VOLKO

Chapter Eighteen

The next day I sat in the back of one of my father's many big black cars, I want to say it was another four by four but I couldn't name any car if  I was honest. Even if someone had a gun to my head. Car just weren't my thing. Unluckily for me, I'd been packed and ready to go at the time Robert had informed me of absently last night. Everyone else, wasn't.

Bored and avoiding Jake meant I was left staring up at the car roof. On the bright side, the beautiful weather outside did mean I was able to listen to the birds singing whilst also hearing the men moan as they threw luggage into the back of the cars.

Seriously? How much luggage did they need for a four day trip? Everyone would think we were going to the moon.

When the appearance of a certain redhead walked around the corner I practically dived into the footwell. The last thing I wanted was Victoria biting my head off and ruining my already shitty day.

Never failing to disappoint, behind her trailed two very weighed down men carrying a mountain of boxes, no doubt all belonging to Victoria. Her heels clicked furiously towards the car I was hiding in.

Through the back window I watched as she approached, praying she wouldn't see me as this wasn't actually my proudest moment. 

"You're not coming." Dean said, did he sound disappointed?

"What'd you mean? Of course I'm coming. Who else would do the paperwork whilst the boys play." Her tone was playful. She swayed back and forth whilst one hand twirled her hair.

"Not after last time." Dean sounds serious. What had happened last night?

I watched as Victoria's face dropped, Dean either didn't care or hadn't noticed as he loaded more stuff into the car. I liked how hands on Dean was, he never tasked everyone with anything he wasn't willing to do himself.

"Robert made this call?" No longer did Victoria act playfully, she stood stiff, hips forward, arms crossed. All that it needed was a foot stomp and you'd have the perfect tantum.

Dean straightened up, catching my eye as he did so. If he hadn't been expecting me to be there, he showed no sign of it. Instead he took a deep breath, looked away for the briefest of seconds before straightening up to face Victoria.

"I did." Victoria flinched as though Dean had struck her, but within seconds she was back to her flirty self.

"Would I be too much of a distraction?" She fluttered her eyes at Dean.

My stomach dropped, I had no right to be annoyed or jealous. Dean wasn't my man, I had no claim to him. So why did my body react this way? It was so uncharacteristic of me. Chase and I used to laugh at girls who acted like this. Now I was becoming one.

Even though I had all these negative feelings that I wanted to push away I still watched on. Had I become a masochist?

"Goodbye Victoria." Much to my relief, Dean closed the car boot and walked away from a baffled Victoria.

Not wishing for her to catch me staring, I quickly hide safely behind the seats. After a few minutes the clicking of her heels could be heard getting fainter. I told myself the happiness I felt was because I wouldn't have to endure Victoria's presence on the trip. When really I knew it had something to do with Dean making that decision. Did he not want her there either? Maybe my talk in the car has cleared the fog on his high appraisal of her.

I'd thought after Jake and my awkward conversation yesterday he'd be back to ignoring me. Much to my surprise he seemed to be going out of his way to make conversation with me. Jake's non stop chatter to the airport only half distracted me from the icy atmosphere being created by Dean and Robert. Luckily, Robert had made arrangements for him and Dean to have a separate car to Jake and I.