Threes a Crowd.. or maybe not(bestfriends)
1238 Words
(fmf threesum, 0ral, come swallow, bj)
Nicki.
It’s strange, really—being back here.
Oklahoma feels smaller than I remember. The streets I once knew like the back of my hand seem unfamiliar now, like they’ve shifted slightly in my absence. Or maybe I’m the one who’s changed.
I haven’t been here since I was fifteen, back when I thought forever friendships were real and that the worst thing that could happen was losing recess time.
Back before my parents packed up our lives and dragged me to New York, promising I’d make new friends. I did
But not like Angie or Luca.
We stopped talking after the incident. I wonder if they even remember me. Angie’s probably grown into the firecracker she always was, and Luca? He’s probably married by now. Probably some tech guru with a perfect life, hair, andwife.
And me?
I work customer service for a phone company. Glamorous, I know. The transfer to this branch came out of nowhere, but I jumped at it. Something about coming back to my roots, even if I wasn’t sure what I was looking for.
I needed a place fast, and Mrs. Bows—the sweetest, most patient realtor I’ve ever met—had just the thing.
When she unlocked the door to the apartment, my jaw practically hit the floor.
Spacious.
Secure.
Flooded with sunlight.
A kitchen that actually made me want to cook.
The two bedrooms were big enough to stretch out in, and for the price? It was a steal.
I told her I’d take it on the spot. Signed the lease, paid the deposit and two months’ rent without thinking twice.
It felt like a win. Finally, something was going right.
Back in my temporary Airbnb that night, I couldn't stop smiling. I’d finally have my own space again. No more shared walls with yelling neighbors. No more sleeping on a pull-out couch. I was practically buzzing, mentally decorating my new kitchen when my phone buzzed.
Mrs. Bows.
I answered immediately, still chipper.
“Hey, Mrs. B! What’s up?”
Her voice came through shaky. “Hi, Nicki. Sweetheart, please don’t get mad. I—I need to tell you something.”
My stomach dipped. “Everything okay?”
“It’s… it’s a little mix-up. My agency accidentally triple-leased your apartment.” She rushed the words out like if she said them fast enough they wouldn’t sting. “I didn’t realize until after the paperwork went through. I am so sorry.”
Triple-leased? I blinked at the wall. “So, what—you leased it to two other people too?”
“Yes, but—but listen! I already spoke to the other tenants. They’re your age, neither of them smoke or do drugs. I vetted them myself. They’re clean, responsible—”
I sat down heavily on the bed. “Mrs. B, I can’t—”
“Please,” she interrupted, desperate. “If you pull out now, I’ll lose my job. I’ve never made a mistake like this before, and I’ll fix it. I promise. I’ll make sure everything’s fair and smooth.”
Damn it.
I wanted to be mad.
But Mrs. Bows was genuinely sweet, and she’d been nothing but helpful since I landed here. She even found me a moving truck for half price. And her voice cracked a little when she said, I’ll lose my job.
I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Okay. Fine. I’ll still move in.”
Her gasp of relief made me smile, despite myself. “Oh thank you, thank you so much, Nicki! You’re a lifesaver! The other two tenants are moving in tomorrow as well. You’ll meet them soon!”
Great.
Roommates.
Strangers.
But at least they weren’t chain smokers or running an illegal snake farm. I could live with that.
We hung up, and I sat there, staring at the blank Airbnb walls. My pulse buzzed a little with nerves, but something else too—excitement.
Maybe sharing wouldn’t be so bad.
As long as there’s no smoking, no shitty behavior, and everyone cleans their own dishes, I’ll survive.
~~~~
The next morning, I woke up way earlier than necessary, wired with nerves and caffeine from the terrible Airbnb coffee. Moving day. New apartment. New roommates. New… chaos, probably.
The moving truck came on time, for once. I loaded my boxes, my sad excuse for a wardrobe, and the big a$$ mattress I’d been sleeping on for two years in New York. It wasn’t much, but it was mine.
By the time I got to the apartment building, my stomach was tying itself in knots. I tried to shake it off.
I got this: I'll say my name and give my rules. Simple.
Hopefully they'll be cooperative.
The front door to the apartment was cracked open. Voices drifted out.
I paused. Two voices sounded familiar… but muffled.
Dragging my mattress inside, I shoved the door fully open—and almost dropped it flat on the floor.
Standing in the living room, arguing over who gets which bedroom, were Angie and Luca.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Angie’s hair was longer now, dark waves falling over her shoulders. She still had that effortless confidence, hands on her hips, eyes sharp and defiant. Her mouth hung open mid-sentence when she saw me.
Luca?
Well, Luca was taller and athletically built— like super hot. Tattoo ink curled up his forearm where his sleeves were pushed up, his jaw sharper, stubble dark against his tanned skin. His eyes—blue, annoyingly gorgeous—widened when they landed on me.
There was a pause for a solid, painful beat of silence.
Then Angie spoke, flatly. “No. Freaking. Way.”
Luca just stared at me like I’d walked out of his high school yearbook.
I cleared my throat, trying to act casual despite the fact that my heart had apparently plummeted into my stomach. “Uh… hey.”
Angie blinked, then pointed between me and Luca. “You’re… you’re the third tenant?”
“Looks like it.” My voice cracked slightly, and I hated that. I straightened. “Mrs. Bows triple-leased it, apparently. You guys… got roped in too?”
Luca’s lips twitched like he wanted to laugh, or curse, or both. “Guess so.”
I set my mattress down, running a hand through my hair. The apartment suddenly felt way smaller than it did yesterday.
Angie folded her arms. “Wow. All these years, and the universe sticks us together again.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, glancing at Luca, who hadn’t looked away once. “Funny how that works.”
There was a long, awkward pause. Memories crashed through my brain—the good ones, running through sprinklers barefoot, late-night movie marathons, Luca daring me to climb trees too high…
And the bad ones.
That fight. The fallout. That one stupid rumour that ruined everything.
I exhaled. “So, uh… which room’s left?”
Angie gestured down the hall. “We were just fighting about it. One of them’s missing a bed. The other’s next to the laundry closet. Guess you get first pick.”
Perfect. Just what I needed.
As I hauled my stuff inside, Luca’s voice followed me.
“You’re
really staying, Nicki?”
I hesitated at the bedroom door, turning to face them both.
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Guess I am.”
- Writer
