and it was perfect

Chapter 7

The next party would be one of the biggest ones Fairview had to offer. It was the annual bonfire and would take place on a hill a few miles away from campus. I was excited to get out of the houses and be at a more exciting location for once. And I loved bonfires. I didn't get disappointed.

The crisp air smelled like burnt wood and it was warm enough to only wear short sleeves on the huge field surrounded by a forest. I couldn't wait for summer time. We sat down on the grass with our drinks and just chatted for a while. I leaned my head against Zoe's shoulder and took everything in. This was it. Those were the evening I loved. Not being surrounded by tons of people pressed against me in small crowded rooms, being hit on by gross guys and way too loud music. But instead being surrounded by people I knew and cared about. It made me smile. I looked around, watching the people dancing and chatting around the fire, loosely following the conversation. I lost my smile for a second when I captured Aiden leaning against a tree, talking to a blonde girl in front of him. It stung, so I quickly looked away. At least they weren't making out.
A few minutes later our eyes crossed. I tried to give him a neutral smile and he raised a greeting brow before turning his attention back to the girl. Why couldn't this be me? I looked away again. Sometimes I wondered if things would be different if we weren't roommates. On the other hand he probably wouldn't even know I existed if I didn't live in the same house as him. I was an average girl. Why would he care. I caught myself going down that spiral and quickly got up to get myself another drink.

On my way back, I decided to take a longer route and circle the field. It was good to spend more time in nature and I took some deep breaths. Oklahoma was so much more beautiful than I had expected. My friends came back in sight, when I suddenly heard an upset female voice. "Blake, don't touch me." My blood froze. Without thinking twice I stepped closer, doing my best to ignore my pounding heart. "Oh come on, babe, don't be mad it was a joke." a deep male voice answered. He sounded annoyed. A small girl with short brown hair was standing in front of a tall guy with sleeked back hair. I had seen him before, he was one of the frat guys. One of the ... worst. "It wasn't funny Blake, let go of me." she hissed. He couldn't care less and gripped her wrists even harder.

That's when I snapped. "Let go of her." my voice sounded surprisingly steady given my heart beating painfully against my chest. Both of them turned towards me. I couldn't see her face as Blake immediately stepped forward coming way too close. "What did you just say?" he asked between gritted teeth. "If a girl tells you to stop touching her you let the fuck go off her." I snapped at him. Yes, I was scared of him. But also furios. He gave me an ugly smile. "This is none of your fucking business." His breath hit my face, the smell of alcohol making me sick. "It's anyones business to treat girls with respect." His hand flew forward, grabbing my chin. "Be very careful how you talk to me. Who are you, anyways?" He tilted my face upwards so I had to stare into his cold eyes. I wanted to throw up. I could feel the sweat running down my spine. He was touching me, and his cold hands made my heart beat accelerate even more. I could feel the panic rushing through me, but my rage was stronger. "Who do you think you are, have you ever heard of consent?" He paid no attention to my words. "Hold on, didn't you fuck Owen like two days after moving here?" His grip tightened and I fought against the incoming panic attack. This couldn't be happening right now. My anger had to win this time. I took a deep breath and looked him stone cold in the eyes, although my hands were trembling. "Well thank God it wasn't you."

"Let go of my roommate, Blake." I heard a calm voice behind me. We both turned. It was Aiden. My heart uncomfortably squeezed together. I was still furious, but relieved that he stepped in. His eyes didn't look as calm as his voice, their cold gaze locked with Blake's and made goosebumps go down my spine. I never wanted to be the reason for that look in his eyes. He still looked beautiful, but I could tell you didn't want him to be your enemy. This was only the surface of something ... deeper. They both stayed quiet for a few seconds, just staring at each other. Then Blake's jaw clenched and he finally let go of me. "Teach her some manners." he simply gave back, gave me one last angry look and turned around, dragging the girl with him. The girl gave me a sneering grin and left with him.