Teegan

Over the next week, things move fast and heavy.

   Unless my mom needs me to watch the kids, I'm with Cohen. When he's working , I wander down there and hang out for a bit and then I meet him when he's done. We're a lot more touchy when we're alone, but we're pretty much still just friends, who kiss. On Monday, when he's off work, Cohen, Rex and I get ice cream and play Frisbee in the sand. When Rex heads home, I go back to Cohen's house, where we watch a movie together and end up making out until my mom calls to ask where I am.

   The entirety of Wednesday is spent with Cohen. We don't have to work, so we walk around town and get pizza and end up at his house again. It's convenient since he lives alone and has no one to answer to. It's also scary because we are new and being along together means we can do whatever we want. That evening, he says I should stay over, for the first time.

   I laugh cause I assume he's kidding. He smiles but shrugs.

  "We're adults. No reason why you can't sleep over."

   "Well, there's the fact that I have to tell my mom where I am. And that I've never spent a night with a guy," I tell him, stretching out on the couch. It's old and worn in and feels safe and warm.

   "Never?" Cohen asks, trying not to sound surprised.

   "I always had a curfew," I say, then shrug.

   "But you've... had sex. Right?"

   I swallow hard. I wasn't expecting the question right now, but I have no problem with it. "I have."

   He nods quickly and pulls me closer to his body. He's warm and I want to do what he's asking - spend the night with him. But telling my mom? It feels awkward and like it's asking for another conversation I don't want to have with her.

   "Well, I think you should stay," he goes on, and then grins.

   "I bet you do." I smile back.

   "You're so... gorgeous. Just here, looking at me like that. You don't need to be like dressed up or anything. You're perfect."

   My cheeks flush. He's always been pretty nice to me but this is the first time he's really complimented me like this. "Cohen. That's sweet."

   "I mean it. " He brushes his thumb over my cheek. "Will you stay?"

   "I'll call my mom."

   Before I can, my phone starts ringing. It's Kiara and for some reason I let it go to my voicemail. It's been awhile since we have talked and the fact that she never called me back that night that I called her, something feels off. I don't feel like talking to her now. I call my mom instead.

   It's only 9P.M. and she answers after two rings.

   "Hey Teeg. Where have you been today?" She sounds curious not mad.

   "With Cohen. I'm, um, going to stay over here tonight... I mean... I just wanted to tell you." I decide not to ask if that's okay. I'm eighteen.

   Silence meets my ears and then she clears her throat. Shit.

   "Right. Okay. Um, you can get the kids from daycare tomorrow? I have meetings after 4P.M." So her method is to ignore this for now.

   "Sure. Yeah," I answer.

   "Thanks. Be safe, okay? See you tomorrow."

   I put my phone down and smile at Cohen.

   "All good?"

   "Yeah. Just picking up the kids at 3P.M. tomorrow."

   "Cool." His arms tighten around me. "Maybe I'll finally sleep well tonight."

   "There's always the beach If we can't sleep," I say. "I don't have pajamas."

   Cohen laughs and squeezed me again. "You can wear one of my shirts."

   "Okay."

   The movie we're watching ends half an hour later and I get up to use the washroom. When I come back, Cohen is gone. Assuming he went up to his bedroom, I take the stairs and go up to find him. As I step into his room, he is pulling off his shirt. I see his back, bare, thin. He turns slowly when he hears me.

   "Here," he says casually, handing me a black t-shirt. "It'll be a dress on you."

   I take it and go to the other bathroom to change. I leave my bra and tank top in there and return to his room, wearing his shirt - black with a band logo on the front - and my jean shorts. You can't see my shorts because the shirt is so long.

   Cohen bites his lip and nods at me to come over to him. He's sitting on the edge of his bed, like he's been waiting for me for hours.

   "You look so hot wearing that."

   "It's really big," I say, then laugh.

   "Yeah." He pulls at my hand until I'm standing close, between his legs. He's sitting but his hands move to my sides and then down a bit so they are sort of on my butt. We haven't done anything more than making out, some touching over clothes, but it's not like I haven't thought about it.

   "You're not sleeping in your shorts, are you?" he asks a moment later, slipping his fingers into the back pockets. I step even closer to him.

   "I don't know," I tell him. "You're in your shorts."

   "I sleep naked," he says, but then laughs when he sees my face. I was expecting that. "I'll keep my boxers on."

   "What If I want to sleep on the floor?" I ask, testing him.

   "Then I'd be on the floor with you." He's quick to answer and then pulls me down so I'm sitting in his lap. "If you actually don't want to sleep with me, obviously that's fine. You can sleep here, I'll go down to the couch."

   I smile and then lean in to kiss his lips, just once. He moans and tries to deep it, but I pull away again. "No. I do want to sleep with you."

   "Yeah?"

   "Mmhm."

   Cohen yawns and then lays back so he's on the bed, taking me with him. He undoes his shorts and kicks them off as they fall to the floor. I giggle and a minute later we are getting comfortable next to each other. His strong arm comes around my waist and he nudges closer. My head is resting on his shoulder and when he turns his head he lays his mouth in a kiss on my head.

   "This is... it's perfect," he tells me. "Tell me it's perfect."

   "Yeah," I agree. "I like this."

   "I'm actually tired," he says, his voice quiet.

   "We walked around a lot today."

   "Yeah." He shifts so he's more on his side, facing me. Then he yawns again. "I'm so glad you're here."

   "Me too," I tell him.

   I'm wide awake, but about ten minutes later Cohen is snoring. It feels like some big accomplishment - him being so comfortable with me that he falls asleep so fast - so I take it, laying there listen to his contentment for awhile, until I'm able to fall asleep in his arms.

*   

The sun is pouring into the window in his bedroom when I open my eyes. I flick my eyes down to look at my watch and see it's 8A.M. I slept all night with Cohen and he's still sleep, still wrapped around my body. One of his legs is thrown over mine and suddenly I realize what is pressed against my side. Him. And it turns me on.

   When we've kissed so far, we mostly keep our hands to our selves. He's slowly started to roam my body over my clothes but we've stopped each time, even though it feels like we are moving fast and not fast enough. But I'm turned on now feeling him against me, so I turn in towards him and decide to give him something nice to wake up to. My right hand goes under the thin blanket and down his stomach. As soon as I'm touching him, for the first time in this way, he mumbles and wakes.

  "What are you..." His voice is clouded with sleep and he lets it trail off. "Oh."

   "Morning," I say quietly, tucking my body closer to his.

   "Yeah... good morning," he says and then grins.

   His hands go around my back and pull me closer and he rubs his lower half against my hand. My mind shuts off and my body takes over and within a minute I'm tugging down his underwear and my hand is on his bare erection. He groans into my neck and then looks up so our eyes meet. He's breathing heavily and the look in his eyes is so sexy because he knows I'm in charge. He's giving up all control.

   "Don't... stop..." he mumbles and then his mouth crashes against mine.

   I kiss him back as frantically as he's kissing me, my hand still working up and down him. Suddenly he's fiddling with the front of my shorts and pulling them down, his hand slipping inside my underwear a split second later. I breathe out sharply and he freezes.

   "Sorry. You okay?"

   I nod and don't say anything. I don't want to tell him - especially not now - that Ansen, my ex, wasn't big on foreplay. He appreciated me doing it for him, of course, but usually we were rushing to have sex anyway. If my house was empty for an hour, we'd go there and skip right to sex. If his house was empty, which was rare, there was no time for foreplay. We never really got to be in a romantic situation together. I guess that's high school relationships, though.

   Now, this is somewhat new for me. Cohen's long fingers are strong and he definitely knows what he's doing. He kisses me hard as he slips his fingers in and moans.

   "You're so wet," he tells me, his lips pressed to my cheek.

   "I woke up with you... your... you know, pressed against my back. And I... it made me..." I try, but I can't finish because he's stoking me and rubbing and words don't make sense.

   Cohen grins. "You like that?"

   "Mm," I manage to say, shutting my eyes.

   He keeps going and I do, too, and then he's kissing me again. It feels so good and it's been awhile since I've had sex but I feel like I'm ready, like we're ready. I trust Cohen with everything I have and honestly there's no point in putting it off if we both want to.

   "Do you have a... condom," I whisper, only tearing my mouth from his for a second.

   But Cohen freezes and pulls away, his hand slipping out from between us. He looks confused and then his expression softens. "I do. I mean, I probably do. But we don't have to..."

   "You don't want to?" I ask, and it feels weird and awkward.

   "God, Teegan. I do. I just don't want to rush if you aren't ready, or whatever." He's so serious and sweet and he gives me a little smile. "Do not think I don't want to."

   "Okay. Well, I am ready. We don't have to wait. What's the point? We care about each other and..." I'm rambling and so I stop and he lets out a laugh.

   "Okay. Okay... yes, I want to, too," he says and then kisses me.

   I bite my bottom lip and wait, but just as he turns to go and look for a condom, my phone starts ringing. It's early, and I don't want to answer it. But it feels like I should so I reach over the side of the bed to the floor and grab it.

   It's my dad. If I answer this, I know the mood will be ruined. But my dad hasn't called much in the last few weeks so it could be important. I am just staring at it, the ringing going on and on, when Cohen speaks.

   "You okay?"

   "Oh, it's my dad. I don't know if I should-"

   "Oh, go ahead. Could be important," he says and I smile at him, knowing he's right.

   I press answer and pull my phone up to my ear, but all I can think about is the fact that I just about had sex. And I wish my dad had picked any other time to call.