Out of Control - Chapter 6

Note: I've decided to back off on how explicit this book will get. It should now be closer to a more standard romance novel (it's not a romance novel, but the level of explicit should be about that level), and I'll make its own category for the series and start handling it like the rest of my books.

I hung around the Alpha Sig house a little more, but the guys were blowing off steam before classes started. We were supposed to have our initiation the next day and Jake had assured me that after keeping the frat's name out of the whole debacle in the physics lab, I was guaranteed in.

I appreciated it, but I also wasn't in the mood for a lot of partying. Besides, I'd done enough drinking this week already to last me a month.

So I headed out of the house as the music really got going. It was hot and muggy, but it still felt good to be outside and let my head settle down. The headaches had mostly stopped, at least.

It was then that my stomach growled and I realized how hungry I was. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the last thing I ate, and I was starving.

I made my way to the cafeteria and swiped myself in on the meal card. I'd eaten my last meal with the frat so this would be only my second foray into school-provided lunch, and considering how much my parents had to pay for the meal plan, I better get used to it.

I'd picked maybe the worst time to go. Most of the students were here by now, since school started in four days, and I'd come right at dinner time, which meant the place was as full as it could be, both with kids and some of their parents, who I guess had hung around to see their kids a little longer before heading back home.

I grabbed a tray, loading it with pizza and fries. If this was anything like high school cafeteria food, it was the safest bet. I could always get adventurous later.

Most of the tables were full or full enough that I'd basically be joining a family for dinner, which would be a little awkward. There was one spot by a girl who was sitting by herself which seemed like my only option.

She was sitting at the end of a table down several seats, four or five seats from an older woman, a college student, and what looked like the student's two younger sisters. The girl eating by herself occasionally looked up and scowled at the two girls, who were being particularly noisy. When she wasn't scowling, she was bent over her phone, her dark hair falling to block most of it as she picked at what looked like a salad.

"You don't mind if I join you, do you? Everywhere else is pretty packed," I said, stopping across from her.

She glanced up, and I caught a flash of striking green eyes. "Sure, go ahead."

She actually smiled when she said that. I wasn't particularly known for my game in high school, so that was a bit of a surprise. I mean, I did alright, and some of the girls I'd met on the scavenger hunt seemed to react well to me, but I still wasn't expecting it.

"I'm Kyle," I said, sliding into the seat across from her. "You look like you're having a riveting conversation with your phone."

A slight smile tugged at her lips. "Emily. And I was just doom-scrolling, so you probably saved me from wasting another hour of my life."

"Happy to provide that service. You're not from around here, are you?"

She had a strong accent that was hard to miss.

"That obvious?" She said, setting her phone down. "I'm from Boston. The culture shock is real."

"Nice. Although I bet the heat is a big change from what you're used to."

"You get used to it," she said, shrugging.

"Ohh, so not a freshman then?"

"Ha, ohh god no. I'm a junior."

"Well then I picked the right table. I've only been here for a few days and still getting the lay of the land."

"I figured," she said, and I wondered what she meant by that. "It's not so bad. The people in town are pretty nice, although way more laid back than I'm used to."

"Well, I'm from South Carolina, so it's probably not that different than me."

"You didn't get far from home, huh?"

"Not as far as you did, that's for sure. So, what about the school? Tell me all about it?"

"I like it. Classes are good and the party scene's decent. Not like back home, but for a country bumpkin like you, it'll do the trick."

"Ouch. Pigeonholed me that fast," I said, taking a bite of pizza.

It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.

She had this slight laugh that really sounded out of place for her Boston accent. "If the shoe fits. Actually, I'm not really being fair. It's not as country as all that. Some of the parties I went to here as a freshman were wild for me. And my apartment complex somehow ended up like seventy percent people from the northeast, and the rest are all from Miami and other places with good party scenes, so it can get pretty wild."

"I bet. I'm, unfortunately, stuck in a dorm."

"I remember those days. I'm so glad I'm in my apartment this year. Even with roommates, it's way better. One of my roommates was in the same apartment last year and said they throw some serious ragers when school's not actually in. I went to one last year, but I had to get back to the dorm and couldn't really let loose. Tonight's actually my first one as a resident. They're throwing this massive back-to-school thing. Huh…"

"What?"

"I just don't normally tell guys my life story thirty seconds after they invite themselves to sit at my table."

I had thought that was odd, but what did I know. Maybe people from Boston were like that.

"Maybe it's 'cause I've got a trustworthy face."

She smiled again and got a strange look on her face, and then she said, "yeah, that must be it."

"Ha, a vote of confidence. I promise, I'm harmless."

"Good," she said, dropping her plastic fork into her salad. "I actually should be heading out. We've got to get everything set up for tonight."

"Damn, we just met and you're bailing on me already," I said, mostly just poking fun at her. "It was nice meeting you, Emily."

"Thanks, you too…"

"Kyle."

"It was nice meeting you too, Kyle," she said, standing up.

"Have fun at your party. Sounds like it's gonna be fun. I'm kinda sorry I have to miss it."

She'd already taken a step away from the table and had started to turn, and then she just… stopped. She stood there for a second, not moving, and then she turned back around, smiling, and grabbed a napkin from my tray while pulling out a pen.

"You should come, actually. People should start showing up around nineish," she said, writing down 'The Grove Apartments, #4, Justice Street."

"I might just do that," I said, tucking the note into my pocket.

She smiled, gave me a little wave, and headed out, dumping her food and putting up her tray at the station near the exit.

I smiled to myself. That might be a good way to get my mind off last night.

Back at my dorm, I dug through my clothes looking for something decent to wear. I hadn't brought a ton of clothes, but I did bring one or two things hoping I'd end up at a party, although I hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

The frat was one thing. Yeah, I hadn't dressed like a complete slob, but I'd still dressed like I would every day. This was different. While not specifically a date, it kind of felt like it, even if it was a party with other people, and I didn't want to drop the ball.

"Oh, you're actually here," Alex said as he came into the room and saw me digging through my suitcase.

"Yeah, been a crazy couple days." I pulled out a dark blue button-down that didn't look too bad. "Sorry about that."

"Whatever. Just try not to make too much noise if you come back later. I'm trying to get a jump on the semester."

"Hey, I'm sorry if…"

"Save it. You made it clear you and I are very different people and I'm cool with that. Just... keep your drama away from me, okay? I can't afford distractions."

"Sure."

He wasn't wrong. He might not be the friendliest person, but I also hadn't gone out of my way to be ingratiating. After seeing how some of those other frats acted and the run-in with the physics professor, who'd been a major bitch, it did make me think maybe I'd come at this the wrong way.

I was supposed to be rooming with the guy for at least this year, after all.

Still, I'd deal with that later. I still needed a shower and everything, and I didn't want to be late for the party.

The Grove Apartments weren't actually all that far from campus, maybe a fifteen-minute walk. I'd looked it up ahead of time and got a sense of where it was, and then killed enough time to make sure I wasn't late but also wasn't early.

I didn't want to come off as too eager.

It wasn't hard to tell I was in the right place as I got to the address. Music thumped from the courtyard between the buildings, where strings of lights crisscrossed overhead between the trees and balconies. As I walked through the entry gate, which had been propped open by a brick, I found people packed into the space, red cups in hand, some dancing, others clustered in small groups talking.

"Kyle! You came!" Emily appeared beside me, drink in hand. "I wasn't sure you would."

For having just met her, she seemed really excited that I was there. Eager, even. I didn't know what it was with this girl, but I wasn't going to knock it either.

"Well, you did personally invite me. Besides, I didn't want to let you down. You know you were dying to get another shot at me."

I don't know what came over me. I usually didn't flirt this brazenly, but everything I said seemed to work, so I thought, what the hell.

"Ohh I am, am I. Come on, let's get you a drink." She grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowd toward a makeshift bar setup. "What's your poison?"

"Whatever you recommend."

She mixed something with vodka and handed it to me. "Fair warning, I make them strong."

"I think I can handle it." I took a sip.

It was strong, but good.

"So," she said, leaning against the table. "You never told me what brought you to Briarfield."

"Scholarship, mostly. Plus it was far enough from home to feel like an adventure, but close enough I can still visit sometimes."

"That's cool. What's your major?"

"Undeclared, but I'm leaning towards maybe engineering."

I figured dad was good with cars and I'd helped him enough times to know how engines and stuff like that worked, so at least I had some kind of aptitude for it.

Of course, it depended on what the math was like.

We made small talk for about ten minutes, just getting to know each other. She told me about her biomedical engineering program, her culture shock moving from Boston to Mississippi, the best places to eat in town. She had this way of making everything sound exciting.

I really liked her.

When a song came on over the makeshift sound system, she set down her drink, grabbed my hand, and said, "Dance with me."

"Oh, I don't really…"

"Come on, this song is great!" She tugged at me.

"Fine," I said, setting my drink down next to hers.

The music was loud enough that we had to stand close to hear each other. Emily moved with the beat, completely unselfconscious. I tried to follow her lead, probably looking ridiculous.

"You're not terrible," she shouted over the music, grinning.

"High praise."

She moved closer, pressing herself against me. "You know, I'm really glad you came tonight."

"Yeah?" My heart picked up speed.

"Mmhmm. It's nice meeting someone who just... gets it, you know?"

"Gets what?"

"Just... everything. Like we're on the same wavelength. My boyfriend never clicked with me like this."

My stomach dropped. "Your what?"

"Yeah, he's around here somewhere." She waved vaguely toward the crowd. "Probably playing beer pong again."

I stepped back, creating space between us. "Maybe you should go dance with him instead."

"Why? I'm having fun with you." Her hand reached for mine.

"Emily..." I pulled away. "Go back to your boyfriend. Just forget about me."

To my surprise, she just turned and walked away from me. I stood there for a second with a few people staring at me. I was bummed. We really did click and here I was at a party with people I didn't know all by myself.

I started to walk out of the party and then stopped. Screw it. School started in a few days and this was my first real party, I wasn't going to mess it up just because she forgot she had a boyfriend.

I went and found my drink and then kind of circulated around the party, trying to not feel too awkward.

I finished up the first drink and grabbed another from the makeshift bar, this time mixing my own, switching to Jack and Coke, which was what I drank in high school and was my go-to most of the time. The party had shifted into full swing, bodies pressed together in the courtyard while music thumped through massive speakers.

Two drinks in, the initial awkwardness started to fade. I found myself bobbing along to the music, actually enjoying the atmosphere despite only being able to hover at the edges of conversations.

It wasn't until my third full loop that I noticed a cute blonde girl sitting on the edge of a concrete planter by herself, legs crossed, absently stirring her drink.

What the hell, I thought, and walked over.

"Not feeling the dancing?" I asked.

"My feet needed a break from these heels," she said, gesturing to her impractical shoes. "Though honestly, I'm mostly hiding from my roommate's attempt to set me up with her cousin."

"That bad?"

"He spent twenty minutes explaining crypto to me." She rolled her eyes. "I'm Sophia, by the way."

"Kyle. And yeah, that sounds rough. Though I guess it could be worse, he could've tried explaining NFTs."

I actually didn't know anything about either subject, but I'd heard about it in passing somewhere and knew they were connected. It must have made sense because she laughed. Not just a pity laugh either, but a genuine one that made her nose scrunch up in a really adorable way.

"God, don't even joke about that. Are you here with anyone?"

"Nah, got invited last minute. I'm new here, just started at Briarfield."

"Fresh meat, huh?"

"Yep. I was hoping to find someone around here to show me the ropes. I saw you sitting by yourself and thought, what the hell. Feel like showing the new kid a good time?"

"I'm not usually one to take on a fixer-upper, but you're cute enough, I guess I'll give it a shot," she said, giggling a little. "Come, sit. Tell me all about your first week of college life."

The way she giggled, it was pretty clear she was already several drinks in herself and feeling good. Which was probably the only reason I was getting a shot, since I was guessing, living off-campus, she was probably at least a junior too.

I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth though.

I settled beside her, close enough that our shoulders almost touched. "It's been... interesting. Already managed to get myself into trouble."

"Now that sounds like a story worth hearing."

We fell into easy conversation. Sophia was actually a sophomore but got to live off-campus because of her cousin. She was studying art history, originally from Atlanta. She had this way of talking with her hands when she got excited about something, nearly spilling her drink more than once.

"No way," she said after I told her about the physics lab incident, leaving out certain details. "You actually broke into a building your first week?"

"Not my proudest moment."

"Are you kidding? That's amazing. I spent my first week too scared to even leave my dorm except for orientation."

More drinks appeared. I started really flirting, even getting more suggestive than I normally do, as the booze went to work. Someone started a game of Never Have I Ever nearby, and we joined in, learning increasingly ridiculous things about each other and the other players. Sophia's hand kept finding reasons to touch my arm when she laughed.

"Okay, your turn," she said after the game broke up. "Never have I ever..."

"That's not how it works. The game's over."

"Says who?" She poked my chest. "Come on, play with me."

"Fine. Never have I ever...slept with a guy the same night I met."

"Ohhh, so it's going there, is it."

"Hey, I said I wanted to stop. If you can't take the heat."

"Fine," she said, and took a drink. "It wasn't my best moment, but hey … it's college."

"Well, hopefully I'll get a chance to have some not so good moments," I said, giving her what I thought was my slightest smile.

"Maybe you will. But first … dancing."

"What the hell," I said, setting down my drink.

Sure, it had gone bad with Emily, but I'd asked enough probing questions to know she was at least single.

The song was something current, with a heavy beat that I could at least move to. We started dancing and she instantly started getting close, I put my hand on her hip as we swayed together.

The more we danced, the more the space between us disappeared. Her perfume mixed with the sweet smell of whatever she'd been drinking. When she turned around, pressing her back against my chest, I could feel how warm she was.

"You know," she said, leaning her head back almost next to mine, "my apartment's right upstairs. We could get out of this crowd, maybe find somewhere quieter to talk."

"Just talk?" I raised an eyebrow.

She bit her lip, trying to hide a smile. "Well, that depends. Are you interested in seeing my art history textbooks?"

"That's the worst euphemism I've ever heard."

"Shut up," she laughed, taking my hand. "Are you coming or not?"

I let her lead me through the crowd, past the beer pong table where Emily was standing with some guy and didn't even blink in my direction. The music faded slightly as we went up the stairs and around the corner of the building to her door.

The apartment was small, with a living room barely large enough to hold a couch, a coffee table, and a TV stand. The walls were covered in posters of what I assumed were famous art pieces. The whole place had a bohemian vibe. A half-empty bottle of wine sat on the coffee table, along with a couple of glasses and some scattered textbooks. It was definitely a student's space, chaotic and lived-in.

Sophia only turned on a small lamp on an end table when she shut the door behind us.

"Make yourself at home," she said as she walked over to a small speaker on the bookshelf and turned on some kind of soft indie rock just loud enough to drown out some of the noise from outside.

I settled onto her couch and she joined me a minute later, keeping a deliberate few inches between us. The lamp cast everything in soft shadows, making the room feel smaller, more intimate.

"I recognize exactly none of these," I said, gesturing at the paintings. "But I'm betting they're all important."

"That one's a Rothko," she said, pointing to a rectangle of colors that honestly could have been painted by anyone. "See how the colors kind of blur together at the edges?"

"I'll take your word for it."

She laughed and shifted closer. "Not really into art?"

"More of a hands-on guy. Cars, machines, that kind of thing."

"Mmm, good with your hands then?"

"I manage alright."

"You know what I think?" She asked, tucking one leg under herself, turning to face me. "I think you're better at this than you let on."

"At what?"

"This whole flirting thing. You act all casual, but I bet you knew exactly what you were doing when you came to talk to me."

"Maybe. Or maybe I just got lucky finding the prettiest girl at the party sitting by herself."

"Now that was smooth." She moved closer, our knees touching. "See? You're proving my point."

"What can I say? You bring it out in me."

Her eyes dropped to my lips for just a second. "Do I?"

"Among other things."

"Like what?"

Instead of answering, I leaned in. She met me halfway, her lips soft against mine. The kiss started gentle, almost tentative, I guess since we didn't really know each other, but quickly grew more intense. Her hand found my chest, fingers curling into my shirt as she pulled me closer.

Her tongue traced my lower lip, pulling me deeper into the kiss, and I had to remind myself to breathe as my hands found their way to her waist. She responded eagerly, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer. I could feel the soft pressure of her breasts against my chest.

She leaned back, pulling out of the kiss, her eyes staring into mine like she was looking for something. An answer to some question.

"You know, I don't usually do this."

"Do what?" I asked, my thumb tracing circles on her hip.

"This," she gestured between us. "Invite guys up to my apartment on the first night. I mean, yeah, there was that one guy, but never after that. There's something about you, Kyle. I feel … drawn to you. You're different."

"Different good or different bad?" I teased, leaning in to kiss her neck.

She tilted her head back, giving me better access. "Good. Definitely good."

Her hands found their way under my shirt, her fingers exploring my chest. I leaned into her, putting some of my weight on her, but keeping the rest off as we made out.

My hands explored her body, tracing the curves of her waist, her hips, her thighs. She was wearing a stylish blouse with thin straps that dipped low, and slacks that had shown off her butt perfectly all night. I could feel the smooth fabric of her blouse under my fingertips, the way it clung to her skin.

Her hands went to the buttons on my shirt, quickly freeing them and pushing her hands inside, to continue their exploring with more intimacy. Mine followed suit, pushing up the soft fabric of her blouse and inside, cupping over one bra-covered breast.

We groped like that for another minute or two until she put her hand flat on my chest and pushed me back. I rocked back so that my weight came off her, putting a bit of distance between us again.

As soon as I was off of her, she stood up and reached out a hand. I let her pull me up and then held onto it as I followed her into her bedroom. It was messier than I would have expected, with clothes scattered across the floor.

As soon as we were standing next to her bed, she turned around and moved into me, kissing me again as her fingers went to the buckle of my belt. She worked quickly, opening it and then undoing the button on my jeans, tugging at my zipper with a slow deliberation. It was like she was testing my limits and seeing how long I could hold on, until her fingers brushed the tip of my dick through the fabric of my underwear and I groaned softly into her mouth.

Not to be outdone, I reached for the thin straps of her blouse, pulling them off her shoulders one at a time and letting it slide down to her waist, revealing her lace bra. It was a simple bralette but with her figure, it was better than any lingerie I could imagine.

I kicked off my shoes and stepped out of my jeans and underwear, leaving them in a heap on the floor. Sophia did the same, slipping out of her pants, neither of us breaking the kiss.

She let out a little squeak as I pulled her down to the bed with me, but never broke the kiss. Her hands roamed over my back, my shoulders, my arms, as if she couldn't get enough of me. I trailed kisses down her neck, her collarbone, her chest, until I reached the edge of her bra.

I hooked my fingers under the edge of her bra, pulling it down to reveal her small, perfect breasts. I took one nipple into my mouth, teasing it with my tongue as she arched her back, a soft moan escaping her lips. I could feel her pressing against me, her body eager for more.

She arched beneath me. My hand found its way between her legs, teasing the edge of her panties, causing her to gasp against my mouth. Her legs tangled with mine as I explored her body, each touch sending shivers through both of us. I moved to kiss her again, sliding a hand beneath her back to pull her closer. She returned the kiss with a passion that matched my own, the taste of her lingering on my tongue.

She slipped her hand into my waistband, gently tugging down my boxers. Her fingers skimmed over my skin as she drew me closer, her body warm against mine.

 Her moans filled the room as we explored each other. Her hands clutched at my shoulders as she moved with me, her breaths shallow and quick. Her grip on me tightened as she took me as deep as she could. It was a rush, a new experience that left me breathless.

When she finally climaxed, her back arched, muscles tense, a cry ripped from her throat. She held me close as the tension slowly bled away, her body trembling against mine.

We lay together for a while, her head on my chest, both of us trying to get our breath back. We were both spent and neither of us talked. We just cuddled closer together, listening to the music outside her window still going strong.

I felt her relax beside me as the tiredness started to set in. Eventually, her breathing evened out and I realized she’d fallen asleep. It had been a long day and a crazy night, and it didn’t take long to follow suit.