...And Beyond... | To Infinity... Book Two [ON HOLD]

Chapter 8: Let Her Be

Tuesday May 19, 2020 - Richmond, Virginia

12:00 AM

Joe POV

Per the arrangements Lenni and I made with Vince, Desi and Lenni are in the room beside Seth and I. I'm lying in my bed while Seth is lying in his listening to me bore him to death about my woes with this whole Desi situation.

"So, what I'm hearing is that the love of your life friendzoned you?" He asks me as he messes around on his phone.
"Yeah, that's essentially what happened and I'm a mess about it. Like, that hurts; it fucking hurts to think that my relationship with her will never progress past a rebuilt friendship. I'll never get to kiss her again, cuddle her again, make love to her again, walk around naked with her simply because we felt like it again. I miss all that and it sucks that there's a pretty good chance that I've squandered all of it. That's the end of us...all because I'm a dumbass."
"Okay, I think you're being a pessimist. Y'all'll get back to that someday. Will it be tomorrow? Hell no. A year or two from now? Maybe. When you're ninety and knocking on death's door? Who knows, but you can't give up on it."
"I honestly don't like the way you're describing my odds here Colby."

"Listen, all I'm sayin' is that two people don't love each other the way you two did and just leave all that in the past like it was nothing. It'll be a while but you just gotta leave her be and give her some time; I mean, you hurt her man, like, really bad."
"I know."
"Then you'll be happy with the all the good progress that you guys have made already."
"I am."
"Then I don't know what you're problem is."

I take a deep breath and let out a long sigh, having found myself looking through pictures Desi and I took at the beach one of the times I visited her.

"I just miss her is all." I finally say.
"She's just in the next room."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah, well, you made your bed, now you gotta lie in it. Now, enough about your moping emo ass, what's the deal with her friend?"
"Who? Lenni?"
"Yeah, like, what's her persuasion? She straight? Bi? She single? Do I have a chance?"

"Psh, dude, you can't handle her, she's a firecracker if I ever seen one; stays on a-hunned all day, everyday. You ain't ready."
"I'm up for the challenge."
"Uh-huh, okay. Well, I ain't gon stop you bro but you should probably talk to Desi first 'bout it. I don't know the whole deal with those two and their pasts, but they're really protective of each other."
"Duly noted."

*KNOCK*KNOCK*KNOCK*

Seth gets up to answer the door that connects our room to Desi and Lenni's room and is greeted by Lenni. She's wearing a pair of grey booty sweat-shorts, a white spaghetti strap tank top, and her hair is tied up in an ornate bright red and orange silk headscarf. Her top accentuates her full breasts and I'm pretty sure Seth has lost his eyeballs in her cleavage.

"Um, my face is up here King Slayer, check yaself." She says pushing his head up with her index finger on his forehead. I laugh to myself and get out of bed, pulling on my basketball shorts and walking over to Seth and Lenni and pulling Seth out the way.

"What's up Lenni, you need something? Desi okay? She need me?" I ask her.
"I'm fine Joseph, calm thyself." Desi calls out to me from bed and I chuckle.
"She's good, just cold and she doesn't wanna lower the AC 'cause she knows I get hot easy. All that body fat she lost makes her feel a lot colder a lot easier than before, so I go to get her the extra cover from the closet and housekeeping apparently forgot to restock the extra cover. You aren't usin' yours are you?"

I shake my head and retrieve the extra bed cover from our closet and hand it to her with a smile.

"All yours. Sleep well, aight."
"Will do, thanks."
"I hope that's good enough for you Desi. Call me if you need anything." I call out.
"I will, thank you Joe."