His driver had dropped me off at home that night. I had taken a t-shirt of his from his drawer. By the time I came home, it was already morning.
As soon as I reached home, I took off his T-shirt and buried it in my cupboard.
I had already been enough of a doormat for my ex-boyfriend, and now I am being that for a stranger I had met just a night ago?
'Get a grip on yourself, Alice, ' I told myself. That stranger...he was handsome and it was just attraction, right? I need to get over him.
I needed to start anew.
I heard my roommate waking up in the next room. Our apartment was small, we could hear everything....through the door, and that had led to some pretty awkward situations in the past when I had a boyfriend. Anna is a lesbian. I figured that out when I saw her kissing a girl in campus, but she had no girlfriend, I was sure. She never brought anyone here, at least.
I had decided. I would start anew. Get over that mystery man-Luther, make some new friends, and also get over my crappy ex-boyfriend, but to be honest, I felt like I was already over him. I wasn't feeling hurt anymore. All I could think of was....Luther.
'Focus, Alice!' I needed to get over him and stop letting him treat me like dirt. I needed him to stay out of my life as much as I wanted his lips on mine.
So, I finally got off the bed and decided to make myself breakfast.
"Good morning!" Anna said to me in her usual polite-natured way.
"Good morning, Anna!!" I replied back.
"You came home late last night? I heard the door at night." She asked, casually. Probably not thinking too much.
"Well, yeah.... I just broke up with Max yesterday night," I said just as casually. Trying not to make a big deal out of it.
"I am sorry to hear that." There was some genuine care in her voice. But she didn't say more than that.
I made myself breakfast and got ready for college. I knew I had to stay outside if I didn't wanna wallow in my own self-pity the whole day, and I had to talk to my professor regarding my new paper that was about to get published in a really well-known magazine. I had always worked hard for that. I had always been fond of physics since I was a child, so this was a dream come true for me. I didn't wanna ruin it just because of a stranger.
…..
"I heard that your research paper got selected for the magazine." Adam, one of my classmates and my closest friend in college, said to me.
"Congratulations, Al." He continued, " It really is a big deal."
"Yeah, I suppose it is," I said, exhausted.
I wasn't in the mood to talk. Partly because I hadn't slept the whole night. Partly because I couldn't stop finding…Luther in the other guys. Adam was conventionally cute. But he wasn't as tall as Luther. His voice was pretty shrill compared to Luther's deep, vibrating voice that didn't hesitate to send sparks down my whole body.
"Hey, where is your head, miss?" Adam snapped me out of my daydream.
"Nah, nothing…I....just broke up with Max yesterday night. He was cheating on me with Lisa." There. I said it.
Adam half choked on the soda he was drinking.
"That asshole," Adam said disgustingly. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Al? I'm so sorry."
"Nah, I expected something like that from him. But yeah, Lisa's betrayal really did hurt me."
"Yeah, I can imagine. Are you okay, though?"
"Somewhat....well...something even crazier happened last night." His eyes widened in curiosity. "I...almost slept with a stranger I met in the bar..........
I told him everything.
"What the fucking hell?!" Adam said in shock. Sleeping with a stranger wasn't a big deal, but them finding your number and house somehow was.
"Were you out of your mind?!" He asked. "Probably," I said, which was true.
"Why the hell did you get in the car? He could've been a serial killer."
"Well, he wasn't," I said, defending him for a reason I didn't even know myself.
"Ahhhhhh..you need a therapist." He said frustatingly.
I said, "Probably again." And we both started laughing. It was our talent to make the most gruesome thing a joke. It made me feel lighter.
"But yeah, stay away from him."
"I will," I knew I was lying to him. The truth was, if he asked me again to come with him, I would definitely say yes. I couldn't resist him.
And then, somehow, he was right in front of me.
Standing across the park, looking at me, his eyes asking me to come over to him.
My stomach dropped.
"Okay, Adam. I should be going home. I really am tired." I said hurriedly.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Al." He hugged me goodbye. He lived in the campus dorms.
I walked over to Luther. I felt dizzy with each step towards him. His eyes were following me.
"What are you doing here?" I got those words out of my mouth somehow.
"Who was that guy?" He asked, a hint of possessiveness in his eyes, and I felt flushed.
"Just a friend," I said, my voice dropping now.
"But what are you doing here? And….who are you?" I said, not letting him divert my questions now.
"Let's go," He said, avoiding my questions.
"No." His eyes darkened. "I am not going anywhere with you. Who are you even?" I was trying my best not to break and looked right into those eyes.
"Just get into the car." It was a different car than yesterday night. But still a black one. And definitely an expensive one.
"I won't unless you answer me," I said, making him visibly angry now.
"Fine!" He said and left in his car almost instantly.