Chapter Eleven
Amelie
Fuck, ouch, shit! Everything still hurts. I’ve been putting a brave face on for the last couple of days whenever Elsie has been around, but I’m seriously regretting agreeing to go to this party she mentioned tonight.
I was always reluctant, but she wore me down over chick flicks, booze and comfort food.
Even after I agreed to go with her, I tried to get out of it by claiming I had nothing to wear, but that just made her damn perky face light up even more.
She loves nothing more than shopping and makeovers, and I just gave her the perfect opportunity to do both.
She knocks on my door and I carefully cross it to let her in.
The bruising around my neck has faded fast, but the ribs are still sore as hell.
Maybe I’ll just drink until I’m numb tonight.
Opening the door, I scowl when I see she’s chatting to Kalen.
He’s been camped out on the floor outside my room for days now, even though I have no intention of speaking to him.
I grab Elsie’s arm and yank her into my room, away from public enemy number one, even though the sudden action makes me wince.
“You’re still hurting,” Elsie says.
“I’m fine,” I wave her off but even that movement is stiff. “What were you doing talking to Kalen?” I accuse.
“He was asking for our dinner order. You know he’s the one that’s been sending the food up every day?”
“I guessed,” I snap. I don’t want to take anything off him, but I haven’t exactly been in a position to dance down to the dining hall for dinner. I throw myself down onto the bed and hiss in pain. Goddamn it.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this…”
“You’ve been nagging me for days, you can’t change your mind on me now,” I reply. Then I want to hit myself; a moment ago I was trying to get out of this stupid party, and here I am now begging her to take me. I hate being injured, it makes me a damn idiot.
“Well, can you at least take some painkillers?”
“Can’t,” I reply. “I plan to drink until the pain is gone. I don’t think painkillers and bourbon are a good match.”
Elsie eyes me skeptically, I’m sure our roles just got reversed. Usually she’d be sensible and I’d be all for mixing pills and booze. Like I said, being hurt makes me weird.
“So, you got anything for me to wear, or am I rocking sweats tonight?” The distraction tactic works and Elsie’s face lights up. She starts pulling options out of the bag I didn’t notice she was carrying, which clinks like a wino’s wheelie bin.
“Gimme the booze!” I demand. “Let’s get this party started.”
Elsie sighs and hands over the bottle of bourbon. She has some weird premixed cocktail shit that looks like radioactive piss, but she assures me is delicious. I use Susan – missed that bitch – to play some music, and I start to drink, while Elsie talks me through outfits and makeup looks.
I bail out for a shower after my first drink and I swear Elsie must think I’m masturbating with the noises I make while I’m in there. It just feels so damn good to wash my hair.
“Els?” I call over the noise of the shower.
“Yeah?”
“We’re gonna have to rethink the dress.”
“What?” She bursts through the door into the bathroom and stares at me with her hands on her hips. She looks ferocious as hell and I’m a little scared. She’s totally oblivious to my nakedness.
“I can’t shave my legs. I tried, but bending down just hurts too much,” I tell her with a wince.
“Finish up, and I’ll sort you out. I’ve just spent an hour matching the makeup I’m going to do on you to the style of the dress. I’m not letting a little thing like broken ribs and yeti legs stop me from making you fabulous!”
I laugh, shaking my head at her, and turn off the water.
While I wrap my towel around me and carefully climb out of the shower, Elsie gets to work filling the sink with hot water.
She grabs the shaving foam and razor, and orders me to sit on the closed toilet seat lid.
I do, and she kneels, taking one of my feet into her lap.
Carefully, she lathers the foam on my leg and then shaves it away.
It’s an oddly intimate gesture, and the sensations are just weird.
I’ve never had anyone else shave me before.
When she’s done, Elsie repeats the process again, this time using conditioner.
“What are you doing, Els?” I frown.
“It makes it super soft. You’ll see.”
“Thanks, but I don’t plan on having anyone between my legs tonight to test that theory out.” She snorts.
“Good. We’re friends, but I am not shaving your pussy for you!”
I smile at her words thinking about how much more relaxed around me she is now. Last term would she have used the word pussy? I’m not so sure. Certainly not back at the start of term.
When she’s done, I run my hand down one leg and am seriously impressed with her handy work. She finishes the other leg and I refill my drink, ready for the hours of primping and priming she will have planned for my hair and face.
By the time she’s done, my butt is numb. I’m starving, and more than a little tipsy. But—
“Damn, I missed you, bitch!” I tell her between hiccups as I study my reflection in the mirror.
Have to hand it to her, she knows her shit.
I look hot. My heart pangs a little when I think about which of the sexy Knox brothers I could have been taking to bed tonight, but I chase those thoughts away with the last of my bourbon. “Let’s go!”
“Shouldn’t we eat first?” Elsie suggests.
“Eat when you’re dead!” I cry, throwing my arms up in the air. Doesn’t even hurt. And I’m not even cold. Damn the alcohol works wonders. “There’ll be food at the party.”
Elsie shoots me an amused glance as we cross to the door, and I fling it open dramatically.
“See what you’re missing!” I cry at Kalen. Okay, so I might be a little bit tipsy and a tad over-confident. I blame Elsie. She supplied the booze and my fabulousness tonight.
Kalen’s jaw is hanging open and he looks...fuck he looks good. My tongue darts out to lick my lip and his gaze darkens as he follows the action. Oh, damn, I miss his body. And his monster cock.
He laughs.
“You said that out loud, Amelie,” Elsie points out with a rueful shake of her head.
“Sis, you can have my monster cock anytime you want,” he says as he steps closer to me and places his hands on my hips. My skin burns through the material where his heavy touch falls. “Just say the word.”
“Not your sister, Kalen.” I push him off and step around him, stumbling slightly but who cares. Linking my arm through Elsie’s, I look back over my shoulder as I drag her down the corridor and call to Kalen, “We’re off to party, and you’re not invited. Enjoy another night sitting on the floor!”
Elsie gives me a weird look, but I don’t question it. I let her drag me across campus to the tunnels where the Knox brothers once held a party.
“Hey,” I say, stumbling to a stop as we enter the winding maze down to the party bunker. “Who’s party is this anyway? I thought this was a Knox location.”
“It is.”
“And they just let other people use their space?” I pull a face. I can’t see stick-in-the-ass Onyx being okay with that.
“Nope.”
“...huh?” I don’t get it.
“It’s a Knox party, sis,” Kalen’s voice comes from behind me and I jump out of my skin.
“What the hell? Kalen you scared the shit out of me! What are you doing here? I said you weren’t invited. AndI’mnotyoursister,” I finish all in one breath as I glare at him. Did I say he wasn’t invited or did I just imply it? Whatever, he knows I don’t want anything to do with him anymore.
“Yeah, like I’m not going to be invited to my own brothers’ birthday party,” Kalen scoffs.
“What?” Eyes wide, I turn to Elsie.
“Don’t get mad…”
“Elsie…”
“It’s just, I knew you wouldn’t come and this is going to be the party of the year! So, I may have just let you think it was a New Year’s Eve party, when really it’s…”
“Onyx and Slate’s birthday party,” Kalen finishes with a grin.
Elsie looks guilty as sin. Ah fuck. I do not have a good track record for being at Knox parties.
If I’d known I wouldn’t have drank. Hell, Elsie’s right, I wouldn’t even have come.
But I’m here now. I actually feel good for the first time in days.
And...I don’t want to leave. I want to dance and have a good time.
That’s what I tell myself. Nothing to do with secretly wanting to see the Knox twins. Nope. I need a distraction.
“Is Baxter going to be here?” I ask.
“What? No,” Kalen cries in disbelief.
“You both want me to go to this party?” I ask them. They both nod hopefully. “Get Baxter here.”
“Amelie—” Kalen groans.
“Those are my terms. You get Baxter here and you leave me alone for the night.”
There’s a silent standoff between us, but Kalen gives in with a deflated sigh.
“Fine.” He pulls out his phone to text someone and I grin in triumph.
“Good boy,” I snigger, patting his head like a dog on the way past. “Elsie, you have some serious making up to do!”
“I’m so sorry—”
“Stop!” I cry, holding up my hand. “Just get me another drink and we’ll call it even.”
Elsie was right. It is the party of the year.
Kalen disappears into the crowd, and I feel myself relax.
I can do this. I can have a good time with my bestie, without a Knox boy around.
Together we grab drinks and hit the dance floor, moving to the pounding bass like we haven’t a care in the world.
There’s more people here than I’ve seen on campus since returning, but I guess I have been holed up in bed for most of that.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if everyone here is a student.
It’s easy to tell which ones are: they’re giving me the skank-eye.
No one dares approach me though and I wonder if it’s due to Baxter’s warning or the fact that this is a Knox party.