Holding A Heart <3 (On-Hold) by Chloe Knox (i read book txt) 📕

. She was jumping up and down, flailing her arms into the air as she screamed like some psychopath...it looked fun.

"Oh, what the hell," I muttered running over to her and screaming in her face, "I do it for the druh-ugs! I do it just to feel uh-uh live! I do it for the love! That I get from the bottom of a bottle!"

We were hopping up and down to the beat of the music, whipping our long locks of hair back and forth, hitting eachother unconsciously in the face. Thrusting our fists into the air, we began fist pumping at extreme speed till we were panting, but we didn't stop.

"I do it for the drugs!" Keeley yelled, the most determined look on her face.

I giggled and screamed back, "I do it just to feel alive!"

"I do it for the-"

"Shut up!"

Keeley and I froze, fists still held in the air.

I looked over at Reece, Carter, and Carson, but I knew their voices. The person that had screamed was new, unfamiliar.

Reece smiled, not a loopy 'high off my ass smile', but a genuine one. One that lit up his dark eyes, really surprising me.

"Dayton, my man! Where've you been?"

"Where've I been! I've been at my house...waiting...for you to call, like you said you would. What the fuck! What ever happened to 'bros before hoes'?"

I turned around and came face to face with a very attractive guy, complete with a fairly muscular build, soft chestnut brown eyes, and a full head of brown bed head. He reminded me way too much of Reece. Practically the only difference between them was the hair color and skin. Reece wasn't white, but on the paler side. This guy had the perfect skin, which looked flawlessly smooth and olive toned. He was smiling, revealing the cutest dimples ever, which Reece also had.

"Sorry, man! I thought you knew we were out!"

"Obviously not..hey guys!" the guy said, waving to Carter and Carson. They waved back, but then went back to fighting over the last beer. His brown eyes turned to me and Keeley, "What's up Keeley?"

"Nothing much, dick! How've you been?" Keeley asked, a flirty half-smile flashing in his direction. She batted her eyes and 'dick' huffed with understanding, "I've been just fine...and who the hell are you?" he said, now turning to me.

I laughed with an annoyed roll of the eyes. I nudged Keeley in the shoulder grabbing her attention, "Isn't he a charmer?"

"Yeah, that's Dayton for ya. As blunt as...as a blunt object."

Reece walked up to the three of us, throwing his arms over the brunette's broad shoulders. Giving him a light squeeze, Reece looked at me, "Katherine? This is my man, Dayton. Dayton, this is Katherine."

"Hi," I said, holding out my hand to this Dayton kid, with a smile, trying to be polite and sweet.

The feelings weren't mutual!

Instead of enduring the agonizing pain of shaking some girl's hand, he stared at me as he licked the inside of his cheek and sighed noisily, not like he were angry but like he was overwhelmed, maybe even a little annoyed.

After an awkward moment of staring at me, he turned his head toward Reece, "Where's the shit?"

"In the van, like always, man!" Reece said, patting his friend in between the shoulder blades. Dayton nodded,and then without giving me so much as 'hey' or even one of those stupid head nods boys usually do, he jogged his way into the van. He slammed the side doors shut, locking himself inside, and us out.

Something told me 'Dick Dayton' wasn't a people person.

"Girl...I love you. I love you so much, do you get that?"

"Absolutely." I said back to the drunken Keeley simply for her own amusement.

"Good. Cause I want you to know that your...your fuggin amazing--"

"Fuggin?" I uttered to myself as I snickered, Keeley was oblivious of my laughter and just kept on rambling.

"--and you have a face like...your face is like sunshine.

"Oh, why thank you."

"No problem."

"And you smell like rainbows."

Keeley ran her pale and shaking hands through her dyed locks of hair and hiccuped. Brows furrowed, lips pulled into a tight frown, she began to squeal. I just watched her for a moment, and only realized, when I saw her mascara start to flood over her cheeks, that the noise--which sounded a lot like a dieing pig--was actually Keeley crying. "Girl...that is the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. That-that's just...that's boss."

WHAM!

Keeley's head slid out of her hands and slammed onto the table, like dead weight, her hot pink and neon green hair falling in a cascade around her head. Keeley had just passed out.

"Is she okay?"

I looked over my shoulder and yelped when I saw Dayton only inches away from my face. I immediatley jerked away, running my hands through my hair, "Jesus Christ!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...is Keeley okay?"

"Yeah, I think she's fine. The alcohol just finally caught up to her, I guess."

Dayton nodded, then walked over to the sleeping Keeley. "Keeley? Keeley, you awake?"

She didn't speak, just moaned and groaned as she fidgeted. Her left arm abruptly slid off the table, only moments later followed by the rest of her. With ease and grace, Dayton managed to slide his arms around her before she hit the ground. In one swift motion, he flipped her onto her back and stood, carrying her 'bridal style'.

I followed behind him, through the crowd of drunken and/or intoxicated kids and wondered how Dayton could do apparently eveything with such grace. He managed to easily slide through the hoarde, never once bumping into another person. Me; I was tripping left and right over my own feet and other people. It was like a pinball machine; I'd accidentally bump into someone, I'd mumble an apology but the person who I hit would either be too pissed off or too deaf by the blasting music that echoed throughout the small house to care about my stupid "sorry". The person I'd bump into would give me a gentle nudge, not hard enough to make me fall onto the ground but rough enough for me to trip, bump into another person, and DEJA VU! The cycle repeats.

I was litteraly thanking god the moment I had found my way out of the house and was now on the porch where barely anyone was; just a couple who was making out on the lawn, and Reece who was passing a joint around with some fat kid and the Ginger twins, Carter and Carson. Dayton, while still holding the sleeping Keeley, was talking to Reece.

"Be safe," Dayton was saying.

"Don't worry man, I've got plenty of rubbers in my wallet."

"You know that's not what I meant. If you decide you dont want to spend the night here anymore make sure to--"

"I promise I'll call you, alright? Now go!"

Dayton nodded, said goodnight to Fat-Albert-Wannabe and the Ginger twins, and then began to walk down the driveway where his truck was parked, paying no attention to me.

"Where you think your going, sweet cheeks?" Reece yelled at me. Dayton finally looked over his shoulder at me. I ignored him, for the time being, to answer Reece, "I think it's time for me to head out."

Reece nodded, then turned to fatty, snatching the joint and shoving it in his mouth.

I turned back around to see Dayton, "You need a ride?"

"Yeah. I was trying to ask you earlier, but you walk really fast." the moment the sentence burst through my lips, I cursed myself. Really? You walk really fast? How retarded does that sound?

Dayton narrowed his eyes, most likely thinking the same thing I was, "Ummm, thanks...I guess."

Dayton opened the back door and gently slid Keeley into the backseat. It was sweet

, I thought, how he made sure to buckle her seat belt. He seemed cautious.

"You going to hop in or what? I won't bite, and I promise I haven't drank any alcohol."

"I trust you," I mumbled aloud. I thought it was kind of wierd though, since it was the truth. I barely knew this guy and I trusted him more then I did most people, including my own father.

Most of the ride was extremley awkward complete with utter silence and thick tension. I tried to stay occupied by looking out the window, but that's not exactly the most entertaining thing in the world. Three minutes of glaring at immobile trees quickly gave me a head ache, so I decided to atleast try to make everything a little less uncomfortable...maybe some music to break the silence?

I leaned forward, reaching for the nob to turn on the radio.

"Dont bother...it doesn't work." Dayton said flatly, never takin his eye off the road.

I mouthed 'Oh' before falling back into the passenger seat. Another few moments went by, even more awkward then before.

I sighed, lifting my feet to the dashboard trying to stretch and get comfortable.

"Don't," was all Dayton said before placing his right hand on my thigh, in a kind gesture to move...but I still jerked away from his touch, feeling so overwhelmingly stupid when my cheeks heated, mostlikely turning a bright shade of pink, maybe even red. Dayton slowly moved his hand back to wheel clutching it tightly, "Sorry."

"It's fine," I mumbled against my hand, eventhough I really wasn't.

Another long moment