Ben642Please respect copyright.PENANAAuiauQwrY4
642Please respect copyright.PENANAp7ZjOf888q
January 1, 2005
*
Same day
*
Even though I was trying really hard not to listen to the girls through the wall, I could still make out bits and pieces of their conversation. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAGvlgPlN72D
Okay, maybe I didn't try that hard.642Please respect copyright.PENANAJg4nFEQEQ8
642Please respect copyright.PENANAhD471Z0tZd
Okay, fine I didn't try at all. 642Please respect copyright.PENANA3iuVqfSq8Y
In fact, I might have tried really hard to listen. If only the guys would have shut their stupid mouths, maybe I could have at least heard the loud redhead.642Please respect copyright.PENANAb7fisyUBgO
I heard Vanessa yell something about good sex in Kat's life. Shit, were they talking about me? 642Please respect copyright.PENANANlWEYUNyBk
I've never been so fucking insecure about a girl before. What the hell is wrong with me?642Please respect copyright.PENANASEYRxF2afl
I couldn't make out anything Kat said, but Vanessa's voice came through clearly. She practically yelled about Kats ex being unable to satisfy her.642Please respect copyright.PENANA6rBEujsBCN
I tried to hide my snicker, but Kai stopped mid sentence to glare at me. "What the fuck is so funny? I haven't even got to the good part."642Please respect copyright.PENANA0DZ77pJGuj
I couldn't think up an excuse, so I went for an apology. "Sorry, bro."642Please respect copyright.PENANAEHX24lqaUZ
"Just ignore him, he's smitten with his new girl." Nate betrayed me.642Please respect copyright.PENANA6Fh9LwcDqk
"What the fuck, man?" I tried to think of more, but I was in shock. Smitten? Who says that? 642Please respect copyright.PENANAMOxCasVvEt
"Just telling it like it is, bro." Nate smirked. Asshole.642Please respect copyright.PENANAFXLelFBjV5
"Whatever. She's definitely not my girl." I crossed my arms defensively, hoping he would take the hint and back the fuck off.642Please respect copyright.PENANAcGA3gxGXSU
As soon as we heard the girls screaming at each other, I was on my feet, ready for... what? 642Please respect copyright.PENANAvMpYue700t
Was I worried about Kat? What could I even do? She barely even liked me. She would probably just turn her wrath on me.642Please respect copyright.PENANAc79gTTAcFa
Nate stood up and clapped his hand down on my shoulder. "I got this." Thank fuck. I blew out the breath I didn't realize I was holding.642Please respect copyright.PENANAx8KjrE0Wkf
I tried to focus on Kai's story, but my mind kept drifting to Kat.642Please respect copyright.PENANAwMbRseD5c0
Damn, Vanessa was the only one with Nate when he returned.642Please respect copyright.PENANA3oukxsgKow
Where was my little hurricane?642Please respect copyright.PENANAfZEiBV0f6z
"Hey 'Ness! Good to see you again." Luke smiled from next to the stove, waving the spatula in greeting.642Please respect copyright.PENANAynJmznZdee
Vanessa smiled and stepped up to the breakfast bar. "Hey Luke, where's Soph?" 642Please respect copyright.PENANA2DvyIDvIAF
"Your guess is as good as mine." Luke grimaces as he moves to the opposite side of the breakfast bar.642Please respect copyright.PENANAj8ZqtaOh9d
"Uh oh... Trouble in paradise?" Vanessa pats his arm to console him.642Please respect copyright.PENANAQY0p7At0ac
Fuck this. I can't sit here and listen to this small talk. I need to find Kat. I need to apologize. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAW6bFLg2EoM
I wasn't sure where Kat would be, but I saw the redhead drag her into the empty room next to mine, so I knock on that door. 642Please respect copyright.PENANA0dm1yBJaTN
Even though she tried to turn me away, I was determined. She accepted my apology, but she seemed to withdraw afterwards. What did I do wrong? 642Please respect copyright.PENANAtWcRNPNxpH
I thought apologizing would make things better, give us a fresh start, but she said she didn't want to start over. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAVpGrOf1nCz
And that made me fucking ecstatic. I wanted to remember everything, every little detail.642Please respect copyright.PENANAdI5KahvYu4
As we walk into the kitchen, Kai stops shoving food in his mouth long enough to be obnoxious. "Daaamn bro, your girl is smokin'!"642Please respect copyright.PENANAltlZtgaXYr
I smirk, giving a slight nod in acknowledgement, but I know better than to speak. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAhCj4nQCxoB
"I'm not his girl." Kat sounds offended. Oh shit. Shut up, Kai.642Please respect copyright.PENANA5r4wpjfmoW
"So sorry, my lady." She is full on glaring at him by this point and I'm resisting the urge to grab an umbrella and wait out the storm that's brewing.642Please respect copyright.PENANAYS8dMGKqGo
"I'm not your lady either." I fail at hiding the laugh that escapes out of me. Even though Kai had no idea what he was getting into, I could get used to her rage being aimed at someone other than me. 642Please respect copyright.PENANArydpaMxhqX
Shit. Now she's glaring at me again. "Something amusing?"642Please respect copyright.PENANAXlTVAJdHrd
I drop the smirk and shake my head, hoping I look innocent.642Please respect copyright.PENANAgHK7yp32DV
Her eyebrows raise further, in question. "No, Kat." Feeling very much like the schoolboy who got caught. Guess I got detention.642Please respect copyright.PENANAueQa2k5Rah
"Sorry, Kat, is it?" His stupid face continues taking. Fuck, he's gonna get this whole house burnt down. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAIVyk9LprJo
Just shut up, Kai.642Please respect copyright.PENANAsgQCivK5wy
642Please respect copyright.PENANARdQJC4TT55
I'm sending a brain message to him.642Please respect copyright.PENANAo8ji7USZ0f
Stop talking. 642Please respect copyright.PENANA9QODSjHDn9
642Please respect copyright.PENANAfCtGcqVdKK
Stop talking.642Please respect copyright.PENANAnnhstEBAbm
642Please respect copyright.PENANALu9rV90j3J
Stop talking.642Please respect copyright.PENANAbP61pp8Nob
Of course, he doesn't hear me, so he continues digging his grave. "I just assumed since Vanessa is with Nate-dog, Soph is with Luke and I'm pretty sure you aren't with me... Benny here is the only option."642Please respect copyright.PENANAWd92xbJUQE
"Oh." She... wait. What? That's it? What the fuck? She would have murdered me. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAuOJmgCPM69
"Oh?" I say it before I can stop myself. What is wrong with me? She turns her little glare on me. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAyWO7ALH8BA
God, could she be more breathtaking? I want to worship her... and run for shelter at the same time. What is she doing to me?642Please respect copyright.PENANAS5SajOzy8m
"Sorry, just ignore me." I try to cut off her rage before it starts, but fail. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAp6Irl9J9uh
"Will do." Her eyes avoid mine as she hurries out of the kitchen.642Please respect copyright.PENANARxky7oAMpk
I follow after her. Of course I do. I am a glutton for punishment.642Please respect copyright.PENANAUXQ7aUiQlZ
But as I stand outside the door of my room, I'm at a complete loss. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAR0EX2dWkKh
I'm honestly not sure what I did wrong, other than piss her off... but I seem to do that simply by breathing. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAqZP5rSBpVD
I just want to be near her.642Please respect copyright.PENANA9jAPzNnSWk
Come on, Ben. Get a fucking hold of yourself. You are the man. You don't need another disaster. Remember what happened last time you - no, don't think about that. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAOx1wrH9aXI
Focus. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAPMfusg4f5g
No relationships. 642Please respect copyright.PENANA6WTYkBZwjW
642Please respect copyright.PENANA89APDQYJpo
No dating.642Please respect copyright.PENANAux6XniUsX8
642Please respect copyright.PENANAM6vMKPm33h
No long term. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAye4bHhYZKx
642Please respect copyright.PENANAHiS8Fpwwn5
No feelings.642Please respect copyright.PENANAtnHXWbhKvf
That's the deal. Nate might have fallen off the wagon, but I know he will come back around. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAwmJoivvHmg
Time to reign this in. I turn the knob and walk in without looking at her. That will make this easier. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAeDfVwAiaFE
I sit on my bed, next to her and stare at the floor as I begin my half-assed blow-off attempt. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAigdcTGLVto
"So, listen, Kat... This has been fun. But you know, I'm just like super busy right now and I just think maybe-" She cuts me off, which is good because I ran out of cliches to use.642Please respect copyright.PENANAiOkuOgiJjs
"Are you serious right now?" If her eyes could shoot lasers, I would be cut into tiny pieces... and she would probably enjoy it. A lot. "I can't even... I can't..."642Please respect copyright.PENANAIyNsP94jcp
She shakes her head and walks out the door. I swear I feel a piece of me follow her, but like the pussy I am, I stay behind. 642Please respect copyright.PENANAYnNPWyA9io
She chose to run away from the shell that's left of me.642Please respect copyright.PENANARTmpiHl9LE
So I let her.
ns216.73.216.100da2