>> this is a long chapter, sorry. Grab your popcorn.
Mature content ahead, last warning. lol <<

Noah Silas Anderson

Chapter Forty-three: "Next, meet my ex"

"I thought about what you asked me last night, about the tattoo party. It's super last minute, but yeah, I can swing it," Sky let me know over the phone.

I closed my eyes and went "yes" in a tiny victory, my fist balled. "Thank you, Sky. Good lookin' out," I exhaled.

"Yeah, yeah. What are you trying to get, it's been a while."

I snapped the rubber band against my wrist and said, "I don't know, yet."

"I know you don't wanna tat your arms, you have any space left on your legs?"

"Yeah, Sky," I laughed, grabbing the bag out of my locker.

I walked out of the gym still on the phone, swinging my lanyard as I walked down the sidewalk.

The weather was just right for a Thursday morning. I chucked my bag in the passenger seat and waited for Sky to stop talking to pull off.

"Well, I'll be glad to do it myself," she flirted.

I blinked, staring out the window and spread my legs for comfort. "Where's Amber?"

"Ugh," she sounded, smacking her lips, "not here, does it matter?"

"To me, it does."

"Don't worry, if you come over early, we can... fool around and she'll never know."

Her desperation bored me and made me wonder what I ever saw in her in the first place. "I gotta go, Skylar, I'll see you tonight." With that, I ended the call. My stomach growled and I remembered I didn't have shit at home to eat. As much as I hated grocery shopping, I made my rounds.

*

I walked into Wal-Mart and figured I could help Cassie out and pick up some things while I'm at the store.

"Hey, Cass," I spoke once she picked up, "how's it going?"

Her small voice breathed out, "Hey, Noah. And it's going, you?" She sounded winded, probably worn out from playing with Emmy.

"Can't complain. I'm at the store, do you guys - girls, I mean - need anything?"

"Nope, we're good," she insisted.

I rephrased it. "Do you want anything?"

Cassie hummed in my ear, taking a while to reply until she thought of something. "Popcorn and a lot of chocolate. I like this," she rang.

I chuckled, dropping popcorn into the cart. Continuing to stroll, I scammed the shelves for chocolate. At the end, there were bags of Hershey's so I figured that'll work, and knocked them in, too.

"That's it?" I asked, making sure.

"Oh!" Cassie exclaimed having almost forgotten something. "I need children's Tylenol if you don't mind."

"Shit," I cursed quietly, mentally facepalming myself.

"You forgot to tell me she's allergic to peanuts!" Cassie scolded me.

"It slipped, I'm sorry. She knows, right?"

"Yeah, she told me. She's a smart girl," Cassie beamed.

"I know, she's my sister," I bragged, getting a short, airy laugh out of Cassie. "Anything else?" I dragged the question like she was requesting so much, but I was only joking.

"Um, so, I got a new car. It's kind of shitty, but I need to wash it. Well, you need to wash it, so can you buy the stuff?"

I stopped pacing and stood upright by the pharmacy. "I don't do free labor," I chuckled, only half-serious, "go to a goddamn car wash."

"I would, but you owe me, and it costs money," she chimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't hang this over my head forever, and I take tips."

"Wax on, wax off," she giggled, concluding our conversation. I just shook my head, ending the call. She's crazy, I thought, smiling at nothing.

*

"Sup, baby momma," I joked with Cassie as I walked straight to her kitchen. She went straight-faced and showed me where to put the groceries.

Emereigh ran out and latched onto my leg before showing me the picture she just colored. Aladdin-themed, of course. I squatted to her level and revealed the chocolate bar behind my back. Her eyes lit up, probably contacting a sugar rush just from looking at it. What can I say, I'm known for getting the kids riled up?

"Thanks for everything," Cassie said in a sigh, tired from a lot of running around, "you can keep the car stuff. My car is the only one in the lot that looks like a piece of shit, knock yourself out."

For the first time, I noticed Cassie's intensely green eyes. She kind of reminded me Emereigh when I really looked at her. Maybe that's why I was so fond of Cassie, like a little sister or close cousin.

My eyebrows furrowed. "Y'all kind of look alike," I noted. Cassie and Emereigh looked in each other's faces and I just left them with that.

I stopped the Porsche outside of Sky's loft downtown. She started driving but I was horrified by her road rage and insisted she pull the fuck over and let me take over the rest of the way.

Gael pulled up beside the vehicle on his motorcycle.

"I don't know how he can drive that thing," Brooklyn said about Baby.

I laughed, "What are you, scared?"

Gael tapped his knuckles against the window after taking his helmet off and putting Baby on the stand.

I dug between Brooklyn's legs to get a bottle from the box. She gasped, parting her legs suddenly, and I winked at her. She just laughed and pushed my head away, bashfully.

Gael thanked me for the beer I shared and cracked one open while I passed but Brooklyn opted in.

"Oh, let's send Cassie a Snap!" Brooklyn chirped, whipping her iPhone out. She fixed her hair before making a face in the camera. When Gael and I posed, she laughed and said, "It's a video!"

"Wah," I sounded, sucking my teeth. "Hey, Mom!"

"Oh," Gael laughed and played it off. "Hey, Cass. We miss you!" He yelled, kissing in the camera.

"Wish you were here," Brooklyn whined before ending the video with flash. She captioned the video and saved it then sent it. We both got her Snapchat from Gael and added her.

A couple of guys with one girl walked by and noticed Gael. "Yo, G!" One guy called him. I didn't recognize them but Gael did and he excused himself to greet his friends. Honestly, I don't like him having other friends, but that's just me being selfish.

I put the window back up and asked Brooklyn if I could smoke in her car. She agreed, reminding me it was paid for and she's "grown." I just laughed and patted the pocket of my black shorts in search of the RAW rolling papers.

Brooklyn wiped the beer from her lips and removed her seat belt.

"What are you getting tatted?" I asked her, clearing my throat.

"It's a surprise," she told me and was serious.

As I finished grinding the weed, I did a double take at Brooklyn who was staring at me. She looked genuinely curious as to what I was doing and I chuckled. I stole another look at her under the pale light. She wore a black cropped tank top, casual matching skirt, and Prada sneakers. I liked the gold anklet she always wore, and I also noticed she never left the house without earrings and a necklace.
Her hair was bone-straight for the first time I've seen and fell well passed her shoulders, with the two front strands neatly slicked down and tucked behind her ears.

Gael returned, but this time on Brooklyn's side. She put the window down and talked to him. "You wanna come up with me, he's gonna take forever?" Gael asked Brooks.

She looked at me and I hunched my shoulders, licking the paper. "Yeah, Gail," she talked all bubbly, mispronouncing his name, "I don't wanna catch a contact high, anyway."

I watched her hop out and smooth her mini skirt down. "See you in there?" Her deep voice questioned, more like told me.
Looking at her, I was ready to risk it all, but I needed to smoke first. I wet my lips and nodded, watching her go with Gael.

I don't usually smoke but it became a tradition before getting new ink especially. It started with my first one when I was eighteen - that's the birth year tattoo on my leg.

***

An hour in, I was still a little high. Rap music played from the speakers and the tight space was crowded.

"Sup, Noah?" A random dapped me up. I squinted my already low eyes to make out the face behind the voice, but everything took me a while.

"Oh, shit," I said, realizing it was Gael. Hadn't seen him since I first walked in. He passed me a beer and I peeled back the tab to swallow a mouthful. When he threw his arm over my shoulder, I adjusted my hat and tried my hardest to hold my stance.

"Look, bro," Gael said, showing me the new tattoo on his forearm. It said "adventure" under a mountain, very fitting for him.

The music died down for a second as the song changed and I saw Brooklyn's pretty ass across the room. She smiled at me and then returned to her game of cup pong. I had just witnessed her sink a shot when the guy distracted me.

"You're up, cuh," Sky's friend, Marcus, said. I walked up and slapped his hand. We talked for a little bit and I told him I didn't care what he gave me, but I wanted it on my right thigh. Gael walked up all loud and insisted he pick the tattoo so I let him.

"All done, bro. Take a look," the guy said, handing me a mirror.

"That's tough," I complimented. He grinned and pounded his fist. "Thanks, man."

I paid him and stood up to stretch. "Good looks," he mumbled, slapping my hand again. He went on to apply ointment and put plastic wrap over the area only, making sure it stuck.

"Where's Brooklyn?" I asked Gael.

"Sky just finished her tat," he told me. My face fell, remembering we were literally at Sky's place.

Skylar was cleaning her station when I turned away seeing Brooklyn was no longer in the chair.

In need of a drink, I made my way to the kitchen, ignoring people who tried to talk to me as I went. I wasn't being rude, I was just thirsty and had to piss.

I poured a shot of Tito's in my red Solo cup and downed it before pouring up again. Before I could take that shot, I carried it to the bathroom, I'm urgent need to relieve myself.

*

I flicked the lights, leaving the bathroom and wandered around the hall aimlessly.

Brooklyn peeked down the hallway and did a double take. She smiled and walked up to me. I first noticed the wrap on her forearm.

"What'd you get?" I asked her, wrapping my arm around her tiny waist.

Brooklyn removed the cup she had from her lips and said it's still a secret.

Her eyes dropped to my lips and I did the same.

I don't know who made the first move because it all happened so fast but she had her hands tangled in my hair and our tongues swirled around each other. I could taste the alcohol on her lips and she probably thought the same.

The second she tried pulling away, I sunk my short nails into her hips and pushed her against the wall.

Brooklyn linked her hands behind my neck and I pulled down on her arms, our foreheads pressed against each other's. Biting her lip, my chest inflated. I couldn't control myself with her, it was just so easy to get carried away.

If I hadn't opened my eyes for that split second, I wouldn't have known anyone was still around.

She pulled at the strings to my shorts and chewed her lip. "Why'd you stop?" asked Brooklyn in her sensual voice.

My eyebrow raised, intrigued, hearing that. I thought she'd want to get back to the party, but I was pleased to hear she wanted me just as bad.

Brooklyn smiled with Hell in her eyes and took my hand, leading me to the bathroom right across the hall.
The only light on was the LED source from her Bluetooth mirror.

Brooklyn pushed me against the door and rendered me weak, finding my erection strained against my Ethika briefs.
I breathed unsteady as she rolled her tank top up and revealed her stiff nipples to me. Brooklyn didn't let me move, she locked our fingers and reached for my lips, missing the feeling of them locking already. I broke our hands apart and caressed them up her silky skin.

I internally grew mad that we were in a bathroom because there wasn't enough space or time to do everything I wanted to do to her. But I needed to come, and more importantly, wanted to make her come.

Someone randomly tried opening the door and I pushed it closed as Brooklyn dropped to her knees. I locked the door and stared down at Brooklyn as she shook the hair out of her face. She's so damn beautiful.

She blinked her long eyelashes and positioned herself on her knees. I took my hand and ran my thumb over her pouty lips. She kissed my hand and smiled against it, leaning forward to release me from my shorts and briefs.

I tossed my head back, banging it against the door, as Brooklyn let her spit dribble onto every inch and in one long swipe, licked it off.

"Shit." I tensed up, wrapping her hair in my fist.

She released me and a line of spit spilled onto her breasts that she caressed, biting down on her lewd smile.

"No hands," I breathed out. She flickered her eyelashes and swallowed me whole, letting me feel myself at the back of her throat as she gagged around me. That alone was enough to almost have me come over her pretty face, but I couldn't, yet.

She ran her filed nails down the creases of my abs and then delved her fingers between her legs.

Brooklyn swirled her tongue around the tip and knew exactly what she was going, staring right into my eyes.
I couldn't take anymore, if she kept going the night would've ended sooner. I needed to taste her.

I pulled Brooklyn up from the floor by her hair and brought our lips together. It's been too long. I could kiss her honeyed lips for hours alone.

She moaned into my mouth and forced my hand between her legs. That was the last time I let her take control. Frustrated, I squeezed her throat, pushing her against the wall. She stared back into my eyes and glazed her tongue over her top lip.

I shuddered and turned her around. There's no way I'd last with those looks she was giving.

She backed into me and I spanked her. Brooklyn cried out, losing her arch, and begged for it again.
I smoothed my hand over her red flesh and kissed along her neck.

I gently kicked her ankles apart and said, "Take your skirt off."

She slowly raised it above her hips and brought her hand back to my neck, the other reaching for my throbbing dick in my hand.

I dipped my fingers against her freshly waxed area and pressed along her slit, easing into the arousal deep between her legs. I pulled my fingers back, pleased with how she coated them and sucked them into my mouth. She whimpered, growing impatient, and started grinding against me.

I squared her hips and forced myself inside, instantly groaning at how tight she was.

She gasped and squeezed any part of me she could get ahold of, trying to squirm away.
"Shh," I warned her.

I pulled her back, easing every inch inside to our satisfaction. "Good girl," I growled in her ear.

Collective moans filled the bathroom and I sloppily kissed the corner of her lips. She let out a "Mm." Music to my ears.

She pressed her lips together, trying to contain the sounds she was making. "P-Please-" Brooklyn tried to say.

"Please what?" I mocked her, reaching a hand around to press against her clit.

"Fuck me already," she hissed impatiently. I bit down on her shoulder, happy to give her what she wanted.

Brooklyn found the rhythm and cried out as I thrusted into her at the pace she begged for. Feeling myself building, I had to stop and switch positions.

I flipped her around and lowered myself to sucked her breast into my mouth, leaving my teeth on her nipple. She rolled her neck and watched me leave kisses down to her inner thigh. I bit her there and sucked the sting away.

My breath washing over her alone made her buckle. I put her foot on the toilet seat and squeezed down on her thighs, swiping my tongue against her slit. I worked in my finger, stimulating her clit and she covered her mouth, her eyes rolling back.

"Bite it," she whispered.

I kissed all over before biting her most tender area.

"Fuck!" She screamed and let her body tremble over my shoulder. I took her arms, wrapping them around my neck and squeezed her ass, our lips locking and the sound of them smacking replaying.

She lifted her leg at my side and I picked her up off her feet, sliding her down my pulsating length. She moaned in my ear and kissed the sensitive spot in my neck - my weakness.

"Noah," she moaned my name, my head buried in her neck. "Fuck... yes. I'm about to come-"

I hung my teeth on her jawline and looked into her eyes. She shut them closed and tried tapping out. "I can't," she breathed out.

"Fuck, Brooklyn," I cursed and slapped her cheek. I kissed the spot and put my palm there. She kissed my head and found my lips. "Come for me."

I sped up, feeling it coming.

"I want you to come inside me," she moaned, looking into my soul.

"Yeah?" I made sure, kissing her neck.

"Mhm." She grabbed fistfuls of my hair and nodded, chewing her lip. "Please. Oh. Right there."

I swallowed, kissing her collarbone.

I thrusted a final time and released inside of her. She moaned, falling over the edge.

"Fuck," I panted, still thrusting.

She came down and dropped back to her knees, but I stumbled back and wrapped her in my arms, looking at her in the mirror.

As I collected myself, Brooklyn smiled against my lips and kissed all over my face.

*

Once decent, Brooklyn and I came out of the bathroom. She couldn't stop smiling as we rejoined the party. I almost forgot where we were, and that Gael was with us.

"Want a drink?" She asked me.

"Yeah," I said back. She let go of my hand and pranced to the kitchen to get two shots.

I watched as she danced to the music and laughed with a stranger in the kitchen, too.

"Are you kidding me, you ass?!" Sky ran up on me, swinging. I just laughed, not knowing if she was serious or not.

"Woah, what's happening here?" Gael asked in a chuckle.

"He was fucking some bitch in my bathroom!" She exclaimed loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

"Relax, okay," Gael tried mediating.

Brooklyn approached slowly with no drinks in her hand. She eyed Sky up and down and stood under me.

"What's going on?" she asked, not once taking her eyes off of Sky.

"Really?! Get the fuck out of here!" Sky screamed in a tantrum, Marcus - her tattoo artist friend - holding her back.

I couldn't even react, she was just crazy, and I didn't want Brooklyn getting the wrong idea.

*

"You good to drive?" I asked Gael once we were in the parking lot.

"Yeah, I only had a couple. Are you good to get in the car with her?" He joked, eyeing Brooklyn who was dangerously quiet since we left the loft. I shook my head and sighed, committing to our handshake.

"Text me when you get home," Gael said, putting his helmet on.

"Heard," I replied, opening the driver's side door to the Porchse, "be safe."

12:43 AM

Brooklyn and I made it back to The Beach Plaza. It was quiet outside and even more deathly quiet in the car.

The silence was killing me. I cut the engine and put my elbow on the window.

"Do you wanna-" as soon as I said something, Brooklyn got out of the SUV.

Fuck.

I followed, trying to walk fast enough to catch up.

Brooklyn calmly pressed the button for the elevator to open up and when it did, she stepped inside and remained mute.

She unlocked 311 and entered, turning on only one light. She dropped her purse and phone on the counter and tapped her nails on the countertop.

"What was that?" she asked suspiciously polite, rolling her neck, her mouth twisted.

"I don't know what she's mad about," I tried to say.

Brooklyn shot me a cold stare. "Who is she?"

There was no point in lying. "An old friend," I confessed.

"Friend?" Brooklyn nodded stiffly and brought her lips into a thin line. "Was that her house?"

I opened my mouth, running my tongue into my cheek. "Yeah," I confessed after hesitating to, my head hanging.

"And you took me there for what?"

"It was a party, she's nothing to me-"

"THEN WHY WAS SHE ACTING LIKE THAT, NOAH?"

"WHY ARE YOU FUCKING YELLING, BROOKLYN?" I matched her energy.

She waved her arm and began to argue using her hands. "Obviously she's somebody, or she wouldn't be acting like that. I don't want to act like this, Noah. I'm not trying to interrogate you and be jealous, I don't give a fuck, but why can't you tell me who she is?"

"Because it obviously doesn't fucking matter," I yelled back.

She went and sat on the couch, burying her head in her lap.

I sighed, scratching my head. I walked over and remained standing. "Brooklyn, I don't want to argue. We can talk about this," I settled.

When she didn't budge, I squatted down and pulled her hands from her face.

"How could you just fuck me in her house? That's so disrespectful, now I just look like some slut," she sniffled.

"Brooklyn, okay, I promise you she is nothing to me-"

She smacked her lips, not buying a word I said. "I'm serious. We used to hook up, that's it, it was casual and she knows it. She has a whole girlfriend that was probably there tonight, too. You wanted a tattoo, and she does them, so I asked her," I vented, sitting on the coffee table right with Brooklyn on the couch her knees between mine. "If I thought it would be a problem I wouldn't have done it. She wasn't supposed to act like that, we ended things and I didn't know she had feelings for me - or whatever that was."

Brooklyn finally looked up at me but her face was stone cold.

"I fucked up," I owned it, looking deep into her eyes, "I'm sorry. You want me to leave?" She nodded, standing to walk to her room.

I didn't expect that but I should've. Anyway, I respected it. That's what I get.