Trace of Innocence (No Control Book 3)

Chapter 47 - part iii

(No Control - 47. Better Than Words, third part)

I fetch some plastic cups and a ping pong ball from the kitchen and we arrange them on the coffee table, and pour a variety of drinks into them.

"We're going first," I call, and give the ball to Jess. "Go on," I encourage, and I hope she's a decent shot.

She is, and nails the first throw, splashing a drop of beer on Louis' t-shirt.

"Sorry!" she squeals nervously, and he grins at her and necks the beer inside it, before crumpling the cup and tossing it aside.

He then bounces the ball onto the table and it sails over the cups into Jess's outstretched hand.

"Nice one, Tommo," Liam says sarcastically.

"Alright, alright, I'm just warming up," Louis retorts defensively. "Harry's up next, we're fine."

I ignore this attempt to knock my confidence, and silently pray I don't make a fool of myself in front of my girlfriend. I just want to nail this shot.

I use an underarm throw and hold my breath as it arcs into the air and lands deftly into the cup nearest Liam.

"Yesss!" Jess says, jumping up and down and giving me a high five.

I'm so fucking proud of myself.

"Come on, Payno," Louis urges, pressing his hands together in a praying motion, and presses his fingertips against his lips.

Liam's shot is direct and lands in one of Jess's cocktails. She grins and picks it up, and before I can tell her she doesn't need to drink it if she doesn't want to she has downed the entire thing.

"Looks like the Master of Beer Pong -" (she does air quotes) "- is the only player still to score," she sasses, setting her empty cup on the floor, and Liam throws his head back and laughs while Louis raises his eyebrows and tilts his head to the side.

"Don't try and slay me, Jess," he retaliates.

"I don't need to try, Louis," she shoots straight back, and gives him a lopsided smirk as Liam says softly, "Ooooh," from behind Louis.

She grins at Liam, and bounces the ball across the table where it lands with another plop in the cup next to Louis, splashing his t-shirt again. He grins in defeat and drinks the contents, and I realise this has now become a private war between the two of them.

He stares her down before eyeing up our remaining drinks, and then takes aim. It lands perfectly in a cup of beer, and a drop lands on Jess's arm. She flicks it off, grinning, and I pick up the cup and down it in one.

"I'm relieved for you," she says to Louis, cockily, and he shakes his head in disbelief at her attitude. Meanwhile, I can't wipe the grin from my own face.

I nail my next shot again thankfully, and Liam is forced to neck some lethal vodka concoction.

He then misses his next throw, much to our mirth, and Jess catches it effortlessly again.

"Shall we get ourselves some more drinks, Harry?" she asks casually, turning to me and smirking. "We'll die of thirst waiting for these two to catch up."

I squeeze my eyes shut and laugh at her audacity, and high five her again.

She fucking slays. I love it.

"I need a cig," Louis grumbles, but with a grin. "Come on Payno. We need to discuss tactics. I'm not being beaten by these two fucking losers."

They disappear out of the room and I turn to Jess and we giggle mischievously for a minute.