Just Good Friends?

Chapter 10 - Admissions

Oscar

"Where have you been, nobody has seen or heard from you" Bex asks as I meet her outside school.

"I had to go and see someone. We need to talk Bex, are you busy now"? I've been putting this off for a while, but it's got to be done. I can't keep it from her any longer. I'll be leaving next week, and I won't be back. My parents have sold up, and we are heading to my Aunts to take over her business.

"Yeah, I've got my car, but meet me at the lake, I'll head straight there" she looks at me knowingly, then heads off and gets in her car.

....

"What's all this about then Oscar?" She asks me straight out when we sit.

"I'm leaving Bex, well, my family is leaving, next week. We are going to my Aunts and taking over her business as she can't run it anymore" I'm not sure what her reaction will be, so I look down.

"OK. So this is why you've been blowing hot and cold yeah?" She asks me.

"Yes. Bex I love you, and I know you can't say it back, but that's OK. I want you to be happy. I'm not going to suggest long distance, as that would imply we'd get to see each other, but let's be real here, I'm going to the other side of the world, we won't be meeting up any time soon" I put my arm around her and pull her in to me.

"Yeah, I get that. And in my own way, I do love you Oscar, maybe if we had time, it could grow. Infact, I'm sure it could. Who else knows?"

"Nobody yet. I'll tell Harry later, look after him for me? He's his own worst enemy, a total live wire... a lot like Joe so you should do good with him! Anyway, then I guess I'll let everyone else know. You'll be telling Joe and Mike?" I question her.

"Yeah, do you mind? I think I need to mash it out with them to get my head around it" she looks defeated, and my heart breaks.

"Course I don't mind babe. And I'll even go as far as saying if Mike ends up being the one you want in the future, go for it. He loves you, probably as much as I do... maybe even more"

"Don't Oscar, Mike has never been an issue between us. Don't make him one now ok. Me and Mike are best mates, you know that. He'll be there for me, that's a definite, but just as good friends" she kisses me on the lips and we stay in each others arms for a while longer.

.....

--- BEX --- Are you both free? Need to mash something out with you X

--- MIKE --- Yeah babygirl, where, when? XX

--- JOE --- Free, give me deets XXX

--- BEX --- Home, now, please XXXX

--- BEX --- Love you both XXXXX ❤

....

Bex

"So he's just leaving, just like that!?" Joe is pacing back and forth in the gym, whilst we work out.

"He doesn't have a choice Joe" I say for the millionth time.

"Everyone has a f*****g choice Bex!"

Mike coughs "OK, so Mike didn't have a choice, but he made damn sure he could come back!"

"His parents are moving to the other side of the world! He can't stay!" I'm losing my cool now, I need to calm the f**k down.

"Are you OK Bex?" Mike is looking at me with worry in his eyes "I don't want you doing anything stupid babygirl" he puts the weights down and comes over to me, pulling me in to a hug.

"I want in on that too" Joe stops pacing and hugs us both. We must look a right sight!

"I'm good. Its weird, I thought I'd be a mess you know. But I'm not. I'm sad sure, but I'm OK, I can cope. He's telling Harry now, so he might need a hug" I laugh "then everyone else can know".

"We will be right by your side forever Bex" Mike kisses my forehead, and let's me go.

We head back in to the kitchen and grab snacks and drinks, then in to the den and crash on the sofas to watch a film. Comfort food and chilling, exactly what I need now. I love these two, along with Dad, these guys are my everything.

......

Mike

Well s**t, Oscars leaving and Bex will be single again. What the actual f**k! It will be even harder to keep my hands off her now that she's free and single again. This is going to be impossible!

I'm meant to be picking Dee up tonight. Now I don't know what to do. Joe said to pick her up, he said not to change anything this week before Oscar goes. I hear my phone beep and think it must be Dee. It's not...

--- OSCAR --- Look after her x

Well s**t. I know he's not talking about Dee.

--- Me --- You know I will dude xx

--- OSCAR --- I know. xxx

There's a minutes silence

--- OSCAR --- I'm glad you came back for her xxxx

What the f**k do I say to that!

--- MIKE --- She's my best mate, I was always coming back to her, I made sure of that. She'll be ok, me and Joe will look after her. xxxxx

--- OSCAR --- She's needs YOU now Mike. I've always known that you love her, I was just never sure if she felt the same, but I've never seen her smile so bright as when she saw you the day you came to the beach to see her again. I make her happy, and she cares for me, maybe loves me, but not the love we want from our women. That kind of love she's saved for you. She doesn't realise it though, make her see. xxxxxx

--- MIKE --- Thanks mate. I'm not sure if that's really what I should be saying, I don't really know what kind of reply to give you, but thanks. You're gonna be missed around here. xxxxxxx

--- OSCAR --- Its all cool mate. Look after Harry too yeah, think he might be worse than a girl! xxxxxxxx

Well that was f*****g unexpected. We had a going away party last night, he didn't want a big deal, so we kept it just to our group. It was good, no awkwardness, just light hearted fun... but I didn't know that he knew about my feelings for Bex then. I better leave to pick up Dee.

....

"Dee, we've been through this. Bex is my best mate ok, Oscar is leaving so she needs me and Joe around at the moment" this chick is doing my head in. Why doesn't she get it!

"If you cared about me, you'd stay here. I don't want to be around you and her together. And especially now that her boyfriend is leaving, she's fair game then isn't she! You love her Mike, just admit it!" I'm getting so frustrated and angry now.

"Yeah, OK, I do love her! She means everything to me, I would do anything for her!" I blow up, and s**t, I really shouldn't of said that. Now she's crying. f**k.

"Just go Mike. I don't want to see you again. Don't go messing with any other girls feelings until you have her out of your system" and with that, she walks away. I guess I should feel gutted, but I don't. I just feel relieved... and nervous. What is Joe going to say now, he's not going to be happy. I'm going to have to make up some lie as to why she didn't come with me.

....

"Where is she then"? Bex is looking over my shoulder and Joe is behind her staring at me with narrowed eyes.

"She's not coming, we've ended things" I can't look at Joe, so I walk past them in to the kitchen and grab a beer from the fridge. I really f*****g need to get smashed.

'What!? Why?" Bex follows and sits on a stool, Joe just shakes his head as he sits down next to her.

"I kind of flirted with her best mate when she went to the bathroom. She told me to do one and never see her again. It's all good, I wasn't really that in to her anyway" I shrug off the lie easily. I've had a lot of practice lieing about my feelings about Bex, and this is something that they would believe, me flirting. Bex looks at me and smiles.

"You just can't behave can you! When are you going to find a girl you can get serious about? She shakes her head at me.

Joe just stares hard at me "might be sooner than you think sis" and he gets up and walks out in to the gym. I've really pissed him off now, I'm going to have to explain the real reason Dee didn't come.

"What got him all pissy" Bex looks quizzically at me, but then shrugs it off "Come on Mike, let's go for a swim" she goes in to the hall, grabs a couple of towels out of the cupboard, and goes out through the patio doors towards the pool.

I follow out, but stop dead in my tracks when she lifts her top over her head. She's wearing a black bikini top which doesn't hide much flesh. I can feel myself growing hard just watching her. She takes her denim shorts off and that's it I'm done for. The big man down below hiding in my shorts is not going to lie down easily. I shake myself, run past her and dive in to the pool, the only way I know how to get through this. She does a perfect dive in, and swims under water towards me at the other side of the pool. She comes up for breath right infront of me and I automatically grab her around the waist, but then stop myself and duck under water again. I can't do this.