Page 25 of A Foster Fling

Gabe left the room, leaving me with the foster kid. We were silent the entire time. I never really knew what to say to those kids.

Thankfully, just as quickly as Gabe had left, he came back with an unopened bottle of liquor, three shot glasses, and a wicked smile. I thought it was the most badass thing ever. I kept my cool while he poured all of us a shot.

“Let’s have some fun.”

I watched them down their shot in one sip, but my heart was in my chest, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I knew I had to do something, or Gabe would kick me out.

“Just down it, dude,” What’s-his-name said. “It’s not that bad.”

Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes, brought the small glass to my lips, and poured every bit of it into my mouth.

It was like fire flowing down my throat, it burned like nothing I’d felt before. The sensation that followed was pure ecstasy. There was no other way to describe it.

Gabe and the foster kid laughed. “Nice!”

I laid back in my brother’s oversized bean bag chair and started staring at the ceiling again.

“Here,” Gabe said, handing me another shot glass with more liquor in it. It went down easier that time than it did the first time. I was reluctant to take the third shot, but I didn’t want to disappoint Gabe. Hell, I didn’t want to disappoint the foster kid either. I felt like one of the boys-—finally. So, I downed the third shot, and the fourth, and by the time he handed me the fifth, all of my senses were swimming in a sea of amber liquid.

Looking back now, one would say that’s where all my problems started.

I would say no.

I would say that it all started when Gabe left the room after we had drunk over half the bottle.

I don’t remember much about the kid, but I remember the way he looked at me once we were alone. The air shifted, like the oxygen had suddenly disappeared. My breath caught in my throat. I felt like I was on fire, and I knew it wasn’t the liquor anymore making me feel this way

I swallowed hard, trying my fucking hardest to stay calm. He got up from the bed, his gaze never leaving mine as he stalked toward me.

For fourteen, he was intimidating.

He leaned down, placing his hands on either side of my head. His gaze floated across every part of my face. Time was fucking frozen, but I was spiraling.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, my voice cracking.

“Kissing you.” Before I could interject, his lips crashed down on mine.

I was done for. Melting into the bean bag chair under him as a wave of emotions crashed through me like an angry sea. So many thoughts were going through my head.

I’ve never kissed a boy before.

Why did I like it so much?

Why is he kissing me?

But the main one stirring in my head waswhat is he going to do next?

I never got that answer.

I never would.

Because while he was kissing me, Gabe was in our dad’s office, loading a shotgun, putting it to his head, and pulling the trigger.

The rest of that night and so many months after were one giant blur. My life crashed and burned. I never saw that Foster kid again.

And every night since, I’ve spent my time dousing my pain in the Lords amber embrace.

Chapter One