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Chapter 15

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"So it seems like Jake isn't in it just for sex."

"Mia, when did it ever seem like he was in it just for sex?"

"Ugh, but why did he have to ask me out?"

"That's what people do when they like someone. But I could be wrong."

I'm at a dim bar in West Hollywood with Anna and Zhoe, forcing down a glass of white wine, fidgeting with my black dress. On the bright side, the wine seems to be hitting me.

Zhoe rolls her eyes. "Mia, the guy's smitten by you. And you deserve that."

"Deserve what?" I smile. "To have my heart broken when he gets tired of me? Or to feel like shit when I get tired of him?"

Anna leans forward. "How do you expect to go the rest of your life just thinking that everything is going to go wrong? Do you forget that you're a psychologist? This is your speciality."

I finish the glass with a wrinkled face. "And that's exactly the point that I'm trying to make. If I can't even figure out how to help myself, then how can I allow myself to date? It's stupid, dangerous, and inefficient."

They give each other an exasperated look and I feel guilty for souring the mood. "I'm sorry, guys. Can we please forget about it? Let's dance."

~

My head is buzzing. My body is so relaxed that I don't even mind the close bodies around me. They're right. Intoxication does make things more tolerable.

Except every time his face crosses my mind, I have to shut my eyes and dig my fingers into my thighs to wipe it away.

"You're very beautiful." A blonde guy with blue eyes suddenly approaches. He's nearly my height, wide, and so not my type.

I smile back and lean forward with a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, you're not bad yourself."

He uses my proximity as a chance to place his hand on my hip, and I don't pull away. I note how his touch doesn't do shit to me, but it's still masculine.

"Can I dance with you?" He says in my ear.

"If you can keep up." I smirk slightly, earning a wider grin from him.

He holds my waist and grinds our bodies to the rhythm like they do when they want to demonstrate a preview of their bedroom skills.

Which are not even slightly impressive.

But I force a smile and pretend to like it. And the guy has no clue. Doesn't realize how much I hate it. He's not Jake. He doesn't notice.

Fuck Jake.

The guy whose name I don't know stares at my lips while our bodies press against each other. "Want to buy me a drink?" I ask, desperate to stop this torture.

He takes my hand and walks us to the bar, asks what I want, makes some small talk. I go on my phone while he orders our drinks, absentmindedly opening the photo I took of Jake from the night we met. So cute...I better put my phone away before I start making out with it. Just get out of my head, Jake.

"Where are you from?" The blondie asks.

"Armenia."

"Oh, like the Kardashians?"

"Yeah...exactly like the Kardashians."

"How exotic. I really like your accent-"

"Do you mind if I try something?" I interrupt and put my hand around his neck. When he doesn't object, I lean forward and kiss him.

Huh. It feels smooth, warm...and totally futile. Like I could be kissing a microwaved sock filled with rice and wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

"I'm into vaginas." I pull away and return to Anna and Zhoe.

They're in the middle of the dance floor, giggling and looking at Anna's phone screen.

"What's so funny?" I ask when I get closer.

Anna grins coyly. "Nothing...I might've asked Ramon to come here."

"Your candy man for the last two months?" My eyebrows shoot up.

"Mhm, and he's bringing a friend." Zhoe smiles, eyes glazed with drunkenness. "For me."

"I'm very happy for you." I suppress my amusement.

"You should text Jake." Anna says.

Zhoe shakes me like a ragdoll. "Yes, text your future husband! Text him!"

"How drunk are you?" I laugh and stumble on my own foot. "You guys, I'm drunk too."

Anna comes closer. "Listen, they're going to come and you're going to think of him. And you're not going home so you might as well make your life easy and text him to come, ok?"

I shake my head. "I'm good-"

"Mia, listen to me." She looks me straight in the eyes and grabs my arm. "I saw you kiss Mr. Amateur Lambada Dancer and I'm so mad at you. I know that you hated it, and I'm not going to just stand here and watch you sabotage yourself. So when I tell you to text Jake, you need to do it. Got it?"

I'm taken aback and frankly scared at her rare anger. She's always giggly and bubbly. But right now, she's looking at me like a big sister and it squeezes my heart.

"I really like it when you're tough with me." I smile sheepishly and she wraps me in a tight hug.

"I love you so much. But it took me a really long time to make you believe that. Not everyone can wait that long. And they don't have to. You got to be the one to change. Ok?"

With a lump in my throat, I weakly nod and fight back the tears.

"I love you so much." She repeats.

"I love you too." I sniffle.

~~~~

"Ugh, why is this so hard?" I groan, leaning against the bathroom wall. I look at my phone again and type.

"Hey homeboy, what's crack-a-lacking?"

Delete.

"Sup sexy."

Delete.

"I'm consuming alcohol at a bar tonight, would it delight you to join me?"

Delete.

"Miss your face, can I sit on it?"

DELETE.

I glare at the dirty mirror above the sink. Brown hair cascading down my chest, covering the square cut of my dress. Its thick straps contrast against my shoulders and collarbone. I tilt my head with curiosity.

Hmm...I could send him a naughty video?

Someone busts the door open and heads to the stalls. As soon as she's inside, I put my camera on selfie mode with a filter to hide the glares of the fluorescent light and frame the angle from the top of my breasts up to my lips.

Very slowly, my fingertips skim my collarbone, cast my loose curls out of the way, and let the fabric slip. Leisurely then, they trail to pull on my bottom lip, I press a flat tongue on the base of my thumb, slowly stroke to the top, and finish with a soft bite on the tip.

And then I send it and wait with a racing heart, sweating pits, and eyes glued on the screen until he responds. Which thankfully lasts less than a minute.

"Fuck, you're such a tease..."

"Fuck"

"My whole family is looking at me suspiciously at the dinner table."

I squeal and drop into a squat because of my shaky legs. It takes me so long to conjure up a response that he messages again.

"Tell me where you are."

"Yes, sir," I giggle as the toilet flushes and the woman steps out. She gives me a strange look and walks a wide circle around me towards the sink while I resume texting in my squat position.

"No."

My phone vibrates in my hand with an incoming call. Jake's caller ID appears. I look at the woman through the mirror with wide eyes, silently asking for help. She just scowls and scurries out of here. Slowly, I bring my phone to my ear.

"Mia?" His silken, husky, masculine voice breaks the silence.

"Jake." I attempt, helpless.

"Text me the address, baby."

Baby. The word teases me in an infinite loop and makes my skin tingle.

~

"I love this song!" I jump up and down. "I know I'm too old for Ariana Grande, but 'Side to Side' is my jam!"

Anna and Zhoe shake their heads with knowing smiles. When Jake calls again, my eyes fly to the entrance. He's like a wolf entering a dog park. His posture and features emit unforced authority.

"My husband is here.." I sing and hide behind Anna and Zhoe.

"Go get him." Anna laughs.

I shush her.

She ignores me. ""Are you going to have the poor guy look everywhere for you?"

"No, of course not..." I mutter as my eyes follow him.

"You better go before someone snatches your guy." Zhoe warns.

As if on cue, an unfairly cute woman with long black hair and curvy body approaches Jake. She shines her brilliantly white smile at him.

"Not a big deal..." I drawl, but I'm fixated like an owl.

He heads to the right side, away from us. My phone continues to ring with his name, but I continue to watch him struggle. Two other women walk up to my man. I narrow my eyes at their sleek blonde hair, high cheekbones and glossy lips. I've got to give it to them, they're pretty. Pretty stupid dumb ass hoes.

One with a death wish puts her hand on his chest and I decide that I've been too generous.

I hand my phone and purse to Anna and strut towards them. I shove through the crowd, bumping elbows and crashing through unknown shoulders. Someone shouts at me about a spilled drink. I think someone asks me to dance, but I'm not sure because I'm laser focused on Jake.

But for some reason, by the time I reach Jake, I forget about my anger. I couldn't care less. Instead I tap his shoulder so he turns, and when his eyes go wide, I throw my hands around his neck and pull him down for a kiss.

He smiles against my lips and scoops me off the ground, and in the dark room soaked in chaos and triggers, my mind washes with bliss.

"Dance with me," he murmurs after setting me down.

Without waiting for permission, he turns me around and planes of broad muscles enclose around my frame. His hands spread on my hips, controlling the dance in a wickedly slow pace. Every inch of me awakens with his touch, his breath, his scent.

His parted mouth dips to the slope of my neck. "Did you miss me?"

I hide my smile and rock my hips more, relishing the way his hands bunch the fabric of my dress and pull me tighter against him.

He teases too, like we're in a competitive game. He moves his hips against me harder, slower, lower. His bristled jaw scratches my neck, and I arch, picturing his teeth sinking into it.

I turn to face him and roll my hips low, slowly, looking at him under my lashes. My hands trail over his muscular arms, the firm ridges beneath the crisp shirt. I sway down until my bum is on my heels, and my mouth hovers over the front of his jeans, hands on his thighs, eyes on each other for one lingering, fogged up moment.

When I get up, he lifts a dark brow and moves me on his thigh, causing a tormenting friction from his coarse denim. He intoxicates every sense, blinds all details, and fills me with overwhelming need.

I fist his shirt, fighting back his effects. A knowing smile arcs on his mouth as he leans forward, feathering his lips across my chest in slow, humid breaths.

The sultry music changes to an obnoxious house remix. Jake and I slowly straighten up, stare at each other with a sheen of glistening sweat. He takes my hand as we walk to the other side where Anna and Zhoe wait with Ramon and his friend.

"What the fuck?" Jake shouts behind me.

I whip my head to him to see him grinning at Ramon.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Ramon mirrors his smile as they go for a hug.

"I'm here to see Mia. What the fuck are you doing here?"

His eyes go wide. "Your girl is Mia?"

"What's going on?" I ask nervously as I look at Anna, who seems just as confused.

Ramon laughs. "This dumbass over here has been talking my ear off about a girl he met at a club, but he wouldn't tell me who it is."

"Because I couldn't." Jake rolls his eyes.

Anna puts her hand on her hip and motions between them. "But how do you know each other?"

Ramon and Jake beam like lovers. "We're close friends."

"What?" Anna and I both say, dumbfounded.

Jake runs his hand through his hair. "This is so funny."

"Oh my God. But do you know what this means?" Anna's eyes widen and she squeals. "This means that we're all going to be at Big Bear next week!"

"Huh?" I scowl.

"Oh yeah, I rented a cabin there to celebrate my birthday." Ramon furrows his eyebrows at Jake and me. "Will you guys be able to come? There will be a lot of people there."

"I don't see why not?" Anna jumps in before I can say no. "It's a different crowd. No one will know you."

"That's true, I don't go to your school." Ramon adds.

"It's still a huge risk" I frown at the idea of us under the same roof.

"Oh!" She reaches for pocket. "Your phone just buzzed again. I think your mom's been texting the entire time."

"She has?" Dread and worry kick in as I unlock my screen to see dozens of text messages.

"Everything okay?" Jake asks, but his voice sounds like an echo.

"I need to go."

~~ A/N ~~

Dude, Mia is all over the place! What do you think her mom texted?

Do you think she should go to Big Bear with everyone?

If you liked this, please give it a vote <3