23) I will not remain a virgin at fifty

"What an asshole!" - Ashley starts to curl her hair in front of my eyes, looking at me

through the mirror as I just shrug.

"Your boyfriend has cheated on you and you are not angry?" -she assumes a surprised expression and

indignant at the same, and then run her fingers through the curled lock when Tessa takes from her hand the curling iron.

"Meet Charlie." - this time my friend takes the word, but I hurry to

correct her annoyed:

"Charlotte. Not Charlie. »- I raise my chin offended, indicating the mess they are making

on my dresser with eyes.

"If you go before tidying up, you won't set foot in this house again." - I threaten them

with a dirty look as I squeeze my knees to my chest and keep fiddling with the

sleeves of my sweatshirt on the bed.

"Instead of getting angry, get your ass out of bed and come with us." - I roll my eyes at the words of

Tessa, as I watch her transform into a circus clown with lipstick from afar

brilliant that passes on her lips.

I wish they looked like a clown, but after almost half an hour of preparation it looks like Tessa and Ashley have turned into movie divas.

They are so beautiful that I can't take my eyes off their short, tight dresses, which they wear and

highlight their curves making me feel so much envy that I grit my teeth at the thought that, unlike them, I will spend the rest of the evening closed in my apartment

and stay awake, fearing that Paul might show up at any moment.

From the night I spent camping, I began to familiarize myself with shorts, even if I still can't breathe every time I look at the root of my thigh, as if the name of

Matthew continues to be there even though I hurried to wash it the same day

I came home from the campsite.

"Taylor's parties are fun." - Tessa tries to convince me, but for me party and fun are not synonymous, although I wouldn't mind Ian and his company.

«And I won't leave you alone.» - she adds after a couple of seconds, making me get up an eyebrow instantly:

"Like last time?" - I tilt my head ironically, while she shows me the middle finger when

realizes I'm not going to show up at that stupid teenage party.

"Have fun." - I mumble when Ashley picks up her matching white purse in her little gray dress covered by so many glitter that I'm sure it will attract the attention of many of Taylor's friends.

Instead of waiting for a response from Tessa, I decide to get out of bed to walk to the kitchen and prepare a Mojito my way, as Taylor taught me to

do a couple of years ago.

I need to drink to clear my head of the thoughts that begin to haunt me, but also

to warm me up, since the last few days the weather has been cooling down so much that it is

mpossible to take a night walk on the streets of Seattle without a sweatshirt on.

And this is not a problem for me.

I turn my heels to turn my back on both of them, but I feel myself being taken by my shoulders

suddenly and I feel my friend leave a kiss on my cheek before she can

escape from my bedroom.

"You're a bitch, but if you don't take off that sweatshirt and lock yourself in here ..." - she looks around with

disappointment, only to meet my eyes again:

«You will reach fifty years old and still be a virgin.» - she concludes at the exact moment in which

I take a grimace, but she doesn't give me a way to argue that she passes me and lifts her chin towards

Ashley to tell her to hurry up.

I cross my arms across my chest and bring a flap of my lower lip between my teeth as I look at them

move away to disappear behind the door of my room, but I do not move from the room until I hear the front door slam.

I don't know whether to blame Tessa for how impulsive she is or to agree with her and follow her advice, but I don't understand why it bothers her so much that I prefer sweatshirts to

the clothes she loves to wear.

"I will not remain a virgin at fifty." - I whisper to myself, looking at the door as if

Tessa was still in front of me.

I lower my eyebrows and squeeze my lip between my teeth, taking a deep breath and turning

my heels to bring my attention back to the mess that is still on my dresser.

I slowly approach the mirror, completely forgetting about the rum waiting for me in

kitchen, then grabbing Ashley's curling iron between her fingers and resuming looking at the

reflected image in front of me, while the way Matthew touched my wet hair that

evening makes room in my head.

Matthew's POINT OF VIEW

"I need it!" - I take an annoyed grimace when I hear her scream in my ear in order to overcome the noise of the music, but I swear softly when her tone comes straight

to my Eustachian tubes and starts getting on my nerves.

"Then look for Hardin." - I just say, sitting on Taylor's sofa with Melany

holding my arm like an eel, while Ian sits across my place and I bet

he is studying me with his eyes behind those black glasses.

"You're just jealous." - the lips of the redhead at my side curl into a mischievous smile, but

this time I look up and pull my bicep out of her grip to let her know what she can do

sex with all the guests and I wouldn't care about it anyway.

«Well then.» - I hear her say immediately after, at the exact moment in which I carry a gigantic bottle

of beer at the level of the lips and throw my head back, and then breathe a sigh of relief

when I see her get up from the sofa and walk away waddling, at the exact moment I get my eyes up on Ian's figure, but I don't have time to open my mouth to attract his

attention that he anticipates me with wide eyes:

"Fuck!" - I read his lip as he keeps looking over my shoulder, which prompts me to

frown in confusion, then slowly turn my head to understand what he is watching at.

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