Page 4 of Inevitable

Jonas shot us a lopsided grin, whispered something to the clearly tipsy redhead, and made his way over to us. “Yo, my dudes! You made it! Have you grabbed yourself something to drink?” he asked, already on the way to being truly smashed himself.

“Nah, we just got here, but we’re about to do just that,” I replied.

“Well, we’ve got it all so pick your poison! We’ve got vodka, tequila, rum, some fruity seltzer shit in the fridge, and of course there’s a couple of kegs out back.One’s got Shiner and the other is that flavorless Bud shit that Cam likes.Either way, take your pick!” Jonas motioned towards the kitchen counter that easily held about fifty bottles of alcohol and a tray of Jello shots that a couple of girls were congregating around.

I leaned into Micah and spoke into his ear so he could hear me. “I’ll go grab us some drinks.Vodka Tonic still okay?” I asked him.Was it my imagination or did he shiver just now?

“Yeah, that’s good!” he said, not quite making eye contact with me.Weird…

“Alright, be right back,” I told him before making my way over to the counter. It was easier said than done because, holy hell, there were a lot of people here, but I finally made it and grabbed a couple of cups.I always teased Micah about his taste in drinks, often calling him an old lady or grandma for his preference of drinking Vodka or Gin Tonics.Secretly though, I thought it was cute.Wait, what the fuck? Did I just think that?A scary thought to be having seeing as how I hadn’t had a drop of booze yet.

Just as I turned to get back to Micah after making the drinks, I felt a warm, delicate hand on my right bicep.“Hey you, would you want to dance?” a flirty, breathy voice said next to me.I looked towards the voice and was met with a pair of bright blue eyes, frosty blond hair, and a tiny frame.In all honesty, the chick was hot and had I been at UT and not with…certain people, I’d probably entertain the idea, but right now I had zero interest in anything but hanging out with Micah.

“Sorry, I have someone to get back to,” I told her gently.She pouted a bit, then smiled sweetly. “That’s okay…if you change your mind, I’ll be right over there.” She pointed to the corner of the room where a few girls were talking and laughing. “I can definitely show you a good time,” she said sultrily into my ear, winking at me as she left. I shook my head and looked back in the direction of Micah, only to come up empty.The fuck did he go?

I pushed a little further into the kitchen and then into the hallway, still not seeing him anywhere.When I made it back to the living room, I stopped dead in my tracks as I found Micah…and he wasn’t alone.

Micah was plastered to the front of some jacked up dude who looked like a walking ad for Abercrombie.Seriously?That asshat wasn’t Micah’s type, and his hands were way too close to my friend’s ass as they swayed to the beat.All I could hear was the blood pounding in my ears and my gaze was laser focused on douche canoe’s hands as they traveled ever so slightly downward until they hit their intended target.Abercrombie dude then tugged Micah into him and moved his lips right next to Micah’s ear.Whatever he said had Micah stiffening in his arms and attempting to push away.The guy just chuckled, said something else I couldn’t make out, and then before I could even blink, he crushed his mouth to Micah’s.

I. Saw.Red.

I don’t know what possessed me to do what I did next, but I clearly wasn’t in my right mind.I placed the cups of booze down on a side table, shoved my way through the crowd of sweaty bodies until I was right next to Micah and the douche nozzle, and gave him one massive push to get him away from my best friend. He was fuckingmine. The guy stumbled back a bit, flustered and trying to get his bearings, and then he narrowed his eyes at me in fury.“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, jackass?” he snapped at me.

“I’m thinking it’s time for you to find someone else to molest, shithead. He’s not available.” Why the fuck I said that, I have no idea because Micah was very much single and might have been into this guy for all I knew.However, I couldn’t stomach that thought at the moment, and every nerve in my body was screaming at me to get this fucker away from him so I could…what exactly? Have him to myself?Goddamn it, I’m going to need that drink ASAP.

Micah grabbed my shoulder and pleaded with me, “Bash, it’s okay. I’m not hurt, it’s all good.”That did nothing to calm the tension in my body until he said, “Look, it was nice to meet you Lex, but I’m not really interested. I’m sorry about him, he’s just…protective.”

Was he actually apologizing for me to this twat?The hell is that all about?

Fortunately, douche canoe (or “Lex” apparently) got the message fast and sneered, “Yeah, whatever,” before making his way off the dance floor and disappearing from sight. I wheeled around to face Micah, anger still coursing through my blood. “What the hell was that, M?” I accused, and that was clearly the wrong fucking thing to ask.

“What the fuck do you mean ‘what was that’? I was dancing with a guy who was nice enough to ask me while you were trolling for a hookup.Didn’t take you long, did it?” Micah growled.I was stunned. What did he mean trolling for a hookup? He should know that I would never do that while I was here to see him.He’sthe one I cared aboutspending time with, not some desperate sorority chick who was looking for a quick lay.But then..why would he care? He almost sounded…jealous.

“M, I wasn’t trolling for anything. Where the hell did you get that crazy ass idea? I just went to get our drinks and in the five minutes I was gone, you’re the one who managed to find some dick to drag you away from me.”

“Uh, then who was the blond chick who was hanging off you and whispering in your ear? Look, if you want to get some action with her, I can’t stop you, but don’t come over here accusing me of something when I did nothing wrong,” he hurled at me.His words stopped me in my tracks because I knew now what he thought. He saw that girl flirting with me and assumed that I was going to ditch him for her. It must have been why he said yes to douc…Lex…when he asked him to dance.

I softened my expression and looked him dead in the eyes. “I’m sorry, M&M. You’re right, you did nothing wrong.I’m not sure why I freaked out before.I guess I’m just used to monopolizing your time while I’m here and got all butt-hurt when I saw you with that guy,” I said apologetically.I hoped that seemed like a legitimate reason for overreacting the way I did. If he guessed the real reason for my outburst was intense jealousy, then this could become bad really quick.

Micah eyed me with a questioning look, and then seemed to accept what I was saying.“It’s okay, BB. I forgive you. Do you want to try to go hunt down that girl again, or do you have it in you to dance with your bestie?” he asked timidly. I breathed a sigh of relief that our little tiff was over, but I had to set the record straight.

“M, I had no intention at all of going anywhere with that girl.She randomly came up to me and I told her I had someone waiting on me. I’d much rather dance with my M&M,” I told him earnestly.Micah’s eyes shined with happiness and his lips ticked up in that cute half-smile of his that I was fast becoming addicted to.Aaaand that’s my cue for a drink!

“Let me go grab fresh drinks for us real fast, and I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere!” I told him firmly, chuckling as I said it.Micah snickered in return, saying he would be right there waiting. All I could think was either the alcohol would dull my mind enough that I could forget my wayward thoughts about my best friend…or it would cause me problems that I wasn’t prepared to handle.

CHAPTER 3

Micah

For the next two hours, Bash and I were sweating and grinding to the music together on the dance floor, getting lost in the intoxicating atmosphere of loud music, gyrating bodies, and the debauchery taking place all around us. Honestly, if parents knew the shit their kids got up to in college they’d lose their goddamn minds and lock up their spawn forever. Anywhere you looked in the hazy room there were people making out, groping each other over their clothes (some under their clothes like we all couldn’t see them…), and some people dragging their partners upstairs for the horizontal mattress mambo. Not that I’d know what that was like…

My experiences were limited to some intense make-out sessions and hidden handjobs in the dark corners of whatever party house I happened to be at that weekend. I had given one sloppy blowjob to a hot guy from my Cognitive Psych class last semester, but when it was done and I had stumbled to my feet, he had kissed me on the cheek, winked at me, and said “Thanks for the blowie, babe,” before he traipsed back into the party without so much as a glance back. That was the last time I had indulged in any casual encounters with guys because when it came down to it, they weren’t the one person I actually wanted.And fuck, did I want him.

But I couldn’t justify staying a virgin forever, waiting for a man who was never going to see me as anything but his friend. I hadn’t found anyone worth having sex with yet, but the few hookups I had were some of the only times outside of masturbating that I couldentertain the filthy, unrealistic fantasies I had of Bash. I know it’s a shitty thing to do, imagining another man while you’re with someone intimately, but that was truly one of the only ways I could find to get through it. I had no real interest in being with other guys, and as they kissed and touched me in such a carnal way, my eyes would close and all I could see in my mind was Bash. Bash and his breathtaking emerald eyes that captivated me, heart and soul. I’d keep my eyes closed and pretend it was his lips on mine, his hands caressing my body, his moans in my ear. I would do this each time, and it would work…until we both finished and I came back to the bleak reality staring me in the face. They weren’t Bash. No matter how much I craved it and prayed for it, it would never be Bash.

As I struggled to control the depressing thoughts streaming through my head, no doubt brought on by the three cups of Vodka Tonic I had consumed, I tried to concentrate on the music surrounding me and the wonderful man dancing in front of me right now. The same one who understood me like no one else could ever hope to…and the same one who was pounding back the booze like a reincarnated Spencer Tracy.

As Bash tossed back his fifth cup of whatever the hell he was drinking, I shot him a concerned look. “Hey BB, don’t you think you should slow down? We still have to make our way back to my dorm later,” I asked.

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