The Rent Agreement Ch. 08 - Preview 3

Patrons, first of all, thank you for your patience. I've been busy, but working on this story whenever I get a chance. If it wasn't for you guys, I probably wouldn't be half as far along. Anyway, I was aiming to post the full prerelease of chapter 8 next, but I want to give it a little more time before calling it finished. I'm going to shoot for wrapping it up this week. I'm excited to start fresh on a new story. Anyway, enjoy this little chunk of conclusion, and thanks again for sticking around!

******

Leah sat in solitude, hugging her legs to her chest for nearly an hour as the water from the shower poured over her and drowned out her surroundings. Her tears flowed freely, washed away as quickly as they appeared while she wept over the traumatic confrontation that had just taken place. How could she have been so reckless as to think that her and Ethan’s increasingly emboldened cheating would go unnoticed? As humiliating as it was to have been caught in the act, what stung even more was the fact both men had known of Josh’s infidelity the entire time, while she’d been completely in the dark. A flash of anger passed through her as she thought of all those weeks of trying to stay faithful and supportive to a boyfriend that lied through his teeth since day one. Despite failing and succumbing to dishonesty in the end herself, his blunder seemed worse somehow. She rationalized that if Josh hadn’t fucked up first, then she would’ve never been subject to her roommate’s relentless seduction.

After her initial reactionary emotions had run their course, Leah’s untended curiosity took the forefront. A variety of questions were buzzing around her mind as she dried herself off: Who was this woman Josh had slept with? How long had it been going on, and how were they caught? How did Ethan know about it, and had he from the beginning? As she readied herself to leave the privacy of the bathroom, she realized she didn’t have a plan for what to do next. Wrapped in nothing but a towel, she cracked the door open slowly, observing the apartment for intel. It was seemingly silent, and her bedroom door was ajar. She wasn’t ready to confront her boyfriend just yet, and snuck quietly across the short distance to confirm he had left. Josh was nowhere to be found, and after slipping into some clothes, Leah made for Ethan’s room, knowing he had several of the answers she was searching for. 

She knocked on his door lightly to which he responded, “Leah?”

“Yeah.”

“Come in.”

She did so without hesitation, and found her roommate sitting on the bed in a pair of gym shorts. “What the hell? Is this really happening?” She asked defeatedly. Her body ached for comfort, but she kept her distance, unsure if she could trust him.

Ethan studied the puffy-eyed woman and frowned in an attempt to convey empathy. “I know, it wasn’t supposed to go down like this–”

“Spit it out! What do you know!?”

“I wanted to tell you so many times… I just… It’s complicated.”

“Yeah, no shit it’s complicated, Ethan!”

“I’m sorry, okay? I really am. I should’ve told you a long time ago, but listen. It was Josh’s secret at first, you know? He told me in confidence, and I… Respected that. For a while at least. I’m not gonna lie, I kind of took advantage of the situation. I was, am, very attracted to you, and I used the ordeal to get closer to you.” He was stammering, but wanted to get all of the thoughts out in the air while she was still listening. “I think part of me also wanted him to pay for what he did. To have to physically give up time with you in trade for me keeping his secret seemed like a fitting punishment, and it also kept you around. If I had told you immediately, you guys most likely would’ve split. Then I’d have been stuck with the rent, and probably lost the opportunity to change your mind about me.”

Leah’s hardened expression had softened a bit as Ethan spilled his guts all over the bedroom floor, but she still didn’t know what to think. She’d come to battle, but it was difficult to remain so heated in the face of his calm, logical explanation. There was still so much untold, though, and she needed more answers. “Okay. So he already knew you were going to offer to pay rent for the chance to sleep with me?” Ethan nodded. “What the fuck… He just agreed to that?”

“Well, he took some convincing, but the guy was desperate. I really did pay all that rent. It’s not like everything that’s happened has been a lie.”

“Why did you keep protecting his lie though? After… you know.”

“If I’m being totally honest, the dynamic we had going… Was fucking fun. Really fun, and I know you think so too. I knew it was bad to keep taking things further and further with you–without you knowing the whole truth–but I guess I was worried that it would fuck things up somehow. I just kept putting it off again and again. It wasn’t until…” Ethan’s voice trailed off.

“What?” Leah asked, stepping closer to him.

“It wasn’t until I had developed real feelings for you that the need to get honest started seriously nagging at me. I meant everything I said to you this morning. This doesn’t change anything between us. You’re mine now. The only thing that has changed is he caught us before we had a chance to tell him.”

Leah sat on the edge of the bed next to him. She felt she couldn’t really fault Ethan for his part in all of the mess, especially after all of the depraved things she had willingly done along the way. Not one of them was innocent, and dwelling on who she could blame wasn’t going to change anything about the present circumstances. She couldn’t just turn off her emotions though, and sniffled as another wave of sadness enveloped her. “I just wish everything didn’t have to blow up like this…”

Ethan put an arm around her, offering comfort, and she accepted his embrace. “I know. It sucks, but we’ll get through this, okay?” Leah nodded, her face buried in the warmth of his shoulder. “Stay with me tonight,” he said, pulling her further into the bed. “We’ll sort everything out tomorrow.” As the alluring woman willingly got under the covers with him, Ethan’s cock swelled, but he willed the burgeoning erection away. There would be plenty of time for that once they navigated their way out of the current chaos.

Leah was grateful for the safe haven her roommate provided, like a shelter in a storm. She dreaded the eventual conversation that would have to occur with Josh, but at the same time looked forward to that chapter being over with. Though the inevitable end of their relationship was saddening, the fact that they’d been growing apart for some time lessened the impact somewhat. After a short period of restlessness, the pair slept soundly, spooning against one another tightly beneath the sheets.

******

The next morning, Leah and Ethan woke around the same time to clanging sounds coming from the kitchen, an indication that Josh had returned at some point. “You ready?” Ethan muttered sleepily to his roommate, who nodded reluctantly as she stretched her limbs. He slipped back into some clothes and opened the door, leading the way into the living room. Josh was at the dining table, hunched over his laptop and looking exhausted. 

He had to have heard the newcomers’ entrance, but didn’t acknowledge their presence until Leah cleared her throat. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah.” Josh muttered, taking a sip from his coffee. The others sat at the table across from him, Leah nervously fidgeting with her fingers as she drew a deep breath.

“First of all, I’m really sorry you had to walk in on that yesterday. I never intended for you to find out that way…”

“How long have you guys been fucking behind my back?” He asked chillingly, not looking up from the screen.

“Not that long. It… kind of progressed slowly over time.” Leah hoped he wouldn’t pry further for details. It was surreal and quite uncomfortable to recount her and Ethan’s sexual encounters openly with him.

“Who came on to whom?” Josh inquired after an unsettling pause.

“I’d really rather not get into all of that,” she responded defensively, feeling a hint of anger bubbling up within her. “I know what we did is wrong, but it happened, and…” As she searched for the right words to explain the lengthy and complex nature of what she’d been through, a sting of resentment hit her. The bubble burst. “And you know what? You didn’t help one bit! All of that moping around and not taking care of yourself week after week, let alone putting zero effort into our relationship! Do you have any idea how hard I tried to… resist…” She shot Ethan a quick glance, catching herself before revealing too many details, and turning back to Josh. “I tried. I really tried to make it work. You basically drove me away!” The shattered couple finally made watery eye contact for a brief moment, before Josh’s gaze darted back to his laptop. “Time for you to give me some answers,” Leah added pointedly.

Josh’s posture deflated even further as he marinated in his girlfriend’s outburst. “You’re right… I… Took you for granted, and I will need to learn to accept that. It’s on me,” he admitted in a surprising show of humility. “I did a lot of thinking last night, and I realized I was in denial that you and I were drifting apart. I was also just too fucked up with everything going on to function. The woman… My coworker… I shouldn’t have done it. God how I wish I could take it back.” His fists clenched slightly as he recounted his regrettable past. “I didn’t even like her. It was just something stupid I got caught up in. Something to make that place less dull I guess. Ugh… I dunno… Anyway, she fucking sued me for sexual harassment. Tried to save her own ass. One hundred percent false. So I had to find a lawyer and build a case proving that it was totally consensual and stuff. It took forever, and was so stressful. But… As of yesterday she dropped the charges. It’s finally over.”

Leah was taken aback by his words, her quivering frown indicative of her conflicting emotions as she processed. She reached out and covered his hand with hers. “Oh my God, Josh… That’s fucking crazy. I’m sorry you had to go through all that… I wish you would’ve told me sooner.”

Josh savored the comfort of her touch for a moment, but withdrew his hand slowly, dragging it across the table. “Believe me, if I could do it all over again… But I know it’s too late.”

“Regardless of whose fault it was, or who fucked up first. I-I just want to move on from this.”

Josh took a long time to think over the climactic moment, knowing this very exchange would likely impact both of their futures. “I’m sorry too. It sucks, but I also think it’s best if we just accept that things got completely out of control, and try to move forward. I’m going to find another place to live as soon as possible.” A calm settled over the room as he uttered the last sentence. All three adults sat in silence for a minute, contemplating the unbelievably smooth potential resolution that had just taken place.

Ethan was the next to speak, clearing his throat after listening in silence thus far. “I want to add that I’m sorry for my part in how this all went down too. Feel free to stay as long as you need while you figure out your next move.”

“Kay… So… Are you gonna be staying here then?” Josh asked shakily, afraid to hear the answer.

 Leah realized he’d directed the question at her, and looked nervously between the two men for a few seconds. Though she and Ethan had not worked out any details for the future yet, she realized the implications of Josh’s question did not concern logistics, but rather if they were breaking up or not. It all came down to this one simple question, and though she knew the answer, it was still difficult to confront it. After thinking it over for a time, her mind racing through the hundreds of considerations at a blinding pace, she drew a deep breath and responded. “Yes.”

Josh straightened up, as if her reply had electrified his muscles into action. “Okay…” He rose out of his chair and walked straight out of the front door, muttering, “I’ll be back later.”