Chase
My break had gone from absolutely amazing to absolute shit in a matter of seconds. Blake's early arrival had fucked up everything. Things would have gone on completely normal if he wouldn't have walked in on Leah and me.
Now, we weren’t speaking. Leah hadn't left her room, and I was an obviously unwanted house guest with no way back home. The massive home was so filled with tension, it was making me crazy. I was desperate. I had to fix the situation. Blake was my best friend, and he wasn't talking to me. Leah was, well hell, I didn't know what she was, but she wouldn't talk to me either.
I called the bus line yesterday, fully intending to take a very long Greyhound bus back to school but changed my mind at the last minute. I wasn't a quitter. I wasn't going to give up my friendship with Blake, and I wanted to figure this out with Leah. Maybe we were just a fling. I could live with that, but I couldn't live with ending things the way they were right now.
I was desperate. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Hello? Blake?” I said, knocking on his bedroom door.
No answer. I opened the door and stepped inside to see if he was in bed. I didn't see him, but I could hear the shower running. I walked to the sitting area next to the window and found my target. His phone. I quickly ran my thumb over the screen and found the information I needed before putting the phone back and leaving the phone right where I found it.
I went to my own room and grabbed my phone.
“Hello?”
“Yes? Who is this?” the woman on the other end answered.
“This is Chase. We met the other night. Blake's friend staying with Leah.”
“Oh, yeah. What's up? How did you get my number?”
I sighed, feeling a little foolish for calling her, but she was my last hope to resolve this mess. I blurted out the condensed version of the story and then waited for her to say something.
“Wow.”
“That's it? Wow?” I asked, feeling like I had made a huge mistake.
She laughed. “Yeah, wow and way to go, Leah. So, you and Leah. You all are a thing?”
“I don't know, and I'm never going to find out if she won't talk to me. Can you help?”
“Of course. Sit tight, sweetie. Let Marissa take care of this.”
She ended the call. I stared at my phone, not sure what she had planned but willing to let her try. I headed downstairs, sick of hiding out in the bedroom. I felt like a caged animal, even if my prison was a huge, luxurious cell.
When the doorbell rang an hour later, I quickly walked to it and yanked the door open. No, it wasn't my house, but it wasn't like the two occupants who did live here would bother coming down to do it.
It was Marissa, and she looked pissed.
“Where are they?”
“Upstairs. In their rooms. Still,” I said, not hiding my own frustration.
She stomped inside, her heeled thigh-high boots making a loud clacking sound on the marble floor. She stood at the bottom of the staircase, a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand, and her purse in the other.
“Leah! Blake! Get your asses down here now!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.
She turned to look at me with a big smile. My mouth was hanging open in shock. That wasn't exactly how I thought this was all going to go down. We both stood there waiting. When no one emerged, she walked to the alarm pad on the wall and pushed the alert button. It sent off an insane screaming noise that could probably be heard in Canada.
I covered my ears. She quickly punched in a code and quieted the alarm.
“That should get a response,” she said with a sly smile.
It had. Leah and Blake both appeared at the top of the stairs. They looked down at me and Marissa as if we were crazy.
“Kitchen. Now.” Marissa ordered them both before stomping off in the general direction.
I looked at Leah and Blake, shrugged my shoulders, and followed Marissa.
Blake and Leah came trailing in behind, both of them acting as if they were headed to their own executions.
Marissa had pulled shot glasses from a cabinet and lined them up on the counter before filling them with some of the whiskey.
She looked at each of us. “Everyone take a shot.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering if her plan was to get everyone drunk. That could work, but it could also backfire.
We all took our shots before she poured another round and ordered us to do it again.
“Now, we need to talk.”
Blake had been looking extremely nervous. His eyes darting between Leah and Marissa. I wasn't sure what was about to go down, but I had made the call to get the woman here. I had better be ready for anything I supposed.
“Leah, I need to tell you about Blake. Yes, I have been sleeping with Blake for the past year or so.”
Leah's eyes widened in shock. “You—”
Marissa held up a hand, cutting her off. “Don't. I don't need to hear your lecture. It happened, and it is going to keep happening. We have a thing. Deal with it.”
She poured another round of shots. The room was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. By now, we all knew the drill, and each of us dutifully took our shots.
Marissa cleared her throat and turned to look directly at Blake. “You can't be mad at Leah and Chase for finding the same thing we did. Don't act like a spoiled brat. You don't see Leah over there stomping her feet and pitching a royal fit, do you?”
“But—”
“No. How is it okay for you to have sex with your stepmom's best friend, but she can't have sex with your best friend?” she asked pointedly.
All of us gasped in shock, none of us able to look directly at each other.
“Marissa,” Blake started again.
“I'm talking. From what I hear, you two have both been pouting in your rooms for two damn days! Both of you need to knock your shit off. It's ridiculous. You two are all you have left. Blake, she has done nothing wrong. Leah, be the grown-up and make him talk to you. Don't let him run away. You know him. He needs you to step it up and be a bit more assertive. Don't be his friend. Be his big sister or stepmom. Whatever role you’re comfortable in. We all need to make this work if any of us wants to be happy. And I, for one, want to be happy. Leah, if you have a problem with me and Blake being together, that's too bad. It's happening,” she said, looking at her friend.
Leah opened her mouth to say something, but Marissa cut her off again.
“Before you say anything, as your friend, I need to tell you, holy hell, good job, lady! He's fine!” she screeched before looking at me with a big smile.
I could feel myself turning red. I felt as if I were on full display. It was very awkward. I silently prayed she would pour another shot. I needed it.
“Now, would everybody like another shot?” she asked sweetly.
We all pushed our glasses toward her, silently begging. After another round, we all sat in silence for several long minutes. Each of us mulling over what Marissa had said.
“Leah,” Marissa said in a much softer tone. “I am sorry I didn't tell you about Blake. It just happened, and then it kept happening, and I didn't know how to tell you.”
Leah smiled. “I get it. Trust me, I get it.”
The two women started laughing. I still wasn't sure what was going on. Were we cool? Did Leah and I have a shot? Was Blake still pissed at me?
“Got anything to eat in this joint?” Marissa asked, yanking open the refrigerator. “I don't want yogurt or anything healthy. I want some good junk food. Please tell me you have something.”
Leah slid off her stool and walked to a pantry, pulling it open, and bringing some chips and salsa to the counter. “Is this acceptable?” she asked with mild sarcasm.
Marissa grinned. “Perfect. Now, let's get drunk. Don't worry,” she said, looking directly at me. “There won't be some orgy or anything like that.”
I nearly choked on the chip I had just put in my mouth. “Good to know,” I mumbled.
Marissa poured more shots, and each of us greedily drank them down. I could feel the buzz and knew I couldn't be the only one. I looked at Marissa and mouthed the words thank you. She winked at me before turning her attention back to the bowl of salsa she was devouring with serious gusto.