Off Limits

Chapter One

     I open my eyes and squint as the light from my lamp on my desk blinds me. I peel my face from the desk and wipe drool from my cheek.
What time is it?
     I glance at the time in the bottom right corner of my laptop and it reads 3:47 a.m. I push myself up from the chair I slept in, and stumble to my bed. I plug my phone in and find my way under my blankets, still dressed in yesterdays clothes. I lay in bed for what feels like hours, but is only minutes, tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. When my pathetic attempt to fall back asleep fails, I have to pee.
Damn it.
     I throw the blankets across the bed and roll onto the floor.
Why am I so tired?
     I slowly stand and open my bedroom door. I feel my way down the hall to the bathroom and run into the door.
Ouch. Why the hell is it shut?
     The door swings open from the inside and the light from above the mirror blinds me, making me wince.
Is this what it feels like to have a hangover?
     I look up and see him. Standing in front of me. Looking at me. Grinning.
     "Sorry Devin." He says.
     He moves to my right slightly giving me just enough room to slide in between him and the door frame. I turn my back to him and flip the light off on my way in. He barely grabs my waist, guiding me past him. I take a deep breath in and hurry to shut the door.
Why in the world is he here? Its like he lives in my house.
     I cant help but think about what just happened, in the past twelve seconds, while I pee.
                                              ~~
     "She needs to wake up. It's almost ten o'clock!" I hear my mother yelling from downstairs.
     "I'll go get her." My brother huffs.
     His footsteps are heavy coming up the stairs. He knocks three times on my door and opens it to a crack.
     "Devin. Time to wake up. Breakfast is ready." He says.
     "Ugh." I roll over and see him begin to walk away. "Gavin wait! Is your little friend still here?" I ask annoyed.
     "Who, Mason?" Gavin asks. "Yea hes still sleeping too." He says, then walks back downstairs.
     I roll out of bed and balance myself to my feet. I walk past the stairs and to Gavin's room. His door is wide open and I peek around the door frame to look at Mason.
     "You know, it's not nice to stare." Mason says.
     I freeze and watch him as he sits up. He doesn't have a shirt on.
     "You should probably put a shirt on." I say, leaning on the outside of the door frame.
     "You should probably put a shirt on." He says, looking me up and down.
     "I do have a shirt on." I whine.
Whats wrong with wearing a tank top?
     Mason smirks and laughs. "I said put a shirt on. The teams coming over for brunch."
     I roll my eyes and walk away. I don't walk away to put a shirt on. In fact I walk away and go downstairs, where I hear the commotion of loud teenage boys.
     Before I can even turn the corner to the kitchen, two large hands grip at my waist pulling me back.
     "I said to put a shirt on." Mason whispers in my ear.
     He turns me around and points up the stairs. I huff again and go to my room. I look through my dresser for what he told me to put on, but something else catches my eye. A tiny, black bikini. I glance out the window in front of me and the sun is shining and the pool isn't covered, so I put it on.
     I contemplate wether or not I should grab a towel, but I decide against it. I walk down the stairs and into the kitchen where my brothers lacrosse team is, and to the back door. I make sure to sway my hips slightly to make sure I grabbed their attention. I can feel every eye on me in the room, which makes me smile. I slide the door open and step out onto the patio. When I turn around to shut the door every guy looking at me turns their head away, except for one, Mason.
Mason is my brothers best friend, and has been for years. Nothing has ever happened between us, but there's tension. A lot of tension. I know he feels it, I mean he grabbed my waist for crying out loud. Twice. If it weren't for my brother and him being friends we would have already slept together, and I would've gotten my heart broken.
I steal his gaze for a moment before turning to walk to the pool. Gavin just put in a new diving board last week so it's perfect to practice my diving skills on. I take the clip that's holding my hair and let it fall. My hair is fairly long and it falls past my lower back. I walk to the diving board and stand on the edge of it closest to the pavement. I take a deep breath in and walk to the other end. I take a leap in the air and when I come back down on the diving board I hear a snap sound. Im hit forcefully on the back of the head and then everything goes black.
"Come on Devin. Come on!" I hear someone say.
I open my eyes and blink slowly. I begin to sit up but then am pushed back down.
"You might have a concussion, don't try to sit up." Mason says.
I lift my eyes to his and water is dripping from his dark curly hair. He's looking into my eyes with concern and then picks me up. One arm goes under my legs behind my knees, and the other wraps around my waist from behind. He carries me to a lounge chair and wraps a towel around me.
"What happened?" I ask.
A sharp pain shoots through my head making me wince.
     "Devin! Oh my gosh, Devin!" My mother shrieks.
     My mother wraps her arms around me rocking me back and forth. Mason backs away to give us space, but we lock eyes the entire time. He's hesitant, but eventually turns around and goes inside.
     "Are you okay honey?" My mother asks, stroking the hair from my face. "You hit your head pretty hard. We should take you to the emergency room."
     "No, no mom. Im fine. I don't need to go to the emergency room." I say.
     She lets out a long, frustrated breath. "Okay, but if you start to feel worse in an hour you're going."
     "Okay I will." I reassure her.
     My mother is the biggest worrier I've ever met in my life. One time I stubbed my toe and I hit it so hard that it cracked my nail down the middle. She made me keep ice on it for five hours and kept feeding me medications to help with the bruising and swelling.
     "I'm fine mom, really. I just need to go lay down for a bit." I push off the lounge chair still palming the side of my forehead.
     I walk inside and do a walk of embarrassment in front of my brothers team. I make eye contact with one of them and all he does is shake his head. I turn the corner looking at the ground and bump into Mason.
     "How's your head?" He asks, placing his fingers on my temples.
     I wince at his touch. "It's fine. I just need a nap."
     He places his hand on the center of my back and walks ushering me up the stairs to my room.
"Pajamas?" He asks.
I point to the second and third drawer on my dresser and he pulls out an over sized t-shirt and sweat pants. He drapes them over his arm and hands them to me. He turns around while I step out of my swimsuit and dress myself. I leave my wet swimsuit in a pile on my carpet. I clear my throat letting him know it's okay to turn back around. He pulls back my comforter as I slide in, then pulls the blanket over me and lifts my head to place a second pillow behind me.
     As soon as my head hits the pillow my eyes grow heavy with sleep. He bends down and kisses me on the forehead, still sopping wet.
     He turns away but I stop him, grabbing his shirt. "Thank you." I whisper.
     He takes my hand and squeezes it. He picks my swimsuit up and leaves the room. My door is left cracked and I fall asleep.
When I open my eyes it's almost dark out. I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and the smell of steak and potatoes hits me. My stomach growls and I force myself to stand. When I open the door the sound of silver wear hitting plates catches my attention.
It's dinner time. Good.
I walk down three steps before I miss one entirely and slide down the rest of the way to the bottom. Two chairs scoot back and Gavin and Mason are both coming to pick me up by my arms. Gavin gives Mason the 'what the fuck are you doing' look. Mason doesn't pay him any mind and continues to help me. When Im back on my feet I push both of them off me.
"I'm fine." I say, looking both of them in the eyes.
Gavin rolls his eyes and Mason throws his hands up in defense. I walk to the kitchen and my father is making me a plate. I stand next to him and lean my head against his shoulder. He wraps his free arm around me hugging me, and hands me my plate. I take a seat next to my mother and across from Mason. Gavin already cleared his plate and went to his room. My parents then cleared their plates and went to watch television, planting a kiss on the top of my head on their way out of the kitchen.
I take small bites of my already cut steak and take deep breaths as I chew.
"Did the nap help?" He asks.
I have food in my mouth so I don't respond with words, I just shake my head slightly up and down.
"That's good." He says, taking a deep breath.
I swallow my steak. "Why did you jump in for me?" I ask him.
He narrows his eye brows. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know, because your not my boyfriend. You could've easily just let me drown." I say.
"I could never do that." He says leaning forward on the table.
I smile at him softly and finish my dinner. Once I'm done he grabs my plate and rinses it in the sink for me. I stand and push my chair in. He follows me as I walk back to my room. I turn around and lean against my door frame, facing him.
"Thank you, for saving my life." I whisper, because my brothers door is open.
"Don't thank me, Devin." He whispers back.
"Why not?" I question him.
He doesn't answer my question he just shakes his head.
"What?" I ask shyly.
"This might be inappropriate given the situation. But Devin, I want to kiss you." His statement takes me by surprise and makes me blush.
"It might make my head feel better if you did." I say, looking at his lips biting my own.
He pulls my bottom lip from my teeth with his thumb. "Don't do that."
I hold my breath now. "Kiss me." I whisper weakly.
He glances at Gavin's room. "I can't." He says.
"Yes, you can. Mason kiss me." I say desperately.
His eyes scroll over my lips. His hand moves behind my ear. His lips brush gently against mine.
I grab his wrist with my right hand and fist his shirt in the other, pulling him into my room. He pulls back and looks me in the eyes.
"I'm sorry Devin." He says. "We can't do this."
"But we can." I wrap my hands behind his neck trying to pull his face to mine, but he resists.
He pushes me back with his hands on my waist.
Three times, for crying out loud.
"No." He whispers. "We can't."
I drop my hands and let him walk away. I let out the air I had been holding in since we kissed and lock my door. I put my back against the door and slide down it, wrapping my arms around my knees.