HIM

by J. M. Elliott

  I apply a more smoldering smoky eye than I usually do; I add a thick line of eyeliner, including my bottom inner lid and an extra two coats of mascara. I play eenie-meanie between my brown and bright red lip gloss—the red winning. I do a quick hair flip after I spray myself with my fragrance mist and apply some pit stick to my underarms. I grab my phone, shoving it in my back pocket without checking it, and head out the door.

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've become very irritated and uneasy, almost angry since I've heard Luke's voice. I stop at the liquor store and grab some vodka and whiskey as I'm in a mood to get annihilated tonight. It's almost ten, so I'm sure I will have some catching up to do.

  It's packed at Jason's house like the first night I partied here the day after my dad's funeral. The music is blaring, and the fire pit is blazing. I always feel stupid walking up to his parties by myself and sober, so I open the bottle of vodka and take a swig. I down a few more before I get out of my car. I should get a bit tipsy before going inside. I can feel the burning sensation from the warm vodka traveling down my throat. I burp loud, looking around, but no one heard it, so I laugh at myself then head toward the garage. Jason spots me and comes over. I am glad to see him.

  "Woah, Ali, this outfit is—" he starts to say before I interrupt him.

  "Let's get drunk. Down for Beer Pong?" I shout and walk up the stairs.

  Jason follows behind me.

  "Your ass is hanging out of the bottom of your shorts," he announces as he flicks the bottom of my ass cheek.

  "Uh, huh," I reply, not giving two shits.

  We enter the room where everyone is drinking, shouting, playing games, and having a good ole time. I realize that being sad isn't going to change anything, so why shouldn't I live it up. I walk over to the little bar, set down the vodka and whiskey I brought. I make myself a strong screwdriver and skim the room for Jason. I recognize the girl he's talking to from this morning; well, sort of, since she has clothes on. I walk over and grab his ass. He turns around and puts his arm around me.

  "You are feisty tonight," he whispers in my ear.

  I do not know quite how to describe the mood I am in right now, but I want to get wasted and not care about anything or anyone. I've had enough of everything.

  I give him a raised brow, smile, and shout, "Beer Pong!"

  I drink my screwdriver halfway down before we make it to the beer pong table. We find some opponents and begin our first game; of course, we slaughter them badly. Our first four shots were sunk right off the bat. We take our victory shot of patron then dive immediately into the next game. I have Jason make me a new drink before we start. I can feel the warmth of my buzz rising through my body. I'm being unusually flirty with Jason but am liking his attention on me instead of some random hoe from the party.

  I bend over the table right in front of him. I can feel his body against mine as I aim my hand at one of our final few cups. I draw my hand back and sink the ball in the cup. I throw my hands up and turn around to jump on Jason.

  "Are you not wearing a bra," he whispers in my ear.

  He sets me down, and I grab a ball to get ready for my next shot. I dip it in the water cup, then I look back at him and wink.

  "Nope," I say in a sort of high-pitched voice, then position myself for my shot.

  I make it again. The room shouts as most people crowd around watching Jason and I kick everyone's ass. We win our second game with flying colors, take another victory shot, then start our third game. We switch to the other side of the table this time, and I land my first two balls, missing the third as it hit the cup rim and bounced off the table. I'm on my fourth screwdriver, and I think I had three shots of tequila. I am totally in my zone.

  I'm feeling terrific, my attitude and the funk I showed up in has now faded. I'm having a blast and haven't thought about Luke even once since I got here. We end up winning our third game, barely, since Jason is beyond hammered. He keeps burying his head in my neck and grabbing hold of me tightly as his hand travels up and down my bare back under the rips of my shirt plus grabbing handfuls of my ass every chance he can get. I yell that I need a short intermission before we play another game.

  Jason whines a little while pulling on my wrist but is quickly preoccupied with some chick. I step away from the table and decide to make myself a weed and lemonade this time before I head outside. Guys keep trying to stop me on my way to the door with praises on my good form, back to back wins, and of course, my skanky choice in attire tonight. I wore it on purpose because I was having a bitch fit earlier.

  I open the door and am blasted with warm air. It's cooler than in the room I was just in but still warm. I walk down the stairs, past the garage over to the firepit. Not needing to warm myself but to watch the flames as I take a breather from all the chaos inside. I take a sip of my drink and sway a tad; the drinks and shots are starting to kick in now.

  "Ali!"

  I hear a voice calling my name from behind me as I stand alone by the fire. I turn around to see Luke standing before me. My mouth opens a tiny bit, my eyes widen, but I stand there staring at him. I drop my drink to the ground as I continue to stare. In the glow from the fire, he looks like a mess, as if he hadn't slept in days. His face is worn and shows melancholy. I want so badly to wrap my arms around him and tell him how much I've missed him, but my current drunken state restrains me from doing so.

  "Where in the hell have you been?" I spit, like venom.

  The anger is building inside me; I am mad at him and at myself. I’m upset that I didn’t know where he was, worrying about him for a week, and finding out he ran to another woman. I am hurt, very hurt because I like him a lot and I expected more.

  “I’m sorry. I am so sorry I left, Ali. I didn’t know how to deal with what happened, and I needed some time to think. I shouldn’t have shut you out,” he replies softly. “I don’t want to talk about this here and when you are drunk.”

  “I didn’t fucking ask you why. I asked where the hell have you been. Who was that woman who answered your phone?” I demand.

  The dejected look on Luke’s face as my words continue to spew from my lips burns a hold in my chest. I am melting on the inside because I missed him and am happy, he’s here, safe and sound, but I am livid and hateful toward him on the outside.

  “What, woman? When did someone answer my phone?” Luke asks.

  “Don’t play stupid with me, Luke. I called you last night, and a woman answered your phone saying you were busy. What the fuck was that? Who is she?” I shout.

  “It’s not what you think, Ali,” he says.

  I cut him off before he has time to conjure up an excuse.

  “It’s exactly what I fucking think,” I hiss. “You find out something horrible that happened to me, you don’t say a word, you leave. For a week, a fucking week. I don’t hear from you nor does anyone else. Despite everything that has happened between us, you dare to run to another woman.”

  Luke steps toward me, reaching his hand for mine, but I move away from him.

  “Don’t fucking touch me,” I growl through my teeth.

  “You have no clue what I’ve been going through this past week. I’ve been a wreck over you. Why? For what? You could care less about me,” I cry.

  Luke grabs me and wraps his arms around me tight. I throw little punches at his chest, demanding he set me free. He holds me closer. I stop my tantrum and bury myself into his chest as I burst into tears.

  “Why did you leave me?” I shudder.

  I am so drunk that part of me thinks this is all an illusion, and Luke is not holding me right now, while the other part of me wants to be wrapped in his arms forever.

  “I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. I will never do it again. Please, forgive me,” he says with sincerity in his voice.

  “I love you, Ali!”

  The story continues in...

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  HER

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  Please enjoy t
he following excerpt from HER, narrated by Luke.

  Chapter One

  I glance at the clock on my dash, four fifty-two. It's early. I slowly drive down one of the longest and eeriest looking roads I've ever driven down. It is quiet and derelict. Animals must be waking up, with a vast area isolated like this; I should have seen something by now, a bird, a squirrel—anything. The road is quite untraveled. Grass hugs it like a light blanket with little sign of once-tiny rocks coating its existence.

  I come upon what looks like the end of an exceedingly long worn driveway to an old wooden barricade. Twenty minutes to trek down a driveway is insane. I see a small house tucked away behind some trees. I get out of my car and make my way down the gravel and grass-covered trail toward the house.

  "Luke!" my sister squeals uncontrollably from her front porch.

  Cringing inside at the god-awful sound, I walk farther up the trail toward her house, giving her a slight raise of my hand. Why do women make such noise when they are excited? I do not understand the point of shrieking like a dying animal. The falsetto in their pitch is remarkable at times yet annoying as hell. It's worse when there is more than one of them together. Thankfully, my mother is not here, or I would need some ear protection.

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  HER, available in 2021!

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I would like to thank my family for the love and support they have shown me while becoming an author. They allowed me to have time to myself while writing this story and dealing with what came after it to have my work of art published. Without them, this book would have never happened.

  Thank you to my friends and acquaintances for the encouragement, support, and the help you have provided during this journey.

  An extra special thanks to those who have read the raw version of this story and loved it. The outpour of positivity has been empowering and gave me the shove I needed to have something I wrote published.

  Thank you to those behind the scenes proofreading, editing, formatting, and the cover design, for your time, dedication, and patience. I did not realize how much work goes into publishing a story, after the initial manuscript has been completed.

  To anyone else who has helped or contributed to my first novel's process and overall success, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Last but certainly not least, to you, the reader. Thank you for purchasing my book and reading it. I genuinely hope you enjoyed it.

  About the Author

  J. M. Elliott is a first-time writer spending her days raising a family in a small town in Minnesota. Secretly, she had always wanted to be an author, even setting numerous New Year's Resolutions to tackle that dream. Between family life and a busy schedule, time to write was out of reach. Until the world was struck by a global pandemic, giving Elliott the extra time, she had longed for to start writing. She is enjoying checking off an item on her bucket list with hopes of writing more books.

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  Find her at jmelliott.me, on Facebook at J. M. Elliott, on Instagram at @jmelliott2020, and Wattpad as boomeyou.