Forest

Chapter Sixteen

Forest

I breathe in and out, pushing past the crowd of sweaty bodies to find the damn kitchen. I'm wasted, and my vision is blurry. Music is pounding through the room, people are dancing and talking and making out around me. I don't even remember who's house this is, or how I ended up at this party in the first place. All I remember is winning a football game and learning we're making it to the finals, after that my memory goes foggy.

I stumble through the walkway leading to the kitchen, grabbing the doorway for balance. There's only a few people in here, and that makes me want to cry out in relief. I couldn't even hear myself think in the living room, or at least what I think was the living room. I find the sink, turning the tap on and splashing water onto my face. Gripping the edge of the sink, I let the cold water drip down my face and cool me down. My brain slows, the jumbled mess of thoughts no longer spinning inside my head.

Tonight, I'm very drunk. It's the only way I can handle being around these people, especially when they're treating me like an outsider. Parties remind me of the night I met Atlas. I remember looking for a quiet place to hide from the life I was living, from the mask I forced myself to wear, only to find the one person who could save me from it. I wasn't drunk that night, mostly because I hate drinking, and I'm glad I wasn't. I would hate to forget someone as special as him, even though I don't think I ever could, drunk or not.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, easily finding Atlas' number pinned at the top of my messages. I smile embarrassingly big, and I don't even know why. Just the thought of him makes me happy. Drunkenly, I text him a string of messages that I'm sure make zero sense to him, but mean so much to me. They say drunken words are sober thoughts, and for me, it's true.

Me: I miss u sm and I cannot wait to see you again so I can kiss you

Me: I will give you so many kisses it'll make your heart melt

Me: I'm sorry about Jackson I will tell him how much you mean to me and that he can never touch you again

Me: It makes me so mad he got away with everything he said to you

Me: I think I'm falling for you. You are my sky.

Atlas🪐: Are you drunk?

Me: No way.

Atlas: Where are you?

  I laugh and leave him on read, it's cute to see him all worried. I shove my phone in my pocket and leave the kitchen, passing by a bunch of half naked girls. Normally, they would say hi and probably flirt with me. Now, they completely ignore me. However, I don't have time to dwell on the matter, because I have very serious business to attend.

   Jackson can mess with me, but he cannot mess with Atlas. I don't care how many times I beat him up, I'm not over him hurting my future husband. Technically, Atlas and I aren't even together, but I've decided just now that we definitely are. I don't even care what he says. I am marrying him and that's the end of this discussion.

   I re-enter the living room, stalking over to the stairs with purpose. I notice people staring at me, and I don't care. I'm done caring. I climb the stairs, practically stepping over people. I will never understand why others insist on sitting on the stairs when there are like three perfectly good couches right there.

   I know exactly where Jackson is, because he has the same routine every party. He drinks a shit ton of beer, plays party games, and then finds a chick to smash. His words not mine. Right about now, he's definitely having sex with a girl upstairs. He's not a bed type of guy, so I'm guessing he is in the closet because the bathrooms are being used. I know this because he doesn't shut up about his sex life, he's one of those guys that think being a man whore makes you cool. News flash, it does not.