After a year and a half of trying to move on from the what-ifs, the tides have pulled Alexandra Rivera and Zachariah Kim back together again.
*****
In the h...
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"Is that a hookah?" I gasped, spotting the top of it peeking out from the back of the truck.
Zachariah, who had his arm hooked around my shoulder, leaned in closer so he could get a better look. "Nice."
The night sky was a dark canvas of black and deep blue swirled together with a splatter of stars managing to peek out past the glow of city life light. The temperature dropped significantly colder here than it would be at my apartment due to the higher elevation.
I was thankful for the cool air. My buzz grew stronger, something less in my control. Even though we were outside and I could count on one hand how many people were sitting in the open garage, we all moved around each other so the heat had naturally built up between all of us.
"For you, babe."
Katerina walked over to me with a shot glass in each hand. When I lifted the clear liquid to my face, I grimaced as soon as the smell hit my nostrils.
"What is with you drinking vodka all the time?" I complained. "There's no such thing as good vodka. It all tastes like shit."
She was having none of it and shoved it closer to my lips. "It's an obligatory birthday tradition. You can't fight tradition."
"Yes I can," I countered. "We made that pact when we were fifteen. We shouldn't even have been drinking at fifteen."
Zachariah curled his arm tighter, bringing me closer to him. When I looked up, he eyed the shot curiously, waiting for an explanation.
"Don't ask why because I honestly don't remember, but we have this thing about taking a shot together every year for our birthday."
He glanced around us at all of the drinks that had been emptied and those still yet waiting. "Is that not what you've been doing this entire time?"
"It has to be Smirnoff. For sentimental reasons."
Zachariah didn't look like he understood any of it. I didn't blame him. None of it made sense, but it was something Katerina and I managed to do for the past eight years now, so not going through with it would have been against the natural order of things.
As soon as I knocked the shot back, something tickled my throat and I held a hand over my lips. Zachariah engaged into supportive mode and angled me toward the grass, his hands brushing back my hair.
"I'm good," I waved him off. The moment passed quickly. "It's the Smirnoff. It must be stopped."
"You're so overdramatic," Katerina laughed, though she took pity on me and grabbed the shot glass. "Please sit down before I revoke your brick status."
"Gladly."
I grabbed Zachariah's hand and pulled him to two empty chairs placed off on the side.
"Did you cut your hair?" I asked. I admired the strands of hair sticking up in every direction after he'd run his fingers through them.
