Page 12 of Catch Me

“Since when do you give a shit what I wear?” I fist a hip now, firing hazel coloured daggers at the orbs that are identical to mine.

He shrugs nonchalantly. “I don’t particularly care, it was just an observation.”

“Ok, well here’s another observation. You’re a prick.” I pop a shoulder, dimples pulled in and cheeky smile in place before I saunter off across the living room to locate some alcohol.

The kitchen resembles an off license as usual, the counter top lined with an array of different beverages. I’m drawn to the colourful ones of course, opting for a pink, raspberry flavoured gin and pairing it with a tall glass of lemonade. My eyes scan the room for someone, anyone that I know and can tolerate chatting to for the next hour whilst I get as drunk as possible. I’m distracting myself of course, forcing myself not to look around the room for Nick. When I eventually spot Molly perched on a bar stool on the other side of the room though, a magnet latches onto me. I feel a pair of heavy eyes lock onto my body. I canliterally feel him watching me walk. The path of his intense gaze tracking up from my click-clacking heeled feet, over the meandering shape of my ass and all the way up to my face. I won’t look at him though, I'm not going to chase him tonight. Matter of fact, I’d rather avoid him all together for fear of rejection. I’m a coward, I know but I'm too scared to give a shit.

I hop up onto the stool next to Molly and she clinks her glass with mine. “So, have you spoken to him yet?”

“Not a chance, I told you already I'm not going to approach him, if he wants to talk to me then he can come over here. But you and I both know that he won’t, because he’s all talk and no action.” I sigh, pretending not to care when I tip the pink fizz to my lips and ignore the feeling of his eyes on me again.

“He’s looking at you right now.” Molly laughs, dipping her face to my ear and whisper-yelling, “I know you think he’s an asshole and he can be when he wants to be, but I think he’s genuine about this Lo.” She sits back up and shrugs, “If he says he likes you or whatever then you should believe him.”

She makes it sound so easy, so simple but it’s not and she of all people should know that.

I take a couple of huge gulps, feeling the numbing fizz travel down my throat until my glass is suddenly empty. When I look back at Molly her deep blue eyes are bright and sparkling, amused by the nervous downing of my drink.

“Very ladylike,” she muses, pursing her lips to smother the grin.

“Ladies don’t sip, they gulp.” I state matter-of-factly, glancing over my shoulder for a millisecond and instantly locking eyes with the guy who’s moved into my brain and made himself at home there.

He’s not smiling, not wearing that megawatt grin like he usually is. No, instead he’s just watching me, knees parted, elbows resting on each thigh as he takes intermittent sips of his frostedbeer. Jesus, those deep brown eyes feel like they’re looking directly into my soul.

I turn back around quick, only to be met with a pondering expression from Molly. She glances back at Nick, then at me, then at Nick again.

I pinch her thigh with my fingers. “Can youstoplooking at him, you’re making me feel uneasy.”

“Just thinking…” she contemplates, ocean eyes thinner and more serious than usual. “I think I have an idea.”

“About wh—?”

Before I can even finish my question Molly hops down off her bar stool and claps her hands to draw the attention of almost everyone in the room. To be honest she wouldn’t have even needed to clap. She could gain the attention of any room without even needing to clear her throat, she’s just one of those people. There’s someone else exactly like that in this room and he stands up the moment Molly announces herself.

“Let’s play truth or dare, who’s down?” She says gleefully, clasping her hands together again. “Come on, make a circle in the living room.”

“Molly!” I hiss, tugging at the back of her dress but she wafts me away like a pesky fly buzzing around her. So, I do all I can do and follow her to the living room.

She plonks herself down on the couch next to Kyle, who’s arm snakes around her middle and pulls her close. I get a tight, uncomfortable feeling in my chest watching them, the kind that makes you inhale deeply just to make sure you still can. I drag my eyes off them and sit down on the carpet by Molly’s feet. Sean sits behind me on the sofa, nudging his big tree trunk of a leg into my side, earning himself a pinch.

“Ow, you little shit.” He curses and I shoot evils back up at him, my stomach increasingly sloshing as I wait for Nick to sit somewhere. He’s looking at the space next to me, eyeing the gapbetween my body and Sean’s leg, analysing if he can squeeze his gargantuan frame into it.

Eventually he settles on a spot on the raggedy old carpet opposite me, probably so he can continue to stare at me like he’s doing right now. I hold his gaze for a breath, a breath I'm not sure how to let go of again when he looks at me like that. He’s pinning me in place like I'm the only person in the entire room, but Molly’s voice breaks our stare after only a few seconds.

“No, sorry this is hockey team only.” She says to a freshmen football player who tries to sit in our newly formed circle.

His eyes scan the circle, landing back on Molly with a ‘are you fucking kidding me’ scowl. “You’re not a fucking hockey player.”

Molly tries to stand, the fire bellowing out of her ears, but Kyle pins her to the couch with one huge bicep across her middle.

“No smart ass, but my boyfriend is, so why don’t you just shut your mo—” She says, trying to stand again, stormy blue eyes flashing with lightning. The football player should be running for his life right now and he doesn’t seem to realise it.

“Steady on tiger.” Kyle grips her waist tightly and smacks a kiss to her cheek, which seems to put out the burning fire in her eyes.

She breathes a deep sigh, the red seeping out of her high cheekbones as the football player trundles off with a muttered curse.

“Anyway, who wants to start.” Her eyes glow with delight as she scans the circle, landing on Nick with a sass in her expression that makes me feel nauseous. “Nicky, how about you?”

Oh Jesus, this must be that idea she was talking about. Poor Nick has no idea what’s about to happen and neither do I, but at least I don’t have every fucker from the Redwood hockey team watching me right now, especially my brother. Sean’s obnoxiously large calf keeps nudging into my shoulder and I consider sinking my teeth into him like I used to as a naughty child. But instead I stare up at him with daggers in my eyes andhe grins back at me like a toddler who’s just been caught in the biscuit tin.

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