JOINED (The Joined Series) (7 page)

“What’s this?”

He gave me a crooked grin, slowly swaying back and forth, pat
iently waiting for me to open. T
hen the door rang. Brayden got up and came back with Sarah. Leaning against the open entrance to the kitchen, Brayden
glanced over her silhouette.

Sarah passed by
him
, lightly touching the front of his hand; he didn’t let go of the contact. Lifting his shoulders,
we looked at each other
.

“Hey guys,” she said.

“
Hey
Sarah.” I stood up and we
hugged
. “You tired me out yesterday.”

She curtsied. “You’re welcome.” I twisted my lips at her and she looked at me like I gave her a compliment.

“I’ve missed you guys. Even though I saw you yesterday, Becca!
”
Brayden gaped at her.
I rolled my eyes.

“Not as much as I’ve missed you,” he said in a murmur. I couldn’t
bear
to look at them any longer. Finally, I opened my box. It was a
sleek
smartphone, with a sliding keyboard and a wild orange and red colored leopard case. I wanted to take the case
off and throw it on the floor.

Sarah sat across from me. Her
hair
was blown out stick straight and
in a high ponytail, complimenting her long neck
. She
had
light foundation, blush, and clear lip-glos
s
on
. She wore her
Tory Burke
flats, blouse, and
black tights that accentuated her muscular and toned legs.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“I like it a lot.” I pinched
my lips, angling my head to Sarah, “Now I wonder who got me this case?
And
I wonder who selected my bed sheets.
”

Sarah placed her hands on her hips. “I had to add some of my touch. This way, you won’t forget about me.” She rested her
other arm
on the table. “That remote you call you a phone needs to be retired.”

I brushed my hand in her direction at my old phone. “It’
s been working
fine
all theses years.
” My grin widened as I observed their interaction. “I could
n
ever forget yo
u.
You know, I am going to chug this case and those sheets.”

She clasped my new phone, turning it on. “I
figured
. But
some color
and pattern makes anything pop.” I
sipped some
of my tea. Sarah returned
my new
phone to me. “I added all of
the
numbers in your
new
phone.” I nodded at her. “I even added Jay’s.”

“In case of anything,” she explained. “I even have Jay’s number.”

“It’s fine.” I rapped my fingers against the table, looking at my phone’s screensaver...the painting of the little boy and the dog, th
e boy’s hand on the dog’s back.
It was
the best thing about this phone
.

“All you have to do is call customer service to activate your new phone.”

“Okay.” I searched through
my
phone’s menu for split second, easily seeing that it was user friendly. “So, are you two back together or what?”

“We talked last night about it and we
’
re not back together,
” Sarah replied, shifting her chair so she could look at Brayden.

“I introduced you two to each other,” I reminisced, adoring the way they obviously enjoyed being in each other’s presence. Whatever hurt existed between the pair of them wasn’t more palpable than they love they shared. My chest literally ached for them. If they couldn’t make it, what chance did I
have
to ever experience love? “A major reason why I didn’t ask about your relationship
until now
is because I respect your privacy.
”

“And I am so grateful for that, Becca.” He took her hand, trailing his fingers around her small and narrow wrist. “I can say, for myself, at least, that it never bothered me—to talk to you about us.”

The black flecks in her deep green eyes
gleamed
, her skin warmed.

Sarah covered her hands over Brayden’s, squeezing them. “Becca, he’s always had my heart.
He still does
.” Briefly, Brayden lowered his eyes, his long thick
eyelashes
fluttered on his chiseled cheekbones.

“Umm…thanks. Sarah.” He lifted his eyes, and his cheeks blushed crimson.

I crossed my arms. “
Do you really
think that he
cheated on you?”

Sarah released her hands from Brayden. “
No,
I know he didn’t
” she answered. “
About a
month
ago
, I came to his dressing room
.
I
caught a make up artist kissing his neck. He didn’t move her away.”

“I was shocked. No one’s touched me like that…but you. I turned around and saw it was Franky.”

“Hmmm. Anything else?” I probed
.
             

“Once I saw that it was Franky, I moved away from her and Sarah was there. She dropped the doggy bag she got for me on the floor and she left.” He faced Sarah. “I ran after you and you already
got in a cab. I got back inside, c
alled you.
Y
our phone went straight to voicemail.”

She slouched onto the seat. “Hi
s account pretty much covers it,” s
he
said it with a hint of sadness in her voice
. “I never accused you of cheating on me.” She turned to me. “This is the first time we’ve seen each other since then.”

“Hmm
.” I s
wayed my head,
mulling over
the
time frame of their separation
and I almost got lost in thought
.

Brayden looked at me seriously
.
He turned his whole body to her. “Anyway, I’ve gotta go to work. I’ll-um talk to you guys later.” Walking away from Sarah,
we heard him
he grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger in the hallway. Poking his head back in, he said. “Either of
you
need anything, don’t hesitate to call. And Sarah?” She peered at him. “Don’t feel like you can’t drop by ‘cause I am here.”

             
             
             
             
             
***

Sarah got up to open the windows above the sink. She turned the dial, putting some water in the mug and watered the three pots of plants on the windowsill.

Simultaneously:

“Have you had any breakfast?”

“So, both of you started to see other people already?”

Opening the freezer, she took out some frozen bagels, and some cream cheese, jelly, and butter from the fridge.

“I’ll assume that you haven’t. I saw Natasha and Henry on my way here.
He
politely greeted me, like always and we talked.
”
She averted her eyes from me as I stood up to prepare my own bagel. “Later on that night, I told Bray we need to see other people.” She placed my cinnamon raisin bagel in the toaster.

“Do you know if he’s seen other people?” She could sense some distress in my words.

“He’s been on a few dates. From what people have told me, he’s had a good time.”

I took my bagel from the toaster, spreading some cream cheese and jelly on it. “How do you know this
anyway
?”

“Dylan and Sascha saw him at the Billiards bar with some chick. She had nice perky breast
s
and
a
tear-drop ass, according to Dylan.” She poured herself some apple juice as her bagel shot up from the toaster. “Of course, I ran into Jay after yoga
last week
and he was more than thrilled to let me know that ‘My boy is finally getting it in
and not moping no more.’
” She laughed a little bitterly to herself.

“How do you really feel about this?” I looked outside, saw some sitters with children and people rushing into work. I forgot about the hectic foot and car traffic in New York.  Even though we weren’t on the main streets everyone seemed to be in everyone else’s way.

“
Yeah,
I
get
jealous
think
ing about some chick
putting her hands on him
.
It’s
—tough for me to accept,” She gritted out, leaning her curvy hip on the counter. “But I had to force Dylan to introduce him to some girls.”

“But that—
“

She cupped her light hands on my
wrist
.
“Just because I hate it, doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t date. I mean, we’ve been a couple since we were fourteen…I know you don’t care to know, but we were…”

“I know that you were each other’s first. Obviously, you two had an intimate relationship. Of course, I don’t care to know the details. Do you know how wonderful it is that you loved the person you first had sex—No, let me correct myself, made love with? I lost my virginity and I’ll say it: it was just sex. I didn’t expect to love…the first guy, but I wanted to at least…like him,” I groused.

Sarah quirked a side of her face, looking at me compassionately. “
I know that you did
. It’s not too late for you have meaningful sex.” She fell silent for a moment. “
Bray, is a real gentleman. I gotta tell you, there aren’t that many men out there like him.” She finished masticating half of her bagel. “See, Bray hasn’t had anyone else and I haven’t either. After I saw that twat all over him, on the ride back home, I started thinking.” Looking for my reaction, she stopped, and then she closed her eyes. “A part of him was afraid that he liked her touch. It scared the shit out of him.” Opening her eyes, she
eyed
me and gripped her billowy blouse. “I am not scared when I find
another man
attractive, or appealing. It happens. We deserve it to ourselves to date other people…have sex with other people.
He won’t resent me for feeling tied down and I won’t resent him either. This is our chance.
” Even though I could sense it coming, it was like a crushing blow to my stomach. I idolized their relationship for so long, knowing that they had their issues, like every couple, but denying that they’d ever be apart. They were that constant for me other than my parents.

I pressed my lips together, dropping my hands to my
thighs
.

“H-how has it been? Being with other men?”

“I’ve been
with three dudes. They were…considerate…It was good, b
ut it wasn’t great,” she paused,
“because it wasn’t Bray.
He’s…excellent in bed.
”
As a blush spread across her face, I must have winced
. “I can’t imagine how you feel hearing this, but you asked and I am giving it to you straight.” Her voice sounded a
little worried, defensive even.

I
glared at her and breathed deeply
. “That’s right. I asked,” I said reassuringly. “As much as it pains me to acknowledge it…you have a major point—actually, many points. And I know that despite our friendship you don’t have to explain— any of this to me. You’re taking ownership of what feels right to you.”