by Tabatha Kiss
I keep quiet, letting her say what she needs to say.
“Heidi, you are my best friend. In fact, you’re kind of my only friend. Possibly the only real friend I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever told you that.”
I shake my head once.
“I’ve done so much to drive away literally everyone but, for some reason, you’ve stuck around,” she says, her eyes glistening. “There is nothing I want more in this world than for you to be happy. This week, I took that too far. Today wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for me, and I am so sorry.”
“Are you sure?” I quip. “Because I haven’t heard that from you yet today.”
Her lips twitch. “And, judging by you cracking jokes, is it safe to assume that you accept my apology?”
I shrug a shoulder. “Is there a reason I wouldn’t?”
“Because I’m a bitch,” she says. “I’m an asshole. A cunt with a capital C.”
I snort. “Well, I wasn’t going to say it out loud.”
“And that’s why I love you, Heidi. You’re a better person than I am. A prettier, smarter, and more forgiving person, one might say.”
“You think I’m prettier?”
She winces. “I was kinda hoping you’d let that one go...”
I chortle. “All right. I accept your apology.”
Jenna holds her hands in prayer. “Would you forgive me?” she asks. “Please?”
“Do I have to?” I tease.
“I mean, you do have a permanent reminder on your back for how I complete you and you have to love me forever, so...” She smiles. “Yeah?”
I smile back at my old friend.
What’s the worst that can happen?
She could implode my life again, but honestly… if there ever were a person I’d trust to help me pick up the pieces, it’s Jenna. It’s always Jenna.
“I’ll get there,” I say. “Someday.”
“Soon?”
“Don’t push it.”
Jenna nods. “Someday works for me. Thank you.”
“But I’m also not the only one you need to apologize to. Putting those sketches out there… it wasn’t cool.”
“I know,” she says. “And the next time I see Drew, I will do exactly that.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”
She sighs with relief, and the tension drains from her shoulders. “You know, you’ve never cussed at me before,” she says, throwing on a pout. “It was weird, yet... empowering.”
I raise my brow. “It felt good, I’ve got to say.”
“I thought you were going to kill me for a second there.”
“I’d never do that,” I quip. “Who would help me hide the body?”
She sighs. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“I believe it.”
She lowers onto her side and balances on her elbow, her usual gimme gossip position. “So, what’s next for you and Drew?” she asks.
I inhale a deep breath. “I’m not sure.”
“You and Seth?”
I blow it back out. “I’m really not sure. I guess it’ll all come down to where he lands with all of this.”
“Do you think Drew will dump you if Seth doesn’t come around?”
My heart clenches. “Well, I hope not.” I shift uncomfortably. I hadn’t even considered that. “Do you think that’s a possibility?”
“Personally, no, but I’ve been surprised before. The guy said he loved you in front of the entire population of Greek Row, so I think you have the advantage right now.”
My cheeks burn pink. “You’re right. He did do that,” I say, helplessly smiling.
She smirks. “Did that feel good?”
“Hell yes.”
“It looked like it felt good.”
“It felt amazing.”
She laughs. “Now that everything is out in the open, you guys don’t have to hide anymore. That should be fun.”
“We can go out on dates in this part of town. Or walk across campus holding hands. You know, normal couple stuff.”
“Swoon.”
“If we have any luck left at all, and Seth doesn’t pull a total douche on this situation, then maybe things can go back to normal sooner than we think.”
Jenna nods. “That’d be nice.”
The doorbell rings. I give her a look before we both stand up and silently bolt down the hall to the front door.
Drew stands on the porch with red paint still smeared on his face. He carries a small duffel bag at his side and a heavy weight on his shoulders as he looks at me.
“Drew, are you okay?” I ask.
He clears his throat. “So, he kicked me out,” he says. “Do you mind if I crash here tonight?”
I deflate. I open the door wider for him and he steps inside.
I guess normal will have to wait.
Chapter 45
Drew
I step out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and flannel pants. As I walk down the hall back to Heidi’s room, I rub the damp towel behind my ears, making sure I got the last of that damn paint off.
Heidi closes her textbook as I walk in. “Hey,” she says with a warm smile.
She’s put on a positive face since I got here, her special way of trying to cheer me up, and I have to admit that it’s working.
I smile back. “Thanks for letting me use your shower,” I say.
“Anytime.”
“I washed all the paint out of it,” I add. “Sure I got it all.”
“And on behalf of the ladies of the household: thanks. We appreciate that.”
I drop the towel into the hamper by the closet and sit down on the edge of the bed. Heidi rises out of her chair and walks over to stand in front of me. Like magnets, my hands rise to her hips, pulling her closer until my forehead grazes her chest. She runs her fingers through my damp hair and kisses the top of my head.
“You okay?” she asks after a minute.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“I don’t understand how he can just kick you out of the house,” she says. “Don’t you pay to live there?”
“Technically, no. He can’t. I’ve paid my dues, money-wise and for breaking Delta Xi law, so he can’t force me out of the house. Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Brick and see about getting a new room assignment.”
She runs her fingers over my scalp again, an act of comfort. “Well, you can stay here for as long as you need to,” she says. “I doubt Jenna will mind.”
“Thanks.” I look up into her little eyes. “How about you? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She smiles. “I’m doing better now that you’re here.”
I look at those gorgeous lips, and she dips herself down to kiss me.
There’s a quiet knock on the door. Heidi prolongs the kiss for another few seconds before shifting a step to the side and turning around.
“Come in,” she says.
The door opens on Jenna in the hallway. She holds a plate out in front of her with a turkey sandwich and a stack of potato chips.
“Hi, guys,” she greets with a wide smile.
“Hey, Jenna,” Heidi says.
“How are you doing in here?”
“We’re fine, thank you.”
Jenna looks at me. “Hey, Drew.”
“Hi,” I say.
“I made you a sandwich,” she says, presenting the plate.
“Oh.” I pause. “I’m... not very hungry right now.”
“I’ll take it!” Heidi says, extending her hand.
Jenna happily hands the plate over before shifting back to me. “Is there anything I can get you? A cool beverage? A warm beverage? A foot rub, perhaps?”
I furrow my brow. “No, I’m good,” I say. “Thank you, though...”
“Just let me know if you two need anything,” she says. “I’m just a text message away.”
“Will do!” Heidi says as she claims a chip. “Thanks, Jenna.”
Jenna takes a step back into the
hallway and closes the door behind her.
Heidi sits down on the bed next to me with the plate.
“What was that?” I ask her.
“Oh.” Heidi swallows before answering. “She’s paying her penance.”
“Oh.” I nod. “And how long is that going to last?”
“Until I get bored.”
“Nice.”
She offers me a chip. I take it.
I sit up on the bed and put my feet on the floor. The room is dark and quiet, the only sounds being the occasional settling of the old house or Heidi’s barely audible breaths. Outside of my head, that is.
Inside, I’m screaming.
How did I fuck this up so badly?
“Drew?” Heidi rolls over in the dark. “You okay?”
“Can’t sleep,” I whisper.
She sits up and curls her arms around to hug me from behind. Her touch leaves warm blooms on my skin, soft and comforting as silk. I close my eyes, focusing on the good parts of this. Her passion. Her support. Her love.
But it all comes with a price.
My community. My career. My future.
How do I fix this?
Heidi shifts forward and straddles me on the edge of the bed. “You want me to wear you out?” she whispers, her playful voice tickling my ear.
I chuckle.
We kiss in the dark. She hovers her hips over my lap, a gentle, teasing sway that makes me hard. I pull her shirt over her head to kiss her naked breasts, licking her pointed nipples and listening to her soft gasps of pleasure in the shadows. She cups my face and draws my mouth to claim hers again.
“Drew,” she moans between kisses. “I want you...”
I cling to her. I grind my hard cock against her. I imagine all the things I could do to her, relishing in every one of them.
“I want you to come on my face.”
My cock twitches, the words alone sending bolts of guilty pleasure through me.
“Please,” she says with the slightest begging moan. “Come on my face.”
Heidi slips off my lap and drops to her knees on the floor. She pulls my pants off as she moves, easily navigating in the dark, but we’re way past the awkward phase. Now, she’s confident and vocal about what she wants. She knows me and my body, her and her body. She’s an amazing lover. A supportive friend. The perfect girlfriend.
But what am I?
Would she call me the perfect boyfriend? Would Seth call me a supportive friend?
Who even am I anymore?
She takes me into her open mouth. I slide back, submitting to the weight of her hand on my chest as she pushes me down. She touches my body as her head bobs. Her tongue swirls around my tip, giving me firm flicks that drive me crazy. My breath hitches. My balls tighten. I squeeze her hair as she pulls me out of her mouth and strokes me with her hand. She kisses the base and laves my balls, giving her jaw a break and torturing me at the same time.
“Drew,” she whispers, her voice light and wild. “Fuck my face.”
She licks up my shaft, using the full front of her tongue, and all I can do is groan in response. I pull her hair tighter. I brace my hips to move. I shove my cock back into her willing mouth and I thrust into her throat. She takes it. She moans and chokes and sucks me even harder. She’s sexy and filthy and beautiful in every way.
I give her what she wants.
I pull out. My cum covers her mouth and fires across her nose and forehead. She closes her eyes and keeps her mouth open, welcoming a final spray on her tender, pink tongue. She swallows and sucks me clean. I grunt and grit my teeth, riding the full body orgasm until I can’t take the torment anymore.
Innocent little Heidi Newbury.
But she’s not innocent anymore.
Because of me.
Chapter 46
Heidi
I wake to the sound of something moving around my bedroom. A few months ago, this would have startled me, but nowadays, I know it’s just Drew. I’m safe and sound with him wandering around, and the thought alone brings a smile to my face.
His weight settles at the foot of the bed. I open my eyes, spotting Drew sitting there. He slowly slides on his shoes, trying not to make too much noise and wake up me. I don’t move. I wonder how long it’ll take before he feels me watching him.
Drew glances at me over his shoulder. Not long, I guess.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi.” I sit up, clinging to the bedsheet as I realize I’m naked. “Good morning.”
Drew grabs my tank top off the floor by his feet and tosses it to me.
“Thank you,” I say as I pull it on. He stands up, now dressed and... looking ready to leave. “You have somewhere you need to be?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he says.
“Are you going to go talk to Brick about getting a new room?”
“Maybe.”
I hop out of bed to fetch my shorts. “Well, let’s get some breakfast.”
“Heidi.”
“She might not seem like the type, but Jenna is the crepe master. She probably won’t mind making some.” I chortle. “Not like she has a choice right now, you know what I mean?”
“We need to talk.”
My chest lurches, but then I breathe a laugh. “Is this another one of those times when you accidentally make that sound really scary?”
Drew doesn’t laugh. He shakes his head.
“Oh,” I say, holding still. “Okay...”
He shifts on his toes. “I can’t be here anymore,” he says.
I wait to see if he’ll say more, but he doesn’t. “All right,” I say slowly. “I mean, we knew this was a temporary situation. It’s not like I expected you to move in here or anything.”
“No, I can’t...” He stops, and the air grows even heavier around us. “I don’t know if I can... be here anymore.”
I don’t move. I barely think. I let the words repeat in my head, trying to understand them, but they dissipate just as quickly.
“Oh,” is all I can manage. “Why?”
“It’s complicated,” he says.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No, I did,” he says. “I did something wrong and... I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
I’m almost too scared to ask. “What did you do?”
Drew looks at me, his eyes so dark and heavy. “This,” he answers, swallowing hard. “You and me.”
“You and me?” I repeat. “What does that mean, exactly?”
“I met you, and... I wanted you. I wanted all of you. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t care. I should have cared. I shouldn’t have been so selfish.”
I furrow my brow, barely following his words. He looks at the floor, looking just as confused as I feel.
“Is this because of that crap Seth said?” I ask. “About how you corrupted me? You know that’s bullshit, right?”
He hesitates. “Is it?”
“Drew, you didn’t corrupt me,” I say. “I slept with you because I wanted to. Because I loved you. You didn’t do anything to me. In fact, you gave me every opportunity to say no, and you accepted it when I did. You’re not the bad guy here.”
“I know.”
“Then...” I smile. “Come on, Drew. Why does this bother you so much?”
“I don’t know,” he says, defeated. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“Un-complicate it for me,” I say. “Please.”
He inhales sharply with a pained expression. “Two months ago, I had the next ten years of my life all planned out. It was senior year and internships. It was graduation and going into business with Seth. It was shaking hands and kissing asses and doing everything it took to make it. I had a future. And then you walked in.”
“And that’s my fault?”
“No. It’s... it’s no one’s fault.” He looks at me, his eyes soft with love. “You walked in... and I had a second future. It was just as good as the other one. It was falling in love with you and traveling the world and giving you the life
you deserve. And that would have been fine — it would have been amazing — if you weren’t my best friend’s little sister. I can’t be with you and stay friends with him, but I can’t be friends with him if it means I have to give you up. I can’t have both of you the way I want to, and it’s fucking me up right now.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “So, what do we do?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” he says. “That’s why I need to go.”
“Drew, are you...” I hold back tears. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“No.” He exhales hard. “I just need a break.”
“Otherwise known as a break-up?”
“No. Heidi—” He steps forward to take my hands. “I love you. You’re perfect, but I’m not.”
“I think you’re perfect.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t last. “I need to take a step back. Just for a little while. Okay? Until I figure this out.”
I pull my hands free. “Why can’t we figure this out together?” I ask. “Isn’t that what a relationship is?”
“Heidi—”
“Okay, so you go. You go and you think it over and then, what? You choose between me and him? Is that really so hard for you?”
“Yes,” he says, his eyes falling.
A tear tumbles down my cheek. “Then allow me to make it easy.” I wipe it away and cross my arms. “I’m out.”
Drew raises his head, surprised. “What?”
“You tell me you have the choice between being with me or hanging out with the guy who humiliate you yesterday? Who bullied me for years? And you just expect me to stick around and wait? No. No, Drew, I’m not going to do that.” I take a step back. “I’m not doing any of this anymore.”
“Heidi...” He tries to close the gap between us, but I shift away. “Please, just hold on...”
“This was a mistake from the start,” I say. “I see that now.”
“Wait.”
“I hope you guys are really happy together.”
Drew pauses, his shoulders sinking as he looks at the floor. His mouth opens and closes with tiny silences for a few seconds before he finally looks at me again.
