WHAT MIGHT BE

LOLA

I had happily groveled at dinner earlier, not caring about Eddy's words or how much it might mean.

I was going to start baking again, and there was nothing that could go wrong.

Sitting out on the shelter closest to the pool behind the compound, I couldn't contain my joy, so I decided to text Connor — the very person that assured me that Eddy would change.

That day, he kept emphasizing on it like he could actually control Eddy's attitude towards me. I had taken his words with a pinch of salt, but it started to play out right in front of me.

"I can't believe it, Connor," I screamed into the receiver, quivering as I recalled that I was still within Eddy Langford's property, and he could be listening on my call.

"Did something happen to you? Calm down, okay?"

He sounded tired, like he had just woken up or had been buried in work for a long time.

"Where are you?" I asked, unable to hide the excitement that laced my voice.

"I decided to go home today. How did you know?"

"I don't know anything. I just asked a question, Connor," I replied, giggling at his odd attempt at sarcasm.

"Oh! Are you doing well? It's quite late, yunno. This is...,"

There was a momentary pause, and I guessed he was looking for a clock to complete his sentence.

"It's past 9PM. Why are you still up?" he finally replied.

"How about you? Why are you still up?" I asked, pressing the phone harder to my ear, because a creaking sound suddenly erupted from his end and I was curious to know what was happening.

My brain didn't go wild. I tried as much as possible to stay within the realm of reality, but deep down, I couldn't stop feeling like the moment would have been best celebrated with wine and good s*x.

I heard the faint sound of his yawn through the speaker, and I couldn't stop myself from closing my eyes to the thoughts of immersing myself in that pool of warm breath straight from the deep of his stomach.

Drawing in a long breath, I tried to bring my head back to the ongoing conversation.

"Are you there?"

"Yes...yes, of course. I can hear you," I stuttered, pulling my legs up to the seat and clasping my arms tightly around them while repeatedly blowing out slowly to keep my focus in the circle.

"So...?"

"So, what?" I asked, totally confused for a second.

"No way, Lola. Don't tell me you dozed off on me," he asked, but in a rather playful manner, giggling against his own words.

"No," I answered immediately, groaning in protest.

"Alright then. Let's assume you aren't lying to save your embarrassed ass."

"Connor?"

"Because you might be," he replied almost immediately.

"Fine. Have it your way, but I didn't get your answer to my question."

"Do you even still remember your question?" he countered.

"Are you even kidding me?" I groaned, squaring my shoulders and glaring fearlessly into the space in front of me like he was standing right there.

"Okay. Calm your nerves, warrior," he teased with a dramatic voice, causing a smile to sprout through my initial solid expression.

"So?" I asked again, relaxing more into the chair, the cold of the night bouncing off the thick woolen cardigan that covered every inch of my upper body.

I found myself staring at the little ripples that formed on the surface of the pool at intervals, my mind still twirling in a sea of happiness and excitement.

"I just got off work. I was thinking I could work through the night, but then, it would be my fourth time pulling an all-nighter. Doctors break down too."

"Good for you. You sound really tired."

"You said something I couldn't quite catch earlier. Mind repeating that?" he asked, curiosity heavy on every word.

"Eddy has been acting really strange lately," I tried my best to not sound too excited.

"What did...," Connor made to respond, but I broke him off.

"I'm going back to baking!" I screamed hard into the receiver, my body trembling with a kind of happiness it had not known in a long time outside of during s*x moments.

"Oh! I'm glad," Connor's voice crossed over flatly, like he knew I was going to say exactly that and he had known it for a long time coming.

"Uuhm...," my brain struggled for the next right set of words after being kicked out of a dopamine performance like that.

"I'm really happy for you, Lola. Go, live your life. There's a lot you can do outside of being Eddison Langford's bride."

It didn't sound like simple encouragement. It sounded like a warning, just like Eddy had sounded before. My heart thumped uncontrollably to the fears that were still unknown, and my throat itched severely.

"Where are you?" Connor's voice came again through the receiver.

Clearing my throat, and rubbing my hand over my neck to soothe my voice, I replied.

"Outside. I just thought I should share the news with you."

Nothing prepared me for his next question, a sleek warmth bursted between my legs, and I bit down on my tongue.

"I wish I could run my tongue between your legs until the moment becomes what you're most happy about."

I groaned lightly, stretching out my legs in front of me.

"Uuhm...Maybe, you could..."

I could find the right words.

"F*ck!" I cussed inwardly, biting down on my lower lip.

"I'm not sorry, I forgot how good you taste. Oh, damn! I'm being an a** right now."

"Don't stop," I found my voice suddenly, "Keep going."

I heard him exhale sharply, and that sound did something to my head. Something unexplainable.

I swallowed.

"I can see me plugging into your hole, and dancing around your walls until you're on your knees begging me to leave, but you know what?"

My stomach dipped, the frigid air, somehow, seeped right through the material of the cardigan, scattering cold bumps against my skin.

"I won't let out easily."

My entire body stiffened.

"I will make sure you remember that moment..."

I held my breath, my thighs trembling to the effect of his next words.

"...forever.”