1

MIA

"You're gonna want to know my name before you leave."

The meaning of his words doesn't pass by me. I tug my tights forcefully over my hips.

"Nope. I'm good, Thanks."

A mockery of those exact words from last night tunes in my head.

"Logan."

I roll my eyes, reaching and clasping my bra then taking my phone to check my notifications. Ten missed calls. All from Nick. I'm so screwed.

"Jackson."

He adds cooly. The breeze from the window causes my teeth to shake.

"My name is Logan Jackson." He completes.

My brain is fried. I swerved harshly and my head throbs in pain. No way in hell. I cannot be that unlucky. My eyes are begging for him to take those words back, but he sits at the edge of the bed, his presence filling the room, his eyes unrelenting as they meet mine. Fuck my whole life.

At that moment, I do what any self-respecting girl would, I bolt out through the door.

"Logan Jackson."

The name burns at the tip of my tongue.

Please tell me I didn't just sleep with my boyfriend's brother.

****

TEN HOURS EARLIER.

Your boyfriend calling again?"

Maya questioned with a knowing smirk. "He's not my boyfriend." I thought, flashing the guards our ID then strutting in, glaring at her thus providing all the answers she needed.

It was Nick calling for the third time tonight. An apology for sure. One mixed with reused excuses. Screw him.

"You two are going to make up before midnight, might as well get over with it."

We approached the bartender, pulling up a stool to sit as I rolled my eyes in boredom.

The server, mid-twenties checked both of us out, Maya longer than I, his eyes resting on her exposed cleavages. I peeked at my cell, checking the incoming text and shutting the screen in anger.

"Please talk to me." I'd rather not.

This bar is rated 21+ but Todd helped with fake IDs. Don't judge, it's legal since we are over eighteen.

"What can I get you ladies?"

He winked, pulling several bottles up.

"Tequilla. Best remedy for a broken heart."

Yet another eye roll.

"I'm not heartbroken, merely tired. It's the same story with remakes. I'm done with him. For good."

I answered for the first time since she drove us down here.

"Suree."

She passed a shot glass filled halfway through "I mean it."

I replied firmly. "I think I've seen this film before."

She hummed and then gulped the shot in one go. I turned away allowing the bartender to hit it off with my friend, maybe one of us would get laid tonight.

****

Maya's been flirting with the bartender and I've been getting free drinks all night. I can hardly hear my thoughts with the music blaring at all corners. I am pathetic. My boyfriend treats me like shit and here I am sulking in a bar after breaking up for the... fourth time? Maya would know. She's been counting. The longest our breakups have lasted was a week, then he sat outside my bedroom window for a night and I forgave him the next morning.

Don't confuse things, acts of service aren't my love language. It makes me cringe especially if we're in public. Words of affirmation feel like you're lying. Receiving gifts insinuates a debt and well physical touch. I'm asexual. I think.

Nick and I have been together for four years. Since Grade 9. That's early to be in a relationship sure, but we weren't official until last year. Straight out of a book. Close friends who do everything together had the whole first kiss unexpectedly. He's a quarterback, not a dumb blonde. Nick is one of the few people who can keep up with me when I talk, and intelligence is the most attractive quality a man can possess. Why four breaks ups then?

There's no easy way to put it, some times I feel as though it's all in my head, other times it's a pretty stupid thing to say. I'm a teenage girl. An insecure teenage girl. I hit puberty at the right age. My tits didn't "pop out" too early, It was just fine. But maybe it's something embedded in our brain cells. A particular nerve that strikes randomly which makes us rethink shit.

As a quarterback, he got attention. A lot. Girls my size, bigger, smaller, and I try but sometimes it gets to my head, even when it's just an arm around a cheerleader's waist, my head starts spinning. His intentions may be harmless, but it hurts. I can't ignore how I feel and I voice my emotions out, but Nick all but ignores it. And that has been the cause of all our fights.

We broke up thrice now and today's fight seemed pointless to anyone else, but when your boyfriend sets up a dinner date, has you all dressed up and waiting, doesn't call to cancel, gets you worried and stressed, then you see pictures of him having fun at another party, I'd say it's valid to be mad. Breakup? maybe not, but mad.

"Stop sulking and grab a drink. Nick's probably at the party, dancing his ass off."

She's not wrong. I bet good money he just went back to the party. I sent an angry text and he showed up at my door half an hour later, begging for an explanation. I left him outside. Well, Maya stole my keys and didn't let him in, but same thing. He left an hour later, and then she made me wear the same dress to the club and left to be with some bartender. I'm all alone.

If you haven't noticed, I may have some abandonment issues to sort out, we'd save that for later.

"Thanks."

I grabbed the medium-sized bottle and chunked it. Tonight, I just might get drunk.

*****

Way past my bedtime. Dad and Gianna are out of town and I'm the only one back at the house. At least I'm sober enough to put the bottle away, yet drunk enough to allow Maya to lead me to the dancefloor, and that's when my last shred of self-control slips away. Tonight, I am going to have fun.

"Quint or Winn the bartender circles his arms around Maya, leading her away. I narrow my gaze and she nods, assuring me she's fine and not in need of rescuing.

I"'m the one who needs help. I'm still sober since my brain is considering talking to Nick tomorrow.

That's my cue to grab another bottle.

****

I hit the dance floor a second time, but Maya was not in sight. I bob my head to the tune of the pop song, and sway my hips as carefree as I can, in the middle of sweaty strangers, but the time for caring has long passed.

"Do you mind?"

I blink twice, catching someone in front of me, leeching closer to dance. I shake my head in negation, moving closer. His hands rest on my hips and I'm dancing with a stranger.

"We should get out of here, the music's pretty loud."

A few alarms go off in my head, I can't gather what they mean, I'm too caught up with dancing and then being led away. His hands roam from my hips and rests just below my boobs. The alarms are clear now.

I shake my head furiously, tugging him away. "Sorry, not interested."

My words may be slurred, but his frown tells me he got the right memo. I bumped into a bunch of people, looking for Maya and the seat we were in.

Maybe I'm lost. I pull out my phone and dial the first contact on it. It's Nick. It rings then goes to voice mail. Maybe I should call a cab and go home. The lines are blurred while I try to Uber and my phone slips to the ground. I crouched at the same time as someone else, and we both grabbed the object. His hands are too cold, so I recoil in shock, he grips my phone, unrelenting until we both share a look. The light at the side of the club illuminates his face a little. Hazel. Dark. That's the first thing I noticed.

"You dropped this."

His tone is hoarse, stretching my cell towards me. Again, I lace my hands with his and he passes my phone.

"Thank you."

The stranger nods, then tugs his lips into the smallest smile. I stare down half expecting Nick's incoming call to jolt us, but there's nothing. It's almost midnight.

"Do you need a ride?"

I angle my head at him. No rides from strangers.

"I'll book an Uber."

I believe those are the words I wanted to say.

"Are you sure? That guy over there was pretty handsy."

I scoff. "And you're any better?"

I thought. "Nope, I'm good. Thanks."

I turn to leave. "My girlfriend just broke up with me, so I don't want to be alone right now."

I halt then turn, "So you hit the club for a rebound? How original."

Was I doing the same thing?

"Not at all. I came with a friend and he went away. I just don't want to be alone and we both look like we could use the company, so why not?"

I have half the mind to turn him down, call Maya, call Nick, or book an Uber, yet I don't. Alcohol gives me a harsh boost and I nod my head, allowing him to lead me away and some other nerve in my brain knew this wasn't going to end well.

But he sparks flames around him, and I'm nothing but a moth.

****