19) Autograph-mania

"Spin the Bottle?" - the more time I spend with Taylor, the more I realize I am dealing

with a Peter Pan that will never grow up, and I'm not the only one to notice that, since

Matthew throws the freshly emptied beer bottle at him and Ian hurries to shut him up:

"How old are you?" - he glares at him behind his hateful sunglasses, that keep hiding his eyes even though it is evening and the only source of light that illuminates the chairs we sat on is the fire in the center.

"Autograph-mania?" - this time it's Tessa speaking, as I reach out to approach

a row of marchmellows on the fire and wait for them to warm up, despite the eyes of the

red have been stabbing me ever since she came out of Matthew's tent.

As soon as my pupils end up in her straight red hair and she notices that I am

watching she hurries to get up from her chair to sit on Matthew's legs, even though he doesn't even look at her and continues to stare at the full beer bottle between his fingers, but

he lets her sit on him anyway and puts an arm around her hips, looking suddenly up in my direction as if he felt observed.

I look away quickly not to get caught, but I swear to myself when I notice that my marshmallows have turned black from how much they have burned.

"I'm in." - Ashley nods to my friend's proposal, followed by Ian who nods and smiles at Tessa almost hypnotized, but I try not to give importance to his way of watching my friend and resume reheating another marshmallow, even though I've already finished a whole package.

"Okay." - Taylor gives up and goes in search of a pen to start playing, rummaging in

a duffel bag by his side.

"I'll start!" - Hardin tries to attract the attention as I bring my marshmallow to my mouth.

"Tessa! You know the rules of the game. If you accept you command, if you refuse, you will have three glasses of

whiskey. "

Hardin lifts the bottle by her side to show it to Tessa, even if my friend

knows the rules better then him, having attended all the parties organized in Seattle.

«Give an autograph on the shoulder of ...» - he drums his fingers on the bottle of Whiskey, giving a quick look at the participants:

"Ian." - he concludes, making me fold my lips into a smile when I realize that my

friend blushes violently.

"Agree?" - Hardin asks quickly when silence falls, as I throw a quick look at Ian to study his reaction, but saying he's more amused than me is a

euphemism and makes me squint when he lifts a corner of his mouth and a

small dimple appears beside his mouth.

I shake my head to return to reality and convince myself that it is better not to return

thinking about my dark past again, but when I raise my head to resume participating in the

game, I realize that Tessa is already writing her name on the shoulder of the mysterious blond

, but I think her tattoo is illegible because of the way her hand trembles.

"Hardin!" - my friend's voice is so faint that I can hardly hear her while she calls

my boyfriend:

"Write your name on Charlotte's arm." - she says absently, as I look up waiting for Hardin to lift his ass off his chair as I reach out a

arm and with the other I drag the marshmallow to my mouth, continuing to chew

even when the idiot by my side lifts the sleeve of my sweatshirt to start

staining my skin.

"Will you stop eating?" - meanwhile Taylor starts to get up from his chair and take what is left of my marshmallow on my hand, but I retract my free arm from the grip of

Hardin and I take an offended expression:

"I'm hungry." - I answer with my mouth full of food, glaring at him when Hardin returns

in its place.

"Ashley." - Hardin raises his voice to attract the attention of all of as, as I lower the sweatshirt sleeve despite the heat I feel near the flames of the fire.

"Give an autograph ..." - he freezes for a couple of seconds, moving his eyes between Taylor and Ian:

"To Taylor. On his abdomen. "- he concludes enthusiastically, while Taylor assumes a mischievous grimace, that is forced to hide what Matthew points his index finger at him:

"Don't even think about it." - threatens him between his teeth, but instead of looking at them I bring my attention back to

Tessa.

I squint when I realize that my friend really feels uncomfortable, which can only mean one thing.

Ian and Tessa ...

It would be absurd even to think that the two can have a relationship together.

I don't know what to say about Ian, but he gave me the impression of being a decentguy

these days, unlike Tessa, who has always been an irresponsible nut and

proud, ever since I met her at the Siattle orphanage.

We grew up together and she was the only friend who wasn't taken away from me.

Fortunately, none of us was adopted. She was too temperamental

in the orphanage, while I was the isolated one who always wore black.

«Matthew.» - Ashley's voice brings me back to reality and I slowly raise my head in the direction

of her brother, sitting in front of me, on the opposite side of the fire, along with his cousin, that straightens her back, preparing to receive an autograph from the man she's sitting on, which

leads me to roll my eyes and take a bored grimace, and then stretch

another marchmellow and bring it closer to the flames.

"Leave an autograph on the thigh of ..." - Ashley leaves the sentence hanging, continuing to

look in Matthew's direction as his cousin lifts her dress to uncover her

mileage leg.

I glare at Hardin when I notice his eyes light up as he stares at the tanned skin of the redhead.

"Charlotte."

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