growled.

The words did it for her. Kate screamed out Chris' name as her pussy clamped onto the dick moving inside her. Her vision was momentarily blurred when her climax hit. Her legs quivered on the bed as her juices poured out of her cunt. 

Once it had subsided, Kate was able to focus on her surroundings. She was shocked to see that Chris was still above her.

"Did you really think that was it?" he said, moving to kiss her. Kate had not been expecting them to continue, but she willingly kissed him back. His tongue stroked hers as it moved inside her mouth, making her moan.

It did not take long for Marie's arousal to return.

Chris' hands tightened around her back as he went to lie down. Marie gasped when she found her world tilting until she found herself in a sitting position. 

"Chris," she gasped, feeling his hands move to her hips as his cock pulsed inside her. She was uncertain that the angle would have her in a position to accommodate him, and so she bit her lower lip as she hesitated to sit on his thighs.

"It's okay, Kate," he said, looking up at her. "It will be much better this way. Trust me."

Kate was still unsure, but then she started moving down on the cock that had stuffed her cunt. She gasped again, feeling it reach a spot deep in her pussy. It was hard for her to move with it inside her, and when she found herself sitting on Chris with her ass on his thighs, her form tensed.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Full," she gasped out. Chris smirked at her.

"Good. That's what I wanted."

Before Kate could question him, he rose to sit on the bed. The action forced his cock in an angle that had him deep in her cunt. Before she could voice out the sensations, his mouth soon captured her nipple. She arched her back as she moaned in pleasure. The sensation, coupled with the feel of Chris' heated mouth, had her wet for him.

Chris held her to him, listening to the moans that Kate made as he toyed with her nipples. He applied pressure on her nipples with his teeth, tugging at them and licking them with his tongue. Her hands delved into his hair, causing him to groan on her naked breasts.

Kate shifted on his thighs, and she whimpered when she felt his cock hit something inside her. The lips on her breasts had her momentarily forget that his hard dick was inside her, and the seating position she found herself in held no escape from it.

Chris held purchase on Kate's ass cheeks, causing her to gasp.

"You feel so good around me, you know," he groaned as he urged her up with her butt. "Now ride me."

Kate used her legs to push herself upwards, feeling the hard cock throb in her cunt as some of its inches left her pussy. 

"Fuck," Chris closed his eyes with his lips parted open. Then he helped her down to his thighs.

The action forced the inches back into her pussy, having her pussy lips brush against his groin. Kate gasped as the sensations running through her form heightened. Chris continued tonguing her nipples, increasing her arousal.

"Do it again, Kate," Chris said, squeezing her ass. She moved up, allowing his cock to rub against her cunt walls before she moved down. The head pierced a spot inside her that had her seeing stars.

"Chris," she gasped again, feeling her pleasure increase. She moved back up again before moving down. The head of the cock hit her spot again, and she whimpered.

"I—I don't think--" she stuttered, sitting on his thighs.

"What is it, Kate?" Chris asked her, looking into her eyes as he moved his hips around the bed. The action had his hips grinding into hers, causing his cock to rub at her pleasure spots. It made her moan.

"What do you think you can't do?"

"It's too much," she replied, shuddering.

"Why? What is too much?"

"Your cock," she replied, making him groan. "It's so big. I think I might come."

Chris stopped moving all of a sudden. Kate was surprised, more so when she saw him looking at her with a heated expression. His orbs seemed to have darkened, if possible.

"Chris?" she called out to him.

"Are you serious?" he asked, shocked.

"Yes," she replied. "You keep hitting something inside me that--"

"You do not know how happy I am to hear those words," he said, grabbing her ass cheeks again. He brought her up, making her feel his cock push against her wet channel before moving her back down.

"Chris!" Marie yelled.

"I want you to keep doing that," he said, grinding his cock inside her. "I want you to feel my cock. I want to see you lose yourself to what I'm doing to you."

He hoisted her up and then back down, still holding onto her ass.

"I want to feel your pussy tighten around me as I fuck you through your orgasm. I want to see your face when you come. I want to hear you scream for me, Kate."

He continued grinding into her, the head of his cock hitting that spot that made her moan and gasp with pleasure.

"Come for me," he growled, forcing his dick into her pussy.

Kate had no idea she had it in her. With her back arched, she screamed out her release. Chris tightened his hold around her as he watched her come. Just like he had told her, her pussy walls clamped around his dick as her juices poured out of her.

"Fuck!" he yelled through her orgasm. Kate's juices came out, coating his thighs and the bed they were on.

Without giving her time to settle, he held her to him and used his own hips to fuck her. His cock pushed up at her cunt, making her walls squeeze around him.

"Chris!" Kate voiced out her surprise. She thought he would have come with her, but he had not.

He kissed her, furiously rubbing his lips against her as he thrust inside her. Kate felt bliss between her legs, feeling her arousal start once again even after she had recently reached her climax.

"It feels so good," he groaned. "Knowing I made you come like that..."

His cock stroked her inner walls, and he groaned each time she contracted around him.

"I love your pussy, Kate," he said, kissing her as he fucked into her. "I love how hot, wet and tight it feels around me."

Kate started moving on him, supporting herself with her feet as she urged the dick in and out of her with her form. It increased her arousal, making her cunt weep for release.

Each thrust felt wonderful, and it left her whimpering and moaning her pleasure. She had started chanting Chris' name with her hands on his shoulders, and he answered her by fucking her harder. The head of his cock kept hitting that special place inside her cunt, and it had her mewling at some points.

"This is what I've wanted for a long time," Chris groaned as he stared at her. "You on me. Staring at your beautiful naked body. You on my cock and looking so hot like this."

"Chris," she sighed, feeling her cunt walls contract around him.

"I have never had a pussy that is as tight as yours is, Kate. I mean, fuck. You're drenched. You're dripping on my cock. This pussy just can't get enough, can it?"

"CHRIS!" Kate screamed out, feeling her cunt squeeze around his cock. 

"Look at that. You're coming again," Chris spoke as he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head. He ignored her orgasm, pounding into her as she came. It had been an intense one that had the sheets drenched with her juices, and feeling him move inside her had her sobbing, especially when her arousal returned seconds later.

Kate tried to move to his motion, but her legs were exhausted from what they had done so far. Chris soon took control, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You're still wet," he growled.

He held her close to his chest as he stood on his knees, resuming his thrusting motion. Kate's breasts bobbed with each thrust, and he snatched a nipple in his mouth as he fucked her.

"How--?" Kate went to ask how Chris was managing the position, but she mewled when his teeth tugged at her nipple. His hips thrust into hers at a quick pace that had him shuddering with pleasure.

The bed moved and squeaked below them with each thrust from him. Kate held fast onto Chris' shoulders as he moved inside her. Her heels had found purchase where his buttocks began, and she felt them clench and relax as he moved in and out of her.

Realizing that had her mouth open as a shudder ran through her form. She wondered how they looked right then, and the image that came into her mind had her close to climax.

"Chris..." Kate whimpered, feeling another orgasm approach. His hands held firmly onto her butt and back, not letting go as he stroked his cock inside her.

"Hold it," he growled. Kate was surprised by the order, but she did as he asked. However, the pleasure was becoming too much. Her climax was close to taking over, and she did not know if she could hold on much longer. Each time she felt Chris thrust inside her cunt made her pussy walls drip with her juices, and she was not surprised when she felt them trail down her thighs.

"Chris," she whimpered, arching her back to press her breasts to his chest. His lips attacked hers as he thrust into her, making noises each time their skin touched. Her legs tightened around him, forcing him deep inside her.

His hold on her tightened. Kate felt the bulging muscle of his bicep press against the side of her breast, and it added to her arousal. He had stopped kissing her nipples, and so his thrusts had her breasts rubbing against his chest.

She was about to come soon.

"This pussy..." Chris trailed off. "So tight, so wet... So beautiful. I'd want to taste it later. Can you picture it, Kate? My tongue fucking your pussy, drinking all of your cum before I fuck you over and over and--"

"Chris!" Kate screamed out. Her nipples kept brushing against his chest. His hips smacked against hers, and the position had her clit rubbed furiously on his groin with each thrust.

"Now!" he growled before capturing her lips once again. 

Chris groaned into Kate's mouth as she moaned into his. Her hold on him tightened as her cunt squeezed around his cock just as he kept moving inside her. Soon, their orgasms clashed together. Kate felt her juices pour out of her cunt at an irregular pace that had her making an unnatural sound just as she felt Chris' cock throb in her pussy with his cum.

She shuddered in his hold as her juices dripped onto the bed. It made her wonder how much she had come.

They held onto each other for a while, panting as they let their orgasms take hold of their forms. Once they were done, the two collapsed on the bed.

"Wow," Kate said, amazed with all they had done. "Chris..."

"That was not the end," he told her, disposing his condom into the nearby dustbin before turning to hold her in his arms. "This cunt will not remain untouched this weekend. I'll have you coming so hard that you'll think my cock never left you."

"That's impossible," she snorted.

"It's still morning, Kate," he said. "We have two days to ourselves. What else do you think I have planned for you?"

Marie remained silent as she thought over his words. She realized he was right, and it had her cunt pulsing with anticipation.

 

Chapter 49

It was the last week of April. The spring season seemed to be moving on quickly, but with it came the rains. The campus grounds were experiencing a wet climate that hindered movement to the buildings.

The students of the University of Charles Darwin did not seem to mind it. In fact, they preferred that to the heavy snowstorms that had brought colder temperatures in the area during winter.

Everyone was in their classrooms in spite of the ongoing rain outside the campus buildings. At that time, in the junior year IT class, Mr. Bernard was droning on and on about another unit for the course.

"And so--" he was cut off by a loud thunder that echoed outside the building. The lights immediately flickered off for a moment, eliciting sounds of displeasure from the students. A few seconds later, the lights came back on.

Mr. Bernard took that as a cue to continue with the lecture. No sooner had he started than his phone rang in the class.

"Hello," he answered it, and that action allowed the other students to murmur amongst themselves.

Kate turned to her left to talk to Chris, but she saw him talking to someone who had occupied the seat in front of him. He smiled at something the guy said, and her heart thudded at the sight of him.

'How did I get so lucky?' she wondered as she stared at him. She had never thought she would be in a relationship in her college years, let alone with him; a person who shared a horrible high school experience with her. It all seemed impossible.

But there she was. She was Chris' girlfriend, and she was loving it.

Kate looked at him, observing his blonde hair for a second. He had changed the haircut from the spiky look to a crewcut. It surprisingly worked for him. Her eyes moved down, spotting his eyes as he talked to the person he was facing. She even looked at his straining biceps hidden under the long-sleeve shirt he had worn.

Her mind wandered to the memory of Chris' naked torso, and she was reminded of what she had done with him at his place.

Marie quickly turned away as she blushed, surprised with the way she had been looking at Chris. She could not believe that she had let her mind wander to the weekend she had spent having sex with him. The memories seemed to be coming every now and then lately.

Could it be that she was crazed with lust?

Kate shook the thought away. It did not seem to be the actual reason. Her heart still thudded for Chris even without the sexual thoughts. So, could it be that she was falling for him hard? Was the crush she had developed for him turning into something else?

Her eyes widened at the realization.

"Okay, class," Mr. Bernard spoke, having everyone turn to face him. "That was the college administrators. They are canceling the lessons for the rest of the day."

A couple of hoots sounded in the room as every student rose to leave the class.

"Remember to switch off the computers!" the professor shouted. "Also, for those who still have their projects incomplete, do remember to turn them in before the end of the semester."

'Crap,' Kate thought as she walked towards the exit of the class. She knew the lecturer was right. A lot of time had flown by, and a few weeks were left till the exams that would lead to summer. She was not sure about how much work was left before the project would be done.

Marie soon found herself outside the classroom. She was leaning on the wall, waiting for her boyfriend to appear. She had left him to talk to a couple of people in the room.

A couple of seconds later, Chris was in her view.

"Hey, babe," he greeted, kissing her cheek. "We have a problem."

"What is it?" she asked him.

"It involves our project," he said, grabbing her hand and leading them to the exit of the school.

"Chris, what's going on?" Marie asked him.

"I'd rather tell you when we get to my place," he said, earning an annoyed look from her.

"I'm kidding," he said with a smile. "But anyway, everyone has completed their project."

"Oh. Okay," she replied.

Chris stopped walking right at the building doors, forcing her too to stop.

"No, Kate. Everyone has completed their project."

It took a while for her to get what he meant, even though he still meant the same thing he had just said.

"Oh crap," she said.

************** ********************** ****************** ***************************

"How could it be?" Kate stated, moving her bag into a room in Chris' house. "I mean, seriously?"

"Yes," he replied, bringing in her other bag. The two of them had stopped by Kate's dorm to grab her some of her stuff. They were planning to stay at Chris' place in the following days for the sake of their short film. Gwen had not even minded it, saying she would spend the days that would follow with Ben.

Kate hoped they wouldn't stay in her dorm.

"I spoke to John, and he told me everyone else was done," Chris added, referring to the person Kate had seen him chatting up with during class. "I even talked to other people, and they confirmed what he said."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows as she bit her lower lip.

"How far are we with the film?" she asked.

"I forgot," Chris said with a smile. "But I know we are almost done."

Marie wanted to smack herself. She and Chris had forgotten about their project ever since that magical night they had first made love. Even though they remembered their short film at times, the urge to touch each other won over their responsibilities.

"Okay, let's do this."

Kate and Chris took a short while to load up everything in the room. They switched on their laptops, phones, graphics tablets and everything else they would need to use for the project.

"Oh, now I remember," Chris said. "I had finished rendering all the 3D footage. We just have to merge the videos into one and then sync it with the audio."

Kate sighed in relief. They were actually close to finishing the project.

"Oh, fuck," Chris said, and it had Kate tensing.

"What is it?" Kate questioned.

"Oh. Never mind," he said. She gave him a puzzled look, and he replied with a sweet, apologetic smile. "A few scenes have a couple of rendering errors that we have to fix. It should be done in a few days."

Kate had been standing near the bed with her laptops on. She went to Chris who had been sitting in front of his computer.

"Whoa," she commented, seeing the rendered footage. The scenes looked perfectly detailed. There was even one that revealed a hill with a couple of vegetation around it, and it looked realistic.

"I know, right?" Chris stated with a smile. "And it only took a couple of days to prepare this."

"Days— Oh," Kate cut herself off, remembering that it was rendering. If it had taken a couple days to render the scenes for their short film, she wondered how long it took for the live-action Jungle Book.

Chris clicked away on the computer, going through some scenes that had been rendered. Apart from the few that had errors, they all looked good.

"I am so proud of us," Kate sighed at the sight of a detailed 3D model of a hyena.

"Okay. Let us just deal with the audio and the video files. Then we'll be done with all this."

Kate grabbed a seat in the room, moving it until she was seated near Chris.

For the next days that followed, the two dealt with the project. They looked for the errors, and fixing them had involved re-rendering a couple of clips. It was a good thing they had selected people to voice out the characters some weeks ago or else it would have taken longer.

Those days had been busy, but the two were done by the end of the week.

 

Chapter 50

'We did it,' Kate thought. 'We actually did it.'

It was the Friday of another week, and the project she had been doing with Chris was finally being viewed in their class. 

They had approached Mr. Bernard on a Wednesday to inform him about the completion of the project. He was excited about the news, and he told the class about it on the previous day. And when Friday came, there was a projector with speakers all around the class.

Marie did not expect Mr. Bernard to make a big deal out of it, but knowing the whole class would watch the short film she had prepared with Chris made her anxious. Nervous was an understatement to what she was feeling. Her hand had formed a fist on the space between her and her boyfriend as they watched their finished product in front of the class.

"Relax, Kate," he told her with a small smile. She gave him a nervous smile back, slightly worrying about the professor's response to their project.

The film started with the project title and a list of all the people involved before going straight to the animation. It began with a conversation between a child and a father.

The short film revolved around a story they had planned. It was set in the eastern region of Africa near a couple of large hills. The period was ancient, and the main characters were Mwamba, his father Chief Mwadime, a girl named Wanjala, and a couple of others.

It was a twenty-minute short film, but it seemed longer to Kate. The plot of the film involved Mwamba being intended to wed the daughter of another chief. He is angry at first about the forced marriage, but he agrees with it for the sake of his village. But then, the wife gets kidnapped. Mwamba spends most of the film searching for his kidnapped intended wife, but he later realizes it was a ploy by the other chief to get him as a hostage. Then there comes a full-out war between the villages with Mwamba's community winning. 

Kate enjoyed the laughter of the other students when it came to some humorous scenes. She was even glad about the few frightened gasps some people emitted when they saw the creepy witches they had modeled for the film and the war scenes.

Finally, it was over.

"I must say," Mr. Bernard started when the projected screen showed a maximized version of VLC Media Player, having Kate tense in anticipation. "It was not a bad film. Unlike the people of the past, you've done better. Nice, unpredictable story, great audio, great visuals... I give you a B+."

The whole class applauded just as Chris turned to smile at Kate. He soon hugged her, and she shrieked in happiness with him laughing as he spun them around. 

They quickly remembered they were still in class. Kate observed everyone looking at them, and it had her blushing in embarrassment.

She was relieved they had gotten a good grade for their project. All those months spent on perfecting their short film had finally paid off, and she couldn't wait to tell her parents the great news. She also couldn't wait to go back to her college life that did not involve a lot of time on a college-year project.

 

************************************* *********************************** *********

"Hello?" Kate struggled to get a proper network connection on her phone. She and Chris were in the diner, having ordered their lunch. They had been talking as they waited for their meals before they decided to call their parents to tell them the good news. 

"Hi!"

"Hi, Darling!" Kate's mother greeted on the other end of the call. "How did the project go?"

"Great! The professor even gave it a B!"

Kate's mother shrieked on the phone.

"I am so happy for you!"

"Same for me, Kitty-cat. I am so proud of you," Kate's father announced on the line.

"Oh," Marie gushed. "Thank you."

"I mean, with all that time spend on it..." Kate's mother trailed off with a sigh.

"Don't even get me started," Marie rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"I am so glad all that effort paid off."

"Me too, Mom."

Kate's eyes directed to her boyfriend who grinned as he talked to his family. He caught her staring at her, and he raised an eyebrow in question.

"Kate?" her mother's voice interrupted her moment.

"Hmm? Oh, what?" 

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"No."

"We were thinking of coming over to see how you're doing."

"What? Really?" she asked on the phone. "But you don't have to."

"Honey, we want to," her mother stated. "It's been months since we've seen you."

"Wouldn't it be a problem? Aren't you guys in Russia right now?"

"Yes. It will take a couple of days to get back in the country. Your father and I will be taking a break from all the traveling we have done so far."

'That makes sense,' Kate thought.

"Well, okay. I'll be glad to have you around."

"Yes!" her mother clapped. "We'll sort out the details once we're back in Stonedale."

"Okay, Mom."

"Bye!"

The call ended after that. Kate smiled before turning to face his boyfriend. She was surprised to see he was done with his call, currently browsing his phone.

"So my parents want to come to see me."

"Mine too," Chris sighed. Kate waited for him to clarify his sentence, but he continued checking on his phone.

"What?" she furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if he actually meant his parents would like to see her.

"They already know we are dating."

"What?" her eyes widened in shock. "You told them?"

"Yeah," Chris replied as if it was no big deal. "Is that a problem?"

He made a point by saying that.

"No," Kate relaxed in her chair, but she was still unsure of her feelings. "Well, I am surprised."

"Why?" he asked her. 

"I didn't think you'd tell them."

"Why wouldn't I tell them?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you remember how they received me that weekend of your sister's wedding?"

"Kate--"

"I know they don't see me as one of your sluts," she cut him off, making him wince. "I'm just, you know, worried how they'll think of me now that I'm your girlfriend."

Understanding seemed to dawn on Chris' features.

"Kate," he said, grabbing her hand in his. "You have nothing to worry about. My family loves you, and they'd rather have no one else date me."

"Really?" Marie's heart fluttered at his words.

"Yeah. I mean, why do you think my mom came up with that excuse to have you sleep in the same bed as me?"

Kate thought about what he said, and she remembered the weekend of Susan's wedding. Her mother said that the guest rooms were occupied and taken by relatives.

"Wait. That was a lie?" she said. Chris' answered by laughing, still holding onto her hand.

"You're so cute when you look surprised," he said, causing her to blush, especially when he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

'I have got to stop blushing,' she thought to herself, but it didn't work more so when she saw some customers in the diner staring at her and Chris.

"Chris, you can let go of my hand now," she said.

"Why?"

"People are looking."

"Let them look," Chris stated. "I don't want anyone to get ideas when you're with me."

"Ideas? What--" Kate was cut off by the feel of Chris' lips on hers. The action had taken her by surprise, but it didn't take long to start kissing him back. 

"What was that for?" she asked him, panting a minute later.

"Nothing. Just marking my territory," Chris replied with a smirk. Kate understood he meant to be possessive of her, and the realization had her smiling. Just then, a server came with their food and placed it on the table.

 

Chapter 51

"Do you think someone would want to turn this into a full-length movie?" Kate asked that Saturday afternoon as she stared at Chris' laptop that played the short film they had created.

"I don't know," Chris replied, shifting to get comfortable on his bed, "but it will be cool if it happened."

Kate tensed when she noticed a shadow move in her peripheral vision. She turned to look around Chris' room, spotting a piece of paper lying on the ground. She relaxed, turning her eyes back on the film.

Maybe the creepy beings they had modeled for their film were freaking her out more than she thought.

"What about Disney?" Chris suggested, and Kate snorted.

"What?" he questioned.

"I don't think Disney has time to create that movie for us. Their schedule is practically busy for the next possible ten years."

"You're joking," Chris stated.

"Don't you remember me telling you how they are turning every animated movie in their name into live-action versions?"

"Oh," he replied, recalling the conversation. 

"And then they'll probably put a sci-fi movie in between. Like Tomorrowland and A Wrinkle In Time that seem to have come after three years so far..." Kate trailed off with suspicion in her eyes. "Who knows what they'll put in 2021?"

"Okay. What about Warner Bros?"

"Um..." Kate trailed off. "You know how they can be at times. I'm not saying they make bad films. They actually make great films. It's just that I'm worried they might turn our story into a movie focused on war like that sword in the stone version they released last year."

Marie shifted, inching herself higher on Chris' clothed torso. He placed his hand on her head, playing with the strands of her hair with his fingers. They focused back on the film, spotting a scene where the main character was facing off with a hyena.

"I am so glad we aced the project," Kate said.

"Me too," Chris replied, looking down at her. Their eyes connected, and they soon forgot about the movie playing. Chris moved down to kiss her, and Kate inched back when she saw the look in his eyes.

"Wait," she said with a sigh.

"What?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Can't we just lie down and spend the day like this?"

"No," Chris replied without a thought, earning an unamused look from his girlfriend. "It's been a long time since we did it, Kate."

"It has just been a couple of weeks," she pointed out, moving to sit on the bed. Chris followed suit.

"So?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "More than a week without touching you is enough to drive me insane. I want to make up for lost time right here and right now."

Chris' gaze turned heated. Kate felt a sudden awareness of her body as his eyes traveled along her form. Goosebumps seemed to rise along certain parts of her skin. Her breaths were coming in short pants, and her lips felt suddenly dry. Moreover, her nipples were hardening under Chris' gaze.

Her breath hitched when Chris moved to pull off the T-shirt he had worn. Marie's pussy quivered with anticipation when she saw the naked, bronze muscles of Chris' torso before her. The light coming from the windows showed off his physique. Her eyes traveled downward, and she held back a gasp when she saw the outline of his bulge in his red shorts.

"Are you going to say you don't want me right now?" he asked with a smirk.

As an answer, Kate pounced on him. Chris chuckled, but it turned into a moan when she started kissing him.

Kate's hands moved around Chris' chest as he kissed her. She felt his pecs, letting her hands trail down to feel his defined abs. They contracted under her soft touch, allowing her to map them with her fingers and causing her to shudder above him.

She moved her lips lower, kissing Chris' neck. He groaned his approval, more so when she kissed his Adam's apple.

"Kate," he whispered her name. She tried to hold in a smirk of victory as she kissed his chest. She knew what he wanted, and she was going to give it to him.

Kate moved her hands to his shorts. In an instant, she had them pulled down to reveal his hardening shaft. She grasped the heated flesh in her hand, feeling it pulse on her skin.

She stopped kissing him for a moment to observe it. By then, precum had already begun to drizzle down its length. The veins were exposed, showing how hard he was for her.

Marie did not wait to be told what to do. She descended lower, kissing Chris' abdominals as she started jerking him off. Chris' form tensed as he released a low groan. It pleased Kate to know that she was doing that to him. She wondered if she could make him lose control like he did that other time.

After kissing his Adonis belts that led to his crotch, Kate's lips moved to the head of his cock.

"Kate!" he shouted, bucking up towards her and almost forcing his dick in her mouth. She hummed around him as she folded her lips over her teeth, moving lower until she swallowed half of his shaft.

"Fuck," he muttered as he tensed. Kate practically moaned when she felt Chris' cock touch her mouth. Her hands reached for his thighs for support. She felt them tense as she moved back up before moving back down.

"Damn," Chris sighed, letting her suck on him. Kate was aware of the sounds that she made as she sucked him into her mouth. It turned her on, making her pussy wetter than it already was.

She soon left the shaft in her mouth, seeing it coated in her saliva. Her lips trailed downward, placing small kisses along the length before she mouthed the heavy balls beneath it. Chris tensed again as she tongued them, loving how they moved in her mouth. He grunted when her hand moved to touch his cock again.

"No," he said all of a sudden. In a move that she was not expecting, Kate was hoisted away from his cock and to his face. He moved quickly and captured her lips with his, giving her a harsh kiss.

The sudden roughness had Kate moaning, especially when she felt his hands on her waist. One of them traveled lower and into her shorts, cupping her drenched cunt.

"Fuck," Chris whispered into her lips, digging his fingers into her pussy. The action had Kate arching her back with a squeal.

"You are this wet for me?" he said, moving his fingers deep until his knuckles brushed against her lips.

"Chris," Kate whimpered.

"I know what you need," he said, moving his fingers out of her. The loss of his fingers almost had her crying out in frustration. However, she felt his hands move to her shirt. He quickly unbuttoned it, forcing it off her torso.

"Fuck. No bra again?" he groaned, moving to cup one of her breasts. He squeezed it in his palm, having Kate arch towards him.

"I love your breasts, Kate," he said, moving his other hand to her neglected one. "I love how sensitive they are and how they make you moan for me." 

Kate whimpered again, feeling her breasts being caged in his hands. He squeezed them before he moved his fingers forward, capturing her nipples.

Kate gasped, but then she moaned when he started twisting the pink nubs in his hold. Chris inched closer to her chest, replacing one of his hands with his mouth. He heard Kate moan when his lips covered her puckered nipple. He toyed with it with his tongue, lapping at it back and forth before tugging at the nub with his teeth with enough force that sent shocks straight to her cunt.

"Chris," Kate moaned as she threw her head back, moving her hands over his shoulders. He groaned on her breast as he sucked at her tip, having her cunt walls wet with arousal. Seconds later, he moved to do the same with the other breast.

His mouth moved lower, kissing at her stomach.

"Lie on your front for me," he said, moving to give her nipple another kiss.

Kate did as he asked, turning so that she faced away from him. Chris moved behind her, bringing a couple of pillows and urging her to lift herself so that he could put them below her stomach.

Marie was confused as to what he was doing. It wasn't until she felt his hands on her legs that she had an idea of what he planned.

"Chris..." she trailed off.

"Relax for me," he said, moving his head to the space between her legs. He grabbed her butt, propping her with the pillows so that she was raised a bit higher. He urged her to part her legs farther so that he could get a better look at what lay between them.

Chris groaned at the sight of Kate's bare pussy. It slightly shone in the room because of her wetness. Her cream had coated it, and it had started dripping on the bed. He moved forward, releasing a heated breath and watching the lips quiver as a result.

"Chris..." Kate trailed off for a moment, slightly shaking when she felt him breathing on her cunt. In the next moment, she felt his mouth on her.

Marie gasped, clutching the sheets as she arched her back. The action seemed to push her cunt closer to Chris' face, making him groan. Kate shuddered with a sigh before it turned into a loud moan when she felt his teeth.

Chris groaned into her cunt, tugging at the pussy lips with his teeth. He angled his head up, letting his tongue lick them before they lapped at her clit. 

"Chris!" Kate shouted, feeling her orgasm begin its ascension. Chris mouthed her clit before he shifted to place his tongue inside her pussy. Her thighs quivered at the fast pace that her boyfriend moved. He fucked her with his tongue and teeth, groaning all the while as he licked at her walls before tugging at her pussy lips and clit.

He stopped for a moment, turning so that he could lie down on the bed. His hands soon grabbed Marie's thighs, and he clenched them firmly as he dragged her closer to his face before he resumed what he was doing. His tongue moved deeper, making Kate gasp as it touched places she never knew existed. His teeth followed, tugging at her pussy lips again.

Kate's orgasm kept building and building, and it clashed when she felt Chris' nose rub on her clit. He moved farther as if he wanted to bury his head in her pussy, and the action had her clit rubbing hard against his skin.

Kate wailed loudly, feeling her climax crash over her. Her body shook as her pussy lips quivered before her juices erupted out of her. Chris groaned as he lapped at them, not letting a drop escape from his mouth. Kate's fingers held tightly on the sheets as Chris kept eating her out, not stopping even when her orgasm had ceased.

"Chris!" she exclaimed when it dawned on her that he was still feasting on her cunt.

"I want you to come for me again," he practically growled, moving away from her pussy. Soon, two of his fingers replaced his mouth on her cunt.

Kate bucked into his touch, more so when she felt him move above her. His mouth descended on her neck, and she moaned out loud when he attacked the bundle of nerves near her shoulder.

Chris shifted above her, placing his legs between hers to maintain her wide stance. Her legs wanted to squeeze themselves close, but his thighs stopped her from doing so. She could feel his hard cock brush against her ass, and the wetness that coated her skin fueled her arousal.

Chris groaned on her neck, his fingers moving at a fast pace. He changed angles at every moment, trying to find the spot that made Kate lose her mind.

When he moved back inside her again, Marie mewled. Chris smirked on her neck before moving his fingers back and returning them to that spot. Kate cried out again in pleasure, and she squealed when the fingers were bent to press against that spot.

"You're going to come for me again, aren't you?" he said, moving to kiss her earlobe. Kate could do nothing but moan, feeling another orgasm approach.

"Chris..." she whimpered, her pussy walls tightening around his fingers. Her cunt was wet with her cream, and they threatened to pour out at a fast rate.

Chris did not relent, fucking her faster with his fingers. Kate's eyes closed as she cried out beneath him. He loved it, and he showed it by growling before moving to attack her neck.

His fingers moved faster on her cunt. Another one followed, aiming for her clit. He rubbed it round and round as he fucked her with his other fingers.

"Don't hold it in, Kate. Let go for me. Come on my fingers the same way you rode and came on my face."

A few seconds later, Kate stilled on the bed as another orgasm hit her.

"Chris!" she yelled in ecstasy, feeling her pussy walls clamp around his fingers as he continued to please her.

"Yeah, come for me. Show me who truly owns your pussy."

Chris was still moving his fingers inside her, prolonging her orgasm and making her moan with a shudder.

She soon collapsed on the bed when it had passed, panting loudly as she struggled to breathe.

 

Chapter 52

Chris' hands on her thighs told Kate that he was not done with her. He parted them, allowing her pink pussy to be visible to him. It was still wet with the juices that had escaped during her release, and her walls quivered as she wondered what Chris had in store for her.

She felt him move back and shift above her. His hard cock moved forward, brushing at her pussy lips.

Kate tensed, but she moaned with unexpected pleasure when she felt his cock move inside her. The head of his cock fought a bit for entrance, and Kate enjoyed the feel of her walls expand for it. They soon relaxed when the head had entered her, and her cunt was wet the moment she felt his shaft move deeper inside her pulsing walls.

She hummed in pleasure, feeling Chris' dick push inside her. Marie thought it was over a second later, but she gasped when she felt him still moving inside her. 

'How much more?' she questioned in her mind. A couple of seconds later, she felt Chris' pelvis touch her pussy lips. The few, small hairs of his crotch tickled her cunt, having her tense under him as her walls clenched around his girth. She soon felt him move down to her. His arms went below her chest, hugging her to him.

"You feel so good, Kate," he said, slowly grinding his hips into hers. Kate tensed with a gasp when she felt his cock experimentally touch her inner walls. He seemed to have hit an end to her cunt, but when the head brushed alongside it, she gasped in pleasure.

"What? Are you going to come like this?" he asked, and she moaned in reply. "Fuck. You can come like this."

Chris moved back, letting his cock glide on her wet walls. Then he moved back, hitting the spot that had Kate seeing stars.

"Chris!" she cried out, her thighs shaking in his view.

"Fuck," he groaned, pushing back before returning to fill her to the hilt. Kate closed her eyes, feeling sparks of pleasure ignite her skin. Her heart thudded in both anticipation and slight fear; she was afraid she would pass out from too much pleasure.

Chris did not give her time to focus on that, going back to grinding his pelvis on her pussy lips. The action had his groin rub against her clit. Kate whimpered, especially when she felt his cock rub around her walls. Her cunt tightened around him, feeling her juices coat his bare cock.

Kate's thought went away when he brushed on her spot once again. She cried out, arching her back to him.

"I'm going to make you come like this," he growled with a promise. He tightened his arms around her, pushing them so that they lay on their sides.

The slight change in positions did nothing to alleviate the feeling of him inside her. In fact, it made her feel more aware of him.

Chris grabbed one of her legs, putting it above his thigh. His hand moved to one of her breasts as he kissed her neck. Kate moaned when his fingers gripped her nipple, rubbing it between the tips as he squeezed her breast. All the while, his hips were grinding into hers, forcing her close to orgasm.

He continued like that for a while, sighing and grunting as her pussy squeezed around him. Then one of his hands moved down her torso and to her cunt. The fingers found her clit, and he started playing with it. He rubbed the nub softly as he moved inside her.

It did not take long for Kate to reach another orgasm. She arched her back towards Chris as her cunt squeezed around his cock. She shuddered on the bed as the pleasure washed over her, pouring out in the form of her juices that coated the cock inside her cunt.

Chris kept kissing her, grinding into her hips until the orgasm passed. As soon as it was done, Marie found herself lying on her front once again.

"I need more," Chris said, grabbing her ass. He settled her above the pillows before he moved back, letting a few inches of his cock escape Kate's pussy before filling her in a quick motion.

The force of the thrust made Kate gasp, especially when her cunt was once again wet with her juices.

"Look at you. Still hungry for my cock, huh?" he said, moving back again before pushing his cock back inside. It had been unexpected, and it had Kate's pussy walls clamp on his shaft.

"You feel so good, Kate," he said, resuming his thrusts. His dick glided along her wet walls, making them contract and relax around it as her cunt got wetter. 

"Yeah, squeeze around me like that," he continued, actually making Kate's pussy tighten around him as he grunted his pleasure.

Chris groaned, deciding to increase his pace. With each thrust, his thighs slapped on Kate's. The sound rang loud in the room, and it did not help with all the sensations Kate was feeling.

"Fuck!" Chris commented, his fingers clutching hard on her ass as he fucked her. Kate soon started thrusting back to him, and her moans grew louder as her climax started approaching.

Chris slowed down for a moment, letting his cock grind into Kate's pussy. She mewled and whimpered, feeling his pelvis hit her clit.

"Your pussy is going to kill me," Chris groaned, still moving slowly against her. Kate's orgasm was approaching fast, but it slowed when he moved back.

She wanted to whimper at the loss, but it turned into a loud moan when Chris moved back into her. His cock kept hitting her pleasure spots, and it started making Kate's vision unfocused.

"Chris... Chris... Chris..." she moaned his name, feeling her climax approach as the seconds passed. Soon, her form tensed as she reached her release.

"Chris!" she yelled, feeling her walls clamp around his cock. He stilled, cursing when he felt her walls squeeze him close to his own orgasm. Her juices poured out once again and glided onto his groin, some even going straight to the sheets.

The climax quickly ended, having Kate panting at the force of it. By then, she had experienced more than three orgasms. She felt a bit tired, believing she couldn't get another.

However, Chris had other plans.

His hands clutched at her waist, bringing her up to sit on his lap. Kate was taken aback, but then she gasped when she felt his cock settle deeper inside her.

"Chris, I don't think--"

"We are not done yet," he growled.

"I could suck you--" Kate's suggestion turned into a moan when she felt his cock throb inside her.

"See?" he smirked behind her. "I was right. There is still a lot of cum in your pussy, Kate."

Marie went to tell him he was wrong, but she gasped when she felt his hands on her thighs. He parted her legs wider before raising his knees, supporting her legs with his muscular ones.

"Chris--" Kate went to speak, but it turned into a moan when his cock shifted inside her. The new angle had him settled deep inside her, leaving no space for his cock to escape. Her walls struggled once again to accommodate him, spasming on his length as it throbbed inside her.

"Your pussy is so tight, Kate," he growled, moving to kiss her cheek. "I love how it hugs my hard dick. It's like—fuck!"

He gave her a hard thrust, making her squeal.

"It's warm and so deliciously wet," he kept speaking, and the sounds that proved his words kept fueling Kate's arousal. "It's like my cock was made for it."

His hands held onto her thighs, helping her up and down on his cock.

Kate was surprised by the position they were in, more so when she felt herself pulse around him. She worried he was wasting too much of his energy, but he directed her thoughts away when his hand moved to her sensitive clit once again.

"I can hear you think, Kate," he said, flicking her nub. "What is it?"

"Let me take over," she whispered. Chris heard her, and so he allowed her to move her hands to his thighs. She pressed firmly, bringing her own self up and down on his shaft.

The head of his cock kept hitting that spot that had her shuddering, and so she struggled not to let it affect her movement. It felt so good, urging her to speed up and at the same time to slow down.

It took her a couple of seconds, and she soon whimpered when she felt her cunt clutch at his cock. The sensations were too much.

Chris soon took over, bouncing her as he fucked her on his thighs. He groaned, hugging her close to his form as he moved his cock inside her.

"Chris..." Kate whimpered, feeling her climax threaten to take over.

"Look at us," Chris growled in her ear. She was confused at first, but then she understood what he meant.

A few feet in front of them was a large mirror. Kate had forgotten about its presence in the room, but seeing their reflection had her heart skip a bit. Kate's thighs were parted and supported by Chris'. His left hand was on her right cheek and his other hand was touching her groin. His reflection stared at her, heated with arousal, and between them was his shaft that was heavily coated with her juices.

Kate's pussy walls contracted at the sight, more so when she saw Chris looking back at her.

"You like watching, don't you?" he said, capturing her earlobe once again as he resumed thrusting into her. "I do too, especially the first time you touched yourself."

"Chris..." Kate whimpered, remembering the incident.

"I remember the way you fucked yourself in front of me. It was so beautiful. All I wanted to do was to fuck you and show you what you have been missing, and I would have made you come so many times. My cock desperately wanted to fuck your pussy, Kate."

Kate felt herself moan at his dirty words.

"I wouldn't have let you leave the house for a week. I would have taken you everywhere."

"Chris--"

"And every time I was with someone else..." he trailed off with a growl. Kate stopped moving, feeling her heart clench at the memory of seeing him fucking another girl.

"I was always thinking about you," he replied, rubbing at her clit and causing her to gasp. "I thought of your pussy and how good it would feel wrapped around my cock. It's much better than I imagined."

"Chris!" Kate screamed when his cock rubbed against her walls again.

"It's the truth," he groaned. "Look at us, Kate."

She did as he asked, and their reflection had her breathing deeply again.

"Have you ever seen anything that hot?" he growled before his mouth descended to her neck. Kate felt her form quiver as a familiar pressure started in her cunt.

She stared back at their reflection. She looked at their sweaty forms once again, and with the way Chris' muscles bulged with each thrust he gave her...

It was too much. Kate's orgasm exploded out of her in an instant.

"Chris!" Kate screamed out, feeling her cunt clench around him as her juices poured out of her. They trailed down his cock, dripping onto the bed in quick drops.

"Fuck!" he said, grinding his dick in her cunt through her orgasm. He clenched his fingers around her form, feeling her shudder as her pussy walls squeezed his cock.

"No more," she said, a panting mess after her release had passed.

"Why not?" he asked, still thrusting inside her. "You made me wait three weeks."

"How come you haven't come yet?" she asked him, struggling to breathe evenly after the orgasms he had given her.

"I'll tell you why," he said, pausing to turn away from the mirror.

He turned Kate into a position that had her sitting on his thighs while she faced him. Then he moved to the wall behind her, pushing her until her back was pinned against it.

"I'm jealous, Kate," he said, shifting his hips against hers. Kate gasped, sighing when he reached the hilt.

"Why?" she asked him. He narrowed his eyes in anger, pushing his form firmly against hers.

"Because you are so hot," he growled. "You are beautiful, sexy, and you are actually a nice person. None of that fake stuff I see on other girls. It's a dangerous combo that has all the guys looking at you."

"Chris--"

"And don't you deny it," he cut her off. "I saw guys look at you whenever we went out. I saw them check out your ass."

He grabbed her butt, pulling her above him. The action directed his cock away from her G-spot, making her whimper.

"I saw them looking at your boobs," he said, pushing her flush against him. "I heard them talk about 'hitting that'."

Kate felt strangely flattered by all Chris was saying. She felt possessive about him, and hearing that he felt the same way about her made her happy. But then, he had not answered her first question.

"I want to stake my claim, Kate," he said, moving his cock back before grinding his hips on hers. "I want everyone to know that you are mine."

He pushed her firmly to the wall, making her part her legs wider to allow entry for his waist.

"You are my girlfriend," he said, pulling her lips to a passionate kiss. He groaned, making her whimper as she felt her arousal return.

"Your pussy was mine the moment you fucked yourself in front of me," he said, grinding into her. "Your boobs are mine to suck; mine to play with."

He sucked on her nipple, making her cry out.

"And everything that you do in the bedroom. Every sound you make, every orgasm, every cry, every touch you give—Everything, Kate," he said, grabbing her ass. "It's mine."

Kate inched her head to kiss him, accepting his words.

"No one else will touch you the way I do," he breathed, and his eyes told her he was serious.

"You are mine too, Chris," she said, grabbing at him. "I don't want anyone else to touch you."

"Yes, Kate," he groaned, moving his cock in and out of her. "No one else. I'm yours."

Kate moaned before moving to kiss him back. His words had an effect that had her crazy with want. Her hands wandered around him, touching his broad shoulders and muscular back before moving to his defined chest and back all over again. She even touched his abs, moaning when she felt them contract on her fingers.

Chris increased his tempo, his hold on her ass firmer as he moved his shaft quickly inside of her. He hit her pleasure spots hard with every quick thrust, making her walls squeeze around him.

"Chris," Kate moaned, another climax on the horizon.

"Fuck, Kate," he replied. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

It was how she also felt. Chris was all over her, moving at a fast pace and making her only acknowledge him and nothing else in that moment.

His lips moved down her neck, making her mewl. Her breasts were soon teased by his kisses. He tongued her nipple, making her moan in delight as her pussy released more wetness. He nipped at it with his teeth before sucking it and then moving to the other hardened nub.

Kate's breath was coming in short gasps by then. Her form was sweaty as it glided along Chris' own as they approached their orgasms. Skin slapped against skin, the sounds ringing loudly in the room. The bed also shook, making the wood creak with each movement.

Kate's hands moved to Chris' back, holding on as he thrust quickly inside her. His hands also moved around her, holding her tightly as he kissed her hard.

The orgasm hit Kate so quickly she didn't see it coming. She wailed into the kiss, feeling her pussy walls contract around Chris' cock. Her vision was once again unfocused as her climax washed over her. Her pussy released her juices, making them drip along Chris' cock and the sheets beneath them.

Kate sighed, but then she moaned when she felt the shaft still move inside her. Chris' arms tightened around her, still thrusting at a fast pace.

"Chris!"

"Again, Kate! Come for me again!" he growled, kissing her neck. Her breasts bounced with each thrust, making her nipples rub against his chest. Chris arched his back towards her, making sure her breasts smashed themselves along his torso. His grinding motion also brushed her clit, and Kate tensed once again.

She screamed her orgasm with a voice she did not know was hers, feeling tears cloud her vision at the intense pleasure. Her hold on Chris tightened as more of her juices erupted out of her. They seemed a lot at that point, and Kate wondered for a moment if she had accidentally peed on the bed.

"Again!" Chris yelled, slapping her ass for effect. Kate released a cry, trying to force herself to stay awake. By then, her nipples and clit felt too sensitive. Her pussy felt like it had been abused, and Chris' thrusts were starting to hurt.

"You better come too," Marie said with a moan, facing Chris. He was sweating, and his hair was mapped onto his forehead. He looked hot, but he would have turned Kate on if he had not made her come so many times.

He moved to kiss her nipples again, and she mewled at the painful pleasure. Even though they were oversensitive by that point, he did not relent with his tongue and teeth.

Kate held on as he ground his hips against hers. She raised her head high, and what she saw made her shudder.

She saw the mirror reflecting what she and Chris were doing. They were both sweaty by then, and she was finding it hard to have her legs around his waist. Chris back muscles tensed and relaxed with every thrust he gave her. Her eyes wandered lower, seeing the muscles of his fine ass move as he fucked her.

Her legs tightened around Chris' waist, making him groan and shake. Her mouth opened when she felt her heel touch his ass.

"I'm going to come," she gasped, surprised by her body's reaction to him.

"Me too," Chris said, pressing her firmly against him. Her nipples rubbed on his hard chest again, and his hips brushed against her clit with each hard, quickened thrust.

Some seconds later, Kate's climax hit. She squeezed her cunt walls hard around Chris' cock, and they both cried out each other's names as they released. Bright light disturbed her vision as she tensed in Chris' hold.

Her pussy walls clamped hard around Chris' twitching dick as her juices flooded down her cunt. At the same time, Chris' dick throbbed erratically before his cum exploded inside her. It jerked with each jet it released, coating her insides and making her feel warm inside. It made Kate have a mini-climax that left her shuddering.

"Kate," Chris whispered, the word having a lot of meaning as he kissed her softly on the lips.

Kate fluttered her eyes closed, letting her head fall onto Chris' shoulder as he placed small kisses on her cheeks. He panted along with her, holding her to him for a couple of minutes.

"That was amazing," she told him in a breathy voice. He gave her a small smile before kissing her again on the lips.

Afterward, they lay on the bed in exhaustion. Kate moved close to Chris, allowing him to cuddle her as sleep took over their forms. 

 

Chapter 53

That cloudy Monday caught Emma and Kate in the library. Classes were done for the day, and the two had gone there to catch up with their lives.

"So he's less of an ass nowadays?" Kate chuckled.

"He told me he actually did it on purpose. Can you believe it?"

"No," Marie shook her head. "I never pictured Alex to be quite the immature person."

"I did," Emma stated, causing the two of them to laugh.

"SSH!" the librarian on the floor motioned with his finger.

"Sorry," Kate mouthed before turning to face her friend. "Why didn't we just go upstairs? We'll get a lot of privacy there."

"That place is a no-go for me. I usually feel off being in there, especially when it's dark. At one point, the shadows had me thinking someone was following me."

Marie grimaced for her friend.

"So anyway, how are things between you and Chris?" Emma asked her.

"Good, I think," Kate replied.

"You think?"

"Wait. What am I saying? They're actually very good!"

The librarian shushed them again.

"Maybe it will be better if we move to the back," Kate advised. Emma nodded, and so they gathered their books and headed away from the librarian's view. They occupied a table that was behind a large shelf of books that hid them away from everyone else in the building.

"Kate, I'm so glad you're my friend," Emma started.

"What? We're friends?" Kate pretended to be shocked, earning an unamused look in reply.

"Seriously. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."

"What makes you say that?" Marie questioned, furrowing her eyebrows in query.

"Well, you know how I act at times."

"Do I?" Kate wondered.

"If you hadn't come to see me," Emma ignored her reply, "I would have had the idea that you, Alex and Chris hated me. I would have thought that I was the only one to blame for what happened in high school."

"Emma, we did hate you, but we mostly hated ourselves for it. We couldn't blame you for something that was our fault in the first place."

"I know," she sighed, looking down at the table. "But it doesn't feel like I'm over it. A part of me worries that this thing between us will end."

Kate blinked at her friend before saying, "What? That's ridiculous."

"It's not," she sighed. "Kate, there is something I want to tell you."

"Emma, you're starting to scare me," Marie stated as she stared at her.

"I'd rather you find this out from me rather than anyone else. Or the Internet. But please, don't..." Emma trailed off. "I've actually realized I can't tell you how to react to what I have to say."

"Emma, what is it?" Marie cut straight to the point.

Emma's lips quivered before she said, "I had a tough upbringing. You would think that as an only child, things could have been better for me. But they weren't."

"Okay..." Kate trailed off. She wondered why it was a big deal.

"My parents and I were not financially stable. We couldn't afford to stay in one area because we would almost always fail to pay the rent, and that led to confrontations with the landlords that had us constantly moving every couple of months. Every friendship I had formed ended abruptly."

Emma sighed again.

"It wasn't a huge problem for me. Sure, I remember crying when I was forced to leave my friends, but then I would get over it quickly. It was easy to get used to it."

Marie was confused with the way Emma was explaining things.

"But fortunately for us, we stopped moving. We began making roots in a town called Bournemouth. It was small yet peaceful at that time. It looked beautiful without the many buildings we would see in a city, and I thought things would be okay from that point. I thought I could grow up in a place without having to worry about leaving so suddenly."

Emma shifted in her seat before continuing, "There was this kid who lived a couple of blocks from my place. His name was Nathan. He was an adorable blonde, and we became friends. He also had another friend called Vanessa. We seemed to hit it off quickly, especially when we realized we learned in the same middle school."

"Emma--"

"It matters, Kate. Keep listening," she said, cutting her off. Marie just nodded.

"So anyway, we were friends for a while. Then came a time when Vanessa and I got into a fight when we were playing in Nathan's backyard. I don't remember exactly what it was about... Could have been about dolls or something."

Emma gulped before saying, "I didn't realize I would lose her on that day."

Tears had started forming in her eyes.

"In one moment, we were screaming at each other, and in the next, I pushed her to the ground. I jumped on her, hands on her throat and squeezing as tight as I could while she struggled to kick me off of her."

Kate gasped in disbelief as she felt imminent dread at that moment. She could not believe what she was hearing. Of all the things that had been running through her mind, what Emma was telling her seemed farfetched.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed in shock.

"I know," Emma said, silently crying as she talked. "But she managed to kick me off of her. I went to attack her again, but then I saw her shaking on the ground."

Kate felt frozen, hearing Emma's story.

"She kept clutching at her throat. I did not realize it then that she was dying right in front of me and Nathan."

"Fuck," Kate silently exclaimed, feeling tears block her vision over the story she was hearing. She turned her head away, finding it hard to look at Emma.

"It was horrible, Kate. I felt horrible. I mean, I killed someone. And not just that. I killed an innocent kid!"

Kate felt suddenly sick to her stomach, wanting to leave the area.

"No!" Emma said, grabbing her wrist. "That's not all."

"What? Emma, how...?" she asked, wondering what to say as she sat back in her seat. A moment passed where she stared at Emma as she tried to pull herself together with all the tears she was crying.

"Okay," she said after a couple of minutes, wiping the tears off her face. "Things after that incident... Well, they became worse. I thought I would go to jail, but because I was a minor, I was just given a punishment. People called me the murderer in the town. I was avoided like the plague, and they warned me off their children. Even my parents could not face me."

'You killed a kid. How did you expect anyone to look at you?' Marie thought, but she bit back her tongue.

"Some months passed, and things changed for the worst. The people in the town started looking down at my family. They started blaming them for what I did, saying they raised me into a monster. My parents lost the jobs they held around that time, and they blamed me for it. They called me words that a child should never hear. But I couldn't yell back at them. I mean, I had killed someone. I believed I deserved it."

Emma shuddered with a sigh.

"Things at school were not that great either. The kids started bullying me, calling me names and even using physical means at some points. And the one who led all that was Nathan. He hated me so much for killing his friend, and I couldn't even fault him. I mean, I also hated myself for what I did."

Kate was surprised that she was feeling bad for Emma. She could hear the sadness and regret in the words she spoke. But how was she to act after she had confessed all she had to say?

"It went on until high school. The bullying seemed to reach a pitch where people mistreated me every day. It also did not help that the townsfolk were looking down at me. I was starting to have enough of it, but I could not tell the teachers. They would just turn a blind eye to everything that happened to me."

Emma hugged herself before continuing, "Nathan did awful things to me in my freshman and sophomore years. He beat me, telling me each time that I deserved it until it got drilled in my head. His rage seemed to have turned into something that ruled his body, and I never failed to see him express it every single day."

"What the fuck, Emma?" Kate found herself exclaiming in shock. "Did you go to the police?"

Emma looked at Kate before her lips turned into a smile. Then she laughed.

Laughed.

"Of course I did," she said, her laughter ceasing. "But no one did anything. I was the known murderer in the town. Also, Nathan's parents were rich. They could help him get away with anything."

Kate was at a loss for words.

"But it reached a point when I had had enough. Nathan had done something so awful to me that pushed me too far."

Emma took a deep breath before saying, "He raped me."

Kate's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Right in front of a couple of jocks in the school."

"What the fuck?" Marie yelled as Emma's form quivered with the memory. It was then that she remembered she was still in the library. "Did you tell--"

"I couldn't!" Emma cut her off with a hopeless expression. "Nothing ever went right for me. If I told the police, they would have just done nothing like they usually did. I was a known murderer, Kate. Do you think they would have helped me if they found out I was raped?"

"Oh my gosh," Kate sighed into her hands, shocked by what she was hearing.

"I told my parents, and they decided to move us out of that town," Emma continued. "Things were not going great for them anyway. And that is how I found myself starting my junior year in Stonedale."

Kate's mind worked to process all that she had heard from Emma. She also mixed it with what happened after her enrollment at her high school, and it all clicked at that point. It made her understand why she brought the gun to school.

"It did not help that Darcy's blonde hair reminded me of Nathan," Emma added with a distant expression. "They were alike in habits. All he had done to me, and having it coupled with what she did to me... I snapped."

"What happened to you afterward, Emma?" Marie asked softly.

"Kate, I think you know what happened after I shot you."

Suicide.

Kate remembered it very well. She had been close to passing out after she had been shot when she had heard another gunshot sound. She had turned, seeing Emma collapse on the floor with her gun in her hand.

"You didn't die," she said.

"But I wished I did," Emma countered with a sigh. "I even aimed the gun at my heart, but I missed by a couple of inches. It also did not help that I was shaking before I fired that gun."

Emma breathed before continuing, "Anyway, I was rushed to the hospital, and they treated me. They planned to take me to juvie after undergoing a mental analysis."

Kate had heard about what had happened to Emma after the whole shoot-out incident.

"What about your parents?"

"They didn't go to see me in the hospital, and I was glad. It was better that way. I didn't want to face them, knowing what they would say when they saw me on the bed. Maybe then they wouldn't have to put up with a monster their kid is."

Kate's eyes turned teary again, but she blinked them away. She looked back at Emma, seeing the faraway expression in her eyes. Her skin had considerably paled. It was as if she had lost all of her life as she relived the memories of her past.

Kate did not know what to do. A part of her wanted to stay away from Emma, especially after hearing what happened to Vanessa. But another part felt bad for all the things that had happened to her afterward. They seemed to be too much of a punishment for a kid who felt horrible for what she did.

"I have to go," Marie said, standing up before making a quick exit towards the library doors. 

She knew it seemed inappropriate and mean, but she had not known what else to do after the motherload of revelations Emma had dumped upon her. She needed time and space away from her to think about all she had been told. It made her wonder if their friendship could recover after that.

 

Chapter 54

 

It had been a couple of days since Kate had talked to Emma, and she was still shaken by what she had been told. She was in her room, her focus of typing an essay being disturbed by the chat she was having with her boyfriend and the thoughts of Emma.
She still could not believe it. Kate felt like she understood her after the talk they had in the library, but it made her wonder how she would approach her. Especially after hearing she had killed a child.

'Can I come over? We could finish the assignment much quicker when we are together.'

Kate rolled her eyes at the message that pinged on her phone. She knew that if she agreed to Chris' suggestion, they would do anything but study.

Her form still shuddered when she remembered what they had done on the previous weekend. She still felt Chris between her legs, even though a week was close to passing by. Even if she wanted to study with him, they wouldn't have the time because their semester exams were approaching.

"Hey, Kate," Gwen greeted, making her way into the dorm.

"Hey," Marie greeted back, focusing on the assignment she was typing.

"Just came by to get my phone. Ben and I are going out for a date. Would you like us to bring you anything?"

"Bring takeout," she said.

"Bye," Gwen said with a roll of her eyes, moving to exit the room.

Kate smiled, turning to type on her laptop when her phone buzzed. She reached for it, thinking it was another text from Chris, but then she was surprised when she noticed it was an app notification.

She had an app that monitored her menstrual cycle, and the notification from the app said that she was about to start her period.

'That's strange,' she thought. She was sure that something like a week was left before it started.

Kate moved away from her laptop to delve into her thoughts. Either the app was right or she was certain her time of the month had not yet reached.

It made her frown.

'What's wrong with my calculations?' she wondered, moving to the bathroom. She checked for her pads that she stored there as she went through her memories of the past four weeks.

'Maybe I gained some weight. I think all that food I ate when I was with Chris has messed up--'

Kate's thoughts ceased as a feeling of dread overcame her.

'No...'

Kate had forgotten to factor in Chris. Their relationship had gotten physical from the month of April. They had sex like rabbits ever since, and that fact did not ease her worries.

The last time she had had sex with Chris had been on the weekend that had passed. It had felt different that time. It was more intense, and she remembered feeling Chris inside her like there was no protection between them.

Was there protection in the first place?

'Kate, calm down. Maybe it's just a bug,' she thought, moving to the cabinet in the bathroom. For some reason, her roommate stored a couple of pregnancy tests in the bathroom. Marie had found it weird and awkward, but at the moment, she was glad that Gwen had stuck with the habit.

She soon found a couple of tests, and her hands trembled with anxiety. She took three before reading the instructions and following them as requested. Then she left the bathroom to head to the dining area to wait for the tests to be clear after a couple of minutes.

'Crap, crap, crap...' she thought, her heart thudding faster as she worried. She paced around the room with her hands in her hair, tears threatening to flow down her cheeks.

Her thoughts were mainly focused on the prospect of being pregnant.

'I'm not ready to be a mom. It's too early. I mean, I'm still in college!'

The requested minutes for the tests soon ended. Kate went to them to view what the results displayed.

Two read positive while one read negative.

Kate stood frozen on the floor for a moment as what she saw was slowly processed in her mind. She soon collapsed on the floor in tears, wrapping her arms around her knees as sobs wracked her form.

She was pregnant. A baby was actually developing inside her at the moment.

'What the hell will I do?' she wondered, worried about her future. Being pregnant was not a small thing, and it threatened to ruin her college life. Kate had already missed some of her high school years because of her tumor. She did not want to ruin her college attendance as well.

Kate remained in the bathroom for two hours, sobbing and then going silent for a while before starting all over again. She did not know how long she stayed there, but it did not matter. She was pregnant. Her life was ruined.

The sound of the door opening slightly startled her.

"Kate?" Gwen called out. Marie did not answer, hearing her friend's footsteps approach the bathroom.

"Oh my gosh! Kate!" she called out, settling herself next to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Kate did not reply. Gwen's eyes moved to the tests on the ground, reading them.

"Oh, Kate," Gwen said, wrapping her arms around her. It had her crying all over again.

 

Chapter 55

Kate sighed, looking around the waiting area of the hospital. She had sat near a couple of people on the plush, blue cushions as they waited for their names to be called out.

She had called in sick at the university that following day, and fortunately, the professor did not press for further information. Marie was uncertain about him needing proof, but she was prepared to ask the doctor for documented proof just in case.

'You have to go to the hospital to be sure. Sometimes these tests can mess us up,' she remembered Gwen telling her on the previous day once she had calmed down. Kate had already gotten it in her mind that she was pregnant, even though there was a little hope that the tests had been faulty. Two had read negative!

Her phone buzzed for the thousandth time that morning. She turned to it, seeing another missed call from a person she was not ready to talk to.

Kate had forgotten about Chris. It made her wonder how she would break the news to him if it were confirmed she was carrying his child. She was already having a hard time ignoring him. She had even made sure to leave her dorm very early that morning. She did not want him to find out about her situation yet, and she was certain that he would look through her lies if he was to confront her and ask if she was okay.

'Kate, talk to me. What is going on?  Are you okay? Please, call me back,' she listened to the other voicemail that he sent. She sighed, feeling hurt and guilty for putting him through her silent treatment. She was also angry at him for putting her in such a situation.

She worried about his reaction to her being expecting. She wanted to be sure about it before she told him. Until then, she planned not to talk to him. Maybe she could even lie and tell him her phone was broken.

But what if he decided to show up at her doorstep?

"Miss Velias?" the nurse called out. Having heard her name, Kate walked to the woman. She talked to her, verifying her details.

"Go through that door, please," she instructed. Marie muttered a few words of thanks before turning to the white door on her right.

She grabbed the knob, sighing before she pushed the door open.

********************* ************************** ******************* ***************

Hours later, Kate had returned to her dorm. After being at the doctor's office and giving out a sample of her fluids, she was advised to wait for two days to get the actual results for her blood test.

It still did not calm her down. If possible, it made her much more worried about her results. Apart from freaking out about Chris and her college life, she wondered how her parents would react to the news. She knew they wanted grandchildren, but she was certain they didn't want them when she was still finding herself.

She felt like she had messed up just like she had done in high school. 

She sighed, and a second later, a harsh knock sounded in the room. She turned swiftly to head for the door.

She flung it open, and the person on the other side made her wish she could have checked who it was.

Chris stood in front of her, fuming.

"What the hell, Kate?" he yelled. Marie sighed, turning to head into the room. Chris swiftly followed, closing the door behind them.

"Why have you been ignoring my texts and calls?"

"Chris, it's only been a day. My phone has been acting up since last night," she told him, hoping he wouldn't reply with a smart comeback.

"You were online on Facebook and Whatsapp until one this morning," he pointed out.

'Crap,' Kate thought.

"So why?"

Kate felt like she had experienced such a conversation with him. She felt scared for a moment, but she knew she had to tell him the truth.

"I had a rough night, okay?" she told him. "Look. You don't understand what I'm going through."

"Then tell me!" Chris stated in frustration. "I've been worried. I thought something that I don't know had happened between us. Make me understand what you are hiding from me."

"That's the thing, Chris!" Marie confessed. "I don't know how you'll react if I told you--"

"Told me what?"

"That I may be pregnant!"

A sudden pause came between them. The room was silent as the two stared at each other.

"What?" Chris commented in shock.

Kate's eyes grew watery as she sighed before saying, "I took three pregnancy tests yesterday. Two read positive, and I felt scared. I didn't know how to tell you, and so I turned to Gwen. She told me to go to the hospital--"

"Wait," Chris interrupted her with furrowed eyebrows. "You told Gwen?"

"Yes. She told me that the tests could be faulty, and she advised me to go to the hospital for a blood test. That's where I've just been."

"Are you telling me you turned to Gwen about this and not me?" Chris emphasized as he glared at her. Kate was confused for a moment.

"Yes, Chris. I told her! I mean, she understands--"

"And I don't?"

"You are a guy, aren't you?" she stated. Chris' eyes widened at her response.

"I did not know how to tell you, Chris! How would you have reacted if I came to you and told you that I might be carrying your baby?"

Chris gulped before saying, "I would have been shocked."

"See?" Kate seemed to sigh in a mixture of relief and anger. 

"But I would have been happy about it."

Kate was taken aback for a moment as she looked at him.

"No, you wouldn't. We are in college. We still have our lives--"

"It doesn't matter," he said, deflating for a moment. Marie was surprised by the lack of emotion he was exhibiting.

"Chris, what the hell? This is college we are talking about! Don't you care about your future?"

"Of course I do!" he yelled, his eyes glaring with anger. "I care about it, but it won't matter if you aren't in it."

Kate was still perplexed by the way he was reacting.

"What?" she said.

"Do you think I would have been mad? Kate, I know I am as responsible as you are for the situation we are in. Yes, I would have been shocked, but I would have been happy about it. It's something that I want with you," he admitted.

"Chris..." Kate trailed off, not knowing what to add.

"I love you, Kate," he said.

After he had spoken those words, time seemed to stand still for Kate.

"No. No," she denied his words. "You can't be."

"But I am," he persisted. "I have been ever since we were in high school."

Kate was at a loss for words.

"But we haven't been talking to each other until last year."

"It does not matter, Kate," Chris said.

"Of course it does! How can you be standing here, telling me that you love me when we've only been hanging out for a couple of months?"

"Kate, aren't you listening?" he asked her. "I have been in love with you ever since we were in high school."

Kate still denied his words. "You couldn't have. I was... You know how I was!"

Chris' eyes turned glassy.

"I still loved you," he said. "Even after you had your tumor removed."

Kate tensed at the words he said. She was shocked he knew, but she was not planning to delve into that topic.

"I thought I had gotten over you after what happened in high school. But being around you again... Doing the project reawakened my feelings for you," he continued. "They never left. You made me fall harder than I ever thought I could, and I looked forward to every moment I spent with you."

"Chris..." Kate trailed off as her vision blurred. She had no idea of what to tell him.

"Why do you think I always hanged out with you? Why do you think I always went out with you to restaurants and amusement parks without anyone else?"

"Chris--"

"I also took you to meet my family for fuck's sake!" he yelled, his chest quickly moving with the breaths he was taking. He closed his eyes, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"It hurts to know you don't trust me," he added. "I thought you knew me the way I know you. I thought you'd let me be your rock. I thought you would trust me with heavy stuff like this. Fuck, were you ever going to tell me about it?"

"But it's a baby, Chris," Marie persisted, slowly crying herself. "How could I have told you that? And how could I have known you felt that way for me?"

He looked down, shaking his head. He sniffed, and Kate realized that he was also crying.

"But that's the thing. You should have. I would have loved you and our child."

After that sentence, Kate felt aware that something bad was going to happen.

"Chris--"

"Do you love me back, Kate?" he interrupted her. At that moment, he pinned her with his gaze. The tears in his eyes hurt Kate, and she wanted to go and soothe his pain.

'Do I love him?' she thought. She was not ready to answer that question. Thoughts flooded her mind as her heart thudded behind her chest. She opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say.

But then, she did not realize how long she had waited to answer his question.

"I thought so," he sighed when she did not answer, moving to leave the room.

"Chris," Kate said, not knowing what to add. He stopped for a moment, sighing before he went to the door. He opened it and got out, softly closing it before his footsteps receded.

Marie stood, staring at the door with her vision blurring with tears. It was after a short while that she broke down on the floor, sobbing.

 

Chapter 56

 

'I'm not pregnant,' Kate stared at the text she had last sent to Chris. She knew he had received it, and she also knew he didn't want to talk to her. She shifted on her bed, sniffing as she wiped some of her tears away.

Kate had been lucky. The doctor had explained to her that she had been on her safe days when she was having unprotected sex with Chris. She was advised to get on a birth control plan. She was also told stuff that people did not know about sex, like naked contact between the male and female genitalia provided risks for impregnation. She had been doing that a lot with Chris before he took her virginity, and she was surprised yet glad to not be expecting.

Anyway, her prayers for not being pregnant were answered, but she was not happy. A week had passed ever since she and Chris had... Kate was not sure of what to call it yet. It felt like a breakup, but Chris had not defined it.

Or maybe it was her way of keeping up hope that things could change between them.

Apart from exams, the last seven days had been filled with tears for Kate. Her mind was always focused on Chris that she had problems concentrating on her tests.

Chris had moved away from his spot next to her, choosing to sit near the front of the class. She wanted to believe he was following the exam regulations that involved not sitting near friends, but then it did not feel like that. It hurt her, especially when he quickly left after classes to avoid her. But she understood his need for distance.

Kate wanted to talk to him, but she was unsure of what to tell him. He had recently confessed his love for her, and it had left her uncertain about her own feelings.

'Do I love him back?' she wondered. She admitted she had strong feelings for him, but she was not sure about what to label them. She and Chris had been friends for three months before they had started dating in January. It felt too soon to call it 'love'. What if she said it but it was not actually it? What if Chris got tired of her and decided to leave her?

'I love you,' Kate recalled him telling her that, and her eyes started tearing up again.

"But how could he spring that up on you?" Kate remembered her friend replying after she had told her about the breakup. "You were just dating for a few months, and then he tells you he loves you before he breaks up with you? I mean, what the f?"

"Don't let it bother you, Gwen."

"No, Kate. What is wrong with him? I just can't believe he did that to you! That guy must be sick. That guy--"

"Is in love with me," Kate had cut her off before another round of tears shook her form.

She sighed in the present, wiping away the tears flowing down her cheeks. Her sadness was soon mixed with a dose of anger at the memory. Chris had told her that he loved her and their possible child, yet he left her alone and crying. Gwen had made a point emphasizing that.

'He's sick of me, isn't he?' Marie wondered all of a sudden. 'I can understand. I mean, I wasn't comfortable enough to tell him I could have been pregnant. Even if I truly were, I would have continued hiding it from him.'

Kate suddenly realized that Chris was right about her trust in him. But how could she have known that he would be welcome to the idea of them having a child? Almost every novel and every show she watched that involved teen pregnancy in high school and college had the hero yelling at the heroine and blaming her for it. A few even had him leaving her.

'He loves you,' her mind reminded her, making her scoff as she got out of the bed. She was tired of the sad state she brought onto herself by thinking about him. He had greatly deterred her focus during the exams, and that had her worried about her entrance into senior year.

She was just heading to the bathroom when a knock sounded at the door.

She turned to head towards it. Once she opened it, she could not hide her surprised expression when she noticed who it was.

"Hi, Kate," Emma greeted with a hesitant smile. It soon turned into an irked expression when she really looked at her. "Ooh. You look, um..."

"Terrible, I know," Kate said, scratching her messed up hairstyle. "What are you doing here? I thought that after..." she trailed off.

"I was going to avoid you again. But then I heard about what happened between you and Chris. So I decided to come see you."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows.

"How?" she asked.

"Through Alex," Emma replied.

"Alex?" Kate stated in disbelief. Then she remembered he was Chris' friend.

She was surprised by it. Also, how the hell was she talking to Emma like they were friends, especially after the information she had given her the last time they had seen each other?

Maybe her breakup was disturbing her thought processes.

"Why are you here?" Kate asked Emma.

"I came to distract you," she replied. "I heard from Gwen that you've been spending a lot of time here moping over Chris."

Kate's heart clenched at the thought of her boyfriend.

"No. None of that," Emma said as she approached her. "We are going to flush that guy out of your mind for today. I want you to go get ready. We're going out."

Emma pushed Kate towards the bathroom.

"Wait. Gwen?"

"Are you going to keep saying everyone's name like that? Go get ready!"

Kate sighed, seeing she had no other option. She decided it would be better to go out with her new friend rather than to continue tearing over Chris.

"Okay," she relented.

****************************** ************************** *************************

"Why do people never listen to me?" Kate groaned, moving to support her back on the shotgun seat of the car.

"I'm sorry!" Emma apologized as she focused on the road that led back to the university. "I thought the hype was all for nothing. I didn't expect the movie to be actually creepy."

"I told you I watched IT already last Halloween. It also got high ratings from the critics. And it has a freaking clown that is made from people's nightmares!"

"I thought you were lying," Emma said sheepishly.

Kate snorted, earning a laugh from her.

"I feel like we should have watched a comedy afterward," Emma stated. "You know, to help us concentrate away from that scary movie. Now the only thing I can think of right now is that clown popping up from my backseat."

Kate was currently not okay with comedy movies. They usually had romance as themes, and she would hate to see characters falling in love when her own relationship with Chris could be falling apart.

She had not voiced that out yet, but she was willing to if Emma would persist on her movie choice.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Emma drove her gray car back to the university. Kate had been surprised that she owned a car, but it had not been as big as the surprise that Emma could be cool at times. It made her wonder how she had the strength to enjoy life after having such a troublesome childhood.

Speaking of which...

"Emma..." Kate called out.

"Hmm?" she asked, still focused on the view of the road. Kate still looked at her.

"I have been doing some thinking recently. I want us to talk," she said. "About Vanessa."

Kate braced her hands tightly on the leather seat, expecting the car to derail for a moment like they do in the movies when the driver is shocked. But it didn't.

"What is there to talk about?" Emma stated, still not looking at her. "I'd rather not go through the past if you are asking about my memories with the person that I killed."

"But that's the thing," Kate stated, shifting in her seat. "I don't think you killed her."

Emma snorted before arguing, "I choked her."

"You started to choke her," Kate emphasized, "but then you told me you got off of her before she grasped her own throat and started shaking on the ground."

The driver gulped before saying "So?"

"If you had choked her to death, she would have been shaking in your grip. Doesn't it seem weird that she died after you released your hold on her throat?"

Marie noticed a slight change in Emma's expression. She furrowed her eyebrows as she faced the road. She took a quick glance at her before focusing back on her driving.

"But I was there, Kate," Emma said. "The doctors said that I had killed her. They said something about forcing her without breath for too long and snapping her throat--"

"But you would have felt that. You would have felt something move in her throat if you had indeed killed her."

Emma looked more confused.

"Was she foaming on the mouth?" Marie questioned. Emma's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion before she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah."

"I don't know," Kate said, "but if what you are telling me is exactly what had happened with the doctors, then something is not right."

Emma did not say anything for a moment.

"Did they release the details on her corpse?" Kate asked.

Before she could hear a reply, something banged on the hood of their car. It made the car shake, having its wheels squeal for a moment at the unexpected disturbance.

Kate turned in her seat to look behind them, finding a tinted black car moving to hit the boot.

"What the hell?" she yelled. She turned to look at Emma, seeing a determined expression on her face.

"Put your seat belt on, Kate," she said.

"What?"

"NOW!"

Kate rushed to do what she was instructed. The moment it clicked in place, Emma pressed on the brakes and moved the car at a fast pace.

Marie grasped tightly onto her seat. Her heart thudded as she wondered what was happening. Her thoughts had taken a turn for the dark side, and she was frightened that something bad would happen.

She looked at the sides, noticing how there was no other car except for theirs and the black one charging behind them.

"Emma, what the hell is happening?" Marie asked the driver. She didn't get an answer because a gunshot was soon heard. It hit the side view mirror on her side.

"What the fuck?" Kate screeched. "Is he firing at us?"

Another gunshot sounded, moving and hitting the windshield in front of them.

Marie screamed, ducking for cover.

"Kate, I need you to calm down," Emma yelled.

The sound of a gun firing was heard again. A blasting sound was heard, and the car began losing control.

That did not sound good.

"Emma?" Kate was scared.

"The bastard shot at a tire!" she yelled, trying hard to steer the car.

However, it was futile.

She had lost control over the car, and the two were sent spinning with it.

Kate and Emma screamed as they held onto their seats for support. A couple of seconds later, they crashed into something.

The impact was loud, sending an irritating ringing sound to their ears. Glass rained down on their forms as the two were affected by the abrupt motion of the car. They banged their heads pretty hard on the headrests, and the force was enough to leave them disoriented.

Kate heard a car approach as smoke filled her senses. She wanted to get out of the wrecked vehicle, but she couldn't.

Her form felt weak, and she instantly passed out.

 

Chapter 57

"Miss! Miss! Are you okay?"

"Jerry! Get the hell out of there!"

************* *********************** *********************** **********************

The sound of an explosion had Kate waking up with a gasp. The movement had been abrupt, and it had her head aching in an instant.

"Ow..." she moaned as she winced with her eyes closed, moving to scratch the back of her head. She was confused when she felt some kind of rough cloth texture instead of her hair. She moved her hands around, making out some kind of gauze wrapped around her head. 

That was when she noticed she was in an unfamiliar environment. Blue walls stared at her from the rectangular room, and the small bed she was lying on was filled with white sheets. She had worn a blue-dotted hospital gown, and there was a beeping sound on her side from the heart rate monitor.

'What the hell?' she thought, wondering how the hell she had gotten there.

"Glad to see that you are awake," a person wearing a white coat with a stethoscope spoke as he made his way into the room.

It took a couple of seconds for Kate to realize she was in a hospital.

"What?" Kate had no idea of what to say.

The doctor turned to his clipboard after looking at her, writing a couple of things on it.

"Okay," he said. "I'm Doctor Charles."

"Where am I?" Kate asked.

"Saint Catherine's Hospital," he replied easily. "Now, I need to do a couple of tests on you."

"Tests?"

Doctor Charles moved in front of her.

"How many fingers am I holding?"

"Um, two?" Kate stated, seeing the middle and index fingers that the doctor had raised.

"Great to see your vision isn't impaired," he said, writing something on the clipboard.

"Wait. What happened? Why am I here?"

"You tell me," Doctor Charles said, looking up at her. "Miss, do you remember anything prior to your waking up?"

Kate furrowed her eyebrows as she delved into her thoughts.

"No," she replied. "I don't remember anything."

"Nothing?" the doctor furrowed his eyebrows. "Even your name?"

"I know my name," Kate said. "I also know that I am a junior student at the University of Charles Darwin."

"Well, thank goodness you know who you are. That head injury you suffered could have been much worse."

"Head injury?" Marie inquired.

The doctor sighed before saying, "You were in a car accident. The vehicle ran into a tree."

"What?" she said, shocked.

"You were lucky that a traveling family found you along the highway. I must say, though, that I am confused as to why you were not in the driver's seat. Were you doing some kind of challenge you kids come up with these days?"

The doctor gave her a weird look.

Kate furrowed her eyebrows, digging through her memories.

And then it all came back to her. Emma coming to hang out with her, then going to the movies, and that stupid black car...

"Emma," she said, and it confused the doctor.

"Who?"

"I was not alone in that car," she told him with wide eyes. "I was with a girl named Emma. She was the one driving the car! We had just gone to the movies, and we were returning to the university when a car appeared out of nowhere and started derailing us."

The doctor looked shocked.

"Are you saying that someone tried to kill you?" he said, and Kate nodded at the frightening fact.

"You need to tell the police," he advised. "They've been investigating on the car, but they found nothing."

"What?"

"It exploded, Kate," Doctor Charles mentioned. "The car exploded minutes after someone helped you out of it."

"Oh my goodness," she sighed, thinking about what could have happened to her if no one had turned up at the scene. She would have been dead by then.

It helped explain the dream she had before she had woken up.

"The police could find nothing in it but your identification documents. Your phone also got ruined in the accident, and we did not know who to call. They have all been relying on you to wake up and tell them what happened."

"How long have I been here?"

"Today's your second day."

"Crap! Okay. When can I go to them?"

"I'd rather have them come here," the doctor said. "You suffered a couple of injuries in that accident. We have to make sure that your vitals and everything else is normal. If you move quickly, who knows what the damage might be?"

Kate sighed, finding herself agreeing with the doctor's words.

"I'll send a nurse in to do the other tests. You could also give her a couple of numbers to call to notify anyone you know. Make sure you get enough rest before the police arrive," he said, moving to leave the room.

**************** ***************************** *********************** *************

A couple of hours later, the police arrived in Kate's room. She talked to them, answering every question that involved the ordeal that had happened outside Emma's car.

"Thank you, miss. That will be all. We'll look into the issue involving your friend," one of the investigators said.

"Thank you," Kate expressed her gratitude, and they nodded before they left the room. She sighed, relaxing on the bed.

She was just about to fall asleep when the door to her ward bust open.

"Oh, Kate!" her roommate yelled, running towards her. Gwen encompassed her in a hug, shocking her.

"Gwen?" Kate said in surprise.

"I am so sorry," she apologized. "I would have been here sooner if I had known it was you in that car."

"What?"

"There was news about a car accident that involved college students last night. The reporters mentioned something about a survivor, but they did not mention your name because the police were 'still investigating into the matter'. I didn't know it was you until someone from the hospital phoned me."

"Hi, Kate," another voice added. Kate moved her head, spotting Ben at the entrance of the ward. He waved at her, and she awkwardly waved back at him.

"You doing okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for coming," she said, turning back to her friend. "I'm okay, Gwen. The person I'm more worried about is Emma."

"Emma? She was with you in that car? Oh, that bitch--"

"No," Kate cut Gwen off. "We were heading back to the campus when some car started hitting us. The asshole even started shooting at us."

"What?"

"I know. Now Emma is missing, and I can't help but be worried about her. I think she was kidnapped."

Gwen stared in shock at Kate.

"Are the cops looking into it?"

"Yes, but I doubt they'll find anything," she replied, shaking her head in concern.

"Relax, Kate. Something tells me that Emma can hold her own. I don't know why, but I have a feeling she will turn up okay."

Kate gave a hesitant smile.

"So, you wouldn't believe what Helen told me yesterday..."

Gwen stayed at Kate's ward, talking about the latest scandal involving the university students. It was a wonderful distraction for her, and she was glad that her friend was there to cheer her up.

Soon, visiting hours were over.

"I'll come to see you tomorrow after classes," Gwen stated, moving towards the door as Ben waved at her.

"Okay," Kate smiled. "Bye."

"Bye."

********************************** ************************* **********************

The following day had reached much quicker than Kate had anticipated. But then, she blamed it all on her medication.

She had just finished her morning meal, thanking the nurse as she left with the tray when someone appeared at the doorway.

"Kate," he breathed after the nurse left the room. She was not expecting him to be there, and her form tensed at his presence.

"Get out," she said, trying hard not to cry as memories of their last confrontation played in her mind. She was not ready to see him, especially after the way he had ended things.

Chris ignored her words, moving into the ward and closing the door behind him.

His closeness allowed Kate to see how terrible he looked. A couple of days' stubble had grown on his face. His hair looked disarrayed, and his eyes were bloodshot. His clothes had also looked crumpled, and it looked like he had quickly worn them to come to her.

"Have you been drinking?" Kate asked him.

"A little," he replied, "but it didn't help with the pain I felt."

"Chris, just go," Marie sighed as she looked at her side, not facing him.

"I almost lost you, Kate," he spoke. She did not reply.

He took that as a sign to move closer to her. He sat on the space she had not occupied on her bed, and she tensed.

"I'm sorry about the way I left things," he said. Kate's lips quivered at his words.

"But you were right," Marie replied, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "You were right about me not trusting you and loving you yet. Chris, I did not expect you to bring up--"

"I know," he cut her off. "But I was also wrong. I shouldn't have said all of that and forced you to make a choice."

"Chris--"

"We have only been dating for five months. I was only thinking about myself when I should have also considered you. I made you hurt, Kate. I left you when you could have been pregnant with our child. And I almost lost you forever," he said, tears flowing down his cheeks. 

"I understand if you wanted to figure things out--"

"I shouldn't have done that," he interrupted her again. "I knew it was not right, especially for our developing baby, but I still did it. I was selfish."

"But I'm not pregnant."

"I know," he said. "I saw your message."

Chris' hands moved to grasp hers. As always, she felt a soothing awareness of him.

"I'm sorry, Kate," he said. "It's just that I've wanted you for a long time. I thought you'd fall for me the same way I fell for you."

"Chris--"

"I know it sounds crazy. To be honest, I thought I was investing too much in our relationship. When we last talked, I thought all the years that had passed would go to waste. I thought you would reject me. I thought you would leave me, and that's why I believed things would be better if I ended it."

"I thought the same, too," Kate told him. "At times, I think you are better than I. I thought you would stop wanting me--"

"Never, Kate," Chris cut her off, moving his lips to hers. Shocks traveled through Kate's form the instant their mouths met. She sighed into the kiss, letting the sensations of the contact travel through her body. 

"If anything, you are far too good for me," he said once he detached his lips from hers. "I love you, Kate."

"But are you sure?" she said, letting her insecurities come out. "What if you find someone else who is much nicer and prettier--"

Chris ended her words with a searing kiss. It lasted longer than the first one, and it left her breathless.

"I've wanted you for a long time, Kate. Trust me when I say my feelings for you will never change."

Kate's eyes teared up once again.

"Kate, don't cry," Chris told her, wiping her tears away with his thumbs as he held her face.

"I'm happy," she said, smiling as she cried.

Chris kissed her again.

"I'm not letting you go again," he sighed, pecking her on the lips. "I love you, Kate, and I'm not letting anyone steal you away from me."

Chris' hands caressed her cheeks as he continued to give her gentle kisses.

"I know you feel the same for me."

"Chris--"

"I'm willing to wait until you feel ready to say them."

Kate's heart thudded. Chris stood before her, proclaiming his love for her, and yet she was not sure if she loved him back. Her feelings for him were strong, and they frightened her. With her knowledge of contemporary relationships, she was scared things between them would end if she said those words.

He kissed her again, distracting her away from her thoughts.

"I'm yours, Chris," she whispered. It was the only thing she was sure of at the moment. He stilled as he held her.

"Say that again," he said.

"I belong to you, Chris," she said. He moved back to kiss her. Moments later, he left her gasping for breaths as he held her to him.

 

Chapter 58

Kate's parents had heard about the news involving their daughter the moment they arrived in Stonedale from Russia. They did not waste time to head to the hospital.

"Oh, Honey," said Kate's mom as she entered the ward to find her daughter in a hospital bed. She went towards her, embracing her in a hug.

"I'm so sorry your father and I didn't come sooner. If we had known--"

"It's okay, Mom," Kate cut her off with a smile. "Where's Dad?"

"Oh, he's getting us coffees and some treats from the diner next door. So, what did the doctor say?"

Kate told her mother about her healing injuries, feeling glad that her head had not suffered a lot from the crash. She even told her about her missing friend.

"It seriously looks like a kidnapping," her mother stated as she nodded. "I hope the police know what they are doing."

"I don't think they do," Marie said. "It's been days, and they haven't found any leads to the people who forced us to crash yet."

Kate's mother started tearing up.

"Mom?"

"Don't mind me, Kate," she said, reaching for a handkerchief in her purse before using it to wipe her tears. "I am just so happy that you are alive."

"Me too."  

Kate understood how she felt. She still shuddered at the thought that she could have been dead by then if that nice traveling family had not stopped by the crash scene to rescue her. She was thankful she was still alive.

"It feels like that time the doctors were operating on your tumor," her mother continued. "We thought we'd lose you, but you lived."

"Mom, I'm happy that you are here and that I'm alive. Please, let's not ruin this day with tears."

"Okay," she said.

Kate then talked to her mother about school stuff. Some minutes later, her father joined in and hugged her for a long time. Then they resumed their talk.

Soon, her father's phone dinged with a notification.

"The Wi-Fi network this hospital offers has a great signal," he said with a smile before turning to his phone. His smile then turned into a frown.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?"

"Is this your friend?" he asked, turning the phone towards her direction. Kate squinted her eyes at the image of the figure above the news post displayed on the iPhone. Her eyes suddenly became wide.

"That's her," she confirmed.

'Missing girl from mysterious car crash found,' read the topic. The news went on to say that Emma had been found in an abandoned warehouse. She had been kidnapped and abused by a guy named Nathan Akers. Fortunately, she had fought him and the guy was in the process of being imprisoned.

Kate could not help but feel that she knew the name of the guy.

It was seconds later that she recalled Emma telling her about a boy who was her childhood friend and high school bully.

'Oh crap. Could it be...?'

Kate thought it was a coincidence, but as the seconds passed, she started to believe it was highly possible that the guy who had kidnapped Emma was the same one who bullied her in her first high school.

It was a good thing Emma had been found. Kate hoped that she was okay.

************************************* *********************************** *********

A couple of days had passed. Kate was discharged from the hospital, but she was under medication that could last for a week; depending on the progress of her healing body.

The incident involving Emma's kidnapping was still big around the university. What surprised everyone was that the case had been taken to court when there was proof that showed Nathan to be a criminal.

"They think they're going to get away with it," Emma spoke with an evil grin. "If they knew what I had on them, they wouldn't be comfortable in court."

The people Emma was speaking about involved Nathan's parents. She had confirmed that he was the person who had bullied her in high school. His family, the Akers, were a known, influential upper-class people who were among the top 50 richest families in the country. They resided in Bournemouth where Emma had attended middle school.

"I'm worried, Emma," Kate told her. "What if they do something much worse? What if, in a way, they make the prosecutors and the judges turn against you?"

"Don't think too much about it, Kate," she told her. "The dirt I have on them... It will be enough to have them shit themselves in bed."

"Do you have proof?" Marie wondered.

"Yes."

"I believe you should back it up on other devices."

"Done," Emma stated, facing forward. "And the backups are not in my dorm. Trust me, Kate. Those people are not going to get away with this one."

Kate and Emma soon reached their destination. It was the last week of the college year. Some people were about to go for the summer break. The seniors, however, were having their graduation ceremony. It was being held in a large building that was set aside for the theater students.

Kate and Emma entered the large hall. It kind of resembled a movie theater with the large, blue seats positioned almost everywhere in the area.

"Emma! Kate!" they heard Gwen call out their names. Marie furrowed her eyebrows, searching for her roommate. It was after a few seconds that she spotted her sitting a couple of rows in front of them.

The two made their way towards Gwen. Just like her, they had dressed up for the event. The three had worn dresses of varying colors and designs with high-heeled shoes. Moreover, they had worn makeup that defined their features.

"I'm so glad you two made it," Gwen said, hugging Emma and Kate.

"Gwen, no offense, but why are you here?" Emma asked.

"My boyfriend is graduating," she replied.

"Oh. Well, okay."

"You should be glad that I managed to get the front seats for us," Gwen added. They were actually four rows behind the first row, but it was okay for them. It was either that or the other rows behind them.

The three settled themselves as they continued with other conversations. Kate's phone beeped with a notification, and she turned her attention to it.

'Where are you?' Chris had texted. She grinned, looking up to observe the surrounding seats. She soon spotted her boyfriend on the row in front of her.

'Behind you,' she replied. Kate noticed her boyfriend's head move as he turned to look around him. His eyes soon spotted her, and he grinned before turning to face the front.

'You look beautiful,' he replied, and a blush instantly caught on her cheeks. 

'You too,' she texted back with a smile, and she heard him laugh from where she sat.

Minutes later, the ceremony began. A couple of lecturers were present, and Kate tried to listen to the speeches given. They mostly comprised of the times spent in the campus and the values the students had gained to carry into their lives.

Then came the time for the main event everyone had come for. The graduating students who sat at the front were each called by their names, and they each got a photo with the coordinators who gave them their graduation documents.

Later in the afternoon, the graduates were found mingling with their families and other students.

"Congratulations, Alex," Kate said, moving to greet the lad. He smiled at her, grasping her hand in his as he greeted back.

"Thanks, Kate."

"So, what are your plans for the future?"

"Oh," he groaned, earning an amused smile from her. "Why is everyone asking me that? I just graduated. Let me live my life and enjoy the summer breeze--"

"Is this your way of saying you'll be partying again?"

"Yup," he replied unabashedly as he turned to flirt with a girl behind her. Kate rolled her eyes with a smile.

"There you are," Chris said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down, giving her a small kiss on her cheek. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Well, you didn't have to look around that much. I've been here the whole time," she said with a smile, turning to face him.

Kate's heart stuttered at the sight of a well-dressed Chris. His crew cut was styled to perfection. He had worn a black cashmere suit that showed off his form, and it made him look delectable. 

"You have no idea how many girls are wearing the same hairstyle as you today," he said with narrowed eyelids, toying with her ponytail.

Kate laughed before looking back at him. She noticed he was looking at her with a serious expression.

"What?"

"I wonder what our lives would be like after college," he said.

"Chris, we have senior year to look forward to," Kate reminded him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yes," he agreed, "but what if we get jobs that would take us far from each other?"

Kate had no idea on how to reply to that.

"We'll deal with it when that comes," she replied. "For now, let's focus on the summer holiday that is coming. I'll be around in Stonedale, remember?"

"Yeah. Oh, yeah," he said, smirking as he moved to her. "I'm so glad you won't be traveling with your parents. We could go to the beach, we could stay at my home..."

"Yeah? What for?" Kate said in a breathy voice.

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," he growled, and she shivered at the intense look in his eyes. "I'll be taking you everywhere we'll go this summer."

"Even the beach?" she teased.

"Especially the beach," his voice expressed promise.

Kate's breath hitched. She looked back at Chris, feeling a heated sensation between her thighs.

She quickly remembered where she was, and it caused her to blush.

"Thinking about me?" he asked.

"You know it," she replied, and she was momentarily shocked by her answer. Chris chuckled.

"Good, because I'll be taking what's mine tonight."

"Break it up, guys!" Gwen yelled, moving in between them with a smiling Ben in her hold.

"Hey, look! It's Begwe. Or is it Gwebe?" Marie started.

"Ha-ha. Very funny," Gwen said with sarcasm in her voice.

"What is that about?" Chris asked.

"Oh, Kate's just trying to find a ship name for me and Ben."

Then an amused expression appeared on Gwen's face.

"What about you two? Do you want to be Kris with a 'k' or Chate? What about ChriKate? Get it? Cricket?"

"That doesn't sound so bad," Chris replied, he and Ben laughing as Kate stared at her roommate with an unamused look.

"This is not over. I will find a suitable couple's name for the two of you," Kate announced.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Gwen dismissed with a wave of her hand. "So, anyways, are you two coming?"

"Where?" Chris asked.

"To the graduation party! I hear it's going to be epic."

"Okay," Kate replied with a shrug.

"Really?" Chris stated as he looked at her in disbelief. "What about our plans for tonight?"

"We'll have time to do that," she replied, patting his shoulder. "So, do you know where this party is?"

Gwen started leading the way with her boyfriend, and Chris followed them with Kate.

On the way, Marie couldn't help but think about her junior year. It had started in a way she had not been expecting. She was not complaining about how it was ending either. She was dating a guy she knew from her high school, and her roommate was in a long-term relationship with a college graduate. Apart from the issues that involved Emma and that car accident the two of them had gotten into, things were okay, and she wanted them to stay that way.

She was so glad that she was dating Chris. She knew there would be issues between them that would arise at some point in the future. Whatever they were, she believed they could fight through them. For some reason, Kate had a feeling she would not leave Chris for any other man.

And years later, she found her feeling to be true when they were having a second baby. There was barely any drama between the two, and they stayed together as husband and wife for a long time. They got to see their children grow, and they also got to see their grandchildren in their teenage years. They remained married to each other until death did them part.

 

 

 

 

 

Final Note

 

Author's Note:

Hey, guys! Thank you so much for reading this book! 

I will be honest when I say it has been a hassle to paint the picture for the areas in this book and to work out arguments between characters. And I mistook 'bored' to mean that look... what is it?

When someone points out a fault in you and laughs, and then you give them a look to show you don't find it funny... What is that look?

That's why I went with 'unamused' :).

So anyway, I was thinking about writing Emma's story. I'm not sure about starting it because it will not be a light and fun read as I intended this one to be. And the kind of research I will have to do for it... Just picturing it makes me feel exhausted.

I'm not saying I will start on that book. I'm THINKING ABOUT IT.

Also, again, thank you for reading this book. 

 

{FEEL FREE TO STOP READING AT THIS POINT}

 

Now I get to venture onto other stories. So far, these are the ideas I am having for now:

 

  i) Emma's story that I might write if people want me to.

 ii) The Chief's Wife 2, but I plan it to be read as a standalone. That is if anyone has already read it. -_- . And if you have, do you agree with this plan? Did the first book feel like it was lacking something?

iii) And the one I keep postponing, The Witch's Revenge. I already have a storyline for the first book.

Yes, FIRST. I plan to make it into a series. Have been forming it in my head since 2016 and I'm yet to start typing it. But I worry people would find it unreadable. 

That is all. Thank you, and have a good one.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 12.07.2018

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