Summer Fling: An Anthology by Vi Keeland

 

 

 

THREE DAYS OF a lot of sex, a lot of conversation, and a lot of pasta flew by. Adam had to go back to Mexico for another week of filming. He begged me to tag along, but work had piled up for me, too, during the time I’d taken off to channel all our energy to give each other orgasms.

Besides, I was growing strangely attached to Betsy and didn’t feel comfortable having some faceless assistant tend to her once a day. She needed company, a lot of cuddles, and honestly, to be brushed regularly.

I screened Chris’ calls the entire duration of that time. I just didn’t feel like giving him the forgiveness he wanted so much and unchaining him from the guilt. This wasn’t an error. A stumble in the dark. He had been cheating on me for four years with a man who was his lover before we’d even met. I was supposed to be the cure, the antidote, and I didn’t do the trick. I felt used, but surprisingly, realized I’d been trying to use Chris to fill a void, too. Maybe that was why I’d avoided him thus far. Because coming to terms with what we did to each other was so embarrassing.

Val, too, called me daily. I always picked up and humored him. He needed a slogan for the carpet shop, and I helped him with that, coming up with a dozen names and catchphrases.

“I hope you are not bumping uglies with Adam,” Val had half-joked, half-warned the last time we spoke.

“Adam is in Mexico.” I’d dodged the question lamely. It didn’t sit right with me, to lie to my brother. And yet, why did he even care?

“Nika, don’t beat around the bush.”

“Val, don’t say ‘beat’ and ‘bush’ when talking about sex and expect me not to make a juvenile joke.”

“You’re impossible. Answer me.”

“Why do you care so much?” I sighed, rubbing at my temple.

“Because he’s an asshole to women, and you are a woman. You also happen to be my sister. See what my problem is?”

“No,” I snapped. “Because he’s not an asshole to me. Never was.”

“That’s because he hasn’t slept with you yet.”

Oops.

My silence was all the admission he needed.

Val let out a feral, hissing sound. “Great. Really, Nika?”

“Val.” I laughed, trying to make light of it. “Chris cheated on me. In our bed. With his gay lover, by the way. You cannot protect my heart. You couldn’t when I was a kid, and you sure as hell can’t all the way from Massachusetts.”

“So, you are together.”

There was no point lying to him. “Yeah,” I said quietly. “I guess we are.”

“Right. Even though I specifically asked you not to.”

“Why did you put us under the same roof if you cared so much about us not being together?” I cut him off. “Seems a bit counter-productive, even cruel. You knew Adam used to have a thing for me. He told me he asked you about dating me once. And you couldn’t have been so blind as to how much I wanted him when we were kids.”

“I wanted to know where both your loyalty lay,” Val said bitterly. “Now I do.”

After Val hung up on me, guilt found its way to me. It gnawed in my gut, nibbling its way all over my mood. When Adam called for our daily chat, which always stretched into hours, he didn’t mention anything about my brother, and I figured, since he was coming home the next day, it was better to have this conversation in person.

The next day came in a storm. Adam threw the door open at six in the morning, charging straight to his bedroom, where I was half-asleep, all cuddled up with Betsy. I’d taken up residence in his room since that day in my shower.

“Honey, I’m home,” he announced, diving straight into bed. I clung onto him, pressing a closemouthed kiss to his lips. Love was blind, but presumably, it could still smell.

“Missed your face.”

“Missed every part of you, especially this one,” he countered, squeezing my butt and pressing his hard body against mine.

“I’ve a feeling I’m going to be very jealous of all the female attention you’re getting at this job of yours.”

He grinned playfully. “It’s just a job. A tiring one at that.”

I opened my mouth to say something more when there was a knock on the door. We both frowned at each other.

“Are you expecting anyone?”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Like I’d want to spend time with non-Nika humans after working twenty-hour days.”

He unglued himself from me, strolling to the living room to get the door. I followed him. Adam swung the door open, and my heart missed a beat.

“Is Nika here?”

Chris was standing on the other side of the door, his sandy hair and Southern boy charm dimmed by what looked like a sleepless few nights. His eyes bloodshot and his skin clinging to bones. I couldn’t imagine how exhausted he felt.

“Depends on who is asking.” Adam crossed his arms over his chest.

“Her boyfriend.” Chris bared his teeth, mimicking the same gesture. Boy, he wasn’t only exhausted, he was also delusional.

“Why, impossible.” Adam smiled charmingly. “Because you’re talking to her boyfriend.”

Sensing some major Brandy and Monica vibes, à la“The Boy is Mine”, coming our way, I stepped up next to Adam.

“Chris. How did you find me?”

“Val gave me the address.” Chris flashed me an apologetic smile, immediately letting his guard down. “Sorry, I had a feeling you were going to ghost me for eternity. I pretty much squeezed it out of him.”

“I’ll be squeezing his neck next time I see him…” Adam muttered.

Chris ignored him, turning to me fully. “Baby, let’s talk about it.” I knew what he was referring to. What he really wanted to discuss. Why he’d come here. He needed to make sure I wouldn’t tell people. And I wouldn’t, but the fact he’d come here to check on that instead of me hurt. It was like I was the one who’d broken the trust between us, not the other way around.

“Nothing to talk about. She’s mine now. Have a nice life. Or, don’t. None of my business.” Adam started shutting the door in Chris’ face, but Chris held it open at the last minute with his hand.

“Nika, please.”

Adam swung the door open. “You had your chance and you blew it. Now get out before more things blow up.”

“You guys, please.”

“Let’s let Nika decide.” Chris gestured toward me.

“Listen, I…” I tried desperately to get a word between the two men.

“I’m going to knock your fucking teeth out,” Adam growled.

“You’re insane. I’m calling TMZ.”

“Call the pope for all I care. I’m not letting you harass her. Not after what you put her through.”

I did the only thing I could. I jumped between them.

“Enough,” I growled. “You’re not even talking about the same thing. Adam, your place in my life is secure. Chris is not trying to win me back. Chris, your secret is safe with me. I have no interest in ruining your life, but just so you know, you’re going to live a miserable existence being someone’s sidepiece. Especially under the current conditions. You’re obviously in love, and not with me. You’re bound to get hurt. A lot. Think about it.”

Chris faltered.

Adam shot Chris a confused look, then shook his head very slowly. “Oh,” he said. “Oh shit.”

Oh shit? What did he mean?

“You’re Chris Fairfield.”

Chris blinked, frowning at him. “How’d you figure that out?”

“Everyone knows you’re having an affair with Johnny Grady. He’s been flaunting it behind your back ever since I can remember. He was frequenting VIP nightclubs back when I was starting out, trying to pick up dudes. His go-to explanation was that he wasn’t afraid to be thrown out of the closet because he had an arrangement with his guitarist. He mentioned you by name. Often. I remember thinking it was weird that he did that, but figured you didn’t give a shit. That you got yourself a sugar daddy of sorts. I didn’t make the connection when Nik told me she broke up with her boyfriend, Chris, who was a musician. But now…” Adam trailed off, shaking his head. “Shit, man.”

“He tells people?” Chris’ voice shook, and despite everything, my heart went to him. Betrayal felt bitter and raw, no matter to whom it was directed. Chris stumbled backwards, his back hitting the opposite wall.

“He told me…he said…” He cupped his mouth, his eyes growing wide.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed. I was sorry for both of us, really. Because if everyone knew that Chris was having an affair with Johnny Grady, they also knew I was his beard. Now, I’d thought Chris and I were the real deal. We had sex pretty often. At least three times a week when he wasn’t touring. But others didn’t.

“I’m sorry, Nika. So, so sorry. For everything. But especially for not being the man you deserve. I will sort it out for myself. And you know what?” Chris smiled. “Fuck him. Tell whoever you want. I will be. I’ll deal with the shame. I’m bringing this asshole down.”

He turned around and stormed off. My head fell backwards, and I sighed. The sheer adrenaline crash of jumping between two relationships so soon slammed into me again.

Adam closed the door, gathering me into his arms, kissing my neck, gluing me back together.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, okay? You couldn’t have known,” he said. “Love is notoriously blind.”

“Weird thing is, I don’t think I was even in love with Chris.” I snorted into his chest. “I was just in love with the idea of forgetting Adam.”

“Well, that’s no longer necessary.”

An hour later, after Adam and I had reunited in the biblical sense and he’d had a shower, he retired to his bedroom while I worked in the living room with Betsy by my side. There was another knock on the door. I frowned at the British Blue.

“Today is just full of surprises, huh?”

I opened the door, and the minute I saw his face, I all but lost gravity.

Val.

“Where’s the fucker?” My brother shouldered his way inside. I closed the door behind him, scrambling to keep up with his pace. I didn’t have time to warn Adam about my conversation with Val. I was hoping to do it when he woke up.

“Val, what are you doing here?”

“Trying to figure out why every time I test you and Adam, you fail me. I told him I’m not okay with you being together. I told him a thousand times. Even when he begged me for permission to talk to you when he moved to L.A.”

He did that?

Val darted straight to Adam’s room. I followed him. He threw the door open.

“Hey, traitor.”

Adam was half-awake, perched on his side of the bed, scrolling through his phone. “Asshole. How can I help?” he asked nonchalantly.

“You can start by not putting your dirty hands on my sister.”

“Well,” Adam stood up, clad in nothing but his gray sweatpants, “anything other than that. I’m pretty attached to her.”

Val didn’t waste any time. He pushed Adam by the chest.

“You’re a shit best friend.”

“No.” Adam pushed him back, his face clouding with anger. “I’m the best fucking friend. I spent eleven years pining for a girl I loved just because your ass wasn’t ready to come to terms with the fact your sister and best friend were in love.”

“Ha.” Val threw his head back, laughing. “Love? You just wanted to get into her pants. Same as you did with the rest of the school.”

“You idiot.” Adam bared his teeth. “Every single girl I paid attention to since I was sixteen was to keep your ass pacified! I never wanted any of them. That’s why I never kept them.”

“Why should I believe you?” Val pushed Adam again. This time, Adam grabbed Val’s shirt, backing him all the way to the opposite wall until he slammed into it. I shrieked in horror as my boyfriend got into my brother’s face.

“Because it’s the goddamn truth! I’ve been hating your ass for years for putting me through this. When you called me about Nik needing a place to stay, I thought it was your olive branch. My goddamn green light. I thought you finally fucking realized you were wrong to keep us apart. Not some fucking test!”

Adam threw a punch in Val’s face. It wasn’t a solid one, but enough to send Val’s face crashing against the wall.

“You talk about betrayal? About being a good friend? You’re not a good friend or a good brother. You kept two people you so-call love apart, for no reason other than your goddamn prejudice. You enjoyed both worlds. You let us hang out together and get attached, but when we fell, you left us suspended in the fucking air, not letting us be us. So I’m truly sorry if you feel that I’m not up to par with the general quality of your friends.” Adam snorted bitterly. “But I’m done trying.”

Val’s face fell. I could practically see the moment he finally got it.

The damage he’d done.

“I gave up so much for you sometimes I can’t stand looking at your goddamn face. You really think I chose not to stay in contact with Nik for ten years because of some stupid fight? No. I did it because of you. Because I knew keeping in touch with her without having her would kill me. If this is what you call friendship, we’re done here, Val.”

Adam took a step back, striding to his living room. Val and I exchanged looks.

“Is it true?” he asked. My big brother, who loved me something fierce, had a coat of tears glossing his eyes, and in that moment I knew he finally saw what he’d been denying Adam and me. “Is it real?”

I nodded, not an ounce of hesitation in me. “Yeah, Val. It is.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried,” I whispered.

He hung his head down. “I’m so sorry.”