Page 11

I hate how whiney I sound, but the longer I’m outside, the colder it seems to be. The alcohol can only hold back the biting English weather for so long.
Marcus looks at me confused as I stomp towards the back of the line, while Jacob laughs. He grabs hold of my arm, and I look down at where his fingers are wrapped around me, warming me up again.
“Don’t be stupid, Miles. We don’t queue.” The words should sound pompous and haughty, but Jake says it like it's something I should already know.
Marcus walks up to the security guard on the door, talking to him in a low voice we can’t hear. He gestures to me and Jacob, no doubt letting him know that we’re together, and I watch in amazement at the change in the man’s posture.
The guard starts off burly and standoffish, not looking at all impressed at the teenager, who thought it was okay to talk to him whilst he was working, but the longer Marcus interacts with him, the softer his stance and expression becomes. In the end, he’s smiling at us all, waving us in with a welcoming gesture.
I shake my head in disbelief, even though I’ve seen it happen with my friends before. Everyone knows who the Morellis and the Santoros are, and they know that one day, Marcus and Jacob will be the leaders of this town, which is why they show them the respect they deserve. Better to get on the heirs’ side now, rather than get on their shit-list.
I thank the security guard as he lets us pass, ignoring the moans from the people at the front of the queue, who are arguing with him about why he let us in and not them.
I’m glad Marcus and Jacob are already inside, and don’t hear some of the names we’re called. I can ignore them and walk away, making a mental note to get revenge in the future, whereas Jacob in particular can be a lot more hot-headed, and I’d really like to avoid getting into another fight tonight.
As soon as we walk into Shoreline, the loud music of the band seems to vibrate through my body, until my heart is pounding in time with the drumbeat. The room is dark, lit up only by the flashing spotlights that seem to whiz all around, with an intermittent strobe light flickering every so often.
The club is full of people, and we have no choice but to step a little closer together as we make our way over to the bar. With more people in the room than there probably should be, it doesn’t take long for the heat from the many bodies surrounding us to get to me. My shirt feels like it’s sticking to me as the air around us seems to get denser.
Jacob leans in so close I can feel his breath against my ear, and a shiver ripples down my spine, heating me even further. “What do you want to drink?” he shouts into my ear.
I should ask for a bottle of water, to help me cool the fuck down, but if he’s going to continue standing that fucking close, I’m going to need something stronger. “Vodka and Coke, please,” I reply, and he nods his head before repeating my order to the girl behind the bar.
Once we have our drinks, we shuffle over to the side of the dancefloor after we spot a space. As we’re further away from the band, the speakers aren’t as deafening, and I can actually hear the guys when they yell at me. It’s too loud for an actual conversation, so we just stand there with our drinks, pretendingwe’re not swaying to the catchy cover song that the band is playing.
After a couple of songs, a girl from our school, whose name escapes me, comes over and grabs Marcus, pulling him onto the dancefloor. My best friend is most definitely not a dancer, but this girl is hot, and she’s wearing a short skirt and crop top that seem to have made him lose his mind, as he allows himself to be dragged into the middle.
Both me and Jacob turn to each other at the same time, matching looks of confusion and amazement on our faces, before we start laughing. When we gain back our sanity, I can’t help but notice Jake seems to have stepped even closer. The entire side of his body is pressed against mine now, making me tingle way more than the alcohol.
When he leans in again to talk directly into my ear, so I can hear him, I hold my breath and try to will away the tingles his breath causes. “So, has anyone caught your eye tonight?”
My eyes widen, and I can feel my cheeks heating as they no doubt flush bright red. Although I keep my mouth shut, Jacob doesn’t miss my reaction, and he smiles like he’s stumbled upon my secret.
If only he knew,I think to myself with a groan.
“Which one is she? Is it her?” he asks, pointing to a girl nearby in a short red dress. “Or her?” This time, he points to a slightly older girl in jeans and a halter top.
I keep quiet, not wanting to answer him as I don’t really know what to say, but in true Jacob form, he keeps poking me…literally. He jams his finger into my side before pointing out yet another girl.
After he’s pointed to at least ten girls, my anxiety, which has been spiralling with each new suggestion, suddenly reaches its limit. I turn to Jake, fixing him with a serious stare as I snap, “Why are you only pointing out women?”
I don’t know where it came from, the words just seem to tumble out. They’re not even what I meant to say. I wanted to ask why he wasn’t pointing to himself, but my jumbled brain spoke without thinking, and as soon as I see the startled, almost confused expression on his face, I regret it immediately.
Jake opens his mouth a couple of times and then closes it, looking like he’s unsure of what to say, which makes two of us. He takes a deep breath, having obviously found the words as he asks me, “Are you gay?”
His gaze flickers around, and it’s clear he’s feeling awkward even asking me the question, but he hasn’t pulled away. He doesn’t look disgusted or concerned to where he can’t be near me… It’s almost like he’s genuinely curious, he’s just finding the conversation hard.
I stare at him, pushing my lip up into a smirk as I challenge him, wondering if I’m just seeing what I want to see, or if he’s really not bothered. “Would it matter if I am?”
I keep my gaze locked on his, not backing down. Jake shuffles from one foot to the other, still looking awkward, but that’s all I’m seeing. “No, I suppose it doesn’t. I guess it’s something that my father is against, but I’ve never really given it much thought. Haven’t you had girlfriends before?”
I can’t help my smirk turning into more of a smile when I see the cute look of confusion he’s trying really hard to hide. “I have.”
Jacob shakes his head as he admits, “I’m confused.”
The chuckle escapes my lips before I can even try stopping it. “Tell me about it. In the past, I’ve only ever been interested in girls, but recently, I’ve started to wonder if I might be bisexual.”
Jake nods, giving me a reassuring smile that almost feels like a thank you for trusting him with this. “What made you think that?” he asks.