Man of the House - The Man of the House – Chapter 57
As we approached the dock, I could see a person sitting out on it. Jake was sitting there with a book in his hand. I grimaced as I saw it. He truly did leave the house so that Dan and Jasmine could go at it like dogs. I had hoped that he’d stick around the house, but he left shortly after, giving them a prime time to cheat.
Although I wanted to expose Dan for the cheater he was, at that moment, my heart was a little turbulent. I didn’t know why I had rejected London and lost all interest in sex and was still trying to figure it out in my mind. However, we were back now, and if Dan was in the house having sex with Jasmine, then London was bound to walk in on it. I considered acting like a spoiled brother type and demanding that she take me out somewhere for ice cream or something, but that would mean we’d have to remain together awkwardly for a few more hours, and I needed to think some things through.
Jake didn’t look up or glance at us at all as we parked the boat and tied it up on the dock. London had a complicated expression on her face, and she kept throwing me hurt looks like I had done something wrong. I deliberately avoided looking at her. We got on the dock and London glanced over at Jake.
“Hey, are Jasmine and Dan inside?” she asked.
It seemed like a stupid question to me. Did she seriously believe that they wouldn’t be? Jake’s answer was just as pointless. He just gave a shrug, still looking at his book. London looked up at me and then smiled.
“Hey, do you want to go get some ice cream? My treat.”
I froze at her words. They sounded exactly like my own thoughts a few moments before. However, when I had been thinking about going to get ice cream, I had been trying to delay the return home so that London didn’t catch them cheating. My brow started to furrow as I looked at London incredulously. Did she not want to go into the cabin? Was she trying to make another chance to bang me? Or…
“Do you know?” I asked, my voice rising slightly as the dots started to click together.
I had the feeling that Jake had also perked up his ears. Although his eyes were glued to the book, he was listening to our conversation, likely to gossip about it when the weekend was over.
“Huh? I know you didn’t like… um… the fishing…” London’s eyes flickered back to Jake. “I just thought you might want to go out and do something together.”
I thought about it quickly, and then slowly shook my head. “You don’t want to go back to the cabin.”
London raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
“Denial?” I asked. “You do know Dan’s cheating on you, right?”
Those words were enough that Jake had turned to look at us. As for London, her mouth had fallen to the point I thought flies would choke her. I was convinced I was right though. She was in denial of Dan. She wanted to convince herself that everything was fine with him. Ultimately, that’s why she was pushing herself into an affair with me. Maybe she wanted to get back at him. Maybe she wanted him to find out and for him to leave her. Either way, deep down, she knew what was going on in there.
“Is that what this is about?” London looked at me and shook her head. “You’re jealous.”
“Jealous? Why would I be jealous? Dan is cheating on you!”
“Noah, I know you don’t like Dan, but this is getting ridiculous.” Her expression turned angry. “You shouldn’t slander other men just because you don’t like them.”
“London, remember a week or so ago when you brought me over to your house and had to go to work? He had a girl over!”
London rolled her eyes. “I know, he told me.”
“H-he did?”
“Yeah, she was his pilates instructor from the gym.”
“Oh my god, how dense do you have to be!” I put my face in my hands and took a breath, feeling like I wanted to scream. “Look, Dan is cheating on you right now!”
“Noah… enough. This isn’t appropriate. Jasmine’s a little… but she wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Come on, you know she is, right, Jake?” I turned to get back up from him.
He’s the one who encouraged me to catch Dan, so he should back me up. Even just a small amount of support would go a long way. However, when we both looked at Jake, he only gave a noncommittal shrug, like he had no clue what I was talking about. Feeling a bit angry and frustrated, I grabbed London’s hand.
“Fine… we can just go and see.”
London rolled her eyes, but she let me drag her anyway. I pulled her to the cabin and shoved right in. The cabin seemed to be empty. The bags that had been brought in had been left right at the door instead of brought to our rooms. Jake had stood up and followed us from the pier, but he was staying back a few steps and letting us take the lead.
“See… nothing…” London said.
“Shh!” I hissed at her and then listened closely.
“Mmm… Mmm…” I grabbed London’s hand tightly. “Over here!”
“You’re being ridiculous…” she started.
“Will you shut it!” I snapped, moving closer towards the hallways.
As we approached Jasmine’s door, I could hear a slight moaning sound. There was also a wet squishing noise. I breathed out a sigh of relief and then hardened myself. They were doing things. I realized the shower was also running, which maybe they thought would muffle the sound, but they failed. As we reached the door, the noise was just loud enough that now London could hear it too. Her face turned serious.
“See? I told you!” I hit her breast.
“I…” She lowered her eyes, her expression complicated.
We had to see it through. The way London was acting, unless she saw everything, she wouldn’t be able to accept what Dan did. With a breath, I reached for the knob.
“W-wait…” London reached out her hand to stop me, but after a second, she dropped it, looking away shamefully.
I turned the knob and opened the door, “Ah haaa-haaa?”
My moment changed from victory to surprise, as I walked in on Jasmine. She was naked in the bed, using a vibrator on herself. My eyes widened at the sight.
“Jesus! Fuck!” Jasmine cried out, trying to grab a blanket to throw over herself.
“Nice,” Jake said, looking over our shoulders.
“What the hell? Where is Dan?” I asked.
“Huh? Dan is in the shower? He said he felt dirty after the drive?” she said, still trying to cover herself as the vibrator popped wetly out of her crotch in a very erotic manner.
London’s hand suddenly went around my eyes. “We’re very sorry about this.”
“I’m not.” Jake grinned.
Jasmine shot Jake a look. “Hey, I wouldn’t be doing this if you hadn’t said you weren’t in the mood and didn’t want to fuck with your friend nearby.”
“What’s going on?” A voice came from a little down the hallway and we all looked to see Dan standing there.
His hair was wet, and he had a towel covering his chest while he dried it. He was looking at the group of us with a completely innocent look on his face. I felt extremely confused. I had been certain they were having an affair. However, I walked into the cabin to find him honestly taking a shower and Jasmine satisfying herself in her room while her boyfriend read out on the dock. That’s when it hit me, I shot a look back, just in time to see Jake wink at Dan.
This… was all a setup! Jake wasn’t trying to get me to out Dan. Jake was trying to help Dan embarrass me!
“I’m sorry about all of this,” London said sternly, grabbing Jasmine’s door and shutting it in my face. “Noah got it in his head you were cheating on me.”
“Ah!” Dan put his hand up to his chest. “R-really?”
“I-it’s fine.” London forced a laugh. “He probably is just a bit overprotective and has an active imagination. I never doubted you, sweetie…. Ah! Sweetie?”
As she was talking, Dan broke into tears. He started trying to fan them away while sounding like he was hyperventilating. London pulled away, shaking off my hand gripping her and immediately going over to Dan.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
“It’s just… I was hoping that this weekend would be a time where I and your little brother could connect. I was hoping that we could be best friends, you know. And it… it… hurts knowing that he sees me as… as… as a cheater!”
“He doesn’t think that.” London stroked Dan’s head. “Right Noah, you don’t think that!”
I had my arms crossed, and I was glowering at this point. What. The. Fuck. I couldn’t believe that Dan pulled something like this. I really couldn’t believe that London was falling for it. Seeing me with a dark expression on my face, Dan suddenly cried harder, but his sobs sounded so fake, that no one could believe it was genuine.
“It’s okay… I’ll tell you what. I’ll go out and get ice cream. Would you like ice cream?”
Is London’s go-to answer for any upset boy ice cream?
“I… hic…. I … guess…” Dan made a show of wiping his snot covered face.
I wanted to punch the bastard. London straightened herself, and then kissed Dan. Dan enthusiastically kissed London back, and she had pulled away to keep Dan from jumping on her right there. She then turned around. As she passed me, she stopped.
“Noah… you need to think about apologizing to Dan. When I get back, if you want any ice cream, you should say you’re sorry.”
With that, London walked past me. It was my turn to catch flies in my mouth. For a woman smart enough to get a medical license, she sure was an idiot sometimes. As soon as she turned the corner, the tears on Dan’s face ended, and an insolent sneer appeared on his face. I had seen shows with mean girls in them, but this had to be the first time I had ever seen it up close. On a guy’s face, it only made me feel a bit nauseous.
However, I also had no doubt the pair had set me up. Jake walked past me, and then lifted his hand. The other guy high-fived him before the pair turned to me.
“Oh, don’t look so glum. We’ve been doing this way longer than you.” Jake grinned.
“Why?” I asked although I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
“London won’t trust you anymore. Next time you feel like outing me, who do you think she’ll believe, me or you?” Dan said, and then let out a chuckle.
It was a really simple ruse. I was really stupid to fall for it. Jake told me Dan was going to cheat. I try to catch them, but it turns out he was being legit. I look like a paranoid fool and a siscon, and the next time Dan does cheat, even if I told London, she wouldn’t follow me.
I had been building a relationship with London since I had come to this topsy-turvy world, and in a single night, I had seemingly managed to destroy it.