SETH
I know what loneliness can do to people which is the reason why I'd set up Sky and Emily that day. Sky was in on the secret; I'd asked if she could make Emily comfortable. I was kind of guilty for doing that, but when I realized how close they'd become after that one hangout, I didn't regret my decision.
When Emily told me her childhood friend was coming back to town, I was glad. You could tell by the shit-eating grin on her face how much this Indie or whatever meant to her. You needed one best friend to confide in, and I figured that's what my girl could use right now.
"Let's stop by Starbucks drive-thru, and pick up Indie's favorite drink which is an iced green tea lemonade. It's going to be a surprise."
"Sure, baby, but I feel like it's a waste of four dollars. If you told me earlier, I would have made an iced green tea lemonade at home. I make a mean drink."
"No way."
"Try me. I worked as a barista for a few months. I can whip up drinks, no problem."
Emily stared at me in open admiration, "Is there anything you haven't done yet?"
I chuckled as she kissed my cheek from the passenger seat.
We stopped by the drive-thru and picked the drink for the three of us. I was pretty basic so I usually only ordered an Iced latte. Like I said, I'm basic.
We arrived at the airport and walked to the waiting area. Emily looked around excitedly, and I joined into the people watching. She'd almost eaten my ear off talking about Indie, more like talking without taking a breath. I hadn't understood half the stuff she'd said, but I could tell Indie was a special friend.
"I'm glad your friend is coming back," I told her.
"Me too! Do you know how long it's been since I met Indie? It's been two years!"
"Well, that's a long time."
"We used to have so many sleepovers at my house, it was insane."
Suddenly, Emily's eyes light up like a Christmas tree as she stared off into the distance and she started waving frantically. "Over here, Indie!"
I followed the direction she was looking in and you bet my jaw was about to come unhinged.
When Emily kept talking about Indie, I'd created a mental image of her. I'd assumed she was a girl so you know how shocked I would be to find a six-foot guy, surfer-board abs, not that I was checking out a dude. He seemed to be of mixed heritage, Asian most likely. He looked like he'd walked out of a Korean drama.
I stood at the side sipping onto my drink watching, seething as Emily guffawed at something he said and hugged her tightly. I controlled the urge to crush the coffee cup in my hand and composed myself when I saw them walking towards me.
So the sleepovers she used to have at her "friend's place" was a guy all along.
Why exactly did Emily have all these hot guys in her life? First, it was meaty-pawed Parson, and now it was... never mind.
Indigo seemed like he was a completely different species, immaculate, suave, polite, rich boy personified.
"Seth, this is Indigo." Emily introduced me, squeezing his bicep, "And Indie, this is Seth."
"Heard a lot about you." Indie raised his hand out to me.
I took it. "Likewise, but I'm pretty sure you haven't heard stuff much as I've heard about you."
He laughed, "That means I've shocked you for some reason. Don't mind my girl, Emily, she's one for the info galore."
"Well, "shocked" will be putting it mildly. I was a hundred percent sure you were a girl."
Indie barked out another laugh, Emily's face faltered as she realized her mistake. She never mentioned the gender, not that I asked.
"And it should bother you that I'm a guy because?"
I was speechless for a moment.
It should bother me because? I wasn't even Emily's boyfriend. Indie had touched a nerve and the smirk that played on his lips proved that.
"I'm not bothered one bit." There it was the lies spouting out of my mouth, "You might as well have been an alien. I wouldn't care."
Emily linked her arms around his and mine, "Let's get something to eat! Are you hungry, Indie?"
I guess that was her way of trying to change the subject.
"I think I'm good, the food was great on the flight besides I could really use some sleep right now."
Emily rolled her eyes, "I thought long flights were exactly for that. To sleep, I mean."
"I was too busy looking at the clouds out of my window."
I could be an asshole for thinking this but I was relieved that he wasn't going to have lunch with us.
"Come on, Indie. You just got back!"
"I know doll, but not today."
Doll? The dafuq?
I swallowed the anger bubbling inside me. I had to get used to other guys calling her with endearments.
He's her childhood friend. I kept repeating that mantra over and over again.
After helping Indie to load all his luggage, we got inside the car. I offered to drive so Emily decided to ride shotgun and Indie sat in the backseat. They chatted like two best friends who met after years and were excited to share everything all at once.
Indie's house was located in the same area as Emily's house. It was a mansion, to be honest. A red-bricked Georgian home, dated back in the eighteen hundreds, three stories high, trimmed lawn. Dude was swimming in cash like the rest of Emily's friends and acquaintances. I had no reason to feel jealous and yet I felt like an outsider, someone who shouldn't be with her.
Someone who was never going to be able to bridge the gap between the colossal differences we had in status.
It was up to me to decide if I was worthy of her or not. Should I let myself believe that Emily was better off with someone else just because he had more money? I would let her decide that instead of coming to conclusions.
"Nice crib." I complimented him as he climbed out of the car.
"Thanks." He gave me a weak smile, "You should come inside."
"Since when did you start doing formalities?" Emily chimed in.
"I wasn't talking to you, honey. I was talking to your buddy Seth."
"What an asshole. Let's go home, Seth. I hope a ghost strangles you in your sleep. What are all those old ghosts even doing in that house if they can't just kill you? I mean at least ask them to chip in for the electricity bill or something."
"Your house is haunted?"
Indie shrugged, "It's an old house. My parents bought it from a family who used it as a vacation home but yeah, we've experienced plenty of paranormal stuff through the years. Emily would insist to sleep together every time she was here and I would have to accompany her to the bathroom in the middle of the night." He chuckled at the old memory.
Emily slapped him playfully, "Oh god, shut up!"
I didn't like the images my mind was conjuring up.
They joked for a little while longer and then we saw a butler walk out of the front door. He and another guy carried Indie's stuff into his house.
On the ride back home, Emily was silent most of the way. She fiddled with the Bluetooth to connect to her playlist.
We were silent in the car when suddenly she said, "I thought you figured he was a guy."
"I guess it's my fault. It didn't even cross my mind that I should ask you whether Indie was a guy or a girl, and honestly, it doesn't matter to me."
All these lies I kept telling her just to show off that I was a chill guy, it's surreal.
*~*
EMILY
I was in a mood for tacos that night so we ordered in. The aroma of grilled meat and cheese wafted the area.
Seth was quiet during the entire dinner and I had reason to believe it had something to do with Indigo. He would give me one-word answers, and it was starting to get annoying. All he had to do was speak up and I'd put his worries to rest.
When dinner was over, he loaded the dishes in the washer and as part of the routine we finished our assignments together and sat down on the couch in front of the TV to watch something on Netflix.
It was a boring show, and judging from the vacant look in Seth's eyes, I could tell he was bored out of his mind but too busy thinking about something in his stubborn little head to consider changing the movie. We were somewhere in the middle when I scooted closer to him and slipped onto his lap, putting my legs on either side of him.
That had his attention.
His apple-green eyes watched me with a serious expression, there was heat emanating through it. I leaned towards him, the intoxicating scent of his woodsy cologne hit my nostrils. I covered his mouth with mine and tried to convey my feelings through the kiss, hoping that he would realize how much I loved him. I liked how he was always patient, thoughtful, and caring about me. Maybe he thought I was part of his job, but it still made me feel better.
He kissed me back with wild abandon, his tongue inside my mouth glided over mine, his rough fingers were tangled in my hair and the other hand caressed my back. We kissed so damn hard; it was becoming tough to breathe. It's like he was trying to own me.
When I pulled away, he still had that faraway look in his eyes.
"Out with it." I snapped.
"What?"
"Something's bothering you since afternoon. You want to tell me about it?"
He started to reach for my panties but I stopped him. "Talk first." I wasn't about to budge. No amount of distraction was going to cut it.
He sighed, "I've been meaning to ask but I didn't want to come off as crude."
"I'm listening."
He just stared at me like he was hoping I had some telepathic powers to understand what he was thinking.
"Is Indigo gay?"
I tried to keep a straight face until I couldn't anymore so I burst out laughing, "No, he's not, what gives you that idea?"
Turns out he didn't think it was funny and he looked away, pissed by my answer.
"Help me understand how a straight guy like him could not be attracted to you. I mean didn't you say you used to have sleepovers with him. If he's not gay, then why is he just your friend?"
I laughed, "Is that all that's on your mind?"
"I don't mean to be that jealous guy, and god knows I probably don't have the right to be, but I really want to know."
"Indie and I grew up together. He's very protective of me—
"Yeah, I could see that. He wanted to punch my face for sleeping with you."
"But I never told him anything."
"It's just instincts, you know? Guys pick up on stuff like that...you wouldn't understand."
“Whatever macho man. Indie is just protective of me in a brotherly way. He's been there for me when my brother didn't. Cale and Indie were in the same class and he used to come over all the time and we bonded. Then Cale and Indie had a huge fight and they don’t talk anymore.”
“That’s all? He’s not going to challenge me to some dual over your love, right?”
Did he just say, love?
Was that a minor slip-up? I was too chicken to ask him.
“You have nothing to worry about, trust me.”
“You said the same thing about Carson and he got me suspended for two weeks.”
“But that’s different.”
He smiled at me, “I’m kidding. You don’t have to look so serious.” He said that with a smile and yet I knew something wasn’t right.
“You’re not being honest with me.”
He sighed, “I don’t know how to say this, but I know I said that we couldn’t have anything more than this but recently I’ve been thinking how nice it would be to…” He looked away, biting his lip.
“To what?”
“I want to be your boyfriend, Emily.”