Slow // ✔

What happens when you date your older brother's best friend and then two years later break up with them. 

And a few years after, on your own, you end up loosing your job and apartment.  Forcing you to live with your older brother, who happens to be living with said ex.

Well, let me tell you...

It's been three years since I broke up with my brother's best friend, and now I have to live with him.

Great.  This is going to be a great experience.

I knock twice on the wooden door, and wait for my brother to open up.  While I'm waiting I smooth down my top  until no wrinkles can be spotted. I was about to re-tie my hair when I hear the creaking sound of the door opening.

I smile, but it quickly gets erased when I don't spot my brother, instead I get the man with brown hair and the most familiar blue eyes.  Shit.

"Ivory," he says my name with shock laced through his voice.  How could I have forgotten his voice?  It's so deep and raspy. I feel like it was just yesterday when he was whispering sweet words into my ears with that voice. I meet his gaze and frown when confusion is spotted throughout his eyes.

I try to explain, "Didn't Ivan tell you I was staying here?"

He rapidly shakes his head and I think I heard him mumble something quietly, to the point where I couldn't hear him, before he opens the door wide enough for me to slip through.

The door clicks shut and immediately he yells, "Ivan! Get your ass down here!" I almost cover my ears because of the volume he uses.

The pitter patter of footsteps come stomping down the stairs, and stops in front of us. "What shall I do for my dearest best friend?" my brother asks and a fake suck up voice.  Clearly Ivan knew that he didn't tell his best friend about me staying at their apartment.

"What the hell?" his best friend exclaims.

"I don't know what you mean, Nate," Ivan says with an innocent smile.

Nate steps closer and points at me. "Oh, I know you know."

I intervene by stepping in the middle of the two boys. "Hey!" I shout, "Would you both stop acting like you're 3!" I then look to my brother and continue, "Ivan, you should have told him, he had a right to know. But, the past is in the past, both Nate and I have moved on so there should be no conflict. Got it, good," I scold with a motherly tone. I grab my bags and start tugging them along behind me, but once I come across the stairs I look back at the boys. "Can one of you help me please?" I question in the same tone.

Ivan looks to Nate. Please tell me he's not playing match maker. I beg to myself. The sigh Nate gives out is heard throughout the apartment and he speedily grabs two out of the four bags I had brought. I grab the other two and follow him up the stairs.

We pass three doors until we stop in front of the last door in the hallway. "This used to be the guest room, but I guess it's yours now," he says.

Nate hands me the bags and then points down the hall to the first door. "That's the bathroom, but please don't use all the warm water in the morning," he begs and I laugh at his tone. He sounds like a whiney baby.

"Boys and their warm water," I giggle while he rolls his eyes. I open the door and I am greeted by white. And I mean total whiteness, if that's even a word. The bed sheets and pillows are white, the walls are white, even the lamp shade is white. "You guys sure have a liking for the color white, huh," I comment.

"This was Ivan's idea, not mine," Nate defends then picks up the bags again and carries them into the room, placing them on the bed. "So how long are you staying?" he asks.

I shrug. "Don't know. Donny and I broke up and he kicked me out, so here I am," I explain the unnecessary information.  Nate gives me an awkward nod and I smile sheepishly as I realize how he probably didn't need to know about Donny and I.

Donny was the only boyfriend I had after Nate, but that didn't last as long. It lasted a year and in that time we got an apartment together, but we argued almost every night about the rent and it finally came down to splitting up and me being kicked to the curb.

I take a seat on my bed and pat the spot next to me. "Sit. I think we need to talk.  I never really got the chance to explain myself.  And since we're going to be living together for awhile, I might as well do it now," I tell him.

"Explain what?" Nate says dumbly then a few seconds later realization dawns on him. I giggle as he says, "About that."

"Yeah, that." I reply then continue as he takes the spot next to me. "I never really had the guts to explain why I broke up with you, and trust me, I regret not telling you." My eyes focus on my fingers that are placed on top of my lap. "It's just... Well, I was scared," I admit, "I was scared that we were moving to fast. But now that I think back to it, we were doing fine." My eyes sting with tears. "I was just being anxious, I guess."

A warm feeling overwhelms my palm and my gaze flickers in that direction. I smile when I see Nate's hand wrapped around mine. His stare is hot on my skins and causes my eyes to meet his beautiful blue ones. "It's ok," Nate reassures me.

"But that's the thing, it's not," I choke out as a warm, wet feeling flows down my cheek. "I regret leaving you, I never wanted to leave."

The feeling of his hand skims my cheek, where the teardrop was, and his finger stops under my chin and pushes it up. His eyes gently close, mine following soon after. Nate wraps his arms around my body, pulling me to his chest.

Disappointment floods my body but evaporates when Nate pulls back and quickly pecks my lips.

"If we're trying this again, we're going to go slow. I don't want you flaking out on me again," he tells me.

I slowly nod my head and try to lean in for another kiss, but Nate places a single finger on my awaiting lips. "Na-ah, slow," Nate scolds causing me to smile.

Reality seeps in and I start to squirm in excitement. "We're really trying us again?" I question with doubt swirling my mind. I swear, if this is just a cruel dream...

"We're doing it," Nate says, knocking me out of my thoughts. Both our lips spread into a wide grins, and my mind debates on if I should listen to the slow rule or dismiss it.

Dismiss it.  My mind insists.

And that's what I do. I pounce on my ex-ex and connect our lips.

"So much for going slow," he comments in between kisses.

So much for going slow.