I clamped a fluffy white pillow between my legs. In my arms, I held tightly around the tiny corner of my duvet. The only part of the covers I was allowed to have. A groan left my lips. Light fought to pierce through my eyelids.

     With a grunt, I rolled over. "Are you awake?"

     Maya turned her entire body. A scowling face came into view. She hauled at the covers. They slipped through my fingers and left me exposed to the cold.

     "Bitch, the fuck you want?" A growl followed her words.

     Both of my eyebrows elevated. I pressed my neck backward to get a better look at her. Mascara smudged the bags under her eyes. Hair steered in every direction. From her mouth leaked the aftermath of alcohol and a forgotten toothbrush. The scowl didn't reach her eyes. They stared at me with a sleepy gaze.

     I sighed, shifting to lay on my back. My hand lowered to lay on my belly.

     After having let Maya and I inside yesterday, she had scoured through our fridge, stolen two boxes of cookies, and invaded the bathroom all in the span of half an hour. She almost threw up on the lounge and I had to drag her to my room. It didn't stop there. No, that was the moment she decided she was going to ask questions. Fortunately for me, she'd found her way into the mattress and collapsed as soon as her head hit the pillow.

     Which meant that a shitload of questions would come my way today. And before that, I needed a shower, food, coffee, and possibly some kind of protection.

     I didn't get any of those things.

     "Did you win?" she asked, her voice hoarse. She followed the question up with a powerful yawn. She shrouded herself in my duvet and two blankets.

     I twisted my head to look at her. "What?"

     She rolled her eyes, before settling on an expression so like my mother I shivered. She looked like a fucking grown-up ready to explain something obvious to their child. Which was weird. Because if there was something Maya didn't look like, then it was a grown-up.

     "The bet, you moron. Did you and mister dark and handsome have sexual intercourse?" She kept going when she saw my questionable expression. "Made love? Slept together? Humped? Screwed? Shagged? Banged?"

     "Wait. Stop-" I waved my hands in the air, trying to get her to stop this madness.

     "Got it on? Boned? Shtupped? Made whoopee?"

     I halted the attack I was about to launch at her. With on arm stretched out, and on knee tugged under me, I completely froze. I lifted an eyebrow. "Shtupped? Made whoopee? What the hell are you talking about? You make it sound like we went to the bathroom together or something."

     I grimaced at the thought and then grimaced because I'd even thought about it.

     I fell back into the bed, laying on my side. Maya came to lay on her side as well. We stared into each other's eyes.

     "Okay, fine." Maya sighed. "Did you fuck Mike Everson?"

     "I understood your question the first time."

     "It didn't seem like it." Maya lifted an eyebrow, challenging me. Idiot.

     I choose to change the subject. "Since you're asking, I guess you didn't win either. Daniel occupied with another?"

     Maya grunted. From her left, she swung a pillow right into her face. The two surfaces collided with a low thud. A strangled scream seeped out from the seems of the pillow.

     "I can't believe you even care about him." I rolled out of bed. My oversized t-shirt fell around my legs, caressing my sticky skin. Ew. I was disgusting.

     "I don't." Maya let the pillow fall from her face. She spread her limps out wide, occupying the entire space on my bed.

     I turned my back towards her and walked to my closet. One drawer was forced open by a stack of unfolded clothes. Socks draped over the edges and bras and shirts laid scattered on the floor. My head dived into the forest of clothes and searched.

     I peeked over my shoulder. "Doesn't seem like it."

     "Have you ever been in a threesome?"

     My fingers stopped their searching. I narrowed my gaze on her. "Why does that have anything to do with this?"

     "I meant a non-sexual threesome," she said, nodding her head on the bed.

     "So a love triangle?"

     My bed creaked. "Yeah. Well. No. More like a love triangle without the love and, you know, with more basic attraction instead."

     Why can't you just make sense sometimes?" I pulled out two pair of shorts and a t-shirt. I hauled one pair and the t-shirt onto the bed. It plunged half on top of Maya.

     "That would be boring."

     True, but I wasn't going to tell her that.

     Maya stepped out of her clothes and pulled mine on. "So, back to my threesome. I talked with Daniel last night. He invited me out and you know we kissed and stuff like that. And now I'm completely lost because it felt good being at the other end of Daniel's affection, but Jacob is just... he's just so perfect."

     Maya made a show of falling on the bed. She spread her arms wide and grunted on impact.

     "Wait." My mind went over her words one more time. She had to be kidding me. "He invited you out?"

     I didn't know Daniel that well. We hadn't been good friends before he left, however, I'd always been able to call Hamilton my friend. So, I was kinda proud to say that I knew the nature of Daniel Meyers. And Daniel Meyers didn't invite anyone out. He was the one who got asked out. Girls asked if they could have sex with him and not the other way around.

     I shook my head. Daniel did tell me he thought about asking her out. But, even if I hadn't refused to help him and Mike hadn't punched him, I didn't think he would act on it.

     Maya was a challenge to him. He saw someone who had yet to ask for him. Of course, he didn't know that it was only because Maya was way too scared to ask, that she hadn't done it yet.

     Well, no matter what. I didn't like the idea of them getting close.

     "Yeah," she said. "But I haven't given him my answer yet."

     "Maya." I turned towards her, my face bathing in seriousness if that was even a thing. I sighed, letting her know this was serious. Yet, I didn't have the balls to face her, so I twisted away again. "I'm not trying to be controlling or anything, I'm not your mom, but I think you should drop this Daniel thing. He doesn't do strings and that's what you want. Jacob do strings. He does really strong strings. So, don't go out with Daniel."

     Turning towards her again, my heart sank. Leaning against my headboard, phone in hand, I knew she was going to say yes.

     "I'm going on that date," she said, putting her phone down, jumping out of bed, and going towards the door. Two stomachs growled in unison. Maybe it was best to let her do what she wanted.

     With filled stomachs, laughter rolling off our tongues, and an empty house, the day turned out to be great.

     We sat on the couch. The remote pressed into my palm while Maya used my stomach as a table for her popcorns. One white popcorn flew into the air and plopped down into the darkness of her mouth. The tip of her tongue slipped out and licked the salt of her lips.

     "You never answered my question," she said, staring at the screen. "Did you win our bet?"

     I shook my head, snatching a handful of popcorn. "No, but that's not the important thing."

     "It's very important. I've been dying to know the size of his-"

     Luckily for me, my phone cut off the rest of her words. I stretched over the coffee table, never leaving the comfort of the couch.

     The screen lit up with Mike's name.

     I smiled and pressed the green button.

     "Yes?" I said.

     Maya sat up straight beside me, pulling the popcorn bowl into her lap. Her attention adjusted from the screen to me.

     "I'm coming over," he said.

     "I'm fine, thank you. I slept well considering a moron was beside. Yeah, and well, Maya is here right now watching movies with me. What are you doing?" Sarcasm dripped from my words.

     Maya narrowed her eyes but kept her mouth shut. I provided her with a smile there had little to do with her and much to do with Mike.

     "Tell her I'm coming over."

     For a moment, I thought about hanging up on him. That was until I remembered the kiss. For heaven's sake. I was turning into his little puppy. Or worse, a Mike Everson fangirl.

     I moved the phone down and pressed it into my stomach. Maya was on the receiving side of my pleading expression.

     "Would you like to meet Mike?" I asked, smiling.

     She filled her mouth to the brim with popcorns. I had to wait for her to chew each one before she could answer. "Can I ask him any question I want?"

     I drew my eyebrows down. A whiff of butter and salt hit my nose. "Yes?"

     "Then he's allowed to come." Maya nodded her head, standing from the couch. Sometimes I wondered if she thought this was her house.

     I returned the phone to my ear. "You can come over. Thanks for asking politely."

     "I'll be there in five."

     "Bye."

     Before the doorbell rung, Maya and I had finished another bowl of popcorn, the cookies I stole back, and started another movie.

     Before I even had the change to brush the crumbs off my shirt, Maya stormed up. Two legs hurried over my floor, banging into a piece of furniture on the way. Curses ran out right before my front door clicked open.

     I gazed after her, unable to get a look at the door.

     "Mike! What a lovely surprise," Maya said, in her usual excited tone.

     "You knew I was coming." I almost wanted to laugh at his toneless voice. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was forced to come.

     The light thud of their footsteps came closer as the door shut close with another and louder click. I returned my attention to the screen.

     Mike crept around the couch, his gaze on the movie. I stuffed a cookie into my mouth, as I watched him from the corner of my eye. The warmth of my fingers seeped into my skin every time I would tap them against my thigh. I was suddenly aware of my outfit. A t-shirt, no bra, and a pair of skimpy shorts.

     Fuck. My. Life.

     Mike sat down beside me and without as much as a word, his hands seized my thighs. My eyes widened. He lifted them from the ground, spun me, and them around until they draped over his legs. He then leaned back into the couch, his arms placing themselves behind his head.

     I stared at him. Maya stared at him. We were both speechless.

     After a few seconds, Maya found the will to sit down. The bowl pressed into her chest, while she tried hard to not watch me and Mike.

     I didn't try not to look at him. I stared at him so obviously, it was creepy.

     Without turning, his eyes found mine. "Care to tell me why that Adam guy is interested in you and you don't like it one bit?"