Chapter 5 : Sparks of Jealousy

Rayline. 

And with that, something clicked inside me. I tried to be nice and ask him if he was okay, but instead, he snapped at me and told me to leave. My jaw clenched and I knew for sure that he could see the anger that was building up inside of me. 

"All right, but a word of advice for you, cold bastard — when someone is being nice to you, maybe you shouldn't act like a jerk," I said, the words coming out uncontrollably, but I didn't regret it, and he seemed annoyed by my words, the orange color in his eyes flashing even brighter this time. He opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice was cut off by another. 

"Hey! Look who it is!" I turned around to see a man, who was not familiar to me, suddenly come over and put his arm around Cole's shoulders. However, from the look on his face, it seemed that he was not happy with the man's presence. The man was of medium build with dark brown hair and was obviously drunk, judging by his body movements and the single shot that he was holding. 

"I never thought I'd see you here." The man spoke to Cole, then looked me up and down. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" Cole brushed the man's hand off his shoulder. 

"Oh, we're not together," I replied quickly, making him glare at me and the man raised his eyebrows. 

"Well then, I'm Hayden, Hayden Smith to be exact." He held out his hand with a bright smile and I took it. "But you can just call me Hayden." 

"Rayline Hale, just call me Rayline or Ray." 

"Can I get you a drink, Ray?" 

"She doesn't drink," Cole said sideways in response to Hayden's offering. I shook my head in annoyance. 

"You know what? Screw that, I want one, Hayden." Ignoring Cole's presence, I answered him. 

"Looks like it," he smiled and grabbed my right hand, pulling me towards the kitchen. But as I followed, there was another tug on my left wrist. 

"What are you doing?" Cole asks, but I pull my left hand out of his grasp. 

"Why don't you just mind your own business?" I repeat his words with a sneer and his face drops. This time I can see the alternating flashes of red and black in his eyes as I allow myself to be pulled into the kitchen counter by Hayden. 

"Liquor or beer?" he asked as Cole stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching me from behind. 

"Shots of liquor," I said with a sweet smile. 

"Alright," he replied smirking, and picked up a shot glass along with a bottle of Vodka. 

He filled the small glasses and handed them to me while I eyed the clear liquid. I'd never tasted liquor before, and to be honest, I probably should have chosen beer. But I had gone too far and there was no going back. I raised the glass to my lips, sipped, and swallowed. A burning sensation surged through my throat and chest, and I couldn't help but make a pouty face, coughing occasionally and making Hayden laugh. 

"Wow." I wiped my lips with my hand, it felt so crazy. 

"You're so funny," he said as he filled the second glass. I sighed, not ready for another drink. But Cole's piercing gaze motivated me even more. I picked up the glass and exhaled again before forcing myself to take a second sip. I looked down as the bitter taste hit my throat. 

"Maybe you should slow down," Cole said as he leaned against the table while Hayden poured another. 

"Why?" I tilted my head to the side and placed a hand on the cool granite surface. 

"Because this is obviously your first time drinking and you could hurt yourself." 

"Why do you care?" I replied and he pressed his lips together. "What's your excuse? Afraid to have fun?" 

"Yeah, come on, Cole Spencer, go have some fun!" Hayden gulped down the rest of his cup, and I agreed with a smile, taking the third drink and downing it in one gulp. This one was a little easier than the previous one. 

"I guess you don't know how to let go, and that's why you're such a jerk." I poked him in the chest and could see the annoyance on his face. Meanwhile, Hayden was pouring another glass. 

"Oh yeah?" He raised his eyebrows, stood facing me, and without turning his head, took my glass and downed the drink. He didn't even show his face as he downed the drink while Hayden cheered him on from the side. Hayden then walked around the bar and put his arm around me. 

"One more to take home." He handed me another glass and I looked at Cole who shook his head. So I took another sip with a smile. "What do you say we take this party over to the living room?" 

Hayden gleefully pulled me along, and I smiled. However, as soon as I entered the next room, a wave of dizziness suddenly hit my body. My steps were a little unsteady, but the encouragement he gave me made it all worth it. I was brought to what looked like a dance floor, many bodies scattering and crowding, and I followed the hand that led me as I laughed. 

I'm not sure how long I danced - in fact, I'm not sure if I was with him all the time or just dancing with a stranger. My body felt hot, and a layer of sweat began to form, glistening on my chest and face. But I didn't care at the moment. My jacket was long gone, so the thought of covering my skin was out of the question. 

When I finally felt tired, he led me to a sofa, his hand pulling me along. He sat down and I looked around for a place to sit. 

"You can sit here." He patted his lap with a smile. Normally I'd say no in a second, but through the haze, I can see Cole watching me from the other side of the room, and a sneaky idea hits me that takes over. I slide into his lap with a smirk, wrapping my arms around his neck to hold him tight, and I can feel the warmth of his hands on my waist. I look over at Cole again. He is holding a shot glass of liquor, which makes me wonder how much he has drunk, and I see the strange look in his eyes. 

"Green," I mutter to myself as I watch the flash of color in his eyes change. 

"What?" Hayden turns to me, but I shake my head. 

"Uh, it's nothing," I smiled. 

"You know, I really like you, Ray. You're different from what I thought you were before," he told me. 

Well, that's probably because I don't act like myself, I thought, but I just smiled. "Thank you. I really like you too." 

His hands then wrapped around my neck and I felt myself being pulled forward and instantly my body stiffened. I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss a man I'd just met drunk, but I wasn't sure if I could help myself. It was just as our lips were about to meet that I felt a tug on my shoulder. 

"I need to talk to you." I turned to see Cole's hand clasping mine. 

"Well, maybe I don't want to talk to you." I tried to turn around, but he was pulling at me again. Hardly. 

"Please." He was pleading with me.