The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

Nate wanders towards me after finally taking his throw and surprisingly smashing a strike, grins at me and pinches my cheek in passing.

“Green is not a good color on you, kiddo. Arry ain’t a guy that deals with it either.” He reminds me and wanders off to pick Jenny up and throw a kiss on her; unusual for a guy who normally keeps his dates hanging on him and acts like he doesn’t give a toss. I start to wonder how much he feels for her after all. Clearly happy with his crappy bowling score and being weirdly affectionate for a fuck buddy.

I scowl his way, catch sight of Natasha throwing a hug on Arrick in the background, all smiles and doe eyes and he seems to endure it rather than give one back, but I spin away regardless, in a rage again. This time I really cannot control the wave of hate towards her, for even touching him, the urge to stomp over there and kick her multiple times in the face overwhelms me.

“Fuck you.” I spit back under my breath, not sure which male it’s intended for and seething so bad I almost pierce my palms with my nails. Christian lets me go, throws me a pained expression of solidarity, and turns too.

“Calm down. He is one hundred percent head over heels for you. She’s history and it’s pretty obvious to everyone. Arry would never go back there.” Claire cuts in, coming back to my side and nudges me softly, flanked by the two of them and Christian smiles at her.

“Smitten kitten alright, he manhandles this puppy more than most men handle their family jewels.” Christian beams at me with that deliciously wicked face and then saunters forward to retrieve his drink, leaving us momentarily alone. I frown a smile after him, not sure if what he said is meant to appease me. He is a funny one.

“I hate that he was with her in the first place.” I admit stupidly, suddenly realizing this is the first time I have come out and said it to someone. Strange that I pick Claire, she’s never been someone I confided in really. I always liked her and felt at ease with her though.

“We all know Arry, all saw what they were like as a couple. You have nothing to worry about, babe. He’s just being him, not an asshole like most of the men are in here. Right, Nate?” Claire tosses Nate a challenging look; no doubt an ex conquest of his from years ago, and he grins back, throwing an arm around Jenny’s shoulder with an uncaring shrug.

“What was he like with her?” Christian asks innocently, returning to my side with a pink fluffy cocktail in his hand that is dripping with glitter and I elbow him in the ribs; warning him with a scowl that this is not a cool topic, especially when I am in head ripping mood. I’m brimming on the psychotic here with a torrent of heavy rage waves ripping through my soul, despite the calm façade I have going on.

“Ooh, me, me, me.” The small blonde girl named Anna, sitting nearby and obviously listening in shamelessly, jumps up and joins our little gossip group, sniffing out a hint of turmoil no doubt. She seems like the type of girl who is always in the fold of a good drama.

“I’m totally in on this.” She giggles childishly, leaning in conspiratorially and very clearly in her element. I regard her coolly and realize she’s one that I have met before but hasn’t been around for long stints at a time. I wonder what she could know to be honest.

“Anna is the gossip queen.” Claire eye rolls with disdain, then laughs as Christian switches his arm from me to her and smiles wider, giving her the ‘you are my new BFF’ devious look and smarming over her a little too obviously. He is a shameless flirt when he has someone to extract information from and probably even more of a drama lover than Anna here.

“Spill it, Sista.” He winks at her and hits her with his sexiest ‘I know I am hot’ jaw-dropping smile that seems to melt her into a gooey puddle. She obviously missed the ‘I am Gay’ T-shirt he is wearing and the pink cocktail to hand. If James were here tonight, I am pretty sure he could be straddling him, and Anna would still fail to see the signs.

“Completely not happy. I mean, look at him, and look at her. Totally unmatched in every way. Arry is a wild little thing, seriously good in the sack ... According to rumors.” She blinks at me innocently, blushing a little and looking a little panicked that I may beat her around the head. I seriously do not want to know if he did, or didn’t, bang any of these women in here. I don’t want that thought to cross my mind at all, but I know it’s probably likely that at one point he has. Most of the girls in this group came from dating one of them and stayed when they either formed real friendships or started dating the one they stayed with. His past is his past and it is not going to get to me at all. I have no desire to be upset over stuff he did before me. Ironic really, seeing as I can’t seem to do the same with Natasha.

“Why have you never given us these details lady?” Christian frowns my way dramatically, demanding to know why I’m holding back how good he is in bed when I really don’t know. Not that I will ever admit it to any of them. I shrug coyly and make a locking motion across my mouth as if to say ‘A lady never tells’ and he narrows his eyes at me brutally.

Anna for more details, coaxing and questioning her with his eyes. I try to turn off my ears,

he stayed loyal for so long, considering he went from almost daily kinky banging to probably monthly, dutiful missionary style, judging by how pissed off he always seemed.” Anna seems to be relishing the audience she has and now another new girl has joined the mix, someone I don’t know. I think her name may be Susie or Sandra. I try and ignore them all crowding in for the juicy tidbits over my boyfriend

and Dave, Anna’s man of the night. Both of them are glued to their phones, silently watching a basketball

and encouraging this bullshit. I hate what they’re talking about, but I would hate to make that known; like some jealous immature girl who can’t accept he has a past. I keep quiet and pretend to be absorbed in my food, feeling sick from what I’m learning and adding to the weight

by his constant good mood of the last month, and his inability to stop pawing Sophie.” Claire cuts in, throwing me a wink, she seems to be equally unimpressed with the topic and is eyeing them all up with

never stops putting his hands all over me. They all know we’ve been inseparable and he’s had some of them over for late-night movies and they know I stay over and share his bed. It’s only natural to assume we are having ourselves nightly aerobics, especially with his reputation for having a high and adventurous sex drive. But all she has done is make me obsess over the fact I’m not giving him anything of the sort. Not even dutiful monthly and boring

in time, but it’s all that is going on through my head now, thanks to this little lot of nosey assholes and the

that unhappy with her, how much

now an empty seat, putting an arm behind me as he steals some of my fries. I notice the group break up and disperse at his return, guilty as sin and scattering to the wind as Claire gives me a

his face tightens in reaction to

steadily, so he’s almost nose to nose, trying to get me close

That same old urge to recoil from touch when I’m upset, only I know I’m being stupid about this and he has nothing to be blamed for. He looks completely gorgeous, even for being a thick shithead

home?” He feels my face as though checking for my temperature and I pull my cheek away in irritation. Agitated as hell

seat in a bid to get some space and get my head together. Avoiding his eyes on me and knowing if I keep this up, we will have another Natasha related

I

our seating area and head for the ladies” room alone. Knowing this is stupid and I am punishing him for basically nothing. Even though he was dumb enough to go talk to his bitch ex and start this idiot bad mood of mine. I just feel completely

of the huge hall. Strolling in confidently, if not a little heavily, I walk to the bank of vanities and look at myself in the mirror. Hair sleek and perfect, makeup flawless and a dress doing a lot to make me look like a twenty-something sex kitten with long legs and curves for once. I look like a girl who is probably giving her boyfriend the best sex of his life, sassy and bold with an air of capability and feel like a fraud as I stare at my reflection numbly. I still have the grace and airs of a girl who knows how to have fun, the cheeky youthful face of a girl who knows how to work sex to her advantage, and the body of someone who gets a lot of attention whether she wants it or not. I look the part,

look down from the reflection of her in the mirror and rummage for my lipstick to touch it up while I’m in here, stalling for time so that I can simmer a little and not cause a major bust-up with Arry when I go back out. Trying to claw back my sanity and

Natasha’s familiar voice startles me, and I glance up in alarm, unsure how to react at all when I catch her staring at me in the mirror with wide eyed shock. Last time I saw her properly was the morning after Leila’s party, the only time before that was the night she caught Arrick and I making out, while I was naked, and his mouth was on my breast. I blush instantly, suddenly unsure how to react or what to say, so I go for a little smile instead, eyes glued to hers in the mirror. I drop my lipstick into my bag and fumble to close it, knowing I should make my excuses and get out of here.

trampy look to

clearly tried to sex up her style and it looks wrong in so many ways. Like

and run coursing through me but I stand my ground. I’ve never fled from a real fight in my life and I will face her head-on if this is how it’s going to play out. Not that I want that though, despite my issues with her and Arry, I still would rather have some sort of civility between us if I must be here now. As hard as this is, I still owe her some sort of apology too, even if she doesn’t accept it, and as much as I dislike what she was to him and the fact she’s still clinging on like a bad smell, I still harbor some sorrow for how it went down. Especially knowing her father

the spiteful and hateful look she is focusing on my face, and it takes me aback. I didn’t know she could pull this sort of nasty from her arsenal

feel about you.” She slurs; the swearing, the nasty tone, all of it is like a complete slap in the face from the girl she was before, and I wonder how much is the alcohol she has consumed and how much was waiting inside of her all that time.

blurt out, somewhat in shock and she sneers at me cruelly. I honestly cannot get my head around this version of her and suddenly I don’t feel quite so sorry anymore. The fire in me igniting when faced with a snippy hostile tone and looks that act like daggers in my skull. This isn’t some