Page 46 of Fever Dream
“You here with the footballers?” Jed asks, head inclined in the direction of our table. My eyes automatically fall on Casey, hearttugging sadly in my chest as I breathe and look back at Jed. Jed with his pretty eyes and nice smile just for me.
“Yep,” I tell him as the bartender sets our drinks on the bar top. I take a quick sip.
“Do you play?” he asks, narrowing his eyes as he looks down my frame. I keep myself fit, yes, but I’m not anywhere near professional athlete level.
“No,” I chuff. “Team physio.”
“Ah,” Jed says, brightening immediately. “Bet that means you’re good with your hands.” The innuendo is strong with this one and I feel myself smiling.
“So I’ve been told,” I say back, taking another sip of my drink. Jed’s eyes brighten as he watches me over the rim of his glass.
“How long are you on the Goldie for?” he leans closer.
“This is our last night.”
“Hmm,” he mulls, eyes wandering down my chest. “Mine too. I’m staying just around the corner …”
“Yeah?” I return. Yes, I’m interested, if only to get a certain unobtainable footballer out of my head. It seems like Casey is going to be caught up for the night anyway. Maybe Jed and I could sneak out without anyone noticing.
Jed says something but I don’t hear him over the swell of noise and he takes that as permission to lean right into my space, hand snaking under my shirt to my waist as he says into my ear, “Want to get out of here?”
The sound of smashing glass pulls me from the moment, and I glance over my shoulder to find Casey standing not three feet from me, eyes glued to Jed’s hand under my shirt, a look of what I can only describe as shock on his face and broken glass shattered at his feet.
I feel a whooshing in my ears, something almost physical as Casey looks up at me and I know that he knows, that he’s finally worked it out for himself but he’s more shocked than he reallyhas any right to be. Everything moves in slow motion as I look down at the smashed glass at his feet which is when it must finally register with him too.
He sucks in a breath of air, dropping to his knees. I’m on my feet in an instant, catching his hand before he cuts himself on the broken shards. His hands are shaking as he reaches for the glass, and I don’t know what I was expecting but this is not it.
“Stop, Casey,” I say, “Leave the glass.” A member of staff walks past and I signal to them.
“I’m sorry,” Casey is saying, eyes on the smashed glass. I’m forced to grab both his hands to stop him from trying to pick it up.
“Stop, Case. Someone will come and sweep it up,” I tell him. The staff member is there in an instant, a dustpan and brush to sweep up the glass.
“I’m so sorry,” Casey says to the staffer.
“Don’t worry. Happens at least ten times a night,” the guy says with a casual shrug.
“See? It’s fine,” I say, pulling Casey to his feet. He comes without any resistance but I can see he’s still shaken, still not himself as his eyes drop to where I’m holding his hands. I drop the contact straight away, not sure whether I still have free permission to touch when I want. Casey’s eyes swivel between me and where Jed is probably watching from the bar, but I can’t care about Jed right now, not when my Casey is so shaken.
“Are you okay?” I ask as the staffer leaves with the broken glass.
“Ah, yeah, fine,” Casey returns. “Just, um, light headed I think.”
“Do you want me to take you back to the hotel?” I ask, eyes on him while his attention pings back to the guy waiting at the bar.
“Um, no. No, that’s okay. I don’t want to … interrupt,” he replies. He still can’t look me in the eye and I’m trying not to letthat hurt right now. He’s clearly still in shock and I can’t judge his reaction.
“You’re not, Case. Say the word and we’ll get out of here,” I assure him.
Tentative eyes reach mine, anxious swirls of blue and green as he clutches his elbows, like he’s hugging himself. I’ve never seen Casey look so small and vulnerable as he does right now. I reach for him but hesitate again.
“Do you want to go back?” I ask again.
“Only if you don’t mind,” he says, voice quiet.
“I don’t mind. I want to.”
“Okay,” he nods, eyes pinging back to Jed. I turn to face him too, the guy I had all but agreed to go have sex with and send him an apologetic smile.
