black uniform car pulls up and he gets out, I flash my LED key-ring at him through the door, indicating the girls on the steps. He stops, evidently says something about 'jaywalking' and 'loitering' and 'on-the-spot fine' - then reaches for his radio, at which point they give up their protests of waiting for invisible boyfriends, help up those of whom are sitting down, and cross the road to Blonde's. Where Günther promptly pats his stomach and points to the kebab shop, illustrating that the entry fee for them tonight is to buy him food. Sufficiently diverted, the girls totter into Pittarama, and immediately hook up with a bunch of chav boys, who have their own crate of beer under the table.
Connor watches them critically before knocking on the glass and beckoning me outside.
"Coast is clear," I tell the others, unbolting the door, and am nearly knocked sideways by doormen making a break for freedom, before the Cheerleaders notice. Connor reaches for my arm and pulls me clear of the doors.
"Thanks," I grin, as Jag Nut says 'Goodbye' and runs for the alleyway to the car-park behind Hurst, Cooper, and Niall Taylor, like scattering meerkats. I glance behind, and see Manager Stacie also waving goodbye through the glass door, before she locks it again behind us.
I'm now left alone on the step with Connor, who's still holding my arm.
"Evening," he says. We both look at his hand on my arm, and then he kisses me. "Thought I'd better. It looked like I was detaining you otherwise."
"Wouldn't be the first time," I remind him, and an expression I don't understand crosses his face briefly.
"Get in the car," he says. "Or I will arrest you."
I comply and get in as he heads around to the driver's side, and when he gets in and slams the door, he stops me before I fasten my seat belt.
"What?" I ask.
He leans across and pulls me into his arms across the gap between the seats. His arms cross over my back, closing me in a tight hug.
"Sorry," he says in my ear.
I realise I was holding my breath, and let it out slowly, as if worried it might be squeezed out of me otherwise. But the word sinks in before I breathe in again, and I feel my eyesight go blurry and a sudden feeling of panic in my chest, as I find it's tears threatening to escape. My breath catches as I try to swallow them back down. Connor responds by holding me tighter, and I have to let the tears fall in order to breathe without crying out loud. I press my face to my sleeve where my arm is looped around his neck, trying to catch them silently.
I don't know what I'm experiencing in terms of describing it logically, except that it's like something being released after being held prisoner inside me for a long time. Emotions are things I don't experience easily. I have to go through all the mental checks, to see if it's hormones, or if it's a normal response for an average person. But right now, I know it's because it's ABOUT all that stuff, that he's referring to, and the control I've used on myself to keep it all bottled up and private like a dam, being breached.
I feel the tears soak into my sleeve to my skin, and the connection seems to slow them down, as I worry he might also be getting soaked through his collar. I try to peel myself away, and uncurl my arm from around his neck to cover my face with my hand, feeling my hair clinging damply to my cheek.
Connor reaches up and pulls my hand away gently, trying to dry my tears away with his fingertips.
"I'm taking you home," he says at last. "Yuri can pick up your car."
I'm not even aware that he's taken me to his house until I get out of the Audi, and the garage lights confuse me for a second or two. Connor locks the car after securing the garage, and leads me indoors via the utility room into the kitchen, hanging up his jacket on the way through.
"Do you want tea?" he asks abruptly. "Or juice, alcohol, sleeping pill, anything?"
"Tea."
"Good. Me too." He switches the kettle on, then pulls out a chair and pushes me to
Connor watches them critically before knocking on the glass and beckoning me outside.
"Coast is clear," I tell the others, unbolting the door, and am nearly knocked sideways by doormen making a break for freedom, before the Cheerleaders notice. Connor reaches for my arm and pulls me clear of the doors.
"Thanks," I grin, as Jag Nut says 'Goodbye' and runs for the alleyway to the car-park behind Hurst, Cooper, and Niall Taylor, like scattering meerkats. I glance behind, and see Manager Stacie also waving goodbye through the glass door, before she locks it again behind us.
I'm now left alone on the step with Connor, who's still holding my arm.
"Evening," he says. We both look at his hand on my arm, and then he kisses me. "Thought I'd better. It looked like I was detaining you otherwise."
"Wouldn't be the first time," I remind him, and an expression I don't understand crosses his face briefly.
"Get in the car," he says. "Or I will arrest you."
I comply and get in as he heads around to the driver's side, and when he gets in and slams the door, he stops me before I fasten my seat belt.
"What?" I ask.
He leans across and pulls me into his arms across the gap between the seats. His arms cross over my back, closing me in a tight hug.
"Sorry," he says in my ear.
I realise I was holding my breath, and let it out slowly, as if worried it might be squeezed out of me otherwise. But the word sinks in before I breathe in again, and I feel my eyesight go blurry and a sudden feeling of panic in my chest, as I find it's tears threatening to escape. My breath catches as I try to swallow them back down. Connor responds by holding me tighter, and I have to let the tears fall in order to breathe without crying out loud. I press my face to my sleeve where my arm is looped around his neck, trying to catch them silently.
I don't know what I'm experiencing in terms of describing it logically, except that it's like something being released after being held prisoner inside me for a long time. Emotions are things I don't experience easily. I have to go through all the mental checks, to see if it's hormones, or if it's a normal response for an average person. But right now, I know it's because it's ABOUT all that stuff, that he's referring to, and the control I've used on myself to keep it all bottled up and private like a dam, being breached.
I feel the tears soak into my sleeve to my skin, and the connection seems to slow them down, as I worry he might also be getting soaked through his collar. I try to peel myself away, and uncurl my arm from around his neck to cover my face with my hand, feeling my hair clinging damply to my cheek.
Connor reaches up and pulls my hand away gently, trying to dry my tears away with his fingertips.
"I'm taking you home," he says at last. "Yuri can pick up your car."
I'm not even aware that he's taken me to his house until I get out of the Audi, and the garage lights confuse me for a second or two. Connor locks the car after securing the garage, and leads me indoors via the utility room into the kitchen, hanging up his jacket on the way through.
"Do you want tea?" he asks abruptly. "Or juice, alcohol, sleeping pill, anything?"
"Tea."
"Good. Me too." He switches the kettle on, then pulls out a chair and pushes me to
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