Between You and Me (A college hockey romance)

Eight

Lennon

I let out an involuntary shiver as someone looms over me. 

Two big, tattooed arms wrap around my shoulders and settle on the kitchen counter, caging me in. After Arlo's I could recognize those fine line, seemingly random placed tattooes anywhere. 

Greyson Carter. 

I roll my eyes. Why is he so dead set on not leaving me alone? 

"Hello, Lennon" he nearly whispers in my ear, and I hate myself even more when I get goosebumps. He's hot - sure. But my body needs to get a grip. 

I turn to face I'm, which I quickly realize was a mistake. I will never admit it to his face, but what he so clearly lacks in personality, he makes up for in appearance. It might be the alcohol rushing through my veins, but has he always been this beautiful? 

"Greyson" I state, rather than say, trying to mask the blush creeping up my cheeks. 

"Fancy seeing you here, in my house". 

"Don't get used to it". 

He lifts one eyebrow in amusement and for a second I think he's going to argue, but instead he says "Can I get u a drink?". 

I roll my eyes, crossing my arms across my chest, making my upper arms touch his lower arms as he still cages me in. We're so close now I can smell his perfume. It smells almost like... rum? 

From our interactions at Arlo's I have noticed he's not used to being told no, which makes it even more fun to do. He's not going to get me that easily. 

Wait. He's not going to get me at all. 

That's obviously what I meant.

"No thank you, I can get my own drink" I smile, sarcasm dripping of my lips. 

He leans down even further and my breath hitches for a second. "I'm sure you are perfectly capable of getting your own drink, Lennon" he says. "I'm simply offering to get one for you". 

If I was someone else, I might have kissed him right now. I'd have let go of my insecurities and issues and just kissed him. But I'd regret it in the morning, so for once in my life I'm happy I'm me. 

I clear my throat, breaking whatever spell he had me under. "Again, no thank you. If you could move back five feet and leave me alone so I can finish my drink, that would be great". 

Greyson holds my gaze for a second, searching my eyes for something, before straightening back up, taking the heat with him. He steps back, leaving some distance between us. A part of me is a little disappointed he gave up so easily, but the other part of me is glad he's a man who know's when to stop. 

It's sexy. 

I turn back around, ignoring his presence behind me, to finish making my drink. Embarrassingly enough, I'm a Bacardi-Coke girl. Always have been, probably always will be. My old friends used to make fun of me for it. Something about being a rich-pick-me, whatever that means. When I turn back around, I realize that I've made my second mistake of the evening because Greyson has been eyeing me up from behind. He doesn't seem embarrassed that I have caught him, but I definitely am. That blush from earlier? Full blown crimson right about now. 

He's got the softest smirk on his face.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed" he tells me. 

"I am not embarrassed" I reply, swirling the straw around my drink. "Now leave me alone". I start walking towards the crowd and feel him following me. Once we get to the end of the kitchen, he walks past me. 

"See you at Arlo's" he winks as he walks off backwards. I flip him off as I walk into the crowd, away from him. 

I left Arden and Jade somewhere around here. The crowded house makes it hard to find anyone, though, and before I know it I find myself stuck in a group who doesn't seem to intend to go anywhere. I feel the familiar prickle at the back of my neck and my breath quickens. I take another sip of my drink to calm my nerves and try to focus on the fact that I am safe here. 

Jade and Arden are here somewhere, and so is Owen and even Evan. I know they are, and that helps. And even if they weren't, there's something, far-far away at the back of my mind, that believes I'd be fine because of Greyson. And that feels fucking weird to admit, but I believe if something happened, it would be fine if he was there. At least for all the parts of him that are annoying, he's not given me a reason to believe otherwise. 

That might just be the delusional part of my brain speaking, but that has always protected me in my past, so if that's my downfall, then so be it.

Before my brain can send me down another spiral, I see Evan playing beer pong with a group of guys. He spots me and waves me over, grinning. 

"Lennon!" he shouts over the music. "I'm down a teammate, want to play?". He gestures to a brown-haired-boy running after a group of girls, basically salivating. I shake my head laughing, "sure".

He wraps an arm around my shoulders, leaning down so I can hear him better. "Ok, you'll be on my team. Those two over there are Luke and Nicholas" he points at his friends and I give them a wave. The one on the left, Luke, a grins at me - trying,  but failing - to hold eye contact. He's wasted out of his mind. Nicholas is a mountain of a man, several inches taller than both Luke and Evan. He seems less intoxicated as he wraps his arm through his blonde hair and salute me with a wink. 

"We play forfeits, so you take the shot in the glass and do the forfeit at the bottom. That sounds good?". Evan smiles at me so broadly it makes me laugh, and I nod. I'm surprised the shy man I've met in my building plays forfeit-beer-pong. 

"I love a challenge". Evan matches my laugh. "I should have known". 

Luke kicks off the game by missing our cups, spectacularly earning a light slap from Nicholas. I'm up next, but I also miss. It's Nicholas' turn and he sinks it right into the middle cup, cheering as he does. 

Evan pours me a shot of something clear before pouring one for himself. "Bottoms up, Lenny" he grins and we clink our glass, brings it to the table and pack up, throwing the shot back. The liquid burns down my throat and I struggle to keep myself from coughing. 

"Wanna do the forfeit or should I?" Evan asks me, and I shake my head at him, grabbing the red cup. The alcohol is making me daring. 

I pick the ball out of the cup and read the forfeit at the bottom. 

"Take off your favorite item of clothing you're wearing" I read out loud and the boys on the other team whistles. 

"You don't hav..." Evan tries but I silent him by putting my hands over his mouth. "The game's the game" I tell him. 

I face the boys with a mischievous look and before I know it, I'm loosening the strings of my corset.