Storm, Meet Raine

Sugar Binge.

HIM.

It was late as hell when we finally made it to her condo. There was crappy traffic in the late afternoon because everyone was getting off of work, and then Hunter was chugging a six pack by himself and expected a pee break whenever his bladder couldn't hold it. And every time he stopped to piss, I found myself looking for something loaded with sugar to edge the nerves. Ryker frowned at me at one point when he saw me demolishing a honey bun. "Why are you bingeing?"

So what a lot of people don't know about me is that I happen to snack on sugary, unhealthy foods whenever I'm stressed. I picked it up after alcohol was ruined for me, but no one ever sees it because I'm rarely stressing out about things. I've been in school for the past eighteen years of my life, and like I said before, grades came easy. Raine? Well, she needed some extra motivation. And her up and down moods stress me the fuck out. What if I say something wrong and she makes me leave again?

I block it all out by eating sweets. It's just something about them that redirects my nerves, my focus. But since I'm also an exercise junky, I feel guilty after my bingeing sessions and I basically meditate in the gym. It's usually however long my sweet attack lasts. Currently, I'm running on about a week and a half. So I'm going to need a week and a half of shredding my muscles.

I'm losing focus.

     We got to her condo at around eleven that night, and I almost considered crashing at a hotel because I didn't want to ruin anything she had going on, like sleeping. Maybe watching a movie. Or going out. What if she's at a club right now? "Ryker, don't," I hold my hand up when he opens his mouth to probably answer my question because I accidentally looked at him when I turned to go back down the stairs. I square my shoulders, ignoring the courage he and Hunter both try to give me and knock on the door.

That was probably creepy. Why would I knock on her door at almost midnight? She might think it's a ghost or a kidnapper or something.

I reach to push the doorbell, but Hunter smacks my hand down before I could touch it. "Don't be a fucking creep." I'm sorry. I'm nervous, fuck. Is this the right house? I lean back, checking the numbers above the white, arching doorframe. Then the locks click as they turn, and my heart drops to my stomach as I wait for it to open. It slowly inches open, the light from her porch sneaking in to reveal her light-colored walls before someone (I'm assuming her) gasps and closes the door.

There's a few moments of awkward silence before it opens fully this time, and the boys behind me breathe out their own shocked thoughts.

"Holy shit."

"My God."

I look at her, her dark brown hair in a messy ponytail, with little hairs—some curly, some stretched out—sticking up everywhere by her hairline. In the soft light, the shadows casted made her face look darker, but I could see remnants of makeup she must've had on earlier smeared across her face. There was a glittery eyeshadow blend all over her eyes and some on her cheek, along with some markings of mascara. And her lipstick was on her lips, but I could see that it too was messed up, and I know it's wrong of me to jump to conclusions, but when her tired, pretty brown eyes met mine all I could think of was her fucking someone else.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me—ouch." I instantly got two punches to my back and shoulder after uttering the words. I whirl around, shocked from all the aggression, and they both had serious faces on them. What did I do? I look back down at her face as she leans against the door. "Hi."

"Hey," she breathes out shakily, her hand clutching the door tightly, her eyes looking like they're searching mine for something. "You came."