Over ten hours later, Aaliyah and I are at Stephanie and Louis’s house. I haven’t been home since I shut the door on Ethan’s face. As dinner is being made, I ponder for the thousandth time today how my morning started.

After Nicole took her shot, I was ruthless on her. At the time I didn’t care, and the memories I have of her face haven’t diluted at all. If only I had blacked out, I wouldn’t have vivid images of her bloody face running through my head.

Good God, and my behavior after that was a disaster. Remembering Nicole’s face makes me guilty. Remembering what I did to Ethan makes me loathe myself. Why did I do that to him? I shoved him, slapped him across the face. I used him, I admit it, and I know he used me, too. Now I feel numb, and stupid, and worried that I feel this way at all.

Aaliyah had no qualms letting me in her house before 8 a.m.. I told her everything that had happened. Although I left out details of exactly how the sex went. I couldn’t stomach myself, let alone say it aloud. But she didn’t pry for information, and I loved her for it. I loved her even more when she let me stay for an indefinite amount of time. Stephanie called and when she knew we were together, invited us over for dinner.

Shortly after we arrived, Dylan came over via invite from Louis surprising Aaliyah. Minutes later, Eugene showed up surprising me. I recognized his light brown hair and dimpled smile. He gave me a tight hug when we greeted each other and I couldn’t help but smile at him. He’s always grinning, it’s hard not to.

When all the food is done and we’re getting seated, I look to Stephanie and smile.

“Thanks for inviting us over,” I tell her as Aaliyah takes a seat next to me, Eugene on my other side.

“It’s our pleasure,” Stephanie says to me with a smile. “Actually, there’s sort of a reason we invited you all over tonight.” Everyone at the table stops and looks to her. “Louis and I have recently gotten some news that we wanted to share,” she says, still grinning. Aaliyah and I look to each other and back to Stephanie.

“Very exciting news,” Louis chimes in with a smile as well. The face splitting grin that crosses Steph’s face is dazzling as she squeezes Louis’s hand.

“We’re having a baby,” she says, and after half a second for us all to process what she just said, we erupt in congratulatory comments. Everyone stands offering hugs to the happy couple. I hug Stephanie tightly.

“I’m so happy for you!” I tell her, and there’s no doubt in my mind she’s happier than all of us.

“So that’s why you didn’t want a glass of wine,” Aaliyah says and we laugh. Eugene is hugging Louis as I take my seat again. From what I know, he and Louis have been best friends since high school.

“I’m going to be, like, an uncle,” Eugene says smiling, slapping Louis on the back. He seems excited, that’s cute.

When we all sit down again, we have a whole new topic of conversation. The night wears on as we finish our amazing food, thanks to Louis’s hidden culinary skills, and when everyone’s done I help clean up. Clearing off their long bar counter, it’s just Eugene and I in the kitchen.

“So how have you been?” Eugene asks, putting spices away.

“Not too bad,” I reply with a sigh.

“That sounds convincing,” he says, snickering at my obvious disinterest. I laugh a little.

“My day started off pretty crazy,” I reply, recalling my vague explanation to Steph and Louis as to why I had a gash across my cheek. I summed it up to; I didn’t want to talk about it.

“I was gonna ask about your apparent battle wounds,” Eugene says, officially asking what the hell happened to my face. I sigh again.

“Drama,” I reply looking up to him with a small grin.

“I don't doubt it,” he says, watching me.

“You don’t wanna know,” I reply mischievously, when in reality, I’m begging him to drop it. Ethan is not a subject I want to discuss with him.

“At least tell me you got a hit in,” Eugene says, and gives me a wink trying to loosen me up. And it works because I laugh.

“I…. handled myself,” I say putting the rag in the sink, and turn to lean against the counter.

“I should hope so,” he says smiling at me. I notice he’s stopped putting shit away and his body is turned toward me. For what felt like the first time today, I forget about my drama --even though it’s the current topic of conversation, because I'm looking at Eugene.

His sandy brown hair is the same shade as his eyes. He doesn’t have facial hair, and his skin looks soft, only disturbed where his matching dimples dent into his cheeks every time he smiles. Initially I was surprised at his size when I learned he was a sculptor. Artistic men aren’t always...masculine. Though I only just met him, it seems effortless for him, natural.

My eyes wander to his hands. His large, creative hands, and my insides twitch imagining them at work. When my eyes flicker back to his face, I notice I’m biting my lip, and I blush. hen I blush harder because I know I’m blushing.

Eugene shakes gently with laughter, his large smile showing his neat teeth. “What?” he asks, crossing his arms.

“Nothing,” I reply, shaking my head and looking anywhere but at him. When I do get the courage to look back at him, he’s grinning at me.

“Go to dinner with me,” he says breaking the silence, and my eyes widen a little. Dinner? How on any plane of any dimension would I be appealing in this moment?

“You’re asking me on a date?” I ask incredulously, and he laughs.

“Yes, I am,” he says confidently. His eyes penetrate mine, his adorable dimples smiling at me. A date? Should I go on a date with Eugene? I’m trying not to complicate my life any more than it is.

“I don’t know."

“No drama,” he promises with conviction. “I just wanna feed you,” he says and I smile. What the hell, he's funny.

“Sure, why not. Give me your phone,” I say, and he fishes his Samsung from his pocket, handing it to me. I tap numbers on the touch screen and save it under Chanel. He takes his phone back grinning at me, and Aaliyah walks into the kitchen.

“Clear the way, pregnant lady’s already having cravings,” she says, and we snicker moving out of the way of the fridge. Aaliyah pulls ice cream from the freezer and smiles at me. She heard. That sneaky woman. I shake my head and finish picking up.

***

As the days pass, I feel like Aaliyah and I are having an extended sleep over. She gracefully let me commandeer her couch while I keep a distance from my own home. Ethan and I have yet to talk, and as more time passes, I'm grateful he's left me alone...and hurt at the same time. Maybe we're beside ourselves in reason not to see each other. I should accept it.

Thursday comes and Aaliyah invites Dylan over for dinner. We eat Aaliyah’s Tilapia and drink wine until I pass out on my now bed. I wake up in the living room and groan in the darkness. It’s still the middle of the night, and I’m so comfortable on her plush couch, but I need to pee, and I’m still fully dressed. I sigh and pull myself up, rolling over. I step lightly on her hardwood floor to the only hallway in her house. Out of the darkness I hear Aaliyah, and I jump. Then I lock up, because I immediately realize why I heard her; she was moaning.

I feel a flicker of guilt that I’ve been robbing Aaliyah of her privacy. I kind of hoped they’d just sleep together, and not hold back because of my presence here, but damn. Standing at the entrance of the hallway, I see Aaliyah’s master bedroom door is cracked. She moans again and I bite my lip. I’m fucking curious. I give myself a mental shaming, but the curious side of me pushes that bitch out of the way as I tiptoe down the hall.

“Ungh yes,” Aaliyah moans in throaty, classic pillow talk. When I inch the last step, I peek in and see them, my eyes adjusted to the dark, and I can’t look away.

Dylan is sitting on the edge of her large bed, naked, his hands holding Aaliyah’s ass. I watch him lift and lower her quickly in his lap and my stomach knots. She’s holding onto his shoulders, her head tilting back as her black hair sways against her back. Aaliyah’s tight, caramel skinned body rocks above him and it’s mesmerizing. She’s fucking beautiful. Perfect round ass, little waist, smooth skin.

Dylan looks up at her, his mouth open as he pants, and he’s mesmerized by her, too. He bites his lip and squeezes her ass harder, pushing her lower onto himself. She gasps and moans, clawing at his shoulders. He groans and I exhale sharply, then immediately cover my mouth with my hand. They don’t notice anything but each other.

I shouldn’t be watching this. However, when Aaliyah moans, “more,” I stay glued to my spot. Dylan swiftly turns her and suddenly he’s above her. She’s laying on her back as he kneels in front of her, pumping into her. Dylan has a grip on each of her ankles and is holding her legs far apart. Her back arches as she claws the sheets.

He shoves himself violently into her and she moans so loudly. “Fuck!” Aaliyah gasps, and throws her head back. Dylan releases her left ankle and reaches for her face. His hand covers her mouth completely.

“You need to be quiet baby,” Dylan says smiling at her, no doubt trying not to wake me. The joke’s on them. Her large brown eyes framed with thick lashes blink up at him innocently. His pace has slowed when he speaks again. “Are you going to be quiet?” he asks. Aaliyah thinks for a moment, breathing through her nose, then shakes her head 'no' from under his hand. Dylan pushes harder on her face and slams himself into her. She groans into his palm and my knotted stomach tightens.

Watching him overtake her is so fucking sexy. I’ve never, fucking ever, thought about Dylan as more than a friend, my friend’s boyfriend. But seeing him shoving himself into her is enticing. His hard stomach is flexing under his quick, rough movements. He looks powerful, capable, dominant. I'm so fucking horny.

I feel myself leaning closer as I try to get a better look. I can see them from the side, so Aaliyah’s thigh is in the way of my view. I want to see more. My body becomes ice once again when he suddenly flips her so she's on her stomach.

He straddles her thighs, positioning himself as she lays flat on her front. Aaliyah's head is turned to the side so she can't see me, and if Dylan took one look up and away from her ass I know he'll see me, but I still can't move.

I want to groan when I see Dylan’s dick in his hand. He's thick, very thick. He grabs the base of his cock and pushes between her perky cheeks with the tip. A very vulgar part of myself wonders which hole he's making room in.

When he's back home and she stops cursing, Dylan starts a rhythm that makes me want to explode. He spreads her ass as she arches her back and I'd do anything to join them right now. If I didn't know Aaliyah was falling for him, I probably would have tried, too. I stay in my spot as the minutes pass and he works her like it's his job. He grabs her hair and rides her authoritatively. When he's hit her spot, she groans and fists the bed and begs for more. Aaliyah’s body is absorbing him with vigorous content. Push after push, she takes everything he gives her as her noises get louder.

Dylan's broad body is tightened everywhere, waiting for Aaliyah's release. When she buries her face in the mattress and screams she’s cumming, Dylan looks relieved and pumps harder. And then...Dylan looks up and sees me. For the longest few seconds of my life, Dylan's eyes are locked with mine as he fucks my best friend.

His mouth is shaped in an 'O' as he stares at me. Then he groans loudly and cums greedily inside her, and I'm gone. In a handful of lithe movements, I'm back on the sofa, under the covers.

My breathing is measured as I listen for...anything, but I hear nothing. The minutes pass and my heart rate goes down, but my excitement continues to climb. I'm damn near squirming with need when I know Dylan clearly isn't going to say anything about my intrusion tonight, so I act on the first idea that comes to my mind. I snag my phone from the coffee table and press the 'On' button.