Gio

"You think people who are into eating ass like to sniff the asshole part of panties?" Celia asks.

"What?" I almost lose control of the wheel. Celia just giggles, staring out the window.

"Anyway, I'd like to try butt plugs one day, when we go out on a date. You know, sit at a restaurant, order food. We could get one of those vibrating panties with a remote? Oh, do they make those for you? That'd be fun."

"Jesus, you are so... kinky," I mutter under my breath.

"By the way..." She smirks, leaning over the console to whisper. "I fingered my butt the other day in the shower. Felt like I had to poop! It was so weird."

"Oh my God!" I laugh, palming my face. "Celia, you probably didn't do it right, that's why!"

"Yes, I did! I spent five minutes in different positions, going at different speeds. Also, did you know it's really dry in there?" She lifts her index finger to trace the tip. "It wouldn't even go in."

I look straight at her. She's got to be doing this on purpose. Nope. She's serious.

Should I tell her that I've done it too?

No, are you crazy? She'll never let it go!

"Okay, mister 'let me do you in the backyard'. Don't act innocent!" She crosses her arms, looking away. "I'd say you need Jesus, but we both know what you've done in front of him."

"Listen." I squeeze her inner thigh, making her jump in her seat. "You talk a little too much."

"Huh?" She scowls as I unbuckle my belt, then unbutton my jeans. "Are you insane? I'm not giving you a blowjob on the road!"

"Yes, you are," I smirk, grabbing the back of her head to pull her down. "Get over here..."

She tries. And it's fucking amazing. But I can tell her jaw hurts from that angle. So I end up getting edged, which just makes me more impatient to get home and eat her up.

It's a three hour drive. Ari insisted to go with Liam, saying squeezing between Celia and me in the truck is annoying.

I feel guilty for not spending as much time with her the past few weeks, but the boys yelled at me that it's okay to take some time in my 'honeymoon' phase. I think that's why Celia is acting extra... Celia. Her idea of emotional support is to either fluster me or piss me off.

The whole ride back, she either needs to pee or she's spilling snacks all over the seats. Not only that, but apparently all my music choices are bad and I'm not as cool as Chase when driving.

Excuse me for following the speed limit. I don't need a ticket. I call Ari and tell her to grow up fast so she can buy me a Chevrolet, feeling better when I hear her laugh. Wait. Does she not miss me?

I call her back to ask, and she sighs like a parent, reassuring me that indeed she misses me, but she has a life and would like some space. Wow. Which gives the other sassy pants next to me the audacity to ask to go hiking in the woods before we go back. Yeah, right! I want to go home!

"Freedom!" Celia opens her arms, taking a deep breath. "Ah, the last time I was in nature like this was when I was a kid..."

I caved in. The hike starts from the parking lot on a paved path, snaking up the mountain. Towering pine trees surround left and right. There are many hikers around, unfortunately.

A cute squirrel is holding a pinecone in the middle of the road. Celia runs towards it, scaring the small creature shitless, causing it to scatter away and scurry up atop a tree. Celia complains, but thankfully her attention span is five seconds. Next, she turns to me.

"You look like a big, bad wolf in your black shorts and muscle t-shirt..." She totally ignores the elders nearing us and throws her arms around my neck, trying to kiss me. "With that rough stubble and plump lips!"

I push her shoulders back, forcing a laugh at the passing women. "Excuse me... sorry..."

Celia chuckles at my discomfort and skips ahead of me, holding a can of Pringles— a snack she insisted to have for hiking. Two young guys pass her by. Their eyes widen, though she doesn't notice. When they notice me, they drop their gazes and mutter 'how's it going.' Good.

I sigh, focusing back on Celia, wondering what the hell I'm going to do with her. She always looks too good. It brings so much attention. Puts me even more on edge to protect her.

Like right now, she's in a burgundy tank top and yoga pants. A bright red jacket— though granted, it's oversized. Her hair is curled, soft and long down her shoulders. She has makeup on, but it's minimal and looks fucking good, but does she need it? No. And the choker? Silver chain around her neck with little crosses and a crystal that's right between her collarbones, rising and falling with each heavy breath. She's irresistible.

Worst part is that she's oblivious. On one hand, I'm flattered she feels safe enough with me to shut her mind off, but sometimes— like right now, when we're somewhere unknown— it's stressful. I feel like if I don't hold her hand, she'll run off somewhere and accidentally die.

"Gio..." She grins at me over her shoulder. "What if you chase me?"

"Not happening. Fuck no."

"Come on! It'd be fun..." She puts her hands on my chest, giving me a seductive look under her lashes. "You can have your way with me when you catch me?"

"We're not supposed to go off trail. You see this paved road? This is where everyone hikes." I grab her hand, leading her down the road. "Just enjoy it like everyone else. See? We don't need to disrupt nature."

"Disrupt nature?" She wrinkles her face, then laughs. "I didn't say I'm going to pull out my laptop and send emails. I can act like any other animal and just walk around! You think if a dog from another town tries to walk here, squirrels stop him and go sir, NO. Your paws disrupt our nature? No!"

I chuckle at her imagination, but my attention is split as far as the road can go for strangers.

"Don't yell... we're not alone here," I mutter, noticing a group of hikers coming down the hill.

"I'm yelling, because you're not listening. Gio, I'm a wild girl. I can't walk on a paved road that millions of others have taken! I might as well stay home. What is this shit!" She kicks her foot on the pavement like it offends her, giving me an incredulous look. "This isn't nature!"

I stop walking and turn to face her, giving her a serious look. Her gaze darts around my face, confusion and anger swirling in her eyes, voice exasperated.

"Why are you so scared of breaking the rules? What's the worst that could happen? Someone might scold us? Who cares!"

"I don't want to set a bad example." I try to say softly, but my growing annoyance makes me roll my eyes. "If other people see us going off trail, they'll think it's okay to do it too and who knows what they might do? I don't feel comfortable!"

She scoffs, mouth slacking open. "I'm not freaking responsible for other people—"

"Shh, keep your voice down—"

"Who cares!" She turns to the group that's passing us by while trying very hard to ignore our conversation. "We're fighting! I hope that's not a problem for you guys!"

"Celia." I clench my jaw, eyes widening at her escalating tantrum. "Enough."

Before I can grab her wrist, she fucking runs off and steps off trail.

"Come down." I keep my voice down, but inside I'm raging. "Immediately."

"Immediately." She mimics mockingly, striding up the hill that's cluttered with branches, bushes, trees, and all sorts of plants. Leaves and twigs crunch under her shoes, and when she turns to me, there's a shocked smile on her face. "This is amazing. You have to come!"

"Come. Down." I stay still, eyes hardening at her carelessness.

"No." She furrows her brows. She actually stomps her foot, then opens her arms and exclaims. "Gio, this is called hiking! I didn't come all the way here to fucking walk on a road that some old guy made hundreds of years ago. These rules you hold so dear to your heart like a badge of honor are made by people! These rules are not set in stone! They're made to be questioned and challenged. How else will things ever change?"

What the fuck... does this have to do... with hiking?!

"Can you come down, please?" I try to plead, but it comes out like a warning.

She breathes heavily, her chest heaving up and down. "No," she mumbles and turns arounds, ducking to go under arching branches.

Thank fucking God she doesn't go out of my sight, because I would lose my cool completely. She stays near, a couple of trees behind, completely immersed in the nature around her.

I follow down the paved road, keeping an eye on her while she gasps and compliments the plants. After a couple of minutes of this, I stop walking and so does she.

I put my hands in my pockets and just stare at her, silently expecting her to come down.

"You missed out." She gives me a sheepish smile as she approaches me. Now that she's down the hill, she's looking up. And I notice all the shit she has stuck in her hair.

"You're a five year old..." I burst out into a chuckle, and lift my hand to pick out the twigs and pine needles all over her hair. "Hold still."

She softens up, chuckling, then remembers that she's mad. "I didn't ask you to take care of me!"

She walks ahead of me, as if she's too angry to look at me. But can't help herself and goes off again.

"Why do you care so much about what others think?" She snaps.

Why do we have to argue right now?

I put my hand on her waist to turn her around. "We don't need to stop every time we talk. Are you capable of doing both at the same time? You think you can do it?"

She chuckles, pushing me away. "Are you capable of diving into a conversation and not dismissing it? I'm serious."

"Well, I'm not." I look ahead. "I don't understand what it means to be serious. What is that?"

She glares at me from the side. "You're fucking annoying, that's what you are."

I stop walking, lips parting open in surprise. "What did you just say to me?"

Excitement flashes in her eyes. Her lips tug into a smirk. She starts backing away.

"No. Celia." I almost growl out, lowering my voice not to yell.

She giggles, skipping off trail. Again!

At that moment, two families from left and right emerge, holding cameras and walking sticks. I try to stand nonchalantly, but inside I'm dying of laughter at Celia. With a fearful gasp, she freezes then looks left and right, before scurrying to hide behind a bush.

She squats into a crouch and crab walks left and right, around various trees, trying to go unnoticed from both sides at the same time.

I rub my lips to cover my smirk, but it's like she senses it and squints at me, no doubt threatening my life.

"I thought you didn't care..." I tease her when everyone's gone.

She stomps down, her arms crossed. "All I wanted was for my boyfriend to go off trail with me. But no. Thanks a lot."

"Come on." I put my hand on top of her head, petting her hair. "I have an idea. Let's go."

Celia doesn't speak for the next couple of minutes. In fact, she's not even looking around.

"See? We're no longer on a paved road. It's a dirt path." I smile at her, glad to have found a compromise.

"Yeah."

"Isn't it better?"

"It's still a road made my people." She frowns, staring ahead at nothing. "It's predictable. It takes me where everyone has already been. There's no thrill or adventure behind it."

"Yes, there is. Look! You see that fallen tree? Isn't it crazy what the inside looks like? It looks like a tree grew around another, you see?"

Celia half-heartedly glances at the tree beside us. "Yeah..."

We pass a small river, the sound of ripples against rocks adding a sliver of calm. I look at Celia on my side, and can't believe how she looks so beautiful no matter what.

It's weakening.

Her jacket hangs off her shoulders, draped over her elbows. She's looking down, her lips in a soft pout. Long lashes casting shadows on her petite face. Her hair shines in red tones under the sun, her chest is tainted pink.

My dick stiffens when I notice the Pringles she's hugging to her chest are pushing her breasts up.

I hear male noises ahead and snap my head, but by then the two guys had the chance to eat her up with their eyes. I clench my hand into a fist. They're half my size. I might kill them.

"Put your jacket on," I sigh after they pass.

"I'm freaking sweating, I'm not putting my jacket on." She snaps.

"Put your jacket on or I'll put you on your knees."

She looks up finally, thrown off guard. I keep my face nonchalant, walking ahead.

"I'm not going to put it on." She grumbles, breaking her gaze away.

Her breaths become more shallow. She no longer gets lost in her head. Suddenly, she's aware of her surroundings, looking around in realization that we're somewhere secluded.

I grab the back of her neck and pull her close to me, rather roughly. She gasps, but doesn't say anything. She just gulps, keeping her eyes down.

Good.

I walk her like that, making sure that the road really is empty. All I hear is the dirt under our shoes and the wind snaking in and out of the trees. The only company are the hawks above.

We approach a thick pine tree, wide enough to cover a group of people. That's where I tighten my grip on Celia and turn her to face me.

"Get on your knees," I murmur with a stern look.

She stares back with zero influence, like she's talking to a blank wall. "I don't want to."

I'm so thrown off guard, that I drop my hand. She doesn't move, doesn't flinch. Nothing.

I laugh, feeling so stupid. I guess I must've read the signs wrong.

She doesn't laugh. She just walks quietly. Hugging her arms around herself.

Shit. How did it come to this? What did I do wrong?

I try to catch her interest with random shit I remember from wilderness documentaries, talking about insect colonies, the age of trees, but nothing interests her.

She gives half-hearted replies and tries to smile, but it's like everything's been drained out of her.

Alright, we should get lunch, then. I stop by the best sandwich place I know and ask her what she wants.

"Whatever you're getting," she mumbles, looking out the window.

Alright, that's what I figured, but wanted to make sure. I get two turkey sandwiches with iced tea and chips, then we get on the road. She talks a little more after eating.

But something's still missing.

And I really don't want to talk about that fucking trail again. I don't want to get mad.

So... I don't say anything.

"Am I too much for you?" Celia suddenly asks when we're almost home.

"What?" I furrow my eyebrows. "No. Of course not. Why would you say that?"

"It seems like it," she says quietly, sitting low in her seat like she's trying to hide. "I thought you like me being wild. But all you did today was scold and shame me for wanting to have fun."

I reach for her hand and brush my thumb soothingly. "I wasn't trying to scold or shame you. I just didn't want to go off trail, baby. And I didn't like that you kept pushing me. Sometimes I just want you to listen, because you trust me. That's all."

"That's what I'm saying, I can't do that! I don't want to do that." She yells, but her voice breaks. Her eyes plead me to understand. "I will always be the woman who questions things, especially if I don't agree with them. Love shouldn't ask you to change. It should accept."

"But that's what you were trying to do to me." I stare at her calmly, nodding when she blinks with realization. "You kept trying to change me, and I kept telling you I didn't want to."

"You couldn't let me have the one thing that would make me happy because of some rule that some man you don't know made years ago!" She leans closer, raising her voice.

"The one thing to make you happy?" I laugh dryly. "Jeez, thanks. I guess I'm not even worth a tree here!"

"What the hell, obviously I don't mean you!" Her yell is high-pitched as I park in front of our gate.

I get out and grab our bags from the back. Celia struts around the truck and gets in front of me.

"You can't win an argument with passive aggression!" She blocks me from walking. "Comparing yourself to a tree doesn't solve anything. All I'm saying is that if you want me to listen, you need to convince me that you're right. Otherwise, no disrespect, but I'll do what I want."

"Yeah. You made that pretty clear, Celia." I stride around her to unblock my way. "You seem to forget that I'm not your enemy. I'm someone that wants the best for you." I turn around, snapping at her. "And I'm sorry, but you don't always know what's best for you. Just like sometimes I don't know and you show me. That's how it works. It's a partnership. Not a war zone."

Tears brim her eyes and she tries to blink them away. My anger dims a little, but I'm so fucking tired. This is a roller coaster of emotions and I can't keep up at the moment.

"Let's just go inside," I murmur, putting my hand on her lower back. "We'll talk once we shower. We're both tired right now."

"Who the fuck is that?" She mumbles, her nose stuffy from emotions.

I follow her frown to the front of our house, where there's a tall woman with red hair standing. Her back is turned towards us, but unfortunately, the tension in my body confirms who it is.

"Gio, who the hell is that woman?" Celia asks with more urgency when I stay unmoving. "Who is that woman?"

"My ex-wife," I say through gritted teeth, the air stuck in my throat.

~A/N~
Whaaaaaat?! *nervous laughter*

My favorite question, whose side are you guys on?