Almost Home

Chapter Twenty

I haven't danced like this in years, with a complete lack of insecurity at the thought of anyone watching me and it felt electrifying as I moved my body to the beat of the music, throwing my arms in the air and swinging my hips, adrenaline pulsing through me. In this moment I was bursting with joy, back to the Emma I used to be.

'This place is awesome!' I yell and the girls cheer back at me as the DJ starts up a new track and I contemplate heading back over to Jay but decide he won't mind if I ditch him for one more song. As soon as this one is over I'll leave the girls to it so Jamie and I can be alone again and maybe we can finally have that chat...

'I see you've got yourself an admirer,' Jess leans in close so I could hear her and I resist the urge to look over my shoulder in case it was Jamie watching me. I hoped it was.

But just as I was about to cave and check who it was, two hands wrap themselves around my eyes from behind and I grab onto them in shock, feeling myself getting yanked backwards. Whoever it is was breathing heavily on my neck and I cringe away from the smell of alcohol trying to permeate my senses.

'Guess who?' They slur in my ear and I'm pushed forward abruptly when they stumble, calling out in pain as their shoe catches the back of my ankle. Tugging hard at their hands I manage to free myself, turning around in temper to come face to face with Finn. He'd clearly been drinking. A lot.

Surrounded by his friends who were all attempting drunken advances on Jess and Steph I find myself cringing at the way they were all acting, especially Finn who I hadn't seen like this before. He'd come across as a bit more sensible than the rest of them but right now he's wobbling precariously on his feet, his hands thrown out to the side in an embarrassing attempt at steadying himself and I can't help but wish they weren't here. Especially now that I was pursuing things with Jay who just happened to be sitting on the other side of this room. To be honest, my plan was to try and avoid Finn altogether until he left in two days but it appears that's not going to happen now. I'll just have to do my best to shake him off.

'Er hi,' I begin, trying not to appear too fazed by his sudden presence. 'I wasn't expecting to see you here. Having a good night?'

'It's grand!' He proclaims with a lop-sided grin on his face, struggling to focus his eyes on mine. 'We've been on a crawl of all the bars so I've had a few tonight.'

'Reeeally?' I reply sarcastically as I spy the groom from the stag do bolt from the dancefloor in the direction of the gents, clutching at his mouth in horror.

'Where were you today? I missed you!' He says with a pout as he attempts to move closer to me but ends up stumbling and grabbing one of his friends instead.

'I stayed in. I was tired and aching so had a relaxed day in my room,' I reply, omitting the fact that I'd actually spent the day with a gorgeous hunk who I just happened to have the world's biggest crush on.

'That's so boring! I was kind of hoping to carry on where we left off.' He runs his eyes up and down my body in what he thought was a seductive manner and I cringe. 'So how about it?'

He continues his lecherous assault and I grimace. 'How about what?'

'Carrying on where we left off.' His hands land heavily on my shoulder and they slowly creep their way down until they land on my waist, using them as a leverage to pull me against him until I'm stuck. Not bothering to ask me first he slams his lips into mine with rapacious force, leaving me no time to react as his arms wrap around my body and his tongue delves into my mouth, uninvited. The claustrophobia of being trapped in his embrace is leaving me panicked and I struggle for breath, pushing at his chest but to no avail. He was just too strong.