The Jaws of Life

27

After Alia left my house two weeks ago, I called Jaime and told him everything. We talked for a long time, considering the options we had ahead of us. One on hand, Alia was already mad so staying together couldn't do any extra damage to our relationship with her, but we both said we didn't want to chance it either way, so we decided to do the right thing and end it. It sucked and I cried my eyes out for a week before deciding that I needed to make it right.

I wasn't sure what would make it right, so I had to brainstorm for a couple of days. I thought of grand gestures like a party in Alia's favour, or taking her out for a full day of activities she loves like shopping or a spa day, but none of those options felt right. Eventually I realized a grand gesture wouldn't work because it wouldn't solve anything. In that moment I knew what I needed to do which leads me to right now.

I showed up at Alia's house apologizing and told her that she can ask as many questions as she wanted. It didn't matter how personal the question was or how much I didn't want to answer it, I still would and I would give her every detail she wanted. To my delight, she accepted right away.

"How'd it happen?" she asks me. I figured this would be her first question.

"It just kind of happened over time."

"Yeah, you said that, but how?"

"The same way you and Tony did. We would talk each night before bed and in the morning before we all hung out. You and Tony went off on your own a lot, so Jaime and I found each other alone a lot. We talked and laughed and then next thing I know, I'm kissing him and I don't want to stop."

"Did he feel the same?"

I give her a look. "Duh, otherwise we wouldn't have kissed or spent time together."

She considers this for a second. "Who made the first move?"

"Oh." I say, actually stumped for a second. I feel like we both made the first move at the same time so it's hard to really pinpoint which one of us made the official first move. "I honestly think it was Jaime."

"Did he tell you not to tell me?"

I nod. "Yeah he brought it up after the first night."

"Did you want to tell me?"

"Oh my God, yes!" I exclaim, smiling. "I had so many things I wanted to tell you about and so many questions I wanted to ask."

"You didn't think if you told me that I'd understand? Because of what I went through with Tony?"

"I brought that up to Jaime, I just think he felt like a hypocrite and was scared to tell you because of that." I confess to her.

I'm expecting Alia's next question to be something sexual or something about why we kept it from her, but her next question actually catches me off-guard.

"Did he treat you good?"

A warm smile spreads over my face as I think of all the things Jaime has done for me or said to me. "Yeah, very."

She nods then stays quiet. She plays with a loose string on the end of her shirt, pulling on it and twirling it. My nerves start to peak as we sit there in silence. There's no way she's out of questions already, Alia is never out of questions.

"I can't believe you kissed my brother." she says, scrunching up her face in disgust.

I'm not sure if the blush creeping over my face gives me away, or if it's the guilty look I'm wearing or even just the fact that Alia knows me as well as she does, but I see the look of realization come over her. Her eyes go wider, and her mouth drops open as she looks at me.

"You had sex with my brother!" she yells. "No fucking way. You lost your fucking virginity to my fucking brother!"

"I can't tell if you're mad or excited right now." I admit. The amount of 'fucks' in that sentence makes it so the message is a bit convoluted. 

"I'm not thrilled you hooked up with my brother, but I'm also not, not happy?" she says. "I honestly can't believe you're not a virgin anymore."

"Me neither. It was a lot better than I thought it would be too. Easier, you know? Like-"

"Okay, stop." she says with a grimace, holding her hand up in front of me. "Do not describe how sex with my brother was."

"Right, sorry." 

"So, are you guys like casual or...?"

"Its kind of complicated, honestly. It's not casual, but we didn't want to be together until we told you. I guess you can say we're just in limbo right now."

"Well, I know now."

"What are you saying?"

She grins at me. "I'm saying go for it. Go get the guy you've been in love with since forever."

I give her a look of disbelief. "Are you sure? Like sure, sure? Like 100%?"

"Yes." she says with a laugh. "I know you wouldn't have lost your virginity to just anyone, so I know he means a lot to you."

"He does." I tell her.

"Besides, I've kind of always felt there was something there between you guys." she admits. "I knew you were secretly into him, and sometimes Jaime would say things that made me think he was into you too, but I thought that I was just reading into it too much."

"I was surprised when he told me he liked me." I confess. "I thought I was just wishful thinking the whole time."

She looks over at me with a grin. "He fooled us both."

"Yes he did." I agree.

Alia looks at me with an expecting look. "So?"

I give her a questioning look back. "So, what?"

"So go see him!" she exclaims. 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! He's been miserable without you. Go see him, be happy and merry and all the lovey-dovey bullshit."

I don't need more persuading than that. I jump up, throw my arms around Alia and then I'm off to see the man I love so that we can finally have our happily ever after that we've both been wanting forever.