Eternal Flame (Mature 18+)

Chapter 32

"Holy shit," Joy gasped. "You love him. you love him, don't you?"

Kristen stiffened and eerily glanced over at Joy. "No I don't."

Joy gave her a knowing look and emphatically nodded. "Yes you do, you do."

"Don't be stupid Joy, I don't even know him."

"Obviously your heart doesn't care because you do Kristen. It's all in your eyes." Joy gestured towards Kristen's torso. "All in your body language. You're gone girl."

Kristen's breath caught in her throat and she nervously looked away from Joy. "Be quiet Joy. You don't know anything."

"I know love when I see it and I'm looking at it. You were with Carlos for a year Kris. And I never saw you like this. Ever."

Feeling trapped, Kristen dismissively waved her hand at Joy and played with her hair. "Girl, be quiet."

"That d*ck got you sprung!"

Kristen's mouth dropped open as she slapped Joy on her hands. "Oh my God, stop! Just stop!"

Joy teasingly smiled at her and Kristen grinned back, knowing she was caught. Warmth spread all the way to her toes and covered her cheeks.

"Why do you have to make your life so difficult young one?" Joy threw back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I learned from the best."

They beamed widely at one another.

"Kristen's fallen in love," Joy sing-songed. "Kristen lost her virginity. Kristen's lost her virginity. Roman's d*ck got her spr-uuuu-nnnng!"

Kristen's blush deepened as she giggled uproariously. "Stop it! Stop!"

Overcome, Joy pulled Kristen in for a long, tight hug; then pulled away and seriously looked at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kristen asked her.

"Because... I'm happy for you and scared shitless for you at the same time."

Kristen's laughter died down as she soberly looked at her best friend. "Not as scared as I am for myself," she candidly admitted. "Even with all my fear, I wouldn't want to have your fucked up problems right now."

Joy crossed her eyes and dramatically dropped her face into her lap. "Noooooo. You don't. I am such a whore. And I can't help it."

"Brothers Joy! Brothers! Whole brothers! Real brothers! Shared genetics and everything. What the fuck?"

Joy put her head up and looked at her with a comical pout. "I know."

"You know I don't approve; nor do I condone it."

"I know. Thank you for not judging me."

"Who the hell am I to judge? I just slept with a pop star after only knowing him for two days, and I'll probably never see again after tomorrow. And to make things worse, I haven't seen him all morning."

"What?"

Kristen shook her head. "He was gone when I woke up. Just left a note saying he'd be back."

"He hasn't called you?" Kristen shook her head no. "Have you called him?"

"I'm giving him some space. I'm sure he's just as confused about all this as I am."

Joy took Kristen's hand in hers and squeezed it tight. Lost in their own rambling thoughts, they sat in sobering silence.

Both girls jumped with a start when they heard the door open. They looked up to see Ms. Austin standing in the doorway with her luggage. Not speaking, she walked in the room and shut the door with her foot, before dropping her bags to the floor. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Kristen. Kristen avoided her eyes and kept hers glued to the floor.