Best-Friends with Issues

Chapter 9- Back to Earth

~Conner~

I was in a haze.

"Concon!" Selena whined as I continued to trail my lips along her jaw.

"Don't call me that." I managed to murmur into her skin after processing her words, which was an amazing accomplishment in itself. Being so close to her had my brain short-circuiting.

"Well then cut it out! I want to ask you something." She complained, her voice lacking conviction. My lips reached the hollow under her ear, where I began placing feather-light kisses.

"Yes to anything." I said lowly, before nipping on her earlobe. She jolted, letting out a small gasp. I smugly went back to kissing the side of her neck, ignoring the glare I could feel on me.

"I'm serious!" She said warningly.

I reluctantly pulled back, (realizing that if I didn't stop she would likely smack me), and my lips were still buzzing from where they had kissed her. "Fine, fine. What's up?"

We were showered and dressed again, (unfortunately), and it was just a few short minutes before our mothers were supposed to show up.

Selena sat up on the sofa, pushing me a completely unreasonable distance away from her with her outstretched arms. I frowned when I noticed the worry swimming in her eyes, and immediately grew concerned.

"It's about last night." She went on. I stiffened. Just looking at how troubled she was, I knew what she had to be talking about.

But how could she possibly know about that?

Truth be told, I was hoping that Selena never discovered my 'boys gone wild' night out. I hadn't even been planning on telling her.

I usually put every effort into keeping myself together, but for one night I had lost it. I drank, made bad life decisions, wallowed in my own self-pity, and drank some more, all in the futile hope that it would make me feel better.

As expected, the effects were temporary at best.

It was embarrassing really, to be confronted about how unmanly I was, by my girlfriend of all people.

"It was all Sam's idea."

Ratting out the instigator seemed like the best solution.

She rolled her eyes, but her concern didn't fade. "I had no doubts about that. I was just wondering if you were alright."

I nodded, feeling guilt gnaw at my insides for making her worry. "Of course! It was just a little fun out with the boys, nothing to worry about." I plastered a fake smile on my face.

I wasn't all that surprised that she didn't buy it. She knew me far too well. "Okay, now give me a more believable answer."

I dropped the fake grin, it was hurting my face anyways. "Alright. I got drunk and did stupid shit because I was pissed off, and I really just wanted to forget how badly my life sucked."

She nodded, as if expecting such an answer. I moved in closer when she frowned, her eyes traveling over my face. "What is it?"

Her fingers reached up to glide over my cheek, a completely innocent move that had my heart stuttering.

"Your cheek." She mumbled, almost to herself. "You're hurt."

I suddenly remembered the large bruise I had received in- as Jerry referred to it- our 'epic bar fight'. But that was a story for a later chapter.

"It doesn't hurt." I assured her with a smile. And it was true, the feeling of her skin made all of the pain disappear.

I felt her finger dip into the dimple in my left cheek, an achingly soft and tender move that made me shiver. She nodded, but didn't ask further.