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Blowing Smoke

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──── ⋆⋅ ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋅⋆ ────

 

 

ELLIE'S POV

 

The fire crackled softly, throwing shadows across the clearing. Jesse was rambling about some game-winning shot he'd made last season, his voice carrying over the quiet sounds of the night. I wasn't really listening, just staring at the flames and letting his words drift past me.

 

Then Dina showed up, dragging Summer behind her, trailing after Dina with her usual hesitant energy. She froze at the edge of the firelight, her eyes scanning the group before landing on me.

 

Great.

 

She hesitated, her dark eyes darting over the scene like she was mapping out the nearest escape route. 

 

"C'mon, Summer." Dina said, nudging her forward. "Relax. It's just a fire. We don't bite."

 

Summer gave a tight smile, clearly unconvinced.

 

"Speak for yourself." I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

 

Her eyes snapped to mine, narrowing in that way that always made me want to push her buttons more.

 

"Ellie." she said flatly, and I smirked.

 

"Hello to you too, sunshine." I shot back.

 

She rolled her eyes, taking a seat on the log opposite me. She folded her arms tightly across her chest, clearly regretting every decision that led her here.

 

And maybe I should've left it alone. But messing with Summer was... easy. Fun, even.

 

By the time Dina cracked open the vodka, Summer was still sitting stiff and awkward, like she was holding herself together with duct tape. Dina poured out shots, passing them around like it was some sacred ritual.

 

"No thanks." Summer said, shaking her head quickly when Dina handed her a cup.

 

Dina started to argue, but I couldn't help the laugh that slipped out. It wasn't mean-not really-but it was hard not to tease her when she made it so easy.

 

"You're so predictable." I said, leaning back on my log. "Always playing it safe."

 

Summer's head whipped toward me, her glare sharp enough to cut glass.

 

And then, to my surprise, she grabbed the cup out of Dina's hand and downed it in one go.

 

She coughed immediately, her face screwing up as the vodka hit her, and Dina whooped like she'd just won a bet.

 

"Lightweight." I muttered, smirking into my beer.

 

"Shut up." Summer snapped, her cheeks red-not just from the alcohol, I guessed.

 

I let it go, leaning back and watching her from the corner of my eye. She didn't look at me again, but the tension in her shoulders didn't ease up, not even after the second shot Dina poured for her.

 

The night went on, Jesse and Dina exchanged a glance, then Dina jumps to her feet. "We're out of marshmallows. Jesse, come help me find more."

 

Jesse looks confused. "We have plenty-"

 

"Come. Help. Me." Dina insists, dragging him away before he can protest.

 

"You two stay here." She continued, pointing at Summer and I. "Don't burn the place down."

 

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

 

And then it was just the two of us. And the silence.

 

"You didn't have to stay." she said after a while, her voice quieter than usual.

 

"Neither did you." I replied, not looking up.

 

She let out a soft laugh, and the sound caught me off guard.

 

"You're not as mean tonight."

 

"Maybe you're too drunk to notice." I countered, keeping my tone light.

 

"Maybe." she murmured, and for the first time tonight, she smiled.

 

It wasn't much-a small curve of her lips, barely there-but it did something weird to my chest.

 

I didn't like it.

 

Or maybe I liked it too much.

 

She stayed quiet for a while after that, her gaze fixed on the flames. I tried not to watch her, but it was hard not to notice the way the firelight softened her features, the way her hair caught the light. But then, she looked at me, for a bit too long.

 

"You're staring." I said suddenly, my voice teasing.

 

"Am not." She shots back and looked down.

 

I sat up and walked up to Jesse's refrigerated case to get another beer. Then, when i turned around and there was she, her dark eyes meeting mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.

 

"Ellie." she said softly, almost hesitant.

 

"What?"

 

She leaned closer, her gaze flicking to my lips for the briefest second before returning to my eyes.

 

I froze.

 

It wasn't like I hadn't thought about it before-but thinking and doing were two completely different things.

 

Before I could decide what to do, she made the decision for me.

 

Her lips brushed against mine, soft and tentative, like she was testing the waters.

 

For a second, I couldn't breathe.

 

I didn't know what to do, how to react. My body tensed, every nerve on fire as her warmth pressed against me.

 

And then, without meaning to, I kissed her back.

 

It wasn't intentional, not really. It was instinct-the way her touch drew me in, the way her lips felt like they fit against mine, like this wasn't the first time I'd thought about it.

 

Because I had thought about it.

 

But not like this.

 

The kiss was slow, careful, like she wasn't sure if I'd pull away. I felt her fingers brush lightly against my sleeve, anchoring herself to me.

 

For a moment, I let myself sink into it.

 

Her lips were warm, and the faint taste of vodka lingered on her breath.

 

But then reality hit me like a bucket of cold water.

 

This wasn't real.

 

She was drunk.

 

I broke the kiss, stepping back so fast I almost tripped over the log behind me.

 

"Summer." I said, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.

 

Her eyes opened slowly, her lashes fluttering as she blinked up at me. For a split second, she looked... happy. Like she didn't regret it.

 

Then confusion clouded her face, followed quickly by panic.

 

"Oh my God." she whispered, her voice shaking. "Ellie, I-I didn't mean-"

 

I held up a hand, trying to calm her, but the words stuck in my throat.

 

She didn't mean it. Of course she didn't.

 

"It's okay." I said, my voice low and steady, even though my chest was tight. "You're drunk, Summer. Don't... don't worry about it."

 

Her face fell, and guilt twisted in my stomach, but I didn't know what else to say.

 

"Ellie, I wasn't-"

 

"Seriously." I interrupted, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Forget it. No big deal."

 

I wanted to kick myself the second the words left my mouth, but what was I supposed to do? She was drunk, and I... I wasn't.

 

She didn't mean it.

 

And if she didn't mean it, I couldn't let her think I did.

 

The fire was too hot, the air too heavy. Summer sat back down, her movements stiff and awkward. She avoided my gaze, staring into the flames like they might swallow her whole.

 

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I tried to make sense of what just happened.

 

Her kiss lingered-on my lips, in my head, in every shaky breath I took.

 

What the hell was wrong with me?

 

I'd spent so much time keeping her at arm's length, making sure she saw me as nothing more than the sarcastic, detached lab partner who couldn't care less about her perfect grades or her stupid ponytail or the way her laugh made something twist in my chest.

 

Now all I could think about was the way she looked at me.

 

The way she kissed me.

 

And the worst part? I wanted it to happen again.

 

"Everything okay?" Dina's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She and Jesse stumbled back into the clearing, arms full of firewood and smiles too wide for the tension hanging between me and Summer.

 

"Perfect," I said quickly, my voice tight as I forced a smirk. "Summer and I were just bonding."

 

Summer's head snapped toward me, her eyes wide and wounded, but she didn't say anything.

 

Dina frowned, looking between us. "Uh-huh. Well, don't bond too hard. We need to keep this fire going."

 

I muttered something under my breath, grabbing another beer to keep my hands busy.

 

Summer stayed quiet the rest of the night, and I pretended not to notice the way she kept glancing at me when she thought I wasn't looking.

 

But I noticed.

 

I always noticed.

 

Back in my dorm, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall.

 

The kiss kept playing in my head on a loop-every detail burned into my memory. The softness of her lips, the way she leaned into me, like she wanted more.

 

But she didn't. Not really.

 

She was drunk.

 

She'd wake up tomorrow and pretend it never happened, and I'd let her, because what else could I do?

 

But deep down, I knew the truth.

 

It happened.

 

And I wasn't sure I could forget it, even if I wanted to.

 

God, I wish you were sober.

 

 

──── ⋆⋅ ᖭི༏ᖫྀ ⋅⋆ ────