Love Me to the End

|11 - Boos and Booze pt. 3|

Ash POV

Our fall of footsteps finally cease as the dim, colorful lighting comes into view. "Oh my gosh!" Iris says, a wide grin on her face. "The look on their faces was priceless!" She lets out a free laugh before turning to face me and panting.

She...god, she was beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. Her hair, which was temporarily dyed red and blue, was messy and strands escaped her ponytails to brush across her skin. Her cheeks were flushed red and under the flashing lights. She looked like a painting

My eyes unintentionally flicked down to her lips. They were red and plump, swollen from...fuck, from us kissing. From me kissing her.

Her eyes catch my gaze, and she bites her lip. A knowing smile spreads across her face.

Before I knew it, she had pushed me against the railing behind us, her curves touching mine in all the right places, and I let out a gasp.

Is she going to kiss me again?

Smudged, red lips ghosted over mine for just a second before she pulled back, leaving me gasping for air. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "Wanna hit the dance floor?" She asks casually, but the look on her face told me she knew exactly what I was expecting and exactly what she deprived me of.

"Why did you-" I sputter, and Iris paints an innocent look on her face. Except her hand had travelled to my thigh and I was sure I was about to die from overheating. "Why did I do what?" She caresses the inside of my thigh, right above my knee, and I jolt, licking my lips and widening my eyes.

Immediately, I pull myself away, clearing my throat and trying to gather myself.

What the hell, Ash? Get yourself together dammit.

"Never thought you'd ask." I filter my voice to come out plain and boring, all while a part of me stays disappointed that I didn't get to meet her lips again.

That's it; I officially hate drunk Iris.

"Alright, then. Let's go!" She claps her hands and turns on her heel, her kiddish persona returning and leading the way. I follow behind like a stray puppy.

"I still want a cocktail!" She calls, looking over her shoulder at me. I sigh and jam my hands into my pockets, searching for loose change. "Fuck. I don't have money." She stops and waits for me to catch up to her. When I do, I find her pouting. Bottom lip jutting out with a frown on her face.

"Really? C'mon, you've got to be kidding me. It's always when I want something. Like, last week, I went to get boba with Cleo on a whim and she didn't have money because she thought I would bring money but I didn't have money cause I thought she'd bring money so we didn't have money and I didn't get my boba. Aren't you, like, super rich or something, anyway? You should always carry cash on you. Very important."

A laugh bubbles it's way out of me at her rant, where I'd usually be annoyed at someone else for the statement. She looks at me, confused. "You, um, you are rich, right?"

"Yes, I guess I am." She nods, seeming a little lost and star struck, before her eyes light up at something behind me. She grabs my hand firmly as I sigh. I follow unwillingly behind her, blowing her hair out of my face when she flips it back. "Iris, where the hell are we going?" I question as she speed-walks with a determined huff.

Her stomping stops when we get to a bartender with tanned skin and sunny blonde hair...with someone we both definitely recognized.

"Ryan!?" Iris exclaims, and the boy flinches before smiling at her. "My god, Aesha, I thought it was someone else. Where the hell did you run off to?" He questions Iris, laughing, as she leans onto the table with her head in her hands. "I wanted a drink. Ash and I snuck out during the game. We had so much fun." He frowns at this and looks at both of us puzzled. "Didn't you stop drinki-" His eyes caught sight of the small marks littered across the both of us.