Page 51 of Blue in the Deep Blue Sea

“Man, are you alright?” Gianni asked, brushing a hand over the top of my head and ruffling my hair.

“I’m drunk,” I chuckled, my eyes half-lidded.

Only a drunk man could think like this.

My stomach twisted into knots, sending everything I’d eaten before drinking creeping back up my throat.

“Whoa,” Gianni shouted.

A laugh came behind us, and I knew it instantly, it was Nikki.

She’d been obsessed with me ever since I got to the Amalfi Coast. I’d seen her leave Annie and Gabby just five minutes ago, but I hadn’t expected her to make her way over to Gianni and me.

She was trouble.

“I’ll take care of him,” she said, slipping her arms around my neck. She cupped my face and squeezed my cheeks between her thin fingers.

“No,” I managed to mumble through my squashed lips.

She ignored me.

Hooking an arm around my waist, she pulled me upright until I was unsteady on my feet. I looked at Gianni, silently mouthing, Help.

He only threw his hands in the air and laughed.

Nikki wanted to fuck. But I wasn’t drunk enough to let that happen, and I was already close to wasted.

She was one of those one-night stands who just couldn’t let go. Most girls could handle rejection. Nikki chased until I eventually gave in.

And I had.

I exhaled and let myself lean against her as she guided me toward Annie’s car. She leaned back against the hood, then slowly stretched out across it, spreading her legs just enough while dangling the key between her fingers.

I smiled, unzipped my pants, and stepped closer until my face hovered inches from hers.

She tilted her chin up, waiting for the kiss she wanted so badly.

Instead, I plucked the keys from her hand, slipped past her, and climbed into the car and locked the door.

Leaning over the back seat, I reached for my backpack.

She turned around, confused. Her lips parted, her brows knitted together, her whole expression screaming, What the fuck just happened?

I pulled an old cassette player from my backpack, slid in the tape with the ten songs I’d recorded so I could listen to them on repeat, put on my headphones, and pressed play.

She stormed over and banged on the window, demanding I let her in, but I ignored her. Closing my eyes, I turned on Yellow by Coldplay.

“I can’t hear you,” I shouted, tapping one ear cup.

The wind kept tossing her pink hair across her face, hiding some of the anger burning there as she continued pounding on the poor old Volkswagen, Annie could barely afford to keep running.

Meanwhile, I sat inside, singing along with Coldplay.

My head moved to the beat from side to side. My fingers snapped to the rhythm while my hips rocked in the seat.

“I drew a line, I drew a line for you… Oh, what a thing to do… And it was all yellow…”

My eyes stayed closed. Her shadow still blocked the soft glow of the streetlight pouring through the window.