Breakaway: A friends to lovers romance

by Heather M. Orgeron

  And then I sort of lost it. “Fuck. Him,” I spat, backing away from Blex, my fists tightly clenched to my chest as if I could squeeze hard enough to stop the pain radiating deep within.

  “Please don’t be mad at me, Alex,” Blex begged as I continued backing away with my eyes glued to the train wreck on the couch. What they say is true. I couldn’t stop watching them no matter how much it was ripping me apart.

  “I’m not. I just...I need to be alone. I need some air.”

  He nodded as I finally tore my eyes away and hauled ass, pushing through the crowds of people until I made it through the back door. It was the middle of the night, and I needed to talk to someone. Only one person knew how I felt about Colton, and she had told me to contact her if I needed anything. I was too drunk and desperate to care that it was far too late to be texting a woman of her age. Fishing my phone from my clutch, I pulled up Gertie’s number. I sat on the edge of the cement patio and poured my drunken heart out to my eighty-year-old friend. I was a loser.

  Me: Hey. It’s me, Alex. I know it’s like after midnight, and you’re old so you’re probably sleeping and won’t get this ’til morning, but there’s this party at Colton’s house, and he’s practically having sex with this blond bitch right now in the living room. I just...I have no one to talk to. No one else knows about my feelings for Colton...I hope it’s okay that I’m messaging you.

  Me: Shit. I just realized I called you old. Damnit. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. You’re so nice. I’m so drunk and sad. Let’s have lunch soon. K?

  I was about to send another drunk text when a red Solo cup appeared before my face. Wrapped around that Solo cup was a very sexy hand. One I didn’t recognize. It was too white to be Colt or Blex and too thick to be Finn...I followed the arm it was attached to, finding an even more attractive man. Was Gertie a fairy godmother? Had she sent my prince to rescue me?

  “You look like you could use a drink,” Prince Charming said, squatting to sit beside me. He was really tall. His legs stuck out a good two feet past mine into the yard.

  I cleared my throat, swatting away tears. “Th-thank you,” I stammered, taking the drink from him.

  “Rough night?” His brow dipped with the question, and I found myself staring at his chiseled jaw. His bright blue eyes. The spikey, cotton-blond hair that topped his head. I could certainly do worse. He was like a beefed-up version of Dean. Dean. What I wouldn’t give to be in his arms right now. To have him ease this ache in my chest. Why couldn’t I just be satisfied with what I knew was good for me?

  I took a pull from my beer. “It was awful.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Anything I can do to help?”

  Yes! My drunken mind was coming up with all sorts of wonderful ideas. Fucking my brains out in front of Colton being at the tippy-top of that list.

  “Maybe...” I slurred. “Are you a prince?” I giggled to myself. I knew he wasn’t. I was drunk, not insane, but I felt like indulging myself a little. Silly felt good, and I was grasping at straws.

  A loud, boisterous laugh boomed from his chest. “Hardly.”

  “Are you a friend of Colton’s?” Just saying his name caused a lump to form in my throat.

  His lips puckered, turning to the side. “Meh. Not really. We do play ball together, though.”

  Even better. “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Stephan. Stephan Young. What’s yours, pretty girl?” He thinks I’m pretty...I like him. I like him very much. He’s cute and nice, and he seems to like me back...He also doesn’t like Colt very much. We have so much in common already.

  “I’m Alexis, or Alex, or Allie, and sometimes Colt calls me Al. But don’t call me that. He’s the only one that does, and I’m kind of mad at him right now.”

  Stephan huffed out a laugh. “Got it...” He tucked a finger under my chin, turning my face up to his. “Alexis,” he rasped, and oh my God, my name on his lips was an aphrodisiac. His face moved closer. I could smell the beer on his breath, and I wanted to taste it. “So, you and Fowler?”

  “Are just friends...maybe not even that right now,” I whispered as my eyes fluttered closed and my heart lurched.

  Soft, pliant lips molded to mine as he dipped his tongue into my mouth and tangled it around my own. I felt so many things, and all of them were wrong, but it felt so good that I didn’t even care. Stephan laid my body on the ground, cradling my head in his hand to keep it from resting on the cement. His other hand cupped my thigh, squeezing gently. Conflicting thoughts swirled in my mind. One moment I was afraid he’d take things too far, and in the next, I was bucking against him and practically begging him to do just that. Feelings of fullness and emptiness warred inside me. I wanted this. I wanted it so bad...but when I closed my eyes, the ones looking back at me were green, not blue. When I reached up to grip his hair, my heart plummeted in my chest. It’s just fucking hair. Why were tears rolling down my cheeks? Why was I suddenly sniveling in the arms of the man who was to be my revenge? Why hadn’t Colton walked outside yet? I needed him to see what I saw. To hurt like I hurt.

  “Shhh,” Stephan crooned, rubbing my back as he helped me to sit. My hands went to the sides of my head and squeezed in an attempt to keep the room from spinning. “It’s okay. I think you might have had a little too much to drink tonight, Alexis. Let’s get you on up to bed, huh?”

  “You’re really nice,” I offered as he walked me through the crowd and helped to guide me up the treacherous stairs. “This one,” I said, pointing to Colton’s bedroom door.

  “Fowler’s room, huh?” He eyed me skeptically.

  I shrugged, rolling my eyes. “It’s nothing. Trust me. We’ve been sleeping together since we were babies.”

  Stephan’s brows shot straight up, and he chuckled at my poor word choice.

  I slapped my palm to my forehead. “Like in the same bed. Not like...you know...”

  He touched a finger to my lips. “I knew what you meant.”

  “I know.” I paused to hiccup. “I know it seems weird to most people, but we’re like brother and sister.” I nodded, feeling bile rise in my throat. I didn’t have any siblings, but I knew without a doubt that what I felt for Colton was anything but sisterly.

  “Well, in that case...” His face lit up. Gosh, he was so handsome. “Can I take you out tomorrow night?”

  “I’d love that,” I said a little too eagerly as I sat on the bed to remove my shoes. Colton wouldn’t be happy. That thought brought a smile to my lips.

  “Great, I’ll pick you up at five?”

  “It’s a date,” I answered just as Colton came barreling through the door. His eyes went first to me, sitting on the bed. Seeming satisfied to find that I was still clothed, he turned his attention to Stephan. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my girl in my fucking room?”

  Stephan’s lips curled into a smirk. “Your girl, huh? Funny, that’s not the story I heard from Alexis here.” His head tipped in my direction. “Tell me, Fowls, while she’s been crying on my shoulder for the last hour...where were you?”

  Colton’s face fell.

  “Yeah...How’s Lyla?” Stephan snarled, shaking his head. Colton said nothing. What could he say? “That’s what I thought...I’ll see you tomorrow, pretty girl.”

  I nodded my head with new tears streaming down my cheeks as Stephan shouldered past Colton on his way out.

  The room was quiet after Stephan left, aside from my sniveling and Colton’s heavy breaths. He kept looking at me...glaring at me. What the fuck did he have any right to be angry over?

  I got up from the bed, stumbling over to the dresser to grab a tank top and shorts to sleep in. Acting as if Colt was not even in the room, I went about my business, setting my clothes on the bed and fighting to free myself from the dress that I’d taken off and on so many times with ease just a few hours ago. Stupid alcohol.

  Warm fingers grazed my skin as Colton’s hand appeared at my back, sliding the zipper down my dress. My whole body quaked at
his touch, traitorous bitch that she was. I closed my eyes and visions of he and Lyla on the couch came back, making it easier to ignore his effect on me. I slipped the spaghetti straps down my arms, allowing the dress to pool at my feet.

  Colt’s breath hitched behind me, and I ignored that too, taking my time to cover the breasts I could feel him staring at. I was just drunk enough not to care that he was seeing me naked. After slipping the top over my head, I bent to step into my shorts and nearly fell on my face when there was a loud thud. My head jerked up at the sound, finding Colton kicking and punching the door.

  Had I not been so inebriated, I probably would have gone to him and attempted to soothe his anger. As it was, I couldn’t give two shits about his feelings. On second thought, maybe the alcohol wasn’t so stupid after all. “You about done with your tantrum yet?” I snapped, climbing in between the cool sheets and resting my head on his feather pillow.

  The noise stopped, probably due to his shock over the lack of fucks that I had to give. Maybe I should drink more often. I kinda liked me drunk.

  Colton’s face turned and his bloodshot eyes locked on mine.

  “Get in bed or get the fuck out. I’m drunk; I’m tired; I’m horny, and I’m fucking done. Got it?” I was so proud of myself for not shedding a single tear.

  His green eyes narrowed to slits, and his jaw ticked. Colt stared at me for a long moment before nodding his head, grabbing his clothes, and closing himself up in the bathroom.

  I tried like hell to fall asleep before he returned, to no avail. When I heard the telltale clicking of the bathroom lock, I laid deathly still with my eyes shut tight. I didn’t move a muscle as he entered at the foot of the bed and crawled up to lay beside me. I bit my lips to keep from crying with a broken heart when I felt him snuggle into my back and his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me closer to his chest. And I swear that I stopped breathing altogether when I felt his lips press a kiss on the back of my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Allie,” he whispered into the silence.

  Sober Allie would have cracked. But drunk Allie...she had her fucks on lockdown tonight.

  Long after Colton passed out, I laid awake in his arms with silent tears pooling beneath my face and the scent of Lyla’s perfume lingering on his skin.

  COLTON

  ALLIE...I’D SEEN HER CRY plenty of times throughout our lives, but never like this. Not even the night before I left for California was it this brutal.

  I knew that she thought I was asleep...But how could I sleep with her body shuddering against me? I’d gone too far, barging in here like I had any right to dictate what she did or whom she did it with. I’d humiliated her. This had to stop. I was so fucking in love with her that it was making me crazy. The one thing I knew without hesitation was that I didn’t want to ever hurt Alex, yet somehow that’s all I’d been doing since she arrived.

  “Morning, Al,” I greeted when her eyes finally fluttered open.

  “Hey,” she said, stretching her arms and legs. “What time is it?”

  “A little after ten.”

  She rose up onto an elbow, reaching to the side table for her phone. I watched as her eyes scanned over her messages, widening before she threw herself back onto the bed with a dramatic groan.

  “Um...everything all right there?” I asked, curious.

  “I’m never drinking again,” she whined, swinging her forearm to cover her eyes. The stretching motion caused the bottom of her shirt to rise up, exposing her flat stomach.

  That little glimpse had memories of Alex’s strip tease the night before racing through my head. My heart was pounding. I moved the blanket to cover the tent in my boxers before licking the pad of a finger and wet-willying her bellybutton.

  “Colton!” she shrieked, tugging her shirt down and squinting her eyes at me.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” I shrugged, laughing into my hand. I had to do something. If she’d only known how close I was to running my tongue over her body instead.

  Her tiny fist connected with my bare chest, and I grabbed her wrist, the way I always did when she got violent with me. Alex’s breathing changed. Her eyes became hooded. There were sparks shooting off from every direction, and still, we both ignored them. Eyes locked, chests heaving, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Allie pulled her hand away and the moment was lost.

  “I, uh...” She shook her head, laughing. “I drunk messaged Gertie last night.” She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing it nervously.

  Shit. She must’ve really liked Stephan if she didn’t even wait ’til morning to start blabbing about him. “It couldn’t have been all that bad.”

  Alex snorted. “I called her old...”

  “Ouch...”

  “Awful, right?”

  “What’d she say?”

  “She laughed it off. We’re gonna meet for lunch tomorrow.”

  My throat thickened. The thought of her getting together to gush over her date with Stephan was making me nauseous. “Al?”

  “Yeah?” she asked, sitting up in the bed.

  Absentmindedly, I grabbed the end of the lock of hair that was hanging over her bare shoulder and twirled it in my fingers. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for barging in here and freaking out like that last night. I had no right. I just...” Fuck. I couldn’t tell her why it upset me so much. Not yet. I had to stick to the plan. It was working. It had to work. “You were just so upset after kissing Blex, and I didn’t want you to do anything you’d regret in the morning,” I lied.

  She narrowed her eyes at me, seeing right through my bullshit.

  “Okay, fine...I can’t stand the fucker.” I let out a noncommittal laugh. “But I am sorry for going all caveman and embarrassing you like that. I was out of line.”

  Allie nodded and smirked. “Dean and I broke up yesterday,” she whispered, looking up at me beneath her long dark lashes while fiddling with the hem of her top. She’d die if she saw the mascara smeared below her eyes and streaked down her cheeks. My heart reached for her. I’d always loved these moments with Alex. The intimacy of having her in my bed first thing in the morning. Being able to look at her like this...raw and unpolished.

  It took a minute for her words to register. Dean was finally out of the picture. “Are you serious?” My heart was racing. I’d spent years just waiting for the day I’d hear her say those very words. “So, you’re not going to marry him?”

  Allie shrugged. “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  She gave me a flirty little wink. “On what happens this summer.”

  “You really like him, don’t you?” Fucking Stephan. Well, I had news for him, I was not losing my girl again.

  “He was really sweet.” Her face lit up. “I think he likes me.”

  It was fucking Dean all over again.

  “Of course he does, Al. What’s not to like?”

  “You’re right. I’m pretty awesome.” The sound of her giggle was music to my ears, but I was curious about something.

  “So, you’re just what? Keeping him on the backburner?” I asked when I’d had a minute to digest her words. “And he’s okay with this?” None of this sounded like anything Alex would do.

  She frowned. “Well, shit. It sounds awful when you put it that way.”

  “I’m just trying to understand, Al.”

  Her eyes welled up. “I love Dean,” she started, twisting the knife in an old wound. “But, I just am not sure I’m in love with him.”

  “Okay...”

  “When he asked me to marry him, I wanted to say yes. I want a husband, Colt.” I nodded. “I want children and the white picket fence. All of it. We’ve been together for so long, it’s only logical that I would want that with him...” she trailed off.

  My heart was lodged in my throat. “And you don’t?”

  A tear dripped down her cheek as she shrugged. She looked so small. So fragile. “I don’t know...I wanted to say yes and I couldn’t. I started h
yperventilating, and I just wanted to get away. Far, far away. I don’t know if that’s because I’m just scared or a huge red flag that he’s not the one.”

  You ran to me, my brain was screaming. That should have told her everything. “And here you are,” I rasped.

  “Here I am.” She gave me a half smile.

  “And Dean?”

  “He won’t let go.” Her lips quivered. “After kissing Blex, I knew that I couldn’t be that girl. I told him what happened and that I thought we needed to break up and explore this summer...that he should do the same...Colton, we’ve been together since we were just kids.”

  I nodded. She didn’t need to defend herself to me. “I get it, Allie. Don’t do anything you aren’t one hundred percent sure of. Marriage is a really big step.” And he’s the wrong guy, I thought.

  “Anyway, he said that I was it for him and he’d be waiting for my answer.” She shrugged, tipping her head to one side, indicating that was it.

  “You won’t be an easy girl to get over, Allie,” I whispered, knowing full and well just how impossible that feat would be.

  “Okay, what about this one?” Allie called as she began to make her way down the narrow stairs for what felt like the hundredth time that day. I swear that girl was getting a kick out of modeling everything in the closet.

  Finn was catcalling from his vantage point across the room before I’d even got a look at her. My buddies were enjoying this entirely too much.

  “Well? What do you guys think?” Alex spun around slowly in the center of the room to give us a good look at her latest outfit.

  “Hot damn, Lexi,” Finn purred. “You sure you wanna waste all that—” his eyes roamed up and down her tight body “—on Stephan?”