Chapter One
Sylvia
I am spending another night alone. I have been single for a while; it is what I am used to by now. I have come around to enjoying it. I haven’t had much dating, sex or relationship experience in my life, so I don’t really know what I am missing. I have had one real relationship in my entire life.
I am enjoying a rom-com with a glass of wine and popcorn. I am in my PJs, wrapped in a blanket, because it's cold tonight. I will be heading to bed soon. I am up super early tomorrow for work.
The sound of the front door opening grabs my attention. It is my best friend and roommate, Axel, who is coming home from his date. No, I shouldn’t call it a date. A better word is a hook-up. He doesn’t date or do relationships. He is a player. He has always been like that. He was the bad boy in our high school. He has his reasons, though. He doesn’t trust anyone or allow anyone close to him except me.
“Hey, snuggles.” He chuckles.
I picked the closest cushion up and tossed it at him. “Don’t call me that,” I whine.
He calls me it to annoy me. It started when we were in our early teens because I always demanded snuggles from him when I was having a bad day or sad. I hate it, but that is how he does it.
He laughs loudly and hops over the sofa to sit next to me.
“How was your night?” he asks.
“Uneventful. Will you please shower? You reek of sex, shame and sweat?” I groan.
“There is nothing shameful about what I was doing.” He smirks.
“Go and shower, you hoe.” I laugh, pushing him away from me.
“Fine, prude.” He teases, prodding my side.
I slap his arm, “I am not a prude. I have no luck with men. We can’t all jump into bed with anyone and everyone.”
“Why not? What do you think the apps are for? You need to get laid, sweetness. It has been too long.”
“I am fine! I am not addicted to sex like you.”
“I am not addicted. I enjoy it. I am good at it. Women love me for how good in bed I am.” He says confidently.
My best friend is confident and arrogant. He is a bit of an ass, to be honest with you, to everyone except me. He has always been good to be. He has always been there for me. He is the only constant I have ever had in my life. I am the same for him.
I roll my eyes, “So arrogant.”
He winks at me and disappears for a shower. I swear the man has a different woman nearly every night. I don’t know where he gets the stamina. It is rare for him to have sex with the same woman more than once.
I head to the kitchen to grab him a glass because he will want some wine, too. If he doesn’t have a glass, he will steal mine or drink straight from the bottle, which he knows irks me. There is no need to drink straight from a bottle or carton if you aren’t the only one using it. Maybe that is just me.
I hit play on my movie. It doesn’t have much left, which works out. If it was on for too long, Axel would start complaining and saying how terrible the movie was. He hates rom-coms.
He returns as the end credits are rolling. He is only in his grey sweatpants. His washboard abs and tattoos are on full display. His black hair is still wet and swept back. Yes, I check him out; I always do. I am a woman with eyes. He is a handsome man, one who turns heads everywhere he goes. It doesn’t mean I am attracted to him.
“Do I smell better now?” he laughs.
“Much. Wine?” I ask.
I don’t know why I asked; I know his answer. He nods, and I pour him a glass. I find something for us to watch. It’s an action comedy, The Other Guys. It is one we can enjoy.
Axel slips his arm around my shoulder, and I snuggle into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. He gives the best hugs.
“I think you should let me set you up with one of my friends. You work so damn hard. You need time for fun.”
“No, thank you. I know your friends. They are all trouble and hoes like you. I am not attracted to the player, bad boy type. You know that.” I sigh.
“Maybe you need a change. The guys you usually go for who seem nice turn out to be lying, cheating fucks who treat you like crap. At least with my friends, you know what you are getting, and you can fulfil your need without any strings attached or worrying about whether it will all go to hell.”
“I am fine on my own.” I protest.
He sighs, “Fine. I will drop it.”
He suggests it, but if I came down to it and I agreed, he would lose his shit the second he saw one of his friends getting too close to me. He is overly protective of me. He always has been since we became best friends when we were seven years old. The older we got, the more protective he became. Trying to date in high school was nearly impossible for me. He would scare them off, or they would back off when they found out he was my best friend.
“Thank you. I will date when I am ready.”
My last relationship ended six months ago. I was with him for two years. Axel was never a fan. I should have listened to him because my ex turned out to be a lying, cheating, controlling bastard. It is how I ended up moving in with Axel. I had nowhere else to go when my ex broke up with me to be with someone. We lived together, and he threw me out. Axel took me in without hesitation. It isn’t the first time we have lived together. We stayed together before I moved in with my ex.
Axel and I have been inseparable since we met. Everyone used to accuse us of secretly dating, but it was bullshit. The only thing that ever happened between us was a kiss when we were fifteen. He was my first kiss, but after that, nothing else, and that was eleven years ago.
“What time are you up tomorrow?” he asks.
“I need to get up at five-thirty. I will be heading to bed soon.”
“Yes, good idea, you need to get a decent sleep. Are you sleeping in your bed or mine?” he asks, stroking my arm.
“Hmm, yours.” I laugh.
I don’t spend much time in my bed, not alone. I am usually in his, or he sneaks into mine, unless he has someone over. It doesn’t happen often. He tends to go to whoever he is hooking up with so he can leave when he pleases.
“I thought you would say that”, he chuckles, “Do you want to go to bed and watch the rest of the movie there until you fall asleep?” he suggests.
I nod and finish my wine. He does the same. We clean up, switch everything off and head to his bedroom. I slip into his bed, setting the movie up as he changes into shorts. His back is to me, and I notice the marks on it. It is covered in scratches, some of which are deep.
“Damn, Axel, is your back not stingy?”
He glances over his shoulder at me and smirks, “It was totally worth it. I like it when women leave their mark on me. It turns me on and tells me I am doing a good job.”
I shake my head and playfully roll my eyes. He is a passionate man in all aspects of life. He climbs in next to me. The second he lies down, I roll over and use him as my pillow, draping my arm over him.
“So needy.” He says.
I look up at him, “You have no one to blame but yourself. You have always spoiled me.” I snicker.
“Yes, my spoiled little princess,” he smiles and kisses the top of my head.
I nod and hit play on the movie. He always spoils me with attention, cuddles, support, and gifts. He gives me the princess treatment. If he allowed himself to be someone’s boyfriend, the woman would be lucky, but he only does those things for me, not for anyone else. It is a waste. He could be doing it for someone special, but it isn’t what he wants or the type of thing he is ready for. One day, he will be, I am sure.
