Can't Let You Go: A Bully Romance Read online

But was that even true? If Jackson or Blake from her classes had kissed her like that, would she have honestly reciprocated the passion, the intensity? There was always something with Aaron; his gazes in high school, his constant need to have her attention – did he truly have feelings for her back then? It was wrong; he essentially destroyed her senior year, she had left high school months early, completing her exams at home due to the stress caused. No one knew, not even her closest friends. They thought she had caught some intense stomach bug that was contagious; Federica graciously added that part.

  She studied her ass off to make it to college, but he was here. In some sick, cruel way, the universe had placed them together and here he was; ordering coffee in front of her, looking as handsome as ever. She must be crazy, because she went to catch his attention this time.

  Feeling a light tap at his back, he curiously turned before realization dawning on his eyes. His entire demeanour changed, he turned towards April, eyes brightening with some form of ease. He looked at her features, she noticed his gaze rested on her lips for a few seconds before gracefully flitting back to her eyes.

  “Hey,” she offered. One side of her face lifted in what she thought was a peace offering.

  “Hey,” he replied airily.

  They both stood without saying anything. What could she say?

  Hi I realised I have a huge crush on you; it may just be your body or your eyes or your voice or the fact that you look at me like I’m the only one in the room.

  Probably best not to run with that. It was already awkward enough as it is.

  “Can I get you a coffee?” he asked

  “Oh, no, that’s okay,” she said, flustered. What was wrong with her?

  “Come on, this is the probably the closest I’ll get to taking you out on that coffee date. Besides who says no to free coffee?” he said charmingly, a nervous smile still present.

  This was unorthodox. Normally, she was the one who was anxious, nervous about his next move. But seeing him here, his hazel eyes carrying uncertainty and wanting, she didn’t know what to do with this power.

  “This is weird, right?” he asked consciously.

  “Super,” she quipped. However, she offered a smile with it, he noticeably softened also.

  “I’ll grab a table. We can sit here, unless you’ve got somewhere to go,” she said uncertainly.

  “No, no, not really,” he stuttered.

  She nodded gently. “Cappuccino, with oat milk. One extra shot and whipped cream,” she listed before heading to an empty sofa corner. Aaron couldn’t quite believe what was happening. But if he stood there wordlessly any longer, he’d forget everything he knew.

  While he was ordering, she sat sheepishly. Had she just ordered him around and walked off? The power felt good.

  He returned from the counter with their coffees; her order perfect.

  “What’d you get?” April said. Taking a sip of her drink while asking him.

  “Americano,” he said.

  “Jesus, how do you drink that stuff?” she frowned.

  “What can I say? College life has matured my palate,” he smirked. “Or, I used to live on this when studying. Taste like shit but now I can’t tolerate anything less bitter,” he said.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she joked. He smirked in response.

  Again, another heavy silence hit them.

  “Aaron,” he stilled in curiosity. “What are we doing?”

  He paused for a moment. “We’re having a cup of coffee,” he affirmed.

  “You know what I mean,” she pointed.

  “I guess,” he moved his mouth around in thought. “We’re meeting each other. For the first time I mean,” he held his hand out to her. “Hi I’m Aaron Cole, first year student, football enthusiast and lover of dry humor,”

  She chuckled at that, he hadn’t seen her smile in front of him like this before. He made a note to remember that. Her smile transfixed him.

  She took his hand, moving into the handshake. “April Solomon,” she said.

  He angled his head in confusion. “That’s it?” he queried.

  “You’re going to have be okay with that for now,” she stated unapologetically.

  He sighed teasingly in agreement. “I suppose,” They both smirked at each other.

  ✽✽✽

  The walk back to their dorms was a strangely friendly journey. They talked of their subjects, their classes and what they planned to do after graduation- almost as if they were friends. April winced at that slightly, noting that she still struggled with the shift in their dynamic.

  They reached her dorm room to which she turned to him shyly.

  “Thanks for today, I needed that,” she said.

  “Me too,” he said. Again, another pregnant pause.

  “Want to come in?” she said.

  “Um, sure, I guess, if that’s okay,” he mumbled awkwardly.

  Get it together, Cole.

  Maybe it was mistake, she thought. They both sat on the sofa quietly, not sure which one of them would say something. He looked in his peripheral vision to see what she was doing; she looked at him too.

  “We need to address the elephant in the room,” she said.

  “Oh, Jackson’s here?” he said lightly.

  She snorted. “Leave Jackson alone,”

  “You should try sitting with him sometime. Better yet – babysit. There’s a great benefits package,” he leaned to her slightly.

  She laughed softly, settling into a silence. April felt Aaron place his hand over hers tentatively, his warm palm tenderly smoothing overs. That was unexpected. April looked down to where their palms joined; it was a surreal sight, their hands touching each other, almost as if it was for the first time.

  April felt her heart beat thump loudly, the blood rushing to her body. Butterflies danced in her stomach, her breathing haltering.

  “What are we doing,” she faintly murmured. What else could she say? Her mind just shut down as her body leaned towards him.

  He didn’t say anything, he continued to hold her, stroking the faint lines in her palm.

  This was too much. She hated the sight of him a few days ago, and now here he was; sitting with her, touching her, letting him.

  Pulling her hand away from him, she stood up anxiously, not looking at him.

  “April?” he questioned. The look on his face was of vulnerability; he was afraid of getting hurt, just like her.

  “This isn’t right,” she muttered, running her hands through her thick hair.

  “What isn’t?” he countered, his eyes serious.

  Shaking her hands between them, she replied. “This. Whatever you’re doing,” she sighed heavily. “I think you should leave,”

  “No,” he said simply.

  She stared at him incredulously. “Excuse you? I said, get out,”

  “I’ll go. Once you admit to me you feel nothing for me,” he said.

  “That’s not your right. You can’t blackmail me, this is my room,” she hotly countered.

  Aaron stood up and before she could blink, he was in her space. Squaring down to her, he looked at her eyes, a challenge glinting in them.

  “Look at me,” he insisted. “Tell me you hate me again. Then I’ll go and leave you alone. I won’t bother you again,” he challenged.

  She turned to open the door but was stopped; Aaron’s arm reached out and closed the door. Feeling cornered, April stayed where she was without turning. He leaned down to her ear.

  “April, please. Look at me,” he faintly pleaded, his breath tickling her ear.

  “I can’t,” she said.

  “Please,” he begged.

  “I can’t tell you what you want to hear,” she said.

  “And what is that?” he urged.

  “I can’t tell you that” she trailed. “I can’t tell you I feel nothing for you anymore. I’d be lying,” Her watery eyes met his, arousal and fear clouding her features.

  He said nothing for a few moments. Great
, she went too far, embarrassing herself and probably him in the process. He felt sorry for her that was all. Aaron was so close to her now that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. April shamefully turned her body to face him, her hesitant eyes meeting his fierce gaze.

  “Don’t go’ he breathed. His body trembled.

  April let out a ragged breath.

  "Let me go,” She repeated half-heartedly, escaping his gaze.

  She nudged at his elbow in the hope that it would give away, but it held firmly despite her efforts. He moved closer until his lips were only inches away from hers.

  Aaron leaned in, closing the rest of the distance between them, and planted his lips onto April at a rate that made her breathing uneven. She clutched his shirt in surprise. Her eyes flickered closed and her breathing quickened. A familiar sensation of longing arose within her body as Aaron’s hand glided up April’s neck as he deepened the kiss. It sent a shiver down her spine. He wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his other hand at the small of her back while he kissed her, pressing her closer to him. April arched forward involuntarily to his touch. He nipped at her lips, his tongue begging for entrance.

  Waves of electricity shot up her body as Aaron’s kisses became more urgent, more intimate.

  April gasped, almost silently, as she felt his kisses move down her neck to point of her collarbone. There, he let out a raspy breath, which made her whimper at the feeling. He ground out a moan in pleasure against her smooth skin, causing her squirm in his hold.

  Aaron held on her to her hips tightly, his fingers burrowing into her sides. He rested his head onto her neck, breathing heavily. “You gotta stop moving like that, April,” he growled. He ground his hips, slowly but firmly. She could feel his body’s reactions to her; he was hard.

  She gasped softly, her hands trailing over his muscular chest. He stifled out a groan, almost in warning.

  What was happening to her? April hadn't ever touched a man so intimately, teasing him to the point of arousal. With a sense of recklessness, she slid her hand under his shirt, stroking his chest. He moaned lightly, his eyes burrowing shut. She could feel the outline of his hardness on her stomach.

  "What are you doing to me?" he whimpered. He held her hand, moving it away from him before staring straight into her eyes. Moving back slowly, with his eyes trained on her, he brought her to the bed, laying her down gently. April's hair splayed out beneath her, almost creating a crown around her beautiful features.

  Aaron was transfixed. He always wanted to remember this moment forever. Her eyes full of wanting, her flushed cheeks and her chest panting heavily.

  "I'm on the pill," she panted. "Selma's out of town today," she said. Aaron nodded tenderly, kissing her on the forehead slowly before moving to her cheeks and then her lips.

  Keeping his gaze on her, he slowly stripped his shirt off, revealing his very toned torso. Years of football practice had paid off, every ripple, every edge carved his body, moulding his physique to this level of toning.

  April followed the hairs to the waistband of his jeans, to belt that tied it together. She licked her lips in anticipation, her pupils wide. The jeans did nothing to conceal the mound between his legs.

  Their eyes stayed locked together as he slid his hand under her dress, lifting her up slightly. He pressed his thumb on her clit, his fingers in hovering between her folds.April arched in pleasure, her breasts rising, her nipples imprinted through her dress.

  The tendons in his neck strained as he bent over April, kissing her neck openly. He lowered his kisses, lifting her dress in the process, exposing her naked breasts. Before April could hide herself self-consciously, he took one of her hard buds into his mouth, swirling the pink bud with his tongue, in a circular motion.

  April struggled to stay silent. She so badly wanted to moan, plead to him to never stop.

  He knew she was untouched, he was handling her carefully like a fragile doll, too precious to handle roughly.

  "Aaron," she panted. “People aren't going to like this,”

  His hands pushing her panties down, removing all outer layers of clothing between them.

  “So?” he growled as he circled her clit again.

  "Aaron!" she cried, her eyes closed in pleasure.

  Sensing that he was in desperate need of relief, he leaned up to unbuckle his belt, his gaze hungrily taking in the sight before him. After that, he stripped himself of his jeans and finally his undergarments.

  April gasped at the sight at Aaron's larger size. Looking up at him seeking permission, she carefully moved to wrap a hand around his erection and begin to stroke.

  He stopped her by pinning her arms by her head, causing her to arch pleadingly.

  "Aaron, please," she whimpered. He ignored her pleas, instead teasing her by grinding his mound against hers. Her mouth opened, her eyes shut.

  Giving her a heated kiss, he pushed into her slowly before reaching to the hilt. April gasped at the burning sensation.

  "April, look at me," he rasped, straining not to move.

  She opened her eyes, captured in his gaze. He was stretching her, he felt full and tight inside her. The pain was sharp but slowly subsided as her body adjusted to the size of him. He had made sure she was wet for him, ensuring it was easier for her to take in his size. She bent her knees slightly, stretching the space for him before he pressed on, filling her up. As he rocked into her slowly, she felt a pressure building up inside of her.

  It was too much, his gaze, his thrusts and the full feeling of him. Her eyes fell shut as he deepened his thrusts, moving in and out of her with a punishing pace.

  "I can't hold on," Aaron groaned, his mouth desperately sucking her nipple.

  April moaned at the sensation, her hands gripping his hair.

  "Please, Aaron," she whimpered. She wasn't sure for what, but she needed relief from the torture he was giving her.

  He leaned back up to her, his thrusts increasing in pace, hitting her harder into the mattress, as the hot, tight hold she had over him was threatening to push him over the edge.

  He reached down to where their bodies were intertwined, rubbing at her clit furiously.

  "Come on, baby" he panted. "cum me for me," he growled.

  She didn't know quite what happened to her after that. April merely recalled her body tightening her hold over him, stars clouding her vision as her body convulsed in pleasure. She moaned loudly, her nails digging into her back.

  Aaron gave April three hard thrusts before he spilled into her. His body collapsed on top of hers, his head resting in between her neck. He kissed it slowly before rolling onto his side. He pulled April to him, kissing the top of her head. She huddled into his armpit, her body sore and spent.

  "I love you," he whispered, stroking her gently. April kept silent, kissing his chest softly. Her eyes drifting into a restless sleep.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  April quietly headed out of her room, twisting the doorknob cautiously. That morning Aaron looked so peaceful, almost childlike as he lay there on his stomach. His hair was tussled more than she had ever seen it and she loved it. Kissing his head softly, she had put on her clothes before slinking out quietly.

  She began walking towards the coffee shop. It was still early in the day, and she needed some air to breathe. She really spent the night with Aaron Cole in her dorm room who had professed his love for her merely six hours ago. Shaking her head, she ran her hand through her hair absentmindedly. Words failed to describe the night but she felt at home; they spent hours after she woke up in the middle of the night, talking about their lives, - albeit April revealed little of her homelife, she wasn't quite ready to share that with him yet - their goals and future before kissing each other, getting lost again in each other’s touch.

  The coffee shop was blissfully quiet with only two customers inside. As she stood in line to order her coffee, she felt as though somebody was watching her. Chills ran through spine; somebody was watching her but whom? There were only tw
o people in front of her in thq queue. April surveyed her surroundings, glancing across the tables. Her heart stopped.

  ✽✽✽

  Federica was sitting in the corner sofa, a large mug sitting on the table, with her staring straight at April. She had a thoughtful look on her face; it was as though she was seeing through April. Not really staring but not really ignoring her either. Upon holding eye contact for a few seconds, Federica motioned for April to join her.

  What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t exactly say no, Federica hadn’t done anything particularly to April during her time in high school. Although the bitchy comments she could have done without.

  Grabbing her cappuccino once it was ready, April headed to her table.

  “Um, hey Federica,” she said awkwardly.

  “Hi April,” she said overenthusiastically.

  This doesn’t feel right.

  Before she was looking at April as though she was nothing but cat litter. Now, a smile that would stop any hot-blooded male in their tracks was glued to her face. “How are you? Please take a seat, I need to talk you,” she beckoned to the chair opposite her.

  April stood despondently for a few seconds.

  “Please April, it’s about Aaron,” she said, her tone hardening slightly.

  April exhaled deeply before settling in the chair opposite.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “He’s slept with you, hasn’t he?” she bluntly said.

  April spluttered out the coffee she was sipping, flabbergasted at the candid question. The nerve of this bitch.