Shape of You (+18)

Chapter Fifteen

▬▬▬▬Joel's POV▬▬▬▬

A few days had passed since I last saw Marley. I'd sent her a text here and there, so she wouldn't think I was ghosting her, but in a way, it felt like I was preparing myself to. I knew she wasn't trying to force me into dating her or anything, but her words the other night resonated with me. 'I'm not yours.' Man, was that like a punch to the nutsack. Completely debilitating. I had a hard enough time just breathing after that blow.

I wanted Marley. I had for months before anything happened between us. Hell, I even cut my ties with other women because I felt a girl like her deserved exclusivity where sex was involved. Everything was going good, until she made it very clear that, despite what happens between us in the bedroom...or my workshop...she was not mine.

But she could be.

"No, she can't. Not now."

"What was that?" Dom asked, startling me out of my thoughts. Dammit, I forgot he was here.

"Uh, nothing."

Walking over to my tatted friend, whose feet were resting on my coffee table as he reclined on my living room sofa, watching Stephen A. Smith give his unqualified opinions on the athletes of today, I sat across from him.

"So, you still up for throwing some burgers on the grill with Sandy and Rick, later? They said they'd bring the sides and drinks."

With nothing else to do, I shrugged my shoulders.

"I think Rick said something about his brothers being in town. I think he was hinting at bringing them along if you were down," Dom added.

"What? Sam and Chris are on leave?" I questioned, surprised at the news.

"Yup. Apparently their whole unit is. For the holidays."

Nodding my head, I replied, "That's good. They haven't been back for Christmas in a few years."

Sam and Chris were twins, though they didn't look it. We'd all gone to highschool together, including Rick, but he was a few years younger than us. Still, he managed to make the varsity football team with me and his brothers. When we graduated, the twins both enlisted in the army, and were gone within the year. Hearing they were in town was more than enough reason to get together.

"Alright, let them know they can come by anytime after one," I prompted, earning me a pleased grin from Dom as he wasted no time pulling his phone out. "I should still have that pack of burgers in my freezer. Let me check."

Doing just that, I was glad to say that I had more than enough for the six of us. Seven, including Everly. It was Saturday, so she would be here all day.

"Hey, so tell me. How's Jared doing?"

Dom had just joined me in the kitchen, where I was setting the burgers out to thaw. I was also scouring my cabinets for enough baked beans to go around.

"He's doing better," I said. "I just went to see him yesterday, while Evvie was at school. He thought asking me how much sex I was having was the best way to spend our time together. 'Brotherly bonding' he had called it."

"Well, he's not Red if he's not thinking with his dick," Dom joked, making me laugh out loud.

"That's true."

"Mmhm, speaking of sex..." he began, causing me to raise a brow in caution when I looked at him. "...how's Marley?"

With an expression that showed I was not happy with his new choice of topic, I grumbled, "Not sure. We haven't spoken much lately."