Fracture

SOPHIA’S POV

The morning sun slipped through the blinds in little golden lines across the bunk bed. Darcy woke up first like she always did.

She rolled over all soft and warm and started pressing kisses along my neck. Her lips lingered right under my ear and I felt her breath hitch.

“Morning beautiful,” she whispered as her hand slid under my tank top slowly. Her fingers started tracing lazy circles over my stomach, making goosebumps pop up everywhere.

She shifted so she was half on top of me. Leg thrown over my hip. “I missed waking up like this. Just us.”

Guilt was chewing me up from the inside. After everything at the cabin—the dock, the boathouse, the lies—I felt like I owed her this, so I didn’t push her away

I let her kiss me deeper, let her tongue slide against mine and let her hands push my tank top up until it bunched under my arms. She kissed down my chest, whispering ‘I love you’ between every kiss over and over like a prayer.

Her fingers hooked into my shorts and tugged them down slowly. I lifted my hips to help and she settled between my legs then kissed the inside of my thighs first. Teasing and making me squirm. 

Then her mouth was on me. Tongue flat and warm sliding over my clit in slow circles with gentle pressure, then faster. I threaded my fingers through her hair and I held her there as my hips rocked up without thinking.

She moaned against me like she could taste how much I needed this even if my heart wasn’t all in it. I came quiet but it felt empty, like my body finished but the rest of me was somewhere else.

Darcy crawled back up and kissed my lips so I tasted myself on her. She looked into my eyes searching. “You seemed far away again,” she said softly and her voice cracked just a little.

I swallowed hard but forced a smile that felt fake even to me. “Just tired still. The trip wore me out.”

She didn’t push, and just nodded slowly. Curled against my side, head on my chest. I stared at the ceiling while she traced little hearts on my stomach with her finger.

********

After class Eric stood by the door, letting everyone leave. When the room was empty he gently grabbed my wrist, and pulled me into the hallway.

“I can’t pretend anymore,” he said, his voice low and rough. “I can’t keep acting like nothing happened between us.”

He kissed me hard before I could answer and it was filled with desperation as he pushed me back against the tables. His hands slid under my skirt, fingers pushing past my panties, stroking my clit quickly then slipping inside me.  

I gasped loud, then he dropped to his knees right there in the hallway, hiked my leg over his shoulder, his mouth on me. 

Tongue circling my clit slowly, fingers thrusting in and out. I bit my hand to stay quiet, then came hard and fast, my whole body jerking. He stood up and kissed me deep so I tasted myself on his tongue. 

“I love you,” he whispered against my lips. “Leave her, please. Be with me.”

Tears stung my eyes as I shoved him back. “I can’t and you know why.”

I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall then I fixed my skirt and splashed water on my face. I stared at my reflection, my lips were red and swollen and my cheeks flushed.

I looked wrecked and even worse… guilty. 

I decided to take another path, avoiding him on purpose. I just couldn't risk seeing him again because I was afraid of what might happen.

Darcy was waiting in the dorm when I got back. There were snacks everywhere on the bed and her phone was playing soft music. 

“Date in the afternoon?” She asked, smiling and hopeful like she was trying so hard.

I sat next to her and she immediately started kissing my neck right. I let it go further, allowed her to pull my shirt off, let her fingers slip between my legs.

She went down on me gently, licking slow circles around my clit. Then sucking soft whilst whispering how much she loved me, how pretty I tasted and how she could do this forever. I came again but tears slipped out anyway. 

She looked worried. “Why are you crying?”

I mumbled, “I don’t deserve you.”

She crawled up fast and hugged me tight. “Yes you do. Whatever’s going on we’ll fix it, I promise. I love you so much.”

I buried my face in her neck and cried quietly. She held me until the shaking stopped and we stayed like that for a long time. 

Later Darcy left for the art club, then I got a message. As usual, it was Eric.

“Please. One hour at my place off campus. No one will know.”

I stared at the address for twenty minutes, my thumb hovering over delete as I tried to convince myself that I was going to end it and tell him that we were done. For real this time.

I grabbed my keys anyway.

His apartment door opened before I finished knocking. He pulled me inside and kissed me, his hands were everywhere so we didn’t make it to the bed. 

He held me close after and stroked my hair, kissed my temple. “I’ll tell Darcy everything if you want. I’ll take the blame… all of it. She can hate me, not you.”

I started crying again. Quiet sobs. “No. She’d hate us both and she would never forgive either of us.”

He kissed my forehead. “I can’t keep hurting her or you or myself.”

I pushed away and left crying. Tears blurring the streetlights the whole way back. I got home late. 

Darcy was awake, sitting on the bed. “Where were you?” She asked quietly.

I swallowed. “Just… went for a walk. I needed to clear my head.”

She nodded slowly, but I could tell that she didn’t believe me because I could see it in her eyes. 

We got ready for bed in silence and climbed into the bunks. For the first time ever she turned her back to me and she didn’t reach for my hand, nor did she whisper goodnight, just stared at the wall.

I knew I couldn't keep doing this, she loved me and she wanted her family back. I would just be the outsider, it was better to forget about Eric. It’s better that way.