1

Ariana

“About the party I mentioned last night, I’ll be leaving right n—” I abruptly trailed off, frozen from shock. Dax, my brother’s best friend, was groaning and jerking off, his head thrown back in bliss.

“Oh shit.” He swore on noticing my presence. His hand stopped its movement and his eyes widened, while I quickly whirled around, my heart pounding hard against my ribs as I slammed the door close behind me, my mind reeling hard, unable to grasp onto what I just witnessed.

What. The. Fuck.

I cursed myself out on the inside while still breathing hard, feeling flustered as hell. The image of his large, veiny hand sliding over his hard length replayed over my mind and I felt my stomach flip as I quickly shoved the image away, reminding myself that I should instantly start working on forgetting I ever saw that.

“I’m so sorry I didn't knock.” I called out after taking a deep shaky breath. I waited a few heartbeats before continuing, “I’ll be leaving for the party I told you about last night.”

I didn’t expect him to respond, cause he was undoubtedly mad at me right now for just walking in on him jerking off. I was already moving away from the door when his deep voice echoed around me.

“Don’t stay out late.”

I felt my mouth grow dry and I failed to suppress a shiver that always happened whenever he spoke to me.

“I- I won’t.” I managed to respond, still feeling extremely flustered on the inside as I hurried away, my heart threatening to burst out of my chest.

Dax is my brother’s best friend. They’ve apparently known each other for almost twenty years, but I never got to meet him until a week ago, which was the day I also moved in here, and the exact day my dreams began to get haunted by him.

Dave, My older brother was older by a decade, so we were never friends, and were more like father and child because he brought me up himself. After his job required him to switch countries with his best friend, he decided that I move in with his best friend whom he trusts with his life, until I leave for college in two weeks.

Dax was very tall, at least 6’5, and he was blessed with a literal flawless face. He was broad shouldered, and completely tatted up. One look at him was enough to let me know that he was danger himself and that I needed to never entertain ridiculous thoughts— like thoughts of him fucking me for example, for my own sanity.

Dax jerking off wasn’t even that shocking, because from listening to him fuck different women every night, I knew Dax was very sexual and good at it as well. But the women he fucks are all hotter, older and curvier than me, which made it more than obvious that I was far from his type and way below his league at eighteen, pale and skinny with a small bubble butt, and an ugly pair of glasses.

But I guess that was a good thing, cause I shouldn’t be thinking about getting into his bed either. He is ten years older than me and definitely off limits as the best friend of my brother.

“ARIIIIII! Pop that little ass out here and LET’S GAURRRRRR!”

My best friend’s car honked outside right after she screamed loud enough to wake the dead, then I hurried out of the house and slid into her bubblegum pink car.

“Hey, Gina.” I threw a quick greeting at her just as she pulled into the road again.

My best friend was also eighteen and she could already drive and was given a car by her parents at sixteen. I don’t have parents after they both died the day I was born. My father died after a fatal road accident, then my mother, who just had me, got a heart attack after hearing the news and died as well. In all honesty, I still wonder how my brother didn’t end up hating me cause I still believe my birth was a bad omen. Instead, my brother loves me to the fullest, even to the point of it being stifling at times. It’s why even though I was now legal, he still treats me like a kid.

“How are you? Excited for tonight?” Gina’s excited voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, I am.” I murmured noncommittedly while she snorted around a laugh.

“Try to sound a little excited at least.” She urged as she took a turn. We were heading to a party being thrown by one of the popular kids back in our set which graduated from high school months ago. I don’t even remember the celebrant’s name after she told me about the party and the only reason I was attending was because she was forcing me to. I’d rather be buried in my sheets and reading one of my romance books.

“I am excited.” I lied while she rolled her eyes and pulled up in front of a tall, flashy house where party lights were showing from the windows and muffled music noise could be heard. There were students scattered around the outside and leaning against cars out here as well. Some were making out while others were smoking.

“Before we go in, I forgot to mention this but Mark is gonna be in there.” She regarded me as she spoke and I blanched.

“Girl? What the hell? And you didn’t tell me?” I demanded, already wishing I could go back home right now.

Mark was my ex, who cheated on me on our prom night. I caught him balls deep in Elena, the most popular girl of our set. Mark was the most popular guy of our set who got crowned prom king that faithful night, while Elena got crowned the queen. They had looked extra cozy during their dance and the pictures they took together, but I kept reminding myself nothing was going on between them and that he was still my boyfriend, till I caught them fucking in Mark’s car. I ran off in tears that night, broke up with him right after, then I spent the rest of the prom night crying cause he didn’t even bother apologizing or explaining anything to me. He instead uploaded a pic of himself and Elena with a caption telling everyone they were now dating.

“Cause then you’ll refuse to come, and I want you to have fun tonight. He’s here tonight but so what? Girl, fuck his cheating ass! This is the last time we'll see all our friends until whenever in the future cause almost all of us are gonna move for uni. C’mon, Ari.” Gina urged, sounding earnest but I still felt skeptical cause I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing him physically after that night.

“I don’t know…” I mumbled quietly, my heart squeezing painfully as a flash of pain went through my insides. The break up happened months ago, and even though I’ve gotten over him, I still sometimes think about him. He was always so sweet to me so I never could have thought he’d cheat on me.

“Ari, I’m serious! You’re already over him, are you not?” Gina demanded and after I nodded firmly, she clapped her hands.

“Then let’s go have fun! Don’t think about him, think about just having fun tonight.”

Two minutes after stepping into the crowded living room filled with dancing people, most of the faces familiar from school, I caught sight of Mark, and Elena right in his arms as they danced together, but it was more like fucking from how lewd the sight was. I quickly looked away, ignoring the dull ache in my chest as I went off to find some alcohol, and ended up in the kitchen.

My phone pinged and I pulled it out, then my heart skipped a few beats on realizing the text was from Dax.

Dax: Don’t forget to return home before twelve. No too much drinking.

I rolled my eyes at the text, hating that he also treats me like a kid. I am now legal, I can drink a lot or spend the entire night out if I want, but of course, my brother would have my head if I do that, and I wouldn’t like to stress Dax out or make him believe that I was irresponsible. Despite his sexcapades, he was so responsible and so put together that the thought of him being disappointed in me has my stomach in knots.

I typed in a response, my teeth snagged on my bottom lip.

Me: okay.

Then impulsively, I sent another text.

Me: have fun tonight.

Shit! I cussed under my breath, and I was about to delete it, but he had already read it and was already typing in a response.

Dax: you and I need to have a chat after you return home.

My heart dropped into my stomach as I reread the text, already knowing it was about me walking in on him this evening.

Oh god.

As I pocketed my phone, my hand shook a little and an image of him jerking off briefly flashed across my mind before I quickly put a wall over it and stepped deeper into the kitchen.

“Ariana, you’re here!” A few of my classmates exclaimed in shock on noticing me and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Of course they were shocked, cause this wasn’t my scene at all and I never attended parties throughout high school.

After we spoke a little, Gina arrived, then we were pulled into a group of people from our set.

“I don’t know if you saw your ex-boyfriend dancing with his new chick.” One of the girls drawled as she looked me up and down, then the whole group laughed and began to talk about it, and I suppressed a frustrated sigh.

“He’s no longer my boyfriend, so whatever he does is his business.” I snapped in response, my hand tightening around my cup.

“But you still wish he is, right?” A different guy asked this time and I reeled back.

“What? No!”

Despite my response, they all began to snicker about how I definitely just lied cause somehow, they all believed I was undoubtedly still in love with him.

“Ignore them.” Gina murmured to me, squeezing my hand. I nodded at her and offered her a smile, then I sipped on my drink and tried not to think of leaving just yet.

Arms wrapped around me from behind and I stiffened, then whirled around to see that it was Mark. I shoved him away, glowering at the sight of his stupid grinning, handsome face. With his hair falling into his brown eyes, the sight of him used to make my heart skip beats… until he cheated.

“Stay the fuck away from me.” I snapped, batting his hand away when he tried to reach for me.

“Aw c'mon, Ari. Stop being so serious.” He crooned in a relaxed voice and everyone gathered around cooed, making the rage within me to worsen.

Gina quickly urged everyone to leave the kitchen so we could speak privately.

“I should stop being serious? You literally cheated on me! You humiliated me. You hurt me, so sorry if I’m being too serious, not everyone is a cheater like you.” I hurled at him, my chest heaving and he slowly sobered up.

“Chill out. I was drunk when it happened.” He sighed while I scoffed in disbelief.

“Drunk? You posted about being in a relationship with her a minute after I said that we were over.”

“Damn, I’m sorry.” He sighed again, reaching for my waist but I shoved him hard again, making him stagger.

“Eat your fucking apology, Mark.” I informed him before storming off, holding back angry tears cause I really did love him but this conversation just showed me one thing.

He never loved me.