Bad News *Edit* New Chapter - drink up

Placing the shot glass onto the table at full speed, I was just about to shout out and make my winning known to the guys when something else caught my eye. With a skin tight grey dress covering her body and legs that never seemed to end, it was physically impossible to place my attention anywhere else.

"Hot, right?" Jay's voice suddenly brought me back down to reality, yet my eyes remained on that stunning individual ahead.

"Who is she?"

"Sophie-" Jay began to answer before immediately being cut off by George who come in between us, throwing his arms over our shoulders.

"She's Isabella's friend and I'm 100% sure she won't want you attempting to make a move, so back off." 

Although George's voice was laced with a genuine warning, he was stupid to think I was going to listen. Isabella's opinions were not my problem, they were his, so I was more than happy to do as I pleased in this situation.

"I'm pretty sure she has a boyfriend too." 

"She won't after tonight, that's for damn sure." Was my simple response as I began pouring out a drink, ready for her to approach us.

It was only a matter of seconds before she reached the kitchen alongside Isabella, and that gave me the perfect opportunity to sweep in. While she was having to wait for Isabella to cuddle up to George and make everyone want to throw up, it left her alone and uncomfortable. However, to my disappointment, she didn't look that uncomfortable at all. She actually looked quite the opposite and it didn't take long for her to start chatting to some other guy, as though she had known him for years.

I wasn't going to let that ruin my chances though. I never failed in this department, with a natural capability to win girls over. For some reason I always came across as the good guy; the sweet, genuine one whom women were immediately drawn to. I found it difficult to live up those standards once they got to know me, but holding that ability most definitely worked to my advantage.

"Drink up." Was all I said once I had approached Sophie, watching as the guy she had previously been talking to quickly disappeared at my presence.

Turning around to face me, Sophie was examining every inch of my body as though I was some unusual species she had never come across before. It took a lot for me to feel uncomfortable under a person's scrutiny but somehow, she had managed to make me feel weirdly on edge.

She was even more breath taking up close and I was beginning to wonder whether I was really dreaming. I had always thought George getting involved with a girl was the end of the world for this gang but now I was truly seeing the perks of it.

"You really think I'm going to take that from you?" Sophie finally spoke, yet they were not quite the words I was expecting to fall from her lips.

"What?"

"I know the whole 'never talk to strangers' nag is absolute shit but 'never take drinks from a stranger' is one I definitely live by." 

Letting a cocky smile reach my lips, I held my spare hand out towards her.

"I'm Matt and you're Sophie." I announced, watching as she still didn't make any attempt to respond to my gesture. "Now we're not strangers anymore, you can take the drink."

Looking down to my hand, Sophie soon mirrored the smile on my face. However, instead of taking the drink she turned around and headed over to where the bottle of beers were stood. Opening one up, she turned back to face me before holding it out towards the glass I still had in my possession.

"Cheers. Drink up."

I watched and waited for her to take a sip of the alcohol in her hand yet when she didn't, I knew exactly what she was doing. She was waiting for me to do the exact same thing, but with the drink I had officially offered her. 

"No can do." I muttered, trying to keep a still and placid expression throughout. 

"Why's that?" She asked, her voice mesmerising to my ears; managing to calm my whole body yet desperately crave her at the same time.

"Why would I drink this? I drugged it didn't I?"

Raising my brows, I watched for her reaction, but she didn't even flinch. Taking a sip of the bottle in her own hand, she then turned on her heel before making her way towards the crowd.

Watching her leave, my eyes travelled the length of her body, examining every inch of it just as she had done to me. I couldn’t let her walk away. I would regret it for the rest of my long and painful life.

“Where are you going?” I asked once I was by her side again, yet she made no attempt to stop walking.

“Away from you.”

“Why?”

She didn’t answer me.

“Come on, this is a party. We’re supposed to be having a good time!”

"I'm not here to have a good time. I'm here to keep an eye on you all." Sophie suddenly deflected, only turning around momentarily before gliding through the crowds again, holding such grace among such chaos.

"Why's that?" I asked while trying to match her pace, not willing to let her walk away without feeling some kind of achievement within this exchange.

"I don't trust you and I'm trying to keep my best friend safe."

"Why don't you trust me?"

"Not just you, I don’t trust any of you."

Sophie finally came to a stop as she reached the front door, appearing as though she was almost debating walking out. I knew she wouldn't though. For as long as Isabella was in this house, she would be too, which instantly meant in my own mind I was winning.

"Why don't you trust us?" I re-phrased my sentence, trying to hide the small smile that want to spread across my lips.

"Because you are gang members and I'm pretty sure you kill people for a living. That's not exactly the most noble job in the world, is it?"

I saw her point. I couldn't argue with it, but I could definitely play with it a little.

"What life saving, world changing thing do you do for a living then? I'd love to hear more."

It was now Sophie's turn to try and hide the smile forming across her lips. I could see the effort she was putting in to prevent it from showing but she failed miserably.

I wanted to do a little jump of joy, to celebrate my accomplishment in winning her over. However, I also knew that would immediately rip off every 'gang member' exterior I was supposed to hold, especially at a party like this.

"I wish you didn't have such a pretty face, or I would have told you to fuck off by now." Sophie remarked, while catching my gaze in an accusing like stare.

“Well considering you don’t really know anyone at this party, you might want to stick around with this pretty-faced hunk and enjoy your night.” I responded, mirroring her smile which had very quickly turned into laughter.

“Did you just call yourself a hunk?”

“Yeah?”

“A hunk?”

“Yeah.” I repeated once again while this girl’s subtle laughs turned much less composed.

I wasn’t even aware I had just told a joke but if whatever I had said got her laughing, I wasn’t going to complain.

“What century is that from? Who even uses the word hunk anymore?!” Sophie exasperated, as though I had just caused her great offence.

“What’s wrong with it? It suits me better than pretty.”

“No, it doesn’t. I mean, look at that face.” Reaching forward, Sophie guided my head to look in the mirror before me. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a face so symmetrical. You have some good genes.”

Instead of looking at myself in the mirror though, my eyes gazed back at her. While she was overly concerned with the symmetry -whatever that meant- of my face, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander to things that some would deem inappropriate. Although in my mind they were totally acceptable, she may reconsider her option of not leaving, if she knew.

If this was any other girl, I would have made my move right away, but this was different. She was the friend of a girl George was involved with, meaning he would do whatever it took to impress and please Isabella. That most certainly included harming me if I made a move on her best friend.

“I can say the same for you.” I replied, remaining composed and doing everything to hide the inner caveman like traits of me from shining through.

“Are you going to drink that now?” Sophie suddenly darted the conversation away, her eyes falling to the glass in my hands.

“You still don’t believe I’m not some creepy guy, who can only get girls in my bed by drugging them?”

There it was. That uncontrollable caveman like trait coming out without me even getting chance to stop it. I couldn’t hold back. I couldn’t hide what I really wanted from her.

“I believe you’re a gang member and that’s all the proof I need to know that’s the case.” She disregarded the mention of creepy as her eyes flickered from the drink to my face once again. “Drink up.”

Although I was determined to gain her trust without having to drink the alcohol, I knew that was highly unlikely. She already held incredibly strong views about gang members, when I was almost certain she didn’t know much about us.

Therefore, tipping the glass back, I cleared the alcohol from the glass in one go, before dropping it down and being faced with a winning smile.

“Now d’you trust me?”

There was a pause for a moment.

“I don’t trust you, but I trust that you weren’t trying to drug me.” Sophie replied simply before turning and walking off in the opposite direction.

**