Page 39 of Perfect

“Let me introduce you around. Harlow, meet my freeloading friends,” Nathan slurred again, taking my arm and pulling me further into the glassed conservatory. He motioned to half a dozen people; a half a dozeninebriatedpeople. “Freeloading friends, meet Harlow.”

They all raised their assorted drinks at me and I mirrored their behaviour, wanting to fit in.

I held my smile and nodded my hellos, stiffening slightly when Tom slid his arm around me.

I took a sip of beer; it was rank as usual and tasted like it had something else in it too. I’d seen him uncap the bottle and so wasn’t overly concerned about the date rape shit. It was probably one of those beers which was infused with spirits. The stuff would probably take the enamel off my teeth.

We must have been there for over an hour; standing in one group, chatting about this and that with the music blaring in the background. A scream from an over-excited girl or two, was occasionally thrown into the mix. I also saw couples heading upstairs holding hands; their destination the bedrooms I imagined. It was so tacky.

Nathan had started getting gradually louder and more, touchy-feely and I began to regret my decision to come.

Tom of course stuck to his word and didn’t leave my side which was a relief. I didn’t even dare go to the toilet in case I caught someone shagging in the bathroom. It was definitelythattype of party.

It was so different from the after-school house parties I’d been to where everyone was a similar age. The raunchiest those parties would get was a couple of rounds of spin the bottle, totally tame. But that’s high school kids for you. At this party, there was a variety of ages present, some of whom should surely know better. A couple of guys who were standing smoking in the garden eyed me suggestively through the glass. They had to be well into their twenties. I started to feel like jail bait.

After a shrill girl called Natalie swayed past me and almost knocked what was now my third drink from my hand, Iknewit was time to leave. I’d only intended one drink but as I’d downed the first cup, I’d been relieved at how calming the liquid had made me feel.

I moved closer over to Tom who was standing in front of the conservatory doors. Thankfully they were open, allowing the cool breeze into the sticky room. Nathan, who had left earlier for a smoke suddenly came back in and approached us, his body swaying. He darted a glance between us, standing way too close to me. I was almost wearing the guy.

“So, you guys together then? That was fucking quick for you Wade,” he drawled at Tom, a stupid look on his face. He started sliding his fingers up and down my arm, tickling me, the stupid face morphing into something else. I wondered how I had ever thought him attractive. He did not look good plastered, but then again, who did? He’d also been smoking weed or something as his eyes had that weird glaze to them, just like the stoners at school.

I imagined there’d be heavier drugs present too. I drew my gaze suspiciously over to a hooded figure who was standing at the far side of the conservatory. He was definitely dealing something. I tried to swallow that lump of apprehension and turned back to Nate who was still speaking to me. I missed most of what he had said but imagined I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

“Tom’s not the guy for you Harlow. He’s too much of a vagina. You look like the type of girl who likes a bit of rough. A real man.”

Out of the blue, Nathan switched onto full-blown come-on mode. His bullshit grafting attempt with the ‘real man’ comment was so cringe. He was literally all over me.

Tom and I exchanged an awkward look and I conjured up a witty reply but held it when Nathan’s entire face dropped. The playful grin he had been wearing bleeding away. He looked past me and I turned just in time to see Connor moving toward us through the crowd of people. A totally unimpressed fucking glare on his face.

I stiffened. He was wearing a padded bomber jacket and black jeans and lookedtwicehis usual size. I felt a jet of guilty adrenaline. The shit was about to hit it big time. I twisted back to Tom who only shook his head as if signalling for me to do and say nothing.

Oh my God, what had I done?

Connor levelled with us and he pulled me to one side away from Nathan, his fingers angry against my elbow. The beer in my hand sloshed and I teetered in my sandals slightly. Narrowed eyes suspiciously caught the movement, he obviously thought I was pissed. I opened my mouth to correct him and say that everything was fine, but the look he shot me drowned out any coherent reply. I wasn’t surprised to see the don’t-fuck-with me-look stamped across his face.

Nathan sobered slightly and moved forward a step, somehow making him appear larger. I recognised it as one of those squaring-up types of gestures. His eyes moved to Connor’s hold on me. He didn’t like it, which was strange considering we hardly knew each other.

My chest tightened at the thought of trouble; Connor Barratt was like a loaded gun.

“You’re just in time Con, I was about to take little sister for a tour of the first floor. If you get my meaning,” Nathan sneered, glaring at Connor, uncurling his body in an attempt to match their heights. I couldn’t understand why the guy was baiting him on purpose. Did he have a death wish? I recalled Connor’s words about them tolerating each other. Yeah, well the ‘tolerance’ levels between them had just hit zero.

A low chorus of mutters circled around us and the atmosphere was tense.

Nathan pointed at me with his empty vodka bottle.

“Unless you want to take her yourself of course,” he said before placing the bottle on a crisp-strewn table beside him. Did I imagine the double meaning to his comment?

Tom stepped forward and made a gesture for me to pull away and join him, which caused Connor to tug me further to his side. I certainly wasn’t ready for an elbow in the face and I welcomed Tom’s concern.

Connor held my arm firmly, his silence scary. The muscles in his jaw ticked as he tried to control his temper.

Nathan wasn’t having it, his eyes narrowing with pure challenge. It was so different from his about-face behaviour from earlier. The booze was blatantly channelling his courage.

“Har was really looking forward to it too. We could all go up together?” I cringed at both the shortening of my name and his hint of a possible threesome. I so wasn’t a ‘Har’ and the other thing, hell no!

My stepbrother’s expression turned to distaste.

“She’s sixteen youfuckingretard!” he shot out at Nathan, bellowing against the music, thoroughly pissed off as he briefly scanned the crowded area. It felt like the air had been sucked from the room and from the look of anticipation on the faces of those surrounding us;everyonewas happily soaking up the drama.

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