..
..
I was in a bad situation.
Nothing serious, just that Jennie had rolled over in her sleep, half of her body was on mine—her knee on my hip, inches from my morning wood. I was fine until I really started to look at her. Her face was turned up on my shoulder with her arm thrown over my chest. Her lips were parted slightly in a perfect 'o' shape. Not even her occasional snort could calm my budding erection down. I had to move her before I reached the point of no return.
Gently, I grabbed her arm and leg and rolled her over as I stepped off the bed. She moved in her sleep, curling up like a ball. She was so damn cute. With a blissful sigh, I went into the bathroom to take a piss and brush my teeth. I figured since she made me breakfast I should return the favor.
Down in the kitchen, I made a pot of coffee and decided to make French toast, it's her favorite. I clicked on the television—best thing on was Grey's Anatomy. I couldn't lie and say I wasn't excited to go to med school and become a doctor. It was all I wanted to do for years, even before football. I would never understand why my dad hated that—hated that I was done with football.
"You're cooking." Jennie mumbled behind me. I flipped the bread over and spun to face her.
"Yeah, French toast." I smirked. She grinned and poured herself a cup of coffee. She drinks her coffee black; I drink mine with diabetes.
"You sleep okay?" I asked her casually.
She sat on the counter. I was glad she had put a sweater on, hiding the soft swells of her breasts. "Yeah. You kept me warm." She giggled. I took the bait.
"Because I'm incredibly hot?" My brow cocked and she rolled her eyes at me over her coffee cup.
"You're watching this again?" She laughed. We always watched it together before college and over the break. We would wait until we were together but the reruns were on Lifetime.
"Yeah, nothing else good on."
She hopped off the counter and hobbled over to the couch. I watched as she threw a blanket over her shoulders—her back was to me so she didn't notice, and she tucked her feet under her as she watched the show. I shook my head, not believing I was doing this. Staring at her, afraid to tell her the truth. I was being selfish—not wanting to lose her.
I finished up the breakfast, I made whipped cream from scratch and found some strawberries to top it. I served it to her on the couch and poured her another cup of coffee.
"Thank you." Her smile was sheepish.
I sat next to her as we ate, watching Dr. Yang bash an intern. It never failed me, how comfortable I was around her. We never had to try and it was never awkward, even after what I had said last night. I guess that's what happen when you literally grow up with someone.
The whole story is; my mom was her mom's best friend in high school. When they went off to college, they drifted apart but hung out every occasionally, over breaks. Jennie's parents got married right after high school but my parents didn't get married until after college. Our moms were occasional friends at that point, it just so happened they got pregnant one month apart. My parents moved here to Florence just before I was born—when my mother's interior design business kicked off and my dad started a private law firm. Now he represents every small and private business in the city, hence our massive estate. Since then Jennie and I were always together. Play dates, shared birthday parties, shared baths, the whole nine yards.
For a time, Jennie didn't even like me. It was back in middle school. When sixth grade rolled around, she started ignoring me. Only saw me when she had to. I thought it was because my brown hair and green eyes were too much beauty for her, but after a big fight in seventh grade, I learned it was because I was 'sort of a dick face.' I took it to heart, really tried to be less of a said 'dick face.' She didn't really forgive me, for whatever she was mad about, until we went to high school. Since then, we have been closer than ever.
"That was amazing, thank you." She grabbed my plate before I could stop her and washed them.
"My dad will be home soon." She called from the kitchen. I stood up, I should probably put a shirt on. I went upstairs to do that and then remembered I left my clothes I bought in her car.
"You gonna see your dad today?" She interrogated me as soon as I walked back inside.
"I don't think so." I walked past her, putting my bags in her room.
When I came back downstairs, I found her in the den. Watching her computer with frustration.
"What's wrong?" I sat in the chair across from her. She shook her head and adjusted her black glasses. She only wore them if she was using a computer.
"Nothing. Just checking on some things." She finished clicking and scrolling then turned to me. Her scowl told me she wasn't very happy.
"What?" I laughed innocently.
"You should go see your parents, I'll go with you." She leaned forward, her hands clasped under her chin as she watched me warily.
"No," I shook my head, "you ever think they just don't want to see me? I mean, they haven't even called and my mom knows you graduated. She knows I came. Actually, mom did tell me to congratulate you for her." My mom was a lot more empathetic than my dad, shocker. The day before Jennie graduated, she actually asked if I was going and wanted to come. Crap, I forgot to give her the gift she said she got.
"Oh."
"Yeah. I'm going home for Christmas, promise." She nodded.
"But I'm still coming for dinner." She laughed a bit. I always had Christmas dinner with her family. "Anyways, my mom got you a gift for your graduation." I pulled out my phone and texted my mom. I wouldn't mind meeting her for lunch or something.
"That's nice of her."
I nodded. "Yeah."
Hey mom. Can I meet you for lunch today and get Jennie's gift?
Yes, of course. I'm with clients until one. Meet me at Lula's at two.
Sure.
"I have to meet her at two."
She nodded. "I need to go to the library. Do you need a ride?"
I sighed and shook my head. "I'll go to my house since my dad is at work. Grab a car."
"You really don't want to talk to him, huh?" Her voice was honeyed.
"I can't. He is just going to say the same thing over and over again. I don't want to hear it anymore."
"I'm sorry."
I shrugged. Her eyes were sincere, warm. I could stare into those blue seas all day. "Don't be." I stood up. "I'm going for a run."
..
Once I hit the pavement I was at ease. I pushed harder than last time, talk about my dad frustrated me. I ran the same distance as last time but stopped at my house instead. I grabbed the key I stuck into my shoe and went in through the basement. The house smelled the same, looked the same. Cold, cashmere woods or something.
It felt stupid, sneaking around my house but I'd rather that than getting caught. I snuck into my room and grabbed more clothes and shoes then I went out to the garage and took the Beamer 7 Series, they would never notice it was gone. I was back with Jennie before anyone noticed.
Her dad was home like she said, his truck parked in the driveway, but I didn't see him when I went inside. I jogged up the steps to Jennie's bedroom, her door was half open so I went ahead and came in without knocking. Mistake.
Her back was to me—well she was bent over, leaning to one side. She was doing yoga, that much I knew, but I couldn't think of any much else as all the blood in my body traveled down to my cock. I probably should have announced myself but I didn't, I'd rather watch her do…whatever she was doing. But I found my head before I started jacking off right then and there.
"You're bent over like a lawn chair." My voice was gravelly.
She looked at me from between her legs, upside down. Gingerly, I walked across the room to where I wasn't staring at her ass in those tight yoga pants anymore.
"I'm trying to achieve trikonasana but I'm not doing too well." She huffed and sat with her legs crossed. She wiped sweaty wisps of her hair back and exhaled heavily. She was damn sexy hot and sweaty.
"Got it…hey do you mind stretching my hamstrings?" Sure, I could do it on my own, but just wait.
"Yeah."
I laid on the floor and she kneeled next to me. When she grabbed my leg she moved in front of me, her knee dangerously close to my crotch and her breasts pushed against my calf as she pushed my leg farther down. See? Her leggings covered her belly button but she only wore a sports bra—a thin strapped, low coverage, bright pink sports bra.
"Say when."
I grinned up at her.
"You went to your house?"
I nodded. "Came back with more clothes and the Beamer."
She rolled her eyes but laughed a little bit. "Are you excited to see your mom at least? It's been a while."
I nodded. "Yeah. My mom…she's the only one I actually miss sometimes."
She switched legs. I tried to pay less attention to her body pressed against mine and the grip her small hand had on my thigh, closer to my crotch.
"That's sweet." She tried to hide her sadness. Even though she never knew her mom, I knew it bothered her a little bit sometimes.
"Are you thinking about your mom?" I asked her. Her glance caught mine but her eyes fleeted.
"Yeah. I wish she could have seen me graduate."
I nodded. "She did. And I'm sure she is very proud of you."
She smiled sadly and pushed farther.
"Ah, when!"
She shot back. "Sorry."
I rubbed the back of my thigh, feeling like it had been snapped in half. "Jeez, you're strong."
She sat back and pulled her legs to her chest. "Not really, you're just a woos."
I laughed aloud.
"Maybe…hey you still going to that party tonight?" A smiled crept across her face. I hoped she had changed her mind.
"Yeah. I am."
"I hope you have fun—really." I nudged her knee.
"I won't drink. Like at all."
I laughed uneasily but she didn't notice. Her laugh was easy, jovial.
She really didn't think anything of it and that made the whole 'in love with my best friend' thing worse. There was a plethora of reasons why I was in love with her but only one reason why she's my best friend—she has never left me. In my worse times, even when she 'hated' me in middle school. She was there for me when my grandparents died months apart. There for all the dark times. And she never gave up on me.
I couldn't give that up for anything.
..
..
My mom looked good, healthy I mean. She isn't what you may think; she doesn't abuse Botox or buy everything possibly cosmetic. She is completely natural and beautiful, yeah, I'm a total 'momma's girl.' I guess.
"Honey, I missed you." She hugged me again and kissed my cheek in front of everyone, much to my embarrassment.
"I missed you too, Ma." I hugged her slender body and kissed her cheek.
She set her designer bag down and smiled brightly. For reference, my mom is a spitting image of me. Long, wavy brown hair, bright green eyes, broad nose and square jaw—we're twins.
"So, how was Jennie's graduation?" She asked.
"It was great. Theo threw a little party for her afterwards."
"Oh, that's good. I wish I could have seen it, but I got held up with this last contract." She explained.
We were interrupted shortly by the waiter taking our orders.
"How was school this semester?" She sipped her Earl Gray tea.
"Good. I haven't checked my grades yet but I'm sure I did well…I got my MCAT score back a few weeks ago." I added.
Her eyes fleeted for a moment but she feigned a smile. My mom never talked to me about football like my dad did, she never said I couldn't do it. She knew how happy it made me, and how much I wanted to do it but she also knew how much my father didn't want me to do it at all.
"That's great honey." Her smile was forced. She cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear, her hand shaking. She took a deep breath and shook her head a bit. She only did all then when she was deep in thought.
"Where did you apply? For medical school, I mean."
I gleamed for a second, I only ever told Jennie. "NYU, UCLA, and USC." I explained. They were my top three choices, if I didn't get into any of them I was screwed because I didn't apply anywhere else.
"Oh, okay. They sound like big guns."
I nodded with a laugh. "They are. I just hope I get in."
She held my gaze firmly. "You will."
I raised my brow in suspicion. "And if I do? What about dad?"
She shook her head. "Your father…I don't know."
I couldn't hold a good conversation with her until I ate my food. Clam chowder in a ciabatta roll is probably the best thing ever. My mom had a simple cobb salad. She was of course, on the healthier side of living. She did Pilates, ate organic food, and counted her macros.
"I have a question about dad." I said cautiously.
"Sure." She wiped the corners of her mouth gingerly and smiled warmly.
I noticed then just how much I had missed my mom. She always made me feel…better. She was a natural nurturer—Natalie Manoban is the complete opposite of my father.
"Do you love him?" Her face went drawn, all of a sudden, the slight wrinkles around her mouth and eyes were noticeable. I surprised her with the question.
"I do, of course I do. Why do you ask?" I believed her, but it wasn't what I meant.
"I was just wondering…I mean are you in love with him? Like…more than him being your husband for over twenty years kind of love." Her lips formed a hard line before she shook it off and smiled again.
"Yeah, I am. Some days more than others, of course but that's normal."
I sighed uneasily. I wasn't prepared for this conversation but she took it with ease.
"When did dad make the decision that I was going to do whatever he wanted? No questions asked."
She shook her head, her bows pinched together as she though. "Every parent thinks that…he just goes a little farther with it than he should."
"What do you think?" I leaned on my forearms, staring her down. It wouldn't do me any good, my mom didn't shy away from anything. The woman owns an international multi-million-dollar interior design corporation on her own.
"I think you want to be a doctor, and you're going to do it regardless of your dad's wishes."
I nodded. Damn right I was. "Anyways, let's talk about something else."
She perked. "How is Jennie?" She asked. She gave me a pointed look.
"She's good," I smiled, "she is super excited about graduating but she's a little scared about finding a job and getting this internship she applied for. But other than that her blog is going really well, she has ads on it now so she gets paid." I explained. She stared at me with a big smile on her face before saying anything. "What is it, Ma?" I laughed once.
"Nothing. It's just you really glow when you talk about her." She cocked a brow.
"What? No, I'm just…happy for her." I looked away before my blush started coming in. Only my mom and Jennie could make me blush.
"Or in love with her."
I nearly choked. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as my face went cold, but hot at the same time. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. My voice dropped, "is it that obvious?" My voice was thin.
"No," she giggled, "but I suspected and now I know I'm right."
"God, Ma. That isn't fair." I sat back, shaking my head in disbelief. She simply laughed in devious pleasure.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of honey," she reached out and took my hand, "it's a good thing. Have you told her?" Now I was the one laughing, humorlessly though.
"No, I can't imagine doing that. She probably doesn't feel the same way and I don't want to lose her completely. I mean, she's my best friend." My mom is the only one who can make me mushy—besides Jennie these days.
"Aw, honey. She deserves to know at some point."
I shook my head. "I know, but…it isn't an easy fix." I shrugged, lost for the right words.
"How long have you known?" Her bell-like voice was filled with curiosity. She was eating this up. My mom sort of knows I'm kind of a woman whore, she's just never said anything about it. Maybe in high school to make sure I didn't impregnate anyone and catch a disease. I couldn't look her in the eye for a few weeks but I got over it.
"Since freshman year."
"Of college?"
"No, high school." Her jaw dropped a little bit, her lower lip trembling as she held back a smile.
"Whoa, that's a long time. You should have an ulcer by now, holding that in all this time."
I nodded. Sometimes I did in fact feel like I had an ulcer. "I know." I sighed, my breath shaky.
"Lisa, you have to tell her. Or you'll just get so worked up it will ruin your friendship. And I know you don't want that to happen."
I nodded. I definitely didn't want that.
"No, I don't. It just isn't that easy. Besides…I'm not really relationship material. You know that." I said, remembering the awkward conversation we had years ago.
"I know, but…"
"I mean I'm not good at real relationships and that's what she wants. She's an English major, remember? So she's a hopeless romantic. She deserves that, she deserves what she wants and I can't exactly give her that."
The longest relationship I had was sophomore year, one that I only kept going to try and forget about Jennie. It didn't work, it lasted three months. Since then I just…hit it and quit it, shitty as it sounds. But it's the truth. I may take the occasional courtesy of learning their name and major but that's just how I went with it. It works for me and I can't make mistakes with Jennie. I love her too damn much.
"You may think you can't but love makes you do crazy things." She left it with that.
I talked with her a bit longer until it was closer to dinner time than lunch. I should be home with her, she said it a few times but she understood how heated things could get with my dad. She walked me out to the car and gave me Jennie's gift. The box was wrapped nicely in Duke University's colors.
"I'll give it to her when I get back. I've been at their house."
She nodded. "Theo told me." Of course. She eyed the Beamer, knowing I had gone home to get it. "You'll be home for Christmas, right?"
"Yeah, of course." She reached out to hug me.
"Oh! Before I forget, is Jennie coming with us to Aspen for New Years?"
I shrugged. I hadn't asked her yet. She went with us for the past two years when her dad had to work the New Year's shift. Her sister was with Haein's family since they met so I didn't want her to be alone the first time I asked.
"I don't know, I'll ask her." She hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek.
"Okay. Well we leave the thirty-first." She stepped back and rubbed my arms, giving me a weird look.
"I love you. And your father loves you too." She gripped my chin and then smoothed out my hair. Hey green eyes bored into mine. I knew she loved me, I mean really loved me. It was my father that I wasn't so sure about.
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Jennie was in the shower when I got back, good thing too because after all the talk about her, I highly considered telling her on the way back. It would be romantic, right? The Christmas season, hot chocolate and pumpkin spice scented everything is good, right? What did I know?
I hid—in plain sight, in their living room with her gift on my lap. A noise off to the side startled me, but then Theo announced himself.
"Hey girl, Jennie is upstairs." He gruffed.
"Oh, I know." I turned to him.
He had obviously just woken up, his hair was disheveled, his shirt wrinkled and his flannel pants bunched up. It would have been odd, seeing him this casual but Theo was like a second dad to me.
"What's that?" He gestured to the wrapped box as he shuffled into the kitchen.
"My mom got this for Jennie." I explained.
He hadn't said anything in a while but he was moving around the kitchen, probably making dinner. "Crap!" Theo exclaimed suddenly.
I turned around to see the kitchen smoked up like a pub. He noticed me staring and laughed at himself. "I guess I'm ordering pizza for dinner." He joked, I laughed along with him.
"What is that smell?" Jennie leaned over the banister. I looked up, all she wore was a towel. She must have absolutely no idea how I felt because she wouldn't do stuff like that, right?
"I burned lasagna." Theo answered.
"The oven ready ones? Really dad?" She grinned. Theo shook his head and started dialing.
"Lisa, I need your help." She looked right at me and then hobbled off to her room, her towel barely came past her ass.
Theo was talking on the phone when I followed her upstairs. I went into her room, shut the door behind me and pressed up against it like I was trying to be as far from her as possible.
"Oh, is that what your mom got me?" She smiled up at me and crossed the room. She tugged her hair out of the bow it was in and it flowed right down her shoulders. Her blue eyes were bright, and cute. My breath was officially taken away.
"Yeah."
She grabbed it and set it on the bed.
I gingerly stepped around the room until I sat on the edge of her bed. She went to her dresser on the opposite wall. I tore my gaze away when she grabbed a pair of panties and tugged them on under her towel. She grabbed a t-shirt and tossed it on, not removing her towel until it was past her shoulders. Her back was to me and I looked back too soon, in one hot and frustrating second I saw her bare back, smooth and her hips round. I saw the swell of her breasts on the side just before her shirt fell. Actually, it was my shirt so it fit her like a dress.
"That's my shirt." I cleared my throat, my voice came out deep and raspy.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry." She said, not sorry at all. She smiled and sat next to me, curling her legs up under her as she reached for her gift.
"How was it? Seeing your mom." She asked, her voice serious.
"Good. Really good actually. I miss talking to her, and seeing her."
"You could be seeing her right now." Her brow cocked as she shot me a pointed look.
"Yeah, with a bitter taste in my mouth from my father ruining things like he always does when I'm home. I'll see them on Christmas…by the way, are you coming with us to Aspen again?" The corner of her mouth tugged into a smile.
"I thought you'd never ask. Jisoo told me today that she would be with Haein and dad has to work. New Year's means fireworks, which means fire, so." She looked away, her expression somber. I knew how much it hurt that Theo had to work on almost every important holiday. Apparently, he had to fight for Christmas to be his day off.
"Yeah, I get it. We leave the thirty-first…open your gift." I nudged her knee with my hand. Mistake. Her skin was soft, and irresistibly hard to pull away.
"Okay."
She tore the wrapping paper quickly; a box was sealed with a tape. She tore it with her nail and tossed the cover off.
"Whoa." She breathed. She held up a chiffon, purple dress that looked on the older side of fashion. A piece of paper fell from it and she read it, smiling as she went along.
"What did it say?"
She opened her mouth to speak but her voice croaked instead. Concern flooded me when she started crying.
"Are you okay?" I touched her forearm softly.
"Oh, yeah. No, I'm fine. Look." She wiped her falling tears with a smile and watched me read it.
Jennie,
This dress was your mother's. Well, it was mine too but the story is we saw this dress in the mall one day, way back in high school and we both wanted it. Badly. But it was the very last one. So, we split it and had shared custody of it. We used to trade when we came home from college and even after that. I'm giving it to you now because your mother would have wanted you to have it. I know she would have. Jisoo isn't a dress person. She is so proud of you and of the woman you've become, so am I. I miss her every day; this dress was the last thing I had of her but it belongs to you now. Congratulations, I love you.
-Natalie.
"My mom is very sentimental."
Jennie laughed through her tears.
"Yeah. I can't wait to wear this." She stood on her knees on the bed and laid the dress over her.
"It's beautiful." You're beautiful. I stared at her. She smiled and nodded.
She wiped the last of her tears and hugged me, I was taken aback for a second but I hugged her back. My arms went around her waist tightly. I inhaled her scent and laughed immediately.
"Hey, Cheesecake." She giggled and pulled away, much to my disappointment.
"Shut up, it's the best shampoo out there." I shook my head, laughing at her. It was like she ran through my head in slow motion, her full lips curling up in a smile, her eyes gleaming, her skin glowing, freckles fanning her nose and cheeks…breath taken away again.
"Sure, I believe you."
She giggled and got up to hang the dress in her closet.
"When are you leaving for the party?" I asked her.
"Uh…nine. So I'm not there too early."
I considered going with her again but I knew I would just make a fool of myself, do something stupid and probably end up taking another girl home. For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood for a random hook up. Jennie not only made me want something serious, I wanted her. Problem was I cared about her too much to mess things up, and I trust myself to do that.
"Oh, okay. Did you still go to the library?"
She gasped and leapt across the room. "Yeah, and they had the new James Patterson books." She dug through her bag and brought out three new books, adding them to her book shelf.
"You know you just have to return those." I laughed.
She shook her head and came back to sit next to me. "No, I saw them at the library and then decided to buy them. I dream of owning all his books one day." She sighed.
"How many are there?" She shot me a look, as if I should know the answer to this question already.
"Hundreds."
"Oh."
"Hey, you guys want some pizza!" Theo called from down stairs.
"Yeah!" Jennie called back.
She stood and tossed on a pair of leggings—wasn't any better than her bare legs because it just made her ass look better. She walked in front of me and my gaze was right on her the whole time. When I sat at the table I was uncomfortably pressing out of my jeans.
"Dad, you always get this." Jennie grabbed a few slices of the alfredo spinach pizza.
"It's my favorite, kid." He nudged her shoulder playfully and sat across from me.
Jennie was on my right side. They exchanged conversation as they ate. It was obvious how much they loved each other, it never felt like that in my house. With my mom, sure. But my dad…not so much.
"Well, I'm old so I'm going to bed. See you guys." He kissed Jennie's forehead and nodded at me before retreating to his bedroom. Jennie cleaned up and then we sat back in the living room.
We continued with Grey's Anatomy, on the season where they try and buy the hospital. It's more stressful to watch than all the other ones, surprisingly. Jennie casually rested on my shoulder, she didn't mean anything by it but every time she touched me it just felt intimate. More so than when I'm sleeping with someone. I was barely touching her with my arm around her, but it was enough for me. It had to be, because I didn't want to trade this for anything.
"I'm going to start getting ready." She left after a few episodes.
I sat on the couch, feeling like a chum. I should just go and tell her, 'don't go to the party, stay with me because I'm in love with you.' I'm a good size, but I just don't have the balls for that.
She was gone for about an hour, it never took her long. When she came back down and stood in front of me, I had to physically cover my erection with a pillow. A pillow.
"I look okay, right?"
She went for a casual look, and it was fucking hot. She wore boyfriend style jeans—really, they're just my jeans that she stole and cut up in the right places. Her top was a gray, V-neck crop top, but it was loose on her, showing off her stomach. She wore a long charm necklace and had a little braid on the side of her head.
"Yeah, you look great." I tried to say as casually as possible.
"Okay, good."
She went to the mirror off of their dining room to look at herself again.
"You seem really anxious about this party…is it because of Mino?"
She came back and sat in the love seat. "No, I just don't want to make a fool of myself."
I laughed. "You won't. just be yourself—you're amazing." I hadn't meant to say the last part out loud but she didn't dwell on it too much.
"Thanks." And that bothered me again. It just makes me feel like she has this big wall up that I can't even bulldoze through, no matter how hard I try.
She got up to get a coat from the coat closet.
"I'll be back soon. Don't…I don't know." She giggled and scurried out the door, quickly tossing me a wave behind her. I stared after her like an idiot.
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