Chapter Five
"And where were you?"
I brush past Alina. "Work. Where else?"
She smirks and follows me inside. "With Andrew?"
I scoff. "As if. I was running late from my shift."
Plopping on the couch of her living room, the guys have already occupied the other seats in the room. Alina sits down beside me, giving me a strange look.
"What's that face for?" I ask.
"I don't know what you're talking about. How long is Andrew gonna be?"
"I don't know. Haven't seen him since skating."
"Suuure." She drags out the word.
I roll my eyes. "What's the plan for tonight?"
"Scary movie," Tyler states.
"Ooo. I love scary movies!" I exclaim.
The doorbell leaves, and Alina gets up to get it.
"Yup. I brought gummy bears, soda, popcorn, skittles—you name it, I got it." I test that theory.
"Jolly Ranchers?"
"Check," Tyler says.
"Sour Patch Kids?"
"Yep."
"Swedish Fish?"
"Hell yes."
"Damn. You were right. Now give me those jolly ranchers."
Tyler tosses the bag. Setting them down in my lap, I fish one out and pop it in my mouth. The taste of blue raspberry soon dominated my mouth.
A few seconds later, Andrew comes around the corner wearing all black.
"Here's the man of the hour," Alina jokes.
He nods his head at the guys, then sits down at the opposite end of the couch I was on.
Ugh.
Alina sets up the movie and soon we are left in the darkness with a bright screen. I become immersed in the movie, not bothering to notice the gaze that I was receiving.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Andrew staring at me. Feeling creeped out, I shift in my seat.
His eyes follow my movement.
"I'm going to use the restroom real quick. I'll be right back," I announce, leaving the room.
As I reach the bathroom door down the hall, a hand places itself on my hip.
A warmth spreads throughout my body and I lean into the touch. The hand turns me around, pinning me against the bathroom door.
Not being able to see who was there, I wasn't scared or nervous at all. I knew this wasn't Jake.
The other hand that belonged to the mysterious person cupped my chin.
I stared at the dark figure.
When a pair of lips landed on mine, I didn't react.
Instead, I kissed back.
On whatever odd impulse I was going off, this felt right. When the stranger began to kiss me more passionately, I did so right back. As his hand slipped to the back of my shirt, right near the clasp of my bra, I let it.
And as I pulled the stranger's head closer to mine, one hand ran through his short, soft hair while the other ran up the front of (what I assumed was a male) his shirt, feeling the abs he adorned.
I felt as if the second he began to pull my shirt up, he vanished.
I opened my eyes to find myself alone in the hallway. There was no warmth from me, no sign that the stranger was ever there.
Maybe it was my imagination.
I shake my head as I quickly use the bathroom and make my way back to the movie.
As I sit down, Andrew is still watching me out of the corner of his eye.
Half way through the movie, my eyelids get heavy. Soon enough, all I see it black.
- - -
I feel a hand nudge against my head.
I open my eyes to see credits on the large television in front of me. Tyler and the other two guys are curled up and asleep while Alina lays on the floor, passed out. I roll over to see what or who nudged me.
When my eyes lock with his, I can't help but freak out.
I shoot up and crawl over to the other end of the couch.
His hand grabs my leg, and he pulls me toward him.
Andrew tugs me into his lap, pulling my hair away from my ear as he quietly whispers, "You're a good kisser."
I wake up, stunned.
Taking a look around, I find myself in someone's lap. I move.
And Andrew's staring me in the face.
I could tell by how quiet it was that everyone else was out.
As quietly as I could, I climb out of Andrew's lap only to have him stop me. I look at him weirdly.
"I may not like you, but you're welcome to fall back asleep on my leg if you'd like."
Although his leg was comfy, and although the aroma around him was almost intoxicating, I crawl out of his lap and pass out a foot away from him.
God, how I hated him.