PERFECT│s.m

FORTY THREE

ANDREA

"Happy birthday, you slut," Freya shouts as she slams my shot down at the table. I giggle, sitting up from Simon's side, his arm falling from my shoulder in the process. He wraps it loosely around my waist instead and sits up as well. "Well!" Freya shouts. "Down it!"

I giggle one more time before doing as told, making a face afterwards. I laugh, coughing as the sting travels down my throat and into my stomach.

"You said you wanted to get shit-faced," Freya snickers. Josh pretends to not hear that, always preferring me sober. Meanwhile, Simon's head turned to gaze at me. I met his stare since his eyes began to burn my neck.

"Really?" he questions, referring to Freya's comment.

"Hell yes," I reply. "Freya," my head slowly turns to her, "can you get me a beer?" She gave a disgusted look, due to my choice, but drug Josh to the bar with her anyway. I turned back to Simon, planting my lips roughly on his.

"You're drunk, aren't you?" he sighs as he separates us almost instantly.

"No," I shriek, hiccuping after.

"We've been here for an hour and you've had about four shots and a couple Vodka mixes," he responds.

"Didn't know you were counting," I groan. "Do you not want to do anything?" I question. I knew playing innocent always crushed Simon and brought out the side of him that drives me wild, so of course that's what I did. He grumbles, bites his lips together, and turns his head to the side. I lean into his body, placing my hand on his thigh as I did so, and pushed my lips close to his ear. "Because I do."

He let out the softest whimper, turning his head back so he was facing me. His hand slid up to my face, pushing back a few stray strands of my hair behind my ear.

"We don't have to," I sigh after he just stares at me. I push away from him and keep to myself for the next half hour. This made Simon needy, especially since I'd constantly brush his arm off my shoulder or not hold his hand back and continue to chug whatever drink Freya would bring me.

"Drea, seriously," he groans as Josh and Freya walk back over to the bar for more drinks.

"When we first started dating I was always there for you physically whenever you wanted me," I barked to him in a whisper. "But when I ask once, you don't want to. It's unfair."

"I just don't want to because you're drunk," he whispers, reaching for the stray hairs again. I turn my head so he couldn't touch them, a frown on my face. "Drea, stop."

"Do you even love me?" I whimper as I turn my head back to him, tilting it. Tears were filling my eyes, making Simon feel immensely guilty.

"You're questioning my love for you, all because I don't wanna have sex?" he questions as he cocks an eyebrow.

"No, that's not it," I whine, looking down at my lap. "You just seem pretty... not you tonight."

"Drea, I-"

"You don't have to be here if you don't want to be," I whisper, a tear slipping from my eye. I felt Simon move closer to me, his arms embracing me.

"I'm just so exhausted, gorgeous," he sighs. He presses my head gently to his chest and holds me tightly for a bit.

I push him off and glare at him. "No. It's because I didn't want a party," I pout.

"Babe, I don't care about that," Simon assures.

"Then what is it? Because you never sleep yet you're always energetic, so being exhausted is not a good enough answer," I exclaim.

"What's going on?" Josh asks with a stern voice. I look up at him and frown.

"He's mad at me because I didn't want a fucking party," I reply, feeling exasperated.

"No, I'm not," Simon retorts. He scoffs, then asks me to move so he could get out of the booth. He slumps into the crowd and disappears outside.

"Now he's gone," I sob, my knees going weak. My legs fall out from underneath me, making me go crashing onto the floor. I continued to cry into my hands, gaining various stares. Most people kept chatting, drinking, or dancing though.

"Drea, what the hell is going on?" Freya shouts as Josh picks me up under the arms and sets me gently back in my spot in the booth.

"Simon's not being himself," I exclaim. "I don't like it," I mutter afterwards.

"What do you mean he's not himself?" Josh asks, concerned. Maybe he knows why.

"I don't know..." I groan. "He just seems sad or something, I guess."

Josh looks up from me, past the crowd, and to the door that Simon walked out of. Without saying anything, he runs after the boy, in hopes he's near.

"Josh, what the hell?" I yell as I stand to watch him. Freya sets a hand on my shoulder and pushes me softly to sit back down. "Do you know what's going on?" I question in a panic.

Freya kneels to my height. Thank God she wasn't drinking much tonight. "I think I do," she sighs.

"What is it then? Tell me!" I demand.

"Today is the one year anniversary of Simon's grandma's death," she whispers. My heart shatters into a million pieces. The only grandma he had left, the only one I was lucky enough to get to know, was the sweetest old lady to walk this planet. Simon was her favorite- she'd whispered this to me one day and told me not tell her other grandkids.

"No," I mumble, standing. Thankfully I was wearing sneakers, so it made running a lot easier.

♡♡♡

I stop in front of the cemetery, looking for a sign of Josh or Simon. A head pops up, then another, as if they're standing from kneeling at a grave.

"Andrea?" I heard Josh's voice shout questioningly. He runs over to me and makes sure I'm alright, but I was just breathing heavy from running so far.

Then my eyes land on Simon's, my heart melting to my stomach. I give him a smile, and he gives a weary one back. I see his eyes glistening, making my lungs shrivel.

He walks over to me, and I open my arms, which he falls into. "I'm sorry, my love," I whisper into his ear, squeezing him with all the love I could give him. "I'm so sorry."