Hatred With Benefits

F O R T Y - O N E

EVA.

"You leave first. I need to get a book from the library. " I tell Aliya as we walk out of class and she twists

her body to me to say, "Meet me back at my dorm, yeah?"

"You got it. " I throw her a wink and pat her back before I turn in the other direction that takes me to the

school library.

Stepping inside the room, there are a few students scattered across, and I make my way towards my

favourite spot at the very end to drop my bag before I head to the row of shelves and look through for

the book I need.

Not finding it in the first sections, I move to the one at the very end and start looking through the books.

A smile covers my face when I catch the sight of the cover and I lift my hand to fish it out but startle

when there's a breath down my neck.

"They are not for stealing, Carson. " I turn around to see Emerson standing in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I ask with wide eyes as he sandwiches me between the shelves and his body;

his hand moving near my face.

"What do you think I'm doing, Carson?" He questions as he inches his face closer, and presses his lips

to mine just barely. Not enough for me to open my mouth, but enough to spark a reaction from me.

"Annoying me?" I say in a breath and Emerson chuckles lightly. "We're in the library. "

"That's what makes this more fun. " He says with a grin and I shake my head, "I'm not fúcking you in

the library, Ford. " Even when my body disagrees greatly with that.

The corner of his lips lifts in a tiny smirk. "Who said anything about fucking you, Carson? I have other

ways to make you moan, you know. "

I swallow down my throat when I feel his hand on the hem of my skirt, slipping underneath the clothing

before he starts caressing the skin that's covered with it.

"Want me to show you?" He whispers as he pushes his face forward and closes his lips to mine before

I could give him a response. I moan at the familiar taste of him, and Emerson swallows the sound like

the greedy bastard he is as he thrusts his tongue into my mouth and caresses it with mine.

My hands are on his chest, grabbing a fistful of the shirt to press his body closer to mine, and the

image of us tumbling down with the shelf of books because of our weight, crosses my mind for a

millisecond before that thought dissolves when I feel Emerson's touch edges closer to where it

suddenly aches for him.

One minute, Emerson Ford is swallowing every breath and gasp that leaves my throat, and teasing me

with his touches, then the second minute he's pulling away from me with worried eyes, and I know that

look. Oh, I know it too much. And I know why he has that look, which annoys me.

"We shouldn't. " He says in a thick breath and I frown, "This is because of what I told you last night,

isn't it?"

Emerson opens his mouth to argue, but I'm quick to say. "Don't lie to me, Ford. "

With a sigh, he confesses. "It is. "

"You don't want to touch me because you suddenly find me disgusting?" The words taste bitter coming

from my mouth, and Emerson's eyes are wide as he shifts closer and says, "What? No. Fucking no.

Why the fuck would you say that?" Something tells me he would be yelling those words if it weren't for

where we are.

"Because that's how you're supposed to feel? I mean I've been touched by—" he closes his palm over

my mouth, silencing the rest of my words with a glare on his face. "Don't. Just don't. Please. I don't

think what you think I do, Carson. I thought you might need some time before you ease back into this.

You dug up a past that you haven't talked about in years, and I know that might have taken a toll on

you. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Eva. "

"I'm not. It doesn't matter because it's different with you. " Only when the words leave my mouth do I

realize what I said and Emerson raises a brow, "How's it different with me?" Because with you, it's just

you and I. Because I love the way you make me feel when you touch me.

I don't say those words. Instead, I say, "Because you have my consent. "

Emerson's lips stretch into a small smile before his lips are back on mine again. Soft and teasing.

Warm and safe.

"Oh, fuck. " I groan when he rubs me through the lace of my panties.

"Shh, keep it down. You don't want us to get caught now, do you?" He shushes me as he pulls away

from my mouth and moves his lips to my neck, littering kisses across the skin till he takes my earlobe in

his mouth.

My body shudders at that hidden spot before Emerson pulls back to meet my eyes, and says, "You're

so wet, Eva. "

"Mmm. " I whimper when he shifts my panties to the side and expertly slides his finger inside my core.

Emerson's palm is back over my mouth. "I told you to keep quiet. "

My moans and gasps are muffled with his hand as I start to roll my hips against his finger and Emerson

double it– pumping in and out till I'm a mess in his hands, and I ride his fingers faster, trying

desperately to snatch that relief.

My chest falls in a sigh when my relief washes over me, and he pulls his fingers out of me; the digits

coated with my juices.

He brings it close to my mouth and says, "Suck. "

The willfulness to go through with his command trickles through me, and I part my lips, letting him slide

his fingers through before I suck on them.

"That's my good girl. " He praises before slipping his fingers out of my mouth with a smile on his face,

and my lips remain parted. My good girl?

"You should get back to your searches. I'll see you around, Carson. " He skids his hand underneath my

skirt to fix my panties, then he turns around and my eyes follow him till he disappears out of sight.

I snap out of my daze and yank at my skirt, looking around me to make sure no one is around this

section before I move from the spot with Emerson's words ringing in my ears.

~

"Okay, I'm all prepared for everything you have to say. " Aliya says as she walks me to her bed and we

settle on the mattress.

"So I might or might not have something going on with Emerson. " I tell Aliya, not meeting her eyes

because I know a smirk rests on her face at the moment.

"Might or might not? Bitch, make it clear. " She hisses and I roll my eyes before I do exactly what I

didn't want to, and meet her gaze. True to my earlier words, there's a tiny smirk on her face.

"We might or might not be fucking. " I watch as my best friend passes through three different emotions

at once. First, there's shock written all over her face; then there's amusement clear in her eyes, and

there's finally annoyance. One that creeps into her voice as she says, "You fucking took to my advice of

fucking him and you didn't think to fúcking tell me?"

"It was meant to remain a secret. " I give a raise of my shoulder and Aliya's frown deepens. " A secret?

Since when do you keep things from me?"

"Not like that, " I assure her as I attempt to snuggle closer to her side, but she raises a hand, motioning

for me to remain in my spot. "We agreed to keep it a secret between the two of us. It was a deal, babe.

"

"That shouldn't include me, bitch. That's the whole concept of the best friends thing; you don't keep

secrets from them. " She explains and I hum. "I know. "

"You wouldn't have told me if you didn't lose it back in class, would you?" She narrows her eyes at me,

and I gnaw at my lips, knowing my response is one that she wouldn't like too much.

"Evie. " Aliya drawls when I take too long to answer and I heave a sigh before I nod. "I wouldn't have. "

"I can't fucking believe you!" She snaps and I throw her a smile as I say, "You can't be mad at me. I

know you can't. "

"I am!" She counters. "But that won't stop me from asking more questions. How was it? When was the

first time? Was he good? How many times have you fucked? Is he your permanent hook up now? Wait,

if you're fucking Emerson, then what do you want with Dan? Bitch, you better start explaining. "

"Slow down. " I let out a chuckle, gesturing with my hands for her to take a breath before I start to

speak. "It was our last night at the club back home. We were arguing like always, and it somehow

turned to me sitting on his dick in his car. We didn't speak about it until we found out we're housemates,

and now we're just fucking and I'm not telling you how he did, so don't ask me about that. " I raise a

warning finger at her.

"So you guys are friends now? No death glares?" Friends will be a strong word, because we still annoy

each other just as much as we've always done, but a friend would be an understatement for the way

we confide in each other. I have no term to describe my relationship with Emerson Ford, other than

there's a bond between us.

"We aren't exactly friends. " I tell her and she furrows her brows, "So you're having hate sex?"

"Maybe. It's kind of complicated, but sleeping with him feels good. "

"Good enough to make you do it repeatedly? Yeah, I get that. " She taunts and I throw her a glare.

"Shut up. "

Aliya chuckles with a shake of her head before she says, "I can't believe you're fucking Emerson Ford.

"

"I know. " I say with a fall of my chest. "It's unexplainable. "

"You took the first step, and the second will come soon. " She winks, and I don't need her to say more

to know the meaning behind her words.

"That's never going to happen. " I snort out a laugh and Aliya clicks her tongue, "Never say never,

baby. You went from detesting the very presence of him, to wanting to fuck him every other second—"

"I didn't say that. " I frown and she cackles. "The point is, it might happen. You never know. "

"It won't. " I stand my ground and Aliya shrugs without a word. "It fucking won't. " I repeat and she

breaks into a laugh.

"I heard you the first time, bitch. Back to my questions; what happened to Dan?"

"Tried to force himself on me. " I tell her in a small voice and her eyes widen as she raises her voice.

"You're fucking joking? He tried to fucking what?"

"I was at his place last night, and things got heated. Tried to stop him, but he didn't stop. Not until I

made a move. " I explain and she shifts closer to my side, grabbing me by my side. "To what extent did

he go? I'm going to fucking kill him. "

"Only up to his fingers, and I don't think he deserves to be destroyed further than he already is. "

"He deserves more. I thought he was someone decent. " She spats and I nod, "Control can be a

disgusting thing. "

"Doesn't excuse his actions, babe. You're not seeing him again after this?" She ducks her head to meet

my eyes.

"You know me enough to know what I'd do, Lia. " I tell her and a small smile crosses her lips before she

pulls me closer to her side and squeezes my shoulder.

"That's why you cried?" She mumbles silently and I hum. "More or less. "

Aliya squeezes my shoulder tighter before there's a creak of the door, and I pull away from Aliya to see

Maria standing at the door with a perplexed expression on her face.

"Um... Am I interrupting something?" She asks, looking between me and Aliya.

"Yeah, I got her under my spell and was about to have my mouth on her. What a time to ruin my effort,

Maria. " Aliya jokes beside me and I slap her shoulder before I raise my head to Maria and say, "You're

not interrupting anything. She's just being naughty. "

"I could get naughty for you, baby. " Aliya murmurs, leaning over my shoulder and I nudge her off.

"Don't fuck with me, Aliya. "

She lets out a laugh before turning her attention to Maria and I fall back on her bed as I watch them

exchange words.

EMERSON.

As I walk through the door, my eyes move to the sight of Eva on the couch with her eyes on one of her

childish movies across the screen. Childish, but somehow adorable. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I stand still for a moment, just to watch the little sparkle of her eyes when there's a joyous moment

across the screen, and I find myself smiling at the sight of it. Seeing that she didn't allow her step into

her past again to keep her down truly amazes me– Eva Carson amazes me in every way there is.

I've always thought of her as a child that hid under her parents' wings, and though I call her that just to

annoy her at times – I know she's so fucking far from it. Before her revelation from last night, I've

known that Carson is a brave woman from the bits and bits she lets me in about her life, and that

impression about her grows with each little moment spent with her, but last night... Last night is a

completely different thing.

Eva Carson isn't just brave. She's strong– one of the strongest women that I've ever come across. To

have suffered that way—both physically and emotionally— yet manage to keep to her feet. To keep

going. To keep surviving. It's something that takes the strongest to do.

I wasn't there, but I felt her pain through her words and for a woman like her to have managed to make

it through, and grow into the person she is right now; I don't think I've ever been more amazed by

anyone, or anything. And Eva's revelation about her past didn't just show me a bit more about the kind

of person she is– it also scour wider into the part of me that's consumed by her. It's deeper, stronger

and I can feel it every single time I watch her.

"You're back. " Carson's voice pulls me out of my thoughts and back to the reality before me. "How long

have you been standing there?"

"Long enough for you to turn back and see me. " I respond as a tease and a look of annoyance crosses

her face, causing me to chuckle as I move from my spot.

"That thing again?" I groan, jerking my head towards the TV and Carson throws me a glare as she

says, "Say a word against my choice in movies and you'll regret it. "

"Are you threatening me, Carson?" I speak in an amused voice as I stand behind the couch so her

head is turned my way to meet my eyes.

A tiny smirk climbs on her face, one that brings another one of the many sides that comes with Eva

Carson. "Does it feel like a threat? Cause it should. "

"I think sometimes you forget who's got the advantage over who here, Carson. " I tell her, folding my

arms against my chest and her smirk grows. "In every aspect, that would be me. "

I push my face forward so it's only inches away from hers, and purposely brush my lips against hers as

I speak in a low voice, "Yeah, and you say that until I have you writhing underneath me. "

I watch as her pupils dilate, and the bob in her throat shifts as she gulps before she says, "It'd be

terrible without those sounds because your performance is that bad, Carson. "

I laugh at her response and pull back. "I'd pretend I didn't see you limp your way to the door just days

ago, Carson. "

When she opens her mouth to argue, I beat her to it and change the subject. "I'm famished. Do you

want something?"

"Offering to cook for me after this?" I don't fail to catch onto the tease in her words and I say, "Don't test

my patience, Carson. "

"Fine, " she chuckles before she moves from her seat. "I'll come help. "

"You don't have to. You can sit and concentrate on your—" the vibration of a phone interrupts my words

and I nod my head to Eva's phone. She walks to the table and grabs the device, and the playful

expression on her face is masked by an annoyed one.

Without a word, she ends the call and hurls it in the back pocket of her shorts before she turns to me.

"Who was it?" I ask with a raised brow and she says, "Why should I tell you?"

There she goes. Being the most difficult woman that anyone has ever had to deal with.

"You have a frown on your face so I thought something might be up. " I tell her and she hums, "It's no

one serious. "

"It's him, isn't it?" Eva's lips twitch at my words before she gives a small bob of her head and anger

swells in my chest. He still has the fucking audacity to reach out to her? The fucker must be fucking

sick.

"I should have broken his fingers. " I mumble under my breath and Carson cackles before she says,

"Doesn't go that far, Ford. I'm smart enough to choose my friends, and the ones that should never be

seen with me. "

"Only if that were true. " I say with a clear of my throat and she scowls, throwing me her middle finger.

"Fuck you, Emerson. "

"You're always so needy, Carson. I thought back in the library would be enough for you?" Redness

coats her flushed cheekbones after my words, and she tries hard to hide her face from me, but fails

miserably.

"I mean, I don't mind—" I continue and she snaps her gaze to me. "Shut up. "

A laugh falls from my mouth and though she tries to keep the scowl on her face, I don't fail to notice the

way the corners of her lips start to curve and then, there she goes– with a smile that makes me

question my entire fucking self.