Between Us (all of us #1)

T H I R T Y F O U R

T R E N T O N

The best thing to come out of my mistake is the fact that Diesel's forgiven me. Our friendship is still viable and that just proves to me that I can move forward after all. It'll take a while for me to get over Aubree—if I ever fully can—but getting Diesel back is the biggest relief.

"If someone told me a year ago I'd be sitting in a tiny bedroom with you guys, putting together baby furniture on my day off, I wouldn't have believed it," says Gio, prompting mine and Diesel's laughter.

I'm in the middle of screwing in the final screw to the crib. I stand up, grabbing the bars and jiggling it to make sure it's all tight.

"If someone told me a year ago that I'd be having a baby soon, I would have told them to fuck off," Diesel mutters, working on the expensive looking dresser that's soon to be a changing table on its surface. They got a lot of gifts from the baby shower, so many, I don't even feel so bad for missing it.

I stretch my arms above my head, twisting my torso as I glance around the room. When I said he and I were on good terms, I meant it. He and Chloe chose to move into my building, well Diesel chose, and Chloe went along with it because she's been a lot more lenient now that she's days away from giving birth. They opted for a two bedroom which is a little more costly than mine, but with the Hanes family paying partial rent, I'd say it was a great deal.

They both turn their heads to me, looking at me like they've asked me a question I didn't answer.

"Your turn, T," nudges Gio. "If someone told you a year ago dot dot dot..."

I purse my lips, setting my hand on the crib rail. If someone told me a year ago that I'd be heartbroken over my best friend's mom, I would have believed every word.

"Nothing. My life's been pretty believable."

They both scowl at me.

"I got one," says Diesel, setting down a screw driver and turning to face me on his knees. "If someone told me a year ago that Trenton Laguna would end up being the most responsible guy I know, I definitely wouldn't have believed that shit."

They both laugh and I let out a sigh of relief over the fact that he didn't mention the obvious. The most unbelievable thing is that I fucked his mom and I'm glad no one wants to joke about it. I guess it finally isn't funny anymore.

We finished moving in and setting up in only a few hours.

According to Diesel, Chloe's been really on edge about having everything set up at the apartment as soon as possible because she's already been having pre labor pains the past couple of days and wants to be able to come straight to their new home right after birth. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't spend all day helping him move and assemble furniture? It was my pleasure.

It was also worth it to hang out and smoke in his private patio afterwards, too. Like old times. Felt nice.

Felt like nothing ever came between us. Like Gio wasn't pulling Diesel's bloody fists away from me a few months back, like I didn't drive home drenched in my own blood. Like I didn't accept it as punishment for being so selfish.

I let my wants get in the way of the essential order of things. Diesel's mom could have never been mine. It's just unnatural. Sometimes I wonder if it is just a fetish. Something that I only enjoyed so much because it was so wrong. We want most the things we can't have, and I can't have Aubree. At least not in this lifetime.

I sucked the end of the blunt, resonating in my own thoughts. Not realizing I'm in a total daze until Diesel's snapping his finger in my face.

I blink before my eyes slowly shift onto his face.