Someone's bound to get burned

“You are sure you don’t want to stay?” asked Brandon, leaning against the wall.

-As charming as your scotch breath can be, I’ve got to be up early tomorrow and I feel you’ll need a few hours of sleep to nurture your hangover, responded Chloé, putting on her coat.
-I’m not that bad! cried Brandon.
-Don’t you have a practice tomorrow? Asked Chloé.
-... coach Q is gonna kill us, only said Brandon, rubbing his eyes.
-Drink a big glass of water, take two Advil and go to bed. I’ll take these two home, said Chloé, pointing at Kane and Jonathan.

Patrick, his coat on, was snoring on the coach while Jonathan was muttering inaudible things while trying to lace his shoes.

“Come on, boys! Let’s get you home.”

-Not so loud, mom... mumbled Patrick, slowly getting up.
-Call me tomorrow? Asked Brandon.
-Yes... yes. I’ll call you tomorrow, said Chloé, planting a quick kiss onto Brandon’s cheek.

Chloé pushed the two men out of the door and toward her car. The scotch had poured greatly after dinner for Brandon, Jonathan and Patrick. The rest of their party had left them earlier and despite Chloé’s suggestions to slow down their alcohol intake, the time flew by as they cheered on Brandon’s pricy liquor. Amanda had also left earlier to join friends at a club downtown under the look of incomprehension of her boyfriends, arguing in hushed voices of him wanting to stay and her wanting him to join her. Jonathan did not talk most after she left but kept on filling up his drinks as he drank them quickly.

The streets of Chicago were quiet as they drove through the city, shutting down Kane’s idea, sitting in the back seat, of moving the party to a pub for one last drink.

Kane had been dropped at his place and they we’re now stopped in front of Jonathan’s apartment.

“You okay, Jon?” wondered Chloé, as Jonathan was making his way out of her car.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m wonderful, said Jonathan, dropping his keys twice to the ground. Sh*t, f*cking keys! Grumbled her friend as he bended over a second time to fetch them.

Chloé got out of her car and moved toward Jonathan, taking the keys from his hand and closing the passenger doors. “Let me take these. Okay, come on” said Chloé, putting Jonathan’s arm around her shoulder to help his balance.

-You’re so nice, Chloé.
-No problem, Jonathan, mumbled Chloé, trying to turn the keys into Jonathan’s door while holding the weight he was putting on her.
-I mean, isn’t it weird? You’re the one making sure I get home while my girlfriend is out, God knows where in town, dancing and drinking and grinding on random guys.
-Come on, Jon, she’s out with friends; she’s not out grinding, said Chloé, pushing the door open.
-She doesn’t like you, you know, said Jonathan in a casual tone, kicking off his shoes.
-I... I tried to get to know her, answered Chloé visibly hurt, after a few second of silence.
-Oh, it’s not your fault ya’ know, she’s just jealous, kept going Jonathan, undoing the buttons of his coat.

Chloé faked laugh. “Oh shut up. She’s the perfect blonde/tall/tan model-like girlfriend. It is the scotch talking right now, dude, go to bed.”

-The scotch has nothing to do with this, she is jealous and was relieved when you and Bolly kicked things off, responded Jonathan in a bitter tone.
-I don’t know why we’re talking about this right now, it’s late, you’re drunk and all of this is non-sense; we are just friends and everybody knows it.

Jonathan abruptly turned to her, with an infuriated look. “Friends? Just friends? Are we, Chloé?”

-What... what is wrong with you!?? Responded Chloé, walking backward until she hit the wall of Jonathan’s apartment entrance, taken aback by his aggressive tone.
-If I was a friend, I shouldn’t want to spend my free time with you instead of my girlfriend, said Jonathan, breathing deeply, pointing an accusative finger at her.
-Dude, come on, you’re...
-If we were just friends, I wouldn’t regret setting you up with Bollig in the first place. And I wouldn’t be furious at you for falling for it. Can’t you feel it?

“Jonathan, I... “ Jonathan had slowly walked up to her as she was speaking. Chloé was hardly breathing, back against the wall, his face inches from her. Up close, he was towering her and she could smelled a mix of scotch and his cologne as looked down she gasped for air.

“You don’t mean what you’re saying. You are drunk and tomorrow you’ll regret every second of this.”

-Look me in the eyes and tell me we’re just friends. Look at me. Look at me, repeated Jonathan, taking her chin moving her face upward, locking his eyes with hers.

Chloé wasn’t able to pronounce a word. Her breathing was harsh, trying to think fast how to get out of this situation. He was holding her chin and was moving closer to her. She mumbled a fainted “Stop...” a second before his lips touched hers, lightly at first. Taken away by the fierce feeling of the scotch, Jonathan moved his hands to her hips, pulling her against him. She fought out of it at first but Jonathan lips were pressing harder against her mouth and she ended up throwing her arms around his neck. Pinning her against the wall, Jonathan moaned as he kiss her

The spark, appearing here and there, had turned into a wildfire, ravaging everything, them included.

Notes