Breathing Without You (The Courtlynd #2)

2. Creedence

2

CREEDENCE

Courtlynd is your typical town where the cops are assholes and harass you if you ever do anything wrong. Everyone in this town knows everyone and everyone knows your business even when you don't want them to. That's why I don't sleep around, and I try to date girls that aren't from around here, that way if we break up people won't be in my business; they won't know shit I don't want them to know.

I look like your normal polite gentleman, but covered in tattoos, from my neck to my hands, along with my stomach and my back. I'm pretty quiet and enjoy keeping to myself but you know what they say about the quiet ones…

It’ s the quiet ones you gotta watch out for, they're usually the freaks with unexpected behaviors and I definitely am a freak, but not how you'd think and the way I behave in private is something that always catches most girls off guard.

“Fucking great,” I mumble to myself as I pull off to the side of the road from the flashing lights and police sirens behind me. This is all I needed was to get pulled over. This is also a perfect example of what I was just talking about as well. I’ve been pulled over plenty of times, arrested for stupid shit a couple times too. I’m not an asshole who gets in trouble all the time. It's just dumb shit I did when I was younger with my friends that you can pretty much say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Good evening officer,” I say politely, hoping it’ll get me out of this situation quickly if I cooperate. Killing them with kindness usually works with people, so hopefully it’ll work in my favor this time and I won’t get a ticket.

“Good evening, is there a reason why you were speeding?” The cops in this town suck. They don't do their jobs right because they don't think they have to. They just think because they’re cops, they’re in control, and that’s why they can run things however they want to.

But what am I supposed to say to him, sorry officer I was rushing out of this girl’s house that I just fucked, because she was starting to become clingy and on the verge of tears because I didn’t want to sleep over? That my friends are convinced I only sleep with girls when I'm in a relationship because I don't share my sex life. Why not? Because I don't need them knowing what kind of shit I'm into, I like to keep that private and that's why I'm careful about who I sleep with. I'm just hoping that Daisy keeps her fucking mouth shut, I wasn’t as intense with her as I usually am because I know she likes to talk, but she definitely enjoyed what I did with her. I knew I shouldn't have slept with her, but I couldn't resist, she’s got something about her that I just couldn’t walk away from. I should’ve just stayed away from her though, especially after what her best friend Brynn did to my best friend Carsten. But like he said about Brynn in the past, I feel the same way about Daisy right now, the pussy is just too good to let go, that’s why I keep hooking up with her.

“Sorry sir, I umm didn't realize I was going that fast,” I say, trying to keep it cool and not get pissy; I just want to get home. I'm tired and have to work in the morning, and it’s not that easy tattooing when you’re half asleep, especially when your eyes are heavy. You gotta stay focused so you don’t fuck up the lines, or any of it really.

“Can I have your license and registration please?” He has a cocky look on his face, of course he does, I feel like he’s the only one who ever pulls me over in this town. Like he’s the only cop who ever works. I’m just convinced that since he arrested me that one time, he just has it out for me, so when he sees me he pulls me over.

“Um yeah, give me one second to grab it from my wallet and glove box.” I’m getting annoyed, I feel like he's dragging this out, which I know he’s not. I’m just impatient and don’t want to be here. I’d rather be in my comfy warm bed right now. I actually could’ve been pulling into my driveway right now if he wouldn’t have pulled me over.

“Creedence Knoxx?” he asks, looking at my license, he looks at me then back to my license, what a tool. He acts like we haven’t gone over this before, like he’s never pulled me over. At this rate he should just walk up to me and say, “Good evening, Creedence.” That’s how often we go through this.

“Yes sir, that's my name.” I try not to roll my eyes, still not sure why he’s acting like he’s never done this before, or we’ve never been around each other before, like I said he’s the only cop that ever fucking wastes my time and pulls me over.

“I’ll be right back,” he says, taking my information with him. Great, another thing to waste my time. Usually I'm not disrespectful, but like I said before, I’m tired and annoyed already, so I’m just grumpy. Plus, fucking Daisy didn’t do anything to get Emerald off my mind, not after tonight at Black Velvet and how fucking sexy Emerald looked, and the way her soft, plump lips felt against mine, damn I need to kiss her again it’s like I can’t stop craving her, I’ve never felt lips so soft, so perfect. They fit against mine like they were always meant to be there.

But instead, Daisy and I had already had plans to fuck. It was boring sex because I wasn’t really into it, my mind was on Emerald the whole time, I think at one point I had to pretend that Daisy was Emerald just to get myself off. Then after we fucked, I got dressed and left. That's why she was being so dramatic because I didn’t want to stay, which I usually don’t, so I don’t know what was different about it this time. I think it’s best I cut things off with her anyway. I think the psycho is starting to catch feelings and I’m not about to have another crazy bitch on my ass about where I’m at and who I’m with when I can be a free man to do as I please. I wouldn’t say I’m a whore, I sleep around, but I stick to the same girl for a bit or the same few girls for quite some time, not quite relationships but I guess you could say fuck buddies.

God I can’t wait to see Emerald tomorrow, it’ll probably only be in passing as we both head to work but still, her beautiful fucking face, it’s stuck in my mind all damn day anyway, and that ass of hers, mmm looks so fucking delicious I just want to sink my teeth into it. She’s got curves for days. But then I’m interrupted from my thoughts by Officer whatever his name is–I didn’t quite catch it. But I don’t care to remember it either.

“Here you are Creedence.” He hands me back my stuff. “I’m feeling nice today and it’s been a while since you’ve been pulled over for speeding. Have a nice night.” And he just walks away leaving me in shock, he doesn’t even give me the chance to respond. Which I’m fine with. I'm just surprised he didn’t want to give me a ticket for speeding, oh well I’m not complaining.

I drive off lost in my thoughts about Emerald still, I can’t get her out of my mind. I think it’s safe to say I’m on the verge of being obsessed with her, that is if I’m not already obsessed. Yeah, now that I think about it, I’m fucking obsessed and I won’t be happy until she’s mine. I can’t wait to taste her sweet fucking lips again, mmm vanilla and sugar.

I get home and walk in through the garage walking past my blacked-out Harley Davidson Chopper, stopping for a minute to stare at it; I fucking hate the thing. It’s a good memory and a fucking nightmare all in one. I should’ve just gone to therapy, maybe it would’ve helped me cope with the nightmares and the horrible flashbacks, but for some reason thinking about talking to someone makes the guilt worse.

FOUR YEARS AGO

“You ready jackass?” my younger brother, Xander, asks, shoving my shoulder like he always does when he calls me a jackass. He may be younger than me, but he and I are best friends, we’ve been close our whole lives and I love it.

“Yeah, fuck face. Just remember to be careful please. It’s slippery out since it rained, don’t ride like an ass,” I tell him. We pulled off at a restaurant to eat while it rained, figuring we’d play it safe instead of riding through the rain, since it was pouring. But now that it’s drizzling, we gotta get back home before it’s too late. He just got his motorcycle license a couple months ago so it worries me that he thinks he’s untouchable and sometimes rides like a jackass. I just hope he’ll use his head now.

“Yeah, yeah. Stop trying to be my dad and go back to being my big brother, how about that,” he says jokingly, but I hate when he tries to act cocky, like he knows it all. Which I get, I’ve been eighteen before, not that I’m that much older, I just turned nineteen last week, but I know how to use my head when it comes to doing stupid shit on a motorcycle, especially in the rain.

“I’m not trying to be your dad, you know that. Now let's go before it starts storming again.” I give him a serious look, I hate that he doesn’t take me seriously sometimes, the jackass always thinks I’m trying to be his dad, when really, I’m just worried about his safety.

“Be careful big bro,” he says, now all serious, something telling me he’s not feeling confident at the moment, his cockiness seems to be wearing off.

“You too, little bro.” They’re stupid nicknames but it’s something we’ve always called each other. Something I didn’t know I would never be able to call him again.

We get onto the highway to head home, it’s the only way home from where we’re at, so we don’t have a choice. There’s a lot of traffic so I’m making sure he’s driving ok, especially since the jackass and I didn’t wear helmets. Looking back and forth between the both of us, I end up switching lanes cause we’re getting closer to our exit, which I don’t think he notices cause he looks over at me to see where I went and right as he does his bike hits a puddle, which makes him lose control causing his bike to spin out from underneath him as his bodies thrown off of it, the impact from the way his body lands, smacking his head into the ground, killed him instantly.

I snap out of my flashback, shaking my head to wake myself up from it. That whole day changed my life. If I wouldn’t have switched lanes that would’ve been me, it should’ve been me. We didn’t wear helmets that day either, so I know what happened to him. It could've been different if we did wear our helmets, but every day I think to myself…it should’ve been me. I relive that nightmare every night in my sleep. Or lack of sleep, since I barely sleep anymore–the nightmares keep me up. Losing my brother keeps me up, the fact that it could’ve and should’ve been me is another reason I lose sleep every night. But I haven’t been the same since. There’s a heaviness in my chest that I carry around with me daily that will never go away, the constant reminder that I lost my baby brother, it kills me.

I wake up the next morning to get ready for work, hoping I’m timing everything right to see Emerald in the driveway, even if it’s long enough to just say hi, I’d love to walk over and kiss her again, but that all depends on the timing. I rush to do my normal morning routine and get out the door. I see her car is in the driveway, so I set my stuff in my truck and wait. I fold the bed door down and sit there, like the obsessed creep I’m becoming. What is wrong with me? I’m turning into Carsten, when he stalked Emerald to talk to her about Winter, except this time I’m just stalking Emerald because I need her, and I won’t stop until I have her.

I finally hear her door shut about ten minutes later and look down at my phone seeing we both have at least five minutes until we have to leave. We don’t work together but we work close to each other, so I know her work schedule pretty well. That’s not even the obsessive part either, we’ve been working the same work schedule for years now, except I work two hours later than she does, so she usually gets home first.

I hop down off my truck bed and walk over to her driveway meeting her by her car before she gets there.

“Well good morning…stalker.” She laughs, blushing a little as she looks down. I love how much she blushes around me. I don’t even know what I do that makes her blush, but I love it. I don’t think there’s anything I dislike about this girl. Everything about her is perfect, absolutely fucking perfect.

“Good morning, beautiful. I just wanted to come over and tell you to have a good day at work,” I say, waiting for her to look up so I can make my next move.

“Really?” She finally looks up at me with a confused look on her face. “Why’s that?” She’s biting her bottom lip and it’s the sexiest thing ever; it’s making my dick semi hard just looking at it.

“Well Sugar, because I want you.” I don’t even care how blunt I’m being, I’m telling her how I feel because I don’t want to waste either of our time. I know what I want, and I’m not going to stop until I convince her to give me a chance. I don’t just want her sexually either, I mean I definitely do, don’t get me wrong. But I want more than that. I want to call her mine, and she’s going to be mine.

“You…you want…me?” she asks slowly and quietly, almost at a whisper towards the end of her sentence. It’s cute how she almost becomes shy around me, and I know she’s not shy.

“Yes, beautiful. I want you in more ways than one.” I stop, stepping closer, tucking her hair behind her ear, she looks down again. “And I won’t stop until you’re mine.” I place my finger on her chin, raising her head to look up at me. She’s nervous, her breathing has picked up a little and I can tell by the way she’s swallowing her mouth is suddenly dry, and if it’s not it’s on the verge of being dry.

These are all the things I’ve paid attention to about her when I’m around her. Call me crazy… but I want to learn everything about her. Maybe I’m a psycho, I don’t care. I’m going to make her forget about any man she’s ever been with, and I will ruin her for any man she plans to be with in the future that isn’t me.

“B…b…but why? What makes me so special?” She swallows hard again, you can hear in the way her tongue sounds, that it’s sticking to the roof of her mouth as she talks from how dry her mouth is.

“Everything…everything about you is special to me and I want to show you every time I’m with you why you’re special.” Then I lean down cupping her face and I kiss her passionately, showing her just how much I want her. I swipe my tongue against her lips, and she instantly opens, allowing me to deepen the kiss as our tongues dance together. My cock is painfully hard now and it’s taking everything in me to not convince her to fuck me right here. But instead, I take her hand and place it on my hard cock.

“See what you do to me, Sugar. How hard you make my cock,” I whisper down into her ear as she gasps. “I'd love to show you more, but only when you’re ready to take it all.” Then I kiss her forehead and start walking away. Wanting to tease her. To leave her wanting more. “I’ll text you later, free up your schedule. We’re going to Black Velvet tonight and getting drunk, Sugar. We’re about to have some fun,” I tell her as I get into my truck and shut the door, leaving her standing there, jaw hanging open, cheeks rosy from blushing. Her chest rising and falling from how quickly she's breathing. It takes everything in me not to get out of my truck and go back over to her, push her up against her car kiss her, then fuck her, but I need to be patient.

I’m bored during my break at work so I decide to text Emerald, to keep myself busy, and because I can’t keep my fucking mind off her. She’s literally consumed all my thoughts today. I can’t wait to see her again, and to press my lips against hers.

Credence

Don’t forget to be available tonight 10:30

Emerald

you’re awfully bossy

Creedence

nah, I just know what I want

Emerald

ehh, I’d say bossy ;)

Credence

no… I just want you. Sugar ;)

Emerald

I like a man who knows what he wants. But I still think you’re bossy lol

Creedence

do you like to argue?

Emerald

sometimes…

Credence

I’d like to punish you for that

Emerald

yeah? How so

Creedence

spank that delicious ass of yours

Emerald

shhh you’re making me blush

Creedence

good, I love it when you blush, want me to continue?

Emerald

nope, maybe you can show me sometime.

Creedence

I’d be more than happy too…

Emerald

good, I’ll meet you in the driveway tonight at 10:30

Creedence

are you leaving me?

Emerald

yep. Gotta get back to work

Creedence

no fair

Emerald

bye mister

Shit, her and that mister shit. Makes my dick hard. Who would’ve thought that a simple word coming from those plump lips of hers could make my dick so hard.

I spend the rest of my workday trying to keep myself busy and my mind off Emerald as much as possible, but of course I fail miserably, but that’s ok it helped the time pass by quickly.

I head home so I can shower after my long, drawn-out day at work of tattooing people. I recently started working at Carsten’s uncles shop Crazy’s. I love it. I started tattooing a couple years ago and it’s something I’ve enjoyed doing since, just some days the people can be annoying is all. Like today, girls who whine the whole time because it hurts… Well, no shit, it’s supposed to hurt. I shake my head to myself thinking about it, but what’s a tattoo without a little pain. After my shower I head downstairs to make something to eat and end up running into Carsten while I’m down there

“Hey man, how's it going?” I ask him as I open the refrigerator looking in the drawers to pull out the lunch meat. Sandwich it is. I plan on convincing Emerald to grab something to eat at the diner Winter works at, either before or after the bar, so I won’t need a ton of food.

“Hey Creed. Just got done working out before I have to head into Black Velvet for my late shift tonight. How was Crazy’s today?” He takes a bite of his sandwich that he must’ve made before I came down here.

“It wasn’t terrible. I love doing it, but man, some of the people whine a lot. The last girl I tattooed took forever because she kept crying that it hurt.” He shakes his head laughing.

“I mean yeah some of them hurt like a bitch, but don’t you go into it knowing that?” he asks in a confused tone. You would think people would go into this knowing that a tattoo hurts like a bitch, but I think some underestimate just how painful some areas can be.

“My thoughts exactly. But I’m pretty sure she thought the exact opposite or something because she was very surprised with how bad it hurt.” I shake my head as I put a piece of Salami in my mouth while I make my sandwich.

“Some girls are strange man. Speaking of…” he asks, giving me a look, but I’m not giving in yet.

“Speaking of what?” I ask like I have no idea what he’s talking about. I know damn well he’s talking about that gorgeous fucking woman who lives next door, but I’m gonna pretend I don’t know what he’s talking about, just for the fuck of it. Because I’m an asshole like that.

“Nope, don’t you play dumb with me. I’ve known you since we were kids, you know damn well what I’m talking about.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “You and Emerald bro, I saw you dancing together, kissing her. So, what’s going on?” He raises one eyebrow at me. There’s no fooling him. We can basically read each other's minds; I just have to look at him and he just looks back and we’re instantly on the same page. I guess you can say that’s a part of our bromance that we get made fun of for sharing. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up together, and spend every school break, and weekends together, summer vacations too. It was rare when we weren’t together.

“Nothing yet. I just haven’t been able to stop thinking about her man. The more I see her the more, I don’t know, obsessed, I feel like I’m becoming. I feel like a fucking psycho bro.” I laugh after saying that because I really do feel like a psycho. “That’s how into her I am, it’s so weird. I’ve never been this into a girl like this, where I just can’t stop thinking about her and then I get this feeling inside me that’s even more fucked up. What’s wrong with me... we haven’t even slept together. We’re not even dating.” I sigh after getting all of that out, I can’t seem too crazy. I've known Emerald for a few years, but just started talking to her more these past few months so it’s not like this is completely random that I’m showing interest, I’ve just never been this way before with women.

“Sounds like you got it bad man, that’s how I felt with Winter, like I couldn’t, well still can’t even fucking breathe without her. That’s how I knew I was in love with her,” he says, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and opening it.

“Well damn, that’s what I was thinking but then I thought I was being like a chick and overthinking it.” Laughing, I take a quick bite of my sandwich. “We’re going out tonight. I told her we’re going to the bar to get drunk and have fun, so we’ll see what happens.” I take another bite feeling like I’m running out of time as it’s already almost nine at night.

“Well let me know how it goes when I see you tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll see things while you guys are there, but I’m gonna be like a chick now, I want full details tomorrow dick,” he says running up the stairs.

“Will do man, glad we can act like chicks together,” I yell up to him and hear him laugh in the process. I finish up my sandwich and go head upstairs to shower and get ready for the night texting Emerald again in the process.

Credence

don’t be late, or I might punish you

Emerald

I’m a girl, I’m always late. What kind of punishment lol

Creedence

If I told you that would ruin all the fun now wouldn’t it?

Emerald

yes, but I hate surprises, now I’m pouting

Creedence

I’d love to bite that pouty lip of yours and suck it into my mouth

Emerald

holy shit, if you talk like that I’m curious what your punishments look like

Creedence

well if you show up late you might find out, or you might just find out either way

Emerald

Damn, now I’m getting excited over here. Promise I can find out either way?

Credence

pinky promise, sugar