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Cher is freaking out. For no good reason too, might I add.

"Is this okay?" she smooths her hands over dress number four.

"The other ones looked fine too," I say from my manspread position on her bed.

She glares at me, before disappearing back into her bathroom to change something else. Maybe she'll change her shoes this time. Oh, I know. A new pair of earrings! This shit has been going no for half an hour and I'm having a hard time schooling my features.

It was cute for the first ten minutes. Now? Not so much.

My mom and Darrell have invited us over for dinner. An invitation to meet Cher officially as my girlfriend.

She had three days to plan her damn outfit, but she choses to freak out now. I know you aren't supposed to rush your girl when she's getting ready, but this is really ridiculous.

Cher emerges from the bathroom, a glower on her face and the ugliest fucking piece of clothing I've ever seen. It's black with long sleeves and all the way down to her ankles.

I burst out laughing. "Holy shit. You look like that villainous nun from that horror movie. Babe, no. Hell nooooo."

She throws a spare heel at me. "Boys have it so easy! You wouldn't understand!" Then she disappear back into her cave.

"I'm sorry!" I'm still laughing, having barely dodged her missile. I holler at her through the door. "Baby. Outfit number two, OK? I'm sorry."

The door slams open and she smacks my chest, having given up. She's donned outfit number two. "You're such an asshole."

I grin. "I know. I'm sorry."

She's wearing a conservative black turtleneck with a short, flowery skirt. The kind that flares around a woman's hips. I love her legs but because of the cold, she's wearing black tights. "This is serious, alright? I really want to make a lasting impression on your mom and step-dad."

I wrap her in my arms and kiss her head, smiling. "They already know you, Cher, and they already love you. Don't worry."

"M'kay," her soft voice is muffled against my chest.

* * *

"She's good for you, you know," My mom says beside me.

We've just finished a steak dinner and I'm helping her clean the table. Darrell and Cher are laughing about something in the kitchen, as they load up the dishwasher.

I glance at my Cherrycakes. She's so bright and happy tonight. I can tell how much my parents' acceptance means to her – how much this night in general means.

Upon her first smile, she was already accepted.

"I know," I reply to my mom with the cheesiest look on my face, no doubt.

She was quick to welcome her with open arms because she always knew her as mine and Natalie's friend. Of course, she knew Cher was lovely – our whole childhood had been spent together.

"That's how I know she's perfect for you. There's just something special when you start off as friends. You know each other like the palm of your hands. It's meant to be," she'd said earlier.

I couldn't agree more.

She wasn't just my girlfriend; she truly was my best friend. My day never felt complete without her. If I saw something funny or odd, she was the first person I wanted to message. I keep track of time now based on when I'll see her and when I've seen her last.

I'm consumed by her.

In the midst of looking at Cher like a lovesick fool, I get a text message from Jared.

I walk up to Cher and put an arm around her. "Hey, baby."

"Hey, Treasure-Chest," she replies, putting her hair behind her ear. "What's up?"

"You kids go ahead and have a glass of wine. I'll finish the dishes with your mom." Darrell gives us a proud father grin and I relish it.

My own dad's been MIA – or rather, Nat and I decided that's how it should stay – so he's the closest thing I've got. I appreciate Darrell more than he knows. His opinion matters. The fact that he likes Cher as much as my mother matters to me.

My mom slides up to him and lays a big muah on his cheek. "Yes. We'll bring out dessert in a moment."

I steer Cher into the hallway.

"I got to say, I've never seen your mom this happy," she remarks with a whistle. "Darrell really brings out a whole side of her that was...uh...missing you know."

It's true. Even with my dad, mom never smiled like that. "Yeah, Omero Reynolds is missing a lot of things. Life happens in funny ways, though. I think Darrell really is the love of her life, you know?"

"I agree."

"Listen, Jared texted. The gang is hitting MacGregor later tonight for drinks and pool. You game? We can head over after we've had dessert with my parents."

"Sounds good with me. I'm only going if Teagan gets invited. I hate that she isolates herself from us." She wraps her arms around my middle, peering up at me.

"I'll make sure Jared forces her to come."

"Awesome." She beams. "I'm actually having fun tonight with your mom and Darrell."

"Me, too."

"You know what this means, right?" She wiggles her eyebrows.

"That I'm going to get laid tonight?"

She snickers. "No. This means you have to meet my mom."

"Deal. So, does this means I'm not getting any..."

She rolls her eyes at me and I love that insolent look. "Do men only think about sex?"

"Pretty much," I say, then lean down to whisper huskily, "How can I not, when my girlfriend's got the tightest, sweetest pussy I've ever had the pleasure of fucking?"

She gasps and covers my mouth, eyes darting both sides. We're alone and far away from earshot. "Oh, my God."

I bite her fingers. "You wet for me, baby?"

"I'm getting there," she gulps. "I can't believe you."

I chuckle, dragging her along with me. "C'mon. We still need to have dessert."

* * *

MacGregor is quiet on a Wednesday night. The crowd is thin and usually more mature, so there's enough room to move around and converse.

Jared is by the bar, talking with Don and pouring over his phone. He's probably looking at pictures of his nephew. Jared talks about Kyle Jayden Warren whenever he gets a chance.

Teagan also ended up coming. I know she's trying not to appear standoffish as she stays to the side, and it's hard to crack her demeanor.

She feels out of place, not too sure how to re-integrate herself with us. This is the first time I've seen her; there was never a spare moment after the new year.

I walk up to her and kiss her cheek in greeting, hoping to loosen her up but to no avail. She says hi, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Nervously, her gaze darts to the pool table where Oliver is lining shots.

"I'm glad you came out tonight." I rub her arms up and down and cast her a grateful smile. "It's nice to have you here with us."

She cracks a little, smiling crookedly. "Jared threatened to serenade me outside my window and cause a scene if I didn't come, so how could I not?"

Seems reasonable. "Yup. We all know he can't sing for shit, so smart thinking."

Tara and Cher are fussing by the bar, placing drink orders before wandering over.

My girlfriend's holding a Malibu and Sprite. I frown at her. She cocks an eyebrow. "What?"

"Why didn't you wait for me? I would have bought it for you."

"You can buy my next one!" Tara quips helpfully, as she walks around us to hug Tee.

Cher laughs. "I'm a strong independent woman, Trent. I can buy my own drink."

I know that. But some part of me...likes providing for her. I don't know how to explain it but if I did, she'd accuse me of mansplaining and then all the girls would strike a conversation on feminism and call me a chauvinist.

It's not long before Jared is walking over with Don behind him, in an imposing navy three-piece suit. Don shakes my hand and then Oliver's. "Gentlemen. I have some business to tend to, but I wanted to come say hello."

He walks away in his King-sized glory after greeting the girls and they all sigh. I narrow my eyes at Cher who's blushing.

Tara's mouth is parted and she's absentmindedly running a lock of hair over it. "I love a man in uniform."

Teagan and Cher giggle in agreement.

We found ourselves a free table tucked into an intimate corner where we can talk. I pull out a chair for Cher to show her I'm a gentleman. Outside of the bedroom.

To make fun of me, Jared does the same for Tara, who basks in it and pretends to swoon. They laugh out loud like lunatics.

Teagan is fidgeting, heading for the chair in the farthest corner. Oliver catches on quickly and in a display of I'm-a-grown-up, he pulls out it out for Teagan. She looks at him like he's an alien.

He awkwardly just stares back.

"Thanks..." she mumbles, before lowering herself.

We order a round of drinks and conversation starts to easily flow between us. The girls are talking about some new hair removal technique and I start talking football stats with the boys.

"By the way," Jared leans in. "Tara and Calvin broke up, so don't ask her why he's not here. She'll blow up."

My eyebrows shoot up. "What? When did that happen?"

He clears his throat. "She caught him on drugs last week. He's been leisurely taking molly and weed."

Well, fuck. He really shouldn't. Football practice was a lot closer than we knew. Coach Harvey loves to conduct random drug tests to keep us on our toes. The university's star quarterback shouldn't be setting an example for the rookies.

And Tara...Well, considering her mom's history with substance abuse, I'm not surprised she kicked him to the curb. Zero tolerance policy.

"I'll talk to him. See where his head's at." I say around the bottleneck of my alcohol-free beer. Since Cher is drinking, I'm clearly the one driving us back to my place.

"Hmm." Jared scratches his stubble dotted jaw. "What about Inga, Oli? She didn't come."

Oliver is looking pensive as he stares into his drink, like it holds the answer to the whole universe. "I told you. She's been acting fucking weird. Said she's not feeling well."

"I think...she's being honest," I tell him. "Uh, we saw her at the New Year's Eve party, and she looked really sick. Maybe she's caught something?"

Oliver is alert, instantly paling. "What?'

"Dude, you think she's pregnant?" Jared whispers under his breath so the girls don't hear.

Oliver shakes his head. "No. She's on the pill and we're safe. There's something else, but I just don't know."

Jared and I can only nod in understanding. There's nothing more to say.

Oliver blows out a puff of breath air, his whole stance sagging in his chair. "Anyways, whatever it is, I hope she's feeling better tomorrow. I was going to wait until spring, but I'm proposing to her in the morning."

Jared and I break out into loud whoops and cheer for him. The girls join in when Oliver tells them. People around the bar look at us like we've grown extra heads, but we don't care. This calls for celebration. We order another round of shots.

"So you don't think you'll be staying with Elsie much longer?" Tara asks Teagan.

She shakes her head. "No, I don't want to be in her hair for too long. She's sweet enough to keep me there, but her place is so small and we're getting cramped. I need to give her space and find mine as well. Eventually."

Oliver and Jared jump into the conversation. Oli clears his throat and casts her a pointed look. "So...Teagan, how are you liking being home?"

It's said in such a cringe manner that Jared and I wince subtly.

Teagan ignores it and gives him her fake, polished smile. "Nice. Feels great to be home."

Oliver nods. "So, what are you up to lately?"

We are all holding our breaths. This is the first time in years that they're having a voluntary exchange and none of us know what to make of it.

That's a lie. I know what to make of it. This is Oliver matured and finally having a chance to show Teagan he's not the same sorrowful teenager she left behind.

"I work at Le Petit Moulin, um, my cousin Elsie's bakery. But, I think you already knew that. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. Just...working."

His face is pinched as he nods. "Cool. Yeah. Great."

"Thanks. Yeah," she replies.

The tension can be sliced through with a knife. To break it, Jared raises his glass of wine in a toast. "To us. To new beginnings."

"New beginnings!" We clink our glasses together and once again fall in comfortable conversation.

* * *

It's the first time that Cher is sleeping over at my place. She's packed herself a hefty overnight bag.

When we cross the threshold, Jared gives us a suggestive look. "Goodnight, you two. Keep the noise to a minimum, will you?"

Cher flushes beetroot red.

"You know where everything is – bathroom, kitchen, my bedroom," I tease her.

She grabs my hand and I throw her bag over my shoulder as she leads me to my own bedroom.

"I've never been in here."

I lower her bag to the ground. "You're right."

She surveys her surroundings. "Your bedroom was always clean, even when we were younger."

"Mhm." I like cleanliness. My mother instilled it in Nat and I. Everyday she checked our rooms and if they weren't cleaned, we would have hell to pay.

Cher starts jumping on my bed like a little monkey. "Get on. We should bang the headboard a couple of times so Jared thinks we're doing the nasty. It'll be fun! He'll stay awake all night."

"He won't stay awake all night. Jared will probably rub one off himself. It's like live porn for him."

"Gross. Ew," Cher chuckles, wrinkling her nose. Then she jumps from my bed, landing straight in my arms and twining herself with my body.

She giggles as I spin her around then land on my bed with her on top of me. Cher smiles as she folds her forearms over my chest and rest her chin. I move the soft tendrils that have escaped her braid behind her ears.

"I was thinking maybe we could break out that star projector tonight. What do you say?"

She grins. "I would love that."

We make a fortress of pillows and blankets on my bedroom floor. Extinguishing all the lights, she lays down in my arms with her head against my shoulder.

I kiss her temple and we gaze at the ceiling, bursting in a flurry of stars. A feeling of calmness evades me, thrumming in my veins and causing my eyes to flutter shut as I hold onto my sanctuary.

I'm floating in bliss and she's keeping me grounding. I'm pulled out of my reverie with the hot kiss she drops on my jaw. My breath hitches as she continues her journey, down my neck until she's paused at my pulse, breathing me in.

Her whisper feels like it echoes in my head. "Make love to me, Trent."

Make love to me. I don't even stutter. That's all I ever want to do. Make love to her.

How can I convey the depth of what she's stirring inside of me? It feels monumental and only for me to understand.

My hands contour her body, following every curve and edge.

I slip her turtleneck off, her hair tumbling out of her braid. She looks so real right now, so achingly fragile. In this moment, her expression a mixture of lust and vulnerability. My shirt comes off next and she marvels at my strength, at every muscled plane.

"You're so beautiful," she murmurs.

I tell her she is too. So beautiful to me that she couldn't even comprehend it. Her eyes sparkle and she melts at my words.

My clothes come off, discarded to the side. Cher makes work of her opaque stockings, struggling with the material. I reach out, helping her before she tears them in her impatience.

I stop her before she can take off her skirt. I want it on. I want it on while I work magic between her thighs.

We are on our sides, facing each other, blanketed under the stars.

I lift her right leg and curve it around my hips, opening her up for me. Cher's nervous fingers skate over my mouth before I suck them. I release them and then she's rubbing her nipples, massaging her breasts, and moaning softly. My thumb is strumming her little clit as I finger-fuck her with two digits, scissoring as I withdraw, the walls of her tightness engulfing me.

I find the spot inside her pussy that makes her quake, makes her let go and say my name in a dreamy voice, like I'm all she thinks about. Cher unravels, mouth parted open and tits rising and falling with pleasure, as she coats my hand in her sweet cum.

I taste her on my fingers, and she loves watching me as I lick her essence clean. "You made such a fucking mess, baby."

There's no hurry as we gaze into each other. I feed my cock into her slowly and I love the look on her face as she realizes how big I am, how it hurts just the slightest bit when I enter. Her eyes widen and she moves her face into the pillow, biting with her teeth to hold the scream threatening to escape.

My eyes rove over her small body shaking with the pressure of taking me, drinking in the contrast between our frames and loving that she doesn't shy away from me. That she craves me on this level, my mouth, my cock, my everything.

Raising her skirt to her stomach, I watch her pretty pink pussy lips, glistening as they take every inch of my length.

She looks at me then, panting and her body flustered with sweat. She's the best goddamn thing I've ever seen.

We make love slowly. There's a slow pace as I thrust into her body. It's different from the last time and she loves it, whining softly. It's not long before Cher is clutching at my shoulders and meeting every drive of my cock with her gyrating hips. We're locked in a kiss as the heat heightens. Raw kissing. Raw love making.

Just like in my dreams, she's looking at me with so many feelings. Her eyes shine with everything she's feeling in this moment.

I look the same without a doubt. My body grows sweaty as our skins meet with every beat.

"S-So big," she whispers, her heat clenching my dick in a vice like grip.

I groan, and it sounds strangled out of my throat. "So tight."

"You fuck me so good. You love me so good." A tear leaks out of her eye when I deliver a strong fucking thrust inside her, bottoming out.

She's so close, cramming her mouth full of knuckle so no one hears her.

"I feel you, Cher," I kiss her face and tell her truthfully. "You're a part of me."

She's created a home inside my beating heart, a space just for her.

Because there's no hurry, we love tenderly for a bit longer, before my girlfriend slowly comes all over my hardness, melting me. Milking me so hard, I spill inside her, my vision going dark with this overwhelming feeling she has evoked inside me.