Effervescent

Chapter 3

Athena

My skin buzzes the second my palm meets his awaiting hand, making the organ in my chest miss a beat. Romeo holds my gaze, and I want to believe he feels the same thing when his eyes flash with something. He holds my gaze as I rise from my seat, though he doesn't take a step back to make space as I expected.

No, he remains where he was, the tips of his shoes touching mine as we stand chest to chest. I nearly choke on air, embarrassment searing my skin. I'm trapped between him and my chair, and I just know everyone is watching us.

Romeo smiles, his eyes flicking to my cheeks which are surely the deepest shade of red. His amusement is written all over his handsome features, yet he seems to eventually take pity on me as he steps back. Without acknowledging the awkward moment that just happened, he tries to start leading me toward our shed.

Just as I'm about to take my first step, the guy who introduced himself as Alex earlier tonight opens his stupid mouth again. He's been bothering me since we started the game; he clearly wanted my attention, and when I'd made it clear I was not interested in his stupid, crude dares, he quickly decided I was a no-fun prude. Dick.

"Don't look so smug, hotshot. There's no chance in hell you're scoring in there. You almost just gave her a heart attack by holding her hand," he snickers, making me hesitate again. What. A. Jerk. Clearly, I have successfully exposed myself as an inexperienced "prude" tonight, but that doesn't mean I have to like the way this boy tries to tear me down in front of someone I'm achingly attracted to.

It's silly; I don't even know Romeo. Still, the way our eyes kept meeting throughout the night made my body burn so much that I started shifting in my seat. Thank God I was subtle about it since anything else surely would have made Alex tease me relentlessly. To be turned on by eye contact? I admit, it's not something I'm proud of.

Romeo's hand squeezes mine more tightly, catching my attention. I look up at his face just in time to see the muscle in his jaw twitch. The amusement is no longer visible on his features, and for a beat, I'm scared I'm the source of his sudden agitation. Did he think he was going to score with me? In that supply closet? In seven minutes?

Sounds underwhelming.

But he turns his head before opening his mouth, addressing Alex with a cold voice. "What's your name?" he asks, nearly appearing calm. It's just an act, I can tell with the he's still squeezing my hand.

Alex looks at Romeo, then turns his leering eyes to me. He's been doing it repeatedly all night just to watch me squirm in discomfort. This time, though, a huge frame steps in front of me, hiding me from unwanted attention. I stare at Romeo's wide back in fascination, something warm and fuzzy curling around my heart.

After a beat of silence, Alex replies. Romeo's voice is a shade darker when he speaks again. "So, Alex, I think we've all had about enough of your stupid ass remarks for tonight, so why don't you go get yourself another drink and molest the people inside for a change? Or better yet, go home and take care of all that pent-up frustration about your tiny balls. If this is the way you handle a woman's rejection, I'm guessing you're used to going home alone," he drawls provocatively slowly. I stifle a gasp behind my hand while many others break out in laughter.

I should feel bad. As someone who's been in Alex's current position many times before, I should have some empathy to spare about being a laughing stock. It just seems I can't find it in me, not after he made me feel small all night.

Before Alex can retort anything, Romeo picks up his stride and drags me after him as he heads for the shed. With his free hand, he pulls the rusty door open. He looks inside the dark space, then turns to me. "Are you claustrophobic? Or have a fear of bugs?" he asks, his lip tilting up just slightly when I pull a face at his second question. His voice is still a little rough, though it lacks any sort of malice. Good to know he truly wasn't unjustly angry at me but rather in my defense.