Her new friend

I opened the door and had to look down to see the round, pimpled face of a stranger. Greasy brown hair that shined in the fluorescent lighting and glasses that covered that top half of his face. He smiled from cheek to cheek, like he was trying to show off his braces, eyes looking right through me. Not what I was expecting from one of our neighbours. The guy looked younger than us, and I could barely just afford the rent on this place.

"Take this would you man." He said in a whiny voice. Shoving a duffel bag into my chest and barging past me.

"Who-"

"Guy?" Sarah exclaimed. Dropping her book and leaning upwards to see the new guest, giving him a perfect look at her cleavage which poured out of her tight crop top.

"You must be the boyfriend." The short guy, uhh, guy, held out his hand for me to shake. Forcing me to fumble with his bag to meet it. "I'm her Guyfriend."

"Her what?" I asked. Taking in how firm the little guy's grip was.

"Don't be silly with him Guy!" Sarah laughed. Leaning onto the arm of the couch, propping up her breasts unintentionally. "Liam, this is my friend from class. Guy. We joke that he's my 'Guyfriend', isn't it silly?"

"I've heard a lot about you Liam." Guy walked around the living room, taking it all in.

I wanted to say that I'd never heard of him, but I held my tongue. We hadn't had a lot of time to talk about our lives lately and what little we did have, tended to be late at night after my shifts. I hated to admit it, but some nights it could be hard to stay awake and listen to Sarah talk about her classes or classmates. She probably had mentioned him to me, and I wasn't about to let her know I wasn't paying full attention.

"Only good things I hope." I said. Still awkwardly holding the heavy bag.

"You know our girl never has a bad word to say about anyone." He spoke politely enough, but something about him rubbed me wrong. The confidence he had walking around our apartment, the way he almost seemed possessive of Sarah.

"Ohhh stop it!" Sarah blushed and flipped over to look at Guy. Her shirt dragging along the couch and pulling more of her breasts out. Not enough to show anything, but enough that a polite gu- person, would look away.

Guy didn't look away. He stared openly at her chest from above. Not caring that it was obvious to me or to Sarah.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. Firm enough to pull his attention away from Sarah's chest.

"I needed a place to stay." He said. Puffing up his chest a little. "And sweet Sarah here invited me."

She did?!

"I did?" Sarah said. Confusion obvious on her face.

"You don't remember?" Guy frowned. "At the club meeting last week. You said you were so excited to move in with your boyfriend, and I said I wish I could stay with you too."

Recognition slowly crept onto Sarah's face as he told the story, but something about it didn't feel genuine to me. The speech sounded just a little too practised, but maybe that was just how the guy talked...

"You remember what you said, right?"

"I.. I promised you'd always be welcome at my place." Sarah gave me an apologetic look, biting her lip.

"Exactly!" Guy fell back into the recliner. Kicking off his shoes onto the carpet. "So I figured I could stay the weekend! Help you guys move in and finally meet the other man in your life."

Other man?! I wasn't the 'other man' he was! Or, no, he wasn't her man at all. Who the hell did this little guy think he was, coming into my apartment and acting like he owned the place!

"Can I talk to you for a second Liam." Sarah had a nervous smile on her face. She could tell I was getting frustrated, and like the angel she was she wanted to calm me down.

I dropped Guy’s bag down and moved into the bedroom with Sarah. Not looking into Guy's smarmy face as I moved past him.

"I'm so sorry." Sarah said as I shut the door.

"He's not staying." I told her. Firm. "He can come back later, but tonight is our night.

"Pleeease Liam!" Sarah begged. "He doesn't have many other friends, and I can't break a promise to him."

"He should have known you were just being nice!"

"I know he's not very socially aware, but he's super nice. And smart! You were complaining about having to set up all our cables and whatever, I bet he knows just what to do!"

Getting our computers and internet setup was going to be a pain. Tech and me never seemed to agree, despite my best efforts to learn. I had been thinking about hiring somebody to install everything, but we didn't have the money to spare...

"I know you wanted a perfect night with me, but if we turn him away I'll feel like I betrayed him! You know I always keep a promise I make."

I could almost feel the ring I'd hidden calling out to me. Reminding me of what tonight was really supposed to be about. But could I really ask her to marry me after making her betray who she was? Making her go against her earnest, honest self?

"Please Liam!" She looked up at me with wide, sparkling eyes. A look that made me fall in love with her all over again. Reminded me why she was the one for me.

"Can't we let him stay?"