Chapter 8
And Chelsea makes three.
Chelsea arrived in a flurry of suitcases, laughter, and shopping bags. As Grey predicted, she blew in like a hurricane as he helped unload her things from her red Mustang GT. I stayed inside organizing our room because I believed in a neat, tidy, and clutter-free zone. She didn’t.
At.
All.
We’d been roommates for three years and had learned to adapt to our differences.
I didn’t mind keeping our space clean and helping her with classes.
Her family's money provided any extras while we lived on campus and helped us with the deposit for this condo by the beach. She was also my confidante. Grey had my back like my brother and would never let anyone hurt me. But Chelsea knew how being a virgin had been wearing on me since I didn’t have a particular reason to be one besides not being with a guy long enough for him to deserve my gift.
She knew I struggled with owning my sexuality.
She’d been sexual since junior high and devirginized when she was fifteen.
Chelsea had no problem telling any man how often and where she wanted it.
And I envied her confidence. She’d been with her latest boyfriend, Carmello, for two years, and they’d even discussed marriage after graduation.
By the time Grey carried in her last bag, I had her side of the room ready to sleep.
I’d made her oversized twin bed with her special five-hundred-count Egyptian sheets and pearly white duvet.
It coordinated with my bright pink comforter.
We didn’t mind sharing the master bedroom and bath.
She always had boyfriends with their own apartments, and I never needed to have the bedroom to myself.
I still wouldn’t, if things worked out with Carter.
I would gladly be with him at his place.
Besides, he probably wouldn’t set one foot in my bedroom because he believed I shared it with Grey.
Speaking of Grey, I couldn’t wait until Chelsea and I were in our respective beds talking about our day like we’d done most nights since our freshman year.
Still trying to decipher the strange yet slightly hot moment earlier today.
I couldn’t deny that I’d been attracted to the glimpse of him as a man.
He’d been my friend for so long that I had forgotten that he was all man. A very virile man.
Chelsea rocked a single-braid ponytail that tapped her apple-shaped ass. An ass she’d paid good money for on her eighteenth birthday. Her ebony skin glowed from years of expensive skincare and the best dermatologist money could buy. She tossed her Chanel purse on the bed and hugged me.
“I’m so glad to be home. I have so much to tell you.”
“Me too.” I looked toward the door and lowered my voice, so Grey couldn’t hear me. “Carter admitted he was jealous of Grey, and I flashed Carter this morning while I was on the balcony.”
“Bitch, you’ve gone wild, and I love it.” She squealed. “Then what happened?”
“And then Grey and I had a moment.”
She frowned deeply. “A moment? What does that mean? You like him, too?”
“No... no... no.” I shook my head vehemently, though the thought had popped into my head a time or two when he first developed killer abs and calves from all that running and had his braces removed during our senior year in high school.
“Good, because I want him.” She smiled dreamily.
“Grey? What about Carmello?”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you. We broke up last week, and I’m ready to get back out there.”
“A week, Chelsea? You love Carmello too much. What happened?”
“Don’t want to talk about the past. Moving forward and need new dick. Figured fucking a fine ass man like Grey is a good way to start.” She twirled her braid with a mischievous grin. “It’s just sex, Darren. I don’t want to marry him. Want to see if he’s as good as he looks.”
“But it’s Grey. Like our brother.”
She quirked her right brow comically high. “He’s your best friend. Not mine. Nothing about him is brotherly.”
The front door closed.
I promised, “This conversation isn’t done.”
“Trust, I know.” Chelsea flopped down on her bed and scanned the room. “BTW, you and Grey did an amazing job with the place. I am pleased.”
After dropping her rolling bag by her bed, Grey wiped the sweat from his forehead and then collapsed on my bed. “Glad the queen is pleased. Anything else before I head out?”
“What?” I whirled around. “You can’t leave on the first night we’re all together. We’re supposed to eat bad, have Sprite floats, and binge-watch ratchet TV.”
He propped himself up on my wooden headboard, his feet dangling over the edge, almost touching the carpet. “We have months to do that. We live together now, remember? I already made the floats, so we can make a quick toast, and then I’m out.”
Chelsea squinted her eyes and accused, “You’re about to fuck somebody, aren’t you? That’s why you’re anxious to get out of here. Who is she? A random or potential?”
He glanced at me briefly before he answered, “Just because we’re roommates doesn’t mean I want you all in my business.”
“The truth,” I uttered. Hating that, I felt a twinge of jealousy. Unsure if the foreign emotion was about the possibility of Grey and Chelsea or that he was probably seeing someone. Pretending he was mine made me more possessive of him, though I had no right. And it’d only been a day.
Grey’s forehead furrowed, though he answered. “Not sure yet. Met her last week. Kicked it a couple of times.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I moved to the edge of my bed, looking down at him. “I get the third degree about Carter, and you’ve been seeing someone?”
He placed his feet on the carpet and sat up.
“That wasn’t the third degree. And I usually don’t tell you about every girl I see.
” Grey then looked at Chelsea. “Rule one. Our sex lives are off-limits. We only discuss if and when we want to. No, using our code word unless it’s serious.
I haven’t had to explain myself since I left Beaumont. Not about to do that now.”
“Fine.” I folded my arms. “I won’t tell you shit else about Carter.”
“Trust, there’ll be nothing to tell.” He rose from the bed. “He’s toying with you...but go ahead and take a risk. Can’t wait for you to tell me I was right.”
“I can’t wait to say you were wrong,” I retorted while we glared at each other.
“Hey...can we chill on all this? I don’t want to fight on our first night together. We won’t discuss our sex lives with each other. Got it.” Chelsea moved to the door. “I thought that Darren would be mediating between you and me. Guess I was wrong. Now apologize to each other, and let’s toast.”
“Not apologizing,” Grey grumbled as he walked behind Chelsea.
“I’m not either,” I agreed and popped him on the back of the neck.
He grabbed the spot I hit and howled, “Hey.”
“Sorry,” I quickly said and moved his hand to rub it myself. “You just promised to be nice about Carter, and a day later, you take it back.”
“I already agreed to be your fake man, which means I can’t have women over until whatever you’re doing with him is done. That’s all you get from me. No promises on not telling you my opinion of him.”
Chelsea gasped, “You agreed? I just knew you would call her crazy or desperate or some mean name for lying on you.”
“I silently called her desperate and crazy in my mind.” He picked up a glass pitcher with his Sprite Floatie, a concoction of lime sherbert, Sprite, and grenadine, making the drink pinkish and delicious.
“Hello, I’m right here... and I have no shame in admitting I'm desperate and might be a little crazy if that means I get Carter.” I raised my hand before grabbing three wine glasses from the cabinet.
We held the glasses up once we all had our drinks until all three touched. Chelsea led the toast. “To our last amazing year. May we have all the fun, sex, and love we want.”
“And that we all pass our classes. We’re still in school, Chelsea,” Grey added.
She rolled her eyes. “That goes without saying.”
I smiled at Grey. “That you make the Olympic team. Win or lose, I’m so proud of you.”
Chelsea chimed in. “Me too. Can’t wait to see you in Brazil, cheering you on from the stands.”
Grey beamed and held his glass higher. “To our best year yet, and whatever dream we have comes true. Even if it’s with people who don’t deserve us,” he said, looking at me.
We cheered, clicked our glasses, and drank the sweet drink.
The brief tension that flared between Grey and me had dissipated.
If only we’d known that our friendship would be tested over the next few months, we would’ve added a special request that we would never let anything or anyone interfere with our friendship.