Temptation

-30-

           

"Mmm, it tastes great," I lied, licking my lips and really hamming it up. I'm lying, of course – Pepsi and milk were two things that should never, ever be put in the same cup together –But I was trying to see if I could convince Brooklyn to try it as well. Having the other boys involved in the dares was actually pretty fun, if only so I could make the others suffer along with me.

            "No, I'm not kidding, it tastes really good." I suffered through another sip just to drive my point in and try to convince him that I wasn't lying. He looked close to giving in when Mikey poked his head into the kitchen, disrupting my progress.

            "Rye, someone's here for you."

            "And who is 'someone'?" I asked, not wanting to divert my attention away from Brooklyn. I edged the glass closer to him.

            "Just...someone." He carefully avoiding properly answering my question.

            "Can't it wait?" I asked, annoyed, as Brooklyn realized his opportunity and began to inch his way out of the kitchen. "I can't believe this," I groaned, reluctantly following Mikey as Brooklyn sighed in relief and moved to dump the disgusting concoction down the sink. "Don't," I called over my shoulder. "Save it for Jack."

Despite Mikey's discreetness, I still wasn't prepared for who I saw standing in the middle of our living room.

            "No. No. Nope!" I said, heart thumping in my chest like it was planning an escape route up and out of me. I turned to go back into the kitchen.       

            "At least give me the chance to explain," Sophie said.

            "If you really wanted to, you had the opportunity to do so a looong time ago," I said, trying to keep my voice and facial expression cold. I was still facing away from her, but I looked at her reflection in the mirror. Brooklyn looked like he'd rather finish off that drink than watch this play out, but I shot him a "You're-staying-for-moral-support-or-else" look. He reluctantly stayed where he was.

            "I needed time to think things through," She said in a voice much more sickly-sweet than I remembered. If it hadn't been for Andy, I probably would've been all ears, desperate to hear what she had to say. Hell, our lips would've been interlocked before she even had the time to pull out some bullshit excuse. But now, I didn't have the time to sit through it. Andy would be coming back from the gym soon, and he sure as hell didn't need to see my ex here, with her new perfume floating into my nostrils, even with me all the way over here, and her breasts barely covered by her shirt...

I cursed myself for the pull in my heart that being so close to her still brought, but, if there was one thing that I knew for sure, it was that I wouldn't be letting her catch a whiff of it. If I did, she would be on me like she was a wolf, and I was fresh meat for her dinner. I turned around slowly, preparing myself for what I wanted to say in my head before opening my mouth. Hers quirked up into a half-smile, as if she thought that she'd already won me over.

            "Sophie," I said, stepping forwards. She reciprocated the action, eyes opening wider.

            "Yes?" I could see the gum resting in her mouth.     

            "I'm not quite sure what you didn't understand from my text the other day. But, just to clear things up: You are not welcome here. You are no longer a part of my life. And I do not want to see you again. Now, please." I rested my hand on her shoulder and lightly pushed her away from me. "You know where the door is." She seemed to admit defeat, adjusting her purse on her shoulder as she stepped away, but her eyes were still on me, burning holes into my iron walls.

            I wished that it was easier to forget the two years that we'd spent together, and how it was a Friday, and how we should've been cuddled up together watching Stranger Things – But, no. She hurt me, and I couldn't forgive what she'd done as easily as that. I had somebody else now. I'd changed my life to be perfectly alright without her in it.

            "If she comes again, don't let her in." I willed my voice not to crack. She paused at the doorway, speaking before I was given the chance to even think.

            "I just thought you'd like to know that I made a mistake. It's you, and it's always been you. So, you know. If you change your mind, you know where to reach me." And then she was gone, like it had all been some sort of twisted nightmare. They were the words that I had longed to hear for so long, but it was the wrong time now. It was too late. I retreated to my bunk, sitting with my head in my hands.

            "She really is the she-devil, huh?" Brooklyn whistled, as if it were some soap opera on the telly and not actually real life.

            "I'm sorry." Mikey sat down beside me. "I didn't know that she'd-"

            "I don't want to talk about it," I snapped. Then, regretting aiming my tone at Mikey, and not Sophie, who had caused my sour mood, I added, "Just, not yet, okay?"

            "Okay." Giving in to my request, Mikey left me for Brooklyn, who, judging by the sound of it, resumed my role and tried to force him to drink the milk and Pepsi combo. The gags and laughter from the kitchen told me that he hadn't handled it nearly as well as I had.

            Just as I'd suspected, a few minutes later, Andy and Jack walked in, still smelling like fresh soap after a shower at the gym. They conversed with the others in low voices before Andy slid in next to me.

            "Hey," He whispered softly. If anyone knew just how badly Sophie had hurt me, and how much was at risk of being ruined by her making a return entrance into my life, it was him.

            "Hi," I replied, taking a peek at him. He rubbed my back.

            "D'ya wanna talk about it?"

            "No." Maybe if I dropped the issue entirely, it would be as if it had never happened. "Can we just-" I stopped midsentence, realizing just how gay it sounded.

            "Just what?" Andy asked.

            "Nevermind."

            "No, I wanna know," He said, not dropping it. He rested his fingertips on my chin. "Tell me what I can do to make you happy."

            "Fine. But you have to promise me that you won't tease me for it."

            "I promise." He linked pinkies with me.

            "Can we just...you know...cuddle?" I hated how childish I sounded, but Andy just grinned. He even let me be the small spoon so that he could wrap his arms around me. Somehow, laying in the vulnerable position was what made my emotions rise to the surface.

            "She made me feel like I was nothing," I said in a small voice. Andy's grip on me tightened, and his day-old stubble rubbed up against my neck.

            "You are everything and more." He planted a kiss right below my ear. After a moment of contemplation, he added, "You don't have to worry about her anymore. You've got me now, and I won't hurt you. I promise." He leaned over and wiped a stray tear off of the side of my cheek with the back of his thumb.

            "I love you," I said, my voice husky and low with the confession.

            "I love you too," He replied with no pause in between.

            The weight of Sophie's words hadn't been lifted completely, but I found myself able to drift off to sleep like that, with Andy's arm draped across my chest, his breath hot on the nape of my neck, and our legs intertwined.