A Tale Of Two Men

"As happy as you?" I smiled up at him "With your wife and baby? Truth is that I want that, I really do."

"Is Evan the one you want it with?"

"I don't know yet, when did you know that Beth was the one for you?"

"You won't like the answer." He warned me, but I already knew the answer so I scowled at him until he told me. "I knew by the end of our first date, and I was in love by the second. It was instinctive for me but it doesn't happen like that for everyone."

"I know." I sighed, in truth I had already had one of those moments, the moment when you felt everything shift and you knew that one person was it for you. Unfortunately my moment amounted to nothing and I was left wondering if I would ever feel like that again, I wasn't holding my breath.

"It'll happen for you, I swear it will."

"I'm afraid it already has." I sighed, before Maddox could answer me we heard a loud throat clearing from behind us and I turned to see Evan standing there. Shit.

"Hi, you must be Evan. I'm Maddox, Ade's big brother." He held his and out and Evan gripped it in his own.

"Nice to meet you, and I take it that this is your son?" Evan crouched to look at the baby in my arms "He looks like you."

"I know, Beth says she is going to be covered in grey hairs when she's older because of all the girls chasing him." Maddox grinned "I'm off to help my beautiful wife with the drinks, look after him Ade."

"Sure thing." I told him as he strode off down the hall, I turned back to Evan and found him watching me with a thoughtful expression "What?"

"You look good like that, with a baby in your arms." He smiled down at me as he let Jayden grab one of his fingers "You're going to be an amazing mother someday."

"Thanks." I smiled down at Jayden "Do you want kids?"

"Yep, and a wife and a house with a picket fence. Hell even a dog if I can get away with it. You?"

"Yeah, I want all of that too." I smiled up at him.

"Good, glad we're on the same page." He pressed a firm kiss to my forehead and walked off, I frowned after him with and emotional turmoil going on inside me. Our conversation should have had me bursting with joy but it left me feeling slightly empty, when I pictured my kids it wasn't with Evan's blond hair and blue eyes but with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes. What was I going to do? Could I just carry on with Evan and hope I'd fall for him or would it be better to break up with Evan and announce my feelings to Jack and hope for the best? At least by announcing my feeling it would take away the element of the unknown and help me get some closure.

"Come on Ade, we're waiting for you." Maddox told me as he sauntered past with a tray full of drinks, I sighed and decided to leave my big decision making task until later. For now I would enjoy the party.

Hours later at about nine pm me and Evan made our way out to the car, we had spent the day laughing and joking with my family while answering my parents insistent questions. My family apparently like Evan and were much nicer to him than they were to Jack and even looked interested when he talked about his job, the baby had been passed from person to person until he fell asleep in my mothers arms and she refused to let him go. We had eaten the dinner that my mother cooked and I had spent the time looking at how Evan interacted with everyone, my family were very loud and opinionated but still very close and open with their feelings. Evan handled it well and even managed to stop an argument braking out between Nico and Esme, my mother liked him and my father invited him out for a game of golf, Beth and Maddox said that he was welcome anytime and Esme had even hugged him as we left. But despite it all Evan had been slightly distant and withdrawn all day, on the surface he was the loving attentive boyfriend but underneath there was something different. As we had stood by the door and said our goodbyes my dad had taken me aside and told me that if I chose to marry Evan I had their blessing, on top of all my worrying from earlier my fathers words put a real damper on my mood. I sat silently in the passenger seat while Evan talked about how good it was that he had finally met my family, we pulled up outside his apartment and I followed him inside. He stopped once he had closed the door behind me and used a hold on my shoulders to make me look at him, he frowned down at me and rubbed his hands up and down my arms.

"Ade... I heard you talking to your brother. I heard everything."

"Evan-"

"Don't, I didn't say anything because I wanted to hear you explain things to me and I didn't want to upset you family. So explain things to me, if I'm not the one you fell for after two dates then who is?"

"Evan it doesn't matter, it doesn't change a thing."

"It changes a lot of things and you know it." He let me go and stormed off to pace across his kitchen floor "It's Jack isn't it? You're in love with him"

"Evan... it doesn't matter."

"Are you in love with Jack!" He yelled at me, I flinched back from the anger throbbing in his voice.

"Yes! I am and I cant help it, but it doesn't change a thing. Me and Jack are best friends and we have been for years, despite my feelings for him."

"Of course it changes things, you expect me to try and have a life with you knowing that you will never love me as much as him? Knowing that he will always be there next to you and you will never fully be mine? Do you even know how much it would hurt me to do that?" He roared at me.

"I know it isn't fair but... maybe if I didn't see him anymore-"

"Forget it, you won't be able to leave him. If you could you would have years ago, you must be a real masochist to want to stick around with a man who does not love you."

"Jack is my friend." I insisted but he carried on like I had never opened my mouth.

"He goes out every night and picks up a different girl to warm his bed, each of them more artificial and bitchy than the last. Trust me when I say that you're not his type."

"Thanks for that." I picked up my bag from where I had dropped it on the sofa and started for the door "I'm leaving."

"Go on, run to Jack and hop into his bed like one of his little whores." He screamed after me, I ran downstairs and climbed into my car. I made it all the way back to mine before I broke down into tears in my car.

Chapter Four: Jack

I looked out of my window at the rain pouring down on the city and sighed, the storm had come on quickly in the past half an hour and showed no signs of letting up. Yet that wasn't the reason for my bad mood. Over the past three months I had watched Evan and Adrianna grow closer and closer, I had watched them walking about hand in hand, I had watched them cuddling and kissing affectionately whenever we hung out and I had even heard the sounds of their lovemaking. Every time that happened I felt my blood heat with anger and jealousy, after three months of it I was ready to act. I had decided to come clean to Ade about my feelings, considering that they didn't seem to be going anywhere, and had even asked her to come down to mine to talk but then she told me that she was introducing Evan to her family and I had backed out. Now I was looking out for her car coming back and anxiously waiting for her to return so I could speak to her, I looked down and saw that her car was parked on the sidewalk with all it's lights on. I waited for ten minutes for it to go off and when they didn't I decided to go and investigate, I ran down and out into the rain and over to the drivers side. Ade was hunched over the steering wheel and shaking slightly, I tapped on the window and she jerked upright to look at me.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I yelled over the noise of the rain, she had tear tracks streaking her face and her makeup was smudged giving her away.

"Nothing, leave me alone." She muttered as she pushed open the door and hopped out, I followed as she ran through the rain and into the lobby.

"No, talk to me." I grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face me, more tears spilled over and slid down her cheeks "Come on, I'll make you some coffee and get you comfy."

"Yeah... coffee." She nodded distractedly but allowed me to usher her upstairs to my apartment and onto my sofa, I wrapped a towel around her shoulder before going and making two steaming cups of her favourite coffee.

"You want to talk or do you want to veg?" I asked.

"Me and Evan had a fight." She hiccupped, I tried to quell the joy bubbling in me and did manage to prevent a smile spreading on my face. "We yelled and said things... mean things."

"What were you fighting about?" As awful as it might sound I hoped it was a big fight.

"It doesn't matter, what's important is that I don't think that this will blow over easily."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really but... if I asked you something would you tell me the truth?"

"Always." I promised.

"Could you date a woman knowing that she would always be partially in love with someone else? Even if nothing could ever happen between her and that other guy, even if she promised to never see him again could you love her?" She set her mug on the table and turned to face me, before answering her I thought about what it would be like to try and share Adrianna with another man. If only emotionally and not physically. I didn't like it.

"No I couldn't, if I was going to be with a woman I would need to know that I was her everything because she would be mine. I don't share and I don't fall in love easily and whenever I find the woman I want to spend my life with I need to know that she loves me as much as I love her."

"I cant imagine any woman not loving you completely and with all her heart, it's so easy to love you." She smiled sadly and I frowned.

"Ade I need to talk to you about something, something really important but tonight isn't the night. You've had a fight and you need to relax."

"Yeah, will you help me forget?"

"Huh?" I frowned, before I could say anything else she swayed forward and planted her mouth on mine. Her lips were soft and full beneath mine and the second I felt them all my good intentions were shot to hell, it didn't matter that she was hurt and crying, that she was with Evan or that she was my best friend. All that mattered was that she was here and she was kissing me. I tunnelled my hands into her long hair so I could tilt her head for better access as I thrust my tongue into her mouth, she moaned into my mouth and I decided to move things elsewhere. I slid my arms around her waist and picked her up with me as I stood, she wound her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist as I walked through to my room. Once there I set her on her feet and slipped her jacket off her shoulders and slid my hands over her silky smooth skin, she wrestled my shirt up over my head before running her hands over my naked chest. I groaned as she flicked her fingers over my nipples but was distracted when she went to her tiptoes so she could press kisses to my skin, her tongue slid over my nipples and I lost it. I pushed her back until she was standing by the foot of my bed before I pulled her shirt over her head, we both scrambled to get out of our jeans and then she was stood there wearing nothing by a pair of white panties. Her breasts were full and lush and topped with taut excited nipples, I laid her out on the bed before coming over her and cupping the lush weight of her breasts in my palms. When I closed my mouth over one rosy nipple she cried out and arched into my touch, she tasted like sweet vanilla and spice, a heady combination that drove me wild. I worshiped her breasts with my mouth before nibbling a trail down to the waistband of her panties, her skin was flushed with heat and so soft I couldn't help rubbing my jaw over her. Anticipation thrummed in my veins as I hooked my fingers in her panties and pulled them down her legs, once they had been thrown over my shoulder I gripped her smooth thighs in my hands and urged them apart so I could look at her fully. She was squirming and writhing on the bed and her hands were gripping the sheets, I had never seen anything more precious and incredible.

"You're so beautiful." I breathed. She looked up at me with wide eyes and opened her mouth to say something but I stopped her by spreading her folds with my thumbs and using my mouth on her, I kissed, liked, nibbled and sucked until I felt her body tightening and stilling in anticipation of her climax. When I thrust my tongue into her she exploded around me in a powerful orgasm that had her arching and screaming my name, when I rose up from between her thighs she was limply spread out on my bed, the bed that hadn't seen another woman in almost two months. I shucked my boxers and dug around in my drawer to find a condom before rolling it on, before I could enter her she flipped me over onto my back and moved to straddle me. "What are you doing?"

"You don't like it this way?" She suddenly frowned and looked slightly vulnerable, I wanted to kick myself.

"Hell yes, I cant wait to see you taking what you want. The view of you riding me would make me more than happy to relinquish control." I smiled at her even though my gaze refused to go further than her breasts and I reached out to feather my fingers over one straining nipple.

"Oh god..." Ade moaned before reaching down and guiding me into her, I locked my muscles and fought against my release as her muscles closed down around me. She was so wet and aroused that my passage was eased and after a few moments of deep breathing she began to move on me, I slid my hand up to her breasts and tweaked her nipples as she rode me. "Oh god, oh yes... Jack." She dropped her head back and moaned as her movements became more frantic.

"That's it, come for me sweetheart." I urged through gritted teeth as I felt my climax approaching, she suddenly froze and I swear she even stopped breathing as she came. Her nails bit into my chest before she slumped forward against me, I rolled her onto her back and thrust into her two more times before throwing my head back and letting out a triumphant yell as I came. When I rolled off her to slump on my back she started to pull away I caught her with an arm around her waist and pulled her up against me, we were both covered with a sheen of sweat and surrounded by signs of our lovemaking. I waited until I heard her breathing deepen before sliding out of bed to dispose of the condom, when I came back I leant against the doorway and stared down at her as she slept. She was curled up on her side with the sheet tucked close around her, tenderness gripped me as I looked at her but I was also over come with a sense of rightness. I knew then that she belonged in my bed, my life, I loved her and I wasn't about to let her go now I had only just got her.

The next morning I woke early but instead of climbing out of bed and going to make coffee I stayed in bed and watched Ade, she was without a doubt the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. The sun filtered in through my drapes and made her skin glow, her face looked so peaceful as she slept that I was loathe to wake her but I knew that she had work in two hours and that she would want to shower and change first. Before I had chance to wake her eyes slowly opened and she blinked dazedly before focusing on me, her eyes widened and she clutched the sheet to her chest.

"Good morning." I smiled and gave in to my urge to touch by running a finger over the smooth skin of her shoulder.

"Morning." She whispered "Did we... you know?"

"Yes, and let me tell you it was incredible." I murmured softly "Did you know that you stop breathing when you come?"

"Oh god..." She groaned and buried her face in the pillow.

"You say that too." I grinned and urged her face up so I could kiss her, she kissed me back for a moment before pulling away.

"Stop doing that, don't touch me." She gasped.

"Why not? Ade come on it's me, you don't need to me shy or embarrassed."

"I'm not being shy or embarrassed, I'm being furious and ashamed and... a whole bunch of other stuff."

"Why are you furious at me?" I frowned as she stood and took the sheet with her, she threw my discarded jeans at me and I pulled them on quickly.

"I'm not mad at you I'm mad at myself, and a little at you. How could you let me sleep with you? You know I'm with Evan."

"You said you had a fight, a big one and then you kissed me and I couldn't help myself. I know that it was wrong to take advantage while you were vulnerable but I have been going crazy with want for the past three months, I cant get you out of my head."

"How nice, couldn't you have mentioned this before I got so involved with Evan? I mean god, I have been half in love with you since the day we met and it has taken you almost nine years to catch up."

"You're in love with me?" I blinked in shock at her.

"God you're such an idiot, of course I am! All that talk last night of being with someone yet loving someone else, how did you not get that it was me and you I was talking about? What kind of imbecile are you?" She yelled at me.

"Isn't that a little uncalled for, Ade... I want you. Without Evan in the picture, I want to date you and make love to you. Come on babes, give me a chance."

"Why should I? You only think you want me because suddenly your friend found me attractive, would have even looked twice at me if I hadn't had a make over and become serious with Evan? Of course not, because then I wouldn't have been your type and you would never have spared me a thought."

"That's not fair, Evan didn't want you before the make over either." I pointed out, this was going downhill fast but I couldn't see a way to fix it.

"Yes he did, he asked me out at the hospital while I was wearing scrubs and no make up! You always treated me like a buddy when all I wanted was for you to notice me as a woman, well it's too late Jack. Last night was a huge mistake and you can guarantee that it will never happen again, in fact from now on don't talk to me. We are no longer friends."

"Ade come on, lets talk about this. You cant just walk out and never see me again." Panic set in at the prospect of loosing her and I was seriously considering begging.

"We cant talk Jack! I am with Evan, get that into your head."

"So you're going to carry on with him even though we made love last night? That's real classy Ade."

"Don't you dare get all sanctimonious with me!" She screamed at me "I am so tired of this Jack, I cant do this anymore." She turned for the door but turned back at the last moment "If you ever cared for me at all you will never tell Evan what happened, or should I point out that he is one of your best friends and you just screwed his girlfriend. I get the feeling that he won't be too happy about that. Goodbye Jack." She slammed the door behind her and I slumped to the floor as I heard her stomping up to her apartment, I had just lost my best friend and the only woman I had ever had strong feelings for. I was officially an idiot.

Later on that day I was laid out on my sofa watching bad TV when there was a loud knock on my door, I grabbed my beer bottle from the table and shuffled to answer it. I hadn't showered or changed so I had rough stubble growing on my jaw, my hair was sticking up in random places and I was still wearing the jeans and nothing else. When I pulled open the door Ade's brother Maddox was stood there looking like he was ready to kill someone, he was a cop too so he could do it.

"What the fuck did you do to my little sister?" He growled as he stormed past me into my living room.

"Sure, come on. I'm not busy." I muttered as I closed the door.

"Stuff the sarcasm Jack, I've just been to the hospital to see Ade and she looks like hell. What happened?"