This Is How You Get Her Back

Seven

"Alessandra, hey!" I greeted my favorite girl on the phone. "What's up?" I asked as I stepped out of the house to get away from the loud music and raving teenagers.

"Not much. Just in my dorm. Are you busy?" she replies in her cute husky and sleepy voice.

"No, no. Never busy for you. I'm at a party. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Oh... a lot of hot girls there, huh?" I pretty much heard that smartass smirk on her perfect face, making me laugh.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you though," I admitted as I dodged the question.

"Think of me when you're making out with your side hoes, loser."

"What makes you think that my main isn't here? Maybe you're my side hoe."

"You wish. I'm too good to be a side."

"That's true," I surrendered with an exaggerated sigh. "Can I come over? I... I might kind of maybe miss you a little."

"I'll be waiting."

I smiled. "Okay. See you in a bit."

"I might maybe miss you too, by the way," I heard her mumble really quickly before she ended the call.

I drove over to her dorm in record time.

Shuffling sounds were heard from the other side of the door before it opened. I was greeted by the smiling face of the woman who had all of my heart.

I felt my heart stop for a second when I took in how ethereal she looked dressed down in her boxers, huge shirt, and messy bun. Fighting the urge to kiss her was excruciating. 1 month of seeing each other, and we still haven't gone as far as kissing. And I didn't mind. That's how I knew I really liked her.

And as disgustingly cheesy as it may sound, I felt... whole when I saw her. And it was strange because I've never felt that way before.

"Hi," I breathed out. "I... um... hi. You look absolutely incredible."

She blushed. "You look wasted."

I laughed as I walked inside her room. It was filled with records, paintings, and books—a combination of things that only heartbreakers keep.

"I don't even drink," I replied. "How flattering." I sat down on the edge of her bed and she lied down, her head resting comfortably on my lap.

She took my hand and kissed it. "I'm kidding. You know you look hot."

"Of course. Who doesn't?"

She sighed contentedly with a relaxed smile. "How was your day?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Slept with different women, sold drugs, spray painted the walls of the university," I said as casually as I could.

She laughed, and my world kind of grew a little brighter. "Slept with different girls, huh?"

"I literally just told you that I may be a drug pusher and vandal, yet you focused on the fact that I may have been promiscuous?" I asked with a smirk.

"Shut up," she very lightly hits me.

"Man, you like me so much. Don't even try to deny it."

"Don't flatter yourself. You know I'm only dating you for your body."

"So we're dating, huh?"

"I—umm... do you—I mean, like, I don't know. You suck. Screw you. We've been going out for a month so I kind of assumed, and oh my god. Like... are we, though?"

Amused as hell, I just watched her as she stuttered and rambled and turned red. It was an adorable sight seeing her like this when I'm so used to her confidence and cockiness. I stayed quiet to see how she would react.

She started to sit up from my lap. "This is so embarrassing. I... I shouldn't have assumed since I know you're the type to be afraid of commitment and stuff and I swear—" she paused when she saw me stifling a laugh. "Why are you laughing at me!" She lightly pushed me, making me fall down to her bed and burst into laughter. I pulled her down with me, so she laid down in my arms.

"You're perfect, you know that?" I told her as I did my best to not close the small gap between us.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't," I said. "And who said I was afraid of commitment?"

"I don't know. You just seemed like you were."

"You know, I haven't slept nor flirted with anyone at all since I first spoke with you," I admitted honestly.

"Do you say that to all of your girls?"

I playfully rolled my eyes. "Obviously. It always gets me laid."

She laughed. "Not working on me, honey."

I leaned over and nudged her nose with mine. "I only have eyes for you. I am physically unable to think of being around any woman besides you."

"Now that. That might actually work on me." I saw her eyes flicker down to my lips.

Screw it.

"Can I kiss you?" I asked.

"Took you long enough," she said as she leaned in.

I felt my eyes close by themselves at the moment that my lips pressed against hers and it was magical and damn her lips were so soft.

My heart pounded and my hands shook and I felt lightheaded and I felt whole and all that ran through my head was Oh my god oh my god this is real. And I was torn between kissing her harder and staying gentle, and f**k, I can write entire novels about how I felt during the kiss and what her lips tasted like, and I hate that she made me feel so much in just one gesture when I didn't know I could even feel that much in the first place.

All I knew was that if I kissed her any longer, my defenses would crumble and I would allow myself to fall in love with her.

So I didn't stop.

Hours passed, and all we did was kiss. No s****l touching, teasing, nor grabbing. Just pounding hearts and locked lips and the insatiable desperation to pull each other even closer.

But allow me to remind you that the universe hated me. So of course her phone rang. We tried to ignore it for a while, but it would not stop ringing.

With swollen lips and fluttering eyes, Alessandra hesitantly pulled away, her cheeks incredibly red and her breathing loud and erratic.

"I... I should get that," she said softly as she slowly lifted herself off of me. I didn't even know how we got in that position. "That was so worth the wait, by the way."

High on the kiss, I remained lying down on the bed. "I... wow," I breathed out as I attempted to compose myself and calm my trembling hands and beating heart.

"I'll be back. I have to take the call," she said to me before she gave me a quick cheek kiss and left the room.

I almost fell asleep in her bed, but I was woken up by the other side of the bed dipping. I opened my eyes, and saw my girl crawling into my arms.

"Who was it?" I mumbled.

I heard her sniffle, as if she just cried, and I was quickly woken up. I held her protectively and tilted her chin up so that I could see her face. She was slightly shaking, and she looked absolutely terrified.

"Hey, Alessandra, what happened?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing."

My blood boiled at the sight of Alessandra like this. "Why're you crying? Did anyone hurt you? I swear, just tell me the name and I will—"

She started moving away when I began to raise my voice out of anger. "Please don't shout at me. I'm sorry—"

I held her in my arms tighter and I decided to speak much softer. "I didn't mean to raise my voice, and it wasn't directed at you. I'm sorry. No more. Please talk to me. I don't understand what's going on. I'm sorry for shouting."

She snuggled her face in my neck. "I'm okay. Don't worry."

"Alessandra, who called you?"

"Stepdad."

"What'd he do?"

"I'll tell you some other time. Can you please just hold me tonight?"

I kissed the top of her head. "Anything you want, Alessandra. I got you."

I lightly traced abstract figures on her arm as I held her to sleep. When I noticed that her breathing had steadied, I reached for my back pocket and texted Francine, Alessandra's best friend.

[Lauren Rubio]: What's w Alessandra & her stepdad?

She replied almost immediately.

[Francine]: Idk if I can tell you... He can't hurt her anymore tho. Just never scream at her ok? What happened?

[Lauren Rubio]: He hurt her???

"Lauren," I heard Alessandra say. I looked down and saw her sleepily and curiously watching me.

"Hey. Did I wake you up?" I asked as I kept my phone in my pocket. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Who were you talking to?"

"4am and you're still a jealous s**t, huh?"

"Shut up," she mumbled with an adorable frown.

"It was Francine."

"Why'd she text?"

"I texted first, actually. I was asking about you. I... I don't really understand what's going on, so I thought maybe she knew."

"I'm sorry for killing the mood. It's just... stuff happened at home."

"Don't apologize, it's all good. Do you want to talk about it? What's with your stepdad?" I asked.

She sighed, and told me all about her abusive stepdad. After her dad passed, her mum met him. She never approved because he seemed sketchy, but her mum was fragile and desperate for support, so she easily confused her shallow feelings with love, and they married.

Long story short, it was the typical nightmare: he was an alcoholic, and he would scream and physically hurt all of them, but the mum never left.

College was Alessandra's only way out, but he still calls when they need more money.

Seeing how traumatized Alessandra is, I swore to myself that night that I would never raise my voice at her because it triggers dark memories.