The rain was pouring, and in the confines of a bottle, Destiny searched for warmth.
She ordered shot after shot and eventually bought an entire bottle of tequila, where she heard a familiar voice utter-

"Is that all for you?"

"Alex?
What are you doing here?"
Destiny asked

"I should be asking you that very question."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Rough night huh?"

"As I said, I don't wanna talk about it."

"You know-"

"Can you just give me some space?
I'm just going through a lot right now, and I'd really appreciate some alone time."

"Umm, sure
Of course.
Just don't lose yourself trying to put pieces together.
Whatever it is that's going on, I'm sure you won't find it in that bottle.
I've never been the type to drink, even when we were together.
You deserve better.
I'll see you around."
Alex replied as he walked off

Destiny sighed

"Wait"
She uttered

"I might have been too repulsive.
I'm just going through the waves right now, and you just approached me at the worst time ever."

"Worse than you being angry on your menstrual?"

Destiny chuckled

"Cause I can't think of anything more disastrous than seeing you in that phase."

"You remembered that?"
She asked

"I remember everything.
You taking your Sunday evening jogs down by the pier to feed the seagulls, the pecan pie you "made" for my grandma, and she loved it so much that you felt guilty inside and told her it was actually store-bought.
I remember that Halloween night back in senior year when we heard that Claire slept with "Mystery Guy" and you told everyone it was just you in costume to save her reputation; too bad ya'll fought shortly after though."

"What are you doing Alex?"
She asked

"These might sound like your worst memories, especially the one about my grandma. But what I see was how kind you were, you've done nothing less than being kind and taking the blame for everyone, even if it meant putting yourself at a disadvantage and ignoring all the bad that everyone sees.
A person like that who has such a big heart, doesn't deserve to be in an old, musty bar, drinking their life away with tears ruining their makeup.
You're more than this love,
Trust me, I should know."
He replied as he came closer and slowly took the bottle from her hands.

She started to cry as he rested her head on his shoulder and told her it would be okay.

"I love him!!"
She muttered under her breath

"Heartbreak huh?
This is becoming quite nostalgic.
Look at me, he doesn't deserve your tears, okay?
You just need to find a warm bed to sleep in and take your mind off all this, we can tackle the problems of today tomorrow."

She wiped her tears and told him to take the bottle of Tequila as her token of appreciation, as his words really meant a lot to her.
Walking outside to her car, she pulled her coat over her head and ran across the other side of the street, but to her surprise, her car was clamped as she had unknowingly parked in a handicap zone.

"You've got to be kidding me!!"
She uttered as she completely took the coat from her head and took the full effect of the downpour.

"Want me to call a guy to get it off for you?"
Alex asked

"Why try?
I'm already cooked."

"At least get out of the rain."
He suggested

"Naaa, for once I don't feel burdened."

"I guess I don't need this then."
He replied as he threw away his umbrella

"Some gentleman you are.
You actually let me walk out in the rain, and you had an umbrella all this time."

"Maybe this was always a part of my plan."

"Me getting soaked in the rain was a part of your plan?"
She asked as she yanked the bottle from him and started drinking

"You know how sexy you look when your hair is wet."

"Are you flirting with me Mr. Cole?"

"Maybe I am."

"You better be careful.
These roads are slippery when wet, and for some reason, these roads are getting soaking wet."

"Well, look who's flirting now, Miss Hermandez."

She smirked, they drank, and before you know it, they found themselves in the back of his car making out.
Back seat reclined, panties got ripped,
And Destiny was feeling like a drug lord who just snorted the purest quality cocaine ever produced. She started quivering, curling her toes, and rolling back her eyes like she had been possessed.

"Stop, stop, stop!!"
She uttered.

"Listen to me, if there's nothing I haven't been taught, my mother taught me to finish my food, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do; I don't care if you're shaking!!"

And with that said, he went right back to his 'consumption'.
She grabbed his hair and kept saying stop, but with each wave of euphoria, her voice faded more and more as she completely gave up and enjoyed the moment.

Hours passed, the sun stripped naked over Don Perico, releasing its rays upon everyone.
The warmth tasted her skin through the tinted windows, and its glare caught the attention of her eyes.
Slowly but surely, she opened her eyes and subconsciously her nostrils too, to the confines of a car that smelled like sex everywhere.
She immediately looked around and then down at her attire and realized her panties were missing, and with that realization, everything flashed before her as to what actually went down last night.
She kicked the Tequila bottle aside, picked up her torn underwear, and pushed the door open.
Her headache worsened as she uncontrollably sat back in the car, and her reality came crashing down as she heard Alex's voice-

"Look who's awake.
I brought you breakfast."
He replied happily as he walked over to the car.

"Where are we?"
Destiny sentenced

"You're outside my house.
Well, in my driveway actually."
He replied

"What?"

"Yeah, was gonna take you upstairs and finish what we started, but you seem to have had way too much to drink, so you passed out.
I was gonna let you rest in my bed while I went ahead and got your car unclamped and got you breakfast, but you were so comfortable, so I didn't bother to move you."

"You took me to your house Alex?!!"

"Yeah, I don't see what's the big deal.
Unless you wanted to relive the college experience and keep it solely in the back seat like old times.
Mocha or Cappuccino?"

"No, no, no, no no!!
This is a mistake!!
I shouldn't have done this!!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself.
You enjoyed it as much as I did."

"You don't get it, I'm in a relationship Alex!!!
Why was I so stupid?
How did I allow this to happen?"

"You 'were' in a relationship.
Now it's nothing but You, Me...Us.
Besides, it's not like you have any regrets."

"There's no 'Us' Alex!!!
There never was, for a very long time, and this that happened is my biggest regret of all."
She shouted

"You - You don't mean that."

"I'm so serious right now!!
I'm sorry, but I have to go."
She replied

"Oh, Ryan, how can you ever forgive me?"
She muttered

"Why do you care so much about that loser?
He clearly doesn't care about you and sleeps with every girl that looks his way, and regardless of his clear signs, you still remain oblivious and keep defending him!!
Why can't you see him for what he truly is at face value - A cheater!!!"

"How did you know he cheated on me?"

"You told me."

"I don't remember ever having a conversation with you about Ryan.
How do you even know about him?"

"You told me when you were drunk, don't worry about it."

"I gotta go."
She uttered

"No!!
We're supposed to be enjoying breakfast after a night well spent."
He uttered as he grabbed her hand.

"You're hurting me Alex!!
Let me go!!!"

"I can't just let you walk out of my life like this; not again!!
I went through too much to get you to this point, and just to have it go up in smoke because of some orphan that filled my place while you are here?
Naaaa, not on my watch!!
I won't lose you again!!"
He shouted as he tried pulling her into the house.

"Oww!!"
She cried

"Is everything okay over there?"
Alex's neighbor popped out and uttered

"Oh, we're good Miss Alice, we're just playing."
He replied

She used the opportunity to kick him in the nuts and got into her vehicle.
Groaning in pain on the ground, he had no choice but to watch her drive home to the man he despises so deeply.
Her hand was sprained, she pulled over to the nearest police station and filed a report against him as the nurses tended to her hand

~Back at the Apartment~

Ryan and Kim get closer as they talk about his jersey.

"Someone seems well-rested."

"I actually did.
Whatever you put in that hot chocolate definitely worked wonders."

"I'm glad you liked it.
It's my Aunt Charlotte's recipe.
She makes it for her husband all the time. I'll start making it more often."

"She would be proud."

"I hope so."
She replied

"It's actually calming to wake up without hot water being poured over your back or an iron slapped across your head because you didn't wake early enough to walk Sheila."
Ryan uttered

"I thought you didn't wanna talk about that?"

"You're right.
It's not like they're wondering where I am.
But yeah, let's talk about something else.

Well, you can start by partaking in the breakfast I prepared for you.

"Oh shoot, let me brush my teeth.
You got an extra toothbrush?"

"Yeah, check the cupboard above the sink in the bathroom."

"Hey, you heard from Destiny?"
Ryan asked

"No, sorry.
Just give her some time, I'm sure she'll come by today."
She replied

Ryan nodded

"No word from Aug?"

He's been calling down my phone,
I don't wanna hear from him any time soon.
I can't think about him right now."

"So that's how Destiny feels about me now.."

"Ryan, you're different."

Ryan smiled and proceeded to brush his teeth.

A few minutes went by, and he still hasn't come out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing in there?
Removing your enamel?"

The door opened, and he came out shirtless
She gulped uncontrollably and almost spilled the hot chocolate over the table.}

"Hey, be careful!!"
He shouted as he ran over to her.

All she saw were his huge pecs bouncing as he approached her.

"I don't think your aunt would appreciate you spilling her recipe like that over the floor."

"Kim?"

"Huh?"
She replied, completely clueless as to what he just said

"I just took a shower all together and put on one of Aug's trousers, I hope that's fine."

"Oh, trust me, you're fineeee.."
She replied as she bit her lip

"I didn't seem to find any shirt for him in there, you got an extra I could borrow?"

"Oh, now that I think about it."
She replied as he ran up to her room.

"By all means, start eating without me."
She uttered

"I mean, you were taking your sweet time, and I was getting hungry."

"You're good, eat as much as you want.
Look what I got."
She replied.

"My Jersey!!"
I actually forgot about that.
Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Yup, it still fits."

"Looks good on you."

"Everything looks good on me."
He teased

"Well, you're not wrong."
She replied

"Oh, you might wanna warm up the pancakes, they got cold while you were 'carefully' searching for my shirt."

"Ughhh, I hate when that happens."

"Yeah, it's a bummer."
He replied.

"Sometimes I put it in,
Take it out, taste it,
and put it right back in."

Ryan gulped

"Ummm, you're like that huh?"

"Yeah, that's what I gotta do cause my microwave be acting up sometimes, and after a minute or two, my food still remains cold."

"Wait, you were talking about food?"

"Yeah, especially with these pancakes.
What did you think I was talking about?"

"It's best you don't know."

"You are a little freak aren't you!!"

"Let's not make it more awkward than it already is."
He replied

"Well, you got your shirt on backwards and maple syrup all over your nose, so you already checked that box for awkwardness."

"And you sat there watching me put the shirt on wrong?"
Ryan uttered as he took off his shirt.

"What?
It looked cute.
Ahh, let me help you."
She stated

She used her finger and wiped the maple syrup from his face,
Mesmerized by his body once more, she couldn't help but to stare.

"Ummmm, I think you got it."
Ryan said nervously

She saw he was looking up at her, seeing his pink, succulent lips, his toned physique, the flow of his hair, and those blue eyes looming into hers, something snapped in her mind.
Without a thought or hesitation, she went in for an irresistible kiss.

"Woah!!
What was that!!"
Ryan uttered as he stood up from the table.

"Umm, I'm sorry
I don't know what came over me.
I was just so drawn to you from the day you plunged into the pool, and now you're here, shirtless looking up at me with those dreamy eyes, I-I just couldn't control myself-"

"Stop, stop, stop!!! Just stop!!
Kimora!! Listen to me."
He shouted as he held both her hands and looked into her eyes.

"We're friends.
And we'll always remain friends; nothing can change that.
I'm with Destiny, your best friend!!
And you're no longer with August, I get that, but this ..... 'attraction' that you have towards me;
You gotta let it go Kim, it can't happen, okay?
You're like a sister to me if I ever had one, and I wouldn't change that for the world.
For a second, don't you think for once that I don't love you, I do, with every ounce of my being. But it's strictly platonic, and that's all it will ever be.
Okay?"
Ryan outlined

"Okay."
Kimora softly replied

And within that same breath, while Ryan was holding her hands, up close, shirtless, looking into her eyes, Destiny walked through the door.