It all started with a game

Chapter 14

I'm sure Alexia was just as quick to leave, dragging Beatrice up to her room.

I hit the liquor cabinet, figuring I could take a page out of Mateo's book. This was usually part of the story where I went off and slept with some poor girl, shattering her ego and mine, because at least then instead of being angry and mad at the world, I could be disgusted with myself, a much better alternative in my eyes. But obviously I couldn't do that, because I thought it was a great idea to tell Beatrice I wanted to be exclusive.

Mateo was right.

I grabbed the first bottle I could find that didn't look like vodka. I'd tried it once in one of Mateo's horrendous concoctions and refused to ever try it again. But whatever this stuff was, it definitely wasn't vodka, unless vodka suddenly looks like oil.

I slammed the door to the pool open, surprised it didn't shatter from the force, as I unscrewed the bottle cap. I kicked my shoes off, taking a seat at the edge of the pool.

The moonlight was oddly calming, reflecting off the soft waves of the pool water. The smell of chlorine, however, was not as soothing. I took a breath of the night air, hoping that it may calm my searing headache, with no luck. The untouched bottle remained still in my hands, nearly mocking me for not having yet taken a drink.

I didn't hear her until she was taking a seat beside me. Beatrice smiled. "Hi."

My eyes grazed over her. I reached over, twirling a strand of her hair before tucking it behind her ear. Sonny had done a great job of covering up the mess Tanaka had made. He'd managed to make it look like nothing had even happened. Beatrice looked gorgeous, but when does she not? Although I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to think that. "Hi.

"Hi." Her eyes drifted down to the bottle in my hands, her smile falling ever so slightly, immediately making me regret grabbing it in the first place. I didn't want her to see me like this, Alexia was right, the second she found out who I really was, she'd be out of here without a second thought.

She wrapped her hand around mine, which had been holding the bottle, gently removing the liquor from my grasp and setting it to her side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I stared at the moon's reflection off the water. Do I want to talk about it? What did she want me to say: that Mateo is my only friend, that I was bullied until middle school, that the entire world seems to hate me, that I sleep around because it makes me feel like a monster and maybe that's how I deserve to feel. Is that what she wanted me to tell her? So she could see what a pathetic loser I am, who's clearly doing all of this for attention, because what else could I be doing this for, right?

The heat coursed through my veins almost instantly, expelling any rational thought from my head. I didn't need her. Let her leave.

I don't need her. What I needed was for this feeling to go away. I needed to make it go away.

Before I could stop myself, I was grabbing her waist, tugging her onto my lap. She didn't resist, wrapping her arms around me the second my lips pressed to her neck. I trailed my kiss against the column of her neck, sliding my hand under the hem of her skirt, her tights blocking my hand from her bare skin. She let out a soft whimper, like she knew she should stop me but had no desire to do so, "Ryder."

That was all it took to knock the sense back into me. I tore myself away from her, the rest of my body not particularly wanting to cooperate, causing me to stumble backwards, nearly falling into the pool. She looked about as dazed as I was, her entire face flushed, her eyes glued to a single spot.

What am I doing? If I did this, if I crossed this line, this would all be over, the two of us would never speak to each other again. I would lose her entirely. As much as I hate to admit, I kind of like having her as a friend.