Where I Found You

Chapter 43 - Jack.

Chapter 43 - Jack.

Something keeps tickling my neck. I take in a deep breath and open my eyes to see what's going on, and after rubbing sleep from them, I look across to see Alyssa as spring sunlight pours in through the window of her room. She's wearing a dressing gown, sitting on the edge of the bed and smirking at me.

"Good morning, sunshine," she says, raising an eyebrow at me. "I'm afraid I have to go soon because I have a lecture."

I sigh and sit up, leaning back against the headboard. Last night comes back to me, and I grin, pulling her close against my bare chest.

"You really tired me out last night, you know," I whisper teasingly, then slowly kiss her ear and down her neck.

"I know." She slowly runs her hand down my torso, to my waist, disappearing under the duvet covering the rest of me.

Before things get out if hand like last night, I groan and set her by my side, then stand up and stretch, pulling on my boxers.

" I guess I have to go then," I mumble. I glance over towards the bathroom and smile. "Why don't you shower with me?"

She obviously wasn't expecting this. Her cheeks suddenly turn pink, and she runs her eyes down my body before shrugging and smiling shyly. I laugh as she gets up and then runs off into the bathroom, and I jog after her, cornering her near the sink.

Alyssa puts up her hands in surrender, then smiles as I grab her waist and pull her against me, our lips meeting. Slowly I lift her leg and stroke her thigh, then hoist her up and she wraps her legs around my waist as I sit her on the counter and she kisses down my neck, running a hand through my hair.

"Jack," she mumbles against my mouth. "Jack, I love you."

I smile and slowly kiss her, then tease her lips with my tongue. "And I love you."

I rest my forehead against hers and she stares up at me as I slowly move her dressing gown aside, to reveal the area of skin between her breasts. I smile and then loosen the tie on the gown, and pull the whole thing off her.

I can't help but move forwards and start kissing every centimetre of her body, and she's moaning softly, and her hands are sliding down my back and underneath my boxers, and I never ever want it to stop.

"Okay, in the shower," she moans eventually, arching her back, and I almost forgot the whole purpose of coming in the bathroom before that.

I groan and then nod, pulling back and carrying her into the shower.

-

Later on as I'm driving back home on the motorway and Alyssa is probably sitting in a lecture, my whole body is still tingling and burning and I can only just concentrate on the road. I run a hand through my hair and put the radio on to try and calm me down, but the music makes me feel even crazier.

I can't stop thinking about her, and how sexy she looks when I make love to her, all hot and warm-cheeked, her hair falling everywhere and her eyes only focused on me.

When I get home, my dad is there for some reason. Dan and my sisters are at school, and he should be at work, but here is sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and newspaper.

"Hey." I sit down opposite him, resting my elbows on the table. "What's up?"

My dad smiles, his eyes kind and dark. "I'm on lunch break."

I glance over at the clock at the wall, and nod. "And you came here?"

"Yeah I usually don't, but today I felt like it." He suddenly grins broadly. "I don't need to ask where you've been."

I blink. "Uh, yeah, I-"

"I know that look on your face too well," he goes on, smirking. "From when I was young."

Slowly, I smile sheepishly and then get up and go to get a glass of water to try and cool myself down. "Did you have a lot of girlfriends, dad?"

"Not a lot." He laughs heartily. "Not as many as you, Jack, from what I've heard from Stella."

"She exaggerates." I laugh along with him and then slowly take a sip of water. "Alyssa is the only one that really matters."

He nods wisely. "I can see." He pats the side of my shoulder rather firmly. "She's had a good influence on you."

I look down and then sigh. "I think her parents think I'm a bad influence on her."

I expect him to say something politically correct, or fair, but he just grimaces and shakes his head. "Just ignore them. As long as she's not bothered, then that's all that matters. And, son . . . Make sure you always use a condom."

-

I surprise my siblings by going to pick them all up from school. I collect Jess first, instead of her friend's mum bringing her home, and then pick Stella and Dan up from the high school instead of them coming home on the bus.

"Are you feelin' alright?" Dan asks me as he climbs into the front of the car, his eyes wide.

I laugh and then start to drive off after they all put their seatbelts on. "Never been better."

"Dan got detention today," Stella calls out from the back, before my brother can even say another word.

I frown and then turn to face Dan, who scowls at me.

"Huh?"

"It was because this guy was being a dick, okay? So I beat him up."

He shrugs and then rolls down the window, sticking his skinny arm out.

I sigh and stare ahead at the road, and everyone is silent for a few seconds, then I say lowly, "You should just walk away in the future. Take no notice of them."

"You didn't hear him." Dan frowns at me. He doesn't look angry anymore, just upset. "You didn't see him. He's going out with Christie now, said I didn't know how to handle her because I'm not white and because I'm half-caste-"

"Did you tell the teacher?"

"That didn't matter because I had beaten him up and I was the one in trouble," Dan mumbles.

"This is what I mean!" I say exasperatedly, as Stella and Jess exchange furtive glances. I go on, "If you let it get to you, you end up looking like an idiot and getting into trouble."

"I was angry."

"I know. I would be too, and it's hard to stay calm but you gotta try. And keep away from that girl," I say, shaking my head.

Dan stays silent for a long time, but I can tell he feels better. After a while, Stella pipes up, "How's Alyssa?"

I find myself smiling again. "She's great."

-

I do extra work at the car shop, and it keeps me calm, keeps me busy.

The other guy who works there, Callum, starts to make conversation and on one day I go to have a drink with him and some other guys, and it makes me realise that Alyssa has changed me.

Because when they start to chat up girls, I realise that I used to behave like them, looking stupid and rough, and all of a sudden I realise I don't exactly fit in with people like I used to be, like Ash, anymore.