Chapter 15

15

Benji

We're in Grace's room this time and I wrap her quilt tightly around us. "That was awesome, and you get better every time."

Grace snuggles into my chest and kisses my neck. "Practice makes perfect."

I take a deep breath. "Grace, you are perfect." I run my fingers through her hair.

"Are you too tired to go again?" She bites her bottom lip. She has no idea what she does to me.

We snuggle quietly for a few moments.

I kiss the top of her head. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready for more."

"Did you bring your condoms with you?"

"Of course. Always prepared." I swing my legs around and onto the floor. I bend over, grab a condom from my pocket and toss it to Grace. I slide back onto the bed, and she lifts the quilt so I can rejoin her.

"I missed you this week," Grace says as she rolls on top of me.

"I missed you too."

We kiss.

"Are you ready?" She wiggles her hot center across my crotch.

"Keep moving around like that and it won't take much." I'm already starting to harden again.

"Hey Grace?" Miles taps on the bedroom door.

Grace's eyes look like saucers and my blood pressure shoots up to stroke level.

Grace climbs off me. "Shit. I thought he went out," she hisses.

Miles taps on the bedroom door a second time. "You in here?" The bedroom door opens and Miles pops his head in.

Grace pulls the quilt up to her bare chest and I barely get the chance to cover my hard dick.

"Grace! What the fuck?" Miles quickly turns his head away like his eyeballs are burnt.

Shit, they probably are.

Miles slams the bedroom door shut and screams through the door. "Get dressed and get the fuck out of there, Benji."

Grace immediately bursts into tears. "Fuck," she says as she hurries to get dressed.

I slide my shorts up and quickly hug Grace.

Miles pounds on the door. "I'm not waiting all day."

"It's okay. Don't cry," I say to Grace and kiss her temple.

I take a deep breath and open the bedroom door. The minute I step into the hallway, Miles charges me and his fist lands square on my mouth.

Grace

I'm dressed, but otherwise, I can't move. I'm frozen in place when Benji leaves the bedroom and closes the door. I can hear skin on skin contact— punches, I'm assuming.

"You are a dead man walking," my brother seethes.

"Just let me explain."

Another punch.

"Explain? I thought you were my friend , asshole."

"I am your?—"

They bump into the walls. There're groans, plenty of swear words being tossed around, and grunts.

They're going to kill each other.

"I told you to keep your damned hands off my sister."

What? He did?

More punches.

"Listen to me," Benji shouts. "It's not what you think."

The rustling moves from the hallway into Benji's bedroom next door, and I hear bumps on the adjoining wall and Benji's bedroom door.

"Get the fuck out of here. Now. I don't want to see you around here… ever. Do you understand me?"

"Are you at least going to let me explain?"

"I don't wanna hear your excuses," my brother shouts. "I just want your ass out of this house before I rip your head off."

It's quiet for a moment. I take a deep breath, open my bedroom door and stand in Benji's bedroom doorway.

Benji has a bloody lip and a swollen cheek. Miles' eye is swollen shut and it looks like he'll have one hell of a shiner tomorrow.

My brother charges Benji again and they tumble to the floor.

"Stop it," I shout. "Stop it right now!"

They part and each man comes to his feet. They stand apart with evil glares. My brother doubles over as he holds his stomach and Benji wipes blood from his nose.

Miles glares at me. "Get back into your room, Grace. I'll deal with you later."

Benji pulls an overnight bag from his closet and tosses it onto the bed.

Oh no. Is Benji really leaving?

"No Miles," I shout and both men look at me like I've grown horns. It's hard to look at the two men —who I realize as I stand here— that I love and care about more than anything. My heart falls to the floor.

Although I love both of them, I can't let this go on.

I take a deep breath as they continue to stare at me. "No Miles. You're not going to deal with me later. Stop being an asshole."

My brother grinds his jaw hard enough to break concrete. He turns away from me, crosses his arms and his words come out low and menacing. "So, you decide my sister was an easy lay, huh?"

Benji shakes his head and ignores my brother. He takes clothes from his closet and tosses them onto the bed.

"Easy enough that you didn't even need to leave the house. You had her right where you wanted her —just like all your other conquests— and she melted right into you and all the bullshit you fed her, didn't she?"

"Miles," I warn.

"Go back to your room, Grace," Miles says as he cracks his knuckles.

I don't move from my spot in the doorway.

"How long has this been going on?" Miles shakes his head. "I can't believe you'd go after Grace. Especially after all my warnings to you guys to stay the hell away from her."

He gave them warnings?

"I'm getting out," Benji yells. "Get out of my room."

Why isn't Benji explaining to Miles what we had? Why isn't he standing up for me? For us? Why is he leaving?

Miles grabs me by the arm, pushes me back into my bedroom, and slams the door behind us.

The moment the door is closed, my brother starts on me. "I want to blame you just as much, but you're young, na?ve and didn't know what you were getting into."

"Listen to yourself," I seethe. "You're talking to me like I'm a twelve-year-old."

"I should've never let you move in here. I should've known something like this would happen, but I never thought my so-called friend would…" He trails off then pounds the wall. Thankfully he doesn't put a hole in it.

I take a deep breath. "It's not what you think."

"You know he's going around bragging that he bagged a virgin, don't you? That's the kind of thing he does. If you think it was anything more than that— anything more than an easy lay for him…" Miles runs his fingers through his hair which causes it to go crazy in all directions. "You were just an easy target for him."

"He's my boyfriend ," I whisper.

I don't tell Miles that Benji loves me.

Miles closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Oh Grace," he says softly. "Did he tell you you're his girlfriend?"

I nod.

"Benji doesn't do girlfriends. Did he tell you he has a three-year-old kid?"

I mouth gapes open. "What?" I wipe my hands on my shorts.

"Benji has a three-year-old kid that he doesn't take care of. His ex-girlfriend and his parents take care of the kid, because Benji's a deadbeat."

I try to take a breath, but my lungs can't get any air. "You're making it up."

Miles crosses his arms across his chest. "I'm not. Benji doesn't have any money, so his parents have to pay his way and take care of his kid."

I swallow the lump in my throat and my eyes burn with tears that I refuse to let fall. "Why are you doing this?"

"He's nothing better than what we grew up with."

I blow up and scream at my brother. "Get out of my room! Now!"

Miles slams my bedroom door shut and leaves me alone. "You'd better be gone by the time I get back."

Benji mumbles something back, but I can't hear.

My brother charges down the stairway and the front door closes with a bang.