Page 5 of Chasing Elliott
I slowly panned my eyes up to his face, growing slightly uncomfortable with how heseemed to tower over me. I was pretty average all around; five foot five, size seven shoe, a six for my jeans, medium shirts. But Marcus was built and definitely over six feet and for the first time in a long time I no longer felt safe.
“I didn’t hear you complaining the other night,” he whispered as he tried to lean in for akiss. I put my hand over his mouth and roughly shoved his head away, fed up with him and thesituation I was currently trapped in.
Marcus narrowed his eyes on me and the look behind those orbs startled me as he cupped my face in his hands, roughly crashing his lips to mine. Once I was able to process what was happening, I gripped his shoulders and used the momentum to bring my knee up and collided with his crotch. He gasped into my mouth at the contact before he hunched over, and I used the opportunity to get away.
I approached a small group of girls that were lingering around a table full of drinks, and Iimmediately reached for the bottle of whiskey. I ignored their questioning stares as I poured myself a shot and threw it back, shaking my head slightly as the burning sensation hit my throat.
“Rough week?” I heard someone say from beside me and I internally groaned when Inoticed one of the boys from my class staring back at me.
“You could say that,” I grumbled, pouring myself a vodka lemonade into a fresh cup before discarding my old one.
I took a sip as I felt his eyes boring into the side of my head and turned, plastering a fakesmile on my face as he not so subtly scanned me up and down. “You’re Elliott, right?”
“That’s me,” I replied, forcing a smile on my face as I tried to shake off what had justoccurred a minute prior. “I’m sorry but I don’t remember your name.”
“It’s Ryan,” he told me and thankfully he didn’t seem offended.
I smiled at him and leaned against the folding table, choosing to welcome this distraction. I quickly finished my drink and when I looked up, Ryan already had another cup in his hand.
“Here’s another drink,” he said as he offered me a new red solo cup. I faked a smile ofgratitude as I thanked him and watched while he chugged the rest of his drink.
Yeah, like I’m dumb enough to drink something a random guy gave me.
“So, Ryan,” I began, wanting to make conversation as I multitasked on keeping an eye on Kara who was near the fire talking to a couple guys. “What’s your major again?”
“I didn’t think you did small talk,” he mumbled as he sat his now empty cup down and absentmindedly reached for a bottle of vodka.
I felt my face heat up in anger as I raised a brow and slammed down the cup he gave me before I rested a hand on my hip. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Meaning I thought you didn’t care about getting to know someone before you slept with them.”
I rolled my eyes as a scoff escaped my lips and I ripped the bottle of vodka out of his hand. I brought the opening to my lips and took a long swig before shoving it back into his open hand, ignoring his shocked expression.
I spun on my heel and started toward Kara when I felt a hand roughly grip my left wrist. My back was suddenly pulled into a hard chest as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my front, keeping me pinned in place. Whoever it was started to place kisses down my neck while Istruggled in their grasp, my eyes frantically looking around for someone, anyone, to help me.
“Get the fuck off me,” I demanded, my voice louder than normal as I tried to bring a leg up to kick his shin. Before I could try and think of my next move, he was suddenly pulled away from me and I heard him curse loudly as I spun around.
“Get out of here, Ryan,” my rescuer told him sternly as he shoved him away from me. “Cool off and leave her alone. I don’t want to see you bothering her again, you got it?”
The guy who had come to my rescue turned around to face me once Ryan disappeared and I flashed him a smile; I knew that face. It seemed as if he recognized me as well since heclosed the gap between us and held out a hand towards me.
“Even though it seems like you know me, we can still do formalities,” he began to say with a smile as he shook my hand. “I’m Benjamin.”
“Elliott,” I responded as he pulled away. “Thanks for saving me, by the way. Not surewhat I would’ve done if you hadn’t come around.”
“There’s absolutely no reason to thank me,” Benjamin said with a wave of his hand as hereached for his drink with the other. “No woman should be treated like that, ever.”
“A true gentleman,” I commented with a small smile as I reached for a fresh glass and held it out toward him. “Care to fill me up, then?”
He laughed and shook his head but grabbed my glass nonetheless and reached for the nearest bottle that rested on the liquor-stained plastic table-top. I felt a gentle hand on my lower back and turned to see Kara standing behind me with a nervous smile on her face, her cheeks holding a light tint of pink. Giving her a comforting smile in return, I slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my side just as Benjamin turned around with my drink in hand.
“Benjamin, this is my friend-”
“Kara. Yeah, I know,” Benjamin interrupted and said with a smile as he handed me my glass. “You’re hard to forget.”
I bit my lip as Kara giggled next to me and the blush of her cheeks increased tenfold. Isqueezed her shoulder before I removed my arm from around her and gave her a gentle push forward, winking at Benjamin and his smile grew before I turned on my heel and left them aloneto talk.
As I maneuvered my way through the large group of college kids to try and reach the firepit, I bumped into a hard chest which resulted in me spilling the entire contents of my glass on myself.
