Antagonym

Chapter 14

By the grace of God, I had avoided being alone with Beck all week. Hopefully he had forgotten about my odd attitude, because Sebastian certainly hadn't. My sporadic thoughts had faded in the sense that I could focus, but with Seb and my family's advice, I'd started seeing a therapist once a week again. It was odd, I had to admit. It had been four years since I'd been to therapy and that might not be a lot but it felt like centuries.

Seb's sudden urge to act as lord protector was the reason his attention was glued to me even as he flirted with the short blonde girl in front of him at the base of the stairs in the foyer of a frat house. Most of the hockey guys were part of this fraternity, making the party almost mandatory. After my episode last week alcohol wasn't something I wanted to enjoy, so the comfort of just holding a cold bottle in my right hand and leaning against the railing of a staircase landing as I sat on the floor while talking to Axel was good enough for me.

"So that new guy you were talking about, hows that going?" I asked Axel suggestively with a smirk, taking my eyes away from Seb when his play thing looked behind her to see what he had been so transfixed on.

"He's good in bed if that's what you're asking," Axel laughed while running his fingers through his blonde hair. He sat against the wall on the other side of the staircase, our feet later out and ready to trip the first drunk and unsuspecting victim.

"Not everything is about sex," I commented, tempted to take a sip of alcohol. The music was pounding in my ears as sweaty bodies danced and made out with others. It was crowded but Axel and I were isolated enough to be involved but not involved, if you know what I mean. Instinctively, my eyes flickered back to Seb as I thought about it. I was by no means addicted, but I had a hesitation to drink with Seb watching me. This happened last time too. It took months for me to feel comfortable drinking around Sebastian again.

Axel looked over his shoulder to see what I was looking at, realizing it was Seb again, and looking back at me. "What the hell is going on with you two? You've been acting weird all week." In my defense, I had not been acting weird. I had just been avoiding being alone with Beck. I still talked to him, obviously; I kind of had to. Sebastian was the one that was that was watching me like a hawk. It's like he thought I was going to spontaneously drop dead on the floor and by having his pupils glued to me he would save my life. I appreciated the sentiment but that's not how this worked. I was fine. "Are you two sleeping together or something?"

"What?" I asked in disgust, being drawn from my thoughts again. "No. Sebastian and I have never and will never have sex. Let me make that very clear," I spoke with a definitive tone, speaking loudly over the music.

"If you say so," Axel laughed again before tipping the brown neck of his bottle at me and taking a sip. A small smile graced my lips from where I leaned against the railing of the stairs.

I was just about to tip the full bottle to my lips and finally take a sip, I locked eyes with a figure coming up the stairs. It took less than a second for me to recognize the dashing raven haired captain effortlessly taking two stairs at a time. Despite the nerves in my stomach, I nodded at him in a brotherly way. Beck's hair looked like someone had just ran their fingers through the silky strands, looking incredible sexy in an odd way. He tipped the neck of his own beer bottle at me before sitting down on the ground with me, my butt brushing his thigh.

Axel flashed his friend a smile before asking, "Where's your sorry ass been?"

Beck shrugged his broad shoulders innocently, "Talking to some girl."

"Talking?" Axel raised a suggestive lift toned eyebrow.

"Among other things," he mused. "But then I found out she had a boyfriend so now I'm hiding to avoid getting into my second fight in less than a week, because I really don't want to get suspended." There's the catch. I almost rolled my eyes at the thought of it.