Page 41 of Elusive

*****

“What’s so funny?” Bellamy yells over the music.

“This song. Every time I hear it, I can’t help but laugh at the huge contradiction.” Her brows bend in confusion, so I explain. “Awful catchy and upbeat for an all-time low, don’tcha think? Call me crazy, but I’m guessing my all-time low point would have a couple of eerie violins, or…” I halt mid-thought, frantically scanning the packed room.

“Presley?” Bellamy lays a hand on my shoulder, the worry in her voice voluminous now that the music’s died down. “What’s is it?”

“Where’s Brynny?”

“Right over there.” She points to where my baby cousin stands not ten feet away, Ca… I’m usually good with names, right beside her, and JT strategically placed at the precise halfway point between them and us. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Not sure.” I rub the back of my neck, every fine hair there standing on end, tingling with an unsettling current. “Just got a strange feeling all of a sudden. This whole thing we’re doing already has me on edge, but that, I don’t know what that was. Except kinda creepy.”

“Okay, just calm down. Everything, everyone’s, fine. You wanna go outside to get some air?”

“Yeah, sounds good. You’re coming with me, right?”

“Brynn, let’s go, P needs air!” JT screams at her the second the words leave my mouth, before Bellamy can even answer me. He is so his father’s son. Even amidst all the noise, not only did he have one ear on our conversation, but I guarantee he’s heard every single word of Brynn’s as well.

With what’s his name following along, the five of us navigate our way through the crowd and out to the back deck, but no amount of warm night air I drag in puts me any more at ease. Something is still stirring in my gut, stronger than ever now, my sixth sense, turned up to ten.

“You feeling any better?” Bellamy asks, rubbing my back.

Not even a little bit, but Brynny’s beaming from ear-to-ear, laughing at something dude just said, so I lie. “Much, thanks.”

No sooner than I speak it, the lie becomes the truth. I do suddenly feel better, done worrying there’s some imminent danger lurking nearby, because the source of my odd inkling reveals itself. And with it, brings an instant peace… to which I can’t, no matter how badly I want to, become addicted.

“Man, talk about a small world. Sutton, what areyou doing here?” JT does the worst job in… ever, of playing dumb. Disappointing really — he usually nails dumb… ass.

“JT Kendrick,” I grate. “Bring your ass over here, pronto.”

“Eh, think I’ll stay right where I am. Thanks though. And from this spot, I’d like to remind you that you did ask us to set you up with guys we thought might be right for you. So, Bellamy took her turn.” He gives Sutton a shove, meant to propel him forward, but of course doesn’t budge the behemoth. “She chose Sutton.”

“That I did,” Bellamy happily concurs.

“Guess who I’m picking when it’s my turn?” Brynny joins the rest of us, who aren’t no-name to add.

“Majority’s spoken,” Sutton murmurs seductively deep, smirking as he stalks toward me. “Hey there, Hot Shot. You look even prettier than when I saw ya last.”

“You trying to be funny?” I cock a brow and hip. “You saw me last a few hours ago. Granted, I was covered in paintball splatters, and dirt, but this…” I motion up and down myself, and the extra special style I’m rocking. “This is me trying to actually blendin with the dirt. These are my dad’s old sweatpants, there’s not a drop of make-up on my face, and this particular hairdo is what happens when you mess up a messy bun.”

He crowds me, tracing a single fingertip down my jawline and whispers, “Even when the sun hides behind a cloud, it’s undeniable light shines through.”

“Come again?” My request is wispy — with want to hear it again — slightly posed as a confused question.

A weak disguise he sees right past and chuckles, warm and faint. “You heard me, and know exactly what I meant, but I’m more than happy to tell you more. Presley Alexandra Beckett, you can’t hide your beauty, no matter how hard you try. Especially from me. I see you. Dressed up, dressed down, across the room or right beside me, I see you. And I like what I see.”

I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest, in hope of caging the delight blooming therein. I’m my own worst traitor — asking to hear more, only to force myself to fend off what it does to me. And naturally, I use my tongue to slice… really cutting into my own flesh the deepest. “You talk real pretty, I’ll give ya that, but new words come easy. I give in, chase is over, and you’ll get bored. After a while, you’ll look at me, and nothing will shine. So you’ll start looking somewhere else.”

“Says the girl that’s never happened to. Or seen it happen to anyone she knows. You need to lay off whatever movies, books, or Facebook posts of the scorned you’re taking on like they’re yours, Hot Shot,” he laughs. “They’re not.”

“I don’t scroll Facebook posts!”

“Know what I think?” He leans in, foreheads touching, noses flirting. “I think you’re extra grumpy tonight about the dog thing.”

“Well, I am now. Again. Thanks for reminding me.”

He wraps his arms around me, pulling me tight against his huge frame, a hint of crisp cologne and onslaught of comfort dismantling any last, lingering shred of defense I might’ve tried to have. “We’ll get it fixed tomorrow, Sugar. I promise. You let me worry ‘bout that bored theory of yours too.”

“K,” I whisper, snuggling into him… because I just can’t stop myself. I’m done for tonight — unable to fight it any longer — pretend I don’t feel safe, and uplifted now that he’s here. Or deny that I can’t wait to spend tomorrow with him.

He dips his head, mouth asking for mine. “There she is, my girl. Need a kiss to go with the sweet you’re finally giving me.”

“K…” this whisper’s taken from me, lost to his lips.

---