Snaked🐍

Chapter Three

"Baby! What are you doing back so early?" Kamryn wrapped herself around Carter like a blonde little python. He lifted her off the ground and spun her round as if they hadn't seen each other in years. Ugh. Kill me now. Can you just imagine his built stomach pressing against her and - NO. SAIGE, SHUT UP. I really need to stop doing that.

"I missed you so much, I couldn't stay away." Carter replied smugly, glancing at me for a moment. Things seemed different, the atmosphere tensed up. It was never like this before but after what happened, having all three of us in the same place together didn't feel very right.

I managed to mumble a "Hi Carter" as enthusiastically as I could before I made my way to the kitchen to distract myself with food. That always helps situations I don't like. After a breakup, eat food. After the gym, eat food. After seeing the man you probably slept with staying happily married to his wife who's your best friend... Eat the damn food.

I began to wonder if I should rethink talking to Carter about what happened- if anything did happen, that is. I'm not some genius, but common sense tells me that if I had woken up a bit and fought him off when he was trying to put clothes on me, I definitely would have remembered the rest of the night or at least bits of it.

Was it possible that Carter could have raped me? No. That's not the answer. I refuse to believe that. This is Carter Mason we're talking about, Kam's loving husband who gives money to every homeless person, who tips the waiter extra even if they messed up the order. It's the man who pulled out three teeth when Kam got her wisdoms removed just so she didn't have to be the only one in pain. It's not possible, is it? I think I'm just being paranoid. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation to everything.

I walked back into the living room with two glasses of orange juice- one for me and one for Kam, because if I had sex with that man, he should get up and do his own things, I'm not prepared to act like his little second wife- and I found Carter and Kam snuggling up together on the couch.

"Thanks Saigey." Kam yawned as I passed her the cup. She has called me Saigey ever since we were little, it started off as a little tease but I guess the name stuck. Mind you, I love the name. I think it's quite cute if I do say so myself.

Just then, Carter opened his annoyingly beautiful mouth and blurted out, "SAIGEY, where's my orange juice?"
"You better take calling me that back before I throw a tissue box at you again!" It came out before I even realized.
Shit. I said 'again'.
I had hoped Kam wouldn't notice it but for the first time, she decided to not be blonde when she really should have been.
"When did you throw a tissue box at him?" She laughed, thinking it was all a big joke.

I gave Carter a look that could kill and thankfully, he came up with something on the spot - I'm not good at that, quick thinking... it's really not my forté.
"It was at Nina's 30th, love," Carter said, stroking Kam's arm ever so casually. (Nina works with Kamryn at the hospital, they're both nurses).
"Don't you remember?"
"NO!" Kam guffaws. "I was probably too drunk anyway."
Thank you, Carter, for saving the day and for being such a handsome piece of fire. Looking like a full course meal all the time, breakfast, lunch, din- ENOUGH, SAIGE. GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH.

The rest of the night was basically filled with all three of us laughing at videos of drunk Kamryn and reminiscing the good old days. We looked through old photo albums and school yearbooks.
Kam and I both had braces almost all the way through high school and we looked like total potatoes.
"Thank God for puberty!" Kam clapped her hands.
"Just imagine if I looked like that my whole life." She pointed at her Year 10 yearbook picture.
"You know I still would..." Carter said as he bit her cheek.

Gross. I know I'm a grown woman but seriously, live semi-porn from my best friend and her husband isn't on my bucket list. It's also weird thinking that just the other night, that was probably my cheek Carter was biting...

The evening was going very well until something crazy happened. Something that confirmed my suspicions of Carter lying to me. I was in the kitchen - as usual- boiling water for coffee when Carter walked in. He was shuffling through things in the top cupboard, probably looking for cereal or something, and doing it looking ever so sexy.
"Where's Kam?" I asked.
"Oh, she fell asleep on the couch. I don't want to wake her and take her up to bed just yet, she seems fatigued." He replied.
My tummy did a flip. Kamryn was asleep and Carter and I were behind a closed door in the kitchen.

I started breathing heavily because I didn't know what was going to happen next. Was it all going to play out fine and stay normal? Was I going to get my coffee and go straight to bed? Or was I going to get my coffee and go straight to bed... with Carter? No. I was not going to let anything get the best of me. This paranoia was messing with me- or so I thought, until Carter suddenly appeared next to me and moved my thick fringe away from my face.

My breathing became uneven as I felt him edge closer and closer. He slid his hand down the counter in front of me and he let the other place itself on my back. I continued staring at one spot, watching the water of the kettle bubble up and boil. I didn't move. I wanted to move- but my body didn't allow me to.

Instead, I stood there and allowed myself to feel the sensation of Carter's hand down the side of my face and down my spine. It made my hairs stand on end. I wanted to turn to him and say, "take me, Carter. Take me far, far away where no one would ever find us," but I couldn't do that.

I had to be strong. I had to be strong for Kam and for Carter, because he needed to know he was making a huge mistake touching me the way he touches my best friend.
"Stop, Carter." It came out as a whimper.
I felt him remove his hands from my body without saying a word, and before I knew it he was out of the kitchen, carrying his wife up to bed, leading a happy life and leaving me to be more confused than ever... leaving me to get lost in my own thoughts.