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“I doubt it since I’m the owner. Unless your father would press charges on his own son.” I crossed my arms and looked out into the surf, flustered.
He scoffed, “I wouldn’t put it past him.”
I sat beside him, searching for the right words to say. I wanted to admit defeat, tell him I loved him, and ask him to run away with me. But that wasn’t the plan, and I never stuck to my plans. I needed to do that for myself.
“Judas… sometimes life’s complicated, and people have to do things they do…” I started, but he cut me off.
“Save it. I don’t need to hear your ‘grown up problems’ bullshit. I have problems just as hard as yours. I’m not a kid, Alyssa.” He bore into me with his hazel eyes, and I couldn’t bring myself to look away. I wanted to melt into them, into his hot mouth.
Resisting was not something I practiced regularly. I never resisted. I always accepted. I just couldn’t today.
“I don’t know, how can you deny what’s happening between us? Because I can’t. I don’t understand how you can be with someone, so undeserving of you.” He moved in closer to me and cradled my face with his good hand. “Is that it? You think I’m too young? Too dumb?”
His eyes focused on my mouth, like he wanted to watch me say the words. I waited. I wanted him badly.
“Take my picture.” He said after I didn’t answer, looking at me with eyes that could shatter my heart into a million pieces.
“What? Why?” I sat back, confused.
“Just do it. Don’t be defiant and just get your camera.” He gave me a weak smile. I always kept a camera in my car. It was something I did when I traveled. As I approached him, I snapped. Even hungover and defeated, he was beautiful.
I got a little closer and took some close frames and he said, “Now you will have photos of me. To remember.”
He stood and walked up to me, placing a gentle kiss to my lips. “Bye, Lyss.”
I watched him walk away, but I didn’t go after him this time. Maybe this was the end of all I had been looking for.
I wasn’tthere when it happened, but by the time I got to my father, there was a lot of blood.
“Do you want Juniper and I to take you to the hospital?” I asked him, motioning to the server for more ice.
“I’m fine, Jeno. I’ll go myself.” He said through the towels in a muffled voice. There wasn’t much for photos besides some great shots of Juniper on the docks. To be fair, we had only been here for an hour. I assumed this engagement party was officially over.
Juniper and I offered to stay and help clean up but were shooed away and left sitting in her car wondering what to do next. Alyssa was missing, and I hadn’t seen Judas since this morning.
I looked at Juniper and felt grateful for the ease and tranquility of our relationship. “Photoshoot road trip?” I asked her.
She mouthed the words to the latest Nicki hit on the radio and gave my suggestion some thought, titling her head. “Yes!! Photoshoot road trip!” she cranked the radio and slammed it into drive.
As soon asI showed up on Leo’s doorstep, he knew. He knew I’d either fucked up big time; or I was there for him.
I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to even think about the latter. It would have to play out on its own. I needed my friend.
“Fancy seeing you here, considering you’ve been ghosting me for the past four weeks.” He stood with his hand on his hip, and it looked like he was wearing lipstick and mascara.
“Yeah, well, sometimes life is shitty. You of all people should know that.” I rubbed my head and laid down on the couch, next to the TV blasting.
Leo clicked off the noise and stood in front of me, arms crossed. “You gonna tell me what the fuck is going on? Or you just want me to let the sweet angel sleep? Hmm?” His voice was thick with attitude, and I opened one eye and looked up at him.
“The second one.” I rolled over, and he retreated to his room.
When I wokeup, it was dusk. I must have slept through the night and most of the next day. My head pounded and my fist ached. The knuckles bruised and crusty with blood. I sat up and stretched, looking around the room. Leo’s mother was passed out in a recliner, mouth opened and a bottle of empty rum hanging from her hand. I stood and walked to the sink for some water and heard Leo’s door open as I chugged.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” I filled the glass with water and started towards his room. He shut the door behind us and sat on his bed, looking up at me through a pair of fake eyelashes.
“I’m sorry. For all of it. For ghosting you, for taking advantage of you. But mostly, risking our friendship.” His brown eyes were warm, and it stirred a nostalgia inside me that felt like a hug.
“It doesn’t feel nice, J. It doesn’t matter what or even why you did it, it hurts. Our friendship means something to me. It’s way stronger than a one-night slip.” He patted my leg.
