He lay beside her as she caressed his hairy chest and he had her in his embrace. She had one leg on top of him as she played with his chest hairs. He stroked her hair with his hands as they finally rested after their first sexual encounter. They were breathing softly as they stared at whatever items their eyes picked up.
"Babe," Shallon called out to him, "that was fun!"
Mike scoffed. "I went a little too easy on you. Trust me... your kitty would be on fire right now."
Shallon shrugged at his statement, "Whatever you did... whoa. Where did you learn all that?"
Mike smiled at her, "Does it really matter?"
"No?" Shallon shrugged once again.
"Then I guess that settles everything..." Mike added to the discussion laughing lightly.
Shallon bit her lips and closed her eyes. "But what you did with your tongue... fuck! That was just out of this world! Perhaps you'll teach me someday."
Mike scoffed at her request. He ended up laughing hard in the end. "Why? Are you going to get on it one day with a girl?"
"No..." Shallon chuckled as she hid his face with her hands. "I'm only for you."
Mike took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Once again... I guess that settles it." Mike finished and they burst into laughter. "Shallon, I have a confession to make," Mike told her when the laughing died. She looked desperately at him. His dark sharp orange eyes gleamed at her.
"Sure, what is it?"
"I wasn't really trying to date you when I first approached you. Remember when you slapped me?"
"Yes, I do. What do you want to say of that?"
"It was a dare that I was trying to you know, complete..."
"So you mean, that you don't love me at all. Everything that we've done... you mean to say that I've given away– " Her voice pitched up as she talked, releasing herself from his embrace with her breathing increasing.
"No, no, no!" Mike quickly intervened to cool down the situation. He brushed her long hair to their midways. It was really long he couldn't complete a single stroke to their ends. "That was then... everything's changed since that time." He told her. "I never knew that I'd really fall in love with you and right now I can't imagine myself far from you... without you."
Shallon lay back on the bed, just as before, now a little calmer. "That's so sweet to hear." She kissed him softly on his red lips. "I was feeling the same way about you the first days but I clearly came to understand you. I guess I had let people's judgment about you cloud over me. This is what I want... and don't be surprised, I can see us married in five years with a kid or two..."
"Aaaamen!" Mike called out as he embraced her in his arms. Shallon laughed out loudly. Mike finished, "Amen to that..."
Suddenly both of their phones rang concurrently and they took them and looked at what was up.
"It's them, they're about to leave..." Shallon cried out.
"Come on, let's shower and go say goodbye to them," Mike told her. They got out of the bed and slithered towards Shallon's bathroom.
******************
Lance hugged Mike tightly as he patted his back. The goodbye was so heartbreaking. "Take care of her Mike," Lance told him as he released him from his embrace. He turned to Shallon. "I'm gonna miss you Shallon." He kissed her forehead and brushed her hair back. "Spread my gospel though..." Shallon chuckled.
Elena was the last one to give out her goodbyes to the other two lads. She had already said goodbye to her mom and her sister as well as some neighbors. Three days had now passed since she told her mother of the idea. Today was Friday, and the cold was there yet again.
"Mike look after her for me, please. She's one of the few true friends I have." Elena turned to Shallon. "Shallon take of yourself... I'm gonna miss you so bad girl." She hugged her even tighter. "And tell Chanel that I'm sorry that I couldn't wait till she was back in the state for this goodbye. Tell her, that no love is lost though... I love you all."
"Sure thing, Elena, sure thing. But if I may ask... how long are you two planning to stay outside the country?" Shallon asked as she swayed her hair back.
"We don't know... I can't tell. Maybe perhaps till everything cools down." Elena answered with uncertainty. A bus neared the bus station and screeched resting to its halting state. Elena and Lance took a quick glance behind them and gave out a sigh.
"So, this is it guys?" Lance turned back to the two, his hand clenched on Elena's.
"Yes... damn." Mike cried out. "Myles' gone to join the military, you two are going on your own adventure... the circle keeps getting smaller every day."
Lance scoffed, "That's why we are telling you to spread Lance's gospel Shallon."
Shallon chuckled at the answer. The church jokes would never end. "Are you guys dating now or what?" She scoffed worriedly, "Please don't leave us hanging..."
Elena turned to Lance, smiling, with hands clenched together, and then turned back to the two almost immediately. "I decided to give it a try, and see where we can head with this," Elena answered Shallon as a smile forced itself on her face. "Let's see if this can work out."
She cupped Elena's cheek. "Good. Elena, try giving yourself a fresh start in life. Perhaps this is what you need. Keep fighting for yourself girl..."
BEEP! The driver honked at them.
"Goodbye guys, we have to go." Elena smiled at them. Lance nodded at the latter and raced behind Elena. They got on the bus as the two watched. A few seconds later they saw them waving goodbye at them from a window as the bus veered away. Mike and Shallon waved back at them. And deep inside his heart Mike finally realized that Lance had gotten what he wanted; the woman he loved and his rival off the charts never to cause unrest.
But at what cost? Mike troubled himself with the thoughts.
Ethan was locked away for a crime that he didn't commit on purpose to a woman who didn't deserve to be treated like a human lab rat. A young woman with dreams and hopes had been crushed to the point that she went to hide in another country in order to avoid the humiliation back home. Ethan was in prison wrongfully, missing all the adventures that he was looking forward to spending with the woman of his dreams. All the shame and the finger-pointing that he had received. He thought of Ethan's family and how their reputation had been damaged. A simple father who had to be corrupt in a bid to save his son and the wife who tagged along with the evil. And of the girl next to him. Her only job during the party was to present the drinks to Ethan and Lance, in the way and time in which Lance had told her to do. He looked at the innocent girl below him, seeming to be enjoying life now as it presented itself to her in an abundant way. He loved her to be sincere, but he was keeping a secret from her, and this second life of his world troubled him. If she only knew what was going on, what she had done to contribute to the current situation at her unknown consent and the repercussions in its aftermath.
If she only knew...