one sin.

45) Beware Plans

After work, I head over to Beck's apartment. With all the time I spent fighting to get back into Layne's good graces, I didn't want them to feel left out.

"Well well well," they harass me anyway, Nat making the first comment, "Where dafuq have you been?"

"And why do you seem so... Happy?"

"I don't seem happy," I get unnecessarily defensive.

"Okay," they back off, "Pizza will be here in a little."

I collaspe on the sofa, and Tex, sensing my presence, bolts from wherever he was in the apartment, hopping onto the couch with me. I scratch behind his ears as he gets comfortable.

"My boy's getting big," I comment.

"Stop distracting us," Beck sits next to me, his interrogation face on, "Are you and Layne back together yet? I mean--- You took a cutting board to your face for her. The least she can do is fuck you once in a while."

"He's right," Nat agrees, "Those are the lesbian rules."

"I'm not a lesbian," I interject, "And for the rest of that statement--- No comment."

"We're just saying," Beck presses, "I've seen you moving all those boxes."

"You're helping that bitch move and y'all still aren't together?" Nat chimes in, "You're getting played."

"I'm running a long game here," I try to defend myself without snitching on myself. There was no way I was spilling our bedroom business like that. Not that they need me too.

"You sound like you're just escorting yourself into the 'good friend' zone," Nat suggests.

"I'm more than a good friend," I scoff, then immediately regret it. 

"Soooo what I'm hearing?" Beck, my filter-less son, catches me immediately, " Is you're still getting laid."

There's a way too on time knock at the door before I have to answer that question. He goes to get door while I try to focus on Tex, and not Nat's gaze.

"Stop staring at me," I mumble, before changing my voice, talking to Tex, "Isn't Nat fucking creepy? Yes she is! Yes she is!"

Tex, smelling food, abandons me, rushing Beck in the kitchen. Nat wiggles, her eyebrows, smirking, "I see you, Best Friend."

"Dinner!"

***

With the weekend behind us, I start the second phase of my plan. Or at least, I try to start the second phase of my plan, if Layne wasn't being a piece of shit.

"Do you wanna do something tonight?" I catch her after class, walking her to her car as usual. Since we'd done much of the work moving them out Saturday, it was getting harder for me to keep finding excuses to be around. Pretty soon they'd be all moved in to the new place. And I was not in the market for an at-school-only girlfriend. "I don't have work tonight?"

"No thanks," she responds, "I have plans."

"Since when do you have plans that aren't with me?"

"Since now."

"Okay..." I take exhale, trying not to get frustrated, "How about Saturday?"

"Are you trying to ask me out on a date?"

Well yeah but you keep playin'....

I realize that she's toying with me, "I was just seeing if you were busy is all," I digress, "Call me if you're free sometime."