XOXO

10. Violeta

Who said three is a crowd?

Bailar Barcelona was not what I was expecting at first. It was disorienting, the crowds were too much and I regretted it two hours after I had gotten here. I told myself I would see as much as I could the first day because I would not come back for day two and three.

It was too much until I saw Levi dancing with his bestie, Matteo.

I almost didn’t walk up to him, but I needed a familiar face and all these men hitting on me was getting annoying.

He looked ecstatic to see me, but Matteo looked like he wanted to murder me.

For a moment I almost regretted coming up to them, but Matteo was the lesser of two evils.

After that first night when Matteo joined us, I didn’t miss the lingering looks between them with the occasional touches.

Matteo and Levi were hot together, I didn’t think I’d ever find a situation to top that.

He seemed to lighten up a little, and just barely, for him to be tolerable.

He was still grumpy, but his scathing looks had stopped and now he just looked at me like I was a nuisance.

I guess it was better; it made sex hot as hell like he was taking his frustrations out on me.

Today was the last day of the festival. Excitement buzzed through me as we went to the first act, but a little part of me was sad to leave Levi…maybe Matteo too. He was so easy to rile up and I loved when he gave me that scowl of his. Matteo was sexy as hell when he was mad.

Catchy EDM thumped around us as we danced the afternoon away.

Levi and I had a touchy feel the entire weekend.

Matteo was always watching us like he wanted to join or he liked the show.

I wanted more. The next song I moved away from Levi and danced over to Matteo, who narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

I threw my arms around his neck, pushing my breasts against his chest, trying to get him to loosen up more.

He was stiff as I swayed my hips side to side, but he didn’t take my bait.

I rolled my eyes, getting annoyed with his grumpiness.

The thing is, he had nothing to be grumpy about, especially when I told him he should tell Levi how he feels.

Someone pressed up against my back and I flinched, feeling panic flooding my system.

“It’s me,” Levi said against my ear.

I relaxed immediately, feeling Matteo’s gaze like he was questioning where that came from as I looked anywhere but at him. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him while he studied me again.

“I’m fine,” I yelled, feeling too exposed.

He continued to look too close for comfort when he was finally satisfied with whatever he had found, he grabbed my hips and began grinding into me. Having Levi and Matteo’s hands all over me was a heady experience. We bumped and ground against each other, each song blending together.

Matteo was getting bolder, running his hands over Levi’s and I wondered what they would look like together, pleasuring each other. My stomach swooped and I wished I could see that in person.

After that set, Levi and Matteo took me to the VIP area using their friend’s wristband for me again.

We were here yesterday, but it wasn’t nearly as exciting as today.

So many singers and actors were gathered here today.

It took everything I had in me not to look starstruck. I didn’t want to be that fan.

“Oh my god, it’s Woosung,” I whispered to Levi as we stood by the bar.

Matteo raised his brow at me in that judgmental way of his.

“Oh, screw you. I’m not used to this,” I snapped.

“Wanna meet him?” Levi asked, looking over my shoulder.

“I am not walking up to him.” I shook my head, already feeling embarrassed thinking about it.

“Go embarrass yourself, I need a good laugh,” Matteo said amused.

“Go fuck yourself, Matteo,” I clipped.

“Hey guys!”

“Hey, Woosung,” Matteo said too cheerfully.

Oh god, please let me be imagining this.

“Where is your better third? I don’t think you’ve ever been to one of these without him,” Woosung said, as I turned to him.

I should have ignored him or gone to the bathroom because right now I was making an ass of myself by just staring at him.

Woosung was one of the hottest in his Kpop group VI3E—pronounced Vibe— and cameras and video didn’t do him justice.

He was almost as tall as Levi and Matteo, with broad shoulders, a slutty waist and features no one could ever forget.

He didn’t notice me staring until Matteo pretended to push my mouth closed.

“Sorry, she’s starstruck, we are trying to train her not to be so awkward,” Matteo grinned.

I glared at him, elbowing him in the stomach. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little captivated. I saw you two years ago and I've been a fan for years.”

Woosung chuckled. “I mean staring is not the worst that’s happened to me. Woosung, nice to meet you.”

“Vi, nice to meet you too,” I smiled, wishing the ground would swallow me up.

Woosung smiled. “Would you like to take a picture?”

“No, I don’t—”

“Go, he doesn’t offer if he doesn’t mean it,” Levi said, grabbing my phone from me as I opened it with my face.

We stood next to each other awkwardly because I didn’t want to be rude or disrespectful. He held up his hand shaped in a half heart and I almost died when I completed the heart with him. Levi took several pictures and then asked me to take one of him and Matteo with Woosung.

They chitchatted like old friends talking about their other friend as I turned to the bar to get a drink I desperately needed.

“You guys want anything?” I asked over my shoulder.

“Whiskey neat.”

“San Miguel.”

Woosung politely declined.

The bartender took my card just as Matteo put his card down.

“Too late,” I chuckled. “I can handle one round on me.”

“A lady should never pay for anything while she's around us,” he shrugged.

“Well, I appreciate the chivalry even if that’s the only thing you have going for you.”

Matteo laughed and goddammit, he looked even better when he was laughing.

I tried not to admire him, but it was hard. He looked like every Italian girl’s wet dream. Tall, tanned, dark eyes and hair that all made him impossibly handsome. Fuck him.

“Vi?” Woosung said.

My name was a husky whisper.

“Yes?” I prayed I wasn’t turning red.

“We are performing in Athens next month, you should come,” he said, smiling. “It’s been too long since you’ve seen one of our shows.”

“Oh, hell yeah. If I can snag a ticket I will be there,” I said a little too enthusiastically. “I didn’t realize you were still doing your European leg of your world tour.”

“Are you on social media?”

“Oh yeah, I’m on the picture app,” I said, pulling out my phone.

“May I?” he asked, as I opened the app.

“Uh, yeah sure,” I said, as he typed away on my phone.

He took out his own phone and just like that we were following each other.

“It’s not my VI3E account it’s my personal one,” he said, like it was no big deal.

“Wow.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“She means thank you,” Matteo said.

“I was getting to that, asshole, just a little in shock, ok.” I rolled my eyes at Matteo.

“Jae is around here somewhere too,” he said looking around. “If I see him I’ll send him your way.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said quickly.

“I have a feeling he’d love to meet you,” Woosung smirked.

“Yeah, Jae is not meeting her,” Matteo and Levi said together.

Woosung laughed. “Well, that answers my question.”

My face grew hot that he knew about us.

“Get out of here before I tell Vi your deepest, darkest secrets," Matteo threatened Woosung playfully.

“What about that one time we were in Bangkok—”

“It was lovely meeting you, Vi,” he said, holding out his hand and I shook it. “Don’t believe a word they say, rascals they are.”

I laughed. “Thanks for everything.”

“Hope I see you in Athens! Message me, don't be shy.” He waved to the guys as he left.

“So, you’re a K-pop girlie?” Levi looked amused.

“How can you not be when they look like Woosung and sing like angels,” I grinned.

“He’s not that good.” Matteo rolled his eyes.

“Oh, but Matteo, he is that good. Don’t be jealous, it’s unbecoming of a man,” I said, patting his cheek. “Smile more while you’re at it.”

Levi laughed. “Matteo’s factory setting is scowl.”

“Oh, I see how it is,” he grumbled, pursing those luscious lips.

“Don’t be a baby,” Levi patted his back. “Drink your whiskey, we gotta leave this festival with a bang. Chug chug.”

“Literally or figuratively?” I smirked.

Levi cackled and Matteo rolled his eyes.

I saw the fondness he held for Levi, and it went both ways.

I would bet money that they loved each other, but were too afraid to say anything.

Matteo did say he was straight the other night.

It’s never too late in life to have a bi-awakening and I hoped he would because I think they deserved each other.

My watch buzzed me awake, but my body was not ready to get up.

I regretted setting my alarm clock so early, but sober Violeta thought it would be better to leave early in the morning, even if I didn’t want to.

Looking over my shoulder, Levi was fast asleep.

He looked so different like this, so boyish and innocent.

Matteo was nowhere in sight like usual in the mornings.

I sighed, debating if it was the right thing to run away early in the morning again.

The first time I left, I had felt a little guilty, but this time it had grown exponentially and it would be so easy to have breakfast with them and then leave.

But I already knew Levi wouldn’t let me leave without a fight.

Matteo was the lawyer, but Levi was very convincing and I knew I would agree to something I should not be agreeing to.

He tightened his grip around me as I tried to escape and thankfully he released me without waking up.

I debated leaving him with a soft kiss on his cheek, but I couldn’t risk it.

My bag was already packed and I dressed in what I had laid out for today.

A shower would have been nice, but it would have to wait until I figured out my next move.

The tent we had stayed in was very nice, they split it into three rooms. Two bedrooms and a middle living room area we never really hung out in. It was glamping at its finest and I loved it. I walked out to see Matteo sitting on a sofa on his phone.

His brows raised up as he noticed me. “Sneaking out again?”

“It’s for the best,” I shrugged, feeling guilty again.

“For you?” Matteo’s dark eyes still held a little contempt.

We might have had sex, but his feelings toward me had barely changed.

“For us,” I said, trying not to get defensive.

“Levi really likes—”

“It wouldn’t work,” I interrupted him. “Besides, I think you two would work out better.”

Matteo scowled. “You could stay for us?”

“Excuse me?” I coughed, choking on some spit.

That was not what I was expecting from Matteo.

“You don’t want me here,” I stated when he didn’t answer.

He took a deep breath. “But he does.”

“Wow, Matteo, don’t rush to tell me you want me here too.” I rolled my eyes. “The three of us won’t work either, plus I don’t want to be a beard. I mean, if I did, it would be with you two, but I deserve more than you would give me.”

“A beard? That’s not what you would be,” he scoffed. “I just think this might work for all parties involved.”

“Matteo, why don’t you and Levi work on yourselves?” I asked, walking up to him. “I think you guys would be great for each other and the whole best friends to lovers thing is hot.”

He rolled his eyes. “We are not a romance book.”

“I disagree. You guys could be, but you should talk to each other.” I cupped his face as he looked down at me with those soulful brown eyes. “You might be surprised at what you find and how do you know that’s a romance reference?”

“Ruining our friendship is not worth it,” he murmured, fear flashing in his eyes. “My sister reads romance and constantly ships us some.

“I really think Levi would surprise you,” I said, leaning forward to kiss him.

I expected him to turn his cheek, except he didn't. He kissed me softly, the perfect sad goodbye. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he didn’t want me to leave. I sucked his bottom lip, pulling away, stepping back because if I didn’t, staying sounded damn good.

“I hope you talk. I think even if nothing comes out of it, you’d feel a lot better,” I said, grabbing my bag. “Thanks for an unforgettable weekend.”

Matteo nodded and he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t.

I left before I said or did something to stay.

The cool morning felt great and I took a deep breath, telling myself I needed to keep going.

I was collecting good memories and they were some of the best highlights. Why ruin a good thing?