Chapter Two: The Sister Thing

I stepped out of the steamy bathroom after work that night to find Kaelie waiting for me outside the door.

‘Meet me on the balcony,’ she said with a smirk, then sauntered off down the hall and into her room. I followed her, a little uncertain, through her bedroom and out onto her balcony.

‘You’re not very... romantic, are you?’ she mused as I slid the glass door shut behind me.

I considered this. ‘I can be romantic. It’s just not always the first thing on my mind.’

‘I like that about you. It’s very - endearing.’

I made a face. ‘Did you just cut my masculinity in half?’

‘Nope. I declare your masculinity fully intact. I just meant it’s refreshing to meet a guy who hasn’t got sex on the brain 24/7.’

I stepped closer to her. ‘That idea’s not leaving my brain anytime soon now you’ve put it there.’

Kaelie grinned cheekily, then leaned forward and kissed me, a quick kiss where her lips only lingered on mine for about a second. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, she was gone.

I saw Kaelie leaving for work when I emerged from my room the next morning to scourer the fridge for leftovers. I gave her a little wave just before she went downstairs. She smiled back and left. Again.

Eating my breakfast, I finally caught a glimpse of my third housemate, Matt. He made no move to stop and chat though, so I let him be for now. Maybe he was shy.

I decided I should probably learn how to cook for myself, so I tried my hand at an autumn salad while Karen pottered around the kitchen, fixing her breakfast. It turned out surprisingly well. I’d just put it away in the fridge when I heard Karen’s voice behind me.

‘I think we left things... unfinished yesterday, don’t you?’

I turned around slowly. She was standing there in a short zebra print skirt that made it extremely hard for me to tear my eyes away from her legs. I gulped.

‘We did?’

She nodded, stepping closer to me. ‘Yeah dirty blonde. We did.’

My breaths were coming short and fast. My blood was hot. I murmured something insanely sensual to Karen that I couldn’t even remember later. And then she was kissing me, but pulling away fast, far too quickly. She saw my confusion and replied ‘we’re late for work.’

In that instant, I was brought back to reality, and I hated it. The inside of my head was an ugly place right now.

After work, I met up with Kaelie for a date. Yes, Kaelie, yes, a date. I didn’t want to think, I just wanted to do. We went to the bistro for dinner, then headed home because Kaelie was tired. 

I invited her into my room and we cuddled on the bed. She was kissing me, firm, tender kisses that made me want to - 

My train of thought was interrupted. A strand of her hair was tickling my face, because I was flat on my back on the bed and she was leaning over me, grinning.

‘Wanna make out?’

I stared up at her. Suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. 

‘No.’

She sat up, and I did too. I glanced over at her. She was staring at her hands, hurt and confusion evident on her face. I felt absolutely terrible. What the hell was I doing? What the hell had I done?

In a small voice, Kaelie said, ‘Hadley - I’m really tired, I’m going to bed.’

As she left the room, I closed my eyes and consciously changed the timbre of my thoughts. I turned pain into chords, confusion into lyrics. In this headspace, I could manage everything. I just didn’t know what I’d do when I got out. 

Hours later, I was still belting out the chorus of my new song:

Cause I’m not that guy

Who takes a girl for a ride

And gets her into his bed

At the end of the night

Yeah I’m not that guy

I hope I’m not that guy.

I stopped playing as I heard my bedroom door open and turned around. It was Karen. I hadn’t realised anyone was awake. It must be about 4am. Karen winked at me, then slid into my bed, pulled the covers around her, and fell asleep. I envied her for her ability to fall asleep so easily. I watched her sleep for a while - creepy, I know, but I was still in my songwriting headspace. Eventually, I fell into bed in a moment of utter exhaustion where my body would no longer hold me up. Karen was warm, and her slow, even breaths helped to calm my panicked ones.

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Author's Notes:

Sorry about the shortness of this chapter! You'll see in the next chapter why I had to end it there. Gosh, those girls are minxes aren't they? They don't seem to mind that they're both getting it on with the same guy. Acutally, I don't think they know. Huh. Interesting.

Until next time,

xx Courtney