POV: KATHERINA
Chris and Kevin’s anxiety about the game paid off when I skipped a class to check why there was no practice going on.
Taylor was running on the field with beads of perspiration on his face and tiredness making his eyes droopy.
I asked one of the football players, and he told me that the coach had punished him for some monkey business.
I quickly went to the players” room to find Kevin, Chris, and some of their team members laughing hysterically at Taylor’s situation.
“Why are you not practicing?” I said when I reached my boyfriend.
“Oh, hi, love. The new guy was told to run fifty laps in the field. The grounds are in use.” He grinned widely.
“What did you do?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Oh me? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He did it all by himself!” He spat.
“Chris,” I warned him.
“Okay, I’ll tell you. Come here.” He motioned me to sit on his lap. I ignored the other guys in the room and sat on his lap, putting my arms around his neck.
“Tell me,” I demanded, glaring at him.
“We asked our computer genius, Carter, to make a funny video of the coach and upload it to the school’s website and YouTube under Taylor’s name.
“The coach found out even before the rest of Bridgehills. He’s being punished for that,” he said like it didn’t matter much.
“You didn’t do that.” I looked at him aghast.
“I did. He’s a dwarf wearing blue underwear with golden stars. The video is so funny.” He started to laugh.
“Why didn’t you send me? Is it deleted from the sites?” I asked.
“Yes, it is but don’t worry. Kevin has the last copy of it on his PC.” He winked at Kevin, who gave a thumbs up.
“Does Taylor know it was you behind all this?” I asked.
“Yeah, and the surprising part was he didn’t mention our names, nor did he put up a fight with us,” he said in a surprised tone.
“That’s really bad, Chris. You shouldn’t have done that. I mean, I understand that you don’t want anyone competing with you, but that doesn’t mean you try to put them down.
“You’ve got to play fair and beat him,” I said carefully, watching his humor change into confusion and then to irritation.
“He’s not the best,” Chris stressed his words, his ocean blue eyes staring deep into mine as his hands tightened around my waist.
“Maybe…but the coach knows better. You should show you are the best on the field and prove to him that you’re the only one fit to be a quarterback.
“Listen, this game is very important to our school, and we need to win. The fact that we’ve been losing for the past five years is not something to let slide.
“I personally think you’re overworking yourself. Maybe you should let Taylor be the quarterback—”
“We’re done.” He cut me off before I could even finish.
“Chris, I was just trying to tell you—”
“Hey, Chris, quick message,” said Kevin, looking down at his phone. “Thomas is having a party tonight.”
“Party? Why?” I asked Kevin, dropping the subject of Taylor because Chris wouldn’t listen to me.
“Thomas is going to Chicago and won’t be back for five years,” Kevin said.
“How come I didn’t know about this?” I asked, ridiculously.
“It was sudden, you see. His father’s business is booming, and he decided to leave town. He told us he would be leaving soon, but he didn’t know it would come this soon,” replied Kevin.
“We’ll be there,” Said Chris. “Right, babe?” he looked at me for an answer.
“But…but Mom invited you for dinner tonight,” I said, looking at Chris.
“Oh yes, you told me last night. We’ll see him tomorrow, Kevin,” Chris said to Kevin.
“Not possible. He leaves tomorrow morning” Kevin shook his head.
“It’s okay. I’ll talk to Mom,” I said to Chris.
“Okay, I’ll come to dinner tomorrow or any other day. Tell your mom I’m sorry,” Chris said.
Mom and Dad haven’t seen much of Chris due to all his practice, so Mom invited him for dinner, but it seems like going to Thomas’s party is more important now.
“Yeah, sure. Where’s the party anyway? At his house?” I turned toward Kevin.
“Nope. There’s a club called Morte at the edge of town. The party is there.”
“Morte?” I asked, the word tasting weird on my tongue.
“It means death in Italian. We’ll be there,” Chris assured Kevin.
Kevin jogged back to tell the news to Isabella and Anna.
“Why would anyone name a club death?” I asked once Kevin was out of sight.
“I don’t know, but I guess the owner is Italian. Be ready. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Okay.”
“Wear something sexy. It feels like ages since I’ve been inside you,” he murmured in my ear, making me blush.
***
It’s been a month or so since I dressed up for any event. I wore a long-sleeved black cocktail dress that clung to my body like a second skin and came down to mid-thigh.
The sweetheart neckline made my breasts look prominent but didn’t reveal any cleavage. I applied light makeup so my blood-red matte lipstick would stand out.
Pairing it all with black stilettos, I waited in my living room for Chris to pick me up.
“You look like a smoking hot queen bee,” said Mom as she made her way to me from the kitchen.
“Thank you, Mom.” I smiled.
The doorbell rang, and I rushed to get the door, knowing who it was already. As soon as I opened the door, I smelled Chris’s rich, familiar cologne.
“Hey, you—woah, baby” His sentence and tone changed as he took in my attire.
“You really heard me when I said to wear something sexy, didn’t ya?” he said and immediately wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. I smiled softly at him.
He brushed his nose on mine, his minty breath fanning my face. His blue orbs darkened with desire as he gazed into my brown ones. His face came closer and captured my lips in his.
“Not on the doorstep, kids,” came Mom’s voice. Chris quickly left me, and I turned around in complete embarrassment to see my mom grinning.
“Mom!”
“What? I said not there,” she said innocently.
“Hi, Bethany,” Chris addressed Mom.
“Hi, son,” Mom chirped happily.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t join you for dinner tonight. It’s just that—”
“Oh no, it’s fine, Christopher. You’re always welcome here, so do come over for dinner when you’re free,” Mom said, smiling at him.
“Will do,” he said, kissing my mom on the cheek.
“Hey, munchkin,” Chris said when he caught Arabella peeping above from the stairs.
“Chrissy!” She beamed in happiness and came running down the stairs.
“Woah, easy there, bunny. Don’t want you tripping and hurting yourself.” He smiled, picked up Arabella quickly, and threw her in the air, her laughter filling the house.
He caught her in a split second. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek.
“Are you and Kat going out?” she asked him.
“Yes, me and Kat are going out,” he said, pushing a strand of hair behind her tiny ear.
“Oh,” was all she replied.
“I bought something for you,” he said and dipped his hand into his back pocket. Her eyes glittered in happiness as she saw him taking out a chocolate bar.
“Thank you,” she said in a small cute voice and took the chocolate from him.
“Anything for my princess,” he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
Times like these, it was hard not to imagine our future. But then I always wondered what would happen if he didn’t excel in football like he wanted to, and the image of it was like a bad dream to me.
“Can we go?” His voice made me snap out of my little reverie.
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” I nodded while he grinned and held my hand in his, intertwining his fingers with mine.
“Bye, hun. Bye, Chris,” Mom called.
“Bye Kat, bye Chrissy!” Arabella waved frantically, showing her teeth to us till Mom finally closed the door. We walked toward his car that was parked on the lonely road.
“Babe?” he called softly when I reached for the passenger door.
“Yes?”
“I need you to wear this,” he said, holding a chain in his hand. I took it from his hand and examined it. It was a thin gold chain with a small golden heart.
“It’s cute,” I said, looking into his blue eyes.
“Let me,” he said and took the chain from my hand. I turned around and pulled my hair in front, giving him access.
I touched the small heart and looked down at it.
“Perfect,” I heard him murmur. I leaned forward and pecked his cheek.
“Thank you,” I said.
He smiled warmly and opened the door for me to slip in. After buckling up, we finally took off to Morte.
Throughout the ride, he would hold my hand or brush his finger on my bare thigh, making me shiver with desire.
After coming out of town, we drove another few miles and finally reached our destination. I got out after he parked the car, and a pang of fear hit me, making my stomach churn with discomfort.
The club was painted pitch black, and we wouldn’t have seen it if not for the bright orange lights at the sides. The sign in front looked beautiful but dangerous.
In the word Morte, the O is a skull and at the end of the word is a red flame. Two bodyguards stood at the sides of the door, wearing all black.
I clutched Chris’s arms as we walked toward the door. My fear increased as we took each step, and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. It was just a club.
The guard to my right came forward, and Chris said something in his ear before he opened the door for us.
We stepped in, and everything looked black due to the neon lights. The alcohol hit my nostrils, making me clutch Chris’s arm tighter.
Realizing my uneasiness, he walked faster through the crowd that was dancing their hearts out.
Chris moved to an open courtyard. I immediately sighed, looking at the familiar faces from my school. My grip loosened, and Chris snaked his arm around my waist.
I looked around. The open space was filled with our school friends and classmates. The trees around us were all lit up, and there was a huge building with a huge balcony facing us.
“That’s the VIP section, the whole building,” Chris said, watching in my direction. I nodded my head as we went through the crowd.
“Christopher!” A loud, familiar voice called out.
“Thomas,” Chris answered and hugged his friend tightly.
“Do you really have to go, man?” he asked Thomas.
“Yeah, but chill out. We’ll stay in touch,” Thomas patted Chris’s shoulder in a comforting manner.
“Hi, Thomas” I smiled, and he immediately took me into a bone-crushing hug. I hugged him back, trying to breathe.
“You look super sexy,” he said and winked at me.
“Thank you.” I blushed deeply. Chris immediately pulled me closer to his body, making Thomas smirk at his jealousy.
“Enjoy the party. I’ll see you guys,” he said and went off to greet the others.
A kiss on my neck made me turn.
“That was bad,” Chris said.
“What?” I whispered and leaned into him.
“You blushed red at his compliment,” he fake glared at me.
“So?” I raised an eyebrow, trying to be cool.
“Don’t expect me to be gentle tonight,” he whispered in my ear, making my legs go wobbly.
“We should find Bella and Anna,” I said.
“There they are,” he said, gesturing in front of the VIP building, where my friends were having the time of their lives.
“Hey, Anna. Hey, Bella,” I said once we reached them.
“Finally, you guys are here.” Anna danced all the while with Isabella.
“Where’s Kevin?” Chris asked Bella.
“Here,” Kevin’s voice came from behind. He had two glasses in his hand, which he gave to us.
“Oh, c’mon, Kat,” Kevin said when I hesitated to take the glass from his hand. I took it, feeling rather uneasy.
The party went on, and everyone was having the night of their lives. We curled up in a corner, exhausted from dancing and drinking.
The open area had a different mood. The stars were twinkling brightly above, and the crescent moon was clear in the night sky.
We sat on the stairs leading to the VIP club. Chris was chuckling at something Kevin said while I sat next to him, chatting with Bella and Anna.
“Hey Isa, wanna dance?” Jack, one of the players on the football team, came up to us and asked Isabella.
That’s when I noticed the rock music had changed to some romantic tune, and everyone was dancing slowly with their partner.
“Her name is Isabella, and no, she’s not dancing with you.” Kevin’s stern voice rose, making us look at his blazing eyes. No one calls Isabella Isa except Kevin.
“Let her speak for herself, Kevin,” Jack replied coolly, looking at him and then back to Bella. She smirked, looking at her boyfriend.
“I would say yes.” She played along and took Jack’s hand, letting him drag her to the dance floor.
“How dare she!” Kevin exclaimed as soon as she was gone.
“C’mon, it’s just one dance,” I said.
“She did it on purpose!” he said accusingly. “I’m going to spank her ass till it’s beet red and not let her sleep by—”
“That’s enough!” I said loudly.
“Oh God, please,” Anna said, covering her ears.
Chris gave out a small laugh and stretched his hand toward me. I looked at him in confusion but placed my palm anyway.
“Let’s dance,” he said and got up with my hand in his.
“I-I can’t. I’m wearing stilettos,” I complained as he took me to the dance floor.
“Don’t worry. We’ll be very slow, and I won’t let you fall,” he assured me, causing me to smile shyly.
I wrapped both my arms around his neck while he placed his arms around my small waist, enveloping me in his warm body. We moved slowly, looking into each other’s eyes.
“Someone’s trying to be romantic,” I said, pushing myself closer to him.
“Hmm, am I not always romantic?” he said, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Hmm. No,” I said, looking up as if deep in thought. “Definitely no.”
“You wound me, baby,” he said, making a hurt face and pouting his lips.
I chuckled softly, making him smile, and placed my forehead on his.
It was fine.
It really was.
I was smiling so wide that my cheeks hurt, and Chris’s ocean blue eyes were filled with so much desire and love for me that I was getting lost in it, almost.
There are times when you feel like you’re being watched, and when you look around frantically, you find no one and realize you’re making a fool of yourself.
And there are times when you’re surrounded by people who seem safe, and you’re sure nothing could go wrong, but you suddenly feel like you’re in a dark forest, and the people around you are nothing but trees, standing helplessly.
That’s exactly how I felt out of nowhere. I tried to brush it off, but I couldn’t. I swear I could feel someone staring at me.
A shiver ran down my spine. I felt cold, too cold, all of a sudden.
Chris leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my neck. I frantically looked around, and my eyes locked with a pair of dark orbs.
He was standing in the balcony of the VIP club with his hands folded together. He rested his elbows on the railing, leaning forward, watching me with those mesmerizing eyes.
His black T-shirt clung tightly to his body, showing his tattooed arms and bulging muscles. He stared at me without blinking or looking away.
He was still as a statue with his lips pressed into a thin line and his jaw tight. His black hair was messy, and his legs were apart.
I was so engrossed in that man. I forgot what I was doing. Chris’s hands slid down, holding my ass firmly and making me gasp.
“Chris!” I moved away from him. He stood there smirking at me.
“We’re not in a bedroom, for Christ’s sake!” I scolded. He just chuckled.
“I-I need some water, please,” I dismissed him, and Chris immediately left after pecking my cheek.
I looked back quickly to see the man still watching me intently, not even blinking. I wrapped my arms around my petite frame and tried to look at him in a different way rather than just stare blankly.
He was tall and huge, and for some reason, he looked scary.
The more I kept gazing into those dark eyes, the more he seemed to be enjoying it. His messy hair fluttered a bit in the breeze, but other than that, he didn’t move, not a damn inch.
His eyes didn’t even descend to my body. They remained on my face.
“Hey,” Chris called, holding a bottle in his hand.
“Can we leave?” I asked suddenly, and Chris looked at me with concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
“Yeah, yeah, I am. Let’s leave, please.”
“Okay, I’ll just say goodbye to Thomas and the others.”
We quickly made our way to the exit. I was almost to the door from which we came from when I felt the sensation again.
I quickly snapped my head to the VIP section, and my eyes widened a fraction to see him still in the same place, same position. He didn’t move at all, and his eyes were still on me.
I felt an arm wrap around me, and quickly I jumped back.
“It’s me, Kat,” Chris said, looking at me, but my eyes went back to that place—to him.
For the first time, I saw a movement, a very slight movement, visible even from a distance. The side of his mouth lifted up into a smirk while his pitch-black eyes held a message I couldn’t quite read.
It was a promise.
