Page 85 of Something Blue

“Yes. Clear your head. Eat good food. Dance and forget about boys for tonight.” Dalila lifts her wine glass and holds it towards me.

The club is packed. It’s so loud I can’t hear Dalila when she asks me what I want to drink. She wave her hand in the air to saynever mindand orders us some shots. After three shots I am relaxed and buzzing. The music is freaking incredible, the heavy base is massaging my brain into silence andI’m smiling for the first time in what seems like forever.

I dance, and I keep dancing until my feet ache. Dalila leads us to the bar to get more drinks.

That’s when I see him.

He’s standing by the bar with his eyes on me.

My heart leaps into my throat and my stomach is swarming with butterflies, all taking off at once.

I can’t look away and our eyes lock in the longest time. He smiles, the slightest curve of his lips, almost unperceivable.

Instead of rushing over to greet him, I take my shot, play it cool and head back to the dance floor.

But I can’t stop looking in his direction and the more I watch him the more I want to talk to him. But he’ll come and talk to me, surely. He’ll come say hi or dance with me. He always does.

Dalila noticed him because she followed my gaze. All she did was roll her eyes.

She’s dancing next to me and is oblivious to the heavy tension in the air between Celso and me.

After the most recent round of shooters glitters my brain, I can’t hide my smile when I look towards him.

He licks his lips and every cell in my body flares.

Fuck he’s hot. Like crazy hot. Like wildly, inappropriately, can’t be real hot.

I flirt with him by dancing and teasing a little. I’m playing with fire but I’m having fun. And I need a little fun in my life right now.

For an hour Celso and I flirt silently across the club. He sips his drink, his eyes wandering over me, and I wait for him to come over and say something to me.

After a while I tire of waiting, annoyed that he isn’t chasing me like he does. He hasn’t been messaging me the last few days. He hasn’t been sending gifts, and now he’s at the club and basically ignoring me.

What is going on with him?

What is he even doing here? Is he here by accident and I happened to be here?

I chew the inside of my cheek, impatient, frustrated with him for keeping his distance.

I turn my back on him to hide my expression. My brows knotted while I try to decide if I’m going to march over there and give him a piece of my mind or not.

When I turn back - he’s gone.

I wait for him to come back.

But he’s gone.

He freaking left the club.

He didn’t say hello, and he didn’t say goodbye and when I realize that my heart shatters.

Also - anger floods me like a wild rain storm.

Dalila leans close to me, shouting right into my ear. “One last drink - Nevio is on his way to fetch us.”

“I’m going to catch a taxi, actually.”

“Why? That’s stupid. We can drop you at home.”