Page 8 of The Lies Always Told

Fuck, yes.I lift my hands, holding his neck and pulling his face down so his lips meet mine. I speak against his lips, “Good choice. Now kiss me, handsome.”

He aligns his lips with mine and kisses me gently, slowly and carefully, taking his time learning what I like and dislike. This kiss is painfully slow, making me suffer, as I did to him earlier. His lips linger a little too long, applying soft pressure and drawing out a small moan of frustration. I want him ravenous. I want him wild. I don’t want his carefulness. It makes me feel fragile. I want anything but breakable. I want to feel strong and powerful, capable.

I contemplate saying something, but I don’t. He keeps kissing me, increasing his rhythm and intensity. The kiss gradually shifts as he responds to my cues and sounds. He drags one of his hands up from my ass to my neck, reaching over with his fingertips to pull at the hair at the bottom of my neck. I tilt my head back, giving him full access to my mouth. He takes the offering, sliding his tongue inside and tentatively brushing it against my own.

His breath quickens as I pull him even closer by his shirt. The heat building between us hushes everything around us completely. Our eyes may be closed, but I feel so seen by the way he kisses me, by the way he touches me. His lips move relentlessly, deepening with every stroke, making it harder for me to breathe. If this is how I die, I wouldn’t wish it any other way.

Both his hands are lightly holding my neck. Fuck, I want to tell him to grip harder. He quickly lets go of my mouth,dropping his forehead to mine and whispering an unraveled, “Fuck”. His eyes are still closed, and we’re so close. I notice his long lashes touching his cheeks. I notice the faint freckles on his cheekbone, and although the strobe lights are blinding, I notice how shallow his breath is right now.

“Gus…” I let my voice trail off as he takes the time he needs to even out his breathing.

“I need a minute, Nellie. That kiss…that kiss was…”Perfect, I want to say, but I don’t want to sound like a dork, so I don’t. I wait for him to finish and hope it’s something similar so I know I didn’t imagine this, so he can reassure me I’m not imagining this connection.

“That kiss was something. Are you sure you want to get out of here? This could complicate things.”

“Calm down, handsome. I’m not asking for your hand in matrimony. I’m asking for one night. My lips are sealed after that.” I bring my hands to my lips as I pretend to zip them up and throw away the key. His eyes sparkle with amusement before he closes them again and nods.

“Come on, then. Where’s your purse?” he asks, and when I nod and point toward the booth, he walks us both in that direction. I feel like the shittiest friend when I see his friends sitting there talking while we were doing unspeakable things in the dark, but I don’t see mine.

“Where are the girls?” I ask them, looking around for them. I grab my phone I left on top of the table at the same time one of them answers.

“Victoria felt sick, and they rushed to the bathroom. I can’t go in there, and I wasn’t sure what to do. You two looked a little too comfortable for us to interrupt.”

“What the hell? I don’t know if that’s how bro code works, but in girl code, you interrupt. Always. No good lay will come before my friends’ safety. No offense,” I say, looking at Gus. “If you’ll excuse me.” I take my clutch and my phone in hand as I rush to the bathroom.

I step in, immediately hearing Bee soothing Victoria, and what I see is even more heartbreaking. She’s outside the bathroom stall, whispering, “Victoria, you have to open the door so at least I can hold your hair, girlie.”

“Go away. Let me throw up in peace.” I notice it as soon as she finishes that sentence, the sounds and the smell.

“What the hell happened?”

“Nice of you to join,” Bee spits back.

“Unfair. I didn’t even know something happened.” I already feel guilty enough; I don’t need her guilt tripping me too.

“Sorry, sorry. I know… Also your birthday, I’m sorry. I actually don’t even know what happened, but for the past five minutes she’s been in here, throwing up. Do you feel fine? It can’t be her drink. That guy gave us all the same thing. Maybe the food?”

The toilet flushes, and a second later, Victoria opens the stall door and walks out with her eyes red and her mascara running all down her face.

“Hey,” Bee coos. “Are you okay?”

“It’s not the drinks,” Victoria replies, and we both look at her dumbfounded. We all ate the same thing, so definitely not food poisoning either. “I think I might be sick.” She brings her hands to her face and starts crying. We’ve been together all weekend, and I haven’t really seen her throw up, but I have noticed she was acting weird and calmer than usual. If I think about it, this is the first time she’s had a drink all weekend, or at least the first time she ordered one. I can’t recall if she drank any. She’s been ordering pretty bland foods too and hasn’t been wanting to go out for walks.

“Oh sweetie, sick? Sick how?” Bee adds, and Victoria looks at both of us with sadness in her eyes.

“Let’s get out of here, and we’ll talk more back at the hotel,” I say, holding my girls by the hand, dragging them out of thesmelly bathroom.

We cross the space across the sea of people and almost make it to the door before someone shouts my name. I turn around to see all three boys heading toward us, Gus leading them. “Nellie!” Gus shouts.

I usually wouldn’t worry about this. I wouldn’t worry about an almost-lay. I wouldn’t worry about a man I just met. But Gus is not that. I’ve known him my whole life, and the connection I felt back there was more than what I usually feel with anyone. For anyone. That felt perfect. Not too much. Not too little. Damn it if the timing is wrong. Right place, wrong time. Definitely wrong person. I have zero self-preservation, though, and I feel it deep in my bones when I turn around and speed walk to them.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t leave me,” I shout to the girls as I reach him.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, concern in his voice, looking past me to my friends, who are so ready to get out of here.

“One of them is sick, so we’re leaving.” I pause for good measure before looking at him head to toe. He cocks an eyebrow, and I smile at him. “Such a shame. It could’ve been fun.” I pull out a napkin and my lipstick from my clutch. I open the matte lipstick and write my number on the napkin before giving it back to him. “My friends come first, but call me sometime. Let’s pick up where we left off.”

I run back to my friends, half wobbling in my heels as we call a ride and head back to the hotel. The ride is quiet, heavy with worry, Victoria’s words hanging in the air. My mind is still spinning, and although I want to focus on her, I can’t. My body tingles from the rush of the night, no matter how much I try to dull it to be here with her. We get Victoria to bed and find ourselves thinking about what’s going on with her. My gaze keeps bouncing from Bee to my phone, waiting for a text that never comes.

---