I'm out the door in a flash, rushing down the hallway and into the cool of the night.
My mind is still reeling from that moment, the taste of his breath on my lips leaving me craving for more.
I lean against the wall, trying to catch my breath.
My heart is still pounding like mad, as if it's trying to beat out of my chest.
What was I thinking? I was moments from kissing him.
I let out a ragged breath, closing my eyes as I leaned my head back against the cool brick of the wall.
**Rei's POV**
My head was swimming, my breath coming in short gasps, my mind still reeling from how close I was to kissing her.
I've never felt so out of control of my emotions before, and it scared and thrilled me in equal measure.
The moment was electric, the air cracking with tension. I'd never wanted anything as much as I wanted her in that moment. Her face flushed, and her lips parted like a beckoning…
A knock on the door jolted me out of my daze, and the next thing I knew, she was running away.
What happened to playing it cool and acting like I was over her?! I was practically all over her!
I stared at the spot where she had just stood, half convinced I'd just hallucinated the whole thing.
Had she really just been here, in this room?
Or had I been imagining it?
The sound of my manager's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He shot me a quizzical look, taking in my flushed face and the obvious look of a man seconds away from ravishing someone.
"Uh…everything all right, bro?"
My manager's voice is casual, but there's a knowing look in his eyes. He obviously wasn't oblivious to what almost happened in here.
"Yeah, everything's fine." I reply, trying to sound normal but probably failing miserably. I knew the look he was throwing me, like he knew something'd happened. The man knew me too well to buy my poker face.
"Uh huh. And who was that who just ran out of here like an Olympic track star?" He's obviously trying to push me for answers. The gleam in his eye tells me he already knows who it was.
I knew there was no point in hiding it, but I still muttered, "No one."
Even as the words left my lips, I knew how unbelievable they sounded, like a child trying to lie to his parents about eating cookies before dinner.
"Mhmmm." The look he shoots me is sceptical at best. "Not 'no one.' Because it sure looked like you were about to make out with an 'no one.'"
"What are y—"
My protest is cut off by the smug look on his face. "Dude, don't even. I could feel the sexual tension all the way in the hallway. You gotta work on your game, my man. You almost gave her a heart attack with all your staring-longingly-and-then-glancing-away moves."
"What? I didn't do that."
I try to sound indignant, but I think it just came out as a petulant.
He looks at me flatly. "Riiiight. And I'm Beyoncé. Now spill, who was she?
I sigh deeply, knowing there's no point in trying to fool him.
After all, he's known me long enough to be able to read me like a children's book. And if I don't tell him, he'll just keep badgering till he drags the truth out of me anyway.
"Fine, since you're so nosy." I say with a resigned sigh. "She's an old friend. Haven't seen her in years. Just came to say hello."
"Uh huh. That's why you were looking at her like you were a second away from mauling her, right? I've seen how you look at old friends, and it's definitely not the same way you were looking at her."
"And how, exactly, was I looking at her?" I know what he's implying, but I play dumb all the same.
"Seriously?" He sounds exasperated. "Dude, the way you were looking at her…"
He pauses as if searching for the right word. "Pissed-off, feral, like you were a heartbeat away from pouncing on her like you were desperate."
"I was not desperate." I protest, though it's no use. My manager knows me too well. "And I was not 'pouncing.'"
He raises an eyebrow, "That's not what it looked like from where I was standing. You looked like you were about to throw her down on that couch and—"
"— Okay, okay, stop there." I cut him off before he can go in too deep. The last thing I want is detailed descriptions of what I was just a second away from doing.
"Seriously, dude. That look on your face…"
My manager shakes his head, a small sigh escaping him. "Don't play it off. You know exactly how you were looking at her, like you haven't had any in a while. A long while."
"Jesus, dude, will you shut up?"
,
I mutter the words with irritation and a bit of annoyance. He doesn't know the history between us, and I want it to remain that way, at least for the time being.
"Well, I'm not judging." He grins, taking in my obvious frustration. "Just saying what I see, and I saw a man with pent-up…tension."
I glare at him.
He's clearly biting back a chuckle at my discomfort. "Just saying, dude. You looked like you were about to climb Ms. Old Friend like a tree."
"Oh my God!" My voice filled with irritation and annoyance. I can't believe how I got to know this dirty minded freak. "Will you get your damned mind out of the gutter for once?"
"Not as long as you keep making it so damned easy." He laughs heartily, slapping me on the back in a way that seems friendly but is really not. "Seriously, though. How long's it been since you got some? A year? More?"
I whack his head hard immediately, a vein bulging at the corner of my head.
"I swear you're so damn annoying sometimes. Can we talk about something else, other than my non-existent sex life?" My voice comes out with more than a touch of irritation more like annoyance.
"Ouch!" He rubs his head with a playful pout. "All right, all right, we'll change the subject." He lifts his hands as if in surrender, but his expression shows he's clearly not done giving me a hard time. "We can talk about your…'old friend.' How do you know her, anyway?"
"We uh, we used to date. In high school." I say, not wanting to tell him everything yet.
My manager looks surprised at this tidbit of information. "High school, huh? So it was serious between you two, then?"
"Uh…I guess you could say that, yeah."
I try to sound nonchalant, but even to my ears, I sound a little defensive.
"I'm surprised you never mentioned it before." He gives me a sidelong look, one eyebrow raised in question. "How'd it end, anyway? You guys had a bad breakup or something?"
"You could say that, yeah."
This time, my voice comes out a little guarded, a little quiet.
My manager notices and looks questioningly at me, knowing he's touched on a sensitive subject.
"So you broke up and never spoke again?"
He's trying to get information out of me, and the worst part is, I feel compelled to answer him.
"Not exactly."
I keep my eyes on the wall, unable to meet his gaze. I know he's waiting for me to elaborate, and despite knowing I should keep my mouth shut, I find myself speaking anyway.
"She left for the States, went off to fulfil her dreams. We talked every once in a while, but eventually…that stopped too." My voice gets quieter, the words getting stuck in my throat.
"Sounds like it ended in a bad way."
I'm hyper aware of the look he's giving me. He's never seen me talking about anyone like this before. I don't talk about my past relationships, and he knows it.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."
I try to sound nonchalantly, but I know my manager can tell from the look on my face that it was more than just a bad ending. He's unusually perceptive when it comes to me.
He leans back against the wall. "Did you ever get over it? The break up, I mean. High school love is a really hard thing to let go of, from what I've heard."
"I'm not sure."
The admission is hard to get out of my lips. I hate feeling vulnerable, and I'm not comfortable discussing my love life with people. But even I don't really know why I keep talking.
"So let me get this straight…you dated in high school, she left for the States, and you've what, what's the word? Pined for her? Ever since?"
He seems fascinated by the tragic romance story.
"I wouldn't say 'pine'…"
My voice sounds weak even to me. He's hit a little too close to home for my comfort level.
"Sure you wouldn't"
He pats me on the back sympathetically, his voice dry as sandpaper. "What have you been doing, waiting for her to come back to you?"
"No!"
My denial comes out a little too quickly. I can feel the heat creeping up my cheeks, and I know my manager is enjoying seeing me squirm.
"Oh, I think you have, pal"
He continues to tease me, his expression amused. "I mean, you still haven't answered my question. How long's it been since you've had some action?"
"Jesus, dude, why do you care so much about my sex life?! Or the lack of one?!"
I feel embarrassed at this point. I'm not the type to blush easily, but he's got this knack for putting me on the spot.
"Because dude, everyone needs some action every now and then. Keeps your mind right and your body healthy."
He winks suggestively, as if he knows everything there is to know about my life.
"I don't need some random hookup to 'keep my body healthy.'"
My voice is as dry as desert sand, but my face still feels unusually warm.
"You seriously need to get laid, dude."
He's persistent, almost relentless. "Get a lady to…take a tour on the Rei Express." He says with an infuriating cocky grin.
"God, you're the worst."
I grumble, trying to shut him down. I want to smack that annoying grin off his damn face.
"Don't tell me you've turned into a goddamn monk or something."
He eyes me like I'm a rare specimen in the zoo. "Or is there something else…or rather, someone else keeping you from having a little fun?"
I know he's referring to Samantha even without him saying so.
"Who the hell says I'm not having fun?"
I almost snarl the words out, irritation building up inside me. He's hitting too close to the heart, too damn close.
"You think I don't notice? The way you avoid hookups, the way you always go home alone after shows…"
He's not even trying to hide his curiosity anymore, his gaze fixed on me like a goddamn laser.
"I'm just tired, that's all"
My voice sounds weak even to my own ears. The words sound hollow, weak, and even I don't believe them.
"Bullshit. You're not tired, you're in love. Or at least, you're still hung up on some girl who broke your heart almost a decade ago. Which is even sadder, come to think of it."
"I'm not hung up on her, damn it!"
The words spill from my lips like a reflex. I'm angry now, but even I'm not sure who I'm angrier with - him or myself.
"Sure you're not" he replies, sarcasm thickly dripping from his voice. "That's why you were about two seconds from ripping her clothes off right there on that couch…"
"I was not about to rip her clothes off! We didn't even kiss!"
I'm practically blushing right now, my face burning. I can't believe we're even having this conversation.
"Sure, buddy. Keep telling yourself that."
He's openly laughing at me now, the smug bastard. "Let's not forget you were a second away from mauling her when I barged in. That look on your face said it all, bro. You were going to eat her alive."
"I was not—oh for the love of God!"
I bury my head in my hands, trying to stop myself from screaming. The more irritated I get, the more he seems to egg me on, and it's making me want to punch something, preferably his face.