The Boy I Once Hated: Love & Hate Duet

Eighteen years old

“What? No hot date tonight?” Noah asks my sister when he struts into the living room and sees Daisy in oversized sweats.

“Slim pickings with this godforsaken storm, unfortunately,” my sister mopes, snuggling into her seat by hugging her pillow under her head. “What about you? Couldn’t convince Stacy to go out tonight?”

“Haven’t you heard? We broke up,” he explains with an exaggerated yawn.

“Again?” My sister laughs. “God, you guys are so boringly predictable. How long is this breakup going to last for this time?”

“I think this one is going to stick.” He lets out a chuckle.

“Yeah, right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“You and everyone else,” he retorts, his eyes discreetly fluttering to me.

I quickly snap my gaze away from him and pretend the television screen is way more interesting than the bomb he just dropped on my sister. With Daisy graduating last year, it’s normal that she no longer knows the ins and outs of Bayshore High gossip, but everyone else at school is fully aware that Noah and Stacy are no longer a thing. The only thing they don’t know is the reason why.

But then again, no one knows that her prank almost killed me either.

Before I could go to the school board or the police to point a finger at her, some lunch lady copped to her crime, saying that she mistakenly added pecans to my salad, completely unaware of my allergy. Noah was furious when he found out. And when he confronted Stacy’s brother, Derrick about it, telling him that she was the one behind all of it, he already knew. Seems like Stacy’s father is a big deal on the island, with even deeper pockets to pay for his daughter’s mistakes.

I guess I should take comfort in knowing that at least Noah is on my side.

But deep down I know my sister is right. Noah and Stacy have been off and on again for years now. It’s just a question of time before Stacy finds a way to lure him back into her clutches.

“What are you guys watching?” he asks, apparently done with the whole ex-girlfriend topic.

“Just some slasher flick. Scaredy-cat over here didn’t want to watch the movie alone,’ Daisy teases me with a wink.

“I didn’t want to see it at all. You’re the one who changed the channel on me,” I mumble, pulling my blanket up to my chin.

“Let me guess? Sky was watching some lame-ass documentary again,’ he mocks with that crooked smile playing on his lips that always sends a shiver down my spine.

God, how I hate that he knows me so well.

More so than what his smile does to my body.

“What else?” My sister snorts. “This one was about suffragettes. I tried to watch it with her, but when I almost fell into a deep coma within the first five minutes of it, I switched the channel fast. No way was I going to spend my Friday night being bored to death when I could be easily enjoying myself watching some serial killer cut up his victims into tiny little pieces.”

“Feminists all around the world applaud your priorities, sis,” I grumble, my shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Hey, do you want to stay and watch it with us? It just started,” Daisy asks Noah.

“Sure, why not? Don’t have anything better to do.” He shrugs.

Since my sister is sitting in the only recliner in the room, Noah has no choice but to sit on the couch with me. Thankfully, he sits on the other end of it. Far at the other end, making sure there is a huge gap between us.

“Where’s your mom?” he asks curiously after the killer on the screen kidnaps his first victim.

“Working the night shift. Only us here,” Daisy explains absentmindedly, snuggling under her fleece blanket, completely mesmerized by how the killer is sharpening his knives.

Even though this is not the type of movie I’d normally watch, my gaze continues to stay glued to the TV just so I’m not tempted to stare at the boy sitting on the other side of the couch. My attention only breaks from the screen when a loud crash of thunder erupts, making me jump from my seat. All three of us stare out the living room window, watching the violent wind thrash the leaves off the oak trees in the front yard. The storm is so bad that the window shutters bang furiously on the wall in tandem with the heavy rain hitting the porch, creating its own somber symphony to accompany the deafening sound of thunder.

‘Are you worried about your dad?’ Daisy asks, concerned, pulling her lower lip with her teeth. ‘It’s looking like it’s a big one tonight,’ she adds, and as if the storm heard her concern, the wind starts howling even louder.

‘Nothing he isn’t used to. He’ll be fine,’ Noah dismisses, but I see a small flash of fear in his eyes.

‘Hope so. I can’t wait until he comes home,” she replies in earnest.

“Since when have you ever been worried about my old man being out at sea during a storm?” Noah teases, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere in the room.

Daisy takes his attempt in easing her worry and runs with it.

“Since he promised we would get a new heating system added to the house. That’s when. This winter has been a bitch and it’s only November.”

“Ah. I should have known you’d have your own selfish reasons for wanting him to come home safe and sound.” He snickers with a full-blown smile to his face.

“But, of course. Why else would I be worried?” She laughs.

The way they both smile at each other has my stomach in knots. Noah and Daisy have always acted like normal siblings would from day one. Their comradery and playful banter comes effortlessly to them. I can’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy with how easily Daisy seems to know exactly what to say to keep Noah relaxed and completely at ease with her.

I’ve always had the opposite effect on him.

But then again, he doesn’t inspire any calm in me either.

Noah is like the storm outside.

Loud, cruel, and catastrophic.

How I wish I hated it.

They start talking about something or other, but I’m not paying any attention. Instead, I just sit here quietly, too afraid that if I do open my mouth, I’ll end up saying the wrong thing.

‘Dude, you’re shivering,’ Daisy reprimands suddenly, pulling me out of my reverie. ‘Skylar, don’t be stingy and share your blanket with Noah before he freezes to death.’

‘I’m good,’ he retorts, clipped.

‘Don’t be a hero, Noah. It’s fucking cold and you know it. Just scoot on over to Sky and get under the blanket with her. You’ll thank me for it.’

At first, I think he’s going to come up with another excuse to not sit right next to me, but hell must have frozen over, because he takes my sister’s advice to heart and eats the distance between us, until he’s right there beside me. I don’t even look at his face when I lift the blanket so he can cover himself up with it.

“Thanks,” he mumbles under his breath.

“No problem,” I reply in the same low tone.

Although he was shivering just seconds before, the heat of his body begins to scorch the side of mine. I keep my mouth sealed shut even when he starts taking some popcorn out of the bowl on my lap.

“I can’t watch a scary movie like this,” Daisy says out of the blue, jumping out of her seat to turn off the overhead light. “There. Much better,” she singsongs, plopping back to her seat when she’s made sure that the whole living room is almost pitch black.

Any other night I would have told her to turn the lights back on, but not tonight. I’d rather prefer the darkness hiding the effects Noah is having on me just with his close proximity alone. We all turn our attention to the movie again, which takes great effort on my part, since all I can focus on is the way his body melts into the couch. How his chest slowly heaves up and down with each intake of breath. Or how his knee rubs against mine. Thankfully, I’m able to snap out of it and concentrate on the horror movie taking place in front of me. But when a frightening scene occurs that I wasn’t expecting, I let out a terror-stricken scream, only to gasp when I feel Noah’s hand squeeze my thigh.

‘Jesus, Skylar. That wasn’t even that scary.’ Daisy laughs.

‘Tell that to my beating heart, why don’t you? I almost had a heart attack,’ I exclaim, removing the bowl of popcorn from my lap and placing it on the side table.

“Such a scaredy-cat.” My sister continues to chuckle, but I’m unable to give her the comeback she deserves since my heart is drumming madly inside my chest for a whole different reason now.

Noah loosens his grip on my bare thigh lightly and begins to caress the inside of it with his thumb. My breathing grows shallow as he draws circles on my leg, coaxing my heart to jump up to my throat with each light caress. Under such dark surroundings, with only the television offering a flicker of light into the room, we’re nothing but shadows. Add in the blanket on top of us, and his illicit touch is completely missed by my sister.

Slowly, I tilt my head to the side just enough to look at him, but his focus stays purely on the bad guy chopping his victim up, instead of the goosebumps he’s inflicting on me.

How can he act this unbothered while I’m burning up?

Nah.

Two can play this game.

I gather up all my foolish bravery and place my hand on his leg, mimicking his move. A hint of a smile crosses his lips, but it quickly disappears. I look over at Daisy whose lids seem to be struggling to stay awake, even with the sound of the chainsaw coming from the screen.

Noah’s fingers inch higher up on my leg, and then dives slowly in between my thighs, right at my apex. I have to bite my tongue just to keep silent.

He’s playing with me.

Seeing how far I’m able to take this without getting caught.

Oh, buddy. I’m all in.

In true form, I repeat his move, my hand going a little bit higher on his leg, and then diving right where his crotch is, a tangible bulge awaiting me there. His teasing smile disappears, while mine surfaces on my face. Gently, I caress my knuckles on his bulge, a soft moan escaping his lips. Empowered by his reaction, I palm his hard-on, softly at first, then tightening my hold.

He snaps his hooded eyes at me, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips. I cock a mischievous brow, calling checkmate on this game. But I should have remembered who I was playing with.

Noah doesn’t like losing.

Especially to me.

When a devious smile reveals itself on his lips, I know I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. His hand covers mine on his dick, making sure I can’t pull away, adding pressure to it. The hand that had been just teasing me with its heat suddenly spurs to life, his thumb lightly stroking my core over my shorts. We’re both still fully clothed, me in my pajama shorts and top and Noah in his simple white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. But we could be naked for all I care, since every caress feels like it has a direct line to my core. The loud thumping of my heartbeat is even louder in my ears than the soundtrack of a chainsaw hacking away on the TV, the thunder wreaking havoc outside, or my sister’s soft snoring.

Noah surprises me still, taking my very breath away, when he tilts his head to the side to face me.

He couldn’t look more beautiful to me if he tried.

His blue eyes lock with mine as he continues to tease me with his light strokes. I try not to squirm under his penetrating gaze, but my body has other plans. My legs spread a little more, giving him ample space to work his magic on me. His ocean eyes look even more thunderous than the weather outside when I hike my ass up just so I don’t miss a single touch.

Unable to prevent it, I gasp a little too loudly when he leaves my core to shove his hand down my shorts and inside my panties. The hand that had been keeping mine prisoner on his cock lifts from the blanket only for it to slam over my mouth. Noah shakes his head, his way of telling me to stay silent. I blink twice and nod. Once he’s made sure I won’t make a sound, he removes his hand from my mouth, but not before he lightly runs his thumb over my bottom lip. His half-mast eyes squint further when my tongue instinctively peeks out and licks the pad of his thumb. I watch his Adam’s apple bob, his gaze falling to my hungry lips. He snatches his thumb away and snaps his head away from me, pretending to watch the movie again. I follow his lead, biting my inner cheek when his strong hand pulls my leg over his, spreading me wide open for him.

My chest heaves when I feel his fingers gently play with my slit, feeling my wetness coat them. My own hand remains paralyzed as his bulge gets bigger in my grasp. When he realizes that I’m not moving, he stops his delicious assault on me and lowers his sweats, just enough to spring his hard cock free under our shared blanket. It takes everything in me not to make a sound and wake my sister up.

Carefully, I grab his length in my hand, feeling the weight of it. The velvet smoothness. His soft exhale tells me he likes my touch, and when I feel his digit once again rubbing at my clit, I realize this game has stakes. He’ll only show me pleasure if I show him the same. Crap. Noah is an expert, while I’m just a novice. I’ve never done this sort of thing before, while Noah has years of experience.

I try not to think about that and just enjoy his touch on me. My swollen breasts ache, as his cock swells in my untrained hand. I add more pressure, sliding up and down from his tip to his balls, observing his light blue eyes darken.

It’s so intense.

All of it.

His eyes.

His body radiating energy.

Mine threatening to combust just with the way his fingers graze my clit.

Suddenly, something takes over my body, and I feel a familiar bolt of energy strike me down, making my legs quiver. I can see him staring at me through his periphery as a myriad of sensations take over my body.

I wonder how I must look to him.

But just as I’m thinking this, Noah adds more pressure to my nub, creating a spark that sends electricity to pulse through my veins. My jaw slacks as a tiny wail escapes me before I have time to slap my hand over my mouth. I’m panting when my soul returns to my body. I glance over at Noah, his jaw ticking, his brow furrowed in agony. Licking my parched lips, I lightly squeeze his cock before pulling the skin back down in one smooth move. When I reach the head, my thumb finds the crown slick and wet with pre-cum. Just as I’m about to pump his cock in my clenched fingers, Noah grabs hold of my hand, halting my next move. I don’t know why him stopping my caress feels like a rejection, but it does, instantly dimming my euphoria.

“Damn it,” Daisy yawns. “I totally fell asleep, didn’t I? Did I snore much?” she asks, still rubbing her eyes with her fists.

‘Just the usual,’ Noah retorts evenly, like him giving me an orgasm was no big deal.

‘Hardy har har. I’m going to bed,’ she states drowsily. ‘Are you coming, Sky?’

“She already has,” Noah whispers under his breath with a smirk, making me thankful it’s too dark for my sister to see the flush that is coloring my cheeks.

‘In a bit. Just want to finish the movie,’ I reply with all the nonchalance I can muster.

‘Suit yourself, but don’t wake me up in the middle of the night if you have a nightmare. Nighty night, kids.’

I sit still and wait for her to walk up the stairs, only relaxing when I hear her bedroom door close. I then turn over to Noah, whose gaze is already fixed on my face.

There are a million things I want to say right about now, yet I focus on the one that I’m still hurt by.

‘Why did you stop me? Was I hurting you?’

‘Yes,’ he groans huskily.

‘Oh,’ I reply, my head falling to my chest.

I knew it. I really do suck at this.

But then Noah surprises me by tilting my chin up gently with two fingers.

‘You didn’t hurt me like that, Sky. When I saw Daisy starting to wake up, I had to stop you. I doubt you’d want to explain to her why you were ten seconds away from having me come all over you.”

‘Oh.’ My cheeks blush profusely.

‘Yeah, oh.’ He smiles with a hooded gaze.

We then sit there and just stare at each other. My eyes take him in as his memorize mine. When my gaze falls to his lips, I silently beg them to kiss me.

‘I’m going to kiss you now, Sky,’ he says as if reading my thoughts.

I close my eyelids, waiting for him to kiss me, but then open them when I hear him shuffle from his seat beside me to go on his knees in front of me.

“What…what are you doing?” I stammer, eyes wide.

Instead of answering me, he throws the blanket off me and pulls my shorts and panties down my legs.

“Noah?” I gasp when he pulls my ass to the edge of the couch, curling my legs around his broad shoulders.

“Shut up, little stalker, and just let me kiss you. Please,” he growls in utter desperation.

And before I’m able to stop him, his flat tongue swipes leisurely from the bottom of my slit right up to my clit.

“Oh God!” I sob out, my hands clenching at my sides as my ass arches off the edge of the couch.

He pulls away, his sea of blue in flames. He grabs a discarded pillow from the couch and lays it on my lap.

“Bite down on this, baby. Or don’t. I really couldn’t give a shit right now,” he threatens, his head going back to hiding in between my legs.

Not wanting Daisy to come back down, I grab the pillow and bite down on it, just as Noah sinks his teeth into my inner thigh. My eyes roll to the back of my head as he sucks at my flesh, leaving his mark before he attacks my pussy with his mouth again. The pillow muffles the loud wails that are ripped from my throat as his tongue lashes at my most private area, owning it completely. The pulse in my clit beats to the song his tongue is singing to it. His brow glistens with sweat, his eyes staring at me while he eats me out. It’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever experienced. When he sucks and nibbles at my clit, my back arches up again, only this time, Noah plants his hand on my stomach, preventing me from moving an inch. His fingers on my heated flesh feel incredible, but like this, his tongue’s ministrations are too much for me to bear.

“Noah!” I cry into the pillow.

This is what Icarus must have felt when he flew up into the heavens and touched the sun’s golden rays for the first time. My whole body explodes into a ball of light, feeling like I’ll never be able to go back after this. It takes forever to pry my eyes open, my limbs sated and weak after such an orgasm. When I’ve finally gained some composure, my lids flutter open, my eyes landing on the cause of such ecstasy.

Ever so silently, I watch in a daze as Noah gently pulls my panties and shorts back up. Once he’s made sure I’m properly dressed, he stands back up to his feet, his hard bulge twitching under his sweatpants right at my eye level. My tongue licks the seams of my lips before I crane my neck back to look up at him.

“Go to bed, Skylar,” he orders with a groan.

“Are you sure?” I whisper breathlessly, my eyes falling from his face to the way his cock twitches in his pants.

Another groan.

I bat my eyelashes at him, wanting to lavish him with the same pleasure he just gave me. But my words are stuck in my throat when he extends his hands for me to take. I plant my hands in his, and he lifts me up to my feet, our lips just a hair’s breadth away from each other’s.

“You promised me a kiss,” I say on a ragged breath.

“You got one,” he retorts with a husky tone that sends shivers down my spine.

“What if I wanted to kiss you?” I ask, emphasizing on the word kiss as I press myself on his hard cock.

Noah pulls the strands of my hair, making me tilt my head back.

“You don’t want that,” he grunts, his eyes bouncing every which way around my face.

“I think I do. Very much.”

He gives my hair a biting pull, making me preen with how close I am in breaking his control. My heart jackhammers in my chest when he leans down to my ear, biting the lobe before he whispers, “If you kiss me in any way, shape, or form right now, Sky, you won’t leave this room with your cherry intact. I’ve tasted its sweetness and it’s taking everything in me to not steal it from you. So be a good little girl and go to bed. Final warning. I won’t give you another one.”

I stare into his eyes and see the threat in them.

If I push him, even an inch, he’ll snap—my virginity be damned. Since I’m not sure if that’s what I want yet, I take a full step back, Noah releasing his grip on my hair, his shoulders instantly relaxing. He then surprises me by threading his fingers with mine and walking me upstairs to our rooms.

When we’re both standing under each room’s threshold, we hold our gazes for one more minute, neither one happy about putting an end to this magical night.

“Good night, psycho,” I finally say with a meek smile.

‘Good night, little stalker.’ He grins with a wink.

And it’s with a smile that I close the door on him and the best chapter I could have ever written thus far.