Come What May

18. bottoms up

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

BOTTOMS UP

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• monday, april 12th •

Radhika hasn't spoken to me in two days.

It isn't a long time, it's actually a really short amount of time, and generally, I wouldn't be worried about something as simple as not receiving a text for two days, but after witnessing her cry on my shoulder for a whole hour the other day, I'm not quite sure how to feel.

All I know is that I need a break. A long break, not just from modelling, but from thinking in general. Existing has always been exhausting, but over the past week or so, the exhaustion has been a tenfold increase.

The past week has been anger, it's been sadness, it's been worry, it's been so many emotions all at once, and my mind is running out of safes to lock them all away in.

Just as I'm about to pour a mug of coffee for myself, trying my best to steady my hands so that I don't spill it all over the counters again, my phone buzzes in my pocket, the ringtone I've set for Storm blaring through the empty house.

Setting down the coffee pot, I pick up the call, Storm's voice instantly yelling into my ears, "Asif! Hey!"

"Hi?" I laugh out, balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder as I continue to pour my coffee. "What's up?"

"Are you busy right now?" they ask me, the honking of cars in the background almost drowning out their voice.

I glance at the alarm clock which reads six-fifteen, meaning that it's only three minutes past six— I think I've finally gotten used to the fact that the clock is twelve minutes ahead of the actual time.

"Um... Not really? I'm just drinking some coffee," I chirp, slurping the bitter coffee for emphasis.

Amidst all the honking and wind on Storm's end, a soft laugh echoes through the phone. "Sounds great," they say with another laugh. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask you if you'd be down to do something with me?"

Immediate panic seizes my chest, rises up my throat. Because the only time I hear those words are when people want me to have sex with them.

Of course, Storm isn't going to do that. They'd never do that. So, fighting down the panic that I'm sure is lacing my voice, I say, "What?"

If Storm notices my panic (which they probably do, they notice everything), they don't say anything. They just hum into the phone, the background noise finally fading to a slow still, only a slight rev of a car engine continuing to buzz in the background.

"Okay, so," they begin, taking a quick breath before continuing, "Rafael booked a room at this super fancy hotel for himself and Amaka for the night, probably to get frisky and shit, but her parents showed up to his fucking house today, meaning that they can't go to the hotel. And I didn't want to be there when there were someone's parents there, so... yeah."

I'm still not entirely sure of what they're getting at, so I just stay silent until Storm picks up on that.

And they do, breathing out a quiet laugh and continuing, "He didn't want to waste the room, he told me to use his name and go. But I don't want to go alone, because who the fuck would? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is... Would you like to come with me? Spend the night?"

The word, "Yes!" escapes my mouth faster than I can even think.

I don't want to think though. Life has been so unbelievably stressful, and if spending the night at a fancy hotel room with Storm reduces even a little bit of that stress, I'll take it.