Heartbeat [Alec Volturi]

Elicit

"That guy was scarrryyyy." Travis words were starting to slur and I took note of the empty ounce shot glass in his hand that he exchanged for a full one as we returned to his group. "So...he your ex?"

"What? No, I'm sorry. He just gets on my freaking nerves." He offered me the shot glass and I contemplated taking the drink.

I shook my head. He shrugged and downed it. Over his shoulder, I caught the familiar gaze of the wounded pup we'd left behind. Only it seemed that his wounds had quickly found a healer in two older women. He flashed a smirk to one, while the other took the initiative to make an attempt to run her fingers through his hair. I turned my head, not eager to catch if he let her or not.

The instant I looked away, something unfamiliar overwhelmed me. It was like a roar of an emotion too impatient to be named and too eager to exist. Whatever it was had not consulted the part of my brain that made smart, rational decisions because I would have gladly continued the playfully innocent nature Travis and I had already successfully established.

But as Travis, now two more shots heavy, delicately spun me around on the dance floor, I made no move to stop him when he pulled my back flush against his chest. Despite the flow of alcohol in his veins, he stood solidly behind me. As his hips started to sway to the music, mine followed of their own accord. Our previously beginner lessons in dance now attempting to join the big leagues.

A mate of Travis' stood a few paces from us and upon seeing us, the man shouted, "güepa!". He pointed at me and raised a fist in congratulations to Travis, who returned the gesture.

I closed my eyes, shoving away how the moment could have made me feel. On one hand, it was slightly dehumanising and disrespectful. But, on the other, I'd never been so much as catcalled before tonight. There was something interesting about the conflicting emotions upon the reception of male attention, good and/or bad. Tonight alone, I had experienced it and witnessed it in different forms, with reactions ranging from an initiated kiss to splashed liquid. I had a feeling Heidi had a few theories on the topic if I ever got up the courage to talk about it.

Travis's fingertips brushed the skin of my neck, moving my hair to the side. The pads of his fingers were rough, worn from work and daily existence and they slid from the back of my neck back down to my hips. I noted that the friend was two steps ahead of us and I watched as he raised his head from his girl's neck, a small mark dotting her skin. As she tossed her head back with a drunken giggle, my own eyes widened. I stepped forward out of Travis' embrace and turned around to face him in an unusually graceful manner.

I gulped as my eyes flickered behind Travis once again. Alec was on the opposite side of the club, eyebrows narrowed and mouth slightly agape, but still keeping a heedful eye. Jane stood next to him, a frown prominently displayed on her face as her mouth moved at a ridiculous speed. He said nothing, so I guessed she was likely chastising him and assuming from how he only half faced her, she was probably right. He was too far away for me to tell for sure what he was feeling, but there was a guilt that manifested in me that decided to fill in its own blanks. We held eye contact for mere milliseconds before he looked away. I guess I was on my own.

Travis frowned, passing the empty glass in his hand unceremoniously to one of his nearby teammates who took it absentmindedly. I muttered something about the bathroom and darted off in that direction.

I chose the wrong side of the club however, as the door to the bathroom clearly indicated that it was the men's toilets. To back this up, even if I couldn't read the Italian, the alcove was entirely empty. Definitely, the men's side.

As I turned to step out of the hideout, I was instead joined by the man I had just left partnerless on the dance floor. His grin had grown sloppy over our time together and I questioned if he knew that he'd drunk past his limit. But beyond recognizing the physical signs, I had no knowledge of how to handle a drunk. Which was apparently, only half of my biggest problem at the moment as Travis' true objective became clear.