Her beauty was breathtaking, even through a fucking screen. The party was in full swing around me, and the noise was driving me insane. The chatter, the music, the splashing as people jumped into the lake — everything just seemed too loud, too much.
All I could think about was Sierra.
Her laugh, her voice, those blue eyes I wanted to drown in, and the expression on her face when she let me in, at least a fraction. We had connected that night. I was sure of it.
“Oh my God, Dom! There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” A figure plopped down on the log, right next to me, so close our thighs touched.Too close.
“Hey, Lucy.” I glanced at her and gave her a quick smile, which was met with a beaming one of her own, her pupils huge.
How much had she smoked? Rolling my lips together, I fixed my gaze on the dancing flames, trying to ignore the way she was staring at me.
“So … we’re almost done, huh? How crazy is that?”
We’d made out once or twice at random parties, and I was pretty sure I had a good idea of where she was going with this.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s just life. Things change.” I shrugged. People change, too.Exhibit A — me.
“But this is so exciting! Just think about it, in a couple of weeks we’ll be in a totally different place.” Lucy was facing me now, her upper body turned toward me.
“Where are you heading?” I asked casually, in an attempt to steer this conversation away from the direction I feared it was headed.
“Alabama. You’re going to Tennessee, right?”
“They gave me a scholarship and a hoodie. How could I say no?”
“OMG, you’re so funny!” Her high-pitched laugh made my ears ring, and her hand landed on my thigh.
Fuck my life. She was nice enough. Just not enough to make me forget the girl I actually wanted.
I opened my mouth, about to let her down gently, as she leaned uncomfortably close and whispered, “So, how about we have our own little farewell today? Who knows, could be our last chance, and I’d hate to let it slip.”
Her lips were curled in a suggestive smirk, one eyebrow slightly quirked. Just mere weeks ago, I would’ve been so into this.
But not now, not anymore.
I put some distance between us, just as she moved even closer, her intention to kiss me clearly written on her face. She almost lost her balance, and my hands shot out to steady her, before releasing her just as quickly.
“Look, Lucy, you’re great, but I don’t think I can do this today. I’m sorry.”
Hurt crossed her face, and I felt like a dick, even though I knew I hadn’t technically done anything wrong. That hurt transformed into anger in a flash.
“What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem. You’re a really nice girl, but I’m not interested,” I said gently, while trying to drive home the point that I was completely serious.
Lucy scoffed, her eyes narrowing to slits. “What? You too good for me already?”
I recoiled. “No! Why’d you even think that? It’s nothing like that. I just met someone.”
“So? She’s not here, is she? What’s the problem with a little goodbye between two old friends?” She threw her hands up, as though she had just made the most reasonable suggestion in history.
My words were clipped. “The problem is,I’m not interested. The only person I’m interested in is, as you said, not here.” I rose to my full height, glowering down at her.
“Wow, you’re boring. What happened to you? You’re being like, so weird right now!” she accused me.
She was right. I had. Sierra had touched me on a deeper level, had put me under her spell so thoroughly, I was sure I’d never be able to snap out of it — nor did I want to.
Comparing what I had shared with Lucy to the night I had with Sierra wasimpossible. It was the complete lack of gravity, of heat.
