Writing a long one-shot seemed like a fun idea until it was time to edit, then it became a nightmare lol.
I wanted to write a scenario where they've made it through most of college without anything insanely traumatic happening. I'm ngl, it's pretty indulgent fluff, but I think it's needed (at least for me it is lol).
Some disclaimers: no addict storyline happened here, and no one except the couples depicted have dated each other before, so they're all friends and happy!! oh, and everyone lives in LA!!
Okay, that's it. I hope you guys like it 🥹
_____
Spencer wasn't registering a word being said to him. No. Not with his girlfriend jogging across the backyard of the Mexican villa that a group of them had rented for spring break. For the half week the athletes had free, the group had come up with a plan. There were eight of them there total. But he had tunnel vision for one person, and one person only. And her hips just happened to be swaying in his direction.
"What do you think, Spence?"
"Huh." His head turned in a half-hearted attempt to pay attention, but his eyes remained focused, scaling the slim, yet toned frame now casting a shadow over him. Under the strengthening morning sun, her skin glistened from the tanning oil he had rubbed onto her an hour earlier.
While his eyes lingered on the two thin strings, precariously tied together at her hips, her hand flew out with her slightly ragged breath. "Come, I need a partner."
He didn't need to be asked twice to ditch her brother. Scooting forward along the daybed, he took her hand and pretended to struggle to get up, earning himself a poorly suppressed smile.
Biting onto her lip, she rolled her eyes, throwing her weight back to pull him up. "I'm on a streak—"
"Mhm," he groaned. His palms scaled the smooth skin on the back of her thighs, taking his time to appreciate silkiness until he reached it—his favorite spot.
"—we need to hurry."
"I'll be your partner in anything, baby." Pressing his hips into hers, he slowly backed her towards the entrance to the villa. "Just tell me the position. I follow instructions real well."
"In volleyball," she shrieked as the ground disappeared from beneath her feet. "Spencer," she yelled between the laughs. "Spencer, they're waiting."
"They can wait a little longer," he huffed.
"No, baby." Wiggling out of his grip, she slid down his body back to the ground. "They're waiting for us. But if we win..." her words trailed off as her gaze journeyed south. "There may be something in it for you."
He gave her a short nod. "Say less. Who we up against?"
"Those two." She steered him to the other side of the pool to where they had set up a makeshift net between a tree and a patio lamp.
"Easy money."
But the wide receiver spoke too soon, having completely undermined the difficulty of playing behind his girlfriend in a bikini. More than once, he fazed out, drawn in by her covert athleticism. How she managed to look so good while—
"Spencer."
He snapped out of his daze at the hiss. "Mmm... wassup, baby?"
"The game!"
The smile slipped off his face as he looked across the net to Darnell, chuckling with his arms crossed, and Kia, smirking with the volleyball tucked under her arm. Then he looked back at Olivia and remembered her promise. "My bad. My bad. I'm in it."
"You wish you were," Darnell chuckled.
Spencer scowled, but made zero effort to correct his friend. "Serve the ball."
The ball sprung into action and Olivia was quick to spike it back. On the sidelines, Simone cheered from her beau's lap. Olivia flashed a smile in her friend's direction before diving to catch the next volley.
"Aye, woman. I said I'm in the game."
Olivia looked over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow. "You sure?"
He nodded, running up to tap the ball that was flying their way. On the backpedal, he threw in an extra tap to her ass for good measure. Grinning, she shook her head and refocused.
As promised, and to no one's surprise, Spencer's competitiveness ushered itself onto center stage, and the duo easily took the lead. Point after point, Spencer held out his fist, and smugly, Olivia bumped him. That was, until he got cocky, and the flashiness nearly cost them the easy win. The game ended up coming down to the wire, with Spencer performing like his life was on the line.
"Spencer!" Olivia shrieked.
The ball was hurling over the net, too far to her left. No matter how fast she moved, she'd be one step too late. He lunged forward, risking it all to slam his cupped fists under the ball. A lingering sting radiated through his thumbs, but the thrumming was worth it to see the look of triumph on her face as she spiked his pass onto their opponents' territory.
"That's game!" Simone called, springing up from Lando's lap at the same moment that Darnell slumped to his knees.
Letting out a victory cry, Spencer ran a lap around the imaginary court, scooping Olivia up along the way.
"Thanks a lot," Kia muttered, storming off towards the house.
"You serious, right now?" Darnell called after her.
The two couples froze. Olivia hanging over Spencer's shoulder. Simone midway to the abandoned ball. Nobody moved as Darnell picked himself off the ground and jogged after her.
"Should we...?" Olivia whispered, her heart still racing from the adrenaline.
Spencer kept his gaze steady on Darnell. "Nah."
"Who won?" Layla called out, making her way towards the group from inside. Enthralled by the match, no one had noticed that the fourth girl had been missing for the morning, but now, her fresh voice cut gratefully through the tension. A signal to everyone that it was safe to proceed.
Simone relaxed and bent over to pick up the ball. "Liv and Spence."
Layla gestured at the volleyball, hoping to get a turn in. "How about we get—"
The back door slid open loudly, and her smile faltered. She turned over her shoulder to watch Jordan as he tried to casually rejoin the group. Their eyes met for a brief second, a serious sentiment passing between them before she released the tension with a shake and smiled.
Simone called her attention back, nodding at the winners as they snuck back through the same door Jordan had just walked through. "Yeah, girl. I think we're your only competition left, but we can get a game in before we head out."
"Ready to cash in your prize?" Olivia teased. Her heel knocked against the edge of the step as she backed her way up the narrow staircase. Spencer's motives for not getting involved in the lovers' quarrel were selfish, but worth it, because now his eyes fell to half mast, mesmerized by his girlfriend's nails lightly scratching down his bare chest. They made it down his pelvis, to the drawstrings of his shorts.
He grunted his approval, and the loosely tied loops came undone with a short tug, the strings collapsing along his front. Around them, the air grew thick as she heeled her way back down the hall. Every time he broke their pace, trying to creep closer, her head shook no.
"Let me kiss you."
"Nuh-uh," she mumbled, skimming the door frame as she pulled him into the master bedroom.
His eyes scanned her body, not quite darker than her usual tone just yet, but already glowing from her first few hours of sun. They had arrived on a red eye that morning, and before he had even had the chance to carry their bags up, she was already prancing out of the bathroom in a bikini he hadn't seen before. It was a dark green and did little to contain her curves. Hugging instead of compressing. The way he liked it. He wondered what else she had packed in that overloaded bag of hers.
"I'll be right back." Breaking the spell, she swiveled on her heels and veered off towards their private bathroom, nodding towards the bed that would probably never be made this neatly during their stay. "Get comfortable."
"Wait, you going to change?" he called after her, a sense of urgency mingling in his tone. "Cause you're good in what you're wearing."
Her laugh echoed from the other room. "Calm down. I just have to pee."
"Good," he grumbled, turning around to deliberate between the bed or the armchair. Or the bench out on the balcony.
At the sound of her muffled voice, he turned back.
"There's some serious decision making going on here." Her braids flipped back over her head, and she pulled the hair tie from between her lips. In three swift flicks of the wrist, there was a pile sitting neatly on top of her head. "But I mean right here works, too. We have plenty of time to test out the other surfaces later."
A deep appreciation flooded through his chest as her giddy smile began its descent. On any other day, he would argue that her physicality was far from her most admirable attribute. But that was on most days. Today, he was on vacation. He was also twenty-one and horny. And the love of his life was sinking onto her knees in front of him. As her lips wrapped around him, all that ran through his mind was how much he loved this woman, how he would do anything for this woman, the plan he had for this wo—
"OLIVIA BAKER!! TIME TO GO!!"
_____
"How mad was Spencer?" Kia asked.
"He wasn't mad." Shaking her head for extra reassurance, Olivia focused intensely on a short-sleeve button down she had picked off the rack. She assessed it at a different angle, trying to picture her boyfriend in the bold stripes. There had only been a long string of expletives, a few eye rolls. He may have held onto her wrist for a full sixty seconds. But he was fine. He understood. She hung the garment back up and opted for the neutral-toned alternative, diverting her gaze as she folded it over her arm with the ten other pieces she had picked out. "No, he was cool."
A loud teeth suck echoed behind them. "Spencer can get his dick sucked some other time."
"Simone," Olivia hissed, her eyes flaring at her friend's volume.
"Now tell me, are you shopping for yourself or your man?" Simone asked, with blatant disregard for the eyes bulging out of their sockets.
The same eyes narrowed at the suggestive dress the tennis player had been toting around the store. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Girl, shut up. I saw some of the items you slipped into that dressing room. Let me see what else you got."
Olivia presented the series of coordinated outfits, and Simone hummed knowingly. Olivia bit her lip, grinning. "You see the vision?"
"I see it. I see it."
Reigning the attention back in, Kia sighed. "I wish I had a man to dress up with."
"Girl, stop being dramatic," Simone said. "You do."
"You definitely do," Layla piped up from behind the curtain of her changing stall. "Jordan told me Darnell is lost without you."
Olivia offered an encouraging smile. Everything there was to be said had already been said. During the planning process, during the plane ride, during the taxi ride to the boutique they were currently standing in. Her friend was officially stuck and holding everyone else hostage with her.
"I just don't get how you guys do it," Kia choked out, her arms crossing in an attempt to hold herself together. "There are so many ups and downs. It's exhausting. My nervous system can't take it anymore. You all make it look so easy."
Simone opened her arms to Kia. "You have to make a decision and stand in it, babe. Love doesn't have to be so hard."
"You guys seemed totally fine earlier this morning," Olivia pointed out.
"Yeah because we're somewhere fun and new and exciting, but it feels like he wants me to forget."
"I mean he probably does," Olivia mumbled.
"Every morning I wake up not knowing if my boyfriend—"
"He's not..." Both Kia and Simone's eyes warned Olivia to not finish that statement. "Sorry, go on."
"I wake up to an empty bed every morning, not knowing if his body is being put to use somewhere else. How would you feel if Spencer slept with someone else?"
Olivia straightened. "First of all, Spencer and I have been together, together for four years now, and before that, it really wasn't any of my business or in my control. And I love you Kia, but you and Darnell weren't even really together when he slept with Mara. He kind of did it because you're never straight forward with him, so he has no clue how you feel."
Simone bounced off the thought. "If you want to be with him, and it sounds like you do—"
"You know what? Forget I brought this up. I'm sorry I took you from Spencer, Liv. And I'm sure you two had better things to do with Lando and Jordan."
Simone tried again. "Just listen to us, babe. We came out because we love you, but you're getting in your own way."
"I'm not." Kia shook her head in denial. "I'm really not. You have a man who stands ten toes down in every decision you make, and Spencer cherishes the ground you walk on. I don't know why I expected you guys to understand."
"It's not always easy," Olivia offered weakly. "We've had our rough moments, but—"
"Jordan and I had a pregnancy scare," Layla blurted.
Three bundles of braids whipped through the air, wide eyes landing on the half-dressed girl walking out of the changing room.
"Actually, we're in the middle of a pregnancy scare... if that makes it any better. I'm terrified, and he's not handling it very well either, so..."
Olivia twisted the ring around her thumb, for once, at a loss for words. This had to be a sick joke.
"I'm a day late, and I'm never late... I took a test last night before the flight, and it came back negative. But we're not sure if it's too soon to tell."
"Oh, babe." Simone set down her outfit selections, and the other girls followed, for the moment, forgetting the messy boy drama. "We're here if you need anything."
_____
After a long afternoon of shopping and spa treatments and skipping the planned group dinner to make sure everyone was emotionally stable, Olivia finally found herself back where she belonged. The warmth from the crackling fire caressed her cheek, her eyes studied the sky. Speckled with tiny stars, it stretched over her like a black canvas, providing a vast openness that allowed her room to think. She would say the evening was equally as quiet, but in the background, her friend's laughter and the late night music permeated through the house's walls. Though, it didn't detract from the moment. Instead the filtered noise brought her a sense of happiness that settled deep in her belly. Her friends deserved a good break from school. They all did.
Located in a small beach town, their villa was far away from any large cities, and coming from LA, being here felt like a pause on life. A tiny, but necessary break from the constant go-go-go. She wished that they could spend a whole month—the amount of time truly needed to allow their responsibilities to slip from their minds—here, but of course, they were limited. The football players had only been granted four days off before it was time for spring ball. An inconvenience, sure, but one that she wouldn't let bother her. If four days was what she got, she'd soak in every last second of the beautiful mirage that was vacation life.
Under her body weight, Spencer watched Olivia watch the stars. He never understood what she liked looking at so much. He was also itching to ask about her day. The silence was nice, but he didn't love it nearly as much as she did. He much rather hear the sound of her voice.
So when he spoke, he spoke cautiously, not wanting to interrupt her peace. "How was shopping?"
"It was good. A bit dramatic, but good," she said, rolling her head over and smiling softly. "We went to this cute little strip with all these boutiques, and— oh!" Untangling her arms from his, she pushed herself up. "I got you something!"
He hummed, pulling her back down to where she had been resting on his chest.
"Don't you want to see it?" she murmured.
His head dipped to hers, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "You can show me later."
Snaking her hand up his chest and into his curls, she nodded, her nose knocking against his. "Okay."
The silence settled back over them. She cradled his head closer, needing the soft caress of his lips again. His firm hand pressed against the dip in her lower back, pulling her closer, and a tentative prod of the tongue eased into a slow and familiar dance. Over the crackle of the fire, quiet sighs and rolling moans floated up into the cloudless sky.
"I missed you," she murmured, her lips not quite touching his, but not quite committed to pulling away from him either. It had only been hours, but most of what she had planned on soaking in was this sacred time with him. Spring break was one of the only times of year where they got to be fully relaxed in each other's presence.
He stole another peck. "I missed you."
She pressed a finger into his chest. "What did you do this afternoon?"
"I got a call from the Seahawks."
"That's amazing," she smiled, her eyes lighting up. "But for what? You're not entering the draft until next year."
"Coaches just wanted to talk. You know, let me know that they've been keeping an eye on me. They said they think me sticking out this last year in college will do me good."
Olivia's grin stretched wide as she listened to his news. "That's incredible, Spencer. It's only a matter of time before you have more teams calling."
He chuckled quietly. His girlfriend had a way of only seeing his future through a thick lens of delusion. Even when they were just friends, she had been convinced of his success. Now, he couldn't deny the impact of her unwavering support.
She shrugged as if she had some soft of top secret intel. "I bet they'll all be fighting over you."
His cackle echoed through the quiet night. "Alright, woman."
The smug look didn't leave her face. "I'm just saying."
Just as fast as it had come, his smile melted. Her head tilted in concern. "What? Did I say something?"
"I just hope everything between us works out," he whispered. The slight waver in his voice provided a peephole to a much deeper worry. "You know, wherever I go."
"It will," she reassured him, running her thumb over the shell of his ear. "Everything will always work out between you and me."
A painful sounding thud reverberated behind them, followed by the creak of the sliding door dragging in its frame. They both craned their necks to suss out the damage. Turned out, Jordan had attempted to walk through the glass.
"You good?" Spencer called out, his voice echoing out in the night.
"Good as ever," Jordan smiled. He sauntered jovially towards the fire pit, entirely unfazed by the collision.
Too unfazed.
Olivia cocked an eyebrow. "Are you drunk?"
Her brother shrugged her off. "It's spring break, sis. Have a drink!"
Layla walked up quietly behind him, mouthing, "He's spiraling." Her finger twirled, mimicking a mini tornado.
Not one to miss cues, Spencer's eyes ping-ponged between the two friends. "What is she saying?"
"Nothing," Olivia hushed, taking two shots off the silver tray. "Thank you, Jordan. Please don't go near the pool."
Jordan's head swiveled. "A swim sounds good, no?"
Layla grimaced apologetically. "No, babe."
Jordan's expression hardened at the word.
"Let's go back inside," Layla whispered.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing," Olivia mumbled. She snuggled back into his arms, letting the beat of his heart and the warmth of the alcohol bring her back down. She felt fuzzy. Exactly how she wanted to feel. "He's just having fun."
"Why are you keeping secrets from me?"
"I'm not."
"Oh yeah?"
"Spencer," she laughed. His fingers dug deeper into her waist, and her squirming turned into an urgent need to get as far away as possible. "Spencer, stop!"
Her gasping breaths only urged him on. "Tell me, woman."
Panting, she stood and pressed a hand to his forehead, keeping him at bay. "It's not my business to—"
"Shit, girl." Spencer's arm swooped around her thighs, and she bucked into his lap. Her shorts had been millimeters from the flickering flame. "I gotta bring you back in one piece."
"No more tickling," she warned, equally as unfazed by the fire as her brother had been by the collision. Spencer chuckled quietly to himself while helping her lower into a straddle.
"How about we go back to our room, and I show you why I'm never letting you go," she murmured.
Spencer held her body down and exhaled deeply as he slowly began to steer her hips.
"You're mine forever, Spencer James. I'd like to see an NFL team try to take you away. Do you hear me?"
Closing his eyes, he murmured along, letting her affirmations anchor him back down. "Yeah."
"And once I'm done with law—"
Spencer nodded, waiting for her to fill the silence. When she didn't, he opened his eyes. "Liv?"
Her worried gaze was over his shoulder, her mind already miles away from thoughts of their future. "Wait, I'll be right back."
He groaned, trying to catch her ankle as she swung her leg off the seat. "Liv, no."
"No, baby. This is important. I swear."
Turning over his shoulder, he saw Simone waiting for her at the back door. When she didn't turn back to look at him, he let his head fall back and waited.
_____
A sleepy smile inched across Olivia's lips before she even had a chance to open her eyes. The heavy weight of Spencer's body cocooned around her, the musky scent of his skin filling her senses. The room was hot, and the comforter rested at her waist. She had a faint memory of shoving it off herself at some point in the night, though the action made little difference with the human radiator pressed up against her.
The sun was just starting to peak in through the windows, but his warm lips were already brushing up the nape of her neck, ready to pick up where they had left off. She had stumbled back into the room around one am to find him asleep. Though she couldn't blame him. The sun on vacation had a special kind of power, knocking even the strongest men out cold. Too lazy to put on pajamas, she had shed her evening clothes, slithered under the sheets and joined him.
Shimmying under the weight of his arms, she rolled over to get a glimpse of his face, eyes half opened, jaw free of tension. The look of serenity. No one ever believed her when she tried to depict her boyfriend as calm and gentle. But she got proof every morning.
"Good morning, baby." His voice was thick, the satisfying sound of true rest.
"Good morning," she murmured, looping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. Warm and soft in the morning, his lips melded to hers, gently coaxing sleepy sighs out of her. His hands slid down her back and gripped the back of her thighs, spreading them open around his waist. With her warm heat nestled against his erection, he groaned into her.
"You sleep good?"
She nodded lazily, not yet ready for full blown conversation. Her forehead pressed against his as she concentrated on perfecting the rolling motion of her hips. "You feel good," she murmured.
Trying not to interrupt her rhythm, he locked an arm around her waist, holding her to him as he eased her onto her back. The weight of his hips settled between her thighs, and her body arched into his. He loved how she reacted to them simply pressed together, heat against heat.
As he kissed down her neck, her movements became tighter, her whimpers filling his ear as the wetness made it harder for her to maintain the friction.
Through labored breaths, she began to shudder.
"Already, baby?" he panted.
"Don't stop," she pleaded, pulling his mouth up to hers. Through broken kisses, she let out a stuttered gasp. "Please don't stop."
Her legs tightened around his waist, and he groaned at the warm gush seeping onto his balls. Now painfully hard, he wanted in. But her ankles were locked, heels digging into his glutes. Eyes falling shut, she let her head fall to the side as shallow pants carried her through the build-up, her chest heaving slightly, her nipples hard against his chest.
Still drowsy, she came quietly, her twitching lips the only indication of the pleasure coursing through her veins.
"Give me a second," she mumbled when her legs loosened, and he pulled back to line himself up.
He mustered up every ounce of patience he had left in him, and in hopes of speeding up the process, kissed his way down her body, reveling in her tiny sighs. Lost in themselves, neither of them heard Simone coming down the hall or the door creaking open.
She popped her head into the room, shielding her eyes. "Sounds like you guys are good. Car is leaving in five."
"Fuck," Spencer shouted.
"This isn't an optional outing," Simone yelled back before slamming the door shut behind her.
Spencer looked up from between her thighs, his gaze no longer soft and loving. "You couldn't lock it when you came in?"
She met his gaze apologetically. "I was half asleep."
_____
Unimpressed by the views, the nice weather, or basically anything, Spencer stood alone at the head of the trail. It was only 9am, and it was already too damn hot for this. He rolled up the map in his hands, its contents already ingrained in his mind. Most of the other guys looked worse for wear, so he had nominated and voted himself as leader of this little unwanted excursion.
"Let's go, people."
Laughing chatter floated from several feet away where Olivia stood talking with her girls. Unlike him, she held no tension. Her lithe figure looked relaxed in her two piece workout set. Legs crossed, she hugged her water bottle to her chest. The only other group of english-speaking tourists, donning bright-colored Asics and matching CamelBaks, turned wearily in his direction. When they took too long to turn away, he gave their sunscreen-lathered faces a tight-lipped smile.
Jordan stumbled out of the van, clearly still under the influence of the alcohol, and Darnell followed, looking like he hadn't slept a wink. Lando double-checked his parking job and followed the stragglers over.
"What's wrong with you?" Spencer asked without a hint of sympathy.
A heavy arm slammed down on his shoulder as Darnell dropped his weight onto him. "Kia."
Spencer looked over at the girls' huddle. They were no longer laughing. Instead, they whispered, stealing looks over their shoulders. The wide receiver didn't have time for this. "What's so big a deal that you both can't talk it out? She's feeling you, you've been feeling her. Simple." Easy. One plus one equals two. He could go on, but his point had been made.
"It's not that simple."
Spencer locked his jaw. If he had to be Dr. Phil on a vacation, he was at least going to do it while they moved closer to his goal. Calling over to Olivia, he gestured for the girls to start walking ahead of them.
"Talk," Spencer muttered.
By the time they made it up the mountain, Spencer had been overloaded with every detail of Darnell's tumultuous love life. How he and Kia had agreed to keep things light. How she agreed that if either of them caught feeling they'd have a conversation. How he sensed it happening and had tried on multiple occasions to start the discussion. He called her prideful in every sense of the word until he finally gave up and gave her space.
But it didn't work. They fell into a constant back and forth, and it didn't help that any time she'd call, he'd come crawling back. She continued to deny that he meant anything more to her than a friend with benefits. To prove her point then, he slept with his friend Mara.
In the end, his point had been made, but it only brought out the ugly truth—they loved each other, but they couldn't make it work. Together, their tempers resembled a pot at a rolling boil, constantly threatening to spill over.
"How do you make it look so easy?" Darnell sighed as they took their final steps to the top.
"Liv ain't easy," Spencer chuckled.
"Then why put up with their shit?"
"Watch it," the wide receiver said, his tone clipped. He looked around until he found a solid rock to lean against. "As I was saying, Liv ain't easy, but neither am I. I can't really explain it, man. Other than—she makes me better. I want to be around her. Any day, given the option, I'll choose her because she makes me a better man. Shit. I'm lucky she lets me in her orbit. That's why I put up with it. And honestly, the annoying shit is so inconsequential at the end of the day. There's not much to put up with when you put it into perspective."
Darnell's head dropped between his shoulders. "I mean when I'm with Kia I feel like the luckiest man in the world. It's so insane. This feeling inside me." The quarterback kicked a rock before his anger simmered up again. "But how do I know she's not just fucking with me, and she really don't care? Huh? I tried opening up to her man. I tried, but she has this damn ego—"
"It's the little things Olivia does that shows me she's always thinking about me. They're clear," Spencer cut in. His gaze followed Olivia as she directed her best friends for the camera. "There's no question with us. And I'm not saying you can't be scared. It's a wild thing to open up to someone like that, but she gotta be willing to help you through those moments. That's when you know."
Keeping quiet, Darnell let his gaze wander to Kia.
"Liv's been by my side through the injuries and the depression and the family events. When I make it to the league, that woman gets everything she wants."
"Not that she'll need it," Jordan chimed in, slumping down next to them. "With a law degree and that attitude."
Spencer chuckled to himself. On the other side of the outlook, his girlfriend was repositioning everyone for a third time. She ran back from the tripod, squeezing herself into the frame at the last second. "She won't need my help, but she'll get it. She'll get it all."
_____
In the villa's largest bathroom, the girls alternated through showers and lined up in front of the mirror to get ready for another day of sunbathing. The atmosphere was a little quieter than usual as the entire group had been forced to sit through a tense car ride back. Thanks to nothing other than a petty argument gone wrong between Kia and Darnell on the hike down.
"You just have to stop playing games and be honest about your feelings for him," Olivia offered. "That's what worked for,"—three sets of eyes reflected back at her, "what?"
"How about you sit this one out, babe," Simone suggested.
Olivia's eyebrows furrowed together. "Why? Because I have a functioning relationship, and she can't make a decision."
"Jesus, Liv."
"I'm serious, how many times are we going to go over this? He wants you, Kia."
"And she's gonna keep talking," Simone mumbled at the counter.
"He wants you, and everyone with eyes can see it," Olivia snapped. The constant interruptions and energy downers had her at her wits' end. "You either forgive him for sleeping with someone while you guys were very clearly not together or you let him free. I love you Kia, but we have four days here, and I didn't come on vacation to hear the same fucking story a hundred times over."
Stunned, Kia watched her friend storm out of the bathroom. When the initial ice chipped off, she looked over to her remaining friends for validation. "Bitch."
Layla's eyes widened as she became preoccupied with finding her blush.
"So what, you guys are just going to take her side?"
Simone took a deep breath. "We've all been trying to tell you the same thing, and we're running out of ways to say it nicely."
"You know what." Kia snatched her scrunchie off the counter. "Fuck y'all."
_____
Spencer didn't get it. The sand burned the soles of his feet and the shells pressed into his skin as he tried to be obscure in his searching. Olivia had texted that she was under the blue one. Except the cabanas were all blue, and she wasn't in any of them.
As he strolled, he stared at the resort guests, strewn out like dead fish on their beach chairs—just laying there, absorbing the sun and all its carcinogenic properties. Couldn't be him. His girl had schooled him on the importance of SPF the first time she caught him playing ball shirtless in the hellish summer heat. Her intensity had thrown him off, but after she offered to apply the lotion for him, he realized he didn't mind a little extra sun protection.
Speaking of, it was probably time to reapply.
"What took you so long?" Olivia called, swinging her legs back under her as he approached. She crawled towards the edge of the bed under her cabana.
"You said the blue one."
She slipped one of the frozen cocktails from his hand, ignoring his lips as they leaned in for a thank you. Goosebumps prickled her skin at the first sip. Her hand waved around idly. "Yeah, it is blue."
"They're all blue, Liv."
"Then you could have just looked for me."
"That's what—you know what, never mind."
She shrugged, patting the empty spot next to her. He eased down, happy to be back in her personal space.
"You missed me?" she giggled. He pursed his lips, and she steadied her straw for him. "You have your own, sir."
"Everything that's yours tastes better."
A heat rose in her cheeks, and she busied herself with downing more of her piña colada. Around them, their fellow neighbors leisurely flipped pages of trashy romances or pretended to listen to podcasts, when they were really sleeping behind their sunglasses.
She turned back to him. "What did you and the guys talk about on the hike?"
"The usual, you know, football."
"Mhm," she hummed along, unconvinced. "Then why'd you keep looking at me."
He shrugged. "I was thinking about you."
"Thinking about me or... talking about me?" she singsonged.
"What's up with you and knowing everything, woman."
Her mouth fell open in mock offense. "Speaking like you weren't Mr. Nosey yesterday!"
His palm grazed up her thigh and settled on her hip, pulling her towards him. "How many times I gotta tell you, anything involving you, I wanna know about," he murmured.
"Well..." Her hand cupped his cheek. "It wasn't about me."
Smirking, he stretched his bicep out and laid his head down, getting comfortable. She couldn't help but giggle.
"But if you must know," she started. "Kia and Darnell are stuck in a never-ending loop of toxicity."
"I knew that one. What else?" he prompted.
"Kia and I got into a bit of an altercation?"
"What did you do?"
Her jaw fell open again, and she scooted away. "Why do you think I'm the one who started it?"
"Were you?"
Her lips fell into a pout.
"C'mere," he chuckled, dragging her back across the bed. She threw a thigh around his waist, and he hummed contently. "My little straight shooter."
"It's just been nonstop for weeks," she vented. "On our FaceTimes while we packed—Darnell this, Darnell that. At the airport—where's Darnell? On the fucking hike. Like when does it stop? She's the one who wants to live in limbo. Why should we suffer?"
"They're going through a rough patch, Liv."
Her voice softened. "And I get that, but we've been there for her every step of the way, and nothing changes. I just want to enjoy my vacation with you, and that's been kind of hard with everyone else's problems. She needed a little tough love."
"You're not wrong."
"I know I'm not!"
"Anything else?" he murmured between kisses to her collarbone.
"Layla and Jordan had a pregnancy scare."
His head craned up to look her in the eye. "But they good?"
"Mhm," she hummed, twirling one of his coils around her fingertip. "She was scared shitless last night, but they're in the clear now. That's why I had to leave last night."
Spencer hummed knowingly, giving her waist a gentle squeeze. They had their own scare freshman year, and the fear they felt that night alone had been enough for them to get their act together. She hadn't missed a day of birth control since.
"Anything else?"
"No. You're all caught up."
"In that case."
Spencer increased his suction on the sweet spot at the base of her neck, clearing her mind of anything and everything. While he worked at leaving his mark, his hand patted behind her, searching for her towel.
"What are you doing?" she mumbled as he shifted the towel over her waist. Her breath caught in her throat. "Spencer, what are you doing?"
"Shhh. Relax."
Her head dropped back to his shoulder, and she moaned into his neck.
"You keep leaving me for everyone else's problems, I have to get you while I can."
"I won't leave anymore," she whimpered. "I promise."
"I know you won't."
He kept an eye out while she fought to keep her body still against his. He couldn't help but gloat in the knowledge that her inability to move without giving themselves away made what he was doing a hundred times more excruciating for her.
"Go faster," she breathed.
"No."
"I need to...," she groaned, sinking her teeth into his neck.
His smugness skyrocketed at how quickly she had lost her senses. "Not yet."
"Please."
In the distance, he spotted Lando waving his hands over his head, trying to catch their attention. He pulled his hand free, wiping a finger along her thigh, his mouth lowering to her ear. "We have to go back to the house now but tonight, I'm not letting you go."
_____
Olivia's legs parted instinctively as Spencer waded through the water towards her perch at the edge of the pool. She had scowled all the way back to the house, stalking in front of him while he strolled along behind her, enjoying the view. When they walked in through the gate, he had let her go off to her friends, veering off in his own direction to throw the ball around with the guys while she calmed down. He had known it wouldn't take long, and now he caught her trying to hide her smile while she nodded along to whatever Simone and Layla were telling her.
His head found a resting place on her pillowy thigh, and not wanting to interrupt whatever conversation she had going on, he loosely looped his arms around her hips. An appreciative hum rumbled through him as her fingers grazed the back of his ear.
"Boy, this conversation doesn't pertain to you."
"Let him stay," Olivia cooed, locking her calves around his back. "He's tired."
Spencer looked up at the perpetual disruptor of his peace and grinned. Lando and Jordan also chose that moment to plop down besides their respective women, and suddenly, Simone had nothing left to say.
"If Spencer can keep his mouth off my sister for longer than a few minutes, maybe we can hit up that taco stand the Uber driver suggested to us for dinner?"
Spencer's gaze lifted from where he had been pecking at Olivia's thighs. "If she's down, I'm down."
"I'm game," Layla nodded.
The crew settled into an argument over where to go for dessert, and letting the others figure out the logistics, Olivia cupped her boyfriend's cheeks and leveled her head with his. His not so subtle nips required a distraction. "I know what you're doing."
"Is it working?" he smirked, straining forward to nip at her jaw.
She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of a response, but a current had been simmering under her skin since he left her high and dry at the beach. "No."
His smile stretched wider. "Okay."
"We're going to start another round of volleyball, you guys in?"
Olivia dropped her palms and turned to the group. "I'd love to."
As she scooted back, a smile bloomed across her face. One leg pulled out of the pool, then another, splashing water all over him.
"You wanna play like that?" Spencer taunted.
Walking away, she shrugged.
The first match ended up being between the guys. Spencer and Darnell teamed up against Jordan and Lando. Luckily, Olivia wasn't asked to keep score because all she could focus on were the wet shorts suctioned against her boyfriend's thighs. Layla and Simone's conversation was nearly nonexistent next to her as she tried to maintain a calm composure. But every time he scored a point and winked in her direction, the flutters started in her heart and ended up going south. By the end of the first match, the sun had dried off his back, and she sat cross-legged and drenched.
To her dismay, they scrambled the teams and started another game. She needed another distraction. Layla swiped at her phone screen, showing Simone photos of the puppy she was set to pick up when they got home.
"What's her name?" Olivia asked, pretending like she had been following all along.
Layla, looked up, smiling. Until she wasn't.
"Liv, can I talk to you?"
The voice Olivia hadn't heard since that morning was hesitant behind her. She took a deep breath, pushing down the guilt that came with not appeasing people on the spot. Then looking over her shoulder, she squinted against the sun. "I'm busy right now, but we can talk later."
Understanding, Kia hugged herself and nodded. "Yeah, we'll talk later."
"You good?" Simone asked, squeezing down on her thigh once Kia had shuffled back into the house.
Olivia shook her head, freeing herself from the regret. "I owe her an apology, but I owe someone else my time first."
Simone's gaze followed hers to Spencer. Her friend smiled. "Good for you."
It didn't take long for Olivia to forget the interaction. The sun produced a balmy warmth on her skin, serving as a reminder of where she was—on vacation in Mexico, where things were supposed to be easy and fun. And so they would be. Curling her legs up into her chest, she fell back into the sweet entertainment that was watching Spencer run and jump and dive after a silly little ball.
At the end of the third match, he jogged up to her, panting and sweaty, a wide grin planted on his face. "I'm proud of you."
Her eyes locked on his chest, following the strands of sinewy muscle fiber across his shoulder. "For what?" she mumbled.
"For choosing yourself, I saw her come over."
"Uh-huh," she nodded, finally looking up to meet his eyes. "Are you done playing?"
"Why? I still got next."
"No you don't," she said, grazing her fingers down his arms until her fingers clasped around his. "It's my turn now."
Spencer shot a look over his shoulder, but barely had a second to assess before he was being tugged away from the rest of them. She guided him around the house with both hands, ducking under palm fronds and stepping over tree roots until they made it around the corner to a hidden nook. Tucked away and out of view was an outdoor shower, sheltered by nothing more than a few palm fronds.
"Shower with me," she breathed out, twirling around to face him.
He could tell by the glint in her eyes, that what she wanted far exceeded any regular person's definition of a shower. He could also tell that she had found this spot yesterday and had been plotting on it ever since. "Liv, this ain't our own private shower."
"And?" she countered, stepping over to the faucet handle. She tinkered with the single knob, stretching out a flat palm as the water began to drip down. While she tested, his eyes darted to the side wall of the villa. Around the corner, their friends were lounging in the sun.
Sensing his indecisiveness, she softened her voice. "They're far enough. And trust me, they'll know not to come close."
His eyes traveled down her chest, to the water trailing between her breasts, over her flat stomach. Then just as slowly, he dragged them back up to her face. A tantalizing grin awaited him. One he could never resist. While her hands worked behind her neck, her eyes held his. Until two triangles of fabric fell to the ground, and she lost him.
"Fuck."
Eyeing the outline along his thigh, she teased, "Are you just gonna watch me or you gonna let him out to play?"
"You're going to be the death of me, woman."
"A sweet death I hope."
He took one last fortifying breath and prayed for his sanity. Kicking his swim trunks to the side, he took a step forward. "Bend over."
A wild smile stretched across her face as she twirled around for him, smug satisfaction burning through her when she pressed her center up against him. An intoxicating moan slipped out of him, and she matched him, grinding her hips along the heat. He clamped his fingers onto her ass. This woman had him wrapped around his fingers, but what he needed was her wrapped around him. His eyes scaled up her back to her face, turned over her shoulder.
"I need— oh" she started, but his thigh pushed between her legs, spreading her open, "baby."
She let out an indulgent hum as his tip slid up and down her folds, gliding easily through the wetness.
"Okay enough teasing," she whimpered.
He steadied himself at her entrance, feeling her walls pulse, desperate to suck him in. When he finally pressed in, a whimpering cry fell from her lips, and halfway through, he sighed from the overdue pressure wound tight around him.
"Fuck, you're tight, babygirl."
Her mouth hung open as she eased herself up and down his thickness, tingles shooting through her body, waking up every last nerve ending as she got him deeper and deeper. By the time she got him fully buried, the distant chatter had fallen quiet. Whether they were listening nervously, or her brain had managed to tune out everything but him, she no longer cared.
He pulled himself out until just the tip lingered, leaving her empty and wanting. "You sure about this?"
She'd never been more sure in her life. "Mhm."
His quads slammed into the back of her thighs, and she yelped. Searching for a better grip, his fingers slid up to her hips, grabbing on tight while he found a steady rhythm. He never imagined he'd ever be so open, but lost in her wet heat, gripping and pulsing around him, he was no longer bothered by the hot sun beating down his back. Nothing else mattered besides the charged circuit that pulsed between them as he fucked her under the open sky. And fuck her he did. Again and again, his shaft slid through her parted lips, stretching her open and hitting her deep. Under the waterfall, her ass rippled with each stroke, aiding in the loud smacking between them. Her whining ramble—that had started off quiet—lost control as the warmth licked every part of them, inside and out.
"Oh, fuck. Baby, baby. Oh... god."
"You like this?" he growled, punctuating each mewls with a rough thrust.
"Don't stop. Ple— oh, oh, oh, shit."
Her legs trembled as the warmth in her belly blossomed into a heavy heat. He was hitting her just right, beating behind that knot tightening behind her clit. "I'm gonna cum."
"Cum for me, baby."
"I'm gonna cum," she cried again as her walls began to flutter, the heat flickering, desperate to let loose and set her body ablaze.
He picked up the pace in his mission to set her off, the muscles in his back straining against the threatening pulses. "Let go, Liv."
His hips rolled into her, pushing himself deep, and a strangled moan poured out of her. Her whole body went taut, her orgasm ripping through her.
Behind her, he didn't relent. Fucking her through her climax. Savoring the deep rhythmic clenching until he couldn't take anymore. On a particularly strong pulse, his seed flooded her insides, sending her over the edge a second time. Her vision blurred, and she hardly noticed him wrapping his forearms around her waist, pressing her back into his chest as his hips jerked uncontrollably.
Panting heavily into her ear, he finally loosened his grip on her limp body. Only to tighten it back up again when she lost her footing.
She turned in his arms, burying her face into his chest. "I can't... I can't believe we did that."
Pressing his lip against her ear, he chuckled. "I can... and I'd do it again."
"Do you think they heard?"
"I think the neighbors three villas down heard."
Her face flushed as she pushed away from him, taking in his wet body, still heaving slightly from his efforts. Her own limbs still radiated in pleasure, and she knew he felt the same. He swung his hand forward, catching hers.
"We need to get inside," she mumbled, "to a real shower."
"Mhm."
"How?"
"We walk casually."
She nodded to herself, wiping her hands against her thighs, only to realize they were wet from the water. "Okay, yeah."
While he pulled his shorts back on, she retied her bathing suit and shook down her braids. Having them down looked more casual. "Okay, you ready?"
Intertwining his fingers with hers, he nodded, his lids still heavy, his mind still relishing in the scenes from moments before.
Her steps were tentative as she dragged him back along the south-facing wall. As she turned the corner, she heard a loud throat clearing, but who it came from, she'd never know because seconds later she was running through the grass and laughing as they beelined for the back door.
_____
Olivia sighed at the fullness as she lightly bounced on her boyfriend's lap. Freshly awoken from their nap, his face was relaxed as ever as she took her time riding him.
"Next year, it's just you and me," he moaned.
She hummed in agreement, focused on the slow but steady stirring happening between her legs. With each swirl of her hips, the warmth pulsed further and further. "We can go somewhere far, far away."
His eyes glazed over, and he nodded while her hands caressed her bare torso, her skin pricking under her own touch. Entranced, he watched as her head rolled back, moans sputtering up her throat. This had been his vision for spring break—her winding tight around him, him losing count of how many times she had let go.
Her hands landed on his pelvis as she slumped forward, catching her breath.
"You good, baby?"
She nodded as his hand caressed her hip, thumb swirling around her hip bone. She lifted her hips an inch and sighed as she sank back down. Most people probably figured their constant fucking was his doing. From the outside, it surely looked that way, with the way his gaze traced her every step, devouring her no matter her outfit choice. But she craved him. So much so that sometimes, she thought she was going crazy.
It wasn't just the feeling of sex that she desired—though she loved that, too—but how free she felt with him. To be herself. To feel pleasure in its purest form. To explore. He was her haven. Her best friend. And those facts alone made the sex nothing short of addictive.
"You need food?" he murmured.
"Not yet," she mumbled. The aftershocks rippled through her, tingles shooting through her limbs, urging her to repeat the motion until the feeling tapered off. Finally, she raised her hips off fully, and he watched as a clear string of her essence stretched out between the tip of his shaft and her swollen folds.
Catching the lick of his lips, she shook her head. "Nuh-uh. I still owe you."
"It's okay, baby," he mumbled. "Let's go get something to eat."
But she was already pressing his thighs apart and settling between them. A warm wetness enveloped him, and all thoughts of food were snatched away. Her cheeks sunk in, replicating the pressure he had felt inside her. A warm tingle crept up his back at the pace of her lips dragging up his length.
He came free with a pop, and she tapped him against her bottom lip. "I taste good on you."
"Keep going," he groaned. He had been fine to call it quits a second ago, but he no longer appreciated the pause.
Grinning, she spit down on his head, watching the clear fluid drip down along him. A rumbling groan sounded above her as a reward. She knew he loved everything she did, but he wouldn't deny—he liked it messy.
He growled again, and she chuckled, dipping back down. Taking her time, she latched onto his tip, working her way down until she had as much of him as she could manage. Through it all, his groans echoed through the room, cut off only by a sharp inhale when gentle fingers landed on his balls, massaging the sensitive area until inner thigh muscles twitched.
"Fuck," he hissed as his hips involuntarily came off the mattress.
When she knew he had reached his limit, she let him go. She crawled back up his body, careful to move his softening dick out of the way before sitting back in his lap. "Had to keep my promise."
His head fell back against the headboard, and he thought back to his conversation with Darnell. It was all worth it. The constant waiting for her to get ready, the petty disputes, the frustration of watching her choose others over herself time and time again. All of it was worth it to hear the quiet murmurings happening in his ear.
She suckled down his neck, whispering her praises until a stomach rumble had her go mute. She paused, brushing her thumb over his thick eyebrow to get him to open his eyes. "Okay, now let's go eat."
_____
In the quiet kitchen, Olivia's hip bumped against the counter as she scarfed down leftover tacos. They hadn't made it to the famed taco stand itself, but their friends had been kind enough to bring some back for them.
"Damn, woman." Spencer stood across from her, leaning against the stove.
She held up the collapsing mess in a silent offering.
He opened his mouth, and at the first bite, his nose scrunched. Mouth full, he mumbled, "Didn't even take the time to heat yours up."
She shrugged. It was the cost of choosing alone time over dinner. She was starving. Modern heating methods be damned.
From across the room, curled up in Jordan's arms, Layla watched the best friends turned lovers. "They're cute," she murmured. A smile graced her lips as she looked up at her boyfriend.
His eyes narrowed on his friend's face, recognizing the relaxed look. "Most of the time," he grumbled.
"Don't act like you're not worse," Layla giggled.
"Oh, they're definitely worse," Jordan cringed.
Layla snuggled deeper into his arms. "I'm happy for her. She found her person."
"You ready to go?" Spencer asked as Olivia dumped her trash into the bin.
"Not yet," she replied, scurrying across the kitchen to launch herself at him.
"What's this for?" he laughed, tightening his forearms around her waist.
"You make me happy," she murmured. "Very, very happy."
"Let's go on this walk girl before we end up back in bed."
Standing on her tiptoes, she waited for him to get the message and pick her up. They exchange soft smiles. "Let's go."
He swiped his keys with his free hand and carried her to the entrance. On their way out, they paused at the door. Above them, a soft thumping turned into something much louder. Then two seconds later, a high-pitched whine rang through the house, and her eyes went wide.
"You think they figured their shit out?" Olivia giggled.
Spencer didn't respond, hitching her higher onto his waist and clearing the front door. All the way down the walkway, he grumbled to himself, and she watched on, amused.
"This is supposed to be a wholesome vacation," Spencer muttered.
Olivia fought to hold back her laughter. "Baby, I think we've already—"
Ignoring her, he craned his neck, yelling through the hand she clamped over his mouth, "have some respect!"
_____
On the last morning of the trip, Spencer stood at the kitchen island with most of the group, picking at the remaining inventory of snacks. They had fifteen minutes left before their driver arrived to take them to the airport.
"Everyone have a good time?" Jordan asked.
Sitting on the counter, Simone tightened her arms around Lando and nodded. Layla rolled her head against his chest, looking up at him and smiling.
"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled, planting a kiss on his girlfriend's lips.
Spencer brought his attention back to the grape he was rolling between his fingers. Though it hadn't been his top choice, a group vacation hadn't been the worst thing they'd ever done. He popped the grape into his mouth, and at the sound of the glass door sliding open, he turned.
His eyes immediately searched her face for any signs of distress, but she shook her head and smiled softly.
"We're good," she whispered, sliding her arms around his waist and planting her palms on his chest. Her cheek pressed into his back. "We just need some time."
Spencer's eyes scanned the group until he found Kia, leaning against Darnell in the corner. Whether they had worked things out between themselves, it was hard to really know. They had seen this play out countless times before with no clear answer. It also wasn't his business. He had enough going on for himself.
"You ready to go home?" he whispered over his shoulder.
"No," she mumbled, "but it's time."
He pressed a kiss to her sun-kissed forehead and went to grab their bags. As he helped the driver load them into the van, Olivia stood by the door, her hand waiting for his. In the car, he took one last look at their villa before the driver turned the corner.
He was happy to be headed home, but Mexico had been good to them.