Beside

1 - temptation

"Jellybean, what's wrong?"

"Maybe it's 'cause I'm six and not five anymore. My chest feels funny."

"Like butterflies again?"

"Yeah, like... I can't breathe."

"Okay, I'll tell you a story while we wait for it to be better."

"Fine. Make it a funny one."

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

ᖴO᙭

When you're fresh off the cuff of the worst breakup of all time, this is the last thing you want to come home to.

A blowjob. In the kitchen.

These horny motherfuckers have no decorum. The minute I see Noah casually leaning against the fridge, dark hair messy, bronze skin tinted red, I know Camila is hiding behind the counter.

I drop my gym bag to the floor. "Boxing was great, thanks for asking. Sport! I've got a case of energy drinks with your name on it!"

Camila pops up from behind the counter, dark curls bouncing. Noah groans, covering his tented grey slacks.

I heel off my shoes. "What's rule number four?"

Cam shuffles over, sweatpants dragging, her baggy black shirt hanging off one shoulder. She squints up at the list. "When it's your boyfriend's birthday, you suck his—"

"You filthy illiterate! No sex in shared spaces!"

"You were supposed to stay at the boxing ring for another hour!"

"The kitchen is sacred ground. What happened to standards?"

She hops up on the counter, smirking as she smooths out her shirt. Noah peels himself off the fridge, his sheepish grin wide enough to hide behind. He moves in, wraps his arms around her like a lovesick puppy, lips already aiming for her neck as she giggles.

Something twinges in my chest. I shove it down. Again.

"Noah, go get ready. Cam, your ass stays here to clean the bathrooms. Penance for your dirty, dirty sins."

Cam laughs as Noah buries his face in her mess of curls, then extricates himself to head up the spiral stairs.

Cam leans back against the kitchen island, arms behind her, legs kicking. "I'll clean the bathrooms if you practice abstinence tonight."

I lean against the wall opposite her, arms crossed. "Who, me?"

Her eyes soften for half a second. "Freckles, you know I'm here, right? If you ever need to talk. About her. Or anything else. You don't have to—"

"All good." The mention of her tightens something ugly inside my chest. I look past Cam, out toward the balcony. The summer light catches the edge of the white piano just sitting there, unused. I don't need this conversation. Not tonight. "I'm fine, Sport."

She clears her throat. "Don't let Noah sing karaoke again. I swear he'll embarrass us all."

"Why would I care?" I kick off the wall and grab a protein brownie from the fridge and shove it in my mouth. "You're on coach duty tomorrow," I mumble around the chocolate. "Gotta keep this godlike physique in peak condition."

"Nope. New roommate day," she says, pointing to the calendar. Sure enough, May 2nd is circled in obnoxious pink gel pen.

I sigh, taking another bite. Jed's not even packed up yet. Not only that, but his boyfriend Mick, my idiot cousin, is M.I.A. Mick bought a condo, so that's that.