Page 85 of Ghosted By Texas

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Houston grumbled as his eyes returned to meet mine.

“Why is that exactly?”

“Becs is a good person. Are you really going to throw her away for a cheap roll in the hay with that?” He asked while pointing at Jordan. I could have sworn I saw the woman flinch, and maybe Houston did, too.

“She may be your friend, but she’s been obsessed with you since childhood, and hasn’t really given a fair shake to anyone else who has come into your life, thanks to her parents pressuring her all those years. She isn’t the woman for you, Aus. All three of us know that. Jordan doesn’t want to lose you and she’s desperate. That, I get. What’s your excuse?”

“Excuse for what, Houston?”

“What’s your excuse for sitting here in the dark with your naked best friend within reach, not to mention within view of the windows, while your girlfriend is out there probably thinking your angry with her for a choice her friend made?”

“She said she would meet me here before she took off to go check on Clea.”

“Yeah? How receptive to knocking on the door do you think she was when she noticed Jordan’s car outside?”

“How the hell would she know what Jordan’s car looked like?”

“You really are an idiot. Aus, Jordan was there, standing by her car that she conveniently parked behind yours, at the movie theater that night you almost lost your girl. If you don’t think Becs noticed exactly what she was driving, you are even more of a dumbass than I ever thought you were.”

“Fuck, do you think that’s why she never showed or called?”

“You told her that Jordan was out of town for a while, and at the first sign of trouble, there she is naked on our couch. Not that Becs would know that. It does bring something else to question, though. Why the hell didn’t you kick Jordan out the minute she showed up at the door?”

“She let herself in with the key,” I informed him.

“You should have taken her key back when you had your talk months ago.”

“I didn’t even remember she had a key until she used it tonight. I only gave her a copy in case I lost or forgot mine and couldn’t get a hold of you.”

“Do me a favor and get it back. The last thing I need, is to start dating someone and have them get the wrong idea about the woman who showed up to the house in a barely-there panty and bra set. What would you have done if Becs did come last night and saw Jordan here dressed that way?” Again, he pointed to Jordan as if I didn’t know what he was talking about.

“I honestly don’t know. It’s not like I had any control over the situation.”

“That’s just it, Aus. You had plenty of control, you just didn’t use it. The minute you heard that key in the door, you should have been on your feet, going to see who it was. The second you realized it was Jordan, you should have sent her packing, but especially if you realized that was all she was wearing. If I were Becs, even if I’d shown up and nothing was going on, I would have dumped your ass for not turning her away immediately.”

“She’s my best friend,” I tried to explain. “I couldn’t just turn her away like she didn’t matter.”

“And isn’t that why Becs had a hard time trusting you with a second chance?”

“What?”

“Man, you can’t have a female best friend hanging around, who you’ve been fucking for years, while you try to establish a relationship with another woman. The ‘she’s my best friend’ excuse stopped being plausible the minute you stuck your dick in Jordan. As far as any woman is concerned from here on out, she’s an ex who is competition that won’t go away, and if you tell them that you allowed her to stay in your house wearing only her underwear because she matters, you’re basically saying she matters more than they do.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“No, it’s not, man. No woman would be okay if she showed up to your house and saw that. I can see her pussy from here,” my brother pointed out, which of course made me look. I winced to see he was right. Jordan hadn’t even bothered to class things up. She went straight for cheap and visible with her look.

“Aus, if you allow Jordan to get away with this level of bad behavior, only minutes after getting mad at your girlfriend for the first time, then I’d say Becs’ point was proven. Jordan will always be a problem for you. You keep putting her first, and Becs won’t be the only woman you lose because of her, and we already know there have been others, but this one meant something to you too. Are you really willing to lose her for that?” Again, he pointed at my best friend while using a tone that felt more like he was calling her trash.

My brother shook his head as he glanced between Jordan and me one more time before nailing me with a heated stare. “You may have already lost Becs, tonight.”

“You’re right about that.”

“Why do you say it like that?”

“Houston, Jordan pointed something out to me last night,” I started to say only to have my brother lose all decorum and laugh so loudly there was no way Jordan could have slept through it.

“Seriously? Your crazy best friend showed up at our place, let herself in with a key she shouldn’t still have, wearing only lingerie, and she doesn’t have an agenda she’s speaking from? Aus, you can’t be that fucking stupid.”

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