Definitely, Maybe, Sometimes. | ✔️ COMPLETED

Chapter Sixteen

I spend longer than I need in the bathroom. I talk to the woman selling deodorant, let her give me a pep talk, put on multiple layers of mascara and lipstick, fix my cheerleading outfit. Then I slowly head out.

Jordan is back with his rugby lot, that girl firmly pressed into his side. I decide I don't care, I won't pine after someone who doesn't want me. I head to the bar and order another drink.

"Come on."

I hear from behind me. I turn to see Nate.

"Let's dance together. You're a good dancer, aren't you?"

He pulls me onto the dance floor and we start dancing so ridiculously, arms flailing and legs kicking, that we sort of clear a space around us. Both of us laughing hard as we mimic each others moves. Kind of like that scene from New Girl when Nick and Jess start doing the chicken.

Nate spins me away from his hand and back again, dipping me low, which causes some onlookers to mockingly applaud. I look around them to see Jordan watching us.

Good, I think.

"Reckon we can do the dirty dancing move?" Nate asks.

"Definitely not."

"Oh, come on. Aren't you a cheerleader? Give it a go."

He walks around the circle surrounding us and pushes them back, making an even bigger circle - enough space for me to have a running start. Then he turns to me and beckons me with his index finger. "ON THE BEAT!" He screams. "ONE... TWO... THREE..."

Fuck it, I think and run at him.

He catches me at my waist and lifts me into the air. I'm suspended above his head. Oh my God! We're doing it! Then his arms go a little too far back and the balance is off.

I'm going to fall.

He's going to drop me on my head. As gravity starts to pull me down, Nate manoeuvres it so I fall into his chest, his back hitting the floor.

There's a pause where nothing seems to happen, then we both fall about with laughter, still lying on the ground.

The laughter disappears when Jordan's face appears above mine, worry etched on his face.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I grumble.

He reaches for me, pulling me to my feet. I immediately turn to Nate and help him get up. He gives Jordan a long look before turning his eyes back to me, "I'm gonna get a drink."

"Oh." I say. "Okay." Before I can even really think about it, the crowd swallows Nate up as he meanders through them. I huff as I face Jordan. "Finally noticed me, did you?"

"Bit hard not to when you're floating in the air."

I cross my arms to my chest. "You've been avoiding me all night."

"You've been avoiding me."

"Pretty hard to get a look in when that girl is all over you."

"What girl? Who?" He looks over at the rugby lot. The girl he constantly has his arm over is chatting to another one of them. "Jayne?"

"I don't know her name but you looked pretty cosy. A bit too busy for the likes of me."

He rocks back on his heels, confusion on his face. "I'm never too busy for you. I thought you were pissed with me and I wanted to give you space. I'm sorry."

"Why would I be pissed with you?"

"Because - oh, sod it." He grabs me by my hand and pulls me out to the smoking area. We huddle in the corner, away from everyone else. His face is so close to mine and he's looking at me tenderly. "Sorry. I couldn't hear myself think in there."

"S'okay."

"Look. I'm sorry. I think there's been some sort of miscommunication?" His eyebrows knit together. "I text you three times today and you didn't reply. One was asking if you wanted me to walk with you to the club, the second was telling you pre-drinks weren't happening and asking if you wanted to meet in there, the third was apologising if you were upset with me and promising we'd have a real talk about some of the things I said. When you didn't reply, I figured you were pissed off about last night, so I didn't want to push you into talking to me."

"You didn't text me." I hiss.

"I did." He pulls out his phone and shows three unanswered messages to someone under my name.

I whip out my phone too, confused.

Up until this point if anyone were to ask me if what he is saying is true I would have told them absolutely not. I would have sworn in a court of law every word out of his mouth is a lie. But I open his messages on my phone and there they are. Open and read, spanning the course of the day.

Embarrassment, denial, annoyance, and confusion cycle through me. Until I settle on guilt. 

"I didn't read these." I tell him. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

He gives me a long look. "Are you sure? I don't mind if you needed space and didn't want to talk. I mean, I'd rather know if that's the case, then I won't be anxiously worrying if I'm doing something wrong."

"No, seriously." I tell him. "I didn't know. When you rushed out of my room and I didn't hear from you, then you were ignoring me tonight, I thought you were done with me."

His eyes sort of twinkle. "That's funny because I thought you were done with me."

"No." I say, feeling all kinds of warm. "No, definitely not."

I'm acutely aware of how close his body is now that the anger has been silenced. It feels good to be pressed this close to him knowing he doesn't want to be anywhere else either.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He asks.

"Yes." I breathe.

No one even glances at us as we make our exit. We walk along the main strip of shops with only street lamps lighting the way. Once we're on quieter streets, away from the noise and the street lamps are few and far between, I realise that the moon is full and shining down on us.

Jordan reaches out and takes my hand in his. I feel like I'm on cloud-nine.

In every book I've ever read moonlight is always scary, ominous - part of a terrible foreboding. But tonight it seems almost alive. Silvery and beautiful, I feel like it's touching me, wrapping around me, lighting things up.

Walking with Jordan in such strong moonlight feels magical.

We get a burger and chips on the way back, sharing them as we laugh about nothing much at all. We keep bumping shoulders and giggling like two school kids.

I don't know how I know, but I'm pretty sure tonight is the night we're going to have sex.