CHAPTER 13

Genesis's POV

                I weaved through the tons of overly intoxicated jiving bodies, bolting toward the exit. Salty drops of moisture falling down my cheeks, drenching the front of my top. The more I wiped it off, the quicker it spilled, accelerating my anger level.

Angry with myself for being weak.

Angry with myself for the tears I let out in his presence yet again.

Angry with myself for harbouring the obviously impossible notion that he and I could perhaps sort out our differences and pretend to be civilized towards each other.

And most of all, angry with Dario for his cruelty.

For his bruteness.

His arrogance.

He is...he is...an ogre. A fiend with no character and pretends like he knew so much more than he did. He thinks he's so perfect and pride so much in himself, lacking empathy and consideration for others. The insolent words that flew past the seams of his lips and slammed into me were left much to be desired. He is discourteous and flippant, gets off on dragging innocent beings beneath him like there wasn't an atom of equality at the very least. As if he was some sort of god.

And the kiss he stole from me?

God. That was my first.

It was meant to be thrilling and passionate. Blissful and exciting. It was meant to be estastic, filled with love and happiness not driven by hate and animosity with pure disdain for each another.

Jesus, I hate him. I hate him so much. I hate him like I've never hated anyone before. Not even Jace chopping my hair down to the scalp with mum's favourite pair of scissors when I was eight or hiding my favourite blanket for an entire year came close to this. Enmity welled up in my heart, fury itself burning me up.

I was angry. So angry and it didn't help that my emotions were irrevocably wired to my tear ducts. My vision blurred, more and more tears quickly rolling down my cheeks, drenching my dress and collapsing on the floor. I pulled through the hyper swaying bodies, eyes glued to the ground, legs moving on their own accord as my body entirety swayed to the to the side and back, forward and backward, lacking direction.

Chemical intoxicants, uproarious music, excessively passive smoke making me retch and the atmosphere entirely suffocating, squeezing my lungs so tight to the point where I couldn't breathe. It felt like the air that once freely navigated its way into my lungs were cut short, deficient of availablility.

An unforseen jab caught my hip prior to an aggressive push to the back veering me into a disoriented stumble. I closed my eyes, ready for the inevitable impact when someone wrapped their arms around my waist, firmly holding me up in its embrace.

I struggled to get away, determined to make it through the exit and out of the building completely but their arms weren't just having it.

Blurred eyes glaring at the floor, I tried wriggling away, "Leave me alone."

              "Genesis, are you okay? Amelia has been looking all over for you."

Through the slit of my eyes, I peered up at the culprit.

His hair was wild, eyes red due to the large intake alcohol and what not. His untamed and sweaty state made me discern just how much of a good time he was having. The disspiriting realization passed down a mild dose of low quality jealousy through my bloodstream, accelerating the level of disdain I felt towards Dario to the maximum.

My jaw clenched, "Not now, Michael. I'm sorry but not now." I pulled free from him and manoeuvred my way through the aggressive college party and out through the door, glad he didn't try coming after me.

The moment the cool gush of wind assaulted me face first, I took off, on the run, willing to put a good distance from his house. My shoulders heaved with sobs knowing I wasn't surrounded to the core anymore. I sprinted, feet kissing the land. Perhaps a little while ago I would have balked at the idea of running so far and fast, now I relish the prospect.

The tears declined freezing at the stop button. They kept on spilling, flowing, blinding me as I slipped through the tall and huge iron gates, running as quickly as my long legs could take me, bolting down the road like an Olympic champion at the shot of a start gun.

However, due to my haste to disappear, I might have missed the giant galloping gait covering the asphalt. Loud and mighty, it suggested their ankles were made of tightly coiled springs rather than the sinew and bone the rest of us had. Before I could extend a limb further, they both abruptly left the ground, strong arms swaddling my slender waist in a tight grip and my back yanked back against a hard chest.

I struggled to rip away from the strong hold but the more I squirmed, the tighter the vise-like grip became.

With hot breath against my neck, "Shhh...shhh....calm down Genesis. Calm down." A deep baritone voice coaxed.

               "Let me go." I screeched, twisting to the left and right.

               "It's only me. What's wrong? Are you okay? Damn, Genny, calm the fuck down."

My emotions swirled like ocean currents, deep and strong. Sobs punched through, ripping through my muscles, bones and guts.

My anger only elevated, "Leave me alone. Let me go." I ripped his arms away, few shots of adrenaline coursing through my bloodstream as I spun, cold-blocking the unwanted presence across the face.

The force of the blow caused a stinging pain to blast through my knuckles. I screamed, barely able to absorb the excruciating throb.

                 "Fuck. Genny, you sure can throw a punch." 

Oh my God.

Abruptly, my breath hitched, stomach painfully churned, shameful regret loomed over me realizing what I had just done. 

                "Here, let me see. Did you hurt yourself?" He reached, examinating the throbbing knuckles.

                "Kee...Keegan...I'm so s-sorry....I didn't...."                 

                "Shh...I know. know..."

I choked, "I d-didn't know it was you. I'm s-sorry." Merely holding it together.

                  "I get it. It's okay. It's okay. It's cool. C'mon, you don't have to." He blandished, cajoling my shoulders into his arms, gently rubbing the small of my back while I sobbed, unable to keep the tears at bay.

                  "I didn't mean to..."

                  "I know."

I burped,  "I'm sorry."

He coaxed, "Genny."

                    "Your-your sh-shirt. It's drenched again b-because of me."

                   "That's shit right now."

His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms were very protective when wrapped around my frail body. His chin rested on top of my head. His scent was exotic. I couldn't recognize the brand of cologne he used but it was no doubt a stylish essence possessing an allure of a blend of crisp citrus notes and distinctly masculine woody undertones that scream masculinity.

He crooned above my head, "Do you wanna talk about it?" I shook my head, unable to speak as the sobs I was trying to hold in choked my voice back.

I stayed wrapped up in his arms till my breathing turned steady, my shoulders stopped shaking and the tears retired to bed. What remained was the hard thumping of the little red organ in my chest from being too close to him.

                "You wanna leave?" I inclined.

Abruptly, his arms unswaddled my body. A cold chill penetrating my cores at the loss of his warmth. I wrapped my arms around my body, gaze taking a spot on the concrete, still stunned at what I did. He lifted my chin to keep his gaze while the other lightly rested on my hip. His eyes showed gentleness and concern, his voice soothing me in a way I never envisioned.

The back of his hand brushed a tear away, his concerned filled eyes still lingering on my face. At the slight contact, my skin tingled, my heart lurched and my nerves sparked like live wires.

He nodded and began to walk me back in the direction of the house. I halted instantly, shaking my head to stop him, to tell him no. Understanding swirled in his eyes as the next set of words that left his lips shoved me into a state of pure relief at an instant.

             "My car is in the driveway."

Throughout the entire drive back to my dorm, a comfortable silence hung high up in the air. It caressed my skin like a cool summer breeze, smoothing my soul, taking away my jagged edges. It had been one hell of a rough day. Starting off with the hectic trip round the campus to yet another donnybrook with Rudeboy.

I sighed, choosing to lull my head on the head rest with my eyes closed while relishing in the roaring winds that twirled in my afro hair and whistled in my ears. A few times, I'd feel his gaze on me but I never returned it. The remembrance of the undeserved slap I gave him without permission rendering it almost impossible.

It wasn't long before we crossed the threshold into my room. As soon as we shut the door, the little ray of light coming in from the halls disappeared, giving way for darkness. I found the switch and turned the light on.

Aware of his presence behind my back, his heat coated my skin, my stomach shifted uneasily, my heart raced as I found myself gnawing on the insides of my cheek. I screwed my eyes shut, drawing in some air and expelling it in an attempt to govern my breathing.

Then, I spun, meeting his gaze solely trained on me. They were blue but not the kind of shade that could be described without difficulty. It appeared like they were both blue and silver at the same time, with blue dominating the other, taking over almost completely. He blinked and the beauty was momentarily covered by the shield of his eyelashes; naturally long and soft looking - feminine compared to the rest of his well structured features. 

I rasped, "Thank you for bringing me...."

                 "Dario. It's Dario, isn't it?"

I blinked, "What?"

            "Dario. He hurt you. Again." I saw his jaw clench, a muscle ticking just below his right eye as he looked at me so intensely.

I sucked in a breathe, "I...."

He groaned, aggressively running his hand through his hair. "Keegan, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm fine."

            "Fuck." He roughly spinned, hurling a bone-cracking punch to the wall behind. "Goddamnit."

            "Keegan...calm down. It's okay."

At the sound of my plea, he turned to face me, sneering, "No. It's not okay. Fuck that. It's not okay. I told him to....goddamnit...I told him to leave you alone and he...."

              "I went to him on my own. "

With two long strides, he closed the distance between us, hovering above me. Clasping my face in between his strongly defined palms, he bored deeply into my eyes.

I took in a sharp breath, butterflies encroaching into my stomach and my hands automatically clasping his.

                 "I'm gonna tell you this Genny. It ain't my story to tell but I'd tell you anyway and you can decide what to make of it." His warm breath, scenting off a sprinkle of alcohol and citrusy fanned my face making my eyes flutte with each syllable leaving his mouth. "Dario is....Look, Dario is fucking messed up. He's got issues...fucking crazy issues he chose to deal with on his own. Solitude is preferable to company in his own world and I'll be so damn honest here, he's been my brother since we were fourteen years old. I practically grew up with his ass and still, I can't confidently say I know him inside out.

There are still some stuffs he chose not to tell and keep to himself instead and I respect that but I'll tell you this cause it's legit. Dario is a fucking thunderstorm. He is both good and evil and somewhere in between. Intense and unapologetic. He is hell fire and holy water and there's no criteria for the flavour he chooses to scoop out for you. I'd ask you'd not play with him because if you're not one of those who rolls with him, he'd strike when you least expect him to. Genny, please tell me you get me. I don't wanna see you cry because of him again." He concluded in one breath, gazing intently into my ears, waiting, anticipating a valid response from me.

I was speechless for a moment. At a loss for words, trying to absorb his words, to force them to sink. Dario had issues? Of course, that would explain his rudeness and unneccessary arrogance.

Cajoling, "Genny?"

I blinked, "Y-yes. I heard you."

The soft pad of his thumb swiped against the moist skin beneath my eye, wiping at a tear I hadn't even noticed was leaking out.

I gasped sharply, peering up at him to see the both corners of his fleshy red lips smiling down at me.

                 "Are you aware of how beautiful you are to me?" It felt like I was drowning in the deep blue pools of his eyes. His words didn't fail to send a cold shiver down my spine, the warm kiss of his breath assaulting my bare neck, disorientating my senses.

I struggled to get my voice but each time I tried, I only failed miserably so I did the only logical thing I could muster up in such a short span of time. I shook my head in the negative.

He growled, "Fuck...You're so damn gorgeous and you don't even know it." With each time his lips moved, they brushed lightly against mine making me writhe against his touch. It weakened my knees, causing my heart to beat twice as normal.

Dragging a hand into my hair, he twisted and gathered the curls into his fisted hand, bringing our faces an inch closer thus sending electric shocks through my nerves.

His voice, thick, gruff, hoarse, breathing against my ear, making me shudder, "I want to do things to your body. Things that are not so pure for you. I want to bad things with you, Genny."

He lowered his head, his nose sliding along mine until his mouth rested just above my lips. "I have a dirty mind and right now, you're running through it naked."

I inhaled sharply at the ferocity of the scandulous words leaving his lips without caution. My heartbeat accelerated, skin tingled under his touch. I swallowed down a pool  of saliva, finally finding my voice to speak, "Are-are you drunk Keegan?"

               "For the first time, I'm happy I'm not because then, I wouldn't be able to feel this." Before I could interpret the meaning of his words, he settled his mouth upon mine, stealing my thoughts.

Too startled to move or breath, my entire body taut. At first, his lips were gentle, extremely careful as if to say he was dreading leaving a bruise in its wake. Then, his mouth began to move more firmly, seducing me to give him more of me.

              "Genny, please kiss me. I badly need to taste your lips. Please"  He pleaded, voice coated with a hint of desperation into my mouth. Instantly, I surrendered, giving in, letting his mouth and what he was doing with it to mine take me under, overpower me completely. I closed her eyes and melted against him, levelling my hands on his refined, muscled arms.

The taste of him, the intoxicating flavour of fading alcohol laced with an intimate flavor I couldn't quite pinpoint affected me like a drug. My hands moved to his chest, progressed over his pecs and the ripple of abs underneath his silk shirt.

The tip of his tongue slipped past my lips, searching, exploring, tasting, stroking the wet insides of my cheeks. I sighed into his mouth, clutching onto his shoulders for stability, eager for more as a wild, scorching fire curled in my stomach.

                "You've been on my mind....everyday since the first day I saw you....fuck, it's not everyday.....every minute.....God forgive me, surely, it's every second..... every second of everyday Genny.... you're always on my mind.....I'm thinking about you..... about this moment.....and how it would feel like.....and nothing....nothing I've ever fantasized about could be compared to this...." He confessed in between hot, warm and carnal kisses that invaded my senses, his mouth grazing past mine and descending roughly along my throat, moulding them on sensitive places, making me writhe.

Guiding me across the room and into the opposite wall behind me, he caught my cheek in his warm, masculine hand, meeting my gaze in a soul catching, seering look and kissed me again, a deep growl emanating from the back of his throat.

I whimpered and that only gave him the reason to deepen the kiss, giving me everything I desired through one slow, sensual caress of two aching mouths that kept me trembling in his arms. My knees weakened, threatening to buckle over. His strong arms wounded securely around my waist, supporting my body as he continued devouring the insides of my mouth.

My groping fingers snaked around the back of his neck where tousled thick black hair curled against his nape as he took my bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling, licking and sucking at it until I thought I might pass out from the ardent fiery kisses.

He broke the kiss earning a laboured breath, forehead leaning against mine, panting heavily. Shuddering at the loss of his skilled lips, eyes closed, jaw slack still relishing in the feel of his soft sensual mouth. I felt him tug slightly on my upper lip before releasing it, leaving it entirely wet and kiss-softened.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, meeting his, staring straight into his deep, heated ones that were already gazing keenly into mine while his chest fiercely shook with each struggled breathe he suspired.

His hot, huge body towered over me, pressing me up against the wall, his breath searing my lips, "I want you. I need you to be my girl."

Just on cue, a loud ringing sound punctuated the air, vibrating the skin on my thigh. It came from the pocket of his jeans. He withdrew. Instantly, I felt the loss of his warmth. Digging into the small compartments, he tucked it out, tapping at the screen.

I watched him with a thudding heart talk into his phone before he hung up, tucking it back into his rear.

He began to stride my way with a breathtaking smile melted my insides, "I've got to go."

I blinked, still governing my thoughts and breathing. I barely nodded.

              "Tomorrow at two. You and I. Under the sky. What do you say?"

I hesitantly agreed, "O-okay."

He grinned, threw a wink my way and crossed the room. Just then, I remembered. Sucking in a gasp,  screeching...

                "Wait."

Abruptly, he stalled, paused, turning to face me. I sauntered toward him, pausing, fingers intertwining, slightly shaken up after what happened moments ago. I groped my phone from under my pillow where I had dumped it two days ago, handing it out to him.

Shifting my gaze to a spot on the floor, I reaped, "It's broken. I don't know what could be wrong with it but Lana told me you could help me find out."

I felt him before I saw him. His manly scent all around me. He stroked my chin, raising it to meet his gaze. Blue eyes observing my boring brown ones, resting on my lips. They lingered there for a while and then back to my eyes.

                "After that mind-blowing kiss, you don't need to be insecure with me."

                "I-I know. I just..." Breathing out, "This is all so new to me."

                "I like you. I'm down for you." He spoke with so much conviction I couldn't just ignore. "And I kissed you because I wanted to and I fucking loved every damn bit of it. Did you?"

I sucked in a breathe, voice on a whisper, "I did."

              "And that settles everything else."

              "I'm so sorry for hitting you. It was so stupid of me to...." He cut off my ramble, tilting his head to softly press his lips to mine. It glued, sticking together and then, smacking when he withdrew.

He grinned, charming me the more, "I would love an answer tomorrow, love. Make it a yes." Casting a wink my way, he clutched my phone from my hands.  Reaching around his rear to slip it in. He backtracked, crossing over to the door and disappearing through it.

My heart pounded fiercely inside my chest, tingles soared throughout my body. My thoughts went hay-wire, jumbled together, straining from one another in a difficult attempt in coming to terms with the shocking realisation that...

I kissed two very close friends in one night.

~

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