Flashback
Eight Years Ago...
“Jer, my man! You made it!” Anthony greeted Jeremiah as the latter made his way inside the former’s house for the prom after party with Skye in tow. “I didn’t think you were ever gonna show!”
“Oh come on, me? Not show? I am the party, dude,” Jeremiah clapped the other boy’s back. He turned back to Skye and reached out for her hand. “I brought Skye.”
“Hey, Skye,” Anthony smiled lasciviously at Skye. “You are looking so fine tonight.”
Anthony was a tall, blond boy who was one of Jeremiah’s team mates on his basketball team. He lived in a gated community in a large brick house. The house was booming with loud music inside, but the walls made it so that the loudness could not be heard outside. Besides, the nearest neighbors were a few hundred feet away, that’s how large Anthony’s parent’s plot of land was.
“Thanks,” Skye said quietly and hid behind Jeremiah.
“Who knew you had a body underneath all those baggy clothes you wear?” Anthony continued, obviously having had a few drinks already.
“Jer, um, maybe I should just go. This isn’t really my thing.”
“Skye, don’t worry. I’ll handle him,” Jeremiah squeezed Skye’s hand and turned to his friend. “Tony, dude, lay off Skye, okay?”
“Sorry, my bad,” Anthony said to Jeremiah. “How about a drink, Skye? As a peace offering?” he handed her a red plastic cup filled with cola and rum.
“I don’t drink,” Skye said politely.
“Come on, it’s a party! Loosen up!” Anthony slurred. “You’re not gonna bust our chops, are you?”
“No…”
“Okay, you know what? I’ll take that drink. We’ll just be around, Ant,” Jeremiah took the cup from his friend and led Skye away.
Anthony was a rich kid whose parents were never around. He was always having parties, often ones that get out of hand, but so far, nothing majorly bad has ever happened at one of his parties, luckily. The cops had never been involved.
Jeremiah held onto Skye’s hand as they made their way to the backyard. A few people were in the swimming pool in their tuxes and gowns, not caring that they were all looking like a bunch of hot messes. They went to the gazebo which was surprisingly empty. He helped her sit down on the patio furniture before downing the contents of the cup in one long gulp. Skye just watched him before reaching for her heel.
“You okay?” Jeremiah asked her.
“Yeah, I’m just not used to walking in high heels, I guess.”
“Here, let me,” he reached for one ankle and held it over his thigh. He slipped off her strappy sandals and began massaging her foot, from heel to toe. “Better?”
“Yeah, much.”
Skye leaned further down into the seat, getting more and more relaxed as Jeremiah worked his magic on her tired and aching feet.
“You don’t regret coming with me, do you?”
“No,” she closed her eyes. Jeremiah’s touch felt amazing.
“Good. Because I am having a great time.”
“Are you? Wouldn’t you rather be down there playing beer pong or strip poker or something?”
“No. This is good,” he told her sincerely. He reached for her other ankle and began massaging it, just as he did with the other.
Jeremiah stared at Skye as she lay back with the back of her head against the seat back and her weight supported by her elbows. He momentarily stopped massaging her feet for a second so he shrug out of his tuxedo jacket and draped it over Skye. She opened her eyes lazily and smiled appreciatively at him.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Hold on, I’ll be right back.”
She sat up in panic as he lifted her legs away from his thighs so he could get up. “Where are you going?”
“Just getting another drink. You want anything?”
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Live a little,” she teased Jeremiah.
“Okay, don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Jeremiah jogged away from the gazebo, dodging as many guys trying to high five him or evading as many girls wanting to hug him. He made his way to the kitchen and poured two glasses of whiskey and colas, purposely not putting as much whiskey on Skye’s drink because he knew she couldn’t handle her liquor as much as he could. A few guys invited him to take shots with him. He was a good sport, taking a few shots of rum, tequila, and whiskey. He soon made his way back to the waiting Skye, but this time he couldn’t avoid the various people who stopped him and made small talk with him. He found Skye still sitting on the patio chair, his jacket now properly on her body. It was much too big for her, but at least she looked warm. She sat with her legs crossed as she watched the revelers jump in and out of the swimming pool. He sat down next to her and handed her a cup, not remembering which one had more alcohol. He was already buzzing from the shots he partook in.
“Here you go, milady.”
“Thanks.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Stop asking me that,” she giggled as she took a cautious sip of her drink. “Whoa, strong…” she winced a little.
“Really? I didn’t even put that much alcohol in yours,” he furrowed his brows at her as he took a sip of his.
“I guess I’m really just not used to it.”
They both finished their drinks and he took her empty cup from her and placed it on the table next to them. He draped an arm over her shoulder and held her close to him, their bodies radiating warmth to each other. She snuggled closer to him, wrapping an arm around his middle. He traced circles on her shoulder absentmindedly with his fingertips before moving up to trace around the shell of her ear. He looked down at her and kissed her forehead.
“You look so beautiful tonight, Skye.”
“Thanks,” she said, looking up at him with hazy eyes.
“I’m serious. You were the most beautiful girl at the prom.”
“Even more than Mattie?”
“Not even in the same league. She looked like every other girl out there, but you…you stood out.”
“Like a sore thumb?” she continued to belittle herself.
“Hey, you stood out in a good way.”
They spotted Anthony coming their way with a tray of jello shots, pure plain vodka mixed in with fruit flavored gelatin powder. “Hey, hey, hey! Jello shots! Skye? Which flavor do you want?”
“Surprise me,” she answered noncomittaly.
“Hey, I like that! I’ll give you one of each,” Anthony held the tray on one palm as he picked up an orange, lime, cherry, and lemon flavored jello shots. He also took one of each out for Jeremiah. He handed a cherry one to the couple still cuddling on the patio chair and took one for himself. He raised one up over his head.
“Cheers, guys!”
“Cheers!” Jeremiah and Skye said together.
The three of them took their shots together before Anthony winked at the twosome and left. Skye crawled over Jeremiah so that she could get another shot. They finished off their other flavors and soon found themselves canoodling again. Skye’s hand slipped inside Jeremiah’s shirt in a space between two buttons. Jeremiah lifted her chin up to face him and they just studied each other’s faces, eyes travelling from each other’s eyes and lips.
“You look so beautiful.”
“You already said that.”
“It’s worth repeating.”
“It’s only for tonight. The magic will wear off in the morning.”
Jeremiah looked at his watch. It was already 2 in the morning. “It’s already morning.”
“The magic will wear off by sunlight then.”
“I don’t think so…”
His lips drew closer and closer to hers. His eyes were so close to her her eyes, he could see his reflection in her irises.
"Jer?"
"What?" the tip of his nose rubbed against the tip of hers.
"Stop looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like I'm one of your girls."
"You're not one of my girls," he told her, their lips now just millimeters apart.
She closed her eyes at the dismay she felt over his words. She was disappointed yet again that he voiced out loud that she was not the kind of girl he could fall for. That was the exact moment when he closed the remaining gap between their lips and gave her a gentle kiss. His lips were warm, and she was getting more and more intoxicated from both the alcohol she consumed earlier and the feeling of being wrapped up in Jeremiah's arms. She didn't know what to do, this was her first kiss. She just remained immobile while he held her. His lips began moving against hers and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him closer to her. She didn't care if this kiss was just hormone riddled and alcohol fueled, but for one night, she wanted to do this. She wanted to be desired by her best friend as much as she desired him. She tried to suppress her feelings, and for the most part, she succeeded, but right now, she didn't want to hold anything in. She wanted to show him how she felt.
She felt his tongue lick her lips and she opened up under him, touching his with hers. She felt sparks throughout her entire being, and she felt hot, their bodies were as close together as much as possible. He leaned forward, pressing Skye's back more towards the back of the chair. As she did with her academics, she was a quick learner, kissing him back with equal passion. He moved his lips reluctantly away from hers, peppering kisses on her jaw instead.
"Skye..."
"Hmmm..."
"Are you..."
She cut him off by pulling his lips back down over hers. "Let's go."
The next thing they knew, they found themselves in one of the empty guest rooms at Anthony's house, making out on the bed. His jacket that had been over her was thrown somewhere on the floor and he had her dress down over one shoulder already. She worked on the buttons of his shirt, and her dress soon joined his shirt and jacket on the floor.
"I love you, Jer."
Her confession was like a bomb that exploded. "I know," was all he could reply before covering her naked body with his.
"It's my first time," she said to him.
"Mine too."
And with that, they joined carefully together, both clumsy at first before finding their natural rhythm together. Jeremiah made sure he went as slowly and carefully with Skye, every time he heard her sharp intake of breath or saw her wince, he would give her a deep kiss to lessen the pain she felt somehow. He kissed the tears that naturally leaked out of the corners of her eyes when he first entered her, staying still until she adjusted to him. She was hot and soft and drove him crazy, and soon his self-control went out the window, but only after he was sure she was enjoying herself just as much as he was.
“I’m close, S,” he gasped at her.
“Me too,” she embraced him tightly to her.
And together they reached the peak, his lips automatically sought hers in a deep, searing kiss. He held her tightly in his arms as their hearts continued to beat at a rapid pace, beating in time with each other. He kissed her forehead as they caught their labored breathing.
“Jer…”
“Shhh. Just take a rest, Skye.”
“Thank you.”
Her eyes shut of their own accord, tiredness from the events of the day and satiation from the events of the last few hours finally catching up to her. She fell asleep with a small smile on her lips, content being in the arms of the boy she loved with all her heart.
*
Jeremiah barely slept. All he wanted to do was stare at the beautiful angel in his arms. His night had started horribly; he had to watch Skye look so amazingly gorgeous only to be in the arms of another boy the whole night while he had the date from hell. But now? It was one of the best nights of his life. And Skye had said she loved him. He thought he would be afraid of it, afraid of hearing any girl say it to him and really mean it, but now all he wanted to do was to hear her say it to him one more time, then another, then another. Was he in love with his best friend? As he studied her face, from her long dark lashes, to her pert nose, down to her kissable lips, he knew he was.
But that self realization scared him. He had a wonderful friendship with Skye. Was he willing to risk it all? What if they didn’t work out? He didn’t want to lose his connection to her. But what if they worked out? He had never been one to overthink things before, especially when it came to matters of the heart. If he liked a girl, he liked her. If he wanted to date her, he dated her. But now here he was, staring down at his love, worrying that he’ll lose her before he even did anything to screw it all up. Whatever happened to the uber confident Jeremiah? What happened to the Jeremiah that thought he held the world in his hands and expected things to happen for him just with a snap of his fingers? He realized he was powerless against Skye. His fear of losing her was so great, but he couldn’t just sit there and not say anything. He had to try. He couldn’t let her think he didn’t love her. She moved in her sleep and he froze, not wanting to break the spell that bound them together just yet. He wanted to relish this quiet moment with her for as long as he could. She snuggled closer to him, burying her head in the crook of his neck.
He got up from the bed and put his pants and shirt back on. He sat on a chair on the other side of the room, the faint light from the rising sun cast a glow through the window and onto the peacefully sleeping Skye. When the sun fully rose, the brightness roused Skye from her slumber. She slept on her stomach, her arms folded under her, arms bent at the elbows, the blanket only covered her bottom half. She stirred and opened one eye, momentarily forgetting where she was. Her eyes adjusted to her surroundings and found her best friend sitting on a chair watching her as she woke up. She saw him already dressed and sitting so far away from her, and she misinterpreted his actions. She thought he couldn’t bear to be with her in that way any longer than he had to; that he had just committed the biggest mistake of his life and wanted to be away from it all as soon as possible. She felt so ashamed; she felt like she had given her all to someone who didn’t even want what she was readily handing him.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“Hi,” she replied, her voice hoarse. She lifted her head a little and rubbed her eyes. She felt sore and tired, and the memories from last night’s tryst with Jeremiah flooded into her consciousness.
They both just looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Skye suddenly felt even more embarrassed, not only because Jeremiah wasn’t saying anything, but also because of her state of being fully undressed. She turned away from him so that only her back was exposed and slid the blanket over her first before turning back to him.
“Are you hungry?” he asked her, grasping for anything to talk about and break the silence.
“No, not really.”
“Do you want some coffee? I’m sure we can find some down in Ant’s kitchen.”
“No, that’s okay. I think I should actually head home…before my mother realizes I never made it home last night,” she said as she blushed furiously.
“Skye, about last night…” he smiled broadly at her, although she didn’t see it because she kept her head down, eyes darting around the carpet looking for her things.
“It was a mistake,” Skye said quickly. She wanted to beat him to the punch. She wanted to be the one to brush it off before he could. She thought the pain would be less if she can lie to herself before he could punch her in the mouth with the glaring truth. She stood up abruptly and wrapped the sheet tight around her body.
“What?!” Jeremiah sat back in his chair in disbelief.
Skye placed her feet flat on the ground and padded around the room to look for her undergarments. “Look, I wanted last night to happen. That wasn’t the mistake part. The mistake part was that you felt like you had to do it…like you owed it to me. I’m sorry, Jer. I really am,” her voice quivered, but she tried to remain calm and strong. “Thank you for being really gentle. For doing me that favor. For treating me like I was…,” she stopped, unable to find the words. She changed the topic instead. “I shouldn’t have gotten drunk. I should’ve remained in control.”
“Skye, you don’t understand…” he stood up and held her shoulders, stilling her frantic movements. She was giving him a headache, in more ways than one.
“I do. We were drunk, we were caught up in the heat of the moment. But don’t worry, our friendship can survive this momentary lapse of sanity. Let’s just forget it ever happened.”
“Skye, please listen to me,” he held onto her hands now; hands that were shaking like crazy.
“It didn’t mean anything,” she looked him straight in the eye.
He was momentarily taken aback. “You said you loved me,” his face grew grim.
“And I do. As a friend.”
“Skye.”
“Friends. If we want to remain friends, you’ll promise me that you’ll forget about this,” she was on the verge of tears, but she held them in check. She didn’t want him to think she was so weak.
“Skye…”
She didn’t let him finish. She broke free from his grasp and picked up her dress. She quietly stepped out of the room and looked for the nearest restroom to get dressed. Only when she locked the door did she allow herself to cry. She slid down onto the ground and let all her fears and frustrations manifest themselves in the form of tears. Who was she kidding? Jeremiah was out of reach. She was only good enough to be his best friend. He would never see her as more than that. She had to be content that her best friend gave her one of the most romantic nights of her life. A night she would never regret. A night she would never forget. A night that possibly would never happen again.