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“Come on, let’s get home,” Brent squeezed my shoulder and we all fell into step walking back to where our girl waited.
8
FOUR YEARS BEFORE STARLIGHT
ELLE
As much as I love going out, a night to myself can be heaven. I usually join the boys when they head to a club or bar for the night, but between that and the nights on the town I do with my choir group, acapella group, and musical theatre group, I was out almost every night. Tonight, the boys decided to head out, but as none of them fancied going to the karaoke bar I usually drag them to, I decided to revel in my own company for once. As an only child with disinterested parents, I was used to my own company and had found myself missing it.
I knew that my three housemates needed a night without me. When the four of us were together, Lance, Hayden and I never found a hook up. It wasn’t an agreement or anything, we just usually found each other’s company far more entertaining than prowling for a good time elsewhere. Brent was a different story, he seemed to have a new girl each night. I didn’t see him with anyone the first year of school and now he seems to have loosened up a bit…in every sense. I’d had a few nights out recently with the music crowd and had sated certain needs, but Lance and Hayden hadn’t been out without me for a while, so I wanted them to feel free to get some. Even if that did give me a sinking feeling in my gut.
I sat on the soft velvety sofa, which I was still surprised the landlord had provided, with my legs curled under me and my old faithful fluffy blanket wrapped around me. I was mindlessly flicking through Netflix, not finding anything I fancy when I heard the front door go followed by the giggle of what I assumed was a drunk girl. A mini-dress came stumbling through the door, a mini-dress with long legs ending in bright red, platformed stilettos. At the other end, was a curtain of long, white-blonde hair. She walked backwards, pulling Brent in by his shirt.
“Upstairs,” he commanded quietly but with an edge to his tone that mademyinsides do funny things. The mini dress bounced up the stairs with another giggle and he disappeared after her but not without throwing a wink my way with a sickeningly smug smirk. I rolled my eyes at him and went back to not choosing anything to watch.
After twenty minutes and not getting anywhere with my selection, I decided to raid my DVD collection upstairs. Yes, DVDs are an outdated technology but no matter how many streaming services I sign up to, there are always films I can’t find. As I got up, an all too familiar feeling pulled at my lower belly. Shit. I have approximately ten minutes before the cramps start. I stomped up the stairs, as loudly as I could to compete with the sounds of the porn show happening in the other room. At least, that is what I assumed was happening, from her squeals, Brent was either humping her brains out or bludgeoning her to death. After using the bathroom, lining my underwear and finding that I had no painkillers left,great, I chose an old favourite from my stack of DVDs. By the time I had settled back down into the sofa snuggled into the blanket, ready to start the movie, Brent and the mini-dress came back downstairs. He didn’t introduce us, just ushered her out the door but I could hear their goodbye kiss and it made my face contort into a grimace. He came back, pushing the door shut behind him with a grin.
“You seem pretty pleased with yourself for someone who just had a girl in and out of his room within twenty-minutes,” I said, without turning away from the TV.
His smile faded and he checked his watch in a panic, pursing his lips when he saw the time. “It was forty minutes and she had no complaints.”
“Maybe not to your face but she’s probably gone home to finish herself off.”
“Shut up, trouble. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know that, as a woman, we tend to need more than forty-minutes from start to finish to have a fully satisfying experience, but you…” my voice trailed off as the first pain punched through my insides.
Brent’s eyes instantly narrowed with concern and he came to crouch in front of me, placing his big, tattooed hands on my knees. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m fine,” I sounded a little strained and I tried to school my features.
“You look pale, are you sick?” He gently swiped the back of his hand over my forehead and the sweetness of his gentle touch mixed with the genuine concern in his voice made me smile. It was silly really.
“I have my period, don’t worry, I think I’ll live. Now, if you want to mumble some excuse and shuffle off to a different room uncomfortably, please feel free.”
“Why would I do that?” He tilted his head to the side, his eyes still narrowed.
“I don’t know,” I shrug. “Boys tend to get icked out by menstruation.”
“Maybe boys do, but men don’t,” he growled, rising to stand and stomping into the kitchen.
Er, okay. I continued clicking the play button on the DVD menu for my movie to start. After a few minutes, Brent reappeared carrying a tray, which he set down on the table next to me. On it was a glass of water, a cup of tea, a pack of chocolate digestives, a box of paracetamol, and a hot water bottle. He picked up the water, handing it to me and then popping two pills from the blister pack. “Take these.”
I looked at him with my mouth gaping and my brows drawn. He just moved the pills closer to me to in silent command, so I took them and gulped some water. He then opened the biscuits and took my water away, swapping it for the tea. “Is your pain in the front of the back?” He asked.
“The front” I whispered, still reeling from this unexpected behaviour.
He picked up the hot water bottle and peeled my blanket away from me, setting the bottle over my lower abdomen and gently wrapping the blanket back around me. He flopped onto the opposite end of the sofa, resting his arm along the back. “What are we watching?”
“Nine.”
He looked at me in question.
“It’s a musical,” I smirked.
“Fuck my life,” he groaned, throwing his head back and I chuckled.
“You’ll like it, it’s got Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, and Fergie in it.”
