Strung (Seaside 0.5)

When the song ended the entire room exploded into clapping. I trembled with each clap. How would I ever say goodbye to this life? To the rush music gave me? I couldn’t. And by the look on Demetri’s face he couldn’t either. We had to fix us — fix what was going on so we could do what we were born to do.

We walked together off stage.

“Don’t tell me.” Demetri’s voice was raspy. “I don’t want to know.”

“Know what?” I asked with a dread-filled voice.

“Or maybe I do,” he whispered. “Did you…” He swore. “Do you realize how much I hate having this conversation?”

“Demetri—”

“Did you sleep with her?” He sounded so calm, as if he didn’t just ask me if I slept with his girlfriend.

“No,” I whispered. “Besides, this is Nat we’re talking about. I could be the most famous person on the planet… and she’d still see you.”

“Yeah.” Demetri sighed. “I know she sees me, man. I just wish that when she looked, you weren’t the first one she looked at. Always number two, hmm?” He slapped me on the back, “I’m going to go dance with the prettiest girl in the room, see you later.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Demetri

THE HARDEST PART about loving someone? Not knowing if they love you in the same way. I mean how do you measure that type of thing? You can’t. I couldn’t measure it. All I knew was that every time I saw her, my heart leapt, it physically pushed against my chest. I mean, that wasn’t normal right? And then I would get all nervous and I don’t know, I just, I mean I just wanted to touch her. Was that weird? That I needed her touch so desperately that I’d forgo kissing, sex, anything just to have her skin pressed against mine? However brief it may be?

Nat was in the middle of the dance floor still staring at the stage.

“May I have this dance?” I whispered in her ear wrapping my arms around her body. Man that dress was beautiful. I wasn’t one of those guys that usually go super tongue tied, but damn, my tongue? Tied. So tied it was ridiculous.

Nat surprised me by turning around in my arms and throwing herself against my chest. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“I wasn’t sure I could.” I held her, memorized her, and kissed her mouth softly. “I found out around noon that I could make it up here, but I’ve gotta fly back out in a few hours.”

“You flew here for me?” She gulped.

I laughed and nuzzled her neck. “I would do anything for you. Don’t you see that already?”

Immediately her eyes fluttered closed, and when she opened them, they weren’t on me, but across the room at my brother. Well, that was as much of an answer as anything. They didn’t’ sleep together, but did he kiss her? Did he touch her? Would I blame him even if he did? Because no matter what I did with Nat, no matter how much of my heart I gave her, it still wasn’t enough. Sucked, to know that I could give her my everything, and she’d still be starving for him — starving for Alec.

When she looked back at me, it wasn’t with love, but hate, rejection. Shit. I knew that look; I basically created that same look.

My heart sank.

I didn’t plan for it to happen.

To fall in love so fast and just assume she felt the same way.

Instead, she fell in like with me. And in love with my brother. Relationships were built on like, but love? With him in my life constantly? Eventually she would stray. I’d always look over my shoulder. I’d always wonder.

Was I selfish enough to push it? To push her until she broke?

She sighed heavily into my chest.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I laughed and kissed her forehead, trying to get her to relax.

Nat shrugged. “I just miss you, that’s all.”

“I miss you, too.” I felt my body lighten up. Hope. There was still hope. Desire was evident in her eyes. My mouth descended, covering hers. Her kiss was so welcome, so open, so… inviting. That I had to wonder. Was she swaying? Was she finally realizing I would be everything for her?

Her tongue flicked mine, I groaned, my arms coming around her, and then I was lifting her off the floor, twirling her in circles, kissing her like my life depended on it.

“Can we go?” she asked when I pulled back.

“Are you sure?” I suddenly felt nervous. Why did we need to go? I mean she came with Alec. Not that I was against being alone with her, but being alone meant we’d be like… alone-alone.

“Yes.” She bit her lower lip.

I sighed, mainly because I knew that it could go either way. Nat could give in to me — once and for all. Or finally prove to me, that she wasn’t ever mine to begin with. But Alec’s all along.

“Your carriage awaits.” I tucked her arm in mine and led her outside.

“You look hot tonight, Nat.” I gave her a seductive grin, one that hopefully made her realize that being alone with me probably wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had — not in my current mood. Not when I wanted to take her. For myself.

“Where are we going?”

“Where do you want to go?”

Nat shrugged. “I just want to be with you.”

My heart damn near leapt out of my chest and landed on the car — that’s how happy that one sentence made me. I squeezed her hand and drove up to the beach house. It was dark.

When we walked in, I flipped on a few lights and threw my keys onto the table then swept Nat into my arms and murmured. “I heard you slept in my bed?” I continued walking her backwards up the stairs until she was against my door. With a wink, I opened it and led her in.