Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (sight word books .txt) 📕

as she dreaded seeing Byronagain, Xochitl was right. Her family was nothing if not protective—all of them.The last thing she’d be feeling while surrounded by them today, if she happenedto run into him, was vulnerable. She just hated how much one little text couldchange the circumstances. She’d gone from walking on air all week and dyingto see him again, to dreading coming face to face with those piercing eyes andfighting the now perpetual stupid knot in her throat.

Fourteen

W.T.F?

Byron

Before he even opened his eyes, Byron was struck withan even heavier feeling of the usual bitterness he’d been waking to for thebetter part of the last year. But it took him a moment to remember why it washeavier than the norm. When it hit him yet another thing about last night cameto him. He opened his eyes slowly and turned to her.

Irma lay there next to him, naked from herbottom half down, still sound asleep. He winced as bits of last night came tohim. He’d hung out with her touchy-feely ass all night, though he couldn’t forthe life of him remember leaving the place or how they ended up in his bed. Closinghis eyes, he swallowed hard as more bits of blurred memories of the night cameto him slowly. Like how hard he’d tried to replicate the utter bliss a singlekiss from Vannah amassed—but failed miserably. That he remembered because ofcourse . . .

Not even close.

Just like the night at Frat Row Friday when he kept doing doubletakes each time he thought he saw her, he remembered those same three wordskept blasting in his head the whole night. Only unlike that night when thephrase confused him, this time he knew exactly what it meant. There was so muchmore to Vannah than any other girl he’d ever met—kissed—touched. He stillcouldn’t wrap his head around it, but obviously he wouldn’t be getting over herlike he stupidly thought he might by going out and getting laid.

Fuller memories from last night came to him slowly. Like how atfirst it was infuriating, and he remembered trying all night to stop thinkingabout her. Every time he’d be assaulted with the visuals, he’d up his atypical playfulchatter, something he begun to pick up from Vannah after only a week. Somethinghe was also sure Irma took by surprise and she’d likely had interpreted as an intensifyinginterest and desire to hook up with her.

That’s when he remembered something else. For all the obnoxiousflirting he and Irma had done last night, and groping she’d begun to do,he’d been annoyed that he’d drank so much because he couldn’t get so much as a rise.Only time that’d ever happened in the past was when he’d had too much to drink orsmoke. Last night he’d done both.

Though there’d been other times in the past when he’d done bothand was still able to perform just fine. Obviously, last night had ended with abang if she was still here. Of course, if last night had come even close to thenight he’d had with Vannah, even if that one hadn’t ended with a bang, he mightremember this one. He squeezed his eyes tight trying in vain to rememberanything past their drunken groping, but he couldn’t. There were just bits andpieces. Mostly of Gus laughing and holding him up and then a blur of faces.

Opening his eyes again, Byron sat up slowly. Thankful that heprobably smoked more than he drank because his headache wasn’t too bad. He couldtell he was dehydrated as hell but mostly he felt completely drained. He wassure it had more to do with the angst he’d felt all night over the visuals ofVannah and her fucking friend. Ironically, no amount of drinking, or smokinghad languished the memory of what had gone from fury to an ongoing dull ache inhis heart. How he could’ve been so off the mark about her he’d never know. He’dbeen certain despite her claims of not doing the exclusive relationship thing,she’d begun to feel differently with every conversation they’d had this pastweek—morning, day and night. Damn it! Moreover, as sweet a girl as she was andregardless that she’d openly admitted to having multiple friends shehung out with, she did not strike Byron as one who’d be making out with morethan one in the same week. Would she sleep with multiple guys too?

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered under his breath as hemade his way to the bathroom.

How could he be so stupid? Thoughts of Vannah and all thetime he’d spent chatting with her all week were rampant even as he took a quickshower. It’d been one fucking week. So, what if he’d fell asleep andwoke up thinking of her every day. He had to move on—get over thisalready. She was just another carefree girl he’d made out with once andhad more than numerous—okay, endless and all-night video chats. Some ofwhich had ended with them falling asleep still on the line. It was just oneweek. But he could kick himself now because he’d known way back. He’d known itbefore he’d ever spoken to her. From the day he’d found himself banging hissteering wheel over a girl whose name he hadn’t even known then; somehow, he’dknown things would be different with her. And still, he went for it. Now lookwhere he was. She’d been in his every thought all week and now the first floodof thoughts he was inundated with when he first woke were of her. Even whenthere was another chick in his bed, for the love of Christ!

Thankfully, Irma was up when Byron got back from the bathroom. “Howyou feeling?” she asked as soon as he walked into the bedroom.

“Surprisingly, not too bad.”

“Really? Because you were out of it last night.”

Byron smirked as he pulled a clean shirt out of his dresser. “Thatstrain of weed Gus had last night was one I’d never had. Hadn’t smoked in almosta year either so.” He shrugged then pulled the shirt over his head. “I’m justglad it doesn’t feel like I’ll be hurting all day. I hate when that happens.You party too hard and ruin the