We adjusted our grip again. As I leaned in, the wardrobe shifted just enough that my eyes caught something I absolutely should not have noticed. A flash of neon green fabric at the edge of her hip as she bent forward. Panties. Bright. Bold. Completely unfair.

I looked away immediately.

"Let's angle it more," I said.

Her cheeks flushed, but she did not comment. If she noticed me… uh, 'noticing,' she let it slide.

We pushed again. Hands brushed. Forearms bumped. Each accidental touch felt intentional even though it was not. The air between us felt tight.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," I said. "This thing just hates me."

She smiled. "It hates everyone."

Finally, the wardrobe slid into place. We both stepped back, breathing a little harder than the effort alone justified.

"There," she said. "That's perfect."

I wiped my hands on my jeans. "Told you I earned that beer."

"You did," she said.

She left the room and came back with two cold bottles. She handed one to me, our fingers touching again. This time neither of us pulled away immediately.

"Payment," she said.

I took a sip. "Worth it."

We leaned against opposite sides of the room, drinking quietly. The storm outside rattled softly against the window. Snow tapped the glass.

"Thanks for helping," she said. "I was nervous asking."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "It felt personal."

"It was," I said. "That's not a bad thing."

She looked at me then, really looked. Her eyes stayed on mine. The room felt smaller.

"I'm glad you're here," she said.

I nodded. "Me too."

The moment stretched. I knew I could close the distance easily. I knew she was aware of it too. But I didn't move.

Instead, I lifted my bottle slightly. "To successfully moved furniture."

She laughed, relief and something warmer flickering across her face. "To that."

I shifted and moved in front of the window, leaning back against the windowsill. The glass was cold through my shirt, the storm outside pressing softly against it. I took a sip of my beer and glanced at the bed.

"So," I said, nodding toward it, "you changed the sheets, huh?"

She huffed a quiet laugh and lifted her bottle. "After the mess you made me deal with, I kind of had to."

I smirked. "Not apologizing for that."

"Don't," she said, taking a sip. "Because we both wanted it."

That sentence landed between us and stayed there. The room felt smaller suddenly. Being in the same bedroom with someone who had said let's just be friends after getting eaten out on that same bed was its own special kind of tension.

Our eyes met.

Neither of us looked away.

There was something in her gaze that made my chest tighten. Nervousness, yeah, I could see that. But behind it was want. Clear, honest want. She was not hiding it very well. Mendy was beautiful like this, open without meaning to be, sitting in her own space with her guard half-lowered. I wanted her back in that bed. Badly. But I stayed where I was. I was not rushing this. I was not crossing a line unless she opened the door herself.

She broke the distance first, walking toward me, then stopping and sitting down at the edge of the bed instead. Close. Close enough that there was only an arm's length between us. She rested the beer between her thighs, palms pressed behind her on the mattress, looking up at me with a small, careful smile.

"Kayla," she said, then hesitated, "told me you two had sex."

"Oh," I said. "Shit."

There it was.

God damn it. Of course Kayla would spill everything while drunk. I opened my mouth, closed it, then exhaled through my nose. The bottle in my hand was cold, condensation slick against my fingers, doing absolutely nothing to help my brain work faster.

"Yes," I said finally. "She was okay with it. She knows I'm in an open relationship with Nala."

Mendy's eyebrows pulled together. "I asked… how you were in bed."

I raised a brow. "Yeah?"

"She said you were ten out of ten."

I let out a short laugh. "Well. I am… kind of good in bed."

She patted the mattress beside her. "I already know that."

I shifted my weight but stayed where I was. "Right."

She studied me for a moment. "How," she asked, quieter now, "was Kayla okay with that?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Because there was nothing hidden. She knew what she was walking into. We talked. We were both clear. No promises, no expectations, no pretending it was something more than it was."

"And Nala?" she asked. "She was fine with it too?"

"Yes," I said immediately. "She knew before it happened. She always knows."

Mendy tilted her head. "So you're honest with everyone."

"I try to be," I said. "It's the only way this doesn't turn into a mess."

She looked down at the bottle between her thighs, turning it slowly. "Then why," she said, "won't you let Nala sleep with another man?"

I exhaled slowly. That one stung because it was fair.

"You're right to ask that," I said. "And no, I don't think it's perfectly balanced. I won't pretend it is."

She looked back up at me, waiting.

"Nala loves me," I said. "And she loves the relationship we have. We talked about it a lot. She told me she doesn't want anyone else. That she doesn't need it."

"And you believe that," Mendy said.

"I do," I said. "But I also know part of it is me. I can't imagine her in someone else's arms. I just can't. Maybe that makes me selfish. I won't deny that."

Mendy nodded slowly. "You don't think she'd get hurt."

"I think she would tell me if she was," I said. "And I would listen."

She was quiet for a moment. "And Kayla."

"What about her?"

"You don't feel anything for her."

"No," I said. "I care about her. I love her, but not in… that way you think. It was physical. Mutual. Clean."

"And me," she said softly.

That one landed heavier.

I stepped away from the window and finally closed the distance, stopping in front of her but not touching. "With you," I said, "it's different. That's why I'm careful."

Her fingers tightened slightly on the mattress. "Different how."

"I don't want to rush you into something you're not sure about. What we did happened because you wanted it. Not because I pushed."

She swallowed. "And now."

"And now," I said, "I'm letting you decide what comes next."

She exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping as if she had been holding her breath this whole time. "You're complicated, Evan."

I smiled faintly. "I've been told."

She nodded, then took another sip of her beer. "I don't think there's something wrong with what you do. I just needed to understand it."

"That's fair."

She leaned back on her hands again, looking up at me. "You're not using people."

"No."

"And you're not hiding."

"No."

"Then," she said, after a pause, "I guess I just need time to figure out where I stand."

I nodded. "Take all the time you want."

Her lips curved into a small smile. "You're not making this easy."

"I'm not trying to."

She laughed softly, then nodded once more and let out a long breath. "Okay."

"Hmm."

"May I…" Mendy said, letting out a slow breath. "W-watch?"

I blinked. "Watch?"

"Yeah." She nodded, fingers tightening around the bottle. "You… in action. With the others."

Oh.

Oh, shit.

For a second I just stared at her, like my brain needed a reboot. I hadn't misheard. She wasn't joking. Her eyes weren't playful or teasing either. They were steady. Curious. Determined in that quiet way that made it even more dangerous.

I straightened a little. "You're serious."

She swallowed and nodded again. "I am."

I let out a breath through my nose and rubbed my jaw. "Okay. I'm not going to pretend that didn't catch me off guard." I looked at her. "Are you really sure?"

"Yes," she said, quicker this time. "I don't think I'll understand it unless I see it."

That honesty hit harder than anything else. No games. No manipulation. Just her trying to make sense of something instead of running from it.

"Alright," I said slowly. "Then we do this the right way."

She tilted her head. "What's the right way?"

"Tonight," I said. "I'll come pick you up. We'll go to my place. You won't be expected to do anything. You'll just… watch."

Her shoulders relaxed a little. "Okay."

"And," I added, making sure she was looking at me, "if at any point you feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed, scared—anything—you say the word. You can leave. No questions."

She hesitated. "If I… get scared, would you—"

"Like I said, I won't touch you," I said immediately. My voice came out firmer than I meant it to. "You'll be free to go. Always." I paused, then added more quietly, "Please don't confuse me with Richard. That actually hurts."

Her expression softened. "I wasn't trying to. I just… needed to hear it."

"I know," I said. "And you heard it."

She nodded, breathing out slowly. "I'm still not sure how I feel about all of this. I'm not saying I want it. I'm just… trying to understand you."

"That's enough," I said. "Understanding comes before deciding."

She looked down at her bottle, then back up. "So… tonight?"

"Tonight," I confirmed. "I'll pick you up at eleven."

"Eleven," she repeated, like she was committing it to memory.

She hesitated again. "W-who will be there?"

I thought about it for a second, then answered honestly. "Jasmine. Delilah. Nala. Tessa. Minne. Kim. Kayla." I met her eyes. "And you."

Her eyes widened. "Holy crap."

I laughed softly. "Yeah."

"I don't even know half of them."

"You will," I said. "They're not monsters. You'll probably like them more than you expect."

She shook her head with a nervous smile. "You live a strange life, Evan."

"I won't argue with that."

"Right?"

I finished my beer in one go and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. "Trust me, though. You're safe."

She looked at me for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay. Eleven."

"Eleven," I said back.

"Or…" Mendy checked her phone. "You can just wait here. It's nearly eleven."

"Oh… um. Sure. Yeah, okay."

"Cool… yup. Cool."

Yeah.

Now that…

That was a date.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

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