Alright, so another decently long chapter, and especially after the phone conundrum it's long overdue. Hope you guys enjoy, I had to really lay into the process of the aftermath. For Jim fans, don't worry, he'll still be around, but when I thought of the story he was going to be more of the main and new love interest. However, as I wrote more and more I really started personally enjoying and feeling that Chris seemed a better way to go. Plus, who doesn't want a hot, and for the most part good partner-stud like Chris to get the upper hand
Chapter 7:
"There isn't really a good way for me to say this Chris, so I guess I'm just going to do it." I began, my heart racing. "Over the past couple days, I've slept with my boss two times..." I said it as bluntly as that. "You what?!?!?!" Chris exclaimed as he both shoved me off of him and got up out of bed, standing beside it and looking at me with laser focus. "How could you do this after four years?? FOUR YEARS!!! We've been together four years and you do this now to me? I have no idea what to even say to you right now." he said. "Chris I.." I started to say, "No. I don't think I even want to hear you say anything right now either. You know what? Just get out of my sight. I don't care where you go but just go." he cut me off.
I did as he asked and threw on some clothes and shorts and went to a bar. About three hours later and I went home, it was about 8pm when I got back. Chris was just laying in bed on his side with his back facing the door. "Hey I'm home, are you ready to talk??" I asked, he gave me nothing back. "Well, I'm going to sleep on the couch until further notice, so if you decide you do want to that's where I'll be." I told him. I went and got a blanket and took my pillow and went to the couch. As I got comfortable I was just there awake and thinking about this all. What had I done, in our four years I'd seen Chris go through losing his mom who he was close with, to struggling with dealing with bitter exes, and on, but I had never seen or heard him say anything like he had just totally just shut down like this before.
I fell asleep, but it wasn't a good nights rest with everything on my mind. I woke up the next morning, a Sunday, and found that Chris was in the exact same position and spot as before. The whole day went on like that, as did Monday when so I called us both out of work. Tuesday, was also not much different. I called Chris out, but I decided I shouldn't skip another day, and me sitting around watching over his still and silent state wasn't helping anything. "Hey, I called you in sick to work today again but I'm going to go today. Call me if anything changes, if not I'll be back between 5:30 and 6 ok?" I updated Chris, and took his lack of answer as a yes.
I went to work, but couldn't really focus. Sure I did everything and did it right, but my mind wasn't there. I did try to avoid Jim in the office, but it wasn't in the sense of it being awkward or risky, it was more out of courtesy. I did feel the need to explain a little though so I went to his office "Hey can I just have a minute Mr. Sanders?" I asked as I stood in the doorway. "Alex! Of course, and you can still call me Jim you know, that wasn't just because of what we were doing." replied very casually. "Sure, ok Jim, I sort of just wanted to clear the air. So I know, calling out yesterday and then today it probably feels like I'm avoiding you, and I just wanted to say that while technically I am, it's not really like that. I'm not harboring any bad feelings or uncomfortable nature toward you, but my boyfriend took it really hard and so just for now I kind of want to keep it pretty low key and not add any more fuel to the fire. I hope you understand us continuing to work and interact together isn't an issue for me it's just temporary." I said. "Oh of course Alex, I can get that. Take the time you need, you do good work, I trust you. For now we can just communicate when totally necessary." he answered back. I thanked him for being so cool and understanding and went on my way.
I got home that evening and went to check in on Chris, but to my surprise he wasn't there. I looked around and didn't see him, until I saw the back door was open and found him just floating and gently swimming around in the pool. I rolled my pant legs up and sat on the side of the pool and dipped my feet in."Does this mean you're ready to talk, or at least listen? We at least have to talk about it before making any decisions." I asked. "Sure, I guess I'll listen to what you have to say." Chris complied. "Ok, so let me start. So I guess as a preface, this wasn't really a thing that I just impulsively did, I mean it was in the sense that I didn't go around seeking to cheat on you, but it was a culmination of things leading up to it. So to start, I'd have to say that we weren't in a good place together, like for a long time. This move has really put a strain on us. I'm not sure if it's the new location, the leaving friends and family, or the stresses of new jobs but we haven't been the us together that we were for the first 3.5 years. We were hardly exchanging more than pleasantries, and then although the sex obviously felt good physically we weren't even having the good sex that has really existed the first 3.5 years, it was more like a chore. So Thursday night I had to stay late in the office and he actually came on to me randomly. I was so stuck on the fact that we had been in a bad rut for a good number of months that I was so taken by him actually paying attention to me that it just happened. The next day I told him about you and I, and said that I hated cheating on you, so on Friday night, I was honestly coming home to talk to you about possibly ending this. Then you were back to the old you it was crazy. So I went along with it. Then Saturday morning, I went to the office to talk to him, and he convinced me that you being amazing one night didn't make up for so long of mistreatment. He got in my head, and we had sex again. But right after I told him that it was wrong and came back home to you and we had our pool day and then here we are now." I let out, it was one of those things where it felt like forever as I was saying it but it really wasn't that long.
"So that's it? You're basically saying it's ok you cheated because I made us move for work? It's my fault??" he replied. "No, no no that's not what I'm saying. Nothing makes what I did ok, I'm just trying to tell you that there were things that we did together to and in our relationship that drove me to do what I did. But Chris, it was honestly fate. Think about it, the day that I was coming home to end a four year relationship with the love of my life, is the same day you for some reason decided to do the dinner and we got back on track as if we were never in a rut. I'm not asking you to forgive or forget right now I just need you to try and understand where I was mentally and emotionally that I would never just randomly do that to you or us. I do love you Chris, so much sometimes that it hurts. And I know you still feel the same about me because I know you, and you're stubborn and blunt and if you were just done and given up on us you wouldn't even be sitting here listening to this." I responded.
With that, Chris started heading to the steps of the pool to get out. I stood up to meet him in his path as he walked to his towel. I stood there just staring at him, hoping he would say something, how could he not say anything? Chris got to where I was standing and put one hand on my waist, leaned in and just very politely gave me a kiss on the cheek. "You're right, I do love you, probably more than you or I even know it. So, you're right, I won't forgive or forget this, but I will try to understand, because I sure as hell think that this is something worth trying to save. But, we're going to do this slow, we're not going to just jump back as if this never happened, I have to build some kind of trust back with you." Chris said, as he grabbed his towel and went inside.
Now, the next few weeks went on with us obviously, acting as if we were dating again. Of course there were some differences. While there was no sex, we decided it would be ridiculous for us to make me sleep on the couch so we still shared a bed, but no sex or even cuddling. But, all in all it was actually kind of fun. It was really just like I got my best friend back. We just casually talked about everything and did fun things together like when you're dating. Although we weren't having sex, we did have a couple of nights with some hot make out sessions like early stage dating couples do. We'd be on the couch with some wine, and just make out. A couple of times it went for hours. Chris would start by just either pulling me in close to him, touching my leg or shoulder to flirt, or even one time he just gazed into me with the most lustful look in his eyes I really could've melted it was so hot. It was actually really hot feeling like we were younger and back discovering our love for the first time. He'd start it one of those ways, and each time it'd go the same, we'd be sitting up kissing, feeling each other's hot bodies, and eventually Chris would lean me back so I was laying couch and just lay on top of me and we would make out like that for awhile.
One night about four weeks after the day we decided to try again. We were having one of the deep making out I described above. Chris stopped mid kiss though. "You promise me it was just those two times, none other you're hiding?" he asked me. "Baby, of course!! We haven't had sex in these four weeks, I came pleading to you to give me a chance, I'm not doing a thing that might even come close to making me lose you again." I reassured him. "Good, because I've been sex free for a month now, and I think I've built enough trust back with you, I really want to fuck your brains out tonight." Chris told me.
With that, Chris got himself off the couch, and told me to follow him to the bedroom. Once in the room he shut the door and just pushed me to the bed. I had a feeling I was in for the fucking of my life, and I couldn't wait.
