"I got you a drink.” His tone was sharp and I turned to stare at him. What the fuck have I done to upset you!? I frowned deeply at him as I took my drink from his grasp. His eyes were dark and I noticed the tense atmosphere between us all.
"How are you keeping Arlo?" I turned my head to glance behind me where Haz was standing. His tone was cool and blunt and sent shivers down my spine. I felt my arse rest just below where his crotch was and I gripped the bar that was in front of me.
"I'm fine thank you Harry. How are you doing?" This sweet boy's tone was as cold as ice. Harry? His name is Harry. Who is this lad? Why the tense atmosphere?
"I'm very well thank you. Is your brother in town?" I listened eagerly to the conversation, trying my best to keep myself upright. Haz was stronger than I’d realised, the force of him standing behind me was making my wrist ache from gripping onto the bar.
"Yes, as a matter of fact he is. He's planning to visit you both soon." A smug expression flashed across his face before he turned his attention back to me. I blushed under his gaze and swallowed the lump growing in my throat. "Who is this?" I glanced up at Jay, maybe he’d know what to say.
"She's one of Chloe's friends from uni." Jay answered before Haz or I could and I closed my mouth.
"Well she's too old for me then..." He began to chuckle and I tried to hold in my laugh too. I had to keep the wine in my mouth. "I wonder if she's to Rava's taste." He continued to laugh but now I had stopped. I got an eerie feeling that filled me with goosebumps. Something isn’t right.
"Don't go there Arlo." Haz snapped, I felt his hand rest against my hip, he ran his thumb over it and I closed my eyes for a split second. The feeling of him touching me in a possessive manner turned me on no end. I opened my eyes and glanced back towards him. He looked angry, so fucking angry. I ran my fingers over his softly in an attempt to calm him down and watched as he glanced in my eyes. I couldn’t read him.
"Ahh is it like that?" He glanced at us and I blushed. Fuck.
"No it's like nothing." He removed his hand from my hip slowly but kept the spacing the same. A grin stretched across young Arlo’s face.
"Go and find Chloe beaut." Jay gestured at Chloe who was standing laughing with Jamane, our dance tutor and I looked back at Jay, his eyes said all I needed. 'Get out of here while you can Avaya.' I nodded and began to walk towards her. I made a point of not looking back towards where they were standing. Had Jay noticed Haz’s hand on my hip? Did he know? I shook my head and stood next to Chloe. She looked up towards me and her expression changed. She went from being happy and laughing to concerned.
"What is wrong with you?" She chuckled. I shook my head and thought about the scary blonde lad.
"Nothing," I began, "actually, who the hell is Arlo?" I heard a small gasp come out of Missy’s mouth and watched as Chloe looked towards the bar. "And who the fucking hell is Rava?" I couldn’t stop the questions from flying out of my mouth.
"Oh shit." I watched as Chloe made her way away from where we stood towards the bar, she didn’t take Missy with her. She simply stood in silence next to me. My mind was racing. I peered at Missy who’s colour had drained. She looked ghostly white even beneath her mahogany tan.
“What’s going on?” I questioned her. She didn’t make any eye contact with me; she simply shook her head.
"If I were you Avaya I would go, and I wouldn’t come back." Her words of warning didn’t sound vicious. There was an air of concern. Concern for me. She took a seat in the booth next to where we stood and began to rub her wrists slowly. She did not once look at me. I found myself feeling sorry for her. I knew she didn’t like me. She never had done. Even whilst we were in school but at that moment I felt sorrow for her. Something had happened to her. Something bad and she was warning me away. How could I leave now? I took her towards the ladies bathroom as she was clearly in some form of shock. She still didn’t look directly at me as she continued to rub her wrists.
"Go back out Avaya, I'll be fine just send Chloe in yeah?" I felt like I should stay but I knew she had a short fuse so I followed her request. My chest felt tighter and tighter by the second as I left the ladies bathroom.
Vens - Sunday
She was standing outside, it was fucking freezing out there. I looked towards her and she looked deep in thought as she stared out towards the beach. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen her do this. She did the same thing that first night at Alfie’s. Since Arlo showed up the night had gone all wrong. He wasn’t supposed to show up. Jay fixed Rava when he went to Italy. He wasn’t supposed to be over here. Not now. I knew that Missy hadn’t left the ladies all night and I didn’t blame her. If I were in her shoes, I would have probably been too scared to leave them too. A deep sigh escaped my lips, I leant against the Top Hat’s exterior wall and watched her. Her hair was swirling around her as the wind blew and I walked towards where she stood. I braced myself for touching her. She felt like
