Page 40 of Summer Nights

Pike steps up, bringing me into his arms. “Hurting her is the last thing I would ever do.” Each of the guys nod in agreement. Grace looks at each of the guys with an assessing look, trying to find a lie. When she is satisfied with what she sees, she turns, looks at me and nods. “You did good with these ones, Scar.”

I just smile. She is right though. I have done good. Five men who seem to fill a space in my heart that I didn’t know I needed.

We watch the rest of the game, cheering on the Seagulls. Like Noah promised, he made a lasting impression on the guys. Not only did the Seagulls win but Noah scored a hat trick. He also had another two try assists. It was one hell of a game.

“So, what do you guys think?” I ask while we wait for Noah, Daniel and Benny to come out of the sheds.

“That was insane! I’m not normally a big sports guy but I loved it!” Dacre exclaims. I watch as his entire face lights up talking about the game.

“Your friends are incredibly talented, Scar!” Pike says an impressed look on his face.

“Some of those hits Daniel took were incredible. It blows my mind that they don’t wear any body protection.” Nicky says.

I nod my head. “Yeah, they are absolute tanks. If you think that is intense, you should watch the NRL games. Especially State of Origin.”

“What’s State of Origin?” Dawson questions.

“There are two teams, Queensland and New South Wales. Players are picked from the NRL teams based on which state their club is from. The rival between the teams is electric. Queensland hates New South Wales and vice versa. The players are the best of the best.”

“That sounds awesome. We’ll have to watch it.” Dawson states, giving me a bright smile. I smile, biting my lip at the same time. Seeing the guys show an interest in something i'm so passionate about makes me feel seen.

I turn when I hear whoops behind me. Benny, Daniel and Noah are headed our way while being stopped every so often being congratulated for their win. They eventually make their way over to us. They're all freshly showered so there is no opportunity for a sweaty hug like the one I got from Noah during the game.

Noah makes a beeline straight for me before wrapping me in a tight hug.

“Congratulations on such a good game Noah. I think you were able to convert the guys.” I say with a smile as he pulls away.

“Fuck yeah! I knew I’d be able to.” He winks before looking at the guys. I introduce everyone, including Daniel and Benny after they finish saying hello to our other mates.

“So, are you guys keen to go to the pub?” Benny asks the guys.

“Yeah, absolutely. We haven’t had a chance to have a night out since we have been here.” Dawson replies after checking to see if the other boys are interested.

“Fuck yeah. I’m keen to get monkied.” Sonny says with so much enthusiasm.

We all laugh at Sonny’s blunder. Points though for the attempt.

Noah swings his arm around his shoulders. “That’s the spirit.”

Chapter Sixteen

Sonny

By the time we make our way into the pub, it is absolutely jam packed with people. The excitement of being able to have a night out with my girl pumps through my veins. Noah and I have spoken the entire walk to the pub. I’ve got to admit, I was jealous as fuck watching the way he interacted with Scarlett, but from speaking to him, I’ve come to learn that they really are just best friends, and their relationship has always been platonic. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved at that. While I’m not the kind of guy to stop my girl from having male friends, I’m also not the kind of guy that will be able to stand my girl having guys hanging around that could pose a potential threat to me. Sounds archaic but I can’t help but be possessive of her. From the moment I saw Scarlett, I was captivated. No girl has ever caught my attention the way she has. Dripping wet after being dragged out of the ocean by Pike, with makeup running down her face, she was still the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life. I feel like a fool around her. I haven’t been able to help myself from opening up to her and allowing her to see the real me. I don’t want to give her just the funny guy like I do with everyone else. She deserves nothing but my authentic self.

Noah drags us all over to the bar and we order a round of schooners, whatever they are. He hands us each a glass of beer and I take a sip. Shit, that’s alright.

We stand close to the bar for the majority of the night laughing and getting to know Scarlett’s friends. They share stories with us about their trips up to Five Rocks and memories that have all of us in hysterics. After our fourth beer, Scarlett heads over to the bar, I follow, coming up to stand beside her.

“Hey Sonny,” She says turning towards me, blinding me with that smile of hers, “Are you having a good night?” She asks. I notice the way she sways slightly, letting me know she's tipsy.

“Yeah, I am chica. Your friends seem really cool. Thank you for inviting us.”

Her features soften as she looks at me. “Of course. My whole aim is to show you the real Australia and not that fake shit you see on TV.”

I look around the bar, finding the guys laughing amongst Scar’s group of friends and the way it looks natural. I nod in reply. Scarlett bumps my hip with hers. I snap my attention to her. She’s got a cheeky look on her face and I know whatever she is up to, I’m already down. I’d follow her to the ends of the earth if she asked.

“Shots?” She asks.

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