Afterglow (BWWM)

Chapter 21

"Ally, where are you?"

Someone's been calling my name for the past few minutes. I poked my head out around the side of Drew's car to see who was looking for me. I rolled my eyes when I saw James. I turned back around, stretched out on the trunk of Drew's car, and continued to look out at the night sky.

"I know you're out here, Ally. I heard you yelling a minute ago. "

James heard me? I squeezed my eyes shut. Just what I needed. He probably thought I was a maniac screaming obscenities into the night. Drew had officially turned me into a nutcase. Then again, maybe I'd been one from the start. I had to be crazy to come up with the plan that got me into this mess in the first place.

I exhaled and called out. "What do you want, James?"

I heard quick footsteps closing in on my location. He jogged to where I was sitting.

As he approached me, I noticed that he had two beers in his hands.

"I figured you could use this," he said, handing one to me.

The offer was enticing. I was feeling emotional and I was never emotional. Numbness was exactly what I needed right now. But I decided against it. Although the bottle looked unopened, I didn't take drinks from people I didn't trust.

"I'll pass," I said.

James shrugged and put the extra beer down on the ground without another word. He tugged on his baseball cap concealing his eyes, then he shoved his free hand in his pocket and leaned against the nearest car. His silence grated on my nerves. What did he want?

Finally, he said, "How can you sit out here? It's fucking freezing."

"Don't let me keep you."

"You plan on staying out here all night?"

"What do you care?"

"Drew won't be happy if you catch pneumonia being dumb."

I snickered. Right about now, Drew couldn't care less about what happened to me. "You're calling me dumb? That's rich."

James smirked. "You know, Ally, I get the sense that you don't like me."

"I can't imagine where you got that idea," I said flatly.

He chuckled and leaned against a nearby car. "I totally get why Drew is into you. I bet you don't put up with his shit. That's hard to come by for him, you know. He's constantly thinking about which people are around him because they actually like him and who is there for the limelight. I'm guessing with you he doesn't have to wonder."

James' words made me pause. I assumed Drew had tons of friends. I mean, who wouldn't like him? He was funny, charming, sneaky smart, and he knew how to have a good time. He was everything I wasn't.

"Drew knows I don't care about the spotlight. I hate that there are always eyes on us."

"I know what you mean. Drew grabs the attention of everyone around even when he's not trying. You just kinda have to put up with it."

My ears perked up. James just revealed more about himself than I think he realized. Suddenly, I caught myself staring. For the first time, I regarded James as something other than a nuisance. James noticed me looking. His posture became stiff, defensive. He didn't like being seen.

Like me.

"Don't get me wrong," James added after I didn't respond. "I know Drew is playing the hand he was dealt. I just wish he was more aware of the effect his notoriety has on the people around him."