Painful Desires || COMPLETED ✔️

Chapter 1

      His dark eyebrows form a small crease on his light-olive skin, he gives a slight tilt of his head and I realize he's stopped talking. Oh no, did he catch me staring again?

"So? Will you?"

"What?"

"Will you drive for me? Please?" He pops his bottom lip out and I try not to look at his mouth. "I hate driving, plus my ass hurts already."

"That's because you have a small ass, stick," I mumble looking to the slow tune of the cars, and he rolls his eyes at the nickname. He's been playing with the brake and gas pedal for the past ten minutes every time the traffic of cars moves a little. "Oh, come on. You've only been driving for forty minutes."

"I'm tall, not skinny." He rolls the sleeve of his shirt over his shoulders, "Look at these," he kisses his biceps and sends me a wink making my heart flutter. I force a laugh grabbing his arm and bringing it closer to my face, I ignore how his smooth skin makes me feel.

"Look at what?" I say dumbfoundedly, squinting at his lean arm.

"Right there," he points at a small bump.

"You mean like this?" Lifting my arm, I flex the muscle and he sucks his teeth pulling his arm away.

"Can you please drive!" He groans tapping his forehead on the steering wheel as I pucker my lips taking a small Takis bag from between my feet. The red powder makes my mouth tingle and I can't help but lick my thumb and pointer finger.

"Don't wanna. I won." I refer to the Rock-paper-scissors-shoot game we played before getting on the road. He doesn't seem to notice that he chooses paper first.

"I want a rematch, two out of three," He lifts his fist shaking it vigorously. "Let's go."

"Nope," I say, creating a popping sound with the letter "p".

He takes my wrist in between his slender fingers as I am about to lick the red powder off them, "Please?"

My eyes fall on his downturned lips.

"I didn't sleep well last night."

I curse at heart, feeling myself giving in. I bite the back of his hand and his nose wrinkles, wiping it on his light-blue denim jeans. I glance at the puffiness around his eyes, his lips are swollen and his face always pales after he's cried.

"Did...something happen with Li Mei?

He sighs, placing his hand back on the steering wheel, and lightly pressing on the gas. "She...Well, I honestly don't know why she's so..."

"Toxic?" I roll my eyes, "What does she think you did this time? Accidently bent down to tie your shoelaces and a pretty girl walked by or ate too many of her fries?"

"She gets hangry. We know that." He presses his lips together, "But it's not that."

"Then?"

"She..." he glances at me warily with his dark eyelashes. "She thinks you have a crush--that you like me."

My eyes go wide, I feel heat rising uncomfortably in my body.

"I've told her before we're just friends--best friends. She has this idea that you're trying to steal me away from her or something." He eyes me and I swallow harshly trying to control the warmth of my cheeks. I fold the Takis bag and place it in a bag on the floor.

"So she-" I puff out pinching the bridge of my nose, my eyes closing. "Does she think because I'm gay that all I want to do is fuck every guy? She's just an insecure little...!" I hold back glaring at the dashboard, "She knows even I can treat you better than she does."

He frowns massaging his eyebrows with the knuckle of his thumb, which is something he does when he's feeling stressed, "What do I do?"

"Are you still in love with her?" I say after a minute of silence. He's become more doubtful of himself throughout the two years he and Li Mei have been together like he's slowly losing his self-worth.

"What?"

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you either do or don't."

"Yeah, but..." his eyebrows wrinkle in the slightest bit. "I still care for her," he finally says.

I look at his puzzled narrow eyes as his black hair softly dances with the warm wind of the rolled-down window. "Does she make your heart jump every time she looks at you? Or do you feel like you can't breathe without her? That you can't think. You would do anything for their happiness."

 I feel a tight squeeze in my chest and I have to look away.

He chuckles, "You've been watching too many Dramas."

"Maybe I have, " I say quietly. I look into his eyes and his smile fades at my expression, "I'm being serious."

"I know you are."

"Well?"

His eyes flick to the road as the car in front of us tries to change lanes. "I still care about her though," the corners of his mouth draw down.

Two years ago Lucas asked me to help him plan a date to ask Li Mei to be his girlfriend, with a heavy heart I suggested something private and romantic. He wanted something flashy with dozens of roses and a big sign that said: Be My Girlfriend. So I spent the morning with her and all she talked about was how much she liked Lucas and the bracelet he gifted her, little did she know I helped him pick it out. 

When we arrived at the Grand Ridge University's courtyard she walked down a red-petaled path surrounded by people on either side with their cameras out. Lucas stood at the end dressed in a slim-fit and all-black dress shirt and pants, he smelt expensive.

 His eyes wavered to me, cracking me an anxious and excited smile and I gave him a single nod. I felt my core tremble and my hands shook as she finally stood in front of him, with the widest smile she accepted his ring. She took a silk tissue out of the pocket of her skirt and dabbed her eyes, "Yes, Yes!" She squealed jumping onto him, flinging her arms over his shoulders, and hugging his hips with her thighs. They both went in for a loving and sweet kiss and I realized at that moment, as much as I wanted him to be mine...

"Pull over, I'll drive."

I'll do anything for him as if he was, even if he isn't. 

Welcome love, to the first chapter of Arlo and Lucas's story, and get ready for so much sexual tension.