Mia (2:58 a.m.): I love u too. Why r u still up?
Me (2:58 a.m.): Can’t stop thinking of u. The real question is why r u still up?
Mia (2:59 a.m.): Can’t stop thinking of u.
My phone rang, and it was her on the other line. “So I guess we’re having the same issue, huh?” I asked.
“I guess so. Want to talk until we fall asleep? It’s probably our best bet.”
“Or, I could just go over there, and we can fall asleep together.” I was hoping she’d say yes, because I’d jump in my car within seconds.
“Mmmh, as tempting as that sounds, I know you, Marcus, and your charming ways, so for now, as we live through our bet, no sleeping in the same room.”
“Damn it, for a second there, I thought you would cave in.”
She giggled. Yes, I could fall asleep to that sound! “You should know me better than that, Marcus. I never back down from a bet.”
“Well, you should know me better too, because I will try everything in my power to force you to back down from your bet.”
“We shall see. We’ll see each other tomorrow, oh well, a few hours actually. We’re still on for our date at noon?”
“Of course, we are. I promised my girl a good time.”
As we talked through the early morning, I didn’t remember falling asleep with the phone pressed between the pillow and my ear. As stressful and as long as my day had been, it didn’t matter. None of it mattered because I was able to hear the sound of her voice, the sound of her breathing, and everything else at that moment just faded away.
CHAPTER FOUR
MIA
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Reaching for my phone, I shut the alarm off. My head felt as if I was recovering from a hangover, but it was from lack of sleep. Yawning, I stretched a little longer than usual, tossed the covers off, and prepared for the day ahead.
Coffee. I needed coffee. Marcus was going to be there in a few hours, and I wanted to be well energized for the day he had planned for us. As curious as I was about what those plans were, I shoved the thoughts aside and settled on being surprised. After I entered the kitchen, I made a cup of Joe, grabbed a magazine, and nestled into a stool by the island. As I inhaled the freshly brewed coffee, my mind drifted through scenes from the last four months.
Marcus and I had been through a lot in our relationship. We’d been through more ups and downs than most couples. Despite everything, it all boiled down to the fact that, no matter what happened, I still loved him. Looking back, I realized that we could only grow from our experiences, which would hopefully make us stronger.
Taking another sip of my coffee, I glanced over the mug and saw Megan walking out of Jeremy’s room. I knew she’d slept in his room the night before, but it was her appearance that had me in shock. Her long, light brown hair was tousled with the I-just-got-fucked-look and the t-shirt she wore wasn’t hers. Megan stood frozen when she took note of me. The both of us stared with puzzled expressions on our faces. Slowly I placed the mug on top of the granite counter, raised a brow, and cleared my throat. “Why are you wearing Jeremy’s shirt?”
Megan’s lips curved into a mischievous grin as she placed a hand on her hip. “Well, if you must know, we started by making out. Then . . .” She ran her hands up the side of her curves with a slight shimmy to her shoulders.
She stopped her show at the wave of my hand. “No, please spare me the details. I don’t want specifics. I want to know what’s going on between the two of you. Are you guys dating?”
Megan laughed, shook her head, and opened the fridge to pull out a carton of orange juice. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re just fuckin’.” She stated nonchalantly while pouring herself a drink.
“Ah, just fuckin’, yeah, that clears it up. How long has this been happening? Last night you didn’t seem to be interested. Meg, you know Jeremy has never been in a committed relationship. I don’t want you to get attached and then—”
“Please, Mia, we’re just having fun; that’s all it is. Last night I didn’t want you get the wrong impression. I wanted to tell you first, instead of you finding out like this. I know what Jeremy is about. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”
“Okay, but you’re my cousin. He’s my best friend and roommate. The last thing I want is to be stuck between two hurt people that I care for dearly.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t.” She snatched the magazine, sat on a stool across from me, and began flipping through pages. “So, want do some shopping today?” She asked, still looking at this week’s fashion section. Her quick change of the subject told me that the topic of her and Jeremy was off limits. “I need to find an outfit for this weekend. Ooh, these shoes are cute!” She pointed at a pair of royal blue peep-toe heels.
“I can’t.” Standing, I padded toward the sink and dumped out the rest of my coffee. “I have a date.”
“With?”
Turning, I leaned against the sink and crossed my arms with a smile. “Marcus. He’ll be picking me up soon.”
She flashed a huge grin. “Good. I’m glad you’re working things out. Honestly if it were me, I would’ve forgiven him the first night he slept in the hallway. Poor guy—you made him sleep four nights out there.” She shook her head while continuing to flip through the magazine.
“Megan, I had valid reasons for not giving in too soon.” Thinking back on it, my stomach turned when the image of Marcus and Boston Barbie at Club21 played through my head. Then I thought of all the females he may have slept with during our separation.
“So where are you guys going?” Megan’s voice broke my thoughts.
Smiling, I uncrossed my arms and made my way toward the bedroom. “Don’t know. It’s a surprise. Want to help me pick out an outfit?”
With that, Megan jumped off the stool and followed me down the hall. She loved going through my closet.
For the next couple of hours, I tried on a few outfits as we talked. She filled me in on how she and Jeremy began sleeping with each other. It started a couple of weeks ago with innocent flirting, which led to full-blown crazy sex, as she described. She lit up every time she mentioned his name, which had worried me. Even though she said there was nothing more, I was afraid Megan would get attached and Jeremy would end up hurting her. I’d kill him if he did.
Standing in front of the mirror, I twirled around to examine my outfit. Since it was chilly out, I settled on a cream cashmere sweater dress, a pair of caramel colored knee-length wedge boots, and a matching thin belt. “You look hot! You are so getting laid tonight.” I laughed once and let Megan in on the entire bet issue. “No you didn’t!” She squealed.