(Josie Sayz: I was
going to leave posting this until tomorrow, as I have already posted a poem
this morning, but I can’t help it. I’ve been writing this all day and I’m in a
complete hype about it. It’s perfect. I love it. And I have to share it. I got
the idea way back in January, but just never got around to writing it. The idea
and inspiration for this piece came from the ‘Hinder’ song ‘Lips of an Angel’.
Many of the lyrics are referenced throughout this flash-fiction/short story
piece. Sorry if there are any mistakes still, but I have read it through three
times now.)
Her stomach fluttered. With an arm hooked around her waist, his lips pressed against the back of her neck. Stroking a hand up his arm, she giggled. A smile stretched across her face. His stubble prickled her skin as he kissed her once more. Her cheeks tingled, as her blush brightened. Rolling over to face him, she hugged a hand to his chest. “Thank you for letting me stay over,” she whispered. Her stomach spiralled, as her eyes fluttered down to her hand. His fingers stroked her cheek. She shuddered.
Her stomach fluttered. With an arm hooked around her waist, his lips pressed against the back of her neck. Stroking a hand up his arm, she giggled. A smile stretched across her face. His stubble prickled her skin as he kissed her once more. Her cheeks tingled, as her blush brightened. Rolling over to face him, she hugged a hand to his chest. “Thank you for letting me stay over,” she whispered. Her stomach spiralled, as her eyes fluttered down to her hand. His fingers stroked her cheek. She shuddered.
“You’re
welcome,” he beamed back. “You can be here anytime, okay?” Lowering his head,
he tried to catch her gaze. “I mean it, Lela.” Stroking his fingers under her
chin, he lifted her head to meet his. “If you’re ever upset, or things are hard
at home, or you just want to see me,” he smirked. “You are always welcome here, okay?” Pinching her lips in, Lela nodded. “Because
I love you,” he told her. “And I want to be here for you. I’m going to be here
for you. Things will get better.” Her eyes watered. She sniffed. Lowering her
head, she pressed it against his bare chest.
“I love
you too, Adrean,” she squeaked. “I always will… I promise.”
Kissing
the top of her head, he ran his arm up and down her back. Her t-shirt puckered
under his touch. She hummed against him, squeezing tight. “I want it to stay
like this forever,” she murmured. Sniffing, she rubbed a hand across her
dampened cheeks.
“And it
will,” he smiled down at her, tugging the bottom of her t-shirt over a bare
patch of skin. “I promise.” Leaning out of their embrace, Lela’s blush grew
bright as she gazed up at him. Her vision blurred as her eyes began to water.
Gripping her hands around the back of his neck, she pressed her lips onto his.
“Thank
you,” she whispered as they parted, her breath shaky.
“You’re
welcome,” he smiled. Stroking her hair from her face, he leant forwards to
kiss her again. He hummed at her touch. She laced her fingers through his hair.
He pulled her close. She kissed him back. He slipped his hands under her top,
stroking the hollow of her back. She pressed her chest against his. He groaned
into another kiss.
“I love
you,” she said with a giggle, as they parted.
“I love
you more,” he beamed.
“I love
you most.” Biting her lip, she lowered her eyes from his.
“I love
you equally most,” he told her and kissed the top of her head. Lela let out a
giggle. “But I guess we should get some sleep,” he suggested, tugging at the
duvet. “It’s getting late.” Lela nodded.
“Goodnight
Adrean,” she smiled, as he turned out the light.
“Sweet
dreams princess.”
Pulling
the blankets around her shoulders, Lela hummed as she rested her head against
Adrean’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her. A smile beamed across his face,
as he gave her a squeeze. With a deep,
hummed exhale, she closed her eyes. “I love you Adrean,” her voice a dreamy
breath.
“I love
you too,” he replied, the smile remaining on his face.
A
buzzing sounded. Lela flinched. Scrunching her face, she groaned. The buzzing
rattled against Adrean’s metal table lamp. The clattering forced her to grit
her teeth. “Answer it,” she groaned, pushing herself up to sit.
“It’s
probably nothing,” Adrean mumbled.
“Just make
them go away,” she pouted, as he sat up. He brushed the back of his fingers
against her cheek, before reaching out for his phone on his bedside table. His
eyes widened. He took a sharp sniff and pushed himself off the bed.
“I’ve
gotta take this,” he muttered to Lela, as he bolted for the door in his briefs.
“Just go to sleep,” he said, opening the door. Watching him leave, Lela pulled
her legs towards her. Her stomach spiralled. Her heart hammered. Wrapping her
arms around her ankles, she rested her chin on her knees and stared at the
door.
*
Having heard the latch
click closed, Adrean answered his phone. “Ade!” came a sigh of relief on the
other end of the line.
“Shiki,
why are you calling me so late?” Adrean asked, running a hand through his hair.
“It’s kind of hard to talk right now,” he added with a sigh, leaning against
the wall in the hallway. Flopping his head back, it hit the wall and he closed
his eyes.
“I just
need to talk to someone,” she sniffed.
“Hey, what’s
wrong?” He leaned forward. His expression dropped. She sniffed again. “Shiki,
are you crying? Is everything okay?”
“I’m
fine,” she muttered.
“Where
are you?” His stomach churned. Pushing himself off the wall, he paced the
hallway. “Do you need me to get you?”
“I’m in
a taxi, heading home,” she sighed. “I’m fine, I just – I hate Joanne. I can’t
stand her. I just wanna punch her face in.”
“I
thought things were going well between you,” he replied with a wrinkled brow. “I
thought you were staying over this weekend.”
“She
takes offence to everything,” Shiki fumed. “I didn’t use my manners one time and she’s acting like it’s the end of the
world. Who the heck does she think I am – the Queen of England? No swearing at
this. No talking like that. She’s such a cow.”
“Okay,
okay,” Adrean breathed. “Clam down. Where are you?” He froze. His eyes widened.
“‘Bout
ten minutes away. An’ I am calm. Just ‘cause I’m fulla rage, doesn’t mean I’m
not calm. I just-” she groaned. “Need ta vent out my frustration a little.”
“Alright,”
he chuckled, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “How about, I have the
cider ready for when you get home and you can tell me all about it?”
“You’re
the best Ade.” His eyes lids dropped as a smile spread across his face.
Creaking
the living room door open, Adrean dropped his phone on Shiki’s desk and fumbled
across the room in the dark. Clambering through piles of Shiki’s clothes and
towers of her trinkets, he stumbled into the kitchen door. Throwing his hand to
the door handle a shriek flung his heart to his stomach. Their cat, Shadow, raced
between Adrean’s legs. Gasping, Adrean staggered back. “Geez Shadow,” he
muttered through gritted teeth. “You scared me to death.” Crouching beside the
feline, Adrean gave the cat a scratch behind the ears. “Are you going to help
me cheer Mummy up, Shadow?” The cat gave a shudder, wriggling out from Adrean’s
grip. He sniffed Adrean’s hand, before racing back off into the living room.
“Just me then,” he muttered to himself. Rummaging through the cupboards, Adrean
grabbed two glasses, before retrieving the beverages from the fridge. Returning
to the living room, he placed the glasses by his computer and reached for the
light switch. Glancing down at himself, his cheeks reddened – he was only in
his pants.
His
heart hammered. Gripping the door handle, he pressed down as slow as he could. Pushing
the door open ajar, he peered into his bedroom. A small bundle of covers
gathered on one side. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘Lela’s asleep.’ Scrunching his face
up, he held his breath as he crept across the room. The thumping at his chest
grew louder. He leant over the bed to check that the beating of his heart had
not disturbed Lela. Her eyes were closed. Bumbling about with the heap of
belongings on the floor, Adrean found a pair of jeans and slipped them on.
Grabbing a t-shirt from the pile, he forced it over his head as a car door
slammed shut outside. His eyes widened. “Shiki,” he whispered to himself.
Swiping his deodorant can from his bedside table, he quickly shook it, sprayed
himself and raced to the door. Eyes open, Lela stared ahead. Her stomach
whirled. Her heart hammered. Her head pounded.
“Adrean?”
she whispered with a shaky breath, once the door had closed.
*
“Oh God!” Shiki
groaned as she slammed the front door shut. “What a night.” Thumping up the
stairs, Shiki muttered several curse words to herself. Her daggered eyebrows
rose, as she met Adrean at the top of the stairs.
“You
okay?” he whispered, with a wrinkled brow as the right corner of his mouth
poked into a smile. She nodded.
“Why we
whisperin’?” she frowned.
“Lela,”
Adrean mumbled, scratching behind his left ear. “She’s erm… she’s asleep in my
room.”
“Great,”
she muttered, rolling her eyes. “I can’t even speak in my own flat.”
“It’s
not like that,” Adrean hissed. “Come on,” he gestured, nudging his head towards
the living room. “Let’s go in there.” Drooping her shoulders, Shiki let out a
sigh. “I’ve got alcohol…” he sang.
“Now
you’re talking,” she beamed.
Following
Adrean into the living room, Shiki tossed her bag on the ground with a thud,
before flopping onto the settee. “Oow,” growled Shiki. “I just can’t believe
Joanne. I mean, how immature can you get? She’s actin’ like she’s twelve or
some’in’.” Grabbing the bottle opener from his desk, Adrean popped the cap off
a cider and handed it to Shiki.
“Sorry,”
he apologised as she took the bottle. He held two wine glasses out in front of
her; one said, ‘Best Bridesmaid,’ in pink and the other read, ‘Life Begins at
30,’ in blue. “We don’t have anything else clean.”
“I’m
fine with the bottle,” she replied with a shrug. Adrean nodded, opened a bottle
for himself, took a swig and plonked himself down beside her.
Placing
an arm around his housemate’s shoulder, Adrean told her, “Just forget
everything for now,” in a cheerful tone, “You’re home. You’re with me. We have
cider and you never have to see her again – if you don’t want to.” Shiki
sniffed and wiped the back of her hand across her face.
“Ade…
you’re such a good friend,” she said elongating her vowels. Taking another
swig, she tossed her head back and flopped against Adrean’s chest.
“Geez,”
he gasped. “How much have you drunk?”
“Not
enough,” she mumbled. “You’ll drink with me, won’t you?” she asked Adrean, as
she stared at a patch on the carpet.
“Of
course,” he replied with a smile, rubbing a hand up her arm. She hummed as his
warmth tingled her skin.
“An’
you don’t care that I swear, or I burp, that I’m gay, or talk about brazen
trash all the time, do you?” she asked. Leaning against him, she twisted her
head up to see his expression. His face was a blur and her brow puckered.
“Of
course not,” he smiled down at her. “I wouldn’t be here if I did, would I?
We’ve lived together for years. If you offended me, I’d have said something by
now.”
“That’s
why I like you, Ade…” She snuggled her head against his chest. “You understand
me.”
With
his best friend cuddled against his chest, Adrean wrapped his arms around her,
closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet scent. Exhaling, he relaxed. His
thoughts drifted. Earlier that day, he had been doing the exact same thing:
lazing on the settee, with Lela curled up at his chest. She had felt so warm.
He wanted her close. She was comforting. She was familiar. But now his heart
raced. Something tingled all through him. His chin against the tip of her head.
Her hair tickling the nape of his neck. His arm clung around her frame. Her
warmth against his chest. “Oh Ade,” he heard her murmur. His stomach fluttered.
His heart raced. Oh, how he loved the way she said his name. Parting his eyes, he
squinted down at her.
“Yeah,
Shiki,” he smiled.
“Don’t
ever change.”
Adrean
shuddered, bolting upright. “Sorry,” he muttered, as Shiki flopped forwards.
‘What are you thinking?’ he screamed in his brain. He shuddered again, shaking
his head.
“You
okay?” Shiki frowned.
“I’m
fine,” Adrean mumbled as he ran his hands up his face. Pressing his fingers
into his eyelids, he groaned. Rolling his shoulders back he told her, “It’s you
I’m worried about.” Shiki shrugged at him, before taking another chug of
alcohol. Lowering her bottle, she scrunched her face up.
“Empty
already,” she frowned. “That was quick.” Pressing her hands into her knees, she
forced herself up.
“Where are
you going?” Adrean asked, as he watched her stumble to the kitchen. Ignoring
him, Shiki rummaged around in the cupboards.
Peering
her head back around the door, she smiled, “We need wine,” waving a bottle of
red wine in his direction. Dropping back down in the space beside him, Shiki
broke open the wine and poured them both a glass full. “Here’s to Joanne waking
up without me,” she cheered, holding her wine glass (the blue ‘Life Begins at
30’ one) up high. Adrean’s eyes widened.
“But
won’t she wonder where you’ve gone?” he worried, taking a sip from his (pink ‘Best
Bridesmaid’) glass.
Shiki
shrugged, “She’ll know I’m here,” and tossed back a mouthful of wine.
“But does she know you’re talking to me about
it?” Adrean asked feeling his stomach spiral. “Will it start a fight?”
“Nah,” Shiki
shook her head with a smile. “She’s just like Lela – dead to the world and she doesn’t know I’m here, does she?”
Shiki’s smile dropped as her daggered brow returned.
“No, I
don’t think she has a clue.”
After
downing half the bottle of wine, the two of them sat in silence. Shiki curled
up against Adrean, with her head on his chest as they watched Shadow. He had
come out from hiding and was sat in the centre of the room, licking his tail. “D’ya
ever wish it could always be like this?” Shiki asked, staring at Shadow.
“You
want to drink bottle after bottle of wine, feel sorry for yourself, having run
away from your girlfriend and waste a Saturday night stuck in here, with me, having to
keep the noise down, because my girl’s in the next room?” Adrean frowned at
her.
“Phah!”
laughed Shiki, sitting up right. Turning to Adrean, she shook her head. “I mean
this,” she smiled. “Just you, me… and Shadow.” Upon hearing his name Shadow leapt
up onto Shiki’s lap. “That’s it, Fluff-Ball,” she cooed. “Just you, me and Ade…
What d’ya think?” she asked, turning to Adrean. His cheeks turned pink. Placing
his glass down on his desk, he ran a hand through his hair.
“It’s
pretty much always been like this, hasn’t it?” he muttered with a shrug, as he
stroked Shadow.
“It’s
perfect,” she sighed, as she flopped against him. “Just like a family… you, me
and a cat.”
“Yeah,”
Adrean smiled, looping his arm around her waist. “You, me and Shadow.”
*
Muffled voices echoed
through the walls. She stared at the door. She had been staring at the door for
some time. How long had passed? She did not know. Laughter. Her heart sank. Her
stomach spiralled. ‘Why won’t he tell me what’s going on?’ Lela frowned to
herself. ‘And Shiki’s back… I can hear her, but why not tell me?’ Rolling over,
she stroked the place in the bed where Adrean had lay. The sheets were cold.
Taking a slow breath, she inhaled his scent. Her spine tingled. A smile spread
from cheek to cheek. Folding the covers over, she climbed out of bed. She
squinted, as she tried hard to focus on what they were saying. Creeping towards
the door, she gripped the handle tight. Shiki’s voice. She froze. Her eyes
widened. Her stomach whirled. Her pulse raged in her ears.
“We’re
just like a family,” were the words she heard. She threw a hand to her mouth.
“Yeah,”
Adrean agreed. “You, me and Shadow.” Her legs trembled. Her chest shook. The
blood pulsed through her ears. The word ‘family,’ echoed through her head. ‘We’re
a family.’ She staggered back and leant against the wall. Her knees buckled.
She slid to the floor. Her eyes stung. She pinched them tight. Salty water
dripped down her cheeks. Her chest jittered against her legs. She threw both
hands to her mouth to mask her squeaks.
Closing
her eyes, she held her breath. Moments earlier Adrean had held her close. His
arm cuddled her waist. His stubble prickled her neck. Her head rested against
his chest. His fingers were in her hair. She pressed her lips against his. He
kissed her back. He held her near. He told her he loved her. “I love you more,”
he had smiled at her. He stroked her cheek. He kissed her head. “I love you,
Lela,” she replayed in her head. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”
She
swallowed the lump in her throat. Opening her eyes, she steadied her breathing.
‘I can do this,’ she told herself. Her stomach settled. ‘I can join them.’ The
trembling eased. ‘Everything is fine.’ The thumping slowed. ‘Adrean loves me.’
She sucked in a breath. ‘They’re just friends.’ Wiping her cheeks, she
clambered to her feet. ‘They’ve always been friends.’
*
Eyes closed, Shiki
hugged an arm around Adrean’s stomach, as she pressed her head into his chest. “Thanks
for being there, Ade,” she whispered with a smile.
“Always,”
he beamed back, stroking her hair. She hummed against him. He smirked, letting
a laugh escape him.
“What?”
she murmured.
“It’s
nothing,” he shrugged, feeling his cheeks heat up.
“Tell
me,” she whined. “Come on Ade…”
“I just
really love the way you say my name,” he confessed. “It sounds so sweet.”
“You’ve
never told me before,” Shiki said with wide eyes, pushing herself out of their
embrace to face him. The grin on his face grew as his blush brightened. “There’s
something I’ve never told you before either…”
“What’s
that?” he muttered. Brushing her fingers across Adrean’s cheek, Shiki leaned
towards him and closed her eyes. Her lips pressed against his. Adrean’s stomach
fluttered. His eyes flickered. “Shiki, I-” he murmured as they parted. She turned
her head away, staring at the floor. Her arms shook. He stroked a hand under
her chin. He directed her face to his. He closed his eyes.
*
Squeezing the door
handle tight, she looked in both directions, down the hallway, before stepping
outside. Her legs trembled as she neared the doorway. All was quiet. Placing a
hand to the living room door, she held her breath. The door creaked open ajar.
She froze. Her heart dropped through her stomach. They were kissing. Adrean and
Shiki. She clasped a hand to her mouth. Shiki was sat on him. Adrean was
kissing her back. Her hands were in his hair. His hands explored her back. She
sighed against him. He groaned into her.
Hearing
herself squeak, Lela raced back into Adrean’s room. Her heart leapt in her
throat. She collapsed against the bed. Swiping her trousers, she pulled them on,
over her pyjamas. Her chest shook. Her eyes streamed. She threw on her jumper.
Her legs trembled. Her head spiralled. Forcing her feet into her shoes, she grabbed
her bag and ran for the door. She raced down the stairs. She couldn’t bear to
turn back. Opening the door, the last words she heard Adrean say were, “Lips of
an angel.”
-
Josie -
