Before I can answer the apartment door opens. I peak around the corner, wondering if it’s Rachel coming in to yell at me, but it’s too soon. She should still be at work. I see Hunter’s blond head bent over while he takes off his shoes and hold back the need to roll my eyes. Hunter, taking off his shoes at the door… just what the fuck has Rachel done to us?
“Alright, Seth, what is it?” asks Hunter. I ignore his grimace as he rubs his shoulder.
I give Lucas one last scowl before going into the living room Lucas follows me and both him and Hunter sit down on the couch, gazing up at me as if I’ve completely lost it. Which in all honesty, is definitely a possibility. I haven’t felt this on edge since my track meet senior year of high school which was supposed to decide if I was getting this scholarship or not.
I think my issues with Rachel have actually surpassed that amount of stress.
I inhale deeply to calm myself. “It’s about Rachel,” I say.
Lucas throws his hands up in the air. “Why am I not surprised?” He casts a dark scowl in my direction. “So, are you going to finally tell us you’ve been fucking her?”
Hunter’s mouth opens, but nothing escapes. He glances between me and Lucas in shock. “What?” He breathes finally before settling his gaze on me. “You’ve been fucking Rachel?”
“Yeah, and he didn’t even tell us,” says Lucas while motioning towards me.
“Why?” asks Hunter. “I thought-“
“I’m sorry, ok,” I say quickly. “I wasn’t thinking. I should’ve told you, but I didn’t.”
“But you broke bro code rule number one,” says Hunter.
Lucas crosses his arms while he nods. “Yeah, he did Hunter. So Seth,” Lucas tilts his head to the side, “you think you get to make up the rules and just break them. Somehow, you think you’re better than us?”
I rub my head. “No, it’s not that.”
“Then what, asshole?” Lucas bounds up from the couch. “You’re the one who made the rules,” he says while pointing at me. “And now what? You can just break them whenever you feel like it?”
I scowl at Lucas. “Yet, that didn’t stop you, now did it Lucas?”
“What?” Hunter’s voice is loud and he jumps up from the couch, sticking himself between me and Lucas. “You also fucked Rachel?” He throws his hands up in the air. “Am I the only one who hasn’t fucked Rachel?”
Lucas smirks back at me. “I didn’t get my dick wet, but things definitely happened.” Lucas leans in. His face so close to mine I could head butt easily. I’m still thinking about head butting him when he has the audacity to say, “So, Seth, what did you think? Because I thought she tasted pretty good. Thinking up eating up that sweet pussy of hers tonight.”
Something within me snaps and I lunge for Lucas, my hands going for his throat. He falls back against the couch, making it slide with a loud screech against the floor. I straddle Lucas, my hands fisting and ready to knock against that stupid face of his when he suddenly flips me over. I hold up my hands to block his punches as he lands blow after blow on me.
“Stop it!” Hunter shouts while grabbing Lucas under his arms and pulling him off me.
I wipe at my face, seeing blood in my hands while Lucas struggles against Hunter’s hold. I touch my nose gently, wondering if it’s broken, but it seems like I just bit my lip.
“Lucas, stop it!” Hunter shouts again, shaking Lucas slightly.
Lucas inhales deeply. “Fine,” he mutters.
Hunter lets him go and Lucas shoves him away. He stares at me darkly, but doesn’t move from his spot.
“We can’t go on like this,” I finally say after a moment of silence.
Lucas nods. “No, we can’t.”
“I’m sorry I broke the code. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I just-“
“Didn’t want to share,” Lucas says bitterly. He smirks cruelly back at me, but I can’t deny it. He’s right I didn’t want to share.
I nod while rubbing the back of my head. “I think we need to get rid of her,” I say. I don’t look at the bros while the words come out. The second the words are out I want to take them back, but then what? We’re fighting. Over a girl who should mean nothing to us. Our friendship is more important than this bitch we barely know.
“What?” Hunter asks.
“We need to kick her out,” I say again, more firmly. “She’s getting in the way. She’s ruining our friendship.”
“No,” says Hunter, but I’m looking at Lucas.
He’s not saying anything. He’s not even looking at me. “Lucas?”
He shakes his head and turns away from me.
“Lucas,” says Hunter, stepping towards him. “Come on. It’s not her fault.” He glances over his shoulder at me with a dark scowl. “You’re such a fucking asshole.” He strides towards me then and shoves his finger into my face. “Just so you know, I didn’t even fuck her. All I did was kiss her. So are you going to be an asshole to me?”
I sigh and run my hands through my hair.
“We share girls all the fucking time. So why can’t we share her?”
Once again that feeling goes through me. That feeling I don’t want to admit resides deep inside. “She’s,” I swallow the words down and decide to say, “she’s just different, Hunter. If she stays what’s going to happen to our friendship?”
Hunter doesn’t say anything.
“Fine,” says Lucas from the hallway and I release a sigh in relief. “She doesn’t have to stay.”
I look at Hunter. “Two against one,” I say while patting his shoulder. He smacks my hand away and stalks back to his room, slamming it behind him.
***
I stare at my watch. It’s 9:00. Just when is she getting home? I want to get this done and over with as soon as possible. Hunter leans against the counter
