Page 63 of French 75
It takes a minute for it to kick in, but when it does, Skylar and I areflying. We’re in the center of the dance floor, our bodies writhing against each other as I map out every inch of him.
His hands are wrapped around my neck as we move to the beat of the set. I catch his beautifully dilated eyes before he tips his head back and exposes his slender throat. I don’t think, just pounce. Placing my lips on the base of his throat, I suck untilhe’s panting. When I pull back, it’s with a satisfied growl at the blotchy purple mark I left on him.
“More!” he shouts, exposing his throat again as he grinds against me.
I chuckle and do exactly as I’m told. I know he’ll wake up tomorrow mortified at the purple collar I’m giving him, but I don’t give a fuck. He doesn’t either. That’s the beauty of microdosing. It exposes your baser instincts and highlights the needs you bury deep down. Together, rolling in the middle of this loud ass crowd, it’s just the two of us. The two of us in sync. The two of us connected. The two of us in our own private world.
But then the mood changes.
The beat slows.
The lights turn a sinful red.
The smell of sweat and weed and sex permeates around us.
These light touches aren’t enough now. Neither of us is satisfied. I’m grabbing onto his pert ass and fucking my groin against his. He’s humping my leg like a fucking slut. We’re both breathing heavily, our mouths open and gasping into each other. I’ve never been this turned on in my life.
And by the way Skylar moans when I slip a hand into the back of his skimpy shorts, I know I’m not alone.
But then I feel something hit the back of my hand. I drag my eyes away from Skylar’s face long enough to see a man towering behind us. He’s just an average guy—nothing special about him—but my mind races to all sorts of conclusions.
I haven’t succeeded yet. Skylar still isn’t mine. What if he starts dancing with this man and realizes he’s found the one? He doesn’t even notice that the guy’s hands are now on his hips, dancing with him in a way I’m sure is innocent, but not to my mind.
To my drug-addled psyche, this douche is trying to take what’s mine.
And I won’t let that fucking happen.
Before I know what I’m doing, my fist is flying through the air and connecting with that guy’s jaw. He staggers back, holding his hand up to his nose, and the fury in his eyes lets me know there’s going to be some sort of retaliation.
Bring it on.
“Cassius! No!” Skylar yells, trying to step between us. “Stop it!”
Both of us ignore him, but this guy goes as far as to shove Skylar out of his way. That’s what makes me snap. You can do whatever the fuck you want to me, but leave my sunshine the fuck out of it.
In a matter of seconds, this stranger and I are going at it on the dance floor. Fists fly, blood splatters, and I know my body will ache tomorrow, because while I’m good, so is this guy.
But I’m fighting for Skylar. I tell myself that. I’m fighting for our future and for our love. That’s it. No one is allowed to take him from me. If they do, it’ll be from my bloody, beat-up hands.
I’ve got the guy on the ground now, and Skylar’s cries to stop are nothing but background noise to my symphony of rage. But I’m pulled off before I can let my fist slam down against his cheek.
“What the fuck?” It’s Butch that yells in my ear. He takes my struggling form and easily pulls me up. “Cassius! What the hell has gotten into you?”
“Let me at him!” I roar, thrashing against his grip. He doesn’t need it, but Rhys and Max are quickly at his side to help him hold me back. Still, I fight. “Fuck him!”
The guy must notice that he’s outnumbered, because he doesn’t try to continue what we started. He flips me off before blending into the crowd and walking away.
“Cassius!” Skylar yells, appearing in front of me with mismatched blood-shot eyes. “What the fuck was that? Are you okay?”
“No, he’s fucking high,” Butch growls, then finally releases me when he sees I’m not going to chase that guy down. “Kid, what were you thinking?”
My chest heaves as I look around at all my friends. While Rhys and Butch are pissed, I can tell they’re just as concerned as everyone else. But it’s when I look at Skylar that my mind immediately sobers as the weight of what I’ve done crashes onto my shoulders.
I made him cry.
Tears are streaming down his face as Everest and Max try to soothe him. That’s my fucking job. I take a single step forward, but Knox’s hand is what stops me. He gives me a meaningful but hard look, almost like anI told you so, but I ignore him. I know what’s running through Skylar’s head. He’s been brought back to our youth, to the times when he would watch me beat the living shit out of anybody who dared to hurt him.
And, just like then, there will never be anything in the way of Skylar and me.
