The List

chapter 25

Birthday's were always bad luck for us. Angelica's birthday was a disaster, my birthday came with too many surprises, and now, I may have potentially ruined Eros' birthday.

I won't lie, I felt like a dick.

I wouldn't per say I was betraying Eros, in fact, I was following through with what he said had to happen between us, we had to move on. At least, that's what I told myself when I pulled up to Henry's hotel room for our second date.

Henry wanted to watch a movie in his suite and order loads of room service and gorge ourselves on junk food before I had to leave for Eros' birthday surprise. And I supported that idea, knowing fully well that other things would happen if I did come to this date.

But my current motto was: YOLO.

Even if it was out of style.

I knocked twice, and in the middle of my third, Henry opened the door, a smirk curving his lips upwards. He leaned against the banister of the door, wearing a simple grey v-neck and black sweatpants, the outline of his muscles protruding from the thin material.

And he knew it too.

I pretended like I didn't notice.

"Hello Henry," I smiled, leaning in and giving him a hug, immediately surrounded by his scent of soap and Old Spice.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around me, twirling me around and setting me down on the floor in his room.

"Good morning Alice! I know you love Harry Potter, so, I've decided we are going to watch it, only problem is, there's eight. So, which one do you want to watch?"

His grin was infectious, and I felt myself returning his wide grin, giggling like we were children in love, with no real problems. His hands came to rest on my hips, thumbs pressing down on my hip bones and long fingers pressing into the flesh of my ass.

"The longest one," I dared with a wink, raising my hand to press him back farther into the room, shutting the door with my foot. I pushed him forward until he fell on the bed, myself falling down upon him. The grip on my body tightened, and Henry now wore a lazy smirk.

I was telling myself that it was okay doing things with Henry because I had to, because I had to forget about Eros and everything he made me want to do because I didn't want to lose our friendship.

He didn't want to lose our friendship either, and he was probably finding other ways to fill his time as well.

"Thought it'd take a while before I got you to bed Alice Black," Henry teased with a slight twinkle in his eyes, as if he knew that somehow in the time we had last seen each other, something had shifted in me and I was more willing to pursue this thing developing between the two of us.

I was telling myself there was no shame in fulfilling my desires with another boy.

"It will take a while Henry," I pulled myself from off him, pushing myself into a sitting position and situating myself in the middle of the bed, grabbing the room service menu. "So how does fries and ice cream sound?" I winked.

"Sounds like you're trying to fatten me up," he sat up too, legs folding under him and he reached over for the phone, other hand reaching and gripping my upper thigh as he held the receiver.

He and I both knew, that touch was not one without consequences. He knew what he was doing to me, and he knew what he wanted to do with me.

And, I didn't mind.