Gods & Monsters

TWO

    "Are you sure you're okay?" Andrew asks, stepping closer to me and running his hands across the bare skin of my back that's slick with sweat.

    "Yes," I repeat, trying to keep the venom from my voice. I step away slightly, but he only comes closer. He faces me and brushes back the hair that hangs like a curtain down the side of my face, his fingers securing the blonde strands behind my ear. I look over at him just in time for him to lean in and plant a kiss on my lips. I pull away quickly, pressing my hands against his chest to push him off.

    "What do you think you're doing?" I ask him in disbelief. In what way did I give him the hint that I wanted him to kiss me?

    "I-I--" He stumbles, taken back by my outburst as if I haven't given him enough hints that I'm not interested in him.

The gal of this man boggles my fucking mind.

    "I have no idea where you got the idea that I wanted you to kiss me, but I don't." I hiss. He presses forward again, his hand firm on my face and alcohol strong on his breath. I push against his chest roughly, but he doesn't step back, it only causes him to fight harder.

    "Get off of me!" I yell at him before I drive my shin in between his knees. He groans and keels over, his hand grabbing onto his junk while cursing under his breath.

    "I've been nothing but patient with you—"

    "That doesn't mean you have the right to put your fucking hands on me, dipshit." The bar door opens and the air is sucked from my surroundings like a vacuum, my spine suddenly tingling and my limbs growing warm.

    "Is this man bothering you?" A dark voice says with a slight Irish-sounding accent, and my eyes find the man from the bar standing in the shadows, his eyes trained on me. I step back, sentences crafting inside my brain but not able to be spoken as my mind and mouth can't seem to link together.

    "Mind your business, dude," Andrew says before he stands, turning to face the man. Andrew looks up at him, the fear suddenly apparent in his eyes as he takes in his stature. I bite back a laugh.

Not so big now, huh?

    "I won't hold my tongue when you're treating a lady with disrespect."

    "Whatever," Andrew huffs and glares at me before he storms back inside the bar, hopefully taking the hint this time.

    A few silent moments pause before the man speaks, "Are you alright?" He asks me in a voice just as beautiful as he is, taking a single step toward me. I nod, my eyes finding his and my back resting against the railing, feeling the cool metal biting into my skin. He takes me in, not in a predatory way--almost as if he's curious. Something questioning lingers inside the fire of his eyes, and they look even more vibrant up close.

    "My name is Aden," He offers, looking down at me.

    "L-Lia. I'm Lia," I finally manage. "Thank you for doing that."

    "You don't need to thank me. I've noticed he's been bothering you all night."

    He's...noticed? Had he noticed me before I noticed him? That seems unlikely.

    "Oh yeah, well..." I trail off, wanting to look anywhere but at him. "My friend seems to think I need to give assholes a chance but, I'm doing perfectly fine on my own."

    "Of course you are," He says, his mouth breaking into a smile for the first time. I watch the movement, something unfurling inside my chest.

    Or maybe I'm trying to convince myself that I am— "You should get back inside, your friend will be looking for you."