Chasing Love (Dark Love 1)

“Adriana, drop it,” Charlotte answered, exhaustion evident in her voice.

“What’s such a secret that you can’t tell me?”

“Fine. We did it in his hotel room. We fucked once, then I left because he wanted to go again, and I did not.”

“Why not?”

“Why not what?”

“Why didn’t you want to go again? I mean, he was smoking hot. Sorry, babe,” Adriana apologized, looking at Elijah.

“Because I didn’t enjoy it, Adriana. Why would I go back for seconds if I didn’t enjoy it the first time?”

“Char, what the hell is going on with you? Finn couldn’t make you come either. Are you sure you’re doing it right?”

I nearly choked on the piece of gum I was chewing. This conversation had gone from annoying to interesting. Charlotte definitely had no problem climaxing—twice last night in the space of ten minutes to be precise.

“Maybe I just haven’t met the right guy yet. The one who pushes all the right buttons to the point that you daydream about fucking him all day every day.”

I squirmed in my seat. Was I that guy?

“I totally know what you mean,” Adriana responded with a grin on her face.

We reached our destination—Charlotte’s house. It was torture not being able to kiss her goodbye or even talk to her in the car. She said goodbye to Adriana and Elijah before turning to face me. “Thanks for the ride, Alex,” she said with a slight smirk on her face.

“Anytime.”

Unable to hide the smile playing on my lips, Elijah turned to look at me with an odd expression. He raised his eyebrow while he rubbed the stubble on his chin.

“You had fun last night, Alex?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Nice to get out for a change,” I replied, attempting to deflect any further questions as his stare began to bug me.

“Sometimes, you need change. It puts things in perspective,” he mumbled.

Once I was home, I parked the car in the driveway, staring at the hous

e for a good ten minutes.

Would I feel different when I walked through those doors?

Would she sense that I had spent the night making sweet love to my girl?

I turned the knob, my heart beating erratically. It was now or never. Scared that the regret would wash over me, I walked in and almost immediately it felt wrong.

It no longer felt like home.

CHARLIE

Present

Today is officially known as birthday-hangover day.

I have been sitting on my couch for the last three hours watching a show about embarrassing bodies. I’m not really watching it, it’s more of a living coma, but every so often something awfully horrendous will come on the screen and I’m be glued to it.

I stare at my phone screen a million times, the same old texts come through from Eric, Nikki, and Adriana, but it isn’t what or who I’m waiting for.

Mustering the courage to text him, I thank him for bringing me home in my intoxicated state. It wasn’t my finest moment, and lately, there have been too many humiliating moments, all with one thing in common—alcohol.