Rosecliff, Episode 018

Britney Pearce

Riley yanked his faded black t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside onto the floor. It was a simple, haphazard gesture done with a casualness that no longer felt familiar. Years ago, living in the safety and comfort of my parents’ home, I too had strewn my clothes across the bedroom floor without a care in the world. The sight of it, not just his toned and tan skin, but the free thoughtless action of cluttering the floor, brought a smile to my lips. Rosecliff did not allow such things.

I unfastened my bow tie and held it between my fingers over the floor before deliberately letting it go and watching it flutter delicately onto the floor at the foot of his bed. It felt wrong in all the right ways. I shrugged out of the shoulder straps of my jumper, unzipped the skirt and let it all fall to the floor. My fingers quickly unbuttoned my white blouse and I discarded it atop the bow tie.

He unbuckled his belt, popped the button on his jeans, unzipped them, pushed them down his legs and kicked them off, all the while keeping his eyes on me. I stepped out of my shoes and yanked my socks off, one at a time. He walked to me, took my shoulders gently in his hands and pressed his lips against mine. I reached for him, but he turned me away, guiding me by my shoulders. With my back to him, he brushed my hair aside, kissed my neck and slipped his fingers lower. He unfastened my bra, pushed it from my shoulders and I let it fall to the floor. His arms pulled me back into him, his bare chest pressed against my bare back. I felt his warm breath tickling my neck and ear. His hands roamed freely over my flesh, caressing, fondling. I leaned my head back onto his shoulder and kissed his jawline. He kissed my lips, grabbed me firmly and tossed me onto his bed.

I smiled up at him looming over me. Precious moments, tender moments, these were the things Rosecliff stole. And here, just months before my scheduled release, I stole a little bit back. The risk probably wasn’t worth it, but I didn’t care. Riley made me feel alive. He gave me hope for a future where no one would care that I spent five years at Rosecliff.

Riley crawled on top of me, besmearing my legs, thighs, stomach and breasts with little kisses. His weight pressed against me, pinning me to the covers. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him down, thrusting myself upward. His stiffness pressed against me, teasing me with inconsistent pressure. He pinched my nipples with his teeth, holding me down as I moaned. I grabbed at his butt, strained my neck, pushing my head up, hungry lips seeks his. He thrust himself into me, over and over. I strained against him, warm tingles spread across my body, euphoria washed over me. He shuddered and collapsed on me, breathing heavily. I held him to me like a blanket.

I glanced at his alarm clock. Ten minutes until the rendezvous. I pushed him off me, pounded my fist on the wall at the head of his bed. “Paula, we got to go!” I rolled off the bed grabbed my clothes from the floor and pulled them on fast.

Riley sat on the edge of the bed, watching me with a bemused smile on his lips. “When will I see you again?”

“Never if I’m late,” I said.

He shook his head. “You won’t be late. Seriously, when do you get another free afternoon?”

“Two weeks, if I stay out of trouble,” I said, heading out his bedroom door.

Paula Jenkins met me at the front door of the apartment. She was still fixing her bow tie in place and her jumper’s shoulder straps still dangled from her waist. I helped her get the final touches in place. We were bunkmates and our boyfriends were roommates. It was a convenient setup, as long as we didn’t get caught.

She said, “We’ll have to run.”

I glanced at the clock. “All but the last block. We can walk the last.”