Tainted Me

Chapter 8: So Into You (past)

ONE YEAR AGO

I couldn't take my eyes off her.

Arisa was dancing with Gwen a few feet away from our table. She threw her head back and laughed when Gwen made a goofy dance move.

"You're staring again," I heard Byron say.

"Byron, man." I made a show of trying not to laugh. "With the way Gwen is dancing, wouldn't you stare?"

I averted my gaze, and took a swig of my beer. I seriously needed to get fucking laid. Now that I was done with the LSAT, I had time again for my favorite extra-curricular activity – sex.

It was a Saturday night. The circle was done with studying hard, so now we were at Crown Oak to unwind harder. It was beginning to be our weekly thing.

"Okay, I see your point," Byron said, watching the two girls dancing amongst the crowd.

"You gonna see your boyfriend this break?"

He sighed, leaning back into the chair. "No, I'll spend the holidays in Aspen with the family. He's going back home to Dallas."

"Why don't you just bring him as a friend?"

"They're suspicious enough as it is as to why I haven't brought home any girlfriend yet."

"Can't you just tell them?" I asked, cocking my head as I looked at him. "To hell what they think."

He shook his head, his jaw clenching. "No, I'll save that conversation when I've achieved my goal. I'm going to make sure they have nothing else to criticize about me."

"What if they blew their shit?"

"At least, I'll be a lawyer by then."

I nodded. "Good point."

Personally, I saw no problem with it. People could love who they fucking loved. His parents could suck it. But it was Byron's decision. Not mine.

Right then, Yash arrived looking like hell. We made him drink hard since it seemed like he needed it. I didn't know what it was about today, but my friends were getting fucking plastered.

I was taking responsibility for Byron's sudden interest in swimming in his own vomit, since I was the one who opened up that subject about his folks. But the others? Well, they looked like birds that just got out of their cages.

At some point, Byron passed out in the booth. Yash and Gwen were dancing, or more like swinging their hands and jumping – hence, the birds analogy.

Arisa sat beside me with her chin resting on her palm, staring at me with those glazed but still gorgeous brown eyes like it was a goddamn hobby. Her eyes had that liner shit that made them look catty. It was cute.

"Wanna play a game?" she asked.

I chinned up. "What game?"

"I'll tell you a secret but you have to give one back."

"Depends on how good that secret is."

"Oh, it's good—fantastic," she assured me, raising her hands and giving me a serious look – or at least, tried to.

"Game," I agreed, humoring her as I reached for my beer and took a drink.

"I want you to fuck me."

I spluttered my drink, almost fucking choking. I hammered my chest with a fist and put the bottle back on the table. I wiped my mouth clean, before turning back to Arisa. She only looked at me innocently.