This is the updated/revised version of Attraction

Caked spunk is horribly inconvenient, especially if the culprit stains you all over as if marking their property. I scratched my chest and regretted it instantly. This guy had it all wrong if he thought I would stick around. Sure, I usually enjoyed a round of cuddling and whispers of promises never to be fulfilled, but something about this particular one night stand rubbed me the wrong way. Or maybe it wasn't this particular one. Since I got my panties in a bunch with that Tom character over a month ago, fooling around hadn't held the same appeal.

I stared up at the plain ceiling and wondered if the guy next to me would rise from his coma if I sneaked out. His breaths were even, but his eyebrows kept twitching as if he were dreaming. He was kind of adorable, but Spunky had a few lessons in manners to learn—such as not making it awkward to ask for a freaking condom. I huffed and scooted away, making sure not to wake him up.

The apartment was of the tiny kind, cozy but cramped. The bed was about a meter away from the kitchen, and the bathroom door had to be closed if you wanted to cook dinner. There was no way I could have used the shower without making a mess of the situation. Of course, I was already a mess. A chuckle betrayed my tired amusement. This walk of shame would be one to remember.

On my way out, I stopped by the mirror and checked for obvious signs of leftovers. Nothing showed, and with one last glance over my shoulder, I turned the handle and walked away, grinning as I imagined his annoyance in the morning when he realized that I'd stolen his orange juice. It worked wonders as a mouthwash when nothing else was available. Clearly, the guy's hygiene habits left a lot to be desired.

The street outside was busy with life, but the otherwise familiar city sounds echoed with a strange kind of emptiness. I thought I had left that emptiness behind me when I left Stockholm, but some days, I wasn't exactly sure what I'd fled or what I had found instead. Perhaps I was still looking for that something I'd never been able to find before. It was too bad that I had no idea what that something was. It kept eluding me, sneaking away whenever I thought I'd gotten close.

* * * *

"Sweet cheeks, I'm coming over," I hollered as Chris answered the call with a groan. I had returned to my apartment, showered, and decided that I couldn't stand the place. Then I'd had the most fabulous idea because Adam was finally in town. I had texted Adam's boyfriend about the party already so it was a done deal.

Chris groaned. "Why are you so freaking happy in the morning?"

"I'm excited because it's Saturday, and we're going to have an awesome day together." I turned a corner and saw Chris' building a few hundred meters away. He was getting a surprise, and making him happy would help me forget all about Spunky.

"I have plans..." he replied, but I caught the lie. He was a terrible liar, after all.

"Now you have plans. But it's a surprise." I took the last sip from my take away cappuccino and discarded the paper cup in the next trash can while Chris ranted in my ear. He would come around as soon as I told him about the surprise.

"Stop whining, I'm at yours in a minute."

Chris sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just don't make me go shopping or something like that."

I gasped for effect. "I would never."

"Yes you would."

Okay, maybe he was right, but this Saturday was not meant for shopping. This was a day to forget my sullen thoughts and uncomfortable loneliness. Nothing beats a slump like a day with great friends.

I took the stairs two at a time and panted beneath my smile when Chris opened the door.

"Come in," he said, still dressed in a loose T-shirt and a pair of black boxers. He scratched his blond hair and yawned. I must have woken him up from la-la land.

"So, get dressed. We need to leave in like," I checked the time on my phone, "twenty minutes."

He looked less than pleased with my revelation, rubbing his eyes and pouting like a child. "I haven't had breakfast."

"We'll have something on the way." I steered him into the bedroom, chuckling as I saw Dante still fast asleep. Chris had told me that the guy was a heavy sleeper with a foul morning mood. "Are we waking him up?" I asked.

"No, he's got a rehearsal in an hour. He's got an alarm."

I poked Dante's foot. "He looks dead." The foot slipped away out of sight, hidden beneath the cover. Maybe not dead, then.

"You seriously have no concept of personal space," he gestured around the room, "or privacy." If he hadn't been chuckling, I might have taken offense.

"You're right, so why don't you get dressed while I wake your boyfriend." Dante and I had met several times since the charity dinner, building our friendship in a weird fashion. He could be completely silent for hours only to say the deepest shit a second later. I had a vague suspicion that he knew me better than most. He had a warm heart that needed to be treasured and a mind that put most others to shame.

"I said, don't wake him up. He'll be moody and we don't have time for that if you're serious about those twenty minutes."

"True. I'm sure he wouldn't mind my cuddles, though."

Chris gestured in defeat. "I rest my case. Personal space around you is nonexistent."

With a wide grin, I helped him through his closet. He had a vague fashion sense—and that was me dishing out a compliment. It was kind of refreshing to have a friend who didn't obsess over clothes or appearance. As long as he was fine with me making a fuss, our differences worked out perfectly.

We left the apartment and Chris immediately began to walk faster than necessary. It was a condition that plagued the entire city all hours of the day. It was no wonder people got stressed and cranky when they never took their time to appreciate the surroundings. There were so many hot guys around, after all.

"So, what are we actually doing today?" Chris asked.

"We're arranging a party at your place."

"Huh?" Chris stared at me with arched brows. "You think you're hosting a party at our place? Why would I allow that? It's not even my apartment. It's Dante's."

"Pft, formalities. It's a surprise party for Adam. He's finally back from that long-ass road trip, and we're throwing him a party."

Chris' frown melted away. "That's actually a good idea." His attention shifted to the people gawking at a street performer. "Wait, why do you know this when I don't?"

It was a valid question since Chris and Adam were very close. I would even call them best friends, but perhaps people had moved on from using such terms. It was a little sad for those like me who never got to be the best one, but rather the one everybody hung out with on occasion.

"I messaged him a few days ago to check how he was doing," I said, hoping that would soften the blow.

"Fair. Well, are you bringing your DJ equipment, or did you have a smaller party in mind?"

"Hmm...what do you think he'd prefer?" I asked, knowing that Adam might still be a bit sensitive after everything that had happened. The last thing I wanted was to make him uncomfortable.

Chris rubbed his chin. "Adam likes dancing. Perhaps we don't need a crowd for that."

"True, but it would be a bit sad if it's just us."

"I'll invite my brother, his partner and some friends then. And you know plenty of random people so why not ask some of them?"

"Sure can do." I went to work immediately, sending out messages in bulk. None of these people would say no to a party in a flashy apartment with me as their DJ. They weren't close friends by any measure, but they knew how to have fun.

We stopped at a liquor store not far from their apartment. It was an uptown place with fancy wine on display in the window. I checked the prices and let out a soft huff. Some people sure liked to spend. One of the bottles cost more than I'd made in total since I came to the US. If Chris wanted one of those, he'd have to pay out of his pocket, not mine.

The air inside smelled of cigars. It was odd, and I questioned my sanity until I saw cases of cigars lined up behind the old-fashioned counter. In Sweden, it was only the state-owned company that could sell alcohol in closed bottles, and they didn't sell anything else in the stores. Tourists and foreigners always complained, but strangely enough, Swedes were mostly fine with the monopoly.

"Are we buying one of those?" I asked, pointing.

"A cigar? To celebrate?" He looked confused.

"Maybe not. I don't even think he smokes." I tried to remember if I'd ever seen him with a cigarette. Adam was a sweetheart, fun to be around, but perhaps not the wild type.

We piled up various forms of alcohol in a cart, and I silently hoped that Chris would cover at least half of the expenses. My wallet echoed rather empty from time to time between gigs—something I only had myself to blame for. I lacked the ability to hold on to money. Hence the scruffy apartment.

The cashier eyed our collection on the counter. "May I see your IDs, please?" she asked.

Reluctantly, I handed her my passport. I hated showing it since the photo had been taken almost five years ago. She nodded and gave it back, only, I wasn't fast enough.

"Hey, don't look at that." It was too late. Chris was already grinning.

"Can't believe I haven't seen this before. What's up with the serious face? I never see you without a smile." He showed me the pictures as if I hadn't seen it already. I tried to take it back but failed.

"I have a serious face." I schooled my expression and gave him a harsh stare. It didn't work.

He laughed. "No you don't."

"Sirs, you're holding the line," the cashier said, glancing at the customers behind us.

Chris fished out his wallet, produced his ID and paid for everything.

"I'll pay you back," I said, trying one more time to retrieve my passport. He held it tightly and wouldn't let go. What a fabulous friend. Not!

I resigned and packed the bags. I'd have to steal it back later when he wasn't prepared.

The sun blasted us with heat as we stepped outside—a huge contrast from the cool air inside the liquor store. Cars and people passed by, and I got a strange flashback from the charity dinner. Standing on a street such as this, I had peered up at the sky and felt that first unwelcome tinge of loneliness since I arrived in the US.

"So, how long are you staying by the way? Are you traveling back to Sweden, or what? Can't see a visa here."

"It's not in the passport. It was an online thing, but I think it's some kind of tourist visa"

"Cool. But how long are you allowed to stay? And, hold on. A tourist visa? You've been working."

"Well, they're paying me with cash."

"Still illegal, man."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. It's not like anyone will find out." I hoped no one would, at least. It wasn't something that kept me up at night. Maybe it should have.

"But how long can you stay with the tourist visa?"

"I think it said something like 90 days." Another thing I hadn't thought through. I did some quick calculations. "Shit, I think I've been here like three months soon. What happens if I stay too long?"

Chris' worried frown didn't help. "They won't let you back in."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Seriously."

I almost dropped the heavy bags. I should have known all of this, but my lazy ass hadn't bothered with the details. It had been easy enough to fill in the stuff online. Guess it wasn't Europe where you could stay in another EU country and get work without much trouble. Shrugging, I tried to get rid of the nagging unease. "Let's forget about this today. We're having a party for Adam."

Chris relieved me of one of the bags and patted my shoulder. "Good idea. We can deal with your visa tomorrow. We'll talk with Lara...she knows her way around."

"Awesome." I gave him my brightest, bravest smile and skipped away with a spring in my step. Everything would be fine. Everything would work out perfectly. It just had to. Going back to Stockholm wasn't really an option. I was too proud to go home and admit defeat, but most of all I didn't want to go back.

A/N Let me know what you think. I struggled SO much with this chapter. Not even funny. Had to move the plot forward a bit though :)

More fan art!!! Thank you  nirvana4everlivson <3

And this one I made the other day because I simply couldn't help myself :3 xox