My mother was attached to me all day long, for two whole days.

I can understand, of course. Losing dad the way she did, she was terrified that I wasn't home when the tornado tore through town.

But fuck me, it was almost suffocating.

I love my mom, but I need my space sometimes.

"Amore, I just want to make sure you're feeling okay."

"Mamma, please. I told you a hundred times already. I'm fine."

"Ay, please. You don't just practically go through the middle of a tornado and be fine. I know you're lying to me."

"I'm not," I chuckle humorlessly. "I told you already. At that moment, I was worried I was gonna die, okay? But I didn't. And I'm fine with that."

Actually, I'm still fucking shaken up by that little fact. But my concern was on something much more important than me.

Lina.

"Hayden, you act like I didn't birth you. I know you. I can see that fraction of hesitation when you lie to me."

I almost tug at my hair. But I didn't want to show her just how thin my patience is running with her.

"Mamma, I promised you I'm okay. School is even opening back up tomorrow, which is great. We had the time we needed to process. We're all fine. In fact," I shift on my feet. "I'm going over to Brooks' so we can hang out, like nothing ever happened."

"Something did happen, amore. And I don't want you to hide what's going on in that head of yours from me."

I sigh, walking up to her and placing my hands on her shoulders. "Mom, I'm a big boy, okay? I am more than capable of handling my feelings, if there was something to worry about. But there's not. I'm in one piece, I'm here, and I love you very much."

"I love you, too. I worry about you."

I smile. "I know you do. But I worry more about you. I'm okay."

She gives me a tsk sound and wraps her arms around me. I hug her back, kissing the top of her head.

My mom was overbearing, but I loved her.

"Now, I'm gonna go hang out with Brooks. Prove to you I'm fine and capable of going back to my normal routine."

"Ay, fine. But you check-in, alright? I mean it."

I nod once. "I will, I promise."

She kisses my cheek before she turns on her heel and disappears into her office area. I drag my hand through my hair, pocket my phone and grab my keys and wallet. I lock the door behind me before hopping into my car.

In all honesty, I was nervous to see Lina again. Had I replayed what happened between us in my head? Fuck yeah. But that also entailed recalling how cold she was immediately after.

Should I have reached out to her during these few days we were off from school and recovering? Yeah, probably. But my ego physically wouldn't let me.

Technically, she could've reached out, too. And she didn't.

So we're pretty even.

Whatever the case, I was still a bit nervous to see her. I know enough about Lina, and I know that she probably tried to stop the scenes from playing out in her head. But it wouldn't work.

I know because before that day, when she would look at me and remember that day in her bedroom all those years back, her face still flushes a light pink. I grin at the thought.

So the whole drive over, I mentally prepared myself to see her. I knew that seeing her is just gonna make me want to throw her into a room and finish what we started. But I also know how important consent is to her, and I want to proceed with caution.

I gotta get a feel for how she's feeling.

So of course, the moment I step inside her house, the words come stumbling out.

"Lina home?"

Dumbass.

"Uh, nah. She's been hanging with Avrey. Said she'd be home tonight, though."

"I'll tell you what," comes a voice rounding the corner. "If I had a daughter disrespect me the way Lina does her momma, I'd spank that ass."

Roy.

Something about this dude just rubs me the wrong way—especially how he just worded that sentence. I'm not one to judge people for who they date, but fuck, is Lina's mom that desperate?

Roy's face was sunken in, eyes dark and hollow. He's balding and has a seriously receded hairline. And the man drinks so much, he's got a protruding beer gut. I mean, the man looks disgusting. I'm not sure how the woman can stand him.

Still, nothing sets me off more than that blank look in his eye. Something is seriously fucked up in there.

"Um, cool, I guess?" Brooks' brows furrow together. "Can you just head back to mom's room?"

Roy scoffs lightly, burps, then heads back up the stairs.

"That dude is fuckin' weird, man."

Brooks laughs. "Yeah, I guess. I don't pay him much attention, so it's whatever."

I shrug, going up to Brooks' room. His bedroom was on the far end of the hallway, past Lina's room. If I needed to see her later, I could always just make up the using the bathroom excuse.

"My mom's been busting my ass about telling her my feelings on the whole tornado situation."

"Can't blame her, bro." Brooks grabs a controller and sits on his gaming chair. "Lina's been acting weird as hell since that day."

That piqued my interest.

"More weird than normal?" I try to joke.

"Yeah, man. She just looks off. And Avrey texted me, telling me that Lina was talking about how she was confused why bad things happen to good people and all that shit. I dunno, man," he sighs. "I'm really worried."

I swallow. Because now I'm even more worried than I initially was. But Brooks can't see that.

"She'll bounce back, man. She always does, doesn't she?" I reach for the other controller. "I guess that means you won't be on top of your game for some Warzone?"

"Please," he scoffs. "I'm always in the Warzone mentality."

"Yeah, yeah," I grin. "Just don't make me carry your ass again."

* * *

I can admit, the Warzone distraction was mainly for me. I did not want to keep focus on the time, or keep the door cracked enough for me to hear if the front door opens. Or even to see if Brooks' phone lit up for a text.

But three hours in and I'm still doing exactly what I didn't want to do.

It was to no avail though, because in the midst of me trying to clutch the gulag, I heard her voice.

"I'm home, dork. I'm gonna take a shower and hit the hay."

Damn Brooks for being so bad at this game that he was already dead. He was able to get up and hug his sister. I was dying to turn and see what she looked like, or if she noticed me. But I needed to win this gulag.

"Glad you're home."

"Yeah, sure." She sighs. "Night."

"Night."

My nerves were shot and some pussy punk took advantage of my weakness and won the gulag. Even though he was so low! I could've had him.

But my mind was elsewhere.

And as soon as I turned to look at her, she was walking away. I heard each footstep towards her room, then to the bathroom and shut the door.

"She good?"

Brooks shrugs as he sits back down. "Not sure, man. She looks..." he sighs.

I heard the water turn on. I was dying to see her again. Maybe talk to her about the whole situation. No one would really understand how I feel except for her.

So I waited.

We played another match, and as we went into the second one, I heard footsteps descending the stairs. So I intentionally threw the match, acting like I was fed up with losing.

"Fuck this man, I'm so done for the night."

"You're such a sore loser, Hayden." Brooks laughs.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, I should probably head home, anyway."

"Sure. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, dude." I hit my fist to his waiting one.

And just like that, I was eagerly heading down the stairs. Sure, it could not have been Lina. But I just knew it was.

Sure enough, there she was. Lights off, only illuminated by the fridge light. Her head tilted back as she drunk from the water bottle. Shamelessly, my eyes took her in—she had a huge, oversized white long sleeve shirt on. Hanging off one shoulder, which was bare, and holy fuck, I could practically see the silhouette of her breasts with the LED lights in the fridge. The shirt came down to her thighs, making me wonder what she had on underneath.

As she finished drinking and leveled her face, her eyes met mine. For a second, I saw the rage flare in them before she blinked it away.

"Lina."

She gripped the door handle tight as she leaned in and placed her water back in there. But then she didn't move.

So I took a step closer to her.

"Lina."

I see the slight shaking of her head, then looks at me. "What?"

"Can we talk?"

"No." She closes the fridge, taking the light away from her face. "No we can't."

"Lina, listen to me—"

"No." She shakes her head. "I don't want to."

"That's bullshit Lina and you know it."

"I have nothing to say to you."

She tries to side step around me, but I block her. She takes a large step back and huffs a breath.

"Get out of my way."

"No. We need to talk."

"We have absolutely nothing to talk about Hayden. So move."

"How about the fact we could've died together, hmm? How that shit is settling with you? Or maybe we, I dunno, talk about what happened after."

There's a soft glow in the kitchen from the streetlights outside, and I can barely make out her face. But I can hear her slight intake of breath.

"I'll pass, thanks."

"Well I won't," I shrug. "Because I can't get you out of my head, Lina."

When she drew back her hand and slapped me, it was the last thing I expected. I place my palm over the sting in my cheek, jaw dropped.

"You're such a fucking liar, West. That was a very vulnerable moment in my life and you had no problem taking advantage of it. What, you sad you didn't get to go all the way, brag to all your friends. Get that notch on your belt?"

"What th—"

"You were a convenience, West. I used you to try and calm my nerves after what had just happened."

"If that's true," I lower my voice. "Who really took advantage of who then, huh?"

I saw her hand raise again, but I caught her small, delicate wrist. I pull her close to me, seeing her eyes widen. She tries to scramble away from me, but I shake my head.

"But you're a liar. The way you were dry humping me and practically begging for me to fuck you says otherwise."

"Newsflash, West: I love sex. Don't flatter yourself."

"I love a good fuck, too, baby. But you don't see me fucking around with foreplay beforehand."

"I didn't—"

"'Why don't you find out for yourself'?" I quote her words back to her, making her chest heave a breath. "Yeah, I remember all of it, sweetheart."

Lina snatched her hand from my grasp. "I like to have sex, West. And I like a little kinky foreplay. Big fucking whoop." She scoffs. "But get one thing straight: I don't want you, Hayden. In fact, you're the last guy on the planet who I'd want, especially to fuck."

"You're lying."

"You know why I told you to find out yourself?" She snickers. "Because I wasn't even wet for you, West. I was using you."

Not gonna lie, that hurt. A lot. She's quick with her tongue, and those words felt like daggers.

But she doesn't get to win. She doesn't get to see me hurt.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

I nod, running my hand over my chin. "You know girls will literally drop to their knees if I ask them to. There's plenty of girls who'd give it up to me, easy."

"Well, I don't want you, West. So why don't you go call up one of those girls who are so desperate for you and bury your dick in them."

"I will, baby, don't you worry about that."

"Good. We all know that's what you do best."

I was seething. How fucking dare she talk to me like that. She doesn't want me? Fine. She thinks she can make me feel less than because she doesn't want me? She has another thing coming.

All I wanted was to get a feel for how we could both go forward from this situation. But all she wants is to declare war.

Fine, she wants it her way, she'll get it.

Angrily sitting in my car, I open the most recent message on my phone. Someone named Penelope was 'just checking to see if I'm doing okay'. I guess she'll do.

I text her if she's still up, and when she says yes, I ask if I can come over. She's more than willing to have me sneak into her window to 'talk'. But I'm not in the mood for talk.

It's a ten minute drive, but when I pull up, I see her window she said she'd leave open. I kill the ignition and jog over to her window. I knock before climbing in.

Penelope was wearing a blue button down shirt. Probably with nothing underneath, which is perfect.

"Hayden, are you—"

I smashed my lips on hers. She was taken back, but she kissed me back. But fuck me, I didn't melt into this kiss like with Lina. It didn't feel like my body was struck with lightening. I felt nothing.

I grabbed each side of the shirt and ripped it apart, buttons flying and hitting her hardwood floor. She gasps a little and I look down. I guessed it, she was already ready for me.

"Hayden," Penelope moaned as I opened her shirt more, pushing it off her shoulders.

"Looks like you were expecting this," I say gruffly, my hand trailing down her torso.

"I wouldn't say—fuck!" She screamed as I pushed my fingers into her.

"Wouldn't say what?" I ask her.

"W-what?" She closes her eyes.

"You wanted this? You wanted me?"

I push two fingers inside her, her body responding to me instantly. Her juice was all over my hands, showing how much she wanted me.

"Yes," she moans. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to assume, I just—"

Take that, Lina. Girls do want me.

"Sh," I quiet her as I push inside her with my fingers harder.

"Oh yes," she moans. "Touch me, Hayden. Please."

I didn't have the desperation to touch her body. To explore it. Like Lina.

I growl in frustration. Stop thinking about her, dumb fuck. She doesn't want you.

I cup her tit and squeeze, her hands holding onto my shoulders. She moans, trying to rock her hips against my fingers. I quicken my pace, pushing my fingers in her rougher and faster. She's shaking, and I know she's gotta be close.

So I retract my fingers and her eyes shoot open. "W-what?"

I grin, turning her and pressing her back against the wall. I grab my wallet from my back pocket and fish out the condom I have in there. I tear it open and push my pants down, rolling it on. I look at her, she wraps her arms around my neck.

"And you're sure you want this?"

"Hayden, I waited for you naked hoping this happened. I've only been waiting for you to want me since freshman year."

Freshman year, huh? Hear that, Lina? Girls pine over me. I don't fucking need you.

I grip her hips and wrap her legs around me, then quickly push myself into her. Penelope cried out, boosting my ego a bit. I pulled out and thrusted back into her, slamming her back into the wall.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Every praise, every moan, every time she begged was like a song to my ego. Lina said she didn't want me, but look at this girl, ready to come apart right under me.

I fuck her faster, her body slamming against the wall, her cries filling up the room. She tightened her thighs around me, begging me for more. Hot damn, this girl was magic for my ego. The more she begged, the better I felt.

"Hayden, shit, I'm coming."

And with a cry of my name, Penelope came around me. But for the life of me, I couldn't seem to reach my own high. So I fucked her harder, faster. Feeling Penelope clench around me again.

Sadly, as much as I needed this because Lina wiped the floor with me, I couldn't get close to my release until I thought of her.

Lina being effortlessly sexy and dominate. Not easy and submissive like Penelope has been all night. But putting up a fight. And the way it felt to have her on top of me. That's was got thrusts sloppy and ready to explode.

"Hayden," Penelope moaned, but all I heard was the way Lina moaned my name.

And that made me come undone. The final thrust in and I exploded, gripping Penelope's thighs maybe a little too tight. Her head rested against my shoulder as she caught her breath.

"That was..." she laughed. "Wow."

I wish I could say the same. I really could. Instead, I gently let her go. I pulled out of her and took the condom off, throwing it inside the trash she had by the wall. I pulled up my pants and situated myself.

When I looked at Penelope, I should've had an instant hard on again just seeing her naked body. But she just...didn't do it for me.

"Do you wanna stay for a bit?"

"I can't," I shake my head. "I need to get home."

Penelope nods. "Oh. Okay. Will I see you tomorrow?"

Duh. We're in like two classes together.

"Sure." I tried to give a smile, but now all I felt was drained.

I turned and climbed out of the window I snuck into in the first place. I walk down the road to my car and climb in, starting it up and heading home. When I did get home, I said a quick goodnight to my mom and practically collapsed on my bed.

As I lie there, there's only one thing that keeps replaying in my mind.

Lina's wrong. Girls do want me. I don't need her.

But why is it that she's the only one my mind seems to come back to?

I groan. I'm royally fucked.

A/N

I wasn't going to write out the whole anger bang thing, but I think it was important to see how Hayden thought during this hookup vs him and Lina in the future *wink wink*

Thanks for reading, lovelies! Don't forget to vote, comment, etc!! <33