Toxic Lips [l.h]

t w e n t y f i v e

"Want to do something?" Luke asks. 

I look at him skeptically, "Like what?"

"Like play poker."

I shake my head, "I don't gamble."

"Of course not."

Something about his tone angers me, "You know what?" I ask. "Let's go play poker. And I'm gonna kick your ass so bad you'll be crying all the way back to your apartment."

Luke's smile widens as he stands, pulling me along with him. "Not if I beat you," he says.

"Best of luck," I say, smiling back at him. 

Luke stares at me for another moment before turning around and leading me to his car. Honestly, I feel like I've ridden in this car so many times by now. 

"Where is this place?" I ask. 

He half smiles, "One of Sydney's best casinos."

I furrow my brows, "Aren't we underdressed then?"

"Nope, we're fine."

He soon pulls into a parking lot that's close to the harbour. The building is all black, with tinted glass windows. A sign that reads 'Pandemonium', hangs from the roof. A tal man stands out the front, his arms crossed over his chest. 

"Hemmings," the man greets. "Good to see you."

"You too, mate." Luke replies. "Busy tonight?"

"Nah, It's monday. Only three or four tonight."

"Cool, see you round," Luke says as we walk inside. 

"Three or four what?" I ask him, confused. 

"Fights," he replies. 

I swallow the trepidation that has begun to spark inside me. Why did I even agree to this? I know what kind of people Luke associates himself with! Hell, I was attacked by two of them!

Inside, the lights are dimmed, a bar in the middle and cigarette smoke fills the room. I feel as though I've been transported to Vegas, with the glamour this place holds. 

Luke leads me to a poker table in the far corner. I recognise Michael from the night he grabbed me, and my breathing quickens. 

A few other people sit around the table. A gorgeous girl with long, brown hair and brown eyes smiles at me aswell as a boy with curly blonde hair and blue eyes, and I notice that the two of them are holding hands underneath the table. 

"This is Maddii, Jamie and Michael, Guys, this is Alaska," Luke says, and I bite my lip to hold back the nerves as I look at Michael. 

He notices my expression and smirks, "Don't worry babe, I'm off tonight," Michael says. 

This statement doesn't make me feel much better, but I nod anyway. 

"Nice to meet you, Alaska," the girl, Maddii says.

"You too," I say.

"Alright, enough of this shit, let's play poker," Jamie says, and he grabs Maddii's waist to pull her down onto his lap. 

"Anyone got a smoke" Luke asks, cracking his knuckles. 

Michael nods and brings a pack out of his pocket, handing Luke one. 

"I don't want to play poker," Maddii whines. "Can't we play 21 instead?"

"Madds," Jamie sighs. 

"We always play poker though! Always!"

"I'm fine with 21," Michael says, bringing his cigarette up to his lips. 

"Fine then," Jamie grumbles. He quickly shuffles the deck of cards and hands each person two.

"Everyone knows how to play, right?" Luke asks, looking at me, and I nod. 

"Wait, everyone's got to contribute," Michael says. 

Luke grabs out a $50 note and slaps it on the table. "That's from the both of us." 

Michael nods and adds it to the pile of highly stacked money.

I pick my cards up from the table, examinint them. I realise I have a relatively good hand, amounting to about fifteen. I just need a six...

"I'll go first," Maddii says. 

"Alright," Jamie says. "Draw or pass?"

"Draw," she answers, biting her lip. 

Jamie hands her a card and she curses. "Pass," she mumbles. 

Jamie smirks and looks at Michael on the other side. 

"Draw," he says, Jamie gives him a card, and he draws twice more after that.

Now, it's my turn.

"Draw," I say. 

Jamie hands me a card and I internally do a victory dance, It's a six...

"Pass," I tell him, and he moves on to Luke.

"Draw," he says, his voice raspy from the smoke. He holds the cigarette between his fingers as he examines his cards. He looks so exquisite, dangling the cigarette between his fingertips, whisps of smoke escaping his lips. "Pass," he sys to Jamie afterwards. 

After everyone has had their turn, we lay our cards down. Maddii has a twenty four, Jamie has nineteen, Michael has a twenty, and Luke and I both have twenty one. 

"Looks like we have a tie," Luke says, his voice low and deep. 

I half smile, "looks like it."

"Flip a coin," Maddii suggests. 

I'm about to open my mouth to answer her, when my phone begins to ring.

Tyler. 

"I should take this," I tell them, and I slide out of my seat and walk into the parking lot, phone pressed to my ear.