Dating Dilemma

by Brownell, Rachael

  "You're at my house. Abby practically ran up to your apartment and locked us out. She told me to return you in the morning. I didn't have a choice unless you wanted me to leave you outside your door," he explains, reaching for the blanket to cover me with.

  "Thank you," I whisper, taking the blanket from him and covering the bottom half of me when I realize my dress has slid up past my ass.

  "Sure."

  Walking across the room, Kyle turns the light off and returns to the bed, crawling under the covers next to me.

  "You're sleeping in here, too?"

  "My guest room isn't exactly a great place to sleep right now. If you want, I can sleep on the couch," he offers.

  "No, you shouldn't have to sleep on your own couch. I can sleep out there. Just point me in the right direction," I say, grabbing the blanket and a pillow.

  "I promise not to touch you, Lauren. You have my word. It's after two. Just get back in bed and go to sleep. Please."

  Rolling away from me, he doesn't give me a choice.

  It's not about sleeping next to him. It's about being this close to him and not being close enough all at the same time. I'm tired of thinking of him as a one-night stand. I'm tired of remembering how I screwed everything up. I need to fix this thing that's broken between us.

  The fact he brought me here, that he's taking care of me, tells me he cares enough to not leave me lying on the cold concrete floor outside my apartment. That's a start. Now to find out how he really feels.

  In the morning.

  After I enjoy the amazing sleep I'm going to get in his comfortable bed.

  25

  Kyle

  She snores. Loudly. I don't remember her snoring last time, but I also don't remember much from that night.

  At some point in time, we both scooted toward each other, and when I woke up a few minutes ago, she was wrapped in my arms, our legs tangled under the sheets. My jeans are the only thing between my morning wood and her panties, making it hard for me to think of anything else aside from being inside her right now.

  Slowly untangling myself from her, I head into the kitchen and make a fresh pot of coffee. If she drank as much as I think she did last night, she's going to need a cup as soon as she wakes up. Probably more than one.

  I hear the pitter-patter of her feet on the hardwood floors as she makes her way toward me. They stop just short of the kitchen. When I look around the corner to see where she is, I find her staring at the empty frame on my wall.

  The glass has long been cleaned up, but the broken frame still hangs from its place on the wall as a reminder of what I went through. I burned the picture of Kristen and me that once hung in the frame. Roasted it like a marshmallow over an open campfire. All the pictures of us were turned to ash that night. Hope was more than happy to assist me by bringing over her roasting sticks. Leave it to her to have an actual tool to roast marshmallows.

  "You should really take this down," Lauren says without looking in my direction. I wasn't even aware she knew I was watching her.

  "Someday. Maybe," I reply, leaning against the wall. "Want some coffee?"

  "That would be amazing," she sings, closing her eyes when her voice echoes through my empty hall. “And maybe an aspirin if you have any.”

  Pouring her a cup of coffee, I set the sugar and cream on the counter in front of her. I made the pot, she can take care of the rest.

  "So," she begins, taking a seat at the counter top. "About last night. I'm sorry."

  "For what? I have a feeling Hope was behind the whole thing. You looked as surprised as I was when you saw me."

  Keeping my back to her so she doesn't see the uncertainty on my face, I pretend to look through the refrigerator for something to eat. It's been weeks since I've been to the store. I've barely been home except to sleep, and my diet has consisted primarily of alcohol and coffee.

  "She wasn't alone in her mission. Abby helped her. We seem to be the only ones who were not consulted before hand."

  "Well, they are a lot alike."

  "You have no idea. I was the third wheel last night."

  "Fun," I reply sarcastically. Turning, I watch as she blows lightly across the surface of her coffee before taking a sip. Her lips catch my attention and hold it for far longer than they should. "I don't have any food."

  "That's okay. I'm not much of a breakfast person."

  Silence falls between us. It's beyond awkward. I'm staring at her; she's staring at me. We both want to say something, but neither of us wants to be the first to speak. I could stare at her for hours and be content with life, but not right now. I'm still angry with her for lying to me, and having her this close is making me want to forgive her too easily. I'm sure that's what Hope was banking on.

  "Can we talk about this?" she asks, motioning between us.

  My eyes follow the path of her hand, the top of her dress shifting, giving me a glimpse of her luscious breasts. What I wouldn't give to be able to rip that damn dress off her.

  "I'm not sure you want to talk to me yet. I'm still angry, Lauren. You lied to me." Turning my back to her so I'm not distracted by the rise and fall of her chest when she speaks, I squeeze my eyes closed and will my dirty thoughts away. For now.

  I can almost hear her thinking about what to say. Her lips are probably pursed. Maybe she's even biting her bottom lip. I saw her do that the first night we met. She was deep in thought about something, chewing the red lipstick off her bottom lip.

  Damn it!

  She can’t be here anymore. My body wants hers. No more talking. I’m done thinking. All I want is her. Beneath me. Now.

  "I didn't lie to you, Kyle. I couldn't tell you. Hope’s question was my first column. If I had realized it was about you, I would have said something. I planned to tell you, but then—"

  Spinning around quickly, she cuts herself off and waits for me to respond. I want to call her a liar, but I can't bring myself to do it. I don't want to demean her. The last thing I want to do is hurt her feelings even though that exactly what I should want to do. She hurt me.

  "I can't do this. I can't talk about this with you. I'm getting fired up just thinking about it. I was ready to start a relationship with you. I wanted you to be a part of my life. I still do, but I'm not sure if you're the person I want in my life or if it's the person you pretended to be."

  "Will you at least give me a chance to explain?"

  Moving around the counter, I spin her on the stool until she's facing me. Leaning in, I wait a few beats to make sure I have her complete attention.

  "I don't want to talk anymore. Your dress is driving me insane. You, here, in my house, has me on edge. No one's ever been here before. This is my sanctuary, the one place I can go and no one can find me if I don't want to be found. Yet here you are because Hope made it happen." Taking a deep breath, my eyes fall to her chest. She's practically panting, her legs falling to the side, allowing me to step between them. "I don't want to talk, Lauren. I want you. In my bed. That's all I can offer you right now."

  Nodding her head once, I take that as her answer. She's accepting my proposition this time, and I don't give her time to reconsider. Wrapping my hands around her waist, I lift her over my shoulder and smack her on the ass.

  "Kyle!" she screams.

  "What?" I ask as we enter my bedroom.

  Tossing her on the bed, I crawl over her and wait for her to answer me. When she doesn't, I ask again. "What is it? If this isn't what you want, Lauren, say so. I'm not sure I'll be able to hold back once we get started."

  "This is exactly what I want," she replies, reaching for the fly of my jeans.

  26

  Lauren

  Abby is blowing up my phone. I can hear it ringing across the room, but I'm not ready to get up yet. I know I should answer it, let her know I'm alive, but she has to know why I'm not. It was her plan after all. Hers and Hope's. I'll have to remember to thank them.

  "Is she going to keep calling?" Kyle asks, pulling me closer to him.
<
br />   "Probably. She's persistent like that."

  "Maybe you should answer it. I don't want her bursting through my front door in search of you," he suggests. The thought of Abby walking in on us causes me to giggle.

  "She has no idea where you live. I think we're safe. Plus, she's a smart girl. She knows exactly where I am and probably what we’re doing."

  "What are we doing, Lauren? Lying in bed naked is all that's happening here. There are a few things I'd like to do, though. You know, if you're not busy this afternoon."

  As his hand slides down my stomach to my inner thigh, my body shudders in anticipation.

  "Maybe I should at least let her know I'm alive," I say, scooting away from him before things get heated again.

  "Make it quick. I'm ready, and I hate to wait." He swats my bare ass as soon as it's off the mattress, causing me to gasp in surprise.

  Knowing Abby would keep me on the phone for hours, wanting every little detail since we parted ways, I send her a text instead. Of course, she's ready and waiting for me to call.

  ME: I'm fine. Call later.

  ABBY: Busy much?

  ME: Call later.

  ABBY: Was it as good as the first time or better?

  ME: I'll call you later.

  ABBY: Fine. Two hours and then I'm coming to kidnap you.

  ME: Thanks for the warning.

  ABBY: See you soon. Hope says hi BTW.

  Well, shit. If they're together, I really will see her in two hours. Tossing my phone back in my purse, I wrinkle my nose at Kyle.

  "Hope and Abby are together right now," I inform him before he can ask.

  "How long before they're here?"

  "She said two hours, but knowing Abby, more like an hour."

  "Get your ass back over here, then. If I only have an hour left with you, I'm going to spend every second of it inside you."

  Pulling me down on top of him as soon as I'm within reach, I start laughing when he grunts as I land on his dick. It was pointing directly at me and as talented as he is, it missed the mark when I flopped down on top of him, crushing his manhood in the process.

  Five minutes later, he's recovered and ready to proceed. And we do. Until we hear a loud pounding on the front door followed by a warning shout.

  "We're here!" Hope and Abby scream in unison.

  Scrambling to cover myself, I snag Kyle's shirt and my underwear, sliding them on as I hear Abby's voice growing closer.

  "Son of a bitch, this place is badass. Look at that view. If Lauren doesn't want your brother, I'm moving in. My husband will understand when I send him pictures."

  "Not going to happen," I hear Kyle say. Looking behind me, I see him leaning against the door frame, shirtless, blocking me from view. There's a pair of shorts next to me on the bed. Slipping them on, I roll the elastic band a few times and pull the drawstrings as tight as they'll go.

  Ducking under Kyle's arm, I come face to face with Abby.

  "Hey," I say as she looks me up and down. "I'm alive. You can leave now."

  "No, we can't," Hope says, looking at Kyle. "If we don't start picking up cars, they're going to get towed."

  "Shit. I completely forgot. Is my car still at the bar?" he asks, heading back in the room to pull a shirt on. I was enjoying the view. Why he has to cover that perfect chest is beyond me.

  "It was there when we drove by so you should be good. How do you want to work this? Want me to drop you first and then I can take the girls to get Lauren's car?"

  "Nah. I can take Lauren out to get her car. You go home and hang out with the girls."

  "Or... hear me out on this one. You could go hang out with the girls and I could hang out with these ladies," Hope suggests, flashing her brother a huge smile.

  "Girls’ day!" Abby hollers, her voice higher pitched than normal, causing me to cringe as it bounces off Kyle's bare walls.

  "I have a feeling I don't have a choice in the matter," he says, sliding up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. "Come back to me later?" he whispers in my ear.

  "Abby leaves tomorrow. How about we do something after I drop her off at the airport? That way we won't be interrupted," I say, loud enough for Abby to hear.

  "I may not be here to walk in on your dirty adventures, but I'm only a phone call away from ruining the mood," she threatens.

  Of course she is. Just like forty-five minutes ago when she said she would be here in two hours.

  Kyle insists on taking me to my car so he can spend more time with me. After confirming his hasn't been towed, we spend the next hour making out in the backseat. If it hadn't been daylight out, we would have taken things a bit further. The chance of someone seeing us in the middle of nowhere is slim, but I still won't agree to his requests.

  Once I make it back to my place, Hope and Abby are nowhere to be found. There's a note on my counter to meet them at a bar around the corner. Looking at the clock, it's only two in the afternoon. They're starting early. The thought of liquor makes me want to gag, but I hop in the shower anyway. If this is how things are going to go down tonight, at least I can walk home.

  27

  Lauren

  Walking while drunk is not as easy or as much fun as it sounds. I stumbled more than once, ripping a hole in my jeans and scraping my knee in the process. I didn't feel the pain until the next morning when Abby was pulling me out of bed and rushing me to take her to the airport. Her flight was leaving in an hour, and we overslept.

  Once she's safely on her way home to her family, I head back home and crawl into bed. Just as I'm about to close my eyes, there's a loud bang on my front door. Jumping out of bed, I slowly creep over to the peephole and look out.

  Kyle's standing in my hallway.

  He's in a sleeveless shirt and jeans. Damn. Even through a tiny peephole, he looks sexy as hell.

  "Are you going to let me in?" he asks.

  "How do you always know when I'm on the other side of the door?" I ask, unlocking the door and letting him in.

  "The light shines behind you, casting a shadow under the door."

  Oh! Not as stealthy as I thought I was.

  "You don't look ready," he says, taking in my disheveled appearance.

  I didn't bother to shower or get dressed to take Abby to the airport. There wasn't time. I threw on a pair of running shorts and ran my fingers through my hair. Remembering I didn't brush my teeth, I cover my mouth with my hand and run my tongue across them.

  Yuck!

  "Ready for what?" I ask, my hand still covering my mouth, causing my words to sound muffled.

  "How drunk were you last night?"

  "Um, why?"

  "Do you remember calling me?"

  Sure don't. I shake my head, and Kyle laughs.

  "What did I say?"

  This could go one of two ways. If I was drunk enough, I could have sounded sober. That would mean I called him toward the end of the night. If my buzz has just crossed the line to being drunk, I was probably slurring my words. I'm not sure why, but I sound better the more drunk I am. Once I pass a certain point, I stop caring and get brave and confident. I'm hoping that version of myself is who called him last night.

  "You said the fountains were drained and that you wanted to walk in them."

  "I did? They're drained?"

  "Well, now I'm not sure. It's possible they drained them over the weekend. It's the right time of year,” he says, looking at me skeptically.

  "So, should we go check them out? It's not like you can fall in again. Unless they still have water in them," I say, holding back my laughter.

  "Funny. Get in the shower. I'll make coffee."

  The fountains are empty. As soon as I step over the concrete wall, a flashback hits me, causing me to stumble, landing on my knees.

  "Now who's falling in the fountain?" Kyle jokes as he helps me up.

  "Um, I'm pretty sure we were here last night."

  "Where? At the fountains? You said you were. Why?"

  "Flashback. I have
a feeling I know how I scraped my knee now," I say, pulling my jeans up over my knee to show Kyle.

  "Were the three of you drunk dancing in the fountains?" he asks, holding back his laughter.

  "I think so. I'm not sure I was able to dance at that point. I'm not exactly graceful after I've been drinking," I reply, pointing to my knee.

  "And you call what just happened graceful?" he asks, holding his hand out to help me up.

  "Funny. So what else did I say last night?"

  "Lots of stuff."

  "Like..." I say, drawing out the word in hopes that he'll elaborate.

  "You told me that you were sorry at least a hundred times."

  Oh no. I confessed all my sins to him last night.

  "You said that you only lied to me because you didn't have a choice. That you couldn't tell anyone."

  This could get ugly.

  "You swore that you would never lie to me again."

  Kyle pulls me in close and wraps his arms around my waist, resting his hands on my ass. He seems to really like my ass. He's always finding a way to touch it or smack it.

  “You asked me to pick you up today and to bring you here, that you wanted to show me the fountains. But, most importantly, you told me that you loved me. That you never wanted to be with anyone else. That I was the only person who could make you happy."

  "I did?"

  Shit! I hate when I get that drunk. Abby knows better than to let me call people after even a few drinks. I'm too honest with people. That can be good and bad. If I like them, they have nothing to worry about. If I don't, all bets are off. I wonder who else I called last night. I’ll have to check my phone.

  "You did."

  "What did you say?"

  "I said you were drunk and I would see you today when I picked you up."

  "That's it? That's all you said?"

  Grinning at me, Kyle presses his lips together.

  "What are you not telling me?" I ask in my most demanding voice.

  "What makes you think I'm keeping something from you?" he replies, feigning surprise.