Six 1/2 years ago . . .

IT HURTS . . . IT HURTS SO damn bad seeing Alex this way. The pain that he must be feeling has me fighting for breath and trying not to get sick. The last few weeks haven’t been easy for him, and there’s nothing more I’d wish for him than to be able to take away all of his agony.

How can someone be so strong after losing his mother to cancer, his brother to prison, and well his father . . . at his brother’s hands? I hate this so much.

By the time I get to the top of Monty’s roof Alex is already laying there, looking up at the night sky. His face is still bruised and swollen from that night a few weeks ago, and it only makes me believe more that Memphis did what he had to do. Alex could’ve died that night, and truthfully I don’t think I could live without him.

Without a word, I rush over to where Alex is laying, position my body next to his, and look up at the same night sky that Alex has probably been staring at for hours. I would’ve been here sooner, but I had to wait for my aunt Tara to fall asleep. I hate that he’s been here alone . . .

“Alex,” I whisper. “I’m so . . .” I choke on my sobs as they begin to take over. “I’m sorry. Oh my God. I wanted to be strong for you, but I can’t.”

Rolling over at the same time, now facing each other, Alex wraps his arms around my head and pulls me as close to him as possible. “Shhh . . . I know, Tripp.” He kisses the top of my head, and then his body starts shaking in my arms. “I’m lucky to have you. Thanks for being here.”

I pull my face out of his neck to look up at him. Instinctively, I reach out and wipe his wet face off with the sleeves of my sweater. “I’ll always be here for you, Alex.” I cry even harder as he tries to hide his face from me. “You’re my best friend, always and forever. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could keep me from being here for you.”

He smiles through his tears and reaches out to wipe under my left eye. “I know, Firecracker, and you better fucking believe that I’ll always be here for you too. I mean that. Okay?”

I nod my head before burying my face back into his neck and crying. I cry for him . . . for me, and for his brother that can’t be here for him when he needs him the most. The only person he has now for family is Jack. I know that Jack will check on him as often as he can, but that just doesn’t seem to be good enough for me. I want more for him. I want to be more for him.

“What are you going to do, Alex?” I ask against his neck that is now wet with both of our tears. “Are you going to live there alone? You can come stay with us. Tara won’t mind. I know it.”

Gripping me tighter, he pulls me into his chest and kisses my head a few times. “I’ll figure it out. You don’t need to worry about me, babe.”

“I can’t help it,” I admit. I love you.

I want to say those words, but don’t. Instead I just lay in silence, listening to the sound of him breathing until he finally falls asleep beside me. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the first time he’s slept in weeks. God, that hurts me so much.

I promise to never leave Alex alone. I can’t . . .

JADE COULDN’T HAVE HAD WORSE timing than she did. I tried my best to avoid her, but she just wouldn’t let me get away without at least trying to get me to leave with her. I noticed her when I was dancing with Tripp, but pretended that I didn’t see her to avoid dealing with her so it wouldn’t make Tripp feel uncomfortable. That didn’t work, because as soon as I was alone she was practically glued to my dick, thinking that she’d have her way with me regardless. Then, as soon as Tripp’s eyes met mine from across the room and I saw that split second of pain and doubt that crossed her face, I knew I had to get out of there and fast.

There’s really no better place to take Tripp than to our special little spot. When things were shitty for both of us and we just needed to get away and be alone, Monty’s is where we always seemed to end up. It only seems right to go there now and get her alone.

Tripp smiles and turns up the radio. “Oh my goodness. Remember this song?”

“Of course I do.” My heart beats faster as I listen to the sound of This Years Love by David Gray playing over the speaker. Looking over at Tripp has my heart beating out of my chest like mad. My mind hasn’t changed about this song and how it makes me feel. It’s fucking beautiful. “And I still meant what I said about singing this to the girl I fall in love with. When I fall in love, she will know for sure.”

Tripp quickly looks away and pretends to be looking at something out the window. She clears her throat a few times before speaking. “I think I can already see the roof of Monty’s. I didn’t realize you could see it from a few blocks over.”

I laugh to myself and just go with it, wanting to change the mood as much as she does. “Yeah, neither did I.”

After pulling up behind Monty’s I help Tripp out of my truck and grip the ladder to the roof right behind her. The whole way up all I can think about is lifting up that little dress and slowly teasing her pussy with my tongue all the way to the top. I’d be sure to catch her when she falls. That’s the one thing I can promise.

“Wow.” Tripp smiles so sweetly when we reach the top that I know she has to be thinking about all the memories we’ve made here. “I’ve almost forgotten just how beautiful it is up here at night.”

Walking over to our spot, I lay down and pull her down beside me. “I haven’t,” I say with certainty. “I don’t think I could ever forget.” When I look over at her, she’s smiling up at the sky. She’s so painfully beautiful that it hurts. “Come here.” I pull her onto my chest and wrap my arms around her head. “I don’t know why I let us go as long as we have without coming here.”

“Same here.” She places her hand over my chest and buries her face into my neck like old times. The action is all too familiar, but the feeling of it is totally different than it’s ever been before.

“Tripp . . .” I tangle my hands in her soft hair as she fights to look up at me. “You’re fucking beautiful. So damn beautiful.”

She gets ready to speak, but I cut her off by pressing my lips to hers. My heart skips a beat and a need so overwhelming takes over as soon as her lips melt into mine and that’s when I know for sure that I’m falling.

“Alex,” she whispers as soon as our lips finally part. “We said we–.”

“I know.” I flip her over and lay myself between her legs. “Let’s forget about that right now.” I run my thumb under her eye and capture her gaze, holding it. “Okay?”

She nods her head. “Okay,” she breathes.

Within seconds both of us are naked and a tangled mess, as we find each other’s mouth’s again. I slide my hand under her neck and gently guide myself between her legs. I slowly push into her, moaning as her sweet tightness hugs me completely.

We both hold each other, as if we can’t breathe without the other as I slowly pump in and out of her, wanting to feel every inch of her body that I can.

Every move between us is filled with a passion that I’ve only dreamt of ever having with a woman; with this woman, but I thought it was impossible. I’m absolutely desperate to be inside her right now and I don’t care if she fucking knows.

Her body moves with mine, her nails digging into my back as I slowly grind my hips, being sure to hit every spot of pleasure I can find. Hearing her moan and feeling her grip on me tighten pushes me over the edge, making me want to pleasure her even more. Tripp deserves the most intense pleasure that is even possible.