The morning sun pierced through my eyelids, waking me from what felt like the heaviest sleep I'd ever had. My head pounded, the remnants of last night's alcohol still swirling in my system. I shifted slightly and felt the cool sand beneath me, realizing with a jolt that I wasn't in bed—I was on the beach. And not just on the beach—I was naked.
Groaning, I sat up, trying to piece together what the hell had happened. Next to me lay Vanessa, also naked, her dark hair messy from the wild night before, and beyond her... the other guy. The memories came flooding back in disjointed fragments—drinks, dancing, us three tangled together, the primal energy of the party pushing us into something I never would've imagined.
I rubbed my temples, my mind trying to process the night. WTF had I done? My body felt sore, and everything felt too raw, too real after the wild blur that last night had been.
Vanessa stirred beside me, stretching lazily in the sand. She propped herself up on her elbows and smiled at me, as though everything was completely normal. "Morning," she said, her voice still soft from sleep. "Looks like we had quite the night, huh?"
I stared at her, my chest tight with a mix of emotions I couldn't even fully understand yet. "Yeah... I guess."
She sat up fully, her fingers brushing sand off her arms, completely unbothered by the fact that we were both naked in the middle of a private beach. "I'd say you handled it pretty well for your first time," she said, a sly grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Especially considering it was your first threesome."
I looked away, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. The whole thing had felt unreal last night, but now, in the harsh light of day, it felt... different. It felt wrong. I stood up quickly, brushing the sand off my body and avoiding her gaze.
"We should go," I muttered, already searching for my clothes, which were strewn haphazardly across the beach. "I'm done with this place."
Vanessa tilted her head, watching me with an amused but slightly confused look. "Done? You're not mad, are you?"
I found my pants, yanking them on roughly. "Am I mad? Vanessa, last night was—" I paused, struggling to find the words. "I don't even know how to describe last night. It was fucking insane. And now I wake up here, naked, next to some guy I barely know?"
Vanessa laughed softly, shaking her head as she stood up, clearly still unfazed. "Tristan, it was just a party. We had fun. There's no need to overthink it."
I stared at her, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "Fun? You call that fun? You pulled me into a fucking threesome without even asking if I was okay with it!"
Vanessa raised an eyebrow, her smile fading slightly. "I didn't hear you complaining last night."
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my anger in check. "That's because I was fucking drunk, Vanessa! You know that! You know damn well I wouldn't have gone along with that if I wasn't wasted!"
She sighed, finally getting dressed as well, though her movements were slower, more deliberate. "Alright, fine. You're upset. But don't act like I forced you into something you didn't want. You were right there with me."
I felt my temper flare again. "That's not the point! The point is, you should've asked. You can't just... pull me into whatever crazy shit you're doing and expect me to be fine with it."
Vanessa walked over, placing a hand on my arm, her voice soothing but still carrying that tone of control. "Tristan, I get it. I should've talked to you about it first. But you have to admit, once things got started, you weren't exactly protesting."
I shook my head, pulling away from her touch. "You don't get it."
There was a long pause, the tension hanging heavy in the air between us. Vanessa finally sighed, her posture softening as she looked at me with a hint of regret. "Okay, I'm sorry. I should've asked you first. You're right."
I crossed my arms, not sure whether to believe her or if this was just another way for her to placate me.
Vanessa stepped closer, her voice gentle now. "I didn't mean to push you into anything you weren't ready for. Last night... I got caught up in it. But I didn't mean to hurt you."
I looked at her, my anger simmering down but still lingering under the surface. "You can't just do whatever you want and expect me to be okay with it."
She nodded, her expression softening further. "You're right. I won't do that again. I promise."
There was a long silence between us, the sounds of the ocean filling the space. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Let's just go. I need to clear my head."
Vanessa nodded, giving me a small, apologetic smile. "We can head back to the yacht."
We gathered our things and made our way down the beach toward the dock where the private yacht was waiting. The boat ride was silent at first, the tension still hanging between us. As we sped across the water, the breeze cooling my skin, Vanessa eventually broke the silence.
"Tristan," she said softly, turning to look at me. "Last night... we tried something new. I thought you were ready for it, and maybe I misjudged that. But I never meant to push you too far."
I sighed, glancing at her. "I just need you to be more upfront with me. I'm not used to all of this. This... this world of yours. It's a lot."
She nodded slowly, her gaze thoughtful. "I understand. I'll do better. I'll make sure we're on the same page next time. Okay?"
I looked at her for a long moment before finally nodding. "Okay."
Vanessa smiled, that warm, reassuring smile that always seemed to melt away my frustrations. She reached over, placing a hand on mine. "Thank you. I don't want to lose you over something like this."
I sighed, squeezing her hand lightly. "You won't. Just... give me some time."
Vanessa nodded, her eyes softening with understanding. "Take all the time you need."
Q: Would you have stayed if you were Tristan?