Keep Me (Beggar's Choice #3) by Lily Morton

nods.
    “Fuck yes. He’s been looking for an excuse for weeks. I
don’t think he’ll have to look too hard tonight.”
    “He really doesn’t like him?”
    Matt shakes his head.” He could be Prince fucking Charming
and Charlie wouldn’t like him.”
    Mick nods enthusiastically. “You get the drift Alys,” he
says jostling my shoulder in a friendly way which only succeeds in knocking me
into Bram and Amber.
    Bram breaks away from her with a start of surprise and looks
at me blearily until recognition dawns. “Alys,” he exclaims delightedly.
“Where’ve you been? I missed you.” I look at his lipstick smeared mouth and
feel slightly sick as Amber gives an indignant huff.
    Matt pushes his arm. “Go back to what you were doing mate.
You’re fucking drunk.”
    “I am not,” he slurs and then tries again. “Fuck I am. I’m
fucking wasted.” He looks at me morosely. “Where’ve you been Alys? Get off with
any men down there?”
    “Bram, fucking stop it,” Matt declares but Bram ignores him.
    “I mean I was only down there for a bit and there were men
eying you up all over the dance floor. Why aren’t you with anyone Alys? Are you
like an ice queen or something?”
    Amber laughs and I flush. I’m completely bewildered as to
where this slight aggression is coming from but I’m getting angry too. I stare
at him. “I’m not an ice queen Bram, just a bit discerning.”
    He leans forward nearly dumping Amber onto the floor who
saves herself by grabbing onto Mick’s arm. He promptly dislodges her with a
twist of his normally good humoured expression. “What does that mean? Am
I not discerning enough for you St Alys?”
    “Fuck off Bram. That’s uncalled for,” Mick says angrily.
    “Get fucked Mick. I mean look at her with her perfect hair
and her fucking perfect body. Why isn’t she with anyone?”
    Matt starts to pull me to my feet. “Come on babe. Time to
go.”
    Bram gestures angrily as Amber resumes sucking on his neck.
“What the fuck Matty? Why are you cross with me?”
    Matt sighs. “I hate it when you get like this.”
    Bram looks confused. “I’m always like this.”
    “No, you’re not Bram. This has been building lately. I know
you’re upset over stuff but this isn’t the way, getting fuck faced and banging
any old tart.” ‘Hey’ Amber says crossly but they ignore her. Matt continues,
looking sad. “Stop this now Bram before you damage something that could be the
making of you.”
    Bram stares at him his brow furrowed and opens his mouth but
he’s interrupted by Mabe’s exclamation. We all look at her to see her holding
Rob’s phone and staring at it dazedly.
    “What is it?” Viv asks sharply and Mabe holds it up. I get a
glimpse of some blonde with her breasts out under a text message before Charlie
gets to his feet and snatches the phone off her.
    “He cheated on you,” he roars staring at Mabe who makes calm down gestures at him.
    “Apparently so,” she says and before she can say anything
more Rob, with the worst timing known to man comes back to the table with an
armful of drinks and Charlie launches himself at him taking him down to the
ground in a flying rugby tackle.
    Conversation stops immediately as drinks fly everywhere and
I squeak as I get a pint of lager down the front of my dress, but then the men
roll into the table trading punches and we all scramble to get out of the way.
    In the melee I lose Matt’s hand and as Rob rolls into me he
catches my dress and I stagger as my feet go out from under me, falling to the
floor and just missing a pile of broken glass. I hear someone shout Alys and then Bram’s there his face white. He shoulders the men out of the way
giving Rob a vicious shove and then pulls me to my feet moving us quickly out
of the way. “Are you okay a thaisce ?” he mutters turning me to
face him. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
    I stare at him confused and in the background I see Amber
glaring at me. “I’m fine,” I mutter. “Just a