Chapter 10
JAMIE
I’m basically vibrating on my way home from class.
I can’t believe how good of a day this turned out to be, especially after my soul almost left my body when I found Tyler staring at my freaking dildo this morning.
I thought it would be one of the worst, most embarrassing days of my life.
But then Tyler smiled, he joked, he quelled my panic. He was fucking amazing.
So clearly not the worst day ever, but still a little—a lot—weird. But it only got better from then on.
My class ran over time today, but for once I don’t even mind, because we spent the day learning a new technique for shoulder and neck release.
The whole time I was watching the lecturer and then practicing on Aaron, I kept thinking how I couldn’t wait to tell—show Tyler.
He already mentioned before how tight his shoulders get, so I know he’d be over the moon to try this.
I just have to make sure not to appear too eager when I offer.
My mood improved even more when I opened my phone during lunchbreak.
Well, it didn’t improve right away, it made me nervous.
Because there was a message from the clinic waiting for me, a link inviting me to view my STI test results.
Which were all negative! Thank God. I wonder if I should share that piece of information with Tyler.
Is there even such a thing as TMI after your roommate saw the dildo you’d just had in your ass? Hard to say.
Anyways, I’ll decide later. Now I need to decide what to have for dinner. I’m starving. It’ll need to be something quick, maybe a stir fry?
I’m in such a good mood, I can’t stop humming all the way to the apartment. Once I unlock the door, Fiona hops towards me to greet me.
“Hey, sweetie.” I scoop her up, dropping a kiss to her furry head. Seriously, could today get any bet—
I freeze, only now registering the sounds that carry throughout the apartment. Very specific, very loud sounds. Loud enough to be heard through the closed door. Tyler’s door.
And they are decidedly female.
I look down, and my eyes instantly fix on a pair of purple heels. Definitely not mine. Very unlikely to be Tyler’s.
My stomach twists, my fingers curl into Fiona’s soft fur. Something flickers deep in my chest. It’s…not a nice feeling. It gets worse when I register a hint of floral perfume in the air.
I look at the heels again, as if they might magically not be there.
But magic’s not real. The heels are. They’re not even on the rack, just lying haphazardly on the floor.
As if they were taken off in a rush. As if their owner didn’t want to wait a second longer before falling into Tyler’s arms, into his bed.
I swallow hard. I knew this would happen. But why didn’t he let me know? He’d assured me I’d always get a heads-up. Unless…
I reach for my phone with a trembling hand, the other clutching Fiona to my chest as if she could repair the rip I feel opening inside me.
I slide into my messages and—
There it is. Lit up, in bold font, begging for attention. Sent a couple of hours ago. I must’ve missed it because it came at almost the same time as the one from the clinic.
Hey Jamie, hope you’re having a good day Just a heads-up that someone’s coming over today, late afternoon. Hope that’s okay? Let me know if not.
My eyes start to burn.
This is… It’s fine. Tyler is allowed to have people over. He warned me. More importantly, he doesn’t owe me anything. I am not entitled to feel hurt just because he treats me in a way that makes me want to believe he cares more than he actually does. That makes me believe there’s a…hope.
I put Fiona down. Every instinct is telling me to leave before I hear anything else, before I hear something that shatters me completely.
Before I hear Tyler’s voice too, filled with pleasure.
Before he starts talking, saying how good it is, words of encouragement spoken in that deep, smooth voice of his.
I turn around, one hand on the doorknob, but that’s as far as I get.
Where would I even go? Just wander aimlessly? And for how long? God, that’s so…dramatic and obvious. And pathetic.
I clamp my jaw, and think of Plan B.
I’m definitely not going to hole up in my room while Tyler’s headboard bangs against the wall. That’s even more pathetic.
My gaze flicks towards the kitchen. Yeah, I could cook. That’d work. Not that I’m hungry anymore—if anything, I feel like I’m about to throw up—but cooking will give me something to do, something to focus on. And Tyler, he might be hungry after… After.
Decision made, I put Fiona down and pull my earbuds from my backpack, momentarily mourning the fact I don’t own headphones. I should probably get some, because this…this isn’t going to happen just once, is it?
Swallowing bile, I pop the earbuds in, turn the music up to as high as I can tolerate, and make my way to the kitchen.
The distraction doesn’t really work. The cooking activates my other senses, and the music drowns the sounds from across the apartment, but my mind is restless, filling in the gaps.
I wipe my eyes, pretending the tears are from chopping onions, and not because it feels like I’m losing something I never had in the first place.
I throw the beef and veggies in the pan around a little too hard, droplets of oil splattering over my hand and wrist. I hiss, set the pan aside, and turn towards the sink.
And I jump, a hand over my heart. “Shit!”
She’s standing there, in front of me, separated only by the kitchen island.
My chest contracts again because, fuck, she’s gorgeous.
Big, brown eyes framed by thick lashes. Long, black hair reaching all the way to her midback, slightly tousled (I try not to think about why it’s like that).
Sharp cheekbones that become even more pronounced when she smiles.
Which she’s doing now. Smiling at me, clearly amused by my reaction.
I yank out both earbuds. “Uh…hi?”
She chuckles. The sound is warm, pretty, just like her. I want to hate it on principle, but it’s hard. “Hello there. I’m Lisa. You must be the new roommate. Jamie?”
I nod.
“You’re cute.”
“Thanks?” What is she trying to do here?
Lisa laughs, bright and unbothered. “And shy too. That’s adorable.” Her nose twitches, and she peeks behind me. “Hm, and a good cook, by the smell of it. Ty is a lucky bastard.”
I blush at the praise. Jesus, I’m so easy. Why is it that a few pretty words are all that it takes to sway me?
“Do you want some? It’s almost done,” I offer, more out of decency than anything. I already don’t know how to act around this woman.
“Aww, that’s sweet. But I already have plans.” On cue, her phone buzzes. “Ah, see? Must be my boyfriend looking for me.” She checks the time and winces. “I am running late. Damn Ty being particularly unhinged today.”
I hardly react to the last part, my brain stuck on the word ‘boyfriend’. “Y-you have a boyfriend?” My feeble attempt at trying to sound non-judgmental fails.
She blinks, then laughs. “That didn’t sound good, did it? Don’t worry, it’s not like that. Kyle is ace, so we had to figure out some other arrangements.”
“Ace?”
“Asexual. And repulsed.”
“Oh. Right.” I know the term, my fried brain just couldn’t connect the dots.
She grins. “So you see, if I start craving more than kisses and cuddles, I need to get my fix elsewhere.”
So Lisa has a boyfriend. And the way she talks makes it sound like she’s known Tyler for a while, and like this is an arrangement they have. Casual. No strings.
I’m still not loving it, but knowing that it’s nothing serious, or about to become serious, eases something inside me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to judge you or anything. I was just surprised.”
“Nah, you’re fine. It’s a pretty standard reaction. Me and Kyle have been like this for so long, I sometimes forget it freaks other people out.”
I chuckle. “That’s fair. I do find it kind of…fascinating, to be honest.”
“What, open relationships?”
I nod.
She does a little head-tilt, her eyes roaming over my face.
“Yeah, I can see that.” Before I can ask what she means, she graciously elaborates.
“You don’t seem the type that’d be okay with sharing.
” She glances towards Tyler’s bedroom before turning her gaze back to me.
“Maybe not even when it comes to sharing your roommate.”
I actually stop breathing for several seconds. A lump jams itself in my throat.
I can’t see my expression, but it makes Lisa laugh. It’s a nice laugh, not nasty in any way.
“Gosh, you’re cute. In fact…” She leans slightly over the island. “I think you’re cute enough to make a supposedly straight guy start to wonder about himself.” She winks and pulls back before I can even think about a response.
“Good thing you cooked. Ty will be starving.”
She gets to the front door, slides into her heels with practiced ease, and leaves with a breezy, confident little wave.
I don’t know how long I stand there, rooted to the spot, staring at where she disappeared like it could somehow explain what just happened, but it’s long enough for Tyler to stroll out.
He’s shirtless, his skin flushed from the kind of exertion I don’t want to think about. He looks…refreshed. Similar to how he looks when he comes home from the gym.
My stomach twists again, completely ruining the moment. Tyler stretches his arms overhead and lets out a satisfied groan.
Okay, not completely. My eyes jump all over him, mapping all the places I would spend hours, days worshipping, both with my hands and my mouth.
They get stuck on his happy trail, which is, ugh, it’s thick and sexy, of course it is.
My mouth waters when I imagine going over, sliding to my knees and putting my mouth right there, licking salt off his skin before going lower and—
“Oh, hey. You’re home!” Tyler’s grin is wide. “And cooking.”
“Yeah, hi.” I turn to the stove, making myself look busy. “It’s stir fry. That okay with you?”
“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
Yeah, right. Mind. As if I didn’t make this for him in the first place.