Damn it.
He’s holding onto me like I’m that stupid football he and his team throw around and protect. His muscles tell me he’s not letting go anytime soon, and to everyone around us, it probably looks like we’re together and having a tiny dispute. I’m trying to rack my brain for his name, but continuously come up short. I can’t place it. A running back. That’s all I’m certain of, aside from the fact that he’s Fletcher’s sidekick and that’s who he’s most likely here with.
Sylvia.
My head snaps to the side, my eyes frantically searching for my friend. If anyone will help me, it’s her. I don’t know what kind of relationship she has with Fletcher, but she’ll make sure he tells this asshole to get off and stay away.
“Come on, babe. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” he croons drunkenly in my ear. I swallow down the fear that inches up the back of my throat.
This is who Sylvia is spending her time with?
My eyes find her through a part in the crowd, and thanks to the shining stars above, she looks over. I mouth out a quick,help, and use my eyes to point to the guy behind me. She gives me a lazy, seductive smile, reading my plea all wrong. Then a body moves in front of them, blocking my view.
“They’re not going to save you,” Running Back says in my ear.
I wrench my body forward, scoring when one of his hands slips. He pinches my other side harder, lighting my skin up with a needle-like sensation that makes my jaw ache with discomfort.
That body that blocks my view of Sylvia moves out of the way, and thank God, her face comes back into focus. She lifts her fingers, makes a V, and sticks her tongue between them. And…my stomach plummets because she’s been saying that I need to have more fun. She sent him over my way.
She actually thought I’d like him and the awful vibe he’s giving off?
She turns away and grinds her ass into Fletcher. It's up to me to get out of this. It’s more apparent than ever that I can’t rely on her. I’m not sure what hurts worse, that, or Running Back’s fingers digging into my hip bones.
What would make her think that I’d want this?
Because I broke things off with Webber and have questioned her about Fletcher?
Good God.
“This is the last time I’m telling you to let go,” I tell him, prepared to drive my heel into his shoe and twist as hard as I can to get away.
This shouldn’t be happening with such a large crowd. People really are clueless half the time. Add alcohol, and their common sense flies out the window.
I’m hyper aware of my surroundings, no longer lulled comfortably from the few drinks I had. The music and laughter around me, his warm, sticky breath in my ear.
“Or what? Hmm? You gonna try and teach me a lesson like you keep doing to Fletcher’s girl?”
What the hell is he talking about? Even if I wanted to teach Sylvia a lesson, she wouldn’t let me. She’s adamant about going against every word that’s said to her to prove something to herself.
How long is it going to take for her to realize what a big fucking mistake she’s making hanging out with these people?
Or that she just absentmindedly pulled me into it.
TWENTY
COLSON
“You’relucky I fucking love you,” I tell Sebastian outside of Lucy’s, one of the only clubs in the area chill with patrons who aren’t of drinking age entering.
“We’re here for moral support,” he reminds me, holding the door open as we slip in past the bouncer. I have to remind myself that I should be more concerned about the people who Sebastian cares about. It’s not that I don’twantto be, it’s just that I have other shit filling my head, distracting me from keeping steady relationships with others.
“He’s screwing things up with Everleigh. We’re going to help him unfuck it up because that’s what friends do,” Sebastian shouts over his shoulder.
Music blares overhead, some kind of techno rendition of a song I know but I can’t name. It thumps down on my shoulders, the vibration sneaking into my shoes and winding up my legs. Both are equally uncomfortable.
I worked all day, then came home to a text from Mom saying that Finn showed up. Not exactly what I wanted to hear but can’t expect much else, can I? He warned me.
It has me fucked up. Too much to want to deal with stupid shit like Tristan earning his girl back when the intricacies of their relationship are far from on my radar.
