collided

moonlight whiskey

"Seriously? You brought me here to get drunk with you?" I laugh as I swat away the whiskey bottle he's holding in front of me.

"Precisely." his accent particularly stronger when he says that word.

He twists the cap off the liquor, flicking it away into the bushes with his index finger and thumb. He takes a large swig, holding on to the neck of the bottle with one hand while leaning his head back to take a gulp. I watch in amazement as he throws the fiery liquid down his throat with so much ease, not even a flinch. I couldn't help but stare at his prominent Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. Richard then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes fixated onto mine.

"Here," he says, reaching his arm out to pass me the bottle. "Your turn."

I bite my lip for a moment, contemplating if I should really be doing this. I get it. Maybe getting drunk with a guy I barely know in a cemetery at 1am doesn't sound like the wisest decision. But of course, I take the bottle.

"I hate whiskey." I scoff as I swish around the golden brown liquid through the glass.

Yet with a smirk, I raise the alcohol up to my lips, copying Richard as I take a large gulp from the neck of the bottle. It was difficult to swallow the gross taste of the liquor, I don't know how anyone can drink this shit straight. The whiskey burns immediately when it hits my throat. I can feel it travelling down my esophagus as I pull a face, gagging at the taste it left on my tongue.

"Fuck." I groan, passing him back the drink. "You couldn't have brought some Coke or something?"

"Coke?" Richard asks as he raises his brow ever so slightly, looking at me wide-eyed.

"Coca-Cola. You know...as a mixer for the whiskey?" I say, gesturing to the alcohol bottle with my finger.

"Ohh. Ye-yeah. Of course." Letting out an awkward laugh before taking another swig.

"I'm not doing cocaine with you, Richard." I tease, gently pushing his arm with my fist while he's still drinking.

He takes the bottle from his mouth, shaking his head at me with a boyish grin. "Maybe next time."

We pass the whiskey back and forth, each taking a few mouthfuls while he shows me around the cemetery. He points out each headstone, telling me the tales of the bodies that lay six feet deep underneath us. From army officers to famous outlaws - Richard seemed to know the history of Concordia like the back of his hand.

"You know your shit." I say, feeling slightly light headed as we walk side by side. I hadn't eaten much that day, so the alcohol hit pretty quick - but I had to pull myself together. I didn't want Richard to think I'm this much of a lightweight.

"Yeah. I came here a lot as a kid." He murmured while staring down at his feet, kicking the gravel as he walked.

"You did? A little depressing isn't it?" I turn my head to give him a half smile.

"Compared to being at home, this place was like fucking Disneyland to me." Richard laughs dryly with a tight lipped smile, before shaking it away with his head to stare back down at the ground. "Anyway, drink up."

I wanted to know what he meant by that. But I could tell he didn't want to talk about it, not tonight anyway. It wasn't my place to pry this early on, so instead, I just took the bottle off him once again - this time taking an even bigger mouthful.

A hot flush surges through my body as the alcohol enters my system. The once cool air began to feel hot and thick, my leather jacket beginning to feel sticky against my flushed skin. I peel my jacket from my body, leaving me in just a small white tank top which cropped just above my waist.