"Still beautiful isn’t it?" She openly admitted and I was glad that I wasn’t feeling alone. I nodded and made an exit from the car. The sound of our heels crunching on the gravel made my stomach curl. I closed my eyes before I entered the house. I don’t want to be here. I clutched Nancy’s arm and she squeezed it. It was just enough to reassure me and I needed that now. My feet wouldn’t move any further into the house. There were people everywhere. Jay spotted us and crept passed the crowds of people and as he hit Nancy he placed a light peck against her cheek. He gripped her waist and I smiled weakly at him. I want to go home, I want to go home and I want to go home. I shook my head at my thoughts and looked towards my left where the kitchen was. My eyes found the view towards the sea and I was pulled towards it. I stopped as I made contact with another human. I jumped and moved my eyes upwards. It was Alfie. Thank god. Relief flowed through me and I smiled at him. He held me at arms length and examined my face.
“Hey where have you been?” He looked down towards my smaller frame and I cleared my throat. “The gym it would seem?”I felt myself blushing and nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve just been busy with uni.” I tried my hardest to lie to him. I’d gone into a rut. I found myself keeping busy so that I didn’t think about him. I had been taking four to five classes a week. Alfie’s eyes widened as he dropped my arms. He was looking over my shoulder.
“Boo.” The familiar feeling of stubble and his smell hit me like a wall. I turned around to see him. His eyes were different. They were red. So red around the edges. He wasn’t smiling his usual soft smile. It looked cruel and I stood speechless staring at him. Who was this man? My heartbeat slowed. He seemed different. He was always so calm and controlled but tonight he wasn't. His eyes wouldn’t stay in one place and he couldn’t stay still. I tensed as he touched me. I moved away from him slowly, I watched as he gripped my arm and winced. Fuck that hurt. I fought the urge to snatch my arm away. I felt the tears threaten my eyes and I looked away from him. People were now looking and whispering. He picked me up and I pulled on my skirt so my arse wasn’t being shown to the world. I felt the blood rush to my face.
“Where have you been?” He raised his eyebrow in my direction and I pushed against his chest softly. Please put me down.
“Where have you been?” I whispered back at him. Tears were definitely brimming in my eyes and I couldn’t look at his. They weren’t the same. His expression changed the second he placed me back on the floor. He looked angry. A chill went through my body as I tried to put some distance between us. He caught my arm with his fingers and squeezed. Ouch!
“What is that supposed to mean!?” His voice was slightly higher now and I noticed people looking.
“What are you doing?” I looked down where he was holding my arm and tried to move it. Fuck he’s strong. I closed my eyes tightly. I was trying to hold back my tears.
“Haz let her go, you’re hurting her and there’s a room full of people staring at you.” She pressed his chest and he released me from his clutch. I instantly grabbed my arm and rubbed it. I caught my breath and looked towards her. Her mud brown eyes looked sad.
“I’m so sorry about him Av,” her eyes followed him out of the room “he’s going through a rough time.” A rough time? Why? What could possibly have changed him so drastically? “C'mon don’t let that shit head ruin your night.” She took my arm in hers and pulled me to introduce me to some more of her friends.
My mind wasn’t in the socializing game. I was analysing everyone in the room. I made sure I was standing in a large group which is where I stood now. I heard laughter from around me and felt Chlo nudge me slightly in the rib. I recognised some of the faces. We’d been out with them before. I smiled politely at the girl who was talking and my eyes traced towards the back of the room. I spotted one of my old uni lecturers. Her dirty blonde hair fell down past her shoulders and she was dressed in a short black dress which made her already long legs look even longer. She looked comfortable here. She was laughing and joking with some of Alfie’s friends. What is she doing here? I leant into Chlo and whispered.
“Chlo?” My eyes didn’t leave Natalie Foley.
“Yes?” She followed my line of site. “Oh shit.” She pulled me to face her and then pulled me away from the group towards the hallway. I followed her. Why oh shit? What the fuck is going on?
“Why is she here?” She grimaced and I nodded at her in an effort to hurry her response along.
“See the thing is, she’s kinda sorta,” she paused and I pushed her chest slightly.
“Fuck sake Chlo spit it out…” She looked back over my shoulder and shook her head.
“She’s fucking Haz.” My heart stopped as she spoke the words. Tears threatened to leak from my eyes and I nodded. I turned where she was looking and watched as Haz was pulling her into him. He was nibbling her neck. She was grinning like a fucking idiot. Fire bubbled in the pit of my stomach. I made
