Chapter 27

OLIVER

I took a step back, almost tipping over my bar stool, before I managed to regain balance.

My heart went into overdrive, my mind becoming muddled. Had that previous shot of liquor made me start seeing things? I’d heard alcohol brings out your genuine feelings and thoughts from the dark depths of your soul to the surface for all to bear witness, but I didn’t think it would induce hallucinations. And not just any hallucination. Judah.

Or someone had spiked my drink…

I clutched my chest, my gaze sweeping across the counter to the shot I’d just taken before I pushed that thought away. I’d seen the counter guy pouring it in front of me. And Kai wouldn’t have done it without me seeing him firsthand…

I rubbed my eyes and decided to gaze at the guy again but his head had turned away from me and he was now facing ahead, his attention on a drink he was holding in front of him. His face was partially hidden by a grey hoodie wrenched over his head.

“Hey handsome,” one of the guys pestering him cooed. He was a slightly overweight guy with curly brown hair chopped to a medium length with an undercut. My eyes took note of the scanty and bare clothing he was wearing which barely covered his chest and groin. He was way taller than me but not as tall as the guy that looked like Jude. It couldn’t be Jude. I simply refused it was him and, due to the hoodie he wore, I might never know.

“You’ve been here since early evening,” he continued, “Come on. Let’s join the lounge chairs.” He nodded at the lounge chairs which were, as previously established, the stuff of my nightmares.

“I-I told you… alreadyy,” Jude-look alike spoke, his voice slurred, and ice flooded my blood entirely. “I’m nottt- g-going. Leave me the fuck….leave me the fuck alone.”

The deep dark timber of the voice…it was crackled and hoarse, probably from drinking so much alcohol, but the ever so cool and baritone depth of his voice that filled my entire fantasies from the night of the dare was too recognisable.

It couldn’t be…

The other guy next to the annoying, almost obese guy furrowed his brows. With his sharp eyes and nose, he looked like if an eagle became human. He cast a reprimanding look over his friend. “Dylan, look at him. He’s wasted.” He pointed at him. “He doesn’t want it.”

Dylan scoffed, “That’s the alcohol talking. Everyone wants me. He’ll enjoy it.”

“It’s bordeline sexual assault. Rape even. He’s under the influence. Don’t do this.”

“Whatever, Elas.” He focused his attention onto Jude-look alike. “I’m under the influence too. I drank like 9 shots. It won’t be non-consensual if we both don’t know what we’re doing.”

His eyes became dreamy. “Plus have you felt him, dude? He’s got a six pack underneath that piece of clothing. And his dick must be fucking huge, judging by his voice… I want it.”

With the way lust and pent-up desire absolutely overrode his eyes, you would have thought he would have passed out. He placed his hand on Jude-look alike’s lap. Jude-look alike stared down at it and, before he could react, Dylan bent down to kiss his cheek.

“GET OFF ME!” Jude-look alike suddenly pushed Dylan with such strength, he almost flew off. He landed back a few feet, knocking over a few bar stools that clicked and clanged all over the floor.

A few guys dancing turned to stare. The bar counter guy who served us drinks was speechless.

The recoil from the throw made Jude-look alike’s hoodie come off his head. His chest was heaving and he turned his head away in frustration from Dylan who was cursing under his breath but now his face was visible.

I gasped. Jude-look alike was actually Jude himself. Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh.

He had been missing for two days but I didn’t think he’d be here, in a predominantly gay club of all places?
And pathetically wasted too?

What the actual hell?

Jude bent his head down, groaning. His sloppy hands knocked over his drink, which spilled all over the counter.

Before I could gather myself from the shock of seeing him, Dylan rose to his feet, his eyes dancing with pain and what looked like thinly veiled desire which absolutely froze me in place.

“All that strength, shit,” he spit on the floor, “Almost killed me. Are you that strong in bed?” He grinned. “I bet you’re going to make me scream in pleasure in those lounge chairs.” His eyes rolled back in his desire

My face contorted in disgust. Even Elas grimaced.

Dylan rolled his shoulders back before making his way back to Jude who was still bent down in silence.

My heartbeat quickened as my thoughts raced back to the bathroom situation where Jude intervened to save me from Lionel. He could have pretended not to see him that day. He could have left me to deal with that dreadful panic attack in Rockwater mall but he didn’t. He didn’t do all those things. Judah Adams.

“I’m going to be moaning like shit while I’m taking that big black co-“

“Stop,” I said, causing Dylan to freeze in his tracks, his attention finally on me for the first time.

“Don’t-Don’t touch him.” My voice sounded completely alien to me and I realised I was nearly foaming in the mouth from anger. Anger at the fact this guy was about to be a Lionel to Jude.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Excuse me?” Dylan quirked his eyebrow. He straightened himself to his full height and my back felt like it had been slathered with raw snow. The uncomfortable feeling that he was almost Jude’s height was nearly enough to make me run for the hills.

“I said,” I took a deep breath, “Don’t touch him.”

Dylan looked at Elas with a smirk that said, ‘Can you believe this guy?’ before he said, “Get lost Junior. Real men are talking right now. I don’t want a threesome with you.”

I said nothing in response but I prayed that my face was showing defiance because inwardly, I was absolutely cowering in cold fear. What had I got myself into?

A vein strained on Dylan’s forehead. His fingers curled and uncurled, fury and utter contempt creeping into his eyes. Next to him, his friend Elas looked back and forth between us, the dawning realisation settling in his face that things were escalating, perhaps more than he was anticipating.

“Listen here, you little bitch,” Dylan gritted out with such force that I flinched. “I’ve been here since noon trying to have fun but I haven’t gotten any. Do you know why? Coz I haven’t got laid. None of these pricks here are worth my body, and the one guy who is is sitting right in front of me and I’m going to get laid by him if its the last thing I do. Got that?”

He took a few steps towards Jude who didn’t react. His face was now buried in his arms and I knew without a doubt that he would have no more strength to fend Dylan off. The thought of his hands on Jude’s chest, his lips on his cheek again, and worst of all, his hand on his lap reminded me of Lionel’s disgusting hands on me. Even if Jude won’t remember this when he’s sober, even if we have never seen each other eye to eye, he should never endure what I almost did and worse.

Without thinking, I grabbed a finished liquor bottle and pointed it at Dylan. He stopped inches from Jude. “What are you going to do with that, princess?”
He mocked.

I still said nothing but my hand was shaking. I was scared to death, more scared than I’ve ever been. I’d never been in a real fight and a small hope flared in me that he doesn’t notice that this is all a bluff. If he actually decided to fight, I’d be dead.

Dylan’s mouth curled into a cruel smile that promised worlds of pain. He started towards me but a voice interrupted us. “Enough!”

It was the bar tender. He regarded us with cold eyes. “You are not about to trash my bar. One more move and I’ll call security. Take it outside.”

Elas clapped his hand on Dylan. “Come on. It’s not worth the trouble.”

“But -“

Elas pinned him with a stare that I couldn’t make out its meaning. Dylan growled. “Whatever, dude. I’m done for the day.” He pushed himself past Elas, almost knocking him over, casting one last glance on Jude. Then his eyes landed on me. “You’ll fucking regret this, cunt.”

He bull-dozed into the crowd before vanishing, Elas following him closely behind.