Closing Night High Ch. 05

I'm not unsympathetic to their concern. They're good parents. Of course they want to protect their daughter from a man they think is taking advantage of her.

"Inappropriate, maybe, but that doesn't matter, now. I'm with Caleb, Dad... Mom. That's not going to change, so you'll just have to accept it."

"No way in hell am I accepting this!" Dad roars, standing to loom over Caleb. Caleb gets up, too, towering over my average-height father, then comes to stand by my chair. He places his warm hand on the back of my neck, massaging the seriously tense muscles there.

Leveling a stare at my usually-awesome dad, I put a cork in this futile argument.

"I love you and Mom, so much. You've been the best parents I could've asked for. Better, even. But I don't need you to parent me anymore. I need your support, your love, and your understanding."

Rising from my chair, I grab Caleb's hand and lock fingers with him. Our heads turn to to each other, and our eyes meet. One corner of his mouth turns up, lightening my heart and making it easier to say my next words.

"I need you two to understand something. If you make me choose between having you guys in my life and having Caleb, know that I'll choose him. Please don't force me to do that, ok?"

Leaving the blank, disbelieving stares of my parents behind, I lead Caleb out the front door.

*

When we step out onto the porch, Caleb keeps moving forward, with my hand still in his grasp. I stop, tugging on his hand to get him to turn around. He gives me a puzzled look. Yeah, I'm kinda puzzling myself, right now.

"My parents had some major bombs dropped on them tonight. They need me to stay home." It's just a guess. But knowing Mom and Dad, and seeing them so angry and sad and scared, all at once, I have the sneaking suspicion they need to know I'm safely under their roof tonight.

Plus, if I spend the night with Caleb, he'll want the sex, and I'll want the sex, and I won't be able to resist him, and I'll end up feeling guilty again. Nope. Can't do it.

"I need you, Em. Please." Oh, man. Looks like I'm going to feel guilty, no matter what I do. He stalks toward me, backing me up against the closed front door, caging me in with his arms on either side of my head, and rocking his hips against me. His hard cock strains in his jeans, pressing into my stomach and sparking a deep desire to finish what we started earlier. "I need you in my bed and in my arms. I want to pound you into my shower wall and make love to you in my bed. Fall asleep with my cock still inside you and my cum—"

"Caleb..." I moan, almost too breathless to make any sound at all. "I know what you're doing, mister."

"Is it working?" That confident half-smile and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes make him nearly irresistible. Tilting my head back, I collect a quick kiss from my sexy, manipulative boyfriend.

"Just one night, Caleb. And then I'm yours. Forever."

After a longer, savoring kiss, we say goodnight a couple dozen times before I watch him drive off in his truck. As soon as he turns the corner, I run to my Jeep—which is in the driveway, thanks to Eric and Parker—and retrieve my bag from under the seat.

Back in my room, I sit cross-legged on my bed and stare at the pink box containing the pregnancy tests. Yep. I can do this. Right now. I've got this. Except, when I read the instructions, it says that the first pee of the morning will give the most accurate results. That's a good enough reason for me to put this off for another few hours.

After brushing my teeth and changing into an oversized t-shirt and some boy shorts, I slip into bed. My eyes close, and I'm dead to the world.

* * * * *

Every muscle in my body is tense and sore. You'd think I got beat up yesterday, instead of just kidnapped and held at gunpoint by Caleb's now-deceased ex. Close enough, I guess. A thorough, fingertips-to-toes stretch helps the situation enough that I can stand to open my sleepy eyes.

"There's my girl," a male voice greets me from the other side of my room.

"Eric?" I manage to croak out. Damn, I sound about as shitty as I feel. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought you might need the support of your best friend today."

"That's really sweet of you, but if I have to say 'I'm ok' one more time..." I trail off, lacking the energy to complete that sentence.

"Are you, though?"

"I just said I am. What is up with you?" I muster the will to sit up, then slump against my headboard. Eric is chilling on my white, wooden desk chair, with his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes assessing my face.

"So, does that mean you've had a chance to take the pregnancy test I found in your bag?" He asks with one brow raised. Since when can Eric raise one eyebrow? Has he been practicing in the mirror? Took me close to a year to get my muscles to make that happen— "Em?"

"Um. The test? Um... No. Not yet."

"Does Caleb know?" At least there's no judgment in his voice, thank goodness. I'm judging myself enough, as it is.

"Um... No. Not yet. It hit me yesterday that I was late, so I went to the drug store, and then, you know, stuff happened..."

"Ok, that's a good excuse. Or it was, yesterday. What about today?"

"Well, I was planning on doing it when I got up and went to the bathroom, but someone sidetracked me," I say, cocking my eyebrow at him. See? Told you I could do it.

Eric gives me an expectant look, like I'm stalling on purpose. I'm totally not. It's just that I had such a long day yesterday, and it's so comfy in my bed, and if a test never tells me I'm pregnant, then it's kinda like I'm not, and what's the rush anyway?

Ok—rapid-fire rationalizations are never a good sign. With a deep, guttural groan, I roll out of bed.

After a full-body shake to wake up my muscles, I point an enthusiastic finger at my best friend, then jerk my thumb in the direction of the bathroom. "Let's do this."

Eric looks between me and the bathroom door, then back again. "You want me in there while you pee?"

"Hey, you wanted to be supportive, right?" He simply shrugs. "Good. Now, come hold my hand."

"Gross."

*

You wouldn't think it, but the difference between being pretty sure you're pregnant and knowing for a fact that you are is a glaring one. There's the idea of something, and then there's the reality. Like how ten minutes ago I was one person, and now I'm two. Well, that's not exactly true. I was pregnant ten minutes ago, but, like, in my womb but not in my head.

What I'm getting at is... big difference. Huge. Monumental.

So, that's why I'm curled up in the fetal position—no pun intended, at all—with Eric behind me on the bed, petting my hair and whispering soothing bullshit.

"You'll be fine, Em. You'll be fine. Shhh... We'll figure this out. You still have a couple months left to decide what you want to do."

Huh?

Unfolding myself, I roll over to face him. There's a ton of concern in his eyes, betraying the hell out of his reassurances. Not that I blame him. I did go into shock as soon as the little blue plus sign popped up and refused to go away. And he doesn't understand why.

"I'm keeping the baby, Eric," I tell him. After a flicker of surprise, he manages to school his expression.

"Ok. So, you've gone and made me an uncle at eighteen. I can work with that," he says, a genuine smile forming on his sweet face. I giggle at his comment. It reminds me that there are more people involved in this pregnancy than just me and Caleb. "How do you think the father-to-be will react? The man loves you like crazy. You don't have to be nervous."

Oh, was I that obvious? Must've been all the shaking and the quivering lower lip.

"Don't I? Just because I'm happy I'm pregnant, doesn't mean he will be, too."

"Em, come on. This stuff happens. Sex makes babies. And a good guy like that isn't going to abandon his family."

"You don't get it. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. I didn't tell him—" My throat catches on the last word. After a few deep breaths, I launch into the story of how this baby came to be. This is Eric. He knows every debauched and deplorable thing I've done over the past four years, so while telling him isn't exactly easy, it's not excruciating, either.

Soon as I'm done, he takes a second to process my TMI dump, while I wait for more of those contrived reassurances from before. All I get is, "Go talk to Caleb."

Now, that will be excruciating.

* * * * *

I focus on one task at a time. Take a shower. Get dressed. Eat—or pick at, as the case may be—breakfast. Avoid parents' scrutinizing eyes as much as possible. Get in car. Drive to Caleb's. Get out of car. Knock on door.

Ok. I'm still working on that last part.

I haven't even gathered the courage to raise my fist yet, when the door opens and Caleb is standing in front of me. He's wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans, but his feet are bare. Fuck, he's beautiful. I stare at the soft, loving expression on his rugged, angular face as long as possible, trying to burn it into my memory before he speaks and shit has to get real.

Dawn breaks over his face as soon as he sees me, with a smile so bright, it's painful to look at—particularly because it's about to die a quick death. "Emilie."

That's all the greeting I get before I'm pulled into his living room and into his arms. His mouth finds mine immediately, and I open for him, letting the tips of our tongues tease each other. On instinct, my arms wrap around his neck, and my fingernails graze his scalp and through his soft, stubbly hair.

My body is screaming at me to postpone my little announcement, but that only makes my brain more insistent that it can't wait. Now's as good a time as any, right?

Without breaking the kiss, I speak the words against his lips. "I'm pregnant."

When his tongue dips into my now-dry mouth, I figure he didn't hear me. That doesn't last long, though. I can pinpoint the exact moment my words register, because the kiss stops, and his whole body stiffens. He doesn't move, so I take it upon myself to give him a little space. Still no movement, but now I can see his face, and I wish like hell that I couldn't. The sheer panic there is heartbreaking, and I lower my head in shame.

"Emilie..." Here it comes. "I'm so sorry."

My head snaps up, and I squint at him in confusion. "You're sorry?"

"I am. I swear. Please, you have to believe me," he begs. Why is he begging my forgiveness? Shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't respond. Not exactly sure how to, since this is the exact opposite reaction of what I was expecting.

He takes a tentative step toward me and watches my reactions with wary eyes. I'm trying to readjust my idea of how this moment was supposed to go. Complete one-eighties tend to throw a person off-balance.

"I should've been more careful with you. I never asked you if you were on any birth control. To be honest... I hoped you weren't. I had the strongest fucking orgasms of my life every time I came inside you, imagining that I was creating a life with you. It makes me such a selfish bastard, wanting so badly to be connected to you this way—to have my child growing inside your beautiful body," he confesses as he caresses me from my neck, all the way down my arms, and takes my hands in his. "I know you'll never forgive me for this, and I'll understand if you don't want to keep it. That's your choice, and I'll support you, no matter what. Just— I need you to know that I want this baby with you, Em. I want it more than I've ever wanted anything in my life."

Listening to his speech, my eyes grow progressively wider. Humor bubbles inside me, starting in my belly and working its way up. I try to stifle my laugh, but my delirious relief has other ideas. After one, tiny giggle jumps out, I cover my mouth with my fingers, but all the other happy laughter escapes around them.

Caleb must think I've gone legit crazy.

Then, like a stereotypical, emotional pregnant woman, my mood shifts completely. All the fear and guilt that'd been weighing me down, leaving me weak and exhausted from carrying it around since realizing I might be pregnant—and, hell, even before then—escapes my body. My knees buckle, and Caleb's there to catch me. He presses kiss after kiss to the top of my head, and heavy tears begin to drench my cheeks and his soft, cotton shirt.

"So, just so we're clear—you don't hate me?" I ask, needing to be certain about this before I say anything else.

"I could never hate you, Em. Never," he assures me. "Why would you even think that?"

"Caleb, just because you never asked if I was protected doesn't make is ok that I didn't tell you I wasn't," I say into his shirt, then tilt my head back to look straight into his tear-filled eyes. "I know how biology works. From our very first night together, when I pushed your cum inside me with my fingers, I knew the risk. Every time you came inside me, I felt more and more guilty, but it was way too good to ask you to stop. Feeling that warmth, knowing exactly what it could do... I just couldn't give that up. When I found out I was pregnant, I'd never felt happier, but I'd also never felt so angry and disgusted with myself."

Clasping my face between his rough, steady hands, his eyes bore into mine with an intensity that takes my breath away.

"Em, no. Don't ever think that. We did this together. We each had a part in it. You and me." He places a soft kiss to my forehead and wraps his arms around me, holding me tight. "So, you know that I want this baby, but... do you?" I see the hope in his eyes, but also the fear. I smile at him, knowing that I'm about to take that fear away.

With a blissful smile, I tell him, "I want this baby, Caleb. I want our baby."

The absolute joy on his face fills me with a level of happiness I'd never known before this moment. He lifts me a foot off the floor and spins me around until I'm giggling through my dizziness. When he kisses me, I taste the salty tears that are running down his cheeks.

It hits me, then. That was it. That was the last thing keeping me and Caleb apart, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Lacey is no longer a threat. Melissa is... yeah. My parents know about our relationship. And there are no more secrets, period. If it weren't for all the fabulous sex, and every precious moment that came before now, I'd say that this is the first real day of our relationship.

Still held off the ground, I wrap my legs around his hips. A sense of urgency is building in me, making me restless. My teeth latch on to his lower lip and tug as I pull away from the kiss. My eyes gaze hungrily into his. "Make love to me."

Caleb easily carries me up the stairs and into his bedroom, where he lays me down on cool sheets. They feel so good on my heated skin. He climbs onto the bed and on top of me, his massive frame covering my body completely. Propped up on one arm, he kisses me and caresses my thigh with firm, commanding touches. His large hand roams higher, slipping under my short, white dress, until it comes to rest on my belly, between my wide hips.

"Mine," he whispers in wonder. Removing his hand from the skirt, he brings it up and cups the side of my face. I nuzzle into his warm palm. "Mine," he says again, only this time, it comes out as more of a growl.

"Yours," I tell him, with all my heart. Then, with a naughty little grin, I reach between our bodies and grab ahold of the solid cock still trapped inside his jeans. "Mine."

Caleb collapses on top of me, his full-body laughs roaring in my ear and rocking me into the bed. This from a man who, up until a month ago, I thought lacked the ability to process humor with his uber-serious brain. Now here he is, shaking a king-sized bed with the force of his laughter. This is a side of Caleb only I get to see. This side of Caleb is all mine.

"I love you," I say, my lips brushing against his ear. His laughter cuts off, and his body stills. The only movement is the twitch of his cock against my thigh. "I love you," I say again, then feel his lips and teeth graze the sensitive skin between my neck and my shoulder. His hips rock ever so slightly against me. "I love you," I repeat, eliciting a groan I can feel vibrating in his chest.

Grabbing the hem of his shirt, I tug on it, letting him know it's time to start taking off clothes. He sits back on his heels and finishes the job for me, then pops open the button of his jeans and slowly lowers the zipper. The dirty old man isn't wearing anything underneath, so I'm immediately treated to the sight of the dark, trimmed hair at the end of his happy trail and the base of his straining erection. My mouth waters as I watch him free his cock and slowly stoke it.

I sit up so that I'm kneeling in front of him and begin to undo the tiny buttons between the sweetheart neckline on the front of my dress. Button by button, I reveal more of my lightly tanned skin to him. My eyes stay fixed on Caleb's hand as it works his thick shaft, his fingers occasionally sliding over the head to capture shiny little beads of pre-cum leaking from the tip.

My own wetness soaks through my lacy, white panties, and the ache between my legs grows unbearable. Once my bodice is undone, I let the fabric drape open and the thin straps slide off my shoulders, exposing my pert breasts and hard, light pink nipples. His hand pumps faster. I reach under my skirt to cup the wet fabric covering my hot center. Grinding the heel of my palm against my clit, I let out a whimper.

In a thick, throaty voice that makes my insides clench, Caleb says, "Oh, fuck, babe," grabs my ass possessively with both hands, and yanks me onto his lap. My giddy squeals at being manhandled are muted by his mouth claiming mine. Our tongues dance, and my hips roll back and forth so that my clit rubs against his hard cock. "Fuck, you're wet."

"You have no idea," I tell him. Clutching at his thickly muscled shoulder for support, I pull my panties to the side and angle my hips so my drenched folds glide over his shaft, getting it slick with my juices. An animalistic sound rumbles out from deep within his chest, and I smile at the affect I'm having on him.

He grunts in protest when I move off his lap and stand on the bed, swiftly shimmying my dress over my hips. And then my panties. When Caleb's hands massage my legs and encourage them to spread apart, I reach up to brace my hands on the ceiling, just barely able to reach it. Leaning forward, he runs his flattened tongue over each of my wet lips, then between them, the tip teasing my opening.

I cry out, and my legs shake. When he starts circling my throbbing clit, my knees give out, so he hooks one of my legs over his shoulder and grabs onto my hips to hold me upright while he keeps up his oral assault on the swollen, eager flesh between my legs. Looking down, I see his thick head of short, dark hair, interspersed with flecks of grey, and the lower half of his face, shiny and coated with the fluid he's lapping up.

Looking up at me, he covers my clit with his hot mouth and sucks. And that's it. I'm a goner. My orgasm is an atom bomb, exploding in my core then quickly blowing through the rest of my body, obliterating everything in its path. Pleasure escapes my body in the form of a loud, primal scream as I try to find purchase in Caleb's short hair to grind myself on his face.

I must pass out, because next thing I know I'm flat on my back with my head resting on Caleb's pillow, and he's at the side of his bed, taking off his jeans. All sounds are muffled except the ringing in my ears, letting me know I went ahead and deafened myself with my own screams. So very much not concerned about that right now.

My limbs are basically flaccid tubes of yummy pudding, but I manage to roll my body over to get a better look at a very naked Caleb. When he turns slightly to toss his jeans on a chair, I get a good glimpse of his high, tight ass, complete with those sexy dimples just above each cheek.