His phone starts making a noise again. I shift and roll over to look at Tyler.
“Tyler, your phone is ringing” I shake him gently. Not even an eyelid flutter. Maybe the gentle approach wasn’t the way to go. I smirk and suck in a big breath and blow in his face. He frowns but still doesn’t wake up. Jesus Christ what did he do knock himself out?
I lean over and press my lips to his. He stirs and kisses me back. I pull back and look at him. His dark eyes are looking at me. I can just make the outline of his features.
“Why did you wake me? It’s not morning”, he grumbles and flops on his back. I love that he gets a little grumpy when he is woken up shows he’s human.
“I wouldn’t be awake if it wasn’t for your phone keep on ringing”
He sighs and rubs his eyes. His phone starts ringing again. He grumbles something I can’t understand and sits up. He gets up and walks over to his jeans and grabs his phone from his pocket.
“Hello?” he doesn’t look at the screen before he answers. He flicks on the overhead light and nearly blinds me.
“Give me a bit of warning next time” I grumble chucking my arm over my eyes to shield the harsh light.
“It was Cassie… what is it to do with you? I’ve told you and she has told you we are friends… no I don’t want you to come round” Just from hearing his side of the conversation I can guess, that it’s Georgina.
I take my arm away from my eyes and see Tyler tense standing by his jeans.
“No... I don’t care what you heard”, he says in a low voice. The anger in his tone has me on alert. Somehow he gets even more tensed, he’s like an elastic band about to snap.
“Tyler, come back to bed I’m lonely” I say loud enough for her to hear on the other side of the phone. He pulls the phone away from his ear, I can hear her shouting.
“What the fuck was that? I don’t know if you’ve made it better or worse” He has a look of shock and disbelief on his face.
I shrug. “She was obviously saying something to piss you off so I thought I’d get my own back” I cover my eyes again.
“It was a joke Georgina. Jesus Christ. Don’t get your knickers in a twist” he sighs and rubs his forehead.
“No it isn’t” I say it quieter this time so she can’t hear me. I smile and look at Tyler and see he is smiling at me.
“Yes… okay… no… whatever, bye” He shakes his head and ends the call.
“How the fuck am I going to marry her? I can’t stand having a conversation on the phone” He walks back over to the bed and sits against the headboard. I look up at him and smile.
“You’ll be okay maybe get some earplugs” He laughs softly. I close my eyes again and sigh. He shifts, I crack one eye open to see what he is doing, he has lay down beside me.
“You forgot to the turn the light off” I grumble playfully. He sighs and gets off the bed and turns the light off again. He climbs back on the bed again.
“Happy?”
“Immensely so” I snuggle into my own hand. “What did she ring you up for anyway?”
“Apparently someone saw you come to work with me on Saturday”
“And, I’m your friend am I not allowed to go with you now?”
“You kissed me, remember Cass” I open my eyes. Well shit.
“Did she tear you a new one?”
“She was in the middle of doing that when you pulled your little stunt” I laugh softly. “Can we go back to sleep now?” he asks. I nod, then remember he can’t see me.
“Yeah” He pulls me close to him and rests his chin on the top of my head. I snuggle my head in the crook of his neck and sigh. This is where I belong I just need to kick a leech out.
Chapter Sixteen
Cassie
“Tyler I don’t give a shit if you don’t want me to go. I’m going and you can’t stop me!” I huff down the phone. The man is testing my patients today! We have been disagreeing about the pole dancing lessons for an hour now.
“Oh yes I can! You can’t go anywhere if I pin you to the bed” I narrow my eyes. That’s not fair.
“You won’t know when I’m going” I smirk. The lesson is actually later on tonight.
“I’ll just be attached to your hip the whole time. I’m sure you’re not shy if I watch you pee are you? You’ve already threatened to pee on me so…”
“Have you forgotten that we both have work? So how would know what day I’m going? You never know it might be a late class and you can’t come and get me because you’re at work” I’m basically taunting him now. I hear him growl down the phone.
“You’re a pain in my arse Cassie! Why do you want to pole dancing lessons so bad? Are you trying to put me in an early grave?”
“Why would I put you in an early grave just because I’m doing pole dancing lessons? It’s not like we have men watching us. It’s a lesson Tyler not a club! I’ll probably be surrounded by either middle aged women trying to spice up their sex life or women like me wanting to tone up maybe just couple of them because they actually enjoy it” I roll my eyes and lay on my bed.
“Cassie I think I would have heart failure if I knew you were doing it because you look sexy as fuck anyway, you wrapped around a pole…” he clears his throat. “I don’t like it, who is going to see you doing it anyway? Got someone in mind?”
“You don’t have to like it. It’s my body and you don’t own it! And this is Ann Summers all over again… can’t I do something for myself? I’m not like the women you have surrounding you trying to impress any male that looks good and give me attention”
“You. Are. Mine”, he grates out each word.
“I didn’t get the message. Last time I checked you were still getting married to your bitch in less than two weeks” he inhales sharply. Maybe that was a low blow but I’m not getting compared to them girls.
“I don’t give a shit about Georgina and you know I don’t. And I don’t give a fuck if I’m getting married. You’re still mine!” I squeeze my eyes shut.
“So you’re just going to lead me on like a sad fucking puppy because you don’t want anyone else to have me? Well tough fucking shit Tyler your taken and not by me!” and with that I hang up on him. They say sex complicates things… it does! The possessive Tyler has been out more since we slept together a week ago. We argue more now too.
I hear a soft knock on the door.
“Cassie it’s me. I just wanted to check to see if you’re ok. I could hear you arguing. You can tell me to mind my own if you want” I hear Melissa say softly. I sigh.
“Come in” She opens the door and slips inside and shuts it again. She walks over to me on the bed and sits down on the edge.
“So are you ok?”
I sigh. I don’t know am I?
“I honestly don’t know. Tyler and I slept together a week ago when I was drunk” She nods. I look at her expecting to see judgement in her bright blue eyes but nope, not even pity just understanding. “I shouldn’t have slept with him. He’s getting married in less than two weeks” She nods again.
“Cassie the man wants you and obviously something is keeping him tied to this girl he is marrying. I can see it you’d have to be blind not to see it. The amount of love you and he have for each other” I didn’t think it was that noticeable. “It is” she smiles. How do they do that? I’m not that easy to read! She smiles sadly at me.
“What were you arguing about anyway? Remember you can tell me to butt out” I won’t. It’s nice to have a girl to talk to about this.
“I’m doing pole dancing lessons. Well not yet but I will as of tonight and he doesn’t like it. Then we got in to the fact that I’m not his and he said I am” she nods.
“And I heard the last part. You sort of screamed it out so the whole house heard” I groan, oh shit!
“Where are Jack and Justin?”
“Sitting on the sofa glaring at nothing” she smiles. Jack has been doing that a lot. He told Tyler not to hurt me. I’m hurting now I thought I was hiding it be
tter other than the loud phone calls.
“So you’re doing pole dancing lessons? What’s so bad about that? Do you mind if I come with you?” I stare at her then the little bump holding my niece or nephew. She rolls her eyes and laughs. “I won’t be climbing on the pole, I’m not that stupid. Your brother would kill me… well after the bean is born”
“Bean”
“Your brother’s name for the baby I told him once it was about the size of a bean and he has called it that since” she shrugs her shoulders.
“He doesn’t like it because he thinks I’m going to dance around the pole for any other man that isn’t him. That’s where the ‘mine’ conversation came into it”
My phone alerts me I have a message.
Tyler: I’m sorry babe. You know I didn’t mean it like that. You can go pole dancing lessons x
He’s giving me permission? I was going anyway.
Me: I was going either way and what did you mean then Tyler? I can never be yours while you’re married and you can’t expect me to.
He should know he has hurt me so no kiss at the end of the message.
I look up and see Melissa rubbing her bump subconsciously.
“You can come with me. We can go for something to eat after if you want?” I smile softly at her. She feels like the big sister I never had.
“I’ll just be on the side-lines cheering you on and if you fall maybe laugh” I narrow my eyes playfully at her. “Maybe video it so your brothers can have a laugh” she winks. I throw my head back and laugh she laughs with me.
“Everything okay now? Considering you two are laughing like hyenas in here” Justin pops his head in my bedroom.
“It is. Your girlfriend is coming with me to pole dancing lessons” I see them both stiffen slightly. I take it they aren’t at that stage yet. They don’t correct me so I just shrug it off.
“What’s Jack doing?”
“Sitting on the sofa, I had to talk him out of going to see Tyler” I wince inwardly.
“We’re allowed to argue” I try and defend myself and him.
“It was the comment about stringing you along like a sad puppy that done us both Cass. Jack told him not to string you along” he shrugs one shoulder. Maybe I should start talking to Tyler either quieter or out of the house. I sigh.
“We don’t want to see you hurt Cass. You’ve got to understand this wasn’t a good situation when you became ‘friends’ and don’t say you are just friends. You could basically see your sexual tension, not that me and Jack wants to see it but it was pretty obvious” I move on my bed and cross my legs and start tracing the pattern on the duvet.
He sighs and closes the door softly.
“It’s ok Cassie we will have a good time tonight let your hair down” She grins and stands up from the bed. I take notice that she is wearing Justin’s top and jogging bottoms.
“My stuff doesn’t fit me anymore, I’ve got to buy some stuff that actually fits me this will have to do till then”
“We can go out on Wednesday if you want? To buy you more clothes. I’m off work then” she nods.
“I’d love that” she smiles and turns and walks to the door.
“Thank you for liking me you could have been a bitch to me saying I’m only trying to trap your brother” A little pink comes on her cheeks and she walks out the door and closes it again.
I pick my phone up and dial Tyler’s number.
“I’m sorry!”, he says when he answers. I sigh.
“What did you mean then Tyler? How am I yours?”
“I can’t explain it Cass, but your mine. I don’t want to lead you on and I’m hopefully not but if I wasn’t with Georgina you know I would be all over you like a rash and not just for sex. I want to castrate any man that looks at you. I’m pretty sure ‘friends’ don’t have them thoughts. I want to shout it from the roof tops that your mine and you always will be”
“I thought that’s all you want me for. Sex” I have a small smile on my face. I don’t know why I said it I know full well he doesn’t just want me for sex.
He growls “Cassie!” I laugh softly.
“I was joking pull your boxers out your arse!” he sighs.
The rest of the time we spend talking about a load of crap, I still feel the hurt lingering but I’m guessing I’m never going to get rid of that as long as I’m friends with Tyler.
****
“Twirl around the pole now! Yes you’ve got it! Its only taken you 5 attempts” Melissa says from the floor, she’s sitting on the floor with her back up against the wall talking me through it. I throw her a glare and practice it again.
“It’s not as easy as it looks preggers” I opt for a different style this time and go around backwards.
“Oh come off it, they seem to find it easy enough” she nods towards the bunny boilers in the corner.
“It’s because it’s probably their jobs!” I say back, she sniggers and puts her focus back on me.
“Try that one!” I look over at Melissa then the girls in the corner. One of them is hanging upside down sliding down the pole holding on just by her feet.
“No chance!” I’ll stick with the ones I know thank you very much, and the ones that won’t possibly break my neck.
“The ones your doing are boring, you need to act sexy” she informs me while stuffing her face with Pringles right sexy.
“I’m not doing an audition I’m learning it’s not like anyone will see me doing this” I curl my leg around the pole and swing around. She claps her hands when I don’t fall. I narrow my eyes. I can see me and her being quite good friends.
The instructor announces we have to do the cool off session that’s basically rolling around on the floor looking like a beached whale.
I collect my bag and put the jogging bottoms back on and pull Melissa off the floor when she realised she was stuck. I suggested rolling over and getting up on all fours to do it but I got glared at.
“So where are we eating?” I ask once we’ve get in the car. She starts the car and then turns to look at me.
“Somewhere with brownies I need brownies like yesterday” I shake my head and direct her to somewhere to eat.
“You’ve just polished off a whole tube of Pringles and chocolate fingers. How can you still be hungry?” she grins and rubs her bump. Anybody would think she is having twins. She already has a sizable bump. But she informed me it’s just the one baby and she is mostly water. The information basically went over my head.
After we have eaten and she announces that she is taking some of the brownies back to my place, we climb in the car and drive home. Halfway down the road I can see Tyler’s car parked in my driveway. I groan and look for help from Melissa she grins at me and pulls up beside the car. I see Tyler leaning against the passenger door with his arms crossed and his legs spread slightly apart.
I climb out and look at Melissa’s retreating back and glare at her.
“You forgot to lock your car!” she holds her hand up and presses the button to lock it. Fuck sake I forgot that. I hear her laughing then closes the door.
“So you went to this class then” I sigh and lean against his car as well. I shiver when I realise I didn’t bring a jacket out. The temperature has dropped a bit since I came out.
“I did, and if I remember rightly you ‘let’ me go” I rub my arms to warm up a little. Tyler sighs and shrugs off his jacket and hands it to me. I pull it on and close my eyes. The warmth and the smell make me smile.
“What is it with you and smelling my clothes?” he asks with his eyebrow raised. I look at the piercing going through it.
“Did it hurt?” I ask randomly after staring at it for a couple of minutes.
“What? My eyebrow ha! No I’m a man!” he puffs out his chest. I laugh.
“I bet you cried like a little girl didn’t you?” he glares at me. I stick my tongue out at him and cry out in surprise when he grabs my tongue between his thumb and forefinger.
“Won’t do that again w
ill you” he winks and let’s go. I purse my lips and narrow my eyes.
“Well that was mean!” I huff I seem to act like a child when I’m near him. It’s like I want him to take the piss out of me.
“Are we friends again?” Tyler whispers in my ear. I shiver again but it has nothing to do with the cold.
“I thought we still were it’s not my fault you got your boxers in a bunch about it”
He gives me a weird look but doesn’t say anything.
“So am I allowed to come in or do you want to come to mine?” he asks.
“Yours I’ll go and get some stuff to take” he nods and follows me. “Just warning you now, Jack overheard our ‘discussion’ earlier” Tyler groans and follows me inside. The house is quiet. Justin and Melissa are probably in his room, and I’m guessing so is Jack. I sigh with relief and walk to my bedroom and pack a little bag of stuff I’m going to need. Once I’ve got everything I walk back in the front room. Tyler is sitting on the sofa on his phone.
“I’m ready” He puts his phone away and gets up. He takes the bag off me and leads me out the house.
I’m not sure why but it feels different. We don’t talk much on the drive there.
When we arrive I climb out of the car and go to retrieve my bag from the back but Tyler tuts and frowns.
“It isn’t heavy so it doesn’t matter” I pick it up and walk to his front door, leaving him at the car.
“My place babe I’ve got the key” I roll my eyes. He opens the door and I walk over to the sofa and drop down. He shuts the door and comes over to me.
“Our easy going friendship has gone hasn’t it?” I ask. He stays quiet for a couple of minutes.
“Yeah, I don’t know what to do” I crawl over the sofa and on to his lap and sigh. He wraps his arms around me tight and kisses my hair.
“I think it’s because we’ve slept together”
Everything Changes Page 14