Page 68 of Rebellious

She smiles. “You were saying?”

Stepping into the water, she stands between my legs. “Where do you want me?”

Hesitating, I finally find the words. “Turn around and sit between my legs.”

She turns around, giving me my first look at her perky ass I know she doesn’t do squats to achieve. Aspen is into yoga and running only. Occasionally she’ll fuck around in the weight room. But her body is mostly achieved by nothing but running out her constant energy.

Slowly, she lowers into the water, her skin soft against mine as she leans back gently, the water pouring over the edge, once again. “You know, this mud doesn’t feel too awful.”

Chuckling, I grab one of the tea bags and reach around to her chest. “Again, it’s not mud.”

“I know, but you like it when I argue.”

I nod, but she can’t see it. “True.” Gently, I press the tea bags to her reddened skin.

“What are the tea bags for?”

“Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties.”

She laughs. “Did Aunt B teach you this?”

“If you must know, yes.” I sigh. “Remember that time I fell asleep at the pool?”

Aspen nods, a quiet chuckle vibrating her chest. “I do. That was after you acted so insane the night before and didn’t sleep.”

“I acted insane?” I scoff. “I beg your pardon?” I can’t believe she’s turning that night around and acting like it was my fault. “You were the one who made me chase you.”

Amusement clouds her voice. “I did not make you chase me.”

I lean around so I can see her face when I say, “You got in the car with a stranger, Aspen.”

She catches my gaze, her eyes narrowed. “Parker was the wide receiver on your high school team—far from a stranger.”

“You knew nothing about him,” I argue. Parker might have been a teammate, but I trusted him with Aspen as much as I trusted Drew with a secret.

She shrugs, acting like it wasn’t a big deal. “You told me I needed to date other people. Did you not?”

My jaw clenches. “I didn’t mean right then. You misunderstood me.”

She throws her head back, laughing. “Did I now?”

“Yes,” I mumble. I’ll never admit I was wrong. Pushing her away was easier said than done.

“Correct me if I get this wrong but you wrote,we must date other people, on my skin. It was a rule.” She turns around and pokes me in the chest. “A rule you created.”

I dab the tea bag on a new patch of skin. “I was angry that night.”

She laughs. “Oh, I remember.”

I lost a playoff game. Our entire family was there, snapping pictures when I got sacked because I was too busy watching a guy talk to Aspen on the sidelines. I don’t remember who he was. All I know is I could still feel the heat of her breath tingling along my neck as she fed me stats on the other players at halftime. Coincidentally, those stats included the guy who tackled me.

I was consumed with jealousy as I watched helplessly as this dude chatted with her, making her laugh, and distracting her from watching me. My feelings were insane. I knew that, but I couldn’t help the rage that overcame me and the rule that followed. I wanted her to feel the same way I did. So, at the end of the game, I didn’t go to her and pick her up, letting her piggyback on the way to the car.

Instead, she followed me to the locker room. I can still remember her face, shocked and confused as I wrote the rule on the inside of her arm.

“You want me to date?” She had asked.

I nodded tightly. “We’re never going to be more than friends. You and I both know that.” My words had been clipped and hard. And Aspen, just like she’s always done, set out to teach me a lesson.

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