Trace of Innocence (No Control Book 3)

Chapter 3

(No Control - 3. Happily)

I'm still staring after the blonde girl when Nick slaps me on the shoulder. "What are you staring at?" he asks.

"Nothing, just a girl that caught my eye," I tell him.

"Ahhh, I see," he winks suggestively. "Come on, let's go check her out."

"I think she went into the kitchen," I say.

"So what are we waiting for?" Nick asks, pushing me gently towards the kitchen door.

"Hang on," I stall, but Nick is now walking off without me so I have no choice but to fall into step behind him. We slowly push our way through the people crowding by the entrance to the kitchen, and I see Zayn lining up more shots on the counter by the back door. It takes us a minute to get through everyone, and once we are in the kitchen Nick offers me another drink. I say no, and tell him I need to get home, but he pouts and cuts in between some people standing by the fridge and picks up a beer. He nods at them apologetically and I follow him, explaining I've already requested a car to come and get me.

"Cancel it!" Nick is laughing. "Come on, I haven't seen you in months. We need a good night out."

I step in front of someone as I am about to answer Nick, and I suddenly realise it's the blonde girl from before, and she is about a foot away from me, looking down at a drink in her hand. As I turn my head to look at her she looks up at me and our eyes meet again. Her face looks flushed.

"Hi again," I say, feeling the same smile spread across my face as I wonder if she knew I was checking her out a minute ago.

Behind her Zayn suddenly gives a shout and shoves one of his mates who stumbles backwards, shoving the girl forwards into me.

It's like a domino effect. She crashes against me and I gasp when I feel a sudden icy splash as her drink tips all down my shirt and over my chest. She makes this weird squeaky sound and she's practically hugging me as I lose my balance as well and bump painfully into the fridge behind me.

Well, it's one way to get acquainted, I suppose.

It takes a couple of seconds of her leaning against me before she regains her balance and stands up. I push myself clumsily off the fridge, feeling embarrassed that I've just looked completely uncool.

"Zayn, you idiot!" I yell.

The girl is apologising but I'm more pissed off at Zayn who is clearly hammered and out of control, and hasn't a clue what he's doing.

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault. Zayn and his mates pushed into you," I tell the girl, but she sounds upset as she mutters something about ruining my shirt. She grabs a tea towel and starts dabbing at the wet patch and I look down at my front and silently curse Zayn as I realise she is right: my shirt probably is ruined.

"Thanks," I say, taking the tea towel from her. Her fingers brush against mine briefly and a crackle of static passes between us, making us jump. I look down at her face. Our eyes meet and I can't help but smile at her. She's really pretty up close, even if she looks ready to cry. I make some stupid comment about a live wire and she doesn't take her eyes off mine.

"Never mix water and electricity," she says seriously, and the look on her face makes me laugh.

She apologises again but I brush it off and offer to get her another drink. I'm embarrassed that Zayn hasn't even acknowledged he pushed her, let alone said sorry, but she glances round at them and then looks back at me, seeming unfazed by them.

I wonder how old she is and if she knows who I am. Her friend seemed to recognise me earlier but neither of them have said anything. Maybe they're not fans.

I convince her to let me make her another drink and inwardly groan when she tells me she's drinking cocktails. I haven't a clue how to make anything, so I have a feeling I'm about to make a fool of myself. Oh well. It can't be worse than my little stumble against the fridge.

I splash a few ingredients into a glass, trying to look as though I know what I'm doing, and as I hand it to her I silently pray to all the gods above that it isn't completely disgusting. She takes a small sip and immediately pulls a face.

Fuck.

But I can't help but smile at her expression. She's obviously trying not to be rude. "Oh no, is it terrible?" I ask.

"Um, no, it's just really strong," she says, her nose still wrinkled.

I take the glass back and sniff the top of it and can't avoid pulling a face too. It smells like methylated spirit or something. Great.

I offer to make her another drink but she declines politely and tips half of the poisonous concoction down the sink and re-fills the glass with lemonade. I don't blame her; she probably thinks I am a complete idiot, incapable of pouring a simple cocktail. Not cool.

I am frantically trying to think of something funny to say to make her laugh when Nick appears next to us and I wonder where he's been. I hadn't even noticed he'd left.

"Hazza!" be booms. "Come with me, I've got something to show you before you go. Your driver's outside."

I am disappointed that Paul is here already but relieved at the interruption before I made an even bigger idiot of myself in front of this girl. Nick begins to pull me away by the arm and the girl looks up at me and gives me the most amazing smile that sends another little jolt to the pit of my stomach. Wow.

"Nice talking to you," she says.

"You too," I respond, genuinely, smiling back at her as I follow Nick and leave her standing by the sink.

I didn't even catch her name.