My Sweet Salvation

“I’m here, Mel.” Squeezing between the crowd, Mira made her way inside the club and scanned the bar for her friend. Trying to ignore the looks she got from drunk men as she walked, Mira’s frown deepened. This was the main reason for her hatred to such crowded, noisy places; men who decide to drink themselves blind and hit on anything with curves. She had already been hit on twice in the last three minutes.

“What are you wearing?” Melissa asked through the phone, her eyes desperate to find the beautiful redhead among the sea of people present. It was the first time after months of begging that she was finally able to convince Mira to join her for some fun. They had met a few months back and even though Mira was as closed off as an iron-sealed chest, Mel never gave up until they became friends.

“A black dress.” Simple and cliche. No matter how desperate Mira was to head out with her favorite pair of faded jeans and a comfy T-shirt, her brother wouldn’t let her. He was two years younger than her, but as protective as their father once was. Yet after everything Mira had been through, and after seeing his sister so close to the edge of becoming nothing more than a shell of a person, Jacob decided to become as nagging as Mel. What Jacob feared the most was his sister fading into nothing but a reminder of the person she once was, and no matter how desperately he tried to stop her, Mira was still heading down that road with a forceful speed. But then Mel showed up, and Mira found herself slowing down just a bit.

“I see you. Over here.” Mel stood up from her stool and waved in Mira’s direction, finally grabbing her attention. She couldn’t help but admire how utterly beautiful her friend was. The flaming locks of auburn hair on Mira’s head were a shade so unique that no one could artificially bleach. Her emerald green eyes were so light and so big, one could stare at forever. And her body was every guy’s dream. The perfect amount of curves and softness combined with a flat stomach that she had worked a little harder than others to achieve. “I’m so glad you made it!”

“Me too.” Mira forced a smile that she hoped would look convincing enough to Mel. This was not her scene. It used to be once, but not anymore. Now her favorite place to stay was at home, and her favorite company was her six-months old son, and her favorite hobby was making him smile and laugh as much as she could.

“You’re such a bad liar.” Mel huffed, yet her smile was still sweet on her face. She knew it was going to take a while for Mira to become a carefree person and enjoy something as simple as music and alchohol. Her friend had been through a lot of heartache, only a part of which Mel actually knew. She had to carry a responsibility of a kid all on her own, though. Mel understood that that kind of load would heavy a person’s heart, especially when carried alone. “Is little Joe alright with Jacob?”

“Yeah, they’re good. But I don’t want to stay too late though. I have a morning lecture tomorrow.” Mira took a seat on the stool next to Mel and sighed. She was studying English Literature and she had only three semesters left to graduate. She was proud of herself that after everything that had happened and after how greatly her life had suddenly changed she still had the will to finish school, especially when she had to bump into Steve and Jacqueline every once in a while in campus. But she wouldn’t let that stop her, no. She was going to graduate and she was going to become an editor as successful as she was a mother, and she was going to make her son proud. That was an oath she was devoted to fulfill.

“Don’t worry, we can leave whenever you say the word. And don’t worry about drinking too. My big brother is here somewhere and he promised to be our designated driver for the night so we can get wasted if we want to.” Mel explained with a grin.

She knew it was a long shot for Mira to get drunk; she was too uptight, for lack of a better work. But Mel wasn’t going to stop trying until her friend loosened up a little. Mira still had secrets that Mel knew nothing about and even though she was dying to know, Mel still respected her friend’s privacy. Yet after learning some of those stories, Mel’s heart broke for her friend. She wanted nothing but to see Mira happy because she deserved nothing less. Truly, she was one of the purist souls Mel has ever had the honor of calling a friend.

“I can’t get drunk, Mel. I’m still breastfeeding.” Mira chuckled. Mel was such an easy person to read. Despite her poor judgment of people, Mira trusted her senses when they told her that Mel was one of the good ones. After a few months of being friends, Mira knew that Mel was going out of her way to make her happy, and she loved her for it, truly. However, what Mel couldn’t grasp was that Mira believed herself to be already happy. She had a son she would die for, and a brother she cherished, what else could she need? And now she had a good friend too. Not to mention Mira’s grades were good as well. Not perfect, but good enough to keep her proud.

“Oh, crap. Sorry, I totally forgot about that. Well, then we can dance.” Mel shrugged with a smile. Oh, what she would give to see Mira’s smile reach her eyes. That girl was as good hearted as a white dove, and as harmless as her six months old son. She had been through too much, yet here she was, sanding tall and proud. Being a single mother wasn’t an easy task, Mel couldn’t imagine. Especially when the baby’s father was a dickhead who refused to pay them a penny, or a visit for that matter. But Mel believed that her friend and her baby were better off without him anyway. Hopefully, Mira thought so too.

“Sure, you go ahead. I’ll grab a coke first.” Mira pushed Mel toward the dance floor before waving to the bartender and placing her order. Looking back at Mel, she sighed.

Oh, how badly she craved to be as carefree as Mel was. Mira could remember a time when she had no worries in the world; a time when she would hit a party after another with her beloved’s arms around her. She would get wasted and dance all night and have so much fun with him then continue their fun in the place she had once called home till the morning hit. She was truly and utterly happy, despite Peter’s occasional fits of anger that used to get a little out of hand.

But their happiness had suddenly decided to come down crashing when that condom broke. Not because her son was a mistake, not at all. Mira’s son was the best thing that ever happened to her. He was a gift so precious that words could never express her love to him. But not to Peter, apparently. To him, it was the final straw that caused him to go completely out of control.

“Thanks.” Grabbing her drink, Mira took out her phone to check up on Jacob and Joey real quick, when suddenly a muscled heavy arm, covered in black ink disappearing behing a dashing white button up shirt, wrapped around her waist.

“There you are, sweetheart. I’m sorry I took so long.” A gorgeous male carried out the words heavily with a drunken tongue and Mira’s head snapped up to meet his eyes. Perfectly clear seas of blue met hers and Mira’s heart suddenly decided to skip a beat at the most handsome male she had ever seen.

God, he was beautiful. He could take modeling to a whole new level, she decided. His body could stop a truck, with broad shoulders and firm muscles wherever meets the eye. The tattoos too made her bit her lip in sinful curiosity. His smile could drop a few panties, as hot and charming as it was sweet and beautiful. “Did you get me another drink?” He hiccuped.

Correction, he faked a hiccup.

Narrowing her eyes, Mira scanned him head to toe. His pupils were perfectly dilated, indicating a sober man indeed. The sway he had on his feet was a little too much, while his hands were perfectly steady. “What are you doing?” she asked calmly.

“No, sweetheart, don’t be paranoid. I wasn’t with another woman, I was just using the bathroom.” He let out a slobby chuckle that despite being as fake as Mira’s returned smile, it still shoved a delicious shiver down her spine. Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd around them to find a very pissed looking woman with her arms crossed and foot tapping the floor furiously. So he was trying to escape then.

With a sigh, Mira shook her head, as she decided to help the poor guy out. “Do you want me to yell?” She asked softly as she looked in his ocean blue eyes, ignoring the beat her heart skipped when he gave her a smile worth dying for. That was pride his eyes shone with, as she decided to play along.

“Yes! Of course I’m telling the truth. I would never cheat on you, babe. Now where’s my drink?” Despite the subject being a little too sensitive for Mira to joke about, she took a deep calming breath before mastering looking angry.

“And when do you ever tell the truth?! You’re always lying to me! How dumb do you think I am?” Raising her voice enough for their third party to hear, Mira huffed in fake annoyance. “I mean, it’s our anniversary for God’s sake! You couldn’t even keep it in your pants until we got home, could you?! God!” Waving her arms around, Mira noticed the girl’s eyes going wide enough to scare anyone who payed her attention before she shoved her way back into the crowd and disappeared into the dance floor, escaping the drama that was yet to unfold.

“Impressive.” Letting out a soft chuckle, the handsome piece of eye candy in front of Mira couldn’t hide his proud grin. He knew this beautiful woman would be perfect to help him with his plan and he prayed God for her to play along once he reached her, but now that he was this close he found himself a little too captivated for his own good. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She could literally knock the breath out of him every single day if he was lucky enough to call her his. And her body could bring anyone to their knees, himself included. Yet despite how big, beautiful and lively her green eyes were, they were still laced with a heavy amount of sadness that he could easily spot. And his heart twisted at the sight alone.

“She’s gone. You’re welcome.” Mira smiled briefly with a shrug before she pushed his arm back to his side and focused once again on her coke. Refusing to let herself drool over how muscled his arm was beneath her delicate fingers, or how tall he stood next to her, Mira took a long sip.

“How did you figure out that I’m not really drunk? I’m an excellent actor.” Smirking, he took the stool that was once Mel’s and turned to face Mira. She gave him another shy shrug with a soft smile and he could feel his heart jumping idiotically in his chest. God, was she mesmerizingly alluring. The way her soft and shiny red hair fell to her shoulders made him want to reach out and tuck a strand behind her ear, to feel it with his fingers. “Tell me, please.”

Why was her heart beating faster than normal? It wasn’t the first time a handsome man showed interest in her or wanted to carry out a conversation, yet it was the first time in a long while she had her heart racing like this. Idiotically, she might add. “I know what drunk really looks like.”

There was a story behind that comment, he knew. From experience, encountering enough drunks, maybe. He hoped to find out. “Well, thank you. I’m Aaron.”

He stretched out his hand for her to take. Looking at his thick long fingers, Mira swallowed. It was not the right time to get butterflies in her stomach or nervous by the presence of a stranger. “Mira.”

Ignoring how perfectly her small hand fit in his big one, or the tingles that she felt where their skin touched, Mira cleared her throat and pulled her hand back a little too soon.

“Beautiful.” Aaron commented and he saw her hold on tighten over her drink. The sight of her fingers wrapped around the glass send a few sinful images to his mind that had him shifting in his seat.