2. The hookup

I braced myself, downing the last of the beer in my cup before handing the empty vessel to Camila. "I'm going in. Wish me luck.""You got this, girl. Just don't talk about anything weird," she said with a grin.I wondered what qualified as "weird" and how to perfectly navigate this encounter. Nervously, I took a deep breath and walked over to him.He was focused on his phone, barely touching the beer in his hand. Dressed all in black, he exuded an intimidating yet undeniably hot vibe. I couldn't help but question if I was aiming too high with this guy. Last year, I wouldn't have dared to approach someone as striking as him. Yet here I was, boldly hoping to catch his interest or even get a kiss."Hi," I said, cringing inwardly at the way my voice sounded but forcing a smile that I hoped conveyed confidence rather than discomfort.He looked up, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I was left to guess what he thought of me."Hey," he replied, his tone neutral.We stood there, the noise of the party swirling around us, and I could feel the weight of the moment hanging in the air. I had taken the leap; now it was up to me to see if this was going to end with me sinking deeper into my mind or getting wild and living in the moment."I, uh... like your phone case. It's cool," I said, immediately hating myself for such a lame opening.He gave a hint of a smile and held up his phone to examine it. "Looks pretty ordinary to me."That was not what I wanted to hear. I wished for the ground to open up and swallow me whole."Sorry... I'm not good at small talk," I mumbled."Neither am I," he replied, his voice carrying a note of amusement that only made my face fall further. I wanted to flee, to escape this mortifying encounter. But I had come all this way; I wasn't going to give up now. I took a deep breath and decided to push through."Your tattoos are cool," I said, gesturing to his muscular arms decorated with various ink designs. "Do they have any meaning?"He glanced down at his arms, a grin spreading across his face. "I wish I had a cool story for these, but most of them were done on a whim. I thought they looked cool, so I got them.""Sometimes, those are the best kind of tattoos," I replied, feeling a bit more at ease. "Not everything has to have a deep, traumatic backstory."He chuckled, and the sound was like a breath of fresh air. My nerves began to settle, and I found myself growing more confident. Maybe this wasn't so hard after all. I just needed to stop overthinking and enjoy the moment with him."I'm Amelia," I said, offering a friendly smile."Liam," he replied, returning the smile.The connection felt more genuine now, and as we continued to talk, the awkwardness began to fade. The night was still young, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be feeling comfortable in my own skin.================================================================================Liam carried me to his bed, our lips locked in a heated battle for dominance. I had no idea how we went from talking about nothing to being all over each other, but I wasn't complaining. He was, without a doubt, the hottest guy I had ever laid eyes on, and somehow, he was into me too. It felt like a miracle. Younger Amelia would have laughed in disbelief if you'd told her that a guy like him would be all over her.As he tossed me gently onto the bed, I let out a giggle, feeling pleasantly tipsy but not entirely intoxicated. He shed his shirt, revealing a set of toned abs that looked sculpted like a Greek god. He was everything I'd read about in the sappy, semi-erotic novels I enjoyed during my free time, and now, here he was, right in front of me.Liam's body, framed by the dim light of the room, seemed to glow with an almost ethereal allure. The night had taken a turn I could never have predicted, and I found myself reveling in every moment of this unexpected, thrilling experience."You're the hottest guy I've ever seen, hands down." "So very hot," I remarked shamelessly as I sat up to give him a better look and extended my hand to touch him.

"You're adorable, Amelia," he says with a smile as he reaches out to stroke my cheek.

"Do you think?"

He gives me a nod before bending down to plant another scorching kiss on my lips, leaving me feeling heated all over.As he approaches me slowly, his kiss becomes more intense, making my heart race with excitement. At the age of fourteen, I had only ever kissed one boy previously, Trevor Morgan, who ventured to kiss me during summer camp. I had a massive crush on him at the time, so it was magical, but now that I was seeing Liam, it was hot and seductive. Even though we were essentially strangers, it felt so perfect.===============================================================================The next morning, I awoke in pain and bewildered; despite the anguish I felt down there, I was on a high; I had just lost my V-card to a hot guy who simply put knew how to operate a female body. He never once made me feel uncomfortable last night and kept asking if I was feeling good despite that my loud moans were a simple and obvious indicator; everything was simply wonderful.Reaching out for Liam, I was stunned to find the bed completely empty. The warmth I had felt beside me was gone, leaving me alone. I wasn't naive; I knew how hookup culture worked. However, I had hoped, as foolish as it might sound, that things would be different this time. I wanted him to stay, to tell me how pretty I looked in the morning, despite my tendency to drool in my sleep.Sitting up, I saw my clothes scattered on the floor—a stark reminder of the night's decisions. I quickly got out of bed and dressed, trying to ignore the pang of humiliation. The thought of running into his roommates downstairs made my face flush with embarrassment. It was the classic walk of shame, and I had only myself to blame for it.After dressing, I steeled myself and opened the door. As quietly as I could, I made my way downstairs, hoping not to be seen. Everything was going according to plan until a hand touched my shoulder, causing me to jump and let out an involuntary curse."Sorry, I was confused about why you were sneaking around...I thought you were a thief or something."I turned to see a guy around six feet tall, with dark curls framing his face. He looked like he could be a model or an athlete."Do I look like a thief?""I suppose not," he replied, his eyes widening slightly, "You were just sneaking which was odd to me and like I have never seen you here before.""So your first thought was that I must be a thief." "Are you implying that I'm a thief because I'm Black?"His face flushed with surprise, and he quickly shook his head, flustered. It was clear he hadn't intended any offense, but I was just teasing him, using dark humor to deflect my own awkwardness."I didn't mean it that way...""Good. So, excuse me."I rushed out the front door, relieved that my playful jab had shifted the embarrassment onto him rather than me. Sometimes, you've got to play dirty to keep the spotlight off yourself.