"What if she doesn't answer?"Ash asks nervously, anxiety creeping in at the thought that this long journey might lead nowhere.
"Then we’ll use our key," I reply with a grin, reaching for it in my back pocket.
But before I can retrieve it, the sound of the deadbolt clicking open and the chain sliding free halts me in my tracks.A smile spreads across my lips as the anticipation of seeing her ignites my nerves—I've fucking missed her.
Ash and I exchange a concerned glance just as the door swings open.I step inside, but Cali isn't there to greet us.Instead, I spot her on the balcony, her silhouette framed by the sliding door left wide open.
As I close the door behind us, an unsettling feeling washes over me.The room tells a silent story of her struggle, and my heart sinks.The small kitchenette is a chaotic mess, littered with crumpled red Solo cups, empty liquor bottles, and scattered drug paraphernalia.It's clear she’s been deep in the throws of something destructive, on a binge none of us saw coming.
The room is dim, cluttered with knocked-over lamps and shards of broken glass glimmering against the faded green carpet.Pill bottles are strewn everywhere, hinting at her fragile state.
Worry threads through us both as we drop our backpacks on the table near the pull-out couch.The TV hums softly in the background, her favorite rock songs playing at a low volume.
"Shit, it’s worse than we imagined," I murmur to Ash as we cautiously approach the open door, where she stands hunched against the snow-dusted railing, a cigarette dangling from her fingers, eyes lost in thought as she surveys the city below.
We step onto the balcony, trying not to startle her.But before we can get too close, she turns around, and the sight is heartbreaking.She is still as beautiful as ever, yet she looks like she's been through fucking hell and back.
Dark circles frame her eyes, which hold a haunting emptiness.Her hair, a messy bun, has strands cascading down to frame her face, and in her hand, she clutches a mini bottle of vodka, the cigarette hanging from her lips.Every part of her looks so delicate, and all I want is to pull her in my arms, but I hold back.
Facing us, she wears black spandex shorts, exposing fresh cuts along her thighs—red and scabbed.Her white sports bra is tight, barely covering her full, perky tits, accentuating her figure, though its tight fit draws attention to the hardness of her pointed nipples beneath the fabric.
“Cali, sweetheart, are you alright?”I step toward her, wanting so badly to see her smile light up again.
She shrugs, swallowing the last of the vodka and chasing it with a drag from her cigarette.“What do you think?”
“Why haven’t you called or answered any of our messages?We’d have been here in a fucking heartbeat,” I urge, closing the distance until our toes almost touch.
“I didn’t want to bother you with my problems.”
“You could never be a bother to us, baby girl.I promise,” I say, my heart aching at the sight of her like this.“We brought you some things to brighten your day.”Grinning, I reach out and pull her into my arms, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head as she leans against my chest, her body visibly relaxing.
“We thought we’d spend the night, enjoy a few drinks...maybe have some fun,” Ash adds with a smirk, managing to coax a small smile from her lips.
“Let’s go inside so you can show me what you brought,” she replies, her mood shifting as a genuine smile breaks across her hardened face.
But the reminders of her conditions and the medications it’s evident she hasn’t been taking, a likely cause of her downward spiral.
I pour us all a cup of whipped vodka, eager to lift the mood.Ash and I watch as Cali digs through the bags of merchandise shoved in our backpacks, that smile of hers growing wider with each item she pulls out.The beanie goes on first, and I knew she’d love it.As she sifts through the lingerie, her eyes sparkle with mischief.
“Should I try one of these on?”she asks, holding up a silky black set and a lacy red number, mischief glinting in her eyes.
“Only if you feel like it," I reply, hoping she’s in the mood."Plus, I thought we could decorate a bit.”A suppressed chuckle escapes me, not wanting to give away my intentions.
She finds a string of Christmas lights and presses a button that makes them flicker in vibrant colors, lighting up her eyes with a soft glow.Looking between Ash and me, she winks and playfully loops the lights around my neck.
“I can’t exactly decorate with these,” she laughs, tugging the lights to pull me closer.“They’re way too short.”
A dark, playful grin spreads across my face as I wrap my hands around her hips, hoisting her onto my lap so she faces me.She tightens the string of lights around my neck, matching my smirk as she begins to rock back and forth, igniting smoldering flames inside me.
"You didn’t expect to decorate with these, did you?"she teases, glancing back at Ash, who steps closer, closing the distance between them.
“We can do anything you want with them,” Ash says, his eyes filled with hungry anticipation as he bites his bottom lip.
Without warning, I snatch her chin, gripping it tightly with my fingers.Turning her head, I crash my mouth down on hers, taking the initiative and wildly lashing my tongue around hers.Every moan that slips from her lips, I catch in my throat, kissing her with passion, need surging through my veins.
I somehow manage to get the lights around from my neck, and with my mouth fused to Cali's, I toss them to Ash, who uses them to bind her hands behind her back.
"I knew you two were up to no good," she moans against my lips, her tongue teasingly dipping between them.