When we pull up at the apartment and I see Allie’s car, I sigh internally. I just know Dean is going to freak out when he sees her, but it’s best we get this out of the way.
I open the front door of the apartment, ignoring Dean’s comment about needing a spare key for himself. “Allie, I’m home,” I yell toward her bedroom. As I flip on the kitchen light, I realize I didn’t need to bother announcing my presence. She’s already in the living room, and holy crap, she’s not alone.She is super not alone. She’s contorted, with one guy thrusting into her mouth (Guy number 1? Brown-haired guy? Why doI feel the need to name him?) while she bounces on top of another (I guess that makes him Guy number 2). It takes me way too long to figure out what’s happening in front of me. Intercourse. Sex. Copulation.Fucking, a word that sounds so taboo to my good-girl brain that I immediately dismiss it, even inside my own head.I’m mesmerized and paralyzed, watching the three of them. I’ve never given any thought to anything other than straight-up missionary sex, to be honest, because that’s what was vaguely described to me in the censored, church version of “sex ed” I got in my small-town school’s health class. But Allie looks like she’s getting her fair dose of pleasure, and I am…I don’t know what I am. Am I turned on right now? Dean finally breaks my perverted paralysis.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
Allie, to her credit, doesn't miss a beat.
“Oh, hi guys,” she says, “I didn’t think you’d be back until later. We’re almost done. Or at least I am.”
She giggles and Guy number 2 underneath her groans, “Trust me, I’m not far behind you.”
Guy number 1 grunts his agreement, and I realize he’s shifted, and both Allie’s hand and Guy 2’s hands are on what I can only presume is Guy 1’s penis. Dick. Cock? Have I ever even thought of the word cock?
Dean finally realizes I’m not going to move on my own and pulls me out of the room. “Were you just going to stand there and watch them? How are we ever going to sit on that couch now? We need to call your parents before they get too far and arrange somewhere else for you to stay. It’s going to be hard this close to the school year, but I’m sure we can…”
“Wait,” I say, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Are you serious, Sloane? They are having sex out in the middle of the common area like some kind of heathen group of Godless people!”
“I am serious, Dean! I like this apartment, and I like Allie. Everyone is doing…that at our age. It’s normal, and I’m sure she won’t do it again now that we had that embarrassing episode,” I say, not believing for a second that this is the last time I’ll see more of Allie than I want to.
Dean is pacing, seemingly more disturbed by the fact that I’m not disturbed than he was by what was happening in the living room. “You shouldn’t be seeing things like that before we’re married.”
“Beforewe’remarried?” I ask, more disturbed by that statement than I’ve ever been by, well, anything.
Dean sighs. “You know what I mean, Sloane.”
I’m beyond ready for this entire encounter to be over, and to be alone so I can get ready for my first day of class tomorrow. So I do what I always do and agree with Dean. “You’re right. I’m sorry that happened, and I’ll talk to Allie, but please don’t mention this to my parents. I just got settled here. The location is great, and I really don’t want to have to move again just as the semester starts. Please.”
He looks at me for a long few seconds before finally leaning in, kissing me briefly on the forehead, and agreeing. “Fine. I know you’re tired, and I need to go anyway to get ready for my week. I won’t say anything, but if it happens again, you have to tell me so we can involve your parents and get you out of here.”
Finally, I’ll have a moment to breathe. “I will. I promise. I’ll see you sometime this week?”
“Maybe. It all depends on how practice goes and how much rush week prep I need to do for the frat. I’ll text you if I can. Bye babe, love you,” he says, and then he’s gone.
Of course. Who cares whether I’ll need any support the first week back? Sloane will be fine. She always is.
A couple of hours later, Allie knocks on my door. “Sloane? Can I come in?”
“Sure,” I say, hoping this isn’t an awkward conversation.
“I’m so sorry about earlier. We were in the moment, lost track of time, and I really thought we would finish before you came back.”
She does look sorry, and I can only imagine how hard it would’ve been for someone in her…position to keep track of time, so I really don’t harbor any bad feelings about earlier. “It’s really fine, I promise. Only, would you mind wiping the couch down?”
Allie looks at me for a beat before we both burst out laughing. “I already thoroughly cleaned it, I promise.”
She’s turning to leave my room when I stop her. “Allie, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Are you datingbothof those guys? Are they also dating each other? I guess I don’t have a lot of experience, and I’m just curious how that all works. If it’s not too intrusive of me to ask.”
Her face softens as she realizes I’m clearly an innocent, naive girl just trying to understand her relationship status. She sits down in my desk chair to face where I’m sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Oh no, I’m not dating either of them. Those are our neighbors from down the hall. I met them while you were at dinner with your parents yesterday, and we all hit it off. It’s not exclusive, although I definitely wouldn’t mind a repeat of today.” She giggles.
I smile, but I’m more confused than when I asked my question. “Is it…does it not bother you to…do that with them without knowing them very well?”
