Cam

Thoroughly fucked.

That’s what I am right now. Thoroughly fucked.

I smile as I flip the sandwich I'm grilling for lunch.

When I first moved to the States, I wouldn’t have thought that I would be living with my brother’s best friend. I also didn’t think I would be in a relationship with him either. When the two of them lived back home, I don’t recall having a crush on Jacks. He was around whenever I went to see my brother as they lived in the same building and quickly became close mates. I didn’t really take notice of him in any other way than my brother’s friend until Mal posted photos of them at the grand opening of their club on social media. Jacks had always been attractive, but when I looked at him again in a different view, one of an adult – I was seeing a harder edge to him. One with a chiseled, and smoldering look, that I didn’t notice before. I emailed him and congratulated him on the new club on Facebook and we corresponded a few times, but I didn’t speak to him again until Mal’s wedding.

Jacks jumped in the shower after he made me come again and I promised him lunch before he left for his meeting. I hear the water shut off and a moment later a door opening and closing.

I am reaching into the cupboard to grab plates when I hear a voice behind me.

“What the fuck is going on here?” a deep voice demands.

As I turn around, it occurs to me that I am wearing an apron – only an apron – as my clothes are still on the floor of the bedroom. Facing towards him, I lift my eyes to meet the harsh gaze of my brother. His body tenses as he looks at me.

Jacks takes this particular moment to walk into the kitchen, wearing only a towel holding a bottle of lotion. “Hey love, I need your help with—” His words are cut short when he looks up and sees Malcolm. My brother's head swivels in his direction and he notes the lack of clothes on Jacks’s body as well.

“The fuck is happening here?” Mal barks, looking between us. “Cam. Go put some fucking clothes on.” I run past the guys to my bedroom, dress quickly and then head back into the kitchen to turn off the stove and remove the sandwich from the pan.

“Care to explain?” Mal asks Jacks.

“Well…” Jacks starts, his eyes darting to me.

“I didn’t want to tell you yet,” I say. It’s true. I asked Jacks to wait on telling Mal. “Jacks wanted to tell you, but I made him wait.”

“And why’s that?” Mal’s head swivels between us.

“Because it was my decision.” I had my reasons, and my brother didn’t need to know them.

Malcolm’s eyes narrow on Jacks. “And you went along with that? You and I see each other daily and not once did you mention that you are hooking up with my little sister. I mean, fuck, mate. You didn’t even tell me that she was staying here. What the fuck?”

“I’m sorry. Listen, I wanted to say something, but I was honoring your sister’s wishes.”

“We’re best mates,” Mal simply states, hurt evident in his tone.

“We are. But when it comes to matters of the heart, this personal shit, a relationship between two people – lovers, or whatever you want to call it – there are just some things that need to stay between them,” Jacks says as if he’s rehearsed it a million times.

Mal’s eyes are zeroed in on Jacks as if they’re having a non-verbal conversation. After a few more moments of them looking at one another, Mal looks back over to me.

While I’ve put some clothes on, I still feel naked in this moment. I cross my arms and stand awkwardly.

“You were naked, cooking.”

“Well, the details about that are unimportant. But I mean, we’ve got to eat.” I shrug.

“I don’t need to know why.” Mal’s hand goes up.

“Sorry man. I wanted to tell you,” Jacks reiterates.

“And you?” Mal looks at me.

“It’s our business. We were going to tell you, when we got to that level.”

“You’re my little sister. And he’s my best mate. My business partner. I think that puts it pretty high up there on the list of things that are my business. I’ve been telling him to make sure you don’t date any assholes and all this time you guys have been hooking up!” His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath and turns to the wall to cool down. “But what Jacks said is right. There are just simply some things that should stay between two people.”

“To clarify though, we haven’t been seeing each other this whole time, it’s a fairly recent development. After the wedding he basically put up a barrier against anything happening and then—”

“Wait, the wedding? You guys were the couple who hooked up at my wedding?” Mal’s jaw drops.

Jacks and I look at one another.

I try to keep the conversation on track. “The point is, this hasn’t been happening as long as you’re thinking. And besides, I’m a grown adult. I can make my own decisions, especially on who I decide to let into my life, in that way.” I want to stomp so badly.

“A grown adult who has never been in a relationship, Cameron. You’re my baby sister no matter how much of an adult you are. And regardless of that fact, this bloke is my best mate. It sucks that you didn’t want to talk to me about any of this.” Mal says with sadness in his voice.

I walk closer and wrap my arms around my big brother.

“You’ll always be my favorite brother,” I say softly.

“I’m your only brother, you arsehole. You let me know if I need to kick his apricots and I will,” he says quietly, catching my eye.

“Promise,” I say sweetly.

Well, that’s not how I was expecting telling my brother about Jacks and me to go. While it started off rocky and awkward with him seeing my ass and all, I feel that the end result is good.

Turning to Jacks, Mal points at him and says, “Now, you. Let’s get your arse into gear. We’ve got to get to that meeting, I’m a stunned mullet but we got to go and you need to be fully clothed. Also, we still have words to discuss.” Jacks nods, winks at me, and then runs into the bedroom.

“I’m sorry, Malcolm. He wanted to tell you, but I just wanted to be sure we were telling you something that was meant to be something rather than a passing fling.”

“And is it?” he asks.

“It is. Yeah, I think it is.” I nod.

“I’m still a bit aggro about this. But I love you. I know you aren’t stupid and an adult and your own person, whatever, but I’m still going to have a word with Jacks about this. I should have had my eye on him more, rather than thinking that you’d be bringing home some nut-heads. Never guessed you’d be trying to shack up with my best mate.”

“I pursued him. Just keep that in mind.”

* * *

“I knew it! I thought I was just drunk and seeing things, but I knew that I saw you guys kiss!” Beck says quietly, leaning in.

We’re sitting at a small diner having lunch before my shift at the hotel. I just finished telling her about the morning and how my brother – her husband – saw my bare arse and didn’t even blink about it.

“At first, I thought he was going to pop a vein. I mean, picture The Incredible Hulk when he’s about to smash. That was Mal,” I say, before throwing a French fry into my mouth.

She chokes on her drink and then starts to crack up. She leans back in the booth and cackles loudly. I wait for her to stop laughing, and once she’s regained her composure, she sees the confused look on my face and laughs loudly again.

“I’m sorry… I just… Oh, that was great.” She giggles and tries to catch her breath.

“What just happened?” I ask.

“So, when your brother and I were dating—” she starts.

“I don’t want to hear about any of your perverted games,” I interject to try and stop her.

“No way. This falls under the safe category. So, he and I were randomly discussing our favorite not-hot actors and I mentioned that mine was Mark Ruffalo, and then I brought up the Hulk.”

“Mark Ruffalo is definitely hot.”

“He is, even more so now. Anyways, so a few months later, I’m at one of Mal’s shows, before he and Jacks opened The Essentials, and well, the closing number was an Avengers routine and your brother was green like the hulk and all decked out in brown pants and purple nut huggers. It was, oh man, it was amazing.”

“So then, you’ve actually seen him turn into the Hulk. So that’s what I saw today, minus the green body paint and his clothes stayed on.”

“How pissed off was he by the time Jacks and he left?”

“Mal seemed to calm down a little. I mean, I told him that I was the one who pursued Jacks and not the other way around. He didn't like that we’d hid our relationship and he was worried about me, since I’ve never had a relationship. So, I think he was more worried about Jacks corrupting me.”

“Wait, dial it back a skosh. You’ve never had a relationship?”

“No. Ma kinda had the reins in on me in secondary school once I started to develop. When I got to Uni, I was all about the books and more books to get done quickly and then hopefully follow after Mal and come to the States.”

“What you’re telling me is that your first relationship is with your brother’s best friend?”

“Correct.”

“Hold the phone! Does that also mean that he was your first too?” she whispers.

I don’t immediately answer her, but I nod.

She squeals and jumps in her seat. Her eyes wide and a grin on her face.

“You look like you’re having some kind of attack,” I say as politely as I can.

“Holy shit. You fucked your brother’s best friend. How was it? He looks like he would be so romantic and sweet.” She smiles, her chin in her hand.

“Um. Well, quite the opposite actually,” I say.

“Shut the front door!”

I turn my head and notice the diner door is closed.

“The door is shut, are you okay?” I ask.

“You mean to tell me that Jacks – Mr. Sweet & Sensitive Jacks – is a bad boy?”

“I guess?” I’m not exactly sure where she’s going with this. “I mean, he’s still sweet and such, but he’s just got a dominant bedroom personality.”

“So what’s he into? Choking? Spanking? Nipple clamps? Ball gags? Anal play? Oh boy, I could go on. Just give me one hint?”

Not knowing how much I should divulge, I just say one element that he likes and hope that she will let it be. “Spanking,”

Beck has basically melted into her seat. The look on her face can only be described as delirium. Her eyes are glazed, it looks like she has a hanger in her mouth and I’m not sure she’s really even breathing.

“Wow. I would have never thought.” She shakes her head and her eyes come back into focus.

I smile, now feeling uncomfortable discussing the topic of my sex life with my boyfriend.

Minor slip up. My boyfriend. Hmmm, I didn’t want us to label it.

That sounds nice. But also juvenile. My man-friend? No, that sounds worse.

My partner. Hmmm, that’s better.