The Following Day…
Charleigh Smith…
Being alone with Jason for two whole days where we did very little outside of the bed, had felt like we were sheltered away from the world.
Indulging our needs in each other was like a dream come true. I have had enough sex in the past, but nothing had ever felt as pleasurable as it did with my new boyfriend. And something about Jason that I hadn't ever really explored before was that he liked me to be vocal during sex. In fact he encouraged it - pushing me past my comfort zone but it was amazing. Just letting go and letting the moans and screams fall from my mouth as he manipulated the pleasure out of me was world-altering. Jason also liked to be vocal - hearing him roar his release was the sexiest thing I have ever heard or witnessed.
Watching the way his pleasure would contort his body and face - I fell completely in love with him.
I am in love with Jason.
I am in love with my best friend's dad.
I am glad that I was honest with Dakota. I couldn't imagine letting myself be with Jason if she didn't know. It would just feel too much like a betrayal. And I would never do that to her. Our friendship meant far too much to me.
That wasn't to say that Jason meant any less to me. I just felt like they were both on equal footing and that meant that I had to be as honest as I possibly could be with both of them. And I know that Jason is not ready to talk to Dakota about us, I could respect that. It was why I haven't told him that she already knows. I know that he fears she just wouldn't understand or be happy about us, but the thing is - he isn't giving her enough credit.
"Charleigh?!?" The sound of Anna's voice tore through my musings and caused me to stumble.
"Anna-?"
"Hi," she smirked, clearly happy that she had caught me off guard.
"What-?"
"It's nice to see you," yeah like I believe that. This woman is sly to the maximum and I know for a fact that she gets off on causing drama and conflict. I never liked to think badly of other people, but Anna is simply one of those women who just can't seem to help themselves.
"When-?" I am totally caught off guard and I hate that. I hate being at a disadvantage and with that thought in mind, I scan the area - her sleazy boyfriend has to be around somewhere, I would bet somewhere close by.
"I got in a couple of days ago," she was still smirking at me, and I could feel myself shiver slightly at the way it was unnerving me.
"Why-?"
"I came to take my daughter home," she has this damn habit of interrupting me and that was a pet peeve of mine. I hate when people don't allow me to finish my thoughts. In fact I fucking despise it.
"But she-"
"Is sleeping with her uncle Remy?" She asked, taking me completely by surprise and the look on my face must have said it all because she laughed, "yes, I saw them. But I have told her that unless she wants me to spill the beans to her dad, then she will get on that plane with me at the end of the week and get her ass back home where she belongs,"
"She's happy-"
"No, she thinks she is happy. Honestly, Charleigh I would have thought better of you. This is not her place. This is not the man she is meant to be-"
"Then who? Stuart?" I spit back at her and the glare she casts me would be enough to freeze fire.
"That was a misunderstanding, I know that now!"
"You are fucking deluded if you really believe that. That man is a snake and sleaze. If you don't believe me, ask him about all the texts he has been sending your daughter!?"
"You don't know what you're talking about. But then I guess you are familiar with the term snake and sleaze, aren't you?" She recovered quickly, "I mean you are sleeping with your best friend's dad, tell me Charleigh, does my daughter know what a snake you are?"
There was no way for me to hide the smirk that now came to my face. This woman has always given me the impression that she didn't like me but that was never more, clear than this moment. The way she seems to think that I would do anything behind her daughter's back speaks more of who she is as a mother than it does of me and my loyalty to my friend.
"Actually, your daughter knows everything, and she has given me her blessing because that is who she is. That is the type of woman she is, which is a Goddamn miracle given who her fucking mother is!" There is no way I can stop myself from spitting out the insult because this woman is just one of the most, vile women I have ever had the displeasure of meeting, "now if that's all-"
"Not quite!" Grabbing my arm in a vice grip, she yanked me towards her, her eyes narrowed to slits and the scent of alcohol was strong on her breath as it blew into my face, "tell my daughter that she has three days left and if she doesn't show, she knows the consequences!" And with that she practically shoves me backward and stalks off into the crowd of the supermarket.
What the fuck was that all about?
What did she mean that Dakota has three days?
Three days until what?
Quickly, I finished my shopping since I was due to start my period any day now, I couldn't afford to abandon my items like I desperately wanted to.
I need to talk to Dakota. Now.
By the time I was done, I had my phone in hand and pressed the call button on Dakota's number, the phone at my ear before I even left the checkout area. "Hey honey, what's up?"
"Your mom is in town?" I replied, manoeuvring my way around the other shoppers, "and you knew?"
"Goddamn it!" She sighed the weight of her troubles lacing her tone, "where are you?"
"At the Walmart in town-"
"Stay there. I am on my way!" She replied, "we'll go for coffee-"
"Ok see you soon!"
Should I call Jason and tell him to come along?
A part of me believes that I should but at the same time I have a sneaking suspicion that this has something to do with Jeremy and that is not something that either my best friend or Jeremy are willing to go public with yet. I won't be the one who outs the two of them. They have every right to have that conversation with Jason when they are ready and not before.
Grabbing myself some cigarettes, I head out into the bright day to wait for my best friend to get here. We clearly have a lot to talk about and I just know that it's something that I am going to need patience and calm for. I can't deny that I am on alert now - there is no way I am letting that woman get the upper hand again. Once was more than enough.
Later That Night…
Jason Adler…
Spending the whole weekend alone with Charleigh was hands down one of the best weekends of my life. We barely left the bed once we got into it. Sex had never felt so amazing before.
Was it because I know I am in love with the girl? Is that why it feels like I am being completely consumed by her?
Is it because I have envisioned a future with her?
A future where she is my wife - we are happy and blissful in our love. Visions of her belly round and swollen with my baby. Entire scenes of a lifetime of happiness, love and contentment seemed to consume most of my thoughts. And it has only gotten worse since we had sex. I have never had this type of reaction to a woman before.
Not even with Anna. When Anna got pregnant, I didn't ask her to live with me out of some sense of undying love and affection. No, I asked her to move in with me because I wanted to be a good dad. I wanted to be a part of my daughter's life. I wanted to ensure that Anna didn't steal her away from me - but in the end that is exactly what my bitch ex did. And because of that I missed out on the most important years of my little girl's life. I will never forgive Anna for that. Not now. Not ever.
Dakota.
My daughter.
My little pumpkin.
My little princess.
How is she going to react to the news that I am in love with her best friend? I don't want to assume that Charleigh feels the same way because it isn't something that we have talked about. I mean we have barely been together for a week; it is way too soon to admit love and devotion. I know that. I understand it but I don't have to like it. And I certainly don't. In fact, I would go as far as saying that I fucking hate it.
So, what if people think it is too quick - they aren't the ones who are in my shoes. They aren't the ones feeling what I am feeling. I don't tend to put any stock into what people think of me but with Dakota it is completely different. I have just gotten her back and I guess a part of me is terrified that she will leave again if she is angry with me for taking her best friend to bed. I wish there was a way to figure out how she would react before I bite the bullet and just tell her what I am doing with her best friend. Unfortunately, life simply doesn't work that way. I know that. Again, I hate it, but I know that I have to stop being a fucking coward and just come out with it.
Charleigh deserves that much. Fuck, she deserves a shit ton more than to be kept as a dirty little secret. I will tell Dakota this week. I will tell her at the weekend. We had planned to hang out just the two of us this coming weekend. I just hope to fuck that she takes it well because I don't know what I will do if she tells me that it is either her or her best friend.
"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders," Jeremy commented, dropping onto the chair opposite me in the front room. The girls had practically shut themselves in Dakota's room when they both got home from work.
"You could say that," I sighed, accepting the beer he held out to me.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"You have spent a lot of time with 'Kota-" I began and if my brain weren't so completely focused on my own problems, I would have definitely caught the way his entire body stilled, the way he almost tensed up at my observation, "in a lot of ways you have spent more time with her than I have, so I have to ask-"
"What?" He sipped his beer, his eyes watching me closely, almost warily.
"How do you think that she will react to the news about Charleigh and me? Honestly, do you think she will accept it?"
"I think that you need to give her some more credit man, 'Kota is one of the least judgemental people I have ever met, she is accepting of almost everything, it is kind of impressive given how she was raised," he mused.
"Good to know," I nodded.
"You thinking of telling her what is going on?"
"I have to man, I can't keep Char' as some dirty little secret, she deserves more than that and I won't hide how much I love her from anyone -"
"Love?" Jeremy asked, stopping his bottle half, way to his mouth as he regarded me with wide eyes.
"Yeah. I am in love with her, completely, utterly, irrevocably in love with her," God, it felt good to be honest. It felt fucking amazing to just let it out, even if it wasn't to the one person that I felt deserved to hear it.
"Does she know?"
"Not as far as I am aware,"
"So, I take it to mean that your little weekend retreat was a success then?"
"Oh, fuck yes!" I chuckled, slumping back into the sofa.
"Good. I am happy for you Jay,"
"Thanks," there was no way in Hell that I could fight the ridiculous grin from spreading across my face, "what about you?"
"What about me?" He asked once again going entirely rigid and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on with him.
Jeremy and I have been friends for as long as I can remember - we were more like brothers than friends if I am being entirely honest. It was just how our friendship had always worked. It came easy to us. It always had. Sure, we have had our disagreements over the years but never anything major enough to tear us apart.
I don't know what I would have done without him when Anna first took off with Dakota, fifteen years ago. I don't even think that I would have gotten through the past fifteen years had it not been for Jeremy.
"Any romantic possibilities on the horizon?"
"Well, there is someone I have been seeing but it is still new and that is all I am going to say on the matter," he replied, grabbing his cigarettes from the table, and lighting up before handing one to me.
"Since when do we have secrets?"
"No secrets, man. I just don't know where it's going yet and I don't want to jinx it,"
"You like this girl?"
"I love her, Jay. I love her much more than what is healthy,"
"So, what's the issue?"
"I don't know how she feels. I don't know if this is merely a fling for her, or if she is feeling as strongly as I am, but we will work it out given time, because she is far too special for me to let her slip through my fingers,"
"I've never heard you talk like this-"
"I've never felt like this before. I have never felt so completely consumed by a woman, never felt this possessive, it is kind of scary-"
"I get it, man. That is exactly how I feel about Charleigh," I nodded because it was the truth - he had nailed it on the head.
I have become almost obsessive in my need for my woman. The possessiveness that I feel is inexplicable because honestly, no woman has ever made me feel like this before. I can't let her slip through my fingers. I can't let her go back to Scotland.
Jeremy and I both seemed to sink into our separate thoughts about our respective women. And I know that my own were leading me towards ways that I can get Charleigh alone again.
I am addicted to my younger woman and there wasn't a damn thing that I would do to change that feeling.