Distraction

by McPherson, Angela

  Finally, I reached the front door and walked in. Eric said he was at the bar and would wait for me there. I hurried over, and as promised, I found him waiting.

  "Hey," I shouted when I walked up.

  "Hey, beautiful." Eric smiled, and then pulled me in for a kiss, warming my cold lips and cheeks.

  "Hey, Elle," said Matt, Eric’s friend, leaning over Eric's shoulder.

  "Hi, Matt," I said, blushing, knowing he'd seen the way Eric kissed me. I cleared my throat. "Y'all having fun?"

  "Always," Matt said with a big smile. "Hey, man, I'm gonna find Stacy. Catch you guys later."

  "See ya," Eric said.

  Needing to calm my unexpected nerves, I asked, "You want to dance?"

  "Sure. Do you want a shot first?"

  I nodded. “Nothing too strong."

  "Got it," he said, holding up two fingers to the bartender. When the flirty female bartender came back, Eric kept a shot for himself and handed me the other.

  "What is it?" I held the glass close to my nose and sniffed.

  "Elle." He chuckled. "You don't smell it, just drink it. It's not bad, I promise."

  I took a small sip figuring he'd ordered vodka since I couldn't smell the liquor, but found myself pleasantly surprised by the fruity taste. I threw my head back and downed the rest.

  "That was good. Let's have another."

  "Anything for you," Eric said with a wicked grin.

  Several shots later when my lips were numb, along with my habitual hesitant inhibitions, I laced my fingers through Eric's and led him to the dance floor. With my back pressed against his chest, and his hands on my hips, our bodies blended to the rhythm of the music.

  Sweat made my dress stick to my skin. Eric brushed my hair over my shoulder and moved close to my ear. "You smell so good."

  His teeth grazed my earlobe, stirring a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. With alcohol-induced bravery, I turned to him with a flirty smile.

  "You have no idea what you do to me," he said, motivating me further.

  I fisted his shirt, pulled him to me and skimmed my tongue across his bottom lip, tasting the lingering salt from our last shot. He moaned against my smile and kissed me back.

  "Let's get out of here," he said around the lingering kiss.

  Considering the rational section of my brain still remained dulled by alcohol, I eagerly agreed.

  * * *

  In the privacy of my room, I lifted Eric's shirt over his head and ran my fingers along his smooth chest.

  "Come here," he said in a low and husky tone that sent shivers all over my heated skin.

  Eric drew me against his bare chest, trailing kisses down my jaw, pausing only a moment to sweep the hair from my neck, and then continued his trail of kisses. The tips of my fingers lightly traced the angles of his back, causing him to groan against my shoulder. He backed away, thoroughly disappointing me.

  The light spilling into the room from the hall exposed the intensity in the depths of his turbulent blue eyes as they raked over me. He cupped my face, lowering his lips back to mine. My head remained in a fog, but the way his hands felt, the way his kisses begged for more, excited me.

  Without breaking apart, I inched us back until the mattress bumped against the back of my calves, and lowered us to the bed. He kissed with determination, and his hand traveled under my dress squeezing my hip.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" Eric breathed heavily against my neck.

  Without warning, the room started to spin. I wanted to ignore the assault, but the spinning was accompanied by a wave of nausea. I couldn't ignore it.

  "Sick," I moaned, pushing him off. Sitting up too quickly in the process, the room picked up speed, enhancing my nausea.

  Eric helped me to my feet and I bolted to the bathroom, keeping a hand over my mouth. I slammed the door shut behind me, reaching the trashcan just in time.

  My throat felt raw and on fire when the first round of puking died down.

  "Elle, are you okay in there?" Eric’s voice carried through the door, heavy with worry.

  “Yeah. Sorry, but I think we should call it a night." My voice sounded raspy.

  "Are you sure? I can stay or call someone for you."

  I didn’t know how much longer I could hold back the twisting in my stomach, but I forced myself to answer him.

  “I'll be fine. Shut the door on your way out," I managed.

  My head rested on my arm with the trashcan between my legs. I wished he'd leave fast, because the stirring in my stomach kicked in again, along with the spinning.

  "Okay, I'll call you tomorrow," he said, finally.

  When my heaving slowed down, I reminded myself never to eat milk-based products before I drank again. When the tilt-a-whirl settled, I wrenched myself off the floor.

  I opened the bathroom door and stumbled to my room for my phone. I held my finger on the send button, about to call Alyssa, when it rang. I answered Tristan's call, forcing a few quick words out before I hung up. The dizziness came back along with the rolling in my stomach. I ran to the bathroom.

  My body felt like a herd of cattle ran over me. My head rested against the tiled floor, the coolness soothed the throbbing behind my eyes. I heard the front door open, but was afraid the spinning, or a number of other factors, would join the pain in my body if I attempted to move. I stayed still.

  "I'll clean this up in the morning," I rasped when someone opened the bathroom door.

  "Take this," Tristan said, handing me a cold washcloth. I wiped my face.

  "I thought you were out of town?" I frowned up at him. His brows furrowed, but he said nothing more for a minute.

  "Here, open up and take these." He plopped what looked like two ibuprofen on my tongue then guided a glass of water to my lips. I tentatively swallowed the pills. When my stomach didn't protest the contents, I finished the refreshing water in gulps, soothing the fire in my throat.

  "You think you can stand?"

  Carefully, I nodded. He helped me to my feet, but my legs gave.

  "Hold on, Spud. Put your arms around my neck." I did, and Tristan cradled me in his arms. I let my head fall against his shoulder as he carried me to my bed.

  "Thanks," I said, laying still. Tristan walked to my dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and T-shirt before bringing them to me.

  "Put these on. I think you have puke on your dress."

  I wanted to object, but Tristan turned his back to me. I worked the dress over my head trading the material for the comfy T-shirt. I didn't bother with the shorts. Being too weak and tired, I curled on my bed and closed my eyes.

  A few seconds later, I felt the bed sink and then strong arms pulled me close. Sighing, I lifted my head to rest against Tristan's shoulder. My body instantly relaxed around his familiarity.

  "I'm sorry, Elle," he whispered, while softly running his hand across my back.

  I tried to make my eyes open, but they refused to cooperate. Being with Tristan this way threatened to break the wall I'd built around my heart. God, he smelled good. Stupid alcohol.

  I took another long intake of air in through my nose. With each breath, my resolve crumbled and I succumbed, allowing my mind to escape reality and fall into what could be.

  Chapter 17

  Tristan

  When Elle's call cut off quickly, I panicked. Something in her voice didn't sound right. At that point, I gunned the gas. Thank God, the streets were relatively empty and there were no cops along the way. Once there, I slammed my car into park, still pissed from worry, and ran into her house. I headed to her room, but stopped when I passed her bathroom. I found her listless body curled in a ball on the floor.

  She looked miserable, and seeing her fragile state scared the shit out of me. I'd needed to hear Elle's voice after I left her sister at the hospital. Leaving Heather in her fucked up condition bothered me. But finding Elle's limp body on the floor made the mess with Heather insignificant.

  As much as I wanted to find Eric and kick
the ever-loving shit out of him, taking care of Elle became my only priority. Her body fit perfectly next to mine. I ran my fingers across her smooth skin and then lifted her chin. She opened her mouth and I regretted my move. I loved her, but her breath reeked.

  She shivered and tucked her head down, and I gladly pulled the covers over her shoulders. She snuggled closer, draping an arm across my stomach. If Kellie had done that I'd feel suffocated, but with Elle I didn't mind and pulled her tighter against me.

  I looked down at her sleeping peacefully. She smiled, bringing back memories of all the fun times we’d had together. I missed her laugh, her smile, her...everything. Well, aside from her stinky-ass breath.

  I knew then I couldn't pretend anymore. I thought I'd loved Kellie, but my feelings for her never compared to what I felt for Elle. So, seeing her with Green only increased the stabbing pain in my gut, but after hearing what Heather said tonight, well, she gave me hope.

  I closed my eyes, content with the steady rhythm of Elle's heart beating against my chest. She'd always be the only person I wanted to share my life with, and in the morning, I'd find a way to make that a reality.

  Just as my body relaxed, my pocket vibrated, causing Elle to stir in her sleep. Carefully, I moved her off my chest and scooted off the bed. Satisfied when she didn't wake up, I softly closed the bedroom door on my way to the living room.

  The text was from Jarred wondering if I decided to go to the party. With the shit happening tonight, I'd forgotten about it, but I didn't care. I wouldn't leave Elle alone.

  I was in the middle of texting Jarred back when I heard keys jingle, and then the front door opened. Alyssa and another roommate walked in.

  "What in the hell are you doing here, Shrimp?"

  I wasn't in the mood for her bullshit tonight.

  "Elle was drunk, so I came over to help. She's asleep now, and I’m not leaving her alone." For once, Alyssa didn't have a smartass quip for me.

  "Oh," she started, then stopped. "I thought you were going to the party with someone?" She raised her brow at me.

  "Listen," I said between gritted teeth. I couldn't think straight from being exhausted, and her irritating, demeaning tone pissed me off. "I know you care about Elle, so I'm not gonna start shit with you."

  "Um, I'm gonna turn in," the other girl said. I couldn't remember her name, but I think she was Bret's sister.

  "Night, Tisha," Alyssa said, confirming who she was.

  Her attention shifted to me. “Hey. I never got around to saying this, but I'm glad you're not with Kellie anymore. She isn’t who you should be with."

  I stared back at her, stunned. Where in the hell had that come from?

  “And I don't want to start shit with you either," she admitted, and then turned away.

  "Okay. So, does that mean we're friends now?" I waited.

  "Nah, let's say this is a truce." She kept walking, and then over her shoulder said, "You can take my bed in case Elle needs anything. I'll take the couch."

  "You sure?" Alyssa, full of surprises tonight, completely threw me off.

  "Truce ends when you fuck up." Alyssa stopped and stepped into the light. She glared back at me. "And Tristan, I'm really hoping you won't fuck up. Again." She spun around and headed to her room.

  Elle

  The early morning rays spilled through the opened blinds, and not only did my head hurt, my entire body felt like I'd been trampled on.

  "Rise and shine." Tristan's words beat like a hammer against my skull.

  "I need drugs." I sniffed the warm richness. "And lots and lots of coffee." I pulled the covers over my head, shielding my eyes against the brightness.

  "I already got you covered," he said, sitting next to me.

  As I sat up, I tightly squeezed my eyes shut while my brain ping ponged against my skull. I took the pills without caring what they were and swallowed them down my sticky throat.

  "You'll feel better after you take a shower," Tristan said, too loudly.

  "Why are you in such a good mood? And can you please lower your voice when you speak?"

  "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Alyssa's voice made the pounding in my head worse. I could've sworn she'd yelled on purpose.

  "Yeah, but she's never been a morning person," Tristan answered her. For a second I just stared at them, feeling as if I'd been sucked into the twilight zone or something.

  "Um, I need a shower and way more coffee if I’m gonna deal with y’all." As careful as possible, I tilted my head back and finished my cup.

  "Good, ‘cause no offense, Spud, but your breath smells like ass."

  "Ugh!" I protested. "Move out of my way so I can take a shower."

  "I'm with Tristan on this one," said Alyssa as I stormed past her.

  My head hurt too bad to think, and even if I didn't admit it, I could taste how bad my breath must've smelled.

  The scalding water from the shower eased my tense, sore muscles and even helped to calm the hammering in my head. At that point, I vowed never to drink again. When I finished cleaning up, I headed to the living room. My stomach cramped. I needed food. More importantly, I hadn't come close to my required armor of caffeine in order to begin my day. To top off everything, I found Tristan watching TV with Alyssa and Tisha. Thing was, Tristan and Alyssa were acting, well, civil. Alyssa turned her head toward me.

  "You look and smell way better."

  "Thanks for the honesty, friend."

  "Just keeping it real." Alyssa smiled.

  "I need to eat. Is there any milk left?" I headed straight to the kitchen. Opening the cabinet, I reached for the only box of cereal left in the house.

  "No, because you didn't pick any up," Ginger added from behind. Damn. I opened the fridge and looked inside. My shoulders slumped.

  "Crap, I forgot. I'll pick some stuff up at the market later." I closed the door to the fridge, and my stomach protested.

  "I'll take you out to eat."

  "Thanks, Tristan."

  "Oh, no, I'm fine, but thanks for the invite." Alyssa's words dripped with sarcasm.

  "Do you want to come along?"

  "Nah, but you two have fun."

  Tristan and I stepped outside, and I hurried to put my shades over my eyes. The pain medication hadn't quite kicked in and the brightness hurt.

  Chapter 18

  Tristan

  Elle and I ordered the same thing. She definitely held her own, scarfing down half her plate without saying a word. I only hoped the amount of food she wolfed down agreed with her.

  "You feeling better?" I looked at her in awe.

  "Much," she said. "Thanks for the food." Elle squirmed in her seat. "And thanks for last night," she managed, her cheeks reddened.

  "I'm glad I called, but seriously, what the hell got into you? You don't drink much." My voice was clipped, last night’s worry still fresh on my mind.

  "I was," she stuttered. "Well, um, I wanted to have fun." Her explanation didn't do anything but piss me off.

  "Fun? Last time I checked, fun didn't include puking your guts out in a trashcan. You could've died, and how the hell did you get home?" I hadn't thought about her driving until then.

  "Um," she blushed again and it hit me. She got fucked up with Green.

  "You were with Green, weren't you?"

  She nodded.

  Goddammit. "Why in the hell didn't he stay to make sure you were okay? You could've died from alcohol poisoning, not that the bastard cared. He left you on the bathroom floor." I balled my fists under the table. The only thing on my mind at that moment was kicking his fucking ass.

  "Well, I'm fine, as you can tell, and you were there, so…" She shrugged her shoulder.

  "And you think that makes me feel any better? He shouldn't have let you get that messed up to begin with." I hadn't meant to raise my voice, but shit, she should’ve known better.

  "You know what," she shot back with venom. "You should worry about your own relationship and less about what I do with mine." Elle'
s green eyes blazed, her brows pulled together.

  "What the hell does that mean?"

  Immediately her face softened, and she pulled in her bottom lip between her teeth. "Tristan, I heard something last night, but I don't know how to tell you without hurting you." She squirmed in her seat. I couldn't think of anything that could be that bad.

  "Hey," I started. "Just tell me. Whatever it is, I'll deal." She played with her napkin. I waited, semi-patiently, until she decided she was ready.

  "Last night, I heard you were going out of town." She stopped when I laughed, remembering her confusion last night at seeing me.

  "Sorry, go on." I crossed my arms over my chest.

  "Well, this is the bad part." She swallowed, hard. "Uh, I heard that Kellie cheated on you with Robbie." She fidgeted against her chair. Elle looked at me then, sincerity pouring from her bright green eyes.

  "Yeah, I knew about her and Robbie. It's why we broke up. I tried to tell you a few times, but I never got a hold of you. And I didn't want to leave something like that on your voicemail." I cleared my throat.

  "When Kellie talked to you that day in the library…" I paused, and took in a deep breath. "I'd already broken things off with her. She only said those things to you because she was pissed at me."

  Her eyes glistened with tears. I reached across the table, resting my hand over hers. She blinked and tears escaped, rolling down her cheek.

  "I'm sorry, Elle. I called Kellie as soon as I left. I know I should've stayed. I should've explained why she did what she did, but I was too mad. She hurt you." I moved my hand away. Flashes of Elle and the pained expression invaded my head.

  "I'm sorry she hurt you. I'm just...sorry." I looked away, unable to finish.

  "Don't worry about any of that. I mean, what she did wasn't your fault," she whispered. I looked up. Her tears dried, replaced with a sweet smile. "You aren't going to go ape shit crazy and kick his ass?"