Chapter 32
Amends
CHARLOTTE
“You were playing me for Mars?” TJ asked, turning toward me with
betrayal in his eyes.
“My best friend?”
“What? No, you big idiot.” The room went silent. I took a deep breath.
“I am Mars,” I replied with exasperation.
“Hey, don’t call me an id—wait, what? You’re Mars? Like…as in Charlie? As in my best friend? As in the kid I used to play Watchtower with?”
“You didn’t used to be this slow. What happened?” I replied.
“I don’t understand,” he admitted, falling back onto the couch in shock.
“I know you hate me as Charlotte, and you don’t have to date me, but please don’t leave me as Mars. I can’t lose you. Your friendship means more to me than anything in the world,” I admitted, as tears started to fall from my eyes.
“I don’t hate you, I never have,” he replied, shaking his head.
“You sure did act like you hated her,” Nep said.
“Not helping,” Plut said, putting his hand over Nep’s mouth.
“You don’t hate me?” I said, through the tears.
“Not even a little.”
“Do you hate me?” Nep must have managed to get his mouth free.
“You aren’t dating her?” TJ asked.
“Ew! That’s gross. I’d never date him!” I said quickly.
“Once again, a little too strong of a reaction there, Mars,” Nep replied.
“Oops, sorry.”
“Anyway, no, I don’t hate you, either,” TJ said, scratching his head.
“I should thank you for looking out for my bro…or rather…this is
weird…you’re a girl…”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’ve been my best friend for years. How are you a girl?”
“Well, I was born that way?” I replied in a sassy tone of voice.
“But how did I not know you were a girl?” he demanded.
“You never asked.”
“I didn’t know I needed to.”
“So, um, as Jup, my best friend, are we good?” I asked cautiously.
I was afraid to call him TJ, because TJ was my ex-boyfriend. But I was hoping like crazy that Jup was still my current best friend.
“Yeah, Mars, we’re good.”
His words allowed me to smile my first real smile in a week.
I may have lost TJ, but at least I still had Jupiter.
“Really? I don’t want to lose you,” I replied.
“You never could.”
“Yay! Mom and Dad aren’t fighting anymore!” Nep exclaimed, causing me to laugh.
I walked over and sat on the chair, purposely not sitting by Jup. I still wanted our friendship—no, needed our friendship—but the pain of losing my boyfriend was still too fresh for me to be physically close to him. The other guys followed, sitting down as well.
“Okay, now that the hostility has gone down, I don’t really want to dredge up anything, but I really think we need all of the misunderstandings cleared up to be a functioning team,” Plut began.
“Can you guys please explain exactly what happened between you?”
“Well, as I mentioned before, I thought Charlotte liked me and was hoping she would pick me over some other guy she also liked. I was wrong; she didn’t choose me; she picked the other guy,” TJ said.
“But you broke up with her, right?” Plut noted.
“I didn’t think I could handle her breaking up with me, so I ended it first. I was too weak to deal with the fact that she was in love with someone
else,” he sadly admitted.
“What?” I said.
“I’m not in love with someone else! I’m in love with you. That’s what I was going to tell you last week—that I was picking you because I loved you. No vague feelings toward someone else could ever trump my real feelings for you.”
“If you’re so in love with me, why did Tracy see you texting your little ‘lover boy’ about him wanting to pleasure you?” he shot back.
“WHAT!?” Nep asked loudly.
“Okay, dial back the hostility again, Jup,” Plut said.
“No, no, I need more details about this. Who’s wanting to pleasure Mars?” Nep asked.
“Well, the only ‘lover boy’ she has is, oh, wait. This is too good,” Plut said, cracking up.
I looked over at Plut and then my eyes got huge.
I had just made the connection that he had already made.
He had better not tell TJ the truth! This was so embarrassing.
“Someone want to explain what is so funny?” TJ asked, not amused.
“You…broke up…with her…because…she…was texting…you…” Plut barely managed to get out the words between snorts of laughter.
“What?” TJ asked, confused.
Fine, apparently I had to explain. Thanks, Plut.
“Here, recognize this conversation?” I asked, handing TJ my phone.
He quickly read over it.
“Yeah, that text about your lover making you moan must be what Tracy read. Why is that funny?” he asked, still confused.
“Check your phone, genius,” I replied sassily.
He had a confused look on his face. Then I saw recognition dawn in his eyes as he realized that the conversation looked familiar. After that, he just sat there, staring at me.
“The text conversation was with me?” he said at last.
“Yup,” was my only reply.
“So, I’ve got a question. Why were you and Jup texting about you
moaning his name?” Nep asked, confused.
“We weren’t,” I said.
“I asked if guys really like girls moaning. It was after you were talking about some screamer you were doing, Nep. Jup said yes, and that he wanted to hear his girl moan his name at some point.”
“Um, but weren’t you his girl?” Plut asked.
“Uh, I guess, but he didn’t know it. Man, this is confusing,” I responded.
“Wait, whether he knew it or not, if you were his girl and he wanted to hear his girl moan his name, doesn’t that mean he wanted to hear you do that?” Nep asked.
“Um,” I paused, then looked at TJ, my face turning bright red.
“Um…I guess I did kind of tell her that. Unintentionally, though. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
We were all silent a moment. Then TJ said, “Wait, Tracy said you were going to meet that guy you liked over spring break?”
“Hahahaha, this is getting better than ever,” Plut laughed.
“Don’t you dare say it, Plut!” I sternly said.
“Say what?” he asked.
“Well, she sure as heck wasn’t texting Plut or me with that goofy grin,”
Nep replied.
“GUYS!” I yelled.
“Wait, is the guy you like, me?” he asked, finally starting to figure it out.
“Of course, I already told you, I love you,” I said, hoping he would leave it at that.
“No, is the OTHER guy you like ALSO me?”
“Um, according to Tracy,” I quietly admitted, blushing.
“Wait, so you were having a hard time picking between me and me, and I broke up with you because I thought you liked me more than me?” he asked.
“I’m starting to get confused,” Nep said.
“But I didn’t like you more than… Uh, I’m confused too now,” I said.
“Rather than try to figure out any more of what was going on, you love
me? As in, still love me?” TJ asked.
“Yes,” I shyly replied.
“I still love you too,” he said.
He reached out lightning fast to grab me by the waist, pulling me over to him so I fell in his lap. Then he leaned in close, capturing my lips with his.
In that instant, everything felt right again.
The burning hole in my chest seemed to close as our lips moved together in a sensual dance. I really did love this guy, and apparently he
loved me back.
“Wow,” I mumbled breathlessly.
“Can I kiss her too?” Nep quickly threw in.
“Idiot,” Plut said, hitting Nep over the head. TJ and I just ignored them.
“I guess this means I’m in love with my best friend,” I said quietly.
“Me too,” he said, before bending down and pulling me close to kiss me
again.
Heaven.
