Toxic
Eight.
As I tried to get myself out of that apartment building as fast as I could. I needed to get myself back to my car, so I could go back to my own personal pity party back at my apartment. I didn't care what Caroline said. All the caring in the world didn't make up for the girl standing over Mike's shoulder. I should have known. He wasn't going to wait around for me, and I didn't expect him to. And why should I do the same?
I stepped off the elevator and made a b-line for the door. My eyes watched my feet as I walked. My pace was faster than normal, and my attention was on the steps I was taking instead of the direction I was going. Thanks to my lack of attention, I ran straight into a 6'2" 220 lb wall. I stumbled backwards a few steps before I felt hands grab my shoulders to steady me. That's when I realized I had just walked straight into the man who had brought me here.
"Woah. Hey," Brooks started. His first word was rough, but it slowly became softer as he continued to speak. "Was Mike not there? Or did you guys get in a little quickie and call it a day?" Even he knew he was kidding, since we hadn't been apart for that long. It felt like I had just gotten out of the car with Brooks.
"He was just...busy." The expression on my face and the fact that my eyes looked like they were about to burst gave it away. Brooks probably knew Mike better than anyone else. He knew what I meant when I said the term "busy." I heard myself sniffle and look away from Brooks, though his hands were still on shoulders, preventing my escape.
"Oh," was the only word that Brooks could get out. I could see his face twist in discomfort. Sighing, his hands dropped and he adjusted the bags I just now noticed on his shoulders. "Well, I'll drive you back. Just let me put this shit down."
I shook my head vigorously. "No. I'll just get a cab." I pointed to the door, just wanting this conversation, as well as this day, to just end. I started towards the door, but didn't get even two steps away before he grabbed me by the arm.
"Like hell you are. I'm taking you back. Now grab a bag and come on."
He was impossible. Brooks was worse than me. He was stubborn and rude and so insanely arrogant. I happened to glare at him the entire elevator ride to the seventh floor, while holding one of his stupid bags from practice. While I gave him the best death stare I could manage, I noticed the smile on his face didn't fade. He was proud of himself, and that made me want to knock him down a few pegs.
When the doors finally swung open and he stepped off the elevator, I followed like a lost child. My eyes followed Brooks as he walked down the hallway, sighing. Why was I giving in so easily? Normally, I would have fought tooth and nail to get myself into a cab and be on my way home. Instead, I was two floors above the boy who supposedly cared about me, chasing after his best friend. If this didn't have disaster written all over it, I didn't know what would.
The door to Brooks' apartment swung open and I stepped through the door, dropping his bag immediately in the entry way. "What the hell do you carry to practice? Fucking bricks?"
Laughing, he shook his head and picked the bag up before he disappeared into the apartment. I didn't like being left alone in an unfamiliar place, but I knew following him might have been the worst possible thing I could do. Lucky for me, Brooks was quick to return. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a beer and handed it to me. "Here. Drown your sorrows while I take a shower."
And like that he was gone. I looked at the beer he handed me and crinkled my nose. As soon as I heard the shower start, I put the beer back in the fridge and opened his freezer. "If you want me to drown my sorrows, I'll need something stronger than a beer." Pulling out a bottle of vodka, I smiled to myself.
Taking a seat on the couch, I put the bottle to my lips and tilted my head back, taking in as much of the burning liquid as I could. It hurt sliding down my throat, but not enough to make me stop. I was a bartender for Christ's sake. The burn that alcohol gave you was sometimes a small price to pay to forget your troubles. I never turned to alcohol to solve my problems, but today seemed like the perfect place to start.
By the time the water of the shower shut off, I had downed a good portion of the bottle. Brooks emerged from his lair wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Another towel was held in his hands, and he was using it to dry his shoulders. "How did that beer..." His words were cut off as he saw me sitting on his couch with a bottle of vodka glued to my hand. "Or, my vodka, taste?" He acted as though it didn't matter, but his eyes gave away that he did.
I shrugged, taking another swig. I watched as he walked over to me and took a seat next to me on the couch, taking the bottle from my hand. Even though I'd love to finish the entire bottle, I knew that fighting Brooks would be like trying to take down a brick wall. Not only that, but I already felt it's effects kicking in.
"So who's the girl?" I heard myself ask, watching Brooks curiously and he adjusted the towel around his waist. "And don't tell me that you don't know."
Sighing, Brooks shook his head. "Honestly, I don't. Mike's done nothing but talk about you since that night you spent together. Why there would be some girl in his room, I couldn't tell you." Even though I was on my way to a healthy drunk, I knew that he was being genuine.
"He's such a fucking douchebag," I muttered, folding my arms over my chest and looked in the other direction. Now I wanted the rest of the bottle.
I felt a hand softly touch my chin and guide me back to look at Brooks in the eyes. I knew the man was known for his looks, but I had never gotten wrapped up in them. I had always pegged him for being the same type as Mike. The type to love them and leave them.
"Don't let him ruin your opinion of hockey players. I promise that we're not all like that," Brooks tried to reassure me, looking into my eyes, his joker exterior melting away.
"Then why do you all act like that?!" I practically shouted in his face before moving myself backwards on his couch slightly. "God! You act like the female population of DC is your own personal playground. You do realize that girls have actual feelings, right?! You do realize that I'm falling apart right now?!"
I was yelling at the wrong Capital. I was letting out every angry thought I had towards Mike in the face of Brooks, and he didn't deserve it. But he took it. He sat there and accepted my attack instead of pushing me away or telling me to leave. When the words finally stopped pouring from my mouth, I sucking in a deep breath, trying to look anywhere by at the man I had just verbally assaulted.
I didn't expect his reaction. I had looked away from him, waiting for a blow, but it never came. The moment I looked back at him, his lips were on mine. The thought of pulling back didn't even cross my mind. Actually, I did the exact opposite. I pressed myself closer against him, grabbing his face with both of my hands. It was instinct. It was everything I didn't need at the moment, but once it happened, it was everything I wanted.
His arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I was practically sitting in his lap, my lips still hungrily pressing against his. Within minutes, I was laying against the couch, beneath the best friend of the man I had originally came here to see. And there was no place else I'd rather be.
I stepped off the elevator and made a b-line for the door. My eyes watched my feet as I walked. My pace was faster than normal, and my attention was on the steps I was taking instead of the direction I was going. Thanks to my lack of attention, I ran straight into a 6'2" 220 lb wall. I stumbled backwards a few steps before I felt hands grab my shoulders to steady me. That's when I realized I had just walked straight into the man who had brought me here.
"Woah. Hey," Brooks started. His first word was rough, but it slowly became softer as he continued to speak. "Was Mike not there? Or did you guys get in a little quickie and call it a day?" Even he knew he was kidding, since we hadn't been apart for that long. It felt like I had just gotten out of the car with Brooks.
"He was just...busy." The expression on my face and the fact that my eyes looked like they were about to burst gave it away. Brooks probably knew Mike better than anyone else. He knew what I meant when I said the term "busy." I heard myself sniffle and look away from Brooks, though his hands were still on shoulders, preventing my escape.
"Oh," was the only word that Brooks could get out. I could see his face twist in discomfort. Sighing, his hands dropped and he adjusted the bags I just now noticed on his shoulders. "Well, I'll drive you back. Just let me put this shit down."
I shook my head vigorously. "No. I'll just get a cab." I pointed to the door, just wanting this conversation, as well as this day, to just end. I started towards the door, but didn't get even two steps away before he grabbed me by the arm.
"Like hell you are. I'm taking you back. Now grab a bag and come on."
He was impossible. Brooks was worse than me. He was stubborn and rude and so insanely arrogant. I happened to glare at him the entire elevator ride to the seventh floor, while holding one of his stupid bags from practice. While I gave him the best death stare I could manage, I noticed the smile on his face didn't fade. He was proud of himself, and that made me want to knock him down a few pegs.
When the doors finally swung open and he stepped off the elevator, I followed like a lost child. My eyes followed Brooks as he walked down the hallway, sighing. Why was I giving in so easily? Normally, I would have fought tooth and nail to get myself into a cab and be on my way home. Instead, I was two floors above the boy who supposedly cared about me, chasing after his best friend. If this didn't have disaster written all over it, I didn't know what would.
The door to Brooks' apartment swung open and I stepped through the door, dropping his bag immediately in the entry way. "What the hell do you carry to practice? Fucking bricks?"
Laughing, he shook his head and picked the bag up before he disappeared into the apartment. I didn't like being left alone in an unfamiliar place, but I knew following him might have been the worst possible thing I could do. Lucky for me, Brooks was quick to return. Opening the fridge, he pulled out a beer and handed it to me. "Here. Drown your sorrows while I take a shower."
And like that he was gone. I looked at the beer he handed me and crinkled my nose. As soon as I heard the shower start, I put the beer back in the fridge and opened his freezer. "If you want me to drown my sorrows, I'll need something stronger than a beer." Pulling out a bottle of vodka, I smiled to myself.
Taking a seat on the couch, I put the bottle to my lips and tilted my head back, taking in as much of the burning liquid as I could. It hurt sliding down my throat, but not enough to make me stop. I was a bartender for Christ's sake. The burn that alcohol gave you was sometimes a small price to pay to forget your troubles. I never turned to alcohol to solve my problems, but today seemed like the perfect place to start.
By the time the water of the shower shut off, I had downed a good portion of the bottle. Brooks emerged from his lair wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Another towel was held in his hands, and he was using it to dry his shoulders. "How did that beer..." His words were cut off as he saw me sitting on his couch with a bottle of vodka glued to my hand. "Or, my vodka, taste?" He acted as though it didn't matter, but his eyes gave away that he did.
I shrugged, taking another swig. I watched as he walked over to me and took a seat next to me on the couch, taking the bottle from my hand. Even though I'd love to finish the entire bottle, I knew that fighting Brooks would be like trying to take down a brick wall. Not only that, but I already felt it's effects kicking in.
"So who's the girl?" I heard myself ask, watching Brooks curiously and he adjusted the towel around his waist. "And don't tell me that you don't know."
Sighing, Brooks shook his head. "Honestly, I don't. Mike's done nothing but talk about you since that night you spent together. Why there would be some girl in his room, I couldn't tell you." Even though I was on my way to a healthy drunk, I knew that he was being genuine.
"He's such a fucking douchebag," I muttered, folding my arms over my chest and looked in the other direction. Now I wanted the rest of the bottle.
I felt a hand softly touch my chin and guide me back to look at Brooks in the eyes. I knew the man was known for his looks, but I had never gotten wrapped up in them. I had always pegged him for being the same type as Mike. The type to love them and leave them.
"Don't let him ruin your opinion of hockey players. I promise that we're not all like that," Brooks tried to reassure me, looking into my eyes, his joker exterior melting away.
"Then why do you all act like that?!" I practically shouted in his face before moving myself backwards on his couch slightly. "God! You act like the female population of DC is your own personal playground. You do realize that girls have actual feelings, right?! You do realize that I'm falling apart right now?!"
I was yelling at the wrong Capital. I was letting out every angry thought I had towards Mike in the face of Brooks, and he didn't deserve it. But he took it. He sat there and accepted my attack instead of pushing me away or telling me to leave. When the words finally stopped pouring from my mouth, I sucking in a deep breath, trying to look anywhere by at the man I had just verbally assaulted.
I didn't expect his reaction. I had looked away from him, waiting for a blow, but it never came. The moment I looked back at him, his lips were on mine. The thought of pulling back didn't even cross my mind. Actually, I did the exact opposite. I pressed myself closer against him, grabbing his face with both of my hands. It was instinct. It was everything I didn't need at the moment, but once it happened, it was everything I wanted.
His arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I was practically sitting in his lap, my lips still hungrily pressing against his. Within minutes, I was laying against the couch, beneath the best friend of the man I had originally came here to see. And there was no place else I'd rather be.