7. Gianna

“There’s nothing to worry about. You look absolutely stunning,” Nala says as she practically drags me to Chris’s house. She had cajoled me into going to his house party, surprising me with the fact that he invited me.

I dont know what that means. We just kissed a few hours ago, and now hes inviting me to his party. What does he have up his sleeve?

“Thats not what Im worried about.”

“What is it? Its just Chris.”

Thats the problem. Its just Chris. Im not prepared to see him at all. Im still trying to recover from our intense make out session on my couch. I dont think I can handle seeing him.

As we enter his gates, the sound of music blaring from the speakers becomes unbearable. Im not the party type. The only person who can successfully make me go to a party is Nala.

She tightens her hold on my hand. “Calm your tits, Im here.”

I nod, acknowledging her support. Neither of the two guards standing at either side of the main entrance stop us from going in. I guess its because of Nala. We enter what I assume to be the living room.

“Are you sure Im welcome here?” I ask looking around. Everyone looks fancy. Dressed in what I assume is their best clubbing outfits. Even Nala is dressed in a black glittery midi dress.

I look so out of place in my simple short sleeve crocheted knit dress worn with studded strappy sandals. I should have put more thought into my outfit. Chris is going to see me like this.

“Is this what a house party is supposed to look like?” I blurt out, yelling over the music, earning a chuckle from Nala. “Its not funny. I didnt know it would be like this.”

She releases my hand, now smiling. “This is nothing. It has nothing to do with you.” I begin worrying about my dress and pulling at the fabric. She stalls my hands and says, “You are perfect the way you are.”

“You are only saying that because Im your friend,” I groan.

“Nah.” She gives me a skeptical look. “You have never cared how you look for events like this. Why do you care now?”

“Nala,” I hear Chris call, and there goes my heart again, fluttering against my chest. She turns to look at him while I gulp, preparing myself to see the reason Im paranoid.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where have you—” He stops mid-sentence as soon as I turn to face him. He closes his mouth, his eyes raking over my form.

Its not helping my flustered state that hes dressed like a sex god. Clad in a leather bomber jacket and a black t-shirt. And black leather pants with a belt cinched around his muscular waist. And his dark hair is styled in a messy way, like he has just fucked someone.

His eyes flicker up to mine, and the world stays still for a minute. He looks at me like Im the only one in the room, and that thought alone sends that weird warmth tingling down my body.

Nala clears her throat, and he blinks. He smirks cockily.

“Hi, Gianna,” he says in that low voice of his.

“Hi.” I force my dry throat to get out the word.

Nala looks from Chris to me and then back to Chris, as if she cant believe her ears.

“Im glad that you could make it here,” he adds, eyes still on me.

Nala scoffs, “I made it happen. So, you owe me one.”

Chris smiles at her. “Noted.”

She folds her arms. “So why are you looking for me?”

He sighs and brushes away a stray hair disturbing his vision. “The party is a mess. Everyone is taking it too far. Im on the verge of kicking everyone out. The last straw would be anyone having sex in my living room.”

“No!” Nala walks forward and rubs his arm. “Remember why you threw this party.”

His eyes meet mine for a brief second before he looks at her and nods.

Luke jogs happily towards us, holding a bottle of liquor. “Hey Gianna, you look gorgeous.”

“Thanks, you look quite handsome, too,” I reply with a smile.

He shrugs. “Its not every day Chris throws a party. I have to look my best.”

That confuses me. The Chris I knew loved partying and always threw one almost every Friday night. Now its as if he hates it. I guess a lot of things can change in eight years.

“Now, Chris, what are you doing here? You are the host of the party. You should be at the front. In the middle of everything.”

“Im here to get Nala to control her friends before I kick them out,” he says dryly.

“They are not my friends. They are just people I met here and there.” She shrugs.

Chris’s demeanor changes to disbelief. “You invited complete strangers into my house?”

Luke, probably sensing the change, pulls at Chris’s arm. “Lets go Chris. She will handle it.”

He shakes his head and lets himself be led away by Luke.

Nala lets out a relieved sigh. “I thought I was in trouble.”

I chuckle lightly at her reaction. “I thought so, too. But how could you invite strangers?”

“They are not strangers. Moreover, there was no time to plan, and I didnt want his stiff-headed colleagues to come and drag down the party. They turn everything into a business meeting.”

My eyes involuntarily follow Chris around as he greets some people.

Nala nudges me. “By the way, what was that about?”

I look at her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“You guys were smiling at each other and the way he was looking at you. Was like…I cant even describe it.” She shakes her head in thought.

“Like what?” I am interested in knowing more.

“Like a man on a mission,” she finally says.

I gulp at her description.

She laughs it off. “Im sure I imagined it.”

“Probably,” I try to laugh back. Im feeling more nervous now. I havent told Nala about the kiss because she would freak out, and thats the last thing I need. I dont even know what the kiss means. I know what it means to me, but to Chris, I have no idea.

Nala’s mouth opens slightly. “What the fuck is Jessica doing here?”

“Who is Jessica?” I follow her shocked gaze to where Chris and Luke are. A beautiful woman with short black hair throws herself into Chris’s arms, and he easily catches her by the waist.

I blink and swallow a lump in my throat. I watch, frozen in place, as she plants a kiss on his cheek, and Chris closes his eyes with a smile.

“Who is she?” My voice cracks, but Nala doesnt notice because she’s still frowning.

“Chris’s ex,” she states, then adds, “or I guess they are back together given how cozy they are.”

She doesnt know that her words are like a knife to my heart. His arms are still wrapped around her, and they are both laughing. My heart feels heavy. My lungs constrict. I feel something grow in my stomach. It isnt nervousness, instead it’s something much darker. It tore at my heart watching the scene in front of me.

“I have to go to the restroom,” I manage to say, practically dashing off. I dont have any idea where Im going. I just need to breathe.

I find myself on the balcony. Thankfully, theres no one here. I lean against the railings, appreciating the fresh air.

He has a girlfriend, and he kissed me. He kissed me like he wanted me when he had a girlfriend. He used me, and I fell for it. He must have had a good laugh at how easy I was.

My heart continues to sink. I know Im spiraling, but I cant stop myself. Im mad at myself more than Im mad at him. It was supposed to be a stupid crush that should have died years ago. Why am I feeling like a jilted lover? What the hell is wrong with me?

Finally, something interrupts my thoughts.

“Gianna.” The voice is quiet and unsure. But I would know that voice anywhere.

I feel Chris coming closer, and he leans against the railing beside me. “Where have you been? I have been looking for you.”

As much as I tried to appear nonchalant, anger and deflection were all I could offer him. “Well, you have been very busy, so you wouldnt have noticed when I left.” My voice comes out sharper than I wanted.

He looks at me puzzled. “Im not too busy for you. I kept looking for you, and you were nowhere to be found.”

As much as I would like to control my anger, I snap. “Why were you looking for me? To finish what you started, you two-timing jerk?”

He frowns, having the guts to look confused. “Wheres all this coming from?”

I turn to fully face him. “To think I was starting to feel remorseful that Ive been too hard on you. But you deserved it all along. You kissed me when you have a girlfriend!”

He blinks. “Girlfriend?” he repeats like it’s ridiculous.

“Dont act dumb. Nala told me.”

I see the understanding settle in his eyes and he smiles. I feel the urge to wipe the smile out of his face.

“Oh, you mean Jessica?” he chuckles at my expense, and it only angers me more. “Shes not my girlfriend. Shes just a friend. A distant friend at that. Luke invited her, not me.”

I dont believe him. They were too cozy not to be something. “Nala said?—”

“Forget what Nala said. She doesnt know anything about my relationships or lack thereof. What I and Jessica had ended a long time ago. We are strictly friends,” he assures me.

To my dismay, I can feel my heart lightening.

He closes the distance between us, still smiling. “So, were you jealous?”

I flush in embarrassment, realizing that I sounded like a jealous girlfriend. I cant even see his eyes now.

“I was just angry when I thought you made me the other party in your relationship,” I say in defense. “Ive been cheated on. I know how that feels. I wouldnt want to inflict the same on someone else.”

He blinks in surprise. “You were cheated on?” He snaps his mouth shut. “Sorry, I shouldnt have said that.”

Inhaling deeply, I dare a look at him and my heart skips when I find deep eyes already staring at me. My lips part slightly, my gaze fluttering over his face.

“Its okay.” My voice is quiet.

“I should have hit that guy harder then,” he says, making me laugh.

“How did you know hes the one who cheated on me?” I ask amidst chuckles.

“Lets just say I recognize assholes, and hes one.”

Its funny how Chris made me restless, and at the same time, he knows how to make me feel at ease.

“How are you enjoying the party?” he asks.

“Its good. I havent let myself enjoy it. In truth, Im not one for parties.”

He smiles and leans against the railings facing me. “Me neither.”

“Thats surprising because you were such a party freak when we were younger,” I challenge.

He nods, still smiling. “Well, you reach your late twenties and realize its not worth it.”

“A club owner who hates parties. I find that surprising.” There’s a hint of teasing in my tone that I don’t recognize.

“There are a lot of surprising facts about me. Ive changed a lot in eight years. I want you to know that.” He looks away, staring into the darkness of the night. “I threw this party for you.”

Words escape me for a beat. But then I ask, “Why?”

He turns to face me. “Because I want to talk to you. Most importantly, I want to talk about the kiss.”

My heart leaps in my chest. He probably wants to apologize and call it a mistake.

“We dont have to talk about it,” I hasten to say before he can beat me to it. “It happened on the spur of the moment.”

“Really?” Suspicion laces his tone.

“Yeah, it was just a kiss. Its a greeting in some cultures.” My attempt at downplaying it is not subtle.

He moves away from the railings, standing straight. “The kiss wasnt a mistake to me, nor was it a mistake to you. You dont make a mistake twice,” he says with so much determination that confuses me before he suddenly leans forward, claiming my lips.

A surprised sound escapes me. I can barely return the kiss when he pulls back, smirking. “That wasnt a mistake either.” He looks at me expectantly.

There are a lot of reasons I should run away. A lot of reasons I should blurt out to him that this is not going to end well. But I want to be reckless just once, so I throw caution to the wind.

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. He smiles against my lips, returning it with more vigor. One hand strokes my cheek while the other hand wraps around my waist. My hands reach up to stroke his soft hair.

He suddenly turns us around, and a small gasp leaves my lips as my back meets the wall. The kiss deepens, and my toes curl in my shoes when he flicks his tongue gently, opening my lips wider. I feel dizzy with his taste, his scent, his touch. Its like diving without breaking for air, the world spinning around me.

I feel his bulge press against me, and the dizzying mist in my head starts to clear. Unable to ignore the growing need for oxygen, I pull back, eyes wide, breathing heavily. My lips are burning.

His hand moves down my jaw, following the gentle sloping lines.

“Gianna.” His hoarse voice sends tingles down my spine.

“Where is this going?” I blurt out messily. My legs feel a bit weak.

“I don’t know.” He answers, his fingers tracing my lips. “But I want to find out. Because I like this. I like this a lot.”

“I like this too.”