Authors Note: I appreciate all your kind words- romance isn't something I usually do. There will be more to come from this series, stay tuned.
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I wasn't particularly sure how, but I had been awoken from a pleasant nap by Ken. I'm sure it was from the noise he made around the room- he wasn't particularly graceful in his movement nor was he careful in keeping the ruckus down. I awoke nude, with the sheets only partially covering my body. Despite being both fucked and embraced in passion- in that order- I still found being so brazenly undressed to be a bit uncomfortable, if not awkward. I definitely needed a shower, an actual one rather than another excuse to find myself naked with my 'friend's' boyfriend. A bath would be ideal, though I might just have to hold on until I was back home. Stil, I said propping myself up on my hands, I felt like I looked sexier.
Draping myself with one of the sheets, I slipped out of bed and grabbed the same Mickey Mouse t-shirt along with my panties. Shirt came on first, followed by my panties. I gazed down at my feet, wiggling my toes as I did. What a lazy day, I thought walking out of the bedroom and down the hall. There was no sign of Ken anywhere but his car keys and wallet were still on the table near the door so he couldn't have gotten far. Just as well, I took the opportunity to pilfer his kitchen cabinets looking for any form of sustenance. I wasn't starving, but I could definitely go for a snack. I hit the jackpot when I found a box of cookies, taking it with me while I marched towards the living room, humming loudly to myself.
I hadn't had much of an opportunity to examine his home at the party, far too busy working up the courage for my stupid plan. In retrospect, it was a horrible idea and was glad I hadn't gone through with it, but I was glad on the end result. If you wanted to build something, you'd have to get your hands dirty anyway, I told myself. Besides, even if my lover and I were simply a blip on each other's radar never to cross paths once again, I could live with the experience. It wouldn't be ideal, but it was enough. I grabbed another handful of cookies, distracting myself before I began to overthink things.
On the bookshelf on the far wall, I spotted a few more photographs, examining them as I chowed down on Ken's cookies. One was a photo of a child aged Ken dressed in what appeared to be hockey gear- sans a few teeth. What did he play for the fucking Mighty Ducks? I asked myself, chuckling as I did. I'd have to remember to use that one later. Beside him in the photo were a man and a woman who bore enough resemblance for me to logically assume they were his parents. His mother was a doting woman, with a heart shaped face and rosy cheeks framed by what appeared to be some very 80s teased AND permed hair. She wore a large, thick sweater and Ken's same smile. His father, on the other hand, was a much less jovial looking man, managing a half-smirk while holding up a beer in one hand. I was a huge sucker for family portraits, having grown up with just my nana. They looked so happy, especially Ken. For someone who called ME goofy, he sure had a doofus looking smile. It was endearing, in a way, especially since he almost always seemed pretty soic. I'd have to get him to smile more. Along with getting him to grow a beard.
I set the photograph down and gracefully dropped my rear onto the couch, turning on the television. I didn't care much for the sitcom that was on, more interested in killing time until Ken returned. I kept sneaking glances to the door whenever I heard a noise, promising myself not to keep doing it until because of how clingy it made me feel. Still, I found my head snapping towards the door whenever I heard any amount of noise beyond it. God I must have looked so pathetic.
Eventually, Ken did come through the door, with my purse and phone in hand. I felt a little perturbed he had gone inside my car but let it go.
"Hey buddy you can't just be breaking into people's cars." I flatly told him, turning my body towards him and outstretching both hands childishly for my possessions. My hands opened and closed, shouting 'gimmie' as I reached for both. Instead I was given a kiss on the lips, a soft tender one that made my heart grow warm. What an absolute sweetheart, I thought to myself. "No regrets." I whispered to him. I still preferred my phone and purse and while he leaned in, I managed to grab one but not both.
Unexpectedly, Ken pulled away, holding my phone from me before I could grab it. I leaned in but overextended myself, falling off of the couch onto the floor. I expected him to help me up but was only offered a "you alright there?". Undaunted, I tried to maintain my dignity by telling him this was in fact much more comfortable than sitting on the couch.
Much to my shock, I felt his foot press down on my head. Instantly, I tried pushing myself up but was met with resistance from him. I felt pins and needles tingle over my entire body, which grew in intensity the more I strained to push up off the ground. The muscles in my neck flexed trying to lift my head up, but I was quickly overpowered. Strength was sapped from me, but in its place, I felt a rush. I tried once more and felt myself grow weaker, but the euphoria that washed over my body the first time around now grew even stronger. Was I always this weak? Was Ken just this strong? My face burned with indignation, yet the humiliation I felt was exhilarating. Ken's foot wasn't even pressing down hard, nor did he seem to be putting much effort into it, it made me feel so much smaller in awe. My skin grew warm, and the shirt on me grew to feel like a hindrance. I wanted it off of me, my body to be bare before his eyes. He needed to stop now before things grew too intense.
Finally, he let his foot up, chuckling to himself over his childish bullying. I rose to my feet as fast as I could, expecting him to tease me more yet but saw him simply paying attention to my phone, examining it a bit. He didn't even care, he just did that for his own amusement. I could feel my heart racing, beating against my chest ready to burst. I don't even remember what I stammered, but it certainly wasn't coherent in the slightest. I could feel my skin grow a bit clammy, the rush simmering down a bit. I breathed and cleared my throat, fixing my still messy hair.
"Don't do that!" I piped up. I wasn't sure what I felt, but I enjoyed it immensely. As if I needed another sexual awakening today, I thought to myself. But I wasn't even terribly horny as a result, simply titillated. I didn't want to raise my hopes up and let my lust boil over again, Ken didn't seem to be in the mood and I didn't want to keep throwing myself at him. Instead I simply tried to move on past it. "You can make it up to me by texting Willow and telling her I'm sorry for any trouble I caused her at the party."
Ken balked at the idea right away, frowning in a bit of a confusion.
"That's a bit passive aggressive," he said. "Wouldn't it be better just to say nothing?"
"Kendrick Pohlar you simply do not know the proper decorum involving frenemies do you?" I said in a comically haughty voice, throwing my nose up into the air. In truth it was the least I could do to start mending that bridge. I felt the need to apologize in some way, even if it was indirectly. Willow would no doubt find it insincere, but I needed to alleviate some of my guilt no matter how small or token. Ken didn't respond, and just unlocked my phone without question. His blank face turned into a soft smile and he flashed my phone at me, showing me the photo of my nana I kept as my background. It was an old photograph, cropped of her holding me when I was a small child. While Ken kept his parents on a bookshelf, I kept the picture of my nana on me at all times. Obviously he didn't know but she raised me alone, she was all I had.
"Shut up," I said with a bit more hurt then I should have properly projected. "That's my nana."
He said no more, turning his gaze back towards the screen. I began thinking of ways to bring up the photo of his parents, but I hardly had a chance to before I heard Ken suddenly bark.
"Mallory what the fuck!"
It wasn't a scream, nor a yell, but his voice carried the steady crescendo of a temper taking flight into greater anger. His eyes didn't blink, his body was tense. With a sudden, swift breeze, he had taken the wind out of my sails and instantly put me under his foot once more. I felt powerless, completely unsure of what to do or say.
The photos.
Oh no. Oh no no no no. Oh God, he had seen them. The photos I had snuck of me kissing him last night. Oh Jesus Christ. There were no words I could find then nor now to describe the sheer dread that immediately swallowed me and pulled me into the abyss. Physically I felt nauseous, like I was in a freefall. My heart ached, stinging as though it had been ensnared and the life was precipitously draining out of it. My mouth trembled, a lump in my throat halting all speech. This couldn't be happening, please let this all be a terrible nightmare. I had no words, but Ken had plenty.
"Mallory what the FUCK?" he repeated again. I felt compelled to finally answer, pushed into a corner.
