A Friendship Lost

02 - Are You Alright?

Jennifer's POV

„How do you know?", I ask and look into her eyes.
„Marc told Angelo. Angelo told me.", she says and sips on her champagne.

I roll my eyes. Men. Can't shut their mouths for a second.
I look at her and say nothing, but she starts talking again.
„You're with Alex, baby. I mean I see why you do this, but then just break up with him?"
I sigh and empty half of my glass.

Leah's sitting to my left and since I'm holding my glass in my left hand, I lean closer to her and put my right hand on her thigh.
„Leah, that's none of your business.", I say close to her ear.

She leans back and raises her brows at me.
„None of my...?", she scoffs. „Am I not the one you're coming to everytime things gets rough?"

I take my hand from her thigh and lean back on the sofa while I stare into the living room.
Everyone is chatting and drinking, enjoying themselves. Mine and Marc's eyes meet and we hold our gazes for a second, until Leah nudges my arm.

„Hey.", she says and I look at her. „I really don't see why you stay with Alex, if you're clearly that unhappy. I mean is it.. revenge? Is that why you're going it?"
I look down on my lap and shrug my shoulders.
Then I feel her fingers on my chin, lifting my face up.
I look to the side, roll my eyes, then look back into hers.

„I don't know, Leah. I can't really explain it. I take what I want and it feels good."
„You take what you want and it feels good?", she repeats what I just said, her voice getting higher with each words she's speaking.

„Yeah.", I say softly and smile, tired of this conversation.
„You don't even sound like yourself."
„Can you drop it? I'm trying to enjoy the party."
„Oh sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?", she says with an ironic undertone.

„Just stop it.", I sit back up straight and empty my glass.
Leah shakes her head, scoffs, then laughs slightly.
„You can keep that attitude.", I say to her.
„Jennifer you know what? Just do it. Keep on going. I don't even know you like that."
„People change.", I say with an attitude, as if I'm a bratty teenager.
„Alright. Don't come crying to me later."

„You're just jealous.", I get up and look down at her.
„Excuse me?"
„Yeah. You complain about your boring sex life to me all the time and now that you see me taking what I want, and I can tell you it's incredibly good, you secretly want that too. Someone who fucks you really good."

Leah sat there with an open mouth. Maybe I took it too far. She gets up and really close to my face and stares into my eyes. Then she exhales, turns around and walks away. Shit.

„There's my baby.", I hear Alex' voice behind me, then feel his hands on my waist. He leads his hands to my stomach, wrapping his arms around me, then kisses my neck.

I giggle and lean to the side, then kiss him.
„Are you and Leah okay?"
„Sure. Why wouldn't we be?", I lied.
„Huh. It looked like you were fighting."

I turn around in his arms to face him.
„Maybe I said something stupid.", I say and pucker my lips to the side.
Alex puts his palm on my cheek.
„I'm sure you'll make it up again. Why don't you go look for her?"
„Hm."

He kisses me softly while his grip on my back gets stronger. We pull away and he brushes his thumb over my cheek.
„Okay.", I whisper.

„Good girl.", he says and slaps my ass when I turn around to go and find her.

First I went outside to look for her. I see Angelo and walk up to him.
„Baby, have you seen Leah?", I ask and put my palm on his arm.
„No I haven't, I thought she's inside."
„Okay, I'll keep looking.", I say and walk back inside.

I look around but I can't see her. Maybe she's upstairs.

„Hey.", I heard Marc's voice next to me.
I turn my head. „Hey... have you seen Leah?"
„No, not for a while."
„You can't shut your mouth, can you?"
„Huh?"
„Oh come on. You told Angelo about us."
I say none of that in a mad tone.
He leanes a little closer.
„It's so incredible mami, I had to tell someone."
I let my head sink and laugh slightly, then I walk away and keep on looking for Leah, while I feel Marc's eyes glued to my ass. I don't blame him.

I go upstairs and find her in her bedroom, sitting on the edge of her bed, feet down, scrolling through her phone.
She looks up when I enter, rolls her eyes and looks back at her phone.

„Baby...", I softly say and walk over. She exhales audibly.
I crouch down in front of her and look up at her face. Her gaze is fixed to her phone. I pull it out of her hands and put it on the bed beside her. That got me her attention and she finally looks into my eyes.
I put both of my hands on each of her thighs.

„I'm sorry.", I say softly. „For what I said."
She looks away, then back into my eyes.
„It's the truth though, I guess.", she shrugs her shoulders with a sad look on her face.
„Baby don't cry." I put one palm on her cheek and brush my thumb from left to right, right under her eye.

She blinks a few times, then closes her eyes as she tries to hold back her tears. I get on my knees, crouching down is getting uncomfortable, and I need a better balance, so I could hug her.

I'm kneeling in between her legs, wrap my arms around her and hug her really tight. Then I start to rub her back as she snuggles her head onto my shoulder.

„I'm sorry too.", she apologizes.
„Is it that good?", she asks and I chuckle.
„Yeah.", I say in a playful tone.

„Have you spoken to Angelo?"
„I don't know what good it would do. Nothing changed after the first time we spoke.", she replies and breaks the hug.

„So what now?", I ask, my hands rest on the bed beside Leah, slightly touching her ass.
„I don't know.", she shrugs.
„You can't be unhappy forever."
„And what you're doing is so much better, yeah?"
„Mh, good point.", I say.

„Tell me about it."
„The sex?", I laugh.
„Come on, give me something. Feed me sexual fantasies.", she pouts and I laugh even more, while playfully slapping her thigh.

I get up and sit next to her.
„It's only been two times."
„When?"
„A few days ago. We did in in Alex's and my bed.", I whisper the last words and pull my lips to each side while clenching my teeth.
„You whore!", Leah exclaims, slaps my arm and I laugh.
„And the other time?", she asks.
I bite my bottom lip.

„About an hour ago.."
„Here??"
I clench my teeth again and scrunch up my nose.
Leah laughs and I do too.

„It's... it's a thrilling feeling Leah. The forbidden. I could easily get addicted to it. It makes it so much more.. exciting.", I get more serious.
Leah sighs.
„I want thrilling and exciting too."

I softly brush my fingers along the side of her face and pout.
„Did you wash your hands after?", she suspiciously looks at my fingers on her face.
„Of course I did, my god, Leah!", I laugh.

„How did you even get Marc to do it?", she asks and I raise my brows.
„Ok now you're just insulting me."
Leah laughs. „I'm kidding, you know that."
I laugh too.

„I think we need to get back downstairs.", Leah says.
„Okay. Are you alright?"
Leah gets up and straightens her dress.
„Yeah. As alright as I can be."
She smiles, then holds out her hand and I take it to get up too.

„Are you?", she asks me.
„As alright as I can be.", I reply