Breaking Free by Isabel Lucero

13

“Knock, knock,”Jayden says right before bursting through my front door.

I finish sliding my wallet into my pocket. “You sure we have to go to this bar?”

“You should really lock your door,” he says, ignoring me as he walks to my kitchen. “I could’ve been anybody.”

I swipe my phone off the counter and pocket that as well. “I knew you were coming over. Plus, it’s a pretty safe neighborhood.”

“Pft, you’re telling me. Your neighbors are all retired folks.” He pulls a bottle of Jack Daniels out of my cabinet followed by two shot glasses.

“My parents got me this place,” I say, watching him pour the amber liquid.

“Yeah, apparently they thought if you lived in a retirement community you wouldn’t get in trouble. But look at you, drinking before it’s legal,” he says with a grin, handing me a glass.

I make a face. “It’s not a retirement community.”

Jayden snorts. “At least they don’t call the cops on you for having parties.”

“Probably because they’re asleep at eight o’clock.”

We both laugh and then down the shots after clinking our glasses.

“All right. Uber should be here soon, because I am not gonna be a DD and I don’t have one lined up.”

“Dude, you know I’m not gonna be able to drink over there. I can obviously drive us back.”

“But I’m gonna slip you shots, because it’s my duty to get you fucked up.”

I shake my head and laugh. “You’re terrible. I’ll just get drunk when we come back here.”

“Well, I already ordered the car, so there’s that.” He looks out the window. “And they pulled up. Let’s go.”

* * *

It’s nearingten-thirty when we get to the bar, and we spot Bryant and Olivia walking up to the door just as we pull up.

“Hey, perfect timing,” Liv says with a huge smile. “We missed you last night.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t lie to me.”

She smacks my shoulder. “Look, there may not be a bull to ride in here, but we’re still gonna have a good time.”

“I’m not even trying to be here that long, but Jayden wouldn’t take no for an answer,” I say, jerking my head in his direction.

“Yeah, he’s just used to getting his way.”

Jay rolls his eyes. “Come on, Bryant. Let’s leave these two behind.”

Inside, the bar is playing some Nirvana while a handful of people in their forties or fifties sit at the bar. It’s a fairly small place, but it’s well-kept. The guy at the door was sure to slap a neon band around my wrist after checking IDs, but just to make sure I don’t cut it off or cover it up, I also got a huge black X on my hand in Sharpie.

Me and Liv find a booth while Bryant and Jay go up and order drinks. Besides the people at the bar, there’s three other booths full of people. Two of the tables look like they’re probably in their thirties, and the other table has a couple underage girls, based on the neon bands.

Thirty minutes later, Renzo, Ronan, Dex, and Violet all come in, and our one table quickly grows to three. Thanks to the huge group of people surrounding our booth, I’m able to sneakily take a shot without any employees seeing.

When I hear a chorus of “Heys!” ring out, I look around, wondering who else showed up, and my gaze locks onto Dominic.

“You work here, dude?” Tim asks him.

“Did the shirt not give it away?” he asks with a laugh.

“Aw man, we’re all here getting drunk, and you have to work,” Shea says.

Dom laughs, not yet seeing me. “It’s fine. I had way too much fun yesterday.”

“When are you off?” Jay asks.

Oh no. I know where this is going.

“One, maybe a little before. Why?” he asks, clearing a table nearby.

“We’re heading to Trev’s house when we’re done here. You should come.”

At the mention of my name, his head swivels until he finds me. His lips twitch briefly as he studies me, like he’s trying to hold back a grin.

“Yeah, that might be fun.” His eyes twinkle with mischief. “Give me the address and I’ll be there.”

When I finally tear my eyes away from him and the way the tight black shirt stretches across his chest and biceps, I find an amused Renzo staring at me.

“Don’t.”

He laughs, draping an arm around Ronan’s shoulders. “I didn’t say anything.”

Knowing Dominic is gonna be at my house tonight, I start sneaking sips out of Jay and Ronan’s drinks, hoping it’ll calm my racing heart. Instead, all it does is make me anxious to get home. I find I want him there, in my space. I begin imagining ways we can sneak off and have a moment alone, and that’s exactly what I shouldn’t be thinking about.

I’ll have a house full of my friends, and any one of them could catch us. Hell, they might notice how I can’t stop looking at him. Hopefully they’ll be too drunk and preoccupied to worry about me.

“Thinking of having a sleepover tonight?” Renzo asks me, leaning into my side.

“Shut up.”

He chuckles and surprisingly doesn’t say anything else.

“We ready to go?” Jay announces. “This place just had last call, so they’re gonna be closing soon.”

“Yeah, let me take a piss first.”

“Cool. I’m getting an Uber.”

“I’m sober, so I can drive some of y’all over,” Vi says.

I walk away from the table and across the bar, heading toward the bathrooms on the opposite end.

As I’m about to push the door, it opens up and I come face to face with Dominic.

When he realizes it’s me, he gestures for me to come in while wearing his signature cocky smirk. “Well, hello. We seem to have a thing for bathrooms.”

I roll my eyes and move past him. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“No?” he asks, following me inside. “Should we discuss how we first met?”

I ignore him, walking to a urinal and undoing my jeans.

“Or what about the times in the locker room? That’s basically an oversized bathroom.”

“We didn’t do anything in the locker room.”

“You didn’t suck on my thumb while looking up at me with sex-filled eyes, desperate for more?”

I hate him. I fucking hate him. He’s right, but I hate that he’s right.

“And here we are. What could we do in here? Your dick is already out.”

I angle my head over my shoulder. “I’m taking a piss. Do you want me to pee on you?”

He crosses his arms over his chest and gives a slight shrug. “Not really my kink.”

“What is?” I ask before thinking better of it.

“You can find out.”

Warmth floods my cheeks, so I quickly finish up and walk to the sink. “So, I guess you’re coming to my house.”

“Don’t sound too excited.”

I shut off the water and turn around to walk to the hand dryer, which he is standing right next to. “I really don’t care,” I say, hoping it’s believable.

He grins like he can see right through me. “Okay.”

I shake my head, letting out a huff. “You’re really fucking annoying.”

“I don’t think I’m annoying. I think you want me. You want me so bad it hurts. You like that I’ve taken an interest in you. You enjoy that I flirt with you even though you say you hate it. If I stopped paying attention to you, you’d be upset. You want me to want you, but you won’t allow yourself to admit you want me. You want to be able to act out every single thing you’ve thought about doing to me, but you’re afraid. You’re scared to want me. You hate that you actually like me, and that’s what’s annoying. Not me.”

I stare at him, stuck in place. He’s right. Of course he fucking is, and of course I fucking hate it. I’m not about to admit that to him, though.

Dominic pushes away from the wall and steps up to me, his foot touching mine. “You already know I want you, and you know that I know you want me.” His nose barely grazes my cheek as his breath dances across my skin. “Just admit it, Campbell. I won’t tell anyone. Tell me you want me and let me give it to you.” His lips touch the shell of my ear, and at this moment I’m trapped in his bubble. I’m ready to tell him whatever he wants to hear just so he’ll touch me. My body aches for his touch.

A laugh outside the door bursts the bubble right before it swings open. My heart hammers in my chest at the thought of getting caught being so close to Dominic. Thank God it’s only Renzo.

He takes in the scene and grins. “Hey, boys.” His eyes find mine. “Cars are ready to go. Waiting on you.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m coming.”

“Looks like I walked in before that could happen,” he jokes. “Sorry.”

Dom chuckles, unaffected.

I throw Renzo a look, but he just shrugs. “See you there?” he asks Dominic.

I look back at him, waiting for his answer. “If Campbell wants me there.”

Fucking asshole. He knows what he’s doing.

Both Renzo and Dom’s gazes are on me, waiting.

“Yeah,” I finally say. “Yeah, I want you there.”

Dom smiles before I turn and walk out of the bathroom.