Page 57 of Hot Girl Summer

“You don’t need to feel ashamed about anything that’s happened in your life. I can see the good in you, but I know you don’t.”

Tilting my chin with feather light fingertips, he searches my eyes. I think he might kiss me, but he lets go and composes himself. “Sorry, I’m a bit drunk.”

“It’s okay.”

It’s not.

My heart sinks, and I try my best to hide it with a closed-lipped smile.

“Maybe we should find the others,” Danny says.

An awkward moment passes before I respond. “Sure, I’ll meet you there. I need to go to the bathroom first.”

It’s a blatant lie, but I need the solitude, even if it means standing in a mile-long queue and breaking the proverbial seal. I contemplate sneaking off and going home, but first I need to make sure that April is okay.

I’m far from being drunk, but my vision is hazy as I lead the way downstairs. Holding onto the banister for support, my head swims with thoughts of not being enough, and in my stupor, I misjudge my footing.

I trip, slide and land on my butt a few steps from the bottom. Heat turns my cheeks beetroot, and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. There’s no way I can style this out, but I’m grateful that years of squats has finally paid off; my butt sure knows how to cushion a fall.

“Are you okay?” Danny asks, taking a seat on the bottom step.

I appreciate the concern etched across his face when he looks up at me, but when I look deeper, the sparkle in his eyes indicate his desire to stifle a laugh.

I make an incoherent sound as I bury my face in my hands, and the heat from my skin burns my palms. The music drowns out my surroundings, and I will the ground to swallow me up. After a while, when I realise that it won’t happen, I bring myself back into the room, and my eyes focus on Danny. I know I said I wanted to be the reason for his smile, but he is full-on hysterical laughing at me right now.

“It’s not funny,” I say, trying my hardest to pout. But in the end, I can’t contain my laughter.

“I’m sorry.” He holds out his hand for me to take and pulls me up to standing. “I am. Really. But you should have seen you.” He’s quiet for a second, and I can see how hard he’s trying not to laugh. It’s adorable. He catches my gaze, and the lines around his eyes crease into laughter again. God, I wish he’d kiss me. I can’t help but echo his infectious sound, until our bubble of giggles and awkwardness pops.

“What is it with you two disappearing together?”

My eyes dart to April, who stands with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised as high as her hairline. I can’t contain myself; I feel like a naughty school child being told off by the principal. Ollie comes up behind April and wraps his arms around her waist, and she visibly relaxes.

“Hope you’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be doing,” Ollie says, wagging his finger at us.

“We’re not,” I say sweetly.

I don’t know if Ollie’s close to Belle, or even if he knows her at all. But I have to assume that his moral compass is squeaky clean, and I have to be careful.

“I, um, fell down the stairs.” Heat flashes across my cheeks again when the words come out.

“Oh shit. Are you okay?” Ollie and April ask in perfect harmony.

Their connection is clearly undeniable. I nod. “I’m fine.”

“Are you coming to dance?” Ollie asks.

Danny looks to me for an answer, and a hint of a smile plays on his lips. Suddenly I’m not so sure about going home.

“Sure, but I need the bathroom first. I’ll meet you guys on the dancefloor.”

“I need to go too, after all that laughing.” Danny says.

“Overshare much?” I smirk, taking the lead.

Chapter Fifteen

Oncethebathroombreaksare over, I meet Danny outside the ladies’ restroom. Leaning against the wall with his arms loosely crossed, a suggestive smile breaks across his face when I approach him. Beside us, a roped off staircase leads down into what I assume is a stock room cellar.

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