Cathryn glanced around the living room and Alexander was nowhere to be found.
Well, it wasn't like she missed him or she wanted him to take a stroll at the park at night with her.
That would be weird.
If she did that, Alexander might look at her funny, laugh at her for expecting him to say yes then reject her brutally.
She knew that Alexander was just waiting for the right time.
Cathryn knew these types of guys.
They would give you the world, tell you sweet nothings you desired to hear from them and once you have bitten their bait, that's when you know you are done for.
These boys will train you to dance in their tune.
You would do anything to please them because you have become desperate for their love and attention.
When you became stuck into them and their life, they would suck the energy out of you and become an empty shell.
You lose yourself in the process.
It will be hard to find yourself again.
Alexander was the typical rockstar archetype.
He probably had girls in every place their band had a tour with.
Falling in love with a bad boy was like watching a car crash and burn in front of your eyes.
Nope, nope, nope.
Cathryn didn't sign for all that bullshit.
She accidentally caught Blake's light blue eyes twinkling as their gaze met.
He faced her while putting his shoes on at the doorway.
Blake's lips curled into a slow grin. "Going somewhere?"
Cathryn pursed her lips as she bent over, grabbed her pale pink doll shoes from the shoe rack, and wore them.
"Where are you going?" Blake repeated.
He stood there, waiting patiently for her reply.
"Outside," Cathryn responded as she rose and glanced up at him.
He was too close for comfort and of course, the bastard smelled good.
Blake's shaggy blond hair was a mess as if he had been raking them away from his forehead with his fingers to tame them.
"It's dark outside." Blake's voice dropped into an octave, his careful whispers caressing against her ear. "It's dangerous, you know?"
Cathryn looked away from his blinding beauty because she might turn to stone if she stared at him for too long. "I'm not a child so I am not afraid of the dark."
Facing each other, Blake asked quietly as he stepped closer, "Where do you want to go?"
"Somewhere," Cathryn said cryptically.
She didn't want anyone to tag along.
Edward had left the kitchen and approached them.
He was as quiet and subtle as a ninja that she didn't even notice him.
"Cathryn was going to the park," Edward informed Blake as he pinched Cathryn's cheeks playfully.
"Accompany her, Blake," Edward told him as he joined the others in the living room, eating more food and drinking alcohol.
Cathryn knew that Edward was playing cupid with Blake and she was having none of this.
Blake regarded her clothing carefully as if she was a bug under the microscope.
Cathryn didn't think it was that big of a deal.
It was a simple off-the-shoulder white dress but yeah, maybe it was too thin.
"You are going to the park in those clothes? At night?" Blake grimaced for some reason.
He probably thought it was a wrong decision in her part.
"It's cold." Blake continued in his measured tone. "Do you have an umbrella?"
Cathryn laughed mirthlessly and lifted her eyes from her clothes to meet Blake's.
"The rain had stopped, though."
What did he want from her?
She should be outside instead of talking to Blake.
"I'll come with you," Blake said attentively as he took off her jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "We will bring an umbrella just in case."
Alexander had looked around and he almost did a double-take when he came out of the restroom.
Shaking his wet hands dry, he saw Cathryn and Blake by the door and asked loudly, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to buy something outside." Blake turned his head towards him and replied, tilting his head at Alexander.
Cathryn watched Alexander clench his jaw before speaking, "No, I'm asking, Cat."
"I'm going outside." Cathryn was tempted to roll her eyes.
She had repeated the same answer for a million times that she was ready to pull her hair out of frustration.
"Cathryn would accompany me," Blake quipped.
Smiling ever so slightly, he looked at her as if waiting for her confirmation. "Right?"
"Y-yeah." She stuttered, blushing.
Alexander shook his head at her in disapproval and she looked down, blushing furiously.
"Okay." Alexander scanned her from head-to-toe then staring pointedly at Blake's jacket around her shoulders. "Want me to come with you?"
"No, it's fine," Cathryn replied uncomfortably, wanting to be as far from Alexander as possible.
His mouth was a worried line, and his eyes were disappointed.
Ohmygod.
She needed to calm down.
She needed to fix her composure every time he spoke to her.
'Vulnerability' wasn't her strongest suit.
"You're going to be okay?" For a moment Cathryn met Alexander's eyes, and then quickly looked away.
Still focused on her shuffling feet, Cathryn felt warm fingers brush against her forehead.
Glancing up, she saw Alexander's brown eyes seeking hers. "You aren't hot anymore."
She pulled in a breath, a quick inward sigh of surprise, and locked eyes with him as he touched her neck with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I just need some fresh air."
"Okay be safe, babe." Alexander gave up reluctantly and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Don't call me babe, mister," Cathryn said with a bossy edge in her voice and glared at him.
She stood with Blake by the doorway with a fist planted on her hip.
"Hm. You didn't complain when I used to call you that before." Alexander finished in a leaden tone.
It sounded like a dare as if he was trying to get a rise out of her.
Cathryn racked her brain because she didn't remember at all.
Maybe it was the time when they met last summer.
"I don't remember anymore but please don't call me that." Cathryn shrugged nonchalantly. "I will not associate with one of your babes."
Cathryn was determined to create walls for herself against Alexander.
He was a threat to her peace of mind so she must insist on introducing boundaries.
Never will she let her guards down.
She wasn't stupid.
"Is there something wrong?" Alexander caught her eyes and gave her the tiniest of smiles, teasing her.
"Are you mad at me?" He said in a resounding voice and it felt like his statement had echoed throughout the room. "You suddenly changed. And here I thought we were getting close."
She wanted to dig a hole straight down through the tiled floor and disappear.
Cathryn could feel the weight of everyone's unasked questions.
They were probably wondering the meaning of 'getting close.
How far did she and Alexande go with each other especially when they were left alone in her room?
Everyone watched the whole exchange rapt with attention as if they were watching an interesting movie.
"Blake." Cathryn clutched on Blake's shirt to get his attention and pretended she didn't hear him. "We should go."