“I get it, thanks.” I turned around and stormed out of the bathroom and headed for the exit of the club. Once I was outside, I jumped into a waiting taxi and he took me home. I shouldn’t have got angry with Rose, I knew what she was saying was true. I had been leading them both on, because I liked them both so much that I couldn’t choose between them. I was confused, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t be in another relationship after being with Damien. He hurt me a lot and I never wanted to feel like that again. He broke me and my heart. I needed a few days to get my head on straight, I needed to talk to both of them and decide what to do. I needed to know what they were expecting from me. I needed to decide if a relationship was what I wanted.
Chapter 4
Matt
I tried calling Bonnie over the weekend but she kept rejecting my calls, finally after trying to contact her all day she sent me a text saying she needed time to think and that she would talk to me soon. We stayed at the club a couple hours after she had left, I danced with a couple of girls and had kissed some but that was it, I wasn’t interested in sleeping with anyone else. I had seen Joseph take a couple of girls into the back room of the club where I had seen several people disappear including Jacob and Rose. He clearly wasn’t as committed to Bonnie as I was.
I hadn’t seen Bonnie in college all morning, I didn’t want to pressure her, but I wanted to see her, I missed her, if it was possible my heart ached for her. I was looking at my phone and I almost knocked someone flying.
“Oh shit, sorry… I…” Bonnie was standing in front of me. “Hey, you ok?”
“Hi, Matt. Yeah, I’m fine… I’m sorry about the weekend… Can we talk?”
“Yeah, sure. Did you want to come back to mine?” I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her but I felt like something was different with her, was this where she told me everything was over between us? I wasn’t sure how that would make me feel. She nodded and we walked in silence to my car. She seemed nervous; she was twiddling her thumbs in her lap. I reached over and placed my hand on top of hers.
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
“Yeah, will there be anyone else at the flat?”
“I’m not sure.” I answered as I parked the car. “Let’s go and look.” She climbed out of the car and we rode up in the lift in silence. When we entered the flat she placed her bag on the floor by the door. “Do you want a drink?”
“It’s ok, I can get it. You want one?”
“Coffee would be great.” She nodded and made her way into the kitchen. I kicked off my trainers and then followed her in. I didn’t expect to walk in and see Bonnie in Joseph’s arms. “Oh, didn’t realise you were home.” I was acting cold towards him as he had his arms around the girl I wanted to be my own.
“Yeah, only just got in…” I cut him off.
“Well Bonnie and I need to talk, so…”
“Actually I need to talk to both of you.” Bonnie interrupted me.
Bonnie
I made the guys sit on the sofa as I sat on the coffee table in front of them. I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and find out what they both wanted from me too.
“I needed to talk to you both as I think we need to sort a few things out… I like you, both of you… But I need to know what you both want from me… Joseph?”
Joseph ran his hands through his hair, I saw Jacob doing this a lot and it was one trait they both shared.
“I really like you too… I want you to be mine. I don’t want to share you… But I’ve never done the whole relationship thing, I don’t know if I will be any good at it.” He was honest with me and I liked that.
“Whereas I know that I really want you, all of you. A relationship, I can look after you, protect you and I will never hurt you.” Matt added.
“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt her either.” Joseph said sternly.
“Really? I wasn’t the one who fucked two girls at the club the other night.” Matt scolded him.
“No, Bonnie I…” Joseph started to defend himself.
“I don’t wanna hear it, Joe. I don’t care what you done at the club. We aren’t a couple… Do you two have a suggestion on how to sort this?”
“Easy, pick one. Me or him.” Matt said standing up and pacing around the living room.
“I can’t just pick… I want you both… I care for both of you, but I don’t know if I can be in a relationship.”
“What happened in your past Bon? You need to tell us.” Matt crouched down in front of me and grabbed my hands. I shook my head, I couldn’t tell them what had happened, I felt so silly, it was all my own fault.
“No, not yet… I can’t…”
“How about dates?” Matt suggested. “A week each and then you decide?”
“At the same time?” Joseph asked.
“No, I was thinking maybe a week each? What do you both think?”
“A trial relationship for a week each?” I asked confused.
“Yeah, for example; I will date you for a whole week, you won’t have contact with Joseph unless we are all together as a group, we won’t sleep with other people…”
“How are you going to avoid me if you are here with him?” Joseph asked me. We all sat in silence, I thought it was a good idea but I wasn’t sure if it would work.
“Hi guys…” Rose sung excitedly. “Oh, sorry are we interrupting?” Rose asked as her and Jacob walked in holding hands with big smiles on their faces.
“What’s got you so happy, sis? Another episode on the bike?” Joseph wiggled his eyebrows at them.
“You told him that!” Rose blushed as she hit Jacob in the stomach.
“Thanks, man.” Jacob glared at his brother.
“Rose, why are you so happy?” I asked her. I had felt bad for walking out and leaving her at the club, but knew she would be safe there with the guys. I called her on Sunday to apologise and she explained to me that she only wanted me to be happy and that she would support whatever decision I made about the guys.
“Oh, we found a flat… It’s perfect, two bedrooms, just down the road, furnished and we can move in this weekend… So everyone be available to help.”
“That’s great news.” I got up to hug her.
“Thanks… Are you ok? Do you need to talk?” She said to me quietly as we were close together.
“I’m ok, just talking to these guys…”
“Oh?” Rose raised her eyebrows and I shook my head as if to say that I would talk to her later.
“I’m gonna miss living with you, sis.” Joseph told her, pulling her away from me so he could hug her.
“Charming that brother… Now everyone stop man handling my fiancée.” Jacob pulled her back towards him.
“I’m so excited! Let’s go and pack.” Rose happily shouted as she ran towards their bedroom.
“Babe, we got all week…” He walked after her which left the three of us again.
“So? Where were we?” I asked as I sat back down.
“Dating us for a week each. I want the first week.” Matt declared.
“Ok, I can go and stay with Rose and Jacob at their new place… Are you sure you will cope without me for a whole week, sweetness?”
“She will be so busy and happy she won’t need the week with you.” Matt sounded confident. But I felt disappointed at the thought of not spending a whole week with Joseph.
“I will be spending a week with him…” I stated.
“Are you sure you will be able to keep it in your trousers for a whole week.” Matt goaded Joseph.
“I won’t need to, I will have the most beautiful girl in the world attending to me.”
“Attending to you?” I bit out.
“Oh, you love it.” He smirked at me as he gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
“Hey, you won’t be allowed to do that when she is mine.” Matt scolded him.
“Calm down you two before you piss all over me… So Matt, we will start Monday?”
“Sounds good to me, can’t wait…” He gave
me a kiss on the lips before he walked away. I looked at Joseph and he was staring into space.
“Hey.” I said softly as I wrapped my arms around him from behind. “What you thinking?” I found it difficult to be in a room with him and not touch him.
“Oh, nothing.” He turned around to face me. “I’m gonna miss seeing you, that’s all.” He cupped my face in his hands and looked into my eyes.
“Really?” I whispered, I was surprised by what he’d said.
“Yeah.” He edged closer towards me and dipped his head so we could kiss. It started off slow and he was soon nibbling on my bottom lip so I would open my mouth for him. Once our tongues connected, I stood up on my tip toes and wound my arms around his neck. He pulled my body against his and his hands held me closer to him; he had a firm grip on my bum. When our lips separated he said;
“Go out with me tonight?” He didn’t step away from me; our noses were almost touching as he spoke. I nodded and his smile grew.
“Yo, J…” Jacob called out as he walked into the living room. “Oh, sorry… Never mind.” We looked towards Jacob and he had already left.
“Where do you wanna go tonight?” Joseph asked, stroking my arms. He was sending hot sensations all over my body and it felt like I was on fire.
“Take me back to ‘Redz’.”
“Really?” He smirked at me.
“Yeah, I wanna be with just you.”
“Are you sure?” He sounded unsure about going back there, did something happen there that I should know about? Oh, Matt said about him being with those two girls. I hated hearing that but I had no claim on him, we were not a couple so he could sleep with whoever he wanted to. That didn’t mean I wasn’t jealous, I wanted him all to myself but then I wanted Matt too. I was really messed up, how could one person want to be with two people?
“Yeah, I don’t care about those two girls that you were with…”
“No, Bonnie… I…”
“Bonnie, can you help me?” Rose interrupted us. Joseph and I stepped apart and I smiled at him before I walked away.
Joseph
I didn’t know what was going on with me, I felt disappointed that I was going to have to spend a week without Bonnie. This girl did something to me, she was the reason that I had moved back into the flat with the guys and Rose, I’d felt like I needed to see her at every opportunity. I had never felt that way before about anyone. I never wanted to be in a relationship. I never wanted to let anyone else close to me; after our parents walked out and left us I didn’t want to feel that pain and rejection again and I was definitely putting my heart on the line with Bonnie. I had Jacob and now Rose and that was all I thought I needed for a family. The thought of Bonnie being with Matt for forever killed me. I wanted to try a relationship with her, I didn’t know if I was cut out to be with only one person, but I did know that I wanted to make her happy and I felt alive when she was around me.
Chapter 5
Joseph
“Did I tell you that you look hot tonight?” I whispered in Bonnie’s ear as I danced close to her.
“Only a few times.” She giggled and leant up towards my ear. “You know what I want?” I shook my head, she had been pressed up close to me all night and my body was screaming for her, I wanted to take her in one of those rooms and worship every single part of her. “I want…” My breath caught in my throat in anticipation. “A drink.” She calmly said. I felt my body sag and she must have noticed as she laughed again.
“Come on, sweetness.” I led her over towards the bar and ordered us a couple of drinks. As I was paying I noticed a guy had approached Bonnie and she hadn’t told him to get lost. This guy was soon going to know she was not available.
“Here you go, babe.” I said as I passed Bonnie her drink. She took it from me and took a sip and carried on talking to this guy. I stood close behind her and wrapped my arm around her stomach. “Hi, I’m Joseph.”
“Nico.” He nodded at me. He didn’t seem put off that I was claiming Bonnie as mine. Did he like the challenge? Did Bonnie give him the impression that she was interested in him? I was feeling annoyed, I was already pissed off that I had to share her with Matt. I was not going to share her with anyone else. I stood up straighter and glared at him over the top of Bonnie’s head. He seemed to take the hint as he backed away slightly saying goodbye to her. When I looked at her she watched him walk away and then finished her drink.
“Shall we dance again?” She asked.
“What was that all about?” I demanded.
“What? With Nico? I was only talking to him.” She dismissed it like it was no big deal.
“It didn’t look like nothing, do you want him too? Are me and Matt not enough for you?” I was annoyed. She looked at me in surprise.
“What are you talking about? I don’t want him… I’m here with you.”
“But I’m not enough for you?”
“Joseph, please! You know this is difficult for me… I can’t help how I feel…”
“How do I know that, if you choose me, somewhere along the line you won’t want someone else too?”
“That’s not fair… Me and Matt have history and I had a connection with you as soon as we met.” She looked upset, I knew I had hurt her but I was struggling to cope with the fact that I had to fight someone else for her. She looked at me and shook her head and then walked away from me. I watched her walk away until I snapped out of my daze and chased after her.
“Bonnie, I’m sorry… Please… Stop walking away from me.” I grabbed her hand and she snatched her arm back away from me.
“Leave me alone!” She screamed at me. “Well, at least I know how you really feel now.”
“No, Bonnie, you don’t…” I started and she cut me off.
“I don’t wanna hear it; I can’t stand to be near you right now. Goodnight.” She stormed off and I watched her climb into a taxi. I was an idiot, why did I have to say that? I was struggling with the fact that maybe at the end of the next couple of weeks that she may in fact be someone else’s. Was I prepared to let her in for a week and have her ripped away from me in the end? I knew that Matt would be better for her than me; I was a man who liked to be with several different women and wasn’t convinced that I could be with only one. No matter how much I cared for Bonnie I didn’t know if I could be faithful.
Chapter 6
Bonnie
Joseph had upset me so much at the beginning of the week that I hadn’t spoken to him in person since. I couldn’t believe that he accused me of looking for someone else. It was definitely not my decision to fall for both Joseph and Matt. I was constantly debating with myself on what I should do. I had been thinking of walking away from both of them as what I was doing was not fair on them. The thought alone had me in tears, how did I get myself into this situation? All I wanted was one night of fun.
Hey you coming over? R x
Yeah, be over soon. x
I hadn’t spoken to Rose about how I was feeling as she was very involved with the family now because she was engaged to Jacob. I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable and I definitely didn’t want her to feel like she had to pick a side.
I looked at my phone and saw a text from Joseph.
How are you? I miss you xx
I’m ok. I’ll be over to see Rose later. Will you be there? x
Do you want me to be? xx
Yes. Of course I do. You upset me, but I understand. I don’t want to lead you on. Do you want to walk away? x
No, you will be mine Bonnie. I’m not giving you up. xx
See you soon x
He didn’t reply after that, he had me even more confused now. I would be his? He is not giving me up? What did he mean by that? I honestly didn’t know how I was going to decide between them as no matter what I decided I was going to have to hurt someone.
***
“Hello?” I called out as I walked through the door to Rose’s flat.
“Hi!” She called back. When I looked up at her s
he was pacing around the living room and twisting her engagement ring around on her finger constantly.
“Are they fighting?” I asked. She was only like this when Jacob had to fight. She nodded and tears began to fall down her face. “Rose, he is going to be fine… How long has it been?”
“A couple of hours… What if something is wrong?”
“Calm down. I will give Matt a call, ok?”
“Yes, thank you.” Rose sobbed as she sat down on the sofa and placed her head in her hands. I dialled Matt’s number and it began to ring.
“It’s ringing… Hey… Yeah, I’m just checking on the twins… That’s good… See you soon.” I hung up the phone and sat down next to Rose. “He’s fine.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Jacob just knocked out the guy he was fighting as I was on the phone to Matt. They will be on their way home soon.”
“Oh, thank God. I don’t know how I am going to go on like this. I can’t stand him fighting.”
“You need to talk to him.”
“It’s no use, he won’t listen… Plus, we have this flat now and he refuses to let me work while I’m still at college.”
“What are his plans for when he finishes college?” I walked into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.
“He doesn’t really know.”
“You should still talk to him about it again.” She nodded and took a large gulp of her wine.
“What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing, I’m good.” I told her, refilling my glass.
“Spill it…” She said, not taking no for an answer.
“I don’t want to involve you in it, it’s not fair.” I explained to her.
“You, Bonnie, are my best friend. You can tell me anything, I’m here for you.”
“I’m just so confused, I like them both but I am still scared to be in a relationship… Then, if I do choose one I will have to hurt the other one. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Giving A Chance (Chance Series Book 2) Page 2