CEDAR CREEK SERIES

Dylan <18+ content>

I woke up from the best nap of my life to Jax wrapped around me. We were both fully clothed, which was a bummer. I vaguely remember him helping me into bed and me begging him to hold me. He made me feel safer than I ever did before. Maybe I was wrong and he wouldn’t sleep with ANYONE. He turned me down so many times and I couldn’t for the life of me figure it out. I wasn’t used to rejection, I thought he did in the past because he saw me as a kid. He called me kiddo so fucking much it drove me insane. I shifted underneath his arm and heard him groan.

“Nope. Too early.” he mumbled and pulled me closer burying his face in my hair.

“It’s 2:00, I’m supposed to meet Maddie. I need more friends, remember?” I coldn’t help but grin as he nuzzled my neck.

“Or you could not meet Maddie, and you can stay in my bed while I go to work tonight.” He moved the hair out of my face and put his forehead on mine. “Ditch the girls and spend the day with me, I’ll be the best friend you ever had.”

“Do you even know how to be my friend?” Or more than my friend, I thought.

“Sure. I’ll watch a chick flick, do your hair, and listen to all your life’s problems.” He smiled so big his dimple was showing that’s how I knew he was being serious.

“Mmmm. Tempting. Or we could do something that doesn’t involve talking?” I shifted myself underneath him and pushed my hips into his. I felt his hardness between my legs and I wanted it more than I’d ever wanted anyone before. I was being borderline desperate in my attempt to get him to fuck me.

“Don’t do this.” He whispered suddenly, getting very serious. “Do you know how fucking it hard it was to just lay with you?”

“Please?” I asked. I just wanted to fuck someone who cared about me and made me feel as safe as Jax did. I also wanted to fulfill my lifelong crush to fuck Jax. I was begging at this point but I didn’t care because I knew one night in his bed would be worth my dignity.

“Did you just say please?” he started laughing at me. 

“Don’t make fun of me!” I swatted his arm.

“I’m not, I promise I’m not.” he was still laughing but he leant down to kiss me. It was just a gentle kiss but it felt so right. “I have to be a good brother Dylan. I know Tommy is just another asshole but he would be so pissed at me.”

“I’m not his property,” I was so sick of everyone caring about Tommy’s psychotic feelings for me. It’s been almost a decade since he and I were anything and we were fumbling teenagers who barely made out.

“I know you’re not. I just-I can’t. As much as I want to.” It looked like it was killing him to say no but I put myself completely out there and he was still going to tell me no.

“Too bad.” I kissed his cheek and let myself out. 

“It really is,” he mumbled after me. 

I left so frustrated. I wanted to be fucked and I wanted it to be Jax. Was it really because of Tommy that he wouldn’t fuck me? Because that was so stupid. I knew he’d been with a lot of girls, and a lot more experienced girls but I could give him a fun night too right? Maybe he just wasn’t into me but God I was into him. I was lost in thought as I made my way down to the beach where Maddie said she and Caroline had set up when I ran smack into Greer Adams, my best friend since kindergarden who I hadn’t talked to since I left Cedar Creek. We were supposed to go to college together but I moved ot LA and she went to UAB without me.

“Hey Dyl. I heard you were home.” She looked so uncomfortable.

“Damn news travels fast around here.”

“Gossip in Cedar spreads faster than ever.” She wasn’t looking at me and she was playing with her hands.  “Plus I’m pretty sure I saw a TikTok of you getting off the plane.”

“This is weird huh?”I asked.

“You said it I didn’t.”

“You wanna go sit and talk?”

“More than anything,” she said relieved. We walked toward the beach to find somewhere to talk.

She hadn’t changed much; she still had long, wavy, blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes. She was the epitome of the girl next door. Greer Adams was my best friend since kindergarten when Tommy tried to kiss me, and she made him eat dirt. We were always a group but there was the group and then there was Greer and I. 

“Sorry about the video. That looked awful, are you okay?” We sat on the beach side by side like we did a million times planning our escape. 

“Yeah. When most 22-year old’s get overwhelmed and freak out they’re embarrassed in their dorm not across the globe.” It had gone through the talk shows, and the late nights and now it was pretty much long gone and just a joke people liked to tell when they saw me. 

“Why are you home?”

“Missed it. Missed you guys. Missed who I was.” I shrugged, “Greer, I’m really sorry.”

“No! I’m really sorry. I wrote you a thousand times to say sorry for being a bitch and not supportive, but I chickened out. I thought you were too good for me. You left and then boom you were one of the most famous people in the world. I didn’t even come to your going away party.”

“I’m not that famous. I just thought you were mad that I ditched you.”

“Oh my god Dylan I wasn’t mad at you, I was proud of you, it just felt like you didn’t want me to come along.”

“You have no idea how much I wanted that.” We hugged, and it felt really good. Greer knew all of my childhood secrets and embarrassing moments; but she also knew my triumphs and my fears. “We can start now? I’ll tell you everything. But I’m actually supposed to meet Maddie and her roommate down the beach wanna come and I’ll spill all the tea you guys want?”

“Yes please!” We locked arms and headed down to where Maddie and Caroline were sparaled on a beach blanket, I laid mine out and Greer and I laid next to them.

“Greer!” Maddie pulled her into a hug, “this is my roomie Caroline!”

“Hey! I hope you don’t mind I crashed your beach party but I need to know all the juicy LA gossip!”

“Of course not! We’re dying too!” Maddei said smiling at me.

“Good! Now tell me everything, what’s Carter like in bed?” Greer said and all eyes were on me.

“Wouldn’t actually know, we only date for publicity.” We almost hooked up once when we were drunk, but we both kept laughing too much and then I threw up.

“Shut up! You guys are attached at the hip. And he is so hot.” Caroline said blushing, she wasn’t used to me but Maddie and Dylan had known me my whole life. Dorky braces Dylan, awkward middle school Dylan, so I don’t think my “status” excited them that much.

“He’s just my best friend, he’s a lot like you actually.” I said pointing to Greer. They were both loud, sarcastic, and easy to spot in the crowd with glowing blonde hair. 

“You guys are really good actors then, I watch you on tv all the time y’all seem really in love.” Maddie gushed pouring drinks for all of us. A lot of people say that, and I guess I can see it. We just enjoy hanging out. 

“Well we love each other but like brother and sister honestly. We take care of each other through the chaos.” I loved Carter but I never loved Carter. I’d be curious to see what he would be like with this group of friends.

“But you live together!” Greer shouted.

“I know, well we don’t really. We just have apartments on the same floor.” I shrugged.

“This is so mind blowing! One of the biggest lies in Hollywood.” Caroline said gushing at me and I just laughed at her.

“What had you looking like your puppy died when I bumped into you?” Greer asked, throwing her tanning lotion at me.

“Nothing, just need to be fucked.” I said honestly laying back on my towel.

“Uh, are you kidding?” Maddie asked. “You’re Dylan Daniels, throw a rock and you’d hit someone willing to fuck you.” 

“You’re not wrong.” I laughed, so tell me all about college. 

“Not uh, college is boring, keep telling us all about Hollywood!” Greer said giggling.

“Okay so what’s Jace Mathews like?” Caroline asked me totally fangirling. “John and Amy are like my favorite couple and his accent is so sexy!” 

“Jace is such a douche in person. But I do see why everyone ships John and Amy so much. I had so much fun playing her.” That was true especially the first two seasons of our show, John and Amy were endgame.

“Well she’s just so much better than Callie. And you just get to go to celebrity parties like all the time?” Maddie asked.

“Ya, I mean sometimes. But they’re more like work parties. I have to play the part and be nice to all the studio execs so I can try and get my next job.”

“That seems so exhausting.” Greer said. “Do you get to go to a ton of Carter’s games? I am so jealous that would be my favorite part of your other life.”

“Ya I do. Mostly for image but I like to support him.” I could go to whatever game I wanted except for playoff games but Carter didn’t play in many of those.

“That’s crazy! So what are we doing tonight, The Cedar?” Maddie asked.

“No,” I said a little too qucikly. “I wanna check out the other bars. I haven’t been home in forever. Let’s pick a new spot.” 

“Works for me! Sea Shack at 10?” Greer asked. We all agreed and started packing up our stuff. I could not do a round of hot and cold with Jax tonight.

Why on earth would I guy sleep with you and not SLEEP with you? Most guys were opposite of that I was somewhere between making him want me and letting it go and just being friends. If we were being honest I always wanted more from him and maybe he just wasn’t capable of more.