The Forever of Ella and Micha

onto the table, sigh, and stay that way until the waiter comes to take our orders. Raising my head from the table, I discover Blake standing at the end of our table.
    He’s wearing a nice pair of jeans, a button-down black shirt, and wisps of his dark hair are sticking up a little on the sides. “Ella, what are you doing here?”
    “Getting something to eat.” I keep my tone light, hoping we can skip the introductions.
    He has a pen poised against a notebook. “What? You just couldn’t wait to pick me up tonight?” he jokes. “You had to come see me early?”
    “Aw, damn it.” I don’t mean to say it aloud, but it slips out, and I quickly slap a hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry.”
    “Who the fuck are you?” Micha asks, glaring at Blake.
    “I’m Blake,” he replies, adjusting his weight uneasily. “Who are you?”
    “I’m Micha.” A malicious look masks his face. “And by that look on your face, I think you know Ella and I are dating.”
    “Micha, I think—” I start.
    “Ella, just leave it alone,” Ethan interrupts, shooting me a warning look as he nudges my shin with his foot from under the table. “You know it’s not even worth it to try.”
    I zip my lips together and focus on the menu. “I think I’ll have a chicken sandwich. What about everyone else?”
    “I’ll have you,” Micha says and my cheeks heat as his hand inches up my thigh.
    I conceal my hand over his and stop it from going any farther, then look at Ethan for help. “What should we do with him?”
    Micha buries his face in my hair. “Anything you want, baby.”
    Ethan shrugs and tosses his menu into the center of the table. “You know as well as I do that he’s only going to get more intense before he passes out.”
    “I think I’ll come back in a minute,” Blake says and hurries down the aisle back toward the bar.
    “Smart move on his part.” Micha sticks his hand into his pocket and reveals a mini bottle of vodka stashed inside it.
    I snatch it from his hand and his glazed eyes snap cold. “Give me that back, pretty girl, or else.”
    “Or else what?” I chuck the bottle to Ethan and he catches it. “You’re going to say really mean things? I’d rather you use me as your punching bag than someone else.”
    Micha narrows his eyes at me and I wait for what’s coming, but Ethan stands up before he can say anything else.
    “Let’s take him home.” Ethan steps back and lets Lila out of the booth. “Before he does something stupid.”
    I’ve seen Micha like this a couple times and there’s always an underlining reason, but getting to the bottom of it can be tricky. Even for his best friend.

    It’s dark and no one has the porch lights on in this section of the complex. I can barely see anything as Ethan fights to get Micha up the stairs.
    “Just quit dragging your feet,” Ethan snaps as they trip to the side and Micha bangs into the railing and the whole stairway vibrates.
    “If you’d just get out of my way.” Micha shoves Ethan to the side and attempts to take a step on his own, but misses. “Then I’d be okay.”
    “What should we do?” Lila asks from a few steps below, uncomfortable with the situation.
    Sighing, I intervene, positioning myself in between Micha and Ethan. “Put your arm around me.”
    Micha gladly swings his arm around my shoulder and leans on me. I struggle to get him up the stairs and his weight nearly sinks me to the floor. Ethan dashes up in front of us to unlock the door, flipping the porch light on.
    Micha buries his face into my hair and his teeth nick the top of my ear. “You smell so fucking good. I swear to God, I want to eat you up.”
    I contain the laughter tickling at the back of my throat. “What you need to do is sleep.”
    Ethan holds the door open and Micha and I stumble over the threshold, nearly falling to the floor. We regain our balance, and as soon as the door’s shut, Micha wrestles his shirt off and chucks it onto the floor.
    Even though he’s drunk and we’re not supposed to be on that path, my gaze moves across his lean muscles, his smooth skin, and the tattoo tracing his rib cage, and something coils deep inside me.
    He slips off his boots and belt and I’m worried his pants are coming off next. Lila promptly faces the corner, pretending to be engrossed in the blank screen of the television. Micha keeps his pants on, though, and staggers into the kitchen, reaching for the half-empty bottle of vodka on the counter.
    “Oh no you