They Walk

Chapter Four

Once inside the house, the music is a lot louder. So loud that my ears are already pounding, but I try not to let it show. We step into a large foyer filled with coat racks and purses lined about, a few girls linger here drinks in hand.

Passing by, we come into a hall that splits three ways.

To our right is a grand living room filled with dancing bodies, and some wallflowers. To the left is a hallway leading to a closed door, and a winding staircase. Straight ahead goes down to the kitchen, and the back patio. The door to the patio is open and I can hear people yelling and splashing in a pool. Gabe leads us into the living room, and breaks away towards a group of blondes on the other side of the room.

He doesn’t look back, but it’s just as well.

Dan and Maria are already dancing, and I see Claire sneaking out to the patio. Looks like I’m alone, wonderful. Not wanting to stand around like a weirdo, I make my way to an empty wall to my right, and take up my post. Everyone in the room seems to be in one stage or another of drunkenness. It’s actually pretty amusing watching people dance when they are wasted, they think they are so talented. That is until they fall, like the hysterical girl across the room.

Shaking my head, I take in my surroundings.

The living is actually pretty decent, if not for the large group of kids. The windows all along the wall gives the illusion of making it bigger than it is. The drapes hanging on them are all pushed back and you can see the entire yard. Cringing, I think this place can’t be very private. Let alone be that great to wake up to with a sunny day, well, maybe for a morning person.

For which I am not.

So busy being nosy, I don’t notice something trying to sneak up on me until it’s too late.

A small mass of fur is suddenly jumping at my legs, and I instinctively I bend my legs and try to flinch away. Before I even have a chance though, it’s already jumping down, and ready to jump up again. The thing is about the size of a large house cat, and is covered in light brown fur. I almost would mistake it for a cat, except as it jumps it keeps making little yipping sounds. At the second assault attempt, I’m laughing and I reach my arms out.

I catch the brown fur ball, and am rewarded with a slobbery kiss.

Satisfied with the attention, it leaps from my arms and runs out of the room. Wow, if only I had that much energy. Cleaning off slobber on my face, I see that Gabe is making his way over to me from across the room. In his hands are two cups filled to the brim with a frothing liquid, and he deftly hands one to me.

I take it and drink it greedily, not caring what it is.

Shaking his head at me, he leans beside me on the wall to my right.

“I didn’t picture you as a drinker.” He tells me as he takes a gulp of his own drink.

“And yet you brought me one anyway?”

I glance at him, and I can see the smile in his eyes as he watches me.

“Touché.”

He looks away to survey the room and I try not to pay so much attention to him. How he can flirt with everyone with breasts in the room, and yet be so weird around me I’ll never know. I try to pretend I’m not looking at him as I take another drink. He glances my way again, and I almost choke. Already I can fill the effects of the drink, it must be stronger than it tastes.

“So did you want something, or are you just trying to get me drunk?” I say.

“Neither actually, just don’t like that Matt lets you come to a party like this alone. I’d never do that.”

“Ugh, I’m not alone moron, I came with all of you. Have you already been drinking and don’t remember the car?”

He gives me a mock glare, and shakes his head.

“No, head case. Alone. As in with no date. Any guy could just try to paw at you all night, and no one would be able to stop them.” Gabe says, as he turns to face me further, while crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yeah well, for your information I can take care of myself. Matt knows that, I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Trust me, I know you can handle yourself. I’m just trying to be friendly. I wouldn’t want my girl alone, if I was Matt is all.”

“In the name of friends, since Dan is yours, shouldn’t you be nicer to his sister, me?” I say as I cross my arms facing him fully now.

“I am being nice, what are you talking about?”

“Yeah right now. But not every other time we’ve been around one another. So what’s up with that?”

He looks genuinely confused or maybe a little offended for a moment. But then his eyes darken and a look crosses his face that I can’t decipher. He leans a little closer and is about to say something, when over his shoulder I see Matt walk into the room.

I can’t help but feel relieved and a little disappointed at the same time.

I really did want to know what Gabe’s problem with me was, but deep down I don’t know if I really do. I don’t think I’m ready to see a different side to Gabe. For all his teasing and irritating comments, I know he’s safe. I can trust that things with him will stay constant. I don’t have to feel guilty talking to him, or be nervous around him.

I care about Matt, and I don’t want anything to make that confusing.

Gabe, noticing that I’m distracted glances behind him and see’s Matt. Seeing my escape, I weave around him. I don’t look back as I make my way to Matt, I don’t want to see his expression has to say. And I really don’t want to know what he’s thinking, or not thinking in this case.

Matt seeing me comes toward him, smiles and his face lights up with delight. My heart flutters at the sight of it, and I can’t help but smile myself. With a spring in my step, I lean up to him and place my lips on his. Even with the light pressure of it, I still close my eyes and sigh into him. He raises his arms, and he places them at my lower back and gently pulls me closer to him. The pressure of his lips starts to deepen, but I place my hands on his arms and lean back with a smile. Raising my eyes I try to savior everything about him.

Being taller than me, I fit perfectly in his arms and I feel safe and warm. His blue eyes are bright with intensity, and his blonde hair falls nicely around his head. I raise my hands automatically and run them through his soft waves. He smiles at me, and pulls me in for a hug. I cling to him, and wonder not for the first time how I got such a wonderful guy.

He’s far too beautiful for someone as plain as me.

With a kiss to my temple Matt leans back, and takes my right hand in his left. He looks up over my shoulder and with a smirk nods his head. Turning around to look, Gabe is in the same potion I left him in, watching us.

Watching me.

I’d forgotten about him for the few seconds with Matt. I try not to flinch at the thought, but why do I suddenly feel so guilty? He watches me for a moment longer, before nodding back at Matt. Not saying anything, he turns away and gets swallowed in the mass of dancing bodies. I try to ignore the hurt expression I saw on his face. Surely he’s not thinking anything about me, like I’m not about him. That’s what I’m going to keep telling myself anyways. Smiling up at Matt, I try not to let my face show anything but happy to be with him.

Apparently not noticing the weirdness, he squeezes my hand and leads us towards the kitchen.