Just Friends

Chapter 2

"Shit."

"What the fuck?" I looked between my boyfriend and his roommate, Adam. Both guys' hair was mussed, their lips pink and puffy from an obvious make out session. Marshall had jerked up his undone pants as soon as the lights came on.

"Eva, I can explain." Marshall uttered quickly, more matter of factly than apologetically.

"Explain what? How could you possibly explain this! You're cheating on me with Adam!" I looked between the two of them again and couldn't help but notice the smug look on Adam's face, as if he wanted me to catch them.

Marshall ran a shaky hand down the back of his head, his face pale with anxiety. "I...I don't- I mean..."

"How long has this been going on?" I asked with a calmness that surprised even me.

"Not long." Marshall blurted out.

"Almost a year." Adam simultaneously retorted, which got him a pointed look from Marshall.

I wanted to flip my shit, but I couldn't find the anger within me to hold onto. It felt like I was in a dream and wanted to feel or do more than my body would actually allow. That's when it dawned on me how I played a part in my own ignorance. How could I not have seen that for the entirety of our relationship, Marshall was with Adam? I needed to get the hell out of here before my strength weakened and my emotions came to the surface.

Before I turned and ran, I had to know. "Adam, will you give us a second?"

Adam smoothed his hair back into place as he slid past me out the door without a word. 

I looked back to Marshall. "Did you actually ever want to be with me or were you using me?" I gestured behind me in Adam's direction to indicate my meaning.

Marshall bowed his head and I knew my answer before he even spoke. "You were my closest friend, Eva. I never meant to hurt you, but I wasn't ready for people to know, and I was starting to get questions. I needed a cover and people already thought there was something between you and me.....I just- I'm so sorry."

A rogue tear slipped down my cheek when I blinked up at him. I wiped it quickly and collected my composure. "Well I really do hope you are happy. I'm sorry if I did something to make you feel like you needed to hide this about yourself from me."

"You didn't make me feel like I couldn't tell you, it was all me and my own insecurity that made me keep it in. Thank you for being so...... understanding."

"What am I going to do? Get mad at you for being yourself? Marshall, I'm just hurt over being used rather than being able to help you through this for the past year as your friend."

He hung his head again, and my heart ached for him. He may have misused me as his friend, but the last thing I wanted to do was brandish someone who was unintentionally coming out for the first time. I reached out and gently rubbed his chest. He raised his head to look at me. "I'm still your friend, babe, and I'm still going to be here for you."

Relief rushed over Marshall's face and he pulled me in for a crushing hug. I felt a couple of his tears hit the top of my hair as he spoke over me softly. "Thank you, thank you so much. Just please....please don't say anything to anyone because I still don't think I'm ready for people to know. I'm working on it though-"

I cut him off right there as I pulled back from his grasp. "You don't owe me any excuse, Marshall. You do what you need to do, when you're ready. I'm here if you need me." I gave him a genuine smile and held his hands low between us. "Just know, I still have so many questions regarding us and....our sex life." A smirk brushed onto my face.