Page 49 of Dark Room Junkie

“Are you coming over?”she asked with a kissing emoji.

“Do you think ten crates of beer will be enough for Thursday?” Marco asked as we left the rehearsal room together.

“With the vodka and juice ... I think so,” Ramon replied.

“A few people have already promised to bring something themselves,” Lukas said.

I always stayed out of these discussions about alcohol and parties since I didn’t drink. Even if I did, I didn’t have enough money to chip in for a party. As we left the building, I sent a message to Sabrina instead.

“How long are you staying up?”I wrote back, ignoring the fact that she had ditched me at the last minute before.

“Who do we have here?” Marco called out joyfully. “The photographer!”

Immediately, I looked up.Alex? How ... What?He was leaning against the car, clearly forcing a smile. His hair looked tousled, with a few strands falling over his forehead, giving him a wild and dangerous look.

“Hey, Alex!” Chris greeted him. “Why didn’t you come inside?”

“I wanted to wait out here,” he replied somewhat stiffly.

The guys joked and made small talk with him, while I stood seven feet away, staring at him as if paralyzed. He looked good in his black jacket and dark purple scarf. Even the stubble suited him, making his distinctive face look his age. Normally, he always appeared perfectly groomed. I was okay with that, but now he was really hot.

I had pushed what happened last Friday so far out of my mind that I hadn't even thought about what would happen when I saw him again. And although I had just realized that I wanted to avoid this moment, my body reacted in a completely inappropriate way, causing my cock to twitch.

“I ... was actually waiting for Noé,” Alex said in a dry and formal manner, pushing his glasses up like a lawyer.

At the same time, my phone buzzed in my hand. Slightly flustered, I glanced at it.

“Until midnight is okay,”Sabrina replied promptly.

As I glanced up again and met Alex’s gaze, a shiver ran down my spine. He pressed his lips together, and there was seriousness between his brows. In his eyes, there was a glint of sadness, shame, and pain. No words were necessary. He let me know that he was sorry.

Meanwhile, Marco made some stupid remarks while Ramon thanked him for the link to the photos. Lukas yawned and left first.

“Are you going with him?” Chris asked, who would have otherwise given me a ride back to the city.

I clutched my broken hand to my phone and heard Tom’s advice in the back of my mind.Give him a chance. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yeah, looks like it. Thanks.”

“Oh no,” Marco said. “You screwed the photographer.”

Immediately, I slapped Marco on the back of his head. “Even if I did, that’s none of your business.” I walked past him and opened the car door. “See you on Thursday!” Sitting in the passenger seat, I closed the door and took out my phone. With trembling hands, I sent Sabrina a message.

“Sorry, something came up.”

“Are you kidding me?”she replied immediately.

“No,”I messaged back, but I asked myself what I was doing here.

Was it really just the prospect of Alex’s bed that made me get into the car?You idiot, I scolded myself.Get out!But my body felt incredibly heavy. Slowly, I sank deeper into the seat and took a deep breath.You’re strong enough. He just wants to apologize. And ... God, he looks hot!

A message from Sabrina popped up on my phone.“Fuck you, Noé!”

Bitch. Standing me up is okay. But the other way around ... Whatever ... She’ll get in touch again.

Opening the driver’s door, Alex got in. I put my phone away, and our eyes met. There was great relief in his face that I had spared him a lot, but he didn’t say anything. He waved to the guys again, then drove off.

I sat there in silence, feeling my heart race against my chest. Questions piled up in my mind.

How was your weekend? How many guys did you fuck? How many lines did you snort? How long did the orgy last? Why the hell do you look so hot? What are you planning? Why aren’t you saying anything? Is this your car?

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