𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 ✓

I Don't Like How We Left Things

We made our way back outside. At the opposite end of the pool, stood Jamie in all his glory. Years of playing football and training at the police academy clearly showed on his well-defined body, one hand stretched covering his eyes from the glare of the artificial light since it was well into the night now.

For a moment I was distracted by his Adonis like structure but then I remembered he is my best friend and we were in the middle of a fight.

Jamie had been staring at me like I was the only one around but then the smile on his face soon turned into a scowl when Kiandre leaned in and whispered to me, "Do you know that guy?"

I turned to face him. "That's Jamie."

Kiandre's facial expression soon turned sour but then a cocky smile crossed his face and he wrapped an arm around my waist while looking at Jamie straight in the eyes.

"Lay, can I have a word with you?" Jamie continued to stare at Kiandre and then added,"In private."

"All right, people. It's time to leave. Dry off and call your cab. There won't be irresponsible drunk driving while I'm around." I knew Rose was trying to help me out. God bless her soul!

Everybody had said their goodbyes and left. "You're staying over, right babe?" asked Rose.

I simply nodded in affirmation

Kiandre spoke up after what seemed like ages. "I'll wait for you inside, Bellissima." Then he plants a kiss on my forehead allowing his lips to linger a moment longer before joining Rose and Cassidy.

Jamie looked rather unimpressed by what just conspired.

"What are you doing here?" I asked

"Who's the new guy?" he queried.

We exchanged words like they were nothing.

"I didn't like the way we left things, Lay. Knowing that I did something wrong but continued acting like a jerk and making you more upset just didn't sit well with me and I knew I had to come and apologize. Sorry I took so long to reach here but I couldn't get time off from the academy," he told me.

Jamie got down on both knees and hugged me, his head pressed firmly against the soft skin of my abdomen, his hands wrapped above my waist. I was taken aback by this gesture.

After all, I was just in the middle of quite an intense moment with Kiandre that left me craving the male touch, but this was Jamie and things were strictly platonic between us, right?

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have interfered. Not that I'm justifying my actions but I just wanted to keep you safe. It's been thousands of miles away from your best friend, but remember my heart holds you when my arms cannot," he said.

"Get up," I demanded.

And so he did, now looking me straight in my eyes, leaving hardly any space between our bodies.

"I know you're used to being my knight in shining armor and I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me over the years. I'm going to get hurt, fall on my ass a couple times but I'm also going to come back stronger than before because you taught me how to survive and be a fighter."

Jamie took a moment to look at me then stepped back. "You really are all grown up now, huh? I guess that gives me some piece of mind," he said before pulling me into a hug. "So, since you're staying the night here, is Mr. Dracula staying with you or...?"

"Mr. Dracula?" I laughed thinking about the vampire reference I had made about Kiandre before.

"No. We are just friends getting to know each other."

"Just friends, huh? Well, that kiss on your forehead said otherwise."

"Jealous, are you?" I mocked Jamie

"Nah, I've seen you naked."

I playfully punched Jamie's arm "Oh my God! I was a baby. That doesn't count."

"Well, I'll leave out the baby part when I make him jealous."

Jamie ran inside laughing and I followed. It felt good to have my best friend back.

"Is everything alright?" asked Cassidy

"Yeah, we kissed and made up," laughed Jamie

Kiandre stood to full attention and a look of disappointment emerged on his face

"The only kissing this one did was suck up to me after being such a jerk," I laughed and made my way back to Kiandre while Cassidy and Jamie caught up with us. Rose had already gone to bed but instructed Cassidy to wait for me and make sure I was okay.

"Hey," said Kiandre, half smiling.

"Hey, you're ready to go?" I asked

"Chasing me out, huh? Guess you want some time with him," he said nodding his head in Jamie's direction.

"No," I said as I leaned towards him and whispered. "You have no idea how badly I want to taste the whiskey off your lips," I kissed his cheek. "But I'll wait for the next time when our moment won't be interrupted."

Kiandre cleared his throat, flashed me his smirk and pulled me onto him so I could feel the excitement my words had brought in him. "Next time, huh? That's something I'm definitely looking forward to, Bellissima."

"Alright, we don't want to see you two do the nasty against the wall," joked Cassidy

Kiandre said goodbye and left.

Cassidy made his way upstairs to join Rose.

"So I'm staying at yours. I'll see you in the morning," said Jamie as he planted a kiss on my head and left too. No other words were spoken.

The rest of the weekend, Jamie and I had spent catching up, watching trashy television and eating our body weight in junk food. He had gotten a week off the academy and planned to spend most of it with me, making up for his behavior.

He had driven me to and from school every day which brought a lot of attention to me especially because during school hours Kiandre and I would spend every available second together but I'd leave for home with Jamie.

Rose and I had tried to create some sort of bromance between Kiandre and Jamie when we hung out after school on Kiandre's days off and even dragged Cassidy in on our, plans but to no avail as the only thing the two of them had in common was me and that just seemed to cause more tension between them.