Back to Square One

“Earth to Dolciani!” Hazelyn snapped at my face.

“Wh- What?” I stuttered.

“Why were you staring?” she smirked. “I know I’m gorgeous and everything, but didn’t your mom teach you that staring is inappropriate?” she asked.

I smirked at her. “Don’t get your head up high in the clouds. I wasn’t staring. I was simply looking at you,” I shrugged. “it’s just that sometimes you make me forget to blink,” I said jumping off the box. “Please, if it’s talking about manners - yours was a lot worse in high school,” I teased, dusting myself off as she gasped.

I began walking back towards the door, knowing Hazelyn was right behind me. “What are you trying to say, Dolciani?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I’m not trying to say anything,” I answered innocently.

“That doesn’t sound like nothing,” she crossed her arms as we got into the elevator.

“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t be pointing fingers at me when it comes to staring. If I reckon, you do a pretty bad job t it too. At least you did a horrible one in high school,” I pointed, making her blush like crazy. That just made my smile wider.

“What are you smiling for?” she snapped. “And for your information, I did a pretty damn well job at it,” she argued otherwise.

“Uhuh, so seeing you stare at me during Physics and PA is slick enough for you?” I scoffed. “Yeah, I thought so,” I laughed as the elevator doors opened and I walked to the left side of the building where my unit was. I left the door open for Hazelyn to follow me in.

“But it took you a damn long time to know I liked you,” she grinned.

“You know what? Whatever,” I shook my head. “You’re just gonna keep making excuses,” I called out from my room, taking my shirt off and snuggling into my bed.

“We’re not done,” she said walking into my room with a determined look on her face.

“Aww man! What now? I don’t like that face,” I whined, burying my face into my pillow. I was too tired to argue with her.

“We’re not done!” she stomped her feet.

I started laughing. “Did you just stomp your feet?” I laughed at her, completely forgetting about the ring and turned over on my back to see her.

“Come on,” she said pulling on my arm to get me up.

“It’s six in the morning. I wanna get some sleep!” I pleaded. “I’ll even buy you dinner,” I offered.

She contemplated for a minute, but her face stayed. “Not until I get answers!” she glared. “And we know what happens when we have dinner,” she told me with a smug look on her face. “Come on now,” she said and pulled on my arm to get me up but I didn’t budge. I rolled my eyes and pulled her onto the bed, hearing her yelp and squirm out of my grasp.

“Can we just sleep please?” I sighed, loosening my hold on her, and looked at the side of her face.

“Answer my questions?” she bargained, looking sideways at me.

“Fine.”

“Where were you?”

“California.”

“Why?” she asked. “Wait, did you say California?”

I closed my eyes and nodded. “I needed to take care of stuff,” I yawned.

“Hmm, well you don’t smell like alcohol or have a girl’s perfume,” she said uneasily. “Are you turning gay?” she asked.

I busted out laughing then I smirked at her with my eyes closed. “You know, if you wanted to sleep next to me, all you needed to do was ask,” I said, pulling her closer to me.

She pushed me away but I refused to loosen my hold on her, and she knew that - so she gave up. “You’re pretty conceited.”

“I know,” I grinned. “It was one of the things you just loved about me,” I joked.

“It was,” she agreed. I popped an eye open, to see her looking up at the ceiling. “You got me pretty worried, you know?” she asked, looking at me.

I smirked at her. “So you do care?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop caring,” she whispered low enough that I thought it was the wind speaking.

“I’m sorry,” I finally said.

“For what?”

“Earlier. I shouldn’t have blown up on you like that. It’s none of my business what you do, and I really have no-.”

“It’s okay,” she assured me before I even finished my apology.

“Just like that?” I asked popping an eye open, looking at her.

“Please, I need a place to stay,” she smirked, making me close my eyes again. It was quiet for a short while until she spoke up again. “You know, I was wondering…,” she drifted off.

“You’re always wondering,” I mumbled, making her chuckle.

“Why’s the condo under my last name?” she asked. Damn it. I wished she didn’t ask that.

“We’ll talk about that some other day,” I yawned and hugged her closer, making her stiffen. “Goodnight Haze,” I said before making myself comfortable and falling asleep.

I woke up 12 hours later, and I was actually surprised that Hazelyn fell asleep there too. Peacefully and quietly. I was actually watching her sleep like a creep (that rhymed!) for an hour before I decided to take a shower.

Once I got out, Hazelyn had woken up. She was still on my bed looking at the ceiling. “Good evening sleeping beauty,” I smiled.

“What time is it?” she croaked.

“Quarter to Eight,” I told her, looking at my watch. “Wanna grab some dinner?”

She nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m pretty hungry. I’m gonna go take a shower,” she said getting up and walking over to her room.

I was waiting in the living room when the buzzer rang. I was watching a show, so I opened the door without bothering to look through the eye-hole. Fuck.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Derek hissed.

Play it cool, play it cool. It wasn’t like you slept in the same bed as his girlfriend last night. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, barging into my home?” I leaned against the doorframe.

“Where is my girlfriend?” he enunciated each word carefully and deathly, but it didn’t faze me. He didn’t scare me. Déjà vu much? He didn’t bother waiting for my answer because he just shoved me out of the way, and began opening each door of the bedroom. He finally stopped in front of the one she occupied.

“Derek! What the hell?!” I heard her screech. She had just pulled her shirt down, and her hair was still dripping from the shower.

“What the hell? I thought you were here alone?!” he yelled at her.

“Ryan needed a place to crash, and I couldn’t kick him out!”

“Did you not think of how I’d think about this? My girlfriend, sharing a condo with her ex, whom is also asking my girlfriend to pose as his fake girlfriend?” he scoffed. “You told me you were visiting a friend here and none of your explanations if I may recall, involved a certain somebody,” he hissed, his eyes darting towards me.

“What was I supposed to do Derek?!” Hazelyn shouted. “Kick Ryan out of his own place?! Do you really expect me to do so?!”

“Do you not know how this looks right now? He just got out of the shower, and you just got out of the shower? Do you think I’d just let this pass? And to know that you’re alone here? Come on now Hazelyn, you had a fucking history with this bastard! You could’ve stayed with me! You didn’t even tell me that you stayed with him. You lied to me!”

“And have Ryan report to my brother and get you permanently fired? Do you really think I’m that selfish?” she looked at him. I wouldn’t report to Tristan, and she knew that.

“Is this why you didn’t accept my proposal?” Derek asked with a hurt expression. I was shocked. She didn’t accept it?!

“You know I can’t,” she explained. “My brother wouldn’t approve of it,” Hazelyn sighed. I knew that was only half the reason. The other half? I was still to find out.

“Is that the only reason? Because I think I see another reason in this room right now,” he growled looking at me.

“Derek, yes, it’s about my brother,” Hazelyn pleaded with her hands, but her voice and her eyes said otherwise.

“What is wrong with you? Why are you thinking of what your brother thinks, more than what I think, huh? Why does he treat you like a little child, other than a mature adult? Don’t you think you should grow up, and make your own decisions? Who’s more important? Your brother? Or me?” Derek shouted at her. Hazelyn stayed quiet though, looking down at the floor. I was just watching this scene from afar, my blood pressure raising by each word that came out of the bastard’s mouth. I would never make Hazelyn face such a dilemma. Ever.

Hazelyn didn’t answer, so he stepped up to her and grabbed her chin harshly, making her look up at him. “Answer me, you cheating slut!” he demanded, making me flinch. Fuck no. One more move, he’s dead.

“Blood is thicker than water,” Hazelyn spat viciously at him.

“You bitch!” he yelled and was about to slap her, but I caught his hand, making his glare land on me.

“If you ever lay a hand on her, you’ll be signing your death sentence,” I growled at him, making his eyes widen. “Get out, before I throw you out the damn window,” I added, pushing him away from Hazelyn, and put my hand on the small of her back, ready to attack if he tried to take another step towards us.

“We’re not done, Hazelyn Mae,” he declared before walking out, banging the door in the process.

“Are you okay?” I turned to her after he left.

“Fine,” she nodded at me. I looked for the usual signs when she lies, but I found nothing.

“What do you wanna do today?” I asked her. “Err, tonight,” I chuckled softly.

She gave me a small smile back. “I think I’m just gonna go to my room and do some thinking,” she replied softly.

“Okay. Let me know when you need anything.”

She just nodded at me and walked back into her room. That bastard. I’ll give him a break now, but if I see him one more fucking time, his head will be chopped off. Not just that head.



I woke up the next morning, and all I heard were screaming.

“Get the fuck out, bitch!” I heard Hazelyn scream.

“I’m not gonna leave until you show me my fucking boyfriend!” Megan just won’t leave us alone, will she?

“Boyfriend?” Hazelyn scoffed. “The nerve of you to call him your boyfriend after you cheat on him repeatedly. It’s not called a relationship anymore, if you haven’t been updated, Ms. Fox.”

“That was a long time ago! We worked through it!”

“Oh yeah? You call last night a long time ago?” Hazelyn scoffed. “You guys broke up, so I wouldn’t count that as cheating, but past articles have read that you’ve cheated on him 12 times in the past 6 months?!” Hazelyn shrieked. “You better have a damn well explanation for that, you bitch. Because if you don’t, you’ll get a piece of my fucking wrath!” Damn.

“Bring it on, fattie,” Megan taunted.

Hazelyn just laughed. “If you haven’t been updated, I’m bumping you off the sexiest woman list.” Ooooff. Hazelyn, that burned.

I didn’t hear anything else besides a shriek, making me jump from my bed and out to the living room. Hazelyn was on the ground, but she quickly flipped them over and she was throwing punches. She sure did not fight like a girl.

I was enjoying the show, sad to say, but I had to do something. I pulled Hazelyn off Megan, and held onto her. “Let go of me Ryan, I’m not done with that Slut,” she hissed.

“Who are you calling a slut? I’m not the one sharing a room with a man with a girlfriend!” Megan stood up, wiping the blood trickling from the side of her mouth. That’s gonna need a fuck load of make up to cover. Especially that eye that’s starting to swell.

“A psycho ex-girlfriend,” Hazelyn coughed dryly. “That’s who I’m calling a slut.”

“Bitch!” Megan charged, but I held onto her shoulders, being the barrier between the two infuriated lionesses. Well a beautiful lioness and an ugly bull that’s charging.

“Fucking hell, don’t lay a hand on her,” I boomed at Megan, making her flinch and take a step back.

“Jay,” she whimpered.

“We’re over. Get the hint. We’re not dating, so leave us alone, okay? We are not fucking dating, so go get your fuck buddy and ask him to be your boyfriend,” I sighed. I was so damn tired of this.

“Fine, if that’s what you want, fine. It’s your loss,” she shrugged. “I’m a better fuck,” she stated.

“Actually, no. You’re not,” I lied in a matter-of-fact. It’s a lie because I haven’t really gotten that far with Hazelyn. Hell, I didn’t even get close. She huffed, and growled before finally walking out.

“Fucking bitch,” Hazelyn hissed, immediately straightening her clothes out, as if I didn’t just lie about sleeping with her. “These were my favorite pajamas,” I heard her mumble and looked up at me, her glare towards me. The look was so intense that even I took a step back. The anger was clear in her eyes. “Never will I get in a fight because of you, ever again,” she hissed at me before retreating to her room and banged it shut.

“Fuckers,” I muttered under my breath. We seem to be a magnet for drama. One after another. But I felt pretty damn well that Hazelyn got into a fight for me. To defend my honor. I’m a happy guy right now, despite Hazelyn was probably so pissed at me.

She fought for me. That’s all that mattered.