She sits on my cock like it’s the edge of her throne. She edges her back against me as I wrap my hands around her waist, squeezing the excess flesh around her hipbone. She arches her back and cums for the millionth time, quaking for me, as I spin her around, onto her back.

She lies there and has that pleasured look on her face, as she whispers, “I love you so much, Addison.”

I never get tired of hearing her say that and it only solidifies my position on everything. “I love you too,” I whisper and kiss her lips, biting down lightly against the bottom one. I cum inside her and push my body forward, holding her as close as I fucking can.

“Jesus,” she sighs with satisfaction. “I can’t get enough of you.”

The other day I made a huge decision. I decided that I’m going to marry her. Not only that, I took a loan out to get a small shop downtown. I’ve put practically everything on the line for her now and I don’t regret it at all. I just hope it’s what she really wants.

It’s a gamble, but I’m willing to take it for her. I’ve got a ring in my room, in the bottom of my drawer, and it’s one solid rock of beauty, fit for a queen like her. Either she’ll love it or she’ll reject me forever.

“You really like me that much?” I ask her.

“I do,” she smiles and gazes into my eyes longingly.

It’s gone so far at this point. I’m ready to ask her. I’m shaking as I look at my drawer, despite the fact that I know this is what I want. How I’m going to do it, I still need to plan out.

And then I get a call from Halloway.

“Oh shit,” she sighs.

“Kneeves?” I ask her. She nods.

“She went out with him tonight. She’s probably still at his place now,” she says, looking frantic.

I answer the phone and Halloway is freaking out, screaming at me like I did something wrong. “You motherfucker!” he screams. “How could you?”

He’s drunk and clearly looking for a fight, as usual. “Whoa, whoa. Settle down,” I say. “What’s wrong? What’re you talking about?”

“You set me up!” he screams and in the receiver, I can hear him punch something. It knocks against the floor and crashes. “I thought we were brothers. I thought we were friends for life.”

“We’re brothers. Calm the fuck down,” I say, glancing at Helena. She looks concerned and I nod carefully, trying my best to calm the man down.

“That principal,” he growls. “That little douchebag from the school. Know what I’m talkin’ about now?”

I exhale and close my eyes. This is beyond me. This has nothing to do with me whatsoever. “Big deal,” I tell him. “Quit being such a baby, Halloway.”

“You’re calling me names now? Me? The man who protected your ass when you were running across a mortar-heavy zone? The man who took out that sniper for you? Me?!”

I try not to laugh because it’s so obvious those days are over. The days he protected me were different. The only threats he experiences every day are little disturbances like this. He’s more of a danger to himself than anyone.

“Look, man. You know I have your back, always. But you need to start being real with yourself,” I tell him. “The other day you told me you didn’t give a damn about Judy. Now you’re over here, crying like a baby. I don’t get it. What’s changed?”

“You believe every word I say?” he asks, breathing heavily. I hear him sit down and cough. “Maybe I don’t tell you everything for a reason. Because you got that little girl with you all of the time, breathing down your neck.”

I glance at Helena who turns her head in embarrassment. Her cheeks turn flush with anger and I know I’m going to have to try and fix that too, all because Halloway is being overdramatic about a woman he doesn’t even really like.

“Don’t you do it, man. I’m warning you. Don’t you fucking call her names,” I say.

“She’s a bitch,” he whispers. He does it in a way that tells me he regrets saying it almost immediately. Yet, he says it and he doesn’t offer an apology. I sit in shock for a brief moment and hang up the phone, without saying a word.

“I’ve got to go,” I tell her, ignoring the whole thought of my marriage proposal. That can wait. This, I have to deal with right fucking now.

“Please don’t leave,” she says, knowing what’s going to happen.

I stop for a second to look at her. Does she really mean it? Does she really want me to stay? And if so, how the hell can she respect a man who doesn’t stand up for her? I can’t do it. I take one look at her and see those tears roll down from her eyes, and I can’t let her be in pain like that. She knows what she was just called. She even knows that Halloway is just some drunk asshole. Even with all that knowledge, it still hurts, and she knows that he’s my friend. If I don’t leave here now and do what I have to do, she’ll never look at me the same.

“I’m sorry,” I say, storming out of the house. “I have to go. Stay here. I’ll be back.”

She runs out of the house after me, grabbing my arm. I keep walking. “Stop!” she screams. “Addison, you don’t have to do this!”

I get in the car and turn the keys. “That’s the thing,” I mutter. “I do have to do this. I have to do this more than you know. I love you. He can’t disrespect you.”

I drive with pure disgust and testosterone-fueled rage. Sometimes all it takes is one small word for someone to be dead to you, and Halloway achieved that pretty damn fast.

I get to his house, peeling in his driveway. Dust flies up all around the vehicle. I jump out before I can even put the car in park. “Halloway!” I scream, completely sober with adrenaline. “Come out here! Halloway!”

I see him stumble in the window. He opens the door and stands on his porch, hunched and ready for me. He’s flexing his fists, gripping a bottle. “What do you want from me? Huh? You want to ruin my shit life even more?!”

Part of me knows how bad this all looks. Part of me knows that this is all pointless. At the same time, I feel within my heart that I need to show him some manners. “Apologize and we’ll be done here,” I tell him. “That’s all I need from you. One apology.”

“Fuck you,” he spits onto the dirt and takes two steps down from his porch. He waits for my next move, like a pawn on a chessboard.

“Say you’re sorry, man. Come on. It ain’t hard,” I warn him. “You don’t want what’s coming if you don’t.”

He laughs hard and deep, showing his edged teeth. “You kidding me, Addison? You hurt me? You know I’m bigger than you. Stronger. You know I saved your ass a million times over back in the day, when things were real.”

“You have to stop romanticizing the past, Halloway. It’s not good for you. Those days are over and I’m glad they’re done,” I tell him, stepping forward myself. “I’ll never be that person again and neither will you. It’s time to face the facts. I may be smaller than you. Shit, you may be stronger physically. But if you come at me… if you say one word about my girl again, I’ll bring hellfire on you. I’ll come down like Thor on your ass.”

“Who gives a fuck about her?” he asks me. “She’s just some fish in the sea, right? That’s what women are. Just another fish to catch. Ain’t no thing. She’s a bitch and she’s ruined my relationship. And look at what you do. You just keep backin’ her up.”

I start to walk forward, getting fairly close to him. His chest is heaving up and down. In his hands is that empty beer bottle and I want to find a way to get it out of there. You can’t come at someone with an extra weapon in hand. That just isn’t fair game, but Halloway isn’t playing by the rules anymore. He doesn’t care one bit.

“Set the bottle down and shut your mouth,” I say.

“Go fuck yourself,” he smiles, holding the bottle back from me. He swings it down and I feel the air from it whip against my face. “Ha! You like that? You still want to come at me?”

“Put the bottle down,” I repeat. “You think that’s a fair fight?”

“Fair? You want to talk about fair with me? Fair would be you stayin’ out of my relationship business. Fair would be for you to fuck right off,” he says, still smiling, eyes looking lazy and drunken.

I exhale slowly and keep my eyes aimed at his hands. “I get it now. You’re too scared. I get that. I guess this is just how it has to be.”

“I guess so,” he laughs.

We’re at a standstill, until headlights zoom around the corner. It’s Helena, but in the car are two other figures, Kneeves and Judy. Halloway turns his head and his jaw drops. I take the only opportunity I have. I kick upward, knocking the beer bottle out of his hand. It hits the dirt and rolls away, out of sight, and I hit him straight across the temple.

He makes a “Oo!” sound as he hits the dirt, nearly knocked out cold. But the man is a fighter. I’ve known that all my life. He’s not backing down now. He rolls and picks himself back off the ground, as I hold my fists in front of my face, waiting for him to attack. He’s hurt and he’s not seeing straight, but that doesn’t stop him from attacking.

He jumps at me, tackling me like a football player. I feel my ass and spine hit the ground. I’m not drunk enough to ignore the pain. It fucking hurts. Not to mention, I still have some bruising on my body from the other night.

Now, all of the people in the car come running toward us. It’s another embarrassing fight I’ve forced myself into, but do they think I’m really going to stop swinging and let him decimate me? Hell no. He called Helena a bitch. Someone needs to let him know how wrong he is.

Helena is running toward us, screaming, “Stop!” She’s practically crying. She grabs my shoulder, but ducks out of the way when Halloway swings his fist downward, connecting with my gut. He swings again and I feel my jaw lurch. He’s got me good and now Helena is pissed. She’s pissed at me for coming here and she’s pissed at Halloway for egging me on. I hear her mutter, “Get him,” and it gives me some energy back.

He hits me again in the stomach and all of the air from my lungs is forced out of me. I’m seeing black stars, but I manage to duck my legs behind his. He trips and falls backward and now I’m swinging. I’m swinging as hard as I can. I hit him in the chest, in the stomach, in the face. I keep on going at him, until he’s done.

His palms come up and he whispers, “Alright, alright. Jesus Christ.”

“You done?” I ask him. Helena’s arms come around me to pull me back and I acquiesce.

“What’s happening here?” Kneeves asks. We both ignore him.

“I’m done,” Halloway heaves, his body still against the dirt. “But fuck you all.”

Judy comes forward now and just stands there. Finally, she works up the courage to say, “I’m sorry. Whatever I did, I am sorry.”

Halloway groans and moves away from all of us. “It’s none of your fault,” he says, looking at the trees around us. “It’s mine. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Meanwhile, Helena is furious with me for acting out. “I don’t know who you are. Where did my Addison go?”

The thought that I’m not the man she thought I was brings tears to my eyes. I’m not a bastard. I’m not a terrible person. I’m a human who can’t take when people try to walk over him. “I was trying to protect you,” I mutter, knowing that it won’t change a thing. “He acted out of bounds. He had no right.”

“You ignore him,” she says. She’s got more tears in her eyes and I reach out to wipe them away, but she simply knocks my hand aside. “Don’t. You don’t care about me. You care about how you’re feeling. This wasn’t about me. This was about your pride. Admit it.”

“It was about you,” I try and tell her. “It was about how you might view me for not defending your name.”

“I can’t do this,” she says, turning around and marching back to her car. “Judy, come with me. Kneeves.” She gestures toward her car and all three angrily get inside and leave the scene.

I’m stuck here with Halloway now, in complete shock. He just starts laughing. “So I guess we’re stuck with each other again,” he laughs. “Want to arm wrestle it out or something?”

“Give me a beer,” I say, shaking my head.

“Sure thing,” he says.

“I’m sorry,” he finally says the words. “Alright? You happy? I’m an asshole. You shouldn’t have a friend like me. You deserve better.”

“What I want is a friend who backs me and my girl up. She’s not a bitch and you know it. She’s a good, wholesome person. She’s pure. And I fucking love her from the bottom of my heart,” I say. “And if you’re not okay with that, you can’t be my friend anymore. Plain and simple. Because I’m going to marry her.”

“You’re what?” he asks, stunned.

“You heard me,” I stare him straight in the eyes. “I’m going to marry that woman.”

“Like hell you are,” he laughs. “She ran away from you fast, man.” He sits in silence for a second and I have to chuckle a little at the whole situation.

“We’re a couple of children, aren’t we?” I ask him. “Look at us. Look at our faces. We look fucked up.”

“I feel fucked up, man. I’m getting too old to be fighting. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d start feeling it until I hit forty, but it hurts more than it did five years ago,” he says. “You know I always have your back, right?”

“I hope you do.” I nod. “But people change. Just because you’re on my side now, doesn’t mean you’ll always be.”

“True,” he says. “Well, I think you have to marry that woman, and you have all my support. I’m an asshole. If there’s one thing I’m good at in this life, it’s being an asshole. But I understand you getting married. I just wish I could get my own shit together.”

“You will. Someday, at least,” I assure him. There’s a hopeful gleam in his eye, but that fades soon enough.

“I don’t know, man. The marriage thing… I don’t think I’d be too good at that. Besides, the whole idea kind of makes my stomach turn. I can barely handle my own thoughts, let alone someone else’s for forty-plus years. I envy you,” he says.

“Well, there aren’t any rules to this life. That’s some consolation, I hope. You should do whatever makes you happy,” I tell him, standing up.

He gets up with me and sighs. “Yeah. You’re right. I should tell Judy that I’m sorry. She deserves that nerd she’s with now. I never really wanted her back in the first place. Just got angry is all,” he says. He gives me a hug and a pound on the back. “You got a ring?”

“Hell yeah, I do,” I laugh, pulling out my phone. I show him the picture of the ring that I bought.

“You spent all your fucking money on this woman, didn’t you?”

I bear a guilty look on my face and smile. “You know I did,” I say. “Took out a loan too. Got myself a shop nearby. I’ll have a home base that’s not my actual home for once.”

“Shit, man. You’re going crazy, for sure,” he says. “That’s great. Really, I’m happy for you.”

“Don’t be happy for me. You’re going to come work for me. I’ve already filled out your application. You’re hired,” I say.

He does a double take and a big smile comes on his face. “You’re joking me. You’re joking me! Wait, are you really serious, man?”

“Dead serious. Come work for me. I’ll pay you well. Double the minimum once the shop really gets going. I was making decent money without it. I think I’ll make more now that I’ve got a real office,” I say, knocking my feet against the ground.

“Fuck!” he exclaims. “Let’s do it! Man, I can’t believe it. We’ll be partners again.”

All in all, that’s what it’s about. The camaraderie we had back in the day was strong. “Hell yeah we will,” I laugh. “Brothers for life.”

“Brothers for life,” he says with a smile. “Well, shit. What’re you waiting for? You have to propose to Helena.”

He’s right, and I’ve got just the plan.