Chapter 5 Chapter 5

My father's security were watching me closer. Still, I couldn’t stop. Orion Blake had become my whole world. He saw the real me, and I was willing to risk everything for that. My eighteenth birthday sucked, at home it did. My parents threw a big fancy dinner with a bunch of their stuck-up friends There was a huge cake and expensive gifts I didn’t want, and everyone kept talking about how I was becoming a proper young woman and hinting about future marriages. I smiled the whole time like the perfect daughter I was supposed to be, but inside I was dying to get out.

The second to last guest left, I told my parents I was exhausted and going to bed early. As soon as the house went quiet, I climbed out my window, dropped down to the lower roof, and snuck out the back gate. I’d gotten really good at this. I drove straight to Orion’s apartment, my heart racing the whole way. It was almost midnight when I knocked on the door with our secret pattern. Clara opened it with a tired but warm smile. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

Mia came running out in her pajamas, practically tackling me in a hug. “We made you a cake! Come see!” she screamed.

The apartment smelled like vanilla and something slightly burnt. On the tiny kitchen table sat a lopsided chocolate cake with messy pink frosting that said “Happy Birthday Jade” in wobbly letters. There were eighteen candles stuck in it, some of them already dripping wax.

I felt my eyes sting. “You guys… you didn’t have to do this," I whispered. 

“Of course we did,” Clara said, pulling me into a hug. “You’ve been so good to us; you deserve it," she said softly. 

Mia was bouncing on her toes. “We used the money you gave us last month for the good chocolate. Hurry, blow out the candles!”

I laughed, wiped my eyes, and blew them out while they clapped and cheered quietly so the neighbors wouldn’t complain. We each had a slice; it was a little dense but the best cake I’d ever tasted. 

We sat around the table talking and laughing for almost an hour. Mia kept calling me her sister, and Clara looked at me like I was part of the family. It felt more like home than my own house ever had. Eventually Clara yawned and stood up. “Alright, Mia, bedtime. Let’s give these two some space.” She winked at me before leading Mia to their room.

The second their door closed, Orion pulled me into his bedroom and locked it. He looked at me with that intense stare that always made my knees weak.

“Happy birthday, Jade,” he whispered, backing me up against the door. “I wish I could give you more than this crappy apartment and a burnt cake," he said.

“Shut up,” I said, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down for a kiss. “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

We kissed slow and deep, the kind that built heat gradually. His hands roamed over my back, then lower, squeezing my ass as he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and we moved to his bed. We’d done a lot in the last few months, touching, oral, everything but going all the way; tonight felt different. I wanted all of him.

We undressed each other carefully, like we had all the time in the world. When I was down to just my panties, he pulled back and looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“You sure?” he asked, his voice rough. “We don’t have to.”

“I’m sure,” I whispered. “I want it to be you, only you.”

He kissed me again, slower this time and it was full of emotion. His hands were gentle as he slid my panties down my legs. I helped him get his boxers off, and then we were skin to skin. He was hard and warm against me; I could feel how much he wanted me.

He took his time. He kissed down my neck and my breasts, spending extra time on the spots that made me gasp and arch my back. When he moved lower and put his mouth on me, I had to bite my lip to stay quiet. He worked me up until I was trembling, then came back up and settled between my legs.

“I love you,” he said, looking right into my eyes as he slowly pushed inside me.

It hurt at first, a sharp stretch that made me grip his shoulders tight. He stopped moving, kissing me softly and whispering how beautiful I was, how much he loved me, until the pain faded into something warm and full.

“Okay?” he breathed.

“Yeah… keep going.” I whispered.

He started moving, slow and careful at first. The feeling built, turning into this deep, intense pleasure I’d never felt before. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper. Our bodies moved together, getting faster, sweat slick between us. He kept whispering in my ear, “I love you,” "You feel so good," and "You're mine forever," and I believed every word.

When I came, it hit me hard; my whole body shook as I buried my face in his neck to muffle the sounds. A few thrusts later, he followed, groaning my name as he finished inside me.

We stayed like that for a long time, tangled up and breathing hard. He rolled us so I was lying on his chest, his arms wrapped around me like he’d never let go.

“That was… everything,” I whispered, tears slipping down my cheeks. The tears weren't from pain; they were from how much I felt for him. “I love you so much, Orion.”

He kissed the top of my head, his hand stroking my back. “I love you more. Forever, remember? No matter what happens, you’re my girl. I’m going to marry you one day, Jade. We’re going to have a life together," he said, and I believed him with everything in me.

We fell asleep like that naked and wrapped up in each other, the taste of birthday cake still on our lips. For one perfect night, everything felt possible.

I woke up before the sun came up; his arm was still wrapped tight around me. For a second I just stayed there, listening to him breathe, memorizing how warm and safe I felt. But I knew it; I had to go. If I stayed any longer, someone at home would notice I was gone.

I slipped out of bed quietly, got dressed, and kissed his cheek. He stirred a little.

“Text me when you get home,” he mumbled, with his eyes still closed.

“I will. Love you," I said.

“Love you more," he replied.

I snuck out of the apartment and drove home; my body was still sore in the best way, and my heart was full. The sky was just starting to turn pink when I climbed back up to my window. I thought I made it, but the second my feet hit the bedroom floor, the lights flipped on.