MY BEST FRIEND DOESN'T KNOW I LOVE HIM

VERA’S POVI stepped into Nathan’s house, with my left hand curled around Nathan’s arm, and I tried not to sneeze as a whiff of smoke stung my nostrils. No, that was not cigarettes. I didn’t even try to figure out what it was they were smoking, or what pills they seemed to be passing around to each other at the party – so this was what an adult party was like! I glanced at Nate and smiled as I noted the frown on his face. He was obviously already regretting bringing me. I shrugged as I stepped in, well it was already to late to tell me to go back home – although I could not put it past him. I was in for another shock when I fully stepped into the building. Several girls were topless, and twerking on the laps of the guys. I blushed hotly and looked away. There was something so intimate about the way they were grinding their bodies against the guys. I let go of Nathan’s arm and stepped into the throng of people whining their bodies to the slow music and getting wasted on alcoh

VERA’S POV “No. I wanted to teach you how painful it was when a man uses you merely for sexual pleasure, with no feelings attached. That’s what that kiss was, purely physical, zero feelings.”… I bit my lip at the memory of his words. I guess I deserved that. I had wanted to know what it felt like to be one of Nathan’s girls, and now I did.Nathan had come back to check how I was doing a while later, and maybe, my senses had come back then, because I apologized for kissing him, and thanked him for taking care of me at the party. My heart had been thudding against my chest as I spoke, and a hidden corner buried deep in my heart had hoped our kiss would open up a conversation about feelings, that I would be bold enough to tell him about my crush on him, how afraid I had been to speak up, and maybe – just maybe, he would tell me he felt the same way. But Nathan’s eyes had become unreadable as he dropped the bombshell about our entire making out being purely physical for him. It

VERA'S POV "Are you there?" Rachel's voice came over the phone, cutting through my dismay. "Yeah, yeah," I said, flustered. There was a suspicious "uh huh," at the other end of the line, followed by a pause and a giggle. "Wait…Vee, are you just coming back from your crush's party?" Rachel asked. "Um…yeah…" There was a squeal at the other end. "Hurray! It was all night?" she asked breathlessly. "Yeah…," I wanted to tell her I didn't even know when the party was over, seeing as I was knocked out, but she speared on. "Wow!" she squealed again. "You're a big girl now, Vee. You're leaving me behind," she giggled madly. "How was it? Wait, you haven't told me who it is, have you? Which boy wasn't at school today too?" I held my breath. Rachel groaned in frustration. "Gosh. They're too many that didn't come to school today. You will tell me who it was and all about it when you come to school, won't you?" she asked breathlessly. I groaned mentally. I

VERA’S POVMartha, Beth and I exchanged a look. "That would be me, sir —" Martha said before we could talk, but we both interrupted her. "No. That would be me sir, and I'm sorry," Beth and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and had to bite back a smile. Martha was already in a lot of trouble with the manager and he might fire her. The manager looked at the three of us in confusion. "Who?" he asked. "Me," all three of us replied again. His face clouded over. "Are you playing with me?" he growled. Then he turned to Freya. "Which of them, baby?" he asked her. Freya pointed at me. The manager turned to me, and I could see he was conflicted. We were not really on bad terms, and I was one of his best employees. "You?" he asked me. "Seems like a week off has made you forget how to treat customers. No days off for you till I'm satisfied," he said. By the side, Martha rolled her eyes, which was a feat of its own, but Freya looked very dissat

VERA We both watched her walk out the door, then Nathan turned to me. His face was set, and I recognized the angry protector look he gets on him sometimes. "Now, you, don't even try to feed me that bullshit. What's between you and her?" I opened my mouth for some smart retort but none came to mind. This was just like Nathan. Any other person would have known what the problem was, but not Nathan. To him, all women were the same and for the same purpose. Hell, I wasn't even sure he remembered she was the same lady he had made walk out of his party topless just the night before. I sighed in frustration. "Just another lady your attention to me is making jealous," I replied. "Poor her, then," he replied dismissively. "Please, could you stop calling me your kitten in front of your female friends?" "Acquaintances," he corrected. Then he smiled brightly. "You know that's not happening, baby. So, what's it you need?" I gulped. Could we go back to discus