The Misunderstanding of Fate

Chapter 31 - Jealousy, Jealousy

By the time we reach the bar, the crowd has somewhat dispersed. I'm scanning the cocktail menu, offering suggestions to Abi, when I notice her attention is elsewhere. Following her line of vision, I spot a pair of guys looking our way. Oh fuck. Surely, she wasn't going to go through with this? Although, she could genuinely be interested. She did admit that she wasn't seeing anyone. Perhaps she liked the look of one of them.

Without saying anything, she motions for them to join us. Grabbing their drinks, throwing us a smile, they saunter over.

"Hi there," one of them begins, grinning at us both.

"I'm Abi," she introduces, "This is Luna."

To be honest, they're both good looking. They've got cheeky smiles, they're giving us friendly eyes, and they seem nice. I'm too focused on the feeling of being watched, and who it is, to hear their names. Thankfully, Abi does all of the talking and both guys are more than happy to focus on her.

At some point in the conversation, when I've added bits and laughed when needed, I return my focus to the cocktail menu. I'd been enjoying gin lately so I'm gravitating towards a Bramble but you couldn't go wrong with a Pornstar Martini.

"Bramble? Or Martini?" I ask Abi, "You choose."

She considers this, "Bramble."

"Great," I remember my manners, "Can I get either of you something?"

The guy on the left, closer to the bar, tells me not to be silly. Getting the barman's attention, he orders four Brambles and refuses any money.

"Thank you," Abi and I offer. I know this started as a bit of a wind up but I'm really hoping she does like one of them.

When our drinks arrive, so does a presence behind my back. I sip my cocktail, optimistically assuming it's a stranger coming to the bar. However, the hand on my waist, a familiar touch, tells me otherwise. Just as quick as the one arrives, the other wraps around my waist and I feel lips by my ear.

"That wasn't very nice," George speaks into my ear, tightening his hold, "Leaving me with those guys."

I scoff but it's filled with humour, "Those guys are your friends."

"Our friends," his fingers are moving in little circles on my stomach. "Come back?"

"Hey!" Abi now notices him, "You shouldn't be here."

I chuckle while hearing George almost growl, "Why not?"

Her new friends watch the scene while sipping their drinks, waiting to see where this goes. "You were allowed to socialise at the bar, now it's our turn. Now, remove your hands from my friend and go sit with yours."

Surprisingly, George listens. He gives my hips a quick squeeze before swiftly departing, offering Abi nothing more than a grumble.

"And that's how you deal with that."

She sounds surprised but very, very smug which makes me laugh. That's how I spend the next half an hour, laughing.

Returning to our booth, I'm pleasantly surprised to see our four boys are laughing amongst themselves. When they spot us, they instantly shuffle over to give us room. They're even more delighted when they see the drinks in our hands.

"And we've got some shots coming over. The barman said he'd bring them over because we didn't have enough hands for everything."

Elliot smiles at me, "Thanks girls. You're the best."

"We know," Abi chirps.

While we're beginning to drink our new drinks, Lewis breaks the ice, "Meet some nice guys?"

Abi is ready for this, "Oh, absolutely. They were really nice men who even bought us some drinks. Good company, right Luna?"

I nod, "Very good."

Dom and Lewis are looking smug, moving their heads back and forth between us and George. It's like they're waiting for something to happen and they're excited for it.

After a second of silence, George scoffs, "Abi, you're pushing it."

Now I'm mirroring Dom and Lewis, watching the scene unfold. George looks tense, his jaw is clenched and he's glaring at our friend. Where as Abi looks relaxed. She was made for this confrontation, she could handle it.

"Something wrong, Georgie?"

Instead of an answer, she gets a glare. Even Elliot looks a little sheepish. The silence that follows isn't exactly awkward but it is slightly uncomfortable. I have a fleeting feeling of guilt. This was all my fault, wasn't it? No. No, my feelings are valid. So valid that George feels them in return.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Abi interrupts.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She shakes her head, "I'm good. Be two minutes."

It takes possibly two minutes for George to take her spot next to me. One hand wraps around my waist, another rests on my thigh, as he pulls us together.

"Haven't had enough attention from you, honey."

I want to melt. This is my George, my friend first and foremost, and no stranger in a bar would change that in twenty minutes. However, the alcohol and the Abi effect have made me... braver. I know that what happened here isn't a big deal, he could talk to anyone he wanted to, but I do want to make him sweat a little.

"Must be all that time you spent at the bar. I'm not to blame," I have to hold back my smirk.

He has an explanation, and it's a fair one, "Elliot was trying to get one of their numbers, I couldn't just walk away. You always tell me I need to be nicer to our friends."

That's true, I do tell him that. "So it's my fault you spent half an hour talking to strangers? That's fine with me but don't complain that you haven't had enough time with me tonight."

George sighs, resting his chin on my shoulder so he can whisper into my ear, "Baby."

I make a non-comital noise which is complete bullshit. The name does something to me. It's not one he uses often, I've heard it maybe once before, but his tone is different. Heavy.

"Baby," he turns me to face him, "You're mine. You know that, right? Those guys at the bar..."

My hand, without my consent, rests on his before running up his arm to rest on his shoulder. "I'm yours?"

George nods. I can smell the alcohol radiating from us and wonder if this is what he needed to say something to me. "Mine. You didn't get any of their numbers, did you?"

My eyes stay on him, "You weren't watching?"

"Had to focus on something else, rather than watch my Luna laugh at something some douche said."

I rest my forehead on his, "I didn't get any numbers. Although, shouldn't I be asking you that?"

The hand around my waist moves a little lower, resting there. "There's more chance of me kissing Elliot again than me getting some other girl's number, Luna."

I've forgotten our friends are around us, "Because you're mine?"

George's eyes flicker to my lips before returning to my eyes. Then, a smile breaks out on his face. "Because I'm yours."

In the back of my mind, somewhere deep, the thought is terrifying. How did we get here? However, the feeling that is more consuming and more important is pure happiness. Finally, fate had something good planned. 

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Double update!

This was a fun chapter to write! 

I have a roadmap of this story and where it's going next but I just want you to enjoy them at their happiest. So, that's why the last couple of chapters have just been filled with drama-free, simple plot. I've loved developing the characters.