*Dani's party outfit*
"Wow, who is that sexy beast and what has she done with my best friend?"
I laugh at Cara's melodramatic wolf whistle as I exit her ensuite bathroom donned in my, I'll admit somewhat risqué, going out dress.
She's lounging on her bed with my brother, looking beautiful as ever in a knee-length white chiffon dress with short sleeves and a high lacy neck. She's matched this with white stilettos that have a silver heel and her signature Tiffany's jewellery.
I strike a dramatic pose, wearing a short clingy black dress with thin straps, matching black stilettos and dark red lipstick. Jeremy's eyebrows shoot up at my appearance.
"Yeah, you're definitely not going out like that," he says seriously being his usual overprotective self.
"Really because I don't remember asking your permission," I retort sticking my tongue out at him playfully.
"You're hardly wearing anything," he protests, draping his arm across Cara's back.
"Oh shut up," Cara laughs nudging him before pecking him on the cheek.
"I'm so excited about tonight," I begin changing the subject, applying more mascara.
"Same," Cara adds, joining me in the mirror "it's girl's night out, it can't get any better."
"Yeah girls night, the ideal place for guys to go to pull."
"Oh shut up Jeremy, we are quite capable of looking after ourselves," Cara insists inspecting her face closely.
"Well I'll be at the end of my phone all night if you need me," Jeremy adds, gently leaning across the bed to caress her hand.
"And I thank you," she giggles flopping back onto the bed with him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Ugh, I think I'll pass," I groan before adjusting my shoes and leaving the room promptly.
With a sigh, I close the door behind me and arrange the contents of my clutch as I head down the stairs, smiling at the laughing that travels from Cara's room.
"You got enough money for taxis?" I'm greeted with my mum's fussing as soon as I enter the kitchen.
"Yeah, don't worry," I reassure her whilst slinging my bag's thin silver strap over my shoulder.
"I will always worry," she says smiling before pulling me in for a tight hug "you look gorgeous sweetie."
"Thank you dear mother," I laugh, joining Al at the table. She's rifling through some old cookbooks, her spectacles resting in complete determination on the brim of her nose.
"Well the taxi's coming at half past nine," Al pipes in, still in complete concentration.
"Excellent then pre-drinks will soon begin."
"Just go easy tonight," mum says with care, pouring me a glass of Pinot.
"We will," Cara interrupts from behind me, snatching one of the glasses and sipping the smooth liquid "but it's going to be a great night."
***
"Thank you!" We stumble out of the taxi half an hour later, waving goodbye to one of the most talkative taxi drivers I've ever had.
We approach the club as I ready my ID, it is 18+ but under 18's can attend with an adult.
"You know, lovely ladies like yourselves don't need ID," the middle aged bouncer comments leerily to us.
"Yeah ... thanks," I cringe pulling Cara into the club before she throws shade back at the little bald guy.
"Ugh!"
"I know," I say wrapping my arm around her neck as we head towards the pulsing music "but let's not get kicked out just yet."
"Why should he get away with that?"
"He was harmless, he'll get battered soon enough I should think."
We head straight for the already crowded bar and I carefully wedge myself to the front of lots of very excited girls.
"What will it be?" Ok, this bartender is the definition of gorgeous.
"Two Porn Star Martinis please," I say with a slight flick of my hair.
"For you anything." He gives me a cheeky wink before setting about mixing us our drinks.
"Took you long enough," Cara exclaims when I finally locate her in the booth that she's bagged.
"Here," I say passing her her drink which she takes a welcome sip of.
"Thank you my lovely. So are you going to tell me what you got up to with my brother last night?"
"Hm," I gasp, unfortunately at the same time that I take a sip of my own drink, making me half-splutter.
"Oh come on, you spend the night in his room and then the next day it just so happens to be super awkward between you two."
"May I point out that I wouldn't have had to share a room with him if you and my brother hadn't been so obviously at it."
"No you may not, you will not change the subject. Also if you were really opposed to it, why did you not sleep in one of the spare rooms."
"Eli said all the beds were stripped," I protest taking another drink.
"How convenient." Cara rolls her eyes before reaching the halfway point of her drink.
"Slow down," I laugh grabbing her wrist carefully.
"Why? It's summer and girls night, just make sure you can keep up with me."
***
"About You Now" by the Sugababes envelopes the room around us as the already heaving dance floor fills with even more tipsy women.
Me and Cara have wormed our way to pretty much the front and are replicating our well rehearsed dance moves.
"That DJ is so fit!"
"Hey calm down," I laugh nudging her "remember a certain someone called Jeremy."
"I'm looking not touching," she protests continuing her perfect dance moves.
I dance some more, raising my arms high in the air and twirling round. Letting my eyes close I embrace the loud music and the embellished high pitched sounds around me.
"I need to pee!" Cara's loud voice down my ear reawakens me and I nod quickly before grabbing her hand and weaving us through the dense crowd.
"It's not even eleven and the seal has already broken, fantastic," I shout above the loud music, pushing her into the, surprisingly empty, bathroom.
"Shut up and let me pee in peace!"
I can't help but grin when I hear a crash from inside the ladies. My amusement is short-lived.
"Hey sweetheart." Shit.
"Oh ... Archie." I don't even try to act politely.
"Would have thought you would have been happier to see me," he says with a leery grin. Hurry up Cara!
"Yeah well I um, didn't expect to see you at ladies night."
"Well seeing as I'm a ladies man, I couldn't help myself."
"Funny," I say coldly pretending to be fascinated with something behind him.
"You know," he starts, slowly edging closer to me "we don't have your big tough brother to interrupt us tonight."
"Eli isn't my brother." Folding my arms I take a step backwards, away from the spawn of Satan.
"I should hope not, not with the way he was looking at you the other night," he tuts sarcastically "some men just don't know how to behave."
"Yeah they really don't," I say letting out a loud laugh before I glare straight at him.
"Hey Cara." His eyes flutter past me but he holds his body firmly in front of me, blocking any chance of escape.
"Oh God, who let you in?" She stands next to me, arms folded and possessing her bitchiest face.
"Aww, babe, are you not happy to see me?"
"I just find it pathetic that to pick up girls, you need to come to ladies night."
"Well you know, no competition." Ugh, there's that creepy grin again, almost reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.
"Come on Dani." Cara exhales loudly before grabbing my arm and careering away from Archie.
"Alright ladies and Dani, sweetheart, I'll see you later!"
I don't know if he carries on shouting stuff to us as we walk away but we head straight back to the dance floor.
"Give me that flask," Cara orders holding out her hand in frustration.
I take out my little hip flask from my clutch bag and she takes a long swig. As soon as she's done I do the same.
"Ugh, he's such a creep," I say pulling a face as my skin settles.
"Tell me about it, I'm just glad he's a scrawny creep."
Kesha's "Tik Tok" begins blaring above the speakers, just as I'm nodding in agreement, causing us both to squeal.
"Let's go!"
Cara throws up her arms and screams above the crowd, setting off a similar response. She points happily at the DJ who points back in laughter, winking cheekily as he does.
I let the music distract me from everything at the moment, including creeps and years-long crushes and potential boyfriends. Just letting go feels great, however the round of shots that Cara insists on buying dictates that in the morning it won't feel so great.
***
I wake suddenly to the faint glimmering of a desk lamp on the corner of - well I'm not sure who's - a bedroom.
I glance down to my lap feeling the soft comforting fabric of the quilt and realise immediately where I am. A long dark figure lies with their back to me in the bed and I can just make out his muscular arms and messy hair.
Suddenly coming to terms with my five senses, I notice that my mouth is stuck together and dryer than the Sahara desert.
"I left you a pint of water on the nightstand." His sleepy voice makes me nearly jump out of my skin.
"Thank you," I mumble quickly lapping up the tepid liquid.
"And what are you doing here, right?"
"Um yeah." I can't help but hang my head in shame, my memory of last night isn't too bad but I have no idea how I got to Eli's room. Let alone into his bed.
"Don't worry. You and Cara got home, not too late in a taxi singing Taylor Swift."
"Yeah I remember that."
"I came downstairs to see if you were ok, my caring sister was already fast asleep and you were throwing up in her en suite."
"Oh God." Planting my face into my palms I summon back the blurry memories of arriving home at two in the morning, bellowing Blank Space at the top of our lungs.
"Yeah, I was worried that you'd be sick again so I put you in your PJ's and brought you up here, I didn't want you choking on your own vomit."
"You dressed me," I gulp. Wait did he-?
"Don't worry, I didn't violate your privacy. I just wanted to make sure you were ok," he says kindly, sitting up now, whilst gently caressing my forearm.
Without warning, his hand covers mine and he winds his fingers through mine, clasping my hand with care.
"Thank you," I whisper, not taking my eyes off his.
"This is weird isn't it?"
"What is?"
"This," he starts before choosing his words carefully "I've always looked at you like extended family and now ... well I don't know. I'm just struggling with what I'm feeling for you right now."
I bite my lip, trapping all of the emotions of the past few years within. It's getting harder though.
This action causes something to flash through his eyes. What is that? It seems like ... longing. I can taste faint mint in my mouth, he must have made me brush my teeth and right now for some reason, I couldn't be more grateful.
With one quick move he slides my body closer to him so that he can hover over me and trails his hand, from holding my waist, to cup my cheek.
"Eli ..."
"Yes?" He answers eventually, gazing down at me. Thankfully he's not rushing me.
"We ... we shouldn't."
He stares down for a second longer before quickly moving himself away from me.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"I'm sorry but it's like I said last night and I don't just want to be that girl that you just hook up with and well ... it kind of felt like that."
"Dani I would never take advantage of you. Anyone, for that matter, but especially not you." He looks hurt as he sits awkwardly on the edge of the bed.
"I know, I'm sorry," I start sitting up "I guess I just panicked."
His soft familiar smile returns and he climbs back into bed covering his bare chest with the duvet which he leaves open for me.
"Come on Dani."
Knowing that it's a huge mistake, I scramble back under the covers and let him envelope me into a friendly embrace.
The old me would have jumped at the chance to be with Eli these last two nights but he's right. Something's different this year; having him halfway is so much more painful than not having him at all.
What's the point in risking everything we have for what would presumably be one night?
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