Swallow

Chapter 1.76:

"Ezra, quit playing with your dick and come out so we can leave." JD rapped on the bathroom door a few times in quick succession.

"I'll be down in a second." I hollered and leaned over to snort the line I had already cut on the counter.

I pinched and pulled at my nose as I stood up to look at myself in the mirror.  A small blob of white residue clung to my clammy skin right above my lip.  I lifted the collar of my shirt and swiped at it until all the evidence was gone.

I leaned against the vanity and watched the dark pupils of my eyes dilate and constrict like there was strobe lighting flashing behind me.  The red, bloodshot rim bled into the light blue, causing a lavender ring to form around the edge.

My eyes always gave me away. I was surprised no one else ever seemed to notice.

My face looked so hollow and drawn under the bright globe lighting. I was a complete mess and it was all Riley's fault. The only way I could make it through one more second of the day was to blur my senses and make myself forget about the trouble we were in.

It never worked. Riley was still the only thing ever on my mind. 

The obstinate girl had been ignoring my texts and calls.  Dodging me and shutting me out wouldn't make the whole ordeal any easier. Pushing me away wasn't going to magically make this nightmare vanish. She couldn't hide from me forever. Drawing out the inevitable was pointless.

Riley couldn't have the baby and I had to do whatever it took to convince her it was a mistake.

I turned on the faucet, cupped my hand under the water, and brought it to my mouth.  I swished the cool water around a few times to cut through the dry sticky feeling on my tongue and teeth.  I spat it out into the sink and reached for the light pink hand towel hanging on the rack to dry my hands and face.

When I pressed the fluffy towel to my chin, I caught a hint of a soft citrusy scent.  The towel smelled exactly like the warm skin of my green-eyed beauty. Riley always smelled so fucking sweet and sugary. It was one of the numerous things that kept me hooked on her.

I held the cloth to my face and decided I was never going to let it go. I hugged it like it would help the ache subside. It wasn't the same as having her in my arms, but it was the closest thing I could get right now. 

There were three sharp knocks on the door again.

"Dude, hurry up. My sister will beat the shit out of you if she comes home and finds you taking a dump in her bathroom."  JD warned.

I thought about stuffing the hand towel in my pants to steal it.  It would be another thing I could add to my collection of all things Riley.  I tried burying it in my pocket without any success. No matter how I folded the damn thing, it was too big to fit.

"Come on, Ezra. I'm not joking." JD pounded on the door again.

I growled as I reluctantly let go of the towel and gave up.  I dropped it on the counter and walked over to the door to unlock it. The door hinges complained when I ripped it open.

JD was standing on the other side like his nose was pressed against the door. He leaned over and craned his head to look behind me. He stood back up in front of me with a scowl on his face.

"What?" I snapped, losing my cool.

"You left the towel on the counter." He scolded me.

"And?" I turned off the light and bumped his shoulder to knock him out of the way.

"Riley keeps the towel on the rack. She will know we were in here." JD whined behind me.

"I don't give a fuck. She'll get over it." I brushed him off.