Page 121 of Heartless Heathens
“She’s my friend,” Reesa shouted over the music and he bore his eyes into me, looking me up and down like he didn’t know what to make of it.
“Well, well, I’ll hold your leash tonight if you need.” He winked at me and inched closer.
I froze in place but Reesa stepped in.
“Fuck off Lincoln.” She pushed him away and grabbed me by the wrist again, pulling me to a table with bowls of liquid and red plastic cups.
She poured the contents of the bowl into a plastic cup using a ladle before handing it over to me. “Be careful.” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for me to take a sip.
My eyes jarred open at the sweet taste.
“Yeah, that shit’s deadly. Don’t drink more than three,” she said then doubled back. “Actually, maybe don’t drink more than two. You’re pretty tiny.” She laughed, pulling me by the hand into a crowd of people who seemed to be dancing.
The drink was sweet and citrusy and I couldn’t help but guzzle it down, realizing how thirsty I was from crying so much. The music was too loud, and I would have much rather stayed in her room where it was quiet, but at least now I couldn’t hear my own thoughts. They were so self-deprecating, all I wanted to do was suffocate the tiny version of me that lived in my brain. Maybe put a giant pillow over her face until she stopped thrashing.
Maybe then I’d finally be free.
“You okay?” Reesa waved her hand in front of my face, forcing me to flinch back.
“Y-yeah,” I answered quietly, not bothering to scream over the music like she’d done.
“Let’s dance!” She pulled me into a crowd of other girls who gyrated and moved their hips in sync with the music.
I’d never felt more out of place and humiliated. The sudden urge to throw up the drink I’d chugged rumbled through my stomach. Everyone stared at me with chastising eyes, and I could hear Reesa telling me to move somewhere in the distance, but I just wanted to go home, to my home, withthem.
Where I didn’t feel like I was being gawked at and they never passed judgements or false ideas about who I was. I stood in the middle of a few bodies while they pressed against me and danced to the thumping beat of the music. After a few songs started and ended seamlessly I could no longer bear the ache in my chest. The tears pricked at my eyes, and I pushed through the crowd of girls.
“Mina?” Reesa called out but I waved her off.
“I need air,” I yelled back as loud as I could muster.
I wiped the tears rolling down my cheeks and walked as far from the noise as I could. I stopped in front of the elevator, realizing I had nowhere to go without Reesa. I didn’t even know which floor her room was on, let alone her room number.
“You look like you need a drink.” A masculine voice said into the sensitive part of my neck, like he was trying to whisper it in my ear from behind.
“O-oh, I’m okay. I need some air.” I looked down, averting his eyes.
The room was unsteady, and I felt sluggish and heavy.
“Woah,” he said, bracing my forearms and holding me upright.
I blinked up at him, now that I was seeing him in the light he was kind of handsome. There was still a bruise fading from his face from the last time Sonny told him to stay away from me. He had golden red hair and jade-green eyes. He smiled too widely though, and it made the hairs on my arms stand up in warning.
I couldn’t quite remember right at this moment why he was supposed to stay away from me. His voice was kind, and his eyes were soft with the same kind of gentleness Felix showed me.
“Maybe youdon’tneed anymore.” He laughed. “Do you want me to help you get outside?” he asked and I nodded, realizing I had no idea how to get out of this building.
My stomach cartwheeled while the elevator slowly descended, and I wondered how Reesa could drink three of these without hurling everywhere. The elevator dinged open, and he gestured out with his hand.
“After you,” he said.
I stepped through the door, expecting to be left alone but he followed me, slowly picking up his gait with every step so I rushed my own. The hairs on my neck stood up and I turned around at the perfect time to slam into his chest. I backed away nervously.
“I-I’m okay now. You can go back.” I assured him but he tsked, reaching for my wrist and pulling me into him.
“Let me go.” I pulled against him again.
“I can’t in good conscience let you wander around here all alone, to get lost. What would Santorini do to me if he found out I didn’t take good care of his pet?” he asked, a sinister smile forming on his face.
