Stars in Your Eyes (Queen/Roger Taylor)

13. Skylar

"Yeah, I get it," I reply coolly, trying to save face. "Didn't mean to barge in. I just, uh, wanted to stop by and say hi. Maybe we can get a coffee-- or whatever-- you know, whenever you have time. Or not, it's not really a big deal..."

"Yeah, sure," he says as I trail off, his eyes looking anywhere but at me. I have the urge to grab his shoulder and shake him, explaining that I swear that I didn't intentionally ignore you, and, most importantly, I'm trying to get out of my own goddamn way when it comes to you, okay!?

Instead, I stand there for another few seconds before mumbling goodbye. Then I hightail it across the room in search of Jenny, who's chatting with Brian. And by 'chatting,' I mean snogging.

"I'm going to head out," I shout to be heard over the music.

"No luck?" Her tone is light, but her eyes convey sympathy. Brian politely looks over towards the door, pretending that he's not overhearing our conversation.

"Nah, but no big deal." I ignore the fact that it had taken Jenny a solid 24 hours to convince me to come here tonight and, in the process, it had sort of become a big deal in my head. "I'll see you at home later, yeah?"

"Skylar--" she starts to say.

"It's better this way," I reply quickly with what I hope is a convincing smile. Giving her and Brian a little wave, I walk through the crowded bar until I'm on the other side of the room. I discreetly look over to the bar where Roger is standing by his date, a cheeky smile on his face. He leans closer to say something in her ear, and I want to physically pry them apart.

Taking refuge in the nearby bathroom, I place my hands on the cold porcelain sink and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed, my eyes unusually bright. My mind is racing a million miles a minute, and I force my thoughts to slow down. It's okay, Skylar. This would complicate your life too much.

Just walk away.
Walk.

Away.

After washing my hands, I walk through the swinging doors intent on getting out of here as quickly as possible. I'm so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I fail to notice the blonde leaning against the wall across from the bathroom entrance. I'm halfway down the hall when I hear a gruff voice call my name.

Furrowing my brow, I turn to see Roger standing in the shadows smoking a cigarette, clearly waiting for me. I stop in my tracks and watch as he exhales a puff of smoke. He pushes himself off the wall and walks over slowly as if he too is trying to get a handle on the situation.

We stand close to one another, but it feels as if we're a million miles apart. My eyes dart between him as I mentally beg him for some hint of what he's thinking. He scratches his head and stares down at the floor for a long moment before sneaking a peek up at me.

Just then, a woman staggers past us towards the bathroom. Her shoulder drunkenly hits mine, forcing me to take a step forward. Roger instinctively puts an arm out to steady me, and, in the process, pulls me slightly closer. Our proximity makes my breath hitch, and I swear that I can feel the heat emanating from his body, as ridiculous as that sounds.

I hesitate for a few seconds before gathering my courage and closing the distance between us. I start to reach my arms towards Roger but pause halfway. His lips part slightly, prompting me to loop my arms around his neck and pull him into an embrace.

"Hi," I breathe into his hair, relaxing my body into his.

"Hi," he replies softly as his arms wrap securely around my waist.

"Roger, I—"

"Do you want to get out of here?"

Surprised, I pull away. What happened to Mr. I'm in the Middle of Something Important?