I skipped down the steps of my apartment build-ing, humming a tune under my breath. I came to a com-plete stop when I arrived outside, only to see Evan had parked his car right outside, and his face melted into a wide smile when he saw me."Morning, Anita," he called, pushing off his car and walking over to me."What are you doing here?" I blurted out in shock.He chuckled. "I came to take you to school. I'm just glad I caught you. You have to leave home early be-cause you walk every day, right?"It was true, but instead of answering, I frowned at him."What about you? Wouldn't your parents wonder about you leaving home this early?"Evan shrugged, dismissing it. "It's not a problem. Come on, hop in so we can go."I'd realized he did that a lot when it came to his family. He didn't want to go home early yesterday, ei-ther, and he'd been waiting out my detention with me to drive me home the past few weeks. The thought was quickly wiped away, though, when Evan opened the doo
A loud whistle blew, and I looked up just in time to eat dirt, a bunch of other guys falling with me. I wasn't even sure if I tripped or if someone dropped me because my head wasn't in the game.All of my attention was on Anita.I hadn't told her I had practice today because I didn't have time to, but she should have known, right?The other thing on my mind, though to a lesser degree, was my parents. Was it just me, or did the fights seem to get much worse recently? I wasn't sure, and it wasn't like I could ask, so I kept out of it, but then it had me thinking of spending a night at Anita's place. I knew I couldn't, there was no way her mom would allow it, but the thought was nice.It was that moment of distraction that landed me where I was, on the ground with a lot of weight on top of me that was a little slow to get off."What are you guys doing!" Coach practically screamed at us. "Get up and start the play again! Every-body focus, or we're leaving here after dark!"Ther
Those damn traitors.It was wrong of me to blame the other guys for doing exactly what Coach said, but if there was one thing I didn't need, it was a pep talk, and that was Coach's favorite go to when someone on the team was not pulling their weight right.Still, they cleared away pretty quickly while I was marched into Coach's office and sat down on an old, ratty sofa while he sat comfortably behind his desk."Now, Evan," he started, linking his hands to-gether and leveling me with a stern look. "Are you going to tell me what was going on with you out there, or do I have to ask?"I hesitated. "Um... Coach...""Don't think you're getting out of this easy, kid. I wasn't joking out there when I said I'd bench you. Even if you're a star player, if your head is somewhere else and I let you on that field, not only will our team lose, you can get yourself injured not paying attention. Football is a contact sport, if you head isn't there with you, you get hurt.""I know, Coach," I
It was lunch, and Haley and I were seated at our usual table. My focus wasn't on eating, though, as I kept glancing around the room, looking for someone.Hayley, finally getting fed up with me not paying her any attention, sighed and poked me in the arm."What's going on with you today, Anita? Actual-ly, no. What's been up with you recently because today isn't the only day I caught you acting weird. Is some-thing wrong?" She looked around before leaning closer and whispering. "Is it the baby?"I winced and quickly covered her mouth. We were alone, and there wasn't anyone sitting too close, not to mention the cafeteria was as loud as usual, but it would mean hell for me if people found out. I'd have to do something once it started showing, but I thought I should at least tell people-meaning Mom and Evan-that I was pregnant before focusing on other details."I'm just wondering where Evan is," I admitted.Her eyebrows jumped up. "Wow. You two did grow close, huh? You're even loo
There was a knock on my door, but I ignored it. It wasn't the first time I'd heard it today, and it probably wouldn't be the last."Evan, can you come out for a minute, please?"My dad's voice was muffled by the door and the music I'd put on, and I was tempted to turn the volume up until he complained about it, then decided I was too lazy to be that petty."I'm busy!" I called back.Only, I wasn't. I was locked in my room because I wanted to be alone. I hadn't even gone to school, and Dad hadn't yelled at me about it, because I knew he at least felt guilty.It wasn't enough for me.I waited, but there was no word from the other side of the door, so I figured he must have gone back downstairs. I sighed and threw an arm over my eyes, the past few days still seeming unreal.With no more screaming arguments now, the house was silent, too silent, because Mom was no longer there. She didn't leave home, at least, not voluntarily.She found out Dad had started an affair with an
I just rang the doorbell and got surprised when the door was opened in the next second, and Evan was the one standing there."Um, hi," I murmured.I didn't know what to read in his expression when he just stood there and stared at me, but I figured he was at least surprised to see me there."Sorry-" I started to say, only to cut off when he suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me into the house.I yelped and hurried behind him as he tugged at me, and we hurried up the stairs. He pushed me into a room and closed the door behind us, and I realized half a second later that it was a bedroom, most likely his. In the next moment, Evan whirled me around so fast I was diz-zy, then he wrapped an arm around my waist, drug my body harshly against his, and slanted his mouth over mine in a hard kiss before I had time to think."Mmh!"I let out a sound of surprise, my hands went up to his shoulders and clutched at him. I wasn't sure whether to push him away or pull him closer. Evan didn'
"Are you ready to go?" I asked.It was an hour later after we'd both showered and gotten dressed. Anita blushed, hugging herself as she shuffled her feet."I can just walk back."Even though I found her sudden shyness a little amusing, I just rolled my eyes at her."My place is further from school, and if you have to walk all the way home after coming here, how long will that take you? It's already this late, just let me drop you off."She pursed her lips, but I didn't miss that she wasn't all that displeased. I took my car keys and opened the door, but she still hesitated."Um, I know it's a little late to ask this, but there isn't anyone else at home, right?"I crooked a corner of my lips up but didn't say anything as I headed out. I heard her scrambling to fol-low me. I could have just told her my dad was home, but if he'd stayed downstairs then he wouldn't have heard us, and it wasn't like I planned to introduce them.After the past couple of hours, I was feeling re
I blinked as it dawned on me that I'd read the same line over and over again. Or rather, I'd stared at that same line for quite a while. I still had no idea what it said. I narrowed my eyes and tried to focus, leaned my head in my hand, but my mind wandered with the first word.Dammit.I rubbed a hand roughly down my face then went back to my attempts to focus. I leaned my head back into my hand, narrowed my eyes and stared at the page, but a few seconds later, my mind wandered again. Of course, it wandered to Anita, and the last time I was at her place.After another long moment of inattention, I growled to myself and leaned back in my seat to close my eyes against it all. I was at home, locked in my room while I tried to study. I didn't want my dad to walk in and bother me, and he couldn't if my door was locked. I knew he was mad at me, but the standard in our house was to ignore each other or argue, and I went for the former. I couldn't seem to get into the process, though.
Our lips met, again and again, as we stripped each other down to the skin, then Evan pushed me to lay back again, using his thigh between mine to spread my legs wider so he could settle his body on top of mine. I whimpered, feeling his cock against my sex, the urgency starting to creep up on me.He didn't seem to feel it. After leaving one last kiss on my lips, he slid down, hands and mouth follow-ing a trail down my body from the neck. He paused at my chest, and I moaned and squirmed beneath him as he rained kisses all over my breasts, then sucked on one nip-ple, then the other. His hands didn't stop, one of them slid between my thighs, and I yelped when I felt his fin-gers on my clit, rubbing gently, a little too lightly."Evan," I gasped. My hands reached for his hair, twining my fingers in the strands and tugging so he would look up. His lips had moved to my stomach, and as much as I would have loved to have him go down on me, I wanted something else from him right then. "I wan
The hall was still not filled as more people came in. I caught sight of Mom and raised my hand for a quick wave. Hayley, who I still kept in touch with even though she'd moved a little far for college, would have been there but she'd promised to meet up for drinks for some girl time when she came back to town in another week or so. Carl and Evan sat beside Mom, and Evan was carry-ing our daughter in his arms. He was looking for me as well, and I thought he saw me, because suddenly he had on this blinding smile, and I grinned back, losing the nervousness as I started to feel excited.I'm graduating from college today!The ceremony seemed to take forever. There were so many speeches before the main event even started, and I could see a lot of the people around me yawning, a few discreetly using their phones. We were placed close to the front.It seemed to take forever before I finally walked across the stage, and then we were all free to mingle with our families. It was long past l
I stood in my bedroom staring at my door. I was ready to leave, had been for the past five minutes, but I couldn't bring myself to open that door and leave just yet.Somehow, four years had passed already, and I was graduating with a university degree. I was so nerv-ous that I was sweating, and I hadn't even put on the robe yet. I would be putting it on once I got to the school.Time to get moving everyone is waiting.I took a deep breath, and with that thought, reached for the door and pulled it open.Evan and I had our place, but today, I was at Mom and his dad's house so they could help with looking after Sandra since I'd be busy today. It was a big day for all of us and now that Evan had graduated from USC, we would have more time together as a family. Mom was still happy for me, and she wanted to make a big deal out of it because she was proud of me."Anita, are you ready?" I heard Mom call through the door."Yeah, Mom! Is Sandra with you?" I called back, my heart a ne
"How are you feeling?" Evan asked worriedly.I smiled. "I'm doing just fine. Both of us are okay.""You should be close now, though, right?""Really close," I agreed, looking down and rubbing a hand over my stomach.After a few hospital visits, I managed to get an es-timate of when the baby would be coming out, and it was any day now. I looked back up at the computer screen to find Evan watching me intently. He was at school now but came down every weekend and whenev-er he could. When he couldn't be around, he made sure to send me a Skype call every day."When will you be going to the hospital?"I hummed. "If nothing happens in a couple days, Mom said we'd have me admitted early."There was some noise in the background, and he looked away before turning back to me with a sigh."I need to go for now, but I'll call you tonight be-fore you go to sleep, okay?"I nodded, smiling happily. Before we could say our goodbyes and cut the call, though, I felt something strange, a
Since I'd taken a lot of my stuff when I went to stay with Grandma, I still had to go back. Mom and Carl headed for their honeymoon, and Evan went with me back to Minnesota.Evan made plans for someone to head back in my car, then drove me to Grandma's in his own car. It was easier having someone with me, so I didn't complain.Grandma wanted us to stay for a few days, but Evan didn't bring a change of clothes, so we couldn't stay for that long. He bought a few outfits just, so he could change out of the clothes he'd worn during the long two day drive. We stayed in different rooms, and she kept a close eye on us, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."Let's leave tomorrow morning," Evan said as he helped me pack my stuff up and move them to the car. "I talked to your grandmother already, and she said it was okay.""You talked to her?" I said, alarmed. "When? I thought she left early."When I brought him home, Grandma would have figured out that he was my new stepbr
I had a feeling Evan would have kept me locked in the hotel room all day, if we didn't get a call from his dad that they hadn't left yet and were waiting to see the two of us first. I felt guilty as we showered and got dressed. Evan knew now, but there were still both our parents to tell. I talked myself into postponing it, because they were about to leave for their honeymoon.When I brought it up to Evan, though, he shook his head immediately."No," he said. "Absolutely no way. Putting this off isn't helping anybody. We're telling them today."I gaped at his back as he hurried out, and I fol-lowed quickly. He waited outside until I closed the door, then he took my hand and led me to the elevator."We're going to tell them," he continued. "I plan to go to college, it's important to me, but I'll look for a place close by because I want to be in both your lives. If our parents don't understand our decisions, then I'll talk to them, but we have to tell them before they leave."H
The first thing I was aware of was how warm I felt. Next, was the soft body in my arms. I blinked my eyes open and stared at Anita's face just a few inches from mine.We'd fallen asleep with the lights still on, but I could tell it was daytime already. A part of me wondered what the hell I was doing. She was holding me just as tight, and I could feel the press of her stomach against mine. She was pregnant, and she'd kept it from me for six months. She approached me at that party, knowing who I was, but I couldn't blame her for that, because I was the one to initiate it, and I didn't think about contraception when I chose to fuck a stranger in someone else's closet.She had lied to me, kept things from me, but right then, all I could feel was relieved that she was there with me, because I'd missed her so badly. I pulled one arm from around her to brush her hair away from her chest, freezing when she flinched a little."Mm."I watched as her eyes fluttered, her body squirming
I looked around. Quite a few people had already left, so while the partying wasn't entirely over yet, it was winding down. Dad and my new stepmom hadn't left yet, but they were happily lost in each other. No one would miss us if we left now."Come with me."I took her hand in mine and pulled her behind me as I headed for the hotel. "Wait, Evan!" She yelped, trying to fight against my hold. "Where are we going? They'll get worried if we just disappear-""They're busy," I cut in. "Just stop fighting me, Anita. You should have come to me on your own, like hell I'm going to let you just run away."She struggled a minute longer, before resigning to go along with me. We stopped by the reception desk, so I could get us a room."I-I already h-have one..." Anita said quietly."I'll take care of it in the morning."I got us the room using my credit card, then I led her upstairs. She must have meant the room her mom was using, or it was one her mom booked for her, and I didn't wa
My heart was pounding because he caught me by surprise. The little courage I'd tried to talk myself into deflated just like that, and I stared at him like a deer in the headlights, wishing I could just run away."You were talking about me, right? What do you have to tell me? I can let you speak first.""Evan..."His eyebrows arched. "Would you rather I go first? Because I've got plenty to say to you and a lot to ask. Starting with why you disappeared on me without saying anything to me first."Evan went silent, clearly waiting for me to start. I fidgeted, twisting my fingers together, my heart beating so loud I could hear it, and I wondered if he could, too.He's already here, and there's not much time, so just say it.It was getting dark, and I hadn't checked if she'd already left, but Mom was supposed to head out with Carl, so they could catch their flight. I'd be going back to the hotel room soon, and Evan would probably head home."I'm pregnant," I blurted.The mome