PLAYING HOUSE – Chapter Seven

POINT OF VIEW: CADEN

“Have you thought about what I said?” Erica asks as I walk into the living room. No, hello, or how was your day? No pleasantries. 

“The answer is still no. I’m not upping the rent,” I tell her as I collapse into the armchair.

“You’re pathetic,” she growls under her breath. 

“If I’m so pathetic, why are you living in my apartment?” I blurt. 

She looks up from her phone, her angry expression slowly turning sad. “Your apartment? It’s ours.”

“Erica, you’re trying to convince me to charge my ex-roommate $5,000 while you’re living here rent-free… You have the master bedroom to yourself because you won’t let me sleep in my own bed, and you don’t pay for anything. So, yes, it’s my apartment. Not ours.” I stop, feeling my blood boil as I watch her. She’s played the victim before. I won’t let her do it again. I stand up. “And, because I’ve always been honest with you, let me tell you this – I saw Alice yesterday. I went to the cafe and realised how much I missed her. Strange how I can miss her after a day, but I didn’t miss you for a second while you were away last weekend.”

Her sad face turns red, seeing the anger bubble inside. Seconds later, she lunges and begins trying to hit me. Slapping at my arms as I hold her at arm’s length. She screams obscenities and sentences that just don’t make sense. 

She swipes at my face and scratches my cheek as I try to step back. Erica moves back, no remorse on her face. “I’m going to get my things and go home,” I tell her. “I’d recommend you do the same.”

I step around her, enter the bedroom and pull my suitcase out of the closet. Putting it on the bed, I open it – most of my clothes are already inside as I’d never unpacked fully. That should’ve been the first flag. I grab my suits from the closet and shove them in, fastening the case and walking into the living room again. “You’ll need to be out by the end of the week.”

Time to go home. 

As I put the key in the front door, I stop as I see something move in my peripheral vision. 

“What are you doing here?” A familiar voice says.

I turn to find Alice standing in the hallway, her dark green hair in pigtails, wearing a short black dress and tall black boots, with black lipstick to match. She’s been out with Kai. “Nice to see you, too,” I chuckle softly. I unlock the door and open it, stepping aside so she can enter. Following her, I leave my suitcase by the door as it slowly closes shut and locks behind me. 

“Finally decided to come home?” She announces confidently, a slight slur to her words. 

“How much have you had to drink?” I ask.

“Enough.”

“Is enough British for half the bar?” I watch as she stumbles around the living room and flops onto the couch.

“Why are you here and being an arsehole?” She groans.

I smile, walk over to the couch, and sit beside her, my leg pressing against hers. “Because I missed you.”

She slumps against me as I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “You’re not allowed to miss me, you have a girlfriend.”

“My suitcase says otherwise,” I whisper.

Alice sits up, suddenly more alert. “What?” 

“I’ve come home,” I add, watching her eyes dart between the suitcase in the hallway and me.

As if without thinking, she climbs onto my lap and straddles me, cupping my face in her hands and pressing her body against mine, something she’s never done before. “You’ve come home?” 

“I missed my girl,” I stutter. Her wide, grey eyes on mine. Her plump, black lips in kissing distance. Completely out of character, she lunges and kisses me. I quickly wrap my arms around her, holding her close. I can feel the want, the need, as if it’s been bottled up for the past five years. My girl. 

Waking up next to her is the best feeling, even if the flashing red light had driven me up the wall last night. It can only get better – if this is how I feel after just heavy petting, I can’t wait to experience our chemistry in full.

I pull her to me, closing the distance. I’ve never been one to spoon a girl, but an exception has been made – I’ll hold her in any way I can. 

She murmurs as she snuggles, moving back as if to get closer. I bury my head in her neck, leaving a trail of kisses from the corner of her jaw to her collarbone. After a few minutes, she quickly pulls away and falls out of bed. Hitting the deck with a thump. “Are you okay?”  Alice stands up, staring at me like a deer in headlights. She looks down, noticing she’s in her underwear. Lace bra and panties are still in place, but I’m naked under the thin sheet. “What the fuck?”

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