Chapter 5 NORA #2
With Zayden’s narrowed eyes and hard jaw, it feels like the temperature around us has somehow dropped a few degrees. I shiver, my heart still pumping almost painfully, the roaring in my ears making it hard to focus on anything else.
Zayden is a friendly guy who is hardly ever seen without a smile on his face, but with his height, those tattooed, muscled arms and the steely look in his eyes, I’m starting to think he is a lot tougher than I’d originally thought.
I have a sudden flashback to when he threw a punch at a party he hosted a little while back.
I don’t doubt he would do that again if he felt it necessary.
The guy sends me a salty look before he staggers towards the exit, cursing and muttering under his breath. I hear him make a comment about my weight, and I want to simply bury myself in a hole and never be seen again.
Zayden either didn’t hear the comment or chooses to ignore it, because he turns to me, eyes softening.
‘You okay? What was all that about?’ he asks, looking concerned.
Exhaling, I cover my face. ‘You just witnessed the worst date I have ever had the pleasure of participating in.’
‘Ah,’ Zayden says, and I peer at him through the gaps in my fingers. He offers me a sympathetic look. ‘That sucks. Come on, let me buy you a drink to make up for a shitty night.’
‘Oh, that’s kind of you, but you don’t have to.’
‘Come on,’ he says, inclining his head towards the bar. ‘I’d feel better if you stay for a bit, I want to make sure you’re okay.’
My heart flutters lightly at his words. ‘O-okay, sure. Thank you.’
He guides me towards one of the seats near the bar. I’m thankful that it doesn’t appear to be awkward in the slightest after what happened a few days ago at his house.
There are a few guys I recognise from around campus that glance over at us. Zayden heads over to one of them and leans in, saying something to him. The guy’s eyes dart to me briefly, and Zayden walks back.
I drop into a seat, still feeling a little shaky from the encounter.
I should check the app. I’m sure he was Jack when we first matched, and then changed to Jake, but I could be mistaken.
Then he added me on another app and I’m sure it said John.
I’m very confused. Either way, I’ll certainly be blocking him after this.
‘I hope I’m not interrupting your time with your friends,’ I say, nervously fidgeting as I notice a few of the guys Zayden was clearly hanging out with keep glancing over at us.
They’re probably wondering what he’s doing with someone like me.
I mentally scold myself. I hate that those are my automatic thoughts.
‘Nah, we weren’t doing much, honestly. What do you want to drink?’ he asks.
Reaching for my phone, I pull it out of my bag but he waves me off, tapping his to pay for the drinks. I’m then reminded that I’d already ordered.
‘Were you sitting outside a few moments ago?’ the bartender asks. ‘You have two beers waiting for you.’
‘Oh,’ I say, having planned to just ignore the order, but he must have remembered me from when he delivered the drinks to us. I turn to Zayden. ‘You and your friends are welcome to them, I don’t drink beer.’
‘Oh, are you sure?’ he asks.
‘Absolutely.’
Since Zayden just ordered a drink for himself, he takes the two beers over to his friends before returning to me.
Falling onto the chair, he turns, facing me, and I’m hit – once again – with how handsome he is.
The lights around us turn red, splashing across his skin, and my eyes rake over him.
He is impressively tall and muscular – years of football training will do that to you – and there’s something so effortless about him that makes him even hotter.
‘So how’d you meet that creep?’ he asks, tilting the schooner back. His throat bobs as he swallows.
My blush deepens, hoping he didn’t catch me checking him out. Sometimes I’m not very subtle. ‘A dating app, of course, because how the hell do you meet nice, normal people these days?’
His lips twitch. ‘I’d like to think I’m a nice, normal person.’
Smiling, I say, ‘You are. I just mean it’s so difficult to meet someone. I don’t like going out a lot and partying. Random hook-ups aren’t my thing.’
‘What’s your thing, then?’
‘Forming a genuine friendship and relationship with someone. Something actually meaningful.’
Zayden nods, his thumb lightly tapping against the top of the bar. ‘Yeah, I get that. The meaningless hook-ups get old pretty quick.’
‘I wouldn’t know,’ I admit, the words tumbling from my mouth before I can stop them.
He raises his brows. ‘You’ve never had a one-night stand before?’
‘Nope,’ I reply, shaking my head. ‘I mean, I’ve kissed a guy or two out in a nightclub before, but it never went anywhere further.’
‘Have you dated before?’ he asks, eyebrows inching further up.
My face heats up. ‘Sort of.’
‘Sort of?’
‘I was friends with someone online and it sort of developed into something more, but we never got to meet in person. Every time we tried, he bailed, so I ended things. It doesn’t count.
’ I exhale, averting my eyes. ‘I’m a little traumatised by the experience, to be honest. Then there was a blind date a friend set me up on.
The entire thing was awkward. It barely lasted a month. ’
‘Why awkward?’
‘Neither of us were outgoing or confident people, so it was a constant battle of who was going to make the first move and most of the time, neither of us did.’ I release a quiet laugh, shaking my head.
‘I cringe thinking back to how awkward the both of us were and how difficult it was trying to have a conversation with him.’
‘Confidence does help,’ Zayden agrees, sweeping a hand through his hair. I can’t help but notice how his bicep flexes deliciously as he does. ‘I’m not sure I’d say I’m confident, I just do things without thinking much about them beforehand.’ He tilts his head. ‘Impulsive, one might say.’
‘I’m the exact opposite of that,’ I admit, a sheepish smile on my face. ‘I’m in the process of learning to be more spontaneous and adventurous, though. That’s why I’m out tonight. Trying to put myself out there.’
His gaze moves to mine and he assesses me for a moment. His eyes dip over me, and wherever I feel them on my body, my skin heats.
‘Good for you,’ he nods. ‘That can be a hard thing to do.’
‘It certainly doesn’t come naturally to me.’
‘You seem to do all right,’ he says. ‘I’m sure you don’t have a hard time securing a date.’
My heart flutters again, and a nervous laugh spills from my lips. ‘I wish that were true. I rarely put myself out there. Then I do, and this happens.’ I shake my head, taking a long swig of my drink, enjoying the coolness on my tongue.
‘It’s all part of it, I’m afraid. The good and the bad. You just have to roll with it and keep on moving forward.’
Nodding, I smile. ‘That’s a good point.’
Hands clamp down on Zayden’s shoulders, and his friend lightly shakes him as he leans forward, coming between the two of us momentarily.
‘You ready?’ the guy asks, staring down at Zayden.
Zayden finishes his drink in one long gulp, placing it down on the bar. My stomach sinks slightly. I’ve been enjoying talking to him.
‘Yeah,’ Zayden replies, shrugging out of his friend’s hold and getting to his feet. He turns his attention to me. ‘We’re heading to a party off campus, over in Lakeswood. You want to come?’
I blink at him. His friend glances at me but doesn’t seem to care that I was just invited to tag along. My mouth opens and closes a few times as I try to think.
‘Come on,’ Zayden encourages, a playful smirk dancing around his lips. ‘Let’s go have some fun.’
Meeting his eyes, I nod.
‘Sure,’ I smile, finishing my drink and getting to my feet. ‘Why not?’
Playing beer pong with my best friend’s brother, in a house I don’t know, owned by people I’ve never met, is not where I thought I’d end up this Friday night. The loud music seems to rattle my brain as people shout and laugh.
My vision blurs slightly as the lights wildly dart around the room. I sway a little as I try to aim. Zayden’s hard chest presses against my back as his arm moves to touch my hand. He guides it into the direct line of the cup.
‘There,’ he murmurs. His hot breath fans across my earlobe, causing a shiver to inch down my spine. ‘You got this.’
Taking a steadying breath, I jerk my wrist and the ball flings forward, landing daintily in the cup in front of people.
A grin takes over my face and I spin, beaming up at Zayden.
He looms over me – not that this is an uncommon occurrence for me – with his sloping grin and messy hair.
I don’t think I’ve found a guy this attractive for a long time.
It’s a shame he’s so painfully far out of my league that we practically aren’t even in the same universe.
‘See?’ Zayden grins, raising a palm towards me I slap mine to it. ‘Told you that you could do it.’
‘Only with your help,’ I laugh. ‘I am quite possibly the most uncoordinated person you will ever meet.’
‘I don’t believe that for a second. Anya told me that you’re a good dancer.’
He’s staring at me in a slightly intense and very hot kind of way. His lips do a playful little twitch in the corner that has my cheeks heating. There are unspoken words lingering in the air, and I think we’re both recalling what happened in his bathroom the other day.
‘Did she?’ I ask, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
‘Mmhmm.’ He nods.
‘You talk about me, hey?’ I tease, and surprise myself as the words come out.
I don’t think I have ever flirted with anyone successfully in my life.
Maybe it’s the alcohol giving me a confidence boost. Or maybe it’s those endless eyes staring deeply into mine, making me feel like I can say or do anything.
‘Oh yeah.’ He shifts, leaning onto the table, eyes flicking down to my mouth briefly. ‘It made me wonder whether I might see any of your moves one day.’