Page 8 of Mutual Obsession (Rivals of Blackthorn #2)

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, pretending we’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.

I pause, wondering how much I should divulge. I’m definitely not ready to ruin the friendship we’ve been building, but maybe I could say something…

Before I can even think of an answer, a girl appears out of nowhere and throws her arms around Jake’s neck, pressing her lips against his.

I take a step back, just enough to tell that the leech attached to him is Haley, the girl he’s been fucking on and off over the last year.

I thought they were off at the moment, but apparently not.

I only look at the hideous scene in front of me for a few seconds, just long enough to see that Jake is kissing her back, rather than pushing her away, and that’s my cue to leave.

The alcohol that was pleasantly warming my body just a moment before is now threatening to make a reappearance, burning my throat with disgust.

I turn around and walk out, placing my empty glass on the bar as I pass. As soon as the cool air hits me, I pull in a ragged breath. I didn’t realise how much I’d drank until I stumble, struggling to find my footing as I walk around the corner of the club.

When the world around me goes a little dizzy, I lean against the wall to catch my breath. The freezing cold air hitting my overly warm body is helping to sober me up a little, but I’m going to need a lot of water if I want to avoid an awful headache in the morning.

I scrunch my eyes shut, trying desperately not to relive the vomit-inducing scene I just fled from. I focus on my breathing, hoping to gain enough composure to make it home. Yet every time I close my eyes, I see the way he kissed her back and my stomach twists, making the nausea worse.

“What the fuck are you doing out here?” Jake shouts, his footsteps getting louder as he approaches me.

I keep my eyes closed and pull in a ragged breath, not bothering to reply.

He stops right in front of me, so close that I can feel the warmth from his body before he places his hand on my shoulder.

It’s an innocent gesture, but the feel of him touching me sends a shiver down my spine, so I shrug him off as I open my eyes.

“Just go back inside to Haley,” I spit, sounding more venomous than I intended.

Jake shakes his head, his big beautiful eyes staring at me like I’m confusing him, which only makes me more annoyed. “What’s the matter with you?”

His stupid question is what they call the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and I allow the green-eyed monster of jealousy to take hold. I push off from the wall so quickly that Jake stumbles back, and I use that momentum to my advantage.

I push his shoulders, letting him see the scowl on my face and the anger in my eyes. He takes a few confused steps backwards until his spine hits the wall opposite. I keep moving towards him with slow, purposeful strides, watching as his eyes widen.

He looks confused, but there’s something else in his expression that I can’t label. It looks suspiciously like lust, but I’m not sure if that’s just what I want to see.

I don’t stop advancing on him until there’s barely any space between us. I place one hand on the wall beside his head, caging him in. He’s breathing heavily, and I try to ignore his intoxicating scent that’s surrounding me.

“You’re not dumb, Pretty Boy, so stop acting like you are,” I snarl, keeping my eyes fixed on him.

His breath hitches, but his eyes never leave mine. I drag my gaze over him, using the last of my willpower to make sure I don’t close the gap between us like I desperately want to.

As my gaze reaches his lips, my anger sizzles. With my free hand, I reach up slowly, both of us intently watching my movement. I place my thumb on his lower lip as his breathing speeds up, and I can’t help wondering if his heart is racing as much as mine.

I swipe my thumb across his lower lip, loving the feel of his softness beneath my flesh. As I pull away, I hold my thumb up for him to see, hoping he doesn’t notice the way my hand is trembling.

With my lips near his, I whisper, “You had some lipstick.”

His eyes widen almost comically, and I take a step back, hating how much I miss him being close. Once I’m no longer crowding him, Jacob seems to sag against the wall, breathing heavily. I don’t wait for him to respond.

Turning on my heel, I walk down the alleyway with much more grace than I should have been able to, given the amount I’ve been drinking. My heart is racing and my thumb is tingling, like I can still feel his soft lips against my skin.

I’m so fucked.