I look at the bottle, exhaling calmly, although I'm internally mortified and have half my mind made up to say that Nathaniel is a cousin of mine and kissing him would be weird.
"I suppose it's great that I have a friend to help me out in my first stint of this game." Nathaniel nods earnestly.
Sure, talk about not having to step out of your fucking comfort zone!
Swallowing air, I shoot daggers at the side of his face with my eyes as my mouth goes dry.
"Man, I can see the tension already." Jordan jokes lightheartedly, "Let's get you locked inside the coat room, yeah?
"You have a coat room?" Cyana asks, slightly perplexed, "In a beach house? Isn't that odd."
"Ok honestly, I have no idea what that room is for." Jordan confesses, scratching the back of his neck, "But my relatives always hang their umbrellas and hats over there."
I silently pray that this useless coat room conversation sidetracks everyone from the goddamn immature game we're playing, but obviously that doesn't happen.
Nathaniel himself stands up once their conversation dies down and holds out a hand for me to stand up. He looks swoon worthy with that gorgeous dimpled smile his lips have curled up in the most beautiful curve I've ever seen on a human being's face and I'd probably admire his silent charm if I wasn't so flustered already.
Sensing my frazzled nerves, Madison helpfully offers me a couple of light rose pink flavoured vodka shots and nods at me to down them.
I shake my head, politely refusing them- Dad's long list of warnings ringing inside my head on repeat.
"Nathaniel, word of advice, do not start off with tongue." Jordan thumps his back, "Let Ariya set the pace of the kiss."
His eyes widen with realisation as he finally connects the dots and he's about to protest, but Madison is already pushing us determinedly towards the coat room.
"Just seven minutes, Ariya." She reassures, thrusting a single shot glass into my hand before giving another identical one to Nathaniel.
"Keep the shots." she grins, "You look like you might need them."
When the door is locked behind us, I drink my shot in three unhurried and consecutive sips instead of downing it at once to slow down it's effect before setting it on one of the shelves. Nathaniel eyes his filled shot glass skeptically before setting it on top of the shelf beside mine.
"I have never uh-" an intense blush colours his cheeks as he fidgets with the ring on his left pinky finger, "Done anything like this before."
"Yeah, it definitely wasn't obvious." I retort snarkily, rolling my eyes.
Nathaniel looks up hopefully, "So do we wait out the seven minutes or-"
"Shh," I hold up a finger to my lips, leaning forward to whisper in his ears, "They're probably listening at the door. So don't say something like that aloud."
"Right." he nods in understanding, calmly staring at the door.
'Great!' I huff to myself, 'That means I need to take charge of things here.'
"Ok, so have you at least practiced kissing with your fingers or something?" I ask, cracking my fingers.
Nathaniel narrows his eyes, taken aback, glaring at the door with a fervent prayer in his eyes. At least I'm not the only person who's awkward here.
"I don't see how that's any of your business here." He says in a low voice.
"It is my business if you're going to slobber over my face."
"Slobbering saliva on someone is hardly hygienic," Nathaniel responds in a flat tone, "And I certainly will not be slobbering like a domesticated quadruped on your face, Ariya."
"Six minutes!" someone shouts from outside.
I throw my hands in the air, aggravated. Nathaniel conveniently averts his gaze towards the closed oak wood door and I suspect he's planning to wait out the remaining six minutes staring longingly at the door.
Cursing explicitly under my breath, I take a determined step forward and point at his hand that's half inside his front pant pockets.
"Ok, so you can keep that hand here." I pat my shoulder, "And keep the other by your side or wherever you're comfortable. My front is out of bounds."
Nathaniel presses his mouth hard and swallows as he keeps his right hand on my shoulder, he says, "I'll keep the other hand by my side."
"You've seen kisses in films right?" I look up at his face through my eyelashes.
He pulls his mouth in a thin line and nods.
"It's against the rules to simply stand!" Cyana shouts from outside, her voice slurring a little, "We'll leave you two inside here until you kiss."
I roll my eyes and look up at Nathaniel's face earnestly.
"I'm going to kiss you now, is that alright?"
My mother would be so proud of my manners right now. I remember her reiterating the importance of consent after getting suspended from school for breaking Brett's nose.
Nathaniel nods subtly, holding his breath.
It's unnerving to see him waiting for me to take charge and I realise I might just need some liquid courage after all. Licking my lips, I glance at the full cherry vodka shot on the shelf beside me and exhale.
"Are you planning to have that?" I ask Nathaniel breathily.
"No, you can ha-"
Without waiting for him to complete his sentence I lean towards the shelf and pick it up with three fingers, finishing it in one go- the dizzy rush immediately sending my head spinning. Like I said, I'm a complete lightweight.
"Thanks." I grin, "Just give me a moment. I need to text Dad and tell him I'm sober."
I sway sideways a little, closing my eyes as Nathaniel holds my elbow to steady me.
"Careful." He says softly as I reach out for my phone.
Unlocking the screen, I tap on the messenger app relying on memory. I blink at it, struggling to read the chat names as I all but hang on to Nathaniel's towering figure.
"Here, let me do it." he offers helpfully and I hand my phone over to him.
"I would have done it myself, but my eyes are shaking." my words drag slightly as I spout what makes perfect sense in my slightly meddled mind, "Thanks though. You're a total sweetheart!"
Nathaniel takes his time to copy paste my previous text and sends it to my father. The closet feels like it is getting warmer with every passing minute and I can feel a thin sheen of perspiration starting to appear on my forehead.
I giggle, taking another step forward, propping my hands on Nathaniel's shoulders to get better support when I stumble slightly.
"Is this going to be your first kiss?" I ask, studying the perfect bow shaped lips decorating his beautiful face which is all perfect planes and angles.
"Yes." he breathes, his breath hitching slightly in anticipation.
"And you're alright with me taking it?" I smile crookedly, straightening his collar.
"Well, you're not taking it per se," he manages to give me a small smile as he flushes a deep crimson, his dimples dipping into his cheeks, "I'm giving it to you of my own accord."
A scuffling sound comes from outside. I can imagine Cyana and Madison standing behind the door with their ears pressed to the wood, trying to hear our hushed conversation.
"Five minutes!"
"Oh for goodness sake," I mutter under my breath, a tad peeved, "Shut the fuck up!"
The rush caused by the vodka has finally reached my brain, helpfully shutting down my frantic train of thoughts before they make me take a moment to reassess what I'm about to do. I wonder what Dad would say about-
Shaking past my inhibition, I stand up on my toes. Tilting my head a few degrees to the right, I confidently press my lips against Nathaniel's- keeping my chest a safe distance away from his to avoid pressing completely into his body.
His lips are unimaginably soft and warm- they're like the first ray of sunshine on an autumn morning. At the back of my mind I wonder what kind of lip mask he uses in his skincare routine as I add some more pressure.
It takes a few moments for me to finally process my actions and when I do it's like my brain melts, sending me into a flurry of panicked thoughts. I close my eyes tight, as if not seeing would somehow take back everything.
Maybe I trip on my legs or something in the process, because Nathaniel presses the hand he has propped on my arm to steady me. I pull back slightly to look up at him.
"We should uh-" I start unsurely, knowing full well that Nathaniel is probably cursing the living daylights out of me inside his mind.
Before I can finish my sentence, he drops the hand holding me and squeezes my fingers gently before cupping my cheek with the other and moving closer until our breaths mingle- tickling my nose.
He gazes into my eyes. His eyebrow raised slightly- silently asking for permission. The corners of my mouth twist upwards, only visible to him because of his acute proximity.
For a moment I wonder if he's studying my face to find some sort of signs of lunacy or is still half shocked from being kissed for the first time. But all apprehension flies out of my mind when he moves his face just a little closer.
I loop my hands that had previously been placed on his shoulders cautiously, around his neck, pulling his swollen lips to mine.
As he brings the hand that's hanging by his side to rest in an acceptable position on my side, I push my fingers into the neatly trimmed strands of hair above his neck and revel in their perfect softness.
Honestly, this is a terrible idea and I can almost see Dad's disapproving glare etched on the back of my eyelids but the funny thing is that the intoxication caused by the flurry of dopamine, serotonin and the splash of vodka in my system is making it difficult to stop and give in to reason.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow I can blame this small lapse of judgement on my lightheadedness and heat of the moment. Or better still- just not talk about it.
As the seven minutes come to an end, the door lock clicks and we break away. Nathaniel adjusts his collar and straightens out his silk shirt and pants before fixing his hair.
"Oh my fucking goodness!" Madison drawls, giggling, "Such great chemistry! Don't you agree, Cyana? They're so cute."
"So cute!" She agrees, smirking like she's discovered a new element as she links her arm with Madison's.
"So cute." Madison nods, leaning her head against Cyana's shoulder and closing her eyes. I wonder how much she's had to drink, glad that she has a sober friend to take care of her.
We head back outside to sit near the pool. The water gleams, reflecting the golden and blue mood lighting around the exteriors of the pool house.
"Guys, I think I need to use the loo." I say before sitting down, "I'll be right back. Does anyone want me to grab some snacks from the kitchen?"
I need a few moments to myself to retrospect my actions and just freak out alone.
"Some more cheese dip would be great. I think we're running out." Jordan suggests, craning his neck to check the food bowls, "Yeah, I think that's it."
Nathaniel stands up too, "I think I'll get some water."
I close my eyes. There goes my fervent hope to get some time alone without the little devil. I scream like a banshee inside my head.
We make our way into the house in silence, turning into the hall where the bathroom is located and further down is the kitchen.
I open the bathroom door and I'm about to step in, when Nathaniel pulls me back and shuts the door making sure that it's heard before pulling me into the kitchen.
"What the f-"
He puts his palm over my mouth and whispers, "I apologise for doing that without warning but it wasn't without reason."
Nathaniel cautiously peeks into the hallway from behind the kitchen wall before turning back to me.
"It appears that our little informant from school is here. The feeling is palpable." he explains, "And assuming that you're alone inside the bathroom, I'm certain he'll make an appearance to leave some kind of message."
I narrow my eyes but don't say a word. Instead I grab two glasses from the cabinet and pour some water for both of us, before going to keep a watch on the hallway myself.
Surprisingly, a shadow does walk into the hallway after about a minute and the person comes to a stop outside the bathroom door. It's a tall boy wearing a black hoodie as far as I can tell. The hood is pulled up so I can't make out who it is.
We watch with bated breath as the boy slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out a pack of post-its and a sharpie. He peels off one bright orange post-it and sticks it onto the door, scribbling something on it quickly.
I suppose we don't need any more proof than that now, do we?
Wordlessly, I slink out of the kitchen nimbly, sneaking up behind the perpetrator.
It doesn't take long for him to realise that he's not alone but weeks of training have made me rather fast. I quickly pin his wrists behind his back and kick the back of his knees to make him buckle. It's easier to overpower him since he's unprepared.
Once I have him under control, I whistle for Nathaniel who steps out of the kitchen with his chin held high. His face is expressionless but I catch a victorious twinkle glinting in his eyes.
"Well, we were expecting you-" Nathaniel says in a buttery soft tone, raising his brow slightly, as he takes his time to walk forward and lifts the hood.
"Devin."
I gasp.
Devin?
As in Madison's dark, broody boyfriend who draws well and loves cars. That Devin?
Oh my God! What is he fucking up to?
It scares me to even think that he's somehow associated with someone who knows about the Maghfirat.
•><•
Ugh Devin couldn't wait to come and ruin the evening *cough*
Also, you can now find TAOU featured on Wattpad's official crime page under their 'Like a Woman' reading list <3
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