Gabriella Ch. 05

"Ella, are you okay?" Nolan asked, rushing back to the bed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I just—sorry."

"Don't be sorry, I was just scared. You weren't waking up but you were kicking and screaming. You sure you're okay?" His expression was worried.

Ella sighed and pushed her hair from her face. She hated being a problem. "No, I'm fine. Too many scary movies, I guess." She flashed a weak smile. His smile was crooked, but it didn't reach his eyes. He didn't believe her. But Ella was too tired to discuss it further. "Seriously, I'm okay. Wanna come back to bed? I'll make it up to you."

Nolan stared at her for a few moments before he glanced at the clock. "It's like six in the morning. I have to get up soon."

She had to let go of Simon. He would never be hers. He loved her mother and maybe that's the way it was always going to be. Good girls always win. She would remain the secret.

Ella slipped off her shirt and unsnapped her bra before Nolan could utter another word. She smiled when his eyes fell to her breasts and remained. She kneeled on the bed and motioned for him to come to her.

She laughed when he tripped trying to pull his shoes off and run to her at the same time. He clumsily removed his belt, before she gripped it and yanked him closer, almost throwing him off balance.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, his calloused hands already running over her back.

Ella nodded. She didn't want to talk. She just wanted to feel. Or forget.

"Whoa!" One hard tug and Nolan hit the bed. She removed the remainder of her clothes before letting his erection spring free.

"Oh shit," he whispered, as she took him into her mouth. He tried to hold her eyes as long as he could, before they rolled and his head dropped back down on the pillow.

Ella didn't particularly enjoy giving head, but she was good at it. Most women overestimated it, and want to engulf the entire shaft. But Ella had learned the secret years ago. Focus on the head and use her hands on the base.

"Oh God," he moaned, as his hands tangled in her hair.

She pulled away and faced away from him as she straddled his lap. She guided his hard cock toward the entrance of her pussy. It had been a while since she had been with anyone other than Simon. She hesitated when his wet tip touched her sensitive lips.

Simon wasn't hers.

Ella closed her eyes and rocked her body over Nolan's until he fit completely inside her. She exhaled and began moving in slow circular motions. She arched forward and gripped his sheets for more leverage.

"Fuck," he breathed out. The blood from his feet drained down, leaving his toes pale as they flexed and curled the harder she rode him. His large hands gripped her waist, squeezing her tightly...uncomfortably.

Ella looked toward the ceiling and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the feeling of being filled, but only one image burned beneath her eyelids. She would sell her soul for that image to be the man beneath her.

"Ella."

The one word spoken forced her eyes open. Simon would have never said that. Even the first time she met him, he said he favored Gabriella over Ella, asked if he could call her that instead. Back then she had shrugged and not given him another thought. But she hadn't minded and actually preferred it.

"Call me Gabriella," she said, lifting her thighs and slowly gripping him before she settled back down on his lap.

"Oh, God. Huh? Yeah, I'll call you anything you want...Gabriella."

She closed her eyes again, reliving the intimate moments with Simon over the past year, her favorite being a summer night at Lake Torrance.

Ella wasn't sure where her mother had been that night, but she stared at Simon's face, once again completely unsure. She saw the back and forth war in his eyes and waited to find out which set of principals would win.

There was only one reason to go to Lake Torrance at night. Ella had been there before, but that was her first time there with Simon.

"Simon?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"No."

Ella sighed and looked out of her window to the water below. She knew he was still debating all sides. Their affair had been going on for almost three months and she wondered why she didn't share his struggle. Maybe it was harder for him because he loved her mother. Ella wasn't so sure she felt the same and that troubled her.

She got out of the car and peeled off her clothes, letting the summer heat engulf her body. The slight chance that someone was watching them had excited her. She opened the rear passenger door and crawled inside. Simon rolled his head against the headrest and her eyes caught his in the rearview mirror. They both held the stare. His dark blue eyes had been pleading yet hungry.

Everything changed in that minute. Her heart felt as though it were swelling beneath her chest. It was no longer a game. It was real. She wanted him. More than she had ever wanted anything in her life.

Once in the backseat, Simon ravaged her body. Ella couldn't breathe as ecstasy overtook her senses. The night sky disappeared through the windows as their fogged breaths concealed their lovemaking, the heat made the tight space even headier. His body pressed her further into the seat as he made her insides come alive with his powerful, angry thrusts. Her hand gripped the seatbelt above her head while her leg rested on the front seat as she came again and again.

"Gabriella. Oh, fuck!"

The sound of Nolan's voice pulled her from the wild memories and she concentrated on his toes again. His legs shook while he squeezed her waist even tighter than before.

She stilled above, letting him ride out his orgasm. "Oh, God."

When his hands finally loosened, she turned around and smiled. His eyes were closed, a smirk toying with his lips.

When he opened his green eyes, he smiled up at her. "That was incredible."

Ella leaned down and pecked his lips. "Yep."

But his smile faded and eased away from her. He sighed. "Crap, I'm sorry."

She ran her hand down his chest. "For what?"

"Well, you didn't get to, you know..."

His concern touched her. Most guys didn't care either way. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "That's okay. I still enjoyed it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay," he exhaled as he wrapped his arms around her. His deep breaths were finally calming down. "Next time will be even better. I promise. I just wasn't expecting that whole backwards-cowgirl thing. Jesus girl, take it easy on me."

Ella laughed.

"I'm so tired now. Feels like I ran a marathon." His yawn emphasized his exhaustion.

"Mind if I use your shower?"

"Not at all." His eyes stayed closed as he spoke. "I think I'm going to lie here a little while longer before I have to get up."

He seemed at peace, something that eluded her. She wondered what this meant for their relationship. And what it meant for her relationship with Simon. Ella grabbed her clothes and headed for the door.

**********

Simon

Simon stared at her bed while he sipped his coffee. The lilac sheets were still smooth, further proof that Gabriella hadn't come home last night. Not that he needed evidence. He had listened for the front door to open all night, and an invisible knife stabbed him as each hour passed. She was with Nolan and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing he should do about it. He had Patricia and she was all he needed to worry about. And if he kept his mind on her, perhaps he could salvage their marriage and maybe even have some semblance of a normal, happy life.

But to do that, he had to let Gabriella go.

***

Simon rushed through the door, as several students packed up their belongings. A collective chorus of sighs and grunts sounded throughout the room.

"You didn't think I'd bail on a chance to connect with my pupils, did you?" he asked, tossing his briefcase on his desk. He had lost track of time while sitting in his office, daydreaming of the days when Gabriella would come to him. By the time he glanced at the clock again, he was almost ten minutes late to his last class.

"Fifteen more seconds, and we were out, Professor Graham." This comment came from Kyle McDaniel, the star Lacrosse player.

"Well, so glad I don't have to disappoint you Mr. McDaniel. So class, first half you will take the test and the remainder of the class period you—" Simon's eyes drifted to Nolan and Gabriella "—you watch a film while I grade the tests." They sat beside each other today and Nolan's arm rested over the back of her chair. Simon tried his best to ignore the rush of heat riding up his neck. "Cool?"

More groans and grunts echoed through the room as he passed out the exam.

Halfway through the class period, Simon gathered up the tests. He dimmed the lights and started the film, stealing another glance toward the back of the room. Nolan kept touching Gabriella, first rubbing her arm then squeezing her leg underneath the table.

Simon studied the paper on his desk, anything to take his mind off the obvious fact that Gabriella had had sex with Nolan.

When he came to her test, he stared at her name. Ella written in block letters. But nothing else. He flipped the test over but it was also blank. On instinct he looked up at her. She was staring back at him but looked away. He set hers aside and rubbed his eyes.

When the tests were graded, Simon stopped the film and turned on the lights. Several students were still asleep and others stretched and yawned. Days like today were boring and more than likely the students wanted to catch up on sleep and their friends. He didn't have the energy to teach.

"Okay, I'm letting class out a little early today. Come pick up your tests. Mostly high scores, so thank you for those that actually listen to me. You make my life easier."

Cory nodded and smiled at him when he received his A plus. As if it would ever be lower than an A.

"Thank you!" Marissa shouted, as she threw her arms around him, no doubt excited about the A she had also received.

"You're welcome," he responded, quickly removing her arms. His colleague Jacob Felderman had joked that Simon was like the Indiana Jones of their school. When Indy was just Dr. Jones, his female students flocked to his classes. The image of the girl sitting in class with 'luv u' written on her eyelids always made them both laugh. But the girls in this day and age were definitely not shy when showing their affection. Some had pulled out all the stops to let Simon know they were interested. He even had a student the previous semester who refused to wear panties underneath her skirts and she flashed him whenever she could. When he questioned her about her inappropriate attire, she said it was for him. Although he was flattered, he avoided her like the plague, but none of those girls had compared to Patricia. He just shook his head and laughed at their attempts.

But the laughter stopped the night Gabriella teased him.

"Mr. McDaniel, Miss Smith and Miss Foster, I need to see you three in my office. That's all for the rest of you. See you next Tuesday."

Simon didn't bother glancing in her direction. He knew she was pissed. He walked out and headed down the hall.

Inside his office, Simon tried not to stare at the oversized athletic shirt Gabriella was wearing. More proof...

He handed Kyle his paper. "Kyle, your answers were all right according to my answer key from last semester. Now, I'm not saying you cheated, but just word to the wise, I switch the order of questions each semester—in case you wanted to pass that info along."

"I-I—" Kyle began, as if he had a reasonable explanation ready.

"Yeah, I'd advise you to take the test again."

Kyle sighed. "Yes sir." He balled the test up and tossed it in the trash before he left.

"Jessica—"

"Yes, Professor Graham?" She rested her rear on the edge of his desk.

"For the essay, I asked you to talk about one of the Gods we discussed and you chose Zeus. Now we studied twenty-five ancient Egyptian deities and I'm pretty sure Zeus wasn't one of them."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

Simon slowly nodded. "Really. Perhaps mixing my class with Greek mythology?"

"Oh, duh!" she said, playfully slapping her forehead. Simon glanced at Gabriella who wasn't amused.

He glanced back at Jessica. "Yeah, so since it was thirty percent of the test, I would advise you to redo that portion."

"Sure, whatever you want, Professor Graham." The raspy flirtation in her voice didn't escape him.

"Great."

Jessica continued to stare at him.

"That's all," Simon said with a smile, his patience wearing thin.

She held his gaze a few seconds longer before she turned and walked out.

Simon shook his head and closed the door. He walked back to his desk and held up her test. "Want to explain this?"

"Explain what?" she asked, her body language already aggressive and gearing up for a fight.

"Why you only wrote your name and nothing more."

She shrugged.

His eyes bore into hers waiting for an answer.

Finally she looked away. "I was distracted."

"By?"

"Things."

"Okay." Simon checked his watch. "You have exactly twenty-two minutes to retake the exam."

She folded her arms. "I'm not retaking it."

Simon let out a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Don't want to or don't care?"

"Either. Take your pick."

Simon sat on the edge of his desk. "Gabriella, if you don't retake this test, you fail my class."

"I don't care." But her words held less conviction than before.

"You don't care," he repeated. He shook his head and chuckled. "What do you care about? I'm really interested. Because it's obvious you don't care about school. Or your mom. Or yourself, for that matter. So, let's hear what Gabriella Foster actually gives a shit about."

She rolled her eyes. "Can I go now?"

"No. Sit down and take the test."

"No."

"Gabriella, I'm not playing with you." He rose to his full height. "I know you use games to get your way, but I'm not going to put up with your bullshit. I'm serious. I will fail you."

She glanced up at him. "Fine." She turned and walked to the door.

Simon grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't do this because you're mad at me," he whispered. "Or maybe that's what this is about. You want to fail so you can take my class again."

"You would think that. I don't want to take your class ever again. I'll take it with another professor." She smirked at him. "Maybe this time he'll give me an A for all my extracurricular efforts."

Her eyes held a hint of laughter which evaporated the longer he stared at her. She tried to wiggle out of his grasp to no avail. Students were shuffling through the hallway and he was aware that his door wasn't locked. Anyone that just so happened to walk in would have caught him in an awkward position. His female student struggling to pull her arm from his grip. But short of Patricia walking through the door, he didn't care.

Simon had never understood the love/hate aspect of their relationship until that moment. A fire brewed in his chest. Her words ate at him, whether they were true or not. More than likely she was bluffing, but he knew there were plenty of male professors who would take her on her word.

And the same game just minutes before that he said he refused to play, he was playing it. She was that good. Simon knew what came next. He would say something mean to her, she would react and then he'd fuck her against the door, starting their twisted cycle over again. She would get her lover's quarrel and confirmation that they were 'together'.

"Well, maybe next time that will work out for you," he said, releasing her arm and gathering up his briefcase. She stood there, her eyes unsure. He walked to the door and swung the keys around his finger. "I have to lock up."

The expression on her face was confused. She held her ground a little longer before her eyes softened.

"I—" she started.

"I have to go." He didn't really, but glanced at his watch for emphasis.

Her lips tightened before she spun around and stormed out.

**********

Patricia

Patricia sat outside of their house in the driveway, her head leaning against the steering wheel. Simon's car was parked out front, but she didn't have the energy to go inside yet.

During her lunch break she had driven to Darby University with the intention of surprising Simon, much like she did when things were still good. But chills flowed through her body at the thought of catching with him another woman. Most women, like Myra, relished the chance to catch their husbands in the act. But for Patricia, the image of all those condoms still haunted her.

When she pulled on campus beside his car, her stomach flopped. Her eyes scanned several college girls passing by, wondering which one could be her.

How out of place she felt among them. Their short shorts, high ponytails and earphones were a world apart from Patricia's work slacks, chin length cut and Bluetooth. Perhaps there was something in their giggles and worldly ignorance that Simon found attractive. Maybe drinking wine and discussing politics wasn't as interesting as Tequila shots and strip poker.

But Simon had always been a levelheaded, intelligent man, who just so happen to be graced with a handsome face and athletic physique. She really had found a diamond in the rough. Until he cheated... Whether right or wrong, that one simple truth seemed to negate all else.

"Hey honey," Simon said, looking up from his cell phone when she passed the kitchen.

"Hey." Her reply fell flat. She didn't have the energy to fake it.

He held her gaze for a few moments longer before averting his attention back to the cell phone. His fingers clumsily pressed the buttons and then waited. A low ring answered his message before he typed again.

Patricia turned away from him and removed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She swallowed the cool water and closed her eyes.

The chime sounded again as another message came through.

Patricia felt warm. She fanned herself as her temperature slowly rose. The question of who was on the other end of the text a message swirled through her head.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Who are you talking to?" Even as the words left her mouth, they felt insecure.

He lifted his head, his eyes holding a hint of irritation. "Tek." A few moments passed before his eyes softened and he shut his phone. "He just wanted to know if I'm playing football with them on Saturday."

Patricia nodded as he approached and wrapped his arms around her.

"How was your day?" he asked, pushing her hair away from her face before he planted a quick kiss.

"Okay, I guess." She pulled away from him and leaned against the counter. Her exploits earlier that day were meant to stay with her, but now she wanted to show him that she wasn't so clueless. "I stopped by Darby today."

He froze. "What?"

"I was going to surprise you during my lunch break."

"Why didn't you come see me?"

"It occurred to me that I didn't know your class schedule. I didn't want to interrupt." Patricia wiped her sweating hands over her pants.

"Oh. Well, maybe next time. I can let you know what time I'm free."

"Sure." Another length of time passed before either of them spoke. Patricia racked her brain thinking of what they talked about in the past. They never had these awkward and uncomfortable silences. Even when they argued about Ella, he would always throw in a joke or she would bat her eyes and hug him. That was before this canyon-sized space landed between them.

"Oh, I should probably tell you this now as opposed to later," he said, breaking her thoughts. "Gabriella is going to fail my class unless she retakes this exam, which she refuses to do."

Patricia sighed and shook her head. She had never met a human being more intent on destroying their life than her daughter. "I wish I could help, but you know I'm the last person she'll listen to."