The bass of you

Chapter 16

We head into an elevator and when the doors close, I see me and Chase in the reflection of the doors standing right beside each other. What Chase doesn't realise is that I'm looking at him in the reflection of the doors, and I'm acknowledging him turning his head and glancing down at me from his tall height. He starts smirking to himself and his smirk is contagious, it makes me smirk too. Despite how attractive Chase is and what Layla's intentions are with Jackson, I have no such intention. It would have been easier if it was someone from Burry Port, someone closer to home, but it's someone famous and desired by so many girls. I won't be one of those girls that just gets a one-night stand from a rockstar just because they're famous and extremely attractive. There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't want to do it, it's not who I am.

"So...why'd you invite me here?" I ask, feeling the confidence to finally speak without tumbling over my words or blushing.

"I know I was drunk, but I thought you were cool to talk to, you weren't like other chicks." Chase laughs when I look at him and frown. I didn't mean to frown, I just did. Bloody alcohol kicking in... "I know you didn't even know I was... and that's cool with me. But even now that you know who I am, you still ain't changed." There's curiosity in his voice as he moves a strand of my hair away from my face.

This makes me nervous and I stare at him wide-eyed in response to his fingertips touching my cheek as he moves the strand. Never have I ever been in a situation like this before. It's usually get drunk and get down to it, not that I've done it with that many people, but it's still totally different to how it usually happens with me. It's much more complex considering how much I really want to avoid this situation that's unfolding right now. Chase is staring right into my eyes and smirking. I'm probably looking like a deer in headlights right now, but I can't help it.

Chase looks up at the top of my head then back down to my face. His hand glides across the side of my head and up to my ponytail. I don't know what he's doing, but I don't think I've ever had a boy touch my hair like this before, and I'm really not sure how to feel about it, so I just stay stiff.

"I liked it when your hair was down." He gently pulls at my bobble as I stay completely still and silent, feeling the bobble pull lower and lower down my hair - all the while I'm staring at him in uncertainty of what to do. I let him pull the bobble out, feeling my hair fall over the bare skin of my upper back and over my shoulders. Chase hands me my bobble with a smirk and I take it from him as he grins at the appearance of me with my hair now down. This makes me blush and I look away from him as I guide the bobble down my hand and onto my wrist.

The awkwardness of the moment is finally saved when the elevator doors open and Chase starts walking out. I follow behind him. We walk down a corridor with few rooms, but I can hear music blaring from one of them as we near the end of the corridor. Chase opens a door and the music instantly becomes louder. It's some sort of lounge with long, curved, dark-purple velveteen sofas opposite each other with a glossy, black, rectangular table between them. There's massive windows with great views of Cardiff city at the back and floor-length purple curtains that have been pulled back. The walls are painted white, so it's pretty light in here. There's a massive sound-system to the side on a stand, with tower speakers on either side of it. To the other side is a small bar with a generous choice of booze. I'm definitely not used to being in places like this. 

The room is empty - to my surprise - so I'm wondering where Layla has gone. Chase walks into the room and I shut the door behind me, standing there for a moment to take a few gulps of my drink and then proceeding to walk in the room. Chase is behind the bar, grabbing a drink for himself. I sit down on the sofa the same way someone does when they go to their friend's house for the first time : back straight, one leg over the other, hands resting on thighs. I just feel so confused right now, and I have no idea where Layla is.

Chase sits down opposite me and slumps back effortlessly as he opens a bottle of Jack Daniels and downs some. "Don't worry, I brought you here instead because I thought you might be more comfortable." He's obviously stuck on what to say to me because I'm so 'different' to how other girls would be around him and it only makes me even more awkward. He glances at the floor, takes another gulp of his drink, and then looks back up at me. "Uh, boyfriend?"

"No." It came out more bluntly than I intended to say it. I watch the small frown he does to my unexpected bluntness as he looks down at the table. I've clearly made things even worse and I'm starting to think that Chase is regretting inviting me here. "Girlfriend?" I ask back, hoping to sound more talkative.

Chase smirks and lets his head fall back over his shoulders. "Depends who you ask," he cheekily responds.

I'm not sure whether he's joking or not at first, because it's taking me longer to process things in my now drunken mind. Chase lowers his chin and glares right at me as he takes a sip from his bottle. He's so attractive and there's nothing to fault about him. Before I know it, I catch myself staring at his shirtless body and I instantly look away, rubbing my eyes as if there's something wrong with them in hopes that it wasn't obvious.

The lounge door opens and Jackson and Layla walk in looking incredibly happy. I'm not sure why, but Layla seems a lot different to how she was before and I'm not sure whether I should be worried or happy for her. They're making their way over to the sofa Chase is sitting on when the lounge door opens again, and in walks Wolf with some other guy I don't know, they're both laughing at something. Chase instantly gets up and walks around the table to slump himself by the side of me, I don't know why he's done this, but it makes me feel weird. In an unexpected turn of events, he suddenly has his hand on my thigh again, but this time it's staying there. I'm staring at his hand, thinking, what is this boy doing? Is he trying to make it look like he's 'scored' with me or something?

Wolf slumps down to the other side of me and the other guy slumps down next to Wolf. Wolf notices Chase's hand on my thigh and doesn't say anything, he just looks away. The random guy next to Wolf takes a quick glance over at me and just stares for a moment, like he's not even conscious, then simply turns away.

Chase leans into my ear and grips his hand on my thigh, which only makes feel tingly. "Wolf will play with you all night until you end up in his bed, which I'm sure you don't want. I'm only touching you to make a statement, if you know what I mean," he explains calmly.

Turning to him, I nod in understanding, and I don't know why the hell I do this, but I place my hand on his thigh too - as if his hand on mine wasn't enough of a statement. Embarrassed, I try to play it off and keep my hand there. Seems like I'm getting more confidence than I thought. Layla is glaring at me with raised eyebrows and a huge grin as she looks down at me and Chase touching each other's thighs. I smirk at her and shake my head as I relax my body and let it slump down on the sofa effortlessly. For some reason, our hands on each others thighs is comforting and I take advantage of that for my own comfort zone.