Emotionless

My heart was pounding against my ribs like a wild, ravenous, caged animal that was being teased with a joint of meet just out of reach - yearning to be set free. Sweating palms swiped at my skinny jeans again because they kept slipping from the grip of my crutches and almost making me fall flat on my face. The two huge men in front of me had smirks on their faces. Gulping loudly, I chewed the flesh of my lower lip and squeezed my eyes closed as I braced myself for the hand that had been raised to the darkened sky by Matt.

“Thanks for that, Keeley.” The hand was on my shoulder, the thumb digging into the hollow above my collar bone. Allowing an eye to open, I saw that both men were now smiling at me. When I opened both my eyes, I blinked a couple of times until I was sure this wasn’t some kind of dream that had started when they must have knocked me unconscious by the blow of the hand Matt rose to the air. “He’s wanted to ask her that for weeks, we thought he’d never get round to it.”

Stammering something incoherent to even myself, I stared weirdly at the men. They began to laugh hysterically at me, clutching their sides in pain as I glared at them. “I – um – I don’t understand. You’re being nice to me?” I stammered. Brian nodded, slinging his arm over my shoulder in a side hug that felt awkward and uncalled for. There was something off about all of this. Something that was underlying, ready to break through and torment me at any given moment. Like a lioness prowling through the thick grasses of the Kalahari savannah, on the tail of its prey aka me.

Laughing once more, the men suggested we went inside because of the cool. I nodded, hobbling in through the door being held open by a smiling Matt. Pippa met me once I managed to reach the edge of the dance floor. Like Brian only minutes ago, her arm flew over my shoulder as she leaned on me for support of her swaying frame. I forced a smile, hobbling in the direction of the bar where she was trying to direct me, claiming that we needed more drinks.

“Okay, okay, three lines of tequila coming up. By the third round, you, me and body shots.” Pippa was grinning wildly, hopping onto the bar stool next to mine as the lines of brightly coloured shot glasses began to cover the bar. Catching a glimpse of my older brother going out back, away from where he will be able to see me doing something I really shouldn’t, I picked up the first glass and slammed it down my throat.

Burning flames slithered down my throat. My lips puckered in distaste, my eyes squinting up as I turned the glass upside down and crashed it onto the bar. Pippa was laughing now, flicking her blonde hair over one shoulder as we picked up the next cup in the first row of drinks. Flashing lights surrounded me as the music sunk into my skin intoxicatingly, the number of upturned glasses growing by the minute.

Tattooed arms were looping around my waist from behind, a warm chest curving over my spine as a stubbly chin rested on my bare shoulder. Breath was caressing my ear, sending a wave of warmth from my toes to my head in a crashing motion. I could feel my drunken self moulding into the unknown person’s chest, sliding my fingers between theirs that were digging into the tender flesh of my hips. “Having fun, Kiwi?” Zacky slurred, making me giggle.

“I am now.” Turning around on the bar stool, I shot him a smile. Pippa had disappeared into the throng of people on the dance floor, Molly probably hanging around in a booth with Matt, so neither could have saved me from what I was currently thinking of doing. I chewed my lower lip in a supposedly seductive manner, hooking the collar of his button up shirt within my fingers and playing with the fabric. “Are you having fun, Ducky?”

Zacky merely smirked, leaning his face down so that his lips were teasing along my cheek. My breath fell in a shaky tumble of carbon dioxide from my lips. Fluttering my eyes closed, I pulled him a little closer to me. As my nails raked along the nape of his neck, I could feel myself slipping deeper and deeper into the ocean of drunkenness where a majority of my mistakes happen. And, if I were totally honest, I was enjoying every moment of it. Pulling Zacky face up, I slipped my hands to cup his jaw softly.

And then, with a smirk still on his lips, he bowed his head and kissed me.