Friend Is a Four Letter Word by Steph Campbell Page A

“If I would have let on that I knew, it would have changed things between us forever. They’d never treated me like a junkie’s kid before.”
    “That’s because you’re not.”
    She ignores me and says, “If I acknowledged that that’s what I was… I was afraid that that’s exactly what I’d become in their eyes. So I did what I had to do. I got my act together. I enrolled in school, I stopped drinking. I was in early at night. I dated the right guys.”
    I cringe at the mention of another guy with her even if it’s not my right to. She’s mentioned over the last few months going out and I never pry—it’s not my business, I have nothing to offer her, but damn it gets under my skin. I can’t count the number of nights I’ve laid awake at night wondering what she’s doing—if she’s with another man.
    I guess I know a thing or two about keeping secrets.
    “How many dates are we talking about?” I ask. I try to make it come off as a joke, but I don’t know if even the thick layer of sarcasm can hide the jealousy.
    Shayna perks up a little and grins. “So many. Dull. Boring. Dates.”
    She leans in closer again. I can feel her sweet breath on my face. All I can do is focus on that mouth.
    “What are you doing?” I whisper, my words tangled in my throat.
    “Does the just friend’s thing still apply?” she asks.
    It’s still not the right time. I forced her to open up. Made her get emotional. I shouldn’t give in but dammit she’s so close. I can feel the heat radiating off of her warm skin.
    “Shayna, are you sure you want to start something?”
    She answers by running her tongue along my bottom lip. Teasing me. Torturing me. She parts her lips and I grip her sides and pull her onto my lap, crushing my mouth onto hers. Finally. I kiss her hard until I swear I’m tasting blood. She slides her tongue lightly on the roof of my mouth and I lose it.
    I push the blanket off of her shoulders and lean her back onto it, warming her with my mouth instead of the heavy fleece. I lick and kiss and suck every inch of exposed skin before I push her top over her head. It feels too slow in comparison with the panting of our breath, but I take my time, loving how my calloused hands feel on that soft, warm skin.
    I lift her hair from her neck and suck that perfect divot behind her ear before I give the string that holds her bikini top on a tug, letting two perfect, full tits bounce free. A small moan escapes that sexy mouth as I lightly tug on her nipples until they are gorgeous, hard pebbles. I take one into my mouth and roll it around my tongue before I force myself to stop.
    I pull back to take her all in. That gorgeous tanned skin, that tight body that I can’t wait to be inside of.
    “Shayna,” I say through raggedy breaths. “Are you sure.”
    She nods slowly, but she isn’t making eye contact. I want her to look me in the eye.
    “Look at me, baby. We can stop.” Dear God I don’t want to stop, but I will.
    She lifts her eyes to mine and parts her lips. “I want to. Please don’t stop.”
    “Are you sure,” I ask again before reaching for my bag to grab a condom.
    “I’m sure. I’ve just never done this before,” she says.
    I pull back even though it’s the last thing I want to do.
    “Wait, you’re a virgin?” I run my hand along my stubbly jaw. “Okay—”
    She pulls her eyebrows together and shakes her head. “No, I’m not a virgin. I just… I’ve never been with anyone when it wasn’t just a one-time thing. And not that this will be more, it’s just—I’m going to wake up tomorrow and you’ll still be here and—shit, I’m making a mess of this—I just..” She shakes her head again, blonde hair swirling around. “Never mind, I’m good.”
    She perches up higher so that she can reach my mouth and kisses me softly.
    “We don’t have to—”
    “I want to. Really. Forget I said anything. Just let me make you feel good.” The last thing in the world I want is for this