| 16 |

~ Lance Astor ~

I can't believe it but...Banks is drunk.

Like she's actually fully drunk.

When we came back to the bar, she downed her martini as if it was a shot glass then demanded another one. While I had no issue with her wanting to drink all of a sudden, my concern grew when she held her fifth glass, chugging it down like she'd been thirty forever.

After chugging down a glass, she places a hand on her chest, as if checking something before a wince marks her face. Then she orders another glass.

"Hey, Banks." I slowly approach her. "Maybe you should slow down a bit—"

"Shhh." She sloppily slams her finger on top of my lips, nearly poking through my nose. "Just get me another."

"Maybe, just maybe, you've had too much—"

She snatches her finger away from me, turning to the other side while shaking her head. "I don't want to listen to you. I just need another." Her words are starting to slur and her eyelids half droop over her eyes.

The bartender places another drink in front of Banks and she wastes no second in picking it up. She throws her head head and downs the drink within seconds, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

She places her hand on her chest again, waiting for a beat before letting out a groan. "Fuck. It still hurts. Why won't it just stop fucking hurting?"

"What's hurting?"

"My stupid heart."

My brows furrow. "Your heart?"

She nods, sighing. "It sucks. Having an abusive ex sucks asss." A hiccup escapes her lips, catching her off guard. She giggles. "Oops. Guess I got drunk."

My jaw clenches. "An abusive ex?"

She nods, then abruptly shakes her head, nearly sending herself flying off her seat with the force with which she does it. "No. No. I do not want to talk about him. We're over him, alright, Lance? We're so fucking over him. Like, over the moon over him. No, wait. Over the sun over him. Yeah, the sun." She grins, satisfied.

A loud cheer from the dance floor catches her attention. Then without another word, she staggers to her feet, smiling in their direction. She starts walking and I quickly hurry to follow after her.

"Where are you going?"

"Dancing!"

"You can dance?"

"Of course I can. Who doesn't know how to dance?" She gives me a look as if I asked something ridiculous.

She bumps into several people, not pausing in her pursuit. I apologize to them on her behalf, hastening after Banks.

She stops in the middle of the dance floor, her eyes wide with excitement and joy. Then she moves her shoulders to the beat, gently swaying from side to side.

"Aren't you gonna dance?" She asks when I don't move.

"You want me to dance with you?"

She nods, enthusiastically.

I shrug, before copying her moves and start swaying to the music, nodding my head along to it. She smiles up at me and I swear I nearly trip over my fucking shoes. It's not one of those awkward or amused smiles she gives me from time to time. This smile is full of joy, and bliss. It's as if she's swimming in a lake of clouds. It's one of those smiles that stretches all the way up with flushed cheeks and a hazy gaze.

I'm so caught up in that smile that I don't notice when the music changes until Banks squeals. She grabs my arm and before I know it, she starts dancing. Like actually dancing. She sways her hips and shakes her hair. Surprise takes over my features. I didn't know Banks had a single dancing bone in her body.

"This is my favourite song!" She yells over the music, grinning.

The moment is so contagious and so pure that I can't help letting out a laugh, joining her. Occasionally, I have to steady her when she trips over her own feet.

She finds a bottle of alcohol from somewhere and I try to take it away from her, not knowing what someone might've slipped into the drink, but before I can, she starts chugging it.

"Banks!" I finally get the bottle away, causing a few drops to dribble down her chin. I sniff the bottle, trying to catch anything fishy about it before quickly discarding it.

She's oblivious to my concern, twirling around on the dance floor, closing her eyes and letting herself go to the music. The look on her face is so carefree and peaceful that I don't want to interrupt her. She puts her arms out, twirling and moving from one spot to another, her lips pulled up into a soothing smile.

Kaylee and Theo join in too and after that it's like I can't recognize Banks anymore. She goes from twirling like a little girl to full-on gyrating between Kaylee and Theo, who don't question the sudden change in her behaviour.

I notice it though. I notice everything. While I'm glad she's feeling happy right now, I can't stop thinking about the fact that something made her want to lose control of herself.

After making sure she's secured with Kaylee and Theo, I head back towards our booth. I need a cold glass of water. My throat feels parched. I still keep looking over my shoulder, making sure Banks didn't accidentally hurt herself in any way.

"Why is she embarrassing me like this?" Caleb groans. His hands are slammed on his eyes, looking the very bit embarrassed.

"Banks?" I ask.

"Yes! What's wrong with her? Why is she suddenly dancing when she never danced before?"

I lift a shoulder, gulping down a cold glass of water. "She had too much to drink."

Caleb's hands fly away from his eyes, staring up at me in shock. "Banks drank?"

I nod, wincing. "A lot."

"What the fuck? She never drinks. Not after she left high school anyways."

"Maybe she recollected her love for it after the first sip?" I joke while I don't feel like laughing at all.

Something bothered Banks to the point where she wanted to drink. And I'm gonna fucking find out what.

●・○・●・○・●

It's almost one a.m. when I finally decide everyone's had enough. Xander and Castle agree too before standing up to pull a very drunk Kaylee and Theo away from the dance floor, telling them that it's time to go home.

"Just one more dance." Theo's head lolls on Castle's shoulder. "I almost got that blonde's number!"

"You already have too many numbers on your phone." Castle grunts.

Xander looks pissed, handling an out-of-control Kaylee who won't stop chattering his ear off.

On seeing me, her eyes brighten. "If you ever need a stepmom, call me!"

"Uh...no thanks. I love my mom very much." I respond before nearing Banks.

She's still dancing and I have to drag her away.

"Nooo! I don't wanna go home just yet!"

"It's too late. You need some sleep now."

"No! Those memories are going to come back!"

My arm pauses on her waist. "What memories?"

Her happy face vanishes and her brows furrow. Her bottom lip quivers as if she's going to cry. "Please don't make me remember."

I study her face for a while, before softly brushing away a few sweaty strands of her hair. "I won't. Let's go now."

"I don't want to go!" She whines, squirming to get out of my hold.

"It's really late. You have to wake up early for work tomorrow, remember?"

She groans, dropping her head against my shoulder. "I hate working."

"So does everyone."

"I'm gonna become a stripper with Kaylee."

"Yes!" Kaylee throws a hand up while Xander tries to keep her upright.

"I want to become a stripper too." Theo pouts at Castle. "Can I become a stripper?"

Castle rolls his eyes. "No one's becoming a stripper."

"Won't I make a good stripper, Lance?" Banks looks up at me.

My hands pause at the question. I look at her, up and down, my throat going dry at the image of her doing any of the sort. I shake my head. "I know other things that you're really good at other than stripping."

"Will I make a good stripper?" Theo asks.

"No." Everyone replies.

"Maybe I can seduce Feng." Banks giggles.

"Hey, I've already got my eyes on him!" Kaylee jabs a finger at Banks.

"Feng?" Theo scrunches his eyebrows. "He won't be interested in you unless you wear a thong made with dollar bills."

I roll my eyes. Feng is going to die in horror if he finds out that Banks and Kaylee are talking about seducing him.

I hoist Banks up properly to my side, "Let's go home."

A panicked look crosses her face. "I don't want to go though. If I leave then my heart is going to get stabbed with pain again." She grips her chest where her heart is.

"I promise I'll not let that happen." Even though I don't know how.

She looks up at me, wide-eyed and innocent. "You promise?"

I nod. "Promise. Now let's go back home."

She hesitates for a moment before nodding and letting me whisk her away to my car. We meet Caleb who's waiting for me outside. Banks wiggles in my hold until I free her and she stumbles towards her brother.

She stares at him, deeply. "You fucking idiot. Why do you have a twin? As if dealing with one of you wasn't enough."

He rolls his eyes. "You're drunk."

"Am not. I can still beat your ass."

I unlock the car door and buckle Banks inside, while Caleb settles in the back seat.

The ride home is filled with Banks belting out lyrics with the radio on. Caleb laughs nonstop while recording her on his phone. We reach her apartment within fifteen minutes and I help her out.

Caleb doesn't wait, walking away.

The alcohol must be taking its final effects on Banks because her steps are more sluggish and her shoulders droop until I'm sure she's going to face-plant anytime.

I slide my arm around her waist, giving her support as I lock my car and head into the elevator. Her head nestles against the crook of my shoulder, snuggling herself to my side.

"You're so warm. You feel like a blanket."

"Oh yeah?" I smile, amused.

She nods and then yawns sleepily. "I'm so tired. I can fall asleep right here."

"Just wait for two more minutes."

"These arms feel really strong too." She squeezes my bicep and then gives me an appreciative nod. The action gives me a confidence boost. She thinks I have strong biceps!

When we reach her door, Banks detaches herself from me before dropping face-first onto her couch. I get on my knees and slide off her shoes from her feet, placing them near the doorway.

Then I fill in a cool glass of water before shaking Banks awake and into a sitting position and making her drink it. Some clarity returns to her eyes but she still looks sleepy and exhausted as fuck.

Noticing the dried alcohol on her face, I find a cloth in her kitchen and wet it before gently wiping Banks' face. I run the cloth over her eyebrows and temples making sure to wipe the dried sweat too. I move down to her nose then her lips.

I look up to see her watching me intently with those dark, hazy eyes. Her lips are parted and there's this unexplainable look on her face.

A tiny gulp goes down my throat and I resume wiping her lips, moving down to her chin. When I move down to her neck, she falls back against the couch, breathing out a sigh of contentment as I wipe her throat and her collarbones. Her face is the epitome of serenity right now, looking blissed and relaxed as I run the cool cloth over her skin.

When I'm done, I get up to put the cloth away. I take two steps before a hand on my wrist stops me. I look back to see Banks looking up at me with tears shining in her eyes.

"Don't leave me." Her voice sounds wounded.

My lips part and I can't imagine what might've caused this look on her face. Her hold tightens on my wrist, a silent urge for me to listen to her.

"Everybody leaves me." She continues in that same hurt tone.

I take her hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going to leave you. I'm just putting this away. I'll be right back."

Her face shows that she doesn't trust me but she reluctantly lets go of my wrist. I quickly put the cloth away and hurry back to her side.

"See. I'm back."

She smiles at me, before tugging me down on the couch beside her. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise when she puts her head back into the crook of my shoulder, snuggling into my side. Not knowing what to do, I slowly put my arm around her, resting my hand on her waist.

A door opens from the side and I look up to see Caleb walking out of the bathroom with a freshly washed face. He halts when he sees the scene on the couch before quickly shaking his head and scurrying into his bedroom.

"You know what I hate the most?" Banks' question pulls my attention back to her.

"What?"

"When my own thoughts turn against me. My own thoughts make me feel so worthless of myself no matter how much I tell myself that I'm okay. Even if I'm not drop-dead gorgeous, I don't have to hate myself. My thoughts don't get that though."

"Why not?" I furrow my eyebrows. Banks always looked drop-dead gorgeous to me. Even right now in her messy, reeking state.

She shrugs. "It might've been because of my parents. Might've been because of Ben. Mostly my parents. They hated me for how I looked. I was the fat child so yeah, understandable. They put me through diet and exercise to the point where my bones poked through my skin. They tried moulding me into their perfect daughter but the insecurities they created in me remained, you know?"

What the fuck?

My grip on her waist tightens, unhappily. "That was fucking horrible of them, Banks. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. They really are shitty parents."

She goes silent for a while, before speaking. "I don't know why I was never perfect for them. I tried my best to do whatever they wanted and even gave up my favourite candies and chips. I ran for two fucking hours every day even though I wanted to pass out. Every day, I killed myself a little just to try and make them happy but they always pointed out my faults. Sometimes my chin was too saggy. Sometimes my thighs were too thick. Sometimes my wrists were too wide and not elegant like those other girls. Even when I started becoming skinny, they faulted me for not being pretty enough. They think I'm an utter and useless failure."

I feel something wet on my shirt and realize it's tears. I cup her face with my hand, tilting her head to look up at me. She doesn't meet my eyes though, silently looking at my lap with the saddest expression ever.

"Hey, look at me." She does, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're perfect the way you are. You get me? I don't know what your parent's ulterior goal was but whatever it was, forget it. What they did to you was fucking horrible. No parent should do that to their own fucking child."

"They made me feel so ugly all the time." This time, the tears escape, cascading down her cheeks as she speaks in that choked, hurt voice.

In all of my life, I've always been a pretty chill person. Even if someone picked on me, I would handle the situation with a smile or try to cease the tension with a joke. But right now, watching Banks cry while telling me about her past, I want to fucking punch her parents. The anger I feel right now is unexplainable.

Who the fuck puts their child through all this fucking trauma?

"If your parents were alive right now, I would've given them a piece of my mind. I would've punched them too. They clearly didn't understand your beauty. I know this is hard to do, but forget about them, Banks. Their words don't mean anything."

"Of course they did. I was very fucking ugly."

"No, you're not."

"I was! I got bullied during elementary school for taking up the whole bus seat. I got bullied for breaking a chair when I sat on it. No one wanted to be my friend."

"Banks." I soften my tone, wiping her tears with my thumbs. "Kids do mean shit like that because it's their parents who don't teach them acceptance and love. It had nothing to do with you. This society is a mess with insufferable close-minded people. None of their words should bother you."

"But they did and now I feel so broken all the time. I tell myself I'm alright but every time something good happens to me, I feel like I don't deserve it. I feel like I don't fucking deserve you."

I blink. "You...think you don't deserve me?"

More tears of agony fall down her face. She stares up at me with so much hurt and vulnerability. I don't think about what I do next. I scoop her into my arms, putting her onto my lap, and wrapping my arms around her.

She cries harder into my chest, while I stroke her back, tightening my arms around her.

"Why would you think you don't deserve me?"

"Because you're too good for me. Your life is perfect, your family is perfect, your career is perfect. You don't deserve to be with a broken mess like me. I'm scared you're going to wake up one day and see me as someone worthless and pursue another girl."

"Fuck, Banks, I would never do that. I would never do that to you. You're literally my obsession at this point."

She leans her head up to blink at me. "I am?"

I nod. "Since I've met you, you've been running around in my head, driving me insane. I can't focus on my work because I'm always in a hurry to drop everything and come see you." My hand reaches up and I trace the shape of her lips. "I want to see this mouth stretched into a smile, knowing that I put it there. I don't think I can bring myself to leave you any time soon."

Her tears finally stop flowing and she stares up at me with an unblinking gaze. "You're...you're obsessed with me?"

I nod. "Very damn much."

"Really?"

"Really."

A look close to relief crosses her face, but that doesn't take away the rest of her hurt.

"I wish I didn't let my thoughts consume me." She whispers.

I'm still touching her lips, loving the feel of them against my skin. I want to kiss these lips so bad. I want to press my mouth to hers and take away all her pain and sadness and make them nonexistent.

As if sensing my thoughts, Banks' hands curl into a fist on my chest, clutching my shirt. She stares up at me through wide awaiting eyes, as if waiting for me to make a move.

I would. Fuck. I would totally kiss her right now. But she's drunk and she just cried and shared her pain with me. I don't want to kiss her when she's not in her right mind. I bet she's going to wake up tomorrow and regret telling me any of this. She's going to go back to her close-guarded self and lock me out again.

I can't kiss her right now when she's going to hate it the next day. So I gently release her hands from my shirt, coaxing them to wrap around me. I pull her head back onto my chest, my arms sliding around her waist and holding her as close to me as possible.

I love the feeling of her against me. I love how she settles calmly and gently on my lap as if she belonged here this whole time.

"Go to sleep, Banks." I run my fingers through her hair. "I'll be right here till you wake up."

She lets out a soft sigh, letting go and dropping her weight against me. Within minutes, her breaths even out and she's fast asleep. I'm not too far behind when my own eyes fall shut and I'm taken away by darkness.

●・○・●・○・●

~ Banks Woods ~

A dull ache throbs in my head as my eyes crack open. My first thought is 'Why the fuck am I still alive?'

A small groan leaves my mouth when the sunlight peeking through the window stabs my eyes. I squirm around the couch only to realize my limbs are pinned down by a heavyweight.

Not only that, something tickles my chin and warm air falls on my chest as if someone's breathing. Frowning, I look down and gasp when I see half of Lance's body lying on top of me.

What. The. Fuck?

Panic takes over me. What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck? When did he get here? Why is he here? Am I dreaming?

My brain instantly works hard to remember the last thing it can. We went to the club and I spoke a lot with Xander and Castle. Well—mostly Castle since Xander is a man of few words. Then Lance came to invite me to drink and then...

Ben.

Shit.

How can I forget what happened?

He was there and he said all those hurtful things. He touched me and then called me a whore. Then Xander came. Then Lance.

I wanted to forget the encounter with Ben so bad along with the memories he brought that I drank myself to the point where I saw clouds and flowers all around me.

Then Lance brought me home and then...then I cried all over his chest while he held me.

I squeeze my eyes shut again, begging every God I know to just end my life right here. Embarrassment like no other coats my skin, making me feel warmer than I am.

Lance stayed with me as he promised.

He stayed, holding me to his chest so that even he fell asleep.

The words I said to him, God, that was so pathetic. Why would I just blurt out all those things to him?

Right. Because I wasn't in my right mind. I curse myself under my breath.

'You're literally my obsession at this point.'

My heart pounds when I remember the words Lance said. He said I was his obsession. Someone who drove him crazy. The effect of those words hit me harder right now. I stare up at the ceiling, releasing a silent sigh.

Looking back down, I wince. I can't believe I have to face him after last night. While I know he wouldn't make me feel uncomfortable about it at all, I still feel so fucking embarrassed.

His head lies on top of my chest, his nose sending warm breath down my shirt. Half of his body is on top of me with his arm wrapped around my waist. He looks so snuggled beside me that I can't help but stare.

Normally, if I found anyone else touching me like this, I would've fucking screamed. But with Lance...why do I wanna run my fingers through his hair instead?

My intrusive thoughts win and I slowly rake my fingers through his hair. A sigh escapes his lips and he pushes closer into me, snuggling his head further into my chest and tightening his hold around my waist.

A burst of heat shoots up my face and I blush harder than I've ever blushed before.

My eyes catch onto the clock and I widen my eyes when I realize Caleb would be waking up any time soon. If he sees me and Lance in this position, he will not let me live it down.

Despite not wanting to lose this moment, I clear my throat. "Lance. Lance. Wake up."

He doesn't move.

I free one of my arms from his hold and shake his shoulder.

"Lance wake up."

He groans, shifting in his sleep. His face comes closer to my breasts and he nestles between them as if they're his own personal pillows. I don't think about what I do next. I slap him across the face. Hard.

He jerks up, startled before losing his balance and tumbling down the couch.

I gasp, my hands flying to my mouth.

I didn't mean to slap him. I really didn't. The sudden intimate contact made me panic and I acted without thinking.

Lance rubs his eyes, squinting down at the carpet before looking up at me.

"Banks...? Ouch. What the hell?" He rubs his cheek, looking confused.

"I didn't mean to slap you. I'm sorry." I wince.

He waves my apology away, putting his arms in the air and stretching his body. "Damn. That's one of the best sleep I've had in fucking years."

"Really?"

He nods. "I felt like I was in a dream." He gives me a sleepy lazy smile that makes my heart flutter before his brows draw in concern. "Are you alright? Headache or anything?"

I nod, touching my temple. "It's like I'm inside a church bell while someone viciously bangs it."

"Felt that." Lance winces along with me. "Do you have any medicine?"

"Yeah, in the kitchen drawer."

He doesn't ask any more questions, standing up and walking into the kitchen. He returns with two pills and a glass of water, handing them to me.

"Thanks." I take them from him. While drinking, I subconsciously try fixing my hair so it doesn't look like a huge mess. He sits beside me, drinking his own glass of water.

There's silence between us but I know I have to address the elephant in the room so I awkwardly clear my throat. "About last night..."

His head tilts in my direction, giving me a lax smile. "You don't have to talk about it. If you want I can pretend it never happened."

"No, that'll just make me feel worse." I tuck my hair behind my ear. "I didn't mean to put all that on you out of nowhere. You shouldn't have to be taking care of me."

"I want to. It's alright."

I shake my head. It's not alright for me. I'm not used to being taken care of and it doesn't feel right.

"Just smack me or something before I even think of getting drunk again."

He laughs. "I'm not going to hit you, Banks."

"The only way to stop me is through violence. Words don't work on me. So yes, I'm giving you a free chance to slap me. It's also payback for all the times I punched your nose and when I slapped you five minutes ago."

He rubs his jaw, a playful smirk sliding to his lips. "I kind of like being abused by you."

I nearly spit out my water. "W-what?"

He shrugs. "You abusing me started this whole thing. Us. Maybe abuse is what will keep this going too."

The light in his eyes is the only indication that he's joking, so I shake my head, letting out a chuckle.

"Sure. I'm glad to have a free punching bag." I joke.

"I'm honoured to be your punching bag." He does an elegant bow.

We drink the rest of our water in silence.

A sudden realization comes over me. I probably look like a huge mess right now after being drunk and sweating buckets last night. I am in desperate need of a shower. Yet...I don't feel conscious in front of Lance. Not about my looks or about how I smell. I don't know if it's because of the type of person he is or if suddenly I gained a new confidence. Or maybe both. It's also probably because I don't care enough with this pounding headache.

A groan escapes my lips. "Fuck Kaylee. I'm in no mood to go to work today." The sun isn't out yet but my day still has to start.

Lance nods in agreement. "Duty calls, though. Slackers don't get a chance in this world."

"Yeah."

"Well," He gulps down the remaining water before standing up. "I'll get going then."

A sinking feeling settles in my chest. I...don't want him to leave yet. I don't know why but I don't. Still, I stand up from the couch and walk him over to the door.

He buttons up the buttons of his shirt, fluffing up his hair before picking up his phone, wallet and keys.

He turns around to face me again and this time when our eyes meet, some sort of electricity zaps between us. I know I'm not the only one who feels it because Lance's lips part as he stares at me. He's standing close enough that I can feel his warmth that hasn't left since I woke up. I don't want to lose this warmth.

His eyes, blue and hooded, are set on me in such a way that makes my palms sweaty. I rub them on the side of my jeans. My thoughts turn messy but calm at the same time the more I stare at him.

My gaze flicks down to his firm lips.

He catches the movement, his own eyes flicking down to my mouth. He looks back at my face and I don't know what he sees there because suddenly he's leaning forward. I stop breathing, the air getting stuck in my throat as his face nears mine.

My eyes widen and my heart pounds against my chest so hard as if it's going to break through my ribs. His lips are a breath away from me now, his eyes never leaving mine as if searching for something. My hand tightens on the doorframe, waiting with bated nervousness.

Oh shit. We're finally going to kiss. Why is my heart pounding so loud? I can feel it up to my throat.

As if Lance can see my thoughts through my eyes, he pauses. I quickly try to calm down and when that doesn't work, I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for him to just kiss me.

His breath falls against my cheek and my lips part. Oh fuck, it's finally going to happen. Why am I feeling so anxious? I can almost feel his skin on mine. He's almost there, I can tell. His lips finally brush against my...forehead?

He kisses my forehead.

My eyes snap open in bewilderment. "W-what?"

He gives me a warm smile. "I'll kiss you. Only when you're completely ready though." Then he kisses my cheek as if he can't help himself.

Giving me another smile, he lifts a hand as a bye then turns around to walk towards the elevator.

I'm still shocked by the unexpected gesture. Something like loss dawns on my chest. Emptiness. Disappointment. I don't want him to leave. I don't want him to leave without kissing me.

Was I not ready? Was my nervousness that obvious? Anger washes over me. At myself.

Why can't I just fucking suck it up and kiss the man that I want?

Fuck. This.

I don't think about what I do next. One moment, I'm standing completely still like a statue, and the next I grab Lance's arm, yanking him around. My hands slide around his neck and I pull him down, slamming my lips to his.

Surprise flares in his eyes but it lasts only for a second before he backs me into a wall, pinning me with his body. His hand slides around my waist, jerking me to him while his other hand slips into my hair, angling my head.

For a moment I go slack in his arms, not expecting the ferocity with which he kisses me. Then I return the kiss with equal drive, pulling his head closer to me by his neck.

Desire sparks low in my stomach. His teeth nips my bottom lip, and I bite his tongue in return. He moans into my mouth, crushing me against the wall with his weight. I try reaching his height by getting on my toes but then he slides a big palm under my thigh, hiking it over his hip. My other leg instinctively wraps around him.

This new angle makes it so, so, much better. My hands rake through his hair, pulling a few strands while he feels up my waist, making goosebumps rise on every inch of my skin. Knowing Lance, I expected him to kiss like a gentleman, slow and steady. But this completely proves me wrong. It's like he's devouring my mouth, sucking on my tongue, kissing me harder, deeper, faster. He kisses me with an urgency and desperation I didn't know he had in himself.

I'm not a slacker either, returning every one of his bites and licks with a need I've never felt before. I feel him everywhere on my skin, under my skin, marking himself into my bones. His hips push into mine and I gasp at the unmistakable feel of something hard nudging between my legs.

"Sorry about that." He whispers against my mouth.

My lips twitch before I bring his lips to mine again, wanting to taste him one more time. When I grip his hair, he groans into my mouth, his heart racing underneath my palm. Something about the noise he made starts a pulse between my legs. My hands roam over his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath my palms.

I'm not sure what's going through his mind right now, but for me, this kiss feels like a huge fuck you to the past. While I am kissing him because he looks absolutely hot with his bed hair, there's also a feeling of breaking free from one of the cages I put myself in.

I never thought kissing would feel this good. I've kissed other people before but nothing compares to the one I'm getting right now. Right when I think I'm going to lose my breath completely and fall into a hole that I'll never be able to back out of, the elevator dings open.

Our eyes snap open at the same time and Lance reacts much quicker than me. He holds me by the back of my thighs and quickly hurries inside my apartment, shutting the door before whoever in that elevator could see us.

I would've gone out there and fucking smacked that person for ruining our moment, but the lack of breath in my lungs doesn't allow me to. I'm panting, trying to clear my head of the fog that gathered up there during the kiss. Lance doesn't look too sane either. His pupils are dilated, his cheeks flushed. His lips are red and swollen, probably like how mine are.

Our gazes clash and another spark of desire courses through my veins. He's still holding me in his arms, his palms slowly feeling up my thighs. Our chests are glued together, not helping the way my nipples harden underneath my t-shirt.

As if reading each other's minds, our heads lean towards each other, backed by the need to feel what we were feeling a few seconds ago.

It doesn't happen though because Caleb's door creaks open. My eyes widen and I quickly push against Lance's chest to let me go. He sets me down and I quickly fix my hair and pat my lips as if I can erase traces of Lance there.

Caleb steps out, sleepily rubbing his eyes. "My ass feels blessed today. I woke up on my own before you can kick—" He halts when he sees me and Lance standing before him. "Oh. You're still here. As I was saying—guess who's not gonna have a bruise on their ass today?"

"Go brush your teeth." I dismiss him with a glare that I'm hoping masks my hazy eyes and longing face.

He squints at me and for a moment I think he catches on to whatever was happening. "I liked you much better when you were drunk."

Phew.

"I like you much better when you shut the fuck up." I retort.

He rolls his eyes. "I'm not dealing with you in the morning. My ass and I have some business in the bathroom."

I wince. "Didn't need to know that."

I finally let out a sigh of relief when he disappears inside, shutting the door after him.

"I wish I had a brother." Lance murmurs.

"You can still take him."

He cracks a smile.

Our eyes lock and suddenly there's an air of awkwardness surrounding us. I don't know what to do with my hands anymore or what to say. Are we going to kiss again? Probably not with Caleb interrupting us anytime soon again.

Luckily, Lance speaks up before I do.

"See you in the afternoon?"

I nod, exhaling a small breath. "See you."

He walks over to the door, pulling it open and stepping outside. I wait by the doorway until the elevator opens. Lance steps inside but not before turning around and giving a grin. A playful, full of 'I really liked what happened' grin.

The elevator doors close and I shut my own. For a moment, I remain standing still, thinking about every single thing that happened from last night to just a few seconds ago.

Then I do the most unexpected thing ever. I slam my hands over my burning face and let out the most girliest, excited squeal that I no longer thought I could ever give.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Wish I could squeal over a man too but I got no one :(

How are my lovely readers doing?! I'm currently reading the Zodiac Academy and oh boy, it's a fucking ride. I nearly threw my phone across the room while reading it.

Words: 6,200

Date of Publishing: 25th June 2024