Chapter 11

"Wait." Jenna smirked. "You're telling me you made out with a complete stranger and you enjoyed it?"

"Now that I think of it," I shrugged, "I did and I'm not guilty about it."

She huffed and turned to pick her bottle of water. "Well, that's a sign that you don't care about your relationship anymore."

"What hurts most is that bastard Wilson did nothing about it. He even yelled at me. I mean, what if I was raped?"

"Well, of course he did. He's so deep in Alison's pussy, he can't think clearly. She's practically controlling his head."

Sighing, I stared at the static image on the television screen. "He knows just how to get under my skin."

"Enough of that." Jenna opened her bag and a flask emerged a second later. "I brought you some chicken soup to help with whatever you've caught."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"I'll go heat it up in the kitchen."

After pressing play on the remote control, I relaxed into the sofa and only looked away from the tv when I heard Jenna's ringtone. My eyes dropped to the caller ID.

"Hey Jen, Ed wants to video chat." I had to yell so she would hear me over the microwave noise.

She peeked at me from the kitchen. "Answer it and stall for me. I'll be out in a bit."

Immediately after swiping to the right of Jenna's screen, Ed's beautiful face and body illuminated the screen.

"Hey."

My large smile could've sliced my face in half.

"How are you?" My eyes lingered on the ink on his skin. It was always a mystery why he got a tattoo of a guitar when he couldn't stand music.

"Shit." Ed's chuckle filled my ears as he reached for something outside my line of vision. "I was expecting Jenna." He threw a shirt on.

"Oh, stop it." My smile faltered to a smirk. "Once upon a time, I saw you butt naked."

"Please," his eyes sparkled under the lights in his room as his hands came together in a clap, "remind me never to smoke weed when you're around again." His voice was as smooth as ever with the way his British accent made all the words sound.

My head tipped backwards in laughter. And for the first time, after recovering from my spontaneous laughter, my eyes caught sight of his briefs.

"Spiderman underwear." My eyebrows shot up. The call was going to be even more amusing than I'd thought. "Wouldn't have tagged you as one of the superhero fanatics."

His eyes and face simultaneously went down, I'm guessing to the item of discussion, and then back up. "It's not Spiderman." His eyes left mine. "It's Superman."

"Oh." With wide eyes, I stared at the man in the screen. "Superman. It's even worse than I imagined."

"Welcome to my world."

"Really Ed?" I paused for dramatic effect. "DC? over marvel?"

"I could not care less about adult men prancing around in costumes." His voice lacked any form of enthusiasm, which of course got me laughing harder. "It was a dare. Had to video call Jenna in only these."

"So that's what you've been up to lately. That's why you don't call or respond to my texts anymore."

He huffed. "I wish it were that." Brushing his fingers over his tattoo, he yawned. "Work's got me by the fucking balls. I don't even have time for lunch."

"Well," I yawned too, "There's actually a thing called quitting."

"And disappoint my parents while I'm at it, yeah?"

I gave him one of my stares. "I'm just kidding. You gotta relax."

"Yeah well there isn't much I can do. Where's Jenna?"

My brows shot up at the fact that he was bored of me and then my eyes narrowed. "You're so rude. She's in the kitchen. She'll be out in-." My eyes shot up when I heard her footsteps. "Oh, she's out."

Passing me one of the two bowls of steaming hot chicken soup, Jenna made herself comfortable beside me on the sofa. Ed's eyes were already trained on her. This would've been the perfect moment to yell and scream at both of them for planning on leaving and abandoning me but just like everyone else, they had every right to go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

"I miss you."

Jenna had already taken the phone from me. "I miss you."

"Can't wait to see me?"

Jenna's eyes twinkled under the lights. "Yeah I can't. Can't wait to see you. Hug you. Kiss you. Undress you. Ma-."

"Okay." I interrupted her with wide eyes. "He gets the point." Turning to Ed, I lifted my lips in a smile. "How's Carlifornia?"

Knowing the kind of best friend I had, suggesting a neutral topic of discussion was the safest path to tread. Safest path as in platonic, sex and smut-free conversation safest path.

"Lonely."

I smiled at how his eyebrows softly knitted together in the most pitiful of expressions he could give.

"Know what? How about we finish this later. All right?"

I turned to Jenna and then him. "You both haven't even talked yet."

"Yeah we'll talk later. Right, love?"

Jenna hummed in agreement as she licked chicken soup off her lips.

"And proof."

I turned back to Ed when I heard the screenshot sound. He was really serious about the dare. I smirked. "Spiderman has never been more disappointed, not having his face on your underwear."

"I suggest he sticks with saving Mary Jane."

Narrowing my eyes a bit, I grabbed the phone from Jenna. "You do know a lot for someone who doesn't give a shit about," I looked away, pretending to remember, "what was it again? Adult men prancing around in costumes?"

"Talk soon love." Ed's smile at Jenna was the last thing I saw before he disappeared from the screen. I turned to Jenna.

"He had Superman briefs on and-."

She raised a finger. "I don't even wanna know."

I raised a brow at that.

"But what I do wanna know is what you're gonna do about the stranger."

I turned to my chicken soup and took the bowl in my palms. "I'm never gonna see him again. Besides, he's a jerk."

"Hmm. Too bad. He seemed pretty rich."

My eyes went to her.

"His assistant told me he worked at a really nice company."

"And that concerns me how?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Rich and good in bed sounds like a nice combo."

"Thanks, but I'm not chasing a guy just 'cause you think he's rich."

"Good in bed too." She licked her spoon and I'd just about had it.

"Fuck, Jenna!"

"Jeez," she eyed me, "It was only a suggestion."

Rolling my eyes, I focused on my bowl and relished on the spicy tinge Jenna's chicken soup left on my tongue.

"Checked your e-mail?"

My eyes involuntarily went to my laptop before going back to her. "She has more important stuff to do, Jenna."

Humming, Jenna continued tapping her phone screen.

"I didn't hear or see Alison gossip about me today."

Jenna laughed and turned away from her screen. "She apparently got laser eye surgery and will be back next week."

"Could've sworn she was a better liar." My eyes rolled skywards.

She hummed in agreement before dropping her phone and focusing on me. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," I raised my bowl of soup, "it always does wonders." I dropped the bowl. "Plus, I'm gonna go to bed now. Today was more than exhausting."

"You sure you good? Not hungry?"

I lifted the bowl again. "Full bowl of chicken soup."

"That's not dinner. Plus you threw up, didn't you?"

My brows knitted together at her question. "I didn't tell you I did. How'd you know?"

Jenna's smile revealed her perfect teeth. "I can see it in your face. You turn pink and your eyes and nose are always kind of irritated. It's inevitable not to know."

"You make me sound like a puking machine. How'd you find that out?"

"Remember that time when you had that terrible fever and we thought you were pregnant?"

At her last word, my entire body system changed. Swallowing, my eyes searched for a quick distraction. My stomach churned in response at the memories of the doctor asking me to spread my legs. The thought of having Eric's baby haunted me in my dreams even weeks after everything had been resolved. The whole incident was the reason why I now had a plastic rod in my upper arm. The doctor promised it'll snatch away any chance of a new pregnancy.

"Let's just check my e-mail." I managed a smile. "Maybe she's magically replied." I wasn't going to spend the entire night soaking my pillow and going down memory lane.

Jenna gasped. "She says to meet her by 2pm on Wednesday at Westrn, if that's ok with you."

"That was quick." I was currently on my way to get some water or wine or anything that could calm my nerves.

"You're gonna go, right?" The intensity with which she stared at me got me even more worked up.

"I don't- well-."

"Right?"

"Right."

"Good."

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-C