Falling for the Bully Read online

  “Ignore it,” Aria said, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him down.

  He kissed her again, pulling out of her body and thrusting within her, when the doorbell rang again.

  “Fuck!” He growled the word against her tits.

  “I’m going to have to go and answer that, aren’t I?”

  “Yes.”

  He pulled out of her. His cock was long, hard, thick, and in desperate need of attention.

  He watched her as she pulled on a robe before leaving the bedroom. She pulled the door closed a little, and winked at him.

  He got to his feet, and sure as shit, June and Molly were in her apartment with hot chocolate and movies.

  “Girls’ night,” June said.

  “Girls’ night? I, erm … I mean, it’s the weekend. I just want to relax. Have a nice hot bath. I don’t … girls’ night?”

  “Come on, Aria, you’ve been dodging us at every single turn, and we want to know everything that is going on in your life.”

  Max wasn’t fooled not even a little bit.

  “Could you just hold on a second?” Aria said. “Make yourself at home.”

  He sat on the edge of the bed as she entered, closing the door and leaning back against it.

  “Okay, I could handle my boys coming to watch the game,” Max said, “but this? Have you ever had something like this?”

  “Not in a long time.”

  “You know what this means?” Max asked.

  Aria nodded. “They know something, and now they’re going to try and stop us until we admit the truth.”

  “Bingo.”

  Aria sighed. “When do you think they figured it out?”

  “The night we were all out.”

  “Did you tell them?” she asked.

  “I didn’t breathe a word. Did you?”

  “Not even a little bit. I don’t talk about my personal life.”

  “I don’t either.” Wait, he used to talk about a lot of his personal life, but seeing as he wasn’t fucking random girls, he’d gone radio silent. Staring at Aria, he felt nervous as fuck. “What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t know. What do you think we should do?”

  “We either tell them, or spend the next couple of months getting blue balls,” he said. “I’m pissed at them. They could have just asked us.”

  Aria moved away from the door, stepping between his legs. She held his hands, and he wondered what she was thinking.

  “We tell them,” she said. “It’s the only thing we can do. We do it together, and we let them know that in no way are they to interfere with what we have.”

  “You really think our friends will take us seriously with the whole, ‘don’t interfere’.”

  She shrugged. “They kind of don’t have a choice. They meddle, and we will have to make it an ultimatum. If they keep meddling, you and I won’t give this a chance. I don’t know. We can think of the particulars a little later. What do you think?”

  She didn’t want to split up, and he considered this a mega win for him. They were able to fight another day, and he was pissed at his friends, but not surprised.

  “I think you need to go out there and watch your chick flick of a movie. I’m going to catch up on some sleep.”

  She giggled. “You could always sneak out of my window, and join us. Pretend to just hang out one last time.”

  “Nah, I kept you waiting for hours. This is payback. Leave the door open a little bit so I can hear the television.”

  “Well, Max, do you have a thing for romance?”

  “It’s growing on me.” He gripped the back of her neck, kissing her hard.

  When the time came to break from the kiss, he didn’t want to let her go. He sat in her bed, watching as she pulled on a pair of pajamas before heading out. She did leave the door slightly ajar for him to listen.

  He had no interest in listening to the television. Molly and June were here to gossip, and he wanted to catch up in what was going on in their lives.

  “So, Aria, you want to tell us how your dating thing is going?” June asked.

  He would put money that it was June who’d figured it out. She was way too observant for her own good.

  “I’m not doing the dating thing anymore.”

  “What about finding the right guy? You know, the one that will complete you.”

  “I won’t find that kind of guy on a dating website. What’s with you guys’ sudden interest in my dating?” Aria asked.

  He loved her.

  Max smiled as he listened to her. They already had figured out what was going on, and now Aria was turning the tide on them. He liked it, and it made a refreshing change.

  You love her, and she might not love you.

  The thought of her not loving him in some way killed him, but he also knew he would do anything for her. Aria had gotten under his skin, into his heart, and now there was no way out of it. He would do anything for her, even if it meant never being happy himself.

  ****

  They both got the invitation to Trey’s garden party. It was a small event, one June and Trey had been planning for a couple of weeks. Aria wasn’t going to go originally as she didn’t think it was her place to be there. However, she and Max knew they had to come clean to their friends eventually, and the only way that was going to happen was if they told them.

  Max came to pick her up from her place, and she waited for him, nervous about what was to come.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, it’s not every day you tell people you’re together with someone and you tried to keep it a secret.” She shrugged. “You think we should tell them.”

  “They know anyway, as otherwise they wouldn’t have tried to stop us being together.” He held his hand out for her to take.

  Aria stared at his hand for only a split second before taking it. They were together in this. She was more than ready to tell their friends, just so they could have a night together without interruptions from them.

  Closing her door and locking it, she still held Max’s hand as they made their way out of her yard, walking toward their friends’ place. It wasn’t too far, but it gave them the opportunity to talk.

  Only, neither of them spoke. They passed friends, and she watched as several people noticed they were holding hands.

  It was funny because even as they looked at her, and their hands, she didn’t feel this need to let him go. Let them look. Let them see the two of them together. She had nothing to hide.

  Her heart raced as they neared her friends’ place. June and Molly had been so good to her, and she felt bad for keeping this from them, but she didn’t know how to tell them her feelings for Max.

  It had started out as some fun, and all too soon, something had changed. Max wasn’t the guy she remembered from high school. He was something more, and it kind of scared her when it came to her feelings for him.

  She loved spending time with him. Even when she wanted to be mad, she found herself completely charmed and besotted by how he treated her. The way he always arrived to take her to work and home. How he’d sneak into the kitchen to kiss her when no one was looking. Even on the night they went out with the guys, he’d snuck closer to her, danced with her. His touches making her ache.

  “We’re here,” he said, cutting into her thoughts.

  Max wasn’t the staying kind of guy, and yet, so far, it had only been the two of them. No other woman was dating him or trying to catch him. She knew because she’d overheard Molly and June talking about it.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked. “If you’re not, we can wait.”

  “Half of the town just saw us holding hands.”

  “They’re crazy. Our friends will believe us.”

  She looked up at the house and shook her head. “It’s time. It’s time for them to know the truth. I’m not going to hide anymore.”

  Max didn’t bother knocking. They walked in together, and Aria tugged on his hand. “You should have knocked.”<
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  “They invited us. They’re like my brothers, and I’m not going to knock for them.” Max kept hold of her hand as he walked through Trey and June’s house. They went right to the back yard, where their friends were and no one else.

  The kids were playing out on the grass while Trey, June, Dale, and Molly looked toward them.

  “Hey, guys,” Max said.

  Aria watched them notice him holding her hand. There was a short silence, one that made her nervous, and wish she was one of those kids playing around. It would be a lot more fun than having to deal with grownup stuff.

  “I told you,” June said.

  “I figured you’d be the one to know,” Max said.

  “So you know that we know about you?” Molly asked.

  Aria stepped up to Max’s side so they were facing their friends. “It kind of became a little obvious to us.”

  “Yeah, I want to know how you knew where we were and when?” Max asked.

  “We followed you,” Dale said, speaking up. “You guys has been acting weird for a long time now. June put you two together, and then we wanted to see if she was right.”

  “And I am. Score one for June.” June fist bumped the air, and Aria couldn’t help but smile.

  “So, it’s official then? You two are a couple? You’re together?” Trey asked.

  “It didn’t start out that way,” Aria said.

  “How did it start out?” June asked. “That’s what I’m curious about. You both never seem to get along. Max felt guilty, and you wouldn’t give him the time of day.”

  “The dating site. The loser who didn’t show up. We got close.” Max kissed her hand as he answered their friends, not once mentioning how he discovered she watched porn. “Since then, we haven’t wanted any interference from you guys, and just wanted to give this a try for ourselves.”

  “And how is it working?” Molly asked.

  “It was doing a lot better when you weren’t interfering with us, but now, we’re kind of at the end of our patience. Yes, we’re together. Aria’s mine, and I’m Aria’s. I don’t cheat on her or screw around. It’s why I’m not interested in dating other women or being with them. We don’t want you to tell us how we should or shouldn’t live our life. Let us make our own mistakes.” Max pulled her into his arms. “We’re happy.”

  “Are you happy?” June asked.

  “Yeah, I am.” For Aria this was what scared her. Max was supposed to be her enemy. He’d been so incredibly mean to her in high school. She should hate him, only he’d in some scary way managed to make her do the complete opposite, and it terrified her what it meant. Could she have fallen for him? Did she want to be his girlfriend? Were they doomed from the start?

  She tried not to think about it, and instead, took a seat as Max joined her. The awkwardness slowly ebbed away, and they were able to enjoy dinner with their friends, especially as they knew by the end of the night, they were going to be able to share each other again without fear of interruptions.

  Chapter Eleven

  One month later

  Max was distracted. He finished the ink on the man’s hip, knowing this had to be some kind of bet. No one got a dolphin on their hip, especially not a guy. This was a new deal for him.

  “So, if I ever want to change it, I can come back here and have it expanded?”

  “Yes,” Max said. He finished putting the treatment on. He removed his latex gloves and stapled the care instructions Trey insisted they all give the clients. The building site was shut down for a couple of days as they waited for a couple of permits that had failed to make inspection.

  It wasn’t unheard of for construction to come to a halt, but this also meant he was close to his friends, which was the first time he’d been in a month. Between work and Aria, he’d not seen much of Trey or Dale, even though he knew the guys wanted to talk about his newfound relationship.

  He followed the client out to the main reception, gave him the bill, accepted payment, and waited for him to leave.

  Trey and Dale had finished with their clients, and it was only a few minutes before lunchtime.

  He tried to avoid looking at his friends, going to the window to glance out at the street. Aria had started to get sick in the morning. Not only had she started to get sick, but she’d complained about sensitive breasts, and he’d also noticed she hadn’t stopped wanting sex. No menstrual cycle had shown.

  The first condom Aria put on him had broken.

  Running a hand down his face, by his calculations, she could be a couple months’ pregnant. It had to be.

  “So, you and Aria,” Trey said.

  Here it came. He turned to look at his friends. “How long have you been waiting to say that?”

  “A couple of weeks.” Trey nodded across the road. “Are you playing with her?”

  “If you are, I know Mols will be pissed.”

  He let their questions hang in the air. They always assumed the worst of him. Always had and they probably always would. He didn’t have the best track record for anything, and he got it. He’d been an asshole most of his life, and would make no end of mistakes. But he wasn’t a bad person.

  “I’m in love with her,” he said, speaking the words aloud for the first time.

  “In love?” Trey asked.

  “Yep. I’m in love with Aria Smith. The girl I bullied in high school that I don’t even remember bullying And here is another blinder for you both. I think I knocked her up.”

  “Aria’s pregnant?” Dale asked.

  “I think so.” He ran a hand down his face. “I’m not using her. This was never about using her or making fun of her. I like her, a lot. I can’t stop thinking about her every single day. The first night we slept together, I felt so fucking privileged to hold her in my arms. I have no intention of ever hurting her. You don’t have to worry about your women hating me. I’ll never give them a reason to.”

  “Wait, she’s pregnant? Does Aria know?” This was Trey.

  “Nope,” he said. “She thinks she caught some kind of bug even though she can no longer stomach that black shit she used to drink. The coffee was way too strong.” He rubbed at his temples, stressed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “You’re going to have to tell her.” Dale and Trey spoke up at the same time.

  “How? How do I open up that conversation without her hating me? The condom broke, and I didn’t say anything about it.” He knew he should have, but what if she’d tried to handle it with the morning after pill? Gripping the back of his neck, he cursed. He’d taken the choice right out of her hands, and now he was fucking shit scared of losing her. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

  Love wasn’t meant to be complicated.

  “You’re going to have to tell her,” Trey said.

  “The longer you leave it, the harder it is going to be for the two of you.” Dale added his advice.

  “I know. Are we good here? I need to go and see her?” he asked. He wasn’t a good tattoo artist. He did enough to get by.

  “Sure,” Trey said. “Thank you for your help today.”

  He nodded, grabbing his jacket from out in the back, and heading on over. June and Molly were serving on the counter, and he looked at each of them in turn. “I want to take Aria out for a bit. You guys going to be good doing this?”

  “Of course,” June said.

  “Trey told you?” he asked.

  “He sent a text.”

  “Good.” He didn’t want to get into it right now. Moving around the counter, he went into the back, finding Aria at the kitchen counter. She looked pale and tired. He hated seeing her like this. Staring at her body, he wondered if he could imagine the baby there, inside her.

  “Hey, babe,” he said.

  “Max, what are you doing there?” She walked away from the counter, rushing up toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissing him. “I missed you.”

  Not once had she told him she loved him. He knew not to expect anything from her. He’d never
been the kind of guy to be needy or demand affection. With Aria though, he was breaking every single one of his rules.

  “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think we need to go somewhere to talk.”

  “It sounds serious.”

  “We just need to talk. June and Molly can handle everything here.”

  “I’ll, erm, grab my jacket.” She pulled away from him, and all he wanted to do was hold her close, to never let her go.

  Gritting his teeth, he waited for her, knowing by the end of the day, she could hate him. This wasn’t how he wanted their relationship to go.

  Aria didn’t keep him waiting. She’d changed out of her apron, and she wore a jacket. Her hair was still tied at the nape of her neck. To him, she looked stunning. Once again, he took her hand. While he could do so, he was going to use every single excuse available to him to hold her in some way. He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted to hold her, love her, and be with her, forever.

  He’d never had the staying kind of power, but Aria had changed him. She’d fucked with his head, and now he wanted things he’d once laughed at.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “A little tired. Kind of worried about you.”

  “You’re not feeling sick?”

  He walked them to the park, a place where kids were, and he knew they’d be able to talk without much interruptions.

  On arrival, there was a spare picnic bench, which he took her to. It was far enough away from the kids who were playing.

  “I’m not feeling sick.”

  “Aria, there’s something I’ve got to tell you.”

  She nodded and leaned forward. “I’m pregnant.”

  Max paused. “What?”

  “I’m pregnant. I took the test before work this morning. I’d bought the test a couple of days ago. I realized I’d missed my period, and I’m like clockwork. I’m pregnant.”

  Max felt his eyes fill with tears. “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t need to be sorry. I’ll understand if you don’t want to be involved in our baby’s life.”

  “No, no,” he said, kissing her hands. “I want to be involved. Erm, I … the condom broke. Before you were on the pill. It broke, and I didn’t say anything.”