The Canary (Completed)

Chapter 19

As promised, here's the next chapter! Comment and vote, my lovely FireRyzers!

Chapter 19

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Joe's ragged breathing gradually returned to normal as he came down from the orgasm he'd just experienced at the expense of his latest tryst. As he gazed down at the woman lying underneath him, his guilt magnified. What did I just do, he asked himself. The woman had come to his apartment to vent after having had a fight with her boyfriend. That vent quickly turned into two people having drinks and finally a quest for sexual satisfaction.

"What did you do that was so bad?" Joe heard KenLeigh ask, jarring him from his memory of that night.

"I, um ..."

He licked his lips and let out a loud sigh before looking up and into her eyes and continuing.

"I slept with my best friend's girlfriend."

KenLeigh leaned back into her seat and wrapped her arms around herself, brought to silence by his admission.

"Why?" she softly asked.

Joe rested his elbows on his knees and brought his clasped hands to his chin. He shook his head, still disappointed by his actions that night over four years ago.

"She wasn't in love with him anymore. She wasn't in love with me either, but there was always this unspoken attraction between me and her. They got into an argument, and she came to my place to cool off. We had a few drinks and one thing led to the next, and we ended up in my bed. It was the worst mistake I ever made in my life, because I let my dick destroy a good friendship."

"Your friend, what was his name?"

Joe was quiet for a moment as the image of his former friend's face popped into his head.

"His name is Colby."

"How'd he find out?" KenLeigh asked.

"She-Phaedra's her name-she felt so bad about it that she went back and told him. Colby and I got into a huge fist fight and that was the last contact we ever had with each other. Last I heard, he left Miami and moved back up north."

KenLeigh's accusatory stare made Joe feel guiltier by the second. She looked as if she was trying to rationalize his actions and failing at every attempt.

"Don't," he said, shaking his head and lowering his eyes.

When he looked back up at her, he almost wanted to cry. He couldn't discern the look of disappointment or empathy on her face, and it frightened him. What was she thinking right now? The suspense was indeed putting him on edge.

"Don't what?" she finally said after a short pause.

"Don't try to figure out why I did what I did."

Joe shrugged his tattooed shoulder.

"I don't have an explanation, other than I was stupid and I made a bad choice that night. I'm embarrassed by it, and I wish I could take it back," he said, lowering his eyes again.

"Joe, look at me," KenLeigh said, leaning forward and placing her hand on his knee.

He did as she asked, and she continued.

"That was in the past, and I can see the remorse you have for doing it. It doesn't change how I feel about you."

He grabbed her hand and gave his leg a pat. She stood and he pulled her down onto his lap, beginning a gentle back and forth rub on her thigh. He laid his head against her chest when she protectively wrapped her arms around him and started to caress the soft hair at the nape of his neck. That touch, he thought as he closed his eyes and further nestled his head into her bosom.