Chapter 46

The One With Good Friends

NATE

“So do you have any idea what the fuck happened back there?” I ask Arielle as we step into her house. My car is parked sneakily in her garage and I’m positive that we weren’t followed. In fact, I feel like fucking Langley is still stupidly sitting outside my house, thinking I’m doing my usual smoking up while playing video games.

Arielle leads me towards her kitchen after we kick our shoes off and quickly closes all of the blinds in the house as I sit myself at the island and she grabs us some beers. “I have no fuckin’ idea,” she admits. “That seemed really out of character for him.”

I purse my lips and shake my head. “Not for me, unfortunately.”

“He’s acted like that with you before?”

“Maybe not as aggressive, but I mean, he did punch me in the fuckin’ face.” I lean my arms on the countertop as she hands me the can and I crack it open. “Look, I’ve always told you I didn’t trust that guy as far as I could throw him. He always gave me bad vibes and I can’t explain it, but like, I’m never wrong about shit like that.”

“I thought you just hated him ‘cause I fucked him.” As she says so, she smirks slyly behind the can before she takes a sip.

“That didn’t exactly help things,” I tease. “But we weren’t dating, you had no commitment to me. You could’ve fucked whomever you damn well pleased.”

“And I did.” She smiles playfully, scurrying around the island to press her lips to mine quickly, only to head back for her drink on the other side. “So you were okay with me fucking Raven but not Hayes?”

“Mm,” I hum. “No. I wasn’t pleased with either one.” I stand from my chair and saunter to her, gripping her hips in my hands while backing her up until she hits the cupboards behind her. “I wanted you all to myself.”

She smiles victoriously, reaching up to run her hand through my hair. “Y’know, I wasn’t entirely thrilled with the idea of you and Sara.”

I twist my face up in disgust. “Why’d you remind me?”

Remember dick-softening terror?

Jesus Christ.

Arielle laughs beautifully, throwing her head back.

“Babe,” I grumble, hiding my head in the crook of her neck. “Did I ever tell you what she did to me? What they did to me? That woman fuckin’ traumatized me.”

“Probably,” she says with a shrug, “But I’m sure I’ll never tire of hearing it.”

“The terrible sex? The blowjob where she used way too much teeth? The time when she—a grown ass woman—made me hide in her pile of fuckin’ stuffed animals? Her stuffed toy named after me? Or when she made me help her change into kiddie pyjamas and tuck her in? Fuck, I still don’t know if that shit was really her or just her and Lieutenant Dickwad fucking with me.”

She tries to hide the laughter, but she can’t and I could never be mad at her for looking so incredible doing something so ordinary. Something that she makes look so effortlessly stunning. It’s a pleasure just to hear that sound fall from her lips.

“I can’t believe you still slept with her after all that shit.”

“I was trying to protect us,” I pout. She wraps her arms around my neck, pressing her mouth to mine. “I was thinking of you.”

“That’s so romantic, Carter,” she muses. “You were thinking of me while fucking another woman.”

I smile, “So you mean to tell me that doesn’t cause a little flutter in your tummy?” As I ask the question, I brush my hand underneath her shirt, grazing over her belly button piercing as I do so.

“Maybe if you didn’t come.”

“It don’t work that way, babygirl. Can’t just fake something like that.”

When her full lips curl up and she bites down on the lower one, I know what’s coming. “Didn’t you wear a condom? Couldn’t you have just made a few grunts from behind her and then tossed the rubber before she saw it was empty?”

“And the still hard dick?” I question, “What would I have done with that, hm?”

“Came to see me.”

“Alright, now you have the right idea.” My lips trail along her jawline and follow her carotid artery like I always enjoy doing—feeling her pulse against my mouth as it races beneath my touch. I brush hair off her shoulder, tracing my tongue around the shell of her ear, hearing the front door open behind me. However, I don’t stop my assault, kissing the curve of her neck, not at all fucking concerned with whomever has just stepped inside.

“Hey, Chase,” Arielle says, not budging either.

“So, like, I know y’all haven’t fucked—despite in dreams and late night wanks thinking of each other n’ shit—in like, a month and a half, but do you think just once I could walk into my home and not see the two of you fucking on the surfaces I use daily?”

“I mean, if you really wanna’ see us fuck...” Arielle trails off, digging her fingernails lightly into my scalp as encouragement.

“We can easily arrange that,” I add, scooping Arielle up in my arms, eliciting a squeal from her as I lift her to sit her gorgeous ass on the countertop.

“You really think that scares me, huh?” Chase teases. “Fuck, maybe I’d enjoy it. Join in, even.”

Arielle and I laugh while I turn to face Chase. He gives me a nod of his head when our eyes connect and I return the gesture, grabbing my beer. As I take a sip, Arielle reaches forward and grabs the back of my shirt to yank me backwards until I’m standing between her legs. I lean against the cupboards and Arielle’s fingers absentmindedly play with my hair from behind me.

“Don’t you remember that one fuckin’ time we kissed? That was weird as hell and we were drunk. You expect to fuck me and Nate, sober?”

Chase laughs, approaching the fridge. “You don’t know my kinks, Ari.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Arielle comments lowly in my ear, but when Chase suddenly freezes—beer can in hand—and cocks his head, I stare at him without an expression, positive he heard what she just said. Not that it bothers me or anything. Arielle and I have always been fairly open when it comes to sex. There’s no shame in us having a rather healthy sex life.

“What was that, Ari?” He inquires, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“Mm, nothing.” She tries to shrug it off, tracing her fingertips over the tattoo at the back of my neck.

“A threesome, you say?” He glances between the two of us—back and forth—as he pieces it together. “Care to share who with?”

“Make a guess,” Arielle encourages.

Chase sits himself at the island in front of us, opening his drink. He thoughtfully studies us, taking a few sips here and there. “Wouldn’t be Summer,” he starts, “She wouldn’t do it. And I have doubts that you’d want to be dicked down by two dudes, so I’ll guess it was a woman.”

“He’ll figure it out,” Arielle whispers in my ear and because Chase is so focused, he doesn’t hear it.

“If I were to make an educated guess, I’d say the chick with purple hair. You know me, I’m shit with names so I don’t remember it. She was here a while ago and you two—” he stops mid-sentence and then glances at me as if he’s just outed her as a cheater. “Oh, shit.”

“I already know,” I laugh. “Arielle decided it would be fun to Snapchat me a video of Raven eating her out.”

“You liked it,” Arielle says over my shoulder like the devil—or my own personal angel—before her lips press to my cheek. “Besides, you Snapchatted me right back your proof that you were fucking someone too. Which, by the way, babe, I know it was all fake.”

“Dude, why even bother?” Chase says through his laughter.

“Mate, she sent me that video at the most inconvenient time. I was just trying to get a little payback. She has a naughty habit of sending me rather interesting photos and videos in inappropriate settings.” Arielle chuckles behind me as I speak and so I add, “You’re not slick, babygirl. I’m onto you.”