“Not a clue.” I shoot this drink down, too.
“Well I have a spare room. It’s yours.”
I look up at her. She knows what Brandon is like, and she understands the relationship that we have. “Thanks, Jules. I think that I’ll take you up on that. It will only be for a little while, until I can find my own place.”
“It’s yours for as long as you need it. No rush.”
I fill the glasses this time, “To new housemates.”
***
“Hey, baby. You alright? You sound unwell.”
“I’m fine. I just had too much to drink last night. How are you?” I groan out. My throat burns, my eyes refuse to open, and my mouth is dry with a foul taste in it.
“I’m ok,” he says cautiously. “Who did you go out with?” Jake asks over the line.
“Julie. She’s a friend from college and my new housemate.”
He’s silent for a moment, before saying, “Brandon kicked you out?”
“No. I’m moving out, and I’m moving in with Jules. I’d like for you to meet her.”
“I’d like that.” He sounds awfully happy at the moment.
“Good. We’ll organise something after I get all my stuff over here and settled in.”
“So, you and Brandon had a fight?” I tell Jake about Brandon, and his protectiveness. He’s as understanding as I could have hoped for. I suspect that he was a little jealous that I lived with him, but I have assured him that there was happening, and that nothing will ever happen with Brandon.
“Yeah. A huge one.” I slowly peel my eyes open, and then quickly shut them again, only to try to open them again. It is very bright and I have to squint to see.
“What about?”
I’m looking around for a clock in the room and don’t see one. “What time is it?”
“After twelve.”
“In the afternoon?” I ask, sitting up, then quickly lay back down as my head spins and my stomach turns.
“Yeah, baby. You sound horrible. Where are you? I’m coming to get you. I want you with me while you’re nursing your hangover.”
“It’s alright, Jake. I’m just going to sleep.”
“Please. I want you with me for the remainder of the weekend.”
“I won’t be any fun.”
“I don’t care. Now give me the address.” I tell him Julies address, and after having a shower, I wait in the lounge room where Julie is sprawled out on the couch looking like death.
She mutes the TV when she sees me. “Doesn’t your body hurt? Why are you dressed?”
I sit down on the couch, lifting her feet and placing them back on my lap. I need to sit down. The room is spinning. The shower helped some, but not much. “Jake’s coming to pick me up. He wants to nurse me back to health.”
“Aww, I want to meet him. Will he be coming around here? When are you moving in?”
“Yes. You will be meeting him. He wants to meet you, too, and I don’t know. He may be here. He has his own place. As for my stuff, I’ll bring it over during the week.”
“Cool. If you need help...” there’s a knock at the door, “let me know,” she continues on.
I remove her feet from my lap and answer the door. “Thanks. I will.” I open the door to see Jake standing on the other side, looking clean, neat, and alive.
“Hey, you.” He leans in and kisses me.
“Hey.”
“Come on. Let’s get some food into you.” Jake drives to a cafe not far from his place, where we eat breakfast and talk about the fight. “You think Beth told him?” he asks, surprised that she may know. We have been careful about being seen together.
“When she told me about her and Brandon, her eyes flicked to you, and I don’t know, maybe I’m just being paranoid. I don’t see how he could have found out any other way. I’ve only told him your name and that we met at a bar.”
“Baby, it doesn’t matter, ok? If she was going to say something, she would have by now. Maybe she just wants to see what type of reaction she’ll get out of us if we know that she’s seeing him.”
“Why would we care, though? I know that I don’t care who she is seeing.”
“You seemed pretty upset when she told you,” he quietly states.
I take a deep breath, “I was. I mean, Beth tried to make a move on Brandon in front of me when she first met him, before she knew that he was like a brother to me. I asked him not to sleep with anyone that I work with. He promised me that he wouldn’t, and that’s why I was so upset.”
“They hit on you?” I ask, shocked.
“I showed no interested and I never reciprocated. Those girls are always flaunting who they have been with.”
I nod. Every Monday they talk about their weekend sexcapades. “So you’ve never been with anyone at school?” I have to ask.
“Just you.” He squeezes my hand as assurance.
***
I spend the remainder of the weekend with Jake. He is so attentive to me, it makes my heart swell. Sunday afternoon comes around, and the realisation that I have no clothes for work dawns on me.
“Why don’t we just go and buy some new ones, if you don’t want to go back to the apartment?” Jake suggests, already getting his stuff together to head out.
“You want to come shopping with me?” I ask, astonished.
“It’ll be fun.”
Cole
“Is she here?” Brandon pushes his way into my apartment before finishing his sentence. I go to ask him who he’s talking about, when he calls her name, “Erin!” He opens and closes doors as he goes searching through the apartment.
“She isn’t here. What’s going on?” I ask, slightly panicked.
“I can’t find Erin. She hasn’t come home all weekend.”
“Call her.” I pull my phone out of my pocket.
“Her phone’s off.” He can’t stay still. He is really worried, which worries me.
“Have you called anyone else, to see if they have seen her?” I suggest.
He nods, “I’ve called everyone, and you’re my last stop.”
If Erin isn’t with anyone that Brandon could contact, I don’t want to entertain the idea of who she’s with or what she’s doing. “She has work tomorrow. She needs to come home to get her stuff,” I announce.
He shakes his head, “I don’t know.”
Erin
I was worried that since I hadn’t made contact with anyone over the weekend, that I might be bombarded before school. My fears were correct, and they look angry. They just stare at me from the car park. I expected for Brandon to be here, if anyone was going to show up, but I didn’t expect to see Cole here too.
When I was asked to stop all communication with Cole, I thought that Brandon had, too, to some extent. Obviously, he hadn’t, and that pisses me off, but in saying that, maybe Brandon is here to see Beth and Cole is just tagging along to meet her. Either way, I don’t care. I turn away from them and walk into the school.
“Hey,” Jake offers when I enter the office. We are the only ones here. Still keeping our relationship hushed, we take separate cars to work and leave at different times.
“Hey,” I offer. He catches onto my down mood.
“You saw him,” he says. Stunned, I looked up from my desk. He continues, “I saw him when I was getting out of my car.”
“He’s probably here for Beth.”
“Why does that bug you?” Jake asks.
“Because he’s breaking a promise to me, and it stings.”
He wheels his chair over to me, gets a hold of my hands, and looks me straight into my eyes. “I know it stings, he seemed really important to you.”
“He was,” I confess.
“Try not to let it get to you too much. People come and go from our lives all the time. It’s hurtful and it stings, but baby, you’re moving on, too. Even though Brandon is going out of
yours, I came into it. Give change a chance to settle.”
I take a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears and nod. Jake all too quickly lets go of my hands and wheels his chair back to his desk. I look up to see why as Beth and Anita come into the small space.
“He is yummy,” Anita states. I turn back around to my desk and start to unpack my bag. I can feel eyes on me. “You ok, Erin?” Anita asks, the mockery evident in her tone.
“Yep, peachy.” I say, turning my head so to speak over my shoulder.
Beth scoffs, “Yeah, peachy. I take it you saw Brandon in the car park. Sucks to be replaced, doesn’t it.”
Turning my gaze to Beth, and taking in the words that Jake had just said, I respond, “I wouldn’t know. That’s something you’ll have to ask Brandon.”
Her expression falters but quickly recovers, “That’s not what he said.”
I smile at her, “I’m sure he said what he needed to say in order to get you to spread your legs. Though, I imagine that it wouldn’t have been a very long conversation.”
I hear sniggering from Jake, a gasp from Anita, and the look on Beth’s face is priceless. She looks like a deer caught in headlights.
Cole
“What are you doing here?” She sounds angry as she walks up to me, clearly not expecting to see me here.
“I came to apologise and to make sure that you’re alright. I’ve been worried about you, honey. You have no idea what I’ve been through. Erin, please, I have so much explaining to do. Can we talk, later perhaps, just you and me?” She looks at me, and then diverts her eyes to over my shoulders. She doesn’t speak, so I continue, “I figure that with Brandon being an asshole, your conversation about not having anything to do with me is void.”
“Cole,” she whispers, “so much as happened, been said. I don’t know if the damage can be undone.” Tears glisten her eyes, and I can’t help myself but to hold her. She immediately wraps her arms around me.
“I’ve missed you so much.” I tell her, speaking into her hair.
“I’ve missed you, too.”
“Cole.” I hear my name being called by someone that’s all too chipper. Erin pulls away, wiping the tears that have fallen from her eyes. “Hey, I thought that was you. Are you joining Brandon and me for lunch? He’s picking me up,” Beth announces while watching Erin, for some kind of reaction is my guess. I didn’t like her when she came up to Brandon this morning thinking that we were there for her and not Erin. I most definitely don’t like her now.
“Erin, dear, Jake’s pretty mad. He saw you two,” She whispers, pointing her finger between the two of us, like there’s something going on between us.
“Ah, Bethany, it’s always a pleasure talking to you. I would explain, but no doubt you will still tell the story your way.” Beth scoffs and Erin turns to leave, but then turns back toward us. “And Bethany, dear, try not speaking this time. Brandon gets done a lot faster if your voice isn’t throwing him off his groove.” She winks and walks off. Beth’s eyes widen and she turns and storms off toward the car park.
“Erin!” I call, running up to her. She stops, and I go to stand in front of her. “Honey, that wasn’t healthy. What’s going on with that?” I whisper.
“I have to go. It was good seeing you again.”
“Sweetheart, talk to me,” I plead.
“Later, ok,” she chokes out.
“Ok, turn your phone back on so I can call you.” Erin nods and then she’s gone.
Erin
When I walk into the office, Jake is pacing. When he looks up at me, I can tell that he’s angry. “What was that?” he demands, hands on his hips and eyes holding me still.
“That’s Cole, Brandon’s brother,” I explain.
“He’s in love with you, Erin! Anyone who looks at him when he’s looking at you can tell!”
I shake my head, “Jake...” I start.
“Do you love him?”
“What?”
“Do. You. Love. Him?” Jake grates out each word like a bad taste. I’ve never seen him so angry.
I shake my head, “Like a brother, that’s all.” The truth is that I don’t know how I feel about Cole.
Jake’s breathing heavy and deeply, “I love you Erin.”
I take a step back, not expecting that at all. Talk about being thrown by a curve.
“Lover’s quarrel?” Anita asks, entering the room.
“Mind your own business, Anita,” Jake states before shooting me one more look, and then walking out of the office.
“He saw you getting all cosy with that hunky, spunky Cole, huh?” I stare at her. “Don’t get to attached, Erin. You have Jake. Cole’s mine.” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Didn’t he tell you? Oh my. We’re going out this weekend. A date. Beth with Brandon, and me and Cole. It’s going to be so much fun.”
I swallow back tears. I will not be turning my phone back on, and I will be getting my belongings from the apartment tonight.
***
As soon as I enter the apartment, I’m blind sighted by Brandon and Beth, naked, having sex on the kitchen bench. Beth’s eyes meet mine, and she smiles. I close the door behind me, head straight to my room, and start packing. I don’t own much, but it’s enough to have to do a few trips. Beth cries out and then Brandon. I feel sick listening to them. It’s a good thing that I’m not staying. I hear movement in the hallway, followed by murmuring, and then a door closing. I take that as my chance to take the first load down to my car. I make minimal noise. When I come back into the apartment, the main living area is clear, so I make a few more trips until the car is full. I make the drive back to Julie’s, my new home.
“Hey, girly,” Jules welcomes me. “Uh,” she comes across and takes the box out of my hands. “Your things, it’s about time.”
“Yeah, I’m going to get more from the car.”
“Ok.” Jules walks up the stairs toward my new room, and I head out to my car and get the next box. Between the two of us, the car is emptied in no time.
“I don’t have much left, so I’m going to go and get the last of it.” I inform Jules on my way out the door.
“Okey dokey,” she responds, and I head back down to the car and over to Brandon’s.
When I arrive at the apartment, it’s dark. I quietly go into my room and pack the remainder of my belongings. Brandon bought the furniture; he didn’t want me to waste my money on such things, so he did. I take the last of my stuff, place it in the car, and then returned to Jules’.
Unpacking doesn’t take long at all, and after I have some food and a shower, not wanting to turn my phone on but needing to make a few calls, I pick up the home phone. It rings three times before it’s answered.
“Hey,” I speak into the phone, not sure if they want to hear from me.
“Oh, Erin, thank God! We’ve been so worried.”
Tears escape my eyes and roll down my cheek. “I’m sorry Mum. It’s been hectic.”
“You have to come over for dinner. We are so worried, not being able to contact you.”
“I’m sorry, and I will. Dinner sounds good.”
“Tomorrow. We’ll talk then.”
“Just us?” I ask quietly.
“Just us,” Mum confirms.
“Ok.”
“Good. I’ll cook your favourite.”
“What time?”
“Around seven-ish.”
“I’ll be there.”
“We’ll see you then. We love you.”
“I love you guys, too.”
Next I dial Jake. I want to talk to him about today. There’s no answer. His phone rings out. My heart sinks, and I feel alone. I return the phone to its cradle, and go to bed with thoughts of how screwed up life has been since I graduated. I don’t know how long I have been asleep, when I feel my bed dip to one side, a body press against me, and lips on my temple. Jake.
I wake to my alarm going off. Jake groans and tightens his arms around me. I turn and switch the alarm off, stretching. ‘Mornin
g,’ I say, looking up to see Jake watching me with sleepy eyes.
“Morning,” he replies, rolling and nuzzling his nose deep into my neck. He came around last night, and Jules let him in. They are both happy to have met each other, and they get along really well at breakfast.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” I whisper into Jake’s ear before leaving for work.
“Of course.” We go up to my bedroom and sit on the bed, facing each other, and holding each other’s hands. “What’s up, baby?” he asks once we’re settled.
“I don’t know what’s going on with most things in my life these days, but I do know that I love you too. I have thought it for a while, but I was sure when you told me, and then I couldn’t talk to you, but then you were here with me.”
Jake’s smile is infectious, making me smile, too. Leaning over, he kisses me. “I am so in love with you, Erin. I’m sorry I acted like a jackass yesterday. I hated seeing you in the arms of another guy. I’m a very jealous man, and I want, I need the world to know that you’re mine.”
“Within reason, at work...” I start, but am cut off with a kiss.
“I know. At work, we are Mr Woods and Miss Mead, but everywhere else, we’re Erin and Jake.”
“Jake and Erin.”
“Say it again,” he whispers, moving closer to my lips.
“Jake and Erin,” I repeat in a low voice.
“Jake and Erin,” he confirms before sealing his lips over mine.
***
The front door opens before I have closed my car door. Mum emerges from the house, and Dad follows. She doesn’t stop until she has me in her arms.
“Erin,” she pulls back, looking into my eyes. “Come inside, and let’s talk. Dinner’s ready.”
“Smells delicious.” I can smell dinner from the driveway, the smell coming through the open kitchen window.
Dad hugs me, “Honey, how are you?”
“I’m good.” We enter the house. Dad sits down with me at the table, while Mum serves dinner up.
“Things have been a little hectic at the office, ever since you left the other day. What’s going on? The boys won’t tell us anything.”
“I honestly don’t know, Dad. One day, all is good, and the next, all hell has broken loose.”