Page 11 of Four-ever Single

“I didn’t sleep well either. There were a lot of loud noises, and I kept hearing this constant thumping. It would stop and then start again. It was super annoying. If I didn’t know better, I would say the neighbors were up fucking all night long. But that would be hard to believe given that they’re in their seventies.” She snorted, rolling her eyes.

Bella’s face flushed with color as she turned away and started fixing a cup of coffee.

“It was probably the neighbors,” she lied, the dark liquid filling her cup. “Maybe they were exercising again? And it probably wasn’t as late as you thought, given how intoxicated you were.”

“Maybe. The walls are pretty thin,” Lia agreed, lips pursed tightly.

“The joys of living in a duplex and sharing a wall.” Bella lifted her mug and took a sip while I tried not to burst into laughter at how many lies were flying around me this morning.

“You would think things would be much quieter with having elderly neighbors,” Lia muttered, grabbing her coffee from the island and heading back to the bathroom.

I exhaled heavily, relieved to be in the clear, when she suddenly stopped and turned back to look at me.

“Hey, Jones?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind checking the rest of the outlets before you go? I wouldn’t want to risk starting a fire with a faulty outlet in a brand-new house.” She locked eyes with me, telling me she read through the load of crap we just tried to feed her.

Six

Bella

“Where are you going?” I asked, legs curled under me on the couch as Lia rushed through the kitchen, stuffing her bag full of snacks before filling her water bottle with ice water.

“I start my clinical rotations today.”

“Oh my God, how did I forget?” I pressed my palm to my head. I was so used to her being home on the weekends that it was weird to see her up and going so early on a Sunday morning. “How do you feel about it? Are you nervous?”

“I’m a mess,” she admitted, forcing her shoulders down as she looked at me. “But I’m also excited about it. I’m a second-year medical student who gets to start my clinicals a few months early. I’m taking that as a sign from the universe that this is where I’m meant to be. Even though we all know it’s just part of living in a small town and having to fight for scheduling time at the hospital for clinical rotations.”

“You’ll be in the ER, right?”

“Yeah, this one is ER, and the next is general surgery. I can’t wait for that one.”

“Well, break a leg,” I offered, immediately scrunching my nose. “Okay, not literally. You know what I mean.”

“Thanks. Be good and try not to set anything on fire while I’m gone,” Lia tossed over her shoulder as she winked at me and walked out the front door.

I knew she was suspicious about what was going on between me and Jones. And I wanted to tell her about it, I really did. But there was something comforting about being able to just be myself around him and not having to worry about anyone thinking they had a say in whatever was going on between us. I had become so accustomed to everyone having an opinion—whether it was how I looked in my photos or whether I should be working with a sex toy company—that I just wanted to make decisions for myself. To be in complete and total control of something for once.

After Lia left, I got up and made myself breakfast, making sure to get myself back on track after this weekend and the extra calories I’d consumed. I was hoping that Lia would either find her one true love or take a break from dating because I couldn’t handle these girls' nights out anymore.

But with her starting her clinicals, that meant she would have even less free time than before. She quit her job a few weeks ago in preparation for this, and now that her family business was up and running like a well-oiled machine, she hadn’t been needed there either. She would still be putting in twelve to fourteen-hour long days with very few breaks until she finished med school, which meant I would hardly see her.

By noon, I had completed my daily workout routine and added in an extra thirty minutes of cardio because I had the time. I jumped in the shower, cleaned up, and then sat down to go through a few emails that had come through from my agent.

One was regarding a possible new job, which I was strongly considering now that Lia’s income was going from steady to zilch. I was still making great money from Dark Vibes, but I wasn’t sure how long they would need me. It seemed we were almost through with their entire catalog, but I hadn’t heard anything more about it. I had an exclusivity agreement in my contract with them, but I was pretty sure that modeling for a new high-end boutique in town wasn’t any sort of direct competition. One would have me wearing pearls and decked out in a full-length satin gown, while the other would be skimpy lingerie and thigh-high stockings.

I replied, letting her know I was available to discuss things tomorrow. Then, I opened my social media app and found myself pulling Jones’ profile up. I chewed my lower lip in between my teeth as his picture loaded. It was my favorite one because his dark hair was slightly tousled, and the light hit his green eyes perfectly. Not only that, his full, plump lips drew my attention straight to them, making me yearn for how they would feel against my skin.

The worst part was that now I knew exactly how they felt, and yet I still couldn’t get enough.

I closed the app and let out a frustrated breath as I got off the couch and walked into the kitchen. I meant to grab a glass of ice water but spotted the box with the pierced dildo from yesterday morning sitting on the counter.

Deciding that I had enough of being sexually frustrated this morning, I grabbed it and headed to my bedroom, closing the door behind me.

Seven

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