Back to Friends
Pairing: Rhett Abbott x Fem!Reader
Summary: The night you ended up entangled in Rhett's sheets shouldn't mean anything to you - he's your best friend! But then they get to the sane keep fucking and nothing else.
Just sex. Between friends. No complications.
Or it was until... your stupid little heart fell head over heels in love with him anyway.
Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content (Oral, Vaginal Intercourse, Heavy BDSM Undertones, Consensually Messy/Rough Encounters) | Strong Language / Swearing | Alcohol Use / Intoxication | Emotional Intensity / Heartbreak / Jealousy
Author's Note: Lately Iâve been wondering whether what I write is truly good⊠whether itâs worth writing or reading at all. Iâve been criticizing myself a lotâthinking my stories might be too long, too short, or simply not enough. Iâm not sure. And I think all those thoughts slipped a little into this fic. So, Iâm sorry if it shows.
English isnât my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.Thank you so much for reading. Your support means more than you know. đč
Word Count: 5,700
You canât quite remember how the two of you ended up like this, tangled in the sheets of his bed⊠or rather, you do know â at least vaguely. It was that night you decided to stop feeling sorry for yourself, to stop drowning in the sharp emptiness Matthew had left behind when he walked away, taking with him whatever it was you two had â if you could even call it a relationship.
The mirror in your dressing room showed you the reflection of a stranger â eyes too bright, lips painted a bold shade of wine-red. You got ready in that short, soft dress that brushed against your thighs with every move, and drove to the town bar with the window rolled down, letting the night breeze â heavy with the scent of damp earth and distant jasmines â whip across your face and carry away, maybe, the last traces of your sadness.
The old town bar was a place without pretension, lit by dim amber lights that gave everything a smoky hue. The floorboards creaked under heavy boots, and a slow blues tune drifted from the dusty jukebox. The air was thick â beer spills, aged leather, and the faint curl of cigarette smoke. You remember sitting at the counter, the cool edge of your glass pressed against your fingers as you drank quietly, watching the golden whiskey swirl with each small movement of your wrist.
Thatâs when you felt it. Strong arms sliding around you, the smell of clean leather and an earthy, woodsy cologne â like a forest after the rain â wrapping around you, drowning out every other scent in the room. Then came the low rasp of Rhettâs voice near your ear, his warm breath brushing your neck.
âHey, pretty girl. âBout time you showed up.â
You turned, and there he was. Rhett. His shadow swallowed you whole â broad, familiar. His gaze, that stormy blue-grey, swept over you from head to toe, lingering at the neckline of your dress, then on the curve of your mouth. A slow, genuine smile curved his lips when he caught your expression â a little shy, a little breathless beneath his stare.
âOh, look at you,â he murmured, voice rough. âYouâre gorgeous.â And you knew he meant it. He always did.
âHi, cowboy. You drunk enough yet?â you managed to tease, glancing at the half-empty beer bottle in his large, calloused hand â pretending his words didnât hit you as hard as they did.
He ignored the jab. His smile faded a fraction, jaw tightening for a second. His arm around your waist pulled you half an inch closer.
âI mean it, beutiful,â he said quietly. âThat idiot doesnât know what he lost.â There was something buried in his tone â low, controlled, and dangerous â a quiet promise that wasnât meant for you, but for Matthewâs ghost. Youâd heard that voice before; it was the same one he used when someone tried to mess with you â soft-spoken.
You smiled faintly, because you knew. Every word Rhett ever said to you was the truth. He was always there â to remind you how beautiful you were, how clever, how good at keeping the books for his familyâs ranch. To tell you, with a conviction that stole your breath, that you were the best girl he knew.
âIâve got the prettiest girl in this whole damn bar right in front of me,â he murmured, eyes locked on yours. âAnd Iâm lucky sheâs my best friend.â
Those last words cut clean â a precise little wound that made you flinch inside. Best friend. Thatâs all you were to him. A safe, fixed place in his world â unshakable, untouchable.
After that, your memories blur â soaked in golden light and the haze of whiskey. You remember dancing with him, one song after another, your bodies moving with the kind of rhythm that only years of closeness could teach. You remember stumbling a few times, your heels and the liquor conspiring against you, and his big, warm hands gripping your waist to keep you steady. He was so close that the fringe of his brown hair brushed your forehead sometimes. His chest â broad and solid â was a wall you could lean on. His laugh, low and rumbling, echoed near your ear, a sound that warmed you from the inside more than any drink could.
The rest of the world fell away until there was nothing left â just the music, the smell of leather and wood, the heat of Rhettâs hands on your skin.
The ride in his truck is a blank in your memory, only the warmth of his thigh against yours on the seat. Then, the creaking door of his house, the familiar darkness of his living room, and suddenly, against the wall of the hallway, his lips finding yours in a clash of flavors of whiskey and repressed desire. It wasn't a kiss, it was possession. Rough, wet, desperate. His teeth collided with yours, his tongue claiming your mouth as his hands roamed your back, sliding down to your buttocks and pressing you against the hard evidence of his desire.
âRhettâŠâ you gasped, but his name turned into a moan when his lips moved to your neck, nibbling urgently at your skin. There was no clear path to the bedroom, just a whirlwind of clumsy steps and yielding clothing. A tug, the sound of a zipper, and the tearing whisper of your dress as it was thrown into a corner. You fell onto his bed, his weight on top of you, pinning you down.
Drunkenness and lust merged, making everything more intense, uninhibited, more raw⊠His hands, rough and calloused from working on the ranch, ran down your thighs with fierce determination, opening them⊠A guttural growl, âDamn, baby, you're so wetâŠâ came out of his mouth against your ear, his fingers finding that sensitive, throbbing nerve center inside you, rubbing with expert pressure that made you scream and writhe against the sheets. The palm of your hand pressed against his sweaty chest, feeling the frantic pounding of his heart beneath your skin.
Without preamble, he positioned you on your hands and knees. The initial thrust was a sharp blow that made you hold your breath, a sharp pain that instantly melted into a wave of pleasure so deep and dirty that it left you breathless. âYou like that? You like that, don't you, baby?â he growled, each word a lash in the heavy air, as his hips slammed into yours with a brutal, rapid rhythm.
He turned you without pulling out, your sweaty back against the soft sheets beneath you as he moved with a raw power that swept you along; you responded with surrender, your legs wrapped around his waist, your hips rising to meet him with every thrust. The sharp, brief pain of his entry instantly transformed into a pleasure that made you arch your back.
Your moans turned into long, ragged whimpers that he silenced with a rough hand over your mouth. âShh. Shh. Shut up, baby⊠or the whole ranch will know how I'm fucking you.â His lips on the back of your neck, his hands gripping your hips tightly, marking you, possessing you. You responded with wild abandon, arching your back to take him deeper, your nails digging into his thighs, encouraging him with grunts you didn't recognize as your own. âYes⊠there, Rhett, pleaseâŠâ The wet, obscene sound of your bodies together mingled with the creaking of the bed and your gasps.
The orgasm came like an explosion. A hoarse moan, torn from the depths of his chest. âOh baby⊠Ohhh yes⊠Shit, I'm going toâŠ!â His body tensed like a bow over yours, and it was the last spark that made you explode. A convulsion of pure, blinding pleasure that shook you to tears, drowning your own cry in the hollow of his shoulder.
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the harsh sound of his lungs gasping for air. His weight collapsed on top of you, sweaty and exhausted. And in that rawness and stillness, with the smell of sex and whiskey permeating the air, the taste of him still on your lips and the echo of his grunts in your ears, you slowly closed your eyes.
...
You stirred in bed, and in your sleep, a heaviness anchored you. It wasn't a dream. It was an arm, muscular and covered with fine hair, firmly surrounding you, and your back was pressed against a broad, warm chest that rose and fell with slow breathing.
You opened your eyes immediately. The blinding morning light, filtering mercilessly through the curtainless window, made you close them instantly. A groan of pain escaped your lips as you felt sharp, drill-like pains in your temples. You tried again, blinking against the glare, forcing your eyes to focus.
The first thing you noticed was the wall of dark wooden logs in front of you. It wasn't the white plaster of your bedroom. And hanging from a nail was a perfectly coiled riding rope. This wasn't your bedroom. Your heart froze.
Oh, God⊠no⊠no, this isn't happening, you thought, a cold panic spreading through your chest. Last night was just a dream⊠a drunken, hot dream. It couldn't have happened.
These were the desperate thoughts running through your mind as you carefully tried to sit up in bed. That's when you realized you were covered only by a crumpled sheet, and the bare skin brushing against the rough fabric confirmed your worst fear. Your movements caused Rhett to growl behind you, a deep, sleepy sound. You held your breath, managed to slide his arm off you, and, hoping with all your might that he would continue sleeping, you sat up awkwardly.
You pulled the sheet with you, wrapping yourself in it like armor as the pain throbbed in your head. You sat on the edge of the bed and tried to stand up, but a different, deep, revealing twinge stopped you in your tracks. A dull, persistent pain in your crotch, a muscular, internal reminder of the intensity with which he had moved inside you. You let out a muffled gasp as you felt it.
With determination born of panic, you searched for your clothes scattered around the room. You found your black panties in a corner of the bed, tangled in the sheet. As you pulled them up your thighs, you noticed with a chill the wet, sticky feeling, the whitish liquid oozing from inside you, raw physical proof of what had happened. You continued awkwardly, searching for your damn bra. You spotted it on the other side of the bed, right in the corner where Rhett was still lying, now on his back.
With your heart in your throat, you leaned forward carefully, stretching out your arm to reach it, trying to keep the sheet over your chest. In that instant, a quick movement and a shadow under the edge of the bed made you jump. A huge, hairy spider scuttled toward the darkness beneath the bed. A small scream escaped your lips before you could stop it.
It was the sound Rhett had been waiting for. He hadnât been deeply asleep, just pretending, watching you from beneath his lashes as you moved with that adorably guilty clumsiness. Hearing your scream, he opened his eyes fully.
And the first thing he saw, just inches from his face, were your breasts â bare and trembling, the sheet having slipped loose with your sudden movement. His blue eyes, now clear and filled with mischievous playfulness, scanned you from head to toe before settling on them. He couldnât help himself. A slow, teasing smile curved across his lips.
âThis is one hell of a view to wake up to,â he murmured, his voice husky from sleep but heavy with suggestion. âMuch better than that damn sun in my face in the mornings.â
You looked at him, surprised, quickly shifting to a mix of annoyance and burning embarrassment at his words. You tried to cover your tits with the bra you were now clutching against your chest â a futile, ridiculous gesture considering how he had kneaded, licked, sucked, and bitten them the night before. But you didnât care. You refused to let him see you like this, sober.
âThatâs not funny, Rhett,â you said, your voice trembling from the hangover and nerves. âWhat the hell is under your bed?â
âI donât know whatâs under my bed, pretty girl,â he said, his voice husky and sleepy, his half-lidded eyes fixed on you. A mischievous, knowing smile played at his lips.
âFunny⊠youâve got a damn giant spider, Rhett,â you grumbled clumsily, trying to get the garment on. Your fingers seemed to have forgotten their function, tangling in the hooks and straps. âThis⊠this shouldnât have happened.â
Rhett didnât flinch. Instead, he propped himself on one elbow, making the muscles in his arm and torso tense under his golden skin. The sheet slipped down to his waist, revealing his bare chest and the red scratches your nails had left on his ribs last night, making you swallow hard.
âLooks like it did,â he observed, his voice low but clear, cutting through your denial. His gaze drifted from your eyes to your hands, struggling clumsily with the bra clasp. âAnd from what I can see⊠it was incredible.â
A hot blush spread from your neck to your cheeks. âIt was a mistake,â you insisted, finally getting the clasp to click into place, albeit crookedly. âWe were drunk. We didnât think.â
Suddenly, his expression changes when he hears your words. The mocking smile vanished completely, replaced by a shadow of concern. With a sigh, he rose from the bed in one fluid motion.
The sheet fell from his torso, and before you could help it, your gaze, completely treacherous, drifted toward his crotch. His cock, pink, thick, long and flaccid, swayed with the movement. Oh, fuck⊠you thought, losing yourself for a moment at the sight, a new flush of heat and embarrassment flooding you. How could that have been inside you? It was noticeably larger than average. Now you understood with chilling clarity the reason for that deep, persistent pain you felt inside.
âHey, beautiful? Can you hear me?â
His voice pulled you out of your daze. You looked up quickly, meeting his eyes. He hadnât missed your furtive glance, and a small, proud smile played at his lips as he saw the fire in your cheeks. But the smile didnât last. Seeing the confusion and panic in your eyes, his expression softened again.
He ran a hand through his hair â an unusual gesture of nervousness for him. âI was saying that⊠itâs okay,â he began, his voice huskier than usual, struggling to find the words. âYeah, nothing has to change between us. Yeah, this⊠this isnât⊠this doesnât have to change anything. Between us.â
He paused, his blue eyes now serious, searching yours with an intensity that stopped you in your tracks. âI like you a lot. Youâre my best friend.â He said it with a clumsiness that felt foreign to him, every word heavy with a fear he didnât know he could feel â the fear of losing you.
âThis is justâŠâ he continued, making a vague gesture between you, âtwo friends helping each other out.â
You listened to his words attentively, feeling each one settle in a different place in your chest. âSure,â you said, trying to convince yourself. You swallowed nervously, the knot in your throat tightening. You nodded, repeating the words to yourself. âJust two friends⊠two friends helping each other outâŠâ
What you didnât expect, after that first night, was for it to happen again. And then again. And again.
It wasnât planned. You just kept finding each other, like you always did, until the line you both tried to draw blurred completely out of existence.
It was about a week later. He invited you over to his cabin under the excuse of helping him sort out some ranch paperwork. The same as alwaysâbeer, soft country music playing in the background. You were sitting side by side on the couch, papers in your hands, laughing over some silly story.
His hand brushed your thigh as he reached for his bottle. Just a casual touch. But this time, he didnât pull away. The air thickened. The laughter died on your lips. He looked at you. No words were spoken. His hand slipped to the back of your neck, pulling you toward him. The papers fell to the floor, forgotten, as his mouth found yours with a hunger he no longer tried to hide.
A few days later, you met again in the barn at sunset, after a long, exhausting day. The air was heavy with the scent of hay and wildflowers. He leaned against the door, smiling, asking about your day. You wiped the sweat from your forehead and told him about your frustration with a stubborn mare. He laughedâthat deep, rich sound that always sent a shiver down your spineâand stepped forward to hug you, the kind of hug youâd shared a thousand times before.
But this time, when his arms wrapped around you, something shifted. His breathing hitched. You buried your face against his neck, breathing in the mix of leather and him. The hug lingered, grew tighter, more aware. Then his hands slipped from your back to your hips, pulling you against the hardness already straining beneath his jeans. A soft moan escaped your lips, and that was all it took. He turned you and pressed you against the rough wooden wall of the barn. No words, just gasps, the creak of the wood, and two bodies moving together with desperate, reckless familiarity.
The next time was in your kitchen, after a quiet Friday dinner. Youâd talked about everything except that. Your parents, work, his upcoming bull-riding competition. He was washing the dishes, and you were drying. The air felt calm, harmlessâuntil your fingers brushed when passing him a plate. A spark. You froze, staring at your hands, then at him. His teasing smile was gone, replaced by a question and a want so raw it stole your breath.
He dropped the plate into the sink with a clatter that sounded like an ending. Without a word, he grabbed your waist and lifted you onto the counter, sweeping utensils aside with one arm. His mouth found yours slowly, achingly slow, savoring every second. And when your legs wrapped around his hips, you knewâthis wasnât an accident anymore. It had become a quiet, unstoppable need.
It was after the fourth time, when the morning light found you tangled together again, that everything shifted â the air between you heavy with a seriousness that stole your breath. There was no trace of his usual playfulness, no hint of that teasing smile he always wore.
âHey, beautiful, we need to talk about this,â he started, his voice soft but steady, respectful. âThis⊠whateverâs happening between us. Itâs becoming⊠frequent.â
You froze, waiting for the blow, the retreat.
âLook,â he sighed, running a hand through his hair. âYouâre my best friend. Youâre the most important person in my life, and I donât want to screw that up. I donât want this to ruin what we have.â
He paused, searching for the right words. âBut I also canât pretend itâs not happening. Itâs there â undeniable. And itâs⊠incredible.â His gaze was honest, a little vulnerable. âSo hereâs what Iâm thinking. A mutual agreement. Just sex. Nothing more. We stay the same â you and me, like always. This is just⊠another thing we do together. Something to release some tension⊠between friends who like and respect each other. No complications.â
His words caught you off guard. A part of you â the one already tangled in something deeper, something messy â wanted to refuse, to scream that it was a disaster waiting to happen. But the other part, the one burning for him, craving his touch and his taste, took over. You thought, with desperate logic, that maybe this was the solution. Maybe if you slept with Rhett enough times, you could burn him out of your system â exhaust that confusing desire until all that remained was friendship again. It was a terrible idea, but in that moment, it felt brilliant.
âAlright,â you said, your voice sounding steadier than you felt. âBut if we do this, we need rules. To protect⊠our friendship.â
He nodded slowly, his eyes studying your face. âGo on, beautiful.â
âFirst,â you began, holding up a finger, ânone of this in public. No touching, no looks, no hints. Outside this room, weâre just friends.â
âDone,â he agreed instantly.
âSecond,â you continued, feeling your heart race. âMovie nights, dinners, our usual hangouts⊠they stay the same. Normal. This doesnât turn into dates. This isnât a relationship.â
A shadow flickered in his expression â so quick you almost missed it â but he nodded again. âJust friends⊠helping each other out.â
âAnd third,â you added, firmer now, meeting his gaze head-on. âIf either of us starts seeing someone else, this ends. Immediately. No questions.â
Rhett was silent for a moment, chewing on that last rule. Finally, he nodded slowly. âFair. Thatâs the smart thing to do.â
...
Youâre completely fucked. Metaphorically⊠and literally. Right now, wrapped in Rhettâs arms, your hands tangled in his damp chestnut curls, your legs clamped tight around his waist. He moves inside you with such precision. His large, calloused hands grip your hips, holding you firmly in place while his hips drive relentlessly, finding that deep spot inside you that makes the world explode into white behind your eyelids.
Every thrust shatters your reason. An electric euphoria shoots through every nerve, mixed with a bittersweet ache because you know this, by definition, is temporaryâa pleasure laced with the bitter seed of its own end. Your body arches toward him, craving more of that fire that, deep down, you know will burn you.
Maybe you deserve it, if you really think about it. Maybe this is what you get for agreeing to this arrangement in the first place. For believing you could have the pieces of him you wanted without giving your heart in return. For thinking that by fucking enough, you could get him out of your system, when every time you come together like this, he digs himself even deeper into you.
And then, just as a hot tear slips from your eye and lands on the pillow, his ice-blue eyes find yours. Everything stops for a heartbeat. Itâs more than just this. An intense, deep⊠vulnerable look. One that pierces you and seems to see everything you carry inside. And for a crazy, intoxicating, dangerous second, you think maybe it could really mean something more. As if thereâs something there for him tooâsome feeling that goes beyond the purely physical arrangement youâd made. Even with your bodies entwined, heâs wrestling with the same line you are, afraid to cross it but aching for what lies on the other side.
...
The roar of the crowd thunders in your ears like a drum, but your attention is fixed on the gate to the bullpen. Thereâs Rhett, adjusting his glove, his silhouette tense as a drawn bow. Heâs worked so hard for this that you canât help your mind carrying you back to this morning.
The morning light had filtered through the window of his cabin, illuminating motes of dust dancing over their sweaty, intertwined bodies. Their breaths ragged, their hearts hammering in unison. A silly, satisfied, drowsy smile played on your lips as you traced lazy circles across his back.
Heâd been nervous since yesterday, an electric, restrained energy vibrating through every movement. You had tried, in vain, to wear down that desire, to tire yourself of it, proposing the simplest and most delicious solution: fucking him against the mattress until he was spent and satisfied. âYouâre still nervous,â you murmured, feeling the tension in his back muscles beneath your fingers.
Rhett turned his head to you, a tired but genuine smile on his face, his blue eyes softened. âLess than yesterday,â he admitted, his voice hoarse and rough from the morning and effort. His hand found yours beneath the sheets, fingers intertwining with that natural ease that still shook you. âYou have a very persuasive way of distracting me.â He winked, and a small, warm laugh escaped your lips, as if the entire world had shrunk to that shared bed, to him alone.
The memory fades as Cecilia, his mother, nudges you gently. âThereâs my boy,â she says proudly, pointing down. Royal is with him, giving some last words, and you, from the stands, watch with the certainty of knowing every microexpression on his faceâelated, anxious, tense. He tries to hide it from everyone else, but not from you.
As if he could feel your gaze, his head turns, and his eyes find yours in the crowd. That playful, intimate, knowing smile spreads across his lips, identical to the one he gave you just an hour ago in the secluded bathrooms.
âCome here, beautiful. I need you.â His hoarse voice reaches you as you step away, and his strong arms trap you against the deserted hallway wall. âRhett, no⊠we canât,â you try to protest, placing your hands on his chest to keep distance, though you donât really want to. âNot in public.â
His blue eyes, pleading, with that battered puppy expression, melt you entirely. âJust a minute,â he insists. You give in, as always, and move closer.
âYou know, I need my lucky kisses right now,â he says, playful but with a firmness that betrays his nervousness. His lips find yours in a deep, hungry kiss that robs you of breath and reason. Your hands clutch his shoulders to keep from falling, losing yourself in the taste of mint and him. When he finally pulls back, your heart races, your breath ragged.
âYouâre⊠impossible,â you manage to say, breathless, brushing your lips against his.
Rhett lets out a low, satisfied growl. âA hug wouldâve been enough for luck,â he whispers, âbut Iâm addicted to your lips and your pretty, big mouth, beautiful.â He says it with a mischievous confidence, and you can only laugh, giving him a gentle push that doesnât move him an inch.
Now, from the stands, that same wink reaches you across the distance, shattering your composure. Damn it, you can't resist the knot of butterflies fluttering wildly in your stomach. You know, with terrifying certainty, that you're not getting tired of him. You're sinking deeper and deeper into him.
...
The bull is a massive, enraged beast, a whirlwind of muscle and fury that bursts out of the chute like lightning. And on top of it, Rhett. Your heart tightens and then leaps, a pendulum swinging between fear and pride. You love watching him ride, the way he fuses with the animal, a brutal dance of wills. But always, always, that lurking fear remainsâthe image of something going wrong and him getting hurt.
The giant clock marks the seconds. Eight agonizing seconds that feel like an eternity. The bull twists, bucks, trying with all its might to throw off the weight on its back. Rhett holds firm, his free arm swinging in the air like a pendulum to keep his balance. And then, on the ninth second, a sudden movement, and Rhett is thrown through the air, landing in the dust of the arena with a dull thud that echoes across the place.
A scream catches in your throat. But almost immediately, he gets up, brushing the dust off his shoulders with a sharp shake. The attendants rush toward him, but his attention isnât on themâitâs on the scoreboard.
89.5 points.
The announcer shouts the score and his ranking: FIRST PLACE! The arena erupts. The crowd goes wild, cheering his name. âRhett! Rhett!â He raises his arms, a gesture of pure triumph, his face lit with a dazzling smile. Then his gaze sweeps the crowd and locks onto you. He smilesâa victorious, private smile, meant only for your eyes.
You are so proud and overjoyed that he did it. You stand, determined to go down and congratulate him. He follows you with his eyes, his smile still in place. But just as you take a few steps, you see her. A girl with long, wavy hair and pronounced curves makes her way through the crowd and launches herself at Rhett, hugging him with an exuberance that goes far beyond casual. He looks surprised but doesnât push her away. Why would he? Itâs Maria. Rhettâs ex. The love of his life.
âLook whoâs back in town,â Ceciliaâs voice says beside you, sounding distant. âSeems like the big city didnât agree with her.â Her words are just a buzz in your ears. Your entire world shrinks down to the image of Maria practically draped over Rhettâand he⊠he isnât pushing her away. But why would he? Maria has always been the love of his life. It doesnât matter that she left town and broke things off, leaving him behind. No, it doesnât matter that you were the one there for him when his heart was broken. Now, when he has the love of his life right in his arms, nothing else matters.
Cecilia keeps talking, but you just nod, excusing yourself while trying not to let her notice how your voice is trembling, trying to hide that you are falling apart inside. You canât stay there. You know it. You are foolish. You rush down from the stands toward the parking lot, your steps quick and clumsy, feeling yourself crumble from within.
You go down so fast that you donât notice Rhettâs confused gaze following you as you flee. You are so close to your car that the click of the lock as you press the button echoes in the lot. You open the door, but an agitated voice stops you in your tracks.
âHey, beautiful, where are you going?â Itâs Rhett. Heâs panting, having run after you. You donât turn around. You canât.
âHey, whatâs wrong, baby?â he asks, his voice heavy with concern.
The moment you hear that word, tears fill your eyes because it always has this effect on youâevery time it slips from his lips, itâs the same one he uses when youâre tangled together in bed, breathless and sweaty; the one he says when he showers you with tender kisses, when he leaves his seed on your skin or inside you, with his soft hands and tender gaze⊠That word starts to burn inside you because it means far more to you than it could ever mean to him.
His concern means nothing, you tell yourself. Theyâre just friends. Just friends. Oh, how you hate that word. How can it be enough to be âjust friendsâ with Rhett when you love him so much that you can no longer lie to yourself?
âItâs nothing, Rhett,â you say, without turning, your voice a fragile thread.
âNothing, my ass.â He steps closer and gently turns you to face him. His eyes search yours. âBaby, please, talk to me.â
Something in the urgency of his voice, in the intensity of his bright blue eyes, finally breaks you.
âWhat, what is this, Rhett?â Your voice trembles and falters, on the verge of tears.
âWhatâ?â he starts, but you cut him off.
âNo, seriously, Rhett, what is this? What are we doing? Why do you keep doing this too? Why do we keep doing this?â
âIâm notââ he begins, but you interrupt again.
âLook, I know. I know what we agreed on at first. I know this⊠weâre just friends, right? Friends,â your tone turns bitter, and you let out a dark laugh. âFriends helping each other⊠well, weâve helped each other a lot, havenât we?â Another bitter laugh shakes your head. The words come now in an unstoppable torrent. âLook, Rhett, I get it. I really get it. This is just⊠it doesnât even mean anything, does it? At least not to you⊠I get it, and I wish I hadnât, but I get it⊠The sex is amazing, right? We fit so well, but thatâs it. And it was fine⊠it was fine at first, but not anymore, Rhett. I canât do this anymore.â
He watches you, his eyes flicking rapidly, processing your words, the pain etched across your face.
âWeâve fucked this up, Rhett,â you pause, bitter. âFucked it up so badly.â
âWhat are you saying, beautiful? Fucked up?â he asks, confused, trying to process your pain.
âItâs everything, Rhett.â You shake your head in anger at yourselfâhow could you have been so foolish not to see that this is how it will always end, with your heart shattered, because you were naive enough to believe Rhett could feel the same way you do.
âIt⊠is it⊠because of Maria?â he asks, still confused, trying to understand. Hearing her name on his lips, you spit: âWow, genius, you figured it out.â
He interrupts. âShe just wanted to congratulate me for winning. She came out of nowhere, and I didnât⊠I didnâtââ
âYou didnât push her away,â you cut him off, continuing with a venom that surprises even you. âNo, why would you when you still love her?â
His eyes widen at your words. âYouâre⊠jealous?⊠Jealous of her?â Thereâs disbelief in his voice, as if he canât believe it.
Your heart hurts, and you blink furiously, though you donât want to cryânot yet, not in front of him. Soon enough, once he finally breaks your heart for good, youâll collapse and cry.
âI love you, you stupid idiot.â Your voice cracks, trembling as you look at him through tears not yet fallen. âI love you so much it hurts.â
He freezes. His blue eyes widen, stunned by your confession. Time seems to stop around you both.
âItâs over, Rhett.â
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P.S. If you enjoyed this, give it a â€ïž, and if you want a second part, drop a little turtle đą in the comments! Thanks! :3















