The List

chapter 26

       

A soft breeze rifled through the house, bringing in the scent of the trees and the ocean and the coolness of the water a mile away from me. My pen scratched at my paper as I wrote, divulging my feelings about my father, how I knew there was something wrong with me and I should take care of it, but I had too much pride.

    I gritted my teeth, tossing the book on the coffee table. The leather marked letters mocked me, edging me on to call Eros because for fucks sake, that's all I wanted to do in the world. I wanted to talk to someone, someone who understood me.

    And he was the only one that did.

    The room was silent and still, unexpectedly a safe haven for me. I had been here for a week, and I was still unsure of when I'd go to my father's house. I knew I had to, I knew I owed Angelica an explanation and I had to face my father but I was taking every single excuse to avoid it.

    "Ryder!"

    The front door slammed and I jumped, neck craning to the intruder that just entered the house. There was a soft shuffle and the clink of a bottle as Eros came into the room, eyes landing on me.

    "Oh, well isn't this lovely? It's the exact girl I'm trying to avoid, where's Ryder Alice?" In his hand held a brandy bottle and took a swig from it, eyes on everything but me. He was anxious as he took up a crystal glass on the liquor table, pouring two glasses of the sloshing, dark liquid.

    "He and Luna went to go pick up some food," I mumbled, frozen in my spot on the couch as Eros sat beside me and handed me one of the glasses. "Brandy?"

    The boy beside me laughed. "If we're going to be in each other's presence I think it's necessary that we're both wasted," he washed away his words with a healthy gulp from his glass.

    I took a tentative sip of the brandy. I agreed with his words, being alone with him had the prospect of awful consequences, consequences he nor I wanted to deal with.

    Already I felt the effects of the liquor, my head starting to get moderately fuzzy, movements requiring more energy than usual. I leaned back and took another gulp, eyeing Eros without distraction.

    He was, for all accounts, rugged. The black attire was not unusual, the leather jacket sealing in his danger with the silver charm that hung just above his heart. I never got the chance to ask him about it, and I don't think I ever would.

    "Why are you here Alice?" He was leaning on his knees, chin propped up, resting on the flesh of his palm.

    "This is my temporary residence Eros."

    He laughed sarcastically. "You should eventually go home Alice. Before your father calls the cops and they force you back home."

    I bristled, and took this opportunity to leave, standing and slamming the stupid glass on the hardwood table, not really caring as the alcohol spilled over it's surface. I sidestepped the coffee table and turned to the staircase that would take me away from him.

    The boy on the couch groaned. "Alice! Come back!" From the sound of his feet hitting the floor, I knew he was following me.

    And I wasn't sure if I wanted him to or not.

    "Eros!" I spun on the stairs and stared at his body at the bottom of them. "I don't want to keep doing this with you! Why can't we just be normal friends, why does there have to be," my arms were flailing as I struggled to find words, "this insane awkward sexual tension whenever we're in the same room!"

    He started slowly up the stairs, a devious glint reflecting in his sapphire eyes. "You think there's awkward sexual tension whenever we're in the same room?" By the time he ran out of words, he stood at the step right below me, and still his shoulders were level with my head.