Barred Desires (The Deepest Desires 1)

“Ayy, I’m getting another beer,”Knox says from across the room. “Anyone want one?”

All three of us say yes and get back to our very heated game of pool. Weston’s parents are trying to sleep, so we came down to the basement to avoid bothering them.

Well, that, and the pool table and mini fridge, stocked with beer, are down here.

Branson and I are stripes, while Knox and Weston are solids. So far, we’re kicking their asses, but they’re creeping up on us slowly.

I’ve gotten to know them a lot better since starting college. They’ve been around for as long as I’ve known Branson, but we didn’t hang out in a small group like this very often. I feel lucky that we all get along so well, considering we share a house and are around one another all the time. I appreciate how easily my group and Branson’s group have meshed these last few months. Aside from the beef with Knox and Aston, everyone gets along well.

Even their issues with one another have seemed to simmer down quite a bit. They still don’t hang out by themselves, nor do they go out of their way to talk to each other, but there isn’t thick, hostile tension when they’re in the same room anymore.

Knox comes back and sets our beers down in front of us on the pool table. He has a shit-eating grin on his face, which is never good.

“What’s that look for, bro?” I laugh before taking a long pull from my beer.

“Look what I have.” He looks like a proud mom, showing off her newborn baby, except it isn’t a baby. It’s a blunt.

“You guys want to? I got it from my cousin earlier. It’s good shit.”

All three of us look at each other before we shrug. Branson speaks for us all, “Why the fuck not, let’s do it.”

Our game of pool is long forgotten as we all go sit on the couches in the middle of the room. Branson and I don’t smoke weed often, only sometimes at the occasional party. I’m not sure about Weston, since I’ve never seen him do it, but I know Knox does regularly.

Weston is the one to light it up, taking the first two puffs. “So, I’ve been seeing Jessica here and there,” he says casually, before passing the blunt to Branson.

“You have?!” That’s shocking to me. I knew they flirted at Cash’s birthday party, but I didn’t think anything happened beyond that.

“Yup, she gave me her number at the party. We’ve only hung out a few times, but she seems super chill.”

Branson passes to me, and I take a decent hit. Shit, this stuff is potent.

“That’s cool.” I take another hit before passing to Knox. “Do you want to keep seeing her… like a girlfriend?”

“Fuck no, man.” He laughs, and I’m not totally surprised by his answer. “She’s cool to hang out with and she’s fun as fuck in bed, but I’m not interested in anything beyond that.”

He gets the blunt back, taking a couple more hits before he continues. “Jess says that Courtney is still pissed off about the break-up. She is apparently furious at Branson.”

My blood runs cold at the mention of Courtney. If she’s talking to Jess about Branson, then what else is she telling her? And if she told Jess what she walked in on, Jess would certainly tell Weston… right?

“What?” I try, but fail, at sounding calm. “Why would she be pissed at him?”

“Said he showed up and kicked her out. Her exact words were ‘he acted like a possessive boyfriend.’”

Choking on my beer, coughing uncontrollably, I look at Branson, who’s already looking at me. He pats me on the back but keeps his face neutral.

“She was acting like a psycho,” he says. “I really don’t give a shit if she’s pissed off. She needs to take the hint and move the fuck on.”

“What do you mean, take the hint?” Knox asks curiously.

“She fucking showed up at the house before we left, unannounced, using the spare key, bro. I’ve heard Luca tell her numerous times that he doesn’t want to talk, doesn’t want to get back together, to give him space. She doesn’t fucking listen.”

To anybody else, Branson just seems annoyed for me, but with the way his shoulders are squared, and his nostrils are flaring slightly, I know he’s pissed.

“Damn,” Knox and Weston say at the exact same time.

The four of us crack up laughing at that, clearly feeling the effects of the weed.

“Alright, alright, let’s play another round of pool,” Knox suggests while putting the blunt out in the ashtray. “This time, we’re kicking your fucking asses.”