Chapter 3 Kissed a guy
1309 Words
The kiss wasn't the problem.
Brian had always been a playboy. Sierra had known that long before she fell in love with him.
Girls flirted with him, kissed him, practically threw themselves at him.
She had accepted all of that years ago.
So why...
Why did the tiny red stain on his neck suddenly make her chest tighten?
"It's just lipstick," she whispered to herself.
She forced a smile.
"It's Brian."
Of course, someone had kissed him.
She took a slow breath and straightened her shoulders.
You didn't spend three years building courage just to run away because of lipstick.
Her heels clicked softly against the polished floor as she walked toward the crowd.
The music grew louder.
People laughed.
Champagne glasses clinked together.
Everything felt strangely distant.
Brian stood exactly where she'd expected... in the middle of everyone. Like the sun surrounded by planets..People naturally gravitated toward him.
He laughed.
Someone clapped him on the shoulder.
Another person handed him another drink.
He looked...
Happy.
Sierra swallowed.
Her palms had become damp. She quietly rehearsed one last time.
'Happy birthday, Brian.'
No.
Too formal.
'Brian... I like you.'
Too direct.
'I've loved you for years.' Stalker vibes.
Absolutely not.
"Oh God..."
She rubbed her forehead. "This is impossible."
She was still arguing with herself when Brian suddenly lifted his head.
Their eyes met.
For one tiny second... He smiled.
A real smile.
Not the polite or charming one he gave strangers and reporters. This one reached his eyes.
Sierra's heart almost burst.
Maybe...
Maybe she hadn't imagined everything.
Maybe the conference last week meant something after all.
Maybe...
"Brian!"
A loud voice interrupted her thoughts.
Someone pushed past Sierra.
She stumbled slightly.
Before she could regain her balance...
The crowd erupted.
"Kiss!"
"Kiss!"
"Kiss!"
Her brows knitted together.
What... She looked toward Brian again.
A tall man had already reached him. The stranger wrapped one arm around Brian's neck.
Then...
Without hesitation...
He kissed him.
Right there.
In front of everyone.
Time stopped.
Sierra forgot to blink or breathe. Hell, she forgot who she was.
Brian didn't pull away.
He kissed the man back.
Slowly.
Confidently.
Like he'd done it countless times before. His hand slid naturally around the man's waist.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
Some whistled.
Some laughed.
As if that wasn't enough...
A beautiful woman stepped closer from Brian's other side.
She wrapped both arms around his shoulder and lazily kissed the side of his neck.
Right beside the fresh lipstick mark.
Brian laughed. He didn't stop her either.
Sierra's fingers loosened around her purse.
It almost slipped from her hand.
"No..."
Her voice barely existed.
No.
This wasn't happening.
She had imagined dozens of scenarios.
Brian rejecting her, or laughing, or apologizing.
Brian said he only saw her as William's friend.
Anything.
Anything except this.
Brian...Was kissing another man.
And letting another woman cling to him at the same time.
Her vision blurred.
She wasn't sure whether it was because of the lights...
Or the tears gathering inside her eyes.
Almost as if sensing her stare...
Brian looked up.
His smile disappeared.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
Recognition.
Surprise.
Then... Something else.
Guilt?
The moment lasted barely two seconds.
Brian looked away first.
He returned the kiss.
The cheering grew even louder.
Someone shouted,
"That's our birthday king!"
Laughter erupted.
Sierra couldn't hear any of it anymore.
The music became muffled.
The lights seemed too bright.
Her chest hurt.
She turned around before the first tear could fall.
One step.
Two.
Three.
She didn't run.
She refused to give anyone the satisfaction.
Not here. Not in front of them.
She reached the bar before her composure finally cracked.
"...Fuck."
The word escaped under her breath.
She climbed onto one of the high stools and stared blankly at the expensive bottles lined across the shelves.
The bartender approached carefully.
"What can I get for you, miss?"
"Anything."
He smiled politely. "Could you be a little more specific?"
She laughed bitterly. "No." She slowly lifted her head. "Actually..."
"I want something that burns."
The bartender hesitated. "Our strongest whiskey?"
"The strongest thing you've got."
He nodded.
A minute later, a crystal glass landed in front of her.
She picked it up. Without hesitation, she swallowed the entire thing.
The bartender's eyes widened. "Miss..."
She slammed the empty glass onto the counter. "Another."
The second glass disappeared almost as quickly.
By the third...
Her cheeks were warm.
Her vision had become soft around the edges. The ache inside her chest, however... Remained the same.
A tear rolled silently down her cheek.
She wiped it away angrily. "I'm so stupid."
Another tear followed. "So unbelievably stupid."
She laughed.
Then immediately cried again.
Fantasy novels had lied. The handsome billionaire didn't secretly fall for the ordinary girl.
He didn't notice her from across the room. He didn't suddenly realize she'd always been there.
He simply...
Didn't.
She remembered the business conference from last week.
Brian had smiled at her.
Asked how she'd been.
Touched her shoulder.
Kissed her cheek before leaving.
She'd spent seven whole days replaying that moment.
Seven days believing...
Maybe.
Just maybe...
He finally saw her.
"What an idiot."
She looked down at her reflection inside the amber liquid.
Mascara had begun smudging beneath her eyes.
She'd spent over an hour getting ready.
Choosing a dress.
Doing her makeup.
Curling her hair.
All for him.
She took another drink.
It didn't help.
The pain remained.
"...He was supposed to know." Her voice cracked.
"I thought..." She sniffled.
"I thought he knew."
"Hey." A familiar voice spoke behind her.
"I've been looking everywhere."
She didn't answer.
William walked around until he stood directly in front of her.
The moment he saw her face...
His expression changed.
Gone was the sarcastic smile.
Gone was the teasing.
His jaw tightened.
Her mascara was ruined.
Her eyes were swollen.
She'd clearly been crying.
His gaze slowly dropped.
Three empty whiskey glasses.
His heart sank. "Sia..."
She looked up lazily.
Her pupils struggled to focus.
Then...
She smiled.
"My William."
The words came out soft, affectionate, and careless
William's heartbeat betrayed him.
She only called him that when she was either extremely happy... Or completely broken.
He leaned closer.
The smell of alcohol almost knocked him backward.
He frowned. "You smell terrible."
She giggled.
"Thank you."
"Were you drinking?"
She looked at him.
Then at the empty glasses.
Then back at him.
"...Maybe."
William sighed.
He reached for the fourth glass waiting in front of her.
She grabbed it before he could.
"No."
He gently pried it from her fingers anyway.
"I said no."
Her lower lip trembled. "He kissed another guy."
William froze.
Of course.
So she'd seen it.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind.
He wanted to tell her Brian had always been like this, that Brian never deserved her and that wanted to tell her she deserved someone who had loved her quietly for ten years.
Instead...
He swallowed every word.
Because this wasn't the time.
He placed the untouched drink back onto the counter.
Then crouched slightly in front of her.
"Come on."
His voice became impossibly gentle.
"Let's go home."
"He kissed another guy..." She repeated blankly. "Right in front of me."
William carefully helped her off the stool.
She almost fell.
He caught her immediately.
Her forehead landed against his chest.
She didn't pull away.
She simply stood there... Quietly crying.
William closed his eyes for a brief second. Every tear felt like someone twisting a knife inside him.
Without another word... He wrapped an arm securely around her waist and slowly led her toward the exit.
Behind them...
Brian finally broke free from the crowd.
His eyes searched the ballroom.
Until he spotted William carrying Sierra away.
Something unfamiliar twisted inside Brian's chest.
For the first time that night...
He stopped smiling.
- Writer
