Page 50 of Vendetta
I went in search of a bathroom. The sound of vomiting from downstairs prompted my journey to the second floor, where, after knocking three times, I swung the door open and came face to face with a half-naked couple. It was a traumatic moment for all of us.
I quickly shut the door and made my way further along the upstairs hallway, stopping outside Millie’s parents’ room and rapping my knuckles against the door. When there was no answer from inside, I eased my way in, praying I wasn’t about to encounter another scarring scene. The bedroom was empty.
The narrow door beside the wall of closets meant my memory had served me correctly and that they did have anen-suite bathroom. But as I approached it, the handle was yanked downwards from the inside and it swung backwards on its hinges. I jumped back and landed against the bed. I shot my hands up and covered my eyes. ‘Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here.’
My explanation was met with a deep laugh. ‘Relax, Sophie. I spilt some beer on myself and all the other bathrooms wereocupado.’
I unsheltered my eyes and found Robbie Stenson leaning against the doorway, holding a red cup in each hand. ‘Do you want one? I’ve got a spare.’
‘Um, thanks.’ I was glad to know Robbie wasn’t holding our basketball tournament debacle against me. ‘I’m not sure if I should drink – it’s hard enough to walk in these heels while sober. I don’t want to risk my life by doing it drunk.’
He flicked his floppy hair across his forehead and smirked. ‘It’s just cranberry with seltzer, but it’ll give you a nice buzz. I think it’s the sugar content or something.’
‘Cool.’ I reached for the cup in his outstretched hand, feeling hot all of a sudden. ‘I am pretty thirsty.’
‘No kidding.’ He sat on to the bed with a plonk and arched one of his perfect eyebrows at me. ‘You were dropping some killer dance moves earlier. Why didn’t you use some of that talent on the court? Then we might have had a snowball’s chance.’
I smiled into the cup. ‘I’m not sure I could have dribbled the ball and done the robot at the same time.’
Robbie snorted with amusement. ‘It might have intimidated our opponents.’ He stared unblinkingly at me as I drank. ‘You look great, by the way.’
‘Thanks.’ Suddenly I had a feeling our conversation might mean something different to him than it did to me.
‘I should get back downstairs,’ I said, setting the empty cup on the nightstand.
‘I thought you had to go to the bathroom?’
‘Not really any more. I think I was just feeling overheated.’ I rose and teetered to the door as my feet began to ache again.
‘Maybe I’ll catch you later,’ he hollered after me.
‘Yeah, maybe,’ I said, gripping the banister and lowering myself carefully on to the stairs.
Back in the kitchen, I found Millie cuddling up against a boy with a questionable goatee. She was leaning into his shoulder and giggling like a little girl. Her attempts to forget about Dom were obviously going well.
‘Sophie.’ She grinned broadly and stood up when she saw me. ‘Come meet Marcus. He’s so great.’ She shuffled closer and dropped her voice. ‘Somuch more fun thanboringDom. I don’t know what I was thinking with that guy. Obviously we’re not compatible, he’swaytoo serious.’
Suddenly she was looming back and forth in front of me, and I was starting to feel funny. ‘Can you stand still?’
‘Have you been drinking, Soph?’
Her eyes grew too big for her face and her mouth was hanging open at an unnatural angle. I shook my head and felt it spin.
‘You sure?’ She came up close until I could see every freckle on her face. They moved around like a puzzle and then disappeared.
‘C-course.’ I slumped backwards against the wall. ‘I don’tfeel very well, though.’ Alarm bells started to go off inside my head, but they got fainter and fainter.
‘You sure you didn’t do a shot of something?’
The music was thumping against my skull. ‘No, I–I just…’ I paused and scrunched up my face. ‘I forgot what I was going to say.’
‘I think someone should take you home.’ I wasn’t aware of much, but I could tell the amusement had drained from Millie’s voice, and the guy with the goatee had disappeared.
‘I have a headache. C-can you get me something for that?’ I heard myself falter over the words and grimaced. They sounded so clear in my head.
‘What’s going on, Sophie?’ Out of nowhere, Alex had appeared and was standing in front of me, holding me up. Suddenly I realized that, if he let me go, I would crumple into a heap on the ground. I fell into him, stubbing my nose on his chest.
‘I think she’s had too much to drink,’ he said, holding me steady again.
