Cheat

Reed sleeps soundly next to me, all the blankets tangled in his limbs. Sleep evades me for another night in a line of countless nights, and I distract myself by staring at the ceiling. The pulsing from downstairs is calling my name, summoning me to it. Almost against my will, I’m rising from the safety of the mattress and floating down the stairs to it – to him.

He’s lying in bed and the air is hazy, the scent of marijuana suspended like gauze. The only light in the room, sourced from his laptop, comes along with the pulsing bass – Sam’s music, his lifeblood.

“Hey there,” he murmurs, peeling back the blankets to welcome me into his den. His voice is so rich, I long to reach out and consume it to keep the warmth inside me.

He’s in only his boxers and I immediately think of how easily every square inch of his skin could be exposed to me. As I crawl in next to him, my hands have a mind of their own. They trace and caress and scratch his skin as his mouth collides with mine, his fingers tugging at my clothes.

I should be feeling guilty but I’m not – all I feel is lust and desire.

In the morning, I leave a note for Reed on the counter, telling him that I didn’t feel well in the middle of the night last night so I went home. On the way home, I vow to not spend the night there again. I vow to stay away.