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“Hell, yes.” I raise my hand in the air in victory, but in my excitement, I’ve forgotten how close Sebastian is standing to me, so I bump into him. He places his hands on my shoulders, steadying me.
“Not like I doubted it for a second.”
Sebastian’s words ring in my ears, his confidence in me doing something funny to my heart. I raise my hand, rubbing at the center of my chest, when arms wrap around my neck, pulling me back.
“That was amazing!” Jade yells, both of us stumbling back.
“It was one shot.”
“And you can totally get more.”
She places her hands on my shoulders and turns me toward the table. “Show them what you’ve got, Pens.”
I look over my shoulder, trying to find Sebastian, but he’s unusually quiet. I can feel his gaze on me, though. Watching. Always watching. I wasn’t sure what that said about him. Or about me, for that matter. Because I was getting used to feeling his gaze on me. Not only that, but I liked it. I really liked it.
In the end, Jade was right but also wrong. I managed to get a few more balls into cups, but I still ended up two cups too short. By the time the game’s done, I’m giggling, and my cheeks are flushed. I’m positively buzzed. Hell, maybe even drunk. Okay, let’s be real. There is no maybe about it.
“You look so happy when you’re drunk,” Jade teases as if she can read my thoughts.
I press my lips together. “I’m always happy.”
“You act happy for sure.”
Her words make no sense, making me scowl at her. I wasn’t acting. I am happy. Right?
Before I can obsess any more about Jade’s comment, somebody nudges me.
“Good game, blondie.”
Lawrence.
I flash him a knowing smile. “You came to collect your winnings?”
Lawrence laughs. “You know what? I’ll let this one slide since you were such a good sport. You played better than half the people I played with in way too long, and all of them could see.”
“So generous,” Enrique mutters, his hand falling over my shoulder. “Congrats, Penelope.”
“Thanks,” I smile up at him before shifting my attention to Lawrence. “I bet none of them threw a ball at your head by accident either,” I chuckle, jabbing him playfully in the chest.
“No, definitely not. That would be a first.”
“Well, I’m really so—”
The words die on my lips. I smell him before I hear him. That mixture of spice and pine that’s become so familiar. My hand has a mind of its own, raising just in time to stop Sebastian from passing by. “Hey, can we talk?”
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
“That’s fine.” I slip from under Enrique’s arm, moving closer to Sebastian so I don’t have to yell. “After that?”
“I think I’ll go back home then.”
Home? What the hell is he talking about?
Sebastian leans down; I can feel his body hovering just above mine. Close, but not close enough to touch me. “Besides, you have your hands full. Who knows, if you play this right, maybe you can get another item crossed off your list.”
With that, he pulls back and walks away, leaving me alone. Soon enough, he gets swallowed by the sounds from the crowd, completely invisible to me, and yet I can hear his words echo in my mind like he’s sitting here, talking to me.
Who knows, if you play this right, maybe you can get another item crossed off your list.
