~Chapter 12~
When Skye consumed one too many drinks the moment my friends called me out on the dance floor, meaning when I wasn't noticing, he got a little too much tipsy. Somehow he had found himself on the dance floor and toward me.
My friends were shocked beyond imagination to not only see him coming toward us but also when they saw the kind, professional and dapper man not like that anymore. He was wobbling on his two legs with his hair sticking out in all directions and a drunk smile plastered on his face.
Even then, he still managed to look handsome and his boyish persona was coming out. Just like it did in the park. Like he was free and I couldn't help but wonder what really has been bothering him. What's so hard to show and so easy to live behind a facade?
Soon enough, Skye stood directly in front of me and I saw Shivaay scramming everyone away from us. He's a sweetheart for not telling anyone about my secret feelings for Skye.
I blinked my eyes at Skye because he was giving me an innocent look with an adorably cute pout. Not being able to resist anymore, I stood up on my tip toes and fisted his cheeks lightly. He was confused for a second but as I started pulling on them, he swatted my arms away.
I laughed at his frown but it faded away as soon as it came. He bagan smiling widely which reached his eyes and a drunk giggle escaped his lips. "It's… so funny. Everyyyy thing… is so funyyyyyy," he slurred and raised his arms.
"Aww, Skye. You're a light drinker, aren't you?" It was like I was talking to myself because his attention span at that moment was like that of a toddler.
He held onto my arms and started swinging them from left to right. His movements were sloppy and that's when my concern for him started to seep in. I stopped, making him do the same and put an arm around his shoulders to pull him away from the dancing bodies.
I was a panting mess before I could even reach the bar because of his heavy and large frame completely weighing on me. God, he's not even trying. I sighed but my face lit up as soon as I saw Ivan at the bar, talking or maybe flirting with a girl.
"Hey, Ivan!" I exclaimed, waving my hand frantically. He looked over at me with furrowed brows. When his eyes fell upon Skye, he rolled his eyes and mumbled something to the girl.
I felt a soft tickling on my neck. Turning my head to the side, I saw Skye's face buried in my hair. The tingling sensation was back, putting my skin on fire. I saw goosebumps erupting on my arms and my heart knew that it was time to win the race against absolutely nothing. That was how quick it was beating.
"I don't like alcohol," Skye mumbled in my ear and a chill went down my spine. He wasn't even aware of things that he was doing to my body. It was as if I was ignited.
My eyes furiously searched for Ivan but he was nowhere to be found. "Yeah, I can totally see that," I told him sarcastically and leaned my head onto the wall behind us. I didn't walk the distance to the bar because I couldn't trust Skye with another drink.
"You can?!" He exclaimed, his face brightened up but his expression fell a few seconds later. "But then why can't I?" He put his forehead on my shoulder.
"Yeah that… because we don't have a mirror," I answered him absent-mindedly because half my attention was captured by our close proximity. I swear the sober Skye would be blushing hard by now. I don't know but drunk he was clinging onto me like his life depended on it. Not that I was complaining.
"A mirror? Yes, I want a mirror!"
"Hey, hey, don't worry. While we're at it, we'll even pack some diapers for you. How's that?" Ivan told him, now standing in front of us. I didn't even notice him walking in our direction.
I glared at him and he started laughing. He really was having the time of his life. "Yay! I want diaperssss! Diap-" I cut him off by slapping a hand on his mouth.
"Skye!" I hissed and ran my free hand through his hair. He seemed to like it because he sighed and his eyes drooped a bit. I retrieved my hands and scowled at Ivan. "Where have you been?" I asked him with a frown.
"Was just making sure that Natasha got safely back into her car and not get sidetracked by some heavy ass drunk dude," he explained, referring to the girl he was with followed by a naughty grin.
I rolled my eyes at that, not caring enough to reply to him.
Ivan eyed me askance and for a second I felt embarrassed under his scrutinizing gaze. "This is weird…" he trailed off with a concentrated look.
"What is?" I thought he was talking about Skye and I almost huddled up together and being cozy with each other but I could tell that he was referring to something else.
"Skye never and I mean literally never gets drunk. He's more of a responsible and cautious kinda person," he answered and I could see the concern on his face.
"Whoa, that's… news," I said, puzzled.
"Yeah, something must have happened," Ivan said thoughtfully, biting his lips. "Did his dad call?" His eyes went wide.
"Wait, you mean the Jonathan Williams?" I asked him excitedly but he was in his own world, thinking something through.
"No, I don't think that could be the case." He started muttering something else under his breath that I couldn't comprehend.
"Hold on a sec. You mean to say that he got so drunk because his dad called?" I inquired and Skye stirred his head on my shoulder, reminding me of his presence. He groaned, looking completely wasted.
"You know, work stuff and all." Ivan chuckled nervously but I could tell that he was hiding something. "I mean, he's never done that before. Like I said, it's his first time being so out of his wits. Something must have really triggered it," he mused, pursing his lips.
"Oh." I rubbed the back of my neck and avoided his eye contact at all costs. I wasn't so sure but for some reason I felt like I was half responsible. If I wouldn't have left with Chelsea on the dance floor, he wouldn't have drank way too much when he was already so drunk. It's a miracle that he didn't throw up yet.
I could see my friends having fun from where I was standing. They were dancing on the rocking beats of 'Light It Up'.
My gaze then involuntarily fell upon Skye who had his eyes closed and his entire face looked peaceful. I could still feel his heavy weight because of his arm and head on my shoulders but I didn't mind it. Him being this close to me made my skin feel alive.
"Wait a minute," Ivan drawled and I was snapped out of my dreamy thoughts. I raised an eyebrow at him while his eyes were narrowed. "Did you make him drink so much? Or maybe like, put him under a bet or something?"
"What? Shut up. I wouldn't do that!" I yelled out half angrily and half defensively for being falsely accused.
Skye lifted his head probably because of my outburst and glared at Ivan. For a second, I thought that he was sort of sober but then his words made me wince. "Diapers are for babies. I am no baby!" He pointed to his chest and I patted his back to silence him.
"So then why does your face look like you ate a bad fish or you have a bad stomach or do you just really ooze that "bad stomach guilty" look?" Ivan directed his question toward me.
I punched him on his stomach like I usually do to Shivaay and he grunted in pain. Skye mimicked my actions but it was sloppy. "I am not a baby!"
I closed my eyes and took deep breaths in. Opening them back again, I saw Ivan wheezing hard and shaking his head. "I was just kidding, Valerie. But you did look guilty. Plus this crackhead here is… oh, my God." He went back to laughing and slapping his knees, clearly enjoying the commotion.
A smile somehow managed to take its place on my lips and I turned to Skye who was pouting sadly. It took everything in me to not kiss him. Um… wait, WHAT?! "Skye… honey… how about you go back to sleep. Hmm?" I told him and my manner of speaking was like that of an adult speaking to a child.
His face brightened up in a jiffy and he put his head back on my shoulder, snaking an arm around my neck loosely. I could feel the color rushing to my cheeks and I tried so hard to not seem shy but I guess that's Skye's mojo. To make Valerie Jones blush like there's no tomorrow. "I like the idea! You're sooooo cooozzy." It was as if he was hugging me from the side with his head buried in the crook of my neck.
"I feel like I can't breathe," I whispered with my heart galloping. I had almost stopped breathing because of how close we were. It was a foreign feeling and I was scared. Scared of everything.
Glancing up, I saw Ivan recording it all in his phone with a mischievous grin. "Something to make the Smarty and Responsible Pants embarrass. God, something to finally have a leverage over this guy." He winked at me and I just gave him a dry look.
"Delete that."
"Oh, I will. But not before Skye sees it. Now, tell me what happened to this guy here because you know something," he said, quickly changing the topic with a smirk.
"Look, I-I don't know, okay? I mean, my friend, Sea, asked me to join her on the dance floor and so I did. I just - I just left him for a few minutes and came back to find him already drunk." I nodded my head with wide eyes.
"That's it?" He sounded unconvinced.
"I guess? Then my whole group wanted me to join them again. I was reluctant to leave him behind, I really was but I must have momentarily forgotten that he-he's drunk, okay? Rest is all a mystery to me," I told him earnestly but he still seemed wary.
"Are you sure that's all?" He pressed further.
"Um… yeah." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Nah, that's literally nothing. Something must have happened."
Now, I was annoyed by this conversation. My body ached because another one was entirely depending on mine. "How about you ask him yourself when he's in a proper mindset to answer all your questions?" I gritted, giving him a sickly sweet smile.
He nodded his head as if just now realising that it was useless to ask me which it really was. "Yeah, cool. You're right. I'll take him home."
"Finally. Now you're talking something intelligent." I huffed.
"No!" Skye jolted away from me. "No! Not home! I want to go to the tree house!" He whined with a frown.
I blinked again at his demeanor. "He really did get into the character, didn't he? A tree house now?" I asked Ivan.
He chuckled and explained to me. "Actually he does have a tree house right behind his mansion. Precisely some few yards behind his house. Ooh but mind you, he's never let anyone come even a small distance closer to it. Not even me and that's saying something."
"Whoa, then consider your wish being finally granted," I said, beaming.
"I know right! I'd love to see his weird fetishes and dirty little secrets. I think today's my day." He was excited and for some reason it made me laugh. I couldn't imagine Skye having a dirty secret but I couldn't be so sure either.
I actually thanked everything divine in the world to not have such a sly best friend like Ivan. It would have been so much work to handle him.
"I dun't agreeeee," Skye butted in, his slur getting thick. "I want Valey to drop me at my place." This time, he hugged me with both his arms and cooed.
Another laugh bubbled up my throat at his cuteness and he wasn't even trying. Oh gosh, he's such an adorable baby. I was more than glad that I didn't drink anything to have a hazy vision or something going on like Skye.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what a traitor," Ivan grumbled but he didn't seem to care at all. "Also, did he just call you Valey? Like, was it just a slip of the tongue slash drunk thingy or did he really call you that?"
"Well, we have our whole lives to figure that mystery out. Right now, the concern is I have to drop him off and I don't even know his address." I crossed my arms across my chest, making Skye lean in closer and do some weird sounds which vibrated throughout my body. "And man, is he heavy," I whispered to myself.
I had to push back the urge to shove him away from me because I was literally unable to breathe with this non-existent proximity. I felt like I was handling two brainless toddlers.
"That you don't have to worry about. Give me your phone. I'll put in the directions for you." I did as he said and soon enough, I was in my car while Ivan struggled with buckling Skye in. I didn't mind because I've been carrying him on my shoulder for so long that I internally enjoyed seeing him suffer.
Once we were both seated inside my car without much hassle, I sped off in the night with a soft smile playing on my lips.