Blindsided (Game On 2)

How can such a small thing feel so good?

I pressed against him, wanting to be as close to him as possible. When his tongue slowly dipped into my mouth, I think I stopped breathing for a second. He’d never done that before, and it was an incredible feeling. Suddenly, all the thoughts I’d had about taking things slowly left my head, and I wondered if I had the same effect on him that he had on me.

“Isabelle,” he whispered, his voice breathy, “You’re an awesome kisser.”

I guess I did.

“If I’m an awesome kisser, it’s only because you showed me what to do.”

“Oh, get a room, you two,” Mischa said, interrupting our moment by thrusting our drinks in front of us. I glared at her for intruding, but took a sip of the champagne anyway. I needed something to calm me down.

That kiss was different to the others. They were all good but somehow, this was better. Maybe that was how some girls got so carried away, and took things further or faster than they meant to. I’d certainly been caught up, and perhaps in a different place at a different time, we wouldn’t have stopped.

“You okay?” Jesse asked, holding me with one arm while taking a drink from his glass with the other.

“Yeah,” I told him, “I’m okay.”

He looked into my eyes like he understood my thoughts, and we stayed close together, blocking everyone else out while we danced.

It was while we were dancing that Jesse suddenly lost his footing a little, treading on my toe.

“Ow,” I said, giggling. “Have you had too much to drink?”

As I looked up at him, I noticed his eyes were a bit glazed over, and he shook his head.

“I had one beer when we first arrived and a glass of champagne a while ago, but I don’t feel so good.”

His face looked flushed, so I took his hand. “Come on, let’s go and get some fresh air.”

Jesse was wobbly on his feet as I led him through the now hammered crowds, towards the front door. He shouldn’t have been drunk after so little alcohol, but he definitely seemed to be. I chuckled to myself. I didn’t expect to end the night looking after him, it was supposed to be the other way around.

“Leaving so soon,” Leon said, appearing out of nowhere and stepping in front of us.

“Out the way,” I told him. “We need to get outside.”

Leon smirked as Jesse slumped forwards, and I thought he might throw up. “You’d think a big football star would be able to handle his drink better than this,” Leon said. “Why don’t you put him in a cab, then come back and party with me. I can show you a good time.”

He winked at me, and Jesse straightened up with a terrifying growl, grabbing Leon’s shirt and shoving him into the wall.

“You wanna start something?” he shouted.

Alarmed, I stepped back. A second before he could barely stand up, but he’d shoved Leon so hard, his head thumped against the wall.

“Jesse!”

I stepped forward but he pushed me back, and my heart started to race. Something wasn’t right. I’d never seen Jesse act that way, I’d never seen Leon look scared before. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him.

“Get off,” he said, trying to push him away, but Jesse held firm.

“You need to leave Isabelle and Georgia alone,” Jesse snarled. At least, he was trying to snarl, his words were starting to slur. His eyes looked crazed, and the sight of the boy I’d been getting to know turning so suddenly caused me to stumble backwards, my legs weak.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Leon asked, sounding braver than he looked. People started to gather and I looked around, hoping Hunter was nearby because I doubted anyone else was going to stop him.

Jesse’s fist smashed into Leon’s face, making blood trickle from his top lip. I screamed out for Hunter, hoping he’d hear me, but there were too many people, the music was too loud. I shoved my way through them, being squished against hot sweaty bodies as I tried to locate my cousin amongst the masses.

“Hunter!” I shouted again, as I spotted him entwined with Willow. Georgia was close too, and they all stared at me in shock. I grabbed Hunter’s arm, and dragged him back through the nosy people who were watching as Jesse kept Leon pinned against the wall, yelling at him.

“What the hell?” Hunter said, but I couldn’t respond. Frozen to the spot, my eyes on Jesse, I was speechless.