by Sky Corgan
I've never felt more insecure than I do right now. Caleb is one of my closest friends, so I doubt he'd try to steal my girlfriend. Still... The memory of their kiss lingers in my mind. Was it just a fluke of drunkness or does he actually have feelings for her? Not knowing the answer bothers me, but I won't mess up our friendship by asking him. That would make things awkward between us.
Instead, I need to focus on securing Willow's heart. I need to make sure that she sees no one else but me. And to do that, I need to be the best boyfriend I can be.
I think I've done alright so far. I didn't try to molest her when she was drunk. I made sure she had water first thing in the morning. I even cooked for her. That's far more than I would have done for anyone else. But I keep feeling like it's not enough. After seeing Caleb kiss my girlfriend—after being made to feel that my friend is now a threat—it's not enough.
I decide to play the romantic card and get Willow flowers. It's too late for any of the floral boutiques to be open, so I end up having to go to the grocery store instead. I scowl at their selection. Nothing seems good enough for my girl. I need to get her something that will completely blow her away, and everything here is average at best.
Displeased, I hunt down a sales associate to find a florist for me and custom make a bouquet. If I had my choice, I'd make sure that there were willow leaves woven into it, but that will take a special order from somewhere far better than this.
I have the florist arrange a mix of spring flowers in the largest vase they sell. It takes her a good hour to put together my order, and when she presents me with the final product, I'm still not impressed. It will have to do, though.
I take the flowers and climb into my car to head to Willow's apartment. The entire way there, all I can think about is her smile and the sound of her laughter. It's scary that I'm falling so hard so quickly, but that must be the case or else I wouldn't be going this crazy over her. She makes me feel possessive and affectionate and so many things I'm not used to feeling.
I wear a grin as I take the elevator up to the third floor, thinking about how surprised Willow is going to be when she sees me standing there with the flowers. Hopefully, she's home. If not, she's probably next door at Caleb's.
The thought makes me scowl. It reminds me of the kiss. It makes me imagine less pleasant things they could be doing together.
But Willow isn't like that. She wouldn't cheat on me. I have no doubt about that.
I knock on the door and wait. Within minutes, it swings open and Willow's face lights up like the fireworks from my balcony last night. Just seeing her reaction makes this totally worth it.
She gasps, drawing her hands up to her chest.
“Hi.” I peek around the bouquet at her.
“Hi.”
“I know it's late. I'm not going to come in. I just wanted to bring you these.” I hand the flowers over, trying to ensure that she knows my intentions are pure.
I want to savor every sweet moment that leads up to the time that we have sex. For the first time ever, she's someone I want to take things slow with. That alone should tell me how special she is to me. Normally, it would be a personal challenge to see how quickly I can get a girl into bed.
Willow takes the flowers and sets them on her kitchen island before returning to me.
The elevator dings, and I glance over in my peripheral vision just in time to see Caleb step out. Our eyes don't connect. He must think I didn't see him, because he immediately backtracks, his head barely poking out from around the corner to watch us.
There's no reason why he wouldn't just keep going straight to his apartment.
Except there is a reason. And in that moment, it's crystal clear to me.
He likes Willow.
It's not that he doesn't want to interrupt us. He wants to see what's going to happen between us.
Well, if he wants a show, I'll give him one. More than that, I'll stake my claim.
“Thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful.” Willow blushes up at me.
“They don't hold a candle to you.” I caress her cheek gently.
“You're just saying that.” She casts her eyes downward, obviously not that great with compliments. It's adorable and endearing.
It's now or never. I need Caleb to see this.
I grab Willow and pull her towards me. She lets out a soft gasp, gazing up into my eyes. I lean in, pressing my lips against hers, and she melts in my arms.
The kiss is full of all the passion I feel inside. I part her lips with my tongue and seek entry, my hands sliding around her waist to draw her closer. She's warm and wanton, her palms resting against my chest, her mouth reciprocating.
We kiss until we're breathless and my dick is painfully stiff. I don't even bother checking to see if Caleb saw the kiss. I know he did. He doesn't matter anymore anyway. All that matters is her. Being with her. Being inside of her.
I wait for permission. I want her to invite me in—need her to invite me in.
She doesn't, though. Awkwardly, she glances down the hall towards the elevator as if she knows that Caleb is there.
“What?” I ask, pretending to be oblivious.
Willow returns her attention to me. “Wow. That was just...wow.”
I chuckle. “I'm glad you approve.”
“Of course I do.” She traces the pad of her index finger across her lips as if it was the only kiss I'll ever give her. The way she seems to be savoring it is uniquely Willow. She's definitely a diamond in a sea of rhinestones.
I glance into her apartment, trying to subtly give her the hint. She's stunned into silence, though, still lingering on the kiss.
After a few moments, she thanks me for the flowers and takes a step back into her apartment. “That was very sweet of you. I guess we should both get to bed soon.”
Invite me in. Please.
“I guess so.” I don't let my disappointment reach my face, already knowing that my silent plea will go unanswered. “I'll let you get to bed, then.”
The elevator dings, and I know that Caleb has stepped back inside. He's retreating either downstairs or upstairs to hide like a coward. No matter. He saw what I needed him to see. He's got the point now. She's mine, and I'm not about to let her go. But in case that wasn't enough...
Caleb
Why does it hurt so badly?
I'm leaning against the wall on the fourth floor, waiting for Peter to leave. All I can think about is that kiss. He held her so tightly...and she reciprocated.
Every minute detail is painfully burned into my brain. Their closed eyes. The intensity with which Peter kissed her. The way the muscles in Willow's face relaxed when the shock began to wear off.
At least, he didn't go inside with her. Because if she had invited him in, I'm sure that they would have...
My phone rings, and I glance at the screen to see Peter's name flash across it. I draw the phone up to my ear, my lack of enthusiasm making it to my voice. “Hello.”
“Hey. I'm in the neighborhood. Meet me down the street at the bar, punk.” He sounds unnaturally peppy. Of course, he does. He's one step closer to hitting all of the bases with Willow.
I groan. “I just got over my hangover. Alcohol is the last thing I want.”
“Then drink water. I want to talk to you about some things.”
“Can't we talk over the phone?” I shift my weight, just wanting to go home and sleep my misery away.
“Stop being a little bitch. I'll expect you at The Fox and The Hound in ten,” he says and then hangs up on me.
“Asshole,” I curse at the phone, not wanting to go but knowing that I'll drag myself anyway.
That's one thing that both he and Willow have in common. They don't take no for an answer.
I drive down the street to the bar and find Peter already waiting for me at a booth inside. He has a beer curled in his hand. For a moment, I wonder how he could possibly want to drink. But then I remember that he didn't get to drink much last night because of what happened a
t Advanced Data Solutions.
“I hate you right now,” I tell him as I flag down a waitress to bring me some water.
“I'm not surprised.” He glances up at me from his beer. All of the happiness in his voice from earlier is gone.
“What did you want to talk about?” I slump back against the booth, trying to show him that I'm not in the mood for an all-nighter.
“Do you like Willow?”
The question comes out of left field and it causes my heart to freeze in my chest. My mouth falls agape, but no words come out. He's staring at me so intently, waiting for my answer.
When I don't speak for several seconds, he continues, “Your expression says it all.” He looks down at his beer and starts peeling the label off of it.
I avert my gaze, disappointed in myself for not being quick-witted enough to come up with a lie on the spot.
“You know, I saw you last night,” he tells me.
“Saw me?” I furrow my brow in confusion.
“In the bedroom.” He tilts his head to the side as if he doesn't want to say it.
“I was taking care of her.” Damn, I can't force myself to look at him right now. That was only a half-truth.
“With your mouth,” he adds.
I cringe internally, feeling so much guilt that I fear I might die from it.
“I saw you kiss my girlfriend,” he says as if the last part didn't make that perfectly clear.
“Fine,” I sigh, “I like her.”
“Why now?” He narrows his gaze but he doesn't look angry. “Why not until after we got together? I mean, did you like her before?”
“I don't know. I don't think so.” I tear my hand through my hair.
He leans back and nods to himself. “Ah. So that's what it is?”
“What?” I look at him finally.
“You just want her because she's with me now. That's all that this is.”
That's not what it is. But if he's willing to lie to himself for me, I'll take it.
“I'm going to be completely honest with you.” Peter picks up his beer and takes a sip. “When I first told Willow that I wanted to date her, I thought I'd get sick of her pretty quickly. You know how I am.”
Just hearing him say it makes the hair on the back of my neck bristle. That he would knowingly use and discard such a beautiful soul. But I had known that when they had gotten together—had figured that's what would probably happen.
“But the more time I've spent with her,” he continues, “the more I'm beginning to feel. I can honestly say that I've never felt this much for a girl so quickly. It scares me a little. The thought of losing her...” his voice trails off for a moment before he locks his gaze with mine. “I'm not going to lose her. So whatever you're feeling, you need to get over it.”
I hold my hand up to him, annoyed by the conversation. “I get it. She's your girlfriend—”
“And you're my friend,” he cuts me off. “You're both very important to me. I don't want to lose either of you over this.”
“I understand.” I nod. “I don't want our friendship to get fucked up over this either.”
“Good. Then we both agree.” He smiles. “No more kissing my girlfriend.”
That went way better than I could have imagined. Peter handled the situation with tact. I'm not sure I would have done the same if the roles had been reversed. I'd like to think that I would have, but I have a tendency to get hot-headed sometimes.
Whatever the case, the cat is out of the bag now. Spending time with Peter and Willow together is going to be awkward from here on out, so I'd rather not do it. While I don't want my friendship with Willow to end, I'm starting to think it's just better to let it go. It's a bit ironic that she was the one who didn't want to be friends with me originally. She wanted nothing more than to be rid of me, and all I wanted was for her to forgive me and let me back into her life. Now here I am, ready to walk away from it all.
My conscience feels a bit clearer as I return to my apartment. My misdeed has been forgiven. Now all I have to do is keep my distance from them, and everything should be fine.
Only a second after I open the door to my apartment, the door to Willow's unit opens behind me. All of my energy evaporates as I realize I'll have to face her.
“Caleb,” she says my name with more excitement than I can handle. I know she wants to talk about the kiss.
“Get back, Max.” I try to force him back with my foot.
“Caleb.”
I can hear the padding of Willow's footsteps as she walks across the hall to me.
“Willow, I'm tired.” I turn to her finally.
The smile she was wearing fades. “And in a bad mood, apparently.”
“It's been a long day.” I shut the door so that I don't have to fight with Max anymore and lean against it to show my exhaustion.
“It's been a long day for me, too. I'm still hungover even.” She gives me a look that suggests I'm being thoughtless. I'm not. If anything, getting away from her as quickly as possible is the most thoughtful thing I can do right now.
“Then you should go to bed.” I listen to Max whining at the door. It's grating on my nerves like his claws are grating against the wood.
“But I have so much to tell you.” Excitement takes over her expression again.
“I can't, Willow.” I hold my palm up to stop her mouth from erupting into details about the kiss.
“What's your problem?” She sinks back slightly. “You've been so moody lately.”
“I've just been busy.” I sigh.
“With what? You never want to talk to me anymore. You don't seem to want to hang out.” She taps her foot for a moment before her eyes get a mischievous gleam to them. “Wait... Are you seeing someone?”
Perfect. Whatever. I'll run with it.
“Yeah. And she's super jealous. She doesn't like me hanging out with other girls, so we're not going to be able to hang out anymore.” I cross my arms over my chest.
Willow wrinkles her nose. “That's awfully possessive. It must drive her nuts that you have female clients.”
“Bonkers.” I toss my gaze to the ceiling for emphasis.
Instead of being disappointed with this tidbit of news, Willow seems really happy for me. “Tell me all about her. Where did you meet her? What does she look like? Why didn't you bring her to Peter's party?” she bombards me with questions.
My mouth falls agape as I search for answers. Man, I'm really not good at this lying shit. Or maybe I'm just brain dead today. I can't really tell anymore.
“That's none of your business.” I fold my arms over my chest.
She huffs at me. “Fine. Geez. I told you everything that went on with Peter. I don't know why you're being so secretive.”
“Some people like talking about all of their shit; some people don't.” I give her the cold shoulder.
“Well.” Willow takes a step back, retreating towards her apartment. “I hope she makes you happy.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I open the door and push my way past Max to get inside.
The last I see of Willow is her frowning, looking dejected. I feel bad because I know I hurt her feelings again, but this is for the best for all of us. Hopefully she'll understand someday.
Willow
I can't stop thinking about the kiss.
Peter is standing in front of us at work on Tuesday talking about what happened with the vandalization and how it will affect our work, and all I can focus on are his lips. They were so soft pressed against mine...and so full of passion.
A blush comes to my cheeks as I reminisce about the minty taste of his breath—the way his tongue felt on top of mine. His strong hands held me so tightly. I could feel his... Just the thought that he became aroused during the kiss makes me giddy.
Becky shows up about ten minutes late. She's dragging ass, and for once she doesn't look happy at all.
“Are you alright?” I ask against my better judgment.
“I'm fine.” She glances up at Pe
ter, then back at me. “You're lucky you have someone.”
I have no idea where that came from, but I don't pry further. A bit later in the day, she tells me that I should start coming to the gym to workout with her.
“I'd really like to start over and try to be friends,” she tells me. “Besides, if we can both show that we're dedicated, Caleb will take us on as clients for free.” There's a lilt to her voice when she says his name.
I know it's evil, but I can't resist the urge to kick her when she's down. Not long ago, she would have done the same to me just to be a bitch.
“You might want to re-evaluate your deal with him,” I say absentmindedly. “He has a girlfriend now.”
That shuts her up, and we spend the rest of the day in blessed silence.
After work, Peter takes me out to dinner. I praise him for how quickly he and Harris were able to put Advanced Data Solutions back together. Most of the computers and furniture are brand new, and I know it all had to cost a fortune. Production was slow because they're still working out the kinks with the network, but we got through the day thanks to Peter's brilliant leadership.
Once we've finished eating, Peter drives us through a Starbucks and then we head to the park to sit and watch the children play. It makes me think of our future together, how things could be. And then I wonder if my kids will play with Caleb's kids someday. Will our friendship even survive this new relationship of his?
“Did Caleb tell you he got a girlfriend?” I ask, curious if I'm the last to know about this.
The shock on Peter's face says it all. “No. He didn't tell me that.”
“Good. I'd be kind of pissed at him if you knew before I did,” I confess.
“Why would that piss you off?” He grins.
I screw my face, wondering if it's a jealousy thing. “Because I've known him longer. It wouldn't make sense for him to tell you first.”
Peter's smile fades and he hesitates before speaking again. “Does it bother you that he has a girlfriend?”