Desire (wlw)

XXXI.

Isabel

The crowd erupted as though someone had just scored the winning goal at a championship game. Cheers, whistles, and hollers filled the air, and the pounding bass of the music thudded somewhere deep in my chest. I could feel the electricity in the room, everyone feeding off what had just happened.

Lea pulled back, her eyes wide, a flush spreading across her cheeks. She looked absolutely taken aback, her lips parted like she wasn't quite sure what had just happened — or maybe how to react to it.

I couldn't help myself; I smirked. I still tasted the lime and the salt on my tongue, but more than that, there was her. There was no way in hell I was going to let her look that good, and not face a little consequence.

"What?" I said, keeping my voice low enough so only she could hear but loud enough to carry through the chaos. "You didn't think I'd leave it at just the shot, did you?"

She stepped back before I could say anything else, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear like she needed something to do with her hands. Then she turned sharply on her heel and started weaving her way through the crowd, not sparing me another glance. My smirk faltered.

Something was wrong.

I watched as Lea slipped down the hall and disappeared through a door, and I didn't have to guess where she was headed.

I let out a breath and scanned the room. Nobody seemed to notice us; they were all too busy hollering, laughing, or pulling someone else into another round of the game. I slipped away from the group, following the same path Lea had taken. My heels clicked softly against the tile as I made my way down the hallway, and I found the door to the bathroom slightly open.

Pushing it open, I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. The sound of the lock clicking into place seemed louder than it should've been.

Lea was leaning over the sink, hands gripping the counter, her head hung low as though she was trying to pull herself together. When she heard me, she straightened immediately, her reflection meeting mine in the mirror.

"What the hell was that back there?" she said quietly, though her voice still held an edge. "You kissed me — in front of everyone."

I blinked, taken aback. "It was just a kiss, Lea. No one's going to think twice about it. Everyone's too drunk to even care."

"That's not the point, Isabel." She pushed off the counter, her arms falling to her sides. "We agreed. We agreed to keep this between us, and then you—" She shook her head. "You pull something like that? In front of a bunch of people with their phones out?"

I frowned. "You're overthinking it."

"No, I'm not." Her voice was sharper now, though still quiet. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just some game, Isabel. I don't want everyone knowing our business — not yet."

I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped myself. She was right, wasn't she? We had agreed to keep this to ourselves, and I'd just... I'd gotten carried away. I hated how my chest tightened at the way she looked at me — frustrated and hurt. Lea's eyes searched mine, her lips parting like she was going to say something, but then she just sighed and dropped her gaze to the floor.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The only sounds were the muffled music from the party and the distant hum of people shouting somewhere down the hall. I took another step toward her, closing the distance between us.

"Lea," I said softly but firmly. "Look at me."

She didn't move, didn't react. Her arms were braced behind her against the edge of the sink, and her head was tilted down just enough so that I couldn't see her face.