Ecstasy

At least, I think it’s two shots, but Alex whistles.

Ignoring all my questions, he just says, “Careful, Zara. I think we’ve all learned the key to pool safety is staying sober.”

“Too late for that,” I mutter, grabbing the seltzer water and pouring it in. When it fizzes to my satisfaction, I cap that shit and then hold the cup to my lips, turning to Alex.

He meets my gaze.

Something in his eyes makes me lower the cup. “What?”

“What you said,” he muses, his eyes gleaming. I see the amber flecks in them again and I feel myself getting stupid from how hot he is. Why does he have to be so fine? Why are quarterbacks always hot anyway? It’s like some trick God pulled to make cocky athletes even cockier.

And why do they always do bad shit?

“About girls waiting to suck my dick,” he continues.

I force myself to drink, even though I am interested in hearing where the hell he’s going with this. Did he just invite me back tonight to hurt me like I hurt him? Maybe this was all just a big setup and I was stupid enough to fall for it.

“Would you mind?” he asks me.

I nearly spit out the tequila in my mouth. But instead, I swallow, hard, blinking up at him. “Excuse me?”

He shrugs. “If I went upstairs right now to get my dick sucked, would you mind?” His eyes flick upward with his words, and instead of immediately lashing out at him like I want to, I try to imagine it. He jerks his head back, indicating the pool. “There’s a pretty hot redhead out there right now that I know for a fact would jump at the chance.”

I narrow my eyes at him. I know the redhead. Her name is Molly, and I know that she and Alex used to fuck around. But that was before me. “Be my fucking guest.”

Who am I to stop him?

I think about Eli’s fingers inside of me. About his hand on my scars.

“I’m serious,” Alex says, interrupting my thoughts. “I gotta get off somehow, and you don’t have a good track record recently of helping me out.”

My mouth drops open. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Answer the question. Think about it if you have to.”

I want to throw this cup in his face, just like I did two weeks ago in front of Dwight. I want to slap him. I want to tell him he’s an idiot, and that if he’s trying to make me jealous it’s fucking working.

But maybe this was his roundabout way of working on us.

So, I do what he said.

I think about it.

If he walked upstairs right now with Molly trailing after him, and she got down on her knees and wrapped her lips around his cock, would I care?

Do I care that Riha

I don’t know.

Alex, though?

Same answer.

“I think the more important part of my question was about flashing girls’ tits, to be honest,” I tell him, avoiding telling him anything. I tip back my cup, finish the rest of the tequila and soda water. It’s not the best thing in the world but it’s not the worst either. I set my empty cup down and cross my arms, turning to stare at Alex.

He leans against the island, cocking his head. “You don’t really seem that upset by it,” he says plainly.

“That my tits are probably on everyone’s phone in this house right now?” I counter, shrugging. I see his jaw clench and it’s a little satisfying. “Not really.” That’s mostly true. Worse things have happened to college girls. Like ending up dead at the bottom of a pool.

I hop up on the counter, feeling a little dizzy as the bottles slide behind me, dangerously close to the ledge.

I cross my legs at the ankle, watching Alex. “But it seems to bother you, handsome.”

I can tell he tries to fight it, but a small smile pulls on his lips. “Does it?”

I roll my eyes, looking away from him for a moment. “Why’d you do it? Two weeks ago, you wanted to kill me, wanted to kick me out and be done with me. Then you needed space. Now you’re inviting me to your house, talking to me alone. What’s going on with us, Alex?”

“Two weeks ago, I was fucking pissed at you.”

I turn back to look at him. Before I left Jax’s house, Jax gave me MDMA. It usually takes about half an hour to kick in for me, and I wonder if that’s how long it’s been since I left his house because as I stare at Alex staring at me, I just want to taste him.

I want to kiss him.

I want to wrap my legs around him and forget I ever messed around with Eli. Technically, it’s not cheating. Technically, Alex had broken up with me. Technically, we still aren’t back together. I’m in the clear. Eli is in the clear. Technically, we’re okay.

“But I really did miss you and I know you were really fucked up that night and…” He takes a deep breath and I love the way his shoulders move as he inhales. Exhales. Love the veins in his biceps beneath that white t-shirt. Love the one in his neck, too. “I don’t know, Zara. I think we could just, you know, make this work. If we really tried this time.” He meets my gaze. “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re fun and I don’t just mean when you’re drunk. You’re always fun to me. And I know you love me even if you do some fucked up shit.” He glances at the island I’m sitting on, and says, “And even if I do some fucked up shit. I don’t want anyone else to have you.”

My mouth goes dry.

I feel a jolt of something warm in my chest at his words, but I push back on it. It’s just because I’m high. It’s just because I’m drunk. Technicalities where Eli are concerned won’t count, because Eli is his fucking best friend.

If Alex knew the truth, he’d never forgive me.

God, my throat feels like sandpaper.

Speaking of… “I need water,” I blurt out, meaning it. Alcohol and MDMA can dehydrate you fast as fuck, and I feel myself rolling. That’s the only explanation I have for the warm feelings that seem to be filling my brain. My whole fucking body for that matter.

Alex narrows his eyes. “You need water? After all that, you need fucking water?” I hear the note of anger in his words. That’s the Alex I know.

I just nod, and almost as if someone took ear plugs out of my ears, I hear the music playing throughout the house. Like my Alex-goggles are momentarily fading.

Thank fuck.

I start swaying to Overdose by KAIBA, and Alex just watches me.

I smile at him, but he doesn’t smile back.

“Water?” I remind him, hopping off the counter and walking up to him, wrapping my arms around his broad back, rubbing my hands up and down his muscles, slipping underneath his shirt.

He’s stiff beneath my hands but I know he’ll melt soon. Shit, if he doesn’t, at least I will.

“What are you on, princess?” he asks me, his voice quiet. I can’t really read his tone, and I can’t stand still either, the music making me sway against him.

I think about Kylie. About what Eli said. How they’re both conspiring against me to find out exactly what I’m on. But I don’t want to talk about that shit right now.

That’s my secret with Eli anyway.

I smile up at Alex. “You,” I tell him.

A small smile pulls at his lips.

Someone walks in from the pool outside, dripping water on the floor. She closes the door behind her and looks up at Alex, without sparing a glance at me, ru

Molly Bachman.

Her hair is long, down to her very large tits, barely hidden beneath her emerald green bikini. She eyes Alex up and down, but I’ve got my arms around him and she has yet to pay any attention to that shit.

“Hi,” she says to Alex, still ignoring me. She tugs up the straps on the bottoms of her swimsuit, making them sit high on her curvy hips. “You coming out or what?” Her voice is husky. Pretty damn sexy, actually.