The Beautiful Game

Chapter Twenty Two - Carter

     Snickering comes from the two drunk smokers on the bench behind me as the heavy door slams shut in my face. Only the feminine scent of Lou remained, the strawberries in her shampoo and the vanilla on her skin had melted into the air where she'd stood seconds ago. I don't think before I move and slam my hand into the wall that she'd been pressed against, the brick still warm.

    I could still feel her, how responsive she'd been, so supple in my hands. I ignored the guys sat in the shelter and took a moment to place both hands on the wall and lean my head against them; taking deep breaths to try and calm down. My heart was pounding, and I was so fucking turned on to the point it was stupid.

    What the fuck was wrong with me?

    I'd lost all common sense; she'd taken it from me. Stolen it from me the moment she'd turned her face, her lips seeking mine.

    The main thought that had occurred to me was to simply get her alone, away from the crowd and undeserving eyes. She was so beautiful it was ridiculous. She seemed like an illusion in the darkness of the club, a siren, luring me into dangerous territory; a territory I hadn't found myself in before. At her total mercy.

    Once we were outside, in the cold air, underneath the dim red heated lamps, she was suddenly extremely real. And I couldn't ignore how much I wanted her any longer. I couldn't understand it, she wasn't looking at me like I was a piece of shit, she'd looked up at me like she needed me, she looked at me like she wanted everything she saw.

    Kiss me.

    It'd be a long fucking time before I'd be able to forget the sound of those words coming out of Lou's mouth, her voice huskier than ever.

    I could have kissed her all night. I wanted to devour every light moan that slipped from her throat. I licked inside her mouth, the remnants of sweet lime juice on her tongue.

    The moment she'd pulled away at the intrusion, the ball fucking dropped. It was Lou. Kissing me, touching me, and craving more of me. Lou, who didn't fuck around with guys like me, who didn't get drunk at parties every weekend, who wanted more for herself. I wanted more for her. What could I possibly have to offer her other than some dirty secret she'd only come to regret? Just a walking college cliché. I hadn't meant to be so cruel, I just needed space, I needed her to stop looking at me like- fuck, like I deserved her. It was still a knife to the fucking balls to see the look of disgust when I threw her secret back in her face.

    Lou didn't deal with things how I'd expected. She could have pushed me, slapped me, insulted me, anything. She hadn't. She'd just recoiled, her wide blue eyes looking at me with nothing but hurt.

    I was the guy who fucked around, that didn't give a shit about anything but football. I was not the guy who got the glowing, smiling girl in the Michigan acceptance photo.

    The guy with no feelings didn't get the girl who felt everything so deeply.

    Still, I couldn't ignore that Lou had gone back into the club, angrily, with alcohol still in her veins, looking like fucking goddess. A couple of minutes had probably passed by the time I was making my way back into the club, looking for her.

    The first person who saw me from our group was Marcus, who was stood in line at the bar, whistling me over. I pushed through the crowd to meet him, ignoring the hungry female gazes that eyed my approach hungrily.

    "Where've you fucking been man?" He claps his arm round my shoulder and signals to the bartender for another beer.

    "Caught a breather. Where is everyone?" I ask, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible, whilst letting my eyes scan the bar. The moment the beer lands on the bar in front of me I pick it up and almost drain it completely.

    "Dancefloor." My eyes keep scanning. I find Seamus towering over the rest of the crowd, doing his signature robot dance. By his side Kate and Ella twirl and dance, laughing at Seamus's complete lack of spatial awareness.

    No sign of Blondie.

    "Your dance partner left; told Ella she was grabbing a cab just now." Before Marcus had even fully finished his sentence I'd sat the bottle down and was moving towards the main exit. I heard him call out my name as I practically ran from the bar.

     I saw Lou the moment I stepped outside; her willowy frame was dipping into the back of a cab. It took five of my massive strides to reach the door frame before Lou was able to close it.

    "Wait-"

    "What the fuck do you want?" Lou's eyes roll as she spots me beside the cab.

     "Lou, listen-" I'm so un-fucking prepared that I don't even know what I'm going to say, but Lou saves me the embarrassment of finding out. 

    "No. You listen you absolute ass-wipe." She turns towards me in her seat, her tone so venomous, the floor feels like it's crumbling beneath me.

    "You've toyed with me long enough! What is it that you want Carter? You want to be friends? You want to have sex with me? I am not your challenge; and I am certainly not your fucking prize."

    I stagger back a step from the car, losing my grip on the door frame. Lou doesn't hesitate to slam it shut. Turning her face from me and not looking back.

    "Please can you drive me home now, sir?"