Holding On (Memories #1.5)(4)
Author: Emma Hart

“Oh-kay!” Jen whistles. “Can we go now? I don’t wanna break up the lovey-dovey show goin’ on, but I have shopping to do.”

I laugh and release Lexy, wrapping a friendly arm around Jen’s shoulders. “Oh, how dull my life would be without you, Jen.”

Jen tilts her face upwards as we walk, and raises an eyebrow. “You act like you’d actually miss me if I wasn’t around.”

“Well,” I say thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t miss the constant headaches I get but…”

“Asshole!” She laughs and elbows my side. I let her go and laugh, slipping my fingers through Lexy’s as Laura Ashley comes into view. I smirk as I see Bing stood outside the giant store, his hands in his pockets, and his eyebrows drawn together in a frown.

“I hate you for this,” he mumbles to Lexy.

She pats his arm. “I love you, too, brother dear. Now shut up and let’s get on with it.”

I grin at their banter, and let Lexy link arms with Jen. “We’ll just wait here for you, yeah?” I call hopefully. “I mean, we’ll just get under your feet and that so…”

Lexy stops at the door and turns, looking at us sternly. “Nice try, Alec Johnson. Move it, guys.” She flicks her head and turns with an attitude-filled flair. Goddammit she’s sexy when she turns that attitude on.

I roll my shoulders. Not the time or place.

“Fuckin’ girls. Fuckin’ shopping. I don’t even like Jen,” Bing grumbles as we walk into the shop. “She drives me mad.”

“Jen drives everyone mad,” I reply. “She just saves a little bit of special madness for you.”

Bing huffs, and follows a blonde sales assistant with his eyes as she passes. He whistles low, and she looks over her shoulder, sees us, and smiles. Lexy spins to us with her eyebrows raised. I crook my thumb towards Bing with a shrug.

“Back in a minute,” Bing mutters, and walks towards her. I swallow a bubble of laughter as they begin talking.

“Fucking pig.” Jen curls her top lip in disgust, and goes back to her perusal of the wallpaper.

“He’s just being a guy,” I defend as my eyes run down the flowery papers she’s looking at. Blue flowers. Pink flowers. In fact, there’s four different pink ones. Exactly the same. This is insane. “Can’t you just pick a wallpaper?”

“Then guys are pigs,” Jen responds sharply. “And no, I can’t “just pick a wallpaper,” Alec. There’s a method to this, you know.”

“There’s a method to putting it on walls,” I mumble. “And it ain’t gonna get done if your methods take ten years to work through.”

Jen pivots on the balls of her feet, and smacks my chest with a rolled up paint chart. “Suck on it, Johnson. My flat will be a work of art and no impatient, penis-brain-thinking moron is going to stop that. Got it?”

I nod once. “Got it.”

Lexy glances over her shoulder at me, her lips curled up on one side. I shrug innocently, shoving my hands in my pockets, and look around. The girls begin to talk shades of I don’t even know what, matching colours on the wallpaper with colours on the chart. I follow them aimlessly, searching for Bing. Where the hell is he?

We pass the spot we left him talking to the blonde sales assistant and they’re still stood talking. I clear my throat and elbow him in the back as I pass him, and he hastily says goodbye to the girl, pocketing his phone.

“Sorry about that,” he says nonchalantly. “I was just, er…”

“Finding a new hole to score in?” Jen says over her shoulder icily.

Wow. She really does have the hots for Bing.

Bing runs his eyes down her body and back up until his meets hers. “Probably a tighter hole to score in than if I tried with you.”

Lexy gasps. My eyes widen, and Jen’s lips thin until they’re almost non-existent. Anger shines in her eyes, and she marches up to him, the rolled up paint chart pointing at Bing’s chest.

“It probably is tighter,” she says in a low voice, jabbing him. “But that, Samuel, is probably because whatever you’re trying to score with is so damn small not even a magnifying glass could make it visible.” She smirks triumphantly, raises her eyebrows, and turns around, stalking towards the paint aisle.

“Damn.” I shake my head as I watch them go.

“What?” Bing asks, his teeth grinding together in anger.

“She’s got you there, mate.”

“For now,” he replies tightly, storming off after them.

I chew the inside of my cheek, and let my lips move into a smug, knowing smile.

Jen might be with my best friend of a lifetime, but some things can’t be denied. Whatever is between Bing and Jen is one of those things, and one day it’s gonna come to a head. I just hope Carl isn’t caught in the middle of it.

~

ALEXIS

I swing my legs from the kitchen counter, and watch Alec as he puts the paper to the wall. His back muscles flex clearly, since both him and Bing have long taken their tops off, and I’m mesmerised by the rippling muscle.

“Lexy?” he says, amusement lacing his tone.

“Hm?” I meet his eyes. He’s smiling.

“Can you get me a drink please, Princess? I’m working hard here, y’know.”

Yes. Yes, you are working hard. Ahem.

I slide off the counter and fill two glasses. I cross the room, and hand Alec and Bing one each.

“I thought we were all doing some work here?” Bing grumbles.

“I am working,” I say innocently. “I’m supervising.”

“Supervising doesn’t involve ogling your boyfriend.”

“You’re just jealous because there’s no-one to ogle you, Samuel.” Jen smirks.

My brother glances at her. “If you’re my only option, I’d rather have no-one ogling me.”

“Just as well I’m not likely to look at you like a piece of chocolate any time soon then, isn’t it?”

Bing grunts a reply and finishes the water, handing it back to me. “Thanks, sis.”

“Welcome, bro.” I take Alec’s glass and set them on the counter, turning to Jen. “Is your room done?”

She nods excitedly. “Come see!”

I follow her in and smile at the new room. It was the first room to be done, and it shows. The pink and chocolate brown floral wallpaper on one wall is set off by three bright pink walls, a large brown shaggy rug, and brown and pink bed covers.

“Love it.” I grin. “And your easel is in the corner!”

“Or course.” She touches the top of it. “I have to have an easel in my room. Early morning painting is the best.”