The Roommate Pt. 12

XII: Nervous

Marie and Lexi

Marie

The warmth of the fire pit less than a foot away provided a welcome contrast to the night's crisp chill. Without that or her jacket, Marie would have been freezing, especially with the occasional breeze that rose off the water.

The two bottles'-worth of hard lemonade inside her helped a bit.

"So how are things with Liam?" Emily asked, "You haven't really said much since you guys first started actually dating."

Marie bit back a sigh as she looked over at her friend. Emily had worn a heavy jacket that enveloped her small frame and her red hair shone bright in the fire's orange glow. They'd met up and talked a bit about school and their respective Thanksgivings, and for a bit, Marie had been relatively content just sitting by the fire in good company.

She hesitated at Emily's question, then took a sip from her current bottle.

"We broke up, actually."

It took her a moment to look over at Emily. By the time she did, Emily had already placed a hand on her shoulder.

"When? Why didn't you tell me? Are you okay?"

Marie took another sip, trying not to wince at the concern or the sliver of hurt in her best friend's voice.

"A little while after Halloween," she said, "And I don't know. I told my roommate because she saw how much of a mess I was when I came home that day, but I didn't really want to tell anyone because I felt so shitty."

"What happened?"

"I fucked it up," Marie said after a moment's hesitation, not wanting to get into the details. She was surprised at how steady her voice was, "He asked if there was anything between us other than sex, and he was really great and sweet but..."

Marie took another sip from her drink as she trailed off.

"After just a few months of actually dating?" Emily asked, "That seems a bit quick for something like that, even if you guys did start talking before summer."

Marie shook her head, "No, he wasn't being too clingy or anything. I fucked up a bit earlier before he actually broke things off. He let it slide, but I just...I took advantage of it. He was so nice, and I was just a bitch."

She laid back on one of the towels they'd brought, setting her bottle down behind her, "I still can't figure out why I acted that way."

"Maybe after Dan you just liked being treated that way and just didn't realize you didn't have the same feelings for him," Emily supplied.

Marie sighed.

That lets me off too easy.

Her ex before Liam hadn't been a monster or anything--just a regular asshole too hot and cocky for his own good who'd managed to hide that side of himself when they'd first started going out.

"What did you do to fuck it up, anyway?" Emily asked, "Get drunk and sleep with his roommate?"

"Nope. My roommate."

After a few moments of silence from Emily--the soft lapping of the waves and crackling of the fire the only sounds--Marie pushed herself up on her elbows and looked over at her friend.

Emily stared at her, eyes wide, body language a bit defensive.

Marie held in her sigh.

Fuck...I probably should have seen that coming.

Their town wasn't the most progressive community. It wasn't outright bigoted, but things like sexuality were iffy topics to bring up.

Even with my best friend, apparently.

A part of Marie wanted to play it off as a joke and forget about it. Then, however, she thought of Lexi--the ways she'd been so confident and straightforward when telling Marie about who she was.

I want to be like that.

And who better to try it out on than someone who was supposedly her best friend?

"Em?" Marie asked, "You alright?"

Emily blinked, seeming to relax a bit.

"Yeah. Aren't both your roommates girls?"

Marie nodded.

Emily's eyes widened a bit. Her forced smile a moment later hurt.

"Wow, how much did you guys have to drink?"

Marie frowned, "That's not what made me do it, Em. Being drunk was what made me rationalize that I was cheating on Liam. It wasn't what made me attracted to another girl. I've done that quite a few times completely sober. Well--mostly sober."

Emily held her gaze for a moment, then looked away, "So you're bi, then?"

Marie shrugged, "Honestly, no clue. Spending time around my family made me hope I'm not. I don't know how okay with it they'd be if I brought home a girl for Christmas."

Emily was silent.

"Would you be okay with it?"

Emily perked up, meeting her eyes, "Huh?"

"Would you be okay with it?" Marie repeated, "If I started dating a girl."

"Of course," Emily said, "I just..."

She sighed, "I'm sorry if I'm acting shitty. That just never even seemed like something on the radar for you."

Marie smiled at that, "It's okay. I don't think I really realized that there are other parts of that besides the sex until I came back here--the semi-real world."

Emily gave her a smile that wasn't entirely forced.

She's still my best friend. She's just a little shocked. Can't really blame her.

"So how are things with your roommate?"

Marie flopped back down on the towel, "Shitty. Awkward. I kind of made a move on her after Liam broke up with me and she said she just wants us to be friends and roommates. I don't blame her. Things are even more awkward though because she and Liam have classes together."

"Yikes."

"Yeah."

"So, are you like...dating anyone? Or is it too soon after Liam?"

Marie snorted, "Define 'dating.'"

Emily laughed at that.

"I'm kinda seeing two girls, though one of them made it clear that she just wants sex."

Emily raised an eyebrow, and Marie thought she caught a bit more color in her friend's cheeks.

"Then why not just go for the other one?" Em asked.

"Because I'm scared I'll fuck it up if it gets too real," Marie admitted, "Or that I might not know what 'real' is and might just like her for the sex, since it's really good."

Marie bit her tongue as she saw Emily look away and remembered how embarrassed she'd been the first time she'd talked to Blake about sex.

At least Em didn't reject me.

That was one good thing that had happened so far since she'd been home. Marie still wished she had someone to talk to about this kind of stuff that wouldn't get uncomfortable.

Fuck...I miss Blake.

***

Lexi

"What the fuck, Lex!" Helen half-yelled through a mouthful of Ben and Jerry's they'd picked up on the way back from the club, "I've been here two full days, and this is the first I'm hearing of this girl?"

She punctuated her frustration by punching Lexi in the shoulder, nearly causing Lexi to drop her own spoonful of ice cream.

"Hey, watch it!"

They both sat on Lexi's bed in their PJs. Long shirt and undies for Helen, comfy shorts and a comfy bralette for Lexi. She usually preferred to sleep with nothing on her bottom half, but not when sharing her bed with her sister.

Helen swallowed her ice cream, then stuck her tongue out, "You deserve it, you little shit. Spill! I wanna know everything."

Lexi rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off her face, glad to finally have told Helen about Marie.

"I didn't want to make this weekend about me and my shit," Lexi protested, "We're always so busy with work and school and I still won't really get to see you for another month after this, so I wanted to just be able to spend time with you and not worry about anything."

"You're adorable," Helen said flatly, "Now spill. As you said, I'm too busy with work. I rarely get to talk about juicy stuff like this with people I just tolerate because I work with them. You're my sister--tell me everything."

Lexi grinned, a warmth spreading through her as it usually did when Helen referred to her as her sister. Helen's next comment only slightly ruined the wholesome feeling.

"So, does she know yet? About--" Helen puffed out one cheek and held her hand up in a lewd gesture.

Lexi sighed. She would have flopped backward on the bed if not for her ice cream, "Yes, she knows. That's part of what made me want to come home tonight. I didn't feel like..."

She trailed off, then stuffed another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"Like needing to deal with the possibility of getting rejected?" Helen supplied.

Lexi nodded, swallowing her ice cream, "I can deal with it when it happens, but it's still shitty. Even if they just wanted a peach instead of an eggplant."

Helen raised an eyebrow, "Taco. Peach means ass."

"But it looks more like a peach than a taco?"

"You say this from recent experience?"

Lexi bit her lip.

Helen's eyes widened, "Wait, you slept with her already? And you met her a week ago?"

Lexi's cheeks grew hot, "Yeah..."

"Fuck, you must really like her."

Lexi nodded slowly, "I think I do. That's what has me a little scared though."

Helen frowned, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Any red flags?"

Lexi shrugged, "Not sure. She has some baggage from her ex and some relationship issues, but I think they're from just not knowing what she wanted at the time."

Helen nodded, "Yeah, don't think you can really avoid that nowadays unfortunately. If you don't find someone a little fucked up from a previous relationship, you find someone with different issues because they haven't been in one yet."

They both ate another spoonful of ice cream, then Helen grinned.

"How did you tell her? Were you nervous, or did you just whip it out?"

Lexi rolled her eyes, "I don't think I've ever just 'whipped it out.'"

Helen shrugged, "Seems like you should at least once. See how it goes."

"I told her before inviting her up."

Helen raised an eyebrow, "And?"

"And she freaked out a little, I think. Though I don't exactly blame her for that. She wanted to see me the next day, though, which was good."

"And then you guys slept together?"

"Duh."

Helen stuck her tongue out, "I'm guessing it was good, otherwise you wouldn't be scared?"

Lexi nodded, cheeks growing hot, "Yeah. Really good."

"Damn, she a freak in bed?"

Lexi bit her lip and Helen's eyes bulged, "Fuck, you found a fucking unicorn? She could actually take that thing?"

Lexi's face burned as she covered it with her hands, "You're never going to let me live that down are you."

"Nope," Helen snickered, "Your fault for leaving the door unlocked."

Lexi sighed and uncovered her face, "It wasn't just the sex that was great, though. After, we--"

"Cuddling?" Helen asked.

Lexi nodded.

Helen gazed at her for a moment.

"What?"

Helen sighed, "I think you should be careful, but don't be scared. You're happy--your face lights up when you talk about her. I know you're good at keeping your shit under wraps but try not to let her affect that too much one way or the other."

Lexi nodded, "I know."

Then she hesitated, face growing hot again.

"What?"

"You know how we both like...being dommes in bed?"

Helen snickered, "Yep."

"How do you...ask them exactly what they're into?"

Helen raised an eyebrow, "You think she might be--"

"She is. I was a little rougher with her than I should have been but she said she loved it and she liked when I took control and told her what to do."

Helen whistled, "Damn, if things don't work out can I have her number?"

Lexi narrowed her eyes.

"Joking, sis."

"Bad joke."

Helen rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out, "Ugh, you do like her. I don't see why asking her what she likes should be a problem though. You told her about your dick, this shouldn't be a bigger deal than that."

"It isn't," Lexi said with a slight frown as she finished off the last of her ice cream and set the bowl on her nightstand, "I just...going through everything to see what she likes and what she's okay with seems a bit unsexy. And I don't think she necessarily knows what she likes regarding that besides letting someone else take control."

Helen shrugged, "Then think of it as something you guys can explore together. It's a pretty good way to build trust."

Lexi nodded slowly, "How long do you think I should wait before bringing it up with her?"

"How long do you want to wait before sleeping with her again?"

"Fair point."

Helen set her empty bowl of ice cream down and moved over to wrap her arms around Lexi. Smiling, Lexi returned her sister's hug.

"Thanks for coming back with me instead of finding someone to hook up with."

"Hook-ups are overrated."

Lexi smiled, melting into her sister's embrace a bit more.

"Wanna watch a movie before bed?"

Lexi nodded, pulling back a bit, "Sure. Rom-com or action?"

Helen frowned, thinking for a minute, "Wanna try and find something that's both?"

Lexi grinned as she stepped off the bed to get her laptop, "Sounds good."

"Just nothing too long," Helen called, "Don't want to be too tired for our spa day tomorrow."

Lexi's eyes bulged as she whipped around. She couldn't keep the stupid grin from her face, "Spa day?"

A/N: Not the reaction Marie was hoping for :(

Helen is just great, though. She watches after her little sister. Seems like both girls might have some reservations, though.

If you've been going back and forth between The Camgirl and The Roommate, this is the last chapter before things catch up with Blake and Liam. From here on out, I'll be switching back and forth between the couples every few chapters. I hope you continue to enjoy it! (And how do you think things are going to go for these two once they get back from break?)