Will You Catch Me If I Fall?

Trace POV

I walked into Vibe again and this time my eyes were immediately flitting around the room, dashing back and forth looking for her.

Ever since the kiss, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was purely mesmerising. The way she has stood there and completely drawn me in to her.

And seeing her on Monday, I couldn’t believe it as she had walked over, dresses simply in shorts and tank top, her face scrubbed of any make up and she looked beautiful without even trying. And the worst bit of it, she didn’t have a clue.

There was something in her though, something that I knew was telling her “no”. I could see it in her eyes. She had run away from me like a startled deer, terrified of danger. One minute she’d been amazingly friendly and cool, the next she couldn’t wait to get away from me. She was a mystery and I wanted to unlock her.

“Drinks all around! On me!” Mason yelled behind me and I laughed.

Mason swung his arm around his new girlfriend Simara Rose or simply Sim as we called her and ushered us all to follow him to the bar and to the drink and night of drunkenness that awaited us.

I wasn’t in the mood to get drunk; all I could think about was Addison. She invaded every corner of my mind. Where was she now? Why did she run away? Was she okay?

I settled myself in a back booth with the others and despite being with all my friends, I felt alone.
The noise of the club seemed overly loud in my head and I clutched my beer, willing myself to disappear somewhere else. Somewhere I could think clearly or better somewhere with Addison.

Anthony soon left my side as his favourite song came on over the speakers and he ran to the dance floor to blunder around hopelessly in what he called drunken dancing.
I started to feel uncomfortable as Mason starting to kiss Sim and Kristy and Blake were cuddled in the corner, their hands intertwined and nuzzling each other affectionately.

I tried not to barf. Man, I really wasn’t feeling this fifth wheel thing going on so I got up and went outside.

I gulped in the fresh air, and looked at the stars in the dark sky above me, twinkling beautifully. I could have stared at them all night but I ended up going back inside.
I looked around to see if I could spot Anthony.

I did and I could also see clearly who he was with.

I stared as Anthony put his hands around Addison, placing them on her narrow hips, just like I had and how she pressed her body into his as she danced into his body. Just like she had with me.

I stumbled away and blindly found my way back to the booth, were I sat down heavily. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. This wild jealousy that was burning its way through my entire body. I shouldn’t want to rip Ant’s head off his neck. He was my friend.

I’d only talked to her once. Only danced with her once. Only kissed her once.

But that kiss. It was more than just a kiss. I felt it…but obviously she hadn’t. I was just another guy…

I was being stupid, I know.

“Trace?”

I looked up at the girl’s voice, my heart rising then falling as I didn’t see Addison but my ex-girlfriend Lara.

“Oh…hey Lara” I muttered

She sat beside me, uninvited “You okay Tracey Baby?”

I tried not to sneer at her liquid sugar voice, bittersweet filled with poisonous seduction and a cruel tipped tongue and her stupid nick name for me,

“Yeah I’m fine”

She smiled “Okay because I was thinking if you weren’t, I could help you take your mind of things” she purred, trailing her fingers up my arm.

I looked at her my eyebrow raised but then my mind flashed back to Addison wrapped around Ant and I decided why not have some company tonight? I needed it.

I smiled at Lara, who immediately knew her plan had worked and I moved closer to her, laying a hand on her bare leg and rubbed it softly, knowing how she liked it. I leaned into her, my breath tickling her ear as I whispered “Well then, maybe I’m not okay”

She giggled and looked at me, her brown eyes flashing in the light but they seemed dead compared to Addison’s vibrant green ones. I cursed at myself, pushing the thoughts of Addison to the back of my mind as Lara pushed herself onto me, straddling my legs and started to nibble at my neck.
I groaned in satisfaction and closed my eyes, letting Lara do what she wanted.

~

An hour later, I managed to extract Lara off my body long enough to say I needed a drink.

I sighed at the bar. Lara was hot but she was stupid. In the few months I had dated her, I don’t think I’d had a decent conversation with her. It was nothing like Addison; with Lara it was about sex…with Addison…I just wanted her. To hold her, to talk to her, to keep her safe.
Not to mention how clingy Lara is. It had taken me weeks to break up with the girl and everytime she saw me, she still tried to get me back into bed, and tonight I was willing to let that happen and that spelt a whole lot of trouble coming my way pretty soon.

I ordered the drinks and looked around the crowded bar top until my eyes rested on a slumped figure at the end, shrouded in the shadows.

Whoever it was moved slightly and their long red hair glistened as it caught the light where it lay strewed across the counter.

It was Addison.

I moved over to her, quicker than I thought was possible. Tentively, I put my hand on her shoulder.
“Addison?”

She raised her head and looked at me, her eyes glazed over and bloodshot. God, she was a mess. How much had she had to drink?

She looked at me, as if unsure of who I was

“…Trace?” she slurred and then laughed

“What are you doing here Trace Cyrus?” she asked and laughed again. I didn’t get the joke. She was wasted and anyone could take advantage of her. Her head flopped back to the table and she started to hum to herself, a crazy half smile on her face.

I looked at the bartender, whose nametag read Tanya
“Will she be okay?”

Tanya laughed “She always is”

I frowned “What do you mean?”
“Honey, this is a regular occurrence. I have Addison slumped across here at least three times a week. That’s who she is. Here are your drinks”

I thanked her and hurried back to the booth, dumping the glasses in front of Lara who was waiting for me
“Here. I have to go”

She jumped up and wrapped her arms around me
“Where you going Tracey Baby? I can come with you”

I disentangled her arms and pushed her away from me
“No! I’ll see you around Lara”

I walked back to the bar, where Addison was still slumped and I wrapped my arm around her waist, standing her up and letting her lean on me

“Come on. I’m taking you home”

She didn’t say anything to me, just muttered something inaudible to herself and smiled. I led her outside, stopping to collect her coat.

“Does she have a jacket?”

The man leered at me as he handed it over “Have fun”

I growled and supported Addison outside, wrapping her coat around her shoulders. Her knees buckled and she tumbled to the ground but I wrapped my arms around her, catching her before she hit the hard concrete. I knew I wasn’t going to get any information off her in this state so I carried her back to my place.

I lay her on the bed, wrapping the duvet around her and watched her for a moment as she snuggled into the bed, her eyelids fluttering softly as she wandered in and out of sleep.

I looked at her, admiring her and then turned, ready to spend the night on the pull out couch.

“No!” her voice was soft and I turned. Her eyes were half open; her arm lazily outstretched towards me “Stay…”

I smiled and lay down beside her and waited as her breathing became slow and even. I watched her sleep, telling myself not to touch as her beautiful body rose and fall. I closed my eyes, getting as close as possible without touching her and allowed myself to join her in the world of dreams.