17

Partying was just not my thing.

It wasn't the kind of things that pulled me or got me hyped. Nothing about rubbing skins with sweat drenched bodies was exciting. Not to forget the Alcohol, mixed with stench of Marijuana filling the air.

Lord! If this place was to be raided, we'd all be whisked away.

But I don't know what else was to be expected from a place named 'Sins n Guilt'

Right on the dance floor were three figures— A lady, sandwiched between two guys, while they fondled every part of her merely clad body.

That dress which barely did enough covering her butt, was enough to pull the attention of any guy.

Held between her lips was a cigarette, and in her hands, a bottle of vodka. Her arms remained wrapped around one of the guys, bodies kissing while they swayed to the beats.

Whatever was I thinking coming out here?

But, of course I was here to see someone. I was here to see that profile I hadn't seen for over a year now.

Zoe Sanders.

Stood feet away, right at the corner where the bar laid was the girl who used to end up at every frat party ever hosted in college. The same one you'd find coming out of the Mercedes owned by the Philosophy Professor in the middle of the night.

Dang it! There wasn't a place in College which hasn't already been visited by Zoe, her legs knew every corner in Campus, every area around town, but however wild that girl was, she still was the same girl who rendered all help to me while I sought every, during my Uni days. I'd always be grateful for that.

"Cara!"

That voice bounced into my ears, with her form soon coming into view, while those slender arms waved on at me.

Those bright eyes which would beam at any one who crossed her way, were fixed on my form. Lord! She looked even better than the last time I saw her.

"Zee"

The smile crossed my lips, figure pushing onto her, while that scrutiny never took a rest examining me.

I watched a frown tug at her brows, with eyes skimming every part of my form.

"God! Cara. What are you wearing?" She followed at once.

"Good to see you too, Zoe" I gave a smile, reaching to peck her on the cheek. "I came all the way from work. Had to!" I followed.

"Come on, take off the jacket will you?" She had snatched off the piece worn on my body at once, revealing a lot for the eyes of anyone who would come three feet before me.

Her hands soon went ruffling my hair, pushing from here to there, and perhaps to satisfy herself that she had done an amazing work on me, she pulled out that rouge lipstick, applying it over my lips.

"Much better!"

That smile soon came back taking rest on those lips.

"Why would you choose here of all places to hang out, Zoe?"

I reached for the bar stool next to her, eyes shifting through the area, observing the party ravers.

"Isn't the place interesting?"

"It is interesting" I followed with a nod. "I mean, I for one haven't come across a place where they'd let their workers make out with every customer just before the bill is paid, but nevertheless, interesting!"

"I don't think those girls care that they lock lips with a hundred men who walk into this place each day" Zoe called, a sigh leaving her lips.

Her eyes had soon snapped to me, those beaming instruments of examination.

"You look good Cara" She smiled. "You really do"

I couldn't tell if it was the alcohol kicking or those words only came deep from my friend who couldn't care sparing any compliments to anyone but herself, but still, I caught onto the hint of glee filling her eyes.

"You look even better, Zoe" I called.

"Come on, what would you like to drink?" She followed at once, waving at the barman to come over.

"Oh, I'm fine. I've got work tomorrow. I can't end up turning drunk now"

"Nonsense!" She called.

"For the love of God, Cara! What are those kids doing to you?" She cried.

"I work at a school" I followed immediately.

"Modesty is required"

"Screw them all" She followed in a low voice, pushing the unopened bottle of rum my way.

She reached out helping me with it, and in a moment, she had poured out a fair amount into the cup in front of me.

"Now come on, drink up!"

She raised the glass at me, eyes lighting up.

The taste stung, chest tightening, while that burn lingered with me.

"Tastes good, right?" I caught the grin on the lips of Zoe.

"It burns!" I stated at once.

"Good!"

I pulled another glass to my lips, eyes searching through the crowd, and at the call of a voice, the cup held between my fingers had slipped at once, shattering onto the floor.

I caught a few gazes sent my way, all watching the broken pieces laid by my feet, but in a second, they were back to grinding bodies and roaring to the beats.

"Are you okay?" I caught the voice of Zoe brushing past my ears, but my eyes were fixed on those forms drawing closer, those familiar profiles.

What were they doing here?

"Miss Sangretti?" That voice called yet again, with the figure of Cole Hendricks pulling forward, eyes shifting through Zoe and I.

"It really is you!" He called out, eyes filling with amusement.

"Logan!"

He was already waving at that figure, motioning for him to come over.

Trust me, I tried burying myself underneath the waves of hair that fell over the sides of my face, but it only did enough calling gazes with how disheveled it looked.

"Look who it is. It's the counselor!" Cole called,

I watched that figure pull closer, eyes centered on my form.

That gaze of his never took a leave of my form, with eyes shifting here to there, they finally rested in mine.

"Who would have thought to find the school's counselor out here" Cole began in that cheer-filled voice. "Drowning herself in…..is that rum you're drinking?" One could detect the amusement filling his voice.

"Surprising things to behold at this corner" He followed.

"Who are they?" Called Zoe at once, eyes turning to me.

"They're—

"We're from Maple Valley" Cole had shot a hand out to her at once, which Zoe made sure to ignore, with that frown never leaving her face.

"They're my students" I followed

"You happen to run into your students in any bar you pay a visit to?" She uttered.

"Please" Cole drawled. "Out here, we're young men. Students of no one"

"What are you doing here?" My utterance followed.

"I could say the same thing to you" I heard that low voice call, with gaze fixed my way.

He appeared uninterested, with scrutiny shifting through every corner of the room, those green eyes finally took a rest on my form.

If he really found it all uninteresting, why then did he show up at a place named 'Sins n Guilt'?

Our gazes lingered with each other's, and not until the voice of Cole broke out, had I directed my attention off.

"Who's this Miss Sangretti? Can I get her a drink?"

Cole let out, turning to Zoe at once, with eyes watching her.

"Don't you have girls your age to flirt with?" She called.

"They're not usually at bars" He followed.

"And doesn't that tell you something?"

"We'll be at the corner, perhaps the girls over there would be nicer" Uttered Cole, with hands tugging at Logan.

"Those are the people you counsel?" Zoe followed upon their leave.

"Seems like you need counseling yourself" She chuckled.

"They seem wild enough" She called.

"Which is the reason why they need counseling sessions. Don't you think?"

"The other guy barely spoke a word" She mentioned, eyes searching for his form in the crowd.

"Is he usually that quiet?"

Not really, but happening to run into me at a bar surely wasn't one of the things he had expected for the night.

"No" I followed, with eyes shifting around the area.

There his figure stood, eyes directed my way, that gaze lingering on my profile. Cole remained at his side, conversing with one of the girls I had just found bouncing on the legs of some guy.

A laugh poured out her lips at whatever he told her, with hands reaching for his arms.

How were they even let in through? They weren't old enough to be within the walls of this place.

But a lot one was sure to find at the dark corners of Oakstown.

"Hello"

I turned around only to come face first with a peering buffoon. Except that buffoon had beards, hungry eyes and such bright smile that was enough to pull anyone.

"I'm sorry for sneaking up on you. I've been waving but you barely spared a glance my way" He called.

"Do forgive my friend. She zones out every now and then" Zoe made sure to pitch in, with eyes smiling at this gentleman whom I still couldn't tell where he had sprung from.

"It's alright, then"

"I'm Jacob" He introduced.

"Cara" I followed, taking his outstretched hands, but he only pulled it closer to his lips, planting a kiss there.

I caught the gaze of Zoe rushing with amusement, a huge grin tugging at her lips, meanwhile at the other end of the room, was that figure whose scrutiny made sure to linger this way.

Face blank, he peered on at me, watching as my hand still remained in the hold of Jacob's while the man came to stand right before me.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom" I heard Zoe say, but I knew that was only her way of saying, 'let me spare you a moment to socialize with someone whose bed you could probably wake up in, the next morning, after a night of steaming sex and long cuddling'.

"So, Cara. What do you seek?"

My eyes were blank at the man, watching that grin which crawled up his lips.

"What do you mean?" I called at once.

"Talking, making out, or perhaps getting right into business, fucking!"

"Its usually one of the three whenever I come across a girl on this end"

And that was my cue to leave. It could have been the smile that made me stay even longer to hear what he had to say, but what really had I been expecting— A man showering petals onto my feet.

"Excuse me" I called, getting to my feet, but his hold on my wrist halted me in my tracks.

"We haven't even gotten much acquainted, and you'd like to take your leave, now?"

"Please, Love. Stay a while" His voice was smooth, eyes calling.

"I really need to go" I followed, but his hands took not a leave off my hands, with that figure even drawing nearer to mine.

"Okay, I might have scared you with the whole sex thing, but believe me, I'm also searching for someone serious"

"Let go of me"

"We could start over again. I'm Jacob. You are?"

"I said let go of me!" I snatched my hands off his at once, but before I had the chance to push a feet forward, he had pulled me back to his body.

"Come on, don't go acting like you don't like the fact that there's a man here wishing to warm up the opening between your thighs, because why else would you have come to a bar known to carry the highest number of prostitutes each passing day" He chuckled.

"You bastard!" I snarled, pushing him away, but I swear, this man had the grip of a Roman warrior.

"Let go of me!" My voice was drowned by the music which blasted into the area.

"Is something wrong?"

That voice snapped my gaze immediately, with the form of Logan drawing in, his eyes were fixed on my hands locked In Jacob's hold.

"Let her go" He called at once, reaching to take my hands, but he had been shoved back by the man away, eyes frowning at him.

"I'm sorry, you don't just interrupt the conversation of strangers" Jacob followed with a chuckle, grip tightening on my wrist.

"Didn't seem like you were conversing to me" Followed Logan.

Those green eyes soon took my gaze, his focus directed at me.

"You should go, Logan. I'm fine" I uttered.

"Who's this wimp of a kid?"

"Since when did they let tenth graders into a club, and why's the bastard interested in what you're doing?" I heard the voice of Jacob, with a scowl which was meant for Logan, sat on his face.

"That's a couple grades low" Logan chuckled.

"Just leave, Logan" My voice was low, eyes away from his.

"You heard the lady. Scram!" Called Jacob, but his utterance was followed with a piercing stare from the figure away.

"Leave already!" Jacob called yet again, still, that form away, made not a move to leave.

"If you'd rather stay there and watch us, that'd be interesting too. I mean, there's joy in having to entertain a few"

His hands soon went around me, pulling my body closer, while the voice of Logan broke out at once.

"Don't touch her"

That growl earned my attention, those eyes shooting daggers at the form of Jacob, who in turn wore a perplexed face, eyes shifting from me to Logan.

"Who the hell do you think are?" The man called at once.

"You know what, I'll let this one slide, cause you seem like one whose parents would be home anticipating his return" Jacob followed.

"In the mean time, I'll focus on the only thing my mind's centered on"

He had pulled my form closer to his body, and in the blink of an eye, his hands went reaching for my butt, lips inching to my face.

It happened so fast.

One second, Jacob was in front of me, and the next, he was being thrown to the ground, a fist connecting to his face.

My eyes were left gaping at the sight before me, the figure of Logan hovering over that man, while he sent punches his way.

His back was all I had a view of, while those smacks rang out in my ears.

A few people had began gathering, the music being stopped, while the yells of the crowd followed.

They pulled around the forms of Logan and Jacob, all watching as both forms wrangled on the ground.

Cole had jumped in at once, pulling Logan off, the same minute security began filing in, coming over to break the fight.

They grabbed Logan roughly by the arm, holding a baton to his chest, while yelling for him to stop, as he struggled to free himself off their grip.

One of the men had pulled Jacob off his feet, helping straighten his suit, as those eyes of his were held strong on Logan, a frown crawling up his face, while the murmurs filled the air.

At once, I snatched my purse and jacket, making leave out the room, with that voice soon trailing after my figure.