Bump and Run (Wide Open #6)

Chapter Eight

Jones

I spent the rest of the day worrying that Remington had told Mama he’d found me in his son’s bed. In his son’s clothes. That she knew that his Charles was my Charlie and that she wouldn’t let me see him again. I was already too far gone for that to ever happen. I wasn’t in love with him, but I was certainly something for the boy. The mole next to his lip, his brown eyes, his dark hair, the way he kissed me, the way he said my name when he came. I blushed right up to the roots of my hair when I thought about that.

I was still mad at Charlie. I wasn’t going to forgive him that easily for not sticking up for me, but he kept texting me all afternoon. Sending me pictures of things that he thought I might like while he was out with his daddy. He knew the way to my heart. That dumb, stupid organ that beat harder when I saw his name light up my phone.

Charlie : What does this cloud look like to you? Does it look like a dolphin?

It looked like a cloud to me, but what did I know? I was just a hick from North Carolina, and Charlie was... Well, I didn’t even know where Charlie was from.

Jones: Where are you from? Is it New York or somewhere else ?

Charlie: Boston.

That explained a lot. Especially the accent.

Charlie: Jonesy, when you come over tonight, I promise I’ll tell you everything.

I sank my fingers into my hair and pulled. Maybe I should stay home. Mama would understand since I hadn’t left the confines of my room. I was a sticky, smelly mess. My eyes were still a little swollen from crying. My throat hurt from screaming. I felt a little uneasy and detached. Like my brain was floating above the trailer and not inside my head. Maybe it could take my heart with it.

Only I knew I would go. I wanted to see Charlie. There was this weird pull inside of my chest. My stomach clenched at the thought of not seeing him again. Hearing his voice. Kissing his mouth. Touching him. Hearing that accent. Smelling his skin.

I decided to take a shower to try to clear my brain. I stood under the showerhead until the water ran cold, and I was shivering. My teeth clattered together as I dried off, but I felt a little more human. More like me than I had when I’d come home. My eyes were still a little red but less puffy. I put a little of Mama’s hair product in my blond locks before I combed it out and then managed to find a decent pair of dress slacks along with a shirt to wear. Something I usually saved for church. Mama didn’t force me to go often, but when I did, she preferred I looked nice.

“Jones, you can stay home. I don’t expect you to tag along tonight. I already told Remi you wouldn’t be coming over.” Mama was wearing one of her favorite dresses. It was a warm peach color that she saved for special occasions. She didn’t look a day over twenty-five, I swear .

I shrugged. “No sense in staying home. Besides, shouldn’t I meet my future stepdaddy?” Who caught me in bed with his son this morning and probably can’t wait to tell you all about it.

“Don’t be crass, Jones.” Oh, she was using her mother’s voice. “I think you should stay here if this is how you’re going to act. I don’t want you to misbehave.”

“Sorry, Mama. It won’t happen again.” I knew that wasn’t true.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Well, you do look handsome. I just know that you and Remi’s son are going to be the best of friends. He’s visiting for a few weeks. You’re about the same age. His name is.” She stopped for a moment, a frown appearing on her face. “Sweetie, what did you say your boyfriend’s name was?”

“Charlie.”

Mama knew. She had to know at that exact moment that my Charlie was her fiancé’s son. I saw it written all over her face. “Sweetheart, no.”

“Mama, I didn’t know until this morning. How would I? You didn’t tell me anything about Remi. Not even that he had a son.”

Mama pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. “You can’t see that boy again, Jones. Do you understand me? I forbid it. You’ll stay here tonight. I don’t care how you feel about him. It’s not right.”

“No, I will not.”

“Jones, don’t you tell me no. I am your mother. I raised you by myself. You will not have a relationship with your stepbrother. That boy is not for you. Do you understand me?”

I gritted my teeth. “I’m an adult, Mama. You can’t tell me who I can and cannot date.”

“If you see that boy again...” Her chin trembled when she opened her eyes. “Jones Matthews, if you see that boy again, I will have no choice other than to stop all communication with you. What would the Lord think of you sinning like that? The Lord loves you the way you are, but you can’t...No.”

My stomach clenched at her words. “Mama, he’s not even my blood relative. He’s not—”

“Jones Jacob Matthews!” She middle-named me! That was never good. “Go back to your room and think about this entire situation. I’ll bring home something for you to eat if you don’t want to cook anything. But you will not be going to that house again. Do you hear me?” Then she opened the door and stepped outside, leaving me alone.

***

I was staring up at the ceiling lying on my bed, still dressed in my fancy church clothes, when I heard the knock on my window. I hadn’t bothered to check my phone or turn on the small television in my room. I kept all the lights off, hoping sleep would find me, but as of yet, it hadn’t happened. When the knocking started again, I sat up, flipped on the light, and climbed from bed to find Charlie standing outside in the dark.

“What do you want?” I asked when I pushed the window open. There was no screen on the window. so it would only be minutes before bugs started flying inside the trailer.

“Are you really that mad at me?” he asked, the moonlight shining brightly behind him. I normally loved nights like this.

I wrinkled my nose in confusion. “What?”

“Your mother told me you were mad at me for lying to you, so you didn’t come for dinner. Step back,” Charlie told me, and when I did, he heaved himself up into my room. He shut the window behind him and then pinned his eyes on me. “Is it true?”

I folded my hands across my chest. “That’s not why I didn’t come over. She forbade me from seeing you again.”

“She forbade you?” Charlie gasped. “Can she do that? Legally, you’re an adult, Jones. You can date whoever you want. Does she have a problem with you being gay?”

I felt tears burn my eyes as I shook my head. “Didn’t your father do the same thing?”

“My father didn’t forbid me to see you, Jonesy, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled about it. There are certain... expectations of me for my future.” He took a step toward me. “Don’t cry, Bashful. It hurts me to see you upset. You’re normally such a happy person. It’s one of the things I like the most about you.”

I turned away. “Why are you here?” I felt the heat from his body as it radiated against my back.

“Because I was worried about you. I thought you were going to stop talking to me.”

“I’m fine, so you can leave now. You can use the front door this time.”

Charlie wrapped his arms around me. “I missed you,” he whispered into my ear. “I can’t stay away from you, Jones. Tell me you missed me, too.”

“I—” Tears slipped down my cheek.

“Jonesy.” He spun me around to cradle my head in his hands. “Say the words.”

I buried my head in his chest as a sob escaped my throat. “I missed you, but I can’t be with you. Mama said it’s wrong to be with you. That you’re not for me.” I wrapped my arms as tightly around Charlie as I could. “How could we be wrong when it feels so right?”

“We’re not wrong,” Charlie murmured as he stroked my hair. “We could run away together.”

I giggled, despite everything. “Join the circus.”

“Mm, yeah. Could you see me on the tightrope? Wearing those tights?” he teased.

I leaned my chin against Charlie’s chest. “I think you’d look good in tights.”

“I bet you do, Bashful.” He leaned down to slant his lips over mine. “Let’s go take a walk on the beach.”

I wanted that. To go spend a few stolen moments with Charlie, but I was scared Mama would come home and find me gone. Or worse, come looking for me. I couldn’t imagine what she would do then.

“I can’t.”

“How about tomorrow? You could come over? My father is leaving for the week on a business trip.” He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand.

“I don’t... Charlie, I can’t. I can’t see you—”

He cut me off with a kiss, his mouth hot and wild. When he speared his tongue between my lips, I whimpered softly, my fingers digging into the front of his shirt, trying to get as close to him as I possibly could. Charlie gripped the back of my head with one hand while he wrapped his arm around my waist with the other. When he sucked hard on my tongue, I moaned so loud I was sure the entire trailer park could hear me.

“You’re not breaking up with me, Jones. We’re going to figure this out. You still want to be with me, don’t you?”

“Yes.” I nodded as I rose on my toes to kiss his lips again.

Charlie smiled at me so big and bright there was no way I could say no to him, even if I had wanted to. Which I didn’t. His handsome face was all lines and angles with that mouth I wanted all over my body.

“I want to be with you, too. Promise me you won’t give up or not give us a chance.” He combed his fingers through my hair.

“I promise,” I murmured. His touch was like magic.

Charlie hummed softly. “Let’s get you into bed then, huh? Get you comfortable before I go?” He steered me backwards until I felt the mattress at the back of my legs. I sat down and looked up at him.

“I’m sad I didn’t get to enjoy you all dressed up. I you look sharp in this shirt, Bashful.”

“You look nice, too.” I blushed as the words tumbled from my lips. Charlie was wearing a suit that looked custom made for his big, thick body. “I mean, handsome and sexy.” That made me grow even warmer .

He chuckled softly. “Sexy, huh?” He used the tip of his finger to tilt my head up. “You think I’m sexy, Jonesy?”

“Yeah.” I chewed on my lip as Charlie’s eyes darkened from brown to almost black.

He leaned forward. “Well, I know you’re fucking beautiful.” I thought he was going to kiss me again, but then he straightened back to his full height. “Get undressed for me, Bashful.”

I started to unbutton my shirt, more than aware of Charlie’s eyes on me. I slid it down over my shoulders and arms, then I stood up. I dropped the shirt on the bed, slipped off the undershirt, and did the same with my belt and pants. That left me in nothing but my underwear. My shaft was tenting them, showing him just what I wanted.

Was Charlie going to just watch me? Did he want to touch me as badly as I wanted him to?

“Lie down, Jonesy,” he murmured. “I’m not going to get you off tonight.”

“But—”

Charlie shook his head. “I want to. I want to touch you all over. Put my fingers inside of you and get my mouth on that cock again. I want to put mine inside of you. Do you want that?”

Heck yes, I did. My length twitched between my legs. “Yes, please, Charlie.”

“Mm, you’re always so polite. Do you want to put your lips around my cock? Suck me off and swallow my cum?” he whispered.

I was going to come in my underwear if he kept talking like that .

“Charlie, please,” I whined softly.

“Do you?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Charlie brushed his lips over mine. “Soon, okay? We’ll figure all of this out. A time where we can be alone together again. I’m not going anywhere yet.”

“Charlie.” I grabbed his hand before he could leave and linked our fingers together. “Promise.”

He broke into a big smile. “I promise, Jonesy.”