Crushing on Best Friend's Sister: A Bad Boy Romance

by Claire Angel

  “Well, it is all over now. I guess it is better to know today, then tomorrow. I almost married him and that's kind of a scary feeling.”

  “So, you're not mad at me?”

  “Should I be?”

  “I just asked Amber, because you sure did threaten me a lot. This was not my intention. You know me, I would have been happy just to punch him in the face a few times. That has always done the trick.”

  While he was trying to be funny, it really wasn't that funny. The truth was that Jesse had gotten involved in almost every relationship that I’d had and never for the better.

  “I am not mad Phillip. I know that you didn't mean for this to happen. How could you? Steven tricked us all.”

  After I said that, there was a moment that I could have sworn that Phillip looked guilty. He couldn't have made that happen, right?

  Now I was wondering how much my brother and Jesse had to do with it. I really wouldn't put it past them both. Was that why Jesse had come over so early? Was it all planned?

  I didn’t have time to think of that right now.

  “But I think I'm going to lay back down Phillip. Since I'm not going to have the wedding today, I think I'm just going to sleep. I know that sounds lame and you came all this way, but I don't know what else I want to do. I sure don’t want to face everyone. Would you tell people that it's not going to happen?”

  I wanted to give him something to do, so that he would give me a little bit of space. The last thing I needed was Phillip here any longer than he had to be.

  “Sure Amber. If that's what you want. No one is going to blame you for it.”

  “Well don't give too many details out. Nobody has to know all of that.”

  He waved me off and told me not to worry about it and started towards the door. I was able to breathe a little bit more once he was finally going to leave.

  Then I heard Jesse’s voice calling to me from upstairs and of course, he couldn't just be saying my name. He had to say something sexual that made my brother’s head snap back so fast that I thought it might break. He looked at me for only a moment, before he started up the stairs.

  “Are you coming back to bed Amber? I'm hard and I need you in here with me now.”

  I sighed to myself as I followed Phillip up the stairs. This was not going to end well. How could it?

  I knew when Jesse said that, that there was going to be a problem. Phillip and Jesse were probably going to get in a fight. I know that I’d discussed with Jesse in the past about what would happen, but the reality of it was a lot different. I certainly didn't want Phillip to know about it. And when and if he did find out, it wouldn't be like this.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  That's all I heard before I heard a large smack and I knew that somebody had just gotten hit. The resulting sounds made it clear what was going on and I rushed into the room to see my brother and his best friend fighting. I felt horrible that it was because of me. I didn’t want it to be.

  “Stop you two! Stop!”

  No one was listening to me and I didn’t know what to do. I had never seen either one of them this mad before. I didn’t know whom I was supposed to root for. However, this ended, there was not going to be a winner.

  “Please, stop guys.”

  They were yelling back and forth to each other, as they hit one another. My brother was bitching about Jesse being with his sister and Jesse was pissed that Phillip was overeating. I just wanted to crawl into a corner and wait until it was all over. I cared too much for these two men, to watch them beat each other to a pulp. I really didn’t have it in me.

  Finally, I whistled really loud and got their attention long enough to get them to stop. Both were a little bloody and I could see that neither one of them wanted to be doing what they were doing.

  “Leave Phillip. This was too much.”

  “You shouldn’t be with him Amber. He’s my friend.”

  Betrayal was ripe in his eyes, but there was nothing that I could do about it. I knew that it wasn’t something that should have been found out like this.

  “It just happened Phillip, honest.”

  Phillip didn’t believe me, and he was still eying Jesse like he was going to hit him again. I didn’t want to be in the middle of it, but at the same time, I didn’t want to see it continue. They both needed to calm down and figure out what was really going on.

  My brother stormed off after saying a few more obscenities at Jesse.

  “He is going to be pissed for a long time.”

  “Yeah, but he will get over it. It was going to come out eventually Jesse.”

  Unless he didn’t think that we were going to go anywhere. Here I was, making a lot of assumptions that I wasn’t able to really think through. I was looking into the future, but there had been no promises made. All that he had talked about was caring, but now what?

  “You’re right of course. I just, damn. I wished he had found out a different way.”

  “Yeah, well, me too. I didn’t know how to shut you up.”

  Jesse smiled. “This will be funny soon, but God, the look on your brother’s face.”

  I smiled back at him, because I could imagine. I had seen the look when he had heard his voice. Jesse up in my bed, had probably set him off.

  “Now what?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Why don’t we go back to bed and we can worry about it in the morning?”

  It was procrastination at it’s finest and I have to say, that I wasn’t too opposed to it. I didn’t want to worry about the rest of the world. Not today.

  He turned around and started back up the stairs.

  “Should I get you some band-aids or something?”

  Jesse told me to leave it.

  “It’s not bad. He barely got a hit in.”

  I knew he was lying, but I wasn’t going to argue with him. If he wanted to act all tough, then let him I figured.

  “Just lock the damn door this time Amber. We aren’t taking any more visitors today.”

  I snickered to myself and locked the door. I had to agree with the last point. No more visitors today. I did hope that Phillip would still tell people for me, if not, I still wasn’t going to answer the door. I even turned the phone off, before I followed him upstairs.

  Chapter 17

  Jesse

  “Where the hell have you been!?”

  I really needed to walk into rooms with fewer women yelling at me. Just like Amber had forgotten about Phillip, I had forgotten about Mona, until late in the afternoon.

  I didn’t want to go back to the hotel, but all of my things were there. She probably found out what happened when the wedding was called off. Mona wasn’t stupid and I could see from the expression on her face that she had put two and two together.

  “You were out with her, weren't you?”

  I wasn't even going to ask her who she was talking about, because I already knew. She knew and it always seemed to make things worse if I played the dumb card. I wasn't going to do that to Mona. I wouldn’t hurt her more than I already had.

  “Yes, I went to tell her this morning about what happened at the bachelor party.”

  “This morning? It must have been pretty damn early this morning, because you were gone before for the sun came up. And it's now nighttime. Where have you been all day?”

  We both knew the answer to that, so why did she want to hear it out loud? I didn't want to play this game anymore. I really didn't.

  “I don't think this is working out Mona. I'm sorry that I dragged you all the way out here and you have to spend most of your time in the hotel. I have not been a good host or a good boyfriend. You deserve better than me.”

  “Do you really think you're going to get away with it that easily? That you were going to say it's not you, it's me and that everything is going to be okay.”

  I was sort of hoping that was what was going to happen, but it was clear to see that Mona did not agree. There was anger in her eyes and in every pos
ture and movement of her body. She was pissed off and it was hard for me to blame her. It seemed like me and Amber were very good at pissing off people close to us. Maybe a little bit too good at it.

  “I don't want to fight with you Mona.”

  “And what are you doing here?”

  “I came to get my things and make sure that you had your plane ticket back. I am not going to be going back right now.”

  “You're staying here?”

  There was nothing but disdain dripping from my lips when I agreed. “Yeah, just for a little while.”

  “And what about the apartment?”

  I hadn't even thought about that sadly, I didn't even think about her, and now she was asking me a bunch of questions. What was I supposed to say?

  “I will be back in a week or so, and that will give you time to find other accommodations.”

  “So, you are kicking me out?”

  “Yeah. I guess I am. I don't think you should look at it like that, but you will have plenty of time to find another place.”

  “And you are staying here with her?”

  She kept saying everything like it was so hard to believe. I don't know if it was a fact that I was leaving her for Amber or that I was leaving her at all. Mona was a beautiful woman and she did not have a problem telling me how lucky I was.

  “I am just staying around for a little bit. A lot has happened.”

  Mona made a disparaging sound to drown out the hurt. I wanted to fix everything for her, but it was impossible. I couldn't fix it, because I was the one that caused it.

  “Well, you do what you want, but she doesn't love you.”

  Mona walked out and I knew that she would be back. I was going to take the opportunity to get out as quickly as I could. I packed up and took off before she came back from her cool-down walk.

  Her last words were haunting me, and I knew that it was most likely the whole point of it. She was trying to get into my head, and she had been very successful at it. All I could think about was what she had said. That Amber didn't love me. Was she right about it? I didn't want to believe it, but I knew that it was a good possibility.

  When I left the hotel, I went back to see Amber. We both hadn’t said much about what was going to happen next and now I was a little worried about it. Everything had just run on passion and now what was left? Phillip wouldn't even answer my calls and Mona was most likely going to trash my apartment before I got back home. Was I really willing to give it all up for her?

  Chapter 18

  Amber

  It started with one wedding gift that came in the mail a few days after. The next day, a few more arrived and before I knew it, the whole living room was filled up with unopened presents. The kid inside of me wanted to open them up and see what was inside, but the other side of me just saw a reminder of a failed wedding. I have not talked to Steven since it all happened and now, I had to wonder if that was a good idea.

  My brother had not done what I asked him to do. So instead of everybody finding out that the wedding was off, he just let everybody show up anyways. The caterer came with the food and the guest showed up one after another. They sat and waited for almost an hour, before anybody started to realize that we weren't going to come.

  At the reception, they ate and laughed. Some sent presents from far away, but the ones who had actually attended the wedding, had started to send letters. Some wanted their money back. Some asked for their presents back that were at the wedding and others just wanted to tell me how wrong it was that I had left like I had. Sadly, they were all right. I had handled it all terribly bad.

  Jesse caught me going through some of the new editions in the pile and he took it out of my hands.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I am wondering if I made a huge mistake.”

  He looked like my words stung and I apologized. I didn't mean it like that, but sometimes the meaning got jumbled. It was one of those times.

  “Do you think that you made a huge mistake being with me?”

  “No, just this wedding and how I handled it. I didn't do a very good job and instead of trying to minimize damage, I stayed in bed with you all day. You are not a very good influence, Jesse. I just feel bad about it Jesse. Don't you?”

  “I can't say that I do. You shouldn't have been with Steven. You know that. I don't even know why you agreed to marry him in the first place.”

  “I don't know. Why were you with Mona?”

  “She helped pass the time, I guess.”

  That was sometimes how I felt about Steven. Outside looking in, it should have worked. We were supposedly perfect for each other, but it certainly didn't feel that way.

  What I had with Jesse didn't make any sense. It shouldn't work and yet, it somehow did.

  “And how did she take it when you told her about us?”

  It was a tentative question and he just kind of shrugged. “She kind of figured it out herself and let's just say, she wasn't very happy about it.”

  “I bet not.”

  “And what about my brother?”

  “I think he is still pissed off, but he'll come around. I have known Phillip for a long time. He just needs some time to cool off. He's already gotten his aggression out, so hopefully, he'll get over it soon.”

  “So where does that leave us?”

  It was the same thing I kept asking myself and I still didn't really have an answer. It was all so up in the air. It wasn't like I was going to get married tomorrow to Jesse but since I just walked away from that kind of commitment it was hard.

  “Where do you want us to be? I have told you before how I feel and that hasn't changed.”

  As far as I was concerned, he talked in circles and it drove me crazy. I wanted to know what was going on. Every time I asked and wondered, it made me think that I had messed up.

  “So, do we move in together?”

  “You’re moving fast.”

  I blew out a frustrated breath.

  “Yes, I guess I do. I had plans that were made with Steven and now it is all changed. You should know that this was a big adjustment for me.”

  “I know. If you want to move into my apartment, you know that you would be welcomed. Mona is leaving now and will be gone when I get back.”

  Mona. She was someone that I knew I had wronged, and she was one of many. I really needed to work on what I was going to do next. I had all these plans to move to the city and now it could still happen. “Yes, I think we should try it out and see what happens.”

  He chuckled. “You don’t sound so sure.”

  “It’s just different and new and fast. I am sure that it will be a good thing.”

  He pulled me in and smiled. “It will be a great thing. You’ll see.”

  Chapter 19

  Jesse

  “A great thing, huh?”

  “Maybe I spoke too fast. I knew that she was going to make a mess of things, but I never imagined this.”

  “You really have a lot of admirers, don’t you?”

  “Can you tell?”

  “I’m starting to.”

  She looked around and had this look of horror on her face. I should have known that she was going to be like this. She had burned a large amount of the clothes in my closet. Mona did it in the metal trash can, so at least she was thinking about safety first.

  Then she ripped up couches, beds, anything she could, as well as wrote obscenities on the walls with some left-over paint we had. Mona had left her mark and I was a bit in awe. We both were and we just stood there for a while.

  “Wow, I don’t even know what to say or what to think.”

  “I don’t really think that there is anything to say. She hates you. I bet that Steven would do the same thing to me if he could get a hold of my apartment. Or if he could get into the house back in Eleanor.”

  “No, you're wrong. I think he did love you in his own way. A lot of what he did was not an act. You have a way of making men want to be better.”

  Amber
waved me off and asked me what it was that I wanted.

  “What do you think?”

  “We are standing in the middle of chaos and you are complimenting me. It seems like you want something, so out with it.”

  I pulled her a little bit closer. “I want you.”

  “In the middle of all of this?”

  “You just don't get it, Amber. I would want you no matter where we were.”

  Before she could say anything else, I pulled her in for a kiss. It was the one surefire way to stop her mind from overworking itself. It didn't take long for my plan to work. We made love in the middle of the chaos and I hoped for a little while, she would forget about was around us.

  ***

  At first, it was great living with Amber. We had a lot of fun together and a month had gone by, before I could even really think about it. It was good to have her around and I quickly remembered why I got so geeked out when she was with me. There was just something about her and her personality was still the same. She could still make me laugh and I enjoyed her antics.

  Things started to get better between me and Phillip as well. I know that he was still upset about me being with his sister. I knew how he felt about Amber in general and anyone who dated her. I wanted to make sure that we were going to be okay eventually. We had been friends for a very long time and I’d never wanted that to be in jeopardy.

  We went out a couple of times with Phillip. It was awkward, but seemed to be getting less so each time we went. Amber was happy about it, because she had always been close t0 her brother and I think in a small way she, was relieved that Phillip would not try to meddle in her love life anymore. Not with me anyways.

  The one part of my life that did not get any better was Mona. I would have thought that the time and energy that she had spent trashing my apartment and all of my things, would have been enough for her, but it wasn't. She started to pop up in places that she knew I went to regularly and for the last four mornings in a row, I had caught her in the coffee shop that I used down the road from my house.