Sunkissed | Joshifer

Chapter 13

I look to Josh, hoping that somehow we can use his drunken state to get us out of this mess.

"How about we go back downstairs." Josh suggests.

Foster jumps from his chair to his feet in an instant. "Yes please." And with that, he follows Josh into the house as if he completely forgot what had just happened.

I look down over the railing to everybody swarmed on the deck. The pool is crowded and littered with pool floats and plastic cups. Beer pong seems to be drawing a crowd in the left corner of the deck. I scan the mass of people in hopes of maybe finding Sam. I want to see how he's handling all of this commotion. He's probably inside dancing like an idiot. Finally getting out of his comfort zone.

I see Will across the way talking to Landon and Wes. Will's eyes wander through the crowd. With guilt in my stomach, I can't help but think he's looking for me. Maybe I should go down there. Talk to him for a bit so it doesn't seem like I've disappeared completely. Before I can decide, I hear the balcony door shut behind me. I turn around hoping to face Josh, but find myself face to face with Heath.

"So this is where you ran off to." Heath walks towards the railing with one hand his in his pocket. The other holds a brown glass bottle.

"I guess it's sort of a habit," I shrug, turning back to the crowd.

"Were you up here by yourself? You should really have someone looking after you with that kind of injury." He points to my knee and I laugh.

"Foster and Josh were just up here." I reply. I take a quick look to his appearance. His short sleeved shirt is rolled up to his shoulders and his shaggy hair is tossed up to the right. The sight quickens my heart, but I turn away in hopes of finding something else that's equally intriguing.

"What have you been up to?" I ask.

"I was on the deck taking some shots off a girl's stomach." He nods and my eyes widen.

"Oh. Fun." I turn away from him back to the railing. I expected him to have a higher maturity level than his other friends, but I guess not.

"I'm joking," He laughs and a huge wave of relief washes over me. I smile at his sudden playfulness.

"So what were you really doing?"

"I was just sitting in the sand finishing off one of these." He says holding up his half empty bottle of beer.

"That sounds more realistic." I nod.

"Do you want some?" He asks tilting the bottle up towards me.

I debate whether I want any more of that poison in my system. After Foster, I'm not sure if I really want anymore. I don't want to Heath to think I'm denying him personally. Impulsively, I take the bottle from his hand.

"Thanks," I nod before taking a drink from the bottle. The bitter taste begins to swirl and spread across my tongue.

I hand the bottle back to him and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. He finishes off the bottle and sets it on the table.

"You just gonna spend the rest of the party up here?" He asks leaning closer to my shoulder.

"I'll go back down eventually." I say searching the crowd to see if I can find Foster coming from the house.

"Like when?" He asks sitting against the railing to face toward me.

"I don't know." I look to him. His face is shadowed from the light behind him, but his eyes still seem to glow in the dark. "Why?" I ask.

"Because," He says leaning in closer to me. I tense from his sudden closeness, but he takes notice of it before he moves closer to me.

"Will is downstairs looking for you." He smirks, just inches away from my face. He knows he makes me anxious and now he's just taking advantage of that.