Sorry

"She was imagining him imagining her"

• Inara •

Fighting was never my first call when I was annoyed
Never.
But as I sat and watched all the boys playing football, watching that smug prick's smile as he flaunted himself in front of the cheerleaders... I was highly debating it

"Don't let him get to you" Ivy advised, taking another photo
"Fuck him" I grumbled
"Exactly, that's the spirit" she said
I sighed, I was only here because she dragged me
Because she couldn't sit here alone and waste her time taking photos for the team

Or for the fucking newspaper
I tried not to let him get to me
But the confidence Tommy had was astounding
Even when he knew he was wrong.

• Flashback •
- Two months ago -

"I just don't think it's working out, we don't fit together Tommy" I tried to explain
I could barely hear my own thoughts over the music from the party inside
"Baby what are you saying? Come on. You're drunk, you always do this-"

"No, I'm not drunk, and no I don't always do anything, you're the one that's drunk, you're the one being horrible to me, you're the one chatting up girls all night and I'm sick of it Tommy" I explained
I was done being treated like a door mat
Pretending not to see the way he flirts with people.

He scoffed, smile ever present
"You're really doing this? Here? Now?" He asked
I crossed my arms
"Yes" I said, I've had enough.
I'm sick of the lying and being made to feel like I'm the one who's wrong all the time.

He looked at me
With that look I've been given for the past five months
Like I'm the one being a bitch
I'm the one ruining the evening
Even when he's flirting with girls right in front of my face

Even when he ditched me and left me to get here alone
"Fine, whatever, go home yeah? We'll talk tomorrow" he said
"No Tommy, I'm done" I said

"I don't want to talk tomorrow, I think we should just give each other space" I said
He laughed at me, like he truly couldn't believe me, before he walked back inside the party, leaving me.

I sighed. I want to go home
"How did it go?" Ivy asked worriedly
"Horribly. Let's just go" I said
"So he told you?"
I turned around, seeing Mallory stood in the doorway, with a smile on her face

"Sorry?" I asked
"Tommy, he told you... about us" she said
Us? He...
"You two?" Ivy asked disgusted
Mallory shrugged

"Yeah, I thought he told you?" She said
I didn't know what to say
He's seeing her? He's cheating? Was cheating?

"No, he didn't, fucking asshole, I'm going t-"
"Ivy, leave it" I said, grabbing her arm
I felt too... defeated
Too drained
Tommy was like a fucking parasite. He took everything out of you and then pounced when you were weak

Mallory scoffed
"Just... have him Mallory, I don't care anymore" I said, walking down the driveway
"What? No! Fuck that guy Inara! And fuck her too!" Ivy shouted as I dragged her down the driveway

"Let's just go" I said
"No-"
"Ivy! Just leave it, please... I'm done" I said.

End of flashback
•

"Look at all this raw talent" Ivy said
"I don't even want to know which way you mean that" I sighed, closing my eyes and letting my head fall back
It's too hot

"I mean, look at them. God... Koen Prescott, fuck" she sighed, taking photos of him
"You know the newspaper want photos of the whole team, not just Koen's abs" I said

"Yeah yeah" she brushed off
I looked over at them, all shirtless playing football
At Koen unknowingly being photographed by Ivy
But my eyes drifted to his friend
Kane Vallow
Also shirtless... also... hot.
In... in this heat.

"Inara?" Ivy said
"Hm?" I asked, looking at her, she laughed
"Am I distracting you from your staring?" She laughed.

"Shut up" I said
"Knightley" Tommy called
I looked at him, as he rested his arms on the barrier and smiled at me
"Still coming to watch me play eh?" He asked

"Fuck off Tommy" Ivy said bluntly
"Now now, there's no need for that" he said
"When you're a lying cheating cunt there's every need, now once again, fuck off" she snapped
He threw his hands up, laughing as he walked away, before he stopped, talking to Mallory and her friends.

"Bastard" she muttered
"He's just trying to get a rise out of us" I said
"And you're giving him it" I went on, getting up and gathering my stuff
"I'll give him a black eye too if he doesn't leave you alone" she said, following me

I laughed, looking out at the field and catching eyes with Kane
Who immediately looked away.

•

"I'll see you later, I'll come for like nine?" Ivy said
"Sure" I said, getting out of the car
If I could convince my parents to actually let me go to this party

•

"It's one night, please" I said
"Well if you do go, you're not going in that" mom said
"Why not?" I asked
"Because it doesn't leave much to the imagination darling" she said

"It's fine mom, please, I'll be with Ivy" I said
"Even worse" she joked
I gave her a begging look

"Fine. Fine but I want updates. I want you to stay at Ivy's and I want you to stay safe alright?" She said
I nodded
"Of course" I said
"And you remember we'll be leaving at the end of the week" she said

"Yes" I sighed
They were always going away.
"So you need to be here on Sunday, no parties next weekend" she said
"Alright" I groaned.

•

"Well this is... loud" I said, looking at the mass of people in the house
Who were all these people? I barely recognised any of them from school.

• Inara's Outfit •

"It's great, come on, let's get a drink" Ivy said, dragging me through the people towards the kitchen
I bumped into everyone on the way
Muttering pathetic apologies before she dragged me past someone, smashing me against them
"Sorry" I said, looking up, my eyes finding Kane's

I stepped back instinctively
He was a tall guy. A big guy
He was one of those players that could break another in an instant

"Come on" Ivy said, pulling my arm

•

"What are you doing in here?" Ivy asked as we sat down after finally managing to get a drink from the kitchen
She was always more sociable than me
"Spin the bottle, seven minutes, truth or dare" a guy reeled off
Jesus.

I looked around nervously
I didn't want to play any of those things
"Oh yeah? Is that you offering?" Ivy asked him
Such a flirt
"Hey Knightly, you look nice" Tommy smiled, arm slung over Mallory as they sat opposite me

"Don't worry about me. Why don't you focus on your girlfriend?" I said
"Yeah, why don't you?" Mallory said to him.

"I'm just making polite conversation" he chuckled
"Well don't. She's over you" Ivy snapped
"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it" he said
I looked away

He did make me look stupid. I broke up with him and yet the story everyone seemed to believe was that he left me for Mallory
"Fine, send her in the closet, then you can see first hand" Ivy said smugly

"What?" I said, my head snapping to her
I don't want to go into there with someone
"Alright, who?" Tommy challenged
"I'll do it" Carden said. Carden Marshall
Tommys best friend
"What the fuck man?" Tommy asked

"What? She's hot" he said lowly
Now I really don't want to go in there
"Take Kane" Tommy dared
"What?" I said again, looking up surprised, my eyes finding Kane's

There's one thing everyone knew
And that was that you don't talk to Kane
And he doesn't talk to you

Let alone stand alone with him in a fucking closet

"I..."
Tommy smiled at me, a smug winning smile
That annoyed the fuck out of me
Because he knew he was daring the impossible
"Fine" I said, standing up
"I will if he will" I said, looking to Kane, losing all my fucking confidence immediately

"Well?" Ivy asked
Kane watched me, before finishing his drink and standing too
"You're actually going in there with her?" Tommy asked

Kane shrugged
And I don't know if I was relieved or scared that he'd said yes.
"Right, okay then. Off you go love birds" Ivy ushered us
I stepped in, only to push myself back against the wall as he joined me
He towered over me, he took up most of the space as we awkwardly tried to fit in here together.

The door shut, surrounding us in darkness
"Alright, times going" Ivy called
The room outside started up again
As we silently stood together

"I... sorry. About this" I said quietly
He said nothing
"We don't have to... I don't expect you to..."
I didn't know what to say

"I... it's fucking embarrassing to ask I know, but... can you... can we lie? Say we kissed?" I asked nervously
I wanted to get one over on Tommy
And Mallory
Looking at me like I'm desperate and heartbroken over him.

"Fine" he said
One word
And it sent shivers down my spine
He was a scary guy
But I'll take what I can get
And if he was prepared to lie for me, then I'm grateful

Until a realisation hit me
Until he uttered the words that sent my heart plummeting

"And what are you doing about that lipstick of yours?" He asked
"My lipstick?"
"They'll realise nothing happened when they see your lipstick in tact" he said.

This story is completed. I am releasing it one chapter a day until completely published. I've released three chapters to begin with to give you a taste of the story.

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