A Reason to Leave

by Melissa Ellen

  Firm hands gripped my hips and a hard body pressed into my backside. “You look hot, sweetheart.” I heard Caleb whisper into my ear as he buried his face in my neck. I slowed my movement, opening my eyes to Liam’s heated stare from across the dance floor.

  He sat in a secluded booth with his band members and a bunch of scantily cladded groupies. His arm was wrapped around one of the girls, but his eyes were pinned on me with an angry expression. He thankfully had his shirt back on, but it did nothing to subdue my hormones. My eyes narrowed at the sight of the girl starting to kiss up his neck and nip at his ear. I had a weird surge of possessiveness plaguing me.

  He moved his beer to his lips, seemingly unaffected by the desperate woman licking and sucking on him, while he continued to watch me. He took a slow pull of his beer. I started to imagine his lips on mine. I bit my bottom lip, closing my eyes, leaning my head back on Caleb’s shoulder as I began to move my hips in sync with his.

  I allowed Caleb to continue to rub his hands up and down my body and kiss my neck. I knew everything I was doing right then was wrong. I was using Caleb. Using him to satisfy a desire that I had for someone else. But I didn’t care. The alcohol flowing through my veins and the presence of Liam had any moral thoughts pushed to the back.

  I felt a small hand grasp at my arm, and I flicked my eyes open to Lexie. “Let’s get another shot!” she yelled at me as she waved for me to follow her and Jake towards the bar. I moved in line behind her. Caleb clasped his hand with mine, moving with me towards the bar. I should have removed my hand, but I didn’t. I stupidly allowed him to continue to touch me.

  I glanced back over my shoulder at Liam. He was no longer watching me. Instead, he was talking with his bandmates, with the same skank doing everything she could to get his attention. I shook it off and refocused on following Lexie and Jake.

  We continued to rotate between dancing and taking shots for the rest of the night, until I no longer felt my body, and my mind was floating like I was in a dream. I did my best to not search out Liam. But my greedy eyes had a mind of their own. As the night neared to an end, Lexie and I took a break from dancing and went to the restroom.

  “Whoa, Val. You should probably slow down on the shots if you plan on getting laid tonight,” Lexie teased me as I stumbled out of the stall.

  “I’m fine,” I lied, straightening myself as I concentrated on walking. She laughed, shaking her head at me. I gripped the sink counter and took a deep breath, before washing my hands, hoping the oxygen would help to clear my fuzzy brain. “Besides, I don’t plan on sleeping with Caleb tonight.”

  “Sure as hell looks like you plan to.”

  “Well, I don’t,” I argued as I glared at her through the mirror. Because I didn’t. I may be drunk, and I may have been letting Caleb touch me more than I should. But I had no plans to go home with him or vice versa.

  “Whatever you say, lady. Come on. Let’s go dance some more.” She grabbed my hand, pulling me back out of the restroom.

  My footsteps faltered as we cleared the opening. I fell into Lexie, trying to catch myself before I hit the ground. Unprepared and unable to hold me up, we both ended up on the floor, rolling with laughter. “Shit,” I giggled as I tried rolling to my stomach, so I could push myself up off the ground. My tight dress made it hard to maneuver. I moved to my hands and knees, flipping my head up to get my long hair out of my face.

  My body froze as my glassy eyes connected with a serious and disgruntled looking Liam towering over me. Double Shit. His arms were crossed over his chest, accentuating his tight biceps. His eyes darkened with heat and my body began to tingle. My heart throbbed in my chest. His jaw ticked. The air charged between us.

  My laughter had ceased, but Lexie was still giggling and rolling on the floor unaware of the company presently standing over us.

  “Hellooo, Liam,” I slurred, grinning cheesily at him.

  “Princess.” His voice was as hard as his abs.

  Jerk. With Liam’s response, Lexie finally became aware that we had an audience. Her laughter faded as she rolled herself into a sitting position on the floor. I remained on my hands and knees looking up at him.

  “Are you going to just stand there or are you going to help a girl in need?” I asked. In my head, it sounded like my words came out clearly, but from Lexie’s giggling and his unamused expression, I figured maybe not.

  Before he could respond, the skank that had been clinging to him all night came out of the bathroom, sauntering past us. She had the audacity to judge me as she sneered down her nose at us. Bitch. Skank. Whore. I may be the one drunk on a dirty bar floor, but at least I had some self-respect. Some. This was definitely not my proudest moment.

  She pulled at his arm, “Come on, baby.”

  Who the hell was she? A girlfriend? Doubtful. He didn’t seem like the girlfriend type.

  He continued to stare at me, his face impassive as she tugged at him once more to lead him further down the hallway towards the exit. I didn’t move. He didn’t move. It was ridiculous. But I needed to know the choice he would make. Help me or go with her. If he chose the latter, it would tell me what I already knew. I needed to stay as far away from him as possible, regardless of what my body wanted.

  We both remained still until his eyes raised, looking past me and then over at her. He threw his arm around her shoulders without a word and turned his back on me, walking away. I sat back on my heels, watching them as she groped him and pulled him into the supply room. Classy. She was already undoing the button and zipper of his jeans before even making it into the closet. He glanced at me, one last time, before following her inside, disappearing from my view.

  The expression in his eyes had me feeling alone in a crowded bar. I glanced over at Lexie who had been watching our whole silent exchange.

  “Princess?” Her eyebrow raised quizzically.

  She had figured out he was the broody jerk from yesterday. I didn’t have a chance to respond. Caleb and Jake were on us, pulling us up from the floor.

  “What the hell are you girls doing?” Jake asked as he lifted Lexie to her feet, wrapping her in his arms.

  “Val tripped, taking us both to the ground,” she smiled at him. He grinned, shaking his head.

  “Should we head out?” he asked.

  “No,” I said firmly. “I need another shot.”

  “I don’t think that is a good idea, Val,” Lexie said, now understanding why I had been uncharacteristically drinking heavily all night.

  “I need a drink,” I reiterated as I gripped onto Caleb to hold myself up.

  “You only turn twenty-one once,” Caleb reinforced my demand. I knew it was for his own benefit - hoping he was getting me naked tonight - but I ignored that thought.

  Lexie let out a frustrated sigh, “Okay, lady lush….let’s get you another shot. But then we switch to water,” she commanded.

  Whatever. I would argue that with her in a bit. The four of us headed to the bar for another round of shots. It was the last thing I recalled, until I found myself dancing on a table with Lexie as we both hugged each other, laughing and holding one another up.

  “Dude. You need to get your chicks out of here before I lose my job.”

  I spun around carelessly, finding a pissed off Joe with his eyes narrowed at Jake.

  “I’m working on it. Fucking Caleb disappeared. Probably passed out somewhere. Everyone else has already taken off.”

  “Get Lexie. I will get this one,” Joe said, pointing at me.

  “Hey!” Lexie giggled, not really putting up a fight as Jake grabbed at her, removing her from the table top and into his arms.

  “Come on, sweetheart,” Joe approached me, trying to gently coerce me into his thick arms.

  “No!” I swatted at him like a two year old. “We’re dancing!” I hopped away from his reach, losing my balance. I felt myself starting to tumble over the edge of the table when strong arms gripped my waist, catching me.

  I laughed at my clumsiness. An
d drunkenness. It made me giddy.

  “I got her,” a gruff, annoyed voice said over my head.

  “Shit. It’s you,” I grumbled, refusing to look at the man holding me against his chest, cradled in his arms like a baby. He smelled yummy. And his touch had my limp, drunk body coming to life.

  “Thank fucking God. I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” Joe said, shaking his head as he walked away.

  “Thanks, man,” Jake nodded towards Liam, “Can you help me get her outside? I called an Uber. It should be here any minute.

  “Sure.”

  Jake turned, walking away with Lexie who was squealing with delight. I angled my head up, looking at Liam. He stared down at me. His tempting lips were only a few inches from my own. He had such full, delicious looking lips. And now that I knew those lips could sing, it only made me want them more. He was the devil.

  “Put me down,” I said as my contradicting arms wrapped around his neck.

  He smirked that ridiculous smirk.

  “No.”

  “I can walk,” I slurred.

  “I think you have proven, otherwise, princess.”

  “Stop calling me princess.”

  He chuckled with amusement as he began to move us through the nearly empty bar towards the front exit. I buried my face against his chest.

  “You smell so good. Why do you have to smell so good?”

  “Why do you?” He asked his random question.

  Huh? Shit. Did I just say that out loud? I glanced up at his now twinkling eyes. My head spun, making me dizzy.

  “You’re nothing but a bad news beer,” I slurred as I gripped his neck tighter.

  “I think you mean bear.”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Right,” he shook his head as his chest vibrated with his muted laughter. God I wanted him. My body wanted him.

  “I don’t want you,” I said pointedly.

  “I don’t want you either.”

  Neither one of us were very convincing. Joe held the door open as we exited the building. The cool air hit my damp skin, inducing goose-bumps to prickle my body. Liam gripped me tighter to his chest. I inhaled him.

  “Car’s here,” Jake yelled over his shoulder at Liam and me.

  Jake placed Lexie on her feet and opened the back seat passenger side door. He helped settle her in the middle of the bench seat. He left the door open for Liam as he walked around to the other side of the car to get in next to Lexie.

  Liam didn’t release me immediately. I wondered what he was waiting for. He stared at the car as if contemplating his next move. I took in all the beautiful features of his face while he hesitated. I could see the tightening of his strong, square jaw as he struggled with his own internal debate. Tension radiated off of him as he closed his eyes. I gripped him tighter wanting to fight away whatever was making him stressed.

  “It’s my birthday,” I whispered softly.

  His eyes opened and his body relaxed.

  “I know,” he smiled, revealing his singular dimple. I poked it with my finger. I couldn’t help it. He laughed. “What was that?” he asked.

  “I like your dimple,” I grinned, relieved he was no longer tense. I like you.

  He shook his head in disbelief, “Happy birthday, princess.”

  The way he spoke the word princess this time, had more fondness behind it. Fondness I didn’t expect. My lips parted and his eyes dropped to them. His head leaned in closer. Our lips were close to touching. I closed my eyes, waiting for the one thing I wanted most for my birthday. His lips.

  “Why do you call me that?” I whispered out of nervous anticipation.

  He didn’t answer. He didn’t press his lips to mine. Instead, he released me from his arms, steading me on my feet next to the car before stepping away. Losing the warmth and safety of his body had me feeling exposed and vulnerable. He was distancing himself. All this hot and cold had my intoxicated brain confused. I hugged my arms around me. Protecting myself.

  Aware of my discomfort, he started to step towards me again, but halted, placing his hands in his pockets as if to keep from reaching out to me.

  “You should go,” he said, nodding towards the open car door where Lexie and Jake were now sucking face. Not something I was in any rush to sit next to.

  “That’s it?” I asked, throwing my hands on my hips. My anger flared.

  “You were expecting something more?”

  I stared at him in disbelief. Pissed. Regardless of my drunken state, I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling the intense chemistry between us. I wanted to beg him to kiss me. To take me home. But I knew that everything about him made him Mr. Wrong. Then why did it feel so right?

  I dropped my hands in defeat.

  “No. I guess I wasn’t.”

  I turned, climbing into the car. “My name is Valerie, in case you cared,” I spat. He never even bothered asking. And for some reason that pissed me off even more. As if I mattered so little, he didn’t even care to ask me my name.

  “I know,” he said firmly, closing the car door and tapping the hood of the car for the driver to go, leaving me confused, pissed and desperate, once again.

  CHAPTER 4

  “Wake up, lady!” Lexie yelled, jumping onto the bed next to me.

  “Ugh,” I groaned, squeezing my eyes closed tighter, turning away from her while hiding my head under my pillow. “Go away you evil woman.”

  She chuckled, pulling the pillow from over my head, ignoring my banishment of her presence.

  “No can do. We need to get you up and in recovery mode before dinner with your folks tonight.”

  “It’s still early,” I said, refusing to open my eyes. My head was pounding, and I was suddenly regretting my over indulgence of alcohol.

  “It’s one already, Val. You are having dinner with your family in five hours.”

  “Shit. Really?!” I said, popping up a little too quickly, causing my aching head to spin. I threw my palms over my eyes, trying to cease the harsh light that was filtering in.

  “Yes. You need some food. And a shower. You look like shit.”

  “I feel like shit.” I dropped my hands from my face and looked around my room. There was a trash can next to me on the floor, my heels and dress were strewn on the ground in a trail to my bed, and I was currently only wearing a strapless bra and panties. I guess I didn’t bother with pajamas last night. I had no recollection of how I even got home, much less into my room.

  I looked over at a way too chipper Lexie. “What happened last night?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  I searched my throbbing head for any memories from the previous night’s events. All I could recall was Liam. A sexy, singing Liam. A shirtless Liam. An asshole Liam. A kissable Liam…Oh. God. My eyes widened. I touched my hand to my lips. Surely, I would remember if we kissed. I looked down at my half-naked body. I would definitely remember if he came home with me. Right?

  “Did I? Did someone…” I struggled to get my question out.

  “Come home with you?” Lexie completed my thought, giving me a sideways glance. “No. Unless you count me and Jake. He helped me get you into bed.”

  “He saw me half-naked?!”

  “I didn’t have a lot of choice, Val. You passed out pissed off and wasted after Liam got you in the car. You were dead weight by the time we got to the apartment.”

  Her words triggered a memory I wished had stayed forgotten. The memory of how desperately I wanted Liam to kiss me and his rejection. My heart sank to my queasy stomach. He preferred the slutty groupie from the bar over me. I felt like a fool. A stupid, desperate fool. The only redeeming factor of the night was I didn’t end up sleeping with Caleb.

  I moaned, throwing myself back on the bed. “I am such an idiot, Lex.” I didn’t need to explain myself. She already knew what I was referring to.

  “No you’re not. I’m sure you weren’t the only one begging for Liam’s attention last night. By the way, you never mentioned how hot
your broody asshole was. I figured as much from the way you were reacting, but damn. If Jake wasn’t in the picture…”

  “Oh my, gosh! Shut up. He is not my broody asshole,” I moaned, covering my face with my arm. She yanked it away from my face, laughing.

  “Are you saying he isn’t the one that helped you change your tire, princess?” she teased me.

  “Yes. But he isn’t mine. Far from it. Obviously.” She ignored me, pulling me up out of the bed. I groaned as she got me to my feet. “I wish last night never happened. At least, I will never have to see him again. I’m avoiding that place like the plague.”

  “Stop self-wallowing. And take a shower. I’ll make you some brunch, birthday girl,” she said turning my shoulders, directing me towards the bathroom.

  By the time I was done with my shower, I felt rejuvenated physically and mentally. Lexie was right. I wasn’t the only one mesmerized by Liam. He was obviously used to the female attention, and I wasn’t going to feel ashamed about my attraction to him.

  He was sexy and mysterious with a hypnotic voice. Who wouldn’t be drawn to him? You would have to be numb from the waist down not to be attracted to those abs and smile. I was not going to be embarrassed. Besides, I was probably barely a blip on his radar and would soon be forgotten by him. Why did that thought bother me?

  Nope. Not going to think about it. I needed to forget about Liam and his alluring lips. He was a judgmental jerk, anyway. I had no room for people like that in my life. Today was my actual birthday, and I would be having dinner with my family tonight. People that knew and loved me for who I was and didn’t call me things like princess.

  I wrapped a towel around my wet hair, twisting and settling it on top of my head. I slipped on some yoga pants and a tank top after brushing my teeth and walking out of my en-suite bathroom. The smell of fresh brewed coffee and bacon drifted into my room as I browsed the clothes hanging in my walk-in closet. I was searching for the perfect “I am woman, hear me roar” outfit to help reinforce my restored confidence.