Sometimes

Chapter twenty-six

Sonny’s brow creased.  “Some guy?”

I stopped dancing and shrugged.  “Some guy from College. I told him I just want to be friends but…” I trialed off, not wanting to relive the moment where I’d had to watch Brandon’s face crumble with realisation.

    “But he won’t listen.”  Our heads were close together, so we could hear each other over the music, and my lungs were filled with the smell of him again.  “Is that right?”

I nodded shyly.  “I just don’t want to talk to him.”  I found my gaze being pulled to where Brandon was standing and I noticed Sonny turning to look too.

    “You know,” he said, his lips inches from my ear and his eyes still on Brandon.  “The best way to get rid of a guy, is to pretend that you’re with another.”

My eyes widened at his words and I felt my mouth go dry.  Was he really suggesting that I pretend to be with him?  The mere thought of being Sonny’s girlfriend made my breathing accelerate.

    “Oh really?”  I was trying to sound nonchalant and I hoped the sound of the music covered the shaking undertone of my voice.  “Does that really work?”

Sonny reached down and took my hands in his.  “Let’s see, shall we?”

The grin he gave me was so mischievous that I almost laughed.  Is this really happening?  Being twirled around on the spot bought me back to reality. He held my hands in the air while I rolled my shoulders and shook my hips, dancing on the spot. Sonny copied me, looking like a bad flamenco impersonator.  The kid couldn’t really dance but I didn’t care.  He was the only person I knew that could look hot while doing the robot.

    I threw my head back and laughed, searching the crowds for Brandon as I did.  I couldn’t see him anymore and my heart swelled, excited at the prospect or getting Sonny all to myself again.

    “Is he gone?”

I nodded.

Sonny let go of my hands and I had to try extra hard to stop my smile from fading.  My skin ached for his touch.

    “That was fun,” Sonny said, sounding like the whole thing was a big joke.

It hurt a bit, but I didn’t want to let it show.  “And it worked,” I added, plastering on an even bigger smile.

    “We make a great team.”

The smile suddenly turned genuine and I felt my insides swoon.  “Yeah?”

He nodded, running a hand through his hair and looking like the guy from the perfume advert again.

I looked away, feeling like I needed to release a girly squeal.  For the first time in a while, I wished Cassie had been here to hear that.

I turned back to see him watching me, offering me a bashful smile.  The tension between us seemed to rise in an instant.  The clouded feeling in my head was softening, leaving me feeling more drunk than before.  I knew the room would be swaying if I stood still long enough to let it.  The bass seemed to have gotten suddenly stronger and I could feel it vibrating through my body.

    “So what made you come out tonight?”

You.  The thought was in my head as soon as I’d heard his question but I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth.  Why not?  Leanne’s not around.  That thought caught me off guard and I felt suddenly confused.  Why was it that I was so intent on lying to Sonny?  Didn’t I want him to know how I felt?  The prospect of telling him the real reason why I’d come circled around my head, but it still tasted funny on my tongue.