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I knew feeling this way would only get me in trouble, and that I shouldn’t. I did have a boyfriend, after all. A perfectly good one too, a great one in fact. Almost as if he knew my mind had started wandering, Duncan walked into my bedroom, reminding me of his presence.
“Hey, LJ.”
I sighed, hearts leaving me as I took him in. He was tall, dark, and handsome, the whole freaking package. He was the epitome of everything you’d want in a boyfriend. Duncan was attentive, sweet, and thought I hung the moon. I’d met him through my dad, surprisingly, and we’d been dating for almost a year. He was a few years older than me and a rookie cop.
I didn’t know what our future held, but I could see babies and white picket fences with Duncan. I just needed to get rid of this crush I’d held for my pen pal for the past eight years. It was the one thing I believed holding me back from saying yes to Duncan. I’d already accepted Simon wouldn’t happen. He was gay, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Hey, Duncan,” I cooed, the loved-up sound leaving me. Immediately, I felt guilty for the lingering feelings I had for Blaze. Duncan bent over and kissed me on the cheek before turning to Simon.
“Hey, bro. What’s up?”
They did the classic bro handshake, and Duncan sat down next to Simon on the bed. They’d been friends before Duncan and I started dating, having met through some nerd convention they were both into. I was just glad their relationship hadn’t changed when we’d started dating. Simon had even given me his seal of approval. Duncan and I’s relationship was the type of dating experience I’d always wanted, and after the disastrous love life I’ve had up until now, I felt I was owed.
“So, y'all excited about meeting your friend? What’s his name again?”
“It’s Blaze. Or well, that’s what we’ve known him as. It could be something completely different.”
“Well, I think it’s cool you’re getting to do this. It’s a long time to have a friendship.”
“Yeah, it is. I’m excited too. What about you, Si?”
“Oh, yeah. Me too,” he answered distractedly. He was on his phone, and when he felt my stare, he looked up, guilt there. “Uh, I need to take care of something. I’ll meet you back in an hour to leave, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” I frowned. “See you in an hour.”
Simon left, and I watched him walk out the door, concern warring with my excitement. Duncan’s words broke my stare off with his retreating figure, and I turned back to him.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
I twisted back around and finished getting ready while Duncan regaled me with one of his funnier moments this week as a cop. He was always telling me stories, which made me feel like I was part of it.
“Wow, LJ, you look hot. You sure I don’t have anything to worry about?”
I walked over, wrapping my arms around his neck, my hands trailing up it. At this level, we were almost eye to eye. He smiled, and placed his hand on my hips, but dropped them down to my thighs, traveling up the back of my legs.
“You have nothing to worry about, babe. You know I like to dress up, so this isn’t something new. Besides,” I whispered, “you’re the one I’m coming home to later. It’s okay still if I stay over, right?”
“Mmhm,” he mumbled, nuzzling into my neck. I wanted to give in to him, but I knew Si would be back soon, and I didn’t want to redo my makeup. Pulling away, I kissed him briefly and left him with a wink as I walked off. I watched as he adjusted himself with a cocky smile on his face.
“I can’t wait untillater. I love you, LJ. You’re my shining star.”
“Love you too, Dunc.”
I blew him another kiss, and he caught it, making me giggle. I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop or for his warts to appear, but the more time I spent with him, I just kept finding out how perfect he was. He followed me out, and I waved when he headed to his car, and I got into Simon’s, who had just pulled up at the curb. Centering myself, I looked at my best friend, remembering his earlier weird behavior. He seemed back to normal now. I smiled when he glanced over, ready to meet Blaze.
“Duncan good?”
“Yeah. He’s the best.”
“I can’t believe how cool he’s being about everything.”
“What’s there not to be cool about?”
“Come on, Lenn. Even I could tell you had a crush on Blaze.”
“Well, yeah.Crush. I’m curious to see if that translates in person, but it doesn’t mean I’m just going to throw everything away. I think a small part of me has been holding back from Duncan because of this unknown, so now I get to answer it. It’ll be what I need to settle down, start a family and all that, next year after I graduate college.”
