A few of us head over to one of the pool tables. Andy says he’s running to the bathroom before we start, so I’m left alone with Jason for a moment. He raises an eyebrow at me. “What’s going on with Reed?”
I give him a confused look. “What do you mean?”
He narrows his eyes like he knows I’m playing dumb. “He’s been a grump all night. What happened before you came?”
I shrug. “Nothing. It’s probably just the company he keeps.”
He smiles and opens his eyes wide at me. “Now the truth comes out. What do you have against Katie?”
I turn and grab some chalk to avoid his accusing stare. “Nothing. She seems like a nice enough girl.”
When I turn back around though, Jason’s smile is only bigger. “Oh? So it’s just the idea of Reed with any other girl that’s bothering you?”
“Exactly-.” I pause. “No, wait what?”
He gives me a smirk, and I lean forward against the pool table. “Why would I have a problem with that?” I ask.
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You tell me.”
I fidget nervously. “I don’t. That would be weird.”
He smiles again as Andy walks back up. “Mhmm...whatever you say.”
The evening takes a turn downhill as more drinks are consumed. Reed has been rude to Andy the whole night, and I most certainly returned the favor with Katie. It’s gotten so bad that we are now resorting to death glares from across the bar.
Of course Andy either doesn’t notice or is just too nice of a guy to say anything. He’s been absolutely perfect the whole night. Almost too perfect. As in, he’s the type of guy I’d like to settle down with someday.
The problem is I don’t know if that’s what I want right now. The thought of being in a relationship again scares the shit out of me. I was hoping I could ease back into things a little.
He probably wouldn’t even want to be with me anyway. Not the real me. This whole date I’ve been putting on a front. He doesn’t really understand all the baggage that comes with me.
I’m probably overthinking this anyway. He never even hinted that this would go past tonight, and neither have I. He might be expecting to score and never see me again. I did invite him over to my place already.
I’m snapped out of my thoughts again by Katie’s obnoxiously loud giggles. I glance that way and see she’s wiggled her way into Reed’s lap on the booth by the pool tables we are all around. I can tell he’s uncomfortable with it, but it’s like the moment our eyes meet, he pretends it’s the best thing in the world. I know that’s not his style though. He’s not into PDA.
The more cozy they look, the more irritated I become. I need some distance. I grab Andy’s hand. “Dance with me?”
The bar does actually have a DJ, so there’s about twenty or so people on the small dance floor they have set up. He smiles at me. “Sure.”
I’ve had enough drinks that I’m not worried about people seeing me dance, but the moment his hands touch me, I feel strange. It’s not exactly a bad feeling, but I am not used to it. It feels foreign to me.
After a couple songs though, we begin to find our rhythm. He pulls me closer, and his hands begin to wander more. Suddenly, I feel something vibrate against me. I pull back slightly, startled. He laughs and then pulls away more. “Sorry.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “Fuck.” He glances back up at me. “Sorry, it’s work. Do you mind? It should only take a second.”
I nod my head. “Of course. Go ahead.”
He turns to walk out of the bar to talk, and I start to wander back to our table. I only make it a few steps before I’m pulled back by my arm. I turn to whoever is grabbing me, but I freeze when I see it’s Reed. “What are you doing?” I ask.
The DJ switched the music to a slower country song, and Reed pulls me close to him. “We need to talk.” He sounds angry.
I give him a confused look. “So talk.” I try to pull back, but he holds me tighter. Unlike with Andy, nothing feels awkward or forced. It feels perfectly natural here with him.
His fingertips dig into my back. “Why are you doing this to me?” he grits out through a clenched jaw.
He spins me out, and then pulls me back so hard that my chest slams against his. I look back up at him. “Doing what?”
“Fighting with me,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “I’m not fighting with you. I’m actually trying to avoid you.”
He pulls me closer again. “Exactly. Stop doing that.”
“I’d rather not have to hang around Kelly,” I snap back.
He gives me an annoyed face. “It’s Katie and you know it. What’s your problem with her? You’ve been rude all night. That’s not like you.”
I try to leave again, but he doesn’t let me. “Talk to me, Wren.”
I exhale loudly. “Nothing. If you want fuck some bimbo on the weekend, then go ahead. Doesn’t mean I want to hang out with her.”
I feel myself getting more upset the longer we talk. Why did I have to say that? Now all I can do is picture them back at my place in Reed’s room. My breathing picks up, and for some dumbfuck reason tears prick my eyes. I pull away fully this time. I need to walk away.