Flashing Red

Chapter 10

Alessia

I looked at his face, examining his features.

Have I seen this man before tonight? He looks familiar.

God, I am so fucking wasted.

I snap out of my thoughts while shaking my head and focus back on the guy standing in front of me to see him smirking down at me.

"Enjoy your look, sweetheart?" He grins

"Shut up, Lucas before I shove this where the sun don't shine" I roll my eyes at him while poking him with the cue stick.

After the party Lucas drove me home, until I realised, I wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment. So now Lucas and I are in some random bar playing pool at 3am, while both off our head drunk and maybe a little high. I wanted to get wasted to the point where I could forget about Noah, but another part of my brain was making sure that didn't happen. I couldn't stop thinking about him and the image of him on top of the girl.

A part of me kept thinking why are we mad at him? We aren't dating so he can do what he wants.

The other part reminding me that I have an everlasting crush on him. Some would even say love him. My heart aches at the fact that I can never admit my feelings for him to his face because again, that would ruin everything. And I would be stupid to even want to tell him because if I did, what would I expect to happen after that?
I can almost imagine him laughing at me, telling me how stupid I am and that he doesn't do relationships.

And that's the thing with Noah is that he doesn't do relationships, ever. Never have I once even heard him talk about being interested in someone to the point of dating them. He has always been the 'hump and dump' kind of guy.

God, what am I talking about? Even I'm not a relationship person. Don't get me wrong I've had a few dates here and there, but they always end up running away scared. All because of Noah. He gets very jealous and says he doesn't want me hanging out with anyone who isn't him. I've heard from a lot of guys that Noah makes sure that he tells them that I am off limits and to the very few people who have asked me on dates, they get threatened which leaves them running for the hills. A lot of people fear Noah, his intimidating looks and bad boy persona. Most people our age, their parents take one look at noah and tell their kids to,

'Stay away from him, he has tattoos and went to prison'

They always make sure to exaggerate the 'prison' part of it, making it sound like he committed a capital crime. It was just a correctional facility.

Why haven't I forgotten about him yet!

My teeth clench together as I hit a ball with the cue stick so hard it goes flying off the table.

"Yeah, your so good at pool" Lucas says reciting my words from earlier, his deep laugh filling the room.

I huffed and sat myself down on a chair.

There weren't many people in this bar just us, the workers and some lonely divorced drinkers slouched on the barstools.

"Are you going to tell me why your so down for?" Lucas asks, sitting down beside me.

"I don't want to talk about it" I grumble

"Boy troubles?" He cracks a smile

"I guess you could say that, but it doesn't matter"
I sigh, looking towards him.

"Enough about my terrible night, what happened to you?" I ask, gesturing to his black eye.

"I was angry and picked a fight" He says simply, with no emotion.

"What brings you to town? I haven't seen you before, although you do look somewhat familiar" I drag my words, poking his cheek at the last part.

He looks at me with a different look in his eyes, one that I've seen plenty of times before; he's in pain about something.

"I used to have family here, but my parents left due to personal reasons. I wasn't there for any of it since I was in the military, I joined as soon as I turned eighteen to get away from everything only to get called back home after 5 months due to a family emergency. I also came back to find my parents in a whole new different state and they refuse to come back here."

"Why did they leave for?" I ask, curious.

The look he gives me tells me it was something bad, he has a saddened look in his eye.

"My brother was in an accident, but I don't think it was an accident. I want to find the person who did it and hurt them. Make them feel everything that my parents and I felt." He says, avoiding eye contact.

An accident in this town? Do I know of an accident that's happened?

I look back at Lucas' face remembering how I thought he looked familiar.

"What did you say your full name was again?" I ask

"Lucas, Lucas Jackson" he tells me.

Oh shit.