= CHRIS POV =

"OMG~! Sorry I-I thought you left with the others!" Sarah stammered, stepping gingerly forward in order to avoid the wine puddle.

"Oh, sorry for startling you," I apologized, already heading to the kitchen to grab some paper towels. I returned quickly, kneeling to mop up the spill before handing her a few napkins for her dripping hands.

“Thank you,” she murmured, dabbing at her skin. “I’m so sorry. I’ve just been a bit jumpy these days. Work, you know? So much stress piled up.”

“No need to apologise. I wasn’t exactly trying to be loud,” I chuckled as I took the soiled napkins from her hands.

I quickly disposed of the crumbled wine-soaked napkins and washed my hands before returning to Sarah’s side.

“Happy 25th birthday by the way,” I said with a soft smile.

Sarah’s responding smile was thin, almost tired, and as she turned to lean back against the balcony, she let out a heavy sigh.

“I can’t believe you told Lavender you were in love with her girlfriend. She looked like she was going to kill you” she said, changing the subject. 

My eyes flickered to her empty cup and I turned, heading back into the living room, returning with a wine bottle and my own glass in hand.

I grinned. “Anything to avoid kissing that slob.”

Sarah laughed lightly and held out her glass for a refill. “Yeah, well, it’s good you didn’t. I hear Lily has a mean temper. She might look cute but she would have bitten you” Sarah grinned as she took a sip of her wine.

 “Ugh, I’m beat,” She said as she tilted her head back, letting her long chestnut curls fall back…

God if I could just…run my hands through her hair..

“- I’m not dealing with what’s out there. Are you sleeping over again? Sorry about the couch, I guess we’re sharing a bed again. But this time no late night massage; I’m too tired and you always tickle too hard…” She whined as I turned back into her voice, watching as she took a hefty gulp of wine.

My eyes sparkled in amusement as she offered me her bed. My mind drifted lazily to the…massage…she referenced. A massage that never quite stopped at her back. A massage that bordered on something very unfriend-like if I took things too far…but I never took it too far. I had taught myself self restraint…

 If only she knew…no…I’m glad she had no idea, I liked her innocent trust in me. It meant that these sinful hands of mine could roam her body freely, under the sheets, in her bed, or in my bed, (wherever the “sleepover” was happening), and it was all just brushed aside as a…a friendly massage. 

I ran a hand through my hair, dragging my thoughts back to the present and out of a very delicious reverie.

“Well...not exactly I have something else I wanted to talk about,” I pulled out the eviction notice from my pocket and held it out to her.

Sarah froze. Her eyes locked on the paper, and a slight twitch overtook the corner of her lip.

I recognized that twitch.

Anger.

Shit.