Sleeping With a Friend

Chapter Eleven

One week. That's how long it's been since Ashton and I had decided to do this whole friends with benefits thing. And so far, out of the seven days in that week we had seen each other a total of 4 times, one of those times having nothing to do with sex or intimacy. It seemed almost outrageous to even be thinking about it, but it didn't feel wrong. If anything, it felt nice to, as Ashton put it, "let off some steam at the end of the day." Out of that week I had still yet to break the silence between Sophie and myself. She hadn't tried to contact me nor I her. I didn't want us to be those friends who never talked again and then one day we run into each other at the supermarket or something. It felt doomed if I thought of her that way, but right now that was the only way I could think of her.

The weirdest part about this entire situation was every time I talked to Ashton like a normal human being, it was just that—having a conversation with a human being. We didn't talk about how only minutes before we were tangled under the sheets and all wrapped up in one another. Tangled under the sheets wasn't the only way though, I'm pretty sure my apartment was now exposed to this as well and if it was alive, it would probably be either repulsed or get turned on.

I found that I could talk to Ashton about anything, in the little time that I've known him he's proved to be a better friend than anyone else before. We met for lunch almost every day and went to that same café right down the block from our building, where we went a few weeks ago. It had become a tradition I guess. We would text and make our lunch breaks at the same time then at the café we would carry on conversation that we had the day before. I was getting so comfortable around him; Ashton was my best friend.

"Let's go get coffee." I read the text out loud like I was telling someone.

"Alright but you have to come here." I typed back, wide smile on my face.

"Lazy, lazy, lazy." I didn't reply that time, figuring he'd be soon out the door and on his way over. Ashton was a deadpan to the fullest extent of the word. His dry humor was something I laughed at and surprisingly liked a lot about him. There were actually a lot I liked about him. He had this way with people that made anything seem better then it was and his sarcasm–that deserved it's on story.

Only minutes later did he arrive at my shabby apartment (that compared to his humble aboad I despised all the more) and we were on our way to a coffee cart at the end of my street. I was inner city so it only made sense that a coffee cart and burrito cart had a mix smell being only 24 feet away from each other.

"Coffee and burrito; the worst combination to go into the same place." Ashton said.

"Yet it tastes so good." I added, watching him nod his head in agreement. I would ask him how work was, striking up the conversation and he would ask me the same, adding in something about the promotion I'd been working for, in which nothing was announced yet unfortunately for me. "So will you be over tonight?" I finally asked him, kind of hoping he would say yes. He smirked at me while we waited for our burritos.

"I'm a guy, guys don't say no to sex." I rolled my eyes at him and laughed a bit.

"Ashton?" A new voice chimed in, Luke with Sophie next to him.

Ashton's lips parted with a wide grin, "Luke! Hey man! What's up?" Typical guy talk I would never understand.

"Nothing, nothing. We just wanted to get something to eat and I see you two had the same idea." By we he meant Sophie, which meant awkward situation for the two of us. Luke and Ashton stood talking as I marveled at seeing her with the same guy for so long.

"Uh-Y/N can I talk to you for a second?" Sophie asked. My eyes finally met hers after a whole minute of avoiding them. That minute was the longest one of my entire existence. Luke and Ashton were still in conversation I couldn't exactly pull him away–then I'd have Luke hating me as well.

"I just wanted to apologize." Sophie finally said after we stepped off to the side, more in the middle of the side walk so people would have trouble walking through.

"Took you long enough." I mumbled.

"I just never knew any of those things or times would hurt you like they did and I surely didn't think it would lead up to this." She continued like I never even said anything. "I miss having a best friend who's not Luke and I miss having our Thursdays." We only missed two so it's not like the world was going to end. She looked at me with such concern. "I miss knowing all of your boring work stories." I have her a look. "Sorry- you know what I mean." She chuckled. I sighed. I did miss having her around but I don't think as much as she did. "Can you please forgive me?" She pouted hopefully. As much as I liked to think so, it wouldn't be easy to cut her out of my life and although I would feel a sense of accomplishment, I just couldn't do it. I could stand there and walk away saying no. Even if she did make me hate my life sometimes Sophie was still Sophie, my best friend. I could change myself all I'd like but I couldn't change her.

"Of course you're forgiven. That's all I wanted was an apology." She engulfed me in a tight hug, I could taste some of her hair in my mouth.

"Oh thank god." She exasperated, looking quite relieved when we pulled away.

"Thank god you guys are friends again." Luke turned to me with a half grin, "do you realize how awkward it is to watch chick flicks all over again when your a guy?"

"Shut up Lucas." Sophie punched his arm. Ashton showed up next to me, I could see the joke appearing on his face. He couldn't wait to let it out.

"We should go on a double date!" Sophie cheered and my smile quickly turned into a frown.

"Oh- we're not together." I pointed between Ashton and myself.

"Oh uh then what are you?

"Friends." We said in unison, looking at each other and trying not to burst into laughter at the same time.

"Well we still have to hang out." Oh Sophie and her hopeless attempts at set-ups.

My coffee was finally warm enough to drunk after cooling down from volcano temperature and my burrito was getting almost Alaskan. We said goodbye to the couple I had not ever planned to see and a few hours later while Ashton and I were doing other (more important) things I reviewed a text message from her:

I. Need. Details. Now.