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Not today, Satan. Not today.
12
ALEX
It’s been a few weeks since I saw Kohen. He couldn’t get away from me fast enough. I had a weak moment of being wine-drunk and I texted him. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, but he didn’t respond. Xzavien texts me all the time but I made it clear that we were just friends and he respected that. I do like talking to him, but I’m just not attracted to him in that way. I mean, I was at first, but then Kohen happened. It isn’t that he isn’t cute or my type. It’s just that Kohen is like a magnet.
I found a hidden folder of pictures in my phone when I was clearing out my storage from the night of the party. Sober me didn’t remember everything drunk me did. That stupid line from that movie comes to mind. “It wasn’t me, it was Patricia.” That’s what it feels like when I’m drunk which is why I don’t let myself get like that anymore. Tell-tale signs of my mom’s addiction and alcoholic personality. I don’t want to end up like her. I want to make something of myself. Make my name mean something in this world, and be a trailblazer.
Anyway, if my damn brain can stay on topic. The pictures are perfect. It makes him more human to me, not so God-like.
There are several pictures of us together and with our friends. I hate that I can’t remember anything, another reason why I don’t allow myself to have more than one drink. We really did spend most of the night together. I didn’t believe him. The first image in the album is of me and him facing each other. My hands are moving like I’m explaining something or talking shit to him, and he has that cute smirk on his face as if he is unfazed by what I’m saying. The rest of them that follow are of us laughing and taking shots. My favorite ones are the group shots. In every single one, his eyes are on me with a silly smile plastered across his face. My heart leaps and I do not like it. I don’t want to like him at all. I want to hate him.
He is sarcastic, cocky, and rude, and his friends are assholes. He is just a typical jock playboy and I want no part of him and his bullshit. I will not fall for Kohen Ventura. So why do I care so much about him ghosting me?
Classes are exhausting and I have a project to catch up on, but I can’t focus on anything right now. He laid it on thick and was so persistent in talking to me that he showed up at my place when I blocked him, which is a red flag behavior. One thing about me is that I ignore the red flags. When I see them, I’m like, "Oooo look- a circus, my favorite," then complain when the guy turns out to be a clown.
Cora walks into my room, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Hey, best friend. What are you up to?” Happy energy radiates from her.
“Ugh, I am looking through pictures I found on my phone from the party and driving myself crazy. You know, the normal stuff.”
“What! Pictures? Why didn’t you tell me? Am I in any of them?”
“Because I just found them, hello! And yes, you are in them and so is Edward. If anyone should be mad here it should be me because you remember everything.”
“Well, not everything. There was a point after 2 am where everything just went fuzzy.”
Handing her my phone, I plant my face into my pillows and scream. Dramatic, I know but would I be me if I wasn't? Cora scrolls through the images, commentary included, as she swipes left through the album. I look up at her and her smile is huge. Her blue eyes glisten with fascination.
“Alex, these are freaking awesome. The blurry ones are hilarious! We were so drunk. Kohen is staring at you in every single one. He’s obsessed!”
“Right! It’s not just me then? I noticed that too, but it just doesn’t make sense. Why ghost me? Clearly, there was something about me he liked. Like what the fuck?" I’m sitting up now, waiting patiently for her opinion. She hands me my phone, chewing her lip in thought.
“Has Edward said anything about it to you?” I feel pathetic and desperate asking her that but she’s my best friend. She wouldn’t make me feel like a loser for it like other people might. Waiting patiently for her response, I put my hair in a bun and grab the book I've been reading.
“Well, he did say that Kohen is pissed that you and X talk, but that's it. And that was just today, I promise. He said Kohen has been busy planning a fundraiser his gymnastics team is holding for the Special Olympics.” A light smile touches her lips and I can’t help the one that graces mine.
I did some more digging on him and he is active in the community here. He leads so many of the fundraisers and doesn’t want credit for any of them. Sara has been a lifeline recently since she followed me on Instagram and messaged me apologizing for what Kohen did. She’s the one who gave me a little rundown on him.
Like a ton of bricks, it hits me. “Wait! How can he be mad about me talking to X when he hasn’t even talked to me since we made out on the couch?”
“What!” she shrieks at me. "You two made out on our couch? When?”
“That day when I blocked him, he showed up. We made out. It wasn’t a big deal, Cora. Focus.”
“Umm, it is a big deal! You didn’t tell me all that. All you said was he ghosted you. I thought you were just texting and he stopped responding. What the hell, you have to tell me these things!”
“Well, he showed up, and I was in a towel. He came inside and we talked, made out, and he ran away.”
“See, if I knew that I would have hounded Edward to find out what the heck happened.”
“Ugh, now I’m so embarrassed. Obviously, he thoughtew what am I doing here,and bounced."
“I doubt that. Maybe he got scared?”
“Scared of what, Cora? My big ass?” She spits out the water she just took a sip of with her laughter.
Our phones ping at the same time, and we look at each other, opening our messages.
