Perfect (Love in Yorkshire #1)

Seven

Dad seemed fine when I told him about the call from Tom, he even said what a great lad he was and how he was ‘going places.’ I had decided to take this as a father’s seal of approval. I’d left out the bit about the party of course.

I made the finishing touches to my make-up and grabbed my bag. I’d shed the jeans I seemed to have lived in since my arrival and went for fresh and feminine in a purple strapless maxi dress with a denim jacket. I’d left my hair loose and after some careful coercion, it fell in a sculptured wave over one shoulder.

Glancing in the mirror one last time, I felt very much like the old me.

As I headed for the stairs, part of me hoped I’d bump into Connor, so that he could see me at my best. As usual, he was nowhere to be seen. He only ever seemed to appear when I looked like shit and was totally unprepared. To be honest, it was probably for the best. If he saw me dressed up, my decision to go to the party would be exposed.

I stood on the steps of the house, wondering whether to go back inside. I didn’t want to appear too keen but as I turned, Tom’s car pulled into the yard. It was a Volvo which was typical I thought, reliable and straightforward and the total opposite of Connor’s beat-up piece of crap.

Waving, I scooted forward towards the passenger door but Tom burst from the vehicle and skipped around to open it for me. I grinned. It was a bit on the cringe side but I appreciated the gentleman-like gesture nonetheless.

“You look amazing,” he puffed, as he joined me in the front and turned on the ignition.

I smiled my thanks and commenced with the usual small talk; feeling relaxed and back on my throne again, for the time being anyway.

I had found life on the farm so far to be unpredictable and things could change in a split second, especially if Connor Barratt had anything to do with it.

As Tom steered the car, we spoke about my mum and more about Uni. The conversation flowed naturally and I felt relaxed in his company. I wasn’t throbbing with pleasure or anything, but at least the exchange wasn’t strained or dramatic.

I didn’t mention Connor or ask about the troubles he’d mentioned from past parties. I’d see when we arrived there, so why be nosy and spoil the surprise?

I wondered whether to question Tom about Ella, but didn’t want to sound like a gossip. She was his sister after all.

Tom changed the CD to one of my favourite Cold Play albums which ticked another box, at least he had good taste in music. Connor seemed to prefer Radio Head or music by shit aggressive rock bands.

As Tom pulled the car in through the gates of what had to be Nathan’s house, I felt a strange pulling in my chest and a jet of adrenalin darted into me. I wasn’t sure if it was excitement or worry.

Everything inside me suddenly screamed ‘don’t do it’! Don’t cause yourself unnecessary grief! This is the party your overbearing stepbrother has barred you from attending and he’ll probably grass you up the first chance he gets!

Tom parked the car, switched off the engine, and turned toward me with a puzzled look.

“Second thoughts?”

I could feel my heart pumping in my chest. “No, not really. I was just thinking.”

He grinned, understanding slowly wiping away each curious wrinkle on his face.

“If you’re nervous don’t be. We can just drop by for a couple. I’m not sure if Connor said anything but Nate’s parties can get a bit wild. We can just show our faces. Do you drink much?”

His question phased me momentarily as I didn’t drink that much really due to what I saw the stuff do to my mother. The occasional glass at Christmas and that was it.

“Not really. I don’t mind a couple though as you said.” Two would be fine surely. I didn’t want to look like a total prude.

“I don’t drink much either to be honest and especially not at Nate’s dos. Need to keep a level head, plus I’m driving. I’m also working in the morning. Why he holds this party every year mid-week is beyond me.”

His cautionary words and the way he said ‘Nate’s dos’, made my stomach sink further. Would the party be wild with people making out everywhere like at Mathew Mason’s place? That would make Connor right. Anything like that totally wasn’t my scene.

He checked his watch before replying. “It’s early. At this time, it will be fairly mellow. It starts to get messy in the later hours and we’ll be long gone by then.

Don’t worry, I won’t leave you alone at any point,” Tom said reassuringly. “We did think last year would be the last one as the place got trashed. Nate’s parents were away as usual. I wasn’t there but a sight almost broke out, Nathan was going through something and was behaving like a proper dick,” Tom replied with a hitch in his voice.

“I take it Nate’s parents are away again?”

Tom nodded, watching me thoughtfully.

“What was the fight about?”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t there so I only heard it second hand. Nate had some unwelcomed guests and they kicked off. Connor ended it mind you. I suppose it’s what happens when people can’t take their booze. Not sure what they were arguing about, but Ella got elbowed in the face by accident. She never comes to these parties now. Anyway, that’s the locals for you. They get bored with close-knit village life. That’s why we go clubbing in Scarborough every month. A change in scene is always a good thing. Resets the balance.”

My eyebrows crinkled. “Did you fight?”

He shook his head, suddenly looking horrified. “Absolutely not. I need all my fingers to do my job,” he laughed.

I smirked but in a warm way. “Of course. Silly me.”

The moment was broken as my phone pinged to say I had a text and I briefly checked it before opening my door.

It was from an unknown number. Where the fuck are you!

From the tone of the text, I guessed it must have been from Connor and my body tingled with nerves.

Grimacing, I swiped off the screen. I didn’t even realise that we’d exchanged numbers. I purposefully deleted the message without replying.

We climbed out of the car and Tom offered me his arm. He was such a gentleman, I liked it.

As we approached the front door, Tom explained that Nathan’s’ family sold farming equipment. He pointed out three large warehouses which peeked out behind the main house, a mansion similar to the size of mine back home. You could tell the family were obviously loaded .

Several cars were already parked messily around the yard and music was booming from inside. There was also a tractor sitting there alongside the shiny assorted high-end cars, looking totally out of place. Probably what I was about to look like at the party.

I worried my lip, my stomach seemed to be sending my brain mixed messages. I bobbed my head thoughtfully at what Tom was saying, pretending to listen to what was thankfully the last part of his earlier story about hoof rot.

I eyed his profile as he spoke. He was a good-looking guy in a cute boyish way and had been nothing but lovely to me, but I wasn’t really attracted to him and some things shouldn’t be forced.

At last, Tom finished the story, laughing at his own joke and we let ourselves in through the front entrance. A couple brushed past us in the doorway, lighting their cigarettes, they both looked so grown up.

It was then that it hit me. I should not be there.

As we entered the house, people were everywhere and only a small amount of light. The place was pretty trashed already. It was hot and loud and totally uncivilised and that original jet of excitement I’d felt at the thought of being somewhere I shouldn’t dissolved. It also reeked like a brewery.

I nervously checked my watch and noted the time. It was only just after six and it already looked like this? ‘Fucking chaos’ would be my way of setting the scene.

Tom directed me into the kitchen whilst I attempted to bump into as few of the bodies as possible. Several partygoers nodded to Tom as we passed, but I couldn’t hear exactly what was being said over the music and loud voices. I was blatantly checked out by pretty much every guy we passed, even the ones who appeared to be with girlfriends. My face felt like it was burning, I also received a couple of dirty looks from said girlfriends which worried me even more.

The kitchen was quite large and was strewn with abandoned red solo cups, like the ones you saw at frat parties on American TV shows. Guys and girls were huddled in clusters and I noted a few exchanged smiles as they glanced vacantly in our direction.

Tom washed out a solo cup in one of the empty sinks, the other was full of ice and bottled beers. He uncapped one and poured it for me. I took the drink with a smile, attempting to appear adventurous .

We made our way, drinks in hand to a conservatory at the back of the house which was littered with a handful of people. Nathan Lane aka The Host was in there and he carelessly uncurled the redhead who had been draped across him and pushed himself to his feet. Yep, he was a player all right. I felt another frisson of discomfort but batted it away.

“You guys made it. Fucking awesome,” he slurred, moving towards us.

He leaned forward and pecked my cheek which felt odd, considering I had known him all of fifteen minutes. I could smell alcohol on his breath and it wasn’t attractive.

“No Ella then?” he questioned hopefully, glancing behind us.

Tom looked uncomfortable and shrugged, which was an interesting reaction.

“She didn’t want to come Nate.”

I caught a flash of something in Nathan’s expression before he masked it, taking another slug from the bottle of spirits he was holding. Neat spirits I might add.

The atmosphere between them was awkward again and a thought occurred to me. Maybe Nate was the one who knocked Ella Wade up and it was nothing to do with Connor after all? Hope clawed at my chest. Having your friend’s sister get elbowed in the face at one of your parties, could also be a good reason for friction I supposed. I decided the latter one was more plausible. I tucked both thoughts away.

“Let me introduce you around. Harlow, meet my freeloading friends,” Nathan slurred again, taking my arm and pulling me further into the glassed conservatory. He motioned to half a dozen people; a half a dozen inebriated people. “Freeloading friends, meet Harlow.”

They all raised their assorted drinks at me and I mirrored their behaviour, wanting to fit in.

I held my smile and nodded my hellos, stiffening slightly when Tom slid his arm around me.

I took a sip of beer; it was rank as usual and tasted like it had something else in it too. I’d seen him uncap the bottle and so wasn’t overly concerned about the date rape shit. It was probably one of those beers which was infused with spirits. The stuff would probably take the enamel off my teeth .

We must have been there for over an hour; standing in one group, chatting about this and that with the music blaring in the background. A scream from an over-excited girl or two, was occasionally thrown into the mix. I also saw couples heading upstairs holding hands; their destination the bedrooms I imagined. It was so tacky.

Nathan had started getting gradually louder and more, touchy-feely and I began to regret my decision to come.

Tom of course stuck to his word and didn’t leave my side which was a relief. I didn’t even dare go to the toilet in case I caught someone shagging in the bathroom. It was definitely that type of party.

It was so different from the after-school house parties I’d been to where everyone was a similar age. The raunchiest those parties would get was a couple of rounds of spin the bottle, totally tame. But that’s high school kids for you. At this party, there was a variety of ages present, some of whom should surely know better. A couple of guys who were standing smoking in the garden eyed me suggestively through the glass. They had to be well into their twenties. I started to feel like jail bait.

After a shrill girl called Natalie swayed past me and almost knocked what was now my third drink from my hand, I knew it was time to leave. I’d only intended one drink but as I’d downed the first cup, I’d been relieved at how calming the liquid had made me feel.

I moved closer over to Tom who was standing in front of the conservatory doors. Thankfully they were open, allowing the cool breeze into the sticky room. Nathan, who had left earlier for a smoke suddenly came back in and approached us, his body swaying. He darted a glance between us, standing way too close to me. I was almost wearing the guy.

“So, you guys together then? That was fucking quick for you Wade,” he drawled at Tom, a stupid look on his face. He started sliding his fingers up and down my arm, tickling me, the stupid face morphing into something else. I wondered how I had ever thought him attractive. He did not look good plastered, but then again, who did? He’d also been smoking weed or something as his eyes had that weird glaze to them, just like the stoners at school .

I imagined there’d be heavier drugs present too. I drew my gaze suspiciously over to a hooded figure who was standing at the far side of the conservatory. He was definitely dealing something. I tried to swallow that lump of apprehension and turned back to Nate who was still speaking to me. I missed most of what he had said but imagined I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.

“Tom’s not the guy for you Harlow. He’s too much of a vagina. You look like the type of girl who likes a bit of rough. A real man.”

Out of the blue, Nathan switched onto full-blown come-on mode. His bullshit grafting attempt with the ‘real man’ comment was so cringe. He was literally all over me.

Tom and I exchanged an awkward look and I conjured up a witty reply but held it when Nathan’s entire face dropped. The playful grin he had been wearing bleeding away. He looked past me and I turned just in time to see Connor moving toward us through the crowd of people. A totally unimpressed fucking glare on his face.

I stiffened. He was wearing a padded bomber jacket and black jeans and looked twice his usual size. I felt a jet of guilty adrenaline. The shit was about to hit it big time. I twisted back to Tom who only shook his head as if signalling for me to do and say nothing.

Oh my God, what had I done?

Connor levelled with us and he pulled me to one side away from Nathan, his fingers angry against my elbow. The beer in my hand sloshed and I teetered in my sandals slightly. Narrowed eyes suspiciously caught the movement, he obviously thought I was pissed. I opened my mouth to correct him and say that everything was fine, but the look he shot me drowned out any coherent reply. I wasn’t surprised to see the don’t-fuck-with me-look stamped across his face.

Nathan sobered slightly and moved forward a step, somehow making him appear larger. I recognised it as one of those squaring-up types of gestures. His eyes moved to Connor’s hold on me. He didn’t like it, which was strange considering we hardly knew each other.

My chest tightened at the thought of trouble; Connor Barratt was like a loaded gun .

“You’re just in time Con, I was about to take little sister for a tour of the first floor. If you get my meaning,” Nathan sneered, glaring at Connor, uncurling his body in an attempt to match their heights. I couldn’t understand why the guy was baiting him on purpose. Did he have a death wish? I recalled Connor’s words about them tolerating each other. Yeah, well the ‘tolerance’ levels between them had just hit zero.

A low chorus of mutters circled around us and the atmosphere was tense.

Nathan pointed at me with his empty vodka bottle.

“Unless you want to take her yourself of course,” he said before placing the bottle on a crisp-strewn table beside him. Did I imagine the double meaning to his comment?

Tom stepped forward and made a gesture for me to pull away and join him, which caused Connor to tug me further to his side. I certainly wasn’t ready for an elbow in the face and I welcomed Tom’s concern.

Connor held my arm firmly, his silence scary. The muscles in his jaw ticked as he tried to control his temper.

Nathan wasn’t having it, his eyes narrowing with pure challenge. It was so different from his about-face behaviour from earlier. The booze was blatantly channelling his courage.

“Har was really looking forward to it too. We could all go up together?” I cringed at both the shortening of my name and his hint of a possible threesome. I so wasn’t a ‘Har’ and the other thing, hell no!

My stepbrother’s expression turned to distaste.

“She’s sixteen you fucking retard!” he shot out at Nathan, bellowing against the music, thoroughly pissed off as he briefly scanned the crowded area. It felt like the air had been sucked from the room and from the look of anticipation on the faces of those surrounding us; everyone was happily soaking up the drama.

Considering the look on Connor’s face, Nathan made the unwise decision of remaining exactly where he was.

“I’m fucking joking. Calm your shit down!” he snapped back, his face rigid.

Someone in the room behind me whistled, as if to say, not a good idea as Nathan put a hand on Connor’s shoulder. Was it to warn him off or appease, you couldn’t really tell ?

My stepbrother eyed where his friend (if you could call him that) had touched him, blatantly not happy that Nathan had made physical contact and he released his death grip on my elbow. The skin burned from where his fingers had been. And not in a bad way.

Adrenalin bubbled in my stomach as I helplessly watched the scene unfold, not really knowing if any interference from me would help or make things worse.

The two men stood squared up to each other, their body language fierce. I recalled what Tom had said about the troubles of the past as my eyes grazed the cluster of people. There was now a large group gathered around us, like coyotes waiting for the scraps. Wasted coyotes of course.

Connor shrugged Nathan’s hand forcefully from his shoulder, his words dripping with menace.