Friends with Consequences Ch. 08-09

"Yeah, he's older. He graduated a few years ago."

"What?! He's not a student?" Max scratched his head in disbelief. What is this Jake guy doing on campus if he's not even a student? he thought to himself.

"Yeah dude. He's like twenty-three or twenty-four, I think."

"My friend is only a freshman. That's kind of weird for a freshman to be dating a twenty-four-year-old."

"Oh, dating?" Sam tried to clarify. "You didn't say they were dating."

"Oh, I actually don't know," Max explained as he scooted back in his seat. "Umm... I was just saying... that WOULD be creepy for an older guy to hang out with a freshman like that."

"I'm not going to lie to you, Bro. Jake is kind of sleazy. You didn't hear that from me though, okay?"

"Sleazy?" the shy boy asked, slowly inching his way back up the seat. Without admitting it to himself, this was precisely the type of information he was looking for.

"Yeah, he's always trying to get girls," Sam elaborated. "I doubt he's trying to date her, for real."

Max sighed in relief, knowing Jake wasn't the type of person to be in a committed relationship. A normal guy would have still been unhappy with his girl hanging with a guy like Jake. Unfortunately, Max was so unconfident that he was actually okay with this situation.

"I could be wrong," Sam said, shrugging his shoulders. "I just wouldn't bet on him trying to be in a committed relationship."

"Well, that's interesting," Max replied with a small smirk.

"Your girlfriend should be safe," the young frat boy added, nodding his head.

"My girlfriend? She's not my girlfriend!"

"Oh, she's not?"

"No! She's my friend from high school. She was my neighbor, actually."

"Oh, okay. So, you just asked me all those questions about Jake because you're just friends with her?"

The young man went quiet, realizing how silly it sounded. "Yeah..." he answered, hoping his classmate would believe him.

The frat boy started laughing. "Yeah, that totally makes sense."

--

Like an idiot, Max felt better after having that conversation. Knowing that a guy would not take the girl he was interested in, just because he didn't want to, actually relieved him.

If there was anything positive that really came out of this, it was that the naïve young man was able to sit down and think about what he wanted.

I have to admit it to myself; if I was that afraid of Jake taking her, I must really like her... a lot. I can't do this Friends with Benefits thing anymore. I need to tell her how I really feel.

Now that Max could openly admit his feelings to himself, he decided it was time to admit them to Linda. With a deep breath, he texted her, asking when she would be free so he could tell her he wanted to give it a real try. To his surprise, he got a quick response, and they agreed to meet that evening.

From the time he was done with class until it was time to meet with her, Max stood in front of the mirror in his room, reciting what he was going to say. "Linda... I know I'm not exactly your type, but after spending so much time together, I feel like there's something special between us. Let's give this a real shot!"

When he walked outside to meet with her, he felt his heart beating like it was going to explode out of his chest. He knew the moment had finally come. His breathing got heavier, and his mind was anxious. He waited in the courtyard, tapping his foot as he waited for the cute brunette.

Suddenly, everything in Max's mind stopped as he watched Linda walk towards him. She was wearing a little dress, showing off those legs he loved so much. Her hair was done, and she was wearing makeup. Did she get all dressed up for me?

"Hey Linda... Thanks for meeting with me."

Linda folded her arms and had a difficult time looking at her former neighbor. "Hey Max..."

Max immediately noticed something was off. This was the first time he had ever seen her look so unconfident. Her eyes were down, and her body language was terrible. "Are you okay, Linda?"

"I'm fine, Max... I'm actually glad you texted me. I have something I need to talk to you about."

Once again, everything in Max's mind came to a pause. Knowing Linda needed get something off her chest became priority over anything he had to say. "What... What do you need to tell me?"

The long-haired brunette stared at the grass, taking deep breaths before making her confession. "This isn't going to be easy..."

The boy only became more confused. "What is it?"

Finally, Linda looked up and met Max's eyes with her own. "I should have told you this earlier... but do you remember that guy that came to my room, Jake?"

Oh no, he thought, shaking his head. He could feel tears forming for the first time since he was a little child. Please don't tell me she's interested in him.

As the world went silent, she finally admitted, "I've actually been sleeping with him," before putting her head back down.

It felt like a knife went through the young man's chest. This was much worse than he ever expected. His entire body went numb, and he could no longer feel his arms or legs. All he could say was, "But... why?"

"Max... I don't know... I just had so much fun with him at those parties and we got to know each other..."

The young man couldn't take it any longer. The odds were stacked against him, but he wasn't ready to watch her walk out of his life. "Linda... I know I'm not your type... but I feel like there's something special between us..."

Linda put her hand over her heart. She wasn't ready to hear anything he had prepared to say. "What are you doing?!"

Looking defeated, the pathetic boy pleaded, "I'm sorry... I had this whole speech for you... I didn't know you were with..."

"I explained this from the very beginning!" Linda shouted, desperate to stop him from continuing. "We were just friends with benefits!"

Max shut his eyes as tightly as he could. He couldn't look his beautiful childhood friend in the face any longer. It was much too painful. "I know that was the agreement but... why did you have to have sex with him?"

"I should have told you this earlier..." the guilt-ridden woman confessed. "I never thought this would be so difficult to tell you..."

Max threw his hands in the air. "What's so difficult for you to tell me?"

"Me and Jake are together... Like, together, together."

As the wind blew and the sun set, Max couldn't hear anything besides the words that just destroyed his heart. Unfortunately, he was unable to accept that another man had taken everything he wanted. Linda belonged to Jake, not to Max.

"I need to go now," Linda said, trying to escape from the conversation as fast as she could.

As the young woman walked away, Max made one last effort, even though he knew he was pathetic. "Linda!"

The cute brunette turned around, facing the broken young man. "What is it now?!"

"You really shouldn't be with him..."

"What do you mean by that?" Linda asked with a confused expression.

"One of my classmates knows him," Max admitted, trying to gather himself. "He's just one of those douchebags that goes around with several girls."

Linda folded her arms, frustrated at the audacity of Max, thinking he knew Jake better than she did. "Don't do this!" she yelled. "Don't you dare fucking do this!"

In a way, Max finally stood up for himself. "Don't do what? Try to protect you? I've always taken care of you!"

"Max, you've always been a great... friend... But you don't fucking know Jake like I do!"

It was pointless to argue about Jake. Max conceded that she did know him better. But it was the other thing Linda said that hurt him. The F word: Friends.

"I want to be more than that!" he urged, fighting for any pride left in his heart. "I want to be more than... friends."

"I'm sorry, but that's all we are now. Friends... and not friends with benefits."

As the defeated young man watched her walk away, he was left in cold silence. The sound of sad violins would have been a cheerful upgrade from the deafening silence that was left in his heart.

--

Jake answered his phone. "What's up, dude?"

"Are you coming to poker night?" Tommy asked on the other side.

Jake let out a sly laugh. "Actually, I'm not."

"Are you hanging out with Linda again?"

"Yeah, she's coming over right now. I told her we would Netflix and chill... and I don't even have Netflix."

Tommy burst into laughter. "You're such a dog! But you've been hanging out with her a lot, lately."

Jake rubbed his hands together, feeling proud of himself. "You know what? She's really cool."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah... We're actually going to try... a real relationship."

"No way!" Tommy yelled. "Jake, in an actual committed relationship?! Say it ain't so!"

Jake could only laugh. "I'm going to try it."

"Do you see any potential issues? I mean, she is like way younger than you."

"I don't see the age as a bad thing," Jake explained. "The only roadblock I see is this little dork she hangs out with. She said he's just a friend from high school, but I'll make sure he's completely out of the picture."

--

Why was is so difficult?

It was never supposed to be this hard.

But that face you made tore me apart

As I walked across the yard.

It was always just sex.

That was something that you knew.

We weren't supposed to like it this much.

You were guilty too.

The look on your face.

The tears from your eyes.

I couldn't go any longer

And deceive you with lies.

You're not right for me,

And I'm not right for you.

You were wrong to feel something special

even if I felt it too.

There was never any goal.

There was never a single plan.

I was never going to be your girl.

You were never going to be my man.

I enjoyed it all

But I let it get too far.

I never meant to hurt you,

When we started in your car.

You can find a better girl

That will rid me of my guilt.

Just tear down all those walls.

That we accidentally built.

Jake and Linda hit the ground running with the honeymoon phase of their new relationship. Like always, there was no talking when she walked through the door. There were only actions as Jake grabbed her and kissed her profusely.

For a brief moment, Linda escaped the guilt from hurting her childhood friend. Jake took her in his strong arms and brought her to the bedroom. Just like the pornos she watched, they fucked like wild animals, driven by instinct. Never had she been so physically attracted to someone in her life; but there he was, demanding sex at any and every opportunity.

Though the post sex interaction was normally intriguing, since they were still getting to know each other, Jake noticed something was wrong with Linda on this particular day. "What's wrong?" he asked as they cuddled in bed.

Linda looked up at Jake, making eye contact for the first time since they finished. "Nothing... Why do you ask?"

"I can tell something is off. You're not as talkative, and you haven't really been smiling. Did you lose interest in me already?"

The young woman shook her head, trying to snap herself out of the funk. "No! It's not that!"

"Well, what is it?" Jake asked, holding her close. "You can tell me."

The young woman looked down. "I talked to Max..."

Her hot boyfriend looked surprisingly happy. "Did you finally tell him about us?"

"Yeah, I did..."

"And how did the little guy take it?"

"He... uh... he didn't take it very well."

Jake just shook his head, picturing how pathetic the young man must have been.

"It's not like him to do this, but he warned me about you," Linda continued.

The smile on the big stud's face disappeared and was replaced with a look of anger. "Warned you about me? What did that little bitch say about me?!"

Linda's eyes got big, and she stared at her angry boyfriend. "Jake, it's not that big of a deal."

"No! He's trying to ruin our relationship! What the fuck did he say?!"

Inching away, the freshman confessed the conversation, despite feeling uneasy about it. "He just said that somebody told him you sleep around a lot."

The frat boy flung his arms in anger. If he could shoot fire out of his eyes, the entire apartment would have been ablaze. "Who the fuck told him that?!"

Linda quickly shook her head. "I have no clue. I didn't even let him finish. It doesn't matter to me because I already know you're not like that."

"He's a FUCKING LIAR!" Jake shouted, pointing his finger at his nervous girlfriend.

The young woman put her hands in the air, trying to calm him down. "Max isn't a liar," she said with the concerned voice. "Maybe somebody lied to him."

"Either he's a liar or he's spreading false rumors about me. Either way, he's obviously trying to ruin our relationship."

Linda gently patted her angry boyfriend's shoulder. "You said he's just a boy. I think he was just really hurt and said some stuff he shouldn't have said."

Jake looked at her hand and brushed it off. "No! He is trying to get between us! You can't be friends with him anymore!"

Covering her mouth in shock, Linda struggled to find the words to make things better. "Jake... It's not that big of a deal. He's not going to change the way I feel about you."

"No, Babe. He is a direct threat to our relationship! You being friends with him is allowing someone to possibly destroy what we have!"

The cute brunette's body began to shake. She brought her hands to her chest and said, "I... I don't know... If I can do that. I've known him my entire life."

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Jake took her hands and pulled her close. "Babe, I just really don't want anyone to mess up our relationship. You have made me feel something I've never felt before. We have something special! Please don't let your relationship with your neighbor ruin what we built."

He then passionately placed his lips onto hers, causing the young woman to melt. As Linda lost herself in the kiss, she dropped her guard and gave in to his desires. Whether it was through lust or fear, Jake was always going to get his way with her.

--

Although Max was still hurting, there was a sudden glimmer of hope. Linda wanted to meet, and he could only imagine things would get better.

How could it be any worse? he thought. This time, she's the one that needs to talk to me. Maybe she realized her mistake.

Linda can be so stubborn, but she always comes around. I didn't mean to gossip about Jake, but she had to know the truth.

Looking himself in the mirror, he said, "This thing's not over. No, not until the fat lady sings. As long as we're still friends, I'll eventually win her back. I'll stay in her life by giving her rides and taking her home. And when he messes up, I'll be there to comfort her." He then clutched his fist and rushed out the door.

Though she had already brought so much pain, Max felt his heart jump the second he saw Linda walking through the door. They were in the common area, but it was late at night, so nobody was there to hear the conversation.

He noticed a strange look on her face, even sadder than before. Grasping onto anything he could for hope, Max wondered if she had already been hurt and was crawling back for forgiveness. Unfortunately, the naïve young man would be wrong, once again.

It was becoming normal for Linda to avoid eye contact. However, she was convinced of what she needed to say, and there was nothing else to discuss.

"Hey Linda... What did you want to talk about?"

With a deep breath, she dove into Jake's demands. "I don't think we should be friends anymore."

The boy went completely stiff, frozen in time again. The stab to the heart Max felt the last time was a pocket-knife compared to the sword Linda just cut him with. It was a nightmare that just never seemed to end. "But... why?!"

With another deep breath, Linda explained her reasoning, feeling as if she was educating a young man. "Jake helped me realize what a threat you are to our relationship. The way you tried to hurt us by snooping around and finding information from other people was just immature and uncalled for."

A painful gasp left the young man's shaking body. Never in his life had he felt so misunderstood. "That's not what I meant. I care about you so much! I was just trying to help..."

"Just stop it, Max!" Linda demanded, stomping her foot. She couldn't take it anymore. Jake had helped her realize she needed to move on, and she didn't understand why Max couldn't respect that. "I'm sorry, but Jake doesn't think it's a good idea for us to keep talking. I'll always care about you, but we just can't be friends anymore. Not while I'm with him."

Max struggle to breathe. It felt like he was having a panic attack. Though he had a good head on his shoulders, it was impossible for any nineteen-year-old to watch his love life crumble in front of him.

"I'm... uhh... sorry. This is just... a lot." He struggled to find any trickle of hope to grasp onto. "I'm heading home in a couple weeks... for Thanksgiving. Are you... still coming with... me?"

"Oh, actually... Jake has family pretty close to that area so you don't need to give me rides anymore."

Linda's mouth kept moving, but Max couldn't hear a thing. He didn't even make an attempt to read her lips. All he could think about was what his life had become. He wanted it all but ended with nothing. No girlfriend, no more sex, no more rides, no more Linda.

To be continued...

--

Chapter 9

Minute after minute.

Hour after hour.

Your voice has gone so quiet,

But your message has gotten louder.

Day after day.

Week after week.

It's still hard to accept,

I'm not the one you seek.

Month after month.

And year after year.

You'll live your best life,

And I'll just be... here.

"Damn, you're still here?!" Max's roommate, Lee, walked into the room and put his bag down after a long day of classes and work.

"This is my room, too," Max replied. "Where else would I go?"

"I don't know!" Lee replied, putting his stuff away. "I'm just saying, you used to go out and do stuff. But now, every time I get home, you're just lying in bed in that same position, staring at the ceiling."

Max turned and faced the wall. "What do you care?"

"Trust me, I don't care. But it's been months of this and I'm just wondering if you're ever going to leave that spot."

The depressed young man let out a sigh. "What am I supposed to be doing?"

Lee sucked his teeth and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know! Anything besides sitting here all damn day. Don't you have friends or hobbies? What happened to that chick you used to hang out with?"

An angry groan escaped the young man. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Ahhh... so, that's what happened," Lee replied.

Max slowly turned and faced his roommate. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"That cute chick you used to always be with. She broke up with you, didn't she? That's why you have such a shit mood, all of a sudden."