Melanie coughed, coughed, and coughed.

I scooted closer to my girlfriend on the blanket laid in the balcony and rubbed her back, attempting to ease her chokes. She held onto my forearm, her body jerking with the harsh coughs. My woollen jumper stretched under her tight grip.

“This is… a bad… idea... Kai,” she said through coughs, and I shushed her not to, or she was going to choke harder.

“Jason said it would be fun!” I remarked, frowning at the opposing results we received.

Melanie glared, finally stopping to cough and calming down. I guided her to breathe in and out. Her face was flush red still though, close to the colour of our bloodshot eyes. I suppressed a chortle at how silly we were.

Melanie tried her best to glare, but she didn’t need to as her bloodshot eyes were already concerning. “Jason’s a crackhead. Who listens to him?”

I chuckled. “Us, apparently.”

I got up to bring her a glass of water. Melanie mumbled ‘thanks’ and chugged down the liquid as if it was her first glass after a long trip in The Sahara.

“Mum wouldn’t believe I’m her same daughter if she saw me with this joint between my lips,” she stated.

I snorted. My joint died as I left it on the ashtray, so I re-lit it. “Neither will your dad or my parents,” I replied as I hugged the roll with my lips, clicking my lighter.

Melanie grimaced. “Dad’s another story. Please, let’s not let him know.”

I nodded, dismissing the topic for her comfort’s sake, but I knew Ryan was bound to know and reprimand us. I relaxed my back on the wall and opened my arm for her to cuddle closer to me. Melanie accepted my invitation and rested her head on my chest. My fingers automatically went up to comb her shoulder-length auburn waves. The new haircut suited her well. My fingers’ movements through her soft hair always managed to make her relax—not that she needed to after what we had smoked.

“Almonds,” I guessed then pecked the crown of her head. “You’re using an almond shampoo, Angel.”

She giggled and looked up at me. The mix of blue eyes with redness around them was concerning, but I wouldn’t let her know. “Correct, finally. Guess weed does have benefits that awaken your senses?”

I nodded, sweeping a few wisps away from her face. Despite we regretted listening to Jason and tried weed, I’d never regret a moment or a new experience lived with Melanie. I had watched her curious expressions when she wrapped that roll and took a drag. She choked first, succeeded a few times, then she failed again. Having dated her for almost four years but still learning new things about her was something I enjoyed.

I looked down at her, memorising the way her cheeks rose when she smiled at me. A smile so wide only ever given to me. “You look too beautiful for my heart to take tonight.”

She wrapped her arms around my torso and pecked my chest. “I love this setting under the moonlight. Compliments your lovely grey eyes.”

If only she knew how much more it complimented her eyes, which dilated as I gazed into them. I hugged her petite body back and pulled her closer, eliminating any space left between us. “You’re my euphoria, Melanie. This weed doesn’t make me feel as closely high as when I am happy with you.”

By that point in our relationship, I believed she was used to my lovesick remarks on how dear she was to me. Besides the erotic books, it was worth reading all those heartfelt poetry books and romantic stories to learn how to make her smile with such comments. It took flirting to a new romantic level.

Melanie’s lips smiled at my words, attractive enough to draw me closer to them. She closed her lazy eyes and waited, then I closed mine and leant in. I had killed the joint in the ashtray before both my hands went to cup her cheek to kiss her in the witness of the stars, a song playing in the background.

Smoking was a thing, but then tasting it off her lips was another. I was getting higher and higher, but I knew it wasn’t just the weed. My lips rubbed hers in a perfect rhythm, too perfect that I never wanted it to stop. Her arms around my neck and mine encircling her waist, we kissed under the moonlight in the balcony of our house, surrounded by bedsheets, romantic books, and the faint songs in our playlist. She was my heaven among the chaos. The wind blew by, and I felt her shiver. I hugged her closer until she was sitting in my lap, hoping it’d shield her.

‘But I can’t help it
I’m falling for you
And I can’t quit it
‘Cause I’m stuck on you’

When my warm hands sneaked under her top to feel her cold skin, she gasped against my lips, and I could feel goosebumps growing. “Kai.”

Not pulling away from the kiss, my hands rubbed her back up and down to warm her. “Relax,” I muttered, my lips still brushing hers as I drew her even closer to share my warmth. “I think we should go inside.”

Her exposed neck invited me to dip down and lick the smooth skin. I flicked a healing hickey repeatedly, winning shy moans and sighs from between her swollen lips.

“Yeah, I think so,” she breathed out, but we both knew we wouldn’t go in any time soon.

Melanie’s hands were then tangled with my messy hair, and her face buried in my neck as she tried to stabilise her breaths. I continued to peck her neck, enjoying the heat exchange we had. I felt her too comfortable that she almost dozed off in my lap.

The doorbell rang.

“Shít,” was the first thing that left her lips as she shot up from my lap.

Meanwhile, I was still caught up in her smell and warmth that left me sooner than I liked them to leave—not that I’d ever want that. I frowned, not appreciating a late-night visitor who didn’t warn us of their visit beforehand.

Who was I kidding? We both had an idea of who would be behind that door.

I got up, sighing. “Chill. I’ll go check.” I hugged her briefly and pecked her head.

I dragged myself to the main door, rubbing my face and eyes to knock some soberness in. When I looked through the peephole, my heart sank. Of course. “Ryan…” I uttered.

She gulped. “Oh, well, he has an instinct to come to visit at the most inconvenient times, no?” She sighed. “Won’t make any difference. Just let him in.”

Talk about being high. Sober Melanie surely wouldn’t be that carefree.

I agreed and opened the door. “Hey,” I greeted my friend.

However, Ryan didn’t meet me in the same manner when he saw my bloodshot eyes. “I knew Melanie shouldn’t have hung around Jason a lot!” he remarked and invited himself inside.

“I’m twenty-four, for fúck’s sake,” Melanie whined, sprawled on the creamy sofa. “Besides, it’s fun to try new things!” She flashed a silly smile.

“And I’m twenty-six, hello,” he replied, throwing his hands in the air. When I joined them back in the living room, he threw a glare my way. “And you!”

“What?” I asked as if I didn’t know what he was about to say.

“You’re supposed to take care of her, not get her stoned out of her mind!”

I chuckled, mocking his attempts to reprimand us that inevitably failed every time. “I think you should join us… next time. It’s been fun.”

Ryan shook his head, giving up on us. “Melanie Martinez, Dad’s so going to know about this. I promise you.” He pointed an accusing finger at his sister.

Melanie shot up from her place. Although too high and knocked out, she tried to counterattack, thinking the guy would care, “I’m going to tell him… about the courses you failed back in university!”

I left the two siblings to converse and went to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water and snacks for us. Ryan called out for me, so I hurried up and returned.

“Yeah?”

He smirked at me. “Massie’s on the way!”

I grinned at the guy, nodding. I knew he would tell her to come because he had that brotherly act to stop me and his sister from doing anything he deemed wrong by surrounding us with more people. If only he knew how much we liked risk. I poured a glass of juice for Melanie as I knew she’d want something sweet to put first in her mouth. I was going to offer Ryan one too, but he was already munching on the snacks on the tray.

True to his words, the doorbell rang shortly after. Melanie opened the door for our friend and threw herself on her in what looked like a hug, but I knew she was tired enough to sleep any second.

“Hey to you too,” Massie replied to Melanie’s unspoken greeting. “Yeah, you’re high.”

Melanie raised an eyebrow. “No, my name’s Melanie.”

I was unsure whether she was joking or just that high.

Massie joined in the living room. We chatted and caught up on topics we didn’t get to discuss before, but Melanie was fast asleep with her head on my lap. She was too tired that no matter how loud we got, she wouldn’t move a limb. I played with her hair, oblivious to the fact the movements calmed me as much as they calmed her too.

Our friends took their leave shortly after. I slipped from under her head carefully, and even though I failed to do it smoothly, she didn’t wake up. I sighed in relief, going to close the door behind them. I came back and slipped my arms underneath her body to carry her to bed.

I put her on the bed then lied down beside her. Her face was puffy like a toddler’s, and her plump lips parted slightly, drawing a silly smile on my face. I pulled the comforter higher on our bodies, ready to doze off too. I wondered what I would dream about sleeping high.

Admiring her face at that moment, I thought how I never wanted a morning or a night to come without her on my side.



Officially done with this book!

Thoughts about the epilogue?

Skip to the next part for my last note ♡

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