The Arrangement

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hugo's jumper holds the intoxicating scent of his expensive cologne, woven into the fabric like his comfort is nestled into my skin. Gentle notes and spiced scents all blur together after so long and the only thing that it leaves you with is a sense of home.

All the parts of him that reminded me of how important he is have become as much part of my soul as his touch on my skin is. Whenever we are a part it's easy to miss him, but there's this voice in the back of my head constantly reminding me of what that yearning means for us.

The feel of his skin on mine after a long day apart, not always sexual but constantly addicting. That's what coming home truly feels like.

"Have you been swallowed by your own brain?" Rosie asks, elbow nudging against mine, one blanket slide around our backs and across our shoulders while the other rests over our legs.

Eating ice cream on the balcony as the crisp rain of the storm blowing through our neighbourhood wasn't the smartest idea but it hasn't made it less enjoyable. Even if being wrapped in Hugo's jumper, with the hood tightened under my chin hasn't eliminated the chill.

It's peaceful, with scoops of ice cream to help warm us up. "Possibly" I grin, "Just thinking about how peaceful it is out here, even though I'm convinced my nipples might fall off"

"I'd put them back on for you" Rosie smiles, leaning her head down against my shoulder. Our chairs pressed together as we try and keep warm, "You think that Alfie was being totally truthful when it comes to him and Madeline?"

It's been strange this time around, it feels like mere weeks and yet years have passed since things imploded for Rosie and Alfie got himself into what we all thought was a serious relationship. The two of them don't feel like the same people as they were before, where Rosie has grown away from her love for him, Alfie has shrunk down on himself.

"I think Alfie has a lot of things happening in his life that we don't know about" I sigh, resting my cheek against the top of her head as thunder rattles around us. "But from all the times I met Madeline I never got a bad vibe from her, that she was controlling or pushing for something more serious than Alfie was ready for. Did you?"

"Truthfully I did my best to not pay too much attention to their interactions" Rosie laughs, the sound hollow. "Tried to keep my attention on moving on and not whether I thought she was good enough for him"

"I take it you failed though, so what was your conclusion?"

She pinches my thigh for the jab but doesn't tell me off for it. "That I could see what pulled them together, she wants to work to make laws and availabilities for mistreated and abandoned pets. Help realign the licences and requirements for exotic animals with the changing climate and issues with over-breeding and negligence in wildlife shipping"

I can't push the spoon into my mouth, her words have knocked all the oxygen from my lungs. "How do you know all of that? I thought you said that you didn't want to pay attention"

"You were right, I failed" Rosie huffs, sitting up and sliding around on her chair to face me. "But only because I was picking up Imogen from the boy's apartment and she was there, Alfie was in the shower and Imogen was getting her daily orgasm... no matter how Alfie has made me feel, intentional or not, that's not on her"

"Very mature of you" I grin, "Please say you guys didn't become friends or something though"

Rosie laughs, resting her temple against the blanket that slid down the back of the chair from her fidgeting. "Now that would be too far! She was kind though and there was this passion she had for all of the things she was studying. I think that's what drew them together, Alfie's always so subdued and he has his moment's but... well whatever he's going through hasn't gotten better. Madeline is compatible for him in interests-"