《My Best Friend鈥檚 Brother》


 Chapter 1 Molly

    ¡°I still have no idea how you convinced that guy!¡±


    ¡°I know. I still can¡¯t believe he fell for it.¡±


    We areughing in the elevator, then Colin looks at me for a long time, and I question:


    ¡°What?¡±


    He says:


    ¡°I was missing you so much.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but melt and hold his face with both hands and give him the long, deep kiss on the lips that I have missed so much these past two months.


    I pull away from him and look into his eyes, trying to keep my breathing regr. Then I say:


    ¡°I was missing you a lot too.¡±


    ¡­


    Colin proposed to mest night in a Japanese restaurant that I love.


    I bet he got this information from Julie, and we always go there on the weekends that she doesn¡¯t go out with Brennan, which is not rare.


    We are in the hallway leading to my apartment. We look at each other and startughing again.


    Then a familiar, annoying voice gets in the way when it says:


    ¡°Hey, could you two keep it down, please? People want to sleep here!¡±


    Julie¡¯s brother is shirtless, with his hair all messed up and the door ajar, where you can see a mattress on the living room floor and a girl wrapped in the sheets.


    Julie is certainly not at home. He looks at me, then at Colin, and closes the door again. I feel like killing him for the second time after meeting him five months ago.


    Five months ago.


    It¡¯s six in the morning, and my phone vibrates with the arrival of a new message.


    ¡°Damn it! Who can it be at this hour?¡±


    I pull out my sheets with my eyes closed and look for my cell phone that always stays on the nightstand next to my bed.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡±


    I remember that I left it on the living room tablest night. I get up like a zombie with my eyes still closed and guide myself into the dark because if my visionse in contact with the light, it will be hard to sleep again.


    I hope it¡¯s not Chantal, and I share an apartment with a girl who loves to sleep outside and keeps forgetting the key.


    Anyway, I reach the living room table and press a button on the cell phone to read thest message, and my vision is still a little blurred.


    But I can see that it¡¯s from Julie asking me toe to her apartment, she wasn¡¯t doing very wellst night, so I go back to my room and take a hobby and go towards her apartment, which is a few meters away from mine.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going!¡±


    Julie is standing in the doorway of her apartment with her nose and eyes red from a cold.


    ¡°I love you, love you, love you! I would hug you, Molly, but I don¡¯t want to make you sick.¡±


    I tell her I better go back to bed and change my ns to sleepte on a Saturday to pick up Julie¡¯s brother from the airport.


    I go back to my apartment, shower quickly, wear dark jeans and a white t-shirt, wear some sneakers, and grab my keys from the coffee table in the living room.


    I get in my car and drive towards the airport, cursing Julie¡¯s brother for taking this flight that arrives so early.


    The traffic doesn¡¯t cooperate, and I arrive at the airport at eight-thirty in the morning. Julie gave me a picture of him, but there is just a guy sitting on the shoulder of the parking lot with ck clothes and messy hair that makes him charming, and he has Julie¡¯s features, white skin, and straight ck hair.


    He doesn¡¯t look pleased. I park my car a few feet away, get down, and walk toward him.


    I took the photo that Julie handed me just in case. I look at the picture and then at him, but I can¡¯t find any resemnce. As no one is around, I conclude that it must be him. I get closer and question:


    ¡°Are you Chris?¡±


    I smile at him to see if it helps improve his face¡¯s bad mood. I would look like this too if I had been alone in an airport since five in the morning. He looks at me, surprised, and says, answering and asking at the same time:


    ¡°Maybe. Do you want me to be?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I don¡¯t quite understand whether it is irony or humor in his voice. But, I decided to let it go and say:


    ¡°I am Molly, Julie¡¯s friend.¡±


    I hold out my hand that he doesn¡¯t even bother to shake.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Maybe people in California don¡¯t have this custom of shaking hands in an introduction, or perhaps he¡¯s highly annoyed, and I let it go again.


    He stands up, and I notice that he is tall and has a well-defined body that doesn¡¯t remind me one bit of the skinny guy in the picture Julie gave me. He starts to collect his bags and says:


    ¡°Where is Julie?¡±


    As I approach him to help him with the bags, I smell a strong odor of alcohol. He lifts a suitcase and throws himself off bnce, and almost falls. I step back and watch him take a bottle from his coat pocket, bring it to his mouth and take a long sip.


    ¡°Oh my God! Are you drunk?¡±


    He gives me an unfriendly look and says:


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 8:30 in the morning!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He raises his wrist where there is a watch, swings it close to my face, and says:


    ¡°It¡¯s to know the time that I bought it.¡±


    But why is he being such a jerk? I take a deep breath. There is silence.


    As soon as he has secured all the bags, we walk toward my car.

 Chapter 2 Molly

    He takes another sip as he puts one of the bags in the trunk and again as he gets into the front seat of my car. I hold my hands on the steering wheel and say:


    ¡°You¡¯re not drinking that here in my car!¡±


    He approaches me and says quietly:


    ¡°I have been here since five in the morning, my cell phone is dead, and I am in thepany of a highly annoying girl. The only thing that could improve me would be to drink this whole bottle of whiskey!¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    That makes my face burn, he brings the bottle to his mouth again, and I automatically take it from his hand. He says, irritated:


    ¡°Hey! Give it back to me!¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m trying to do my friend a favor, and you¡¯re making this whole thing a nightmare. So you¡¯re not going to take this shit inside my car!¡±


    He stops trying to get the bottle back, and I am holding it tightly against my body, and we are gasping in anger at the same rate. He steps back, stares at me, and begins to speak:


    ¡°I know who you are, Molly! You¡¯re the little friend Julie talks about so much. You are the girl with a boyfriend who is always traveling and leaving you alone, and please don¡¯t assume that it¡¯s my fault if theck of sex makes you so dull.¡±


    My face now feels like it¡¯s on fire. I stare at him unresponsively and mentally repeat these phrases to try to keep calm: ¡°He is Julie¡¯s brother,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill him,¡± ¡°He¡¯s drunk.¡±


    He takes the bottle from my hand in a moment of distraction with a chuckle on his face, then he closes the bottle and puts it in the glovepartment of the car and says:


    ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    I don¡¯t answer. I am still repeating those sentences mentally. My cell phone vibrates. It¡¯s Julie:


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him!¡±


    Heughs and settles down in the car seat. And Julie answers, her voice still hoarse:


    ¡°Oh no, did he is drunk again?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Does he always drink? You could have warned me!¡±


    ¡°Look, Molly, don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s going through a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks bye.¡±


    I hung up the phone and turned to him to tell him that if he kept talking more shit, I would leave him right there, but he fell asleep. I still feel like killing him, though.


    As soon as we get to our condo, I look over, and he is still asleep. I kind of like not having to listen to him on the way, but now I would give anything to let him walk on his own, something that doesn¡¯t seem possible.


    I try to wake him up, but he is making this difficult by asking me to leave him alone. I don¡¯t see anyone around to help me, and Julie must be in bed.


    I see Paul, our neighbor arriving in his car. He sees us and asks if I need help.


    I exin what is going on in a few words, and he decides to help me with the bags. Paul is now in the trunk while I go to help Chris get into the elevator.


    I open the passenger seat door and put his arms around my neck, and lift him, asking him to try to make an effort to help me. He looks at me and asks me to let him sleep in peace.


    With great effort, he gets up. I close the car door, and we head for the elevator. Paul is with the bags on the side of the car, observes my effort to keep Chris upright, thenes to us and helps me get into the elevator with him, saying that he will be right there with the bags.


    Thank goodness that the elevator is empty, and I don¡¯t have to give any exnation about that scene. Inside the elevator, I still have to support him on my shoulders up to the fourth floor where our apartment is.


    The elevator stops on the third floor, and an old couple asks, a little surprised, if the elevator is going down. I say no, and theyment on something while I press the close button on the door.


    As soon as the door is closed again, Chris turns to me with his lips brushing against my neck. This makes me disconcerted. But I try to ignore it. After all, he doesn¡¯t even seem to know what he is doing anymore.


    Then he says:


    ¡°Wow, you smell perfect.¡±


    Then he lifts his hand, brings it up to my waist, and holds it tight, bringing me very close to his body. A shiver started in my stomach and spread all over my body. This makes me too embarrassed even though we are alone.


    Maybe the fact that I¡¯ve been away from Colin for two months makes me more sensitive to specific touches, so I focus on the fact that I¡¯m with a jerk.


    But when I remove him from there, he does it himself. Then he again closes his eyes and looks down as if he wants to fall asleep again. The elevator door opens, and I make him take a few very disorganized steps to the entrance of Julie¡¯s apartment.


    In the middle of this disastrous walk, I lose my bnce, and we both fall to the floor. I stand over his body, he opens his eyes, and we stare at each other for a few seconds.


    I hate that he has a dimple on his face when he smiles because that has always attracted me to guys, but he changes the way he smiles and starts to say it with a sarcastic chuckle:


    ¡°I could stay in this position all day long, babe! But I have to get in.¡±


    I instantly turn red, mainly because Julie is standing in the doorway, watching us with confused eyes when I look up.


    Chrisughs even harder, and I want to get out of there. In an instant, I stand up, and we are trying to lift him off the floor. A few secondster, Paul appears with the suitcases.

 Chapter 3 Molly/Chris

    We put Chris on the couch, and I say goodbye to Julie, who still doesn¡¯t seem fully recovered from her cold.


    ¡± I¡¯ll owe you one.¡±


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll hold you to that, Julie!¡±


    I say,ughing. She knows I would do anything for her. So I say:


    ¡°Now go to bed and get well soon so we can do something this weekend.¡±


    She gives a weak smile that doesn¡¯t remind me of the fun-loving party girl I know damn cold.


    ¡­. Chris¡­.


    I raise my eyes and see a girling toward me. She is not dark, thin, or with ck hair. So I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not my sister. Maybe if shees closer, I can tell better because I think I already got the anesthetic effect I wanted when I opened the first bottle of whiskey earlier today.


    She walks towards me, looks at me, then at her cell phone, then at me again. She looks around, and there is no one else around. She seems a little confused.


    She gets a little closer, and I conclude that she is not my sister, she has long brown hair and green eyes, and even though and is wearing only ordinary clothes, she is hot, very hot!


    I started to like the idea of the cake Julie gave me. But when she smiles, reaching out her hand, that smile reminds me of someone, the person I am drinking so much whiskey today, not to think about her existence.


    I stand up and try not to look at her face again because I know that if I do, I will fall apart, and I promised myself that I would never allow myself to show feelings to any woman in the world again.


    Bad luck to this girl for showing up today, the official day I start putting my promise into practice. From now on, women will only be for me to catch, spend time with, or only to make out with them.


    I will never again fall in love with any woman in this world.


    ¡­


    I ignore her greeting, and maybe she will think I¡¯m an idiot and stop smiling at me.


    It seems to work because she already looks at me a little suspiciously. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to this.


    ¡­


    I tried to lift my bags, but I think I felt a lot less drunk while sitting down.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She watches me as I put the bags in the trunk. I end up rolling my eyes because she thinks I won¡¯t be able to do it. To her misfortune, I do, and as a victory, I take another long sip of my whiskey.


    She doesn¡¯t seem to approve of me drinking like this. Great, all the more reason for me to do this. And that is exactly what I do when I get in the car. She looks at me angrily and takes my bottle.


    This girl needs to hear some truths to stop being so nosy.


    I tell her exactly what I think about her when Julie talks about the best friend in the world she has in Seattle.


    I always liked that my sister had found such a nice person away from home. But today, I¡¯m not in the mood to be nice to anyone, and I twist what I think of her a bit.


    So I say she is just annoyed because her boyfriend (who I am now beginning to think is quite an idiot for going out for so long and leaving a woman like that here alone) is always traveling and leaving her alone without sex.


    I quickly discover that I have hit the girl¡¯s weak spot. I feel satisfied, not as happy as I had hoped, but at least she doesn¡¯t say anything back and is so surprised that she forgets about the bottle she had taken from me. I took it before but no longer want it for a moment.


    I continued to irritate her and decided to put the bottle in the glovepartment. My eyes are tired, and I fall asleep.


    Someone is tapping on my shoulder, but I don¡¯t want to wake up now. I just closed my eyes. I ask Molly to leave me alone, but she doesn¡¯t do it, and even against my will, someone is taking my arm and wrapping it around her neck. I open my eyes, and she is here again. Her hair is all falling on my face. I would be even angrier if she tried to drag me out of the car, but she smells good, and I let her do it.


    I¡¯m not so bad that I couldn¡¯t walk to the elevator alone. But when I try to move my arm away from Molly¡¯s neck, I find I am.


    Mixing vodka and whiskey first thing in the morning was not as good an idea as I thought.


    Even inside the elevator, she won¡¯t let go. I would have thought she was more rxed in the days when I felt that all women were not the same.


    And I have to confess that she does smell wonderful. I want to be able to keep that smell to remember on some night when I am too lonely andck the courage to go out and look for some woman to satisfy me.


    So I get a little closer to her, and only when I do that do I realize that I have gotten more intimate than I should have. I don¡¯t care. However, I tell her what I am thinking about her smell.


    She didn¡¯t answer anything, but if I wasn¡¯t so bad, I could swear she shivered when I got closer. But maybe it¡¯s just something in my head.


    The thing is that smelling her like that makes me want to know what it would be like to touch her skin and somece where I might make her shiver again. Then I could be sure that it had happened.


    I lift my hand and bring it to her waist under her shirt, pulling her slowly closer to me. I like that, and I like her reaction. I always have this effect on women, I just wondered if it would be different with her, but it never is.


    But I don¡¯t want to bring her into my world. Not that world I want to live in now.


    I wouldn¡¯t say I like the kind of guy I¡¯ve be, but I have reasons for that, and I repeat that women will only serve for me to have fun. I never want to feel anything more than pure attraction for any of them again.

 Chapter 4 Molly

    Later that day.


    I couldn¡¯t sleepte this Saturday as I had nned because I had to drive through the hellish traffic to pick up Julie¡¯s unbearable little brother at the airport.


    I decided that as soon as I got home from grocery shopping, I would do some cleaning since my roommate Chantal is out of town and won¡¯t be able to help me.


    I get home, and it is still three in the afternoon. I grab my headphones and put An Walker on the louder volume because only listening to his music can make me calm down after this stressful morning.


    A short timeter, there¡¯s no mess in our apartment, and I go to wash some dishes left in the sink after the impromptu dinner with Chantal and Sean, her boyfriend.


    Do you know when you get that feeling that someone is watching you? Well, I always get that feeling, but this time it is not just a feeling because when I turn around, someone is watching me and a mischievous smile on his face.


    Julie¡¯s brother is standing in my doorway and staring at my ass without any shame.


    This attitude immediately makes me angry, but deep down inside, I simultaneously feel ttered.


    I haven¡¯t even known him for twenty-four hours, and this guy gives me such mixed feelings. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s all mixed up.


    He has this fabulous smile that makes him look so angelic, but when I approach him or try to be friendly, he starts saying things that make me extremely angry, and he gets off on it.


    But if he wants to y a game, fine, I can do it his way. I¡¯ll make him as confused as he makes me.


    He starts by telling me that he knocked on my door several times and that I didn¡¯t answer because I was singing so loudly that I was disturbing everyone.


    Okay, I know that sometimes I get a little carried away with my singing, but no one has everined about that before.


    He keeps looking at my shorts and giving me that little smile that brings out a dimple that makes me mesmerized. I pull up my jacket to cover my legs that are showing.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    He now concentrates on my face and says he came here not because he wanted to but because Julie insisted.


    It all makes me angry, I would be content to have him apologize for being such a jerk to me today, but he doesn¡¯t seem to care.


    I will y that game too, and I ask him if he has finished what he came here to do. He looks at me and seems surprised.


    Maybe he was expecting a more aggressive reaction from me, but I prefer to react unexpectedly to make him as confused as I feel.


    He seems to try to find some words to continue what he was saying, but my phone rings. It is Colin, and nothing else interests me but to hear his voice. I close the door in Chris¡¯s face, leaving him even more confused.


    Point for me.


    I said I could y that game too.

 Chapter 5 Molly

    It iste afternoon on a Saturday, and we are at the living room table in Julie¡¯s house, trying to do some calculus exercises. But it¡¯s hard to concentrate when a girl makes so much noise in a room not far from where we are.


    ¡°This is disgusting.¡±


    I say after a while. Julie says after a while:


    ¡°In time, you get used to it. And it¡¯s better to study here than in your apartment, where Chantal and Sean are almost the same, only on the living room couch in front of us.¡±


    ¡­


    Julie decides to make popcorn.


    ¡°Hello, girls!¡±


    They go downstairs. Chris is with that redhead girl I saw in the hall the other day, one with long wavy red hair, and he continues:


    ¡°Julie, you already know, and this is Molly, my sister¡¯s friend. Molly, this is ¡­¡±


    He stands behind the girl and looks at Julie, asking the girl¡¯s name. Julie looks at me and turns to get something from the fridge, and when I look at Chris, he is terrified. I think the whole thing is funny, but Julie says:


    ¡°Emma! Imissed you.¡±


    She walks over to the girl and kisses her on the cheek. The girl looks at me and says it¡¯s nice to meet you, and I say the same.


    He goes to the door and gives her one of those kisses I pretend not to see because I¡¯m so embarrassed.


    His hair is all messed up, and the fact that we heard everything that happened in his room a few minutes ago doesn¡¯t embarrass him a bit.


    As soon as the girl leaves, he goes to the fridge to get a soda. I frown at him as he walks past me, heughs, and as soon as he receives the soda, he starts up the stairs but turns to me and says:


    ¡°Hey, no need to get all angry. You could have gone upstairs too if you wanted to. Emma loves a threesome!¡±


    All I can say is:


    ¡°Fuck you, Chris!¡±


    I reply angrily, and he continues on his way to his room,ughing at what I just said. Juliees over to where I am and offers me some popcorn.


    ¡°Why is he such a bastard with women? I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    Julie looks at me, shocked by what I have just said, but I continue.


    ¡°I try to get along with him, especially since he is your brother. Sometimes I think he is bing a more likable guy, so he acts like a jerk to me, like now.¡±


    I know he ended a rtionship wrong, but that doesn¡¯t give him the right to be so stupid.


    Julie listens, then tells me:


    ¡°I know I told you that he had a bad breakup, but I didn¡¯t want to tell you the details at that time. Because he asked me not to tell anyone about it. But now it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, and he doesn¡¯t even think about it that much. My brother wasn¡¯t always like this, and I¡¯ll tell you everything that happened with him five months ago.¡±


    Current Days


    ¡°Where is your brother?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Julie quickly gets up from the sofa in her living room, throws a magazine on herp onto the coffee table, andes towards me.


    I still insist:


    ¡°Your brother, where is he?¡±


    ¡°Ouch! What has he done now, Molly?¡±


    ¡°He just ruined the best day of my life.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s taking a shower in my room, but what¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t hear Julie finish her sentence and go straight to meet him. I walk into the room, and he is just getting out of the shower.


    I know this because he is only wearing a towel, and his hair is still wet.


    My heart beats shamefully out of rhythm the instant I look at that defined abdomen in front of me, and everything I was going to say gets jumbled in my head.


    I do my best to focus on my anger. I stop facing and ask the first thing thates to my mind:


    ¡± Why are you taking a shower in Julie¡¯s room?¡±


    Oh, shit! Is that all I can say right now? He looks at me with a look of disbelief but exins:


    ¡°My bathroom is under renovation.¡±


    He crosses his arms, slightly obscuring my view, and I thank God for that. He looks at me with a strained face, saying:


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t interest you. After all, what are you doing here?¡±


    I regain myposure and say, pointing my finger:


    ¡°You just ruined one of the best days of my life. I thought you were getting better, that you were Bing a likable guy, and suddenly you open the door and talk a bunch of shit to my fianc¨¦ and me and¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re engaged?¡±


    Juliees shouting through the door. We hug, and Chris interrupts us:


    ¡°If you wanted to tell me you were engaged, you didn¡¯t have to make all this fuss here and interrupt my shower.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I turn around quickly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished what I came to say.¡±


    He smiles that enigmatic smile that hides some unattainable truth behind it, which I cannot decipher.


    ¡°After all, what has my brother done?¡±


    Julie is looking at Chris as she asks the question. She has been witness to ourck of affinity since the day I picked him up that day at the airport.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    She turns to me, ignoring her brother. I say:


    ¡°He just acted like a jerk to Colin and me this morning. We wereing back from the Vige and¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! Did you spend the night in the Vige?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I say excitedly, and Chris interrupts us once again:


    ¡°Listen here, I have to change to go out, if you two are going to stay there¡­.¡±


    I interrupt him:


    ¡°He just walked out the front door and asked us, in other words, to shut up so that he and one of those girls he always brings to sleep in the room with him could rest in peace at ten-thirty in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, Chris. In the living room again? You know I wouldn¡¯t say I like it when you do that.¡±


    I look at him, feeling vindicated. He stares at me and doesn¡¯t even notice what Julie says. He then walks toward me, standing only inches away from me. Since he is a little taller, I stand up to face him so that he understands once and for all that he doesn¡¯t intimidate me, even if it is a lie. He then looks at me smiling and says:


    ¡°I think you are jealous!¡±


    Now he has crossed the line, he leaves smiling, and I want to go after him, but Julie holds me back,ughing.


    I hate him, but even though I love Colin with all my heart, unfortunately, Chris has a huge influence over my body, and I think somehow he knows this and uses it against me.


    ¡°You are like two children! You know that he only does this to annoy you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I eventually admitted it to Julie:


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But let it go and tell me everything!¡±


    I start to tell her about my fabulous night with Colin.

 Chapter 6 Chris

    I thought that if one day she told this story to anyone, I would be upset, but that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯m not going to stay here to hear what Julie will say because I know this story by heart.


    ¡­Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Man, I have to surprise Rachel. I know it¡¯s still two months before our anniversary, but I want to propose uniquely, and I¡¯m too anxious to wait all this time.¡±


    Kylie looks at me and says sarcastically:


    ¡°Gee, where¡¯s my fun-loving, party-going friend? What have you done with him?¡±


    He takes another swig of beer. He raises his ss, swings it around in the air, and says:


    ¡°Look around this bar, look at how many pussycats there are, and you talk to me about proposing?¡±


    I look around, ignore him and continue:


    ¡°You know I haven¡¯t gone around picking up people in a long time!¡±


    He holds my shoulder with one hand and, between swigs of beer, tells me: ¡°I know!


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s what I miss, having my partying partner again.¡±


    I shrug. He continues:


    ¡°But if my best friend is looking to tie himself down for good, why not give him a hand? You can count on me.¡±


    He makes that face when he is thinking of something epic that I know will not end well. But I don¡¯t care, and I just wanted to know if my best friend had my back on this one, and this is one way he admits that he wishes me good luck.


    ¡­


    That same week I nned everything. I was going to get home early on Friday and leave my apartment with a table ready for dinner for two.


    As soon as Friday finally arrived, I got everything ready with some help from Kylie.


    I didn¡¯t call Rachel because I wanted to surprise her at home. I even made up that I would be a littlete at work.


    She would never suspect anything because it was still a month before our second anniversary.


    I parked my car in front of her apartment and went up the stairs to the third floor.


    The door was just pushed open, which made it even easier for me to arrive by surprise.


    There was silence there, and I knew she was home, so I called her name and no answer.


    The door to her room was ajar, so I went that way, and inside I heard a shower running and Rachel¡¯sughter.


    I decided to go there, and I would love to see her showering at that hour.


    But as soon as I opened the bathroom door, I found Rachel showering with a guy. A guy I had never seen before in my life.


    She came toward me, trying to exin herself, but I asked her not to touch me.


    I vaguely remember the following scenes, and I only remember punching the guy. When he pulled himself together, he punched me back, Rachel screaming, trying to separate us, me leaving her house, calling her a slut in the hallway, while she ran after me down the stairs wearing only a bath towel.


    After that, I went back to the evenings with Kylie again, and for a while, it worked.


    The day Molly picked me up from the airport was exactly one month away, and it was also the day that Rachel and I would have been dating for two years.


    I loved that woman, and she betrayed me in the worst possible way. God knows how many times she could have done that.


    I had to drink until I forgot who I was, and I did¡­


    ¡­


    As soon as I finish getting out of the shower, she is in Julie¡¯s room pointing her finger at me, she isn¡¯t saying anything, but I can feel her anger from here.


    I think she is staring at my body for a moment, but it must be just my imagination because she immediately starts asking what I am doing here.


    It annoys me. How does Molly think that she can barge in like this without even giving any exnation? So I ask her what she is doing here.


    As soon as I answer her question, she starts pointing her finger again, and Juliees in wanting to know what is happening.


    She says while exining her anger that I ruined her wonderful day with that insufferable guy I find out is now her fianc¨¦.


    I don¡¯t like to hear this, he is an idiot, and I already knew that they had gotten engaged because he called her that this morning and that was one of the reasons why I left angrily, asking them to stopughing so much in front of my door.


    But I¡¯m not going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that I heard the whole thing, I wanted to ruin that bullshit anyway, and I wanted him to get fucked up sometime.


    I¡¯ve seen him do things Molly would hate to know, I¡¯ve been there, and I wouldn¡¯t wish it on anyone, not even her.


    I thought that if one day she told this story to anyone, I would be upset, but that doesn¡¯t matter now. I won¡¯t stay here to hear what Julie will say because I know this story by heart.

 Chapter 7 Molly

    As soon as Julie tells me the story, I start to feel bad. I had never thought that Chris had been through this.


    Now I understand a little bit the way I met him that day at the airport.


    ¡­


    I return home and remember that we have no sugar.


    I head towards the elevator to go to the supermarket on the corner.


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    I hear it just as I press the button to get off the elevator. It¡¯s him. His greeting is as calm as ever:


    ¡°Molly.¡±


    I reply in the same tone:


    ¡°Chris.¡±


    We always greet each other this way, vaguely and without much expectation. But this time, the fact that I know everything that happened to him makes me a little more sympathetic to the fact that sometimes he acts like a jerk.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking this, but I am.


    nis Morissette starts singing ¡°That I Would Be Good.¡±


    Chris stares at me while the music from my ring tone fills the silence in the elevator.


    I look at him and question:


    ¡°What is it? Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m notughing. I think this song is fantastic.¡±


    He has a smile that makes me want to smile too.


    I answer the phone.


    ¡± Hi, Colin?¡±


    I look at Chris again, I¡¯ve never seen him smile like that before, but as soon as I start talking to Colin, he doesn¡¯t have that smile anymore.


    As soon as the elevator opens, he leaves as fast as if I wasn¡¯t even there with him. Figure that face.


    ¡­. Chris¡­


    ¡± So Chris, are we or are we not really sexy?¡±


    I pretend not to hear what she says, but Julie insists:


    ¡°Come on, Chris, take a break from this damn game and look!¡±


    I hit pause on the video game just as I was about to kill that zombie and give my best boredom performance and look at the stairs where the two of them are standing under Molly¡¯s protests.


    And as soon as Iy my eyes on that girl, I felt my body boil, I¡¯ve seen my sister wearing that dress before, but it didn¡¯t look nearly as good on her.


    Although the day Julie wore it, I made her change before we even left. Of course, she was much younger.


    That damn dress looks like it was made for Molly¡¯s body because every inch of it perfectly aligns with those curves and what curves.


    I quickly turn around and focus on the game before me, praying that they haven¡¯t noticed anything different about me. Julie asks:


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡±


    Even though I paused the game, I still got the focus on the TV in front of me.


    ¡°You girls are OK. I don¡¯t know, whatever.¡±


    They fall for this ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what I saw¡± and walk down the stairs to the door, and I try not to look at Molly. But she walks inches from where I am, and my eyes betray me. Julie turns just as I am mesmerized by those legs, and my eyes only go up.


    Julie says to bring me back to reality:


    ¡°We¡¯re going to that bar. Maybe you¡¯lle with us.¡±


    And she gives me that look that practically says: ¡°I saw what you were doing, don¡¯t do it anymore,¡± she winks at me, and they walk out the door.


    I¡¯m going to shower because now I can¡¯t concentrate on this damn game anymore. It¡¯s impossible to get the image of that dress on that body out of my mind.


    ¡­


    ¡°Man, at least disguise it, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Adan?


    ¡°What are you talking about, Adan? Do I need to tell you?¡±


    I look at him and challenge him.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been eyeballing your sister¡¯s friend for about ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. And you know what, she also stares at you as soon as you look away.¡±


    ¡°Does she?¡±


    I ask with such animation that even I am surprised.


    ¡°Of course, she doesn¡¯t! But you should see how excited you¡¯ve gotten.¡±


    And heughs.


    ¡­


    Some girls have just approached us and are talking to us. One of them immediately makes it evident that she doesn¡¯t want to waste time talking to me, and before I know it, we are already enjoying the night right here.


    ¡­


    ¡°You know what, Adan? I think we¡¯d better go somewhere else.¡±


    I take thest of my drink and get up from the chair. Before I left, I looked at Molly again, but now I know she was looking at me because I saw her.


    ¡­ Molly¡­.


    Some of Brennan¡¯s friendse over to talk while we drink a few drinks. I don¡¯t know how Julie convinced me to go with her today. Just today that neither Colin nor Brennan are here with us.


    The only one who showed up at the bar sometimeter was Chris, and I am looking at him now because he had no better ce to be than in front of us. I guess he is one of those protective brothers.


    And looking at him reminds me of the day I picked Chris up at the airport, and he said all this stuff about Colin always traveling and leaving me here and that this and theck of sex made me nervous.


    My anger builds. I am already staring at Chris from across the bar, and he is hugging a girl, not embracing her. He is almost molesting the poor woman in the middle of everyone here.


    And nobody but me seems to care, not even that guy with him.


    Then I realize that it bothers me in a way it shouldn¡¯t. I close my eyes. I close my eyes.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Molly?¡±


    Julie looks at me, startled. I didn¡¯t realize I had said it out loud, so I did my best to cover it up with a smile.


    ¡°I think I forgot the microwave plugged in.¡±


    Theyugh and continue the conversation. After a while, Brennan¡¯s friends leave and go to order more drinks.

 Chapter 8 Molly/Chris/Molly/Chris

    Then I look in front of me again because it is impossible to keep turning around to avoid looking at Chris. And he gets up and leaves with the girl, but first, he looks at me with his usual indecipherable look.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m leaving now, Julie.¡±Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You know, me too. Our boyfriends aren¡¯t here, and we¡¯re too beautiful to stay here alone. I¡¯m tired of being flirted with guys.¡±


    And we both leftughing.


    When we arrive in front of my apartment door, Julie says


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep at my ce? Usually, Chantal doesn¡¯te back on weekends, and Chris isn¡¯t due until tomorrow morning.¡±


    I think for a moment and say:


    ¡°Why not.¡±


    As soon as I get out of the shower, Julie has already set up a mattress for me next to her bed and has fallen asleep, and I am pretty sure she has had a little more to drink than she nned.


    I approach slowly, making as little noise as possible, and already feel sleeping on.


    ¡­. Chris¡­


    ¡°You¡¯ve called me by that name three times already! It sucks!¡±


    The brte girl with me in my cares out and picks up her clothes that we had just taken off.


    And that¡¯s too bad.


    She ms the car door and shouts through the window:


    ¡°My name is Vanessa!¡±


    I can¡¯t believe I called her Molly twice. Not twice, three times. Vanessa, who I have now learned the name, made it very clear after frying for me.


    Women hate it when we do that, and damn it, and I wasn¡¯t even thinking about this girl changing Marissa¡¯s name for hers like that, not Marissa. Her name is Vanessa.


    I start tough with irony and run my hand through my hair, telling myself:


    ¡°I am so screwed!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°You did what, man?¡±


    Adan gets up from the bar table and tells the girl he is with that he will be right back.


    He continues:


    ¡°You should fix this.¡±


    ¡°Settle what?¡±


    ¡°This thing you¡¯re having with this woman.¡±


    ¡°What thing? There¡¯s no affair between Molly and me.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s looking like there should be.¡±


    ¡°No way. I¡¯m not going to do it.¡±


    Vanessa shows up, and the girl, who was with Adan, goes to talk to her.


    ¡°So you¡¯d better stop changing the names of the girls you¡¯re with to hers, or you¡¯ll end up screwing everyone over.¡±


    I know he doesn¡¯t care that maybe the girl he was with won¡¯t return. Adan is a nice guy. So he says:


    ¡°Do you want to go to a nightclub nearby?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough for today.¡±


    ¡± It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    I think it¡¯s more than time to go home. I didn¡¯t want my night to end like this. And only to think that all this is the fault of a particr dress on a specific body makes me even angrier at myself.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I wake up thirsty and look at the cell phone clock at three-thirty in the morning. I hate waking up in the middle of the night like this. It¡¯s always hard to get back to sleep again.


    After returning from the bathroom, I decided to go to the fridge to get a ss of water because I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep without putting something in my stomach.


    Since I know Chris won¡¯t be back, for now, I go downstairs wearing only one pair of panties. Not a thong panty. I am not that sexy, at least not when Colin is not around.


    But it is one of those slightlyrger panties that looks like a shorty, a white t-shirt that Julie lent me, and socks on my feet.


    As I walk down the stairs, I remember Chris sitting there earlier. I thought for a moment that he was looking at me differently when he saw us standing on the stairs.


    I don¡¯t know why I wanted that. Maybe if I knew that I could do to Chris a little of what he does to me, I could use that to my advantage when hees around with his little jokes.


    But I guess it was just me because he immediately tried to behave like the usual idiot and didn¡¯t give a damn when Julie asked how we were doing.


    ¡­


    There are several choices of juices and soft drinks in the refrigerator. I bend down to pick one.


    Again I get that feeling that someone is watching me. On impulse, I turn to the living room, and Chris is, leaning over the counter that divides the living room from the kitchen, watching me with a very mischievous smile.


    I want to disappear right now from such embarrassment.


    ¡­. Chris¡­.


    I knew I wanted toe home for some reason, but I didn¡¯t know that fate had such a pleasant surprise for me.


    As I walk in the door, I see someone in the kitchen with the fridge door open, looking for something.


    I look good and can¡¯t believe it¡¯s Molly standing there wearing only a t-shirt and¡­ Is that really what I see? Is she just wearing panties?


    I look up and thank her.


    I close the door slowly, so she doesn¡¯t notice my presence and lean over the kitchen counter. This girl is hot. Even in stockings as she is now. She turns around as if on impulse, and I stand there watching her.


    Then I noticed from her shirt that she was not wearing a bra.


    Man, is that what I call pure luck, or is that just cruel to me!


    This girl does things to my body that I¡¯d not even mention. I¡¯m d she doesn¡¯t know that. The problem is that the more I try to ignore it since the day I met her, the more I realize that I can¡¯t control it how I want to.


    She starts to turn red and tries to hide with her hands what is showing, which is a lot, as soon as she realizes that I keep looking at her almost transparent T-shirt.


    I can¡¯t help but smile. But damn, Molly looks embarrassed.


    And she says:


    ¡± Julie said you wouldn¡¯t get here until morning.¡±


    I keep smiling because I can¡¯t stop thinking how lucky and privileged I am to be able to see her like this. Then I say:


    ¡°I was lucky enough to arrive a little earlier than nned.¡±


    I blink at her and look her up and down. When I look at her face again she remains red.

 Chapter 9 Molly/Chris/Molly

    I¡¯m going to kill Julie. She said she was sure he wouldn¡¯t arrive until the next day. At this very moment, Chris is standing there, looking at me shamelessly as I stand almost naked in front of him.


    I want to get out of here, but I know he would make a big joke. No, he would, he will, and it just makes me regret even more that I didn¡¯t dress appropriately to get down here.


    He looks me up and down, and I try to hide what I can with my hands, but I don¡¯t get the desired result.


    Chris starts to take off the white linen shirt he is wearing while looking at me in a way that I have never seen before, with desire, I think. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been so embarrassed in my life.


    As he takes off his shirt, I get lost in my thoughts because that abdomen is just fantastic. I concentrate there for a while, he notices what I am doing, and I want to disappear again.


    Heughs, then takes the shirt and offers it to me.


    I don¡¯t understand what he wants, and he says:


    ¡°Here! For you to cover yourself.¡±


    I don¡¯t make a move yet, trying to understand what he wants with all this. He is never pleasant to me like that. He goes on and on:


    ¡°I would give you up, but at the moment, I can¡¯t. There are parts of my body that have a mind of their own.¡±


    He looks down, and I understand what he means. My face is burning now for some reason. I take the shirt from his hands and tie it around my waist to cover myself and say:


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    I say even though I know he didn¡¯t do that because he is a gentleman.


    He smiles, satisfied, still looking at me because it didn¡¯t make much difference that I put the shirt on. Much of my body is still showing.


    It paralyzes me here. Because if I go up the stairs before Chris, he will stare at my ass, and I don¡¯t want that. After a while, hees toward me.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    He asks as he approaches the refrigerator door.


    I do my best not to lower my eyes and examine a part of his body that he mentioned a few minutes earlier.


    I don¡¯t understand why there is all this tension in the room. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve never been alone before. The problem is that the level of clothing on the body has never been this low.


    I turn away and move closer to the sink. I¡¯m not going to give my hormones any more reason to get excited like they shouldn¡¯t.


    He opens the fridge, gets a juice, andes toward me again. Damn it, and he¡¯s getting closer and closer with that damn smile that leaves that beautiful dimple.


    I take a deep breath as hees closer and inches from my face. What does he want?


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I swear that for a moment, she stared at me as I took off my shirt, and I love knowing that she also likes to stare at me.


    She doesn¡¯t like it when she knows that it turns me on, her standing there with almost no clothes on. But I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s my fault, and it¡¯s her fault for being so hot here in front of me.


    And I love to see her nervous like that. She takes the shirt from my hands and ties it around her waist, it doesn¡¯t make much difference, and I knew it wouldn¡¯t, but she thanks me.


    After a while, I realized that she was not going toe up to the bedroom while I was there. It¡¯s a shame because I wanted to see that ass with almost no clothes on, as I wanted to so badly when I saw her on the stairs with Julie that hour.


    I like to know that she will wait for me toe up first because I can make it long and enjoy her a little more.


    I go to the fridge to get some juice, and as soon as I have the pitcher in my hands, I realize I need a ss.


    She is leaning against the sink, right where the cab is over her head and where Julie keeps her sses. I swear the universe is conspiring in my favor today.


    I walk over to her and stand very close to her face. I can¡¯t stop smiling because I can see my effect on her body.


    I also mentally thank her idiotic fianc¨¦ for not showing up often, leaving her feeling all flushed like this.


    I look down at her T-shirt, and she turns even redder but says nothing.


    She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Damn it, and she runs her tongue over her lips. I swear I want to kiss her now.


    ¡­ Molly¡­.


    I keep thinking of random things while he inches from my face.


    I close my eyes because maybe I won¡¯t be wishing so hard for him toe closer. After all, that is so wrong.


    I wish Colin hadn¡¯t stayed away so long because my body is desperately asking to be held right now.


    And knowing how he looked when he saw me before, I swear it makes me want to push my body against his.


    I swear I don¡¯t recognize myself.


    And I keep thinking about how much I would do now if Colin were here because if I don¡¯t think about him now, I¡¯m going to want Chris even more, the guy standing that is here in front of me.


    I open my eyes, and he is still there, looking at my mouth with that damn smile.


    He closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. I think he is also feeling the same way I am.


    He slowly walks away from me, holding the damn ss he went over there to get.


    I take a deep breath. I¡¯m not funny right now.


    I walk away from him.


    I don¡¯t care if he looks at my ass or not as I walk up the stairs.


    I have to get back up to the room soon, otherwise, I¡¯m going to do something I¡¯ll regret very much tomorrow.


    I am still here doing my best to make sure that this simple gesture of picking up the ss from the cupboard above her takes longer than necessary and doesn¡¯t look like I want it to take longer.


    Molly is not making it any easier, not keeping still and seeming to want toe towards me.


    She still has her eyes closed, and I can lower my eyes to her body and then look back to those lips.


    She opens her eyes and looks at me.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I close my eyes and take a deep breath.


    I can¡¯t do this to her, and I would only be cheating on her boyfriend. I know he¡¯s no good, but I don¡¯t want her to feel bad afterward.


    I promised myself that I would not bring her into my world. A world where I only use women for my pleasure and fun, and I¡¯m not going to do that with her.


    The problem is that even though I don¡¯t want to do it, my body practically begs me to do it.


    But I can¡¯t give her more than an evening or a few nights of fun and pleasure, and I know Molly is not the kind of girl who would settle for that.


    She turns away from me. I¡¯m thankful that she did. Because I don¡¯t think I could.


    She walks up the stairs. I don¡¯t look.


    I stand there half confused.


    Since when do I care what she feels?

 Chapter 10 Molly/Chris/Molly

    I walk up the stairs quickly.


    I don¡¯t look back to see whether or not he¡¯s looking at me. I have to keep as much distance from him as possible now.


    I go into the bedroom and close the door as carefully as possible so as not to wake Julie. I wouldn¡¯t know how to exin to her what happened because even I don¡¯t know.


    As soon as I close the door, I stand there on my back for a while. I close my eyes and remember those eyes looking deep into mine, how good he smell , how I wanted even for a few seconds for Chris toe closer and kiss me.


    I must be going crazy. I close my eyes again more tightly and repeat over and over again:


    ¡°Colin, Colin, Colin¡­¡±


    Ie back to reality a few secondster. I walk towards my mattress. I lie there, still thinking about everything that has happened.


    I remember that I had his shirt tied around my waist. I sit up on the mattress. I pull it off my body. I look in Julie¡¯s direction. She is fast asleep. I stare for a few seconds at that shirt in my hands. I lift it and smell it again, and that dimpled smile is invading my thoughts again.


    Damn it!


    Its not right. I don¡¯t understand this attraction I feel for Chris, but unfortunately, I do, and I can¡¯t let it go no matter how hard I try.


    Damn it, Colin, you have toe back soon!


    I lie down again and put that shirt on the side of my pillow so that I don¡¯t even remember it If that¡¯s even possible.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I drink the ss of juice in one gulp, yet I am still thirsty. I put the jug of juice back in the refrigerator. I must have drunk a little too much today at the bar. Because since the first time I saw her, I have never wanted to hold that girl as badly as I wanted today.


    I hate myself for allowing myself to be so vulnerable like this. I go up the stairs, and as soon as I pass Julie¡¯s room next to mine, I remember that she is there.


    Damn it!


    I want to open this door and tell her that I couldn¡¯t care less and forget what she thought I felt when I see her like that.


    I give up standing there and head toward my room.


    I walk into my room and sit down on my bed.


    I run my hands through my hair.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I take a deep breath.


    I decide to take a shower, or else I will freak out here. I am in the shower while the cold water is running down my body. Maybe then I will get rid of these thoughts about Molly.


    But no matter how hard I try not to remember, she is inches away from me when I remember that body. I also remember the way she moistened those lips with her tongue and closed her eyes and


    The cold shower is not working. I am still the same as I was when I opened the door and saw Molly like that earlier.


    I need to relieve myself somehow.


    So I close my eyes and run my hands down to my throbbing cock, begging for relief. I close my eyes and massage it down.


    I won¡¯t take too long because the images I have of her in my mind, especially in the position I found her in, are making me even more aroused and close to getting there.


    I make quick movements with my hand, aided by the water running all over my body. And secondster, I  let myself get carried away by the familiar sensation of orgasm that makes me lean against the wall to catch my breath again.


    I have lost count of how many times I have done this thinking about her. But anyway, I am feeling more relieved now and can sleep the rest of the night.


    ¡­


    I really won¡¯t be able to sleepte. I can¡¯t stop thinking about what happened in the middle of the night. I¡¯m going to get up, shower, and have breakfast with Julie, and I don¡¯t care if Molly will be there. I have to prove to her that nothing between us has changed, that I¡¯m still the same, and that I¡¯m not interested in her as it seemed hours earlier as much as it sounds like she wanted something too.


    ¡­


    I find only Julie in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She interrogates me:


    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you to be up so early? You usuallye in this early!¡±


    I look at her and answer:


    ¡°I got home a little early yesterday.¡±


    She continues:


    ¡°And since when are you this early?¡±


    I open my mouth to tell her to stop asking so many questions, but then Molly appears on the stairs saying something to Julie.


    I turn around kind of automatically so that I can look at her. As soon as I do, she seems a little scared in the eye, and neither of us is looking away.


    Damn it!


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel this way when I looked at her today, and I thought I solved that in the bathroom yesterday.


    But I guess I didn¡¯t!


    I look at her smiling, and I have to cover up what I am feeling somehow.


    Then I¡¯ll act the way she expects.


    Molly breaks eye contact with me and moves to the table where Julie is. I finish putting my juice on and go to sit with them.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    He sits down with us and, with that smile on his face, greets me:


    ¡°Good morning, Molly!¡±


    I raise my eyes, and he is sitting facing me and looking at me.


    I reply:


    ¡°Good morning, Chris.¡±


    Thank goodness Julie didn¡¯t notice the words between the lines and the tension between us.


    I can¡¯t stop watching his every move. I know that at any moment, he might say something more.

 Chapter 11 Molly/Chris

    ¡±Did you sleep well, Molly?¡±


    I swallow. Did Chris ask me that? Is he trying to screw with me?


    I answer:


    ¡±Yeah, I did, did you?¡±


    Heughs and says:


    ¡±Oh, you have no idea how well I slept.¡±


    When I think he will finally shut up and let me drink coffee in peace, he starts again:


    ¡±Did you have any particr dreams?¡±


    Julie looks at me and looks at him, but as usual, she ignores us. She is used to both of us acting this way around her, but today he is crossing the line.


    I am still staring at the coffee cup.


    I decide to y his game.


    The table we sit at is rtively small, so I discard my sandal and lift my foot to meet his knee.


    I raise my eyes and see that Chris looks surprised by this as he stares at me. He has even lost that silly little smile he had on his face. I slowly put my foot up, the way a smile appears on the corner of my mouth.


    He seems mesmerized by me. Julie is looking at something on her cell phone and seems oblivious to what is happening.


    Then I answer by looking at him:


    ¡±You know, I had a wonderful dream¡­¡±


    And I slowly walk my foot up his leg. Now he seems to hold his breath for a second, then swallows his breath while still looking at me.


    He looks restless in the chair in front of me. I know I shouldn¡¯t be doing this, but I didn¡¯t tell him to start it. Now he can take the consequences.


    I¡¯m tired of him always teasing me, and now it¡¯s my turn to fight back.


    I make a few slow movements until I get where I want to go. Chris seems to hold his breath again and looks down. I can see in his hands how much this is affecting him.


    I find it funny, and it goes on and on:


    ¡±In a spicy sort of way.¡±


    Julie looks at me with a little smile, and now she seems interested.


    I put my cup to my mouth and drink some of my coffee, but my foot is still there, making slow, precise movements, and I can already feel how excited I have made him.


    Chris looks at me and tries to sound firm, but his voice gives him away even a little when he asks:


    ¡±Really?¡±


    I shake my head affirmatively and smile as I say:


    ¡±Yes, with my fianc¨¦!¡±


    I remove my foot from where I was standing, return to where I was before, and resume my coffee as usual. I look at him, who raises his eyes in my direction and gives a softugh.


    I am screaming inside, and I won this one. Chris finally lost that smile he always had on his face.


    Julie says she wants more details than thatter. I smile. My victory still vibrates inside me.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I need to demonstrate that the flirting that took ce between us in the early hours of the morning has not affected me. I have to make that clear to Molly.


    She seems surprised to see me here. That¡¯s good, and she¡¯s probably afraid that I will say something that might make her feel embarrassed.


    I swear to myself that I will do that.


    The feeling of having her in my hands is intoxicating. It puts a smile on my face, making her even more afraid of what I might say.


    I like this!


    Since I know she is waiting for me to say something, I do it.


    As soon as I ask my first question with a double meaning understood only by both of us and ignored by Julie, she gets static, and I love seeing her vulnerable like that.


    She answers and thinks I¡¯ll leave her alone after that, but I really can¡¯t.


    As soon as I ask my second question, she gets even more nervous. I can see it in how she stares at her coffee cup and looks at my sister out of the corner of her eye to see if she is suspicious of something.


    Julie is more concerned about her cell phone than giving us credit for our daily sarcasticments.


    I¡¯m sure I won this one. Even if this is not a game, for me mentally, I consider it to be.


    I am already preparing to feel my victory, but I think something else.


    I be static. Is this really what is happening? Did she put her foot on my knee?


    I look at her, and she has a smile on the corner of her mouth, a smile I have never seen before.


    Molly is not making it very easy for me. She¡¯s looking at me the way I¡¯ve always wanted her to look at me.


    What the hell!


    I can¡¯t think straight because her foot keepsing up, and I can¡¯t be immune to what she¡¯s doing.


    I already told her that some parts of my body have a will, and I think this is bing very obvious to her now. Because her smile is only getting wider as she answers the question I just asked, and in a very sensual way.


    I hold my breath because I don¡¯t want her to know howplicated this is for me.


    But I guess no matter what else I do. Molly doesn¡¯t lose that smile on her face. She must be enjoying making me vulnerable like this.


    If she puts her foot up a little bit more, I won¡¯t answer for myself. I¡¯m going to forget that Julie is here, and I¡¯m going to throw Molly on that table and do what she wants someone to do.


    Molly replies that she dreamed about her fianc¨¦. And just hearing about this guy makes me very angry at that asshole.


    But that doesn¡¯t change the fact, nor the state I am in now.


    She knows that.


    Molly removes her foot from between my legs and smiles as if she has won a battle.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I know she has won this one. But she doesn¡¯t lose by waiting.

 Chapter 12 Molly/Chris/Molly/Chris

    I finish my breakfast because now he doesn¡¯t have the nerve to ask me double-entendre questions anymore.


    I am pleased about this. I know that what I did was, in some ways, risky and wrong, but it was worth the result. Chris left me alone.


    I leave the table and tell Julie I am going to the bedroom to get my purse. She says that she is also going to leave and that she will wait for me to get my wallet from her room.


    After a while, I go downstairs and see that Chris is still sitting at the table, finishing his breakfast.


    I find it weird that he usually has his coffee veryte, and right after doing this, he always goes back to bedter. Today he woke up early and is still here.


    Julie gets up, and we head for the door. I don¡¯t even bother to say goodbye to him because he doesn¡¯t look back at me. I don¡¯t even care.


    I put his shirt in my purse because I could not return it. I hope he realizes that it is with me and that I am returning itter and doesn¡¯t ask me any more questions about it in front of Julie, or I¡¯m going to be hard on him now.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    Molly still has that winning smile when I look at her one more time. She has put me in, shall we say, not a very favorable state for me to leave the table now. I know Molly knows that. I didn¡¯t think this girl was like that and knowing she has that side makes me even more excited.


    Damn!


    The bad thing about being like this is that every move she makes, even bringing that cup to her mouth, only increases my desire to bite those lips, as I wanted to dost night.


    Damn it!


    I cannot leave that table as fast as I want to right now.


    She walks up the stairs, and I can breathe a sigh of relief again. I wish I knew what was happening to me. The mere presence of this girl has been enough to drive me crazy.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I have promised myself that she is the one girl I shouldn¡¯t be interested in, ever.


    I wouldn¡¯t care so much about how she would feel after letting her out of my life as I do with all the girls I have spent my nights with, but I know Julie wouldn¡¯t forgive me for hurting her best friend.


    Shees downstairs after a while, and I tell myself that I¡¯ll forget she¡¯s here, so I don¡¯t even look in her direction. She¡¯s out with Julie, and that¡¯s a good thing.


    Because I look down and see how hard my cock is inside my pants hasn¡¯t diminished an inch yet.


    What the fuck!


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I arrive in front of my apartment, and Julie waves to me. Already getting into the elevator, I wave back and put the key in the door.


    There is silence in the apartment, so I suppose Chantal is still sleeping, or she must not even be home.


    Chantal is the best person to share an apartment with, and she doesn¡¯t even stay home.


    In one of our calculus sses, Julie told me the neighbor across the street needed someone else to share the rent. At the time, I was reluctant. I was hesitant to move out of the college dorms ande live here.


    But I discovered over time that Chantal is hardly ever home and that I practically live alone.


    ¡­


    I go to my room and change my clothes. As soon as I look at the bag lying on the bed, I remember what is inside, Chris¡¯s shirt.


    Then I remember everything that happened in the early morning hours and how I felt in his presence. As soon as I remember all this, I feel bad that I am thinking about it again.


    I open my bag and take that shirt out. I put it on the couch because it is a little wrinkled.


    I stare at it  for a while and think about how good it looks on that body and how I looked when it was no longer on that body and¡­


    I run my hands through my hair, feeling exhausted about the whole thing. I take the shirt in my hands and look at it for a while.


    Kind of out of sheer curiosity, I bring it up to my face and smell that perfume one more time.


    Unfortunately, it is perfect!


    Suddenly I turn to the door, and there is someone there looking at me with a smile that leaves a dimple on his face.


    Damm!


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    Why is this now?


    Since when does this girl keep giving me these confusing thoughts?


    I don¡¯t know, and I know that I don¡¯t want to feel this way and don¡¯t want her to think that I have feelings for her. She is OK with that fianc¨¦ of hers, isn¡¯t she? Even if he is the piece of shit that I know he is.


    But she took it out on me today. And I¡¯d like to say that I hated what she did, but the problem is that that¡¯s not true, so there¡¯s no way I can admit it even to myself.


    I have to talk to her and rify that she just took me a little by surprise and that it won¡¯t happen again. Not at all.


    But first, I think I¡¯d better go and relieve myself if I don¡¯t want her to see how evident the state she left me in is.


    ¡­


    The door to her apartment is leaning against it, so I suppose I can get in. So I do.


    And I couldn¡¯t have a better view than the one I have now. Molly is holding my shirt that I lent her early in the morning, and I swear I can tell that she is trying to smell my perfume.


    The problem is that my body finds this scene sexier than it should be.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m looking at this, and seeing her embarrassed to see me standing in the doorway enjoying this scene and turning her redder than ever, makes me feel like I¡¯ve won a lottery prize.


    Everything I¡¯vee to tell her seems meaningless to me because I love the idea of knowing that she¡¯s not that immune to me either. And to realize this and know that she knows what I am thinking is even better.

 Chapter 13 Molly/Chris/Molly

    I just walk over to him, who is still standing there with that little smile that makes me angry and a little melty again and say:


    ¡±That¡¯s not at all what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    He throws his hands up in the air and says:


    ¡±I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    I reply:


    ¡±But I know you are thinking something that has nothing to do with it, that is not true!¡±


    He seems to be amused by myck of firmness in words, because he smiles even more and I want to jump on his neck and make him understand what I am trying to exin.


    I close my eyes and clench my teeth in frustration. He justughs even harder and says:


    ¡±Hey, you don¡¯t have to be so uptight.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything and he continues:


    ¡±I can take care of that for you!¡±


    I open my eyes to look at him and he just smiles mischievously and winks at me. I don¡¯t know what I should be feeling right now.


    In fact, I do, I should be even angrier and actually walk up to him and m him into the wall and p him in the face, but I¡¯m not feeling it.


    I just look him up and down and I want to throw him at the wall right now, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really pping him that I want to do.


    Damn it, he shouldn¡¯t talk so much about sex, reminding me all the time that I need sex, that I¡¯ve been without sex for days.


    But I look at him once more and my heart is getting fast and I notice that he has also changed the way he looks at me. He looks kind of serious as we stare at each other for a long time.


    I would love to know what he is thinking now.


    Damn it Chris, do you say something annoying? Do you say any of your usual shit? Say anything?


    But he doesn¡¯t say anything, he just looks at me the way I¡¯m looking back.


    He takes a step towards me and I don¡¯t move an inch. Our eyes are connected. He moves his eyes down from mine to my mouth and I follow his path through my eyes.


    He looks into my eyes again. Someone calls my name at the door in a very familiar voice.


    It¡¯s Colin.


    He closes his eyes for a moment and for a moment I cannot decipher the reaction to this on his face. He just raises his hand and says:


    ¡±Can I have my shirt back?¡±


    I hand it over still looking into his eyes that look disappointed now and he goes toward the door, opening it and passing Colin who looks at him without understanding what is going on. This is going to be a littleplicated to exin, because even I don¡¯t understand.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    ¡±Man, what happened to you today?¡±


    Adan asks me with a curious look.


    I just answer:


    ¡±It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    He still looks at me suspiciously and I run my hands through my hair. He just turns to look at the butt of the bartender who is wearing short shorts, while he turns and reaches up for a bottle of booze from the top shelf. After staring at the girl for a long time, he turns to me and says:


    ¡±It¡¯s about that neighbor of yours, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I look at him and say nothing. I don¡¯t know what is happening to me. I went there to make it clear to her that I don¡¯t give a damn about her. And when I get there I see her practically dreaming about me inside that shirt, while smelling the perfume and I should have felt victorious after seeing this, but I didn¡¯t want to sing victory.


    I just remember her with her eyes closed, all nervous about what she couldn¡¯t even exin to me and I wanted very much to provoke her, but not to provoke her to annoy her.


    I wanted to incite her so that she would get even closer and close the already small distance between us.


    And I swear that when we got close to each other, Ipletely forgot that I had to hate herpany, because at that moment the onlypany I wanted was hers and that¡¯s not all I wanted.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I really wanted to kiss that mouth that was just inches from mine.


    Then that shit arrived.


    And now I can¡¯t forgive myself for slipping up in front of her. So I decided toe to the bar with Adan. Because staying at home imagining the various ways that guy is grabbing her right now would not make my afternoon one of the best.


    But Adan is not the kind of guy who likes to talk, so I grab a ss and drink with him until I try to get my mind off my blunder of thest few hours.


    ¡­ Molly¡­.


    ¡±What was that guy doing here?¡±


    I walk over to him and say:


    ¡±Do you want to talk about him now?¡±


    He gets my hug but still seems to want an answer, and I say. I say no, I lie:


    ¡±He just came to give a message from Julie.¡±


    He still looks a little reluctant, and Iplete:


    ¡±But now I want to forget he exists. I have other things to focus on it.¡±


    I blink at him, and he understands immediately. We both fall onto the sofa and begin to kiss. Colin starts tough while kissing me and I ask him, also smiling:


    ¡±What?¡±


    He answers:


    ¡±Wow! You ¡­ well ¡­ you look ¡­ different.¡±


    He smiles even more, and I understand what he means. I need him, and it¡¯s obvious.


    We start kissing again. I am on top of Chris¡¯s body as we lie on the living room couch.

 Chapter 14 Molly/Chris

    I quickly separate from him and remove my shirt and return to his mouth again. He holds my waist firmly with one hand while the other is having my hair.


    I don¡¯t care if Chantal will get here now or not. I only have one thought at the moment, to get as close as possible to the body of the guy I¡¯ve missed so much thesest few days.


    His cell phone rings. I want him to let it go, but he says after a while:


    ¡±I have to answer it.¡±


    I turn away from him, still feeling frustrated that I must do this. He answers but holds my chin as he does so, and this gesture calms me a little.


    When he finishes the call, he looks at me with a face I swear I don¡¯t like. He takes a deep breath and says:


    ¡± I¡¯m going to have to go!¡±


    I say:


    ¡±What? What do you mean? You¡¯re barely here, and I¡¯m¡­ well¡­¡±


    I point to my body, which is not as dressed up as it used to be. Chris just looks at me ruefully and says:


    ¡±It¡¯s work, baby. I swear I have to go.¡±


    I pout, and heughs,es over, and kisses me again. But I¡¯m too embarrassed to start begging him to let it go.


    After all, it is his job, and he has to go; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t leave me like this.


    He gets up and leaves the couch. He gives me a quick kiss and says:


    ¡± I¡¯ll be back tonight so we can finish what we started.¡±


    He winks at me, leaving me here all melted again.


    ¡­


    I go into the bathroom, look in the mirror as I put my shirt back on, and see that my face is still a little red.


    I look a little desperate. Is it right for Chris to say those things and¡­


    Damn it, and I don¡¯t want to think about that guy right now!


    I wash my face with cold water to try to resolve the situation I find myself in.


    Thanks a lot, Colin¡¯s work!


    ¡­


    It was almost eight o¡¯clock at night, and Colin told me that he would be back around nine. And I go to my closet and choose one of my favorite lingerie.


    I bought a dark pink one thinking about Colin¡¯s return and even told him I had a surprise for when he returned from his trip.


    I put on some makeup and a ck hobby. Minutester, I hear a voice at the front door calling my name. It must be him, and he always forgets the copy of the key I gave him.


    I put on some more blush and rushed to the living room with the hobby still half-open because, in my hurry, I didn¡¯t even have time to tie it, but so what?


    I have a massive smile on my face. I take a deep breath and open the door.


    But as soon as I do, it is not Colin standing there.


    I say:


    ¡±Chris?¡±


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I arrive in front of our building and notice that the car of that clueless Molly¡¯s fianc¨¦ is no longer in the parking lot, so I assume that he is no longer at her apartment.


    It is weird because it hasn¡¯t been long since he arrived.


    But so what, that doesn¡¯t interest me, does it?


    I exit the elevator and walk down the hall toward our apartment. I pass in front of her apartment door. I stop for a moment; I have to talk to her.


    I haven¡¯t had much to drink, but enough to feel that I have to give her some exnation about what happened earlier today.


    So I call at the door, and before long, she answers. As soon as she opens the door, I get a surprise, and she is wearing only a pinkce bra and panties and a spectacr smile on her face.


    I can only look her up and down and say:


    ¡±Wow!¡±


    She still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s me standing there in front of her. But when she realizes this, she quickly tries to cover herself with whatever it is there that she is wearing over this excellent lingerie. Because I honestly didn¡¯t see it, I just concentrated on the contents closest to her body.


    She no longer looks as happy as when she opened the door. She says something, but I can¡¯t concentrate on what she said. Because I am trying to imagine what it would be like for her to dance and strip tease me. Wearing only those pieces, she has underneath this fabric and arms she now crosses tightly against her body makes me want tough at her reaction.


    She snaps her fingers in front of me, and I say:


    ¡±Huh?¡±


    She says:


    ¡±I asked what you came here for it?¡±


    I start trying to exin myself:


    ¡±Well, I¡­¡±


    She interrupts me:


    ¡±Seriously, Chris, it is a bit of a while, Colin will be here, and I don¡¯t want to have to argue with him again about his constant presence here.¡±


    I interrupt her:


    ¡±Constant?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t answer me, and I continue:


    ¡±You mean you two argued with me, eh?¡±


    I cross my arms with a satisfied smile, and she looks all funny now and tries to cover it up.


    ¡±No, I mean¡­¡±


    But she looks at me and can¡¯t finish what she¡¯s about to say. I still have a smile on my face.


    I close the door behind me, and she says:


    ¡±But what are you doing?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±You¡¯re almost naked! You don¡¯t want the neighbors to see you like this, do you?¡±


    She seems to ept this, but only appears to because she starts to say it:


    ¡±First of all, you¡¯re not even supposed to see me like this¡­.¡±


    I interrupt her:


    ¡±Oh, I see. But where is your fianc¨¦? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be here with you?¡±


    She replies angrily:


    ¡±You dont need to know!¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 15 Chris/Molly

    But she continues even though I haven¡¯t asked where he is:


    ¡±He had to take care of some things at work and¡­¡±


    I interrupt her:


    ¡±Even after he had just arrived?¡±


    She looks at me nkly, and I realize something:


    ¡±Wow, he left right after he got here?¡±


    She looks at me angrily and sad at the same time. She takes a few steps toward me, points her finger, and says:


    ¡±And what¡¯s it to you?¡¯


    She seemed irritated by what I said. But as I make here towards me, she forgets about the knot she had tried to tie in her clothes. And she is getting half open again, revealing that perfect view from when I arrived here minutes ago.


    She doesn¡¯t realize it yet, because she is more concentrated on looking at me with hatred. I say:


    ¡± I think he should be doing something else right now.¡±


    She looks at me, confused to hear me say this. Then she asks:


    ¡±Doing what?¡±


    I don¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t wait for Molly to finish the question, and I grab her waist, pull her closer to my body, and start kissing her mouth.


    Molly looks slightly surprised at my reaction, but she is not pushing me away. Contrarywise, past the moment¡¯s surprise, she is holding me as tightly against her body as I am doing to her.


    And I like that!


    But I don¡¯t know how we will bnce this way. Our movements cause us to take a few steps back from where I was standing, and I see a table right behind her. And I lift it without moving away from her mouth and ce it there.


    She spreads her legs, putting them around my body as she sits on the table, and this brings me even closer to her body, which is even better.


    I squeeze her waist so tightly and move my hands down a little further, squeezing every part of her body so that she gets closer to me. I think this will leave marks on her body, but so what? She¡¯s doing the same to me.


    But secondster, I feel her put her hands on my shoulders and hear her say:


    ¡±Chris. No!¡±


    I pull away from her, still not understanding what she meant by this, and she continues to pull me away and say once again:


    ¡±Damn it! What am I doing?¡±


    But she¡¯s not looking at me. She takes a deep breath, and I look at her, confused, and she says again:


    ¡±Can you get out of here?¡±


    I look at Molly, a little confused, but she repeats it a few more times, and I say nothing and head for the door. As I close the door, I look at her one more time. Molly has her head down and looks very sorry for what has happened.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I don¡¯t think I have fully realized that I am wearing only this in front of him.


    I have no idea what Chris is doing here, standing in my doorway and staring at me. Damn it!


    I didn¡¯t expect this, and I didn¡¯t expect him. What I want here now is not him but my fianc¨¦ Colin.


    So Ie to my senses and try to tie up my hobby as fast as possible. Because the way he is looking at my body wearing only this lingerie I am in is making me a little apprehensive as if I am enjoying this.


    I ask what he is doing here, and he seems most interested in undressing me with his eyes.


    It isn¡¯t good.


    If Colin finds him here again, I swear we¡¯ll fight like we almost did earlier today.


    And as I make this clear to Chris, he not only lets that damn smile appear on his face but seems to have loved the idea of having pissed off Colin.


    While I am still trying to exin that Colin and I don¡¯t fight and have no reason to fight about him, he is closing the door, and I don¡¯t understand why he is doing this.


    Not that I won¡¯t control myself by being alone with him, of course, but thinking about it doesn¡¯t make me very calm.


    He exins that it is so that no one else can see me as I am, and I end up finding it amusing. That sounds protective, and it¡¯s not his style to say such things about me.


    After all, he wasn¡¯t even supposed to be here, let alone anyone else but the one I was expecting, and I tell him so. But he seems more interested in where Colin is.


    I swear I don¡¯t know what Chris wants. But of one thing I do know, he has just managed to make me even angrier after extracting a confession from me by ident. That Colin left me after he just got here.


    I got closer to where he was and told him it was none of his business. But he doesn¡¯t seem to listen to what I say, and he¡¯s just staring at my body again.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    And then he says that Colin should be doing something else. I don¡¯t understand what he means by this because, at the moment, I am concentrating all my fury on the hateful look I am throwing at him.


    But just as I am about to ask him what he means, he holds me tight, pulling me even closer to his body, and the next thing I know, he is kissing me.


    I can no longer concentrate on my anger because I can only think about how enveloping his kiss is.


    And his tongue has precise movements inside my mouth that leave me bewildered and trying to understand why I am enjoying the way he is doing this so much.


    And also, how he holds my body tight, pressing me tighter and tighter against him, brings a good feeling.


    And I start to forget that I shouldn¡¯t be doing this and hold his body tight, too, because the way he has me makes me need more.

 Chapter 16 Molly/Chris/Molly

    We take a few steps back, and he then ces me on the table very close to my room.


    I spread my legs so that they wrap around his body because that makes him closer, but not close enough for him, and I guess because he is pulling me closer.


    He¡¯s squeezing my waist so tight and going lower and lower that I think I¡¯m going to get all marked up and


    Damn it!


    What am I doing? I must be crazy! He¡¯s not Colin!


    I must be desperate! I¡¯m so ashamed of myself and my attitude.


    I try to push him away, no matter how much my body doesn¡¯t want to do it. It bes apparent when I make him away but return to his mouth again. But after a lot of fighting with myself, I ask him to move out.


    He does so but looks just as confused as I am.


    How could I do such a thing?


    As soon as he walks out the door at my request, I realize what a big shit I have done.


    I want to cry now, and I don¡¯t even know why.


    I hate all this confusion in my head.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    ¡±Are you leaving or are youing?¡±


    Julie asks me as soon as we almost bump into each other in the hallway, and I say:


    ¡±After I left earlier, I¡¯m already back, and now I¡¯m going again.¡±


    She smiles to hear me say this. She doesn¡¯t question it, though. Brennan apanies Molly, and I know that they would much rather I not be home right now. I greet him and head for the elevator.


    I can¡¯t stay here knowing that she is right next door after what we did, what I did, what she did, I don¡¯t even know how it started. All I know is that when I realized what a mistake, I made in not resisting and grabbing her, well¡­ I don¡¯t think I can exin it to myself, so there is nothing better than drowning all this guilt in several shots of whiskey.


    ¡­


    ¡±Your friend asked me out.¡±


    I raise my eyes from the ss in my hands and see a satisfied smile on the lips of Danya, the bartender.


    ¡±Who, Adan?¡±


    She shes me a smile shaking her head affirmatively. She has no idea what that guy looks like, but I¡¯m not going to exin it. I¡¯m pretty sure that maybe she knows, and yet she seems interested in him.


    Or maybe it¡¯s just the alcohol taking effect and making me more confused.


    So I say:


    ¡±That¡¯s great!¡±


    And she turns around again to get a bottle. I look at the ss again because she¡¯s wearing those shorts again, and I¡¯m not going to stare at her ass as Adan does.


    I turn around as I hold my ss, keeping my back to her, and as soon as I look forward, I see a fascinating woman who pretends she wasn¡¯t looking at me when my eyes meet hers.


    I decide to offer her a drink.


    Sometimeter, Amber and I are already in a very rxed conversation.


    ¡­


    I was in her apartment. She poured me a ss of wine and went toward her room. I like her way because she is not at all shy or full of frills.


    Shees back wearing only ck lingerie.


    Oh, yeah! It is cowardice.


    Not that she is wearing only that, because that is interesting, but the fact that it reminds me of someone else. Shees up to me in a parade, stops in front of me, and says:


    ¡±I bought this for my boyfriend, but he cheated on me with his naughty secretary earlier in the year.¡±


    She says thisughing, and I think she has had a little more to drink than she should.


    I can only think that we have more inmon than I imagined.


    She then turns around and says:


    ¡±Do you like it?¡±


    I stand up and stand very close to her as I say:


    ¡±I think you¡¯ll be much better off without it.¡±


    She smiles as she moves closer, and we kiss.


    It¡¯s nice to be with someone I don¡¯t have mixed feelings for again.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    ¡±Baby, I¡¯m home!¡±


    I am sitting on the couch just as Colin arrives, about a half-hour after everything that happened. And as soon as I look at him with that smile, I regret even more what I let happen between Chris and me.


    Damn it!


    I don¡¯t want to think about him, not really!


    I then put back on my face the best smile I can manage, stand up and walk over to Colin, who holds my waist and gives me a long kiss.


    As we kiss, all I can think about is what happened earlier again, but I want to forget about it. I do. So I kiss Colin with even more intensity.


    He stares for a while, kissing me and looking at my body and what I am wearing, and says as we walk towards my room:N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡±I swear I am loving this new Molly!¡±


    I feel  I can forget anything that happened because I don¡¯t want anything in the world to get in the way of the two of us now.


    We arrive in my room. Colin closes the door behind me with one arm without moving away from my lips. And I love it so much. I love the way he makes me feel. I love that he holds me like this and not the way Chris does.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯mparing him to Chris.


    ¡±No!¡±


    I let a word escape my lips that shouldn¡¯t havee out. Colin turns away and looks at me, surprised but with an amused and curious smile on his face.


    He says:


    ¡±What?¡±


    I stare at him nkly, not knowing what to say now.


    Then I look deep into his eyes, and I don¡¯t want anything to get in the way of us now, not even this guilt slowly consuming me.


    So I just put my hand on his chest, making him walk a few steps backward until he is sitting on my bed.


    He looks at me still with that curious and amused look. I put one knee on the bed where he is now sitting and give him a quick kiss on the lips, then turn away from him and slowly dispose of my hobby.

 Chapter 17 Molly/Chris

    He looks at me with a mischievous smile as I try to make a hot scene for him.


    I roll onto my back, discarding my hobby and letting it slowly slide down my body.


    I look over my shoulder and can swear that he is enjoying this and I feelpletely caught up in the moment.


    I walk over to him, ce a hand on his chest, and slowly and gently push him back so that he is lying on the bed.


    When I get him to do this, I climb onto the bed and spread my legs, so I sit on him.


    He holds my waist with both hands and looks into my eyes with an evident desire that I hadn¡¯t seen since thest time we saw each other before he traveled. And I like it.


    At least it spiced up my rtionship with Colin even more. What happened between me and¡­.


    Damn it!


    I am not thinking about him again!


    So I move closer to Colin and start kissing his lips. I have missed so much thesest few hours because it seems they alone make me forget a little of the stupid thing I did earlier.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I wake up and look at the brightness that has made it possible for my eyes to stay closed.


    I try in every way to recognize where I am. From what I remember, the shapes, this closet, and that bathroom were not there.


    ¡±Damn it!	¡±


    I sit up in bed with a quickness I didn¡¯t anticipate and end up feeling a little dizzy.


    I run my hands over my eyes and through my hair. As soon as I realize I am not in my room, shes ofst night remind me that I must be at¡­


    ¡±Amber¡¯s house?¡±


    I say her name half to myself as I look at her body lying there almost wholly covered with a sheet, the same one also wrapping me up.


    As I try to get up quietly, she stirs beside me, and I end up closing my eyes and pleading to some divine force that she will not wake up before I can get out of here.


    I reach for my pants and get dressed. As I am buttoning my shirt, I look again to where Amber is, and to my surprise, she is looking at me with an amused smile.


    ¡±Oh, shit!¡±


    I say low enough so that she can¡¯t hear me. But then she says:


    ¡±You were going to leave without saying goodbye?¡±


    I close my eyes for a moment, trying to find a good excuse for my actions, even if I don¡¯t have one yet. But Amber interrupts me as soon as I open my mouth.


    ¡±Gotcha!¡±


    She isughing and making me even more confused. Then she realizes this and continues:


    ¡±I don¡¯t mind that you¡¯re going out like this. It¡¯s normal. I think you should get some more sleep, and it is Saturday after all!¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect this. Amber turns to the other side and hides in the sheet again.


    I check the time on my cell phone watch, and it¡¯s only 6:00 a. m. I look at Amber for a while and then look at her again. I look at her for a bit and think about what she proposed.


    I don¡¯t want to go home now, she is there, and I don¡¯t want to spend the whole day thinking that even after what happened between us, he was the one who spent the night with her because I know that is what they did.


    I wish Molly would realize that that piece of shit never went out to solve anything about her work. Only she would still believe that. She must be very much in love with that idiot.


    And thinking about it doesn¡¯t make me feel good in a way that I don¡¯t want to, and that¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to go back there now. Because I¡¯ll end up going to her apartment and telling her everything I¡¯ve ever seen that guy does, and I know she won¡¯t like to hear it, and neither will he.


    I snap back to reality and stare at Amber lying there.


    Molly notices my indecision and says, without turning around and to me, in an already sleepy voice:


    ¡±Close the curtains!¡±


    I go to the window and close the curtains, making the room dark again.


    I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing it, but I¡¯m walking back to her bed again and getting under the sheet. My eyes are heavy, and I don¡¯t think going back to sleep will be difficult.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡­


    I arrive at our building and realize that it is already ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Wow! Amber¡¯spany is exciting, I would say.


    I haven¡¯t feltfortable talking to a girl I¡¯ve spent the night with like this since a long time ago, not since Rachel. And it¡¯s weird to think about her and not feel like shit.


    And thinking about all this, I get into the elevator. I¡¯m looking down and thinking about what it will be like to face Molly after everything that¡¯s happened.


    I don¡¯t know how to behave in front of her now, and it was easier before. Acting like an idiot made her angry, but I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to irritate her anymore.


    When the elevator door opens, who is standing there: Molly.


    When she raises her eyes, and they meet mine, I see that she didn¡¯t expect to see me either.


    Then we stare at each other for a while, and I can only remember everything I have been trying to forget all night, those lips.


    Then I say:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    She answers:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    She has her hair up, but a few strands are falling down her face, and her mouth is half-open, making me want to feel her warm breath again like yesterday.

 Chapter 18 Chris/Molly/Chris

    It involuntarily makes me bite my lips because I want to taste that vor more.


    I appreciate it when she breaks contact with me because I¡¯m thinking about doing so many things with her now that it will be hard to control if she doesn¡¯t leave soon.


    And I hate that when she walks past me, I close my eyes as soon as I smell her perfume. I don¡¯t recognize myself anymore.


    ¡­


    As I walk through the front door, Julie looks at me curiously and says:


    ¡±Wow! You¡¯re a littlete for breakfast!¡±


    I greet Brennan, sitting on the couch, watching something on TV, and head towards the kitchen where she is preparing something for lunch, which smells incredible.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    I give her a quick kiss while saying good morning. And she turns to me suspiciously. I hold my hands up in the air and say:


    ¡±I just had a lovely night, that¡¯s all!¡±


    She winks at me and says:


    ¡±And by the looks of it this morning too!¡±


    I roll my eyes as I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and head for my room.


    Everything was going so well until I found Molly.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I wake up and look at the clock, and it¡¯s 6:00 in the morning. Why the hell did I wake up so early on a Saturday?


    Since this happened, I get up as quietly as possible so as not to wake up Collin, who is sleeping like an angel.


    I want to forget what I did because I know what I did was very wrong, and Colin doesn¡¯t deserve this. I take a deep breath. I will think of many ways to make it up to him.


    But I stare at him for a while longer, and I have to decide whether or not to tell him what happened between Chris and me if I want this horrible feeling toe out of me.


    I tidied up the kitchen because it looked like Chantal was here hourster, cooked something, and left all this mess. I know she would clean up today, but I¡¯m not doing anything anyway, and cleaning up this mess might shed some light on what I should do.


    To tell Colin or not to tell Colin.


    When I finish cleaning up, I realize it is almost ten in the morning. I spent preparing the coffee and decided to go to the bakery to get something to eat.


    I wear jeans and a sweatshirt because I know it is cold outside. I go to the bedroom to check if Colin is still asleep. Everyone else is still asleep except me. I take a deep breath, gather my keys, grab my wallet, put on my headphones, and head toward the exit.


    I walk a few steps down the hall and wait a few seconds for the elevator. As soon as it opens, I stop my impatient stare at my dancing feet and look forward because there is someone there. Someone I didn¡¯t expect to meet today, someone I didn¡¯t want to meet today, Chris.


    We stare at each other half-unresponsively.


    He then breaks the silence by saying:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    I answer:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    I wish that my heart hadn¡¯t suddenly frozen and was now racing like this.


    Guilt makes one go out of control because seeing him now reminds me of every detail of yesterday.


    I look at Chris¡¯s lips, which are now biting like they do when he is anxious. He looks into my eyes and makes me remember where they werest night. Every part of my body, where Chris¡¯s lips have been, is burning.


    I take a deep breath and divert my eyes from his as I get into the elevator, and he also passes me, already heading towards his apartment. The door closes, and I let my head fall back behind me. I have to tell Collin everything, and I need to have peace again.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    As soon as I arrive at the bar, I run into Adan. I had no ns to go out after all I drankst night, but staying home isn¡¯t one of the best ideas in the world either.


    ¡­


    ¡±Are you going out with her?¡±


    I point my eyes in Danya¡¯s direction. He looks calmly at her and then nods his head in agreement:


    ¡±She¡¯s kind of hot.¡±


    I end upughing. Then I say:


    ¡±You better not mess with her. Who will make our drinks?¡±


    Heughs. But I know this is just going to be another night for him.


    ¡­


    Danyaes up to us and says her shift is over. I guess that¡¯s their cue to leave quietly for wherever Adan is taking this girl. They say goodbye, and I sit by the counter as usual.


    Adan even wanted me to go out with them, with some girl he would surely get, but I preferred staying here. It¡¯s after two in the morning, and I¡¯ll be leaving soon.


    I keep talking to the redheaded girl Danya asked to cover her shift. She is interesting, but the ring on her right-hand looks even more so. Then we talk about Los Angeles because her dream is to study and live there.


    ¡±So, there¡¯s this neighborhood there, and it¡¯s pretty quiet in terms of¡­¡±


    But I don¡¯t even finish my sentence because someone ends up holding my shoulder and turning me around so I can stand up.


    I only see Colin¡¯s angry eyes, and when I try to understand what is happening, he punches me in the left corner of my mouth. I took a few steps back, and I wasn¡¯t expecting this.


    I raise my eyes in his direction. He still looks furious. I raise my hand toward him, asking him to calm down, but he says:


    ¡±I¡¯m not going to calm down, goddamn it, you bastard!¡±


    He steps toward me, but someone is holding him by the arms.


    I say:


    ¡±Look, man, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on¡­.¡±


    But he interrupts me:


    ¡±Oh, yes, you do! You know damn well, you asshole!¡±


    Then I realize that he knows everything that has happened. And I¡¯m not angry that he knows because it doesn¡¯t matter to me.

 Chapter 19 Chris/Molly

    I am angry because she told him, she said to him that we kissed, and the way he reacted to it, she must have changed the facts and the way it happened.


    But what did I expect? She would tell him everything, that they would break up and she woulde running after me?


    Maybe I thought that.


    And I feel like an idiot now.


    He lets go of the guys holding him, saying that everything is fine, and sounds as he looks at me:


    ¡±I don¡¯t want you to touch Molly again in your life.¡±


    But as he turns to leave, I say:


    ¡±You don¡¯t have the morals to tell me such a thing!¡±


    He stares at me for a second,ughs wryly, and turns away. He knows what I¡¯m talking about it. He says:


    ¡±Molly would never believe anything you told her.¡±


    I lower my eyes for a while. Colin is correct, but I won¡¯t give in and stare at him again as he continues:


    ¡±She is crazy about me, she alwayses back to me, and you will never have a chance with her.¡±


    Hearing that was not very pleasant, which I didn¡¯t expect.


    He turns around again with that smile on his face, and just as I think he¡¯s leaving, he turns to me again, catching me off guard, and punches me again, this time in the eye. I try to follow him, but people hold me back and tell me to let it go.


    I hate this guy so much now that I could finish him off if these people just let me go.


    But I¡¯m still a little dizzy, and the redheaded girl from the bar, I think her name is Connie, makes me sit back down in the chair I was in a while, handing me a ss of whiskey, saying:


    ¡±I think you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    I put the ss of ice on the top of my chin to ease the burning. It is going to leave a fucking mark on my face tomorrow.


    ¡­


    I get home and go straight to the refrigerator to get some ice. I put a few cubes on a napkin and held it firmly at eye level.


    That piece of shit¡¯s car wasn¡¯t in the parking lot, so I figure he must be with some other girl by now that isn¡¯t her.


    Because at no time did he ever let me know that he was angry about what happened. Colin was mad at me, and the fact that he didn¡¯te back only makes me believe this even more.


    He feels nothing for her, not the way she deserves, making me want to go to her apartment now and tell her about all the girls I have seen cheating on her.


    But as he said, she would never believe me. I throw the ice in the sink and go to my room.


    ¡­


    I wake up and see that it is already eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. Julie must have already gone to the mall, as she usually does on Sunday.


    I look in the mirror and have the face I thought I had, but it seems much worse when I raise my eyes and stare at my reflection for a while.


    I go downstairs and eat breakfast, not because I feel like it, but I think doing so might make this damn hangover a little better.


    But it doesn¡¯t seem to happen, and I realize this as I stare at the TV, and this headache doesn¡¯t go away.


    I looked for some medicine, but I couldn¡¯t find any. I call Julie, and she says they are out and she will bring it to me, but I can¡¯t wait. I want this headache away now.


    I go to my room and get my sunsses. It¡¯s not masking much, but it¡¯s better than going out with this massive red around my eye.


    ¡­


    I buy the painkiller and go back home.


    As soon as the elevator door opens, I see that scene, and Molly is kissing him in front of his apartment door. They turn and walk towards the elevator. Then they see me.


    She looks at me as if she is surprised to see me, lingers her eyes on my face, then looks down as if she resents something. But Colin looks at me with that same wayugh fromst night.


    I walk past them and head toward our apartment. I go inside and close the door. I want to punch that piece of shit in the face so bad right now, and I try to take a deep breath to hold myself together and not do it right now.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I get home and prepare Colin¡¯s breakfast. Sometimeter, he wakes up andes over to me, sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV.


    He finishes his coffee while I stare at him.


    ¡±What is it, princess?¡±


    He knows me well, and I know I have been acting strangely sincest night.


    I take a deep breath and say:


    ¡±I have to tell you something.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He now looks at me seriously, looking worried.


    I take another deep breath and say:


    ¡±But first, I need you to know that this doesn¡¯t change how I feel about you.¡±


    He looks frightened at me now and says:


    ¡±Molly, I feel scared. What happened?¡±


    I close my eyes for a while and then say:


    ¡±Me and Chris.¡±


    He looks at me and says:


    ¡±What¡¯s with that shit?¡±


    I take another deep breath, and this will not be easy to say. I don¡¯t understand what it is about Colin and Chris that they don¡¯t get along. And they don¡¯t try, and maybe I¡¯m to me for that when I was always badmouthing Chris on the phone to Colin.


    But that is beside the point now. Colin seems to want to know what happened.


    ¡±We¡­ kissed.¡±


    He stands up and says:


    ¡±What?¡±

 Chapter 20 Molly

    I turn around the table and go toward him saying:


    ¡±But it¡¯s like I told you, it doesn¡¯t change anything. I didn¡¯t give a damn¡­.¡±


    But Colin looks at me disappointed, making my tears threaten to fall.


    He tells me:


    ¡±I swear I didn¡¯t expect this from you, Molly!¡±


    ¨C But it¡¯s not like you think, it was just¡­ I don¡¯t know, and it was the impulse. We hate each other, and you know it¡­


    But he interrupts me:


    ¡±What a way to show that hatred!¡±


    ¡±Colin, please, if it had mattered to me, I wouldn¡¯t have told you¡­¡±


    But he is still looking at me in that disappointing way that makes me want to go back in time and never have opened that door when Chris came here yesterday.


    I ask:


    ¡±Please forgive me!¡±


    He stares at me angrily and says:


    ¡±I¡¯m going to break that piece of shit¡¯s face!¡±


    Colin tries to leave, but I hold his arm and ask him not to. He tells me I¡¯m defending Chris, but that¡¯s not true. I just want Colin to forget about what happened.


    ¡±Don¡¯t do this, please, Colin. I swear I will never talk to him again, but let it go!¡±


    He stands there looking at me for a while. He is disappointed. I can see it in his eyes. He takes a deep breath, goes to his room, and gets his jacket.


    I question him:


    ¡±Where are you going?¡±


    ¡±I want to be alone, Molly!¡±


    I try to convince him, but he walks out the door, leaving me devastated.


    ¡­


    It¡¯s half past six in the afternoon. My eyes are red because I cried a lot. I haven¡¯t told Julie anything because she is definitely with Brennan, and I didn¡¯t want to spoil their day with my problems.


    I¡¯ve waited too long for a message or a call from Colin, and I need to talk to him. Things can¡¯t stay like this.


    I go to his apartment.


    I arrive and knock on the door. Who answers is the older brother, Alex, who shares the apartment with him.


    ¡±Hi, Molly!¡±


    Alex receives me with a smile that I am sure he doesn¡¯t know anything about what happened with Colin and me. I find this strange.


    ¡±Where is Colin?¡±


    ¡±He¡¯s up in his room. Come in.¡±


    He tells me to make myselffortable. I go in and walk toward Colin¡¯s room. I knock on the door and tell him it¡¯s me, and I need to talk to him. He tells me toe in.


    I open the door slowly and see that he is lying on the bed. He doesn¡¯t even look straight in my direction.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Ie closer and see that he is taking a deep breath. He finally looks at me.


    I say:


    ¡±I needed to know how you were doing.¡±


    He says to me:


    ¡±How did you want me to be?¡±


    Hearing him talk like that hurts inside, but I say:


    ¡±Colin, I¡­¡±


    He interrupts me:


    ¡±I¡¯ve thought it over, Molly and¡­.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t say I like the tone of his voice. I sit in bed, and he still looks at me like he¡¯s devastated.


    ¡±I think we should take a break.¡±


    I get up and say:


    ¡±Colin, no! I swear this will never happen again and¡­.¡±


    He sadly looks at me, but I¡¯m trying to convince him in every way that I love him and that it won¡¯t change, but he looks at me.


    I can¡¯t say much because my voice is getting choked up from the tears, and he gets up andes to me saying:


    ¡±I trusted you so much¡­¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t say I like hearing him talk because it makes me even more guilty.


    And I beg him:


    ¡±Please don¡¯t talk like that¡­¡±


    But he looks deep into my eyes and then sits back down where he was before, saying.


    ¡±I need to be alone, Molly.¡±


    He¡¯s not looking at me anymore. I walk a few steps toward the door and look at him again. But he doesn¡¯t seem to be changing his mind. I feel like the whole world is copsing in on me.


    ¡­


    I drive and think that this really can¡¯t be happening. I get home, and as soon as I look toward Chris¡¯s apartment, I go over.


    I knocked several times on the door. I don¡¯t care if I have to tell Julie everything. He¡¯s going to have to listen to me now. He¡¯ll have to convince Colin that this will never happen again and¡­


    But I find out that there¡¯s no one there, and I return to my apartment again.


    I get to my room, and all I can do is copse on that bed and cry all the tears stuck while I was driving back.


    And this is all Chris¡¯s fault. I repeat over and over to myself:


    ¡±I hate you, Chris, I hate you, I hate you ¡­¡±


    ¡­


    I think I¡¯ve fallen asleep because I woke up with some knocking at the door. It must be Julie, and I haven¡¯t talked to her all day and¡­


    I look at the clock and see it¡¯s 3:00 in the morning.


    ¡±Weird.¡±


    I tell myself. I get up and walk to the door. I open it and see Colin standing there with his head down.


    ¡±Colin?¡±


    My heart is racing.


    He looks at me and says with a half-sad smile:


    ¡± I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    I go towards him and hug his neck, he returns the hug, and all the weight I felt seems to disappear instantly.


    He kisses me and holds my body tight, and after many hours I can breathe again, without the weight that had apanied me while I was away from him.


    Colin spends the night with me.

 Chapter 21 Molly/Chris/Molly

    We woke up a littlete, and he invited me to go to lunch at the same restaurant where he asked me to get engaged, and I felt amazed.


    As we walk out my apartment door, he holds me and kisses me again, making meugh.


    But as soon as I look toward the elevator after our kiss, I see him there, Chris. I am no longer angry with him like yesterday, but I also don¡¯t want to talk to him after all that has happened. I don¡¯t wish Colin doubted that there might be something between us.


    If I have to, I will never talk to Chris again.


    But as he walks past me, I notice that his face is all marked, as if someone has beaten him up. Then I realize it might have been Colin because Colin is smiling as soon as their eyes meet.


    I feel the tension, but I don¡¯t want them to fight here because of me.


    But that doesn¡¯t happen, and he just keeps going toward his apartment.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    ¡°What happened to your eye?¡±


    Julie stares at me at the table at lunchtime.


    ¡±It was nothing. I just disagreed with a guy, that¡¯s all.¡±


    She still looks at me suspiciously.


    ¡±But, is everything all right?¡±


    I answer:


    ¡±Yes, yes, it¡¯s over.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t insist on knowing more; I thank her for that.


    ¡­


    I go to my room.


    I turn on the TV to some movie and head toward the bathroom.


    It doesn¡¯t matter much what the movie is about, and I want to have something to listen to that isn¡¯t my mind repeating to myself that scene I saw earlier today.


    ¡±How can she be so stupid?¡±


    I spend some time in the shower thinking about this and telling myself.


    I guess I didn¡¯t feel like punching that piece of shit in the face anymore because I enjoyed kissing her. And maybe what Colin did to me was make me realize that this would not be good for me.


    Where is the guy who promised never to like any woman again?


    I had been putting that promise aside thesest few days and what happened in that bar was an eye-opener for me.


    Let this girl go, let this all go, and go back to being who I was before she confused me with all those little games and looks.


    ¡­


    I finish my shower, and I can¡¯t believe that I am still thinking about this, thinking about her. I look in the mirror again, and I should break that piece of shit¡¯s face for leaving my face like that.


    But the thing is, I understand her in a way. I knew she was going to be upset after what happened. She looked crazy about him as he threw it in my face.


    I don¡¯t want to think about this girl again. I don¡¯t want to believe that I tried to break up with him this morning, not because of what he did to my face yesterday, but because he was kissing her. Because he was holding her body, I ran my hands over my face.


    I feel frustrated, and I can¡¯t possibly be jealous of her.


    Not at all!


    I pause for a moment as I stare at my reflection in the mirror.


    I end up punching the sink.


    What a mess!


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    We are at the restaurant. I know I shouldn¡¯t ask about what happened, but it¡¯s inevitable for me not to.


    So I take a more subtle risk:


    ¡±Did something happen between you and Chris that I need to know?¡±


    Colin doesn¡¯t even look at me when he says:N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡±I just did to his face what he deserved.¡±


    I question his attitude:


    ¡±Colin, you promised that¡­¡±


    He looks at me and interrupts me by saying:


    ¡±I would never feel right again if I didn¡¯t do this, okay?¡±


    I don¡¯t want to start another fight with my fianc¨¦ because of Chris, so I say:


    ¡±Okay. I don¡¯t want to fight about it again.¡±


    He breathes a little more relieved.


    ¡­


    It is already Monday afternoon.


    Colin went to his apartment, and I¡¯m home. Julie says she just came by to say hello because she is alreadyte for work.


    She didn¡¯t go to college today and sent me a message saying that Brennan had a cold and she stayed with him all morning.


    I avoid saying what happened because I don¡¯t think she would have time to listen to me right now. These stories usually require hours of conversation, with lots of hot chocte.


    And telling your best friend that you kissed her brother that you hate so much will not be easy to say.


    I¡¯ll decide to tell herter if I find the courage.


    I wait until Julie is already at work and then go to her apartment to talk to Chris. He works past 1:30 in the afternoon after lunch, which is still 12:30.


    I knock on the door, which is just leaning against it, walk-in, and see that he is in the living room ying video games.


    I say:


    ¡±I need to talk to you.¡±


    He looks at me, then looks away, concentrating again on the game he is ying and says:


    ¡±No, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    He looks a little annoyed.


    I move closer and say:


    ¡±I didn¡¯t know he was going to do that. I never wanted him to take any satisfaction from you, and I hate violence and¡­¡±


    He interrupts me by saying:


    ¡±What part of ¡°you don¡¯t have toe and talk to me¡± don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    Hearing this made my face burn with anger. I¡¯m trying to be polite and say that it¡¯s not my fault that it happened, that I¡¯m sorry, and Chrises at me with rudeness? Is that it? Does he want to do this?


    Then let¡¯s y his game, shall we, Molly?


    I say:


    ¡±Listen here, I came here because I felt terrible when I saw that Colin had done the most damage to this face of yours, but I see that somehow you deserved it!¡±


    Chris stands up and stares at me.


    He breathes heavily.


    He looks furious. I don¡¯t care about it now. However, I am also furious now.


    He takes a deep breath, he opens his mouth, and I think all kinds of insults are going toe out of it now, but he says:


    ¡±I only ask you one thing: Leave Julie out of it. I don¡¯t want her worrying about something that will never happen again!¡±

 Chapter 22 Molly/Chris

    He still looks at me and challenges:


    ¡±Can you do it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect that. So I stand there while Chris sits back down again and starts his game.


    I know he hated that I told Colin, but I couldn¡¯t keep what happened to my fianc¨¦. He should understand that.


    I then recover and head for the door, saying:


    ¡± This won¡¯t happen, and don¡¯t bother talking to me either, because I don¡¯t intend to speak to you again in my life!¡±


    Chris says without looking at me:


    ¡±Good.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Great!¡±


    And I m the door.


    I get home, close my door, and stand there with my back to him for a while.


    ¡±Oh, I hate this guy!¡±


    ¡­


    One weekter.


    Colin traveled yesterday, Friday. I thought that Chris and I could not exchange words less than before, but now I realize it is possible.


    We are studying at the kitchen table as usual. Chrises downstairs, says good morning to Julie, and doesn¡¯t even look in my direction.


    As he walks out into the living room and turns on the TV, Julie says softly to me:


    ¡±I thought you guys were evolving, but I see I thought wrong.¡±


    I give her a weakugh and pretend not to care what happened. The problem is that I can¡¯t find it as good as I thought it would be.


    I wish things were different. I didn¡¯t want Chris and Colin to fight, and I didn¡¯t want to have kissed him and ¡­


    I feel like I¡¯m staring at him again. Then I change the direction of my eyes and concentrate again on the books in my hands.


    ¡­


    I return from the supermarket apanied by Chantal, who has also decided to do some shopping with me.


    As soon as the elevator opens, we find Chris and a girl making love in front of his apartment door.


    I don¡¯t know what I feel, but I wouldn¡¯t say I like this. I wouldn¡¯t say I like this shamelessness in front of my apartment.


    I take long steps while Chantal looks at them and seems to approve of the situation.


    He sees me, looks at me for a second, and then closes his eyes again, as he almost eats that woman right there.


    I roll my eyes and open the door, entering with my purchases.


    Chantales right behind, closing the door.


    I walk towards the kitchen so she can¡¯t see how angry I am about all this, and I don¡¯t even know why.


    Chantal says with augh:


    ¡±Man, he¡¯s good! I wish I had the opportunity to try it.¡±


    I look at her and roll my eyes again.


    ¡±You have a boyfriend.¡±


    Damn, that sounded like I hated to imagine her with him.


    She says:


    ¡±Yeah, I know, but I keep imagining it¡­¡±


    I interrupt her:


    ¡±Better forget about that and help me put the groceries on the table.¡±


    Mollyes toward me and starts helping me.


    She thenughs and says:


    ¡±Are you going to tell me you never thought of that?¡±


    I interrupt again:


    ¡±Let¡¯s drop the subject?¡±


    Sheughs.


    I look even more guilty and feel it too.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    One monthter


    It¡¯s Friday night, and Julie has just gone out with Brennan. I have nothing to do, so I decide to y a game.


    I hear someone knock on the front door, open it, ande in. I see out of the corner of my eye that it¡¯s Molly and think:


    Damn!


    I wouldn¡¯t say I like how my body gets alert when she¡¯s around like this. It makes me ufortable. As soon as she sees me, she looks a little reluctant as she closes the door behind her but asks:


    ¡±Is Jullie there?¡±


    I look at her, then back at the TV in front of me, and say:


    ¡±No.¡±


    She still stares at me, and after a few seconds, I look at her again and make a face saying:


    ¡°What more do you want?¡±


    She continues:N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡±And?¡±


    I look at my game again, and she seems annoyed at being ignored like that. Shees and stands in front of me, blocking my view, and I pause the game saying:


    ¡±Will you please stop being so childish?¡±


    She puts her hands on her waist and says:


    ¡±You are the one who is being childish!¡±


    I would keep arguing if I weren¡¯t half mesmerized by how her face is turning a little pink, her mouth is ajar, and she looks a little breathless.


    Her being angry like that is sexy.


    She still stares at me, and I find I have to say something to push some half-inappropriate thoughts out of my head.


    I say:


    ¡±I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t you? You should know where she is.¡±


    She takes a deep breath, and I continue:


    ¡±Now, will you get out of the way?¡±


    She turns and walks away, but she shouldn¡¯t wear such short shorts if she wants me to ignore her.


    I look away from her ass as she looks back at me and says:


    ¡±Could you at least tell me if you know where she left my biology book?¡±


    She looks at me, trying to remain calm, but her face is still a little pink, and she takes a deep breath as she rubs her tongue over her lips. And I decided to look at the TV again because the feeling it gives me in some parts of my body might be too evident if I kept looking at her.


    But she understands my act in another way. She gives up talking and goes toward the stairs, but I say:


    ¡±She said something about that. I think that book is over there in her book closet.¡±


    She stops walking up the stairs and looks at me, not gratefully but very annoyed, as she says something I can¡¯t hear, but I know it¡¯s certainly not something about my pleasantpany.

 Chapter 23 Chris

    I nce back at my game again.


    She passes in front of me and goes toward the book cab a few steps ahead of me.


    I try to concentrate on the game, but it¡¯s hard when she¡¯s lifting her body like this and making those shorts shorter and shorter on her body. I mentally thank Brennan for putting the book on the high end.


    She stands on her tiptoes, and I swear I can hear some groans as she tries to find the right height to pick up the book.


    I give up sitting here, and it won¡¯t end well if I hear those sounds again.


    I stand up and walk over to her, and she looks surprised at my approach. I move a little closer, and she seems embarrassed by this. I look at her, who looks across the room. And I would find it much easier to hate her the way I want to if she would stop looking at me like that.


    But then I remember that she prefers him, that idiot, to any other guy in the world and believes him and the lies he tells.


    Then I remember also why I should hate this girl in front of me.


    Then I say:


    ¡±Try not to need others so much next time.¡±


    It is the cue for her to change how she looked at me before, and I confess that this makes it much easier for me.


    I then raise my arm, take the book, and hand it to her.


    She looks at me, not gratefully, but as if it were my obligation.


    I know I acted like an idiot, but so what? Doesn¡¯t she prefer the guys who work like this with her? After all, I don¡¯t care what she thinks, and I want her to stay away and not make me feel vulnerable like this.


    I return to my seat on the couch. Molly walks past me, and I don¡¯t look at her. She¡¯s heading for the door.


    I sigh with relief when I know she is no longer here.


    ¡­


    I decide to call Adan. Every time this girl shows up, I get a lot of thoughts regarding her.


    I call Adan so we can go to any bar and turn the night around.


    ¡­


    As soon as I get to the parking lot, I realize that it is already six-thirty in the morning. Colin¡¯s car is there, which already makes me lose my good mood, not that I am a happy person at that time of the morning.


    I get out of my car and get into the elevator wanting to get to my room as soon as possible and sleep until noon if possible, and Julie doesn¡¯t think she has to clean today with that noisy vacuum cleaner.


    ¡­


    I lie down on the bed. I turn from side to side.


    I stare at the ceiling. I curse whoever invented the energy drink I took yesterday. I find out after an hour that I won¡¯t be able to sleep. I get up and go to the kitchen.


    Julie is there, Molly is there, and I overhear them talking while Molly is excited and tells me that Colin came home at dawn and they had a ¡°Wonderful evening¡± It makes me sick to hear it.


    I make a noise so that they will notice my presence. I see Molly change her smile to a frown when she sees me. I don¡¯t give a damn.


    ¡±Long night?¡±


    Julie asks after I say good morning. I say as I reach for a bottle of water in the fridge:


    ¡±I haven¡¯t slept all night and can¡¯t sleep now. Damn that energy drink.¡±


    Julieughs, and I go back to my room, wash my face in the bathroom and realize that my eyes are red and tired. But no sleep.


    I give up on sleep and go to some socialwork on my cell phone.


    ¡­


    After lunch and helping Julie with the dishes, she tells me she is going out and will be backter. I know she is not with Molly because she is working today.


    I go to my room and lie on the bed, and I feel my eyes heavy after a while. I think I am finally feeling the pounding of staying up all night.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡­


    I wake up and look at the clock, and it¡¯s five in the afternoon. I slept like hell. I go to the bathroom and wash my face. I hear voices in the living room, which sounds like an argument, crying and knocking on the door.


    I go downstairs, still feeling a little dizzy. Molly is standing with her back to the door, her eyes closed and crying.


    I ask:


    ¡±What is that noise here? What the hell is going on?¡±


    She turns quickly to the door and shouts:


    ¡±Get out of here! I don¡¯t want to see you ever again!¡±


    I then realize that it is Colin¡¯s voice outside. I go downstairs and approach her. But as soon as I get close, she puts both hands on my chest and pushes me away, saying:


    ¡±You¡¯re no good! Why did you do this to me?¡±


    I can¡¯t understand why she is so nervous, but I decide to listen and try to understand what is going on.


    She continues:


    ¡±You knew everything Colin was doing and didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    I try to go towards her again because I realize she has somehow found out about all the shit he is doing behind her back.


    But she starts to hit me as more tears fall from her eyes. I hold her arms not because it¡¯s hurting me. I want her to calm down so I can give my side of the story.


    I don¡¯t know what I can say now to try to exin, but I know that I have to say it because I didn¡¯t tell her, I didn¡¯t want to hurt her, but I say it:


    ¡±I didn¡¯t want you to suffer.¡±


    She stops crying, but the sobs are still constant, making her body sway towards me, and I realize how hurt she is by all this.


    I swear I don¡¯t want her to feel bad. Pissing her off is different from seeing her sad like this, and I don¡¯t want that.


    I move closer to her face and rest my forehead on hers, hoping that I can show her how I feel in this gesture. But the tears start streaming down her face again as she closes her eyes.

 Chapter 24 Molly

    I enter the house and go straight to my room, and the only thing I can think of and say to myself is:N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡±Oh, how I hate this guy.¡±


    Chris makes me exhausted with his mood swings every time I talk to him. Not that we havemunicated that much in thest few days. And I wish it didn¡¯t make me so angry like I care.


    ¡­


    I can¡¯t sleep, so I go to the door of Julie¡¯s apartment and walk-in. I know she¡¯s not home because I called earlier, and she was still with Brennan and would spend the night with him. I walk up the stairs slowly until I reach Chris¡¯ room. I open the door slowly and realize that he is sleeping.


    I move closer, trying not to make any noise. Chris looks so adorable sleeping, not even remotely reminiscent of that sarcastic guy from when he is awake.


    I move closer, trying not to make any noise. Chris looks so adorable, not even remotely reminiscent of that sarcastic awake guy.


    I lean closer so I can enjoy that face without him noticing I¡¯m doing it, and damn! What a delicious perfume. I lean closer so that I can smell it more closely. I close my eyes, then decide to walk away and turn towards the door to get out of there, but then I feel a hand grabbing my arm.


    I lose my bnce and realize that Chris is pulling me. I fall sitting on the bed, he sits on the bed as well, and the next thing I know, he is holding my face and pulling me to Close to him as his lips meet mine, and we start an intense kiss.


    He pulls me closer and closer to him, and I sit on hisp. He moves his hands down to my waist and lifts my shirt until it is off my body. He rolls his eyes down my body, and that dimpled smile teases me again.


    Then I start to feel between my legs what I felt only with my foot that day, which only makes me feel the need to get closer to him.


    I swear I don¡¯t recognize myself. I move further and further into hisp as he squeezes my ass. He pulls me away from his lips, panting, and says:


    ¡±This is better than I remembered.¡±


    I end up smiling because I feel the same way. Then we kiss again. He moves his hands up to reach my bra straps as he moves them down my shoulders.


    I help him to get rid of it, which at the moment is only hindering the contact between our skins. As I get rid of my bra, he looks at me in amazement as he bites the corner of his lips again with a naughty smile that makes me gasp even more.


    He thenes back to my lips and kisses down my neck to my breasts, and I close my eyes as I beg him not to stop.


    I wake up kissing my neck and scream, pushing him away. I sit in bed, ready to scream louder, but hees closer, startled.


    ¡±Molly, Molly! It¡¯s me, Colin!¡±


    I go over to him and hug him tight, still surprised but already feeling happy that he hase home from his trip once again. I pull away from him after a while, put a hand on my heart, and say:


    ¡±You scared me!¡±


    He starts tough and says:


    ¡±You seemed to be enjoying it.¡±


    He sits down on the bed and makes me sit down too. And I look at him as the most guilty person in the world for dreaming that I was with another guy, a guy he has already made it clear that he hates.


    ¡­


    Colin left early, saying that he had not yet gone to his brother¡¯s house, who shares an apartment with him. I think it¡¯s beautiful that he came to my house to be with me first.


    I¡¯m going to Julie¡¯s house, I know that her brother sleepste on Saturday after he leaves on Friday nights, so I can go over there and talk about Colin¡¯s surprise fromst night.


    I tell her about how he sneaked in and the gifts he brought me, except for that dream I had a while ago. Then I hear a noise on the stairs, and here hees. His presence disconcerts me immediately.


    Chris bids us good morning without even looking at me, and I thank heaven he doesn¡¯t, or he will notice how red my face has suddenly turned.


    He goes to the refrigerator to get some water while telling Julie that he couldn¡¯t sleep well. I don¡¯t care what they are talking about because the only scene in my mind is me sitting on hisp, on top of a bed, while he kisses my neck and slowly makes his way downstairs and¡­


    He finishes walking up the stairs back to his room. I sigh with relief, but I then say goodbye to Julie. I really can¡¯t stay here right now.


    ¡­


    While I am at work, I can¡¯t concentrate on anything, there is a damn dream that doesn¡¯t want to leave my head, and I hate myself for still remembering it.


    I leave work early because today is the birthday of one of Mr. Martin¡¯s daughters, and I decide to surprise Colin by showing up at his apartment.


    ¡­


    Alex tells me toe in, and I ask where Colin is. He says he hasn¡¯t seen him since Friday afternoon.


    I find it strange, and Colin told me he arrived Friday night and hadn¡¯t even been to his brother¡¯s apartment. I do not say anything. Alex must have been confused.


    I try to call him, but the phone only goes to voicemail. I go back to my apartment again, and maybe Colin is there.


    I see Colin¡¯s car parked nearby.


    mm

 Chapter 25 Molly/Chris

    I park my car in the garage and then walk toward him. He is undoubtedly waiting for me there. I decide to go there so that we can go up together and I can prepare a nice dinner for us.


    I approach the car, but the window is closed on this side. I hear voices smiling inside the vehicle, so I turn around, and from the driver¡¯s side, I see a scene through the half-open window that leaves me frozen on the spot.


    A girl is practically sitting on my fianc¨¦¡¯sp, and he almost kisses her.


    His hand is under her bra, almost undressing her right there. I won¡¯t lower my eyes to prove what I already know because her skirt is up, and I can imagine where his cock is now.


    My throat is burning, and I struggle to get the air out of my lungs, but every effort I make seems to be in vain.


    I can only feel the tears streaming down my face because I am choking on the inside and can¡¯t even say everything I want right now.


    He then realizes my presence and looks at me, startled, pushing the girl off hisp, who doesn¡¯t seem to understand what is happening.


    He says some excuses that I don¡¯t care to hear, I want to get out of there as fast as possible, and that¡¯s what I do. I ran towards the elevator, but it will take a while, so I decided to take the stairs anyway.


    As soon as I reach my door, I try to put the keys in the lock, but I am so shaky that I can¡¯t. Hees up from behind and holds my arm tightly, making me face him.


    I do everything I can to get rid of his touch, for I am disgusted by him now. He is furious, but it was me who should be more so. He still holds my arm and says:


    ¡±It was him, wasn¡¯t it? Was it your little friend¡¯s brother who told you?¡±


    I look at him, shocked by what he just said. A wave of anger takes over me, and I dodge his hands that hold both my arms and go straight to Julie¡¯s house.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I walk in and see that Colin is following me. I m the door and turn the key that I know is in the lock, and he continues to pound on the door as hard as he can, asking me toe out and talk to him.


    I stand with my back to the door, put my hands to my ears so I can¡¯t hear him, and my stomach is starting to hurt from the sobbing.


    ¡­


    I close my eyes and feel more tearsing down my eyes. I think Chris¡¯s breath on my face. Then I remember our conversations and how he told me several times that Colin was not as I imagined he would be.


    And I realized that he knew everything and was undoubtedlyughing behind my back. It was a game To him, Chris doesn¡¯t care about anyone but himself. He wasughing at me behind my back the whole time.


    I open my eyes, and suddenly I am furious with him, more so than before he came this close. I push him away, and he looks at me even more confused. He tries to hold my arm. I then say:


    ¡±Stay away from me! Don¡¯t you ever talk to me again, you jerk!¡±


    He says nothing, and I open the door and see Colin standing there in front of my door. He looks devastated. I don¡¯t care.


    They exchange nces, and I don¡¯t care. I want them both to die.


    Colin ignores him after a while andes toward me, saying we need to talk. I shake him off and walk to my door, not even turning around and telling him to get out of my life.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I should be happy.


    Molly finally found out everything, but I couldn¡¯t feel good no matter how hard I tried. I knew that she would crumble when she found out, so I never told her.


    As much as I gave her several hints that it was happening, she never wanted to see it, which was one reason I was avoiding her these days.


    She always preferred to believe him.


    I know they had a big fight, and from what I could hear, I think it¡¯s over, but knocking on her door for a good few minutes and asking her toe out and talk to me didn¡¯t do much good.


    She didn¡¯t want to see me and yelled it out when she realized I wouldn¡¯t give up that easily.


    So I came home and now after sitting for a while on my bed not knowing what to do, I dialed Julie¡¯s number, and as soon as she answered I said:


    ¡±I think you¡¯d bettere home, your friend isn¡¯t doing too well.¡±


    I made a quick summary of the facts, and now I¡¯m here still in my bed, hoping that Julie managed to make her feel better than when I saw her earlier today.


    But what I can¡¯t get out of my mind is how I felt when we got so close earlier today. I wanted so badly to make what Molly was feeling disappear that I was afraid of it.


    I just wanted to hold her tight and tell her that everything was going to be okay, even though I knew that for a while it would hurt, and it would hurt a lot because I know how it feels.


    And I swear, for a second, I thought she was going to stay here with me and try to forget about him out there, but the way she reacted surprised me.


    I know he must have filled her with misconceptions about me, but it isn¡¯t enjoyable to see that she would rather believe whatever he said about me and not want to hear my side.

 Chapter 26 Chris/Molly

    Julie walks into the room, and from the look on her face, I know this will not turn out well for me.


    ¡±You shouldn¡¯t have done that, Chris. You better apologize this time.¡±


    I stand up and say:


    ¡±She doesn¡¯t want to talk to me. And apologize for what? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡±Exactly! Did you know?¡±


    I turn around and sit down on my bed again. What did they want me to do anyway?


    I say to Julie:


    ¡±I¡¯m sure you have doubted that guy¡¯s attitude, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    She is surprised at what I say, but then shees and sits down next to me. She then says:


    ¡±Maybe.¡±


    Then we are silent. Julie asks:


    ¡±That day you came here with the eye hurting, was it, Colin?¡±


    I take a deep breath. I know Molly told her.¡± Julie continues after my affirmative silence:N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡± I know it must not have been as she assumed for me. I know you were defending her because I know you.¡±


    She looks at me for a while, and I look down at my hands on my knees. She puts her hand on my shoulder and says:


    ¡±I¡¯m going to talk to her. Just give her some time. I know she will understand that none of this was your fault. I don¡¯t want the two people I love most in the world to be mean to each other like this.¡±


    I end up smiling, and Julie leaves me alone after that.


    ¡­


    A few dayster¡­


    I don¡¯t know how Molly is doing, and she would rather see anyone in the world but me. I tried to talk to her the other day when we were getting off in the elevator, but she just asked me not to address her.


    ¡­


    My phone rings.


    ¡±Really? What do you mean? When did this happen?¡±


    ¡­


    While I am packing my bags, Juliees into the room and says:


    ¡±How long will you be staying there?¡±


    ¡±I don¡¯t know. Maybe a fortnight.¡±


    My friend Sam was in a car ident, and in the phone call, he said he had broken both his legs, and I needed to go to New York to help him out.


    We used to share an apartment in the city, and he is one of my best friends since he doesn¡¯t have any of his family around.


    I¡¯m going to stay there for a few days to help out.


    Sam has a girlfriend, but she works, so I¡¯m going to take these fifteen days of vacation from my job to travel there.


    ¡­


    Julie says goodbye to me, and as soon as we arrive at our apartment¡¯s front door, Mollyes out.


    Julie says that she forgot something inside. I know she only did this because she knows that Molly needs to solve these problems soon.


    Everyone has noticed how dull she is walking around. And the bad thing is that I can¡¯t do anything. She won¡¯t let me do anything.


    She looks like she wants to turn around and return to her apartment, but I hold her arm, and she stops there.


    I say:


    ¡±Look, I know you asked me not to talk to you, and I swear I will respect that. Not least because I¡¯m going away for a while and you won¡¯t have to see me all the time.¡±


    I swear that she didn¡¯t seem to like this idea for a moment, but she quickly tried to disguise her surprise with that bitter look in her eyes.


    I see that her cell phone is in her hands, so I pick it up, and she watches me do it and continues as I type my number into it:


    ¡±But if you need to talk to someone and decide you want to talk to me, call me anytime.¡±


    She looks at me, still sad, and I hate that she is like this. I smile at her, and she doesn¡¯t smile at me back and head for the elevator when Julie arrives.


    She stands there staring at us. And it scares me the way I hate to see her like that.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I wish the ground would open up, fall into a vast hole, bury myself there, and never have to see anyone again.


    I know it sounds morbid, but so what? I¡¯ve been feeling this way since I got up today and realized how swollen my eyes are. After all, I cried yesterday.


    How could I have been such an idiot? Worst is to imagine that Chris knew all about it and how much fun he must have had with my face. Knowing that, I was deceived by the guy I loved the most. Thinking about it, about everything Colin did, makes me feel even worse, and I think I will cry again.


    ¡­


    I left Julie¡¯s house yesterday so I wouldn¡¯t have to y the fool anymore, even more, when Chris tried to y nice so that I would fall for him like a fool.


    I had a long talk with Colin because even though I didn¡¯t want to hear it, I let him dump that bunch of excuses so that afterward, he wouldn¡¯te to me to do it anymore.


    I pretended to hear everything, but I just wanted to jump on that neck of his and strangle him little by little so that it would hurt the same way it was hurting inside me.


    As soon as he seemed to finish his forgiveness speech, I said it was all over, took my wedding ring off my finger, and held out my hand to him.


    He gave me a furious look after that and said with a wryugh:


    ¡± I guess this is what you wanted all along. Finally, be free to go running after that piece of shit over there!¡±


    A growing hatred started to take over me after hearing this.

 Chapter 27 Molly/Chris

    I stepped toward him, and the next thing I knew, I pped him across the face.


    He looked at me in a way I had never seen before, didn¡¯t want to take my wedding ring, and headed for the exit. I know he won¡¯t give up that easily, but I don¡¯t care at the moment.


    After that, I sat on the couch in the living room, and it seemed that no matter how empty the space was enough to fit several people in there at the moment, I felt like I was inside a cubicle that was only getting tighter and tighter.


    The strange thing about this is that every time I rewatched the scene inside that car, I got even angrier at Chris than at Colin.


    I felt so foolish, and it hurt too much.


    Minutester, I heard knocking at the door and the voice I least wanted to hear at the moment saying it needed to talk to me.


    I covered my ears so I wouldn¡¯t have to hear Chris¡¯s voice because it only increased my anger and made me want to cry even more every time he spoke my name. All I could think about was how much fun he must have been having at my expense when he knew everything Colin was doing behind my back.


    It was way out of line, even though I enjoyed our arguments, but I had no idea that he could go behind my back like this.


    Colin didn¡¯t tell me the details, but I suppose Chris has seen me do this several times, and I feel part of a game between the two of them as if all those times when they fought were all part of a strategy to make me even more of a fool and get me all confused.


    ¡­


    After much prodding at my door, I finally yelled at him to get out and leave me alone. I waited and noticed that he was gone. I cried even more.


    Sometimeter, Julie showed up, I don¡¯t know how she knew I needed her, but I didn¡¯t care to ask. I just wanted my best friend with me on the worst day of my life.


    ¡­


    Colin, as I expected, called me several times after what happened, I was tempted to change my number, but I wasn¡¯t going to do that to give him this taste.


    He also came here, but as thest time we spoke, my reaction was the same, I don¡¯t want anyone making an idiot out of me again, and this time our breakup was final.


    ¡­


    Julie insisted several times that I should talk to her brother, but I asked her not to mention him in our conversations anymore.


    I know that she was sad, but right now, I swear that I don¡¯t even want to remember that Chris exists. I haven¡¯t even been to her house anymore. Lately, I¡¯ve been keeping Chantal and Seanpany here at home.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Even though having to watch them kissing all the time on the other couch makes me very angry at my bad luck in love, which has haunted me since I was a teenager.


    But I know they are not to me for my choices, and Chantal has been trying to cheer me up as best she can, and I thank her for that.


    ¡­


    It is Saturday morning, one of those Saturdays when I don¡¯t work, and I decide to go for a walk. I put on my sweatshirt and grab my headphones, but as soon as I walk out the front door, I run into the person I least want to see: Chris.


    And as I look down, I see that he has a suitcase. I swear this scene doesn¡¯t make me feelfortable.


    I have already prepared myself to turn around because I no longer feel as confident as I thought when I see him again. I have a strange mix of feelings invading me right now, and I¡¯m not about to stand here and find out which one will prevail.


    But just as I¡¯m about to turn around, I feel him holding my arm, and I hate that his touch on my body changes the way my heart beats. I know this is because of all the anger I am still feeling for him, but it is confusing at the same time.


    And I hate that in those eyes, he can convey falsepassion for what I feel because I know it is all a pretense.


    I decide to go for silence, and he says he is going away. I wouldn¡¯t say I like the way. I don¡¯t want to hear that.


    Will he leave for good? My heart clenches at the thought of this, and I hate how I feel about it.


    I still don¡¯t say anything because there is an inner struggle inside me that I don¡¯t want to make evident to him.


    He then takes out my cell phone and says he will leave his number so that I can call him and we can talk. I don¡¯t say anything, but I will not do it. I am no longer going to be his and anyone else¡¯s entertainment.


    Julie arrives, and he says goodbye and heads toward the elevator.


    I give up going for a run. I don¡¯t feel like it anymore. Seeing Chris reminds me of everything that has happened to me, and I¡¯d instead go to my room now.


    I have no idea why his absence leaves me with this tightness inside.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    ¡±You¡¯ve checked this phone about twenty times since you sat there.¡±


    Sam looks at me with amusement, and I roll my eyes.


    I swear I was hoping the distance would make her rethink everything and see that I was the least of her fault. But it looks like that is not going to happen.


    After helping Andy, Sam¡¯s girlfriend put him in their bed, I say goodnight and go to my room.


    As soon as I lie down, I keep thinking about her again, which is killing me.


    I recheck my cell phone and realize that Sam is correct. It is getting obsessive.


    But the problem is that I worry about her, about how she must be feeling, and I am afraid that she will feel the same way I felt when this happened to me.

 Chapter 28 Chris/Molly

    Because it was one of the worst feelings I have ever had in my whole life, and I don¡¯t want her to go through that.


    In a way, having her around that time, even if it was to keep me distracted from everything with my picking on her, helped me a lot to get through the whole thing without freaking out.


    And I swear I could help if she let me, but she doesn¡¯t want to do that.


    ¡­


    I grab my cell phone and call Julie.


    ¡±Hi, little brother.¡±


    ¡±How¡¯s it going over there?¡±


    Somehow she knows that it includes learning about Molly when I ask this.


    Julie knows that we don¡¯t get along very well, and she also knows, this time, it wasn¡¯t my fault, but convincing Molly of this is not easy.


    ¡±It¡¯s all right. Just as well, you know.¡±


    We talk a little more about Sam and how he is doing, and Julie says she has to get up early to go to ss, and I hang up.


    ¡­


    We are at the mall¡¯s food court waiting for Andy, who an hour ago said he was going to look at some shoes and so far he hasn¡¯te back and Sam says:


    ¡±You like this girl, aren¡¯t you?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    That takes me by surprise. I look at Samughing, but he seems serious now.


    ¡±What makes you think that?¡±


    He looks at me like it¡¯s obvious and says:


    ¡±Oh,e on, man. You¡¯ve been here for two weeks, we¡¯ve gone out a few times, Andy introduced you to a bunch of her friends, and you don¡¯t seem interested in any of them, and you keep looking at this cell phone when you¡¯ve had some downtime and¡­¡±


    I interrupt him:


    ¡±Okay, and if I tell you that I like her, will you leave me alone?¡±


    He has that face now. The expression he always has when he knows he¡¯s right.


    ¡±Finally, you admit it.¡±


    And heughs as if this is good news. He realizes that for me, it¡¯s not so good.


    He questions:


    ¡±But why do you seem to hate having to admit it?¡±


    I look somewhere other than in the direction of him in the wheelchair and say:


    ¡±Because she hates me at the moment.¡±


    I give a summary of thest few months, and he now seems more in Molly¡¯s favor.


    I say:


    ¡±I know I wasn¡¯t one of the most excellent guys with her, but I swear I didn¡¯t mean for all this to happen to her.¡±


    He knows that I somehow mean what happened to me.


    There is silence.


    Then he says:


    ¡±Can I see her?¡±


    I look at him uprehendingly, and heughs.


    I know you have some pictures of this girl right there.


    Iugh. I do. I got it off Julie¡¯s cell phone, a picture of Molly in that dress, the one that almost drove me crazy that night.


    Samughs as he sees me handing him the phone.


    He looks at the screen and then at me. He seems to approve of what he sees.


    ¡±Wow! I won¡¯t be bothering you anymore when I see you always looking at your cell phone, waiting for this girl to call you.¡±


    I end upughing.


    ¡­


    I ended up staying in New York a few days longer than I had nned, but fortunately, Sam is much better now.


    Now I am on this flight back to Seattle with an anxiety that is twenty thousand times greater than thest time I made this trip a few months ago.


    This time I am even more eager to get out of New York because there is someone I need to see again.


    I hope that she is not so angry with me anymore.


    ¡­


    I arrived at the parking lot of the building and headed towards the elevator, and I didn¡¯t ask Julie to pick me up. I took a cab. I didn¡¯t tell her that I would being back. I wanted to surprise her.


    This time my flight arrived a littleter than I had anticipated, and as I looked at the clock while the elevator seemed to go up more slowly than it usually does, I saw that it was almost six in the afternoon.


    The elevator opens, and I walk down our hallway. Only then do I realize that I have missed here as if I had always lived in this ce and no longer belonged in New York as I used to.


    I walk a few steps and slowly stop in front of her apartment door. I take a deep breath; I can¡¯t just finish arriving and run to her, no matter how much I want to do it.


    So I continued on my way and turned the door handle of our apartment. I open the door and walk in, pushing my suitcase. I hearughter in the kitchen, and Julie shouts my name andes toward me.


    She hugs me, I embrace her back, and as soon as I raise my eyes and hug her, I see she is here too. Molly is standing right in front of me, and she looks beautiful with that smile I¡¯ve longed to see these past few days.


    But she is not alone.


    There is a guy next to her.


    The guy is not just standing next to her. And he has his arms wrapped around her. She no longer looks asfortable as when I arrived.


    While her smile slowly fades as I look into her eyes, seeing her this close to this guy, I feel it is killing me.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    Where did you find this hot guy?


    I turn instantly to the door that has just opened as I turn my back. Julie is ted with a silly grin as she waits for my answer. I end upughing:


    ¡±Do you like him? He is Jack.¡±


    She still doesn¡¯t seem to have the expected answer and follows me as I walk over to the couch.


    ¡±But what do you mean? I¡¯m gone for two days, and you find a cat like this lost somewhere?¡±


    ¡±We metst week at a party. Chantal made me go to it. And yesterday he called me, we went out, and he ended up spending the night here.¡±


    ¡±Wow.¡±


    I can¡¯t tell if Julie liked this, but she knows I had to move on.

 Chapter 29 Molly/Chris

    I was tired of crying and suffering for a whole month for someone who didn¡¯t care about me. And as soon as Julie opens her mouth, I understand the reason for her question:


    ¡±And have you called Chris yet?¡±


    I turn around and roll my eyes. Julie continues:


    ¡±I know, Molly, but seeing you with another guy makes me realize that you¡¯ve moved on and are over what you¡¯ve been.¡±


    Why is it so important that Chris and I are okay with you? We never got along!


    ¡±I told you, he was devastated by the whole thing, he¡¯s a nice guy, you¡¯ve seen it many times, you know Chris been through it too, he could help you and¡­¡±


    I interrupt her:


    ¡±I don¡¯t think I need his help, Julie, and you know the reason.¡±


    ¡±Okay, let¡¯s forget about that for now. After all, he is almost back, and I know that at some point or another, you nee going to have to talk.¡±


    Hearing you say he ising back affects me in a way I don¡¯t want to.


    ¡­


    ¡±Come in! Hi Jack! How are you?¡±


    It¡¯s great that my best friend likes the guy I¡¯m staying with, she didn¡¯t seem thatfortable when I met Colin, but that¡¯s in the past, I don¡¯t want to remember it anymore.


    Julie and Jack decided to make asagna for dinner. Being with a guy who likes to cook also has advantages.


    When you let go of the whole falling in love with someone to be with them, even if you only get one and don¡¯t get attached, you have to find some qualities like this. Otherwise, it doesn¡¯t work.


    As he bends down to put the pan in the oven, Julie looks at me, catches me looking at his buttocks, and says softly, ¡°excellent,¡± which makes meugh.


    It is almost night, and we are standing in the kitchen contemting their work on a perfectsagna. Julie says:


    ¡±Excellent!¡±


    And she looks at me, and I hold back augh. Jack looks at me confused, and I find it funny, so I hug him and give him a quick kiss, and as soon as I pull away, he keeps his hand around my waist.


    Julie says she will get a knife, but we hear a noise at the door. We look in that direction, and my eyes meet who I least wanted to see right now, and my heart reacts in a way I don¡¯t like.


    He hugs Julie and smiles, not that smile he always has, and I catch myself hating to remember the way he smiles, which leaves the damn dimple.


    I take a deep breath and focus on what I¡¯ve been feeling for him these past few days, anger, which isn¡¯t so great anymore, but I¡¯ve been doing everything I can to keep him alive.


    He then looks at me, lowering his eyes to my waist where Jack is holding me, then back to my face and says:


    ¡±Hi, Molly.¡±


    I say a dull hello, and Julie jumps into our midst so as not to make it more awkward:


    ¡±This is Jack, Molly¡¯s friend.¡±


    I get annoyed with her now, but Jack doesn¡¯t care, extends his hand, and greets Chris.


    ¡­


    We¡¯re at the table now, it¡¯s weird, but I look at Jack and Julie eating so eagerly that I can barely push any of it off. Chris didn¡¯t want to eat and went straight to his room, saying he needed a shower.


    And I hate being at a table with a friend telling jokes and a wonderful, sexy, catty guy while we eat something I usually love and yet be thinking about another guy I should be hating right now.


    But when I saw him, I only noticed that he didn¡¯t have the same smile as always.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I¡¯m not going to say that it was the best thing to see Molly with that guy in the world.


    It wasn¡¯t the best thing in the world.


    I could have sworn I would find her the way I left her. I¡¯d instead find her the way I left her: very angry at me, angry at that asshole, and mad at the world, but at least she¡¯d be alone.


    If only I had found her the way I left her, but no. She¡¯s nothing like the way I left her.


    She¡¯s nothing like I imagined. She looks great, and she has back that smile I wanted so badly to see these days and the various ways I nned to be the reason for it somehow.


    I am an asshole!


    I repeat several times to myself under the shower.


    Now I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t know what to do. I had ns.


    And how I had ns to do everything I could to make Molly understand that it wasn¡¯t my fault, that it wasn¡¯t or isn¡¯t my fault at all.


    I know she somehow wants to me me and make me feel guilty for something I didn¡¯t do as if she wants a reason to hate me.


    I don¡¯t me her. I have always acted like an idiot with her. That was always my n to keep her away, and well, now it¡¯s working. A littlete because what I wanted least right now was for her to hate me.


    ¡­


    After staring at me with a frightened face, she says:


    ¡±Oh, no.¡±


    She¡¯s going to close the door. I¡¯ll hold it.


    Now, I would like to know what I am doing at the door of her apartment at this hour. And well¡­


    I don¡¯t know.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I want to go in, but she won¡¯t let me.


    ¡±I need to talk to you, Molly.¡±


    ¡±At 1:30 in the morning, Chris?¡±


    I look around and say:


    ¡±Yeah.¡±


    She rolls her eyes and goes to close the door again as she says:


    ¡±You¡¯re crazy.¡±

 Chapter 30 Chris/Molly

    She doesn¡¯t change her face and does not react to what I say, yet I had expected it. And I continue:


    ¡±And I don¡¯t want every time you look at me you think back to that piece of shit, I mean, your ex, and think that somehow I thought you were an idiot for being betrayed by him and not realizing it. And I would also like to make it clear that at all times, I thought it wasn¡¯t enjoyable to see what he did to you.¡±


    She then cuts me off before I can continue:


    ¡±Then why didn¡¯t you do anything?¡±


    ¡±Like what? Tell you? You would never believe me, and you hated me every time I said he was a jerk.¡±


    She looks at me, still breathing deeply. I think she¡¯s thinking about everything I said.


    Then she says:


    ¡±That doesn¡¯t make you any better to me.¡±


    I don¡¯t like what she said, but I know she¡¯s not saying this just because I didn¡¯t warn her about her fianc¨¦¡¯s cheating. She includes everything, how I treated her when I met her, the times I acted and talked to her like an asshole, in short, everything.


    So I answer:


    ¡±Okay.¡±


    ¡±But¡­¡±


    I like them but.


    I let it go on because I like how she looks at me.


    ¡±I think we can put this behind us. You can stop trying to be nice to me because I know this is hard for you, and it¡¯s eating you up inside.¡±


    I end upughing. I think Mollyughs too but then bes serious again:


    ¡±So can we forget about this, Chris, and go back to our everyday lives and bed?¡±


    I liked hearing what she said, and I wanted to imagine that she was inviting me to her bed even more.


    Then I say:


    ¡±I¡¯d love to.¡±


    She rolls her eyes.


    ¡±You know I mean you in your bed and me in mine.¡±


    ¡±It still works. ¡®Sext, I love it, give me your number. Oh wait, you already have mine.¡±


    She says:


    ¡±Check it out. You¡¯re back, and it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    She walks over to me and pushes me from behind toward the door. I turn around and say:


    ¡±Don¡¯t forget the nudes.¡±


    I hear herughing and realize that she loves to see me act like this with her.


    I stop as soon as we reach the door and say:


    ¡±Thanks for the conversation at 1:30 in the morning. I don¡¯t know, and I think things will be better now.¡±


    She nods.


    ¡±Yes¡±


    Then I turn to the door. But I stopped, closed my eyes for a moment, and realized I didn¡¯te here to talk to Molly.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I turn around and say:


    ¡±Just one more thing¡­¡±


    She goes to roll her eyes again, but I go to her, grab her waist, pull her closer to me, and kiss her.


    I like her body next to mine, and I like that she is kissing me back after the scare. I just don¡¯t like how I missed her mouth.


    So warm, soft, sexy, wet¡­


    I pull away from her. After all, this time, I¡¯m the one who hasn¡¯t had sex for a long time.


    We¡¯re looking at each other, and she¡¯s a little perplexed. I¡¯m not amused. I think she still doesn¡¯t quite understand what happened.


    She doesn¡¯t seem to understand that I go crazy when I¡¯m near her and that 90% of my thoughts since I got here since I saw her earlier today have been about how to get her this way and in other ways.


    I close my eyes again because it is already bing apparent.


    I say:


    ¡±If you don¡¯t want to have sex with someone, don¡¯t wear an outfit like that to bed.¡±


    She stares at me, still not understanding what I mean.


    I open the door and go back to my apartment.


    Yeah, I think I will have another five-on-one session because of Molly.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I¡¯m still standing in the ce he left. I guess I¡¯m still awestruck too.


    What the hell was that all?


    I should tell him that I would forget about everything, that I wouldn¡¯t care about Colin-rted matters anymore and leave everything behind.


    Then he would go back to acting like the asshole he always was, and everything would be fine, and everything was going ording to n.


    But where did he get the idea to kiss me after we had settled everything?


    I won¡¯t deny that I didn¡¯t think about it when I opened the door and saw him standing there looking at me.


    But I made sure to make it clear to my mind that it was crazy and to keep quiet, so I did everything I could to make him leave.


    At least this way, I would have more time to prepare myself to talk to him without having to keep trying to control my instincts.


    As soon as he left for New York, a few days after thinking a lot about what had happened, I realized that much of what he said made sense.


    I shouldn¡¯t have been so cruel to him and said it was his fault. I know he could have told me, and I wish he had, but I also know that maybe I didn¡¯t want to hear the truth.


    He asked me to call him, I even dialed the numbers a few times, but I didn¡¯tplete the call. If I had done that, I would have had the courage to say things that I can¡¯t when he is around, and maybe I would even admit at some point that I have a crush on him.


    And this isn¡¯t good to admit even to myself.


    I also realized this when I started to miss him and even his ironies and way of annoying me.


    Damn it, and I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking about this again.


    I will never admit this to him, even though I know that he doesn¡¯t even care that much about me.

 Chapter 31 Molly/Chris/Molly

    I knew I would go through this again as soon as he came back, so I decided to find someone to keep me far away from him, Jack.


    I got used to Colin¡¯s absence so quickly, but it also made me realize that he was never really there.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    My thoughts return to Chris and his mouth glued to mine minutes ago.


    Then I conclude that he kissed me only because, I don¡¯t know, maybe remorse for not having helped me when he could?


    I don¡¯t know.


    But I know one thing, and I liked it so much that he kissed me. It was hard to let it go like that.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I am just finishing getting my things and putting them in my backpack to go to work when Juliees home from college.


    The problem is that she is not alone. Molly is right behind her. They are talking about the girl who lives with Molly, but I don¡¯t pay attention. I am still calcting what I will do when her eyes meet mine.


    I hadn¡¯t seen her since that early morning walk to her apartment and kissing her two days ago.


    ¡±Chris, are you leaving already?¡±


    Julie asks me, making me turn and look in their direction.


    I smile and nod my head affirmatively. Then she looks at me. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking, and I can¡¯t interpret it. But at least she doesn¡¯t seem angry about what happened.


    Good.


    Then she says:


    ¡±Hi, Chris.¡±


    I say hello, and Julie walks out, smiling toward the kitchen.


    I¡¯m sure she told Julie that we talked. I don¡¯t know if she left out the kissing thing.


    ¡± Is Jacking over today?¡±


    Julie breaks what seemed to be a pleasant mood between us when she asks this question, and I soon realize that she is still dating that asshole who was with her when I arrived.


    She looks a little flushed when she answers:


    ¡±Yeah, he¡¯sing.¡±


    I say to Julie:


    ¡±I¡¯ming.¡±


    I walk past Molly and don¡¯t even look at her face.


    She certainly didn¡¯t tell Julie about the kiss. I must stop being such an idiot and thinking this girl has feelings for me.


    Because it sure didn¡¯t mean anything. You know what? Not to me either.


    ¡­


    My cell phone vibrates next to me on the bed. I answer it.


    ¡±Dude, what is this shit that you arrive and not even warn? Let¡¯s go out and get some chicks tonight?¡±


    ¡±Adan, today is Tuesday.¡±


    ¡±So what? You don¡¯t give a shit when ites to drinking and gettingid, man.¡±


    ¡±Judging by your voice and the loud sound, you¡¯re undoubtedly already doing that.¡±


    Heughs.


    ¡±Sure! You have twenty minutes to get here, and I¡¯ll introduce you to Carol¡¯s friend.¡±


    ¡±Who is Carol?¡±


    ¡±A hot blonde who is hugging me now.¡±


    He still says to someone:


    ¡±Say hi to Chris.¡±


    A female voice says,ughing and sexy at the same time:


    ¡±Hi Chris. Come soon.¡±


    I also think she is drunk. But I say:


    ¡±Man, I¡¯d love to go if I didn¡¯t have a job and needed to stay out of bars during the week. It¡¯s just not going to work out.¡±


    ¡±No partying tonight?¡±


    ¡±No partying tonight, Adan.¡±


    ¡±No chicks?¡±


    ¡±No chicks.¡±


    ¡±You shit.¡±


    ¡±Thanks, Adan.¡±


    He says some shit to the girl that is with him. I hang up the phone because I don¡¯t want to listen to the shit he¡¯s going to say to her now. I already know everything by heart.


    I know I never cared whether it was a week or a weekend to go out and get it on. Buttely, I haven¡¯t needed to do that, especially after going to New York.


    The problem is that this change has a name and¡­ beautiful legs too.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    It had been a few days since Chantal had been arguing a lot with Sean, but I didn¡¯t think it would end in a breakup.


    The thing is, it did end, and now while Julie is consoling her on the couch, I finish preparing a soothing tea for our dear colleague.


    Julie says after a while where Chantal doesn¡¯t cry, only sobs:


    ¡±We should have a girls¡¯ night.¡±


    I affirm:


    ¡±Yeah, chocte, drinks, and talking shit about guys.¡±


    Chantalughs. I think she approved.


    Julie adds:


    ¡±Tonight at my ce.¡±


    ¡­


    We have the TV on with some music video program, and while I put the drinks we bought in the fridge, Chantal gets the pillows and spreads them out on the mattresses we put in the living room.


    Julie prepares some snacks, and we sit at the table and start drinking, eating snacks, and talking about guys, especially the disappointments they have already caused us.


    ¡­


    An hourter¡­


    ¡± I¡¯m not going to talk about me because it¡¯s a bastard what Colin did to me ¡­¡±


    The door opens.


    Chris enters.


    I stop talking instantly.


    He looks around at our sses.


    ¡±Oh no, Chris, tonight is girls¡¯ night!¡±


    Judging by Julie¡¯s voice, she¡¯s already a little airborne.


    He raises his hands in the air and says:


    ¡±Okay. You won¡¯t even know I¡¯m here. I¡¯m going to my room.¡±


    He goes up the stairs and doesn¡¯t even look in our direction anymore. What do you mean he¡¯s not going out on a Saturday?


    Julie told me that he¡¯s been staying home more these days, and telling you the truth, I haven¡¯t seen him go out ore home with any girls.


    Well, it¡¯s not because I haven¡¯t seen him that he¡¯s not doing it.


    ¡­


    After drinking, dancing, singing sad songs on TV, and listening to Chantal cry some more, I think we fell asleep because when I woke up, I saw on the cell phone clock that it was already 2:30 in the morning.

 Chapter 32 Molly/Chris

    The girls are among the pillows and nkets in the room. I get up because I need something to drink. My mouth is dry. I know I shouldn¡¯t have drunk vodka.


    I am just finishing my juice when I hear footsteps on the stairs.


    He approaches me, opens the refrigerator, and I say:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    He turns around immediately.


    ¡±Molly?¡±


    I end upughing at the way he¡¯s startled. He looks ufortable now, a rare scene to see.


    He asks, smiling:


    ¡±Why are you in the dark?¡±


    ¡±I didn¡¯t want to wake them up.¡±


    He goes back to the refrigerator and says:


    ¡±My sister is not usually a light sleeper.¡±


    I know this andugh.


    He approaches me with a ss of water and stands beside me while we look at them lying in the living room. Thank goodness he can¡¯t see my face and how I start to blush when he pulls in next to me.


    Damn it, Molly, get a hold of yourself.


    He brings the ss to his mouth, then says:


    ¡±What was that all?¡±


    ¡±A party to badmouth the guys.¡±


    He looks at me, surprised, and thenughs.


    I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll say anything else, but he does:


    ¡±Julie has no reason to do that because Brennan is lovely. Chantal has it written all over her face that she does. But what about you? Where¡¯s Jack?¡±


    What? Is he asking that?


    I take a deep breath and say:


    ¡±He¡¯s at his house.¡±


    He puts his ss aside, turns around to face me, and approaches me, saying:


    ¡±Well, I think he should be somewhere else right now.¡±


    I swallow to disguise how this closeness is affecting me.


    ¡±Where?¡±


    He looks at my mouth, then looks me in the eye and says:


    ¡±With you.¡±


    He moves even closer, pinning me to the sink counter behind me while his hands are around my body, but he doesn¡¯t even touch me.


    I question, trying to keep my posture:


    ¡±Why?¡±


    He says:


    ¡± I don¡¯t know. Why were you badmouthing Jack?¡±


    He is very close now, inches away from me. I try to pull myself together and say:


    ¡±I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    He smiles, and along with his smile, that dimple shakes me to my core. But what does he intend to do with it?


    I don¡¯t know, but he is stilling closer and closer and still leaving me frozen without reaction.


    Only my breathing insists on getting heavier and heavier, while he looks pretty calm.


    He moves closer to me and strays to my neck, and I close my eyes now at the shiver I feel when his lips slowly brush my skin.


    A weak moanes unintentionally from my mouth.


    He smiles, tickling my skin.


    He traces a light, lingering path as his mouth moves up to my ear and says:


    ¡±What? Are you telling me that Jack doesn¡¯t make you feel this way?¡±


    I¡¯m not going to tell him that I¡¯m not with Jack anymore.


    My thoughts don¡¯t stay focused because he is looking me in the eyes.


    He looks at my mouth.


    He is going to kiss me. I know.


    He closes his eyes.


    Wow, he¡¯s going to kiss me.


    I close my eyes too. I¡¯m already getting ready to feel Chris¡¯s lips.


    Heughs.


    When I open my eyes, he is still smiling and biting his lips and then says:


    ¡±Good night, Molly.¡±


    I want to die now!


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    Nothing in the world could be better than the face Molly made when she found out that I wasn¡¯t going to kiss her.


    I am stillughing at the situation, even now, aftering to my room.


    I swear I had to resist not kissing that mouth, but she must learn that she shouldn¡¯t ept being kissed by me and then pretend it never happened.


    I hated knowing she was still with that guy, even after we kissed. So I had to make her taste what I went through.


    Someone knocks on the door.


    What?


    I stand up. I open it, and just as I do, Mollyes in, very angry and pointing her finger at me:


    ¡± What do you think happened between us in there?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Nothing.¡±


    And I concludeughing:


    ¡±Literally.¡±


    But she seems even more annoyed and keepsing back at me and saying:


    ¡±You¡¯re no good, Chris. You¡¯re a idiot who takes advantage of women¡¯s vulnerability and does these things¡­.¡±


    I still find it amusing the nonsense she says to me, trying to keep her voice at a reasonable level so as not to wake up the girls in the room.


    ¡±Stopughing!¡±


    She demands. I try not to, but it isn¡¯t easy.


    She now looks at me with hatred and says:


    ¡±Damn it! I hate you! You¡¯re an asshole!¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Oh, shit!


    She looks hurt. But I¡¯m not going to let my guard down now.


    She came here to insult me because of a joke.


    She still looks angry at me.


    I mean it now:


    ¡±Apologize to me.¡±


    Sheughs ironically and says:


    ¡±What?¡±


    I say slowly and still serious:


    ¡±Apologize to me for calling me an asshole.¡±


    ¡±I won¡¯t do it!¡±


    I look at her for a moment.


    ¡± You won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡±Yes, I won¡¯t!¡±


    I take a few steps back and turn the key in the lock.


    ¡±Okay.¡±


    ¡± What are you doing?¡±


    ¡±You¡¯re going to stay here until you decide to apologize.¡±


    I lift the key in the air, she tries to pick it up, and I say:


    ¡± Uh-huh.¡±


    I take the key, show her and tuck it into my pants, more precisely into my underwear.


    She can¡¯t believe what she has just seen me do.


    She whimpers.


    ¡±Holy shit Chris, let me out of here.¡±


    I dare you:


    ¡±You know where the key is. Juste and get it.¡±


    I¡¯mughing, and she¡¯s not.


    She turns, goes to the door and turns the knob a few times, turns to me and says:


    ¡± I¡¯m not kidding. If you don¡¯t give me that key, I swear I will scream until Julie gets here.¡±


    ¡±Really? And how will you exin what you were doing here at dawn?¡±


    She seems to weigh what I said.


    I still look at her, arms crossed and smiling.


    ¡±Did you decide to apologize?¡±


    ¡±Never!¡±


    I turn around and say:


    ¡±So, good night.¡±


    She looks at me incredulously while I go back to bed and cover myself up.

 Chapter 33 Chris/Molly

    I turn off themp that was on, then hear her say:


    ¡±Okay, turn on thatmp ande over here!¡±


    I knew she wouldn¡¯t deny me this.


    I stand up and stare at her expectantly. She then says:


    ¡±Why do I need to apologize?¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I take a deep breath and say:


    ¡±You called me an asshole.¡±


    ¡±But you are an asshole!¡±


    I turn around again and go back to bed.


    ¡±No, wait!¡±


    I smile when I hear this but don¡¯t let it show.


    She still looks at me.


    ¡±Look, Molly, you came over here and insulted me and called me an asshole. You need to apologize for that: my room, my rules.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t seem to ept my conditions.


    But I never thought about making it easy.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    He still expects me to ept his conditions. It tempts me to do so, to get out of here before I do something I will regret, but I hold my ground.


    I look away from his eyes because the anger I felt when I came here slowly fades as he looks at me.


    I was angry, yes, but more that he had left me like that in the kitchen, and even though I knew he wanted to kiss me, he had rejected me like that. At least that¡¯s how I felt. I refused, which made me angry.


    But I know that he doesn¡¯t feel the way he wants me to think. The problem is that I¡¯m not sure about that.


    He wonders:


    ¡±So what?¡±


    I raise my eyes in surprise. I think I let my thoughts take me away from here for a moment.


    Then I look up into his face again.


    I take a deep breath. Chris still stares at me, and I approach him slowly.


    He looks surprised.


    We are very close now, and he no longer seems as arrogant or confident as he did seconds ago.


    I look into his eyes for a moment, then lower my eyes to his lips. Then I look into his eyes again and say:


    ¡±Can I apologize in any other way?¡±


    I can tell by how his breathing has changed that he seems surprised to hear me.


    I like that.


    He answers in a low voice:


    ¡± Well¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t wait for him to finish, I move even closer, and our mouths are together.


    I close my eyes the instant our lips are together and moving in abined way while I hold his hair tightly and pull him closer to me.


    I have to control myself not to show how much I¡¯ve missed his mouth.


    I¡¯ve figured that out now too.


    And I don¡¯t want him to squeeze me even tighter against his body with each passing second, making it even harder for us to separate the way I had nned seconds ago.


    As we kiss, I feel him take a few steps back, and we are on the side of his bed.


    I shy away from his lips for a moment, and I would love it if he didn¡¯t look so sexy looking at me like that breathing heavily, with his hair messy and his mouth ajar.


    I swallow hard, take a deep breath, and ce my hand on his chest, making him sit on the bed in front of me.


    I have no idea where I got all this assurance in my gestures because inside, I am just a mess about what I feel right now.


    He looks at me, then moves his gaze down my body. I like how he is looking at me now, simr to how I have looked at him a few times.


    And this gives me even more courage to move closer and kiss him again as he holds my waist with both hands, and I slowly make him lie down on his bed with the weight of my body.


    I¡¯m sitting beside him while he moves his hands up and down my body, caressing me. I intensify the way we kiss because I can¡¯t remain immune to how he touches me.


    I lower my hands on his face and lift his shirt, which he quickly helps off his body.


    ¡±Molly¡­¡±


    He says between our kisses, making me pull away and look into his eyes. He then continues:


    ¡±I love your mouth.¡±


    I do not react.


    It kills me.


    He then kisses me again and puts his hand under my shirt, finding my skin and moving up slowly.


    I have to act soon.


    It is getting hard to resist.


    I pull away from his mouth, still looking into his eyes, and put on a naughty smile on my mouth. He just stares at me.


    Damn it!


    The sight of that abdomen doesn¡¯t let me stay focused.


    I take a deep breath and open the button of his jeans. I see him take a deep breath as I unzip and pull down his pants a few inches.


    Seeing what I felt, even if it was underneath his boxer shorts, didn¡¯t calm my breathing.


    I swallow again.


    His hand goes under my shirt again, he finds my breast and caresses it, and I didn¡¯t want to feel this desire going further and further south in my body, making me needier every second.


    So I go to meet his mouth again, while my hand stays there and slowly slips under his boxer shorts.


    I can¡¯t be distracted by what I¡¯m feeling and touching.


    But it is too much temptation.


    I have a goal.


    And I find it.


    He looks at me, perplexed.


    I take the key, get off his body, run to the door and turn the key on the knob.


    I open the door, and as I close it behind me, I see that he is still lying on the bed with his arms on either side of his body, looking in my direction.


    He looks shocked.


    Good.


    All part of the n.

 Chapter 34 Chris/Molly

    Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!


    I mentally scold myself as I stare up at the ceiling and hold onto these sheets with all the strength in my fingers not to get up now and go downstairs to get that girl and


    I wipe my hand across my face.


    She must beughing at me right now.


    How could I have been so stupid as to think she was kissing me because she wanted to? Because she was annoyed that I hadn¡¯t kissed her?


    I confess that when she asked me to apologize in another way, I even prepared myself that she would try something to get that key, and I joined in her dance.


    I could take advantage of the moment. Kissing a girl is always nice. The problem is, kissing Molly is too good.


    As the seconds went by and the way she was kissing me, I even thought that she was doing it because she wanted to, and it wasn¡¯t part of her n.


    And it only became more and more apparent when sheid me down on this bed.


    It was too much.


    I wanted her all over me so badly that I let my thoughts go on and started to think about it. I was really in the mood.


    She let me touch her body, where I had never touched her before, and I fell for it that she was feeling the same way I was.


    I even told her that I loved her mouth.


    And she did.


    I feel like the stupidest person on the face of the earth.


    I never want to look her in the face again.


    The problem is that the biggest hate I¡¯m feeling isn¡¯t for her. It¡¯s for me, for allowing this.


    I take a deep breath.


    The problem is also that despite my anger, I still remember her on top of me, slowly rubbing herself against me and kissing me.


    And I¡¯m still so hard it¡¯s painful.


    I look down and say:


    ¡±You¡¯d better stay on your own. Because we¡¯re not going to have anything today.¡±


    ¡­


    I wake up and see on the clock that it is seven in the morning.


    What the hell! I didn¡¯t want to wake up so early on a Sunday.


    ¡­


    After I shower, I stand in the middle of my room for a while.


    It is still horrible to remember what happened yesterday.


    I just wanted to let it go and be angrier with her and not think about what I would say when I saw her in the living room.


    ¡­


    I look around the room and see only under the covers my sister and Chantal.


    But I don¡¯t see Molly. I don¡¯t know if I feel better or angry that I can¡¯t face her and show her that I am doing just fine, even after the prank she did to me.


    I sit on a couch and look at the girls over there.


    They don¡¯t look like they are going to wake up for now.


    I don¡¯t know what to do. I would y games or watch some movies, but I don¡¯t want to go back to my room now and remember those scenes, and I can¡¯t turn on the TV here because I don¡¯t want to wake them up.


    My sister is in a terrible mood when someone wakes her up early.


    ¡­


    I turn the knob and see that the door is not locked.


    Good.


    Better to take her by surprise.


    She must know that she can¡¯t do something like that and get away with it.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I couldn¡¯t sleep.


    I didn¡¯t sleep at all.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what had happened in that room. It took all the strength in the world not to stand there and finish what we had started.


    I tempt to the instant our lips met.


    I wanted that key. I made up a n:


    ?	Kiss Chris.


    ?	Put my hand inside his pants.


    ?	Get the key and get out of there before I did something stupid.


    But my body didn¡¯t want to do something that simple, not after the way he was kissing me.


    So I kept finding a way to prolong it as long as possible, even though I knew we wouldn¡¯t end up having sex in that bed.


    I couldn¡¯t, not after everything he had already put me through. If I allowed that, it would be like admitting that I had a crush on him because I was the one who started kissing him in the first ce.


    As much as I changed my mind about where this would lead, I stuck to the initial proposal of just being a trick to get the key.


    And I knew he would hate me after that, so I enjoyed it while I could.


    I just wanted to forget it ever happened because it was so good.


    Now I have to prepare myself for Chris¡¯s eternal hatred.


    I made some coffee at Julie¡¯s house for when they woke up, and so did he. I didn¡¯t want to stay there and have to face him today.


    He has a very bipr way of reacting to things, and I certainly wouldn¡¯t be happy with the oue of today¡¯s reaction.


    ¡­


    I decided to make coffee here, too, since I woke up at six and can¡¯t sleep anymore.


    I shake my head to the music resounding in my headphones.


    I finish the coffee and turn to pick up the cup.


    I hold my heart as I bump into him.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡±Chris?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t answer me.


    He looks annoyed. I take off my headphones as I question:


    ¡±How did you get in here?¡±


    He says:


    ¡±The door was open.¡±


    I walk over to him to check, but he steps in front of me, preventing me from doing so.


    ¡± But what the¡­¡±


    He interrupts me, looking me in the eye:


    ¡±Why did you do that?¡±


    I look at him seriously and answer:


    ¡±I wanted to get out of there.¡±


    ¡± It didn¡¯t look that way.¡±


    ¡±And what did it look like, Chris? That I wanted to have sex with you?¡±


    ¡±That was already pretty obvious when you started kissing me.¡±


    I¡¯mughing now, but not because I think it¡¯s funny.


    He continues:


    ¡±In the kitchen, it was also apparent that your current, what¡¯s his name again? Ah, Jack. He wasn¡¯t doing well enough. So I know you came to my room because you wanted to have sex with me.¡±

 Chapter 35 Molly/ Chris/Molly

    I can onlyugh even more at all of this. How could I think that somehow Chris was upset about what didn¡¯t happen?


    The way I left him in that bed, I thought he would be hating me now, but he¡¯s not.


    He¡¯s just making fun of my face, which means he doesn¡¯t even care.


    I feel even worse than I did when he didn¡¯t kiss me earlier yesterday.


    If that¡¯s the way it¡¯s supposed to be, let¡¯s both act like assholes, I guess he only understands thatnguage anyway.


    I point my finger in his direction:


    ¡±Listen here, Chris, my sex life is none of your business. You have nothing to do with it. It has never been. I¡¯m not some crazy, desperate fool who runs after the first idiot whoes along trying to seduce me, and I go and offer myself to him.¡±


    He looks at me, surprised now. I continue:


    ¡± I¡¯m not dating Jack anymore, and that¡¯s none of your business. You are still an asshole. The same one I picked up at the airport that damn day. And I¡¯m not going to apologize for anything I¡¯ve ever said to you in my life.¡±


    When I realized, his mouth was on mine.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I walk away slowly while she still looks at me in surprise. She questions:


    ¡±But what was that?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±You didn¡¯t want to shut up.¡±


    She bites her lips because she is trying not tough.


    I end up smiling too.


    We are still too close.


    But then she looks at me seriously again. And when I least expect it, she raises her arms from the side of her body and starts trying to punch me.


    She can¡¯t hit me because I am trying to hold her arms back while I ask her to calm down and stop this.


    But she doesn¡¯t want to listen to me, and she just makes me take a few more steps backward as she tries to hit me with her closed fists, telling me she hates me.


    I lean against a wall behind her and hold her wrists above her head, but she still looks furious.


    She breathes heavily, we are inches apart now, so I can keep her against the wall and make her stop trying to punch me.


    While she is still looking at me angrily, a few tears fall from her face. It ends with me.


    I feel like shit now for making her hate me so much, I thought she was over all that stuff from when we first met, but I see she¡¯s not.


    I want so badly to change the way she feels about me. I have to find a way.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Then I look into her eyes and say, dested:


    ¡±So you hate me?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything and just stares at me with a fury that is still evident. I take a deep breath, bringing my body closer to hers, making me stare at our glued breasts for a moment.


    Then I realize that this hatred might not even really exist.


    I bite my lips at this thought and watch him follow my mouth with his eyes, then disguise it.


    I move even closer to his face, detour to his neck, and say, brushing my mouth against his ear:


    ¡±Do you hate getting goosebumps like that when I get close to you?¡±


    She takes a deep breath.


    She tries to free her hands, but I hold on tight.


    I lower one of my hands while the other holds her wrists firmly.


    My hand goes up the inside of her shirt, slowly moving up to find her breast and caressing it. She closes her eyes as she tries to cover a moan.


    She opened her eyes to find a satisfied smile on my face.


    My hand continues to caress her breast, and if she doesn¡¯t stop looking at me in such a surrendered way, I will have to kiss her.


    So what?


    I¡¯m going to do it right now.


    She¡¯s not pushing me away or trying to make me out, and she¡¯s kissing me just as hard as I am.


    I let go of her wrists, and she quickly wraps her arms around my neck and holds my hair in a way I like when she does.


    I want her closer and closer, so I lift her against the wall, causing her to spread her legs and wrap them around my body.


    I lift her shirt higher and higher until she removes it herself by throwing it into a corner of the room.


    Free ess is given for my mouth to descend to her breasts, and she pulls on my hair while I work my tongue on the exposed skin that the bra doesn¡¯t cover.


    We can¡¯t stay here in the room if we continue like this. Molly looks toward her bedroom door, and I carry her toward it.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    That smile.


    Damn dimpled smile.


    This whole thing started because of those damn dimples in the smile.


    He made me shut up with a kiss, which I found amusing despite my anger.


    But as soon as he smiled, I remembered how that smile had always been my weak point, despite all the crap he had told me since I met him, and then anger took over me, and I just wanted to punch him.


    I even tried, but I don¡¯t think I could evennd a punch on him.


    And here I am, being practically raped by him against this wall, and worst of all, it is the most incredible feeling I have recently felt.


    I don¡¯t have many coherent words to say right now, so I point in the direction of my room.


    I might even resist if he didn¡¯t do this thing he¡¯s doing with his tongue on my body.


    A groan escapes my mouth, causing me to smile as we head toward my room.


    He opens the door, and as we enter, he sets me down on the floor but still has his hands around my waist.

 Chapter 36 Molly/Chris/Molly

    He closes the door behind him and stares at me. He looks kind of serious when he asks:


    ¡±Do you hate me?¡±


    It takes me by surprise. But I think Chris wants an answer, so I say


    ¡±I don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    Heughs. Then he walks over and turns me around so my back is to the door.


    Chris kisses me again, but he doesn¡¯t stay in my mouth. He goes down slowly, sucks on each of my breasts, and looks at me smiling. While his hands go slowly down my body, he says:


    ¡± It¡¯s a shame you don¡¯t hate me anymore. I wanted to make you change your mind.¡±


    Desire clenches when I hear him say it, smiling like that.


    And hees back to my mouth and turns me around, taking steps towards my bed.


    He makes me lie down, looks at me for a while, and smiles again.


    I even close my eyes for a moment because the sight of that smile kills me. It has always been my most significant reason for thinking stupid thoughtste at night.


    Hees over to me and kisses me again.


    As we kiss, I begin to think about what I am doing. It feels good, and I won¡¯t deny it. I¡¯ve wanted it for a long time, but kissing my best friend¡¯s brother makes me feel a little guilty.


    I hold his shoulder. He opens his eyes and looks at me, surprised.


    I question:


    ¡±What are we doing?¡±


    He looks at me confused, then smiles and says:


    ¡±Well, I am trying to start some forey.¡±


    I end up biting my lips to keep fromughing again. This guy doesn¡¯t exist. Then he smiles too and continues:


    ¡±I think forey has been going on for quite a while, and I¡¯m not talking aboutst night and¡­¡±


    I go to his mouth and make him shut up now.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I¡¯m not sure what it was that I said that made here to me like that, but I¡¯m not going to be such an idiot as to question it either.


    I know that for a few seconds, I saw in her eyes that she was overthinking about us being here in her room, in her bed, and I should do something fast so that she wouldn¡¯t change her mind as usual and make me walk away from her.


    So I just started talking the first shit that came into my head.


    Our forey began the instant weid eyes on each other, and as much as she won¡¯t admit it, I know this to be true.


    Despite the games and teasing, I know that deep down, somehow, she also wanted me the way I wanted her, the way we are now.


    She removes the shirt. I forget about anything going through my head at such an inopportune moment.


    I move from her body, getting on my knees between her legs while she still lies.


    I run my eyes down her body.


    I take a deep breath, and she bites her lips as she smiles, asking:


    ¡±Can you take off your shirt?¡±


    I reply with a smile:


    ¡±Sure.¡±


    She puts her weight on her hands and sits in front of me as I take off my shirt.


    She then looks at me for a while. She says nothing, moistens her lips with her tongue, and has no idea what this is doing to me.


    She slowly lifts a hand and touches my chest, causing me to close my eyes and then open them quickly, hoping that she hasn¡¯t noticed what her simple touch is doing to me.


    And she slowly moves her hand down my abdomen. Thankfully, she is following her hands with her eyes, not looking directly into my face and seeing how much this is killing me.


    I know every part of me is itching to fully sink into her and do everything I¡¯ve been nning for a long time, but I also like the slow, torturous way she¡¯s conducting this here.


    She then moves her hand down to the waistband of my pants, stops there for a moment, raises her eyes, and looks at me.


    And when I finally think she¡¯s going to get rid of my jeans, she pulls her hand away, smiles, and walks away again.


    I don¡¯t understand where she¡¯s going with this and¡­


    My thought is interrupted when she takes her hands behind her back and opens her bra, pulling it off her body.


    I smile again and say:


    ¡± I can¡¯t believe you want to y even at the moment like this.¡±


    She smiles and says:


    ¡± It¡¯s not a game. I¡¯m just wondering which of us will stop trying to resist first.¡±


    I don¡¯t care what she has in mind, and I know that I¡¯ve waited too long, and I don¡¯t care if I lose anything, as long as I win her. So I go to meet her again and kiss her.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    Right?


    Wrong?


    Right?


    Damn it, Molly!


    I don¡¯t want to think about right or wrong right now.


    Not now, when something I¡¯ve wanted so much, even when I insisted on denying it to myself, is about to happen.


    I know he realizes I¡¯m a little confused because he starts talking about things that make me stop thinking about right or wrong and go to his mouth and kiss him again.


    Is it hot in here, or is it just my desire for this guy to raise my body temperature?


    And I had forgotten how hot his kiss was untilst night when we kissed again, which didn¡¯t let me sleep well all night.


    I just wanted one more chance to kiss him again, and I¡¯m thankful he did that minutes ago while we were in the living room.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Focus, Molly!


    I take off my T-shirt. The heat should go away with it. The problem is that how he looks at me as soon as I do this only raises my temperature even more.


    Then I realized I liked it when he looked at me like that. I like it when we tease each other because it makes me forget about everything else and makes me feel in control of how I think of him.

 Chapter 37 Molly/Chris/Molly

    The problem is that it¡¯s hard to keep my focus and my hands off his body when he gets rid of his shirt.


    I can¡¯t wait for him toe to me and use his mouth all over my body, as he was doing minutes ago, but I prefer to follow my rules, and he is notining.


    I like that he seems affected by my touch, as his mouth influences me.


    But when I pull away and take off my bra to continue with my game, I see that he realizes what I am doing, and to my surprise, he doesn¡¯t care who wins because he surrenders andes to my mouth.


    And Chris does it the way I¡¯ve wished he would, he goes down my neck and finds my breasts, and I love what he can do with his tongue. I wonder what he would do if he went a little lower and¡­


    He seems to read my thoughts and slowly moves down, kissing my whole body and working his tongue all over me.


    He unbuttons my shorts and slides them down my body, and as he does this and looks at me, smiling and biting his lips, I can see his jeans marked by his erection, making me want him even more.


    He also gets rid of my panties, looks me in the eyes, moves his gaze down my body for a moment,es to my mouth, gives me a long kiss, and moves down again until he reaches my belly button. Then he ys with his tongue, even more, making me arch my body, and I hear himughing, making me shiver from the heat of his mouth against my skin.


    He then holds my ass with both hands and moves his mouth down slowly, making me whimper in anticipation and arch my body again when his tongue starts making perfect, painfully torturous movements between my legs.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    She¡¯s holding my hair tight and making some sounds that are no longer moans but something that makes me even moremitted to doing a good job here, and she tastes so good I could stay like this for hours.


    Then she holds my hair tightly, following with a moan that is louder and sexier than the previous ones, and I realize that she has cum. And when I look at her face, she has a huge, satisfied smile as she tries to breathe normally again.


    This woman is too sexy for me.


    I stand up and walk towards her, and she stands up and takes me by surprise as she kisses me and secondster makes me lie down, and she is on top of me.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    As she kisses me even better than ever, her hand slowly moves down and unbuttons my jeans.


    I¡¯ve been hard since we started kissing in the living room, so when she puts her hand inside my boxer shorts and starts touching me like this, it¡¯s a relief, followed by a feeling of wanting even morefort.


    But I have to hold back, which only gets moreplicated every second with how she wraps her hand around me.


    Then I say:


    ¡±You¡¯re pretty handy with that hand, huh.¡±


    Sheughs.


    I like the sound of herughter. She then lifts her body and raises her hands in the air, making me smile now, and she looks at me for a while.


    I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on in her mind, and I¡¯m not going to keep waiting and thinking about something else like wanting to escape me now.


    So I get rid of my jeans and boxer shorts, then realize that I don¡¯t have a condom.


    I swear I stand still for a few seconds. I think Molly notices because sheughs andes over to me, opens the desk drawer beside me by the bed, and takes out a condom, handing it to me.


    I realize that I am really in love with this woman.


    The problem is that I don¡¯t know if she feels the same way. But I won¡¯t question it now because I need to record how she is looking at me in my mind. After all, she might regret what we are doing and never look at me like she does now.


    I go back to her mouth and try to record in my mind every second, every kiss, and the way she is touching me. And when I prate her slowly, it¡¯s like I¡¯m finally getting everything I¡¯ve ever wanted from Molly, and it¡¯s not just her body. It¡¯s her attention, desire, touch, everything from her.


    I want her never to be with another man again, the way I¡¯m thinking about never being with another woman who isn¡¯t her.


    And I catch myself trying to make this moment for her at least a third of how unforgettable it is for me.


    ¡­ Molly¡­.


    I stare for a while at nothing as I try to control my breathing and get it back to normal. Chris is still over my body, but then he lets his body fall to the side.


    I still stare at anything that I don¡¯t keep my focus on it. It¡¯s easier than looking at Chris. And finally, I realized what we had just done, and we had sex.


    I had sex with the guy I swore I would always hate, the guy who made me hell for a long time, and the guy who is my best friend¡¯s brother, and it was one of the best sex of my life.


    I close my eyes for a while and take a deep breath, I know he is looking at me, but I still keep staring at anything that is not him.


    He stays like this for a while, then asks:


    ¡±Where is your bathroom?¡±


    I point him toward the bathroom door, and he stands up. I even try not to look in his order, but then I would miss appreciating that perfect buttocks he knows he has. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be walking around my room naked like that.

 Chapter 38 Molly/Chris/Molly

    I¡¯m thinking again about what we did. Chris will now be bragging about having the one thing I could deny him. How could I have been so stupid as to allow this?Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But I also think about how he made this morning one of the best of my life in recent times.


    I am so confused now that when hees out of the bathroom, I instantly turn towards him, and oh my God, I really shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    And now I¡¯m staring at him naked, as my eyes go down and stop at a particr part. My eyes betray me and stay there for far too long. I didn¡¯t have much time to appreciate it before, but now I can see why he has such a big ego. There is an excellent reason for this, and what a sense.


    When I finally look into his face again, I think he realizes what I was doing and has a smile on the corner of his mouth.


    I stand up and walk towards the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I don¡¯t want Chris to tell me that he finally got what he wanted, dressed, and left.


    And I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s confused out there. Maybe he isn¡¯t, and perhaps he¡¯s just boasting that he got me into my bed. Damn it!


    I take an unhurried shower, and maybe he has realized that this is a cue for him to go home while I suffer for having allowed myself to have sex with him.


    I dry off, wrap myself in my towel, open the bathroom door, and find Chris sleeping peacefully in my bed.


    I swear I didn¡¯t expect that.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I swear I won¡¯t forgive myself if she regrets what happened. She has been staring at nothing for a long time and says nothing. Unlike before, she moaned and even said my name a few times.


    I won¡¯t say anything to confuse her, and I know that she is weighing everything in her mind. I wish she wouldn¡¯t do this, but I have found that with Molly, all I need is time and patience so that I will adhere to that.


    I go into the bathroom to give her a break, hoping she doesn¡¯t kick me out when I leave because I don¡¯t want her to do that. I want to stay with her and tell her that I won¡¯t do anything Colin has done to hurt her, but I think it¡¯s better to wait.


    I like it when she stares at me when Ie out of the bathroom. That was one of the reasons that caught my attention the most about her, and she can¡¯t pretend that she finds me attractive, but she loves to deny it, especially when I can¡¯t resist and end upughing.


    She ran to the bathroom when I left, and maybe it was time for me to go home and try to talk to herter.


    I grab my pants and get dressed, sitting on her bed, but I am too sleepy from not getting the best night¡¯s sleep, and it is her fault. Maybe she will take her time in the shower and give me time to get some sleep.


    ¡­


    ¡±Hey, Chris.¡±


    I open my eyes to find Molly shaking me and saying:


    ¡±Julie is here!¡±


    I sit up in bed, still half drowsy and wondering:


    ¡±What?¡±


    ¡±Your sister is here!¡±


    ¡±And what about her?¡±


    ¡±What do you mean? How will I exin to her that you were here with me?¡±


    I¡¯m still a little confused and question:


    ¡±So do you want¡­?¡±


    ¡±That you don¡¯t do what you always do.¡±


    I end upughing and ask:


    ¡± Which would be?¡±


    ¡±To find a way out and make me embarrassed.¡±


    Iugh even moreplexly.


    ¡±So please don¡¯t leave before she leaves.¡±


    She almost begs, and I give in:


    ¡±Okay. I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t look confident but says:


    ¡±Fine, I¡¯ll go back to the room.¡±


    But she still looks at me suspiciously. I wish she didn¡¯t feel that way about me, but I know I worked too hard to make her see me that way, and now I can¡¯t me her.


    I hear Julie¡¯s voice, and I sit in bed for a while. I look around her room, and I can¡¯t tell much more about her personality than I already know just by looking around.


    She has everything organized, and I wouldn¡¯t think otherwise, but otherwise, all a mystery, a mystery that I would love to unravel.


    I still can¡¯t believe she was with me, and I can¡¯t quite believe what we did. I look like a fool.


    Where is the guy who said he would never love another woman in his life?


    I pick up her pillow and bring it up to my face. It still has her perfume on it and¡­


    ¡±Chris?¡±


    When I pull the pillow away from my face, she stares at me in surprise.


    It would be a good time to die right now.


    ¡­. Molly¡­


    I stand there for a while, mentally wondering if I am seeing what I think.


    Is Chris having my pillow buried in his face?


    I stare at him for a few seconds.


    I realize that I am in no position to say anything because he has already caught me doing the same.


    So I say:


    ¡±Julie¡¯s gone. You can leave now.¡±


    He stands up, and I could swear that in his eyes that he is grateful that I did not mention the fact that I had urred earlier.


    ¡­


    We are in the living room, there is still this strange atmosphere, and it doesn¡¯t help to keep looking at him and remembering his body without any clothes on.


    I am still afraid that at any moment, he will throw it in my face that he got what he wanted and start smiling.


    But he walks to the door.


    I say, kind of on impulse:


    ¡±Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 39 Molly/

    He then turns and looks at me.


    I continue:


    ¡±For not leaving the room when I asked.¡±


    He says:


    ¡±I¡¯m not as bad as you think.¡±


    He has a half-smile and closes the door, and leaves my apartment, leaving me unresponsive.


    I sit down on the couch and recap what happened between us.


    And what kind of mood is this between us now?


    Does he feel the same way I do and is afraid I will do something to boast somehow?


    The problem with starting a game like this is that you have no idea when it ends.


    ¡­


    ¡­ A few dayster¡­


    I wanted to concentrate on ss, but I still remember that morning.


    I haven¡¯t met Chris anymore, and I have even avoided going to Julie¡¯s, but the few times I have seen him, he doesn¡¯t seem interested in keeping up the game we created.


    I even miss his teasing, and this is the height of absurdity for me.


    ¡­


    ¡±Do you want to study for the exam today?¡±


    I ask, and Julie answers:


    ¡±You know today is Friday, and I¡¯m going out with Brennan.¡±


    I¡¯m smiling, a little embarrassed, and she continues:


    ¡±You should go out too. The exam is still Monday, Molly. Do something, have fun, we¡¯ll study Sunday afternoon, I promise.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if she will be avable on Sunday afternoon, but I answer:


    ¡±Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡±


    After thinking all afternoon, I get up from the couch and walk toward the front door.


    I know he is home because Julie told me he would be there if I needed some of the books she bought from a collectionst month.


    I open the door, which is not locked, enter slowly, and head for the stairs.


    I knock on the door to his room.


    Secondster, he opens the door, looking surprised to see me.


    I would love it if his hair were all messed up, and he looked like he just woke up, and his shirtless didn¡¯t make him so irresistible.


    I try to take my eyes off his abdomen and say:


    ¡±Can I talk to you?¡±


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    She¡¯s standing in my bedroom doorway, staring at me with a face that shows that if I don¡¯t say something now, she¡¯ll turn around and walk away.


    So I say what I¡¯m thinking:


    ¡±Molly?¡±


    She still looks ufortable when she smiles and says:


    ¡±Hi Chris.¡±


    I still look at her a bit confused because she has been avoiding me a lot thesest few days, and since I decided to leave her space to think, we haven¡¯t seen each other much. It leads me to ask:


    ¡±Did you want to talk to Julie? I think she left.¡±


    She bites her lips a little apprehensively, making me stare at them at the moment, remembering how good they taste. But she makes me look into her eyes again when she replies:


    ¡±No.¡±


    I stare at her even more confused, and she continues:


    ¡± I came to talk to you.¡±


    I take a deep breath. I think I have an idea of what Molly came to talk about. She wants to forget everything that happened and ask us to go on with our lives, like when I kissed her while she was still engaged.


    So I say:


    ¡±Come in.¡±


    She seems a little reluctant, but shees into my room, and I close the door. She rolls her eyes again down my body. I like it, but I disguise it. Then she turns around, takes another deep breath, and looks at me again, saying to herself.


    ¡±How can I say it?¡±


    I have an idea of whates next. Molly ran her hand through her hair, lowered her eyes on me quickly again, then looked into my eyes and moved closer.


    Then she asks:


    ¡±What do you say we call a truce?¡±


    I still look at her, confused because I don¡¯t know what she is talking about. At least I am relieved that it is not what I was thinking, and I question:


    ¡±What do you mean?¡±


    She moves closer, and I know she notices what she is doing to me, thus getting closer and closer. She says:


    ¡±It is obvious that you are attracted to me.¡±


    I almost roll my eyes, but she continues:


    ¡±And well, I¡¯m attracted to you too.¡±


    I like where this is going, so I just let it continue:


    ¡±So why don¡¯t we use this to our advantage instead of repressing ourselves every time we feel this way?¡±


    Okay. Some of it I swear I understood and was interested. But I want to understand itpletely. So I say:


    ¡±So I like what you said. But I honestly don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting at.¡±


    She takes another deep breath and continues:


    ¡±So I¡¯m saying that you don¡¯t want romance, me much less, but if we match so well and are attracted to each other, why can¡¯t we have that?¡±


    Wow, that¡¯s all I can think of if she¡¯s up for it. But I have to be sure, and I ask:


    ¡±Are you suggesting that we have sex like friends with benefits?¡±


    From how she looks at me, I don¡¯t need an answer. I say:


    ¡±Wow.¡±


    She bites back a slightly dull smile but still looks at me without understanding that this is one of the best things a woman can say to a guy.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I ask:


    ¡±Do you need me to give you an answer?¡±


    Then I move even closer to her and start kissing her.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I think he approved of the idea. Not that I thought he would disapprove, but I like how he takes it all in stride and thenes up to me with this dimpled smile that blows me away and kisses me.


    I don¡¯t know if we need to set more rules or if this will work. But I haven¡¯t thought about it much because I lose the courage to do things whenever I feel too much.


    I woke up yesterday thinking of making this proposal to him because I realized that I kept thinking about that morning we spent together in my bed.

 Chapter 40 Molly/Chris

    Since we have so much attraction and desire for each other, let¡¯s use this while itsts, I know that one hour or another, it will pass, and we will be fine. After all, we don¡¯t want any love involvement in this.


    While our lips are connected, and our tongues are in a very simr rhythm and in the same delicious way as I remembered, Chris turns me around, takes a few steps, lifts me slowly, and ces me on a table against the wall near the door.


    Then I remember something, and between gasping breaths and hands all over our bodies, I say:


    ¡±I need you to promise me something.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t stop kissing me and tries to lift my shirt off my body, and says:


    ¡±Uhum!¡±


    I pull away from his mouth again and say:


    ¡±I¡¯m serious, Chris!¡±


    He then stops for a moment and says:


    ¡±Okay. What is it?¡±


    I look into his eyes and say:


    ¡±I need Julie not to know about this for now.¡±


    He looks at me, and I insist:


    ¡± Promise?¡±


    He takes a deep breath, raises his hand in the air as if in a courtroom, and says:


    ¡±I promise.¡±


    I end upughing as I see him do that, and he says:


    ¡±Now, can we move on? Because I¡¯ve been thinking about this for days.¡±


    But he doesn¡¯t let me react to what he said and goes back to my mouth, and his hands work getting rid of my shirt, leaving me in just my bra.


    He opens a drawer in the table where we are sitting and takes out a condom. I look at him, and he questions:


    ¡±What?¡±


    It¡¯s so obvious who he is and what he looks like that I don¡¯t even answer, and he says:


    ¡±I¡¯m just a cautious guy. You never know when a girl will knock on your door and ask you for sex with no strings attached.¡±


    I p him on the arm. Heughs in a friendly and rxed way showing his damn dimples, and says:


    ¡±Just kidding.¡±


    He stares at me, and I stare back. He makes a sad little face that I know aplishes a lot of things with women, but I still stare, and he says:


    ¡±Please don¡¯t say I ruined the mood.¡±


    I hold myself together to keep fromughing, and he continues: I don¡¯t want to go into that bathroom over there and end it again by myself because of you.


    Wow. I didn¡¯t expect to hear that. But Chris knows he has my attention now. I ask:


    ¡±And have you ever done this because of me?¡±


    He smiles in a way that puts me in the mood again as if I wasn¡¯t already.


    He moves closer and says:


    ¡±I think I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I¡¯ve done it.¡±


    I don¡¯t care anymore about his nonsense, and he realizes it because he has already kissed me again.


    I don¡¯t even notice much when he puts on the condom because I¡¯m busy leaving kisses on his neck, making himugh.


    My skirt has already lifted around my waist, and my panties are pulled aside, and I get lost in the feeling of him entering me slowly, slowly settling in and making me even more sure that we are very good at this.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I like how well our bodies match together. Molly is a fantastic woman. She has no idea that for us to keep this up, I can say yes to any condition she has.


    I know she doesn¡¯t want to tell my sister, I don¡¯t understand why we have to hide it, but if she needs it to be that way, I¡¯m not going to disagree and make her walk away again.


    Not that I will stop knowing she has all this power over me, wildly while she¡¯s kissing me the way she¡¯s doing now.


    As soon as we finish, sheys her head on my shoulder for a while to catch her breath. We didn¡¯t even have time to go to my bed.


    It feels good to be this close to her, but I don¡¯t want her to think that somehow I am forcing something more intimate. So I ask:


    ¡±Do you want a second round?¡±


    Sheughs into my neck, making her whole body sway together around mine, and then pulls away, looks me in the eye, and says:


    ¡±I¡¯d like to, but I just came to get some of Julie¡¯s books to study for a test on Monday.¡±


    Then she pulls down her skirt, I step a few inches away from her body, and she picks up her blouse and gets dressed. She holds my face and gives me a quick kiss saying:


    ¡±That was great. We¡¯ll set up another round soon.¡±


    I¡¯ll be right there.


    And she leaves my room.


    It¡¯s strange that everything here now seems duller without her around. I don¡¯t want her to do all that talking, but she does. And I still haven¡¯t decided whether this is a good thing.


    I go to the bathroom and take a long shower.


    ¡­


    It iste afternoon on Sunday, and Adam sends a message saying that he is already at the bar we drink at quite often.


    ¡±She did what?¡±


    Adam asks me with the same look on his face that I think I made when I heard Molly propose. I answer:


    ¡±That¡¯s just what you heard.¡±


    He still seems to be enjoying the situation:


    ¡±Man, you are so lucky.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±I know.¡±


    He continues:N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡±At least now you don¡¯t have to hide how much you¡¯ve always been fond of this woman.¡±


    ¡±Hey, no way man!¡±


    He looks back at me so that I know I don¡¯t even need to disguise, and I¡¯ve always had a thing for Molly.


    It only bes more evident to Adam and me when some hot girls look in our direction, and I don¡¯t care much. But as soon as Adam starts looking at me with that debauched chuckle, I decide that I will not let myself be teased like that. I look at one of the girls, the one I noticed that Adam liked the most, and she smiles back, making him angry, and I end upughing the hardest now.

 Chapter 41 Chris/Molly/Chris

    They introduce themselves, and the brtees closer to me, leaving her friend talking to Adam. We are talking, and he, bypetition, asks the brte next to me a question. He knows that it¡¯s not unusual for me to win these crazypetitions that we get into, but he still tries.


    I am already positioning myself to y harder, but my cell phone vibrates with a message, and as soon as I check the name on the screen, Adan looks at me, knowing that I will lose this one.


    The message says everything I wanted to read on a Sunday afternoon:


    ¡°Would you like a second-round now?¡±


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I am alone at home. It is Sunday afternoon, and I have nothing to do but lie on the couch watching TV.


    I don¡¯t know what Chantal has gotten herself into, but she is having more fun than I am. I think everybody is having more fun than I am. Julie isn¡¯t home either, which reminds me of her brother. It also makes me pick up my phone and text him, and he promptly replies:


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Now I am in my room choosing something nice to wear, which doesn¡¯t show that I stopped what I was doing to get ready to wait for him.


    I wear just a basic T-shirt and jeans shorts. Sometimeter, almost half an hour, I heard knocking at the door. I want to say that I am not anxious, but in fact, I am.


    When I open the door, I see Chris fully dressed as if he is going to a party oring back from one. He looks fantastic, and I swear I have to hold myself back from throwing myself at him right now. But I choose to smile gracelessly and say:


    ¡± I didn¡¯t know you were out or going out.¡±


    He says nothing, and I continue:


    ¡±We can leave it for another time and¡­¡±


    He interrupts me by saying:


    ¡±No. We are still going out.¡±


    I look at him a little confused and ask:


    ¡±What do you mean?¡±


    He says:


    ¡±You¡¯re going out with me.¡±


    Still a little surprised, he walks past me and sits down on the couch.


    I turn to him, still looking like I don¡¯t understand, and he says:


    ¡± I¡¯ll wait for you to change. But please don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    I still look at him, and he gets up andes towards me, holds one side of my face with his hand, and approaches me, saying:


    ¡±I swear I wanted round two right now. Right then, I did.¡±


    He closes his eyes for a few seconds, and it makes me want tough because I know what he means, but I hold back, and he continues:


    ¡±But I have to make at least you change, if only a little bit, how you see it. So lets at least go out once and make this work even better.¡±


    He looks me in the eye, and I catch myself thinking, how will I say no by looking in those eyes like that?


    I end up agreeing:


    ¡±Okay.¡±


    He gives me a quick kiss and heads toward the couch again. I go to my room. I never take long to get ready for a date, so this will be quick. I choose a not too short ck dress and a cardigan because it is a little chilly.


    ¡­


    Sometimeter, I¡¯m ready. Chris stands up when he sees me, looks me up and down, and says:


    ¡± Wow, you look beautiful.¡±


    I wish thatment didn¡¯t make me happy, but it does.


    He adds:


    ¡± I wish Julie was that quick.¡±


    I end upughing because I know what he is talking about. Going out with Julie is waiting half a century for her to be ready.


    I like this version of Chris, I don¡¯t know what he wants with all this, but at least I am no longer as suspicious as before.


    ¡­ Chris¡­Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I know I have no right to be jealous, but I wouldn¡¯t say I like how the guys here look at her as we walk into this restaurant.


    She would look at me from the corner of her eye when we weren¡¯t talking in the car on the way here. I like to know that my invitation impressed her in some way.


    ¡±I think this is a good ce.¡±


    I say as we sit down at the table. Molly still looks at me in a way that makes me ask with augh as well:


    ¡±What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    She still masks a smile as she answers:


    ¡±Nothing. It¡¯s just that this whole thing it¡¯s a little weird.¡±


    I ask:


    ¡±Weird good or weird bad?¡±


    She analyzes for a while and smiles, saying:


    ¡± weird and good!¡±


    I smile back and catch myself thinking I like seeing her smile. There haven¡¯t been many times since I met her that she has smiled directly at me.


    And this reminds me that I have and need to work a little moreplicated if I want to change her opinion of me.


    But I don¡¯t want to be exaggerated because I¡¯m not like that, and I don¡¯t think Molly is the kind of girl who would like, for example, to have the chair at the table pulled out for her to sit on. But I think if she made it clear that she likes it, I would even consider making an effort.


    I also wish she hadn¡¯t worn this dress with this neckline because it¡¯s hard for me to concentrate on food right now.


    I take a deep breath. We don¡¯t talk about many things, but there¡¯s not enough to make us awkward, and that¡¯s good. Molly is good at this, at socializing. I¡¯d rather keep my mouth busy otherwise.


    She catches me staring at her cleavage for the tenth time or so andughs as she asks me:


    ¡± Won¡¯t you want to finish your dinner?¡±


    I look at her and say a little lower so that no one can hear us:


    ¡±That¡¯s not really what I want to eat at the moment.¡±

 Chapter 42 Chris/Molly/Chris

    Molly chokes a little and takes a long gulp of water. I find it amusing. Then she says:


    ¡± I forgot that you never control your tongue.¡±


    I find it even funnier and give her a suggestive look, making her blush even more.


    ¡­


    I like the tension between us in the car. I like even more the suggestive nces that we exchange. It¡¯s great not having to disguise or hide how much I want her, and it¡¯s even better to see it in her eyes too.


    ¡­


    She opens the door to her apartment, and we enter, but as she closes the door, we already start kissing. She says between our half-desperate kiss:


    ¡± I enjoyed dinner.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Me too, but I¡¯m still hungry. ¡±


    Sheughs and says:


    ¡±I can¡¯t be serious with you.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Then you don¡¯t.¡±


    And I shut her mouth again with a kiss.


    We are on the couch because her room seems far away now.


    The top of her dress is under her bra, and my shirt is on the floor. She scratches my back as she makes these sexy sounds between our kisses.


    Then we hear one:


    ¡±Uuuhhh! so you guys couldn¡¯t resist, huh?¡±


    Molly quickly pulls away from me, and we see Chantal standing in the doorway staring at us.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    Climate killer is now indeed Chantal¡¯s official nickname. I almost died of my heart when I heard her voice at the door, for a second I thought it was Julie. But Chantal continues:


    ¡± Well, I knew you guys were hiding something from me. ¡±


    We don¡¯t even have to answer her while I try to pull myself together and put my clothes back in their rightful ce.


    I don¡¯t think we¡¯re embarrassed that she¡¯s caught us like this, but this is weird because she keeps looking in our direction with this giggle on her lips. I think she¡¯s had a little too much to drink, and I don¡¯t know. She then says:


    ¡± Well, I¡¯m going to my room now, and I advise you to go too because Julie is outside and she said she¡¯s going toe here to see you, Molly.¡±


    I have no idea how I get away from Chris as fast as I am doing now, and Chantalughs even harder, saying:


    ¡±I¡¯m kidding, guys.¡±


    And heads to her room. Chris looks at me, and I look at Chris. I think he¡¯s thinking the same thing I am. Then I say:


    ¡±Maybe we should go to my room.¡±


    He agrees.


    ¡­


    It has been a few minutes since Chris went home. I am taking my shower and feeling good because I told him the truth. I wish I didn¡¯t keep reminding myself how scared I was when Chantal said that Julie wasing. I wouldn¡¯t say I like to hide all this from her; she has always been my best friend. But it¡¯s also not easy toe to your best friend and say: ¡°Remember that brother of yours that I hated so much?


    Maybe it¡¯s not even the fact of telling her that¡¯s bothering me, and I think I know how Julie feels about these friendship rtionships with benefits. She always believes that in the end, everything will stabilize and the couple will stay together, which is not the case with Chris. I know he doesn¡¯t want that, he has had his disappointments, and so have I, so I think we¡¯ll be OK with it.


    ¡­


    Chantal has already prepared breakfast as soon as I wake up. She looks at me out of the corner of her eye as I sit down at the table. She takes a deep breath and then says:


    ¡±I¡¯m sorry about yesterday! I was a wreck!¡±


    I end up smiling and saying:


    ¡±It¡¯s OK.¡±


    When she realizes that I am not angry about what happened, she says:


    ¡±So what?¡±


    I question:


    ¡±So what?¡±


    She moves even closer and says:


    ¡±Like what? Since when are you and Chris making out?¡±


    I feel a little embarrassed now, but I say:


    ¡±It¡¯s no big deal. We¡¯re just having fun.¡±


    She says:


    ¡±Naughty girl! I always told you that you had a crush on each other. You just didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    I end upughing and say:


    ¡±That¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking, but that¡¯s OK. I think we¡¯re OK with it.¡±


    She smiles, and I continue:


    ¡±By the way, I don¡¯t want Julie to know about this now, please.¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    She pretends to run a zipper over her mouth with her fingers and says:


    ¡±I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    But she still looks at me and continues:


    ¡± But you know that being gged likest night on the couch will be a little hard to hide, right?


    I think about what she said. Chantal is right. We should be more discreet from now on.¡±


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    I¡¯m not as productive at work as I¡¯d like to be, and there¡¯s one culprit for my inattention: Molly. I haven¡¯t been sleeping very well, and I know I shouldn¡¯t be this anxious, that this is ridiculous. Still, on the nights I go out or stay in, I check my phone a few times to see if, for some reason, she talks to me about any random subject or maybe invites me to her apartment, but nothing.


    It has been a few days since she called or talked to me much. At most, we exchange nces and greetings in the hallway or when shees to our apartment. I think she is in an exam period at college and therefore has no time.


    It is Friday night, and I am focused on my game when my cell phone vibrates. I like that it is a message from her.


    ¡°Are you home?¡±


    It takes me a few seconds after reading this in the notification bar not to let on how badly I wanted to receive this message from her. So I reply after a while.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She replies next.


    ¡°Could you do me a favor?¡±


    I reply:


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She types back:


    ¡°Will youe over here?¡±


    I leave my game on pause, but I know I won¡¯t be back too soon.

 Chapter 43 Chris/Molly

    I am excited for what is toe, the door is not locked, and as soon as I open it, I realize that Molly is not in the living room or the kitchen. Maybe she¡¯s already in the bedroom waiting for me, and I get even more excited. That woman has some fucking lingerie. I decide to call for her after noticing the silence in the apartment.


    ¡±Molly?¡±


    I hear her voiceing from the bedroom:


    ¡± I¡¯m here.¡±


    I go towards her room, already smiling, and open the door to wait for a pleasant surprise. Molly is under the covers and lifts her head when she sees me. She doesn¡¯t look well at all. I approach her and ask:


    ¡±What happened? What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    She says:


    ¡±My head hurts like hell. ¡±


    I instinctively put my hand on her forehead, and she is burning up. I stand up and say:


    ¡±You need to go to a hospital.¡±


    She says:


    ¡±No! It¡¯s just a cold. I wouldn¡¯t say I like hospitals. I¡¯ll be fine, and I need you to get me a painkiller from the bathroom. I can¡¯t even lift my head.¡±


    I walk towards the bathroom and find a box with some medicine in it. I take one I know is for pain because I have taken it before and then go to the kitchen to get a ss of water.


    She takes medicine and lies down again. I ask her:


    ¡±Where is Chantal?¡±


    And she says:


    ¡±I don¡¯t know, she went out.¡±


    After a few seconds, she tells me:


    ¡±Thank you. You can go now, Chris.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±But you are alone.¡±


    ¡± I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡±Are you sure?¡±


    ¡±Chris: Yes.¡±


    I continue:


    ¡±If you need anything else, anything at all, you can text me, right?¡±


    She shakes her head affirmatively and closes her eyes again.


    I got up from where I sat next to her on the bed and left the room, closing the door slowly.


    ¡­


    I really won¡¯t be able to continue this game knowing that Molly is in such a wrong way like that. I¡¯ve never seen her like that before. I go to the kitchen and look in the cupboard for things Julie uses to make tea. She has several, so I do a quick search for which one is ideal for someone with a cold. Only then do I realize that I will have to watch a tutorial on how to make tea.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    It¡¯s as if any noise I hear in this house is tripled in sound. Then I hear when the door is opened again just after a time when Chris has left. Secondster, my bedroom door is opened, I expect it to be Chantal or maybe Julie, but to my surprise, it is Chris.


    So I show my surprise when I ask:


    ¡±Chris?¡±


    He enters slowly and closes the door behind him. He is holding a ss in his hands and asks me:


    ¡±Are you feeling better.¡±


    I sit up in bed and say:


    ¡± It¡¯s a little better!¡±


    My head still hurts, but not like it was hurting before. He approaches me, and I hold out the ss, saying:


    ¡±It¡¯s tea. They say it¡¯s good to help you get better soon. ¡±


    I¡¯m a little stunned right now, but I choose to say thank you as I take the cup from him. He seemed to care about me, and for the second time in my life, after I met him, I appreciated how he was acting toward me. First, it was that surprise dinner, and now this.


    I bring the ss up to my nose and smell the mint, then say:


    ¡±That sounds good.¡±


    He smiles as he watches me drink the tea. It¡¯s a little sweeter than tea should be but still good. He is sitting on my bed, and as I finish my tea, I ask:


    ¡±Why are you home on a Friday night? ¡±


    He looks a little embarrassed now but quickly changes his manner and says:


    ¡±I have this game that I¡¯ve been trying to finish for days.¡±


    Iugh, and he has always been a fan of these things. I remember the times I have seen him ying in the living room.


    Then I say:


    ¡± You know I don¡¯t demand any exclusivity.¡±


    It seems to take him by surprise, but he promptly says:


    ¡±Of course, I do.¡±


    I feel better after he proves that he knows that, that he can be with other people, that what we have doesn¡¯t prevent him or me from being with someone else.


    I finish my tea, and he picks up my ss cing it on my bedside table. He then asks:


    ¡±You have been sick since when?¡±


    ¡±Since earlier today, after I got back from ss.¡±


    ¡±Why didn¡¯t you call Julie or something? I bet she would have been here to help you.¡±


    ¡±She¡¯s at Brennan¡¯s because he¡¯s painting his apartment.¡±


    ¡±Of course, I forgot about that. ¡±


    ¡±You could have called me.¡±


    ¡± I didn¡¯t mean to bother you.¡±


    ¡±You never do.¡±


    I smile faintly. I prefer this new Chris. Then he says:N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡±Can I stay here with you fofor a while?¡±


    ¡±I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be a goodpany today.¡±


    He answers:


    ¡± You always are.¡±


    I am speechless, and he smiles as hees to lie down next to me with a cell phone in his hand, then says:


    ¡±I don¡¯t have anywhere else to be, and you are the first person to take a tea I have made. I have to wait a while to see if you won¡¯t have any adverse reactions.¡±


    I end upughing, making me hold my forehead with my hand so that the pain of the exertion passes soon. He puts his hand on my forehead and says that I am not as hot as I used to be, then asks me to lie down, and I do because my body is asking for it.

 Chapter 44 Chris/Molly

    A few minutester, she seems to be asleep already. I recheck her temperature and realize she no longer has a fever. That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll wait just a few more minutes, maybe Chantal won¡¯t show up, so I¡¯ll be less worried about leaving Molly alone.


    There¡¯s nowhere else I want to be right now. I told her so, but I¡¯m sure of it. Being with Molly is good, and even though she said all that stuff about being with other people, I know I can do it. I¡¯m just not sure I want to do it. But this is not the time to think about it.


    I am looking at my social media when I hear Molly mumbling something. I ask:


    ¡±What did you say?¡±


    But she doesn¡¯t open her eyes, mumbles something I can¡¯t understand again, and says my name at the end. I asked again what she said because I¡¯m very interested now, but she didn¡¯t say anything else. It must be traces of the fever. But it makes me curious, and maybeter I can ask her, or maybe not.


    I¡¯ll take a nap here, and I¡¯lle home to my paused game and my bed in a little while.


    ¡­


    I open my eyes and try to adjust to my ce, but I can¡¯t. It is warm here. However, this is not my bed. When I turn around, I remember that I¡¯m still in Molly¡¯s room, in Molly¡¯s bed.


    I look at my cell phone, which has gone under my body, and sees it is already seven in the morning. When I am about to leave, Molly mumbles something and turns to my side, making me stay still instantly, but that doesn¡¯t stop her from waking up and looking at me, scared.


    She says:


    ¡±Chris?¡±


    I smile gracelessly and say:


    ¡±I think I fell asleep right here. Are you feeling better?¡±


    She promptly replies:


    ¡±Yes, but I¡¯m all wet.¡±


    I know I shouldn¡¯t find what she said now exciting, but that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve done it. She can tell by my smug smile and stands up, saying:


    ¡±Oh my God, Chris. I had a fever, that is for sure sweat and nothing your dirty mind is thinking. ¡±


    I end upughing, but only because she does the same. She then says:


    ¡±Thank you for yourpany and for taking care of me, but I think my illness is already affecting my dignity, and I don¡¯t want anyone in this world looking at me in the critical state of beauty I am in now.¡±


    Women. I want to roll my eyes, but I decide not to. I say:


    ¡±Okay, Miss Congeniality, I¡¯m going home. ¡±


    She thanks me and takes a towel, and goes toward the bathroom. I go toward the bedroom door, open it, and when I reach the living room, Julie ising in through the front door, stares at me with a surprised expression for a few seconds, and asks:


    ¡±Chris?¡±


    I answer:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    She asks:


    ¡±What are you doing here at this hour?¡±


    Now I¡¯m screwed.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I leave the bathroom because I remember that I need to get some soap from the kitchen cab, then I hear Julie¡¯s voice. I feel myself freezing at the same instant when I also hear Chris¡¯s voice. Shit, she must have run into him on her way out of here. I don¡¯t feel ready to tell her everything, but I have to face it head.


    I take a deep breath and head toward the living room, but Chris has his hand on the doorknob and is already on his way out. He turns to me, who meets my scared eyes, and smiles like he always did when he wanted to pull one of those pranks on me.


    Then he walks out the door, and I look back at Julie, whoes toward me and hugs me, asking:


    ¡±Are you feeling better?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Yes, I am.¡±


    I¡¯m still a little airborne from what happened, which I don¡¯t even know what it was. Julie sees me with this face and asks:¡¯


    ¡± What is it?¡±


    I say, trying to cover it up as best I can:


    ¡±Nothing.¡±


    She goes towards the sofa and sits down, saying:


    ¡±I¡¯m d you asked Chris for helpst night. I¡¯m so happy you two are getting along better. I¡¯m a mess myself, and I didn¡¯t know I would get so tired helping out at Brennan¡¯s house.¡±


    I am more relieved now, and she gets up and says:


    ¡± I just came by to see you, you didn¡¯t look good this morning, but I didn¡¯t think it would get this bad.¡±


    I am still curious to know what Chris told her, but I choose not to ask and say:


    ¡±Yeah, I got a little worse at night, but nothing too serious.¡±


    She stands up and says:


    ¡±I think I¡¯ll be right there. Come overter, and we can talk or watch a movie.¡±


    I smile at her and say that I will, but at the moment, I want to take a shower.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    During my shower, I think about everything that happened, how Chris was so friendly to mest night and how he somehow managed to convince Julie that he didn¡¯t sleep here. Or did he tell her? No, Julie wouldn¡¯t let something like that go by without wanting to know everything.


    I decided that if I wanted to know what happened, I better ask him and do thatter.


    ¡­


    It is Saturday afternoon, and I have decided toe to Julie¡¯s house as she suggested earlier. I am d Chris is not here. I don¡¯t know where he is, but I am also not going to send a message asking or even asking Julie about his whereabouts. The fact is that I feel morefortable without him around because I¡¯m not sure I could disguise the fascination I now have with his nursing skills.


    The movie is almost over, and Julie is more concerned with exchanging messages with her boyfriend when Chrises downstairs and sees mees, approaches where we are, and sits down next to Julie, asking me:


    ¡±Are you feeling better? ¡±


    He doesn¡¯t have those second-guessing giggles he used to have, and Julie doesn¡¯t seem to care about our existence either, so I say:


    ¡±I am.¡±


    He says:


    ¡±Good.¡±


    He looks sincere and then turns his attention to the TV in front of us. I stare at him out of the corner of my eye, I would be morefortable if Julie weren¡¯t here, but this is the first time the three of us have been together after what happened between Chris and me. It¡¯s somehow a little awkward for me. At least he seems to befortable.

 Chapter 45 Chris/Molly

    He catches me looking at him again and smiles, and I go back to watching the TV. My body is much more interested in the feeling of desire for him after yesterday and everything he did.


    Julie says, taking me by surprise:


    ¡±Brennan is inviting us to go to that cool bar his cousin hangs out at. Do you guys want to go?¡±


    I look at Chris, who also looks at me, and I disguise it by looking at Julie and saying:


    ¡± Sure.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Chris also says:


    ¡±I¡¯m going too.¡±


    Great, more time with Chris and Julie at the same time. I think I can behave. I need to.


    But it gets hard to concentrate on this when I look at Chris, who smiles at me while Julie types back to Brennan.


    We are on the couch in the living room: me, Molly, and Brennan. Our cell phones are a distraction or just a cover because there is no conversation we want to get attached to right now. Endless minutester, Brennan decides he can¡¯t wait any longer and goes up the stairs to my sister¡¯s room.


    We both sit on the couch in the living room. After a while and some exchanging of nces, Molly says:


    ¡±Thank you really for staying with me yesterday.¡±


    I smile back and say:


    ¡±It was a pleasure.¡±


    She then takes a deep breath and asks:


    ¡±Do you want to go to that bar?¡±


    I don¡¯t know why she is asking me this, or maybe she wants to talk anyway, so I answer:


    ¡±Why? Did you have other ns in mind?¡±


    I look at her in that way that makes her face flush in a way that I love. But if I thought she would be shy this time, I was wrong. She looks at me in a very provocative way and says:


    ¡±Maybe.¡±


    I¡¯m ready to drop the whole thing, tell Julie I¡¯m staying home, and ask Molly to make up some excuse not to go out too, but Julie and Brennan areing down the stairs now and saying we have to go soon. I stand up and disguise it by putting a hand on what is half evident in the front of my jeans and say:


    ¡±Look who¡¯s in a hurry now.¡±


    Julie tells me to be quiet, and we head for the door. Molly is right behind them and right in front of me. If I know her even slightly, I know she enjoys my situation. I get close to her ear and say softly:


    ¡±You love to tease me like this, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She smiles and turns around, saying:


    ¡±At least now I can fix this for you too.¡±


    Well, if I wanted to feel somehow more relieved, she has not only made that impossible now, but she has made it even more so that I want to stay here and with her for at least the whole night.


    Julie turns around and says:


    ¡±Come on, you two.¡±


    Molly and I look at her with a face that makes her almost feel guilty for beingte, I said almost.


    We head towards the elevator, and when we get to the parking lot of the building, Julie asks Molly if she wants to go with them or if she doesn¡¯t mind going with me because they are still going to pick up a couple of Brennan¡¯s colleagues.


    Molly looks a little disconcerted but finally decides it will be better if she goes with me in my car. I like that, but I don¡¯t let it show because I know she doesn¡¯t want Julie to know about anything between us. I don¡¯t think Julie would get upset about it, but it¡¯s Molly¡¯s wish, just another one I¡¯ve been doing my best to fulfilltely.


    Minutes after we get into the car, Molly asks me:


    ¡±What did you say to Julie when she caught you leaving my house with that guilty face?¡±


    I ended upughing. Molly is curious, and I knew she would not let it go. I say:


    ¡±I just told the truth.¡±


    She looks worried now when she asks:


    ¡± What do you mean?¡±


    ¡±That I had slept with you.¡±


    She is speechless now, and I end upughing and say:


    ¡±Rx, I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    She even puts her hand on her heart, making meugh even moreplex, and I say:


    ¡± I just said how you were at night and that I had gone in the morning to see if you were better.¡±


    She stares forward thoughtfully for a while, and I say:


    ¡±Listen.¡±


    She looks at me, and I continue:


    ¡±I promised I wouldn¡¯t say anything to her. Just trust me, okay?¡±


    She smiles, and I find that I would do a lot to get her to smile at me like that more often.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    We are near a table where there are several sses of alcohol. Chris, just like me, rolls with just one drink since we got here, while the others are already on their third or fourth. The ce is excellent, and there is a dance floor and several lights of different colors. The music is loud but not close enough to where we are to disturb our conversations.


    My gaze meets Chris a few times, I can¡¯t stop thinking about how he was before we came here and my desire for him only increases every time he identally or on purpose makes his spleen touch mine because we are so close here.


    Minutester, he gets up along with Devon, Brennan¡¯s cousin, and they head towards the bar to order more drinks. I know they will take a while because the line is enormous. You can see it from where we are.


    You can also see how Chris is catching the eye of some women standing next to them. They look and smile, and one of them says something to her friend. I look away, and it¡¯s none of my business.


    My gaze doesn¡¯t stay averted for long.


    I try to join in the conversation at the table, but my eyes are going in Chris¡¯s direction. I can already see that they are talking to him.


    I know I shouldn¡¯t care, and I don¡¯t care, but I also know that I wouldn¡¯t say I like the idea of him having another girl today. Oh, stop it, Molly. You don¡¯t want or ask for exclusivity from him. He gets whoever he wants.

 Chapter 46 Molly/ Chris

    Chris catches me looking in their direction.


    ¡±Damn it!¡±


    Julie asks:


    ¡±What¡¯s wrong, Molly?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±No, no big deal.¡±


    But I want to disappear now. I can¡¯t even look in their direction again. But my eyes betray me a few minutester, and I do. The women are no longer there with them. They must have arranged to meet somewhereter. It doesn¡¯t make me very happy.


    Sometimeter, theye back with the drinks, and I see that Devon¡¯s girlfriend has also noticed him talking with those girls and doesn¡¯t seem to like it very much. He says a few things in her ear, and she gets her faceless tied up little by petite.


    I avoid looking at Chris, but it¡¯s hard because he¡¯s standing beside me. I held my ss and stared at him for a while, and I knew that Chris saw me looking at them and checking to see who they were talking to, and there was no way I would lie about it if he asked me. At least he doesn¡¯t do that.


    I bring my ss to my mouth and take a minimal swig of my drink. Chris moves closer to my ear when he realizes that no one is looking at us and asks:


    ¡±Do you want to leave?¡±


    I knew he had arranged with someone else, I think he wanted to take me because he thought it would get awkward, but it won¡¯t. I won¡¯t let him. I think he realizes this and smiles when hees to my ear again and says:


    ¡± I don¡¯t think I asked the question right.¡±


    I look at him, confused, and he smiles even more andes closer again, asking me:


    ¡±Do you want to go away with me? ¡±


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    She waits a few minutes before saying that she thinks she is going home already. I promptly offered to drive her, and she said she didn¡¯t need to, but I insisted. Julie says she¡¯d better take me up on my offer, and after pretending to be reluctant, she decides to ept.


    It¡¯s an inside joke that we can¡¯tugh at, at least not until we¡¯re out of their field of vision.


    ¡±You are a great actor.¡±


    She turns around, and I end upughing as I say it too:


    ¡±You are not far behind.¡±


    She smiles even moreprehensively as we try to find our way through the dancing crowd. Molly starts moving to the music, while we can¡¯t move in the group, and I end up taking her hand, and we start dancing to some music by a DJ that I can¡¯t remember who it is.


    She seems to be enjoying it. I have always known that she is a fan of music. I have heard her singing several times. She sways to the music, and I admire her while she has her eyes closed. She is wonderful.


    She opens her eyes and catches me looking at her like this and smiles, and then she looks at something behind me. Still, when I turn around and ask what it is, shees toward me and kisses me, and I end up letting it go because I have to confess that I have wanted to do this since we got here today.


    A whileter, she pulls away and holds my hand pulling me through the crowd towards the exit. I recognize the woman I talked to earlier today while standing in line at the bar. Then I realize something.


    We are standing outside the bar when I stop, and she does the same, lets go of my hand and asks:


    ¡±What?¡±


    I still stare at her and start tough. I guess from the look on her face, she has some idea of what I saw. I then say:


    ¡±Did you kiss me so she would see?¡±


    Maybe Molly didn¡¯t expect that because she¡¯s blushing now. She crosses her arms and doesn¡¯t look at me, and I begin to think this is quite graceful of her. I still expect an answer, and she knows it, so she looks at me and says:


    ¡±Do you want to talk about this?¡±


    I say the obvious:


    ¡±I do. That¡¯s why I asked.¡±


    She takes a deep breath, then says:


    ¡± It was on impulse, okay?¡±


    Iugh and say:


    ¡± It was out of jealousy.¡±


    She looks at me in surprise, and I almost regret what I said, but it¡¯s true. She then says:


    ¡± I¡¯m not in love with you, Chris.¡±


    That her reaction takes me by surprise now, and I say:N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡±I didn¡¯t say that. ¡±


    We stare at each other now. I wouldn¡¯t say I like this silence as if she is weighing everything and wants to return to where our friends are. Then I hold up the keys, and she takes a deep breath and follows me toward my car.


    I wouldn¡¯t say I like this silence, and as she approaches the passenger door, I grab her around the waist and start kissing her, she doesn¡¯t pull away and secondster is kissing me with the same desire I have, back.


    I think we are better off being quiet. I thank him for unusually breaking this silence, but better than exining why I kissed him in front of that woman again, because even I don¡¯t know.


    His car is in a part of the parking lot where there is minimal light and people around, and the way he is kissing me and running his hands over my body makes me want not to wait until we get home. I think he realizes it because he smiles mischievously and opens the car door for us to get in.


    There isn¡¯t much room in the back seat, but enough for us to find a position that suits us. I don¡¯t know what this guy does to me, that I¡¯m not the least bit afraid of being caught in the act in the back seat with him. At the moment, I want to continue what we are doing.


    I am on top of his body, with my legs tucked between his waist, and I mentally thank myself for choosing toe in a skirt. As we kiss, he climbs his hands under the fabric of my dress, and I bite his lips to keep from letting out a moan and drawing outside attention to us in the car.

 Chapter 47 Molly/Chris

    The problem is that as he realizes how I react to this, he keeps moving his hands up slowly, squeezing my ass, and pulling me against him, making me feel him between my legs.


    I don¡¯t think we can linger here, so even though I¡¯m no good at doing this, I remove my panties amidst someughter from both parties. He grabs a condom from somewhere in his jeans, making me roll my eyes that he forewarned me about what we would do. Or maybe he wasn¡¯t nning on doing it with me, or whatever. I don¡¯t want to think about that right now, and I want to go down slowly, feeling him fill me little by little, making me close my eyes.


    Our movements are limited, but that doesn¡¯t make it any less good. We won¡¯t be long because this is not the ideal ce to be doing this, but it makes it so exciting that he has found a way to be a little firmer and increase his movements taking me to the heights now.


    It is the best part of what is between us. We are a perfect match and don¡¯t need to talk about¡­


    ¡±That¡¯s it!¡±


    He stops at the moment, and weugh as I put my hand over my mouth. He looks at me for a while, biting back a smile, then continues what he was doing before, and I hold my hand to my mouth as I close my eyes and dive deeply into the sensations he is causing me.


    When we are done, and he looks at me like this for a few seconds, it makes it seem like this time was different. It was intense, making me feel fulfilled in a way that made me a little afraid. But I suppose that¡¯s because our forey has started since we were looking at each other in the living room at Julie¡¯s earlier today.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    Molly is not the easiest person to understand, although she doesn¡¯t seem that way at first nce. She alternates between being well, being happy, and also thoughtful. She hasughed at what we did, seemed to relive everything in her memory, and now she is looking at the road ahead thinking, but not in a rxed way, she seems immersed in thought, and something about it all bothers her. I ask:


    ¡±Are you okay?¡±


    She seems to havee out of a trance as she looks at me and forces a smile saying:


    ¡±Yes, I am.¡±


    I don¡¯t insist, but I know there is something else she doesn¡¯t want to tell me, and I do something that I wouldn¡¯t consider it any other situation:


    ¡±I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She looks at me a bit confused, and Iplete:


    ¡±I¡¯m sorry I said that thing about you being jealous.¡±


    Now she looks at me perplexed, and I realize how much this is demanding of me, and she knows it.


    I look back to the road when she finally says:


    ¡±All right, let¡¯s forget about it.¡±


    I smile at her, but secondster, she returns to her private thought zone and stays that way until we reach the parking lot of our building.


    ¡­


    I would love it if she had invited me in with her, and I would also love it if she didn¡¯t seem to regret what we were doing because that is the impression I get sometimes. I¡¯m trying to show her how much I care about her and how much I like her, but it¡¯s hard to do that when she doesn¡¯t allow me into her thoughts, let alone her life, how I want to.


    But I will let her think it over. I know she will make a good decision. She always surprises me. I hope this time it will be in a good way too.


    ¡­


    My cell phone doesn¡¯t receive any messages from her. As much as I haven¡¯t nned anything to do today, it would be a good idea if she at least showed up to see Julie, so I could study how she is doing a little. I could even send a message asking, but I don¡¯t think she would like that.


    I wish I didn¡¯t think about her so much, which makes me nervous. In the afternoon, I give up waiting for her to give me some sign and leave the house, but I pass in front of her apartment. I betray all my principles and knock on her door. Sometimeter, Chantal appears at the door. I ask:


    ¡±Is Molly there?¡±


    Chantal looks at me with a chuckle but then says:


    ¡±No, she left a while ago.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I thank her and decide that it¡¯s better this way. At least it won¡¯t look like I¡¯m running after her, which is very obvioustely.


    I stayed a few hours at Adan¡¯s house, ying a new game to distract myself. I know I shouldn¡¯t be acting like this, but I can¡¯t get her out of my mind and checking my cell phone to see if she decided to call me is one thing that is making it very obvious to me that I am more into her than I thought.


    ¡±We should go out.¡±


    Adan says as I try to move faster than him on the game mission. I nce at him, who is still waiting for an answer. I shrug, and he continues:¡± I don¡¯t know. Just have a drink in Austin.¡±


    Austin is a bar downtown where Adan and I always go on the weekends. I say:


    ¡±Okay.¡±


    And he adds as we get up from the couch:


    Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t let any girl molest you while thinking about your neighbor.


    I pretend to be amused, and heughs even more.


    ¡­


    Strangely enough, I¡¯m not enjoying being here anymore with all these people bumping into us while we¡¯re sitting by the counter.


    You have been thinking so much about this woman that she has already materialized there.


    I follow Adan¡¯s eyes and see Molly sitting at one of the bar tables.

 Chapter 48 Molly/ Chris

    I could have invited Chris in and continued with what we started and ended in the car, but I also can¡¯t stop thinking about what he said about me being jealous.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He can¡¯t be right. What we have is exclusively a colorful friendship, with benefits, nothing major. After the horniness of the moment passed and we did what we did in the car, I started to think about it. I know he apologized afterward, and I was surprised by his attitude, but what if there was some truth in it? What if I was jealous?


    No, Molly, of course not. You can¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t be jealous of him. Chris is not a rtionship guy, and he made it clear as he brought several women to Julie¡¯s apartment. And even though he hasn¡¯t done it that oftentely, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s changed his mind that much.


    I want him to see that I¡¯m not interested in that either, I need to find a way to show him that, and I think I could find a way, yes. I wish I didn¡¯t know about him so much, but even when I don¡¯t want to, I do.


    After thinking a lot about it, I sleep and wake up on Sunday earlier than I would like. I think about going to Julie¡¯s house, but they are still asleep. I get tired of staying at home and decide to go to a square that is very close to home. I have an ice cream while ignoring my phone and my urge to ask Chris to meet me.


    Then I realize something, maybe what is missing for this to work, is to include other people in our lives. I have made it clear to him that he can be with whoever he wants, and I think I should do the same, and maybe this schism that I was jealous ofst night will disappear.


    After talking with Amanda, a fellow student of mine, I invite her to take us for a walk. Julie is probably stuck with Brennan today on those couple shows at home, and I don¡¯t want to get in the way. I know that Chris and that friend of his frequent a bar a few blocks away, so as much as I don¡¯t want to run into Chris today, we decided to stop by.


    .


    I see Chris and his friend a few minutes after we arrive, for a change, he is a cat, and I even feel like going there to talk to him, but I also decide that it is better not to go because that is what this night is about, not going after Chris.


    His friend saw me, and Chris looked in our direction secondster. He smiles at me, and I smile back. I don¡¯t know if he had ns toe here, but if so, he gives up as soon as the handsome brte friend of Amanda¡¯s approaches us and greets me with a kiss on the cheek.


    I can¡¯t help but look in their direction and see that Chris has the same expression on his face that I must have had at the bar when I saw him talking to those women.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    What is going on with both of us? It is getting out of the way we nned.


    I don¡¯t know if I should walk over and say hello or stare as our eyes cross. Still, I decided to take the second option after Ryan approaches Molly and her friend and greets her like they are old friends, something I know is not valid. I have never seen him talking to her before, even though she has been here before and he always frequents this bar.


    Ryan is one of the shittiest guys I have ever lived with, and I had the displeasure of going to a party where he was invited. We shared the same car, which made him stay with people during the event, and I have never seen a person pour so much crap out of his mouth as he did that night.


    Adan notices my face as I look again in their direction, and Ryan is already getting closer and closer to Molly.


    ¡±This guy is a shit!¡±


    Adan replies:


    ¡±I know.¡±


    ¡±Remember how he talked to those women at the party at Ruby¡¯s house that one time?¡±


    Adan doesn¡¯t even loolook at them when he answers:


    ¡±I do.¡±


    I take a deep breath and don¡¯t want to look at them, but my eyes betray me, and I do it again. Molly smiles at me, and I smile back, but she holds her gaze as if she realizes I don¡¯t like what¡¯s going on here, but I don¡¯t care. I wouldn¡¯t say I like it.


    I stand up and hear Adan tell me:


    ¡±Dude, don¡¯t do this!¡±


    But I don¡¯t even stay to hear if he has said anything else. I walk towards them, sitting there. Molly looks a little surprised to see me as I greet her, she smiles a little awkwardly, and we stare at each other for a while when Ryan greets me as if we were old friends taking her and even me by surprise. Her friend looks at me, smiles, and says:


    ¡±Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to your friend Molly?¡±


    Molly doesn¡¯t seem to like the way her friend looks at me but still says:


    ¡±Chris, this is Amanda.¡±


    She promptly gets up and greets me with a lingering kiss. Molly disguises it, but I know she doesn¡¯t like this very much. Maybe all this here will make her see that it is much better if we were just the two of us somewhere else. Ryan says he will get a drink and insists I sit with them. I want to be near her to alert her to what an evil character he is, and I ept him.


    As soon as he leaves, Amanda starts asking me several questions that I try to answer in the most exciting way possible, but my attention is on her, who is trying not to pay attention to us but to her cell phone. When Amanda finally diverts her attention when a girles over to talk to her, I approach Molly and say:


    ¡±Why don¡¯t you stop pretending you have something important on your phone and return to reality here?¡±

 Chapter 49 Chris/Molly/Chris

    Molly stops what she is doing and looks me in the eyes, and she shouldn¡¯t do that when she is so close to me because I want to kiss that mouth right now. But I control myself, especially because she says:


    ¡±Oh really? Could you give me a reason?¡±


    I end up smiling, but I don¡¯t say what I think and choose to say:


    ¡±Because yourpany will be back here soon.¡±


    She stares at me as if she doesn¡¯t believe what I just said, and I bite back a smile. She then says:


    ¡±Are you by any chance jealous?¡±


    I look into her eyes and say:


    ¡±As a matter of fact, I am.¡±


    She looks at me in surprise now. I don¡¯t even know why I confess this, but I would do anything for her not to go out with this guy. Then Iplete:


    ¡±He¡¯s no good, Molly, don¡¯t go out with him.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to like what I just said very much, and I knew she wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡±Do you like to know him?¡±


    ¡±More than I¡¯d like to.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything and turns around just as I¡¯m about to say something else. Ryan approaches, and just when I think she will do what I say, she ignores me and gives him a huge smile. This woman is still going to kill me with frustration.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    As I look in Chris¡¯s direction again, I realize he ising. I wish my whole body wouldn¡¯t go on alert like this, but he does. I put my best smile on my face to disguise that the mere presence of him makes me like this. Ryan now doesn¡¯t seem as attractive as he used to. He has a physique that would typically attract me in every way, and he is standing right here in front of me and greeting me right now.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Ryan stands up, and I realize he and Chris know each other. This night is getting harder and harder than I thought it would be after meeting Chris.


    It is on Amanda¡¯s face and mischievous smile that she is very interested in Chris. I take a deep breath and introduce them at her request. They chat as I watch them out of my eye, pretending to be interested in Ryan¡¯s return and my phone.


    A friend of Amanda¡¯s approaches me, and they start talking about something that I don¡¯t pay much attention to because Chris is getting closer and closer to me and tells me to stop pretending to look at something on my phone. Damn, he doesn¡¯t waste any time at all.


    The problem is that he doesn¡¯t stop there and starts talking about Ryan not being a good person, I don¡¯t understand why Chris is acting like this, so I ask him if he is jealous and amazingly, he says yes, taking me totally by surprise. He can¡¯t be severe and must be doing this so that I won¡¯t go out with Ryan. But the funny thing is that he seemed interested in Amanda a few minutes ago.


    We don¡¯t have anything more than fun once in a while, so he doesn¡¯t have much right to give me hints about who I should or shouldn¡¯t date. I don¡¯t give a hint about his life. However, I don¡¯t know if he has seen anyone else thesest few days. The bad thing is that I wish he hadn¡¯t, but I also know he doesn¡¯t want anything more than what we have. Everything about him always leaves me so confused.

 Chapter 50 Chris/Molly/Chris

    When Ryanes back, I spend more time thinking about all of this than what he excitedly talks about with Chris and Amanda and, in this case, me too. But I feign interest and always smile at him, making him even more interested. Chris is not so close to me. He is moreparable to Amanda now, great, and the old Chris seems to be resurfacing and leaving her with a silly smile on her face, the kind he always leaves most women with.


    A few minutester and Chris is talking only to Amanda and very animatedly about something he seems to be super interested in, so that bad feeling I get every time I see him like this with another woman appears again. It makes me angry, and I don¡¯t want to feel this way. So I approach Ryan and tell him with a look that says more than I am revealing:N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡±I¡¯m going to make a quick exit.¡±


    It¡¯s not really what I want to do right now, but I want to get the image of those two over there out of my mind, and I don¡¯t want to think about how their night looks like it¡¯s going to end.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    As incredible as it may seem, I find out more about Molly by talking to Amanda than I do about Molly herself.


    I don¡¯t know how we got to these stories, but Amanda tells me about a fieldwork trip they took earlier in the year.


    Maybe I¡¯m telling her how much Molly interests me, but I¡¯m not caring.


    And when Molly gets up after saying something to Ryan, I think it bes even more apparent to Amanda the way I look at them there.


    Molly walks away, and I try not to focus my attention in her direction, but the way Ryan is trying to cover something up is filling me with anger right now.


    I don¡¯t want to think that she will stay with him after everything I¡¯ve told her, but it seems like she doesn¡¯t want to listen to me.


    A few secondster, Ryan gets up, saying he¡¯s going to get more drinks, I know it¡¯s not true, and I don¡¯t disguise to Amanda how I don¡¯t like any of it. She seems to understand, especially when I tell her I¡¯m going out and will be right back.

 Chapter 51 Chris/Molly

    Halfway there, I feel a little bad for leaving Amanda alone, she is a nice girl, but I see that she is talking to a couple right now and decide to go my way.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of fucking n I¡¯ve made, and there isn¡¯t a n. I want to get there in time to stop Molly from kissing some asshole, and the problem is that I can¡¯t find these two anywhere, and after I get back to where I was sitting next to Adan, I realize what a stupid thing I was going to do.


    At least he doesn¡¯t throw it in my face. Amanda seems fine in thepany of another girl and a few other guys, so I order a shot of the same drink Adan is drinking, I don¡¯t even care what it is, but at least it¡¯s good. I don¡¯t think I want to stay here and see those twoing back, and I tell Adan I¡¯m going home. He doesn¡¯t question it and is already eyeing a brte on the other side.


    I take my keys from my pocket and head towards the parking lot, and I should go back to the bar and, I don¡¯t know, maybe talk to some girl and have a better end to the night than the one I¡¯m about to have, but none of this seems very interesting when you only have one person in your head. A person who doesn¡¯t give a damn when you try to warn her about the idiot she was flirting.


    Damn, I want to go home and forget that I met these two. I take a few more steps toward my car.


    I didn¡¯t think I would ever feel this way again about any woman in the world, but I¡¯m always wrong about everything I think of her. I stare in their direction for a while until they notice my presence, I wish I didn¡¯t make my disappointment so obvious, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be possible. She bows her eyes after we maintain eye contact for a few seconds. Ryan doesn¡¯t seem to understand what is going on very well, but to hell with him. I¡¯m not going to stay here to exin it to him.


    I get in my car and do my best to get out of here as fast as possible. If I thought my night couldn¡¯t get any worse, I guess I made a big mistake.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    After a few words, I discovered that Ryan could be quite an asshole. He wasn¡¯t talking this much nonsense while we were with Amanda and Chris. It¡¯s weird that even though he was so interested in my roommate, I still wished he would have stayed by my side and talked to me and not ignored me to the point that I¡¯m here now, to make sure that when he said he was jealous of me, it was true.


    Because deep down, as much as I hate to admit it, I am not enjoying it here the way I thought I would. I¡¯m about to tell Ryan we¡¯d better get back as I raise my eyes toward us.


    Thest person I expected and wanted to see now would be Chris, but he is precisely the one who is looking at us.


    He was looking at me. I swear I can tell he looks disappointed. Now, this thing I did doesn¡¯t seem as good an idea as before. He says nothing, I say nothing, and Ryan is at a loss to understand what is happening. Chris gets in his car. How could I have guessed that this car in front of us would be his car?


    He gets in his car, leaving us there, I am speechless, and Ryan is trying to kiss me again. I give him my best fake smile and say:


    ¡±I think we better get in.¡±


    But Ryan doesn¡¯t seem to like this very much and says:


    ¡±Oh no, shawty¡­¡±


    I¡¯m already getting stressed with how he treats me, and I¡¯ve only known him a few hours, and we¡¯ve only really been together a few minutes.


    ¡±That¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll tell Amanda that I¡¯m not leaving with her.¡±


    He eventually epts. I don¡¯t enter the bar anymore. As soon as I walk away from him, I head towards the street, already calling an Uber.


    From inside the Uber, I sent Amanda a message saying I needed to leave early. She seems to be enjoying herself because she abbreviates the news by saying it¡¯s okay, and I¡¯ll see you at college on Monday. At least I know she is not having fun with Chris. Amidst all this, at least one good thing.


    Chris. Even thinking about his name hurts. I don¡¯t know why I feel worse right now, whether because I was with Ryan, because Chris witnessed it, or because I didn¡¯t listen when he said Ryan was terriblepany¡­.


    I want to get home and send Chris a message apologizing for everything, and I would love it if he wanted toe to my apartment so we could end the night differently.


    As soon as I get home, I get rid of the heels that are hurting my feet, sit down on my bed and grab my phone. I send a message to Chris.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    I wait a few minutes, and there is no reply. Then I try again.


    ¡°Are you home?¡±


    He previews it but doesn¡¯t answer. I¡¯m beginning to think I may have made a big mistake.


    I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so angry. I do, and that¡¯s what makes me so mad at myself. What happened to all the promises I made to myself after all that happened before I came to live here?N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 52 Chris/ Molly

    And the worst is that I have realized that I like Molly more than I should and more than I nned. Nothing about my feelings for Molly is intended. I tried to avoid her from the beginning, and I guess I kind of already knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to not feel anything for her.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But she also showed me again that I¡¯m always going to go wrong with liking someone. She just reminded me of that because it¡¯s something I already knew, yet I kept pushing it. I tried my best to make her see that my interest was more significant than just hanging out and making out, but she didn¡¯t want to see that. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to change her image of me, so that I won¡¯t try anymore.


    ¡­


    I arrive home, and by the silence, I can see that my sister is not here, great, better anyway, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m goodpany today. I go to my room and turn on the music on the phone¡¯s ylist and go to the bathroom to wash my face. The music is interrupted by the arrival of a message.


    I ignore it as soon as the music resumes. I wipe my face while trying not to think about everything happening. A whileter and the music stops again. I go to bed and pick up my phone, sliding my finger across the screen to see Molly¡¯s name as the sender of the messages. I swear I didn¡¯t expect that one.


    I view it, but honestly don¡¯t feel much like answering back. So I choose not to, at least she doesn¡¯t insist.


    I put my phone aside andy down staring at the ceiling, and I couldn¡¯t answer. I don¡¯t have anything to say. If I say I was and am jealous, she will react the same way that night we went out with Julie and Brennan, and she will tell me that what we have doesn¡¯t allow me to feel that way, and we will be back to square one again. She doesn¡¯t want something serious, and I don¡¯t want anyone else breaking up with me as I know very well she will if we keep this up.


    Minutester, I heard knocking on my bedroom door. I wonder if Julie is here yet. I don¡¯t hear any noise. Maybe Brennan isn¡¯t with her, I get up and go to the door, and when I open it, Molly is standing still, looking at me. It takes me by surprise.


    She then says:


    ¡± Can we talk?¡±


    I answer:


    ¡±I thought I would end up in another guy¡¯s room tonight.¡±


    I am annoyed with her and the return of her little games, so I like the reaction she has when she hears me say this. She pretends not to be affected and says:


    ¡±Is it severe, Chris? Can we talk or not?¡±


    I make room for her to enter my room, and as I close the door, I ask:


    ¡±Aren¡¯t you afraid that my sister might find you here?¡±


    She stares at me now and questions:


    ¡±Are you seriously going to start acting like an idiot now?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±I¡¯m not the one who acted like that most of the night.¡±


    She instantly turns red. Great, now we¡¯re both pissed off. Then we¡¯re even.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I try to take a deep breath, but it doesn¡¯t do much. I still feel furious inside. What has gotten Chris to be saying these things to me? I¡¯m facing the Chris I picked up at the airport parking lot.


    But I didn¡¯te here to argue, so I choose to say it:


    ¡± I just came to tell you that you were right about Ryan being an asshole.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t have much of a reaction, and I swear I didn¡¯t expect it. But he says:


    ¡±So now you believe me?¡±


    I try:


    ¡±Chris.¡±


    He interrupts me:


    ¡±That¡¯s not the point, Molly. The problem is that you don¡¯t trust me or believe me, and I don¡¯t think I can change your mind about me. ¡±


    I¡¯m a little surprised by his reaction, and I don¡¯t say anything because he continues:


    ¡± I epted this, this story of colored friendship or whatever you want to call it, because I thought that somehow I could change the way you see me. Still, for you, I will always be a cheapskate, and I don¡¯t want to be with someone who only thinks that about me because no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t see ws in you.¡±


    He then looks deep into my eyes andpletes:


    ¡± I never could.¡±


    Wow.


    I don¡¯t even know what to say now. Is he saying that he always wanted more than what we have now? But what about all that talk about never wanting anything serious with anyone again?


    ¡±But you always said you didn¡¯t want any of that. You say it all the time.¡±


    ¡±For you, I would try, has it never been obvious?¡±


    I only have one answer:


    ¡±No.¡±


    But it goes on:


    ¡±But that doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    I question:


    ¡±Why?¡±


    ¡±Because I¡¯ve stopped thinking about it, we are not on the same page.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe we¡¯vee this far, and now he wants to give up. So I try:


    ¡±If it¡¯s about Ryan, I¡­¡±


    But he interrupts me:


    ¡± It¡¯s not just about that. It¡¯s how you choose to do it. I asked you not to, I said I was jealous, but you still wanted to do it. You knew how I would feel, but nothing stopped you from going out with him.¡±


    He had that same look when I met him that morning when he came home from his trip. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m making him feel the same way he felt that time.


    But that¡¯s not fair. I didn¡¯t know he felt that way about me. Why didn¡¯t he tell me?


    So all I can do is fight back:


    ¡±But that¡¯s unfair! I didn¡¯t know that he had feelings for me. I didn¡¯t know anything about it. ¡±

 Chapter 53 Molly/Chris/Molly

    But it doesn¡¯t seem to affect him how I wanted it to. He says:


    ¡±Anyway, I don¡¯t want to feel any of that anymore. It was a mistake, which I will not make again.¡±


    It is the Chris I wouldn¡¯t say I like talking to. And I hate him now.


    ¡± You know what, Chris?¡±


    He looks surprised now, but soon I see the anger in his eyes and a fake smile when he says:


    ¡±I think we get along better this way.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Yeah, I guess we do.¡±


    There is no more time to talk here and think that I came to tell him that maybe I was wrong and we didn¡¯t need any otherpany, at least for the time being.


    That I loved knowing that he was jealous because I was too that night when I denied it, that may be what we feel for each other is more than attraction, but now it doesn¡¯t make sense to say any of that anymore.


    So I walk toward the door, leaving him in his room alone, and get out of there as fast as I can.


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    The problem is that as soon as she closes the door behind her, a little moreplicated than necessary, I realize that I don¡¯t feel any better after everything I have told her. I thought that by revealing to her how I felt, she would react differently. Still, we always argue, so I decided it is better to leave things as they have always been because trying to change or show that I am different from what she imagines didn¡¯t work very well.


    She just wanted to convince me that we¡¯ll be better off this way because I don¡¯t think I will. But it¡¯s like I told her, I tried, even though I knew I might end up the way I am now. Now I have to let it all go and see what happens.


    ¡­


    I haven¡¯t had the best night¡¯s sleep, so I¡¯m almost asleep at work. To avoid this, I decided to re-read that e-mail from Sam that I received a few days ago. He finally managed to raise some money and even got sponsorships to develop the creation of that game we worked on the idea of a few years ago. He wants me toe back to New York to give a hand in the development of the project, I hadn¡¯t decided what to do, but now I think it would be a good idea. I need some fresh air.


    ¡­


    ¡±Do you think it¡¯s a good idea, little brother?¡±


    ¡±Yes, it¡¯s a unique opportunity because it¡¯s much more my field than my job here. ¡±


    Julie seems satisfied with this, and I continue:


    ¡±Not to mention that I came here to stay for a few days, and I¡¯ve already been bothering you for months.¡±


    She gets a frown on her face now and says:


    ¡±You know that¡¯s not true, Chris. Knowing this apartment is half yours, you can stay as long as you want. Dad brags about it at every Christmas dinner.¡±


    I end upughing, and so does she, and I say:


    ¡±Sometimes, I understand why you came to live so far away.¡±


    Weugh even more. Only those who know our family will understand this.


    Molly appears with some books in her hand at the door and looks in our direction, she doesn¡¯t look very well, and neither do I. I won¡¯t deny that I didn¡¯t want to see her. I won¡¯t deny that I didn¡¯t want to see her, but I don¡¯t know if this was a good time. I waited for her to call me and even thought about looking her up so we could talk one more time, but I understand that Molly always needs some time and space. Doesn¡¯t she realize that it takes people away from her? But I¡¯m not going to try to make her understand that again, and it will have to be on its own.


    Shees up to me and says hello, and I say hello back. There are many dull moods between us, and Julie rolls her eyes, she already knows more or less how we always act, and now there¡¯s nothing to make her suspect anything between us, even if there isn¡¯t anymore.


    They talk about some college work they have to finish, and I tell them I¡¯m going up to my room. There¡¯s not much point in me standing here looking at her and wishing we were together in a way that I don¡¯t think will ever be possible.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I wish that tightness in my heart wasn¡¯t here. I don¡¯t remember feeling this bad when I broke up with Colin, but I know I did, or maybe it bothers me more because Chris is standing there a few steps away from me. It hurts to remember what we talked about, and it hurts to remember how he said he didn¡¯t want to feel whatever it was he was feeling about before.


    I didn¡¯t have the best week and didn¡¯t sleep as well as I needed to. Julie asked me why I had massive dark circles under my eyes, and I had to lie. I said it was because I was worried about the uing exams and thought about telling her about Chris and me. I had never hidden anything from Julie like that before, but I thought it was better not to do that because it was enough how we always acted in front of her, and the whole atmosphere after that discouraged me.


    Julie, as always the best friend one can have, told me toe to her house on Thursday afternoon to review the content so that I could stop worrying about the assessment tests next week.


    I know that maybe I can meet Chris there since I know that at this time he is no longer at work, but as much as I don¡¯t want to see him, I know that I want to see him. I reach the door of Julie¡¯s apartment and lift my hand to the doorknob, but stop myself as soon as I hear his voice, even his voice I have missed thesest few days.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 54 Molly/ Chris/ Molly

    I stand there for a while until I hear that he is considering returning to New York. I didn¡¯t think that a heart could stop, and someone still is alive, but I swear I have the feeling that mine stopped for a few seconds.


    I don¡¯t even like to remember how bad I felt when he had to return to New York after what happened to Colin and me, and I was still mad at Chris, so I know I won¡¯t react very well if he goes this time.


    If he does go¡­ What if he¡¯s leaving for good? I didn¡¯t think I could feel worse, but I guess I do after thinking that.


    I take a deep breath and turn the knob because suddenly I want to see him now. I want to tell him many things even though I am still angry with him. Hearing that he might walk away makes me want to swallow my pride and try to get closer again, but I swear I am afraid he will react the way he did before because I liked the new Chris. I should have made it more obvious.


    He and Julie sit at the kitchen table and look in my direction as soon as they hear mee in. I try to smile at them both, but as soon as my eyes meet his, my heart goes fast. I knew I had missed him, but now I realize how much.


    I say a ¡°Hi¡± to him because I already met with Julie today, he answers, and I realize that he is feeling the same way I am. I wish our pride would get in the way less, or maybe he wants to forget it all and move on anyway.


    As we begin our work, Chris says he is going to his room. I don¡¯t know if I am happy that he is not here, making me notice only his presence and not concentrate on anything else, or if I am sad because he is no longer here near me.


    As soon as he leaves, I take a deep breath, and Julie says:


    ¡±You guys have a roller coaster rtionship indeed.¡±


    I try to smile, and Juliepletes:


    ¡±I¡¯m d I stopped trying to understand you two.¡±


    I open my other book to page twenty, and we get on with the work questions that are sure to be on the test.


    ¡­ Chris¡­N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Sam called me yesterday afternoon, and we discussed our project. I can¡¯t deny that I am anxious and confident and know that it will work out this time. It will be nice to be away for a while.


    ¡­


    I was working as a programmer for an electronics chain here in Seattle, but the idea of developing our own game seems much more profitable and exciting to me and is something I enjoy doing the most, always has been. So I resigned from my current job and nned to go to New York this Saturday.


    ¡­


    ¡±Are you going tomorrow already?¡±


    Julie asks me while serving the macaroni she prepared herself. I answer:


    ¡±Yeah. I will check in on the project and when we¡¯ll start working on finalizing the game.¡±


    Julie asks as she serves Brennan:


    ¡±And when will you be back?¡±


    I say:


    ¡±I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She looks a little sad now, but then she smiles.


    I haven¡¯t seen Molly; she hasn¡¯t been here these past few days. I hope she is well and better than me. But I know that at some point, I will have to get this woman out of my head, and I will do it.


    ¡­


    I have already left some things ahead of time sincest night, my flight is scheduled for six o¡¯clock, and I still need to go out and buy a backpack. At least I still have plenty of time for that since it is still 11:30 in the morning.


    After some research, I find a backpack I like and get in my car back home to finish packing my things.


    I leave my car at the building¡¯s rationing station and head for the lobby to catch the elevator. I get to our floor and head towards our apartment. Molly has left the house, and I wouldn¡¯t say I like how my heart reacts to the mere fact of seeing her.


    I thought I was working it out, but all my self-control seems to want to vanish every time she stands in front of me like this.


    She closes the door and finally turns around, realizing my approach. At least it¡¯s not just me who seems to react this way. She puts on a very different smile than I usually like on her and says:


    ¡±Hi.¡±


    I reply:


    ¡± Hi.¡±


    She looks down at my backpack, and for a moment, I think maybe she is sad, but perhaps it is just me wanting her to want me as I like her.


    She then tells me:


    ¡±Julie said you¡¯re going on a trip.¡±


    ¡±Yeah. I have some things to take care of in New York.¡±


    I know she doesn¡¯t look pleased right now. I can see it in her eyes. So why all this pride and not admitting it?


    I always give her every chance in the world to tell me how she feels, and she chooses not to. I guess I¡¯m just tired of waiting for her to do it.


    She looks at me for a while and almost says something but chooses to let it go and put on that fake-looking smile and say:


    ¡±I hope it all works out.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Thanks.¡±


    She turns and heads toward the elevator. I enter the house and sigh, running my hand over my eyes. Why does Molly have to be soplicated.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    If Chris knew how many messages I had typed him and how many times I had almost pressed the call button while staring at his number on my cell phone screen, he would be gloating right now.


    The problem is that I¡¯m not sure I would be. I can¡¯t stop thinking about how he took care of me that night when I was sick and how good it felt to wake up and see that he was still here despite the despair I felt when I heard Julie¡¯s voice.


    It was all worth it. In those days that we were together, I know he also felt the same things that I felt, even though we denied it to each other or ourselves.

 Chapter 55 Molly/Chris

    I know I¡¯m not the most open person to talk about feelings, but somehow I make it clear that I wish he could have seen that.


    But it doesn¡¯t do much good now that I¡¯ve screwed up, and even though I¡¯ve tried to fix it, we¡¯ve ended up estranged. And now we are back to square one, looking like two strangers who don¡¯t even talk to each other.


    I didn¡¯t meet him these days because I avoided going to Julie¡¯s house a lot, it was a week of exams, and I had to concentrate as much as possible on my studies.


    ¡­


    Today is Saturday, and I will eat something in a nearby restaurant. I¡¯m not in the mood to cook, Chantal is not at home, and I don¡¯t like to be alone because I keep thinking about him.


    As soon as I close the door, I turn around, and Chris looks at me. My heart speeds up at the same instant. I think he notices my body doesn¡¯t even disguise it, but I don¡¯t care.


    When I see the backpack he is carrying, and I remember that Julie confirmed that he would travel to work on a video game he and their friend created a while ago.


    I am happy for him, but it will take a long way from here, and despite everything, I still hoped that we could somehow be okay. But now I feel that we won¡¯t.


    I almost say this to him, but I choose to keep quiet because I don¡¯t want to get in the way of his life just because I think he might back out in some way and want to feel for me what he said he was feeling these days. He has made it clear that he doesn¡¯t want this anymore.


    We say goodbye. Not in a way that I would like, but the moment allows. I know it is goodbye because he has to leave this afternoon and I won¡¯t see him again for the day.


    ¡­


    I am no longer hungry and face the macaroni I thought I would enjoy when it was served.


    I decide to go to Amanda¡¯s house, which is a few blocks away. I don¡¯t want to go home now and participate even from afar in Chris¡¯s imminent departure from my life. And Amanda always cheers me up.


    She wees me with a huge smile, and after we talk for a while, I tell her everything that has ever happened between Chris and me, even if in an abbreviated way. She looks pretty surprised but says:


    ¡±Well, I could see the chemistry between you.¡±


    I think this hasn¡¯t stopped her from flirting with him, but I can¡¯t me her. He is irresistible anyway. She says:


    ¡± Now I understand his fascination with knowing about you.¡±


    I am surprised now and say:


    ¡±What?¡±


    She smiles and says:


    ¡±All that time we talked in the bar that night, it was all about you. Whenever I brought up anything rted to the two of college or us, he would find a way to keep the focus on the parts where I mentioned you. ¡±


    I feel like a bit of an idiot now for getting jealous of her. After feeling much better about what she said, I confess:


    ¡±I was very jealous of you that night. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Sheughs and says:


    ¡±He also seemed to hate it when you went out with Ryan. Don¡¯t worry; I only said good things about you to him.¡±


    Sheughs, and so do I, and I hug her. When we pull away, she says:


    ¡±You should talk to him.¡±


    I¡¯m still in doubt:


    ¡±I don¡¯t know.¡±


    She says:


    ¡±Go on. There¡¯s still time.¡±


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    Julie will be a while because she has just changed into her room. I give up waiting and tell her I¡¯ll be in the car in the parking lot of the building. She says she¡¯ll be right down, but I know that¡¯s not entirely true.


    But it¡¯s better to wait there than to stay here, trying not to go to Molly¡¯s and say goodbye the way I wanted, with a kiss that she will never forgetst kiss.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    I pass in front of her apartment. I take a deep breath and move on. But I take a few steps back and stand in front of her door. I raise my eyes and try not to think too hard, or I won¡¯t do it. I knock on the door and wait. But no onees, so as much as I don¡¯t want to insist, I do it and hit a few more times, but I don¡¯t think there is anyone home.


    Maybe it¡¯s a sign to let it go, and I end up doing it, even if it doesn¡¯t make me feel the best possible way. As I get into the elevator, I think: Well, Molly, I guess that¡¯s the end.


    I get to Julie¡¯s car and put my bags in the trunk. I see that Molly¡¯s car is there, so maybe she is home and chose not to answer the door, but I end up giving up on that idea because I saw her leaving earlier, and she sure wasn¡¯t home. But when I found her, it was still early, and maybe she was home when I knocked on the door¡­


    Damn it!


    I don¡¯t want to think about that. Did Julie need to take so long? Good thing it¡¯s only 4:30 in the afternoon because otherwise, I would miss my flight if it was up to her.


    I could call a cab, but she insisted she wanted to take me to the airport. So I won¡¯t go against my little sister. After all, we won¡¯t see each other for a long time.

 Chapter 56 Chris/ Molly

    I think I will miss Seattle, and I have gotten used to staying here and feel much more at home than I do in New York, but this is all going to be good, and the timing is right.


    My cell phone vibrates. A message from Adan. I even hoped it was from someone else, but I just read it:


    Adan: Almost back in New York?


    Adan: Pick up some girls there, on my behalf.


    Adan: By the way, leave some girls there ready for me when I visit you.


    Adan: Sess to you, man!


    I end upughing.


    Adan is one of the best friends I met in Seattle, and he will be missed. I answer:


    Me: Thanks, man.


    I put on my headphones and wait for myte sister. The music is not that loud because even with my eyes closed, I can hear the tapping on the door ss. I open my eyes to find my sister looking like she didn¡¯t make me wait for almost half an hour. But it¡¯s not her who looks at me, and it¡¯s Molly.


    I swear I didn¡¯t expect that.


    ¡­ Molly¡­


    I say goodbye to Amanda and check the time on my phone¡¯s clock, and it¡¯s still 4:40. I hope he hasn¡¯t gone to the airport yet.


    Maybe there will be time to talk, and everything will be fine, at least we won¡¯t be feeling this way, because he didn¡¯t seem so happy when I saw him earlier today, and that¡¯s exactly how I feel too.


    As soon as I arrive at our building, I go straight to the elevator, I don¡¯t even go home to see if Chantal hase, and I go straight to Julie¡¯s. I take a deep breath, and I turn my bike around. I turn my head and go straight to Julie¡¯s house.


    I take a deep breath, turn the knob, and unlock the door. Julie doesn¡¯t get it into her head that she might get mugged for it one day. I close the door behind me, finding no one either in the living room or the kitchen, and there is a silence here that I¡¯m even afraid to think what I¡¯m thinking, that he¡¯s gone.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But if I¡¯m not mistaken, Julie said she was going to drive him to the airport, so why would she leave the door open? I ran up the stairs calling her name and saw here out of her room with a phone in her hand, she smiles surprised by my presence and said:


    ¡± I was just about to call you.¡±


    I ask:


    ¡±Why? What happened?¡±


    She gives me that little smile she always gives when she needs to ask me something. I am already waiting and say:


    ¡±What is it this time?¡±


    Her eyes light up when she asks:


    ¡±Can you drive Chris to the airport for me?¡±


    My heart even speeds up now because I¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t left yet. I try to cover it up and ask:


    ¡±He hasn¡¯t gone yet?¡±


    She says:


    ¡±No, he¡¯s waiting for me downstairs and probably pretty pissed at me by now. ¡±


    I question:


    ¡±Okay, but why don¡¯t you go yourself?¡±


    My subconscious says to me: Shut up, Molly! It is your opportunity!


    But since I already asked, then I expect an answer. Julie says:


    ¡±Brennan ate a bad snack yesterday and is not doing well. I have to go over and give him a boost.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±All right, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Julie hugs me and tells me toe down soon, or Chris wille after her. I leave her house and walk towards the elevator, and my heart is beating fast. I don¡¯t know if he will like this, to see me and know that I will be the one to take him. It even seems like a deja vu that is a little strange; on the contrary, Iugh at it. But this is myst chance, and I have to find a way not to stop myself and say everything I want.


    I get to the parking lot of the building, and I see Julie¡¯s car parked next to mine. I follow it there. Chris is in the driver¡¯s seat with his headphones on and his eyes closed. I take the opportunity to look at him for a moment. I want to record every second close to him before he drives away from me.


    I tap on the ss. Surprised, he opens his eyes and looks at me, and I don¡¯t me him. He lowers the ss, and I say:


    ¡±Julie had a little setback and asked me to drive you. Is that okay?¡±


    He shakes his head affirmatively, and I ask again:


    ¡±Is it okay if I drive or do you want to do that?¡±


    He just looks at me and says:


    ¡±No, you can do it, it¡¯s fine with me. ¡±


    I think he also can¡¯t believe that we are doing this again, the same route, the same way, and with a very simr degree of friendship that we had when we met that morning. But now he is not drunk, I know him much better and I still think he is as beautiful or even more beautiful than I did the first time I saw him.


    Another thing that is very different from our first tritrip is the silence here inside this car. Where are all the words that I promised myself I would say? It¡¯s hard to talk when he doesn¡¯t even look at me and just seems to be concentrating on the road ahead, even though I¡¯m the one who should be doing it because I¡¯m driving. If I knew he would be so concerned about our route, I would have let him drive it himself. His silence irritates me and I take a deep breath, try to calm myself and ask:


    ¡±Are youte?¡±

 Chapter 57 Molly/Chris

    Hees back from where it seems like another world and says:


    ¡±Oh no, we are on time.¡±


    Then he looks straight ahead again. I can almost see the airport from here, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s all going to end like this. Minutester and I am already parking the car in the airport parking lot. I take a deep breath and say:


    ¡±We¡¯re here.¡±


    He smiles half-heartedly and looks at me for a few seconds before opening the door and getting out. Hees to my side and asks me for the keys to open the trunk, my heart getting tighter and tighter. He removes the bags andes to give me back the keys. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Hees to the door again to get into the car and get his backpack from the back seat. He sits down, picks up his backpack, and says:


    ¡±Well, that¡¯s it.¡±


    That¡¯s it? I can¡¯t believe we are going to say goodbye like this, but it looks like we are. I know I¡¯m not smiling, but he smiles at me. He is about to get out of the car when I say:


    ¡± I don¡¯t want you to go. ¡±


    ¡­ Chris¡­


    Finally!


    I won¡¯t deny that I thought she would never open up, I even decided not to talk to her during the whole ride here, because I wanted her to make the decision to talk to me. Something she didn¡¯t do. But now we are here looking at each other face to face and she finally decided to show me how she really feels for the first time.


    We are just looking at each other, so she continues:


    ¡±I really don¡¯t want you to go.¡±


    She lowers her eyes and looks down at her hands which by the way they are totally restless on herp, I can see that she looks nervous and continues:


    ¡±I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t want to feel anything for me anymore, I feel a lot of things for you and I don¡¯t want us to be bad like this, the way we are.¡±


    I like this, everything she said, but I need more and I need encouragement:


    ¡±What kind of things?¡±


    She takes a deep breath, looks in my direction and says:


    ¡±I like you, I like you a lot. ¡±


    I just stare at her and shepletes:


    ¡±Okay, I think I love you.¡±


    I can only say:


    ¡± Wow.¡±


    I really didn¡¯t expect her to tell me this, but she doesn¡¯t seem discouraged by myck of reaction, on the contrary, she seems to be rid of a weight. Then she continues:


    ¡±I think I have loved you since the first time I saw you, sitting and sad waiting for your sister that morning. I came in and stood looking at you trying to imagine what was going on in your head that was making you so bitter. I wanted to somehow make you feel better, but you wouldn¡¯t allow it, so I found it easier not to like you and you helped me a lot with that part.¡±


    Iugh, and so does she. She looks at me as if she expects me to say something, so I do:


    ¡±That was all amazing to know Molly. But I don¡¯t think I love you.¡±


    She even holds her breath now, she diverts her eyes from mine, but I continue:


    ¡±I¡¯m sure.¡±


    She looks at me again and sees my smile, shees at me trying to hit me and I end upughing even harder as she says:


    ¡±You really suck! Do you want to kill me?¡±


    And she still tries to hit me but she is already sitting on myp and I hold her hands and we look at each otherughing and trying to control our breaths when she asks:


    ¡±Is that what you said true?¡±


    I don¡¯t answer, I just go towards her mouth and we are kissing. I hold her waist tightly and she gets as close as possible. He says between our kisses:


    ¡± I still want an answer.¡±


    I end upughing, she is stubborn, but I like that, I like everything about Molly. I say:


    ¡±The answer is yes.¡±


    She stops kissing me for a few seconds, looks at me and smiles andes back to my mouth again. I say between our kiss:


    ¡±You are the girl I swore to myself I would never fall in love with, and I think I ended up doing that at the exact moment as you when I saw you.¡±


    She separates herself from me a few inches and says:


    ¡± I didn¡¯t want to love you because I was in love enough, and you didn¡¯t want to love me because you thought you didn¡¯t need it. We were both wrong.


    We are both wrong;¡±


    My phone rm rings. I remember setting it to ring fifteen minutes before departure. I forget that I am about to go on a trip. Reality hits us, Molly pulls away from me briefly, and we stare at each other. I say:


    ¡±I need to go.¡±


    She tries to get off myp, but I hold her waist and say:


    ¡± Hey, why are you sad like that?¡±


    She says:


    ¡±You¡¯re leaving.¡±


    I can only smile and hold her waist even tighter, and I love her. I say:


    ¡±You won¡¯t get rid of me that easily. ¡±


    She looks radiant now, and I continue:


    ¡± I¡¯m going away for a few days, but now I have a good reason to return.¡±


    And I kiss her quickly on the lips, she looks much happier now, and I say:


    ¡± I have to see how the project is going over there, and as soon as I solve a part of it, I¡¯lle back. Can you wait for me?¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She kisses me quickly and says:


    ¡±Sure.¡±


    I say:


    ¡±Great. Now I have to go, or I¡¯ll miss my flight.¡±


    Mollyughs, and I¡¯ll keep the most genuine smile she ever gave me, never to forget.

 Chapter 58 Molly

    It was terrible that I had to say goodbye to Chris just now that we understood each other and finally confessed our feelings for each other. It was liberating, and I should have done it sooner.


    I park Julie¡¯s car in the garage and head towards the elevator, and I am a little nervous because I have decided to tell her what is between her brother and me. I don¡¯t know how she will react, and it makes me extremely tense with every step I take toward her apartment.


    I meet Chantal and Ronan, her new boyfriend, and say:


    ¡±You finally remembered you live here?¡±


    Sheughs and says:


    ¡± Look who¡¯s in a good mood today. You look like you finally gotid.¡±


    I roll my eyes, and they walk away,ughing towards the stairs. I take a deep breath and head for Julie¡¯s apartment door, which for a change, has the door unlocked. I walk in, and she turns to me smiling and asks:


    ¡±Are you back yet?¡±


    I can only answer:


    ¡±Yeah, I just got here.¡±


    She says:


    ¡±Great. Thanks a lot, friend.¡±


    She goes back to the juice she seemed to be noticing, and I approach the countertop that separates the kitchen from the living room and say:


    ¡±Julie, I need to talk to you.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t even look at me as she tastes if the juice has enough sugar in it and says:


    ¡±Speak up.¡±


    I take a deep breath, and I don¡¯t know if I like that she¡¯s not making a big deal out of what I¡¯m about to say or if I think it¡¯s worse that she¡¯s going to be scared or even angry with me because I broke her friends¡¯ code of not being interested in their siblings. I close my eyes and say at once:


    ¡±I¡¯ve been hanging out with Chris. ¡±


    She stops what she is doing and looks at me, and I am preparing myself so that she will never speak to me again. I know I will suffer and do everything to make her forgive me and¡­Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She interrupts me by saying:


    ¡±And how are you two now?¡±


    What? Did she ask me that? No reaction at all to what I said before?


    She still looks at me, waiting for an answer, and I say:


    ¡±. We talked, and we are fine.¡±


    She smiles and says:


    ¡± Great.¡±


    I am still in disbelief when I see Brennane downstairs and ask Julie to make him a sandwich. He sees me and says hi, I look at him and Julie several times, and she rolls her eyes, saying:


    ¡±Oh,e on, Molly? Everybody knows that you and my brother were making out.¡±


    ¡±What?¡±


    She sees my astonished face and says to Brennan:


    ¡±Isn¡¯t that right, love?¡±


    He shakes his head affirmatively and says:


    ¡±That night at the bar.¡±


    I am so embarrassed right now, so Juliees over and hugs meughing, and I end upughing too. Then I say:


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you sooner.¡±


    She says:


    ¡±That¡¯s okay, Molly. You don¡¯t have to apologize for that.¡±


    I say:


    ¡± I thought you would hate it because I broke the friend code.¡±


    Sheughs and says:


    ¡± Silly What code? You¡¯re all grown up, and I like you together. The two of you are less annoying.¡±


    I end upughing and say:


    ¡± You mean this story about Brennan being sick was a lie?¡±


    Heughs, and Julie says:


    ¡±I had to find a way for you to talk to each other. No one could stand you two almost crying all the time in front of us anymore.¡±


    Brennanughs even moreplex and says:


    ¡±True.¡±


    I can only say:


    ¡±Thank you.¡±


    She smiles and hands me a ss and pours me orange juice while saying:


    ¡±You¡¯re wee. Chris will be back soon, and it¡¯s just a few days.¡±


    I sip my juice and smile at the thought that he¡¯ll be back to me soon. Julie invites me to stay and watch a movie with the two of them. After all, Chantal is not at home, and now I feel even more at home here, if that is possible. My heart isn¡¯t heavy anymore, I have to wait for my best friend¡¯s brother toe back, and I can¡¯t wait for that to happen.


    ¡­ Epilogue¡­


    ¡±Okay. Kisses, kisses. I miss you so much.¡±


    Chris smiles from the other side of myptop screen, and I want to run to him now and bite that smile for one long kiss. But he is still in New York. He says:


    ¡± I miss you too, my beautiful.¡±


    I almost melt when he says these things, I¡¯ve always thought it was a bit mushy, but when he says it to me, I¡¯m like a fool and want him to say more, to say it all the time. To love Chris is good. To know that he loves me back is even better. I say goodbye and leave my room. He said he would be back by the weekend, and my anxiety only increased, it has been a month and a few days since he traveled, and even though we have spoken constantly, I still miss him.


    Chrismented the other day that he left his room like that and asked me if I coulde over and check it out. I don¡¯t know if Julie has had much time to clean it out, it has been the end of the semester, and we have been very busy with college papers and exams.


    I told him I would pick one day a week to do this, and I even told him yesterday that I would do it today, so in the afternoon, I would look around to see if I needed to clean anything. I like this, and it makes me realize even more that there is only a short time left before he returns to stay with me. Even though it may not be for many days, I still like it.

 Chapter 59 Molly

    When I arrive at Julie¡¯s apartment, she says she is going out with Brennan to catch a movie since she has been leaving him out a lot these days of exams. I tell her that I promised to look in Chris¡¯s room to see if we need to clean anything, and she tells me to make myselffortable and that if I need help or need to leave it for another day, she will help me. I agree, and she walks out the front door, not locking it with keys as usual. Thank goodness I¡¯m here this time.


    I go into Chris¡¯s room, and nothing is as messy as he said, just some clothes on the bed and a little dust on the furniture. I take his shirt on the bed and smell his perfume, I miss him so much, but soon he will be here. I lie on his bed and remember the night I was here after he teased me, and then I came after him, and he put the key in his pants. Iugh. We are not conventional people, and I can assure you that. Hopefully, we are not a traditional couple either. The couple, I like how it sounds and how it will be urate from now on, without hiding from anyone or ourselves what we feel.


    I finish putting away the clothes, dust the furniture a little, and that¡¯s it. It¡¯s already very presentable. Maybe Julie or I will clean the floor the day she does a general cleaning around here, she has been thinking about it, and we can do it before Chris returns. I sit in bed and then feel his bedroom door open. I turn to find Julie, but it¡¯s Chris standing there smiling when he sees me. I scream, my eyes fill with emotion, and I run to him and jump on hisp, giving him a tight hug like I¡¯ve been dreaming about.


    Heughs, I squeeze him tighter, and he says:


    ¡±You look like you missed me.¡±


    I don¡¯t even move away from his neck when I inhale his scent and say:


    ¡±You have no idea!¡±


    So I get down to the floor, and we are still hugging, but now I look into his smiling eyes and say:


    ¡±Hi!¡±


    He smiles and says:


    ¡± Hi!¡±


    We can¡¯t take it anymore, and we kiss, and how good it feels to feel your lips on mine again, your tongue ying with mine and stirring my desires and our hands not at all still and the breathless breaths that we can hear around the room. I try to say in the middle of our kiss:


    ¡±Why did youe today? You weren¡¯t supposed toe today.¡±


    Heughs between our kiss and says:


    ¡± I wanted to surprise you.¡±


    I answer:


    ¡±And you did.¡±


    Heughs, and I bite his lips. I¡¯ve wanted to do that so much in thest few days. Then I say:


    ¡±Too bad you won¡¯t see the ck lingerie I bought exclusively for you as I promised you that day we talked.¡±


    Heughs and pretends to be disappointed for a moment but then looks me in the eye and says:


    ¡±Anyway, now I want you without any clothes on.¡±


    And he smiles my favorite naughty smile, the one that used to give me chills, and now it¡¯s no different, I turn to his mouth, and he kisses me with the same intensity and desire I have. My shirt is alreadying off my body, and so is his in a few seconds. We take a few steps while kissing, and heys me down on his bed and thenes and stands over me. He goes down kissing and on my neck while his hand firmly caresses my waist, and he tells me:N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡± I missed this so much!¡±


    His warm voice and his lips against my neck give me goosebumps, and I can¡¯t hold back a moan. I¡¯m d Julie isn¡¯t here. Maybe they arranged this too, but I don¡¯t dwell on it too much because he slowly moves his mouth down my body. His mouth ys with my breasts, and I lift myself enough to take off my bra. His grateful smile is something that makes me smile back. Now he has a free pass to use his mouth on my boobs any way he wants, and he does, and I get lost in the sensations of his mouth and his tongue on my skin. And the sense of feeling him so hard against my body makes me even more delivered and needy for him.


    Our breaths are a sexy song that echoes through the room we are in. Then he slowly reaches down, opens the button of my shorts, slides it down my body, gets rid of it, throws it somewhere, and then does the same with my panties. I¡¯m already almost in ecstasy with anticipation because I know what he¡¯s going to do, and I also know that he does it very well.


    And he looks at me while I bite my lips and try not to look away from him. He bites my favorite smile as he looks at me, bends down, holds my waist firmly with both hands, leaves wet kisses on my belly, on my belly button, and goes down slowly, I¡¯m a little shaky and panting, and he holds me even more firmly. He then looks at me, and with his face almost between my legs, he asks:


    ¡± Do you want me to stop?¡±


    I can only shake my head negatively, he smiles when he sees me like this, and his mouth meets my skin, exactly where my desire for him throbs the most. The way he does this doesn¡¯t allow me to keep my eyes open for long, it¡¯s too much for me to bear watching, and I bow my head and try not to make as much noise as I would like. He still holds me tight, but it¡¯s hard to control myself as his mouth twists and turns in a rhythm that alternates between painfully slow and fast. It¡¯s too much for me to keep still, but I concentrate on the sensationsing and taking over my body when I let go. He still ys with his mouth on me when I return to reality again, still half ecstatic.


    He smiles andes toward me now, I have a satisfied smile on my face, and he likes what he sees. I don¡¯t care if he has my taste. I want his lips on mine now. And we kiss as my hands go down, find the button and zipper of his pants, and I quickly open them as I can. My hands are in there, and I bring him out and jerk him off slowly, he stops the kiss for a moment, and with his eyes still closed, Chris opens his mouth and breathes heavily. Oh God, this man is so fucking sexy. I don¡¯t stop my movements, and he opens his eyes, looks up, and says:


    ¡±I better get rid of my pants and put on a condom soon, or I¡¯m going to make a mess here!¡±


    I end upughing when I hear this, and he smiles too, but I say:


    ¡± I¡¯m on the pill.¡±


    He looks at me, half amazed now, and I end upughing again. He says:


    ¡±You don¡¯t joke with me.¡±


    I say, stillughing:


    ¡± It¡¯s true.¡±


    Then he gets up, removes his clothes as fast as he can, making me find it quite amusing, andes towards me again, stands over me, and we start kissing again. Skin against skin, it couldn¡¯t be better, and my desire for him only increases with every second he tortures me by rubbing against me. Then his mouth goes down to my neck, and he introduces himself inside me, and I let myself go with the sensation of being filled by him with every inch he does.


    He starts slow, and his mouthes back to mine. I love the sound thates out of his mouth each time he goes deeper into me. When he speeds up the pace, it¡¯s no longer possible to keep our mouths together because we need to use them to control our heavy breathing, but our eyes are connected. A few more minutes pass while we get lost in these sensations. I feel his body shiver. I hold his hair tight because I want to see what I can do with him, then he closes his eyes, and he gets there, and this is the biggest reward for me, after all she has done to my body. He lets his body fall onto mine, and we try to breathe normally again. The best feeling is that I do not have to hide how I feel when I¡¯m with him and especially when we are so connected like this, body to body. Then I stroke his hair as he rests on my shoulder and say:


    ¡±I love you, Chris!¡±


    He listens and then lifts his face, smiles at me, and says:


    ¡±I love you too, Molly!¡±


    I smile back, and he kisses me softly on the lips.


    I think we can make this work after all.


    ¡­ The End¡­


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