Bring Me Back

chapter three

We stand in silence and I let his hand feel my chin, cheek, nose and lips while I do the same to him.

Momentarily, my eyes close and I can imagine his long face with crooked nose and wide chin. He has nice, smooth cheeks and thick eye brows. I imagine his hair are blond with gray eyes that shimmered under twilight earlier.

He is a perfect ghost of a fantasy too good to be true. and that's when I realize he might be a really famous person around here the way he feels, talks and looks.

Even my hands are telling me that he is out of my league. I am a regular girl who doesn't dream that big except for making my family proud of me. I am looking forward a new life in Texas after a week and I cannot start to leave something behind in this moment.

My heart realizes in a gush of wind that I have to break the reality because it is getting too real when it shouldn't.

I will be disappointed or I will be a disappointment.

"You're beautiful, charm. I love your cute button nose and big eyes. You have a dimple and a cute smile. God, I cannot wait to see you, Charm. You're mesmerizing. I was so right that I would have remembered you if I saw you ever before."

After a full minute of studying and learning about each other's feature, he keeps on praising me like a devotee. He doesn't stop soon and keeps rubbing my hand because I start to feel cold. Someone stirs behind and around us before he is about to confess something.

When people start to wake up or move out loud around me, including my sister and Benny, they look disoriented and totally disheveled, some one calls Landon from behind in urgency.

He shakes his head and replies to be back later. The voice comes again and apparently someone has locked herself in the washroom with a guy who is puking again and again.

"Charm, will you wait for me here? I have things to tell you and I don't feel our talk is done, yet. Tell me, Charm, will you wait for me, please?"

"Yes, Landon. I am here and I am not going anywhere." I give him the reply he wants and he leans towards me with a whisper near my lips.

"I will come back to you soon, Charm."

He leaves with a fast peck at the corner of my lips and runs inside.

As soon as he vanished my heart starts to pump large amount of blood for sure.

The day light finally settles in and my sister walks beside me as does Benny.

They both are so lost. I feel like laughing at them which can be a good excuse to set my mind on rather than counting back the minutes for Landon to come back and tell me what he wants to.

"Urgh, I am never drinking again!!"

"Stop lying to yourself, Sasha."

Benny tells her and they start fighting over whom to blame for their own hangover. Idiots.

I shake my head at their early morning stupidity and try to break them free from killing each other and repenting later on.

"Guys, please stop fighting over something you already knew was going to happen. Ash,  accept the fact you like drinking and partying and Benny stop accompanying my sister in every mischief when you're to be blamed for everything in the end."

When I am done they both have their mouths hanging open in air and the drunken smell from their mouth harass me. I gesture them to stay away and look back at the door twice and again.

"Whom are you waiting for, Essie?"

Benny asks and I don't reply. I don't want to give air to something that is not even there yet. Landon is just a stranger who is going to be a friend soon.

"Urgh, Benny my sister has been hanging out with someone called Landon whole night. They both are actually the reason for my massive headache. I thought I was dreaming but now it looks it wasn't a dream. She was hanging around like lunatics with a stranger whole night. What a weird date, sister. Please tell me you did not get laid!"

My eyes widen at her remarks and before I can scold her to keep her mouth shut, Benny  intrudes.

"Wow, you were hanging out with Landon?? "
I zip my head to Benny inquisitively this time and throw curses at my sister in my mind to have explained it like a sexual scandal. I did nothing wrong. We just went for the longest stroll of my life.

"It is nothing too sleazy about it, guys. Stop making it sound like a controversial thing."

Sasha shakes her at my request and starts to gather her stuff along with Benny's and mine while Benny pulls to a corner and eyes me like I have committed a serious sin.

"Do you know who is Landon?"

"Who?"

"Essie... He is the owner of this house. He is the one who threw the party. You need to stay away from him. He is not a nice guy. He is a fuckboy and that would be a euphimism to describe him."

"What are you talking about? He must be some other Landon you're talking about. The guy I was talking to seemed nice and caring. He respected my space."

"Did you see his face?"

"Nope, I am about to though. He said he will be back soon. Someone called him in for help."

Benny looked serious in air behind me, and suddenly pulled me back behind the thick pair of some exotic plants to stay hidden.

"You see that guy, 6 ft tall with blonde hair, carrying a girl in his arms in bridal style?"

He points out at the exit area of the mansion. I don't see the face but I hear the distant voices.

The girl in that boy's arm says loudly, "Landon, I love you, baby. You're so hot. I love your parties."

And then her head bobs on his shoulder like a sleeping beauty.

"Please keep quiet, Jenice, I am taking you home."

The voice was....Landon's,. The same guy I was talking to whole night, the same who promised to come back to me, and the same guy who owns this house and taking this auburn beauty to her house.

My steps fall back as if my ears are bleeding. Everything hurts all of a sudden. He was a liar. He lied to me. He is out of my league and he made me feel secure in his company intentionally. He promised to come back when he wasn't. Nothing seemed more jeart breaking than the promise made by this boy whose face I was yet to see.

"Take me home, Benny. Please."

"Sure, Essie."

I hug him tight as he takes me to the back exit as my sister follows us with our bags. She has a knack for having everything at its place so she never forgets anything she brings to parties and never lets one of us forget either. It is an annoying habit but more bearable than the slash of betrayal slicing the pieces of my hearts like an honor.

Silent tears wash my face and I drench Benny's jacket as he hugs me back as coos words of worry and safety in my ear.

"I am sorry, baby girl. I won't let anyone hurt you."

He supports me and so does my sister while we are on our way to home. I am simply glad they don't question me much on anything and let me go back to my room in silence.

For now it will be only healing companion till I escape. I will myself to start a better life in Texas. I have to follow my dreams and I feel sorry that I let myself detour by investing in a seasonal liar. I promise myself to be careful and not trust men too easily. It isn't charming at all to be called charm anymore.