My Bestie's Ex

by Piper Rayne

  Rian and I lean in close where the banana bread smell makes it almost unbearable not to tear a piece off.

  “Seth says Sigmund is dating someone.”

  “So?” I ask, not sure what the big deal is. They’re broken up.

  “Sierra will go ballistic,” Rian explains.

  “No. The Sierra I know has the motto that once it’s over, it’s over. She never dwells.” Then I think about it for a second longer and remember Pauly Milano. In junior year she had us put three buckets of dead fish in his locker after she saw him holding hands with Samantha Lindor. Maybe I’m wrong.

  “Let’s face it. Cliffton Heights isn’t that big. She’s bound to run into him,” Rian says.

  “I’m not sure how we’re supposed to stop that?” Against my better judgment I take a deep inhale and my stomach growls.

  “Oh I’m going to pick out my outfit.” Sierra leaves the room, still oblivious that we’re all huddled around the banana bread talking about her.

  “I think one of us should be with her at all times,” Dylan says.

  “That’s stupid. Let’s just tell her,” I say.

  Rian’s face looks like I told her to hop the fence of the Lions exhibit at the zoo.

  “I’ll do it,” I say.

  “I have a sumo wrestler costume you can wear,” Dylan says, and I swear he’s serious.

  I shake my head. “Where? Why?” I shake my head a second time. “Never mind. I don’t need a sumo wrestler costume. I’m just going to tell her.”

  Dylan looks to Rian. “Okay, but I warned you.” Then he gives puppy dog eyes to Rian and her shoulders deflate. She grabs a knife from the drawer and cuts him a slice. “Butter?”

  Now I roll my eyes. “You guys are ridiculous. I’m leaving.”

  “Don’t forget you volunteered,” Dylan says.

  “What? To tell her that her ex is dating someone. He could be broken up with her tomorrow. It is not a huge deal.”

  Dylan’s gaze land on Rian. “She spends the night.”

  “Really?” she says, wide-eyed.

  “Yep.”

  Obviously this is some huge monumental step for this Sigmund guy.

  “Ohh.” I wave my hands in the air. “If it’s such a big deal that a girl spent the night at his place, then I think she’s better off without him. I feel sorry for the girl.”

  “If you knew him like we did, you’d understand.” Rian sits down at the table with Dylan.

  “He doesn’t do casual flings. And he doesn’t allow just anyone to spend the night at his place. It means something to him, so whoever she is, it’s serious.”

  “Good. Maybe he grew up after being with her. I gotta go.” I glance at my phone. “I’m going to be late.”

  “Have fun,” Rian says in a sing-song voice.

  “You two have fun too.” I waggle my finger between the two of them, Dylan not even noticing because he’s grabbing the knife to cut another piece off.

  On my way to meet Ethan at the Cliffton Heights gazebo I consider how I’ll tell Sierra tomorrow morning though I’m not really that worried about it. It’s over between them. There’s no reason she should be upset that he’s found someone else.

  By the time I reach the gazebo, the sun is setting and the twinkle lights hanging across the inside are sparkling, casting a romantic glow over the entire scene. Ethan is sitting on the steps, staring down at his phone. He’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt that stretches across his broad shoulders.

  He happens to glance up from his phone and the smile that lights up his face when he sees me is warmer than the sun in the middle of July. My heart thumps inside my chest and I too can feel my smile growing wider.

  “Hi.”

  He stands up, pocketing his phone and stepping closer to me. “Hi. You look beautiful.”

  I want to tell him he looks mouthwatering. “You look good too.”

  He picks up the backpack at his feet, swings it over his shoulder and takes my hand, entwining our fingers and walking down the cobblestone path leading away from the gazebo.

  “So, we’re getting on the train to Peekskil.”

  “Are we going to visit Gil?”

  He laughs and leads me toward the train station. “Nope.”

  “Are we visiting Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie?” His eyes scrunch up and I slap him in the stomach. “You don’t know The Facts of Life?”

  “What’s that?”

  “That’s it. Next date we’re watching The Facts of Life.”

  “Whatever you want.” We step up on the train platform.

  “What’s in the backpack?”

  He circles to keep me from unzipping it. “None of your business.” We stand outside to wait for the train. The air is a cooler when the sun descends all the way down beyond the horizon, but having Ethan close as a shelter feels safe.

  The train comes to a stop and it’s less crowded than Sunday during the day but more so than Sunday night. We find a seat together and our hands remain locked as I snuggle as close as I can to him. He bends down and kisses the top of my head.

  I might as well use this opportunity to get an idea about how he feels regarding the whole introducing friends thing.

  “Hey.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you think maybe next weekend you’d like to come by and I’ll introduce you to my friends?”

  He doesn’t say anything, so I sit up to gauge the reaction on his face. He doesn’t look pale like he’s minutes from throwing up, but he’s not smiling either.

  “Or not. We could wait a bit.”

  He stares deep into my eyes and his hand slides along my neck until his fingers swim in the strands of my hair. “I’d like that.” And then he kisses me and since there aren’t any kids around it’s more R-rated this time.

  It only takes a few stops before we’re off at Peekskill and I spot what he might have planned.

  “A movie in the park?” I bite my lip, denying a smile until I know for sure.

  “Movie in the park.” He nods and I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.

  “I’ve always wanted to go to a movie in the park. Thank you.”

  “I will say it’s a Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson double feature.”

  “Alright. Alright. Alright.” I imitate my best version of Matthew McConaughey’s character from Dazed and Confused.

  “You’re adorable.” He kisses my forehead.

  “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Fools Gold.”

  I clap my hands and jump up and down. “YAY!”

  “If I’d known sitting in the grass on a blanket, hardly being able to hear a movie would get this much excitement from you, I wouldn’t have been worried you might be scared of sitting on the group because of bugs and stuff.”

  I slide my arm through his as we descend the hill to find our spot.

  “No worries there. Three brothers.” I point to myself. “Remember?”

  Ethan finds us a spot that’s a little more secluded and pulls a blanket out of the backpack.

  I sneak a peek inside to find Tupperware containers. “You cooked too?”

  He smiles at me as he arranges everything, and I slip off my shoes to get comfortable. The fact that he was thoughtful enough to plan ahead causes excitement to build inside me.

  “Thank you,” I say, my voice raw with more emotion than I’d prefer after only dating for so short a time.

  He looks up from the container he’s arranging, and his own feelings are there in his caramel-colored eyes. “You’re welcome.”

  Then a kid runs through our blanket and breaks the moment. His mom apologizing as she runs after him.

  “So feel free to say it sucks, but I made some Italian food.”

  I sit up. “You did?”

  “It might suck, so I also made double desserts just in case.”

  I get up on my knees and kiss him some more. If there weren’t people around here tonight, I might just act out a porno with him in the middle of this field to show
my appreciation of everything he’d done for me tonight.

  We part and Ethan inhales a deep breath. “Okay, movie in the park every week.”

  I laugh and fork a noodle.

  “My attempt at Rigatoni ala Vodka.”

  I refrain from telling him my mom rarely makes this which means I’ve only really had it in restaurants. But one thing is for sure, he knows how to cook. “It’s delicious.”

  “Thanks.” He has a sort of sheepish grin on his face and it’s adorable in a way that makes me want to straddle him. Preferably naked.

  We both lay down on the blanket, eating bites and nibbles between kisses. By the time the movie starts, my head is on Ethan’s chest, his arm secured around me as he props his head on his backpack. He kisses the top of my head and I squeeze my arm around his waist. There are a million stars overhead and I want to wish on them all that this will never end.

  Chapter Twenty

  Blanca

  *

  Ethan’s hand is secured in mine as we walk the dark streets of Cliffton Heights and somehow it feels like he’s been a part of my life forever.

  “Did you enjoy the movies?”

  I laugh and my head falls to his shoulder. “Do you really have to ask?”

  He stares down at me, the dim light from the streetlight allowing me to see his eyes. Eyes that are more transparent than he’d like to admit. He’s made it clear that he wants to be with me, but I can still see that he’s fighting something when it comes to me. I just don’t know what haunts him. Who made him build these walls so high around himself.

  “I wish you’d spend the night.” He stops us on the corner until the walk symbol comes on. I’d like to think he’s purposely delaying getting me home.

  “I slept with you before ever committing, remember there is actually a good Catholic Italian girl inside me.”

  He chuckles and releases my hand, both of his palms coming to my cheeks and pressing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. It’s the one thing I’ve noticed with Ethan these past few days. He likes the fact he can kiss me whenever he wants. He’s always leaning over and taking my lips in a series of kisses that are worth dreaming of. And then there’re his hands that know no boundaries. Not that I’m complaining.

  “Go out with me tomorrow? We’ll keep it low key. Let me pick you up and we can end up having Sunday morning breakfast together?”

  A giggle falls out of my lips. “A second weekend in bed?” My hand falls on his chest. “You’re switching gears fast again.”

  His lips land on mine again. “I saw the light.”

  I study his eyes for a moment. The gold flecks alive and flickering. I desperately want to believe him, and for the time being, I will but my guard needs to stay up for a little while.

  “Okay then. Pick me up at five. You can meet my roommates, maybe.”

  “Done.”

  His fingers brush down my arm, goose bumps quickly following his path until his hand is secure in mine again. “Let’s get you home before I take you over my shoulder and tie you to my bed for the night.”

  It’s hard not to go to his house. The temptation is almost overwhelming since Ethan has figured out all the places on my body that make me purr with want. But my roommates are giving me shit about being gone all last weekend and I’m here to rekindle this friendship with Sierra too.

  “I’m right there.” I point to the apartment, stepping off the curb. The strength of his grip loosens for a second.

  “The Rooftop Apartments?” His voice cracks and he comes to a standstill in front of the lobby entrance, staring up at the building.

  “Yeah, you know it? The rooftop is amazing. I get the name now.”

  “What…” He clears his throat. “What apartment do you live in?” He glances over to Ink Envy across the street. Dylan’s at the front desk with Seth and Knox.

  “You don’t have to walk me up. Here is good.” I motion toward the alcove of my apartment building.

  “What button will I press tomorrow?” He looks like he’s sweating now.

  I giggle. “Oh yeah, duh. I live in four D. It has my best friend’s name on it. Press Sanders.”

  Ethan’s face pales but I don’t get to ask why because his lips crash into mine with such force, my back presses to the glass door. His tongue slides through my parted lips and he kisses me with such passion and such fierceness I try to process where this desperation is coming from. It’s not a ‘I have to take you now kiss’ or a ‘come back to my apartment’ kiss. It’s a branding, he’s claiming me. Like he’s saying I’m his and only his. He slows the kiss, his knuckles brushing along my cheek in a tender moment as his eyes find mine. “I should have known. You were too good to be true.”

  “What?” I can feel my forehead wrinkle.

  “You live in four D and I used to…”

  “Blanca?” Dylan calls out from across the street.

  I turn my head to see the three guys standing there.

  Ethan’s eyes close and his forehead rests on my temple. “I swear I didn’t know,” he says softly.

  “Sigmund?” Seth says.

  I glance between Ethan and the guys on the other side of the street.

  “Fuck.” Dylan shoves his hands into his pockets, staring at both of us.

  “What? Sigmund?” I ask, desperate for any of the three guys to explain.

  Seth nods and all three guys walk across the street to join us.

  “I didn’t know. Did you?” Ethan asks Dylan as he approaches.

  Dylan shakes his head. “If I did, I wouldn’t have told you to bang her.”

  “You’re…” I point to Ethan. “Sierra’s?”

  “Ex. I’m her ex,” he says emphatically.

  Dylan, Seth, and Knox all stare wide-eyed between us. We all know what this means.

  “The thought crossed my mind for a second, but I figured, what are the chances, you know? I mean, I thought Sig was just doing some freelancing gigs at a bunch of different places.”

  I want to strangle him for never saying anything, even if it was only a passing thought. I mean sure, I never mentioned Ethan’s name and he writes under a pseudonym, but still.

  “It wasn’t like I knew the co-worker you wanted to bang was Blanca.”

  “Bang?” I raise both my eyebrows and cross my arms.

  “No.” Ethan takes my hands in his. “That’s not what this is. I swear you’re more than just some girl to me. But damn, you’re Sierra’s best friend? How come I never met you?”

  “We were separated for a while. I was in New York and she was here.” I rub my chest because my heart hurts like it’s splitting in two. I have to figure something out.

  “Wait, why does everyone call you Sigmund and not Ethan?”

  He blows out a long stream of air and rolls his eyes. “According to them I always overanalyze everything… aka Sigmund Freud.”

  I can’t believe this.

  “It changes nothing.” He looks to the guys for confirmation. “Nothing has to change. Sierra and I are over. We’ve been over for some time.”

  “Man, you know…” Seth starts. “She’s not going to take this as good news.”

  “It’s none of her business,” Ethan says.

  “I have to go.” I open up the building door.

  “Blanca,” Ethan says, and I turn toward him.

  “Just give me a little bit. I have to tell her and figure this out.”

  “Seriously, we were over ages ago. Don’t allow her to end this thing between us.”

  I place my hand on his strong chest and feel how fast his heart is beating. “Just… I’ll call you, okay?”

  He steps back and my hand falls off his strong chest.

  The door shuts behind me and it’s only once I’m by the mailboxes that I allow the reality of what this means to actually sink in.

  He’ll never be mine.

  I haven’t even reached the elevator before a big shadow looms over me. I slowly turn hoping it’s Ethan, telling me we had it all wro
ng. He’s not Sierra’s ex. The one who still spurs on fights between her and Dylan. The one she isn’t over yet.

  But it’s not Ethan.

  It’s Dylan and the expression on his face says I wasn’t sleepwalking just now. He’s not waking me up from a nightmare.

  “Let’s go up to the rooftop,” he says.

  We enter the elevator and he presses the button for the top floor where we can access the stairs up to the roof.

  Silence spreads between us. I’m still processing what this will mean. Sierra should be who I choose. Forget Ethan, he was wishy-washy to begin with anyway and I’m not going to destroy a twenty-year friendship for a guy. That’s not who I am.

  But I’ll still have to tell Sierra and I know that’s going to hurt her.

  Once we reach the rooftop, Dylan pulls out a chair for me and I sit down, pulling my legs up to my chest, staring up at the sky. The twinkle of the stars on the dark canvas behind them are a sight I didn’t get to see in the city very often. These are the same stars I was wishing under hours ago which was a pointless venture.

  “Sorry. I feel like I should’ve warned one of you.”

  “So you knew?”

  He shrugs. “No, I swear. Though hindsight is twenty-twenty. The other night after we celebrated here and went out with him, everything he was saying… how he was describing you and the way you looked. He was pretty vague, but I can see now that it all perfectly described you.”

  “He talked about me?”

  Dylan smiles. “Yeah. He likes you. I know he’s a complicated guy, but he does like you.”

  “Too bad he’s Sierra’s ex-boyfriend.”

  Dylan blows out a breath. “It doesn’t mean you guys can’t date. It’s been a while since they dated, and I know you’re a better fit for him than her. They were like oil and water. They fought all the time. Over the stupidest things. It messed both of them up. But Sig is a good guy. He’s a loyal friend and if he’s open to me about how much he likes you than his feelings must be strong.”

  “How can you be friends with both of them?”

  He props his feet up on the wrought-iron table, crossing his ankles and leaning back. “Sigmund was my friend first. We met in college. I became close with Sierra and Rian and we’d all hang out on the rooftop sometimes, like we do now. That’s how they first met. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but if you like him, I’d just be straight with Sierra. It’s not like you knew beforehand. You fell for him before you knew who he was.”