Ben495Please respect copyright.PENANAM05oY3bort
495Please respect copyright.PENANADV0H332fbe
January 1, 2005
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Same day
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Even though I was trying really hard not to listen to the girls through the wall, I could still make out bits and pieces of their conversation. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAlChcYD7eYq
Okay, maybe I didn't try that hard.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfRXB60RccJ
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Okay, fine I didn't try at all. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAoAJTS1pIvM
In fact, I might have tried really hard to listen. If only the guys would have shut their stupid mouths, maybe I could have at least heard the loud redhead.495Please respect copyright.PENANAw9IiszJmSy
I heard Vanessa yell something about good sex in Kat's life. Shit, were they talking about me? 495Please respect copyright.PENANAr0pemJd2Zb
I've never been so fucking insecure about a girl before. What the hell is wrong with me?495Please respect copyright.PENANAzf1nyFW8TV
I couldn't make out anything Kat said, but Vanessa's voice came through clearly. She practically yelled about Kats ex being unable to satisfy her.495Please respect copyright.PENANAkPmsOzj2WK
I tried to hide my snicker, but Kai stopped mid sentence to glare at me. "What the fuck is so funny? I haven't even got to the good part."495Please respect copyright.PENANAmz0fEyIomb
I couldn't think up an excuse, so I went for an apology. "Sorry, bro."495Please respect copyright.PENANAzG8Ux3fXWJ
"Just ignore him, he's smitten with his new girl." Nate betrayed me.495Please respect copyright.PENANAXK7PVpTUfC
"What the fuck, man?" I tried to think of more, but I was in shock. Smitten? Who says that? 495Please respect copyright.PENANAMcKDVFZ2pM
"Just telling it like it is, bro." Nate smirked. Asshole.495Please respect copyright.PENANANI9us0LzZx
"Whatever. She's definitely not my girl." I crossed my arms defensively, hoping he would take the hint and back the fuck off.495Please respect copyright.PENANAzaz1TolEsg
As soon as we heard the girls screaming at each other, I was on my feet, ready for... what? 495Please respect copyright.PENANARXGx6Sovrl
Was I worried about Kat? What could I even do? She barely even liked me. She would probably just turn her wrath on me.495Please respect copyright.PENANAsNmbWiwMjQ
Nate stood up and clapped his hand down on my shoulder. "I got this." Thank fuck. I blew out the breath I didn't realize I was holding.495Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZiRfeMjuk
I tried to focus on Kai's story, but my mind kept drifting to Kat.495Please respect copyright.PENANAyASHhy3QEP
Damn, Vanessa was the only one with Nate when he returned.495Please respect copyright.PENANAWzaI41jHkf
Where was my little hurricane?495Please respect copyright.PENANA6WVdAg3BJS
"Hey 'Ness! Good to see you again." Luke smiled from next to the stove, waving the spatula in greeting.495Please respect copyright.PENANAoMNAeGF8oX
Vanessa smiled and stepped up to the breakfast bar. "Hey Luke, where's Soph?" 495Please respect copyright.PENANAvj8Xp7v8T9
"Your guess is as good as mine." Luke grimaces as he moves to the opposite side of the breakfast bar.495Please respect copyright.PENANACTbv6MsniH
"Uh oh... Trouble in paradise?" Vanessa pats his arm to console him.495Please respect copyright.PENANAtqxlRXpFt7
Fuck this. I can't sit here and listen to this small talk. I need to find Kat. I need to apologize. 495Please respect copyright.PENANA1I5p2xXphT
I wasn't sure where Kat would be, but I saw the redhead drag her into the empty room next to mine, so I knock on that door. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAqTMvhah6rk
Even though she tried to turn me away, I was determined. She accepted my apology, but she seemed to withdraw afterwards. What did I do wrong? 495Please respect copyright.PENANAbDQDvN12K6
I thought apologizing would make things better, give us a fresh start, but she said she didn't want to start over. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAkG5HEvMWXO
And that made me fucking ecstatic. I wanted to remember everything, every little detail.495Please respect copyright.PENANAkOvuy0DWSU
As we walk into the kitchen, Kai stops shoving food in his mouth long enough to be obnoxious. "Daaamn bro, your girl is smokin'!"495Please respect copyright.PENANAvDqtNQISx0
I smirk, giving a slight nod in acknowledgement, but I know better than to speak. 495Please respect copyright.PENANA3M9B6rKmJh
"I'm not his girl." Kat sounds offended. Oh shit. Shut up, Kai.495Please respect copyright.PENANAWjApS1JdU9
"So sorry, my lady." She is full on glaring at him by this point and I'm resisting the urge to grab an umbrella and wait out the storm that's brewing.495Please respect copyright.PENANAmICwNXARFa
"I'm not your lady either." I fail at hiding the laugh that escapes out of me. Even though Kai had no idea what he was getting into, I could get used to her rage being aimed at someone other than me. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAlLYckCFSqX
Shit. Now she's glaring at me again. "Something amusing?"495Please respect copyright.PENANAqBfwjOKFPy
I drop the smirk and shake my head, hoping I look innocent.495Please respect copyright.PENANAIcrOxULptB
Her eyebrows raise further, in question. "No, Kat." Feeling very much like the schoolboy who got caught. Guess I got detention.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfX3sxWG5FH
"Sorry, Kat, is it?" His stupid face continues taking. Fuck, he's gonna get this whole house burnt down. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAtEY1NeXd57
Just shut up, Kai.495Please respect copyright.PENANA4Gnf1FJNS6
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I'm sending a brain message to him.495Please respect copyright.PENANAuO7pTchhWc
Stop talking. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAyoApRy3bpz
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Stop talking.495Please respect copyright.PENANACk7ELoMasW
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Stop talking.495Please respect copyright.PENANA9ckhLuDtf9
Of course, he doesn't hear me, so he continues digging his grave. "I just assumed since Vanessa is with Nate-dog, Soph is with Luke and I'm pretty sure you aren't with me... Benny here is the only option."495Please respect copyright.PENANAteqFovqjbi
"Oh." She... wait. What? That's it? What the fuck? She would have murdered me. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAm0lL3E5e0a
"Oh?" I say it before I can stop myself. What is wrong with me? She turns her little glare on me. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAn1ahUV8TyM
God, could she be more breathtaking? I want to worship her... and run for shelter at the same time. What is she doing to me?495Please respect copyright.PENANA5jqwSy4bx7
"Sorry, just ignore me." I try to cut off her rage before it starts, but fail. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAVGoZpIMK2Y
"Will do." Her eyes avoid mine as she hurries out of the kitchen.495Please respect copyright.PENANAfKIpaKdyj2
I follow after her. Of course I do. I am a glutton for punishment.495Please respect copyright.PENANAwIxlHMe24E
But as I stand outside the door of my room, I'm at a complete loss. 495Please respect copyright.PENANA1nP44A7n3D
I'm honestly not sure what I did wrong, other than piss her off... but I seem to do that simply by breathing. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAWWrMPHkl4v
I just want to be near her.495Please respect copyright.PENANAtVn6uv4Era
Come on, Ben. Get a fucking hold of yourself. You are the man. You don't need another disaster. Remember what happened last time you - no, don't think about that. 495Please respect copyright.PENANA2Zh4n6qXAr
Focus. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAe7RLz6CjcJ
No relationships. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAc7DCop5VUn
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No dating.495Please respect copyright.PENANA1LKQAEoltm
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No long term. 495Please respect copyright.PENANANhp8jKrOD7
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No feelings.495Please respect copyright.PENANApqWrSeBTdG
That's the deal. Nate might have fallen off the wagon, but I know he will come back around. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAiMbwMt3nX4
Time to reign this in. I turn the knob and walk in without looking at her. That will make this easier. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAcOJ8jqp4Qy
I sit on my bed, next to her and stare at the floor as I begin my half-assed blow-off attempt. 495Please respect copyright.PENANA8RMQvvA04Y
"So, listen, Kat... This has been fun. But you know, I'm just like super busy right now and I just think maybe-" She cuts me off, which is good because I ran out of cliches to use.495Please respect copyright.PENANAag9H926v5L
"Are you serious right now?" If her eyes could shoot lasers, I would be cut into tiny pieces... and she would probably enjoy it. A lot. "I can't even... I can't..."495Please respect copyright.PENANATcCZVL9xk8
She shakes her head and walks out the door. I swear I feel a piece of me follow her, but like the pussy I am, I stay behind. 495Please respect copyright.PENANAC3CzyqwBIv
She chose to run away from the shell that's left of me.495Please respect copyright.PENANAB6idfTV4GP
So I let her.
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