Cuts and Bruises

Chapter Ten

Sorry for the wait. Enjoy this chapter! Xx

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It turns out that the parties at the football house were famous for a reason. Even I, who came against my own will and planned on leaving early, was having fun. Jay and Sam, two freshmen, joined our corner in the living room and I watched Trevor flirt heavily with Jane.

It wasn't so bad, either. The DJ in the other room was playing good music and there were white Christmas tree lights strung around the ceiling of the room. I had good company and had yet to see Max or Vincent, so things were going particularly well.

"I love this song," Jane gushes the second a familiar song starts playing. "Lily, come dance with me."

Before I can make an excuse as to why I couldn't go squeeze between all those people just so I can dance, Trevor perks up. "I want to dance. I'll come with you."

I can't hold my smirk back even though I should've been discouraging his behavior. But Trevor was too cute sometimes and Jane was clearly enjoying his company. She smiles genuinely and leans forward to grab his hand. "Okay, then let's go."

As Jane dragged Trevor out to the dance floor, I caught sight of Max walking into the room. His back was toward me as he talked to a few other seniors on the team and I took the moment as an opportunity to go to the bathroom and escape the room for a few minutes. He'll probably be gone by the time I get back, anyway.

"Hey guys," I interrupt Andrew's conversation with JD and Wallace. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back."

JD asks kindly, "Do you want one of us to come?"

Admittedly, I was flattered by his concern, but I still smirked. "Do you think that anyone is going to try anything to me here?"

The false confidence in my voice was enough to sway the boys, and Andrew gave me a solid nod before I turned around to find my way. "There's a bathroom upstairs. Second door on the left."

I waved at him while I walked away as a thank you. Luckily, there was some truth in my assertion, because people let me through as easily as they'd let Jane through. Apparently enough people knew who I was and didn't bother me while I walked through the living room, hallway, and up the stairs.

I opened the first door on the left and was quickly greeted with a prompt, "Get out!" And a girl screech. I shut the door quickly and practically threw myself into the next room and hoped that I could rid that horrible scene from my memory. When I shut the door behind me, I promptly locked it, and let out a breath.

"Lily?" An annoyingly familiar voice asks gruffly behind me and I tense. "What are you doing in here?"

I turn around slowly and see Vincent sitting in the tub. His long legs were drawn close to his chest and he looked horribly out of place. I freeze as my gaze washes over his slightly red eyes and, for the first time, I notice how tired and intoxicated he was.

"I just wanted to get a breath of fresh air," I excuse lamely.

His eyebrows raise in amusement. "So you came into the bathroom?"

"It doesn't matter," I wave him off and take a step closer to the tub hesitantly. "Are you okay? Why are you in the bathtub?"

Vincent's eyes darken and I knew that he finally remembered our last conversation. He narrowed his eyes at me and tried to sit up in the tub. "Why do you care?" He asks sharply. "I thought I was just a self centered athlete."

Immediately, I realized that I had been too harsh on Vincent. The reality slapped me in the face and I suddenly regretted some of the words that had escaped my mouth. Even though he pissed me off more times than not and had an entirely too big ego, he wasn't horrible. But he was... Decent. Kind of.