Distracted By You: Book 1 in The Exeter Running Girls Series, стр. 12
“No. We met last year.”
I turned my head in disbelief and caught my reflection in the mirror, lips pursed and grey eyes wide as the pieces of the puzzle came together to form one horrid picture.
“You’ve been cheating on mum for a year?”
“No exactly. It’s just-”
I hung up. How was life falling apart like this? I was home last year. That meant while mum and I were in the house, he was out sleeping with another woman. I dropped my head into my lap and erupted a scream, but it wasn’t enough. I had to dispel this anger somehow. I picked up the phone and called Leonora.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“You free tonight?”
“Sure, why?”
“I want to go out and get drunk.”
“I would be more than happy to be your boozing partner.”
“Leonora, I want to get ridiculously drunk. So drunk that the world looks sideways. What do you say?”
“Project blackout will begin at eight in Mandy’s.”
Nine o’clock in Mandy’s and Leonora still hadn’t shown. I had got a taxi there on the deal that Leonora would pay for our ride home, but an hour had passed, and she was nowhere to be seen.
I was also two gin and tonics down, drinking by myself like a loner. I slumped off to the corridor to the bathroom and rang Leonora for the third time. Voicemail. It meant she was either on the phone or the phone was off.
What would I do now? What happened to Project blackout! I could walk home, but I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted to get drunk and think about something else for a change. I covered my hand where the ladybug doodles sat, not wanting to look at them. I needed something else other than my parents’ divorce to think about and why I kept drawing the ladybugs.
I hit my head against the wall and scrolled through my contact list until I found Tye’s number.
HEY. YOU OUT TONIGHT? IVY
I waited, tapping the phone against my cheek as I wandered the corridor, muttering to myself.
“Do not analyse why you texted him,” I whispered, closing my eyes, knowing exactly why I had texted him. My stupid brain thought it would be wiser to think about him instead of the ladybugs and my parents.
Ping! He had replied.
I AM. YOU NEED A RIDE? T
SORT OF. I
? T
I’VE BEEN STOOD UP BY LEONORA AT MANDY’S AND AM TWO GIN AND TONICS DOWN. I
I did not know what else to say other than the truth.
DOES THIS MEAN YOU DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO HALLS? T
Did I? Right then I’d rather do anything in the world. Even wading through waist high mud escaping crocodiles sounded better than being along. Yet passing out from alcohol was also pretty tempting.
THAT’S RIGHT. I
BE THERE IN FIVE. T
Five minutes later, Tye’s car pulled up outside the bar and this time I didn’t hesitate to climb in. He looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“What?” I tried to look innocent as I fastened the seatbelt, wishing I could master Cara’s skill. Tye’s eyes wandered down my clothes – tight, off-the-shoulder green jumper, grey skinny jeans and killer black ankle boots that I loved. I wasn’t sure whether to be angry or to purr at this look. “What is it?”
“Judging from your texts and what you’re wearing, you were going out tonight either to get laid or to get drunk. Which was it?” He was clearly relishing my surprise at his words.
“Drunk. Why?”
“Because if affects where I take you,” he winked and set off.
“Then where are we going?” I couldn’t help but wonder where he would have taken me if I had said the other option. My mind wandered to a very happy place indeed.
“To a pub. Chequers. I’m playing pool with a few friends there.”
“Pub equals drinks, I’m up for that,” I smiled, settling back into the seat.
“You still on two gin and tonics?”
“Yep.”
“Well, at least it’s more of a drink than toffee apple cider.” He laughed at the evil eye I gave him.
Chequers was quite an unreal place, with dark panelled wood and old-fashioned lighting of red and green lamps. Tye led the way down a set of spiral wooden stairs to a basement area where there were three pool tables. On the far side next to a line of pub stools and a wall of Hollywood stars in black and white pictures stood a group of people we seemed to be heading for.
“Tye!” One of them called as we reached the bottom of the steps. “You found your lost lamb then?”
“Lamb?!” My reaction was sharp and instinctive – I blame the gin and tonic.
“Careful, Sam, she has a bite,” Tye earned another angry glare from me that he chose to ignore. “This is Ivy, everyone. Ivy, this is Sam,” he gestured to the blonde hulk who had just spoken, “his girl Savannah, and Luke.” Savannah was a curvy mixed-race girl of beautiful mocha skin and dark brown hair. The piercings up her ear and in her nose made me like her instantly. The girl had some serious style. Luke looked slightly younger than the others, perhaps my year, with brown hair grown long around his ears.
“Hi,” my voice sounded pathetic, a bit too much like a lamb to my annoyance.
“You play, girl?” Savannah came forward, smiling and offering a cue.
“A little.” Well, more than a little, but nobody is fond of a show-off.
“Great, we’ll play while the guys get our drinks.” She pulled me towards the pool table as she prepared the rack.
“Excuse me, since when did we become your waiters?” Sam, the blonde hulk, mockingly held up his hands in offence. I