No Love Attached

chapter thirteen : woman under the influence

| No Love Attached |
chapter thirteen : woman under the influence

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    The smug air about him clouded my lungs like a slimy, green toxin. His dark eyes glazed with lust when he noticed I entered the room. Almost like I was a piece of meat waiting for him to devour.

     Not happening.

      Just as quickly as I entered the room, I was leaving it. No moment of silence was worth being in a room alone with an alcohol soaked Alec James. This was my karma for looking for Leo. The world's way of telling me I'm a piece of shit.

     "Vera." He grabbed my forearm pulling me back in. His voice wasn't threatening but his grip was.

     "Get your hands off of me," I snarled and jerked my arm back as best I could. That was it. I wasn't going to put up with a second more of harassment from this man.

    Alec was amused. Turned on, even. "You don't mean that." He got closer at an alarming rate.

     It was hard to believe a despicable man like this was real. So hungry for a challenge they'd stop at no lengths to get it. And that's exactly what I was. A challenge. Not only to Alec James but to all men.

     "Yes, I do! Stay the fuck away from me."

        The lust in his eyes flashed to anger in no time at all. His face contorting in all sorts of twisted fashions. Everything about this felt dirty. My skin felt as if there were hundreds of bugs crawling where he touched my arm.

    "You ungrateful bitch," he spat in a tone of a disgust I'd never heard before.

    I knew if I stayed in this room for even another second something unforgivable was going to happen. The look in his eye told me he was intoxicated enough to take this one too far. I needed to get as far away from this man as I possibly could. A part of me expected Leo to come find me and intervene like last time. But I couldn't wait for that. I bolted out of the room and down the hallway back to the party. He didn't follow.

    A wash of relief hit me when I started seeing party guests scattered around in clumps. Alec James couldn't do anything more with hundreds of people around. Especially not Matthew Lewis.

    After scanning the foyer, I spotted Damon and Penney in the corner, making out under a mistletoe. Anthony and Klaus were doing the same. And I've never been happier to be a fifth wheel in my entire life.

    "Are you okay?" Damon rushed over when he saw me making my way towards them. I must have had a look of horror and disgust plastered on my face.

    Penney was wasted and unconcerned until she saw Damon and Anthony huddled over me, speaking in hushed tones.

    "I'm fine," I swallowed the truth.

    "Are you sure?" Damon pushed. His brown eyes were worried. More coherent than Penney's. I tried to give my best friend a subtle look that I wasn't. But she wasn't catching it.

    Penney scoffed obnoxiously, "Damon, she said she's fine."

     Her tone resembled a jealous girlfriend's rather than my best friend's. It rubbed me the wrong way and at any other time I would ask her what the fuck her issue was. But I've had enough confrontation for one night. Getting into her petty insecurity wasn't my main concern at the moment.

    "I'm fine, really. Just not feeling great." The lie came off my tongue like it was first nature.

    I could tell Damon didn't believe me entirely, though. I suppose we were close enough where he would be able to tell if something was wrong. And unlike Penney, he wasn't drunk enough to not catch it.