Into the Darkness

“What’s it to you? Go back to fucking your wife.” I pulled my arm away and bolted down the stairs.

Logan greeted me with a huge grin on his face, pulling me into one of his bear hugs. As he suffocated me in his chest which by the way smelled like man sweat, Alex walked slowly down the stairs. His face said it all. I was afraid Samantha would notice but instead he mumbled something about someone using all the soap in the bathroom.

Samantha laughed. “Poor baby. If soap’s your biggest problem, I’m sure mommy can refill the bottle for you next time.”

Adriana laughed along with her. I placed my head down, not smiling. This wasn’t about the soap, I wanted to yell. It was time to leave which I was grateful for. It was way too awkward in there and I was still pissed off at him.

It took exactly five minutes and twenty-one seconds before my cell buzzed. I was sitting in the back of the car by myself. Logan was telling Adriana off for putting on Holiday by Madonna.

You didn’t answer my question.

I sat there quiet for a few moments, not knowing how to respond.

I don’t need to explain myself to you. I don’t have a ring on my finger. Please stop texting me. I get it, Alex. It was fun while it lasted. Have a nice life.

“Charlie, c’mon!” Logan shouted.

I shook my head to focus. “What, Logan?”

“Please tell Adriana we are not listening to Immaculate Collection all the way to the concert,” he whined.

I laughed. I had no say in this matter, and to be honest I loved that CD. My cell buzzed again. I was nervous to look. I didn’t know what I wanted him to say. Was there anything he could say that would change how I felt?

We need to talk properly. I had no choice, Charlotte.

Sure he did. You always have a choice. I don’t know what was coming over me but I wanted to shut it out, just for tonight. To forget that I was seeing a married man who also happens to be my best friend’s brother. Forget that I told the man who has consumed me to go have a nice life.

It took us a few hours to get there, constant bickering in the car and a thousand pit stops because Logan decided to drink a Big Gulp as we left Carmel. I couldn’t have been any happier as the crowds surrounded me, the music was playing and I was being your typical eighteen-year-old. We met up with Elijah and the rest of the group. It was going off and I loved every moment of it. The crowd danced, people cheered, the bands would rotate and we were having fun, no worries, no drama just pure unadulterated fun. Logan and I would dance, nothing sexual this time, just laughter and fun. Just like in elementary school.

The concert ended and we decided to grab a bite to eat, go back to the hotel and change. I shared a room with Adriana but of course she bunked with Elijah. If Dr. Edwards found out, he would kill her and I would be her accomplice therefore my dad would kill me.

I wore a black dress that Adriana and I picked out a few weeks earlier. I didn’t normally do dresses but I let this one slide. I wore it with a pair of black strappy heels which if Dad saw he would have a fit. I applied a little bit of lip gloss and let my hair loose down my back. I would forget, I chanted to myself. Just for tonight, I would be Charlie. Alex did not exist.

The club was packed; every teenager at the concert was here. It was an under-21 club so no alcohol of course but it didn’t stop the bumping and grinding that was going on. Adriana was lost somewhere on the dance floor rubbing her ass against Elijah. Get a room, I wanted to yell but they had one and for tonight I would sleep with headphones. Logan was chatting with some other boys from Carmel that had turned up. I hung out with a few girls I knew till a tall lean guy stood next to me. He was cute, he reminded me a bit of Leonardo DiCaprio. Nothing wrong with that, right, when in Rome! Unless of course he wanted to take me on board a boat and then I’d be outta there like shit off a stick.

He smiled at me, I smiled back. Leaning in, he whispered in my ear, “I don’t do cheesy lines but I love this song. You wanna dance?”

Like I said he was cute, and it was just a harmless dance. It wasn’t like I had a ring on my finger and went to bed every night with the person who I made a vow to spend the rest of my life with. I grabbed his hand and we danced to a few songs. He was a good dancer, smooth, and I moved my body enjoying the thud of the beats.

There was this force: it pulled me, and I knew someone was watching me. I searched around the room; the bodies were crammed in, everyone busy in their little world. I tried to focus again without being rude to Leo.

I felt that familiar pull, but I couldn’t see anything, so clearly it was my stupid imagination. I continued dancing with Leo till those emerald green eyes found me, standing in the corner, watching me. OK, imagination, maybe you’re not so stupid. I excused myself; thankfully Leo was gracious enough and moved onto another girl who was eye-fucking him right beside me. I walked over to him unsure of what to say but wary of my surroundings and of who could be watching. He stood in front of me. His eyes were dark; it didn’t matter that the club was too dark to tell for sure. I could sense it.

The music blared so he leaned into my ear. “You didn’t answer me.”

I sighed. Because I fucking missed him and wanted to kiss him right here, right now. Restraint, who would have thought I was so good at it?

“Yes, I invited him. He is my friend. Actually he is one of my best friends.”

“Charlotte, I’m sorry. She kept asking me questions about you and I panicked. She wanted to know why I hadn’t touched her, she wanted to know if it was because of someone else. I didn’t want to do it, she made the first move but I thought it would get her off my back. We didn’t continue. I still haven’t fucked her since before you. You have to believe me.”

I sighed, because I did believe him and I hated that I believed him. Adriana had said it loud and clear: he was a man-whore. So where was that straight-A student brain of mine hiding? Oh yeah, down his sodding pants.

“I don’t know what to say.”

He stood there silently staring at me. I didn’t know what he was thinking and it was driving me insane. The DJ mixed the songs and started playing Hot in Here. The crowd cheered and the lights dimmed even further. It was dark, people danced, people sang and I stood still until Alex dragged me to the corner surrounded by strangers. He pulled me in close and started swaying. He placed his hands on my hips and I mirrored his movements. I wanted him so fucking bad that for a moment I didn’t care if anyone saw us. I was willing to give him all of me. Then he abruptly pushed me away. Shocked by the move, I looked around to see Adriana walking towards us.

“Alex, you came!” She hugged her brother tight, not noticing that I was a few feet away. I was a little pissed that he pushed me away. I don’t know what I expected him to do but it hurt. Fuck, I wish this club served alcohol.