Music plays over a speaker, and a group of people get up to dance.
“Come on, join me.” Ana pulls me up, and we press our bodies together.
I’m not the best dancer, but I can hold my own. I’ve been taking lessons recently, but Ana doesn’t know that. Her family teases me endlessly for not knowing how to sway my hips properly, although I’ve gotten better…I think.
Ana pulls me down for a deep kiss and backs me into the wooden wall by the staircase. She reaches for my dick until I quickly stop her.
“Babe, there are too many people around here with cell phones. Everybody is taking videos and pictures for their stories.”
“So?” she says as if being recorded while giving a hand job is an everyday occurrence.
I cock an eyebrow at her. “I don’t want any videos of us doing private things online. I’m sorry, I’m just not comfortable with it. But, we can do some stuff later.”
I lean down to kiss her forehead and instead of letting me, she pushes me away.
“When did you become so boring?”
“Boring?” I mock. “Since when is wanting to keep our sex life private boring?”
She gives me a skeptical look. “This is because of Driscoll, isn’t it?”
“For fucks sake. What does this have to do with Driscoll? Why doeseverything I do or say go back to that?” I whisper shout. “I already told you, I’m willing to stay here for two years and then transfer happily. For. Us.”
She looks at her nails, disinterested. “You’ll probably end up resenting me, and then you’ll sleep with some random freshman.”
Her words feel like a punch to the gut. “Is that really what you think of me?”
I’m met with silence.
“Ana, look at me.” I grab her chin until our eyes meet. “I love you. I would never do that. How many times do I have to say it? What do I have to do to prove that I will never hurt you?”
She pushes my hand away and sighs. “I’m going to go use the bathroom and maybe take a short walk.”
I shake my head. She’s only had three beers, she’s not drunk, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind some space too. “Okay, can you just send a text letting me know that you’re okay, it’s dark out.”
She’s already walking up the stairs when she assures me that she will.
I’m not spending my graduation night fighting with Ana. We’ll make up later tonight, like always.
After talking to some friends for a bit, I see the time on one of their phones and realize it’s been over thirty minutes since Kamila left and twenty since Ana did. I pull my phone out and see no texts from either of them.
“Did you guys happen to see Kami or Ana?” I ask one of the guys.
“Ana walked out of the bathroom and off the boardwalk earlier. Some people spotted Kami walking close by somewhere.”
That’s odd. “Thanks. I’m going to see where they went.”
“Later, Cam.”
This isn’t normal behavior for either one of them. I dial Ana’s number and it goes straight to voicemail. Fuck. I shouldn’t have let her walk out alone, not at this time of night in a town we barely know.
What if somebody took her?
“Shit. Fuck,” I whisper to myself while jogging to the boardwalk.
Kami has the car keys but maybe Ana came around here hoping wedidn’t lock the doors. Whenever she gets stressed, she likes to sit in the car and blast music. She doesn’t have to be in danger, her phone could be on do not disturb.
I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her.
