I Don't Wanna Be in Love

As he holds her in his arms tightly his lips warmly nuzzle her ear, his tongue sliding over the small hoop ring that pierced her cartilage. Her painted nails dig against his arms as he jabs at her buttons, making her body twist and turn in bursts of excitement. This here was perfect, they both thought. Not a care in the world or a responsibility other then to the other person. The world seemed to freeze the moment he started holding her. The light music plays through the room in a swirl, like the intoxicating aroma of a freshly baked pie.

Her freshly washed hair dampens his shirt as she leans deeper against him. He has his eyes on her while her eyes are closed, relaxing in it all. Disturbing the peace of it all her phone takes off in a wild mass of buzzing.

“Leave it,” He murmurs against her head, tightening the grip he held of her, slightly. With eyes still closed she pulled her phone from her loose shorts pocket, flipping it open and pressing the smooth coolness to her free ear opposite Jacoby. “Hello,” She answers in a loose tone but perks up immediately at the responding voice.

“Erin!” Absent-mindedly she jolts from her lazy position in Coby’s arms, he let’s his arms drop and pulls them across his chest. “I’m fine! How are you? I’ve missed you dude,” Excitedly she starts chatting into the phone, getting up and walking across the living room into the middle of the kitchen.

Jacoby pulls a cigarette from a box and lights it up, listening easily to the conversation that’s booming in the next room.

“Oh everything’s fine here,” “…he’s good, they’re good, it’s good.”

“Fine an’ good? You sure?”

“Yeah I’m sure,” Ember was being careful not to make any faces while talking, keeping her back to Jacoby’s back just in case he decided to turn for a look.

“I don’t think so, is he there? Something’s wrong and he’s there so therefore you aren’t telling me,”

“You talk too much,” She says with a sarcastically loud scoff.

“I’m gonna go out for some food babe, tell Erin I said Hey.” The cigarette was finished and in the ash tray before Jacoby got up with keys in hand, leaving out the door and not waiting for a response from Ember.

“He says Hey,”

“So I heard, so what’s really up?”

“There have been some issues, yeah, but every couple has their issues.” She says sounding as if she’s trying to convince herself more then him.

“What issues?”

“The normal, everything I’ve been dealing with since we got together.” Ember shoves her back against the tiled counter, clasping her free palm over her left knee and squeezing semi-tightly.

“Why do you put up with it Em?”

“Because I love him…”

“Mhm, trying to convince yourself of that? You sound different and I don’t really like it. What else has been going on?”

“I sorta met someone…” Her eyes are closed and as hard as she’s trying to picture Jacoby at that very second Matt pops up, his face engulfed in the red lava that’s behind her eyelids.

“Yeah? Spill!”

“He’s nice, we’ve talked a couple of times and he kissed me…”

“Wha-when?!”

“Day before last and I just have to admit that it was deep and alluring, felt like the first time Jacoby and I kissed…” Her eyebrows dip slightly upward like the sides of her mouth, her top teeth gnawing on her bottom lip in a childish grin. I’ve got a secret sort of way.

“Ooo, does this guy have a name?”

“Matt,”

“Is he good looking?”

“Very,” She lushes before she can help herself. Her feet slip against the hardwood floor as her back slides down against the counter. Her hand levels her body so she doesn’t tumble over like a potato after she rests her butt on her floor. “But I’m with Jacoby so it doesn’t matter,” That thing called a conscience catches up with her thoughts and strangles them relentlessly.

“So? People break up?”

“Don’t start Erin, I’m very aware you don’t like Jacoby-“

“It’s not that I don’t like the guy but I see what he puts my big sister through and that’s what I don’t fucking like. Best case scenario you go out with this Matt guy, don’t like him as much as you thought, Jacoby gets jealous and a major fucking wake up call and you two can try to piece your relationship back together.”

“You done?” She huffs, a goaded look burning into the reflective refrigerator.

“Depends on what you end up saying next.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“No it’s not, you said you met someone, not a friend a someone. He kissed you and you liked it. I know you and you can’t get that kiss out of your head. And you won’t be able to unless you see if there’s anything there behind it and I doubt there is. People get bored-“

“I am not bored!” Ember interrupts, smacking her hand against her leg. “…Just in a funk…” He agrees on the other end of the line with a not so silent mhm.

“You’ll feel a lot better if you get this guy out of your system and Coby will get with the fucking program and realize he doesn’t want to lose you. But that it is possible.”

“And if you’re wrong? If I can’t get Matt out of my system by seeing him…If it turns into something more then this flirting affection?”

“Well then you’ll have to choose who is better-“

“Yeah I’m not doing that.”

“I’m not going to convince you to cheat on your boyfriend-“

“Cheating? Going to call it cheating now?”

“Well…if you go behind his back to see another person-eh don’t fuck Matt it’s not cheating. Just go out with him.”

“What the hell? You have no clue what you’re fucking talking about! I’m not going to take your advice.”

“Fine don’t, then that’s a sure fire way for you to cheat on Coby. I mean come on, let it build up and sooner or later after a fight who are you gonna call or run into? Then bam! It’s all over. Look I gotta go; I’ll call ya again when I can. Love you.”

The click signaling the end of the conversation bleeps a second later and Ember hangs up with her thumb. Her face scrunches up in thought as she sits there only moving her arm to her pocket to put away her phone. A couple of different scenarios play on the flat screen in her head, “Maybe the little twit is right…”

“Babe? I’m back,” Ember shuffles up to her knees and onto her feet, a smile plastering to her face when her eyes catch the two brown bags in Jacoby’s hands. “Brought dinner,” He says grinning and putting the two bags on the counter that was just a support beam to Ember minutes prior.

His lips find hers quickly, in a sweet small peck before fishing the white boxes out of the mouth of the bag. Ember grabs two plates and two glasses, doubling back to pick up two forks.

“So how’s Erin?” He asks as he starts piling a plate with freshly made potato salad.

“He’s good, not much going on up there.”

“You should go see him.”

“What?” She places the two glasses on the table, now filled nearly to the rim with ice water and ice cubes.

“Well I remember hearing how close you guys were and you now hardly talk,” He says as he slides a plate filled with food over to Ember as she sits down, sliding a fork to him.

“Maybe,” She murmurs before taking a drink, chomping lightly on a piece of ice.

“I love you.” He practically blurts before starting on his food, gazing at Ember with happiness nearing bubbling in him.

He has no clue the things she’s thinking or how a chill travels up her spine at his ‘I love you’ that dripped with love. The winning smile that sold the deal when he met her covers up the deceit that she’s thinking of.