One-Night With My Bestfriend's Brother (BFB)

(Kimberly's POV) I should have known something was off the moment Mina handed me the second drink. "Just loosen up a little, Kim," She said, smiling at me warmly. "You're always so uptight." That's what she always says, that's what everyone always says. But the truth is, I wasn’t uptight person. I was just careful. There’s a difference. But it was my birthday, and I was tired...tired of being the boring one... tired of feeling like I was always the friend and never the main character. Mina had always been the wild one, the pretty one, the girl who could get into any party with a wink. While no one ever looked my way. Tonight, she claimed she would make me feel like THE GIRL. So she dragged me to some off-campus lounge where the music was up and the air reeked of vodka. "What is this?" I asked, eyeing the pink liquid in the glass. "Just a cocktail...Something light. You’ll like it." I adjusted my glasses before I drank it all up. But I definitely didn't like the taste. "Why is it so hot in here?" I mumbled a few minutes later, my skin already tingling. The room had started to blur around the edges. I tried communicating with Mina. "I don't feel good." Mina wasn’t looking at me. She was just texting and not bothered. Before I knew it; "Be right back," She said quickly, grabbing her clutch. "Don’t go anywhere!" Minutes passed...I think...or maybe it was hours. Time slipped by, and different men tried to touch me here and there. I wasn't myself but I didn't like it. I tried calling Mina but she wasn't picking. I stood up, then stumbled outside, sucking in cold air. It helped, just a little. "You okay?" a man’s voice asked. I blinked, trying to adjust my glasses to see him properly. He was tall. That much I could tell. Dark hair... Asian maybe...Handsome? Yes, totally handsome... Handsome men always spoke to Mina, never me. It always made me feel like I was ugly and never enough for anyone. For once, I wished a handsome guy would speak to me, and finally today...someone did. His voice was husky and rough. He looked like he was wasted, his hair was a mess and shirt untucked. "I think I need to sit down," I muttered. "My head is spinning." He offered his arm and I hesitated. But the world was spinning and I was too tired to argue. "I won’t hurt you," he said, softer now. "Let me call a ride, let's go." I wanted to ask his name. I wanted to ask where Mina went. I wanted to go home. But my brain wasn't cooperating. Instead, I leaned against him and whispered, "Okay. let's go stranger danger." I felt excited. He chuckled, stumbled backward a bit, and we almost fell. "Are you drunk?" I asked, laughing. "Me? No. You? Are you drunk? He asked, holding my hand. "Nope, absolutely not." "Let's hang out, go somewhere safe and quiet." He suggested. I smiled and agreed. We stopped a taxi and got in. The taxi dropped us off in front of a hotel. I stumbled slightly as we made our way down the dimly lit hallway. My hand was intertwined with his, the warmth of his skin against mine making the cool air feel a little more bearable. I barely knew his name, but the alcohol had loosened my tongue, and everything felt like a strange, exciting experience. The feeling was different from anything I had felt before. I felt free and wild. His grip on my hand was firm, guiding me like I was a puzzle he had yet to solve. His other hand brushed my hair behind my ear, the touch soft, careful, but also passionate “You okay?” he asked. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The door to the hotel room creaked open, and he stepped in first, pulling me gently behind him. I nearly tripped on the carpet, and he caught me, his arms steadying me. “Easy, cuppy” he murmured, his breath warm on my ear. The room was dim, the soft glow of city lights slipping through the blinds, casting shadows across his face. He didn’t let go of my hand as he walked us toward the bed, the space between us shrinking with every step. I could feel the chemistry between us and yet, everything was hazy. “Are you sure you want this?” he asked, his lips barely an inch from mine now. I didn’t answer with words. Instead, I leaned in, closing the distance between us, my lips crashing into his. The kiss was messy at first, awkward, but hungry, as if we both knew that once we started, there was no stopping. His hands slid down to my waist, pulling me closer, and for the first time all night, I felt grounded, even if just for this moment. In the haze of the alcohol, the only thing that was real was the heat building between us, the way he kissed me like he’d been waiting for this all night, the way my body responded without a second thought. It felt reckless, but it also felt right. However reality hit me in the morning. My eyes opened slowly. The room was quiet. Too quiet. I could hear my own breathing. My head was pounding. "Where...where am I?" I noticed the sheets, silk, and a faint scent of something expensive lingered on the pillows. A man's watch sat on the nightstand and on the floor, tangled clothes, My dress, my panties, my bra, my shoes. Noooooooooooooo! I sat up too fast. My body ached. My throat felt raw and it hurt. My heart was beating so fast it hurt. I turned to my side and saw him. He was still asleep. Sh*t. I looked at his face, observing his facial features. Then his chest, he was shirtless or perhaps totally undressed... his body was sculpted like he’d been carved, not born. Even in sleep, he looked so masculine and handsome. "No," I whispered. "No, no, no. no simping." I scrambled off the bed, my bare feet hitting cold floor. I grabbed my bag, clutching it like a life line. My phone and money card were intact, my ID? It wasn’t in my wallet. I checked again. Nothing. I started panicking quietly. I searched the floor, my clothes, his clothes, the bathroom. Still nothing. "Dammit," I hissed. He stirred and turned. I froze, praying to God he doesn't wake up. His hand shifted, his eyes fluttered but he didn’t wake. Out of panic, I quickly wore my dress, grabbed what I could and bolted. The cold slapped my face like a punishment as I ran outside. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, but the sky was fading from navy to gray. I found a cab, gave my address and didn’t look back.The driver didn’t speak, he just glanced at me in the mirror a few times like he knew. Maybe he did. Maybe I looked like every other girl who woke up somewhere she shouldn’t have. When I got to hostel room, I locked the door behind me and slid down to the floor, knees pulled to my chest and I cried. Not because I regretted it. But because I didn’t remember it. He was my first, he took my virginity but I couldn't remember a thing. I didn’t even know who he was. I hated myself for trusting Mina. She was my only friend. But she lied to me, got me drunk and left me helpless in the midst of thirsty men. That night didn’t ruin me, it changed me, forever. Hours later, I stood in the shower with the water as hot as I could bear it. Scrubbing at my skin until it turned pink, as if I could wash away everything I couldn’t remember. As if I could erase the emptiness in my chest. My phone started ringing but I ignored it. Then it buzzed again and again. I wrapped a towel around me, then I checked the screen. Mina: Hey... you okay? Mina: You left without telling me. Mina: Call me. I stared at the messages. My hands trembled. She left me. Alone. Vulnerable. What kind of friend does that? I didn’t reply. I didn't want to talk to her. By evening, I saw pictures of me in an exotic way, the flattery short dress she asked me to wear. Pictures of different men touching me, then pictures of me with a stranger from behind, then hoping into a taxi. People laughed, and called me several bad words and labels. I sat on the floor, my chest aching and tears falling from my eyes. I could tell who took those pictures, the clues where there, it was Mina. She was definitely a shitty person. Three months passed before I could eat something without feeling like it would come back up. I stayed inside, skipped my classes, ignored calls. Plus I was depressed. The morning I got the email from Kingston University. Transfer Approved. I felt some some relief. Maybe this was it. Maybe I needed to start over completely. Be in a new city, meet new people, make new friends. Maybe, if I was lucky, the stranger I had a one - night stand with, would never figure out who I was and I would never have to see him again.