Out of the Blue

Chapter 13

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Caroline. Sawyer. Justin. They were all so incredibly frustrating, but none of them was stupid. That title fell to me. I was naïve to think any part of this night would go without drama. And I was stupid to believe I'd get through it without incident. In fact, there'd been multiple.

I had to get out of there before my overwhelmed mind combusted. Now I wandered aimlessly around Sydney Harbour in my thin, silk dress, letting the cool of the winter night sooth my raging emotions.

There were plenty of partygoers out tonight, stumbling from one club to another before lockout. The women all wore tight or short dresses. The alcohol coursing through their veins likely kept them warm. I crossed my arms and rubbed them, hoping to steal away some of the chill with friction.

I was riling from my conversation with Caroline. Not that it was a conversation, for the most part; it was more me telling her off for a lifetime of undeserved pain. I wasn't sure if she deserved it or not, regardless of her regret and empathy. She broke my dad's heart and there was no forgiving that.

Then there was Justin and Sawyer. Deep down I knew they wouldn't get along. That's why I'd been so worried about them being in the same place tonight. But again, I'd been stupid to let this even happen. I knew it would blow up somehow.

My phone buzzed relentlessly in my purse, but I left it there, still needing time to calm down. It was probably Sawyer. We'd arrived together tonight, and I'd just taken off. He'd be worried. But I couldn't get the look on his face out of my mind. He was mad, and he needed time to calm down as well.

"Ellie!"

I turned at the call of my name and Justin approached at a slow jog.

I kept walking, not sure I could deal with him either.

"Ellie, wait a minute." He stepped up beside me and I stopped to face him. "You're mad," he stated, eyes glancing over me as I tightened my arms across my chest. Yes, I was mad, and I had every right to be.

He started unbuttoning his suit jacket. "What are you doing?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what he was doing. Despite his choice of words in his argument with Sawyer, he was usually a gentleman.

Justin shook off his jacket. "You've got goosebumps," he said, not taking his eyes off me.

I shrugged, even though he was right and my goosebumps had goosebumps. "But you'll be cold."

That amused him. "I've got long sleeves, I'll be fine," he said, wrapping his jacket around my shoulders and pulling the collar up under my neck. I held onto it and wondered if taking a sniff would be too creepy. Was it weird that I enjoyed his scent wrapping around me more than the actual warmth the jacket provided?

An awkward silence ensued as we watched groups around us pass by joking and laughing with ease. Last weekend, we'd been with a group of friends having a good time just like that. Now we stood here uncomfortably, and I was afraid to open my mouth for fear of what I'd say.

After what seemed like forever, but was only a minute or so, Justin broke the silence. "I'm sorry," he apologised, eyes as sincere as his tone.

I had to look away. The anger still simmered, as it should, and I knew looking at him would just soothe those feelings. I had to stay mad, at least for a little while. "You should be," I murmured, looking down at my feet. They were slowly turning purple in the chilly air.

Justin took a step closer and spoke in a low voice. "I know I have no excuse for what I said."

Screw it! I looked up him, hoping my demeanour made up for my small stature. He was far taller, but I had a point to make. "You implied Sawyer only slept with me to climb the corporate ladder. That that's all I'm worth."