By the time midnight comes, Tasha is drunk. She drags me to the dancefloor and we start dancing. I don’t know when it happened, but as I turn to find her in the crowd, I frown in when I see my brother dancing with her, his hands clamped on her waist and their bodies moving to the beat.
Well, moving is putting it mildly. Tasha is practically grinding against him.
Before I’m about to go over to them, someone’s arm goes its around my waist and I’m pulled back into a hard chest. I freeze on the spot, warm lips touching the back of my neck. I stop breathing, my body suddenly overwhelmed in sensation.
It’s him. I know it’s him.
Please tell me you’re not still mad at me ? he asks, his voice husky. I shiver as his hands slide down my waist and cling onto my hips.
I lose my breath and close my eyes, leaning my head back against his chest, his warmth intoxicating me. I’m angry, I reply finally. But…
His hot breath is now on the back of my neck and I want very much to feel on my lips now that he’s here. That he has me. But ?
I missed you, I admit. Even though it’s wrong.
I pull away from him and go to walk away, but he catches my wrist and turns me to face him. Don’t think you’re going anywhere this time, because you’re not.
Once again, I find myself being sucked into Colton’s dark eyes. My heart thumps when his arms wrap around my waist, keeping my body against his.
It’s like we’re in our own world again. Just me and him and all these strange feelings of want and need. Me and him standing completely still while everybody else dances around us. Although I’m overwhelmed of finally seeing him, I know I shouldn’t be feeling this way.
I have to go Colton, I say, even though I don’t want to be away from him. Not really.
He sighs, his minty breath caressing my face. He smells amazing and looks so good wearing a dark grey suit that fits him perfectly, enhancing the shape of his muscles I once ran my fingers over. But he’s not happy with me. I know that by the way his mouth twists with disappointment, his eyes going a shade darker.
No, you don’t.
I have to, I say, casting my eyes downwards. It’s my friend’s birthday. I’m with her tonight.
He removes his hands from my waist, leaving me cold and empty. I want nothing more than to have his touch all over me, but instead, he puts his hands into his pockets and tilts his head to the side, a frown now on his handsome face. But is your friend here with you ?
I frown in confusion and follow his gaze across the crowd. That’s when my eyes come to a sight that makes my mouth drop and my body freeze with shock.
Ray is making out with Tasha in the middle of the dancefloor.
I blink several times because I can’t believe what I’m seeing. What the heck is going on and why are they doing this ?
A sudden shot of anger consumes me. Before I know it, I storm over to them both and grab Tasha’s arm, dragging her away from Ray. Drunk, she stumbles into me, slapping her hand over her mouth, looking surprised as I glare at her.
Oh my god ! she says, her eyes wide.
I turn to Ray. What the hell, Ray ?
I let go of her arm and push his shoulder. How can he make out with Tasha after sleeping with Vicky ? What is he trying to do, sabotage my friends ?
Ray’s eyes narrow into slits and he glares at me back. There’s something about him that’s scary, but I find myself rising to it. Seriously, what the heck are you doing ?
Making out with your friend. Didn’t think I needed permission, he snaps, and I’m taken aback by his anger. He’s never ever spoken to me like this before and I’m slightly hurt by his tone when he’s the one in the wrong.
But what about Vicky ? I ask loudly over the pounding music. You can’t just go around making out and sleeping with my friends, Ray !
At the mention of Vicky, his nostrils flare. Friends ? It’s not my fault your friends want me. I’m just giving them what they want !
What are you talking about ?
He steps closer to me, and from the corner of my eye, I see Toby shift closer in the background.
Dammit, Layla, he yells, making my body shudder. Open your fucking eyes and wake up. Vicky used you to get to me. She doesn’t like you. Neither does this bitch here. Your friends are only your friends because they wanted to get closer to me for their damn reputations ! I flinch as Ray turns to Tasha, who is staring wide eyed at him. Stop lying to my sister.
I’m not ! she protests, but I can’t hear their argument because I’m wounded inside, like someone has punched me in the gut.
Ray, who has never lied to me in my life, brought me up and looked after me, just revealed that my friends are liars and only using me. I look at Tasha, who looks at me at the same time. Layla-
Is it true ? I interrupt her.
Her solemn eyes go even wider, filling with tears. She doesn’t say anything, she instead looks down at the ground. I purse my lips bitterly. She gives me my answer even though she hasn’t muttered a single, damn word.
My friends are fake. Vicky only wanted my brother, and now that she’s had him, she doesn’t have much use for me. I guess Tasha was just waiting for her turn.
I look at Ray and anger penetrates through the hurt. I bring my hand up in one fluid motion and hit him in his face. I regret doing it straight away, but after finding out my two best friends since the beginning of high school are only my friends because of him, it feels like it’s his fault.
I never have anything that’s just mine.
Ray’s eyes go darker. Closing the gap, Toby reaches out and grabs his elbow. Leaning in, he mutters something into his ear that I can’t hear, but judging by Ray’s expression, he isn’t liking whatever Toby’s saying.
He jerks away and disappears through the crowd, leaving Toby, Tasha and some of Ray’s friends staring at me. My bottom lip wobbles, but not wanting to give them the satisfaction of seeing me upset, I turn away and push my way through the thick crowd. I hear Tasha calling after me, but I ignore her.
I escape inside the women’s bathroom and lock myself inside a cubicle, taking a deep breath. I honestly can’t believe that happened. What I just found out.
Groaning, I sit on the lidded toilet seat, trying to make sense of what Ray revealed. It’s like something you see in one of those stupid high school movies. How can someone use years of friendship to get closer to someone’s brother ?
Ray is well known in town. He’s popular and everyone likes him. Are people only my friend because of him ?
When I first started high school, and Vicky and Tasha started hanging around me, I didn’t think anything of it, just lucky that I’d found fun friends who made school less boring. But now I see the lies. All those times Vicky begged me to invite her over to my house, or just showing up at random times pretending to want to hang out with me.