"White or black?" I turned to Marissa in the full length mirror of my bathroom. I'd convinced her to accompany me to Eli's coming home party since it was now the talk of the town. I'd felt like I was in high school all over again and, just like in high school, Marissa was my only ally. Especially after Eli left.
"Definitely white." She pointed to the white spaghetti knit crop top that made my boobs look huge and my waist look tiny above the dark wash skinny jeans. Yet another thing I typically wouldn't wear, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "You'd better put on some fucking makeup too. It's time to win your man back." Marissa fluffed her dark long hair in the mirror.
"I already told you. It's not like that with Eli." I lied.
"And I already told you that I don't believe you. You look at him like he's chocolate cake, and you're diabetic."
"Whatever." I brushed on some dark red lipstick and gold eye shadow and mascara, making me somehow look older and younger at the same time.
"Drink." She demanded, handing me the small silver flask she'd snuck into my house. It was filled with whatever liquor she could find in her parent's kitchen, which wasn't much. Her Vietnamese parents were impossibly strict, and the dusty plastic bottle of vodka had been in the back of the pantry for half of Marissa's life. She was convinced her eldest brother, Paul, stuck it back there and forgot about it.
I took a long sip of the nasty ten year old liquid, and it burned all the way down my throat.
"That's my girl..." She took a long gulp after me, before applying her eyeliner. "I heard Denise is going to be there tonight..." I swallowed another mouthful at that, feeling the cheap vodka burn slightly less the second time around.
"I'm not shocked. You know how it usually goes when he's back in town..." I shrugged, but Marissa grabbed for my hand sympathetically.
"Maybe this time will be different..."
"Mmhmmm." I tried my best to keep the hurt out of my voice. Especially due to his sex drought.
"Who knows though. You've never looked like that the other few times he's been home..." She waved her hand over my outfit and I blushed. My blonde hair was sleek and straight and I even shoved a pair of simple strappy black heels onto my feet. The shoes made me almost too tall by society's standards.
"It's already past ten. We should head out before my dad ventures out of the recording studio and spots us..." I took another swig of vodka from her flask, feeling my head swim and my heart hammer thinking of the many ways this night could unfold.
**********
Eli's white beachside mansion was lit up like the Fourth of July by the time we arrived. Music blared and people weaved in and out of the front door that was thrown open carelessly.
"Wow. Elijah West certainly does not disappoint..." Marissa laughed as we entered the house and wound through throngs of people. I grabbed a red solo cup from the kitchen counter and a nice girl helped me pump some beer into it before helping Marissa too.
"Holy fuck. Avery Adams, is that you?!" A sexy male voice boomed from across the kitchen, and I turned with my solo cup to my lips. Across the massive white island stood my teenage dream...that is, after Eli had left. Beckett Press with his mischievous green eyes and black hair and full delicious lips. I was shocked he even knew my name.
"It's me." I flirted, sipping on my beer again and Marissa looked back and forth between us, equally as shocked as I was by the attention.
YOU ARE READING
The Sweetest Summer
Romance**COMPLETE** Elijah West was everything, and I was just...Avery Adams. The tomboy, the girl next door, the friend zone occupant. The girl who somehow grew up while he was gone filming his television show. But this summer he's back, and the sparks a...
