𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ✹ 𝐠. 𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐧

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢 - 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰

Haven

I was still shook by whatever happened with Gerard which almost made me forget Neal was waiting for me. I visibly slouched over before pushing past people and into the house. The amount of people outside looked like child's play next to the masses inside. I could make up some faces from school here or there but the rest were complete and total strangers. I couldn't see past like 10 feet in front of me, the lights were dimmed to almost complete darkness and very loud music thumped through the walls reaching my ears in soundwaves that resonated through my whole entire body.

Sweaty bodies next to each other danced to the music while others hung around the walls of the house talking and in the patio outside I could see as I moved a table set up for beer pong with teenagers on both sides. Everyone just seemed so happy drinking and dancing their problems away like this was peak teenhood. Maybe it was.

I passed a couch and a boy sitting on it strangely resembled Shannon's older brother Joey. What was odd was that the girl sitting on his lap with her dark curls in braids, her feet propped on the armrest of the couch and her ring clad hands running through Joey's blonde hair didn't look like his girlfriend Aoife. I assumed he and Aoife were on a break or something because I overheard Shannon and Johnny talking about it and it seemed they were on a rough patch and very on and off for the past month or so. Joey seemed to recognize me because of the way his eyes narrowed and he stopped paying attention to the tan skinned girl. The girl then turned to look at me and narrowed her piercing green eyes at me.

Joey then called me over and I shuffled to stand in front of them, too terrified to meet the girl's eyes, who were even scarier up close. "Haven, haven't seen you in a while. Didn't peg you much for a party type of girl" Joey drawled, his Cork accent thick.

I shifted my weight "Yeah, well I guess I am now" I replied awkwardly "How's Shan? I haven't seen her in a while"
Joey tensed up but played it off "Oh she's at home. She's a bit sick so couldn't make it. Your brother here with you?" He asked and I nodded to his words and then he carried on "Good, have a good time Haven"

"Yeah you too" I replied and took it as my cue to leave. I turned on my heels and walked in the opposite direction. My wondering about Joey and the mystery girl were cut off when Neal found me before I could find him. His hand snaked around my stomach and pulled me close to his front. At the moment I didn't know who it was so I panicked and let out a yelp. "Hey gorgeous" He spoke in my ear and the tone of his voice made me even more uncomfortable than his hand on my body. I snaked out of his grip and turned to look at him, now 2 steps further away.

"Glad you could finally make it. What took that brother of yours so long? He was trying to keep you away from me huh?" He said taking a step closer to me successfully getting rid of the space I created

"No it wasn't Johnny, I just took some time getting ready" I explained toying with the ends of my hair. Neal nodded and allowed himself to scan me over once, twice, thrice, before meeting my eyes again. "Come on, I've got some friends I'd like you to meet" He said before throwing his arm freely over my shoulder and dragging me outside. Neal's ego seemed thoroughly inflated while he paraded me around the big backyard. He seemed to enjoy the stares we were getting and all the people looking over their shoulders at us. He walked around with me under his arm like I was some big prize everyone wanted and he was rubbing on their faces he got me and they didn't. I grew increasingly uncomfortable by the way he was looking at me, almost predatory.

"You look absolutely stunning, you know?" He said in my ear "You've been driving me crazy with that skimpy dress since you got here"

I swallowed hard "Umm thanks" I murmured looking around frantically as he was in complete oblivion to my discomfort. Out near the back were some guys I assumed were his friends by the way he was leading me to them. Three I recognized from school, the rest I had never seen in my life. Their eyes darted to me immediately, taking me in with leering, laser-like gazes. They surrounded us like vultures would to a carcass and I felt too exposed. Too watched. Too on display.