Unlovely Things (Love By Design 2)

“Can you go to the store for me?” Her lips trembled and I sighed heavy. I would do this for her because it was one thing she would let me do.

“Yeah, whatever you need Pe

bbles.” Shutting me out, she turned on the shower faucet and ignored my attempts to talk through the bathroom door.

Sitting on the bed, I waited until her shower ended in case she fell in and couldn’t reach her life alert button. I didn’t want to be accused of not caring enough. The door opened with steam pouring out into the space.

“Still here?”

“Of course, but I’m leaving now. Any other grievances you’d like to air?”

“No, I think that’ll do for now.”

“Excellent.” I pushed off from her bed and decide the walk home will do me just fine. I’d wait to call Hunter until I rounded the corner off her street.

I’m leaving her house when I open the door to find Taylor in mid-knock looking shocked to see me. “Howdy, TJ. I hope you’re prepared to get your head chomped off this morning.” I give her a jaunty salute and walked down the steps.

“Uh…” She’s speechless and pink cheeked. I figure Pebbles can have the honor since I’m tired of hiding this from those closest to us. Sometimes I wish I had the balls to tell her to screw herself and walk away, I should–but I don’t. Love doesn’t work that way.

12

Kristen

Sputtering in my doorway, clearly shocked by the revelation of Damien Hart leaving my house looking disheveled and thoroughly fucked over by me, Taylor is pointing out the door, and then back at me, and then out the door, and then back at me. I might have found it comical if I was feeling like quite the asshole I was today. Maybe my thing with Damien was nothing more than a decade old misunderstanding–easily solved like an afterschool television special, but I couldn’t let go of the past no matter how hard I tried to cleanse myself of something so stupid.

“B—but I thought Evan?” Taylor made a harrumphing sound clearly as flabbergasted as I was. I had used other men, men he hated like Evan and plenty of alcohol to numb the feelings of my first love. None of it had worked and now I had my best friend looking hurt and angry over something even I didn’t have words for.

“Oh my god! Did you two have period sex last night?” She stuck with the obvious eying me with a piercing glare. “I thought you hated each other and only tolerated each other for Hunter and me?” I was positive Taylor didn’t mean it in the selfish about her way but I didn’t put this front up for her or Hunter, it was to keep my heart from fracturing any deeper. Demon and I mutually used each other and that was as far as I was willing to go with this.

“Come inside?” I left her at the door to sit down resuming my gorging on a left over cilantro chicken and lime taco from the Burrito Barn.

“Don’t you ignore my question Kristen Calloway.” If stomping her foot demanding an answer was her tactic we would be here all morning once I dug my heels in. Plus, this was our routine in giving up secret bestie classified information. She knew I was going to make her work for it.

“Hmm?” I eyed her over the bite of my taco giving no fucks to how un-classy I might look right then.

“Damien just–and we’re on the same cycle–and–ugh put the food down and tell me what’s going on.” Her hands met her hips and I almost cracked a smile feeling relieved this might actually be all out in the open now. “Right now, Kristen.”

I continued to eat letting Taylor work this all out in her mind verbally before I had to clarify the details for her.

“Seriously, put that down and answer me right now.” Taylor got close enough to reach my plate but I backed away wary like a zoo animal. There is no way in hell I am: one–giving up a two day old burrito that tastes of heaven and promises, and two–disclosing the nature of my last sexual encounter even though she walked right into him as he was leaving. Despite the fact we all grew up on the same street and considered each other close enough to be family or something akin to kissing cousins I wasn’t shedding any unnecessary light on the details without a fight.

“Don’t make me call Hunter.” She’s cute when she tries to threaten me so I decided to pony up the latter because it’s easier than starving.

Mouth full, I answered her. “What?” My body hurt, but my va-jay-jay sung like a well-oiled transmission. Who knew Damien was the cure all for a homicidal woman on the rag. Next time I would call him instead of popping Midol like skittles, if he would be kind enough to service me. I winced internally realizing how selfish that sounded but that’s kind of where I was in the moment.

“I just saw Damien leave your house sporting sex hair and you–you have wet shower hair and look like you got off on a bull at a rodeo.” Taylor leaned in to sniff my shoulder. “Yup, I know the post sex shower gel smell.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t feel like letting his scent get rubbed into my couch. I’ll use the deer pee next time.”

“Gross, Kristen. Besides we are not talking about me, we are however talking about you.” She pointed her finger at me. “You and Damien.” This time she jabbed her finger in my direction and I gently moved it from the center of my chest.

“Demon.” I countered.

“Damien. He has a name. I fail to see why you do this to him.”

“If he stops calling me Pebbles,” I rolled my eyes. “Then I’ll consent to stop calling him Demon.”

“Arrrg. You two, I swear.” Taylor huffed and I shrugged.