“Girl, you really need to loosen up,” Shae said.
“And just a heads up, they are coming back soon.”
Isla didn’t say anything.
His eyes met with another guy across the yard.
Their eye contact lingered a second too long.
“Oops, sorry. I’m also abandoning you.” He announced.
“I’m sure you survive.” Shae flashed her a smile and disappeared into the crowd.
And just like that, Isla was alone.
Her arms folded loosely over her stomach.
She glanced around briefly.
The smell of alcohol was strong in the air.
She kept telling herself to relax.
This was normal.
College students partied hard.
They get drunk.
They hook up.
And do all sorts of stuff.
But her heartbeat never slowed.
Every few minutes, someone brushing against her shoulder while squeezing past made her muscles tense harder.
She was totally separated from the space.
She adjusted her grip on her sleeve, her phone, and then nothing.
In another area, Liam held a red cup while his other hand gripped a blonde-haired waist, possessively, fingers digging into the soft curve of her hips beneath the shorts.
Her hands were locked tight in his hair, tugging him closer as their mouth moved in a slow, intense kiss.
His tongue slid lazily against hers, tasting the sweetness of vodka and cherry lip gloss.
He sucked gently on her lower lip, then deepened the kiss, tilting his head to claim her fully.
She moaned softly into his mouth, her body arching into him.
His hand slipped lower, palming her ass and pulling her tighter against the growing bulge in his jeans.
She rocked subtly against him to the music in the background, her nails scraping his scalp.
Finally, she pulled back, his lips swollen and her eyes dark with lust.
“Should I come to your place after the party?” she whispered.
Before Liam could answer, another girl sauntered past.
She waved with a flirty smile.
He winked back, the corner of his mouth curling.
The blonde-haired leaned in, kissing him again, but his attention had already drifted.
Over her shoulder, he spotted Isla standing alone, her arms wrapped around herself.
She looked out of place in the chaos, her long dark hair cascading down, and her eyes scanning the area with uncertainty.
Liam eased back from the girl, gently disentangling her hand from his hair.
“Have fun tonight.” He said, flashing her a charming smile.
She blinked, still flushed.
“Wait, should I still come around later?” New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Yeah, sure.” He replied, already stepping away.
Liam didn’t wait for her to say anything else to him.
People greeted him constantly as he headed towards his targeted spot.
He just gave vague responses without really paying attention.
As he got closer, Isla looked even more wound up than before.
His voice behind her broke the space.
“Hey, you look like you’re trying to disappear without actually leaving.”
Isla turned.
The Quarterback was standing there.
“Go away.” She said.
Liam stayed.
He leaned in slightly, like he was trying to say something just for her to hear over the noise.
But Isla didn’t step back fast enough.
His free hand brushed near her shoulder as he came closer.
Then she flinched hard.
Her body reacted before her mind did, sharp and involuntary.
The motion knocked the cup in his hand, and the contents spilled directly onto her tank top.
Cold liquid traveled on her chest.
For one frozen second, both of them stared at it.
Neither of them moved.
“Oh shit!” Liam blurted.
Then Isla looked down at herself.
Her breath hitched.
And then something in her snapped.
“What the—” she started, voice breaking.
“Shit—I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
“You didn’t what?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” She snapped, wiping at her top and jacket too fast, too hard, as if she could erase them.
Her fingers shook.
Several people turned towards their direction.
Liam lifted his hands slightly in an attempt to touch her.
“It was an accident.”
“Don’t touch me!” She scrubbed at the spot on her top obsessively with a shaking hand.
Her breathing came out so fast.
“I’m sorry. I was trying to talk to you. I didn’t mean to—”
“You just come up to people and grab them?” She cut in sharply.
Attention shifted towards them completely.
“I don’t even know you!”
“I know,” he said quickly.
“Well, congratulations. You spilled your disgusting drink all over me.”
Liam glanced around, realizing people were watching.
“I said I’m sorry.”
Isla spiraled.
She didn’t need his apology.
Her fists clenched hard at her sides before she reached up to her top again, brushing it off as she could really erase the smell and the feeling of alcohol on her.
“Sorry doesn’t fix it!” She snapped again, louder this time.
“You just—I told you to go away. You think—everybody wants you around them all the time.”
Liam’s jaw tightened slightly.
“You’re like…you’re like every other guy here. It’s always the same thing. Always. Just—showing up, acting like you own the place, getting in people’s space, and then—then you act surprised when things go wrong.”
Liam’s expression tightened.
“That’s not true. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just—”
“You did,” she cut him off again, voice shaking harder now.
“You literally just did. I was standing here, I wasn’t even doing anything, and you—” Her hand motioned vaguely between them, frustrated, searching for words that wouldn’t settle.
“You’re just…God! You’re such a walking cliché.”
That one landed sharper than the rest.
A few people actually laughed somewhere behind them.
“Damn. Quarterback humiliated by the cheer girl again.” Someone said from nearby.
Jonna pushed her way through the crowd that had gathered.
She rushed towards them, Devin right behind her.
“Isla…what’s wrong?” Jonna asked.
She brushed at her top again.
“Can you just—tell him to stay away from me. I don’t wanna deal with his ego or whatever this is.” She said, voice low but fraying.
Liam was speechless.
He just ran his hand through his hair, his jaw flexed in annoyance.
“You need to chill—”
Isla looked back at Liam.
She pointed a finger at him.
“Seriously. Don’t come near me ever again.”
Then she turned and shoved through the crowd before anything else could happen.
She didn’t look back.
“Liam just got cooked again!”
Liam threw the half-empty cup in his hand away.
“Shut the hell up!” He snapped before storming off.
The embarrassment sat heavily in his chest.
Half the school had watched him get yelled at like an idiot by one girl who clearly couldn’t stand him.
Personally, I think Isla is being to hard on our QB!
She needs to really chill.
What do you think?