An Unexpected Guest

Raina was never an ordinary girl. I’ve known her since elementary school, as kids, we were best friends. She would convince me to join her on crazy adventures. Until one day, it went horribly wrong.

“Come on! Don’t be a pussy!” She yelled at me from across the pond.

I looked at the ice, contemplating whether I should follow her across. I was taller, larger than her. But I don’t want to be a pussy, Raina is cool.

I hesitantly stepped one foot on it, checking if it wouldn’t crack under my weight. It didn’t. Until it did.

My mother forbade me from ever seeing her again. I hated her for it, Raina was my best friend. But over the years, I came to appreciate this punishment.

And now, 13 years later, Raina is here on my doorstep.

Her eyes are still the same vibrant shade of blue, addicting as ever. Her pink lips are pulled up in her signature smirk. She doesn’t say anything, waiting for me to make the first move.

“Raina!” I cave in, falling into old habits. I open the door wider for her as I step aside. I almost snort at the irony. “Come in”

Her smile gets wider as she enters my house, pulling a suitcase behind her.

Her blond hair is pulled back in a braid, giving me a full view of her face. Her beauty has not dwindled over the years, not in the slightest, she has become more beautiful. I didn’t know that was possible.

We sit down on the couch. My heartbeat picks up as she sits close to me. Her air of mystery draws me to her as she keeps quiet.

“What brings you here?” I can’t stand it anymore, I need to know.

Her blue eyes meet mine for a second before she stares off into the distance. “Remember when we made that mess and you got the blame?” Her long eyelashes kiss her cheeks as she smiles at the wall like a person thinking fondly of a memory.

But that is not what happened. She broke into the teacher’s office. She covered it with toilet paper. She was the one that blamed everything on me.

That day she kissed me, knowing full well that I had a crush on her. Naturally, I forgave her in a heartbeat. It was magical, her soft lips caressing mine as she graced me with her kiss. I was over the moon.

She didn’t touch my lips again after that. She didn’t need to.

“I do.’’ I couldn’t forget it, no matter how much I wanted to. The memory is burned into my brain. Those few years were filled with Raina. Nothing else, just her. She was my oxygen, I didn’t need anything else. She knew that.

“I forgot to pay the parking meter.’’ Her blue eyes are focused on me. Her head is tilted down a bit, making them larger. Once again, I’m completely entranced by her, pulled in by her aura. My body naturally gravitates to her powerful forcefield. It’s like trying to resist gravity.

“I’ve got it.’’ She doesn’t have to ask. I pull out my phone and pay for her parking.

She scoots closer to me on the couch, her warm leg almost touching mine. She leans into me, and I have the urge to put an arm around her. Finding my inner strength, I resist.

I jump up, freeing myself from her intoxication. “I’ll grab us something to eat.’’ I head to the kitchen, I need a drink.

Putting my hands on the counter, I steady myself, taking a deep breath. Why is she in my house? The woman I spent so many weeks pining after, desperately seeking her attention.

“Did you make new friends after me?’’ Her melodic voice sounds behind me. Again she is invading my personal space. I can’t bring myself to mind.

“Yes.’’ No. Not one person could fill the imprint she left in my brain. Now she’s here to deepen it.

Her smirk and raised eyebrows speak volumes. I hand her a glass of water and walk out of the kitchen. I physically push myself to put some distance between us. She cast a spell on me, her presence ever so intoxicating. But I would be delusional to think she appreciates me. She never did.

She follows me back to the couch and we’re in the same position as a few minutes ago. She scoots closer, practically throwing herself in my lap. Her scent engulfs me, begs me to indulge myself in it. She is my forbidden drug.

“I need your help covering it up.’’ She whispers. Her lips have gotten dangerously close to mine. All I can think about is that time all those years ago when they touched mine. Her eyes fluttered shut before she leaned in, just like now. She was much younger but so beautiful, almost as gorgeous as now. I wonder whether her lips are still so soft. They were like the feathers of a swan, I was kissing an angel.

“The murder.’’