Double Shot

Chapter Thirty-Eight

We all enter the restaurant that Gabe'a parents have chosen. It's a largish places, around 20 tables with a dark wood style. The walls are a wooden brick style with photos of different places around the world hanging up.
"So what have I missed?" Sean say 5 minutes after we've all sat down. He takes the only spare seat which is next to me. Maddie sends me over a look and I know that she's thinking the same thing as me.
"Not much. We were just discussing what Maddie is going to do now that she left school," Liam says.
"You're leaving school?" He asks.
"Yeah. Thinking of becoming a hair dresser," she say taking a sip of her water as the waitress comes over. She's about 20, long blonde hair, mostly fake, and blue eyes. She looks like an Essex girl. I guess you get them everywhere now.
"Hey," she says pushing her boobs and bum out while trying to catch Sean's attention. I mean he is definitely the most handsome of the guys and Liam and Charlie have their arms around Ella and Maddie's shoulders so it's obvious that they are a couple. "Can I get you any drinks?" She asks.
"Can we get 4 beers?" Sean asks looking around at Liam, Gabe and Gabe's dad, who all nod.
"We'll have 2 bottle of your house white with 5 glasses," Julie say.
"A coke please," Charlie say.
"The same for me," Trevor agrees.
"Can we get 2 jugs of water as well," I ask as Maddie smiles at me in agreement.
"Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks," the waitress says, giving Sean one last smile.

"So why are you leaving school?" Gabe asks Maddie.

"A-levels are just not for me," she says with a weakfish smile.

"She's spent more time in Starbucks than school for the last month," I laugh as she sends me a glare.

"I have been doing stuff there though. I've spent most of that time writing," she says as the waitress brings over the jugs of water.

"Yeah sure, not the flow of free drinks off Charlie," I laugh as Charlie sends her a confused look.

"Not you. My best mate," she smiles as she pours herself a glass of water.

"Um, excuse me," I joke, making the others laugh.

"Okay, my best male friend," she laughs.

"Now that I beg to differ," Trevor laughs.

"Best English male friend," she says rolling her eyes as Sean goes to say something. "Don't even say anything Killeen," she warns him, causing the boys and Ella to laugh, I just take a sip of my water that I've just poured.

"You're drinks," the waitress, who's name tag says Klara, says standing next to Sean again. She leans over him, showing her breast off more as she does, and places a wine glass in front of me, before his beer in front of him. She goes around the table giving out the drinks and I see Maddie sending Charlie a warning glance which he gets. I take a deep breath. My body and my heart is telling me to get up and leave but my head is saying not to. I can't make a scene and I can't ruin Gabe's 21st birthday dinner.

****

I sit on the edge of my bed, waiting for Maddie to finish in the bathroom.

"Are you feeling okay?" Ella says sitting next to me.

"I think so. I'm not sure. I want to hate him but at the same time I love him. Oh God that sounded like a song," I say with a slight laugh.

"It's okay. We all know what he feels for you," She tries to comfort me.

"But he's telling everyone else but me," I tell her.

"He will do. Don't worry about that. He's just being a dick about it," she tells me, pulling me into a hug.

A knock at the door causes us to break from the hug. I get up from the bed and open the door. Standing on the other side is the blond boy with his pierced nose.

"Sean," I say politely.

"Can we go for a walk and talk?" he asks with a warming smile.

I look over my shoulder at Ella, and Maddie who is standing in the doorway of the bathroom, brushing her teeth. They both give me one nod in encouragement. I grab my caramel jacket of the rake before following him out of the hotel room. We walk out of the hotel and into the street. We walk a few blocks, neither of us speaking, until we come to a little park. Entering the park, we take a seat on one of the wooden benches.

"So..." I start.

"So. I'm sorry," he says.

"You're going to have to be more specific," I tell him,

"I'm sorry for ignoring you. For not... being there for you," he says, making me confused.

"What are you on about?" I ask, not understanding where he's coming from.

"I'm sorry that during the whole meal I was eyeing up the waitress," he starts.

"I wouldn't call it eyeing up," I say under my breath, which he heard as he frowns more.

"I'm sorry that I didn't say hello to you properly when we first arrived, I should have and I would like to now," he says, leaning in. Before my mind has a chance to process what is going on his lips land on mine. They linger on mine for a moment before they leave. The kiss is sweet and loving, even though it lasts only a few seconds.

My eyes flicker open and met his.

"I don't know if I can do this," I admit to him.

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows furring.

"I don't think I can go straight into a relationship. Not the same way that Maddie and Charlie did. I know what they have is strong, but I don't feel like we would be. I think we need some time. Some time to get to know each other, to know if we would work or not before we dive to deep and drown. I'm sorry," I tell him before getting up and walking away from the bench, and back to the hotel. A single tear escapes my eyes as I wrap my arms around myself to protect me from that April chill that is still around.