Friends Don't, But We Do

12. Paramour

I wake up with a major headache. I look around and realize I'm in Nolan's room, in his bed. Normal enough. He's sleeping soundly beside me.

But then I realize I'm completely naked and it all comes rushing back. I had sex with my best friend last night.

Oh no.

Last night, we had made out in his bed and it naturally progressed to sex. It was really good sex, but it was him.

This is going to ruin everything and he's going to hate me. I have to get out of here. I shouldn't have kissed him and we shouldn't have done that.

The past few weeks have been amazing. I feel like I've never had a better friend and I definitely just lost that. I sigh and look over at him sleeping soundly. I can only hope that we can go back to normal but I doubt it.

I scramble out of the bed and quickly find my underwear, then throw on his shirt and pants I wore last night. He stays still the entire time, and I slip out of the room. I take a breath of relief but I face a new problem. I didn't drive here so I'll have to call an Uber or ask Maddie to take me home.

Before I can decide which one, Mrs. Patrick is coming out of the laundry room with a basket full of clean laundry. Oh my God, I had sex with Nolan while his parents were in the same house. "Oh good morning, Teagan. How was your night last night?"

She can't know, can she? Of course not- everyone was sound asleep, it was nearly three in the morning. I'm just bugging out. "It was fun, Maddie's friends are really nice," I say, trying to make conversation.

"Everyone's still asleep, it's almost 10am. I've been so bored, lemme make you something to eat," she offers in a way that I can't deny.

While she cooks eggs at the stove, I sit at the counter by her insistence. I wring my hands together out of nerves, trying to focus on anything other than the pictures of Nolan's body in my mind.

She tells me all about how she loves summers now, because all her kids are home. It's sweet, hearing her talk about them.

She places a plate of steaming scrambled eggs in front of me and we eat together, talking occasionally about my job and the upcoming summer. I don't have much plans.

Aimee and Maddie join us for breakfast a couple minutes later, and the fact that I slept with their brother last night is really getting to me. So I ask Maddie if she'll drive me home, saying that I have to run some errands today. Aimee and Carrie hug me goodbye.

As I follow Maddie into the garage, I hear Nolan rush downstairs and ask his other sister if I left. She tells him Maddie is driving home and in the next second, he's behind us in the garage. "Teagan wait," he calls.

He's in the sweatpants he wore last night, and flashes of my pulling them off him surface in my mind. Oh my God. I can barely even look at him.

"I can drive her home," he says to Maddie, who shrugs and agrees. I watch in silence as she returns to the house and Nolan shoves his hands in his pockets, also barely making eye contact.

"Lemme just get my keys. Two seconds."

At first, we don't talk much. He's taking the long way to my house though.

I feel so awkward and I've never felt awkward around Nolan. He breaks the silence.

"Do you regret last night?"

Do I? He sounds nervous, his knuckles are white and clenching the steering wheel. I can't regret something that I've wanted for a long time, I don't regret it. I might regret what it's done to our friendship though.