Forever Baby (10 page)

Leaning against the wall, I sit on my bed as I finish the last of my homework. I look up to see Nolan watching me from the other bed.

“Are you finished with your translations?” I ask.

We’re working on the subjunctive today, and to be honest, it sucks.

As Professor Gomez has said,
The subjunctive is not a verb tense, like past, present, and future. It is a mood.

The subjunctive is widely used in Spanish but not in English, so it is difficult for my brain to grasp the concept. How do you translate a mood or know when the mood of the conversation requires a subjunctive verb? It’s all very confusing.

“Close enough.” Nolan smiles.

“Do you want me to help you?” I know that if I’m finding this difficult, Nolan certainly is.

“No, I’m good. I’m just thinking about how much I miss you already.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, I’m going to miss you this summer when you’re off on your adventures with Andres,” he says, a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Nolan, nothing is going to change. I’ll still see you every day at school, and we’ll still hang out. Plus, I don’t know what’s going on with Andres yet. It might not be anything.”

Inside, I know Nolan is right. Things are already different.

“No, it is something. I haven’t seen you act this way about a dude in, like—well, ever. I’m happy for you, sweets. I’ll miss you, that’s all.”

I walk over to Nolan and sit on his lap. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I lean my head against his chest. “Nothing is going to change, hon. You’re still my best friend. I might not see you as much as I want to, but I promise to see you as much as I can. Okay?”

Nolan doesn’t say anything as he hugs me tighter.

After a few moments, I break the silence. “We are going to some bar tonight. Want to come?”

“I would, but I made plans with Pedro and some of his friends.”

“Oh, that’s great. Well, tomorrow then.”

“Definitely. I better get going, Livi.” He leans down and places a quick kiss on my forehead. “Have fun tonight.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

“Livi!” Nadia yells my name from the living room.

I walk out and see her standing with Carlos, Hugo, Julio, and Andres. He looks amazing. He’s leaning against the living room wall, facing me, with his arms crossed. He’s wearing a pair of worn jeans that fall seamlessly from his hips and a black button-up shirt that is untucked with the sleeves rolled to right below his elbows. The top two shirt buttons are undone, and I can see enough of his chest to make my heart stutter. I ache to run my hands under his shirt.

Andres observes quietly as Hugo and Julio affectionately greet me. After Julio releases me from his hug, I face Andres.

“Hey,” I say, feeling strangely shy. I fidget with the snap on my purse.

“Hey,” he says with a grin. He places a kiss on the side of my mouth.

I can smell mint as he lets out a breath, and my stomach tightens excitedly. I close my eyes as I relish in the feel of his skin against my cheek, a slight trace of stubble causing friction. He pulls away, and I exhale, opening my eyes that I’m sure are clouded with desire. My heart hammers in my chest, a steady rhythm that forms a melody, accompanying my powerful state of intoxication with Andres.

My shoulder is jarred forward as Carlos hits it on his way past us.

“Let’s go,” Carlos says.

Carlos, Nadia, Andres, and I jump into Carlos’s car. Hugo and Julio follow behind us in another car as we head to Demo.

The bar has a very cool ambience, not at all flashy. It has one room with a stage where a band is playing at the far end. Wooden tables and chairs surround a small dance floor that is in front of the stage. We grab a table, and a bucket of bottled beer is delivered, a standing order indicating the frequency that the guys come here. Nadia and I each order mojitos. I can tell from the familiarity of the conversation with the waitress that the guys come here often.

Andres is calm and happy, joking with the guys. He’s holding my hand under the table, and his thumb is running back and forth over my fingers, leaving me feeling completely elated.

Two girls walk over to our table and start talking with Andres. He politely answers their questions and then leans in to kiss my neck. I giggle. The girls get the hint and start talking to the other guys. Hugo is more than happy to accommodate the girls, and he invites them onto his lap. They eagerly accept the invitation. I see Julio glance at Carlos and roll his eyes. I laugh. I like Julio. He’s funny and kind, and he doesn’t take anything too seriously.

Carlos has grown on me, too. At first, I found him very standoffish, but I soon realized that he has a more serious and matter-of-fact personality. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything or fake emotions that he isn’t feeling. To be honest, it’s quite refreshing when compared to Hugo, who dramatizes everything and is a constant flirt. Hugo is one of those people who is super excited to see everyone. You’d think that every person who comes up to him is his long, lost best friend. I get it. It’s nice in a way that he makes people feel important, even validated, but I imagine it could get exhausting. No one can seriously be that happy, excited, or energetic all the time. Carlos’s lack of interest in things that don’t actually excite him is definitely a welcome change. Julio is the one who points all of this out, making fun of the situation, lightening the mood, no matter where we are. He’s always good for a laugh, which I love.

Andres is just…yummy.
Sigh.
Besides Andres’s obvious outer appeal, something about him is so attractive. He is so calm and collected most of the time, and I find it to be attractive. Additionally, he has this bad-boy-with-a-kind-soul allure going on, and it is completely irresistible. He also has a great sense of humor, but up to this point, I’ve been too nervous around him to appreciate it. More than anything, his heart is incredibly caring although guarded. The love and respect that he has for his friends is exceptional.

Ignoring the girls giggling on Hugo’s lap, Andres whispers in my ear, “Dance with me.”

Oh, and then there is the dancing.
Nothing is more captivating than the way my body feels when moving against his.

I nod, and he leads me to the dance floor. I am again transported into a world of longing, sensation, and hormonal bliss as Andres’s hands are all over me while mine are all over him. I rub my fingers through his messy hair as his lips meet mine. The exquisite feeling of his tongue exploring my mouth while his hands grasp my hair and pull me into his face leaves me feeling shaky and needy. I bite his bottom lip, and he groans into my mouth. On my leg, I can feel his firm desire through his jeans as he leans into me. He is such a sexy dancer. I never considered myself great on the dance floor, but with Andres, I don’t even have to try. It’s remarkable how my body reacts to him as we move to the music.

I remove my hands from his hair and run them under his shirt and over his tight abdomen, feeling his smooth skin and the ridges of his muscles. He lets out a sharp intake of breath, and he pushes me toward the corner of the dance floor. Without taking his mouth off mine, he guides me to the hallway leading to the restrooms. Pushing me against the wall, he grinds his hips into me, and I want to explode. The intensity has increased, morphing into a forceful, rough, passionate kiss that ignites all my senses. He kisses me hard, and his tongue licks me greedily. Tingles run through my body from my scalp to my toes. My hands are ravenous, running down and up his back and then into his hair, as I pull him closer to me. My fingers ache to feel every inch of him, and moving my hands under his shirt, I claw down his back.

We are suspended in this all-consuming kiss. I lose all concept of time when I am with him like this. He is my drug. He fuels my addiction with his mouth as he takes me to a new high. He pulls his mouth away and leans his forehead against mine, panting. I inhale sharply at the loss of contact.

“God, Liv, I want you. I want to take you to the restroom and fuck you so hard.”

“I’m not objecting,” I whisper through labored breaths. Surprisingly, I’m not uncomfortable with my admission.

Andres’s arms straddle either side of my head, holding him up, as he sighs. He says, “No, beautiful, you deserve better than a restroom.” He places a series of now sweet, soft kisses on my cheeks and on my forehead. Taking a step back, he takes my hands in his and places one kiss on each, never letting his captivating eyes leave mine. He leans into me and wraps me in his arms.

We stand in an embrace, my arms around his neck and his around my waist. He pulls me close and holds me while our breathing calms. I rest my head against his chest and listen to the sound of his heart. The sounds, smell, and feel of being this close to him are comforting and safe.

Eventually, Andres takes a step back. He lets out a sigh. “What are you doing to me?”

My sentiments exactly.

He grabs my hand and kisses it once more before entwining our fingers and leading me back to our table of friends.

Carlos smirks at me when we get back. “That was a long restroom break. It’s about time you came back. We’re ready to leave. I’m starving.”

One of the girls who was drooling over Andres a while back is still sitting on Hugo’s lap with her very eager tongue down his throat. The sight of them together makes me feel sick.

I can’t help but wonder,
If I weren’t here, would that be Andres’s mouth readily accepting her tongue?

I stand gawking, submerged in my negative thoughts, as the rest of the group gets up from the table.

Nadia returns her attention back to Hugo, who hasn’t noticed that everyone is standing and ready to leave. “Hey, are you coming to get food with us?” Nadia asks in annoyance.

Hugo pulls away from the girl and looks up at us. “Nah, I think I’m going to go home with…” He turns to face the girl on his lap. “What’s your name again?”

“Juanita,” she answers.

“Yeah, I’m going home with Juanita. Catch you guys tomorrow.”

Hugo faces back toward Juanita. She is all smiles, ready to accept his attention.

Really?

I see Nadia roll her eyes before pivoting on her heels toward the exit. I quiet the voice in my head that is reminding me that up until a week ago, that could have been Andres.

The next day, Andres picks me up from class in his deathtrap of a vehicle. We then go back to my house. I study while he watches me. He rubs my back and my hair, making it very hard for me to concentrate. After I’m finished with my homework, I lie on my side, facing Andres. We’re parallel to one another as I gaze into his eyes. He runs his strong hand up and down my arm, leaving me with tingly goose bumps. I take his hand and flip it over to look at the small star tattoo on the inside of his wrist.

“Do you mind if I ask you about your tattoo?”

A moment passes before he answers. “I got it to remind me of my mom,” he says quietly.

“You don’t like to talk about your family, do you?” I ask as I run my fingers over the silky skin of his wrist, tracing the points of the star.

He sighs, looking at his hand resting in mine. “I don’t mind talking about her. It’s just painful, so I don’t really bring it up.”