TWENTY-ONE

Luc 

SHE SMELLS SWEET, her hair the scent of vanilla and berries as she leans back against me. Telling me to fuck off. 

Music moves the air around us, and I’m aware of the others—Harry, Jake, Cerys, some guys I’ve never met—watching us. I know what they’re wondering.

I don’t even care.

She looked too good to resist when I was walking over from the other side of the room.

I’d seen her enter a few minutes ago. Looking around. Looking for me.

No one else can have her. Not while I’m here.

I slide my arms tighter around her and she yields to me. Leaning back. The dress she’s wearing is tight around her midsection. The fabric soft.

‘Get a fucking room, you two,’ Harry says, rolling his eyes but grinning at the same time. I notice Cerys’ expression as she looks at Lexi. 

Lexi must have told them.

For a moment I wonder what they said. And what her face looks like now.

Fuck it. I don’t care. I know she wants me too. And we’ve got to make it look real.

I lean in and whisper in her ear. ‘Come over here.’

She turns slightly and I slip her hand into mine. She’s got one of those godawful drinks in her other hand. ‘Tipsy yet?’ I tease as we cross the room.

Lexi looks at me, confusion on her face. I nod towards the fluorescent liquid.

‘Oh.’ She frowns. ‘No!’ 

‘It’s OK,’ I say. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen you drunk.’ I grin at her and raise my eyebrows as we reach a slightly less crowded part of the room. I lean back against the wall and pull her towards me, gripping her waist and pressing a hand into her lower back. 

She looks even better from the front. Her lips pinker than usual from the drink. The contrast between her thick dark hair and flawless milky cleavage.

Fuck. I really want to touch her.

I really want to tear off her dress and—

‘Haven’t you had any?’ she asks, interrupting my thoughts, defiantly taking another sip. 

‘Maybe.’ 

She peers at my mouth and a smile forms on her lips. ‘Your tongue is blue!’ She pauses then leans forward slightly. ‘Bubblegum? I can smell bubblegum.’

‘Maybe a few,’ I admit. 

‘A few bubblegum?’ 

‘Drinks,’ I clarify. ‘The blue ones taste like bubblegum.’ 

‘Ah.’ She takes another gulp—enough to finish the drink—and looks up slightly at me, her almost-black eyes framed by a heavy fringe. 

‘Maybe you’re the one who’s tipsy,’ she says. 

Maybe. Harry made them fucking potent. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘No?’ She tilts her head back and hair falls back over her shoulders, exposing the curve of her chest above her dress. 

This isn’t fair.

She steps forward slightly, pressing her body against mine, looking me dead in the eyes.

‘I see the way you look at me, Luc.’ 

‘How many of those have you had?’ I try to deflect. Her confidence is hot and unnerving at the same time. She’s doing things to me that no woman has done for a long time. 

She looks at the empty cup in her hand and shrugs. ‘Just this one.’

I take the cup out of her hand. ‘Strawberry? I should have known.’

‘I didn’t choose it.’ 

‘Oh yeah? Who did?’ 

‘Harry.’ 

I raise an eyebrow. ‘Do you always accept drinks from random men?’

‘It’s Harry!’ she pushes against me. Annoyed with my teasing. 

I laugh. ‘OK, OK.’ I hold up the cup with one hand, keeping the other around her waist. ‘Want to try some of the bubblegum?’

‘Yes.’ 

‘Hmm.’ I look at the empty cup, then at her, and reconsider for a moment. ‘It’s pretty strong, mind. Are you sure you can handle it?’ I ask, raising an eyebrow. 

‘I can handle it,’ she says, putting a hand on her hip. ‘Just like I can handle you, Lucas Drummer Boy Stupid Face.’ 

I consider her for a moment and shake my head, smiling. I sigh. ‘OK. Wait here.’ I let my hand brush her midsection as I walk away, heading for the kitchen.

One hour to midnight, and the house is teeming with people. Harry always insists on some big party. How the fuck does he even know all of these people, anyway?

Maybe one of them gave him that ridiculous clock for the countdown.

Someone dark-haired and brooding exits the kitchen, bumping into me as I approach.

‘Sorry, mate,’ he says, patting my arm. 

I look at him. ‘Geth, it’s me.’

Gethin looks at me for a moment. ‘Fuck, sorry Luc. In my own world.’ He looks back towards the kitchen and steps slightly in front of me, blocking my path. ‘You don’t want to go in there,’ he says in a low, foreboding tone.

I glance beyond him, towards the kitchen, and give him a quizzical look. ‘What? Why not?’

‘Someone left the front door unlocked,’ he says, raising his eyebrows. 

I laugh, still having no idea what he’s getting at. ‘And?’

Gethin sighs. ‘It’s Hayley.’

For a second I’m confused. Unable to connect the two thoughts: door unlocked and Hayley.

And then I hear her voice.

‘But you always invite me!’ It’s coming from the kitchen. 

I cringe. Surely she wasn’t always this shrill?

Gethin looks at me pointedly. ‘Don’t go in there. Just leave it.’ He looks around the room. ‘Is Lexi here?’

I open my mouth to answer but Harry’s voice cuts in, also from the kitchen. ‘Because you were Luc’s girlfriend.’

I look at Gethin. ‘I can’t let him deal with it.’

He sighs, then steps aside, holding his hands up. ‘Your circus.’

‘Fucking thanks,’ I mutter, pushing past. 

Hayley sees me before I see her. ‘Luc! Harry’s being a fucking dick, as always. Tell him.’

They never did get on.

‘Just get the fuck out of my house,’ Harry responds, glaring at her. 

Hayley walks in my direction and immediately tries to put her arms around me. Unlike last time, I’m prepared. I block her before she can wrap herself around my waist. ‘You have to leave,’ I say, holding her arms gently but firmly away from me.

‘But—’ 

‘Hayley!’ I’ve had enough. I’ve tried to be kind, but it’s not fucking working. ‘We’re not together any more. For fuck’s sake!’ 

Her eyes light up, incensed. ‘But we said—’

‘You said. And you were wrong. We’re not getting back together.’ As I speak the words, I see hurt in her eyes for the first time. And it almost stops me. 

Hayley puts one hand on her hip, fury returning to her eyes. ‘Is she here?’ 

Almost.

‘You know what? I don’t want to see you ever again. Just fucking leave.’ 

Hayley hesitates, not sure what to say. Harry’s sniggering doesn’t help matters.

‘I’m not leaving without my friends,’ she finally says. 

‘You have friends?’ Harry looks incredulous. 

She shoots him a contemptuous look. Then her eyes are back on me. ‘This isn’t over.’

‘Yeah it is,’ I say without hesitation, turning away from her to find the drinks I came in for. I want to get back to Lexi ASAP before Hayley’s swarm of wasps can find her. 

‘Well, c’mon then,’ Harry says, ushering Hayley out of the kitchen. I wait a few moments, wondering how it came to this. Once I’m sure the coast is clear, knowing Harry won’t let Hayley anywhere near Lexi, I leave with the drinks. 

So glad I left her on the far side of the room.

I can’t even see her initially, and for a moment I feel uneasy. What if someone got to her before me?

Then someone I don’t recognise shifts to the side and there she is.

Talking to some guy.

Oh, my mistake. Two guys.

She works fast. And this is definitely not part of the deal. 

I can hear her laughing as I approach. A lower, sexier laugh than that tinkly laugh Hayley seems to have adopted lately. Just the thought of it angers me.

I take a deep breath.

‘Hey!’ Lexi smiles at me as I approach. I hand her one of the bright blue drinks in my hand and eye the two guys suspiciously. In my peripheral vision, I see them exchange a look. I pull her close to me, protectively. Possessively. Her body willingly responds and she leans into me. It feels good. 

‘Luc, this is Mylo and Dan,’ she says, nodding at them in turn. ‘Guys, this is Luc.’ 

‘And how do you all know each other?’ I say. 

‘I live with Lexi and Cerys,’ one of them—Mylo—responds. 

I narrow my eyes and look at her. She never mentioned this. Did she?

Lexi looks at me blankly for a second before catching my expression. She bursts into laughter. ‘Nothing like that!’ she says, shoving me playfully.

Does Jake know Cerys lives with this guy?

‘Like what?’ I ask, trying to play dumb. Knowing I’ve already failed at maintaining any kind of nonchalant façade. 

‘Mylo’s gay, you jackass. Dan’s his boyfriend.’ 

Now it’s my turn to look confused.

And all three of them are laughing at me.

‘Oh,’ I say, running my hand through my hair, looking down. Doing a Lexi. ‘Sorry about that.’ God, what a fucking idiot. 

‘Lexi, I think he was jealous for a second there,’ Dan says, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. 

Lexi looks up at me. I give her a don’t-you-fucking-dare look. But of course, she does anyway. ‘I think you’re right, Dan.’ She tilts her head. ‘Luc, were you jealous?’ she teases, walking her fingertips delicately up my chest, towards my face, spilling some of her drink in the process.

‘Fuck off,’ I say, batting her hand away while gripping her tighter, conflicted about the effect she’s having on me. 

‘Think we’ll leave you two alone,’ Mylo says, grinning and raising an eyebrow at Lexi. 

As we watch them leave, Lexi takes a sip of her drink. ‘Ooh!’

‘Good, right?’ I say, turning to face her. Still holding her. Keeping the distance between us minimal. 

She nods, already with a pale purple tinge to her lips.

‘So you were jealous?’ she says, grinning, not letting it go. Definitely a bit drunk now. 

I down my drink and take hers off her, putting both cups on the nearest table. So my hands are free. So I can match her level of intoxication. So I can hold her fully.

I walk her gently backwards, until she’s up against the wall. She bites down on her bottom lip, visibly enjoying this display of dominance from me.

‘Well,’ I say in a low voice, my face close to hers, ‘you are meant to be my girlfriend, after all.’ 

‘Only pretend,’ she says back. 

I let my fingers trace a line over her torso, from the side of her waist to the front of her midsection, where I can feel her belly button through the black dress that’s hiding her body. Her breathing changes slightly and her eyes flick up, her gaze meeting mine.

‘Maybe,’ I say slowly, letting my finger drift upwards, almost grazing the outline of her breasts as they strain against the thin fabric. Her breathing quickens. I let go and touch her chin instead, tilting her face up towards mine. 

So close.

‘Maybe,’ I repeat, ‘I’m just a better actor than you.’ 

She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, never breaking eye contact. ‘Are you acting now?’ she says, her voice barely audible above the music.

‘No.’ 

And everything fades away around us. The music. The gazillion other people. And I know I shouldn’t have said that. But fuck it. I want her.

Maybe I am jealous. And it’s going to complicate everything. I’m losing control.

And I don’t even fucking care.

I have to have her.

So I close the gap between us, sliding my fingers around the back of her head. Letting my fingers intertwine with the hair at the nape of her neck.

And I kiss Lexi.