Page 89 of Only You
‘Rubio throws a hook and misses. Robinson counters. Rubio goes down!’
Jack’s friends cheered loudly, some arguing about bets made earlier in the night as their conversations drowned out the radio.
‘Shut up!’ Jack turned up the volume.
‘That’s it! Rubio is down for the count. Robinson wins!’
The cheers returned and Demir joined in as Nora jumped up, hugging people randomly before coming back. She planted a kiss on his lips that was more of a smile than anything, but he returned it all the same.
He smirked. ‘Having fun?’
‘Tons,’ she replied and pecked him on the lips again. ‘Now, time to get my money from Stella. Stella, don’t think I forgot!’ Nora shuffled off to the kitchen, following one of her friends.
Demir relaxed, settling against the couch. News about the WWII aftermath started to come through, but someone switched to a music station. A couple of guys moved the chairs and dining table from the middle of the room, creating an impromptu dance floor. A few of the girls pulled their dates to the floor and started jiving, their legs moving lightning quick. Chatter rose around him, some people playing cards in the corner as they smoked while others seemed caught in a debate of one philosophy or the other.
Surprised Selene isn’t over there.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, she appeared from another room. She sat on Jack’s lap, whispering in his ear, making him laugh as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Demir quickly turned away, not wanting to feel what he always felt when he saw the couple. He didn’t have to linger on his own thoughts for long though, as Nora came stumbling back into the room with a glass of wine. She took a long gulp and fell on the couch, glazed eyes staring at him.
‘I wish…’ she started before falling silent.
He turned towards her and tugged at a curl that had escaped from its bun. ‘Wish what?’
She blinked a couple times, her eyes clearing up as she straightened. ‘I wish you would dance with me,’ she said quickly, plastering a forced smile on her face. ‘Dance with me, D.’
‘Oh no,’ he protested as she grabbed his hands. ‘I’m better here.’
‘Oh, come on. You’re all healed up and no one’s gonna care if you’re not good. Everyone’s drunk anyway. Just one little dance for me.’
‘I’m fine, Nora,’ he told her, pulling his hands out of her grip.
‘Of course, you are,’ she said, lips pursed as she sat back down. ‘What does that mean?’
She scoffed. ‘Of course, you’re fine with us doing nothing,’ she elaborated. ‘It’s what we always do. Oh, except sex. You always have time and energy for that.’
‘Yeah, well, so do you,’ he shot back. ‘I don’t get it. You never had a problem before. What’s wrong now?’
‘What’s wrong is that we’ve been at this for six months,’ she snapped. ‘It’s not just a casual thing for me anymore. You know I care about you. We talk. We’re getting to know each other. You’re telling me you don’t want more than this?’ Nora stared at him baffled. ‘When are you gonna take me on a real date, D? When is it gonna be more than just the club or parties or random nights spent together? When are you gonna be in this for real?’
‘I never asked for any of that. I haven’t changed, so why are you expecting something different?’ he defended. ‘Look, Mackie asked you to keep me company for one night. No one forced you into this.’
‘Wow.’ She shook her head, blinking back tears. ‘You’re awful. Just like the rest of them.’
‘Sure,’ he said passively as he got up. ‘Where are you going?’
He ignored her and grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch, shrugging it on. He headed up to the roof.
The distant skyline twinkled, feeling impossible to reach as Demir leaned on the edge, brooding in the dark by himself. He wished he could be the same. This was the reason he avoided people; the expectations that came with them were unbearable. He patted his pocket, sighing when he realised it was empty. ‘Fuck.’
‘Looking for these?’ He turned to find Selene holding up his pack of cigarettes. It must have fallen out when he left. The door swung closed behind her as she stepped onto the roof, holding out the pack to him. He snatched it from her, too agitated to be gentle. She didn’t seem to mind as she joined him. He quickly lit one of the cigarettes and took a long drag before exhaling.
‘Nora asked me to check on you, which I didn’t expect. The crying was a surprise, too.’
Guilt welled up inside him, and Demir frowned, continuing to smoke and determined to ignore the feeling. Selene took the cigarette from his fingers and inhaled. His stomach curled like the puff of smoke she let out. It reminded him of when they would hang out on his fire escape, something they hadn’t done since their spat earlier in the week. He wondered if it was normal to miss someone after only a few days.
‘What’s going on with you two?’
‘Nothing,’ he said quickly. ‘And that’s why she’s annoyed. Now, she’s suddenly asking me about dates and shit. We didn’t need all that before tonight. Now, we get in front of people, and she wants to be a girlfriend.’
