It's Just Ann

Chapter 34 - Drunk Habits

"Let's go. I want a juice," I lie, almost dragging Gareth with me before Cece decides to tell Gareth what's really wrong.

I push everything that's Cece's said to the back of my mind, refusing to think about it now. I don' need a headache when we're supposed to have a good time. And even if I said I wanted a juice, I try some exotic cocktail the barman offers. It's so pretty and sweet, and I can't really taste the alcohol so after I finish it I ask for another, and then another one. It's only when I'm on my third drink that I notice my head feels stuffy and I'm kind of dizzy.

"Are you okay?" Gareth asks me, grabbing me by the shoulders when I jump off the stool by the bar where we were sitting at.

"Of course!" I reply, smiling widely as I do so. "Although I should stop drinking. That was deceiving me! I thought it was a myth it had alcohol, but it did have. I have never got drunk and I don't want to know what happens when I do."

Gareth chuckles at my babbling, and I smile brightly just to end up bitting my lower lip as I stare at him.

"Maybe it'd be okay if you get drunk. You've been working so hard lately. It's good to lose control sometimes." His suggestion is spoken in a soft voice, one that feels like a warm and tight embrace. And I hear him above the music because he's still close, holding my arms as if I needed him to stay on my feet, when in fact I don't.

"Says the one who never loses control," I huff, even rolling my eyes. "But it's true, I only work lately, I don't have time for anything else. I don't get to hang out with my friends anymore." I actually pout. I make it sound as if I had many friends, when in fact it's three good friends and one that makes me so conflicted because I also happen to love him.

"Not even with your boyfriend?" he asks next and that throws me off.

"Boyfriend?" I ask out loud, thinking hard. "Ah, Charlie!" It hits me then what he means, remembering that I never cleared that up and that Gareth indeed still thinks Charlie is my boyfriend. "No, no, no! He's not my boyfriend. We only went on a date, but it didn't work out, really. We decided to stay just friends."

"Just friends then?" he inquires to make sure it's like that, so I just nod. Then I see it, a smile that puzzles me because I don't know exactly how to describe it. Whether it's a happy, relieved or an indifferent smile, I can't tell. "Hmm."

"You stoic human," I complain, poking his chest with my finger. "Why don't we go dancing instead? You're less confusing then."

He seems confused with my complaints, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he leads me to the dance floor where all the other people are dancing to the rhythm of a remixed pop song I can't bother to recognise, but it seems it's by Ellie Goulding.

Gareth keeps me close, his hands on my hips as we dance together. I think I'm tipsier than I expected, because I doubt we are dancing that fast as for my world to be moving like this. At some point I get quite dizzy, so I lean closer to him, resting my forehead on his shoulder. I swear I don't do it to hit on him or anything, it's because I need to close my eyes for a second and put myself together.

Arms wrap around me, sneaking slowly until I can feel hot, big hands on my back, drawing me closer to Gareth. I don't fight it, I just let him put our bodies together and I even wrap my arms around his neck very loosely, lazily.

As if my body didn't bother to inform my head what I'm doing next, I nuzzle his neck, breathing deeply so his scent is all I can smell. When my nose brushes his skin he seems to tense, his arms wrapping even tighter around me, pulling me closer. It feels weird, odd, yet so warm and familiar, so comfortable. I also hug him tighter, letting Gareth sways us at the rhythm of the next song.