Faking Us ✔️

thirty four

Cassie
~

I didn't think dancing with Luca would feel so right. The familiar feel as his hands run across my back, tugging on my hips, swaying us back and forth.

I could honestly get used to this.

I say it every time, but it's true.

My eyes glance up at him after he compliments me, telling me how beautiful I look tonight. His compliments give me butterflies every single time. I've never been complimented so many times before. Not even by Marcus. The green, blue, white, and yellow lights from the disco ball favor his face so perfectly. I never paid this much attention to him before, but since our little deal and spending more time together, I've noticed things that never crossed my mind... until now.

I'm loving his new haircut, and the facial hair peeking its way around his jawline. He looks so good tonight, better than what I anticipated.

"Thank you, Luca. I didn't know you could clean up so nicely."

He laughs. "I've been doing a lot of things lately that surprises you."

His deep, captivating eyes pull me in harder than ever before. I forget what he even said until I realize I've been staring too long.

"Yes, you have." I managed to let out.

I hum to the chorus of the song that's playing through the speakers, keeping my eyes closed so I can enjoy the peacefulness around us.
Wishing it was just the two of us.

"Are you with me, are you in or—are you out?" he sings softly into my ear, making me open my eyes. They find him again as mine widens in surprise.

"You know this song?"

He runs circles against my back that secretly make me shiver. "You should know by now that I don't listen to shitty music."

My cheeks grow a little warm which has me giggling at his remark.

"Let's not get a big head now."

As the song ends, he releases his grip on my back and I slowly take my arms off the back of his neck.

I hated the feeling of not being close to him anymore.

We meet Anderson and Sydney at a table fixing themselves a cup of punch. He starts conversation with them while filling a drink for me.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Marcus, rocking on his feet back and forth, basically almost falling over about to make a fool out of himself.

Is he drunk?

"Excuse me really quick." I tell Luca and quickly follow Marcus out of the building. As we step outside, he falls over onto the grass and I grab his arms trying to help him stand up.

The confusion on Luca's face really hurt me. I didn't want to leave him like that wondering if I was okay. But someone needs to stop Marcus.
"Really? You came to Prom drunk?"

He slurs his words making it hard for me to understand. "I'm ffine Ccassie—I don't need help."

"Come on, let me call your dad."

He jerks his body away from me and pouts, running a hand through his thick brown hair. "Don't call him. I don't need anyone."

I shake my head. "Don't be ridiculous."

He comes closer, basically breathing down my neck. I can smell the whiskey coming from his mouth that sends shivers down my spine.

"I don't need anyone, but you Cassie. I miss you," he mumbles under his breath, trying to balance himself on both feet.

"Is that why you're doing this?"

He is able to finally stand up without falling over, until he sets his whiskey bottle down. "I'm here for you."

"For me?" I practically yell. The annoyance in my voice was already enough. I shouldn't have gone after him. "You've been nothing but a nightmare. I don't understand how I ever dated you."

"Because you loved me."

The look on his face when he said loved—you could tell that hurt him. But what I'm about to say next will hurt him even more.

"I thought I did, Marcus."

"What?"

"I didn't love you and you didn't love me."

"Don't tell me how I fucking feel."
He throws his bottle of whiskey against the brick wall, which shatters into a billion pieces. I flinch when he does this and take a few steps back.

Okay, now I'm really pissed off.

"Why did you tell Luca that you and I slept together?"

Marcus looks at me with apologetic eyes. "I don't know."

"You know that isn't true."

"But he needed to hear it," he yells. "I wanted so desperately for it to be true. I can't even handle the thought of you two together in that way."

I'm basically pointing my finger in his direction. "And that isn't your choice to make. What I do with my body is none of your damn business."

"So you fucked him?"

"Excuse me?" The breeze outside runs through my hair leaving me rubbing my arms up and down.

"Did you fuck him?" he repeats, this time with anger.

"Marcus, I can't do this."

I go to turn around and walk back inside, but instead he grabs my arm quickly. So tight that it leaves an impression on my skin.

"You're hurting me, let go," I cry out loudly, trying to push him away, but he doesn't flinch. Before I know it, he moves in closer to me making it hard for me to break his grip. "What are you doing?"

He leans down to whisper hot breath in my face, "tell me you still love me. Tell me this relationship with Luca is fake, just like everybody says."

"No, I can't."

My hands reach out to stop him from doing something ignorant and disrespectful, but it doesn't work. His lips are possessive and demanding once they brush against mine. They basically try to claim me like I belong to him.

Like I've told him before, nobody owns me. I start to think about Luca and how differently his lips feel on mine. How soft and delicate his lips are. The way they make me feel like I'm the only one who matters in the world.

Just as I am able to break the kiss, I spot Luca on the side of the building, watching us from far away. He shakes his head and throws the filled cup of punch onto the ground before walking back to the Auditorium.

Emptiness consumes me and so does guilt.

Shit.

It's not what it looks like.

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