No Choice But You // Ominis Gaunt x Reader

Chapter 27

I walked through the portrait hole with Anne, feeling like a million galleons. 

Ominis was already there, seated by the fire with Cressida, who was practically in his lap. He had his arm secured around her waist while she chatted with some of her friends, and the sight made my blood boil. 

"Remember--you're not going to let him get you worked up," Anne reminded me, elbowing me in my side. 

"I know, I know," I stated. I thought about getting a drink to take my mind off of Ominis, but I wasn't sure that would help. I tended to make bad decisions when I drank. 

The decision was made for me when Anne disappeared for a moment, returning with two cups in her hand, She gave one to me, and I took a sip, shuddering just a bit at how strong it was. 

Okay. I could do a few drinks, I just needed to be on top of how many I drank I didn't want a repeat of last time. Anne led me over to the fireplace, where our friends were starting to congregate. Unfortunately, that was also where Ominis was. 

I walked with confidence over to the couch, trying not to fall in the heels that I wore. I sat down on the sofa adjacent to the one Ominis and his leech were seated on. That was as close to them as I could bear right now. 

Keeping my eyes off of his hand on her waist seemed to be doing the trick. I took another sip of my drink. Then another. Gods, I needed to slow down, but this was irritating. Like Anne said, I couldn't let him get to me. I needed to do better than he did. He wasn't allowed to win. 

Cressida was now whispering something in Ominis's ear. I tried not to puke into my drink as her lips pressed up against his ear, and again when he smiled. 

He smiled. 

That was a rare sight when around Ominis, and now, I really couldn't help but feel jealous in that moment. Right then, I realized how serious my feelings for him were. I understood what I was feeling. 

I wanted to be the one to make him smile, and I never wanted to see someone else that close to him. I didn't like the way she looked at him. I didn't like any of it. Still, I didn't know how any of this would play out seeing as he was still convinced that I was the devil. 

Everything was my fault in his eyes, and I couldn't blame him for thinking that--not when it was true. The thought was disheartening, especially in light of my new revelation. 

I'd known for a while how I felt about him, but saying it to myself in such a sure way, there wasn't any going back now. The feelings were solidified, and I'd be damned if Ominis ended up with someone like Cressida. 

Garreth plopped down on the sofa beside me with a grin that could start a forest fire. 

"Congratulations on the win," I told him. "You played well."

"Thank you, thank you," he said. "So what's up with those two?" he asked quietly. "How long has that been a thing?"

"Gods, he's just doing it to annoy me."

"Why don't you two just kiss and make up already? I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but you two belong together." 

I rolled my eyes at that and took another sip of my drink, feeling It burn a path down my throat. "Well, I'm not going to let him win this round," I told him. "He drew the line between us before I started this fight, and he's going to be the one to cross it when he's ready. I'll be damned if I cave first." 

"So stubborn," he chuckled. 

Poppy and Sebastian approached us next, taking a seat next to Cressida and Ominis. "Congrats on the win, mate," Sebastian told Garreth. 

"Thanks!" he said, shooting him a thumbs up. 

We chatted about nothing in particular for a while longer before Anne brought up a suggestion. 

"I say we play truth or dare," she said.

"I thought we established that that's a poor idea already," Ominis stated. 

"No veritaserum this time," Anne responded. 

"I'm always down," Garreth stated. Sebastian and Poppy said they were game for it as well. A few minutes later, we were engaged in a game of truth or dare. 

It went on for a little bit, and nothing too crazy happened. Of course that changed when it reached my turn. 

"Y/n" Poppy said. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare, of course," I said with a grin. 

"Okay. I dare you to down the rest of your drink!" She gave me a mischievous look, and I stared down at my nearly full cup. 

I hadn't intended to get pissed tonight, but I thought fuck it and completed my task. A few claps and cheers later, the game was moving again. I asked Sebastian the question and ended up daring him to transfigure his hair to the color magenta for the rest of the night, and he took me up on that. 

Everyone laughed at his pink hair and gave me props for thinking it up. Eventually, it rolled around to me again, and it was Anne, giving me a dare. 

"I dare you to kiss the hottest person in the circle," she said with a wink. She was stirring the pot, and I knew it. As I looked around the circle, I already knew who the answer was, but I wasn't going to kiss him. I wanted to mess with him more than anything, seeing as Cressida had slithered herself even further into his lap now, and he was showing no signs of letting up. 

I looked over to Garreth for a moment before planting my lips firmly against his.