Insomniacs (#1)

27. adore

Malik was already at the gallery up in New York.

Me, Luca and Everest were about to drive up but Everest found it compulsory to stop at the Target we were passing to get snacks.

While the two of them bickered, as per usual, about something that I couldn't care less about, I wandered off to find olives - my pride and joy. I smiled at the sight of a jar of them on a shelf, going to pick them up just as someone had backed up into me.

I heard giggling a little while away from us and I turned to see Victoria, a devious smirk on her lips. I hadn't seen her in a while. Fucking great.

"What are you doing here?" She scoffed.

At a public grocery store?

Victoria glanced at the olives I was holding in my hands and I swear I saw her features soften for a moment.

She did know that I loved olives, I remember I'd pulled out a jar of them one time and she vocalised her utter disgust for them. We found it funny. I wondered if she was remembering that too.

But then I settled for that being a figment of my imagination when she looked at me and that familiar sneer took over her features.

I kept my mouth shut and turned away with my olives, only for her to grasp my shoulder and pull me back harshly.

Like always, I tensed at the unwanted contact and shoved her hand off aggressively. I halted, regret running through my limbs at how I'd made her stumble a little. Jesus, I hate this situation. If this was any other bitch, I would have ragged their hair to the ground by now. I'm not afraid of a fight. But I can't with her.

I opened my mouth to ask her if she was okay but she was screaming in my face before I could.

"What the fuck is your problem?! Who do you think you are, heartbreaker?" She shrieked.

I forgot how much I hated that nickname because of Luca - I liked it when he said it, mainly because I liked anything that came out of that idiot's mouth.

Her eyes were constantly flitting to her entourage that were a little while away behind me. She was thirsty for validation and it only made me sad.

They treated her like absolute shit, I'd seen it. She barely spoke around them, kinda just sat and picked at her fingernails like she would rather be anywhere else. Maybe it was loneliness that made her seek out the validation. Even if it was from bitches like them, perhaps she didn't have anybody else.

"I didn't mean to push you." I said, my tone not the gentlest but not icy either.

"Yeah right. I'd say you're fucking fond of hurting people." She crossed her arms and plastered on a condescending, bitter smile. If I attempted to apologise about what happened with her dad, she'd only scream - I knew that from experience.

"Got nothing to say? That's rich."

"Can a girl not just get some fucking olives?" I threw up my hands now, my exasperation apparent with a sigh. A hand was placed on the small of my back, a touch I knew all too well and that I sunk into.

He leaned down to speak in my ear, "Don't run off like that."

Oh shit.

Victoria cackled and I already knew what was coming. It was pretty clear from the closeness at which he was besides me, the way I'd so blatantly melted into his touch. This is Luca Hernandez. One of the boys everyone fucking wants. Pain in my ass, more like.

"Oh my god. Really? So you really are a fucking whore." She sounded hysterical and it only got worse when Everest came to stand besides me.

A part of me just wanted them to leave so she wouldn't make this such a big deal. She always got more irritating when any of the guys were around.