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15. Joe

"Lemme go, Joe," Megan attempted to escape my grasp and giggled slightly as my hands slid down her body.

I groaned in reply. "Do you have to go to work?"

She smirked at me over her shoulder, peeling my fingers from around her waist. She hauled herself out of bed, grabbing my abandoned shirt from the floor and pulling it over her head.

"Only if I want to eat this week," she replied with a wry grin. "I'm barely making rent this month."

After our Thanksgiving argument with her father, he had cut her off completely. No rent and no phone calls. I knew she was completely crushed by his lack of contact. But I also knew she wasn't going to be the one to make the first move. She had nothing to apologise for and she was probably the most stubborn woman I had ever met in my life.

"And you," she leaned over, placing a lingering kiss on my lips "have band practice." She gathered her things from the floor, giving me the perfect view of her endless legs as she bent over. "I need to shower. I'm going to be so late," she grimaced at the clock and hurried from my room.

I flopped back on the bed, sighing heavily. Another perfect afternoon spoiled by her job. And if it wasn't her job, it was school. And if it wasn't school it was study or friends or flatmates. Even this afternoon had been "make it up to me" sex. Every sentence that came out of her mouth recently seemed to be "I'm sorry baby. I'll make it up to you."

Band playing tonight? Sorry, I have to work. "I'll make it up to you."

Date planned? Sorry, study group over-ran. "I'll make it up to you."

I miss you, I haven't seen you for days? Sorry, Carolyn broke up with her latest loser boyfriend and she needs me. "I'll make it up to you."

"Jeez, wallow in self-pity much?" I asked the ceiling, shaking my head and getting out of bed. I pulled on my boxers and shuffled into the kitchen, yawning.

"Hey, lover boy," Pete greeted me sarcastically through a mouthful of cereal.

I flipped the finger at him, not in the mood for his jokes. I saw him raise an eyebrow at Patrick who sat opposite him. Patrick shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I'm right here. I can see you, y'know," I yelled, looking between the two of them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Patrick questioned me, a puzzled expression on his face.

I sighed. "Sorry, man. Didn't mean to take it out on you." I sat down heavily on the chair beside him.

"Spill it Joe. You are driving me crazy with the mood swings. You're worse than a girl," Pete threw down his spoon, challenging me.

It was true. Ever since our Thanksgiving dramas, things had changed. Megan was distant one minute and clingy the next. And the arguments? Well, let's just say our first big fight was closely followed by our second and our third. And her father, despite his obvious absence always seemed to be the trigger.

"I don't know how I'm going to get through Christmas this year," Megan let a tear slip down her cheek.

"My mom has already invited us. It'll be good. Your first Hanukah," I joked lightly. The Trohman Hanukah actually consisted of Christmas trees and presents and turkey, but hey, we were Jewish and we could call it whatever the hell we wanted.

"Yeah, great Joe. You know I love your family. But it's not the same," she shook her head sadly.

"Oh, yeah because my family doesn't call you a slut or a whore and tell you what a disappointment you are to them. I can see how you'd miss that." I joked, trying to lighten her mood.

She bristled immediately. "That's not fair, Joe. You just don't understand," she folded her arms defensively, moving away from me on the couch where we sat.

"I don't understand what exactly?" I blurted out in frustration. "I don't understand that your family are prejudiced assholes?"

"They're still my family. I still love them," she jumped up from the couch, her eyes flashing in fury at me.

"Well, they have a funny way of earning it," I was angry now, too. I was sick of her defending them.

"Earning it? You don't have to earn love from your family. It's just there." She yelled back at me. "God forbid I would ever do anything wrong and have to 'earn' your love, Joe."

"You're just twisting my words now," I threw my hands up in frustration.

"Yeah, well you don't know what the hell you're talking about so it's not hard to do."

Cue slammed door and Megan storming out.

There had been several variations on this argument over the past three weeks. Sometimes she walked out, sometimes I did. Occasionally we tore each others clothes off and had hot angry sex. But we had never managed to get to the talk about it like adults stage.

"Things haven't been great between me and Megan the last couple weeks," I finally admitted, glancing at a clearly confused Pete and Patrick.

"They sure sounded good to me earlier," Patrick raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, Joe. Oh my God, Joe. Yes, yes," Pete mimicked Megan in a high-pitched voice, causing Patrick to crack up laughing beside him. "Thin walls, buddy," he shrugged, laughing along with Patrick.

I couldn't see the funny side. They stopped laughing pretty quick when they saw I was serious.

"I just don't know what to do. I feel like I can't say anything right without her flying off the handle." I looked pleadingly at them. "What can I do?"

They both shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"Not trying to be funny, Joe, but you are asking the wrong people here," Patrick fidgeted with the scoop of his hat "I've been single for...." he paused to think about it "well, for a long time. And Pete?"

We both glanced at Pete.

"Point taken," I agreed, nodding.

"What? What about Pete?" Pete protested "I get the good lovin' from the ladies," he smirked.

"What's been your longest relationship in the last five years, Pete?" Patrick sighed.

Pete crinkled his brows together as Patrick and I waited expectantly for his answer.

"Yeah, you're asking the wrong people, Joe," he finally acknowledged. "Great, now I feel depressed." He slumped over the table and half-heartedly went back to his cereal eating.

"Great, guys. Thanks for your help," I patted Pete on the shoulder, sarcasm heavy in my tone.

"Anytime," Patrick laughed. "Hopeless and useless are our middle names."

That earned him a smack on the back of the head from Pete.

I stood up to leave as a mini-fight broke out.

Megan was towelling her hair dry in my bedroom when I sloped back in. I stood in the doorway watching her, taking in every contour of her body.

"Hey, stop perving from the doorway," she giggled as she caught sight of me.

"If I was perving I would've waited till you were naked," I grinned and snuggled into her from behind, my lips attacking her neck.

"Ah, don't do that. You know I can't resist that," she groaned as she leaned back into me.

"So don't resist. Phone in and say you're sick," I mumbled into her neck, sucking at the spot just below her ear that always drove her crazy. I sucked a little harder as she paused to think about it. My hand wandered under her towel.

"Ok," she whispered, catching me off guard.

"Huh?" My head snapped up, caught off guard by her response.

"I said ok. I miss you. I need to spend some time with you," she turned to me, placing her hands around my neck and looking into my eyes.

My gaze faltered a little. I had band practice and the guys would kill me if I missed it. I had been expecting her to say no. I really hadn't thought this through..

"I, uh, I didn't think you would say yes," I stumbled out.

"I know. I'm sorry. I've been such a bitch to you these last weeks," she shook her head, annoyed at herself.

"It's just, I kind of have practice. I can't miss it," I tried to pull her towards me, but felt her stiffen in my arms.

"So, I can skip work for you but you can't skip practice for me?" she stepped back from me.

"Aw, it's not like that," I started to protest.

"Whatever, Joe. I have to get ready. I'm going to be late for work." She turned her back to me and continued fixing her hair.

Great, Joe. Nice work.