Chapter 5 A Little Or A Lot Drunk

• A little or a lot drunk.
• Laurie Ston.
• I was a little, or a lot, drunk. I was happy for my friend, but at some point the longing for Josh seemed to throb in my heart. Maybe it wasn't longing, but anger. I didn't know.
• But I couldn't understand how he could have done that to me, and that he would have thrown away the promise of a happy marriage and a three-year relationship for some adventure. So I walked away to get some fresh air.
• The farewell venue faced a beach, so I just walked across and leaned against the wall that divided the sidewalk from the sand below, getting away from the hustle and bustle. I just wanted to breathe a little and not pass on the pain I was feeling to Clarice. I saw myself jumping over the wall and heading towards the beach, feeling the sea breeze gently caress my face. The moon shone brightly at night sky, spreading its silvery glow over the waves breaking on the shore, bringing back a sense of peace.
• As I stood in the dark part covered by the shadow of the wall, a familiar voice sounded.
• “You're not going to kill yourself, are you?” He asked, his tone was not serious, but he sounded worried.
• Our eyes met, it was the same stranger from the elevator, and immediately that strange feeling came over me.
• “No. I don't think so.” I replied jokingly.
• I didn't see when he jumped over the wall, but soon he was by my side. I took off my heels, letting my feet feel the cold sand, and stared at him. There was an intriguing mixture of mystery and magnetism in his expression.
• “Are you all right?” His voice was soft and enveloping, echoing in my ears, even though it was spoken in an almost whisper.
• “It depends on your point of view.” I said with an audible sigh.
• “From yours, is everything all right?” He asked.
• “No.” I was honest. “But today is my best friend's stag party, and I don't have the right to be unwell.”
• “Everyone has the right to be unwell.” He said thoughtfully.
• “Are you?” I asked, squinting at him.
• “From my point of view, yes, I am.” He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets.
• I only just noticed that he was at the party because his clothes were appropriate for the event. But I hadn't seen him inside. I raised my eyebrows, curious.
• “Are you at the farewell party too?” I asked.
• “Yes.” He nodded.
• “Do you know Max?” My curiosity was piqued, I wanted to know how he knew him.
• “Yes, like no one else.” His gaze was lost in the waves in front of us.
• We were silent for a few seconds, when I decided I wanted to get closer to the waves. I wanted to feel the sea touch my feet.
• “What do you think you're doing?” He asked from afar.
• “Being free!” I shouted.
• I didn't hear his reply, I just approached the icy water, taking two steps backwards in a leap, and found myself laughing. Then I approached again and felt that I was ready for a swim, it must have been two o'clock in the morning.
• “Don't you dare.” The stranger said, and I could feel him getting closer.
• “I'm cleansing my energy.” I answered without noticing him, only worrying about the water that was already on my knee.
• “You're drunk.” He replied.
• “I know.” I laughed.
• Before I could go any deeper, his hand grabbed mine, pulling me back. Soon I felt his body pressed against mine and his hand grabbed my waist.
• “I'm holding you.” He said it into my ear, and I could hear the tension in his voice.
• I just nodded, then he carefully pulled me back.
• “I just want to clear my head.” I mumbled.
• “That can be done another way, when you're a bit more conscious.” He said, clicking his tongue, as he backed further and further towards the edge of the beach while holding me by the waist.
• “No, the way my life is going, I need at least thirty dives to clean out the impurities.” I said sulkily.
• We were almost out of the water when a wave hit us, and I lost my balance. He grabbed me again, gluing his body to mine, and on impulse, I hugged him.
• He was warm, his arms were firm, and around my back, I tried not to think about anything, I just... looked into his eyes, which were shining.
• “That way, you won't make it to the second dive, and it won't just be the impurity that stays in this water.” He grumbled with a slight joking tone in his voice.
• It made me laugh, and I rested my head on his chest, feeling defeated. He was right, I was trying to kill myself. Josh didn't deserve that. And if I died, he'd still be having sex with his boss.
• I raised my head and stared at the stranger, who returned my gaze.
• A warmth pierced my body when I noticed that we were still hugging, and his mouth seemed very close.
• “You're right...” I whispered. “It's fucking freezing.” I said, pulling him by the shirt so we could get out of the water.
• His laugh sounded hoarse, and something played in my stomach. The sound of the waves mixed with the distant music, creating a unique symphony for our ears. I sat down on the sand, and he repeated the gesture.
• “When we get back, we'll be filthy.” I said with an amused smile on my lips.
• He just sighed heavily and nodded.
• “I don't think they'll notice.” He said thoughtfully.
• We laughed and stood there, staring at the waves, as if that sound were all the fulfillment we needed instead of conversation.
• “Do you think they're still at the party?” I asked after what seemed like a while.
• “I think they're having a lot more fun, somewhere else.” He said it with a smile, which was reciprocated because I got the message.
• I just nodded, so he stood up and offered me his hand. I accepted and stood up too.
• “Can I give you a liftback?” he asked.
• I nodded.
• We walked away from the beach in silence, he guided me to his car. I got in, and we drove to the hostel. He was being completely kind to me without even knowing me.
• Could he be a madman and be kidnapping me? Yes. But I didn't think about it when I got in the car and preferred to ignore it because now there was no turning back.
• When the car stopped in the parking lot behind the boarding house, I knew that he was, in fact, just being kind and not a psychopath. My body was seized by an enveloping heat when everything seemed too silent and dark for just two people in that car.
• There was no one else in the parking lot, and that was no reason to feel hot, but when his gaze met mine, I felt like I might explode.
• “I want to kiss you...” I mumbled without having control of my words.
• “You're drunk.” He said it with a smile on his lips.
• “So are you. And I still wish to kiss you, but if you say no, I'll just get out of the car.”
• I felt proud that I still knew how to flirt.
• He didn't reply; instead, I felt his hand go around my neck and stop at my nape. And his lips found mine quickly and fiercely. I closed my eyes, feeling his warm lips on mine, and just returned the kiss, feeling my whole body burn.