The temptation was too strong.
It was pulling me in; compelling me to surrender my inhibitions in the name of this uncertain, possibly fleeting feeling, whilst all I held onto was nothing but a thin thread. There was an invincible tornado spinning inside my brain, going on an endless loop of spirals; so powerful, that only his warm touch could silence.
My lips shamelessly implored for that sensation and knew exactly where to extract it from. His face appeared to me like an apparition; so rare, so phenomenal in my eyes, until my face and his were milliseconds away from colliding.
The waiting game was intimate, yet utterly painful to endure. My limbs weakened every second that passed without his lips puckering on mine. I coerced myself to resist, but the forces of nature spat on my refusal to accept the state of being vulnerable, the state of being true and inviting; with no pretensions nor remnants of fear holding me back, and they were angry.
Eventually, I gave in. We kissed hard and passionately; driven by mutual hate and forbidden love with a concealed hint of lust on both ends, ready to be set loose. My body was afloat, levitated by the magic of his touch and connection. I was caressed by the tranquil winds as they made me bend over and drop down on my knees; hopelessly drunk in love.
After long minutes of cackling and flirting with romantic silences in between, I sighted a familiar man lurking in the shadows, crouching behind the trash bins. Nathan had noticed it too, so we both agreed to confront our alleged stalker.
As the wind passed by, I got a glimpse of his hair wiggling behind. And for some reason, I knew right away that it wasn't papparazzi nor was it a homeless man creepily watching us as we kissed.
"Eric Greddon! I can see you! You know how I loathe kissing with an audience," I said.
Frightened by my shriek, he knocked the bins off, and eventually came out of hiding. He stood up, dusted off his jeans and said, "Long time no see, Nate."
"Likewise, Ric."
"I didn't mean to interrupt your steamy make-out session, but you both really need to hear this. It's urgent," he said, inserting his hands into his pocket. "Now, I advise you should at least get drunk when you listen to this, though. This sure is a lot to take in for one night," warned Eric.
Nathan's bruised hands, caused by the brawl that had happened, throbbed in pain the longer they were exposed to dust. Although it was quite obvious that he wanted to stay with me and be a part of the conversation, he was forced to go to a nearby convenience store to get some band-aids. So he left, giving Eric and I some time alone to talk.
When Nathan left, I looked at Eric with an annoyed expression. I raised my eyebrows while crossing my arms, implying to have lifted my "I don't have all day" placard on my forehead.
In the longest time that I've known him, and in the closeness our friendship had gone through all these years, I could say I know him more than he knows himself.
I found it quite strange for Eric to come to a place not ideal all by himself, despite usually being accompanied with bodyguards and chauffeurs, and claims he needed to spit out whatever it is he thought was so important after being caught off guard.
Obviously, I wasn't at all curious for what he has to say, let alone intrigued, or so I thought.
As my streak of impatience grew, Eric began to talk under pressure. "On the night of the debutante ball, we were supposed to get engaged. Your family and mine have been planning this a long time ago, even before we were born."
I couldn't help but laugh at his extremely comical premise by hitting his shoulder playfully. To me, no dots were connecting and everything he just said didn't seem to make any sense at any angle. Nonetheless, I tried to talk smart and discredit him in a manner he was interested in — intellectual discourse.
"Oh, come on, Eric, don't be ridiculous," I flinched at the thought, "yeah, sure, arranged marriages were considered a norm in the early 20th century, but we are in the 21st century now. Heck, there are even laws that prohibit those." I crossed my arms. "...Am I right?"
Eric scoffed at my obviously lame effort and continued what I thought was nonsense, "We were a perfect match. Firstborns of well-off, upper-class families solidified by a special bond of camaraderie, shared culture, and most importantly, wealth.
At first, our families were merely good allies in business and trade, when they realized they could fortify their partnership to the extent of marriage. That's when they started controlling our fate and pushing us to be together all the time since we were toddlers. As soon as they found out that there was something going on between us for real, they took advantage of it."
"Then how come I suspected no such thing before?" I asked.
"They're cunning, manipulative, and our parents. No explanation needed."
"So as I was saying, I was your escort at the debutante cotillion ball. My mom gave me the engagement ring — a family heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next. She said I must propose to you right after the ball, and I was told that it must be kept a secret from you," he said, showing a photograph of us on stage.
"But being the defiant teenager you are, you took a page out of your "how to get laid" book and snuck off with Nathan without so much as a warning, and I had to cover for you and lie straight up to my parents," he added.
"So you knew all along? And you had no decency, not even a little, to disclose this to me? Nice try, Eric, but I don't think I believe you." Pissed, I walked past him, not giving into his perfectly structured speech.
He held me back. "No, no... Avery, please. You have to believe me. That's why I told you to meet me at Wixton Academy the day after we met at the Founder's Ball, but you stood me up," he said, pulling my arm.
"Who would want to meet up with a two-faced prick who thinks so highly of himself? Do you even remember what you said to me that night?"
"No, you don't understand. When we met at the Founder's Ball, someone was there too; and he was spying on us. He was following me the whole time. That's why I acted like a jackass to you so that he wouldn't think that I told you the truth."
"Oh my God. Maybe that was the private investigator my parents hired to look for me!" I gasped, covering my mouth with both hands.
"Our parents have tricked us since the beginning of our friendship. They even bribed your professor into getting you expelled so you'd have to attend the Founders' Ball that they, themselves, have orchestrated so that there would be a possibility we'd meet."
"Wh-what? They wouldn't go that far, would they? I only wanted some time apart. I guess they've known where I was all this time," I said, taking a step back, processing my thoughts. Skeptical of his speech, I asked, "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because, Avery, the plot may have changed, but their plans still remained intact. They want us to get married as soon as possible. Mind you that wedding preparations are being finalized as we speak."
He's right. I should've gotten drunk the moment he told me to. I can't even begin to comprehend which is real and what isn't.
This is just a lot to take in.
Having learned more unraveling secrets, I called a taxi cab and slept through the whole ride on the way home.
When I arrived, Nate was lying on the couch, watching Sports TV. I jumped over next to him, hesitating to break the news. He moved closer to me and leaned his head on my shoulder. His puppy eyes were an indication of his interest in listening to what Eric and I talked about.
Still overwhelmed, I thought of not involving Nathan into all of this. That particular day was complicated enough in the version we have lived in. Telling him the entirety of what happened would just make the situation even worse.
But I told him anyway.
"Remember when you asked me a lot of questions at the Wixton's Founder's Ball about the night of our little elopement two years ago? It's ironic how I ran away with you to get married, only to find out I was supposed to get engaged on that same night as well. What a stupidly shocking turn of events. My parents have completely lost their minds," I mumbled.
I stared at a blank space.
"So what you're telling me is, on the night of the debutante ball, we snuck off together like star-crossed lovers in those Shakespeare stories, had a very hot, steamy sex in this apartment, and when morning came, you took off and left my beautiful naked ass drooling on your bed alone; abandoning me and the plans we made," he said.
"You returned back home to your gigantic mansion, waited for a couple of days in isolation, thinking about the what if's in life, then ran away from home on a solo trip, leaving everyone in your life; including me," he added, scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
He moaned in delight of the cold dessert. "You disappeared for two years to wherever your car has taken you and not a single clue of who you were with. As soon as you were done soul searching or finding whatever paradise hidden out there in the horizons, you came back here in this apartment and planned to start anew. Is that about it?"
"Yes! Wow. Who knew you were so good at this! Wait, so...does that mean you're not mad at me anymore? Are we finally burying the hatchet and moving on from the past? But at the Founder's Ball, you were so —"
"Nah, save it. You know I don't hold grudges. Life's too short to hate the only person whom you know you can't last a day without," Nate interrupted.
I turned around quickly. I didn't want him to see me smile, or hear the butterflies uproaring inside my stomach.
"Here, have some ice cream. I picked up some flavors when I bought a few bandages. No one can say no to Ben & Jerry's," Nate said, shoving the spoonful of chocolate almonds straight into my mouth. He laughed shamelessly at my bloated face whilst the chocolate melted down at the corner of his right lip.
Life, indeed, has no shortage of surprises and secrets.
Who knows what more revelations there are buried for me to dig into? After all, all I need is to bring a shovel, and someone who can take me to the right spot.