Untouchable

Chapter 14: Confession

WARNING: Adult themes and violence. Mentions of physical and sexual assault. 

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Chapter Fourteen: Confession

"So, Cate.  You having fun?"

I looked up at Eliot, and quirked my eyebrows.  "I'm surviving."

The party had been better than expected. Lizzie bought this cream-cheese veggie pizza that I couldn't stop eating. The cake was good too, but not as good as Dad's.  Ali was true to her word and kept it small. In fact the only people that came were Lizzie, Eliot, Jack, Will, and Ali.  Hayley couldn't make it. She had to babysit her younger sisters while her parents were out.

Everything had been easy and comfortable, and surprisingly a lot of fun. I hadn't laughed this much in a long time.

I leaned into the couch, silently watching Will across the room. He looked delectable. He glanced up, like he could feel my gaze. The instant out eyes connected, my heart began to race.  He smirked.  I didn't know what to do with him.

Breaking me from the impromptu staring contest, Eliot shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. "Just so you know...you're good for Ali."

I was confused, jerking my eyes away from Will.  "What do you mean?"

He looked down at his cup, and swirled around the punch, before looking across the room at Ali and Jack laughing over something, and Will still gazing intently at me.   I was taking a break from Catch Phrase, and had sat on the other end of the couch from Eliot. 

"She doesn't have that many friends."

"What?"

"Well, she's friends with Lizzie, me, and Jack.  Will, of course.  But girls at school tend to shy away from her. No friends from her actual class."

"But why? She's nicer than anyone I know."

"I think people misinterpret her enthusiasm, and she intimidates them."

I hadn't talked much to Eliot one on one.  He was obviously good friends with Will, and had been for a long while.  Since he hadn't reacted to Ali's flirting, she had slowly let it dwindle, thinking that he didn't notice her. 

It seemed he had noticed her.

"I didn't know you knew her so well."

He laughed, and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck, his eyes darting quickly back to Ali.  "She's kinda hard not to notice."

I grinned. "Maybe you should tell her that. I know she notices you."

His eyebrows flew up.  I winked. 

"Birthday-girl!  Come over here!"  Ali giggled.

Picking up my punch, I shrugged at Eliot, and answered her summons.

"Eliot, you too!"

She gathered everyone in a circle, boy-girl.  I sat with Will on one side and Eliot on the other.  Next was Ali, then Jack, Lizzie, and back to Will again.

"Everyone got a glass?" We nodded. "Okay, never-have-I-ever?  You know how to play."

Jack laughed. Yeah, we all knew how to play.  I had played it at home.  Everyone takes a sip of their drink if they have done whatever the person states they haven't.  Bree tried to get me drunk the first time I played it.  Unbeknownst to her, I switched my drink with ginger ale after one round.  Not that I took a lot of sips. It was rarely something I had done.