In Your Corner | ✓

Bonus: Kat

Grayson is drunk. Like, drunk, drunk.

She barrels towards Nat, who's standing in the middle of the room, looking like she's seconds away from finally kissing Josh. Of course, Grayson pays no attention to that.

I follow behind, groaning at the inconvenience of having a best friend who's so unaware of everything else when she's had a few drinks in her.

She might be drunk, but I'm not. In fact, I'm just stunned.

An emotion that doesn't take hold of me often, but when it does, it usually has something to do with Reuben Holmes. This night is no different.

It's his birthday, his big 21st, and he has every right to dress how he likes, put on as much of a show as he likes, but fuck.

Fuck me.

He's always been gorgeous, whether he's wearing his soccer kit, casual joggers and a hoodie, or jeans and a shirt. His dark brown eyes are always dancing with a little fire, ready to tease me at the first turn. His full lips seem to be perpetually turned up into a smirk, as though he's already got a joke on the tip of his tongue.

But tonight, tonight he's different. He's upped his game one more level, into a grey suit and crisp white shirt that just looks incredible on him. The light material stands out against his dark skin and I'm certain he knows exactly how delectable he looks.

The smirk he shot me earlier when I arrived with Farah and Gray said it all.

I've had my eyes trained on him the whole time I've been here, so I saw the exchange between him and Josh, the laughter and then the wink he shot in Josh's direction as he left him alone with Nat, presumably to give him space to shoot his shot.

Gray clearly has other plans, though, because the minute she lays eyes on our vice-captain, she's off like a shot in her direction. "Natty!"

Like the angel that she is, Nat pulls away, not looking even remotely annoyed, and greets us all with a hug. She doesn't even protest when Farah grabs hold of her and drags her to the bar with us to get a drink.

I don't miss the longing looking she casts over her shoulder at Josh, who's got the same expression plastered all over his face. I also don't miss the way Reuben – who should be totally invested in the conversation he's having right now with some of his course mates – has his eyes trained on us, amusement flickering in his irises.

Our gazes clash and my gut tugs violently.

I've always had a bit of a thing for Reuben Holmes. I mean, who hasn't? He's a walking, talking sex dream, with charm oozing out every pore.

The only thing is, we've both been a little too busy testing the waters with other people to ever act on any attraction either of us might have. I'm not blind: I know he's attracted to me, just like I am to him, but we've never done anything about it.

The longer it goes on, though, the more I want to. The more I wish that we'd follow through on those teasing hints of more than flirting, that we'd finally try it out, that it would be him banging me into next week, not just some random guy I picked up at the bar.

Tonight feels as good a night as any, so as I knock back the drink Anandi paid for, I promise myself that tonight's the night. I'm finally going to make a move on the man who's been on my mind since freshman year.

We're seniors now. If it ends in heartbreak, we won't have to see each other ever again after a couple of months. At least, not until Josh and Nat's inevitable wedding – because, let's be serious, even though they're not together yet, it's definitely on the cards – so it's not the end of the world if it all goes up in flames.