One Night (Friends #0.5) Read online

  Forget it. She’d hate me forever.

  I’m so determined to come, I falter when touching Livvy, too focused on my own pleasure. Her fingers grip me tight and I wish she would put her mouth on me but she won’t. Maybe someday, when she comes back from Oregon and we can talk about actually having a real relationship, we can push it to the next step.

  I’m freaking desperate to push it to the next step.

  Her fingers pick up speed and I collapse with my back against the mattress, all plans of touching Livvy falling away as I zero in on the way she feels. She’s holding me tight, moving so fast that I can feel it barreling down. My entire body goes tense and my spine tingles just before I come with a barely restrained groan.

  She’s gone before the last shudder leaves my body, off to get Kleenex or whatever to clean her hand up. Clean the bed up. She offers me a handful and I take them sheepishly, wiping myself off before I toss them in the trashcan near her bedside table.

  “Livvy.” She turns to look at me, holding her tank top in front of her chest. Reaching out, I tug on the fabric, trying to get her to drop it but she just holds on tighter. “Come here.”

  “You should go,” she says, taking a step away from the bed, from me. “It’s really late.”

  Her words are like a punch to the gut. “You don’t want me to stay?”

  “It’s not that. I just don’t want my mom to find you in here with me.” She sends me a look. “She will kill us. Kill you.”

  Sighing, I shake my head and slip under the covers, patting the empty spot on the mattress right next to me. “Come on. Just for a few minutes.” I’m pushing my luck but give me a break. I want to soak her up as much as I can before she leaves tomorrow. Doesn’t she see that? Doesn’t she realize how much I care about her?

  Liv pulls the tank top back over her head, offering me a too quick glimpse of her chest. Then she’s climbing into bed with me, pulling the covers over the both of us, her head nestled against my chest. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her in closer, throwing a leg over hers to keep her in place.

  It feels so good, lying in bed with her like this. I never want to move.

  ****

  What did you think? Got a little heated and sexy around here but hey, Dustin is just trying to show Livvy how much he cares about her. Guess what? There is only ONE MORE CHAPTER and then ONE NIGHT is over! cries I’m a little sad but this just means you’re that much closer to the release of JUST FRIENDS! It’s here in a matter of days! Are you excited? I’m so freaking excited. Thank you for reading and please don’t forget to vote/comment/share the story with your friends!!! Thank you!! xoxo

  Chapter 18 - Olivia

  Dustin should go. I know I’m being a total bitch but oh my God, we were so loud just then. Well, me not so much, but he couldn’t seem to control himself. I can’t believe Mom didn’t burst into my room and discover us doing what we were doing. She would’ve died.

  I would’ve too. That is the very last thing I want to happen.

  But then he crawled into my bed and gave me those puppy dog eyes and I couldn’t resist him. How can I kick him out? Besides, he’s right. We need just a few more minutes of cuddling like this and then he has to go home. It’s late, past midnight and I’m exhausted.

  Well. My body is buzzing and I’m still throbbing between my legs but yeah. I’m tired.

  “What do you do up there anyway?” When I say nothing, he continues. “Up in Oregon. At your dad’s house.”

  “Oh. It’s so boring there. My stepmom wants to hang out, take me shopping while trying to bond with me and somehow, I don’t know, become my best friend or whatever. When I first get there I’m usually okay with it, but I cut her off fast.” Christine tries so hard, but Mom hates her, which means I have to hate her. I My half brother and sister make me crazy. They’re little and complete pests and they just want to go through my stuff.

  “You can text me whenever you want, you know.” He says this conversationally, but I wonder if he wants more. I told him not to push. I said I didn’t want to pursue anything serious considering I’m leaving tomorrow, and I’ll be gone for six long weeks.

  But sometimes it’s like he doesn’t even listen to me.

  “I’ll text you like I usually do.” I keep my voice even, trying not to get distracted by the hypnotic way his fingers skim over my stomach, back and forth, moving lower each time.

  “Yeah, which isn’t much at all,” he reminds me as he rolls over on his side so he’s facing me. His hand is still on my stomach, his other arm curled around my shoulders and I am completely surrounded by him.

  “Please don’t start a fight with me,” I tell him wearily, lifting my gaze to his. “It’s late. I should probably go to sleep.”

  “I’m not trying to start a fight.” His fingers slip beneath my panties and the knowing smile that curls his lips is irresistible. “I am trying to start something else though.”

  I part my lips, ready to offer up a weak protest but then he kisses me and strokes me at the same exact time. I was already halfway to my breaking point before he got caught up in his own deal earlier and I’m immediately primed and ready to go. Now it’s my turn, and while I halfheartedly tell myself I really shouldn’t do this, I’m excited that he’s touching me again.

  And this time he’s touching me in my bed, his fingers working their magic, his mouth on my neck, the both of us breathing heavily and grasping helplessly at each other. I fall apart fast. So quick, I gasp in surprise when the sensation washes over me.

  So quick, I’m almost disappointed I didn’t have enough time to really savor it.

  *

  Dustin kisses me just before he’s about to leave and then he’s gone, slipping out through the window and stealing across my lawn like some thief in the black of night. I watch him go, can actually see him run across his front yard and sneak back into his house just by walking through the front door. His parents don’t seem to care what time he gets home. He doesn’t have a strict curfew like I do. I swear it’s because he’s a boy and I’m a girl.

  So unfair. But whatever.

  I’m about to close the window and shut the blinds when I see a familiar figure walking down the sidewalk, headed in the opposite direction of Dustin’s house. I peek my head out through the window and squint into the darkness, whispering a sharp, “Em!” to hopefully get her attention.

  She stops in her tracks and turns to look at me, then starts to approach my house. As she draws closer, I notice smudges of mascara beneath her bloodshot eyes and she looks tired. Worn out.

  “Hey,” she says when she stops directly in front of my window. “What are you doing?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.” I pause for a moment. “We didn’t get to hang out much at Tuttle’s party.”

  Em shrugs, looking away from me. “Didn’t have much time I guess.”

  “But it’s my last night before I leave,” I remind her.

  She returns her gaze to mine. “I’ll miss you.”

  Will she really? I’m not sure. “I’ll miss you too.”

  “Sorry we didn’t get to spend time together. But I knew you had Dustin, so you didn’t need me around.”

  Ugh. I hate when she says that sort of thing. “I wanted you around, Em. There’s a big difference.”

  “We’ll hang out more when you come back home,” she offers.

  “Promise?”

  “Yeah.” Em nods, nibbling on her thumbnail. “I promise.”

  “Why are you out so late?”

  “Was with a guy.” She shrugs again, still nibbling on her nail. “Noah. He just graduated.”

  “You mean Noah from the basketball team?”

  She nods. “That’s the one.”

  “Why were you with him?” I’m surprised. He doesn’t seem her type. Not that I really know her type anymore.

  “Why not? He’s funny. We drank, we hung out, we messed around, I sucked his dick, and now I’m headed home.”

  I start to
giggle. I can’t help it, considering what she just said. “You so didn’t suck his dick.”

  “I so did.”

  “How was it?”

  “Better than kissing him.”

  Now we’re both laughing. No way can Em be serious. She’s so full of crap. “Why didn’t you have him drop you off at your house?”

  The laughter dies. “I didn’t want him to know where I live.”

  My mouth drops open. “Are you for real? What, is he some sort of stalker?”

  “I’m not sure. And I didn’t want to take the risk.”

  Huh, isn’t that funny. I’m starting to think my best friend is continuously engaging in risky behavior. How many times have we received that lecture at school throughout the years, starting in middle school? Risky behavior is the term they use for everything-drugs, drinking, sex, cheating in school, flirting with teachers, careless online behavior. The list goes on and on.

  “Be careful this summer, okay Em?” I study her, hoping she hears the sincerity in my voice. I do want her to be careful. There are too many crazies out there and she’s being so careless. “Don’t get too out of control without me around to watch over you.”

  She smiles and steps up to the window, reaching out for me. We embrace, our arms slung around each other’s necks, her face buried against my shoulder. I worry for a moment she might smell Dustin on me, considering Dustin was just literally all over me, but she says nothing. Just gives me a sloppy kiss on the cheek before she pulls away and starts walking backwards.

  “I’ll miss you,” she tells me. “Don’t know how I’m going to survive this summer without my best friend.”

  “You’ll be fine,” I reassure. “You’ve done it before. What’s six weeks, right?”

  Em laughs. “Well, for you it’ll be torture, since we’ll all be here and you’re stuck with your dad.”

  Ugh. Thanks Em for the reminder.

  We say our goodbyes and I watch her go, finally closing the window when I can’t see her any longer. My gaze snags on my packed suitcase sitting by the bedroom door and I frown as I crawl into bed, yanking the covers up to my neck. I tell myself that my time in Oregon won’t be so bad. That I have to go since it’s the last summer I’ll spend with my dad before college. My leaving is the right thing to do.

  Besides, no matter what happens, I know I can count on my friends.

  ****

  And….that’s a wrap! ONE NIGHT is over! I hope you enjoyed this prequel to JUST FRIENDS, and if you did, I would love it if you shared/commented/voted on this story. Thank you all so so much for reading it. And don’t forget that JUST FRIENDS is out this Tuesday (9/13) at all retailers! More info here: http://monicamurphyauthor.com/books/justfriends/

  Thanks everyone for reading! xoxo Monica ❤️