Nadia’s P.O.V.

Tommy looked at me with a confused expression.

“Deep shit? How?”
“Patrick texted me with Jonathan’s phone and I hung out with him instead”

He chugged the rest of his shake and calmly wiped his face.

“Where exactly is the problem?”
“I kissed Patrick”

His eyes widened in surprise. Finally!

“Alright… So you hung out with Jonathan then walked with Patrick and kissed him”
“Yep. That is so wrong…”

I started panicking. What if he started bragging about it and got Jonathan mad? Shit shit shit! Dammit, Nadia! Why can’t you just act normal?!

“Uh-oh. I know that look” Tommy said, seeing my eyes looking everywhere and my jaw tightening.
“I need your advice! Am I wrong or not?”
“Remember that you’re asking advice from a formal Casanova. Are you sure you wanna hear it?”
“I need help at all costs. I have absolutely no idea how to manage a relationship… if there is at least some kind of relationship involved…”

Tommy pointed his index towards me as if I found the key.

“Look at your hands” he said, waiting for me to follow his order. “Do you see a wedding ring around one of them?”
“No”
“An engagement ring or simply a ring given by any of them?”
“No”
“So there is no serious relationship. You are single and free, do whatever the fuck you want!”
“So you think it is not a problem that I see them both?”
“As long as they don’t talk about that subject together, you can play your game and test them”
“This sounds like an experiment”

He stood up and took off his shirt.

“The real experiment here is to get to know them and decide which one will be better for you”

I started breathing slower. He was right. I wasn’t tied to anyone so I could see who I want in the quantity I want.

“I think you’re right. I’ll date both of them until the answer comes out. I guess it shouldn’t be too long…”

He made a thoughtful expression staring at the ceiling as if he was counting.

“I already made a choice but you don’t have to know it. I’m not you and I don’t know your dating habits so you’ll have to make a choice by yourself”

This sentence was as scary as it was true. Tommy saw it and stood up to give me a hug.

“Remember that I’ll always be there for you. Go on and act like a lady but remember to think like a man” he whispered to my ear.

I smiled. He was right. I opened an eye to check my phone which just vibrated. I pulled away from Tommy and checked my messages. Oh gosh…

Jonathan
OH. MY. GOD. I am so sorry about that! Damn Pat, I hope you didn’t believe him!

Oops.

Jonathan
Did you believe him and wait for him? I’ll break him if he made you wait for nothing!

Hello? Nadia are you still alive?

And last but not least…

Jonathan
I’ll be right over to check on you. I’ll explain everything

Tommy chuckled. I looked furiously at him before punching his shoulder.

“You were right. You might be in deep shit!” he laughed before heading for the shower.

As soon as he closed the bathroom door, someone knocked on the apartment’s door. I rushed to open the door to see Jonathan, looking worn out.

“I… I can explain!” he panted.

I let him pass next to me and walk in.

“Take a seat” I shyly said, sitting next to him on the couch.

He sighed heavily.

“So… Why didn’t you text me back?”
“I… went out with Patrick… as he asked me” I mumbled, feeling like a child admitting his fault.
“So… you took a walk downtown?” he asked.
“Yes… but it was short and awkward as fuck”

He looked at me, searching for the truth in my eyes. Tears were going up to my eyes… and he noticed it.

Jonathan’s P.O.V.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. I didn’t know if I had to rip Pat to pieces or just stay cool with it. In the end, it was just a walk…

“I’m sorry Jonathan…” she whispered, burying her face on my shoulder.
“Hey” I calmly said, lifting her face towards me. “Are you crying?”
“I’m sorry!” she stated before standing up and running to a room.

The door shut as a guy was coming out of the bathroom. What the…

“Hi! You must be Jonathan” he said.
“Yes and you are…?” I asked.
“Tommy Cortese. I’m Nadia’s roommate” he said, shaking my hand. “Don’t get ideas, I’m gay. There is nothing else than friendship between us”
“Oh! So… What just happened?”

He sighed.

“I hope this won’t turn you off but she has always been single so… She’s a little shaken up by what just happened”
“I thought it was worse than that…”
“She’s seen worse. I guess she just likes you a lot so she feels awful to have gone out with Patrick”

I nodded, still stuck on the part where he said she saw worse. I bit the insides of my cheeks. What was the right thing to do at this moment?

“Do you think I should leave? She might need to be alone…”
“No… She sure wants to see you it’s just…” he sighed, looking for his words.
“Is it because she thinks she is not good enough for me?”

Because this would be so wrong…

Nadia’s P.O.V.

All curled up on my bed, I listened to them. It was ridiculous… How could he still be interested in me after all this shitty awkwardness? He doesn’t deserve this…

“Probably… I have to tell you that she has some self-esteem issues so…”

Oh you really had to tell him about it?! Tommy Cortese, you are a dead man!

“I see. I’ll just take it slow and make sure she doesn’t think things are going to be wrong”

I must have imagined that. He cannot just have said the perfect thing.

“Then I guess you should just knock on the door and check on her. You seem to have the good words to say”

Hearing his steps turning towards the door, I grabbed my bed sheets and covered my whole self with them. Saying that I was ashamed of the moment was horribly underrated. I heard the knocks. Two soft hits on the door.

“Nadia?” his amazingly comforting voice said. “Can I come in?”

I growled and pulled the sheets tighter around me. From the outside, it looked like a huge mushroom had grown on top of my bed. I heard Tommy whisper something to him then the knob slowly turned. Tears ran down my cheeks as I heard the soft creaking sound of the door opening then slowly closing. I started sobbing quietly, imagining the worst scenarios ever. Some very soft footsteps made their way towards my bed then I felt the weight of someone sitting near me. I held my breath. What was going to happen? Awkwardness level : over 9999!

“If you tell me to go away, I will not move” he seriously stated.
“Did you just read my mind?!” I blurted out, just after inhaling to yell at him to get out.

He chuckled. It was so cute and comforting. I snorted loudly and stretched a hand to grab my kleenex box.

“Did you just grab my butt?!”

Dammit. Wrong direction. I pulled my hand back quickly under myself. I held my breath.

“Will you come out of your blanket fort or I’ll have to take you out of it?”

His voice sounded quite playful. Was he retarded or just plain awesome? Anyway, I didn’t get the time to think that the sheets flew away from me to reveal Jonathan’s amazed and worried expression. I awkwardly smiled.

“I love how you smile”

I smiled even worse. I looked like I was farting in public and unable to stop it. He chuckled and stretched a hand towards me. I grabbed it and he pulled me closer to him. His smile faded when the sunshine highlighted the tears on my cheeks.

“You’re stressing for nothing, Nadia” he whispered. “I’m not mad at you. You are free to do whatever you want”
“I just feel awful. I thought it was you who wanted to see me again…”
“I would definitely have sent you those messages because I do want to see you again. He just took the chance”

I looked away, having no idea what to add.

“I’m sorry, Jonathan. I am terrible at taking decisions. I almost always get in trouble…”
“Hey” he cut me, cupping my cheek. “You did what you thought was right and that’s all”

Another tear ran down my cheek and landed on his finger. I guess it was time that he knew it…

“I’m fucked up, Jonathan…”
“Stop it” he insisted, cupping my other cheek and sticking his forehead to mine.

We looked deeply in each other’s eyes, hesitating on what to do or what to say. I closed my eyes to take a deep breath but… I felt a warm and soft pressure on my lips. I opened my eyes and realized he really was kissing me. I closed my eyes and slowly moved my hands to feel his forearms. His big hands gently squeezed my face as our tongues were meeting. As I moved my hands to feel his massive shoulders, he slowly pushed me on the bed and continued kissing me. Now my stupid brain was like: who’s the best kisser? I shut it off but realized I couldn’t decide; they were all different. Patrick emitted more seduction and sensuality but Jonathan seemed to abandon himself to this and felt more sensitive and sincere. As he lowered his hand to my thigh, I hardly shivered. He pulled away slowly and looked me in the eyes.

Jonathan’s P.O.V.

She looked just… amazing. She swallowed hardly, biting her lips.

“So, how was this?” I asked, trying to find what could be bothering her.
“Pretty good I guess…” she replied.

I had never met someone so doubtful. I pushed away the strands of hair of her face and looked her straight in the eye.

“Nadia, please, stop pushing yourself down…”

She sat up and sighed.

“I told you, Jonathan. I am not like the other girls you could easily get. I’m a huge load of ever-lasting what the fuck” she said, looking at me like a scared puppy.

I looked at her, wondering what she meant.

“Keep that in mind : I’m fucked up”
“Shhh” I said, putting a finger on her lips. “I forbid you to say anything else like that. You are not crazy or whatever like it. Understood?”

She nodded. I felt my phone vibrating and reached for it in my pocket. The screen said that Patrick was calling.

“Can you excuse me a minute? It’s important”

She nodded and I quickly left the room to go in the bathroom.

“Hello” I answered with the less excitement possible.
“Hey dude, the coach just called and said you didn’t answer his call”
“I was driving” I lied so he wouldn’t know what I was doing. “What’s going on?”
“Team meeting tonight”

I listened to him telling me the details thinking about Nadia. I didn’t have to lie about what I was doing. He had to know so I could score some points and keep her.

“Actually I was on my way to pick you up but I see that you’re not home. Shouldn’t you be napping?”
“Sure, mom! As if you were the one who could tell me when to nap, non-sleeper”

We both laughed.

“But seriously” he asked, “Where are you?”

I took a deep breath, leaning on the wall.

“I’m at Nadia’s place, just chilling”
“What? You still see her?”

My teen-minded friend was getting a bit on my nerves.

“Just like you didn’t see her yourself!”
“Woah calm down, Jon! You know I always take the chance to grab some girl whenever I can!”

The only word that came to my mind at the moment was prick.

“Nadia is not some girl as you usually pick. She is different”
“I know. She will be the original species among my hunting trophies” he said in a perverted voice.

I squeezed so hard the shower curtain that there was a print of my fist. I grabbed a towel instead, gritting my teeth.

“Listen, Pat. I don’t wanna start a war over a girl but please, she’s not your league and might be out of mine so, leave her alone”
“I would leave if she wanted me to but seems like she doesn’t. See, she spent some time with me earlier today and we even kissed!”
“You guys did what?!” I growled, accidentally pulling the towel off its bar.
“You heard me right, dude! And she even introduced it…”

He had to be lying. He couldn’t be trusted with girls.

“Just get to the meeting and I’ll meet you there”
“So I guess it is too much asking to order in a pizza we could share?”
“Yep. Not feeling very hungry right now”
“Alright” he added with a bit of discomfort.

Finally destabilized him! He was not going to break that girl’s heart. She was mine as long as we got each other right, no matter how long it was gonna take.

“So… I guess I’ll see you later?”
“Yup. Later” I quickly said, hanging up.

Well… Time to explain Nadia that I have to leave. I went out of the bathroom and saw her in the kitchen.

“Are you staying for dinner?” she asked, pulling a mouth-watering piece of meat from the fridge.
“I’m afraid I can’t…” I said, looking down.

Nadia’s P.O.V.

He looked suddenly so sad. Tommy stopped reading the recipe to look at him.

“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a team meeting in a few. I have to go but I don’t wanna leave”

She walked towards me with an angel smile. I instantly melted.

“Alright. Then… Will I get to see you again or was it just a weekend story?”

I held her hands and looked her in the eyes.

“If it was only my choice, I’d keep you in my pocket so I could have you everywhere and anytime with me but I guess it’s something impossible” he chuckled.
“Aww that’s adorable… But I’ll let you go. I guess you have a few games soon”
“Yeah… We’re starting in LA then straight to Anaheim. I’ll be gone for at least 3 days”
“It’s your job, you don’t have to apologize. Just go. I’ll be right here watching the game in PJs and slippers” she said with a playful smile.
“Then everything is going to be alright I guess”

I kissed her goodbye then waved at her roommate before leaving. As soon as the door closed, I went down to my car, planning how to keep Patrick away from Nadia. He was not gonna get that girl and screw up with her mind like he always did. I liked her and she was going to be mine.

Patrick’s P.O.V.

On my way to the meeting, I was still thinking about the conversation I had with Jonathan. He was going nuts about her. Of course she was special; I had never met someone like her. She talked and thought like a buddy but still was girly without acting like a fucking butt hurt princess. I didn’t even understand why I liked her but I was gonna get her. No matter what.

Notes

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