america's assassin ➻ steve rogers

two

"You lied to me," I said the second the doors to the ballroom were pushed open and the party was undisclosed. "This is not small." I could hear my heartbeat in my ears but I focused on the breathing exercises Dr. Barrett had been teaching me to lower it down. The party was much more than small, with people dressed in ball gowns and tuxedos strutting around the room, diamonds glinting off their necks and wrists and ears. There was a live band in one corner and a decorative display of buffet-style food in another beside the bar.

"Must I remind you again that this was your idea," Nat said from my side and despite her nonchalant tone, I didn't miss the way her eyes flickered back and forth from me to the party. She was watching me, wondering how I would handle it. I took a deep breath, brushed my fingers against the knife strapped to my thigh for comfort, and held my head high.

"I guess I can start with a drink." With one more careful look, Nat led the way to the bar. Two people brushed against me on the way there. An elderly woman dressed in bright yellow with a flashing necklace of emeralds at her neck who smelt like petunias and a younger man who had staggered into me and very narrowly escaped spilling his drink down my front. I saw the way he was promptly escorted to the exit by a security guard moments later. Nat spoke to the bartender as I leaned against the bar and surveyed the party around me. Loud music, loud people, loud fashion. Everyone seemed to be yelling over one another to carry on their conversations over the next group and couples waltzed on the dancefloor, stuck in their own version of reality.

"Mia." Nat's voice caught me off guard and I flinched when she said my name. I looked at her as she held out a flute of golden, bubbling liquid. I took a long sip of the champagne. "Are you doing okay?" She asked, taking a sip from her own flute.

"Nobody has tried to speak to me yet, or kill me, so I guess so far the evening is a success." I tried to force my voice to sound normal but the clench in my jaw made it sound off.

"Nobody will try to kill you," She promised. "But I guess somebody might try to speak to you at some point. I'll advise you not to stab them." Despite my growing nerves, I huffed a laugh.

"Well that all depends on what they say," I retorted. Nat laughed.

"I'll stay by your side," She said. I looked at her, about to say thank you, but saw the way she was looking at something over my shoulder. When I glanced over, I saw a man that was looking back at her. A smile curved my lips.

"No, I'll be okay," I told her. "You go and have fun. I will just sit right here and get really drunk." I patted the bar stool beside me. Nat's brows furrowed.

"No, Mia-" I cut her off with a wave of my hand.

"It's fine, Nat. Just maybe come running if you hear somebody screaming." I winced. The look on her face was clear. She was torn. But finally, she nodded once and passed me with a single squeeze of my shoulder.

I stayed by the bar uneventfully for some time until somebody bumped into me, spilling the quarter glass of champagne down my skirts. I gasped and as the woman apologised over and over, wiping at the satin with napkins, I could barely hear her. The touch of a stranger, the way she stared at me and kept speaking, the way her antics were bringing on unwanted attention from other bystanders, my head was swimming. Too much. This was too much too quickly and I was falling, falling...

Somebody touched my elbow, straightening me up from where I'd sagged forward. Strong fingers, gentle grip. A voice told the woman to stop fussing and she went away with another string of apologies. I looked at the person who had spoken. A man. A small smile on his face, blue eyes twinkling.

"Are you okay?" He asked and the way he watched me made it clear he cared about the answer. His fingers were still on my elbow and I swallowed hard, glancing down at it. He let go but didn't move to leave.