A Few Too Many

“Hi, love.” Marc hugged me to him. The weeks always seemed to take forever, although we only had a few months until we wouldn't have to wait except for road trips.
“I love you.” I spoke softly to him.
“And I you.” He kissed me softly.
“Enough already, can we go now, before I gag.” Shea laughed.
Marc grabbed my bag and Shea’s directing us to loop or arms through his.
“OK, are you going to stay with us or your dad?” he asked before we left the airport.
“Can I just stay with you two?”
“I just asked.”
“I just don't want to be in the way.”
“You are never in the way and if you are more comfortable then stay with your dad.”
“No I will stay with you guys.”
Marc directed the cab driver to his place, so I snuggled into his chest, enjoying his scent and remembering him.

We met Eric a few hours later for dinner.
“Hey sis.” he spoke as he pulled me into a hug. He teased his brother by dragging his hand down my back like he was going to feel me up.
“Watch it.” Marc warned
“Just testing my boundaries.
“Pavement, face.” Marc laughed as Eric released me smiling.
“So this is Shea, Jordan is going to have a fit that I get to be your date for the night.”
“I don't have a date for any night... Just saying.” she smiled
“Oh well then you can be” he pointed to his chest “My date, because I was promised a hottie.”
Shea looked over at Marc and he shrugged.
“You are hands off, I have been instructed.” she smiled up at him.
“Bree you are no fun.” He frowned.
“You all have that pouty face and only Marc’s works. Jordan already tried it.”
Marc burst out laughing as Eric tucked his lower lip back in.
Dinner was quiet, amazingly enough Shea was behaving.
“Let’s head to the bar. The boys are out tonight.”
“OK.” I smiled up to him
“I think I am going to head back, curfew is in an hour.”
“See ya on the ice.”
“Tomorrow.”
I hugged Eric and kissed him on the cheek. “I will see you tomorrow.”
“Sure will, hopefully I will see you in red.”
“Maybe red and a whole lot of blue.” he smiled and turned walking away.
“OMG.”
“What?” Marc and I both said at the same time.
“Are all of you so damn good looking. I mean I knew you were a good looking family, but geez. Gene pool spreading would surely help the world out.”
“Shea.”
“What it is the truth. Fine ass Staal men, I mean come on. Tall, ginger/blonde, dimples, built and well...”
“Well what?”
“Good in the sack.”
“Well you can speak for Jordan.”
“You know it is all mostly the same, I bet you guys make the same noises in bed.”
“I wouldn't know.” Marc laughed and turned walking towards the bar.

Shea

“Shea, baby.” Mikey walked over hugging me to him.
“Hey, DelZotto.”
“What no Mikey from my favorite lady?”
“Not tonight.”
“What?”
“Zotto it was fun while it lasted.”
“Oh, we are done?”
“I want to be your friend but I can't sleep with you anymore.”
“You have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
“Just making some changes in my life, is all.”
“You changing? HA... never gonna happen.”
“Thanks for the confidence there buddy.” I walked by him, obviously I was in worse shape than I originally thought. I pulled out my phone and text Jared. I had him in my phone as Tito so maybe that would throw Bree off a little if she ever grabbed my phone.
Hey
S

Hey whats up
J

Nothing
S

Everything OK
J

I don't know
S

Ok
J

I just feel like a huge hooker all the sudden
S

You are not a hooker
J

If you say so
S

You didn't make me pay, or Jordan. Do you make DelZotto pay?
J

Fuck you Staal
S

Did you smile
J

Yes
S

Mission accomplished
J

How are you that cute and sweet at the same time.
S

Magic
J

You took my line
S

Made you smile again
J

:)
S

:D
J

Thanks
S

anytime
J

What are you doing?
S

Riding the bus
J

Where to now?
S

Catching plane in Texas to go to Oklahoma City.
J

When are you home?
S

Friday
J

Lunch
S

Yup
J

OK see you then
S

If you need me...
J

Thanks again
S

Night
J

Night
S

I put my phone back in my purse, smiling I walked back over to the crew of boys.
It was amazing to me that I didn't want to sleep with any of them. For the first time in my life I was content with just being alone here.

I stood in the restaurant in Indian Trail. We had decided it would be best if Bree didn't know we were hanging out.
“Hey” he walked in smiling, I noticed that he had his fake tooth in.
“Hey” I reached up and hugged him to me.
“Long trip huh?”
“Yeah but at least I had this to look forward too.”
I smiled and leaned up kissing him on the cheek.
We ordered our lunch, I had to laugh when his plate came out.
“Salad, really?”
“I have to watch my figure.”
“What your six foot four skinny ass?”
“I am not skinny and I am almost six five.” he smirked
“You are kinda but those shoulders, fuck.” I said it before i realized it.
“Sorry.”
“I don't want you to censor yourself around me, I like who you are and It doesn't bother me when you give me excellent compliments like that and that my Jock is bigger.”
“I don't remember.”
“Maybe I could refresh your memory.”
“I would love nothing better than to do that but I need a change.”
“I think you should be who you are no matter what.”
“Would you be surprised if I told you I wasn't that happy?”
“You weren't?”
“No, I mean I was, then Bree starting dating Marc and I saw how happy they were and I got kinda jealous. I thought I could sleep my way out of those feelings, hence Jordan.”
“I am sorry you weren't happy, I am sorry for any part I had in that.”
“Jared, It wasn't your fault. I mean you are a guy and I was practically throwing myself at you.”
“Yeah you did.” he chuckled. “not that I would ever complain.”
“I bet you wouldn't.”
We ate in silence as I decided that it was probably a good thing I told Jared what was really going on. Maybe I had turned over a new leaf.

He walked me to the apt door and I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thanks.”
“I want to take you out on a real date, like whole first kiss and holding hands. I want to try this.”
“Jared, Bree would not be happy.”
“Who cares?”
“Are you kidding me? I don't not want her angry at me again. I want to be different and I can't do that with you. I need time to figure all for this out.”
“OK then just lunch and hanging out.”
“Friends, Jared only friends.”
“You got it.” His half smile was endearing and I wanted to kiss him but restrained myself.
We had lunch a few times that week and had ended up watching a movie at the house, since Bree was working.
“Shea?” I heard Bree call through the door.
“Fuck.” I jumped from the bed shoving Jared across the room and into the closet.
“Quiet or you die.” I warned him, causing him to smirk as I shut the door in his face.
“Never been shoved in a closet before.” I heard him say.
“Who are you talking to?”
‘Myself.” I answered her.
“I wasn't feeling well so I left work early, I am going to go lie down.”
“OK.”
I walked into the living room, watching as Bree stretched across the couch.
I turned walking back into my room wondering how I was going to get Jared out.
“I have practice in two hours.”
“Shit.”
“Why am I in the closet? We were just watching a movie.”
“In the bedroom.”
“It wasn't like that.”
“Doesn’t matter, she will freak the fuck out.”
“Dear God woman, we are adults, if we want to watch a movie, we should be able too.”
“She is very protective of you Jared.”
“She is like a sister, but you are not.” he waggled his eyebrows at me.
“Jared.” I warned him.
“OK, well convince her to go to her room, tell her you want her to keep her cooties to herself.”
I walked out of the room talking to Bree and helping her to her room.
Jared must have slipped out because when I went to get him, he was gone. I did however find his Hurricanes sweatshirt laid across the back of my desk chair and couldn't resist picking it up and pulling it to my nose as I inhaled deeply.I had barely missed getting caught although I didn't really feel that bad about it. I hated lying all the time and I knew it would come out sooner or later. I had feelings for Jared that I was doing a miserable job at hiding. I just didn't want him to think I was who i was a few weeks ago. I know people don't change overnight, but I wanted it all, the house, kids and a white picket fence. Would I have that with Jared? I didn't know but I wanted to see if I could. The sneaking around had gotten scary at times and Jared had slipped up and told Eric.
“Hey babe.”
“Hey.” I said as I answered the phone.
“Umm I may or may have not told Eric we were seeing each other.”
“Jared, What the Fuck?”
“I didn't mean too, I was talking about the game and I just said something about us having dinner after and it went from there. I swore him to secrecy.”
“Cause Eric can keep his big fucking mouth shut.”
“He will.”
“He better or I will drive to Raleigh and kick his ass. If Bree kicks me out I am moving in with him and making sure he never gets laid again.”
“I would be OK with that, well as long as you are not sleeping with him.”
“Eric? Ewww, not ever gonna happen.”
“You don't like Eric?”
“Umm, NO.”
I heard him chuckle into the phone.
“Well that's good that takes the other three out of the competition.”
“Jared there is no competition.”
“With us Staals, there is always competition.”
“If you say so.”
“Please Jared.”
“I only told Eric.... “
“Jared?”
“and the team?”
“What fucking team?”
“Umm, I was talking to Peters and someone overheard and then they were all like really? and I had to tell them.”
“Jared this was supposed to be a secret.”
“It is.”
“Not if everybody knows, dipshit.”
“Hey don't call me names.”
“Well?”
“OK, I’m sorry.”
“Just make sure they don't tell Bree.”
“They wont, Bro code you know.”
“Fucking bro code, you guys keep all the secrets right?”
‘Only the important ones.” I knew he was smirking.
“Take your ginger ass to practice and I will see you later.”
“You coming over?”
“I was planning on it.”
“OK, I will grab some dinner.”
“I will get the movie.”
“Promise not to shove me in a closet this time?”
I laughed remembering his face as I closed the door on him in my room.
“Not tonight.”