Chapter 6: Bust him or leave?

Christian’s presence takes up less of my attention though because Levi needs someone to help him serve the drinks and food I bring, and that role falls on me as I’m the only one not participating in the party.

“We need some drinks over here!”

I grab three bottles of beer from the fridge and prepare to paste a smile on my face once again, when I feel Christian’s gaze on me. He doesn’t take it away this time.

The obvious look of disdain in his eyes makes me get so angry I ask spitefully, “Don’t you have a house of your own you can work in?”

His response comes back ice cool, devoid of any note of emotion or annoyance, “This house is mine. I lent it to Levi, so I am working in my house.”

All my puffed-up anger deflates immediately, “Oh.”

A call for more drinks from outside makes me jolt and as I look, I realize Christian’s look of disdain isn’t directed at me but at Levi’s friends and at the party going on.

I take the drinks, hoping to slip away, but his question stops me dead in my tracks “Why aren’t you angry my brother and his friends are using you as a personal waitress?”

My grip on the bottles becomes tighter. 

Anyone would get angry at being called a waitress, but I already figured out what I was being used for a while ago, and since he knows too, there’s no denying it. I respond as calmly as I can, “It’s Levi’s birthday.” 

Christian hides an expression expertly, I suspect it’s the urge to roll his eyes. 

I continue regardless, “As long as he’s happy, I don’t have an issue helping out. Especially not after…”

The words I mean to say but can’t hang in the air between us, and he understands. I see it in the tight line of his lips, so I dash out to provide the drinks Levi and his friends are asking for.

It’s tiring work but Christian doesn’t glare at me or chide me for being a waitress anymore.

As I take a break on the couch, fatigue lulling me slowly to sleep, one thought runs through my head….. He probably doesn’t want his brother to find out about us either.

I wake up later in the day to the sound of clacking keys.

There’s newfound silence in the house and as I look around, I see various people in different stages of unconsciousness.

Some are passed out on counters and some are asleep on the floor. 

I see none of them have come near the couch I’m on though, and as that rhythm of clacking keys wafts into my ears once more, I turn my head in its direction to see Christian, still hard at work, laser focused on what he’s doing.

The level of attention he pays to his work draws me in and makes me feel everything else melt away as I watch him.

Oddly, this is the first time I’ll be doing something like this. Watching another person, a man, like I’m trying to see through his skin into his mind, into the very content of his being. 

Looking at him… I think he’s even more handsome when he’s working, and like my mind’s remark draws him, Christian’s gaze slides steadily to me, and as he holds mine… I look away.

We can’t be doing that.

I get up, stretching as I ask, “Do you know where Levi is? I forgot to give him his gift.”

My brain still feels sleepy as I reach for the little gift box I wrapped Levi’s tie in. It’s a one-of-a-kind tie. It was signed by one of his favorite football stars so I’m sure he’ll love it.

I open the box to glance at the tie,  yet the moment I do, my memory reminds me of an important fact. 

Levi already got a tie as a gift.

One much more extraordinary than this one.

Despair makes me mutter, “I can’t give him this…I need to go get something else.”

I walk to the door, reaching for the handle, but a firm grip yanks me back. 

I fall right into a strong pair of arms. Christian’s arms.

My eyes fly wide in alarm and I’m about to ask what he thinks he’s doing but the intense gaze of his eyes shuts me up as he speaks, “You should see this before you leave.”

I hesitate, but I follow Christian blindly as he leads me up the stairs. The closer we get to a room’s door, the more my memory jogs up…. That’s the door to Levi’s room. Why would Christian be leading me there? 

Wait, he possibly can’t be thinking of…

Flashes of what happened last night run through my mind and in a panic I pull, aiming to free Christian’s grip on my wrist, but his hold is like a vise.

I’m about to ask what he thinks he’s doing when I stop.

I hear the sounds of deep moaning.

Levi’s door is open just a crack and through it… through it I can hear the sound of people kissing, moaning and chuckling noisily as they do so. A rough voice slips through, “You look so good in that baby. 

Like my own personal hooker.”

My heart trembles at the sound of that voice.

It’s Levi’s voice.

On shaky legs I walk over and peer through the open gap in the door as I desperately hope and wish for whatever I see to be different. 

Levi….. Levi can’t be cheating on me.

I love him. I love him and he loves me, so he can’t…. please.

I look and my heart shatters as my fear comes true, tears roll down my cheeks as I see who Levi is cheating on me with.

Cassie is smirking, her hair spread out in a curtain of curls around her head while she splays her legs wide open. 

She’s wearing the lace lingerie - the one she got in a matching pair with me at the store yesterday. In a deep sultry tone she coos at Levi, “Come fuck me like your whore, then.”

They both chuckle, Levi climbing onto the bed, kissing and grinding against her, smiling endearingly as he and my best friend do one of the worst things they could do to me.

They make an open mockery of the love and loyalty I have shared with them for the past three years.

Hot tears blur my vision, but a low voice whispers one question into my ears. 

“Bust him, or leave?”