Proxy [l.h]

16. Brief Warnings and Sexual Encounters

«DAY 9 cont.»      

Lissa

"Hey, Lissa," Calum says from the couch with a clear of his throat. His face is still red from his encounter with Ashton and his hair is tousled, sticking out in every direction.

They're obviously more than disappointed that Michael and I'd interrupted their time together.

But who can blame them?

Ever since the gay controversy broke out, I can't imagine how often they actually see each other in public- assuming that the label is doing everything to keep them apart. I can definitely feel the tension in the air when Michael sits me in between the couple.

"You okay?" He asks as he plops down by my side on the plush white couch, pushing Ashton to the edge of the furniture. His eyebrows scrunched in worry, Michael hands me a glass of water from the coffee table across from us.

"What was it?" He asks gently, prompting me to take a drink with a nod of his head. His voice is kind, as are his eyes. Calum and Ashton look at me with puzzled expressions, realizing that something is wrong.

"I-I don't know," I begin. "He's obviously upset that he's back here again, and because of Jane, but-"

"I got it." Michael interrupts with a curt nod of his head. "You'll be fine," he concludes, his fingers wrapping around my shaking hand. He gently guides the glass up to my lips and I take a small sip, feeling my heart rate speed up rather than slow. As soon as the water reaches my tongue, I notice the smallest tinge of something different. I look up at Michael, at his emotionless gaze, and he gives me a wide smile once I swallow. 

"Drink more," he assures me, his grey-green eyes looking intently at me.

I nod and bring the glass up to my lips again. 

"Urm- so, what happened?" Ashton asks on my left, his shaggy brown hair falling into his face as he reaches for the remote by his feet.

"Well, while you two were busy eating each other's faces off, Luke had a breakdown and nearly punched a hole through the wall," Michael barks. "And poor Lissa here was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Calum, on my other side, turns to me, his eyes wide. "Why, though? Did something happen to him while you were away? How did Ben find you, anyway? And why did you leave? Why California?" He asks me an endless stream of questions.

I don't know what and how to answer, and find myself stammering instead. "I-I-"

Thankfully, Michael cuts in before I make a mess of myself. "Oh, how naive of you," he croons at Calum. "I'll explain later, mate." 

Then it happens. Michael gives Calum a short pat on his back, but by the way we're sitting together, his arm has to curve around me to reach him. When Michael sets his arm down, he doesn't put it back on his side. Instead, in one swift movement, he slings it loosely on the curve of my waist, the tips of his fingers grazing my thigh. I swallow my water down the wrong pipe, breaking into a fit of coughs. Michael chuckles only low enough for me to hear. He pretends nothing happened, and so do I.

With his other hand, Michael reaches for a half-finished beer can on the coffee table. "So," he starts, taking advantage of the short silence that lingers in the air. Calum's already leaned back with his feet up, blinking at me in curiosity, but Ashton couldn't care less. His lips are tightened in a half-longing grimace, glancing at Calum (who unfortunately sits on my other side) over my shoulder then looking away.