The Friend Zone (The Relationship Quo Series Book 2)

by Nicole Strycharz

  Then four in the morning came and reality with it.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I woke to my thoughts and they were so far from the pleasure of last night.

  What if I was rebounding from Jenzy? Did I really just use Chloe to get over someone else? I haven’t had sex in forever, and all the tension of waiting on Jenzy has made me like a maniac. Did I let my needs overshadow my common sense?

  Memories of what Chloe and I did filtered into my mind and I closed my eyes. My stupid dick was rising again, like last night wasn’t enough.

  I rolled to my side to hold her close because I need to feel sane but I was met with empty bedding and when I opened my eyes she was nowhere. “Chloe?” No answer made me sit up. “Chloe?” Still nothing.

  I got up and searched for my boxers. Once they were on, I checked the bathroom. “Chloe?” I opened the door but the light was out. I frowned and felt around for my phone in the dark. I tried calling her but it went to voicemail and I felt a crush of panic.

  Sprinting to the window I looked down to find her Jeep was still parked on the side of the building.

  I looked to the door and saw Goliath was laying right in front with his nose at the floor where dim light from the hall poured underneath.

  I made my way over and opened the door in time to hear a sob. I looked down the hall but didn’t see anything until the sob broke again. I looked down and there she was in the fetal position, against the wall beside the door. Chloe doesn’t cry.

  She’s in her PJ’s and her face is hidden by her hair and her hands. I came down on my knees in front of her and rubbed her shoulders. “Chloe, you freaked me out going missing like that. What’s going on? What happened?” She kept her head buried, “look at me.”

  She did and I took in the sight of her crying. It’s that rare. This face is as unknown to me as her face when I pleasured her last night.

  I wiped the wetness under her eyes with my thumbs, “you gotta talk to me Baby Girl, I can’t read your mind.”

  She sniffed and forced herself to look okay, “Well…” she took my hands from her face but held them and focused on them to not have to look at me, “I’m going to lose you now. I don’t care what we said downstairs, it was a mistake. Now it’s going to be impossible for us to be like we were.”

  I rolled my eyes and made her look up at me, “Chloe, nothing is going to-.” We heard the elevator and I winced, “Come on,” I grabbed her hand to pull her but she didn’t budge. “I’m not having this conversation in your hallway in my underwear.”

  “No, I don’t want to go in there until we talk. It’s too intimate. That’s where everything happened.”

  “Right now I feel intimate with your neighbors. I’m in my boxers Chloe.”

  She wiped more tears, “oh shut up, you look like something out of an erotica novel. No one cares.”

  I smiled, “hey,” I framed her face with my hands, “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t go anywhere; you know how this is with us. I need you as much as you need me. We are strong enough to handle this. Our friendship is nowhere near that fragile.”

  Her eyes were finally on me and she sighed, “what if all you see is the sexual thing now? Like what if I just need the Moses that isn’t my fuck buddy?”

  “Then you shove me off like all the other female counterparts in a sexual relationship do when they don’t want it.” I made her laugh and thank god, because the idea of her walking out on me has me sick, “we communicate. You and I have always talked shit out. If you don’t hide how you feel and expect me to get it…if you just tell me, I might be able to help.”

  She wiped another tear and swallowed, “you have to promise me, that you won’t just disappear. Like no matter what you won’t just leave. You’re literally all I have so…”

  “I promise.” I mean this to my core. “I promise not to skip out, if you promise not to keep secrets.”

  Her eyes went owlish, “I don’t keep secrets.”

  “You’re right, not telling me you had feelings for over twenty years isn’t a secret so much as a-.”

  “Okay, okay,” she laughed, “I get it.” She took a deep breath, “just…let’s go back to bed. Maybe watch the rest of Thrones?”

  I leaned in to kiss her forehead and it sparked something. She looked up at me and held my arm so I did it again but she tilted up her face, so I kissed her on the lips. Her kisses are like rocket launchers. I can’t sample them without needing to go for more.

  We stood and I moved forward until she was against her door and pulled her into me before putting my mouth down on hers again. Her lips are sweet but the tears salted them and I like the flavor even more.

  She reached behind her and felt around for the doorknob while I pushed my hand down her lacey bottoms. Chloe moaned and moved her hips out to me. What the hell happened to us? 24hours turned us from chill buddies to this. To me feeling her.

  “Fuck,” she said into my mouth.

  “I could literally fuck you against this door, right now.”

  “You might have to.”

  I smiled and pressed her into me, “why? Ready again?”

  “The door is locked.”

  I laughed, “what? Is that slang for something?”

  “Yeah, it’s slang for you closed the door and it was locked.”

  I jerked back and frowned, “what?” I tried the knob behind her. “What the fuck?”

  “Well, I didn’t expect you to come out here! I was having alone time.”

  I pushed her aside and tried it a few more times, “You have got to be kidding me right now! Chloe! I’m in my friggin boxers!”

  She slapped my arm, “you’re not the only one this sucks for!”

  “You’re in pajamas!”

  “Moses!” She gestured at her body and I looked. Okay, so they weren’t really pajamas. It was a sheer lacy black tank and matching lace shorts.

  “Well, who the fuck wears shorts made of lace!” I snapped.

  “Someone about to get laid you asshole!”

  I waved my hand down the hall. “It’s your building, you go get the landlord.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me, “and if I get raped half way down to his apartment?”

  I swore, “let’s go,” I said starting. She ran up behind me to shield herself. After making the long and shameful walk in our indecent clothes we got the landlord awake and followed him back up. Lucky for us the four in the morning thing helped with keeping the halls fairly empty. That and the elevators were working again.

  While he searched his enormous ring of keys outside the door, her landlord gave us a once over. She crossed her arms over her chest and I held my hands in front of my crotch.

  He shook his graying head, “still gonna claim you’re just friends huh?”

  CHLOE

  “So…who is this guy?” I asked Brianna.

  She was in her dorm trying on a dress with white polka dots. Her parents died in a crash but they left her a college fund in their will. Being here made me think about my Art & Hopes audition. I would die to go to college and to study my dream, but my only way there was my audition and I hadn’t heard from them. It’s past the time and that means I didn’t get it. I’m sad but I’m no less than I was before.

  Brianna grunted, “I don’t know who he is. That’s the point. It’s a blind date.” She laughed suddenly. “Get it?” She pointed at her eyes, “blind date.”

  I came over and helped her zip the back, “your sense of humor is so morbid.”

  “Hey, it is what it is,” she said as she combed her hair with her fingers. “I had my cry about it but…”

  I hugged her from behind. “I love you.”

  She smiled, “I love you too.” Then we parted while she tried on some heels. She refuses to wear practical things. “So how is Moses holding up about Jenzy? I can’t believe she changed her mind at the last minute.”

  I pursed my lips and fought the blush on my cheeks, even though she can’t see me, “he’s…you know…
a little hurt but…he’s okay.”

  She snorted, “I don’t know, he sounds like he’s in denial. When he called me this morning he sounded weirdly happy. He was so crazy about her, I highly doubt he’s that okay.”

  I went back to sit on the bed, “he hasn’t said anything to me.”

  Brianna felt for the buttons at her bodice and slowly lined them up, “when I asked him how he was he said, ‘I feel great, yesterday was great.’ Explain that one? The day before yesterday his girlfriend broke up with him. How is he great?”

  I smiled because she can’t see me and Moses saying he feels great about what happened has me pretty dopey. In fact, now I’m thinking about it. He didn’t come over last night because he had to work the gym late but he texted like he promised. No lame guy excuses or bullshit answers, and we talked like we always do. Like friends. So we’re okay and it’s kinda wonderful.

  “Chloe?” Brianna said and I snapped back to the moment. “Did you just sigh?”

  I frowned, “what?”

  She looked in my direction but her lovely unseeing eyes focused on the wall beside my head, “you sighed…but not like a usual bored sigh, it was more like a…content sigh.”

  “I did?” I bit my lip, “I didn’t realize I did.”

  “Are you content about something?” I searched for a response but she beat me, “oh Chloe, don’t approach Moses again about your feelings. It’s not a good idea. He just broke up and it doesn’t even sound like he’s accepted that. Even if he did anything it would be a rebound.”

  All the happy tumbled out of my toes. “I don’t plan to bring it up but…maybe he’s just over the relationship. I mean, he knew Jenzy might go back to Chris.”

  She shook her head, “he was about to move in with her. They were close. That doesn’t just go away. Anything he does now will be a rebound. His way of stumbling through being hurt.”

  I looked out the window and thought on it. “Yeah, you’re right…”

  “You okay?” She asked.

  “I’m fine.” I looked back at her and smiled through the icky feeling in my chest. “Let’s get you finished up.”

  I got to my studio to ready for a class and went through all the motions of getting ready but I was in a funk. The word, rebound, rebound, rebound, bounced through my head over and over.

  I was setting up the music and stretching when Moses came through my doors and his smile alleviated my sadness. It was like magic.

  “Hey,” he said as he pulled me in by the waist and kissed the side of my head. That’s not new. That’s just Moses, and it brought me abundant amounts of good feelings.

  “Hey yourself,” I said, “why are you out this way? Don’t you have a class to teach too? It’s three.”

  “I do but, I drove like a speed demon and I have like two minutes to give you…” he dug in his pocket.

  I laughed, “okay it’s only funny if we aren’t in public, please don’t pull your dick out.”

  He grimaced, “that’s not even funny, it’s gross. It’s also inaccurate considering I can’t pull my dick out of my pocket.”

  “True, it’s too big.”

  We laughed and it felt good. More normal. “Get your head out of the gutter for like thirty seconds,” he pulled out a little baggie. “I got you this.”

  I took it and inside was a thin silver chain. “Awww! Thanks! For my friend charm right?”

  He pulled his from under his shirt, “yeah, I restrung mine already.”

  “Is it weird if we still wear them?”

  “No, we need them now more than ever. You’re my best friend,” he leaned to talk in my ear as my students came in, “I just wanna fuck you time to time.”

  My knees wobbled and my sex throbbed and tingled. He kissed my cheek with a smirk and walked out.

  MOSES

  I worked the bookstore with a smile on my face that I didn’t realize I was wearing. I didn’t figure it out until my cheeks started to hurt and a twitch developed in my jaw bone.

  I’m trying to decide when I could aggress sex with Chloe again. It’s been five days since we did it. Our work schedule got crazy and prevented sleepovers and I’m also a little chicken that she’ll not want to. We don’t talk about the sex we had at all. I know we both had the time of our life but we don’t talk about it. I’m actually a little obsessed about getting on her again. She took me so well, and she blew my mind at her responsiveness. I have things I want to try on her.

  I was bent under a display table strengthening the legs when my dad came to stand over me. “Moses!”

  I pushed with my legs and scooted my back so my head came out from under the table to see him. “What’s up Dad?”

  “I need you to fix the printer. It’s making a bunch a noise and having a friggin seizure.”

  I laughed, “did it say ‘low ink’ on the screen?”

  “Which one? It’s got five damn screens; you had to buy the fancy one.”

  I get my mom was younger so dad had my sister and me late in life but for the love of God, he doesn’t even try with technology.

  “I’ll check it out when I’m done here.”

  He pushed on my arm with his foot, “and hey. Why you smiling all the time? You’re scaring me.”

  I laughed, “am I supposed to be brooding?”

  “I don’t want you crying in duck soup or anything but I figured the break up might slow you down a pinch.”

  I sat up on my elbows, “what break up?”

  He raised both brows and my heart stopped. Oh shit! “Oh, Jenzy!” Did I really just ask, ‘what break up’ what the hell is wrong with me? “Yeah, I’m sad.” I let my face fall, “I am, I just, haven’t thought about it…”

  He frowned down at me with bushy brows, “haven’t thought about it? Whatcha been thinking about then?”

  Not much, just throwing my best friend down on a beach and seeing if her lips taste just as good with salt water.

  I kept that thought to myself and said, “not much…I try not to think about it at all…”

  He kept looking at me with knowing eyes. “Nothing else got you smiling?”

  I shook my head slowly like I was trying to think of what would cause it, “nope.”

  He sucked his teeth then walked off.

  My phone buzzed and when I looked down I saw I got a text from Chloe. I sat up so fast I hit my head on the display table and swore in front of five year old. His mom gave me a dirty look but even as I called my apologies she left. I only cared about a minute because then I was looking at my phone.

  She wrote,

  “I know for some reason your hippie self is into rap and hip hop LOL. Especially Juicy J. So I made something for you when my class left. I’m bored and needed to practice. What do you think?”

  A few seconds later a video message appeared beneath it and I hit play. So she was doing a pole dance to Ne-yo’s, She Knows. Hmm…okay. I’ve seen her do this before.

  But as her friend. Not the guy that’s had her. Fuck. And this is why they say no cell phones at work…

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  CHLOE

  I fanned myself with my hand and walked on wobbly legs into my apartment. The message I sent Moses a half hour ago never got a reply. It says he read it but no reply. Is that a bad thing?

  I’ve sent him dance routines before. I thought using a song he liked would be cool, but now his lack of response is making me wonder if I pushed it. It was a pretty risqué pole dance…

  I sighed and adjusted my leopard print, two-piece workout clothes under my hoodie.

  I just grabbed a water from my fridge when my apartment door opened and Goliath went a running. “Moses?” I stretched my neck, “I thought you were working the store.”

  He locked the door and I quirked a brow. “Whatcha doing?” I asked cautiously. Then he bolted the deadlock. “I hope you don’t plan to kill me in here. You’ll have to clean it up by yourself, I’m not helping,” I laughed at my own wittiness but when he turned around he wasn’
t smiling, and he didn’t look murderous. He looked…really, really turned on.

  The light from my window is golden afternoon light and he’s looking painfully fine in it.

  He backed me against the wall and closed me in before taking my mouth. This wasn’t quite what I had that first night; the super easy going buildup of extreme heat. This was like a demanding, I’ll take what I want kiss.

  His hand covered my throat and forced my head up to angle me right. His tongue plunged into my mouth, sliding over mine and tantalizing the roof of my mouth. The sound of his breathing through his nose was primal and it stoked my insides.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and wrapped my leg around his hip. We hadn’t discussed doing this again, I assumed we wouldn’t but I’d prayed we would so I’m in utopia right now.

  He broke the breathless kisses, “we need a rule.”

  I was a little dazed but I tried to focus on his lips so his words made sense. “R-rule?”

  “Do not send me sexy shit at work. I’m serious. Chloe. Look me in the eyes. No sexy shit.”

  I could feel him getting hard against my lower belly and it made my stomach flutter. “Did you leave the shop?”

  “I told Dad I had an emergency yoga class. I need to do some stretching.” He held my knee to his hip then smoothed his hand up my thigh and rubbed over the crotch in my tiny shorts. His brows went up, “it feels like you need stretching too.”

  “Maybe,” I pressed the back of my head into the wall because he’s rubbing the right place.

  “Think you can take me this way? This position?” He asked slipping to his knees. His hands traveled down my body length and it made me quiver. He unzipped my hoodie along the way. I’m so worked up from my dance class and the exercises, after that my body is insanely sensitive. I only nodded in response because I’m too dumbfounded.

  He gripped my stretchy shorts and tugged them down my legs with my underwear and shoes. Before I could make a sound he closed his mouth on my pussy and sucked at my flesh like he needed it. It shook my core and made thick sounds come from my throat.