Guided Love (Prick #1) (15 page)

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, Axel, thank you again.” Axel kisses my hand and opens the door.

“Any time, gorgeous, and, Samantha, you do look good in my pants you know.”

With that, I start to laugh and smack him again. “Good night, Axel, see you in the morning.”

“Good night, Samantha, sweet dreams.” With that sexy wink and cocky smile, he goes into this apartment.

I shut the door, lock it, and shut off all the lights. I am on my way to my room when I see Camaron's door open.

“Sam, can we talk, please.”

He follows me into my room where I sit, Indian style, on my bed as Camaron sits right in front of me.

“Sam, I am so sorry that I spoke to you like that. I’m sorry if I was being a cock block and I made an issue about it. You’re single and I have no right to say who you can and can't be with. It just really bothers me to think of you being with Axel.”

“Camaron, we were laughing and goofing off. What you think you saw was completely innocent. Axel would never look at me like that, but I’m flattered that you would even think he would. Camaron, why did you come home? Are you okay? Is everything okay with you and Roni?”

Shaking his head and looking at me like I’m the kid who just asked the stupid question and, yes, we all know that there are stupid questions, people just say there isn’t so you don’t feel stupid.

He asks, “Why would he not look at you that way, Sam? He just put me up against the wall for disrespecting you and I’m one of his best friends. Believe me, there is something there, Sam, and I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”

“Whatever Cam. What happened? Why are you home?”

He lets out a frustrated breath and runs his hand through his hair.

“Roni and I fought,” he states and sits there and says nothing more. He pushes up off the bed and actually lies down next to me. I lie down and now we both are lying there in silence, staring up at the ceiling. He hooks his finger with my pinkie and starts to explain. “Roni thinks that we are too close. She thinks that we are more than friends. I explained to her that we have always been friends, and only friends, but she doesn't believe it. She says that she sees the way you look at me and she hates it. The kicker for tonight was when we were dancing—she didn’t like the fact that we have a song. Ugh, why does everything have to be so fucking complicated? I finally find a girl that I actually care for, one that I laugh with and enjoy spending time with and then it gets all fucked up because I have a best friend who is a girl. I mean, seriously, Roni has nothing to worry about, but she is a constant pain when it comes to you.”

I feel my gut start to turn and I know I shouldn't ask questions I don’t want answers to, but being his best friend I have to be there for him so I find myself asking, “What do you mean she is a constant pain when it comes to me?”

“It’s every day, Sam. I hear about you every day. If we are hanging out and my phone buzzes, she asks if it’s you. She asks why we live together, why we have never been together. It’s a nonstop discussion. I mean, I have tried to tell her that we will always be friends and only friends that she is the one I want, but then she calls me out and says that if that was the truth I wouldn’t have been upset seeing you dance with Axel to our song.”

I find myself nodding along with him and trying to stay quiet, trying to let him talk through all of his thoughts.

“Well, did you get upset? I mean, me dancing with Axel bothered you?”

He turns his head to the side so that we are now looking at one another.

“Yeah, a little. I have no idea why—I know I shouldn’t have, but deep down, yeah, it did. Just seeing you in Axel’s arms, I felt this feeling of jealousy, because, to me, I’ll always be that man in your life. The one you turn to, the one that you depend on. Yet, it seems, lately, that we are falling apart. It feels like, because you and Roni aren’t getting along, I can’t have both of you in my life and you are finding comfort with the pricks and not with me. I just wish that you two could actually be friends, that the two most important women in my life are happy and getting along.”

I look into Camaron’s eyes and I see that he is hurting and frustrated. My gut is sick, I want to throw up, and my heart is breaking because right now, as his best friend, I have to sacrifice myself. I should be telling him to choose me that I would make him happy; that whatever I have to do I’ll do just so I can have my forever, but that is not what I am saying, I am giving up my happiness for his because that’s what you do for those you love right?

“Cam, it will all be okay. I promise whatever I have to do to make Roni comfortable, I will. I’ll make sure that she knows that she is who you choose and that we are JUST friends, okay.”

He pulls my hand up, kisses it, and then adjusts us so that we are spooning. I am lying on my bed with my best friend, the man who owns my heart and we are spooning. He has his arm wrapped around my waist and he is pulling me up against him.

“Thank you, Sam. You are my anchor, babe. It’s always been me and you.” I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes.

“Cam. Maybe you should go to your bed tonight. It probably will be better that way.” I feel him shaking his head and he pulls me tighter to his front.

“Not tonight, Sam. Tonight, I need you in my arms. I need to know that I didn’t fuck up our friendship. Tomorrow we can start to change, but tonight . . . tonight is about me and you,” he whispers this to me, as I lie there trying not to cry.

He could feel me start to shake with emotion and he thinks he is easing me with his words, but it is only causing my heart to break. “Goodnight, Sam. I love you, I always have.” After those words, all I hear is him start to snore. Yep, he has fallen asleep and his last words to me were “I love you.” UGH!

Damn! I can't believe I just reacted like that. I literally just put my best friend against the wall by his throat. What the fuck is wrong with me? I close the door, after I said goodnight to Samantha, and now I head to the kitchen for a shot of something dark and strong. I am still full of anger at the way Camaron spoke to Samantha. He stood there and insinuated that my Samantha was a fucking piece of ass.
My
Samantha? What the hell am I thinking? She is not mine, she has always been Camaron’s. Yet, fuck, she is everything to me and I find myself having to protect her. When I heard Roni say, “Not for long,” I got uneasy. That chick is not going to mess with her and there is no way Camaron will stand up for her. I mean, honestly, what the fuck is wrong with him? If I had a woman like Samantha wanting to be my woman, I would be the happiest fucking man alive. I grab a shot and toss it back. I fill it a few more times when I hear my phone buzz.

Samantha: Axel, thanks again for defending me it really means the world to me good night xoxo Samantha

Damn, a simple text and I get hard. I need a release or I’m going to die of blue balls. I haven’t been with anyone since meeting her. My hand is the only touch my cock has felt in the last four months.

Me: Anything for you gorgeous. Not sleeping yet?

Samantha: No just laying here thinking. What are you doing?

Me: I had myself a few shots and now I am on my couch staring at a black TV texting you

Samantha: Wow that sounds fun lol staring at a blank TV

Me: It is fun lol especially bc I am talking to you

Samantha: aren’t you a charmer Axel (Blushing) lol

Me: I bet that color looks great on you ;)

Samantha: So are you ok? Why do shots?

Me: Yeah

Samantha: yeah lol that’s all I get?

Me: Oh Samantha I would give you anything you want

Me: what do you want gorgeous?

Samantha: oooh I like this side of you Axel lol

Me: do you now?

Samantha: Yep

Me: Do you know how beautiful you are?

Fuck, I just screwed this up. It has been ten minutes and she has not responded. What the fuck! Okay, well, I’ll just blame it on the alcohol and forget it happened. I grab the bottle, take a swig, and turn on Bar Rescue, John Taffer is just hysterical.

I must have passed out because the next thing I hear is the loud pounding coming from my door.

“Axel, you prick, let me in. I know you are in there. Come on, man, open up.”

Pound, pound, pound. Camaron is pounding on the door and I know he won’t stop anytime soon. I shake my head and rub my hand over my face. Damn, what time is it? Fuck, how much did I drink? I head to the door and open it just as Camaron was about to pound again.

“Yo,” he looks at me like he just looked at death.

“Wow, man, have a hard night after you left or what? You look like hell, man.” He starts to laugh like he just made the funniest remark as he walks into my apartment.

“Camaron . . .”

Before I finish, he starts to talk. “Axel, don't, I came here to apologize to you.”

I know I look confused as hell as I was the one who put him against the wall and started to choke him, so why the fuck is he apologizing to me?

“Why are you apologizing to me? Dude, I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”

He grabs an apple from the fridge and continues, “No, man, you should have reacted like that. I had no place speaking or treating Sam like that. It means a lot to know that you have her back and that y’all are friends. Especially with me having Roni, I don’t feel as bad knowing that she has you and all the pricks to hang around. I mean, honestly, she would be all alone in this city if it wasn't for y’all and I appreciate that.”

I nod and grab a water and a granola bar as I think anything else I’ll be hacking up. “So, did you talk to Samantha last night?” Camaron has this smile on his face like he just won the lottery.

“Yeah man, I explained everything to her. How Roni has been riding my ass about our friendship. It was great, actually, laying there and talking it out. I hope that now, she and Roni can get along, because, damn, she is a problem when it comes to Sam. Not only does she run her mouth and fuss with me every day, she even refuses sex. And, man, I need a good fuck because it has been too long.”

“Gotcha man I totally understand. So, you slept with Samantha?”

He looks up from the refrigerator again—man this guy eats everything in his house then comes over here. Damn, he shakes his head and sticks it back in there looking for gold obviously.

“No, man, well, yeah, but we didn't fuck. We just talked and fell asleep.”

Well, that’s good to know that they didn't sleep together but fuck if it still doesn't piss me off. Just picturing this prick in her bed, sleeping next to her, makes me want to slam his fucking face in. I change the subject because I don't want to hear about Samantha and their sleeping arrangement.

“Remember, man, this Sunday Ma is having everyone over for a barbeque. You coming?” He settles on orange juice, shakes it and sees there is only a gulp full and he downs the liquid from the container.

“Hell yeah, I love Ma and want her barbeque again; fuck, I am starving just thinking about it. Do you think I can bring Roni?”

“Sure thing, brother, you know Ma, she buys enough food to feed an army.” I look at the clock and see that I only have thirty minutes before my first appointment. “Well, fuck, I have to go shower before my appointment. I'll see you down there.”

Camaron will let himself out as I head to the shower. I grab my phone and see that I missed a text. I pull up the screen and see that Samantha actually responded last night, I must have passed out.

Samantha: Sorry, I jumped in the shower. Damn Axel I wish you meant it but the alcohol must be talking now, because Axel you are lying through your teeth ;)

Seriously? Damn, this girl is going to kill me, she has no confidence. If it’s the last thing I do, she will see how beautiful she is, mark my words.