Burying the Hatchet (COMPLETED)

Bluff

 Both were breathing heavily after a steamy make out at the tub. Still Fray wouldn’t stop planting tiny kisses on Eli’s back while they are in a spooning position. Which she doesn’t mind and continues to scrub her arms with a sponge. Lathering rose milk on her silky skin. It satisfyingly falls and creates a serene rippling sound back to the tub. Echoing around pristine lavender walls.

He stops what he’s doing and hugs her from the back instead. “Actually I got something to tell you, the real reason why I came to see you that day.” 

Eli then turned to face him and wrapped her right arm around him, “What is it?” then innocently touches the tip of his nose putting foam on it.

“I came to see for myself if you’re really something else, as what I’ve seen you in our monitors for months now. Then right there, you swept me off my feet. I know all that was planned but falling for you caught me off guard. Maybe all the teasing Trei has done throughout the years, finally took a toll on me. She says I’m not manly enough to tie her down, just a bed warmer.” He shifts his gaze elsewhere right after.

“I almost believed you but there you have it, you’re just using me as a rebound for your unrequited crush. How futile?” 

     Then grabs the maroon robe that hangs by the doorway. Her mood is ruined now so she stepped out. Without looking back.

       Fray left bewildered submerged himself in realizing his lack of tack. Then eventually rinsed himself in the shower. When he finally stepped out, he saw Eli swaying on her dainty white dress as she checked herself in the mirror.

“I never knew you’d look stunning when you’re all washed up. Should have bathed with you sooner.” Staring straight at her from the back. His eyes pinning her down but she wouldn’t let him.

Instead, Eli just ignored the kinky comment and ran her fingers through her short hair this time. Drowning in Sol’s memory again; scolding her for having such long hair and don’t even knowing to at least comb it neatly. She was just brought back to reality when a kiss  landed on her nape-Fray.

“I’ll like a mysterious woman, ” he adds. Looking at the pair of them in the mirror.

“But you have already seen everything about me. I’m practically naked in your eyes all the time, pervert.” Putting emphasis on the last word. Purposely making it sting because of the guilt from what he said  to her earlier at the tub. 

“Even if you put it that way your body tells me something else and you can’t lie about that,” he says it as a matter of fact. Chasing the rosy scent as he smells her.

      She shrugs her shoulders not giving him the satisfaction. But regrets afterwards because he turns her around and kisses her passionately. At first she likes it but the deeper it gets she felt nothing but remorse, not with him but for Trei. She still holds him down with a leash and Eli hates that. She doesn’t like getting left out.

     She prematurely breaks out from the kiss, no matter how much she wants to keep going and slaps Fray. A little something to keep her dignity at most or she’d like to believe.

Damn raging hormones!

***

    Fray was smiling like a lunatic as he remembers his sweet time with Eli. But it was short lived when he got hit by a flying shoe in the face-again.

“Don’t act like you’re in love Ray, remember she’s just a tool. Didn’t you say so yourself? It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. Her falling for you will secure Trei’s plan. At the same time have Trei admit her true feelings for you.”

He then pastes a poker face. “I know, I’m smiling because a few more nudges and she’ll be my marionette in no time.” Then they did their official bro hand shake.

“That’s my boy, bros before hoes it is.” Even though Zane smiles genuinely something is off about his eyes which gives off an unsettling feeling.

Trei walks in front of them wearing her sassy attitude and regal look.

“Why aren’t you two so sweet? Sometimes I’m having second thoughts about your manhood. Have I raised you wrong?” 

Both are almost equally stunned. She’s such a head turner even if you see her from across the room. Her presence is intimidating and enticing at the same time.

“Stop treating us like kids Trei, you admitted I’m old enough to be your man now,” Fray argued. Losing his composure and sense of self in front of the woman he adores. He hates himself for doing so but can’t take it back either.

Trei ignores his sentiment, making him beg for her attention further.

“Those were not the exact words but whatever. I’ll groom you two to be a man every girl I need would fall for.” Heartless as ever. 

“It wouldn’t matter if it’s not you.” Fray drops his gaze on the floor like a sulking kid deprived of candy.

“Then that makes Zane two steps ahead of you. We fool around but still get the job done. I don’t belong to anyone but myself, get it through your thick head.” Then Trei stormed out of the room pissed.

“Sorry bro but it’s my night with Trei, if only you didn’t get on her nerves.” Zane may have said it plainly but it was a stake on his heart. His hypocrisy gets the best of Fray. Can’t get used to it no matter how long he’s known him.

      He just clenched his jaw because it’s the truth. He can never have her for himself. When it’s his time to walk out the door, he saw Eli by the living room  playing  games. Trying to save his pride from getting crushed even more  he scoots over next to her. Attempting to look cool but failed miserably because Eli beats his sorry a** in every game.

“Why are you so good at this? I used to be the champ in this house.”

“Not anymore,” she sticks her tongue out to tease him but she gets ambushed instead. Fray kissed her but it’s different this time, it was subtle and warm. He then started to cup her chin to have better access to her lips. It’s like they’re perfectly in sync with an imaginary music.

      It was not long ago when she just watched it in movies. In fact Fray was her first kiss. But deep inside she knew he’s just hurt, that’s why he’s acting out of sorts lately. Especially when Trei is involved. She knows what it's like to feel alone even in a sea of people, because that’s what she always felt. Stepping out from the comfort of their house.

“I won!” Fray said that in her face after breaking off the kiss-celebrating like a kid. All along she was over analyzing things when it’s just a boy and his freaking pride on the line.

She clicked her tongue, throwing daggers at him. Surely pissed by his underhanded scheme.

“It was not a clean win so it doesn’t counts.” She then re-calibrates the virtual game that’s synced through the EDEN system.

    How does REVIVAL get their hands on a pioneer game that was set out for release next year in the market? She was dying to have her hands on this technology too. Her ultimate gaming list has been crossed off. But can’t play it with her ultimate gaming buddy too-her dad.

“I was the beta tester for this and you have the nerve to beat me at my turf. Of course I had to win no matter what.” Fray was so proud of himself he doesn’t even bother hiding the fact that he cheated.

“I see that’s why this game is under developed because of you. I’ll hand down the virtual synchronization to you. But it lacks immersive quality. You have to put personalizing features, that’s it.”

“How’d you know I made this game?” Fray spills the beans and even shocks himself. She’s pulling strings inside him, that entangles her further with him and it’s bad news. 

“The whole game screams about your unrequited feelings about Trei. The heroine is a spitting image of her. If that’s not enough to make someone cringe s***h be psychologically disturbed by a confession, I don’t know what is?” Eli spelled it out for him. Thinking he was four years older than her and being told off by a kid irritates him.

“Noted on the personalizing feature.” He abandoned the hope of winning after that. Since he was fairly destructed by Eli’s words all throughout the game.

“Victory is mine!” Eli teases him in his face, reminding him not to pick up fights with a kid again. Their sense of reason is beyond belief.

“Suit yourself.” The most tasteless rebuttal he ever said. Her energy and spite is all over the place it drains him just by looking. “Be young and stupid then learn a bunch.”

“Dad?” Eli even covers her mouth but regrets the act altogether.

“It backfired, yes?” Fray's satisfaction is off the roof. He admits being childish releases some of his pent up emotions. He’ll deal with the guilt later, as of the moment he’s milking it. “I can do this all day.” Then stares at her straight while leaning his head on his folded left arm as a pillow. Smirking his way out of the argument.