Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

I had dated every now and again. I fooled around, too, but I kept my virginity for the one.

Jace, I thought, was the one for me. I gave him my virginity after only three months together. After that first time, we did it a lot.

How great is sex?!

Pretty great if you ask me! That’s the only thing I miss about having a man.

Jace was ecstatic that I was so enthusiastic about it. It was me initiating foreplay most of the time and I kept him extremely satisfied.

After two pretty great years together, we both decided that we were too young to get engaged or even move in together. We were happy with our relationship. Most of our time was spent together, laughing and goofing off. We were happy. Well, I know I was happy.

Jace is a good looking guy. About 6 foot tall, lean and muscular. He played basketball through college. Wearing his dark brown hair in a spiked style, with green eyes and an easy smile. He stole my heart.

I want it back, you goddamn thief!

Everything was great until it wasn’t.

I hate Jace now. I actually loathe Jace. He is a coward and a big fat stupid head.

What more can I say about Jace?

He broke my heart; shattered it into a million pieces.

I mean, really, what kind of man doesn’t show up to his own daughter’s funeral?

Chapter Three

Shit just got serious

Max looks incredulous as he slowly asks, “So you’re telling me you agreed to be friends with her?”

I sit at the table in our ‘chill out’ room.

I do a lot of business dealings at the club during the day. The club consists of two floors. I own the building. There were vacant rooms on the second floor, one of which is my office. There are two conference rooms. Lastly, the ‘chill out’ room which has a huge LCD TV, cable, DVD player, computer, stereo, board games, the most comfortable sofa you’ve ever put your ass on, dining table and chairs, refrigerator, a cupboard full of snacks, and coloring books and markers (for my niece).

I’m looking down and tearing up a napkin into as many small pieces as I can.

I respond, “I know, right? What the hell is wrong with me?”

My brother looks at me and smirks. He says, “She got under ya skin. ” He laughs and continues, “She is pretty damn cute. And that ass, mmm nice. ”

I have the sudden urge to slap him across the back of the head. My brother Max is my best friend. Well, he is, and so is Asher who we nicknamed Ghost. We all grew up together, went to school together and towards the end of our high school years Ghost moved with us. This made Mom extremely happy because as she said his parents are ‘mala gente’ or ‘bad people’.

The whole town knew this.

Mom loves Ghost as her own son. She refuses to call him Ghost though, but he doesn’t mind. He calls her Mom and he loves her as much as I do, maybe even more.

Ghost would sneak out of gym class so nobody could see the bruises all over his body. I knew they were there but it was forbidden to speak of it. I brought it up with him once and he disappeared for a week. The next time I saw him I told him I wouldn’t mention it again but let him know he was my brother and I had his back. Always.

Asher and I are thirty four. Max is a year younger than us.

Ahh, the golden boy himself!

Ghost walks into the room followed by my cousin Diego who we call Trick They both take a seat.

Max starts, “Hey Casper, guess what Nik got himself?!” He’s practically giddy.

Idiot.