Bad Habits

Chapter 33

                        
                         Olivia

        I'd invited Harley and his friends here without thinking the whole thing through first. I didn't think about the fact they were all prideful alpha males, and so were my friends. And I didn't think about the fact that the last time they were in a room together guns were pointing towards my best friend Noah after he had gone over to their side of the road because he wanted pancakes.

It was a case of why'd the chicken cross the road, except it was why did Noah cross the road? Because he wanted pancakes from a place that he wasn't even supposed to be in to begin with.

Which was why I'd slightly panicked when realisation bitch slapped me across the face with a big fat Oh shit! Over what could happen right now with all of them being in a room together.

It was getting later into the night, the fact that Harley and I arrived a lot later than the rest of them not helping with the fact it was close to one in the morning now, which was why a lot of Gage's friends were drifting on home and stumbling out the front of his apartment door in a tangle of arms and legs.

Space was clearing up enough that we all had room to sit, a few of the boys not minding they had to sit on the floor or on top of beanbags covered in chips.

I'd ushered Levi and the boys into the living room where everyone else now was, and that was when it hit me like a tidal wave that I had definitely not thought any of this through.

I must of looked like a lemon standing there gaping with my mouth opening and closing, because Harley reached me within seconds and was pulling me close towards him, rubbing a soothing hand across the top of my back.

"Relax, they know not to start anything." He murmured easing the thoughts of a bloodbath about to happen from my over active mind. "I texted Levi while you were in the kitchen and told him to let the guys know that this isn't the place to start any fights or unnecessary arguments."

I think he knew by the look on my face how greatful I was because he shrugged his shoulder as if to say it's nothing and then stepped back, effectively releasing me from his hold as he slapped the back of Chase's head while walking past him. The loveable guy he is didn't even flinch from the hit, just leaned his head back to grin at Harley as he sat back in his chair.

I take a deep breath, then i slowly release it. I could feel the haziness running through me, calming my mind enough for me to enjoy everyone being in one place together. With my thoughts collected and my worries somewhat at the back of my mind, I take a seat next to Poppy who's grinning at me as if she knows something I don't.

"Oh baby, do you have a hot one on your hands. I can almost feel the temperature rising in here, like two baked potatoes in an oven!" She bumps me with her shoulder, intoxicated eyes staring widely at me as I process her words with a deep frown.

"What are you talking about?"

She releases a puff of air from her lips and rolls her eyes at me like I'm stupid. And from the look she's giving me, i'm starting to believe I might be.

"That big hunk of perfectly cooked steak over there is eyeing you like a starved man and you're the last piece of gammon on his plate with all the pineapple trimmings."

She's talking about food. I know food, food and me go way back. But I still don't have the slightest little clue what she's going on about.

I open my mouth, close it, open it, close it again, then I shake my head with a sigh. At a loss of words I blink at her. "What?"