Page 31 of King of Clubs

I hadn’t even been looking but I didn’t want to turn down what could potentially be something amazing, or at the very least, a way to get back on the horse.

What if I ordered the wrong thing or couldn’t finish my meal though? What if he didn’t like my outfit or the waiter looked at me for too long and he thought I was trying to gain his attention? What if he didn’t like his dish and it was my fault somehow? What if there was no parking and we couldn’t go to the restaurant he chose? Or if I didn’t agree with him. Or if I agreed too much? Shit, I was still open mouth staring and it had been long enough that answering now, even if I agreed, would feel awkward

Biting my lip almost aggressively, I was saved from having to dig myself out of this hole when the door swung open and Arna and Eva waltzed in, pausing when they saw how close we were.

“Urgh – do you guys want us to leave?” Arna asked, a sparkle in her eye.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I laughed, shooting her anI Hate Youexpression but also feeling relief that I was saved from death by embarrassment.

“I bought a scarf,” Eva grinned, pointing to the new red and black memorabilia draped around her neck.

“Of course you did,” Seb responded, swatting her away as she flicked the tassels towards his face.

“Come on, the game is about to start,” Arna said at the same time as the siren sounded.

Sebastian held his hand out, gesturing for me to go first and I did, pausing briefly when his fingers traced my waist and he quietly whispered, “You can tell me your answer later,” sending goosebumps scattering across my skin.

Sebastian

Chapter Eleven

Thewhitewashcascadedupthe wall painting the familiar rock face with all its beauty in the bright morning light. It was a visually impressive indication I was at the halfway point and it was time to turn back and head for home. I wasn’t going to be entering a marathon anytime soon, but a morning jog kept my waist trim and my mind clear. It was also part of my routine and while most people would describe my thirst for order as neurotic, I preferred practical and wise.

I scanned the horizon, the sun ascending with each minute for what was set to be a beautiful day in the city, and despite the depths of tranquility before me I found my mind again wandering back to the events of the weekend. Usually my feet pounding the pavement kept me in a steady stream of meaningless thoughts, but not today.

The rest of the match had been unexciting. Andy and the boys won easily, kicking away from their opposition in the second half and the girls enjoyed the game, but Marlee had appeared a little skittish.

Why – I couldn’t be sure. When I admitted I’d been thinking about her, I hadn’t been lying. She'd taken up residency in my days, filling any small gap and inserting herself at the most inopportune times. Like when I was speaking to Mum and very nearly mentioned taking Eva to the football to meet Marlee. Or whenever I entered my office and had to stop myself re-watching the footage just to see her dancing.

The fact I was thinking of the depth of those eyes or those long fucking legs at all told me my decision to ask her to dinner was the right one. And I wasn’t giving up easily. Nothing had taken my interest like she had and until she told me no, I was going to keep trying.

It would be stupid to stop now given how reckless my recent behaviours had been. I’d lied to Andy after he mentioned Arna and Marlee were going to the game and told him Eva was desperate to see a live match, knowing she couldn’t care less. I’d even considered creating a fucking Instagram account in an attempt to see if she had an online presence which was so out of character I could have scheduled an annual medical check-up just to be safe. It was worse that for someone who valued privacy and familiarity, I was spending a great amount of time wondering how I could see her again despite the fact she hadn’t reached out even once. Not to mention her reaction to that dickwad Lucas was a clear signal she came with some kind of past which would usually be the point my interest feigned.

Yet here I was, still trying to think of ways toaccidentallybump into her.

Had I come off too strong? Too fast? Doubting myself wasn’t something I was well-versed in, but fuck, I really thought she was into me given her slow appraisal when we showed up and how she seemed almost relieved when she discovered Eva was my sister.

Maybe I was reading it all wrong, or maybe I wasn’t trying hard enough. Would Google be able to offer an insight into the mind of women? Was their some forum or something I could join to ask? There probably fucking should be.

Usually when I wanted something, I went for it wholeheartedly. But there was something which told me I needed to go slow with her, be careful not to overstep or fuck it up. With each step I thought about the way she had instantly known I wanted my sister to move to the city. Ididwant her to move here but I hadn’t said that to anyone because I never wanted to sway her decision or be the reason Mum didn’t have her daughter close. But she'd known and that was disconcerting in its own way. How she said it so casually as if there was nothing more obvious.

I picked up the pace when I remembered the uncertainty in her face when I asked her to have dinner with me. Was the apprehension because of me? Did she feel obligated because I was Andy’s mate? Or was there more I didn’t know?

Andy had mentioned Arna’s friend living with them for a few months now but he was a verbal acrobat if anyone asked questions, pivoting the conversation elsewhere with no explanation.

Now having seen the woman behind the name, many things were making sense. Specifically, why Arna wasn’t out as much lately when Andy came into Nexus and Andy always offered to come to us. But what did remain unclear was the reasoning behind it all. And I felt compelled to know what that was.

It was the desire to know that drove me to call Andy yesterday to invite myself over for dinner tonight. I felt ridiculous and pretty damn desperate, but if I just turned up, I would seem more of a stalker and that was the last thing I wanted.

Watching her so invested in the game before she noticed me arrive was incredible. Her foot mindlessly tapping the floor in front of her as she rocked from side to side. It was clear she genuinely cared about the Hearts and rode the emotions and nerves as only a true supporter could. She wasn’t there purely because Andy was her friend, she was passionate and I was enraptured, wanting to know what else could pull such emotion from the woman.

I also noticed the flicker of apprehension when she saw Eva. For a second I considered not telling her she was my sister but she flipped on a facade pretty quickly and I hated how distant and formal she became. I was grateful to Eva for her honesty, although adding I'd been hoping to see her was a move which saw me nearly strangle her with her new scarf. Arna had immediately smirked at me from behind Marlee and I could only assume that she also thought I wanted to bend her friend over the snack bar.

Which wasn’t entirely untrue.

On more than one occasion Marlee had made me laugh. And not a small laugh to please whoever I was talking to or maintain sociability. An actual, genuine yet unexpected laugh. No one did that.

And with that thought, I raced up the last of the stairs and unlocked my front door, heading straight for the shower. Thinking about her had the same effect it did every time and I was going to need to sort myself out before I went tonight or I would be sitting through dinner distracted by my need for her.

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