Hatred With Benefits

T H I R T E E N

EVA.

"Where's your roommate?" Aliya asks as she peeps behind me and I roll my eyes, leaving her by the

door to walk inside the house, the sound of her chuckle trailing behind me.

"Are you ready?" She asks and I nod. "Yeah, I just need to grab my phone. " I motion for her to sit on

the couch while I walk to my room.

I throw my phone in my clutch and shut my door behind me, stopping at the sight of his.

I shake the thought off my mind before it grows out of control and strides back to the living room to see

Aliya settled on the couch.

"I'm ready. " I tell her and she raises her head, her eyes moving across my body.

A smile climbs on her face as she moves from the couch and stalks towards me in tiny steps. "Can I

see your room before we—"

"No. Out. Now. " I point to the door and she huffs before heading towards the door with me trailing

behind her.

"That was so disrespectful of you. " Aliya complains as I lock the door and I chuckle at the look on her

face when I meet her eyes.

"How are we getting there?" I ask her, and she says nothing but grab my wrist, dragging me along.

"The same way we get to wherever we go. " She clarifies and I groan in annoyance. I think it's time to

take up mom's advice and get a car. The suffering that comes with not having one is bigger than I

thought it would be.

"Oh, I'm excited! Our first college party. I'm curious to see what they have in store for me. " When her

lips turn up in a smirk, I giggle and say. "I'll take it as you've gotten over your mystery girl?"

She raises her shoulder dismissively. "She felt different, yes but I won't stop living my life just because

of her. "

My lips stretch into a smile and I slide a hand over her shoulder, holding her head under my arm to

ruffle her hair.

"God, what are you? Fucking five?" Aliya snaps in irritation as she slips from my grip and I laugh in

response before we cross the street.

~

The room is crowded with people. So many unfamiliar faces with bodies gliding against each other to

the tune of the music booming across the room.

"A fucking party!" Aliya screams next to me and I shake my head, a small smile climbing on my face at

the sight before me.

No sneaking in and out. No parents to keep me in my room. This is freedom. This is what fucking

freedom feels like.

"Come on, let's get you a drink. " Aliya says, dragging me to the other side of the room.

There are red cups lined across the table in front of us and Aliya looks back at me with a disgusted

face; the sight making me laugh.

"Those have been used. " I tell her and she nods, hauling us away from there.

We manage to get our cups and stand by a corner, watching the loud disarray across the room. Noises

fill every single corner and it's almost as exciting as it looks.

"Hey, I'll be back. I think I—" she pauses and furrows her brows, staring ahead of her. I move closer to

her side to catch what's she gaping at, but end up with nothing.

"What's wrong?" I ask her and she meets my eyes, a frown stretched on her face before she shakes

her head. "Nothing. I'll be back. I think I need to pee. "

"Don't keep me waiting, " I shout near her ear and she laughs, moving near mine to speak. "Blend in,

bitch. " It's the only response she gives before she pushes the cup to my chest and I snort as I watch

her find her way amidst the bodies.

I lean against the wall, and take a sip of the content in my red cup. It tastes like tequila mixed with

orange juice. The taste is odd at first touch with the tongue, but there's that familiar rush after a few

seconds.

I nod my head as the tune of the song changes from fast to slightly faster and my gaze moves across

the room, landing on none other than the last person I want to see.

Emerson is standing in his circle of friends. There are more with them from the ones who were at my

place earlier and I can easily spot the redhead who stands beside him with her hand roaming across

his chest and a wide smile on her face as Emerson throws the ball. It ends in one of the cups of beer in

the other end and before he can lift his head in excitement, redhead yanks him towards her and press

her lips to his.

I look away from the spot just before Emerson raises his head. The last thing I need is to fuel his

already fucking big, annoying Ego.

"A sight it is, isn't it?" I flinch in surprise at the voice beside me and twist my head to meet Sage's

amused eyes.

"Hey. How long have you been standing there?" I chuckle and she nods her head to the other end.

"Long enough to watch you watch them. "

"Oh, I wasn't watching them. " Sage narrows her eyes at me. "I wasn't. I was just curious about the

game. " I insist and she nods, a soft smile crossing her face.

"Do you want to join in? I'm sure they won't mind. " She suggests and I dismiss it with a wave of my

hand. "I'll pass. "

She nods, and presses her back to the wall next to me. "Did you come alone?"

"No, " I tell her and angle my head to the side, in a quick search for a dark blue head. When there's no

sight of Aliya, I look back at Sage and say, "I came with my friend. She had to use the restroom. "

"Eager to meet her. " She winks and I laugh, using the silence that stretches between us —except for

the loud music and noises around us— to take in her appearance. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a

bun, and she has ripped jean shorts complemented with a cropped tank on. Her look right here is

entirely different from the one she had earlier. Girl went from cute to complete badass and I'm amazed.

"It seemed perfect for tonight. " Sage says when she catches the notice of my stare and I nod

awkwardly.

"The nose ring, I mean. " She laughs and I raise my brows as I take note of the tiny nose stud.

"Oh, I didn't see that. "

"Then what else were you staring at?" She asks and I drag my eyes down her body before meeting her

eyes.

She nods in realization, a chuckle slipping through her lips.

I take another sip from the cup and look away from her, wondering if I should go look for Aliya.

"Have you known Emerson for long?" Sage asks, bringing my attention back to her and I nod slowly.

"High school. "

"That explains it. " She smiles.

"Explains it?" I repeat and she nods. "We met during graduation break and turned out with the same

college choices. " That explains why they all seem so close when it's only the first semester.

"Are you all freshmen?" I lift my brows and she shakes her head, taking a sip from her cup. "Not

everyone. About three are sophomores. "

"Hey, I'm back!" Aliya's voice interrupts Sage when she parts her lips to speak again and we both turn

our heads to her.

"What took you so long?" I say with a frown and she giggles she grabs her cup from me. "Drunk

assholes. " She averts her gaze to Sage before meeting my eyes again with raised brows.

"Oh, Sage, this is Aliya, the friend I told you about. And Aliya, this is Sage. We met today. "

I introduce them and watch in amusement as Aliya shoves me to the side to lean next to Sage.

"Hey. I love your name. " She grins and I roll my eyes.

"Love your hair. It's beautiful. " Sage responds and I stride to the other side, leaving them in their

bubble.

I walk up to the seat at the other end and crouch next to a guy.

"Hello beautiful, " he smiles and I lift my head to him. "Hi. "

"I'm Dan. I don't think I've seen you around. " He creases his brows as he extends his hand and I take it

in mine for a short handshake before withdrawing my hand.

"I'm new. " I inform him and he nods with a gorgeous dimpled smile. "Welcome to the frat house.

Enjoying it so far?"

I tilt my head to his side. "Enjoying, yes. Fun, no. "

Dan laughs. "Is there a difference? "

"Of course, there is, " I tell him. "I enjoy the sight but I'm not exactly having fun. "

"I bet I could change that. " A sly smile covers his face as he shifts closer to my end, and I take it as an

invitation for something I'm not new to.

Dan has curly blonde hair that looks more on the tousled side with blue eyes to complement the hair.

The seducing smile, the almost indiscernible bite of his lips and his brow piercing screams a word that

thrills me: Fun.

I haven't had sex since the last time in Emerson's car and maybe that's what's fucking with my brain

and messing with my head. A time with another man should scrub off every feeling of Emerson Ford

across my body and Dan seems like he's a guy who can give me what I want.

"I would love to see you try. " I put on my flirty smile and drop my hand over the edge of the couch.

Dan pushes his face closer to mine and just as his lips rest on mine, the vibration of a phone interrupts

us.

"That isn't mine. " I tell him as I draw back a bit and he nods, moving his hand to the back of my head

to bring me close again. "It's mine. Ignore it. " He closes his lips over mine and he tastes of the drink

I've been having. His lips are soft and careful against mine, nothing like the aggressiveness and

dominance that comes with Emerson's– an observation I shouldn't fucking think about.

His phone rings again and he groans against my lips. Pulling back, a soft smile rests on his lips as he

strokes my cheek. "Give me a minute and you can have me for the rest of the night. "

"That sounds like a perfect plan. " I whisper and he laughs before moving from his seat and walking

away.

A sigh slips through my parted lips and I push my body back, my eyes meeting Emerson's. He has his

eyes fixed on me and Paige on his laps. I throw him a smirk I hope he catches before looking away

from him.

I move from my seat and I take two steps forward before I freeze. She looks just exactly like the image

I have in my head and my breath closes up. I try to take a step forward to her but I can't move. She's so

close yet so far from me. My heart clenches in my chest and black dots appears in my vision. I grip the

cup tighter and I'm almost sure the drink is spilling as I try to hold back my scream.

"Are you okay?" The voice startles me out of my unwelcomed thoughts and I twist my head to see

Emerson by my side. I turn my head back to her and she's gone. She was never here. She's always

never.

"I'm starting to think you care about me, Ford. " I easily slip out of those thoughts to Emerson Ford.

Emerson studies me for a few seconds before inching closer. He lowers his voice as he speaks. "You're

hiding, aren't you?"

His words catch me off guard, but I'm quick to mask it with hostility. "What are you on this time?"

"It's something, Carson. It happened last time and there's no use denying it because I saw it. " He says

and I scoff. "Never realized you enjoy watching me. Am I not the least sight you love to see?"

"Oh trust me, you are. " He smiles. "And I'm not watching you, I'm being forced to notice. "

"Could have fooled me, Ford. " I tsk and he pushes closer till his breath tickles my face. "You're

clenching your legs. Do I make you hot, Carson?"

"Please, " I laugh. "You flaunt yourself too much than you deserve. "

When Emerson presses his body to mine, I don't stop him. When he expertly slides his thigh between

my legs, I don't stop him. And when he rubs his thigh against my aching core, I don't stop him.

I don't stop him because soft and gentle can no longer give me what I want. Only Ford's

aggressiveness can take this away. Just like he did that night. It's only with him I manage to keep those

thoughts away and channel them to the enmity between us.

I don't stop him as he moves his thigh from between my legs, and grab my wrist. He knocks the cup

from my hand but neither of us pays attention to that tiny occurrence as he drags me to the exit.

I pray that his friends are too busy to take notice of us and Aliya is too consumed by the presence of

another to catch the sight of her best friend being dragged away by her enemy, about to make one of

the mistakes she loves to term as unruly.

He pushes me into the backseat of his car and climbs in after me. He shuts the door behind him, before

spreading my legs to settle between my thighs and I swallow down my throat when he moves his face

close to mine, his breath scraping against my skin and the smell of alcohol hits my nose.

"Turn around and move to your knees. " The tone of his command tempts me to do exactly as he

requested, but I raise my chin instead of doing what my body craves to. "I'm not your fucking—"

Emerson doesn't let me finish my words before he wraps his hands around my middle and twists my

body so my front is pressed against the car seat.

My body hums in response when he lifts the dress to my waist and caresses the bare flesh of my ass.

"Such a fucking stubborn chick. How about I fuck that stubbornness out of you, Carson?" His mocking

sound echoes behind me as he closes his hand around my throat and lifts my head. My body shivers at

the pain that shoots through me when he tilts my head to the back to meet his eyes.

He moves closer so his lips hover over mine, pressing together each time he parts them to speak.

"How about I make you beg again, Carson?"

"No fucking chance. " I breathe harshly as he presses his lower body to my back and I feel the

hardness of his cock against my ass.

"Do it before I change my mind. " I threaten him and Emerson chuckles but surprisingly unwraps his

hand around my throat, leaving my head to fall back against the seat.

He encircles his hands around my legs and bends my knees, bringing me in a bent position before him.

I gnaw at my lips to keep down the moan that threatens to slips through when he shifts my panties to

the side and glide his finger over my wet, throbbing core.

"You feel that, Carson? Do you feel how fucking wet you are for me? You feel how much you want

this?" I can barely think straight when he speaks like that. Especially when his hands are on me. On

places they shouldn't be. Unholy places that turn me into a screaming bitch in the arms of my enemy,

and the only place I do not care about how we see each other.

"Oh God–" the moan I try so hard to hold back easily slips through my parted lips when Emerson

pinches my clit and thrust his finger inside my cunt, only reaching up to the level that pleases me, but

doesn't quench the fire that dances through my veins. I need more. I want more. I fucking crave more.

"That's right. Come for it. Show me how much you want it, Carson. " Emerson whispers behind me,

slowly pumping in and out.

"You're a fucking bastard, Ford. "

"Wouldn't be your first time saying that, Carson. " He throws back, a laugh following his words.

Emerson grunts when I deliberately clench around his fingers. "You just have to turn everything around,

don't you?" He hisses and gives me exactly what I want. He buries his fingers inside my cunt and uses

his other hand to jerk my body along with his movement.

The vibration of his phone interrupts us and I clamp my hand over my mouth.

"Who's it?" I twist my head to him when the phone continues to ring.

"Paige. " He answers and a smirk climbs on my face as I say, "And why are you not answering, Ford?

Don't want your chick to know you're about to fuck another?"

"Who I decide to fuck after Paige has no business with her. " He laughs.

"You lie now, Ford?" I taunt him and he stays silent for a few seconds before placing the phone in the

space between my body and the seat, right in front of me.

"What are you— Oh, fuck!" I shut my eyes at the pleasure that floods through me as Emerson doubles

his finger.

"That's right. Fucking scream. Fucking scream for me. " He goes faster and my eyes widen at the

sound that comes from the phone under me.

He picked it. He fucking took the call.

I try to reach for the phone but Emerson yanks me to the back and I scream in frustration.

I move my gaze back to the phone when it beeps to see she disconnected the line and Emerson

remains silent as he drives me over the edge with his fingers; my orgasm quivering through me in an

outburst of waves.

He releases his hold on me and I fall against the seat, beads of sweat covering my brows and my body

fueled with an adrenaline rush as I exhale in harsh breathes.

Emerson wraps his hand around my middle and flips me to his view. A sense of concentration covers

his face as he meets my lazy gaze and he moves his hand across my chest, his finger tugging at my

hardened nipple through the thin material as he finally speaks, "I have a proposition for you, Carson.

Something that'll make things easier for both of us. "