Girlfriends ll

MARCH 2003, FRESHMAN YEAR

"Woooo!!!" Paige cheered, thrusting her arms into the air. It was a Saturday night and the petite redhead was flat on her back, having unbuttoned her Catholic schoolgirl blouse halfway up from the bottom. The lower edge of her white bra was showing just above her completely bare belly.

Well, it wasn't completely bare. There was, after all, quite a bit of chocolate sauce circled around her navel and the young freshman girl hissed when the cold Jim Beam whiskey was poured into the center of it. And then she started giggling uncontrollably when Kerri Trainor licked up a healthy amount of both substances before moving to Paige's face, the two hot redheads swapping spit, chocolate, and whiskey between their mouths.

"You ever realize she was this crazy?" I asked Adrienne, who was standing between me and Grace, her hands holding onto both of our arms to either side of her.

Adrienne giggled. "Well, I thought she had potential. She certainly has been cutting loose lately."

"Long as she doesn't go TOO crazy." I sighed.

"That's what you're here for," Adrienne patted my shoulder. "You're her safety net. As long as you're around, she knows she can't get into TOO much trouble."

"WOOO!!!" Paige was suddenly standing on top of the table, gyrating drunkenly with chocolate and alcohol still smeared across her belly. And then grabbing her shirt and bra, she squealed and yanked both garments up to her neckline, baring her perky titties to everyone's view. "WOO!!!"

That was far enough. "PAIGE!" I yelled.

Instantly, the redheaded pixie dropped her shirt and pouted. "Oh, poo."

Three guys around similarly groaned their disapproval. But I merely stepped up to the table and let the light, little girl jump down into my arms. She promptly wrapped her hands around my head and shoved her tongue down my throat, moaning in obvious arousal.

"Fuck me now, Ben!" Paige growled right into my face. "Take me into your bedroom, lube up my tight asshole, and fuck the holy living shit outta me!"

I glanced back just once, to look at Adrienne. But she wasn't even looking at us. My other gorgeous girlfriend was giggling with Grace, chatting about something while they gazed adoringly into each other's eyes.

Oh well. I had WAY more than a handful in my arms.

It was a Tuesday when I said goodbye to Dawn while she headed across campus to rendezvous with Gwen and Robin while I marched for a café to meet up with Adrienne and her friends.

I found my girlfriend hip-to-hip and chatting with her girlfriend Grace. "Ohmigod! You DO exist!" My eyes were comically wide open and I raised my arms straight up in the air.

"Stop that," Adrienne rolled her eyes. "It was only one night."

"A night apart from you stretches for an eternity inside my heart," I waved theatrically.

"Didn't we finish Comparative Lit last semester?" Adrienne grinned, arching an eyebrow at me. She opened her arms for a hug.

I hugged my girlfriend, pecking her on the cheek before letting go and turning to her companion. "Hiii, Grace..." I drawled with a charming smile and let my eyes rove up and down the gorgeous Korean babe's slender body. As always, she was achingly sexy and I found myself wondering when would be the next time all three of us could get together for some playtime.

Grace batted her long eyelashes at me and smiled perkily. "Hiii, Tiger."

I smiled back and was about to comment when Misty Madsen and Kim Fukuzaki arrived as well.

"Hey, Ben."

"Hi, Ben."

I nodded to the girls and we moved to grab a table. At first, I moved alongside Adrienne, but then I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance as Grace and Adrienne slid into one side of the booth together, which only fit two. Immediately they were pressing their hips together and giggling cutely while staring adoringly into each other's eyes. Wasn't Adrienne still supposed to be MY girlfriend? Didn't WE used to sit together?

But she was also Grace's girlfriend now. I wasn't exactly used to sharing, but I had to accept that. So I looked around for an extra chair and let Misty and Kim slide into the other side of the booth before pulling myself up at the end of the table.

And then I spent the rest of the lunch in a slightly annoyed funk.

Fortunately, Adrienne picked up on my sour mood when we all got up to leave. "Hey, you okay, Tiger?"

I looked at my girlfriend's beautiful face and picked up on her radiant smile. Smiling back, I nodded and replied, "I'm okay, I'm okay."

Her hazel eyes clicked back and forth in mine for a few moments. Then she stepped forward and gave me a very firm hug. "I love you, Ben. Always and Forever."

She said it with such heartfelt emotion, bathing my annoyance in a blanket of warmth. This was what I'd been missing lately. I sighed happily and then patted her back. "Me, too."

Adrienne pulled back and touched my cheek. "See ya later." And then giggling, she turned and slipped her hand into Grace's. And the pair of them headed off for their next classes.

I'd get used to this. After all, it's only been a few weeks. As long as she loves me.

I awoke with my usual morning hard-on. My eyes were still closed, but I felt Adrienne's presence before me, and a wave of pure bliss spread across me.

This was heaven.

The morning air was cold against my right cheek, the pillow reassuringly warm against my left. I snuggled deeper into the covers and their cocooning heat while pressing my chest against Adrienne's back, covered only by a thin layer of cotton. As my senses came alive, the fingers of my left hand reflexively squeezed the large breast I was currently palming, and my left arm snaked beneath her pillow to hold her from the opposite side. My right hand firmed up over her hip, gently holding her in place while I reflexively ground my erection into her panty-covered ass.

Just another morning, the way things had been for almost a year now. Just me and the girl I loved. With my eyes still closed, I squeezed her just a little tighter, a hug of affection. But the pleasant affection soon gave way to primal lust, as fond memories of the many, many times Adrienne and I had made love percolated in my brain. So breathing deeply, I let my head roll forward to push my nose into her hair, smelling her sweet fragrance. And I exhaled softly as my body warmed up to make my erotic dreams into reality.

"Ben," Adrienne said quietly.

"Hmm?" I mumbled, still not fully awake just yet.

"Your other girlfriend is still here."

My eyes popped open and I groaned, only now waking up completely and realizing the situation I was in. The clock read only 5:30am and I felt the warmth of Paige's body snuggling into me from behind. And the simple fact was: Adrienne didn't want to have sex while Paige was in bed with us. It wasn't that she was embarrassed; it was just a ground rule Adrienne had laid out for herself and for Grace. If we started fucking, and Paige was there, Adrienne was certain she would give in to her lust for the pretty redhead and engage in a threesome. And THAT would be cheating on her girlfriend. Or at least that's what she claimed.

"We can be real quiet..." I offered.

"Really? You KNOW we'd wake her up," Adrienne replied.

I sighed. Sleeping with two hot babes sounded great on paper. But in practice, the presence of one sleeping beauty could really put a damper on spontaneous sex with the other. My left hand released Adrienne's breast and my right pulled off her hip as I rocked my hips away from her ass. "I'm sorry," I muttered and suppressed a disappointed groan.

"No, it's okay," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Ben. I know you get horny in the mornings."

"Every guy gets horny in the mornings," I replied gently. "And we haven't made love in days."

"I know I'm neglecting you," Adrienne exhaled. "I just can't right now. Not with Paige here."

I wanted to ask, 'Then when?' But I couldn't bring myself to ask for sex. It HAD to happen only when both Adrienne and I wanted it to happen. I couldn't make it into a chore for her.

"It's okay. I'm okay," I sighed. I put my hands back on her, this time scooping my left forearm beneath her breasts and my right wrapping over the top as I spooned myself closer against Adrienne. My dick mashed into her buttcheek, but I didn't try to hump myself against her. "I love you, Adrienne. Sorry for waking you."

"No, it's okay."

"Just go back to sleep," I patted her hip and set my head back on the pillow. Stupid rules. But what was my alternative? NOT sleep with Adrienne at night? No. Not let Paige sleep over? No. I may have been lying between a statuesque blonde bombshell and a perky, energetic redhead, but it felt like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

No longer feeling quite as blissfully happy, I closed my eyes and fitfully tried to fall back into unconsciousness.

At a more appropriate time, Adrienne and I woke up again while Paige stayed completely out of it. My petite redheaded girlfriend was a firecracker of energy during the day, but she was very much a late sleeper.

Adrienne began rolling forward to move out of my grasp. I held on just an extra second, squeezing her to remind her that I loved her, and then I let her go. I then watched as my gorgeous girlfriend got out of bed, wearing her own pajamas, and headed out the door to go to the bathroom. I lay my head back and waited until she returned, and then I got up to go through my own morning ablutions.

When I got back, Adrienne was already set up in front of her vanity. I knew from past experience she could spend quite a while putting on her makeup, time during which she would not want me to disturb her. And Paige had begun snoring lightly when she rolled onto her back after I left the bed. So I headed out for the kitchen to find something to eat.

Have I ever mentioned how lucky I was to have roommates that knew how to cook? Brandi was standing at the range, frying up some bacon and eggs which smelled so wonderfully good. And she was looking particularly good herself, clad in a baby T-shirt and a skimpy pair of cotton shorts that hugged her exquisitely tight ass. Really, my sisters all had world-class asses and I dropped my palm to Brandi's right buttcheek and rubbed it soothingly.

"Stop that!" Brandi giggled.

"Why? You worried I might convince you to go upstairs for a little naughty brother love?" Hey, I was still horny from the earlier attempt at morning sex with Adrienne.

"Ben!" Brandi flashed her eyes at me before hissing quietly, "Matt's upstairs."

I pulled my hand away. Our roommates all knew about my more-than-platonic relationship with my sister, but we did have to be careful not to advertise this.

My sister just turned around with a lopsided grin. "What's wrong? You've got TWO hot girls in your bedroom right this minute and you're still prowling on me?"

"You're worth prowling on," I growled and pawed at her ass again. But then I sighed in frustration. "Besides, Adrienne's whole monogamy thing has been such a hassle."

"Why? She's still having sex with you, right?"

"Right..." I sighed, thinking of the past few days when Adrienne and I hadn't managed to find intimate time. "But she's not screwing Paige ... or Dayna ... or you..."

"Tell me about it," Brandi blew her bangs off her own forehead. "I mean, I'm not in love with Adrienne or anything, but she's good in bed. I miss that."

I sighed. "It's just not the same anymore. She's supposed to still be my girlfriend, but I feel like I barely see her. I can count on one hand how many times we've had sex since Valentine's Day. Adrienne promised bringing Paige in would save our relationship, but it's like she's just trying to keep me occupied so I don't notice how little we're together."

Brandi turned off the burners and pointed me to the cabinets. I automatically went to grab some plates while she leaned against the counter and asked, "Have you talked to her about it?"

I snorted. "With what time? She's always out with Grace and when she IS here, Paige is around."

"But Paige will leave you two alone whenever you ask, right?"

I nodded. "Probably the only times Adrienne and I have had sex the past few weeks. But I don't want to make a big deal out of this. Asking Paige to leave us alone and then dragging Adrienne into a bedroom to talk would put Adrienne on the defensive right away. I'd rather figure out how to talk with her more casually. Besides, it's only been a few weeks. I've been in my honeymoon phase with Paige and I'm sure Adrienne's in hers with Grace. It'll pass. I just need to get used to sharing her. I've never done it before."

Brandi stopped and grabbed my hands, making me look her in the eyes. "Are you happy, Ben? In your relationship with Adrienne?"

"Sure. I'm fine. I'll be fine," I replied quickly.

"Bennn..." Brandi warned.

I sighed and then admitted, "Not really."

"Then it's already a big deal." Brandi looked at me sternly. "You've got to sit down and talk with her. Communication, communication, communication."

"Yeah, yeah. So you keep telling me."

My older sister smirked at me. "And I'll keep telling you until you get it through that thick skull."

It was a quiet breakfast, for me at least. Dayna and Brandi were chatty, as usual. Adrienne and Dawn were pretty conversational as well. Only Paige was quiet, but then she was always quiet in the mornings. She was very much NOT a morning person. And despite the welcoming attitude of the other girls, my newest girlfriend still felt a bit like an intruder in our house.

Me? I was lost in thought. Adrienne tried to talk to me a few times, as did Dayna. Brandi knew what I was thinking and left me alone while Dawn seemed to instinctively understand that I needed my own time. Eventually, Adrienne picked up on it as well and she waited me out.

Brandi made me face the truth: I wasn't that happy. Yeah, my budding romance with Paige was exciting and fresh, something I hadn't felt for a long time. And before Paige and I had taken things to the next level, my relationship with Adrienne had become quite routine.

But I still missed Adrienne now.

The simple fact was: while I enjoyed being with Paige and the little redhead was clearly still madly in love with me, I didn't share those strong emotions and I didn't think I ever would. My dating relationship with Paige would run its course eventually; she would move on when she didn't need me as a "safety net" anymore and when her romantic feelings subsided. But I was still very much in love with Adrienne. Paige was a nice distraction, but I still saw Adrienne as my real girlfriend. I still saw Adrienne as the kind of girl I could grow old with, and raise a family with.

But Adrienne still needed to explore her sexuality, to come to terms with her "mostly lesbian" orientation. She still needed to experience this first real Sapphic relationship with Grace. And she still had to decide what she wanted for her future. Adrienne was far from ready to settle down with me.

I was okay with that. I could wait. But in the meantime, if Adrienne still believed herself to be my girlfriend, then I wanted at least a little more time with her. Wasn't that fair? After all, Grace and I were supposed to be sharing her, right? Grace wasn't supposed to HAVE her and just allow me the leftovers.

If she really loved me, Adrienne would at least listen and do what she could to make me happier, the same as I would always do for her.

So when breakfast ended, I touched her arm and asked softly, "Adrienne?"

The stunningly gorgeous blonde flashed me a perfect smile, turning her head to me with nothing but sweet adoration on her face. And from the way her eyes softened, it seemed that she was expecting this. "Yeah, Ben?"

"Can we talk?"

She nodded warmly. "Sure, Ben."

I thrust forward a final time, grunting my orgasm into Adrienne's ear as a quart of spunk flowed out of me and into her sucking pussy. My girlfriend arched her back beneath me, thrusting those glorious tits against my naked chest while she moaned in ecstatic bliss. I felt my biceps tensing as I clutched her body with savage power, holding my pelvic bone against her crotch as the diluvial torrent of jism poured forth. And together we scaled the heights of absolute physical delight.

But when it was all over, I lay my forehead against the mattress beside her head

"Good talk," Adrienne sighed.

I panted for oxygen. "Is that how you'll always resolve our discussions?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

I sighed and thought about it. "Good plan. I think we should have these discussions more often."

"Me, too," Adrienne giggled. "And I've got an even better plan."

"Really?" I gasped.

Adrienne nodded her head up and down. "I sensed we weren't spending enough time together, too. I haven't been fair to you, Tiger. Things haven't been balanced, Grace gets a disproportionate amount of my time and I've been taking you for granted. I know you love me and I haven't been working to maintain our relationship, just expecting that you'll always be there for me."

"I will. I DO love you," I insisted. "And your relationship with Grace is still new. I get that you want to spend a lot of time with her."

My girlfriend touched my face tenderly. "You're always so understanding. I do want to spend a lot of time with her ... it's ... exciting. But I can't keep neglecting you. So I talked to Grace yesterday about spending time with you both."

"You did?" My brain went to a rather male-fantasy version of Adrienne 'spending time' with the both of us.

"Uh, huh. So she agreed. We're gonna invite you to join us much more often." A twinkle in her eyes seemed to confirm where my fantasy was going.

"Really..." I grinned, my voice full of innuendo.

Adrienne nodded, smiling broadly. "Was her idea, actually. She's been craving real cock."

I pictured the slender Korean's fantastically fuckable body. "Good plan."

Two days later, I thrust forward a final time, feeling my balls unloading their precious cargo into the svelte, stacked, sweaty naked girl beneath me.

"Guhh!" Grace grunted as her whole body jerked on impact and then began moaning as the tremors of ultimate pleasure began quaking across her body. The beautiful Korean babe was pinned on her back beneath me, her legs hooked over my thighs while I held myself at maximum depth inside her pussy. And her full, firm breasts were being crushed beneath my chest.

And I wasn't the only one paying Grace attention. Adrienne was kissing her again, muffling her euphoric moan while she twitched and shuddered in orgasm. And her hips thrust off the bed, pressing her crotch against mine while I continued filling her up with scalding hot cum.

When we were both done, I rolled off and left Grace panting at the ceiling of her dorm room. She grinned goofily and exclaimed, "GREAT plan."

APRIL 2003, FRESHMAN YEAR

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. Paige and I were playing video games "together"; and by together I mean together. My cute girlfriend had got it in her head to work the right half of the controller, selecting squares or triangles or whatever while I manned the directional keypad on the left. For anyone who knows gaming, the right half is by far the more important half, and the little redhead was giggling near-constantly as she made our on screen characters do the CRAZIEST things.

"This is fun!" she chirped happily.

I was more entertained by Paige than the game at this point, and I just nodded before frowning and exclaiming, "Oh, no you didn't!"

"Oops." The way Paige giggled made it clear she wasn't sorry in the slightest.

"Aren't you two adorable..." a new voice cut in from behind us. Since the game wasn't time-based, both Paige and I turned around to see who it was, Paige letting go of the controller.

Dayna flashed a sideways smirk. The beautiful blonde babe with big boobs folded her arms beneath her breasts and looked around. "Where's your other hot girlfriend?"

I exhaled in mild frustration. Paige glanced at me before informing Dayna, "Out with Grace."

"Again?" Dayna flashed that smirk again. "I feel like I never see that girl around anymore."

I just shrugged. It wasn't like Adrienne was out with another guy. But I had to admit, I was slightly annoyed. For a few weeks after our big discussion, my girlfriend had been much better about making time for me. But lately her effort had begun to taper off, and I was beginning to feel second fiddle once again.

"Too bad," Dayna sighed. "Well if you're feeling short on girls, Ben, you two are welcome to come upstairs and play with me." The blonde's smile was all teeth.

"Ooh, really?" Paige perked up.

Dayna was already chuckling at Paige's enthusiasm. "Of course, we could REALLY make it a full-blown orgy if both your girlfriends were here. I DO miss Adrienne's sweet pussy."

Paige sighed. "Don't bother. I've been trying to hit that for months now."

Dayna stifled a laugh, looking at the little redhead. "'Hit that'?"

"Oh! Did I not say it right?" Paige blushed bright pink.

"No, you did fine, Red," I soothed, patting Paige's hand. "I just don't think any of us were expecting to hear you use the phrase."

"I'm learning," she beamed proudly.

Dayna and I glanced at each other, chuckling lightly. Then the busty blonde smiled. "So? Feel like fucking away a pleasant afternoon?"

I grinned at Paige, setting down the Playstation controller. "I take the left half. You take the right."

Paige got the idea right away. "Let's get crunked!" she cheered.

This time, neither Dayna nor I could keep from laughing. But I scooped up Paige in my arms and we headed upstairs to "play" Dayna together.

"Come ON, Adrienne," I groaned. I was all dressed up and ready to go. Only, I was all alone in the house. Brandi was out with Matt. Dayna was who knows where. And I'd told Paige to entertain herself for the evening because I'd arranged a night to be alone with Adrienne. "This was supposed to be our date night!"

"I'm sorry, Ben. This sorority thing really just came up last minute," came Adrienne's voice through my cell phone's receiver. She really did sound apologetic. But then she couldn't even bother to come home or let me know ahead of time. I'd had to call her cell phone when she was fifteen minutes late.

"Since when were you interested in joining a sorority?" I exhaled in exasperation.

"Since they first came and started recruiting me and Grace. It sounds like fun! Sisterhood, networking ... I've missed that since leaving the cheerleaders in High School."

I sighed forlornly. I couldn't really fault her. Adrienne was EXACTLY the kind of girl the sororities would go after. She was gorgeous, sociable, and had excellent leadership qualities. But did it HAVE to happen on our date night? "Look, I get it. But how could you NOT have known there was a conflict earlier?"

"I ... uh..." Adrienne stammered. "Ben, please forgive me. I'm ... I'm already here. It started a half hour ago. I forgot all about tonight."

"You FORGOT?" Red anger flashed before my eyes. We hadn't been on a real date in MONTHS and Adrienne forgot?

"Ben, I'm sorry!" She heard the tone in my voice.

"You FORGOT?"

"Ben. It was an accident. I-"

"You know what? Never mind," I cut her off. "I'll just call up my other girlfriend and fuck HER brains out tonight," I barked vehemently.

"Ben!" Adrienne pleaded. I doubt she minded me fucking Paige, but she didn't like my tone.

"Go have fun, Adrienne. I'll see you tomorrow ... or ... whenever."

"Ben, please!"

"Bye." I hit END on the phone.

Two seconds later, Paige picked up her cell phone. "Ben?"

"Hi. Adrienne canceled. Wanna come over?" I barked gruffly.

"Ben, is everything okay?" Paige's voice quivered. "You sound upset."

I heard the faint beeping of call waiting. I glanced at my screen and saw that Adrienne was trying to call me back. I ignored her. "Adrienne canceled," I informed Paige. "Of course I'm a little upset."

"I'm sorry. I'll be over as fast as I can, okay?" Paige said warmly.

I sighed, feeling some measure of peace knowing that someone still cared about me.

"And Ben?" Paige added.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to take my underwear off with your teeth or should I just skip them to save time?"

I grinned. Thank God for horny little schoolgirls. "Surprise me."

We didn't even bother getting re-dressed after the first quickie assfuck; it was Paige's fertile time again and she said she wanted to feel my cum squishing around her bowels a little longer.

We kept a box of baby wipes in the nightstand for occasions like this and we just wiped ourselves up and laid down side-by-side on the bed. With our lust sated for the moment, I spent a good fifteen minutes catching up on the foreplay we'd skipped, simply holding Paige's body in my arms, caressing her soft skin while we played tonsil hockey together.

And then, since the house was completely empty, Paige decided to prance outside into the living room so we could fuck somewhere a little less private. It was unlikely anyone would walk in on us, but my redheaded pixie got a real kick out of being more exposed than usual.

"Where do you want me, lover?" the stark-naked, adorably cute girl turned and wiggled her ass at me. She lay her chest down on top of the dining table, reaching across it to grip the far edge and pull herself fully atop the flat, wooden surface. She was short enough that her toes didn't quite reach the floor. And I observed her alabaster skin completely unbroken from neck to heels, save for the slightly reddened buttcheeks where my pelvis had just recently been smacking against.

"Nah. You look great, but that edge will really dig into your hips if you can't plant your feet on the floor," I gestured.

Paige giggled and got off. "Aww ... still looking out for my well-being?"

"Always." I smiled warmly.

"The couch it is then." My pixie pranced over to the sofa, planting her feet on the floor this time and bending over the armrest while propping herself up with her arms on the seat cushions. She was in a nearly identical position, but this time the padded armrest assured me she wouldn't seriously get hurt.

I grinned and nodded, walking up behind her and lifting my half-hard cock to drape it in the crease of her buttocks. "You look sooo sexy, Red," I hummed, running my hands along the baby-soft skin of Paige's back.

"Oooh..." she moaned, the sound so enticingly erotic that I felt a rush of blood pouring into my prick from the sound alone. And taking advantage of her stabilized legs, she wriggled her hips to slide her own asscrack up and down the length of my growing prick.

"Sooo sexy, Red," I repeated, my voice a throaty mumble.

"Are you gonna fuck my little ass again, lover? I've still got your last load swishing around inside me. My tiny asshole has already been stretched for your thick cock. You don't have to be gentle at all. Just grip my hips and shove your big dick into me! Pound me. Sodomize me. Blast your unholy spunk into the depths of my young, virginal body! Take me Goddammit and- AHHH!!!"

Paige knew damn well what that kind of talk would do to me. And three seconds after letting out that ear-piercing scream, the little teenager was giggling maniacally while I flexed my dick, which was buried almost eight inches into her bowels. "Oh, fucking hell yeah..." she crooned.

I never ceased to be amazed by the filthy language coming out of Paige's mouth when she was turned on, such a stark contrast to her usually sweet demeanor. Yeah, she was playing around with street slang and even Ebonics, but her frequent "Oh my words" and "Oh, poos" seemed to come from an entirely different girl from the one who currently had her ass skewered on my cock.

"I'm such a slut for you, lover," Paige began panting while I withdrew and started a pumping motion. "I'm your sinful, lustful slut. I want to commit every cardinal sin with you. I lust for you. I want to be a glutton for sex, fucking as often as fucking humanly possible! I wanna be greedy for you, desiring more and more. And ... well, I'm not sure how to do sloth or wrath or whatever. Forget it. Just fuck me! Fuck me more! Harder!"

I pounded her with fierce strokes, gripping Paige's tiny hips. Her sphincter was fully dilated and her anal chute was already well lubricated from KY jelly and a previous load of spunk. I was able to slam in and out of her with minimal friction, although her canal was still exquisitely and pleasurably tight for my invading rod. And as I both sped up and increased the force of my thrusts, I began to wonder if even the padded armrest could save her from bruising.

Not that Paige minded. "FUCK ME!" she screamed. "HARDER, GODDAMMIT!"

I blasted my hips forward, rocking her into the couch. Bent before me, pinned over the armrest beneath me, the petite girl looked even smaller, almost childlike. I felt like I was crushing her. But this far gone into my pleasure, her well-being was no longer something I actively concerned myself with.

Besides, she was yelling, "HARDER!"

I gave her another powerful thrust, pressing my short and curlies up against her now reddened asscheeks with my dick stretching her anus even wider.

"HARDER!!!"

I did it again.

"FUCCKKKK!" Paige's voice cracked. "I'M CUMMING!"

Another thrust.

"FUCKING CHRIST!" she squealed. "I'M CUMMING!!! AAAHHHH!!!"

And I was joining her. Paige's body twitched and jerked beneath me, her arms wobbly as she struggled to support both her own and my heavy weights. And then my hips were pressing her pelvis even harder against the padded armrest while I buried my cock to full depth and let fly with another massive load of spunk, sending it to join my previous load in coating her rectum with hot splatters of creamy jism.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!" Paige screamed as her body jerked again beneath me. She arched her spine and her head came up so she could scream towards the ceiling, like a wolf howling at the moon.

I threw my own head back as well, yelling my own orgasm to the ceiling while my arms fully extended, gripping Paige's body as the final spurts of cum raced out of my shaft to disappear into the little girl's bowels.

When my energy gave out, I simply fell straight onto Paige's naked sweaty back, the impact collapsing her arms and sending her face and chest down onto the sofa cushions. Her pelvis lost its perch on the armrest and together, we slumped forward and slid onto the couch, sweaty and sticky and with my dick still lodged up her rectum.

And that's how Adrienne found us.

Before I'd realized her presence, my stunningly gorgeous blonde girlfriend stepped up next to me and pulled at my shoulders, tugging me off the exhausted, semi-conscious little redhead. I slumped onto my ass on the floor while Adrienne knelt next to the sofa. And then she pulled on Paige's leg to spread her thighs to the side, ducking her face between the redhead's asscheeks and slurping my still hot cum directly out of the little girl's asshole.

"Holy Mother of God!" Paige moaned, her eyes fluttering, and I realized that Adrienne was not only hoovering out my jism, but two of her fingers were shoved into the redhead's twat. Already brain-fried from the recent assfucking, Paige was completely helpless before the blonde's oral and manual assault.

I wasn't sure who was more surprised that Adrienne was eating out Paige's ass: Paige or me. But both of us were incredibly turned on by it and the hyped-up redhead was thrashing and moaning ecstatically. And after only a couple of minutes, I saw Paige's dark blue eyes open up WIDE, flashing with luminescent intensity as she whimpered and moaned in another orgasm, her whole body twitching spastically.

Only then did Adrienne lean back and turn around to face me. Her jaw was thrust outward and she cupped a hand beneath her chin just in case as she opened her mouth to show me the semen she'd sucked out of Paige's asshole. And then after making well and sure that she had my full attention, Adrienne tilted her head back and noisily gulped the entire mass down.

All three of us lay there panting for several minutes. Paige was shell-shocked from her orgasms, her eyes heavy-lidded. Adrienne was panting to catch her breath after holding my cum in her mouth for some time, waiting me out. And I was still in shock that she was even here.

When I found my voice, I asked softly. "What about your sorority thing?"

Adrienne blinked, her hazel irises burning straight at me. "I had to come back to you. I'm so sorry I forgot about our date."

I blinked and nodded. She'd walked away from an event with Grace to come to me. "You could have just stayed. You were already there."

Adrienne blinked several times, looking crushed. But she took a deep breath and looked me dead in the eyes. "I choose you, Ben."

My lower lip quivered at the intensity in Adrienne's voice. Just hearing her say those four words made the stone-cold anger around my heart completely melt. But my brain was still processing. I gestured to Paige. "I thought you couldn't do that behind Grace's back."

Adrienne sighed, looking sad. "I probably shouldn't have. But I HAD to get your cum, whether it was inside Paige or not. I did it so I could show you how much you mean to me. I need you to understand. I love you, Ben. I'm exploring this relationship with Grace because I need to understand myself, to understand my sexuality, and to understand my romantic feelings for another woman. I'm dating her now; but I'll be with you forever. I love you more than I love her. Don't ever doubt that."

I took a deep breath, nodding. "Okay."

Adrienne now reached forward, tentatively taking my hands. She managed to crack a smile when I squeezed them. "Really?"

"Yeah. I believe you," I smiled. It had been a rough year with Adrienne, full of ups and downs. From roommate conflicts to not spending enough time together to dating other girls, our relationship had not exactly been smooth. But in the end we always made it through. "I love you, Adrienne. Forever and always."

My beautiful girlfriend smiled radiantly. "I love you, too." Then she blushed and took a deep breath, glancing away in shame. "Still, uh ... can you not tell Grace about this?"

I chuckled. "Sure."

I arrived home on what felt like an ordinary Wednesday, heading into my bedroom before stopping dead in my tracks.

"Hiii, Boyfriend..." Paige chirped, sitting upright on the floor at the foot of the bed. Her hair was up in pigtails and her Catholic schoolgirl uniform was even more scandalous than usual. The black tie was perfectly done, but the white blouse beneath it was unbuttoned from throat to tails and pulled apart to reveal all of her pale skin, including both perky breasts. The plaid skirt was pulled up to show off her own bare-shaven twat, sans panties. And she had spread her legs to the side in invitation, knees in the air while lightly rubbing the knee-high white socks and black saddle shoes.

"Welcome home, Stud..." Dayna was draped across the front edge of the bed, posing as if she were in a swimsuit calendar with one arm holding her head up and brushing back her sunny blonde hair. Only instead of a swimsuit, she wore a lace set of lingerie with see-thru holes that completely revealed her erect nipples and bare-shaven twat. My mouth watered as I fantasized about sucking on all three.

"Heyyy, little brother..." Brandi drawled from right behind Dayna, posing on her side in the opposite direction, propping her head up on one elbow. She wore a violet demi-bra and matching boyshorts that I knew would outline her world-class ass without actually letting me see her buttcheeks. And I already looked forward to peeling them off her to get a better view.

And last but certainly not least was Adrienne, kneeling upright behind the two older girls. My stunningly gorgeous girlfriend wore her black and white shelf-bra, the one with half-cups that left her nipples exposed. She bent over, letting me ogle the pendulous mounds as they swung forward, and rubbed her hands on both Dayna's and Brandi's asses while flashing me a wide grin.

"Happy birthday, Tiger..."

MAY 2003, FRESHMAN YEAR

It was like a whole new relationship. For the past month straight, Adrienne had been making an extra effort to spend time with me, and it showed in my vastly improved demeanor.

"You sure are chipper today," Dawn bumped her hip into mine as we headed up the hill to Cheit Hall. With the warming weather, my gorgeous best friend was in short shorts that showed off her legs and a baby T-shirt that hugged her upper body's assets quite nicely. She was also in her customary Cal baseball cap with a ponytail through the back. A guy walking past us turned around to check out her ass and let out a wolf whistle, but Dawn just ignored him and asked me, "Did you forget that we have finals in two weeks?"

I shook my head. "Didn't forget. Just don't care."

Dawn leered at me. "Does this have anything to do with what I heard coming out of your bedroom this morning?"

A shit-eating grin spread across my face. "Maybe..."

Dawn chuckled. "I seem to recall that both Adrienne and Paige were in there."

"Yeah..."

Dawn arched an eyebrow at me. "Thought Adrienne couldn't do that."

I grinned, thinking back to the morning. While we WERE having a threesome, technically Adrienne wasn't having sex with Paige. The petite redhead was in a "safe" time and she was riding my cock cowgirl-style while the statuesque blonde sat on my face, rubbing her fabulous tits and watching the smaller girl fucking herself on my pole.

But instead of letting me fire away into her unprotected womb, Paige pulled off me and Adrienne bent over to complete the sixty-nine, taking my load down her throat and tasting the redhead's pussy juices at the same time.

"They don't touch each other," I informed Dawn with a smirk. And then it was my turn to leer at her. "And don't think we couldn't hear what was going on in your bedroom, either."

My best friend blushed and then shrugged. "What can I say? We're unwinding before finals."

I arched my eyebrow. "Don't think I've forgotten what happened the last time we wanted to unwind before finals."

Dawn blushed even redder, remembering the blindfold orgy Dayna had orchestrated, at which Dawn had sucked me when she thought I couldn't tell it was her. "Hey, we're talking about you, not me. Seriously, I've noticed Adrienne's been around a lot more lately."

I nodded. "Maybe the initial honeymoon phase with Grace is wearing off."

Dawn shook her head. "Not really. I still talk to her a bit myself. She's crushing on Grace just as hard as always. Although maybe it's wearing off for Grace. She's the one who's been asking for more space."

"Really?"

Dawn nodded. "But don't take it like you're just Adrienne's fallback. She's also told me about how she realizes she was taking you for granted."

I nodded. "That's okay. I actually find that the ultimate level of trust and love, when she can take me for granted. It means she knows I love her unconditionally. It means our relationship has gone beyond 'dating' and into ... I dunno how to put it in words. Do you know what I mean? When she knows with absolute certainty that I'll always be there for her?"

Dawn smiled and squeezed my hand. "I know exactly how that feels," she said with quiet sincerity.

I chuckled and smiled, squeezing her hand back. "I'll always be your Ben, Dawn."

"I know."

We just smiled at each other for a few moments while continuing along. Another guy passing started obviously checking Dawn out, but he looked at me and immediately looked away. Besides holding my hand for the simple pleasure of it, Dawn also liked having me around as a guy-deterrent. And right now I'm sure we looked like a couple completely in love.

As it was, Dawn just nodded and then mused, "On the other hand, I haven't been seeing Paige around quite so much. Before last night, she actually spent a few nights in her own dorm room, right?"

I exhaled slowly. "Yeah ... well ... This whole drama with Adrienne? I think Paige looks at the way Adrienne and I are together, and she compares it to the way I am with her. Paige is starting to figure out that while I'll always feel protective of her and care about her, I just don't have romantic feelings for her."

"You told her that way in the beginning, right?"

"Right. But now it's starting to sink in. Her honeymoon phase is starting to fade away." I sighed. "I don't think this dating relationship will last through the summer. We'll enjoy it for now, but she's really been growing up and by next semester, I don't think she'll need me as a safety net anymore."

"Sad about that?"

I shrugged. "It's never fun when people start drifting. But it's actually a good thing. I've had more time myself to spend with Adrienne. And for the first time in our relationship, I think we're really going to work out."

Dawn stopped in the middle of the path, turning to look at me. "You mean that, don't you?" Her crystal blue eyes searched through mine, her expression inscrutable. And in one of our rare moments, I had no idea what was going through my best friend's head.

So I just nodded. "Yeah. I do." My heart fluttered with butterflies, the way the mere sight of Adrienne used to make me do whenever she showed up at my house on a Wednesday afternoon before dinner. I could imagine being with her for the rest of my life.

"I'm happy for you," Dawn said, although just a little bit flatly. And then before I could respond, she let go of my hand, turned, and continued on toward the classroom.

I blinked a few times, not sure exactly what emotions I was feeling. But it was almost class time, so I hurried to catch up.

MAY 18, 2003, FRESHMAN YEAR

"You got everything?"

My cute redheaded girlfriend who smiled and nodded. "Should I expect something similar for our anniversary?"

I grinned, but in the back of my head, I wondered if Paige and I would ever get to an anniversary. It was only May, and next Valentine's Day seemed a LONG ways away. Not that I let that on to her. I leaned in, hugging the petite girl to my chest. "Not similar. Different. Unique. Like you."

"Good. I don't think this stuff is my style, anyways. But I'm going to hold you to that next February." Paige clutched me fiercely.

I chuckled and released her enough to bend down and softly kiss her forehead. Then I said warmly, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Paige nodded and then turned to leave my bedroom. I followed shortly after to find she was already sitting down on the couch, joining in on the conversation with Adrienne, Dawn, Gwen, and Robin. I felt like I hadn't seen Ryan or Bert much all semester, but that's what happens sometimes when the guys spent their weekends back home.

I simply walked up behind Adrienne and tapped her on the shoulder. "Let's go."

My girlfriend tilted her head straight over the couch's backrest, looking at me upside-down with a confused expression. She immediately noticed that I was dressed to the nines in a sport coat and tie over my jeans. "Go? Where?" she asked with some alarm in her voice.

"C'mon already. We're gonna be late."

"Late for what?"

I grinned, which must have looked really weird from Adrienne's inverted position. "You'll see..."

Adrienne picked her head up and stared at the other girls, looking for some hints. Dawn, Gwen, and Robin looked thoroughly confused. Paige just covered her mouth with a stifled giggle. Adrienne then zoomed in on the petite redhead, boring her eyes into Paige as if she could somehow telepathically extract what the heck was going on.

"Let's go already," I tapped my foot impatiently.

"Ben..." Adrienne growled in warning. "Where are we going?"

I flashed a grin, perhaps with a little bit of Brooke's evilness in it. I leaned forward, offered her my hand, and said, "Trust me."

Oh, it was sooo delicious to say THAT to her every once in a while.

Adrienne just rolled her eyes in annoyance, but she got up off the couch and put her hand into mine. She smirked and shook her head, asking, "What's the occasion?"

I shrugged. "You tell me."

"Well," Adrienne began. "It's a Sunday. And Finals start tomorrow..." She glanced around at the other girls as if they could still help clue her in to what she was missing. "And if you're dressed like that ... uh ... It's not my birthday..."

I just grinned and started pulling her away from the living room.

We only got two feet before she came to a dead stop. "Ohmigod! Are you counting TODAY?"

I grinned. "Yep. I thought all girls had their anniversaries memorized?"

By now, Dawn, Gwen, and Robin were all leaning over the couches, watching us like a sitcom unfolding. Gwen was the first to bark, "It's your anniversary and you didn't know it, A.D.?"

"It's not! Or ... well..."

I smiled. "What would YOU count as our anniversary?"

"But we've been together WAY longer than a year!"

"Have we?" I chuckled. "Where would you start? The day you first seduced me..." I arched an eyebrow. "The day we started being 'nottogether'? Face it, this is it. A year ago today was Senior Prom."

"Wow..." Adrienne broke into a wide grin. Her eyes drifted to the side as she flew back through her memories. I'm sure she was thinking of all the emotional drama over her desire for me and my relationship with Allie. Maybe she was even thinking of how guilty she'd felt abandoning her date, Kyle McGinley. The big lug had taken things in stride, but it had still made for an awkward conversation the following Monday.

But then Adrienne just nodded and reached forward to hug me. "Okay, okay ... I guess it is. Wow. I've never even MADE it to a one-year anniversary."

I smiled and patted her back.

But just as Adrienne started to relax, she suddenly jerked away from me. "Oh, HELL. Ben, you're NOT taking me someplace fancy, are you? I'm not dressed! My makeup's a mess! Ohmigod. I'll need at LEAST two hours and-"

"Hey, hey..." I soothed, holding her shoulders. "Trust me. Alright?"

"But Ben..." Adrienne pouted, furrowing her eyebrows. She trusted me. She loved me. But this was HARD. She was a girl who knew her beauty and the mere thought of going to some fancy restaurant for an anniversary dinner without being properly made up frightened the hell out of her.

"Trust me..." I repeated, willing all my love for her through my eyes.

"Okay..." she sighed.

I waved to our friends, crooked my elbow, and Adrienne steeled her spine and looped her arm through mine. Then we headed out.

Dinner was Panda Express. Adrienne had been so keyed up, worrying about not looking her best for a fancy restaurant that she just burst into a fit of giggles when I took her inside. I was the one out of place in the coat and tie, but this being Berkeley, I wasn't looked at too oddly.

The food was nothing special. I knew that going in.

But I didn't mind. We spent more time chatting than eating anyways. Although Adrienne DID comment, "You know that Chinese food makes me horny, but I'm not sure this'll cut it."

"Okay," I mused. "I guess I'll just have to spend more time on foreplay."

Adrienne giggled at that.

After "dinner", we went bowling, of all things. If Adrienne had looked at me like I was a nut for taking her to Panda Express for our anniversary, she was absolutely in disbelief that I was bringing her BOWLING. But to her credit, she readily rose to the challenge and even got two strikes during the round.

The entire time, we kept chatting, getting into philosophical discussions about whether heavier balls had an advantage at knocking down the pins and whether Adrienne should switch to the heaviest ball she could manage while I started lecturing her about physics calculations and force equaling mass times velocity, which led to Adrienne lecturing me about boring her with my lecture and resulting in the both of us laughing our heads off.

By the end, Adrienne sat back and commented, "That was fun. But it wasn't exactly the sort of thing that puts a girl in the mood."

I smiled right back. "This isn't a first date and I'm not trying to 'put you in the mood'. We've been together, officially, for a year now. Much, much longer if you think about our history. This isn't about seduction. It's about spending quality time together."

Adrienne simply wrapped her arms around me and hugged me fiercely. "Yeah ... this has been REALLY fun. Why haven't we done this more often?"

I shrugged. "Maybe now we will. We've got a lot of time in our future together."

My adoring girlfriend rolled her eyes up to me, clear invitation in her eyes. And her slow-burn kiss was all the confirmation I needed that I'd done the right thing for this anniversary. But then it was time to head home. We DID have finals the next morning, after all. Well, I did. Due to a quirk in scheduling, Adrienne's first final wasn't until Tuesday. So I wasn't too worried about keeping her out late tonight.

"I still can't believe you pulled that shit on me," Adrienne slapped my shoulder as soon as we came in through the front door. "Making me freak out about my clothes and makeup like that." But there was no heat in her voice and the smirk on Adrienne's lips betrayed how happy she really was.

I just grinned and rubbed my shoulder, feeling happy with the way the evening had gone so far. It hadn't been very "romantic", but that was all about to change. I led Adrienne to the door of our bedroom, pausing and taking her into my arms. Sensing the moment, she let me dip her backwards and share a passionate nuclear kiss.

I stood her up then, a wry smirk spreading across my face uncontrollably as I said. "Goodnight, Adrienne." And then I stepped back.

She frowned and latched onto my hand, tugging me back to her. "'Goodnight'?" she queried in confusion.

I smiled, struggling not to laugh as I said, "I didn't want to presume anything."

I delivered the line horribly. We both knew I was completely bullshitting. Adrienne just growled at me. "We have finals tomorrow. Tonight is our anniversary. If you don't fucking get into that bedroom and fucking DROWN me in orgasmic fluids until I pass out from pleasure, I'll fucking cut your balls off and feed them to you in tiny little pieces in the morning. Got it?"

I grinned and opened the door. And then my jaw dropped.

Paige had outdone herself. While I'd told her what to do — and therefore had an idea of what to expect — I never thought the room could look THIS good.

Two dozen candles flickered all over the room, freshly lit. I'd given Paige a specific time to get all of our study partners out of the house and to have the room set, and it looked like she'd finished just in time. The desk and table lamps were the only other light sources in the room, bathing the place in a warm glow that was just right for romantic seduction, neither too bright nor too dark. And a veritable carpet of flower petals led the way from the door to the bed, finishing on the bed as well. None of them were rose petals. Adrienne thought roses were too cliché. And topping things off, in the center of the bed was a simply gorgeous bouquet of pastel lilies and tulips. This was the romance making up for the cheap dinner and bowling.

"Oh, wow..." Adrienne breathed, clearly impressed. And then she gasped as I scooped her up in my arms, carried her into the room, and kicked it shut behind me.

"I've only got one warning, Adrienne."

My stunningly gorgeous girlfriend turned to me, golden fire in her hazel eyes. "What's that?"

"I'm NOT stopping until you pass out from pleasure."

"Oh, gawd ... oh, gawd ... oh, gawd..."

I grinned and bore down, willing myself to ignore the tiredness and make my tongue move even faster. So what if Adrienne had spent most of the semester in a new lesbian relationship with Grace? I was showing her that her man still knew how to eat her out better than anyone.

"No more ... Uncuff me, Ben ... uncuff me..." Adrienne groaned.

I popped my eyes up. For every time Adrienne and I had brought out the bondage toys, she had never asked me to release her. This was the very first. And weakly, she tilted her head down to look at me, her eyes drooping in sheer exhaustion as she whimpered, "Please ... make love to me one more time before I pass out..."

I smiled. Our lovemaking was never about restraint. Most times she was totally willing to surrender sexual control to me and let me drive her; and up until now, this night had been no different. I'd started by slowly stripping away Adrienne's clothes, just casual clothes and typical underwear for a lazy Sunday. But I'd treated them like the finest raiment and most seductive lingerie, and I'd relished every square inch if bare skin I revealed along the way.

The blindfold went on first. Then the choker with leash. Finally, I'd handcuffed Adrienne to the bed and proceeded to fuck the absolute shit out of her. For some, "making love" is tender. For me and Adrienne, FUCKING is making love. I spanked her ass. I came on her tits. She sucked me hard so I could fuck her again. And then I pried open her jaw so I could fuck her face and spew my load straight into her throat. I pushed her to the limit, and she never feared for her safety because she had absolute faith that I would never push too far.

And then to warm up for round 3, I ate her out to SIX orgasms, pushing for lucky number seven when she pleaded for me to stop.

Yeah, she usually let me do the driving. But on a night like this, our Anniversary, she'd made one request and I wasn't about to turn her down. So I climbed up my girlfriend's sweaty, overheated body. And then I straddled her chest with my third erection lying in the valley of her cleavage while I reached over to undo her handcuffs. They were safety cuffs, designed to come loose if you thumbed the release just right, but apparently Adrienne was too tired to even manage that.

I watched her wriggle her arms, stretching them out while I slid back down her naked body. Her proud tits thrust up into the air, still shiny and wet from where I'd been suckling on them for the past hour. And I asked softly, "Where do you want it?"

"In my pussy," she breathed. "I want to feel your warmth inside me." She spread her legs to the side invitingly.

And so, lubricated by her many, many previous orgasms, I slid my throbbing cock in to the hilt. Internal it would be. After so much time in half-paranoia that I might accidentally knock up Paige, it certainly was a relief to know I could safely blast Adrienne's womb full of sperm.

"Oooh ... Ben..." Adrienne crooned, summoning enough energy to wrap her arms around my shoulders as I held myself at full depth and did a slow hip rotation to carve out her inner walls. She then crossed her ankles around my ass and arched her back to feel me even deeper.

"Fuck me, Ben," Adrienne said softly. The tone and cadence of her words said 'I love you, Ben' instead.

"Fuck me," she repeated, making sure I understood her underlying meaning.

So I fucked her. And I loved her. And our entire history flashed before my eyes.

When we were 10-years-old, I was the new kid on the block and she just a pretty neighbor. In High School, she was the hottest and most popular girl in school, wielding her beauty like a blade and seducing me away from my girlfriends just because she could. But then lust became affection, affection became trust, and after another year, trust became love. And in College, she was my roommate, my lover, my partner in life.

Even after all the drama, we were still together like this. Even after all the headaches and mental anguish and even romances with other people, Adrienne and I still loved each other. Knowing all that gave me confidence that I was making the right decision.

We would make love this last time. I would give her every drop of cum in my body. And then I would give her the special present I'd been saving for this night, the present housed in a little velvet box.

Together, our bodies undulated on the bed.

Together, we moaned endearments of devotion and love.

And together, we came.

When my orgasm began, Adrienne's arms had circled my head, trapping my cheek against the upper slopes of her bosom. My hands were on her ass, jerking her body towards me with every thrust while she squeezed with her legs to draw me close as well.

The next time my pelvis slammed into her buttcheeks, at the point of deepest penetration my cock spat out its first wad of cum. Adrienne gasped and tilted her head back as she felt it splatter against her inner walls. And then she had just enough time to breathe before gasping and tensing again as the second wad splashed beside the first.

"I'm cumming," I grunted, even though she already knew. My own tone and cadence said, 'I love you'. And over and again I repeated in my heart 'I love you', matching each successive ejaculation.

"Oh, Bennn..." Adrienne moaned deliriously as she came as well. Spasming with her own orgasm, her pussy milked me for every last drop of sperm. Her entire body quivered while my hips jerked and fired again. And she gasped while her pussy sucked my cum deeper and deeper into her womb.

And then I collapsed on top of her. Spent from my unrelenting thrusts, I dropped like a dead weight onto Adrienne's body. My heart was pounding in my ears and I was dripping with sweat. But she simply accepted my weight and wrapped all four limbs tightly around me. My cheek was now on the pillow beside her, and Adrienne turned so that we were face-to-face, just an inch apart, warm and happy smiles on our faces.

"I love you, Ben," she smiled radiantly. "Forever and always."

I grinned. It was a phrase she'd said to me many times in recent memory, but it was also a perfect lead-in. "About that," I smiled. And with my cock still inside her, slowly deflating, I reached across to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer. My hand fished around for only a second before I found the velvet box, pulling it back with me as I settled onto my elbows above her chest.

Adrienne caught sight of the box and gasped in shock.

"Before you get your hopes up," I cautioned. "This isn't what it looks like." I tilted open the hinged box to reveal a thin gold band topped with a small diamond, centered amidst a gold leaf flower with diamond accents. It was very pretty, but it wasn't a big solitaire rock or anything and only cost a few hundred dollars. Adrienne certainly had finer jewelry than this; but nothing like it from me.

Engagement ring or not, Adrienne's eyes went REALLY wide.

"This is just a promise," I said softly. "A promise to always be there for you. A promise to always love you and never judge, no matter what. A promise that you will — forever and always — be one of the most incredibly important things in my life. I love you, Adrienne."

"Oh, my gawd..." Adrienne just gasped and blinked rapidly as I reached out to her right hand. Still blinking, she let me take it and slide the band around her fourth finger, gently pushing it past each knuckle until it was firmly seated. And only then did I slide my half-hard cock out of her and settle next to her side.

Adrienne cradled her hand as if it were precious, staring in shock and awe at the delicate little piece of jewelry adorning her finger. I slid my arms around her and spooned myself behind her, delicately kissing her neck.

And then feeling happier than I ever had in my entire life, I closed my eyes and went to sleep, breathing in the sweet scent of my lover's skin pressed against my face.

MAY 19, 2003, FRESHMAN YEAR

Adrienne was still dead asleep when I got up to get ready for my morning final. Since she had the day off, I decided to let her catch up on rest. After all, I HAD exhausted her last night. And she only mumbled slightly when I kissed her cheek before leaving the room.

I hadn't proposed, but I felt like I'd just gotten engaged. You know how in the movies the guy looks so TOTALLY relieved and happy when his girl accepts a marriage proposal? That's how I felt. I was floating on air and nothing could bring me down.

My first final took me down a notch. I wasn't sad or upset or anything, but after three grueling hours, I wasn't floating anymore. Still, I was quite pleased and that's when I met up with Dawn before our afternoon final. She obviously noticed my happy demeanor.

"You're looking good. Ace your final?" My beautiful best friend smiled from the next bar stool beside me.

I shook my head, still grinning goofily.

"Ah." Dawn nodded in realization. "Something to do with your little anniversary date with Adrienne?"

I nodded. "I gave her a promise ring last night."

Dawn nearly choked on her soda. "Excuse me?"

I laughed, patting her back to help with the choking. "A promise ring. Remember those?"

It took a few seconds for Dawn to regain her composure. When she did, she took a deep breath and gave me an even deeper look. "Are you sure Adrienne's that kind of girl?"

"I'm sure she's my kind of girl."

"But a promise ring is pretty serious, Ben. You're still nineteen."

I shrugged. "Relax. It's not like we got engaged or anything. But with Adrienne dating Grace and me dating Paige at the same time, it seemed the perfect opportunity to remind Adrienne just how special she is to me. We've been through a lot."

Dawn looked skeptical. "I know. But a promise ring? Adrienne? Seriously?"

I gave her a wry smile. "What? Jealous?"

"No!" Dawn said very quickly. And absent-mindedly she started rubbing her right wrist. "Of course not. I'm happy for you."

I grinned. "Good. And don't feel threatened, Dawn." I slapped her back encouragingly. "You know I'll always be your Ben."

"Forever," Dawn sighed, looking away from me and furrowing her eyebrows.

I just shook my head. Dawn was my past and even most of my present. We'd grown up together and I would always have a love for her. But Dawn had made her choice and I mine. Adrienne was my future. And now that Adrienne was wearing my ring, I felt like nothing could stop us from being happy forever.

I was wrong.

I knew something was amiss the moment I walked in the door. First of all, Grace was sitting with Adrienne on my bed, and both girls were fully clothed. More to the point, neither of them had sex on their mind, both girls with somber expressions on their faces. Adrienne wouldn't look me in the eye, and Grace squeezed her girlfriend's hand reassuringly, patting her forearm as well.

But what made my knees wobble was when I looked to Adrienne's right hand, where my promise ring was no longer around her fourth finger.

"Adrienne..." I began slowly, my mouth suddenly dry.

"I can't do this, Ben," she said softly. Staring more or less at my feet, she raised up her right hand, showing me the promise ring pinched between her thumb and index finger. "I'm sorry. But I can't do this."

My backpack hit the floor with a heavy thud, loud enough that Dawn, coming out of her own bedroom, came over and showed up in my doorway to investigate. She took one look at the scene and gasped.

Only now did Adrienne pick her head up, her red-rimmed eyes showing that she'd been crying and still was crying. Her hazel irises were a murky yellow, and she glanced over at Dawn for a brief moment. Then licking her lips, Adrienne winced and turned to set my ring down on the nightstand.

I felt half of my soul yanking out of my body as the cool metal band hit the wooden surface with a surprisingly loud bass [thunk]. It certainly sounded much heavier than it appeared to be, or maybe that was just in my head. But there was no imagining the pain and anguish in Adrienne's voice as she cracked out, "I'm sorry, Ben. I love you. But I just can't do this."

Without another word or thought, Adrienne suddenly strode out the doorway, practically dragging Grace with her. The pair of them bumped Dawn in their hurry to get out of the house, and then moments later they were gone.

I sank to my knees on the floor, but I didn't collapse. And kneeling there, feeling the splitting pain of hardwood biting into my kneecaps, I just closed my eyes, bent my head, and sobbed my heart out.