Page 40 of Forever After All

Me: I think we should talk.

As if he was waiting for my message, Carter replies instantly.

Carter: About what?

Me: Boundaries.

Carter: What are those? *winking emoji*

Me: Oh you know, just rules that we put in place to stop us getting hurt?

Carter: Ooooh, those.

His sarcasm bleeds through the phone screen as I read his message.

Carter: Look, I'm totally fine with being FWBs. We don't have to label anything, do we?

Me: Yeah, I kinda think we do.

Carter: You're no fun.

Me: You didn't seem to think that earlier.

Carter: Now THAT was a lot of fun, I'll give you that.

Me: We should talk about this in person, maybe not via message?

Carter: Fine.

Me: Come over Friday?

Carter: Or you can come over to mine? I can make dinner, you know, like you do for your friends.

Me: Okay.

Me: No funny business though. Just talking.

Carter: Whatever you say, Alice.

Me: See you Friday then.

I get home from the bar and run myself a shower. Standing under the stream of the almost too hot water, it cascades down my back before running out the ends of my hair. I breathe in the steam, taking in a lungful of the hot air. After a few minutes, I turn the shower off and wait as the last trickles of water fall out of the shower head before sliding the door across and grabbing a towel to wrap around myself.

As I step into my living space, there’s a knock at the door. I look at the clock on the wall, 9 p.m. Who is knocking on my door this late? I quietly walk up to my apartment door and look through the peephole. You can never be too careful as a woman and I would never blindly open my door, even in a mostly secured apartment building. Autumn is standing on the other side of the door, with Jed, her dog, and a small wave of relief settles over me as I open the door in my towel.

"I gave you a few days, Alice. Now you better spill it. The only reason I didn't let myself in here is because it's 9 p.m. and I didn't want you to think someone was breaking in." And shewalks into my apartment, throwing her bag on the big chair in front of my window. I still haven't moved it back into its rightful place since Carter dragged it across the room, sat me in it, and feasted on me.

Pulling myself out of that memory, I look to Autumn as she kicks off her shoes, sits on the couch cross-legged, and pulls a large blanket over herself. Jed jumps up on the couch next to her. I'd planned to go to Autumn's tomorrow, to speak to her about everything, but she's been so loved up and is still in her honeymoon phase. I don't want to take away from it at all. She deserves the love that she has so much and I want her to bask in it for as long as possible.

I sink into the couch next to my best friend. I guess this is as good of a time as any.

"Remember Danny?" I ask, and she looks at me confused and puzzled.

"Danny, your ex? My god, I hated that guy," she nonchalantly replies.

"What?" I balk at her, because as far as I knew, she thought he was great.

"Yeah, I couldn't put my finger on it, but, fuck, he was not quite right. I never said anything at the time because I wasn't a bitch and didn’t want to shit on you being happy."

---