Page 19 of Unmasking You

“I’m Dominic, by the way, but you can call me Nic,” he says with a smile.

I like him. His hair is styled to perfection, and his blue eyes are open and kind. I also don’t miss how ripped his body is. The shirt he’s wearing just accentuates his muscles. I relax a bit more, grateful that I won’t be making a fool of myself for not listening to the introductions earlier.

“How did you two meet?” he asks, pointing at Alexi with a nod of his head.

“We went to the same school.” I can’t believe how good it is to talk to someone like I’m doing with Nic, but his calm, playful behaviour makes me feel at ease.

“Adam, Luis, and I went to school together.”

Following his look to the other guys, I don’t miss the longing in his eyes. I also don’t miss Adam’s look when Nic turns back to me, nor do I miss the jealousy showing on his face. I wonder what their story is.

“Then there’s Darren, but he’s always late.”

“Hi guys,” someone says, stopping at our table.

I don’t pay attention because Nic says, “And Darren has arrived.”

“Hi everyone.”

My blood goes cold, and I don’t have the courage to look around and check if what my ears heard is reality or a figment of my imagination. I push closer against Alexi, and he leans towards me, aware something is wrong, especially after what happened at the office earlier today.

“Is everything okay?”

I want to scream,No, nothing is okay.

But I haven’t looked yet, so how can I be so sure he’s here?

The music is loud enough to distort voices, but my entire body is saying he’s here.

What the heck am I going to do? I can’t jump up and scream at him to stop, to leave me alone. I don’t even know if he’s here for me, even if it feels like he’s stalking me.

I don’t reply, instead glancing up, and my fears are confirmed because there’s Shane, saying hello and bumping his fist with some of the other guys.

When his eyes land on me, he pauses for a moment, his eyes going dark and his smile wavering. And even if it’s only a second, it feels like it lasted a lifetime.

Someone calls him, and he breaks our standoff.

“Shaz, this is Alexi and Jamie.”

“Hey,” I hear Alexi say. As usual, he’s always friendly with everyone.

However, as much as I try, I can’t seem to make my vocal cords work or my eyes move from the table back to Shane.

“Hey,” Shane replies, and his voice washes over me, making my body go hot and cold.

They keep talking for a while, but I don’t follow. I’m too busy asking all the deities to grant me a wish and send him away. Meanwhile, my body relives the few touches we shared at the event and asks for more.

As if I’d ever allow that. But my body has a completely different idea from my brain and keeps reminding me of the feeling, almost as if his hands are still touching me.

“Have a seat, man.”

I watch in horror as Shane walks towards the side of the booth I’m sitting on.

I can’t sit next to him.

But then why is my body buzzing at the idea of having him close?

My heart is beating so hard it’s stealing my breath away. In self-preservation, I jump up, and without looking at anyone, I rush to the stairs. My only hope is reaching the toilets before I break down or before I allow him to touch me again.

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