Fold

I take a sip and the pill goes down with ease. “What is it?”

I ignore the little voice in my head chiding me for not asking before I swallowed it.

“Ecstasy. It's super mild though so you probably won't even feel it.”

Considering I've never done E before, I doubt that. I look around nervously. I trust Jess, but the idea of being high on something I've never taken before in a bar full of people I don’t know isn't sitting too well with me. I wonder if it's too late to run to the restroom and throw up.

“Want to get out of here and go up to my room?”

“Yes,” I breathe, feeling relieved she’s perceptive enough to understand my concerns without me having to tell her.

She finishes her glass of bubbly, waves goodbye to the porn stars, and we hightail it out of the bar.

The second we’re inside the elevator, Jess pulls me into another kiss. People are staring at us, but neither of us care. I’m so drunk on her, I feel like I’m soaring, and I never want to come back down again.

I don’t even realize the elevator doors have opened and we’ve reached our destination until some woman clears her throat.

We stumble out, all giggles and smiles, and it strikes me that I’ve fantasized, wished, and waited for this moment with Jess for over eight long months.

I stop walking and look at her. Really look at her.

“What’s—”

I kiss her again, because she’s here. Because this is real. I know it is.

Jess isn’t a fling. For once, I’m not jumping into things with someone I don’t know because of some spark of attraction. Of course, she’s gorgeous. But she’s so many other things, too. Like hard-working, determined, independent. And the way she’s looking at me right now tells me this thing between us won’t be another painful mistake I’ll regret when the sun comes up.

I press my lips to her neck before I begin my decline of kisses down her body.

“Please don’t hurt me.”

My voice comes out small, like a plea. Because it is. I need her to be gentle with the beaten and bruised heart I’m about to hand her.

A heart that's easy to break, but so hard to put back together.

A heart that wants so desperately to be loved—it’s managed to stagger to the edge once more. Prepared to plummet, but scared to death of crashing.

The stove is hot—my mind warns me.

And then I close my eyes and fall.

Because some of us chase the burn.

Even after we’ve already crawled our way out of the fire.