that inner
circle meant more to me than most would ever know. I knew one day she would
find someone who was perfect for her. Unfortunately, that wasn’t me.
She walked through the
door without a word, her hips swinging as she made her way into the living
room. I shook my head and let out a small laugh. I closed the door and
followed behind her, my eyes never wavering from the back of her head. I
wanted to watch her ass move in those jeans, but the brain in my head was
mentally slapping me every time the thought crossed my mind. I had to be
unattached in every way if this was going to work.
She sat down on the worn
out couch and tucked her legs underneath her. I walked to the loveseat across
from her and sat down. I leaned forward and put my elbows on my knees. I had
yet to make eye contact with her, but I knew her well enough to know that she
was staring me down.
“Okay Brian. Let’s have
it. I haven’t got all day.” I finally looked up, her face a mask of calm.
“Never one to beat around
the bush, are you?” I gave her a sardonic smile and sat back on the couch.
“Here’s the deal. This,” I pointed between us, “has to end. I know we agreed
that we were casual-“
Her sudden laugh cut me
off. “This? There is no this, Bri. We’re friends with benefits. Nothing
else. If that’s what you wanted me to come here for, fine. But let’s not
pretend that we’re anything other than that.” She stood up and smoothed her
shirt down, her hands running up and down her torso.
“Jenn, please. Don’t do
this. Don’t try to brush this off like it’s nothing. I know you,” I shot her
an intense glare, “and I know what we are. I’m not doing this to hurt you.
I’m doing this because...I’ve met someone.”
Her eyebrows shot up into
her hairline, but she quickly concealed her surprise. “I’m happy for you. I
really am. Who is it?”
I didn’t want to tell
her. She would laugh at me for falling for Katy and her wholesome ways. “I’d
rather not say...”
“Ah. Ashamed?”
“No. Just don’t want to
say who it is.”
“You can tell me. No
judgment. Promise,” she said as she smiled at me. That sweet smile was so
disarming. In that moment, I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to pour
my heart out, but I knew that she wouldn’t understand.
“Just a girl I met.”
“You’re breaking our
arrangement for ‘some girl’?” The panic on my face must have tipped her off.
She sneered at me, her lip curled up in disgust. “It’s Katy, isn’t it?”
“Does it matter?” Of
course it did. I knew that.
“Wait. You’re ditching me
for... her? ” She let out a growl, the sound echoing off of the bare walls
surrounding us. “For fuck’s sake Brian. You could have at least picked
someone better looking than me. I mean, shit. You’re going for a serious
downgrade.”
My blood was boiling as I
rose from my seat. We were less than a foot away from each other, our eyes
locked in a heated battle. “Watch it. I won’t put up with that shit in my
house. Katy is...she’s...dammit. I care about her.” I caught the look of
disappointment flicker across her face, but it was gone so quickly that I
probably imagined it. “I care about you too, but this is different. She’s
different.”
She shook her head; her
eyes glassing over as her emotions overtook her. “You know she’ll never
understand you like I do. You’ll never be good enough for Ms. Priss. You know
that, right?” she whispered. Her voice was haunting, as if it was being drug
from the bottom of her body.
I lifted my hands to her
face, cradling her while rubbing my thumb over her cheeks. “I know. She
deserves better than me. But I hope to one day be worthy. And I hope that you
can understand that. Maybe not right now, but one day.”
She took a quick step
back, her movements jerky and stiff. She
circle meant more to me than most would ever know. I knew one day she would
find someone who was perfect for her. Unfortunately, that wasn’t me.
She walked through the
door without a word, her hips swinging as she made her way into the living
room. I shook my head and let out a small laugh. I closed the door and
followed behind her, my eyes never wavering from the back of her head. I
wanted to watch her ass move in those jeans, but the brain in my head was
mentally slapping me every time the thought crossed my mind. I had to be
unattached in every way if this was going to work.
She sat down on the worn
out couch and tucked her legs underneath her. I walked to the loveseat across
from her and sat down. I leaned forward and put my elbows on my knees. I had
yet to make eye contact with her, but I knew her well enough to know that she
was staring me down.
“Okay Brian. Let’s have
it. I haven’t got all day.” I finally looked up, her face a mask of calm.
“Never one to beat around
the bush, are you?” I gave her a sardonic smile and sat back on the couch.
“Here’s the deal. This,” I pointed between us, “has to end. I know we agreed
that we were casual-“
Her sudden laugh cut me
off. “This? There is no this, Bri. We’re friends with benefits. Nothing
else. If that’s what you wanted me to come here for, fine. But let’s not
pretend that we’re anything other than that.” She stood up and smoothed her
shirt down, her hands running up and down her torso.
“Jenn, please. Don’t do
this. Don’t try to brush this off like it’s nothing. I know you,” I shot her
an intense glare, “and I know what we are. I’m not doing this to hurt you.
I’m doing this because...I’ve met someone.”
Her eyebrows shot up into
her hairline, but she quickly concealed her surprise. “I’m happy for you. I
really am. Who is it?”
I didn’t want to tell
her. She would laugh at me for falling for Katy and her wholesome ways. “I’d
rather not say...”
“Ah. Ashamed?”
“No. Just don’t want to
say who it is.”
“You can tell me. No
judgment. Promise,” she said as she smiled at me. That sweet smile was so
disarming. In that moment, I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to pour
my heart out, but I knew that she wouldn’t understand.
“Just a girl I met.”
“You’re breaking our
arrangement for ‘some girl’?” The panic on my face must have tipped her off.
She sneered at me, her lip curled up in disgust. “It’s Katy, isn’t it?”
“Does it matter?” Of
course it did. I knew that.
“Wait. You’re ditching me
for... her? ” She let out a growl, the sound echoing off of the bare walls
surrounding us. “For fuck’s sake Brian. You could have at least picked
someone better looking than me. I mean, shit. You’re going for a serious
downgrade.”
My blood was boiling as I
rose from my seat. We were less than a foot away from each other, our eyes
locked in a heated battle. “Watch it. I won’t put up with that shit in my
house. Katy is...she’s...dammit. I care about her.” I caught the look of
disappointment flicker across her face, but it was gone so quickly that I
probably imagined it. “I care about you too, but this is different. She’s
different.”
She shook her head; her
eyes glassing over as her emotions overtook her. “You know she’ll never
understand you like I do. You’ll never be good enough for Ms. Priss. You know
that, right?” she whispered. Her voice was haunting, as if it was being drug
from the bottom of her body.
I lifted my hands to her
face, cradling her while rubbing my thumb over her cheeks. “I know. She
deserves better than me. But I hope to one day be worthy. And I hope that you
can understand that. Maybe not right now, but one day.”
She took a quick step
back, her movements jerky and stiff. She
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