Mine To Love (manxman)

8-Poker Night

JEREMY - Present Day

"Will you grab me a beer while I show the guys out?" Frankie asked me. It was Thursday night, poker night and our game had finished up about an hour ago but the guys had hung around after to finish their drinks. 

I went to the refrigerator and pulled out two more beers for Frankie and myself. I twisted off the tops and made my way back to the sofa in the living room. Frankie was still talking to Eric on the front porch, I could hear the timber of their voices even though I couldn't make out what they were saying. I put my feet up on the coffee table and switched on the TV. I'd just settled on an old Clint Eastwood Movie when Frankie sprinted over the back of the sofa and bounced onto the seat beside me. The beer I'd been putting up to my mouth was jostled and spilled over onto my T-shirt.

"Shit!" I shouted as the liquid soaked through to my skin.

"Damn, I'm sorry." He jumped up and left the room.

"Great!" I moaned as I made my way back to the kitchen and tried to soak up as much of the alcohol as I could with paper towels.

"Here, put this on. I'll run yours through the washer." Frankie came up behind me and handed me one of his T-shirts.

"Thank you." I pulled off my ruined shirt and set it down on the kitchen island. As I pulled his shirt over my head I was encased in his scent. It was warm and earthy and an instant aphrodisiac to my senses. I inhaled deeply, trying to take as much of him into myself as I could before pulling the shirt down to cover my torso. I looked up at Frankie saw a tint of colour in his cheeks and his nostrils were slightly flared. "Are you okay?" I asked him in concern.

He cleared his throat before answering me, "Yeah, fine. I ...um..." I studied him closely and noticed little lines of worry around his eyes and mouth, the skin below his eyes were dark as if he'd not been sleeping enough. How had I not noticed that earlier?

"What's wrong Frankie?

"Deb broke up with me last night." He wouldn't meet my eyes as he spoke and instead picked at the label on my abandoned beer bottle. I missed those deep blue depths looking at me as if they saw all of the secrets in my soul that I couldn't put a voice to.

"I'm sorry. I know you really liked her. Did she give you a reason for the break-up?" I tried to sound sympathetic, I really did, but I was just so happy. That manipulative bitch was finally out of his life. I'd been afraid that she'd manipulate him into marrying her.

FRANKIE

I couldn't look at Jeremy. I couldn't look into those beautiful grey eyes without falling apart and losing the small amount of courage I'd finally gathered to have this conversation.

"She gave me an ultimatum and I picked the answer that she didn't want to hear." The bitch had given me the, 'it's him or me', speech. It had been a no brainer for me as to which of them to pick. For me it had always been Jeremy, my little sandy haired imp. I'd just never realised it until recently when I'd walked in on his boyfriend kissing and groping him. I'd felt an irrational urge to beat the guy bloody. I wanted those lips pressing against Jeremy's to be mine. I wanted my tongue to be massaging his as my hands squeezed those tight toned buns. He was lucky they'd broken up soon after that because my self-restraint had been frayed and ready to snap.

"What was her ultimatum?" Was that a hint of hope I heard in my imp's voice? I risked looking up at him and our eyes met and locked.

"She wanted me to marry her. But she also wanted me to stop seeing you." I watched his throat muscles work as he swallowed before replying. I wanted to run my tongue from the small indentation at the base of his throat to the curve of his strong, lightly stubbled jaw. Then I wanted to nibble my way around to his ear and suck that Juicy lobe between my teeth. My jeans grew tight and uncomfortable as I pictured the paths I wanted to take with my mouth. I wanted to lick, suck, nibble and bite every inch of gloriously smooth, tanned skin on his body. I wanted to run my fingers through the hair on his thighs as I pulled them apart and feasted on his flesh. I barely held back the moan that fought to escape at that mental image.

"W-what did you say?" Worry wrinkled his brow and I wanted to kiss it away. I'd completely fallen in love with my best friend and I didn't want to screw this up. He was everything to me but I was about to take a big risk that I prayed wouldn't backfire on me.

"I told her that I didn't want to marry someone that I didn't love. That I'd never give you up for anyone. I told her that I was already in love with someone else." Jeremy's eyes grew large at my words and his face paled. I hadn't expected this reaction from him. I'd thought he might be shocked and he'd let me down easy. Or the reaction I'd hoped for, which had him throwing himself into my arms and loving me back.

"I can't imagine that she took it well. She must have thrown a fit when you told her about not loving her." Jeremy became visibly more agitated. He moved from foot to foot, seeming unable to keep still.

"She threw more than a fit." I smirked at the memories of how she'd taken my confession. "A vase barely missed my head by about an inch and a half. She started screaming and crying and called me a lot of names. I told her I didn't have to listen to her tantrums anymore and I left. It was a big relief. I haven't been happy with her for a long time and I should have told her when I started to have feelings for someone else. I have to own up to my part in this break up." My palm twitched with the need to reach over and hold his hand. One look at his face had me re-thinking that. He looked ready to bolt and I felt my heart sink to the pit of my stomach.

Jeremy's eyes jumped to the clock on my kitchen wall. "Damn, it's getting late. I hate to run on you when you're down and need to talk, but I promised my mom that I'd do something for her on the way home." Jeremy rushed past me and into the living room. When I followed him I saw him grab his jacket from the hook by the front door. "I'll give you a call tomorrow when I can."

"Sure, thanks." He was out the door and it was closing before I finished speaking. What had just happened? Tonight was supposed to be the night when I laid myself bare and gave him my heart. I'd stupidly allowed myself to believe that he'd give me his in return.

JEREMY

I felt physically sick as I walked the short distance to my apartment. I'd foolishly hoped that he was about to tell me that he'd chosen me over Deb. He had chosen me in a way, as a friend. But the kick to the gut was that he'd fallen in love with someone else. I hadn't stuck around long enough to find out who she was and I hadn't even known that he'd found someone else. Frankie wasn't a cheater. That was one of the things that I admired most about him. A lot of guys had no conscience when it came to seeing more than one person at a time, but Frankie was a one on one kind of guy.

I let myself into my one bedroom apartment and didn't bother to turn on the lights. I didn't need them to know where I was going and since I was only about to collapse onto my bed and cry, I didn't need that fact illuminated in any way.

The next morning I woke with a splitting headache and puffy red rimmed eyes. I looked a fright but I didn't have the ability to care right then. I just hopped into the shower and quickly cleaned myself. After brushing my teeth and combing my hair I pulled on a grey sweater and black jeans. I scoffed at the reflection of my mood in my choice of clothing.

Dark and depressing.