by J. L. Ostle
I look into his eyes and then look away. “Well, are you ready for a movie?” I stand and put in Pretty Woman, then lie back on the bed and he sits next to me. We watch the movie and not once does he make any moves or try to get closer. He really is the perfect friend.
I watch as Richard Gere climbs up the fire escape with the flowers and umbrella, and can’t help the goofy smile on my face. Too bad real life isn’t that easy.
“Well, that was fun. What movie are we watching next?”
I look at the time and my stomach grumbles and we both start laughing. “I think I need to make us something to eat first.” I stand up and head to the kitchen and Cory follows, climbing onto the counter as I grab some chicken and start making a stir fry. I even make some for my mum for when she finishes work.
“Who would have thought that you are a cook as well? Anything you can’t do?”
I pause and tap my lip. “I can’t let two guys take me at once,” I joke and his eyes go darker.
“Have you ever thought about it?”
I bite my lip. How could I not? Knowing that your two friends fuck a girl at once—you are going to think about it.
He jumps off the counter and walks slowly to me. “Have you thought about me and my brother both touching you?”
I suck in a breath. “Cory …” I barely say.
“Wouldn’t you want two men to make you feel so good that your head will spin in ecstasy? Two pairs of hands touching you everywhere?” He cages me in, and I look into his eyes, never having seen him look at me like this. He steps back, turning around, and I am still watching him until he turns again, and he is back to the friendly Cory I know.
But fucking hell, that was hot.
“Now I know why girls say yes.” I try to make fun, but my heart is hammering in my chest. I turn around and continue cooking, plating us up and head back to my room.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that, but I am a male, after all.”
I nod, taking a bite of my chicken. “It’s fine.” I take another bite. “So how do you know if the woman will be up for it?”
He gives me a look.
“What?” I chuckle.
“You have seen the girls around here, right? They know the rumors and still want to be a part of it. We don’t just pick anyone—we need to have that connection with her. We want to build that relationship, as sex has more to do with trust.”
I nod in understanding. “But you never stay in with them for long?”
“No, we don’t, as that’s when it gets complicated. We can’t have relationships as the girl will end up falling for just one of us and it would get messy. We decided three months is enough.”
“But you may still hurt the girl’s feelings after the three months.”
He starts playing with his food. “But it will be better than in the long run,” is all he says before he continues eating and I drop it.
I play The Breakfast Club next since I think we are in need of some laughs.
We are laughing and chuckling when I feel my eyes start to get heavy, and before I know it I fall asleep. When I wake up again, it’s pitch dark outside and Cory is asleep next to me. I look at him, really look at him, and he really is attractive. I stroke his hair and glide down, stroking his cheek when his eyes open and he smiles at me.
“You watching me?” He stays where he is.
“Maybe.” I smile back and we continue staring at each other when his phone starts ringing and I move so he has space to grab it from his pocket.
“It’s Sean,” he says before he answers. “Yeah, we fell asleep.” Pause. “Yeah, I’m heading home now, see you shortly.” He hangs up and rubs his face with his hand.
“Everything okay?” I say, now sitting cross-legged on my bed.
“Yeah, Sean was doing the books and he is stuck, I guess.” He stands and I look at him confusedly.
“The books?” I ask him.
“Randi’s was our dad’s till he passed and he left it to us. We hired you on the spot and you didn’t question it,” he laughs.
I laugh with him. I never even questioned it or if it would be okay with the boss. I guess they are my bosses. “So, you are my boss?” I give him a cheeky smile.
“Don’t think I will go easy on you,” he teases.
I walk him to the elevator and I notice my reflection—my hair looks like a bird’s nest. “Why didn’t you tell me I look a mess?” I try to pat my hair but he grabs my hand and smiles at me.
“You could never look a mess.”
I smile at him and the doors open, and Sebastian is there, looking at us both.
“I’ll get the next one,” Cory says and the doors close, but I notice the irritated look on Sebastian’s face. When the doors open again, Cory gets in and waves me goodbye.
I go back inside and head to bed. I am setting my alarm when I notice a message on my phone.
Sebastian: Did you think of me?
I wonder what he means by that? I ignore it, putting my phone on silent, and I let sleep take me over once again.
The last two days Sebastian has completely ignored me and has been all over Cara. They seem to be inseparable now, and I don’t know how to take that. I have tried to get Cara on my own to tell her what I saw, but when I do have a chance, either Anna or Sebastian take her away and she willingly follows.
I have been getting closer to Sean and Cory. They even met my mother yesterday and they got on like a house on fire. We laughed and joked, and Mum even talked about when I was a child, but left out the emotional stuff. Cory knows what happened with my dad and he never brings him up.
I am standing outside the cafeteria waiting for Cara as this Sebastian thing is really starting to bug me. When I see her, I walk towards her like a woman on a mission, taking her arm and guiding her to the side. She is looking at me like I’m crazy.
“I need to talk to you and you’re not really replying to my messages,” I say exasperatedly.
“I know and I’m sorry, but Sebastian and I have been hanging out, and when you text he tells me to leave it until later but I always end up forgetting. Why, what’s up?”
I could kill Sebastian. “I need to tell you what I saw the other day. I saw Sebastian having sex with someone in a classroom when I went to find my earphones. He saw me and didn’t stop, which means he doesn’t give a fuck. He is a womaniser, Cara.” I finally let it all out and suck in a deep breath. I am waiting for her to cry or be angry, but I see none of it.
“Okay,” is all she says, and I look at her in confusion.
“Okay? That’s it?”
“I know what he’s like, Iris. I told you he has a way with women.”
I look at her this time like she is the crazy one. “Then why are you all google-eyed with him? If he is going to be sleeping with other girls, isn’t that going to bother you?”
“Yeah, it does, but I’m not his girlfriend, am I? It would be crazy if I told him not to sleep with anyone if I’m not officially with him. I think the more time he spends with me, the more time I think he will start to get strong feelings for me. I know it sounds stupid, but I think it’s working. He has been calling and texting for the last two days and asking for me to come watch his band. I know this is going to work.”
“But how can you handle knowing he’s being inside other girls?”
“I can’t help how I feel. I love being near him, and a part of me doesn’t care that he is.”
I look down at the floor and know I can’t judge since I know I am drawn to him in the same way, and I actually have watched him fuck another girl and yet a part of me still wants him. For fuck’s sake, my cousin is pouring her guts out to this guy, and yet I still want him.
“I am so sorry, Cara.” More than she will know.
“It’s fine, you were just looking out for me.” She hugs me and links her arm through mine as we head back to the cafeteria.
This time I just take a drink, and when we get to her table, Sebastian grabs her arm and pulls
her down so she is sitting on his lap, and she gives a little shriek.
“I was wondering where you were.” He gives her his boyish smile.
“Sorry, Iris and I were just talking.” She looks up at me with a huge smile.
I bet everything I told her has just flown out the window. I watch as he plays with her hair, and he doesn’t once look at me. “I will see you later, Cara,” I say when I feel a tug on my arm and I am pulled onto Calvin’s lap.
“Are we not good enough for you, anymore?” Calvin tickles my side, and I am screaming and laughing to the point that I stand up to get away but I am pushed back and lying down on the table and he gets in between my legs, continuing to tickle me.
I hear Cara laughing along with me.
“Say you miss me,” he laughs.
“I can’t breathe.” I continue laughing and squirming.
“Say it.”
I swear if he continues I am going to wet my pants with laughter. “I miss you. I miss you,” I breathe out. He stops and I still lie there gathering my breath. When I turn my head, I see Cara still sitting on Sebastian’s lap giggling, and when my eyes connect with Sebastian, his eyes have gone dark and hooded, and my breath catches. I quickly look away and stand up. “You are so mean.” I stick my tongue out at Calvin.
“Be careful where you stick that,” he teases, and we burst out laughing.
I grab my drink and make my way over to Cory and Sean.
“God, I could hear you a mile away,” Sean says, pulling me in close to him.
I pat his face and move so I have a little more space. “Have you ever heard of personal bubble?”
“Nope, never heard of it.” He winks at me and I roll my eyes.
I am taking a drink when I look across the table and see a few girls pointing and whispering. I start to look around and notice the odd person looking my way. “Have I got something on my face?” I ask Natalie, one of Sean’s friends with fiery red hair and blue eyes.
“No, why?”
I lean towards her and she leans in. “Then why are people looking at me?”
She looks around and her cheeks flush. “Well, rumors are going around that you are sleeping with the twin brothers. They are saying you are their new girl.”
I watch her sit back and I look around once more, feeling annoyed that people lack the decency to not point and stare at me like I’m an animal at the zoo.
I stand up, climbing onto my chair and then climb onto the table, and already a few people start to turn in my direction. Soon everyone’s eyes are on me.
“Iris, what are you doing up there?” Cory whisper-shouts at me.
“I am not being talked about. If people want to say something, they can say it to my face.” In my old school, I knew people whispered and spread shit, but I am not taking my reputation in the bin, unless I knew they were true.
“Can I get everyone’s attention?” I shout out, but I know that I already have. “Okay, I have heard that you think I am fucking Sean and Cory, who you call the hottie twin brothers.” I hear whispers start. “I just want to say …” I pause and look down at Sean and Cory and they are both looking at me. They shouldn’t be whispered and talked about like a gossip magazine. “I am fucking them both.” I hear gasps. “Yes, we try to find moments to sleep together in classrooms, in the car, in the bathroom—we’ve probably had sex on most of your desks.”
“Iris,” Cory says, trying not to laugh.
“No, Cory, if they want to know every last dirty detail, I will tell them.” I give him a wink. “Yeah, we fuck like bunnies. We do it in the showers, in the swimming pool—on every surface imaginable.”
Sean stands up next to me. “Yeah, she is so insatiable that we just can’t stop.”
Cory stands up and joins us. I stand in the middle and take their hands. “Is this what you wanted to hear?” I pause. “Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not true.” I hear loads of people start to talk over each other. “I am not sleeping with them. They are my close friends, and even if I was, it’s none of your fucking business. Stop looking at us like we are freaks. We are going to be going into the adult world soon, so grow up and stop acting like we are still in high school. Who we want to fuck is up to us, not you. Now enjoy your lunch.”
Sean and Cory jump down and help me down.
“You sure you don’t want us both?” Sean asks jokingly.
“I am not the sharing type.” I smile at him and he bursts out laughing.
“You really are one of a kind,” Cory says and I just shrug and sit back in my seat.
Everyone is in full, deep conversation—probably talking about what I said. If people didn’t know who I was before, they do now. I look over at Cara’s table and Sebastian is gone. I shouldn’t want to know where he is.
But I do.
It is finally Friday and I am so happy it is the weekend. I am in my room getting ready for my new job when Cara sends me a text asking if she could borrow my black suede boots, and if I could leave them at Sebastian’s as she is meeting him there before they head off to Randi’s. I feel like asking why he can’t pick her up instead of her coming here but I don’t question it. I decided on black jeans again with a black vest top as I know how humid that place can get.
I send Ella a link to Chase Holfelder’s YouTube page, as I need to send the love. I grab my shoes and quickly send Cara a text saying that if she wrecked them she is buying me a new pair and that I’m not kidding. I love these boots and she’s lucky I am nice enough to lend them to her. I jump in the elevator and head up, walking to his door. I have never really been inside and am dreading what I will see.
It’s not like I’m going to see a mass of naked women running around having pillow fights. I take a deep breath and knock on his door, and a few minutes later the door opens to a half-naked Sebastian. My mouth is hanging open as I look at water dripping down his very hard abs to the towel that is wrapped around his waist. When I look up at him he is smirking at me. I quickly look at the floor feeling embarrassed that I was ogling him.
“Cara texted me asking for me to leave my boots here for her,” I mumble and I am about to turn when he grabs my hand and brings me into his home. I quickly look around and I’m shocked at how clean and tidy it is.
“Come inside, I will grab you a drink.” He leaves and heads to what I assume is the kitchen. The place is the same setup as mine.
“I can’t drink as I’m driving and I have to head to work soon.” I follow him and he is in the fridge and hands me a bottle of water. “Thank you.” I uncap it and take a long sip. “I better be going,” I say and start to head to the door.
“Do I make you that uncomfortable?” he asks from behind me.
“Yes, you do,” I tell him honestly.
“Why?” He walks slowly to me and I walk slowly back.
“Because you are half naked and my cousin will be here soon.”
“And you don’t want her to get the wrong idea?” He watches me intently.
“I am surprised your place is tidy,” I blurt out, changing the subject.
“Why are you surprised?” He raises an eyebrow.
“As a rockstar, I would have thought there would be take-out boxes and empty bottles everywhere.” I chuckle and he shakes his head at me.
He walks to me again, grabbing my hand and taking me to the other side of the room, where he shows me his terrace, something that our place doesn’t have.
“Only the top floors have these.”
I look out, and as the sun is setting, I see all the different colours in the sky meshing together. “It’s beautiful.”
“You are.”
I look at him, and he is still holding my hand, stroking my knuckles with his thumb. I try to pull my hand away, but he holds on tighter.
“Do you not like me touching you?”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
He tilts his head to the side studying me, and then releases my hand. “I like touching you,” he says
and leans against the wall.
It is taking so much not to look at his body and lick my lips. “Do you say that to Cara?” I start walking backwards as I need to go.
“I like Cara, she is friendly, talkative, bubbly …”
“Beautiful, and drop-dead gorgeous,” I finish off his sentence. “I need to go,” I say again and head to the door. He twirls me around when I get to the handle and blocks me in. “You need to stop entering my personal space.” I glare at him.
“I think your body likes me being in your personal space,” he teases.
“I am not interested in you. You are not my type and I am so not yours.”
“What is my type then?”
I cross my arms. “You will end up going for very beautiful girls who hang off your every word—a girl who is easy and obviously a slut.”
“You think that’s my type?”
“Going by the girl in the classroom you were fucking, yeah, I think so.”
He growls at me. “I was fucking her to relieve some tension that some stuck-up girl, who has a stick up her ass, has caused.”
“Do not blame me when you are entering another girl. If you wanted to get your dick wet, that’s up to you, not me.”
He presses his body close to mine. “Say dick again and I swear I will not be responsible for my actions.”
I stick my tongue out at him and his eyes go dark and hooded.
“Stick your tongue out again.”
I look at him in confusion but I do it, and he just stares at my tongue.
“You have a tongue piercing.”
I hold it between my teeth showing it to him and taking it back in.
“So? Every girl back home had one.” I shrug like it’s no big deal. I feel his erection press against me. “You need to take a step back,” I tell him.
“Why?” He breathes and leans forward smelling my neck. “You smell so good.”
I feel his stubble against my jaw. “I don’t want you,” I tell him, but I hardly believe the words.
He leans forward, pressing his whole body against mine. “I think your body is telling me something else.”
