Looking down at the house next door, I could see Lila’s car was there. I stood at the window for several minutes, debating whether or not I should call her over to talk. I needed to talk to someone, and my guy friends would only tell me that I was a pussy for having feelings at all. I wasn’t sure if they were really true friends or not. I just hung around them mostly for something to do.
I felt a little down when I realized I had no true friends other than Lila. Evan used to be my best friend, but that turned into a long road of kissing ass and guilt trips.
I saw that Darcy’s car was in the driveway, too. I could just go over there, but after last night, I was a little hesitant to see her again. It was hard being near her if I couldn’t have her. I mulled over this option for a few minutes, deciding that it was worse thinking about her from afar.
When I walked into the kitchen (it’s my house, so why should I knock?), I had a hard time wrapping my mind around what I saw. Darcy was in the kitchen with Regan and Lyle, and they were laughing hysterically. Shellene was at the island chopping nuts, and Remi was at the stove stirring something.
“Where’s Lila?” I asked, rendering them all silent. Five sets of eyes were all focused on me, but only one set shot silent fireballs at me. I looked at the top of her head for red horns but only saw her mass of chestnut brown hair swooped up into a clip. I couldn’t speak. Now, don’t get me wrong, when Darcy gets herself all dolled up, she is stunning. However, I prefer when she is more natural, and when she just throws her hair up like that, it makes me lose my mind with lust.
I walked over and sat down at the kitchen table so that I didn’t embarrass myself with what was growing in my pants. Darcy completely ignored me. I was prepared for that, though quite pissed off.Why does she freeze me out like this?It made no sense since I was good enough to have sex with, and we’d both established we weren’t looking for a relationship. I wondered if it was because she was afraid the other girls would find out. Would that be so bad? I had no issues with it.
“Hey, don’t disappear on me. I need to talk to you,” Lila said to me.
“I actually came over to talk to you. What are you guys making, anyway?”
“Chocolate chip shortbread,” Remi answered as she scooped the dough onto cookie sheets.
“Yummy, be sure to save me some,” I said. Shortbread was one of my all-time favorite cookies.
“I’ll be over in a few minutes after I help them clean up,” Lila told me. I guess that was my dismissal. Darcy was still ignoring me, so there was no need to stick around.
I was in the middle of making some hot chocolate to go with the cookies I was hoping Lila would bring over with her when my phone rang. I put it on speakerphone. It was Julian.
We discussed our business plans, but before Julian hung up, he asked, “You dating anyone at the moment?”
“That’s a tough one. Not really dating anyone, exactly. It’s complicated,” I told him.
“I get it. You’re fucking someone, but she wants a relationship,” he guessed.
“Not quite. I’m definitely fucking someone, but I actually think it’s the other way around. She wants nothing to do with a relationship, but I might. I haven’t decided yet,” I explained.
“You’re getting soft, Erickson,” Julian said, laughing.
“Fuck off, Fletcher. I am not. Some of the most prominent men are in great relationships,” I defended myself.
“Ha-ha. Yeah, I guess eventually I’ll get into a permanent relationship, but right now, I’m enjoying the sightseeing if you know what I mean. Who are you fucking?”
“It’s top secret if I tell you,” I said.
“Got it, no worries, my lips are sealed,” Julian said.
“Darcy Blackwell,” I told him. I regretted saying it as soon as the words slipped out of my mouth.
“Wow. I’m impressed. You’re really taking your life in your hands with that one, aren’t you? She is one scary woman. I’m pretty sure she could kick my ass all the way from Miami to some outer space planet we’ve never heard of.”
“She’s certainly someone you don’t want to mess with,” I agreed.Then why am I messing with her?
“Gotta go, Remi just walked in, and she does not look happy,” Julian said.
After I hung up, I turned around and came face to face with Lila. I’d never been scared of my sister, but this moment marked a time in our relationship where my life was literally hanging in the balance.
How much did she hear?My heart started pounding uncontrollably in my chest, and I thought I might pass out.
“Was. That. Julian. Fletcher. You. Were. Just. Talking. To?” She said the words so slowly and precisely that I could hear the knife chopping the sentence up into fragments.
I froze. I couldn’t feel my limbs. There were two types of women in the world. The ones like Shellene and Addison who made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and like you could do no wrong. And then there were the ones like Darcy and Lila, who could look through you and with that same look, make a grown man pee his pants, reducing him to a cowardly, scared little boy. I was that little boy right now, though luckily, I hadn’t peed my pants.Yet.
“Yes.” I tried hard to keep my cool, turning back to the hot chocolate. I couldn’t let her see my face right now because guilt was written all over it. I poured some milk into our mugs while I heard her slink up behind me. I hadn’t seen her holding a weapon, so I hoped nothing would strike me down. I waited and was even more worried when she didn’t start yelling at me.Is it possible she didn’t hear anything?