"Hey cheer pear."
I turn around and feel my mood plummeting south as I come face to face with Drayton, looking spectacularly gorgeous in a casual white T-shirt that shows off his sleeve tattoo and a pair of black jeans.
"Leave me alone!"
"This is my friend Grayson," he continues as though I haven't spoken. He points at the obviously plastered guy standing next to him. He's a little shorter than Drayton but he has a nice toned build and sandy blonde hair that's styled with an unkempt look about it.
"Hey Grayson," I smile as Tim's arm suddenly comes around in front of my face offering another drink. I take it with appreciation but don't miss the glare that gets fired towards him from a certain quarterback. "Look if you're anything like Drayton then I have nothing to say to you. But if you're a decent person then it's a pleasure."
Grayson slowly nods with an unsure expression as Drayton rolls his eyes. "Ignore her," he tells him without taking his eyes off mine. "She's got a stick up her ass."
"The hell I do!" I shout with an even louder tone than I'd been previously using. "You're just an asshole and I don't like you. So cheers and piss off!" I raise my bottle with a sarcastic smile before I tip it back, letting the bitter drink flow down my throat as quickly as I can.
As quickly as he'd appeared, he disappears again and I spend the next few hours drinking my weight in alcohol, dancing with whoever wants to dance with me and desperately trying but failing to get that idiot off my mind.
I'm not surprised that he'd been here but I am disappointed. And yet I'm not disappointed and that's more disappointing than anything else.
•
I can't find Spencer anywhere and the guy that's been grinding against me with as much grace as a fish on land smells like literal urine. This isn't how I'd seen the night turning out at all.
"I'm gonna— not dance with you anymore." I don't bother coming up with a tactful excuse because honestly if this guy has so little personal hygiene that he smells like a toilet bowl then he doesn't deserve tact.
I push through the crowd of bodies and out onto the footpath, the night air is clean and purifies my lungs as I inhale and rid myself of the clammy toxic scent I'd been assaulted with for the last two hours. That is until I turn around and get a large cloud of smoke exhaled straight into my face.
"Where are you off to?" Drayton chuffs on his cigarette with one hand in his pocket, looking every bit as relaxed as he usually does.
"I told you to stay out of my way," I hiss with a slurred voice as I pull my cellphone out of my bra and dial Spencer's number. "Seriously, go and shag a bimbo in the alleyway. That's as classy as you get isn't it?"
He rolls his eyes and throws the butt of his cigarette on to the ground, stubbing it out with the toe of his shoe. He's about to bite back when Spencer answers my phone call.
"Where are you?!" I yelp with concern.
"Girl, where are you!" she shouts with drunken excitement. "I was looking for you but I couldn't find you so I thought you must have left with that guy so I left with Tim."
"You left me here?!" Drayton furrows his brows, watching me with pointed interest and an unreadable expression. I turn my back to him and stare at the cracked pavement that's littered with cigarette butts and empty bottles. "Why would you leave me here?"
"I thought you left me and I didn't get mad," she scoffs.
"Whatever," I snap. We're both too drunk to have any reasonable conversation so I hang up the phone and start walking in the direction of the train station, avoiding the odd group of intoxicated teenagers that are loitering outside, stumbling towards or away from the club doors.
I don't get more than a few feet away before footsteps and a familiar masculine nicotine-infused scent catches up with me.
"Where are you going?" Drayton questions, effortlessly keeping up with my power walk.
"Home."
"You're going to walk home, alone at night?"
"No you dipshit. We live an hour away! I'm going to the train station."
"By yourself?"
"Go away Drayton."
"Let me drive you?" He stops and pulls on my arm, causing me to spin around on one foot. "It's dangerous out here at night."
"No thanks," I rip my arm out of his hold and shoot him a glare that's probably not a glare at all and more like a droopy idiotic expression. "I don't want anything from you... ever again!"
"Forget about what happened between us," he steps closer, keeping his eyes locked on mine. "Just pretend I'm a complete stranger and I'm giving you a ride home. That's it."
"Sorry, I don't take rides with strangers!" I give him a sarcastic smile and turn around, flicking my hair in a sassy manner that I'm positive I'll cringe over tomorrow.
"Fine!" he shouts at my retreating figure. "Suit yourself!"
So I do. Because I'm not weak and I'm not pathetic and I can make it to the train station. This isn't a dangerous city, sure things happen occasionally. But it's rare. Not an everyday occurrence.
I've been walking for about fifteen minutes when I enter a large barren concrete lot that houses public car parks and shipping containers. I can see the train station's neon lights about fifty feet away so I smile with satisfaction, knowing that I didn't need to stress.
I'm abruptly pulled into a hard body as a hand comes across my mouth and starts dragging me towards a dark narrow walkway. My blood runs cold and my heart beats so hard that it physically hurts. I'm rendered paralysed for a moment, fear completely seizing me until the adrenaline slows enough for my instincts to kick in. I start thrashing my body, kicking my legs out as I attempt to scream. It's no use though and I start to feel horribly angry that I can't do anything to get myself out of this situation.
I'd always wanted to believe that in a life or death situation I'd be one of those incredible girls you read about that fight off the offenders and escape but no matter how hard I thrash and kick, I can't break out of the iron hold and we quickly disappear out of the public eye and into the narrow alleyway. The buildings on either side aren't even apartments, they're industrial buildings that will be empty until the morning. No one will stumble across me, no one will hear me.
My front is pushed against the cold brick wall and tears start streaming down my cheeks as I tremble with fear, desperately clutching at any bright ideas to come to mind so I can avoid becoming another statistic.
Suddenly one of the strong hands grips my arm and turns me around, pushing my back into the wall. As my vision clears I come face to face with Drayton, who's looking at me with an unfathomable anger.
He lets go of my mouth and I exhale loudly, saliva flying in specks out of my mouth as I clutch my heart. I'm aware that I'm not in immediate danger anymore but my chest rises and falls at a rapid pace in time with my deafening breathing.
"What the fuck Drayton!" I sob, drying my cheeks with the palm of my hand. "Are you out of your fucking mind!"
"Do you realise how easy that was for me!" he shouts, his body is basically crushing me against the wall and I can feel his hot breath fanning my face as he stares down at me with a glowering fury. "I don't think I need to explain how this would have ended if I actually wanted to take advantage of you!"
"You're an absolute idiot!" I hiss, willing my voice to stop trembling so I don't sound so weak. "You're the only predator out tonight! I was almost at the train station!"
"Oh you think so!" His laugh is cold and harsh as he nods towards the end of the alleyway where we'd just come from. "Wait for it."
We wait for what seems like an eternity, standing in silence with our bodies one hundred percent pressed against each other. My heart thumps at the close proximity and as I steal a quick glance at Drayton I can't help but admire his gorgeous complexion and strong features. His expression suddenly morphs into frustration and he gestures to the entrance of the walkway. I turn my attention to where his gaze lies just in time to see a scruffy middle aged man walking past the entrance. His beanie is tatty and stained a nicotine yellow, his oversized parka sports an array of holes and I can't help but feel a chill as he searches around. He can't see us though, hidden in the confines of the pitch black space.
"He was following you from the moment you left the club." Drayton says and I look up to find him regarding me with a sickly expression. "I got in my car and beat him here."
I swallow loudly as the extremity of the situation dawns on me. This might have been a very different outcome had Drayton not shown up and I was undeniably grateful. I tiptoe up and throw my arms around his neck. Knowing that the alcohol is probably driving the sudden display of affection, I feel only a twinge of embarrassment. He stiffens for a moment but quickly wraps his arms around my waist and tucks his face into my neck.
"Will you let me drive you home now?" he asks as he pulls away, but keeps his large hands on my waist. The electricity that surges through my body under his touch drowns out all coherent thoughts and all I can do is nod my head.
He looks a little relieved as he tucks me into his side and leads us out of the alleyway. "Stay close."
His protective stoic voice sends chills through my body and resonates to my very core. I put the reaction all down to alcohol poisoning because I'm still mad at him for being such a douche bag and there's no way my sane self would be attracted to his petty ass.
"I called the cops and reported that guy as suspicious," Drayton informs me once we're sitting in a lavish Jeep. "Fucking sick," he mumbles as he starts the car.
The drive back to Archwood isn't horribly awkward, but I wouldn't do it again anytime soon. Drayton keeps his hands wound tightly around the steering wheel, a look of rage still stuck to his face the entire way back. Neither of us says anything to each other but the silence is surprisingly not uncomfortable.
"Uh, where are we going?" I ask as we drive past the turn off to my street.
"My house."
"What? Drayton no!" I turn in my seat and stare at him with disbelief. "Take me home!"
"Is your brother home tonight?" he asks, still not bothering to give me the slightest glance as we head into the classier part of Archwood.
"No," I mumble at the strange question.
"Then I'm taking you back to my house."
"No, you're not you psycho!" I slam my hand down on the centre console, but he doesn't flinch. Considering I'm basically being kidnapped, I would have expected to be a little more panicked but I'm simply annoyed at the refusal to listen to anything I say. "Take me home Drayton!"
"Would you just shut up and let me look after you! Damn Dallas, do you have to argue about everything?"
"Look after me?" I screech. "I'm not a fucking child!"
"You're coming home with me. End of story."
• • •
End of chapter 5. Please tap the star if you enjoyed this chapter ! This is the end of the first 5 chapters to be published. I'll be continuing of course. But I hope you're enjoying so far :)