X...X
Something slid into place in the back of my head right then as I sat there staring at Emily fields in white lace and soft chiffon that kept brushing against her exotic skin in the gentle summer breeze. She was glowing, the ambient light brilliant enough to make the green-hilled backdrop look pale in comparison. The blue sky reflected in her dark eyes, even though they were almost obscured by the expression lines caused by that heart stopping smile. She was a vision of a bride; a Greek goddess swathed in radiance and intense allure.
She took my breath away.
I then also realize that I have been completely unable to breathe for a while now. Obviously I was still pulling air into my lungs, but metaphorically nothing filtered into my blood. I have been dying a slow and agonizing death.
I clench my fists tightly as I remember the first time Emily Fields stole the oxygen from my veins...
X……………………X
"Hey McCullers, what are you staring at?" Rachel, my bouncy best friend, was leaning in close to my ear so I'd be able to hear her over the audio vibrations produced by the massive speakers mounted throughout the dark nightclub.
"I think it's more a case of who she's staring at..." Brian, our slightly effeminate partner chirped on my other shoulder, his brows wagging in direction towards a tall and slender girl with sleek black hair ruffling around her collar, standing by the bar, laughing with a small collection of friends.
I sighed.
"Why is that bitch here?" Rachel bristled and stepped forward slightly as if to block the path between myself and the girl a few feet away, though she hadn't even noticed me.
I planned on keeping it that way.
"It's a public place, Rache, she can be here if she wants." I huffed half-heartedly and turned to walk away, my two friends quickly falling in step.
"Oh honey, you need another shot." Brian tugged on my arm, but I shook my head. I wasn't in the party mood anymore.
"Look, you guys have fun. I'm just gonna catch a cab home." They started to protest but I had already turned to walk towards the entrance.
It had been about two months since Cassie had ripped out my heart and painted the walls with my blood. It might be a morbid image, but I found it quite fitting. Cassie was a murderer of love, happiness and trust. The latter was the biggest problem seeing as how I straight up walked in on her in my bed with some other chick. I would have laughed had I not been shocked into silence by the irony. I honestly thought shit like that only happened in bad late night movies.
I was a walking cliché and my life was a joke, so I decided to simply walk my clichéd ass home. If only I had bothered to pay attention to where I was going.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I froze and stared wide-eyed as the girl apologized profusely while trying to wipe her drink from my pants and the bottom of my shirt. I had bumped blindly into her, but I couldn't help but to simply watch as she sunk down to her knees in front of me, her dark curls obscuring her face, and furiously rubbed the denim around my groin, oblivious to how things appeared to bystanders.
It took a few unusually silent seconds and a firm tap to her shoulder as one of her friends loudly cleared her throat before the girl finally clicked. She ceased her movements and looked sheepishly up at me.
Wow.
I was met with the most alluring pair of dark brown eyes, slightly glassy from the alcohol, that shone above the most adorable dimples sitting to the sides of a brightly innocent smile. This girl was unbelievably gorgeous and yet held such a gentle aura about her. She was the girl next door straight off the silver screen, but she was dressed like she was headed for the red carpet. I observed as she slowly stood and watched each inch of black satin slide into place, hugging a toned curve here or letting a patch of caramel skin show over there. The material sloped down delicately to where it ended just above her knees, allowing delicately defined legs to show clearly where she stood in her short heels.
I felt the oxygen seep from my body without my permission, drawn out by her like some oxygen vampire. I must have looked quite the mixture between pissed off, amused and dazed because her expression quickly morphed into shameful concern. It was adorable.
"I am such an idiot..." She shook her head shyly before lightly smacking another one of her friends on the arm for giggling at the awkward situation.
I shook my head then as well as I recovered my senses and attempted my best charming grin at her, desperately hoping I didn't look like the Cheshire Cat on cocaine.
"It was my fault, really. I'm sorry." I stepped slightly closer to her and reached for the empty glass in her hand. "Let me at least buy you another drink... A replacement drink… For the one I spilled." I clenched my jaw hard at my own awkwardness.
She pulled a deep breath into her smiling lips as she prepared to respond, but was untimely interrupted as a blonde girl with insanely piercing blue eyes walked up to her and pulled her closer by the waist, then whispered something in her ear. I could notice the body language of the whole group of girls change and stiffen at the presence of the newcomer, yet remarkably they all stepped closer to this individual as if inexplicably drawn by magnetism. To me she was a little intimidating and obtrusive, the way she leaned in closer to the goddess speaking of intimacy, while the hold on her body was utterly possessive.
Then her icy gaze shifted to me and I swear I could see a threat flashing through them, despite the thin-lipped smile she held. I felt terribly uncomfortable.
"Hi." She said, and that was it. There was no interest in her voice or warmth in her eyes. She didn't even hold my gaze for longer than the second it took her to utter that one single syllable word. She was already walking away, except she was taking the intriguing beauty with her and beckoning the other three girls to follow. The object of my interest glanced back over her shoulder briefly and mouthed the word 'sorry' silently at me before disappearing deep into the club.
"Well, hi to you too..." I mumble and shrug. So much for a distraction. I swing around in the direction of the door again, but I'm quickly halted in my tracks as I'm met with a familiar set of cat-like green eyes. You've got to be kidding me, I thought, really concerned about the universe's sick sense of humor.
"Hey beautiful." Cassie smiled. Two months and not a word. Two months and not a single sighting. Two months of alcohol and regret seeping from my pores on frequent hungover mornings. Two months. Two months and she's here in front of me with that dangerously devious smile, calling me beautiful.
"I was just on my way out." I try desperately to push past her, but her long fingers quickly lock around my wrist.
"Paige, stop. Please. I'm sorry. Can't we talk?" Her mouth was pleading, but her eyes were smiling. I knew I couldn't trust her.
"We have nothing to talk about, Cassie. Really, it's fine. I'm just gonna go." I try to make my escape once again, this time only to be quickly intercepted by Rachel and Brian, both shooting daggers at my ex as they escorted me back into the club.
"Dear God almighty, can I just..." I started to rage at my friends, glancing from the one to the other before finding myself placed in front of the slinky black dress from before.
"Leave?" She arched her brows curiously at me and let just the hint of a pout form on her lips. "But your friends promised me you'd replace my drink."
To say I was confused was putting it lightly, but the tall beauty didn't give me a chance to process or figure out how my friends had been talking to the hottest girl in the club about me. I was distracted by the velvet feel of her fingers laced with mine and the sweet scent of her perfume as she pulled ahead of me towards the bar.
"I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate me buying you a drink." I spoke loudly in her direction as both of us came to rest our arms on top of the bar. Her reaction to my remark made my cheeks glow.
"My girlfriend?" She coughed in surprise before her face contorted in utter amusement. "Ali? She's my friend. It's definitely not like that." She giggled and I felt my heart both melt and break at the same time.
Of course she's not actually gay. A lot of straight girls like hanging out in gay clubs because they can enjoy themselves without having guys harass them. Why would I ever have even thought of such a possibility. I smirked like an idiot and allowed her to place her order before I added my own absentmindedly, forgetting for a minute that I was actually trying to leave and go home.
"Well, can I expect some ripped boyfriend to bust in here within the next few minutes, ready to kick my ass then?" I joked and clicked my beer bottle against her tumbler, then took a great big swig in an effort to stop the mocking voices in the back of my head.
"Maybe." She replied casually with a shrug and a suspicious twinkle in her eye, but soon smiled slyly as she eyed me and added, "Wanna dance?"
"Why not. I love living on the edge." And apparently I also really loved acting like a fool. I had no idea what I was doing, but I could not deny this girl a single thing.
We found a spot on the floor and I could feel the bass and beat drown out my senses soon after. I swayed lightly, remaining reserved in my movements, my eyes closely following every dip of this woman's hips. The flashing lights started to deceive my eyes as I could swear that she kept moving imperceptibly closer. Soon I could smell her scent again, the floral fragrance causing my nostrils to flare like a wolf on the hunt. Her touch came after; feather light and playing across the expanse of skin on my arm exposed by my vest. Her smile drew my eyes back to her face and I was taken aback by the darkness her gaze held.
I swallowed. Hard.
"Emily." She breathed against my ear after stepping even closer, the warmth spreading through my veins like liquid fire. "And you're welcome."
"Paige." I replied as nonchalantly as I could muster, then pulled back to look at her skeptically. "Welcome for what?"
"Your ex - the one with the black hair and feline eyes?" Emily smirked close to my face. I nodded in confusion.
"Well, she just stormed out in a huff." She smirked even deeper while I frowned at her, finally catching her drift as she waved her hand at the closeness of our bodies and I was surprised to find that we were still moving to the music, our hips swaying together rhythmically.
Finally I allowed myself to relax and laugh. The moment was so unexpected and yet so deeply gratifying that I finally felt like I could breathe again. I had managed to piss off my cheating ex and meet the most beautiful woman in existence in one go.
"Thank you. That was really..." I laughed and shook my head as I trailed off.
"Sweet?" She perked up like an adorable puppy and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to follow through.
"Bitchy. But sweet works too." I laughed easily as her expression went from indignation to delightful enjoyment in a second. Emily was like a breath of fresh air in the dank space of my mind.
"I guess having gorgeous straight friends has its perks." I added a second later in an attempt to keep the conversation going, not sure our dancing would continue to be appropriate after it came to light that Emily was only helping me get a jab in with my ex.
"Oh yeah, it definitely does. I never go anywhere without my girls." Her reply bubbled forth with enthusiasm, causing me to shake my head.
"No, I mean for a gay girl, it's handy having one of you around." I attempted my clumsy explanation before watching her expression twist into mock surprise.
"Are you asking me out?" She gasped dramatically, causing my cheeks to flush hot.
"What? No. I meant... Like..." I found myself stumbling horribly over my words, but forcefully composed myself and tried again. "It's handy for a gay girl, like myself, to have a straight girl, like you, around to help in making exes jealous."
Emily looked at me weirdly then, as if I had magically grown a second head while I was talking.
Then the blonde appeared. Again. I'll call her the Ice Queen because people seemed to part and shiver as she walked by. She spared me one lingering look and I would have matched it, had I not felt my throat run dry as she kept my gaze while softly kissing Emily's shoulder, before lightly dragging her lips up her neck.
"Em, babe, let's go. I'm bored." The words were spoken to Emily, but her eyes were settled on me.
I should have been thankful to avert my gaze from Emily's throat as it swallowed rapidly, but I still could not keep myself ignorant to the look of longing that crossed Emily's features. When Emily let her gaze drift back to meet mine, her eyes spoke of the demons she was struggling with internally. She leaned back and nodded to her companion and the two started pulling back into the crowd.
But just before they disappeared completely, Emily shot me one last look I could only describe as hopeful, then shouted over the music, "I'm just like you, Paige!"
For days afterward I mulled her last words over and again in my mind. What exactly did she mean? How could I and the beautiful stranger be anything alike?
Days came and went, night turned to day and day to night, stars twinkled and rain fell hard, and still I could not forget her face.