He wanted me to stay for this one. Said we should do matching costumes, and I know in another life, I would have loved him for that.
But that’s not this life.
I told him I would think about it, but that was a lie. There was no thinking. I’m planning on going straight to my room andturning on the loudest music possible and pretending this isn’t happening.
Mike is across the room, dancing with his friends from his band. Part of me expected to find him with someone.
This isn’t anything. That’s what he said. But seeing him now, dressed up as the sexiest vampire I’ve ever seen, his black shirt unbuttoned so far it’s indecent, dancing with his friends…
I can’t help but wonder if this is more than either of us is saying.
While I’m staring at him, still standing in front of the door, his eyes meet mine from across the room.
He wastes no time coming over and throwing his arms around me. “Alex! Hi!”
“Woah, hey,” I say, grunting when he crashes into me. He’s the usual mix of drunk and high that he always ends up during these parties, so I detach myself from him before he does something I don’t want anyone to see.
He doesn’t seem to mind, smiling up at me with fanged teeth that match his costume. “I’m so glad you decided to come!”
“I’m not staying,” I tell him, even though it kills me when his smile falls.
“What? Why not?”
“You know parties aren’t my thing. I think I’m gonna head upstairs.”
“Alex, come on.” He steps closer. I look around at the crowd of people around us. No one is paying attention. “You can’t spend Halloween alone in your room.”
“I do it every year.”
“Please,” he says, so genuine, like he really wants me to, and that makes it so much worse. “Just hang out for a little while. You don’t even have to talk to anyone. We can—”
“Mike.”
“I got you something to wear,” he continues. “I left it on your bed.”
“I’m not wearing a costume.”
“It’s a good one.”
“No.”
He pouts, and he knows I can’t say no to that, bottom lip fully out. “Please? I missed you today.”
He’s beautiful tonight. The back outfit. The unbuttoned shirt. The eyeliner that makes his eyes look even more striking than usual. I look down at my hands that he must have grabbed during his plea.
“I said no, Mike,” I say, and I know it comes out harder than I intend, but being down here is starting to make my heart pound in a bad way.
“Okay,” he says quietly.
“Okay,” I say back, and I hate every second of it.
I don’t know what time Mike comes upstairs.
I’ve been drifting in and out for hours, noise from downstairs making it difficult to get fully asleep, but finally, early in the morning, the door to my room opens and closes softly.
Like he’s trying not to wake me up.
I listen to the rustle of fabric, the quietshitwhen he does something too loud, even though his exclamation was louder than the sound of him bumping into the dresser.
