The drive up to Dave & Buster's was quite awkward, to say the least. While Enzo drove with Lillie next to him in the passenger seat, Cass was in the middle seating with Carmella next to him. Baron and myself sat in the very back of the black super-sized SUV.

   I didn't know what to say to him, so I didn't say anything at all. Every time he even looked at me, I would look away or stare down at my phone.

   Which reminds me... I had received a nice text from Seth. It said: Hey, Ellie. I wish you would just TALK to me already. I miss our little conversations. I miss fighting with you. I miss you.

   I was definitely taken back by his sudden text, but I didn't want to text him back. I did, though, and left it at that. I wrote back to him: No, you don't. Stop texting me. I'll talk to you when I'm ready to.

He suddenly texted me back: When will you be ready to? And I said back: One day, but not tonight. I'm busy. Goodnight.

Then, we left it at that and that was it. That text was sent over thirty minutes ago, though. We just finished our dinner at Dave & Buster's while everybody is now gathered around the table talking about our days.

Baron was pretty involved in everybody's conversations, while I sat in between him and Lillie. Yet, Lillie was all leaned up to Enzo, who was sat next to Carmella and her to Cass.

Baron had both of his elbows up on the table, crossed, with his hands tugged up underneath them. So, like I said before, he was being pretty involved in all their conversations.

I wanted to do what he was, but I didn't know what to say to him or to any of them, to be honest. Everybody at the table was talking, all except for me, of course.

"So, how's your knee?" Carmella asked of Lillie, taking a sip of her fruity drink through the crazy straw she was provided with with.

Lillie smiled and shrugged. "It's getting better and will continue to," she answered and Enzo squeezed her hand. "I'm just glad that my very best friend in the world, Ellie, was there to help me out."

"Yeah, about that...," Carmella commented, which struck up a question within myself. "How was she always there when you were attacked?"

Although I found her sudden flash of questioning suspicious, Lillie didn't as she just smiled wide. "Well, because she's my best friend, that's why," she replied, countering the tables here. "She's always there for me."

I gulped and Baron must have noticed, slightly turning his head towards me. I stood up and quickly mumbled the words that I was going to go ahead and go play some games, then sped away as fast as I possible could.

As soon as I was in the mist of people and loud games, the heat had hit my face from the feeling of embarrassment and the verge of tears. I hid behind a big game machine and closed my eyes, taking a heavy breath before I lose my shit once and for all. Not necessarily with Carmella, but with myself, Seth, and Sasha. How did I let my life become a soap opera?

I opened my eyes and decided to get up. I headed over to the front desk go get my coins for the games and quickly went back to the games.

I spotted the pool-table and the back, heading directly that way. I put the coins in and started the set the balls up in a triangle. I grabbed the pool-stick and set it up.

Bending down, I focused on my target and hit the white ball, making the others scatter. I hit about three more before I bent down again to focus, feeling somebody behind me and wrap their arms around me.

I spun around, prepared to hit some drunk creep, but was sort of frozen in place when I discover that it was Baron instead. I was definitely taken back by his sudden approach and my hearer started jumping frantically.

"You're doing it wrong," he simply said, which didn't tell me anything about his stance behind me.

I pulled my eyebrows in together and asked, "How? I'm doing okay."

He cracked a smile and shook his head. He motioned for the stick and I slowly handed it to him. He stood beside me and said, "You're doing it wrong. Let me show you."

He bent down and focused, hitting the white ball while the 8-Ball flew itself into one of the holes. He stood back up and his eyebrows seemed to dance around, showing his dominance.

I playfully rolled my eyes and snatched the pool-stick back into my own grasp. "Whatever you say, Corbin," I chuckled, actually finding amusement in our newfound conversation. I bent down to get my aim just right when his hands slowly made their way up and down my arms, helping me score.

I tried my best to ignore his soft touch. I tried to focus on the game and my current target at the white ball. I tired really hard to ignore the burning sensation that had ignited in my body from his sudden touch. I tried, but I didn't succeed at all.

He pushed the stick forward, himself, and it collided with the white ball, which made the others scattered. I got one in the hole, which was good for me. Yet, I didn't do anything at all. It was all him.

We stood back up, while he took the stick from me again, and asked: "Wanna go back to the table? We missed you over there."

My heart... I slowly nodded, so he put the stick back with the others and offered his arm to me. With my breath being held back, I accepted by wrapping my arm around his strong muscle.

I must have been in such a daze watching him because, the next thing that I know, we're back to being seated at the table with the others. This time, I was more involved with everybody's conversations along with Baron, of course.

At one point, while we're all laughing at someone Zo had said, he pulled his arm over me and held onto me tightly, which made me feel included for once.

I seemed to had melted into his grasp, placing my head on his shoulder and chest, my hand on his chest at one point and, then, my arms being wrapped around him as well. He didn't seem to mind at all, especially because he was allowing it to happen with his warm embrace around me.

I felt somebody staring, then a hard poke to my side. I stopped laughing long enough to come face to face with Lillie. She was obviously angry, her cheeks burning up with red. "What are you doing?" she whispered-yelled, but not loud enough to awake the table.

I guess that I was still in a daze because it took me a minute to calm down, to actually pay attention to her. I shrugged and started, "What? I'm just having fun like everybody else is. Why? Is there a problem, Lill?"

"You're damn right there's a problem," she snapped, but still kept her voice low. "He's married, Ellie. You can't put your arms around a man who's married. You know that."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged, annoyed. They wanted me to come out tonight and have a good time with them, but right when I'm starting to, it's a problem. Yet, if I told Lillie this, she'll counter me with: No, he's the problem. Not your fun. That's when I would say back: Mella asked him to come with us, to come with me.

"Let's go," she hissed in my ear and snatched me up by my wrist.

Baron's arm fell and he noticed that I was gone. He looked up at us, mostly at Lillie, and asked, "Hey, where y'all going? The fun's just getting started, ladies!"

"The bathroom," Lillie coldly reply back to him. "Don't worry, she'll be back."

"Good," Carmella squeaked out and jumped up, now standing in front of us. "I've got to touch up on my make-up. Let's go!"

Damn, I thought to myself as Lillie dragged me to the bathroom with Carmella leading the way. Once inside, instead of touching up on her make-up like she said, Carmella ran to a stall.

"I have to pee, actually," she giggled behind a closed door. "Couldn't tell them that, though."

My back was to the wall, arms crossed, as I rolled my eyes again. Dramatically, Lillie was checking under the other stalls to see if anyone else was in there. Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone else, but us girls.

After checking, she practically ran right up to me and shouted: "Now, what the hell are you doing out there with him?!"

   I opened my mouth to reply before Carmella called from the stall: "What? I didn't do anything!"

   Lillie rolled her eyes and growled, "Not you, Mella! Talking about Ellie over here!" She turned to face me again and, again, asked: "What are you doing?! He's married! Which means, he's off-limits to everyone, but his wife!"

   I shrugged and stated, "What? I'm just having fun. Why can't you let me go that?"

   "Because," she countered, "it's not about your fun. It's about him."

   Told you, I thought to myself back to what I had said about Lillie before. "Whatever. It's nothing," I tried telling her, hoping she'll actually listen for once. "We're just having fun. No big deal."

   "No big deal?!"

   Again, when I opened my mouth to say something, Carmella beat me to it. She flew out of the stall, after flushing the toilet, and went right to the mirror. This time, she began to touch up on her make-up.

   She seemed to always cause a distraction and it became true when she got between Lillie and myself now. "Yeah, what's the big deal, Lill?" she asked innocently, seemingly taking my side so far. "El's just having fun. Innocent fun with Baron."

   Thank you, Mella, I thought to myself, which was directed towards her. This time, I decided not to say anything. I wanted to hear what Lillie had to say about this to Carmella, who was now all in our business. My business, specifically.

   Lillie faced her and hissed, "He's married, though, Carmella. He's not single and ready to mingle. Married."

   Mella nodded, obviously understanding this, and countered: "Yeah, I know that and so does Ellie, too, but they can still be friends."

   Lillie bounced on her tippy-toes, red-faced, and eyed budging out. "But that wasn't being friendly what they were doing!"

   "Would you calm down?!" I exclaimed, which seemed to work. She settled down, but I knew that she was still angry. "We're friends and that's it, so calm down! I didn't even want to come tonight, but Carmella made me! So, I'm leaving now... Without you!"

   With that said, I flew out of the bathroom and immediately replaced my angry expression with a fake smile. I got back to the table with the guys all looking up at me in question, probably to where the other two were.

   I grabbed my coat and purse, smiling at each of them. "I've got to go, guys," I told them, innocently. They moaned and groaned, questioning me. "I'm really tired and it's getting late."

   "One more round of drinks," Zo tried to convince me. "On me, El!"

   I waved the offer away and stated, "No, I'm good, but you guys stay. Really. You all deserve a night out."

   Cass and Zo thanked me, seemingly understanding. Baron, however, reached up for me. I didn't know what he was heading for until he wrapped his arm around my waist, resulting in me sitting directly on his lap.

   "Where you going?" he whispered in my ear, which made my hair tickle it.

   "To my hotel room," I told him, seeing that Cass and Zo were back to talking to each other. "I'm tired."

   "You're a liar, too," he breathed, gripping my wrist tighter. "What happened in there with Lillie?"

   Damn, he's good. But, hey, anyone with a decent mindset would see that she had something to do with my sudden change in attitude.

   "I need to go," I simply claimed and jumped up when I saw Lillie and Carmella headed right for the table. I started to walk around the table until I was standing behind Cass. "Alright, guys. Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow."

   "Bye, Ellie," they all called to me, but Lillie. "Get home safety!"

   I nodded with a smile, then hung my head as I made myself outside. I'll just get a cab and head to my hotel, get a shower and go to bed. And, maybe, I can just put tonight behind me once and for all.

   Once I got to the end of the walkway, waiting for traffic to stop, so that I could head to the other side of the street, I heard somebody calling out my name and I turned just in time to be greeted by Baron.

   He had taken me by storm, placing a hand on my side and smiling down at me. "Hey," he said, which seemed to take my breath away for some reason.

   He's married, Ellie. Married! Meaning, he's off-limits to you! "Hey," I breathed out, dimming my eyes and grinning back at him.

   "You really thought that I was going to let you go that easily, do you?" he asked, which seemed genuine. He chuckled and shook his head. "No, but seriously... I wanted to make sure that you got to your hotel room safely."

   I nodded and automatically agreed to this. Despite what Lillie said, I wanted this and I wanted to hang out with Baron. Even though I had the idea in my head earlier that tonight was going to be a complete disaster, it turned out pretty good on my part.

   He offered his arm to me again and I accepted it, as we walked across the street together. Do I feel anything for him, though?

• O. M. G. R things heating up for u guys or what?! Cuz, bruh... They heating up for me, let's be honest 🔥 Cuz, like, for real, tho... The next few chapters will have you guys asking yourself: BARON OR SETH?! You decide! Are you guys #TeamBaron 🖤 or #TeamSeth 💛 ??? Comment below and let me know! Also... Thanks to amoreigns_ for the ship names for Ellie/Seth and Ellie/Baron! El/Seth: Sellie ; El/Baron: Barellie 💕 All the love .xx •