Reckless

Josh.

I set down my glass on the table full of my mates, and let the smile cross my lips.

"How's it going, then?"

I nodded, taking a sip of my drink. "Pretty fucking brilliant."

"And where is the lady?"

"She's at the bar," I said, motioning over to her beautiful silhouette at the bar. Christ, she did look fit in her tight black dress. But there also something different about her. I had been a little worried after the night on her balcony that she would totally avoid me. Turns out things had only gotten better. I don't know what it was, but I was happy about it.

Dan laughed, looking at me as I stared over at the bar. "You're done, mate."

My head snapped back to him. "What are you on?"

"I just thought we weren't going to get into a girl here." Dan shrugged. "Thought you weren't getting tied down."

I shrugged my shoulders slowly. "We're just hanging out."

"After you just looked at her like you were ready to rip her clothes off, you're telling me you guys are just mates? Bullshit."

"It really doesn't matter, does it?" I said, looking over at Dan as I gripped my glass in my hand, "It's not like she'd date a bloke like me anyway. So we're just havin' a bit of fun."

Dan shrugged. "Well your 'mate' is currently walking out the doors, so I'd check that out."

Quickly I turned, and sure enough Louisa had a less amused look on her face as she walked out of the club. Without missing a beat I followed after her, my heart pounding. Maybe what I said to Dan was right, and maybe she'd seen it to: she was way too good for me. Sure, she fit in with my world. But I would never in a million years fit in with hers.

Just as I turned down the hallway, a bloke wearing a nicely cut suit stepped in front of me.

"Sorry man." He apologized before walking quickly down the hallway and out the doors, seemingly in the same direction I was headed. "LOUISA!"

I stopped, freezing for a moment. There was no fucking way that guy knew Louie.

But then I thought back to his fancy suit and general asshole-ness, and it seemed a bit more likely. I opened the door slowly so it wouldn't make too much noise, and slid my back onto the brick wall around the corner from where Louisa and Mr. Suit had headed.

"Louisa babe, I was just saying hello-"

"Look Trev," so Lou did know him, "I'm here with some friends" that hurt right in the heart "and I should really just be getting back to them."

The boy, Trev, laughed. "I wanted to say sorry for how things went down with all of us. That wasn't how it should have happened-"

It was Louisa's turn to laugh. "Yeah, fucking my best friend isn't exactly a clean break up."

Well shit, she hadn't told me about that. I side-stepped farther on the of the brick wall, still around the corner so they wouldn't notice me.

"You never deserved that, and you know I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you." I heard some shuffling and my fists began to clench.

"Trevor, all I want you to do is leave me alone."

"Come on, you don't mean that-"

More shuffling. "It's funny because I actually do."

"Louisa, just calm down."

"Leave me alone!"

"Babe, please-"

I looked down at my feet, which were already moving without my head telling them to. But my heart was beating, and my fists were clenched, and apparently this was really about to happen.

"Back off."

The scene before me made me want to punch the guy then and there. That stupid smirk on his face as Louisa had a tear rolling down her cheek, both of her wrists in his hands as he nearly had her against the wall. Both there eyes were on me now, and I was just as confused as to what I was doing as they were.

"What'd you say, man?"

I gulped. "I said back off. So why don't you just run along, yeah?"

Trevor laughed, letting go of Louie and taking a step toward me. "You wanna do this?"

"I want you to leave her the fuck alone, you prick."

A laugh escaped Trevor's lips as he looked back at Louisa before taking one step forward, and without much warning at all, delivering a clean punch straight to my face.

I stepped back as Louisa screamed. I felt the blood running from my nose and shook it off quickly, standing back up to see an even cockier Trevor, making my blood boil. I saw this guy who probably thought he could have it all, and he probably already did. But as long as I was here, he would never have Louisa over me.

"Look mate," I laughed, taking steps towards him, "you can punch me in the face as many times as you fuckin' want, all I need you to do is leave Louisa again."

Trevor laughed. "Can't do that, you see, she's my girl before she's yours. You really think a girl like that is gonna chose a guy like you over a guy like me? Be serious. I'd love her ten times better than a loser like you c-"

He didn't get much farther before I punched him in the face, sending the guy to the ground. He fell onto the pavement, a smile gracing my lips as the pain coming from my nose began to fully set in.

Louisa stepped around Trevor over to me, grabbing my hand. "Let's go."

She walked me the short way back to my hotel, my hand covering my now gushing nose, but a high in my heart that would be hard to shake off. It was silent, as Louisa was having a silent freak out inside like I was going to die only resemble by how fast she was running in her heels, but I didn't care. I felt fucking fantastic.

As soon as we got to the room, Louisa sat me on the sink and ran some of the white hotel towels under the faucet.

"You sure we should use those?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Louisa paused, looking up at me, "did you want help with your bloody nose or not?"

I laughed, which hurt. "I want help."

"That's what I thought, now be quiet."

I obeyed. She brought up one of the towels, squeezing out some of the water before looking up at my nose and examining it. I began to notice how close we were, her body pressed to mine as her hand graced my cheek and the other held my shoulder in place.

"I think it's a cut in your nose," Louisa nodded, taking the towel, "this might sting a little."

She brought the towel to my nose, where it did sting like the pits of hell had opened up. I squirmed as he free hand held mine, her lips making a shushing noise. Slowly she padded the towel, cleaning off the blood.

"Better?"

It did feel a bit better. She patted a few more towels on it along with some gooey stuff that made me want to kill her, but the gentle look in her eyes was enough to calm me down.

Louisa smiled at me, pausing. "Um, Josh?"

"Yeah love?"

"Thank you," She smiled, nodding as her eyes fixed on the sink, "for helping me back there. You didn't have to, well you shouldn't have had to help me. Trevor is just such an asshole..." Her voice trailed off as her lip started to tremble.

I shook my head quickly, tipping up her chin so she had to look into my eyes. "That guy is a prick. If he ever touches you again, you better believe I'm going to beat the shit out of him."

Louisa laughed, looking up at me. "Thank you."

"It's no problem."

Slowly I took her hand in mine, placing my other hand on her hip and holding her close to me. I planted a kiss softly on her temple, rubbing her back and knowing that I'd meant every word of what I'd just said.

"Do you want to stay for a little while?" I whispered. "Just stay with me?"

Louisa paused. "Just for a little."

"Right." I smiled before sliding off the counter and walking back into Dan and I's bedroom, flopping down on my bed. Louisa followed behind me as I patted the spot next to me, a cheeky smile on my face. "Come sit then, I only bite if you're into that."

Louisa laughed, shaking her head as she slid beside me. I flicked on the TV to be met with one of Dan's girly programs. A groan escaped my lips.

Quickly Louisa hit the remote from my hands. "Gossip Girl is class, my friend."

I eyed her. "You're joking."

"Far, far from it." She laughed, leaning closer to me and pointing at the screen in front of us. "See okay, I'll explain what you need me to. Right now, that's Dan and that's Vanessa. They used to date before he met Serena, that's the blonde one, but right now him and Serena are broken up but Vanessa might like Nate, but Nate also kind of likes Serena even though he just got out of a relationship with Blair who might have a thing for Chuck."

It went on like that for a good hour. A character would come on screen and Louisa would tell me their entire twenty minute life story. And somehow, I didn't mind it. Louisa was funny and we she got excited you couldn't help but be just as excited with her. But slowly I could feel Louisa's eyes growing heavy, and her head started to curl into my shoulder.

Soon I found us entangled, the TV only the sound in the background.

"Louisa?"

"Hm?"

"You know um," I paused, "I really do care about you a lot. And I'm sorry if yesterday when we uh, when we kissed, if you didn't mean that. But I'm okay being friends if that's what you want."

Louisa looked up at me, nodding. Our noses touched, her eyes already closed as her lips pressed to mine for the second time. We laid side by side on the bed, my arm slowly moving to her neck to deepen it as her legs further entangled with mine.

"It's not." Louie smiled, pecking my lips softly. "I like being with you, like this. Just existing."

I nodded slowly and kissed her forehead as she found her spot back on my chest and fell fast asleep, leaving me staring up at the ceiling and wondering how I got myself here in the first place. More importantly, how I could manage to stay there.