Heart to Hart ✔️

17. Riptide

The night seemed less appealing in the cold, harsh glare of the nightclub's overhead lights. The dance floor was sticky from discarded bottles; the DJ was packing up his equipment, ready to head home.

Alec and I danced until most of the crowd had cleared. No longer having an excuse to press our bodies up against each other, I took a step back. Only moments ago, the air around us was charged with sexual tension and longing.

I scanned my surroundings for our friends. Had they witnessed our moment together? Would they have left without me? I couldn't blame them if they did. Once I was in Alec's arms, I lost myself in his touch, forgetting they were even here with us.

I felt self-aware of my outfit, of my actions, and of the emotions swirling in my heart and head. Fearing Alec could read my thoughts, I cast my eyes away from his intense gaze and escaped up to the bar.

Sian and Rosie leant on the dark wooden countertop, giggling and whispering to one another. I stood between them, wrapping my arms around their shoulders.

"Well, well, well. Where have you been?" Sian slurred, repeatedly poking the tip of my nose with her finger.

I swatted her hand away from my face. "Here and there. You know what it's like. Just having fun." I clocked Rosie shaking her head before sipping her pint glass of water.

A warm hand rested on my lower back. "They're closing soon. Do you need a lift? I promised to take Abby and Finn home so it might be a squeeze," Alec softly said from behind us. My breath hitched at the contact.

Rosie's mouth broke out into a wide smile around the edge of her glass. She put it down and smirked. "Daniel will be here any minute. I rang him earlier. Unless Nat wants to go home with you?" She questioned, her arms crossed and her brow raised. She tried to stay serious but struggled to suppress her grin.

Alec removed his hand from my lower back; my eyes were the size of saucers. He didn't answer her, neither could I. Luckily for us, Sian was now lost to the wonders of her phone.

"Come on then. Let's wait for him outside." I tugged on Rosie's arm and waved my hand in front of Sian's face to bring her back into our world.

Hope had left with some bloke she had met shortly after our chat. Abigail promised she would ring her then let us know she was safe. I might have been mad with her for interfering with Alec, but I felt uneasy knowing she had gone home with a stranger.

Sian and Rosie climbed straight into Daniel's Range Rover, which was already waiting outside. I said my goodbyes to Abigail and Finn as they got into Alec's Audi, leaving us a few minutes on our own.

Alec brushed a lock of my hair away from my face. "So-"

"So," I sighed. His unwavering stare made the pit of my stomach fall, and I dropped my eyes to the ground.

"Do you want to come back with me?" he murmured, taking a step forward. His arms snaked around my waist.

I still couldn't look at him. Daniel had music playing from his radio. I faintly heard the melody, mixed with the sound of an alarm, ringing in the distance. My heart beat hard against my chest. "I'd better go with them." I motioned towards Daniel's Range Rover with my head.

Alec lifted my chin with his finger, leaned into me and placed a gentle kiss to my cheek. "I'll see you soon, Nattie," he breathed into my hair.

My breath caught, my mouth going dry. "Uh-huh," were the only words I could utter as I stumbled back. Alec's hand ran down my arm until we held onto each other by our fingertips and shook his head with a lopsided smile dancing on his lips.