The Boyfriend

They talked until she finished the whole bottle of wine, and then some more. It was almost 3 AM when she fell asleep on her bed and Preston was the one who pressed the red button. She slept through the night, the last memory of the night was Preston’s voice talking to her.

She felt a little sore in her throat when she woke up. She went out to the pantry to get some water with a mild headache. She jumped and spilled some water when she turned and found Nathan leaning against the corridor wall staring at her.

“Good morning, did you finish that book last night?” He looked fresh and not the least bit hungover.

“No … actually, I was on the phone with Preston ’til late,” she replied.

He pressed his lips together, “That explains the empty bottles, how is he?” he pretended to care.

She lifted her shoulders, “He’s okay … how was your night? Did you guys have fun?”

He walked over to the pantry and got himself a glass of water, “She did … we went to The Sky Bar, and then The Blue Flamingo, … and then The Rainbow Room.”

They chuckled, it sounded like a regular Friday with Kelsey.

“You don’t look like you had much to drink last night?”

“No, I had to drive, remember?” he stood closer to her.

She nodded with a smile.

“I can’t believe you let me go like that last night, you could’ve at least come or delayed it ’til you can come,” he protested.

“I figured you wanted to have an alone time with Kelsey.”

He looked at her in silence. Her heart began to throb. His bedroom door was opened and Kelsey trotted out of the room, half naked under her sheer thin night robe. Her full breasts were visible, stunning as she always was. “Good morning,” her voice soared.

“Good morning, wow … you look hammered,” Julie commented on her messed up hair and her barely opened eyes.

Kelsey sat on the island stool, blew a strand of hair that was covering her face, “I love this island … I love those cheap drinks … and I love the endless choice of bars … we should go again tonight.”

Nathan laughed softly, “Not with me … I had enough bars for the whole week.”

Kelsey frowned and turned her attention to Julie.

“Oh no … I’m starting my report tonight, we can go out for breakfast and coffee? They have killer breakfast spots around here too,” Julie said.

“Whoa … you even started to sound like each other now,” Kelsey commented, the room went quiet. She sighed, “Fine … breakfast then, we’ll just stay in tonight then.”

“You girls go ahead and catch up, I’ve got some stuff to look at Ardor … just let me know what you’ll be doing later,” he kissed Kelsey on the forehead. He knew better than to tag along.

**********

They had a quiet meal under the Bhorma morning sky. Light breeze from the ocean, serenaded by the sound of the waves and seagulls. Hot coffee with egg breakfast and salad on the side. Kelsey in her beach clothes, her new Bottega shades while Julie in her work attire because she had to be at Ardor later that day.

It felt like forever that they haven’t really talked to each other. A few phone calls and a text here and there was not nearly adequate to the amount of time they spend together at the dorm. The closer they are to graduation, the closer they are to be living apart after so many years they’ve spent together.

“Tell me the truth … are you still seeing Zach?”

It caught her off guard, she tried to dodge the bullet but realized it was useless. Kelsey let out a long sigh, “Yes … and no … I don’t know, it’s on and off, you know? It wasn’t supposed to last this long … but I found myself drawn to him again and again.”

Julie grunted, “And Nathan? What about him? He’s not supposed to last this long either.”

“Nathan’s different,” Kelsey paused. “I want it to last with him.”

Julie glanced at her in disbelief, “I think he knows about Zach.”

Kelsey’s jaw dropped, “What did he say? But … how did he know?”

“He asked me straight if you were cheating on him with Zach.”

Kelsey gasped, “What did you tell him?”

“I said I didn’t know what he was talking about … I told you to get rid of Zach, I mean, people can sense these kinds of things,” Julie was upset, she was one to know.

Kelsey held her head with both hands, “Urrrgh … that explains why he was reluctant to sleep with me last night.”

Julie raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t sleep with him last night?”

Kelsey took off her sunglasses, a wicked smile emerged on her face, she tilted her shoulder one way, “I had my ways … of course we did.”

Julie rolled her eyes and chuckled, it was a mixed emotion she didn’t really know how to put it.

“He didn’t ask me anything, he seemed a little distant all night, and then it took some effort to get him to bed … it was unusual, I thought, he had another girl or something?” Kelsey’s eyes pierced at Julie.

Julie was chewing on her bacon like it was nobody’s business, “What? Another girl? … No … there’s nobody.”

“You would tell me if there is?” she made sure.

“Of course … you know, he asked me the same thing, he completely put me in the spot and I hated that … and I hate you for doing this to me,” she said.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“I’m sorry, Jules … you know how it is with me …” she reached for Julie’s hand with a remorseful look. “I’m trying … I really want this to work with Nathan, this long distance thing is hard,” she explained.

“Try harder, he’s a good guy,” Julie said in a low voice.

“I know he is, sometimes I think I don’t deserve him.”

Julie didn’t respond to that.

“How can I convince him? More sex? Do you think?”

Julie squeezed her hand, “Dump Zach, that’s how, … please, Kells, do it for me.” She meant every word from the bottom of her heart. Her serious expression caught Kelsey’s attention. She wanted Kelsey and Nathan’s relationship to work out, despite what’s growing inside her. She was unsure of why Nathan was acting the way he did towards her, his suspicions over Kelsey’s infidelity could be a trigger, and that needed to stop.

“You’re right … of course … I’ll end it with Zach, I promise, we’re just playing around, he knows about Nathan … he doesn’t care, you know? It’s that kind of thing, and it’s hard to stop because we always end up finding each other again and … it’s just sex.”

It’s that phrase again, something unfamiliar to her, yet very often heard. “It’s one or the other, Kells, you can’t have both.”