Between Friends (Friends with Benefits) by Vristen Pierce Page B

reason.
    “When are you leaving, again?”
    “My flight leaves at nine in the morning.”
    Nina nodded as she walked to the door. She turned back to look at me. “Okay,” she shrugged, “whatever, it’s three months.” A tear escaped and made its way down her cheek. She pulled me in for one last hug. “Call me, you brat. Promise.”
    I smiled as I felt my own tear slide down my cheek and drip down my chin. “Promise me you’ll stop watching so much damn Univision.”
    We laughed before letting each other go. Our eyes connected one last time.
    “Love you,” Nina said.
    “I love you, too.”
    She turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.
    I sat down on the loveseat and looked around as if seeing my apartment for the first time. I was keeping the place, but, still, I’d miss it until I came back. This was home. For the time being. At least until I got the home I was really waiting for, the one that I’d share with my husband and fill with children. I dropped my head as I thought about it. Maybe Nathan really
was
the one. Did it matter if he didn’t give me raging orgasms or make my heart flutter and do other stupid things? I needed stability here, not a classic romance.
    The knock roused me from my daydream and Doodle’s bark fest began in earnest. I brushed at my eyes before I swung the door open. Nina must have wanted one last hu—
    Evan and Justin stood there, staring at me.
    “So you plan on leaving and don’t bother to tell us?” Justin asked, his light blue eyes flashing with anger.
    “It’s a little fucked up to hear it from your friend.” Evan’s voice was as cold as the look in his hazel eyes.
    Damn Nina and her big mouth. This was one goodbye—well, two—that I did
not
think I could handle. I stepped aside so they could enter. Doodle gave their lower legs his usual assault until they’d each taken the time to pay him a bit of attention. Once he was satisfied, he trotted off toward the bedroom.
    Justin crossed his arms. “What’s been going on with you?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “You know damn well what I mean.”
    I looked up at Evan, always the more understanding of the two.
    He clenched his jaw, but said nothing.
    I knew very well what Justin had meant, of course. After the threesome, I’d pulled away both physically and emotionally; though, emotionally, the damage had already been done. I’d already started falling in love like a complete fool. I’d made up excuses why we couldn’t get together. I’d ignored their calls. I hadn’t answered the door when they’d come over to see about me. Each one of those things had damn near killed me. Distancing myself from them was like cutting off a limb. Who in their right mind would do it if it wasn’t totally necessary? It was too painful to contemplate doing otherwise.
    It had only been two weeks since our unbelievably intense night together, but it seemed like I hadn’t seen them in forever. I ignored the overwhelming desire to throw myself into their arms and have a repeat of our threesome. There was no way to explain to them what I was trying to do. They’d think I was crazy. I was the only one with feelings involved in this scenario, after all.
    “Look, we had fun while it lasted, but our night together was the end of the road for us.”
    “Why’s that?” Evan asked.
    “This was never going to become something serious, let’s face it. And I want more; I’m already thirty-three, I don’t have time to be a sex buddy to the two of you for the next few years. I want to get married; I want to have kids.”
    “Sounds like someone specific is offering those things.” Justin pinned me under his stare.
    I folded my arms. “My most recent ex, Nathan.”
    Justin and Evan looked at each other before turning back to me and speaking at the same time.
    Justin gave me a humorless chuckle. “You’re a damned fool if you do it.”
    Evan rolled his eyes before grabbing a handful of his hair and blowing out an irritated