“Wow,” Hunter said, his mouth slightly open as he took in my appearance. I blushed under his gaze, loving the way he was looking at me. “You look great,” he got out.
“Thanks.” I smiled, feeling pretty great myself.
“Let me get you a drink,” he said and walked to the bar without waiting for an answer. I liked that he knew me enough by now, to know exactly what I’d want to drink. He might never be Axel but there were things I did like about this relationship. Hunter brought me back a pitcher of red sangria and himself a pitcher of rum and coke.
“I figured I’d get us a pitcher, so we can steer clear of that long line for a while,” he told me setting our drinks down.
“Thanks! That was a good idea,” I agreed, looking at the long line that had formed for the bar area. The DJ was playing some pretty decent music and I was having a good time just talking with my girls and Hunter with his friends, when I heard an all-too-familiar loud laugh ring through the bar. I’d heard that laugh so many times, I could pick it out of a crowd anywhere. I looked for the source and then clear as daylight, I found her laughing at something the bartender was saying.
Chelsea. I hadn’t seen her or heard from her in months. Not since I found out about her and Chris and had kicked her out of my apartment. She hadn’t seen me and was too busy holding up the line and the bartender. I took my time to study her then, her hair had grown slightly and ran just past her shoulders and was styled sleek and straight. She wore a form fitting bright yellow mini-dress, catching everyone’s attention. I didn’t see anyone else in line with her and wondered if she’d come alone. I studied her face and she looked good, although I couldn’t see what lay behind all the makeup. My stomach twisted looking at her and I felt slightly nauseous with all the feelings she brought back. Someone said something behind her and she scowled and took her drink, letting the line move forward. I watched as she walked by our table. As she walked by, our eyes met but she kept walking until she stopped and did a double-take, recognizing that it was me. Her eyes got big like saucers and her mouth opened into a giant O. I looked away, not wanting to give her any invitation to come over. After a few seconds I glanced back to see her walking away, out of eyesight to the other side of the bar.
“Was that?” Jenny asked, having witnessed the whole exchange.
“Uh-huh.” I nodded, my stomach still tight with anger and betrayal.
“Ouff. Let’s hope we don’t run into her again tonight,” she whispered, for only me to hear.
“I really hope not,” I agreed, praying that everything tonight would go smoothly.
“Do you want to go dance?” I asked Hunter. He’d mainly been talking to his friends all night. The music was pumping and people were gathered on the dance floor, the party was in full swing.
“Nah, I’m good,” he dismissed me, fully invested in the conversation with his friends.
“Okay,” I said, feeling a little disappointed.
Jenny and Anne were out dancing on the dance floor and I decided to join them. I wasn’t going to sit around bored with Hunter and his friends all night. A few guys tried to pull me over to them as I walked by but I ignored them and continued towards my girls, until a pair of hands grabbed me rather roughly, with force, stopping me and pulling me towards them. I looked at my assailant in shock and found myself face-to-face with a pair of cold, icy blue eyes. Chris. I hadn’t seen him since that night at Duke’s, when Axel had gotten him to leave. He was clearly already drunk and he looked angry. I felt scared and didn’t know what to do, I looked to Hunter but he was lost in conversation with his buddies and probably hadn’t even realized I’d left and the girls were too busy dancing to even notice me. In a sea of people, I was alone and trapped.
“Leah,” Chris grinned smugly, his eyes fierce and malevolent.
“What do you want Chris?” I asked, trying to force myself out of his grasp, but he held me firmly in place.
“I told you, I wasn’t done with you,” he sneered. “You need to come back to me,” he continued.
“I’m dating someone else now, Chris,” I told him, still trying to pull away but getting nowhere. “And even if I wasn’t, you’re the last man on Earth I’d ever be with,” I told him through clenched teeth. He laughed at that.
“Where is this guy you’re dating?” he asked, looking around. “Either you’re lying to me or he doesn’t care about you enough, leaving you alone, when you’re looking as good as you do,” he said, moving closer to me and sniffing my neck. He sighed loudly and I wanted to puke. I tried harder to pull away. How I had ever thought that I had loved this man was beyond me.
“Let me go!” I cried out but he simply ignored me, his grip remaining firm. I felt my anxiety rising.
“Lee, when are you going to see we belong together, we had something good,” he said, roughly pulling me closer and lowering his face so that his putrid beer breath was burning my nostrils. I looked away to create some distance from
