Crash

As the volume of the music increased along with the excited chatter coming from the mouths of all of the 18 year old's in Josh's house, Hollie felt more at ease. Josh had also become more relaxed, accepting the way that the girl acted around him.

It had taken him a while to get used to the way she shimmied her body up and down his and the way that she giggled every time she realised just what she was doing. He really loved the fact that she was comfortable around him and she loved the fact that she had the confidence to be that way around him too. Neither of them cared for the stares that they just knew that they were getting. Josh didn't particularly care when he saw a group of girls clearly gossiping about how it was so painfully obvious that he was no longer single.

Hollie looked panicked when she took in the fact that people were actually talking about them though and Josh noticed the look of discomfort on her face. "Let them think what they want." He spoke in her ear lowly, kissing her cheek before pulling away slightly to lift her chin, enabling him to look right into her eyes. She breathed out and smiled, feeling calmer at his words of reassurance. As their eyes connected, Hollie motioned that she wanted to leave the room, placing her hands in Josh's as if asking him to join her. He nodded wordlessly, leading her out of the lounge and through the kitchen to the garden, passing many couples who were otherwise engaged on the way.

The pair got outside to the lawn, the cold air hitting the girl's legs the minute she perched herself on the bench, Josh right at her side. She shivered once before turning to Josh, ready to engage in conversation. Before she could speak, Josh was unbuttoning his shirt, leaving himself in a thin t-shirt as he placed the material over his girl's shoulders. The brunette smiled at the gesture, moving herself closer to the guy and throwing her bare legs over his thighs in order to be as close to him as possible. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath as they listened to the thumping music coming from the house, a mutual thought of 'what must the neighbours think?' crossing their minds.

Their eyes bore into each other's and Josh broke the silence boldly. "I really want to kiss you right now." He bit his lip with a chuckle and she smirked, admiring his soft features and noting the way he nervously fiddled with the hem of her dress.

"I really wanna kiss that guy over there." Hollie spoke in completely seriousness, yet pointing to a guy who was sprawled out on the edge of the lawn, quite possibly unconscious. Josh looked into the direction that she was pointing and laughed, shaking his head as he connected his lips with hers fiercely. The girl responded quickly, moving her painted lips with his soft ones as she made herself more comfortable in his lap. His hands twisted in her hair, tugging at strands as their actions got more rapid and rough, though neither of them minded; they welcomed it, in fact. Kisses got hotter and messier, hands were roaming, from backs to thighs, face to breast, need increasing with every touch. They parted their lips, resting their foreheads together, huge grins on their faces as they did so.

"Franceschi! It's your party, get back in you fucker!" One of Josh's friends shouted in their direction, causing Hollie to move away from Josh's body completely, her cold hands still linked with his warm ones. He chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up from the bench, pulling his girl into his side.

"Drink then dance, okay?" Josh suggested cheekily, his hand running up and down Hollie's back. She giggled, pecking his cheek lightly and that was more than enough of an answer for him.

The couple made their way back inside, Josh stopping in the kitchen and sending Hollie into the front lounge so that he could grab them both a drink. The girl made her way across the carpeted floor and through the crowds of people, twisting the heart-shaped charm on her necklace in her fingers.

A mixture of being unsteady on her high heels and being ever-so-slightly intoxicated certainly didn't help the girl when she lost her balance, causing her to tumble to the ground, the corner of the wooden coffee table breaking her fall in the worst possible way. The room fell silent to her screams of shock and pain, the music that was once thumping throughout the house had been turned down almost immediately and, after practically running from the kitchen, Josh was at the now-injured girl's side, urgency in his voice as he pleaded for his friends to give him some space.

Kneeling at her side, Josh checked Hollie out in the least romantic way possible. She blinked, holding her head as she was lifted up, her body pressed to the brown-haired guy's chest as his lips met her forehead. "I feel dizzy." She stated plainly, her face contorted with confusion and pain.

"Everyone out! Party's over." A harsh male voice boomed through the room, people taking note of the guy's words quickly as Josh thanked his friend and took Hollie up to his bedroom, leaving everyone else to filter out of his house.

Resting her small frame on his bed, Josh quickly cleaned Hollie's wounds, the pair of them in silence as she gulped down a glass of water to help her sober up a little, throwing in painkillers for good measure.

Josh moved from her side, grabbing a pair of his shorts and a t-shirt from his dresser drawer. "My necklace is broken." She spoke out of nowhere, her words soft and quiet. "It's broken." Disbelief ran through her voice, Josh making his way back to Hollie and helping her change into something more comfortable, the girl not questioning his actions in the slightest.

"I'll fix it. I promise. I'll fix your necklace." Josh spoke reassuringly, a glimmer of hope residing in Hollie's eyes.

"He gave it to me. My dad, that is. He gave it to me before things got bad. I can tell you all about it tomorrow. My head hurts." She was close to tears, though almost motionless as Josh tucked her into his bed, gently taking the necklace from her grasp.

"We'll talk in the morning, darlin', I want you to get some rest." He got into bed beside her, stroking her hair, his fingertips grazing her face. "You didn't deserve this, we were having a good night." He laughed lightly, thinking about how bad things always happen to good people.

"Oh but Josh, I really did deserved this. It's most definitely his way of getting to me. He's not here but he can still cause me physical pain. He was always good at that." She paused for a moment and Josh wanted to ask questions - he really did. He agreed, however, that it was probably best to leave it until the morning. He'd managed to piece a few things together as it was. "Josh, will you be here in the morning?"

He laughed again, responding quickly as he twisted her hair. "Of course, Hol - it's my house." Hollie turned in the bed, facing Josh, which he took as an invitation to press his lips to hers, as if to say goodnight. Their kiss lingered, the pair falling asleep in a gentle embrace shortly after.