Devils Roses 01 - Cursed

sounding more nonchalantly.
    I shook my head. “Nope. I guess I thought we should be together 'cause we’re the same type of person, you know. I like having him there, knowing someone liked me."
    The words hurt to say, but it hurt even more, when my brain whispered, ‘No one does.’
    “ Well that sounds ridiculous. You want to keep him on standby, so that you know someone likes you?”
    I grimaced. “Everything sounds bad when you say it like that, all judgmental and hateful. You make me sound like Alise.”
    He laughed. “Sorry, I’m not really one of those sugar-coat people. I know you're nothing like her.”
    I looked back over at him, instantly startled by how intently he looked at me.
    He bit his lip for a moment and then muttered, “So you aren’t in love with him?”
    I shook my head as my brain whispered again, 'Just embarrassed.'
    “ You’re so amazing Aimee, you don’t need boys on standby. You just need to go for the right guy. He's not the only guy who could like you.”
    His eyes locked on mine and he leaned toward me. I could see it in his eyes. He was fully going to kiss me. I felt nervous but didn’t move or breathe in anticipation.
    He reached forward and brushed his hand along my cheek. His blue eyes lit up. "I have something I want to tell you."
    My stomach twisted into knots.
    He bent his face, but just as I felt his breath upon my lips, we were interrupted by a crash behind us.
    "Son of a bitch."
    He pulled away from me and I looked back at my sister stumbling down the lawn.
    “ Shane, are you out here? Who’s that bitch with you?”
    She was drunk already. I glared at her, judging her the entire time. “It’s me you idiot.” I spoke clearly so she could catch every inch of my annoyance.
    “ Oh it’s just you—dear God, Aimes, you scared the shit out of me. I thought some hooker was out here trying to steal my man.” She plopped down on the grass, as ungracefully as was possible.
    "We need more snacks and drinks. I don’t know where they are." she spoke lazily as she nearly landed right on me.
    “ It was nice sitting in the quiet with you Shane; see you guys inside.” I stood up and left them. My face was on fire from the near kiss.
    I looked back to see him watching me go. He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn’t. Instead, Alise pushed his arm and giggled about something.
    I could hear the arguing starting up as I walked along the dark grass, back to the house.
    I wanted to tell myself, he was probably drunk, but I knew that wasn’t it. I knew Shane better than that and he had noticed all I wore was black. I wanted to tell myself not to be excited, not to get my hopes up in any way. But my hopes were already through the moon.
    Blake was standing at the backdoor, looking out at the backyard. I knew he was looking for me. I felt guilty that he might have seen the almost kiss in the grass.
    I ducked along the hedge and crept to the other side of the house. I slipped in the front door and got lost in the crowd.
    I wasn’t ready to go back to normal yet. I was full of mixed emotions that I needed to analyze alone with Jane Austen.
    I fought my way through the hallways surrounded by noise and teenagers acting crazy. The house was so full, I couldn’t even place faces anymore, it was a sea of teens getting trashed. I knew everyone in the house in one way or another, but it was so crowded their faces seemed to blend together.
    I walked up the stairs in the family room, to the bedrooms. I sat in the hallway on the carpet against the wall, feeling the house vibrate from the music. I was grateful no one was there. I needed to mull over things.
    Giselle interrupted my peace. She walked up the stairs, smiling when I saw her.
    “ Hey girl, you’re just the person I wanted to see. I have a drink here, we can like share. Some hot guy just gave it to me, he looked familiar, but I couldn’t see his face properly. It's yummy. It's like way too packed downstairs.” She passed me the glass, thankfully before she sat down and spilled it everywhere.
    She shrugged up close. “Have some lemonade, Aimes.”
    “ What’s in it?”
    “ Nothing, just a bit of vodka, you need a little vodka, I think. I saw you in the living room. You looked sad.”
    I wanted to turn her down, but I remembered the evening I had just endured and I decided to be a rebel.
    The rebel who shared the drink. I even sucked at being rebellious.
    I took a sip, feeling the warmth of the liquor burn