Chapter 17 #2
Alex grabs my wrist in her hand and places it around her waist like we are starting a conga line, as we head downstairs.
When I get to the landing of the stairs and look out over the living room, I lean into Alex and whisper, “Alex, you are so dead.”
“You know, you might not be wrong… but thankfully you’re a cleaning lady, right?”
I pinch her ass, causing her to squeal and twist away as we join the crowd that not only fills the living room and porch but a lot of the yard as well.
The first hour or so goes surprisingly easy.
I chat with a bunch of the people I have come to know over the last month or so.
Ricky, who I normally refer to as “Band Boy” because I can never remember his name, fills me in on his upcoming tour and we make plans to meet up for dinner when he performs in Boston this fall.
I slide up to Alex once the liquor starts to hit and gossip with the girls that surround her for a while.
Conversation flows and I am impressed and proud of myself for how far I’ve come when it comes to social events.
I spent a whole year at a city college and yet all it took was a month in the northern Maine woods for me to really start to learn how to come out of my shell.
Alex’s playlist is the perfect mix of country, pop, and some great catchy bops from our middle school days.
As soon as on of my favorite songs comes on, I can’t help but get my hips moving just as Alex grabs my arms and pulls me into the middle of the living room, which has been turned into an unofficial dance floor.
I close my eyes and move to the music, fully letting go and enjoying the warm bliss that is filling my veins. It feels so good to just not care, to smile with my best friend, to feel sexy and free. Letting myself live in the moment, it’s intoxicating.
Strong hands find my hips, and without looking back, I allow my body to make contact with the mystery person.
The man pushes himself into my lower back as I slide against him.
I am immediately turned on by the thought of being wanted, and I pull my hair to one side giving access to my neck.
At first, hot breath moistens my skin and then I feel the wetness of a tongue that grazes just below my ear. I turn, locking eyes with Nick.
There is a moment, maybe just a half a moment of pause. Am I disappointed? Did I think it was Hux? I refuse to answer those rapid-fire internal questions. It doesn’t matter. It isn’t Hux. Hux and I aren’t together. I was vulnerable, I opened myself up, and he pushed me away.
Nick smiles, that gorgeous confident smile, and my brain shuts off. I let my body take over again, spinning in his arms so I am facing him, my arms draped around his neck.
“Hi,” he whispers, his lips so close to mine that I can’t help but lick my own.
“Hi, yourself.” I grin, pressing my body even harder against his.
He unashamedly peers down at my cleavage, which looks even more impressive from being pushed upward by his own chest against mine. Then he moves his eyes back to mine.
“This dress is dangerous, you know?”
“Oh yeah?” I whisper. A seductiveness I didn’t even know I had bubbles up, helped by the drinks I’ve consumed.
“I’m thinking it might look even sexier on the floor if we get it off you.”
My cheeks heat, and though I am definitely turned on, an ounce of anxiety creeps in. I blush, breaking eye contact and looking down to the floor.
Just then, a tray of Jell-O shots pass by and Nick snags two of them, handing one to me.
“Cheers to a good night?” He holds the shot toward me, and we tap them together before gulping down the hideously blue gelatin that actually kind of tastes horrible.
As soon as I lower my head back down toward his, I am met with his warm, wet mouth on mine.
I freeze for a second, acknowledging to myself that his are not the lips I crave.
I quickly stuff that thought down deep into the pit of my stomach.
What the hell, right? Keep living , I think to myself, as I open my mouth and invite him in.
Our kiss is chaotic and a bit sloppy, and I also feel myself moving past the buzzed phase and into a territory I probably shouldn’t be in.
At this moment, I don’t care. I let Nick explore my mouth with his tongue while his hands explore my ass.
He lightly bites down on my bottom lip, causing me to giggle and pull back for a moment.
And that’s when I see him across the room.
Standing against the back wall, a red Solo cup to his lips, eyes cutting through me like a knife. All my giggles disappear and I take a step back.
“Hey, you okay?” Nick lightly touches my pale feeling face.
Hux crushes his cup, throwing it to the side. He stalks out of the room, without glancing back.
“Um, yeah… yeah! I’m fine, I just need a little air.” I try plastering a fake smile on my face as I swallow hard, my hands involuntarily shaking at my sides. My whole body is going into fight-or-flight mode, and I fear a panic attack is only moments away.
“I’m going to step outside for just a minute, you keep dancing!” I am already starting to dodge sweaty bodies gyrating to the music, music that’s started to make my head pound.
“I’ll grab us another drink and meet you out there!” Nick calls, but I am already at the door. All I know is I need to get out of this house. To find Hux? I’m not sure, but I need to get out of this room.
The cold night air hits me as soon as I step out into the yard, instantly turning my sweat into cold beads of water that make me shiver.
A large group of guys are standing around the keg to my right, but I go unnoticed standing against the house in the shadows.
I really don’t think I’ll ever get used to how dark it gets up here.
I try to calm my breathing and organize my thoughts. Why am I still so affected by Hux, and better yet, why does he seem so bothered by my actions? He’s made it clear he doesn’t want me for anything other than a hookup, yet he looked like he could murder someone as he watched Nick and me.
And then there he is.
Hux walks over to the group of guys around the keg, his dirty-blond hair disheveled as if he, or someone else— Don’t even go there, Everly —has been tugging on the ends. I recognize his buddy Kenny in the group, who slaps him on the shoulder as he approaches.
“You all right, man?” he asks when he gets a look at Hux’s stone-cold expression.
“Fine.”
“Your face says otherwise. You look like you just got into it with someone.”
At that moment, Hux turns his face to the side, peering over his shoulder and staring in my direction. I’m almost positive he can’t see me, but a shiver runs down my spine, and this time, it’s not because of the temperature.
“Nah, I’m sick of these immature parties.
Sure as hell isn’t anybody in there worth my time.
” He seethes while still looking into the darkness I am occupying.
I see the corners of his mouth move upward in a slight grin, but the anger is still in his eyes as he laughs with his buddies.
Tears sting my eyes once again and I back quietly to the door.
Right before I can open it and slip back inside, hopefully unnoticed, Nick stumbles outside with a happy and definitely drunk smile on his face. He holds two beers in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.
“There you are, babe! When you said you needed air, I didn’t know if that meant air because you’re going to puke or air because it’s so fucking hot in there, so I brought you a beer or water just to be safe.” He laughs while holding up the options.
Without saying a word, I take a beer from his hand and suck down a hard pull.
My cover is blown, and the keg crew has gone quiet, other than a few whispers and snickers as they watch Nick and me.
But as the beer flows down my throat, my hurt turns to anger, and in an instant, I’m back to not giving a damn what Hux Anderson thinks.
After all, no one here is important enough for his time.
“I’m ready to get out of here. Did you say your parents are away for the night?
” Never in my life have I ever been this forward or even this drunk, so my insides cringe a little bit.
Even though I want to gag at my own behavior, it doesn’t stop me from making sure I say it plenty loud enough for a certain group to hear.
“Why, yes, they are. Are you thinking of a nightcap at my house?” Nick then lowers his voice, leaning into my ear. “Finish what we started on the dance floor?”
I link my arm in his. “Lead the way.”
“Sure thing.” He nods to a few of his friends playing beer pong on the back deck and leads me down to the dock. “I brought the boat. It’s a lot faster than driving.”
Even in my impaired condition, I know we probably shouldn’t be driving a bike, let alone a boat, but all I desperately want is to get away from this party and away from Hux’s glare that has been seared into my mind.
My feet stumble on the dock, but somehow Nick keeps us upright. When we reach his boat, Nick jumps in first and takes a moment to catch his balance. Then he puts his hand out to me. I extend my arm and almost make contact when my body is violently ripped backward into what feels like a brick wall.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” It’s a growl I have never heard from Hux, no matter how mad I’ve seen him this summer. “Are you fucking out of your mind? You’re going to get into a power boat in the middle of the night with this drunk asshat? Are you looking to fucking die?”
I whip around so fast that Hux’s head snaps back. “What does it matter to you?” I scream. “No one here matters to you, remember? I’m not a concern of yours; you’ve made that clear. So what do you care?” I push my fists into his chest as tears run down my face.
“I sure as hell am not going to watch you and this jackass kill yourselves out of pure stupidity. I thought you were a lot fucking smarter than this, Everly. Do you know how fucking dangerous the lake is at night, and you were going to drive out into it drunk?”
“Just leave me alone, Hux! I don’t know what you want from me, but I am tired of this back and forth. Just go back to your friends and Ashlee, and let me be!” I push him one more time, swaying a bit but steadying myself as I dart off the dock onto the small rocky beach.
“What the fuck, bro.” I hear Nick yell as the sound of keys jingling is followed by a splash.
“You’ve been coming here since you were a kid, Nick, you know the story, don’t fuck with me. When your dad gets home, have him stop by the bar and I’ll gladly give him the money for a new set of his keys. ”
“You think you’re so superior, don’t you? King Anderson, like we should all bow down to you just because you’re pissed you had to come back and try to save your washed-up family resort.” Hux has now turned his back to Nick, walking away and leaving him standing in the middle of his boat shouting.
“Funny thing is, if it weren’t for you and your fucked-up brother, she’d still be alive, and your parents livelihood wouldn’t have tanked.”
At that moment, my blood runs cold. I don’t know who he is referring to, but I know an unspoken town secret has been exposed. Hux immediately stops. His hands clutched into tight fists.
I’m running to him before I even realize it. I reach him just as he turns to head back to Nick, grabbing his wrist. He glances back at me; anger lights his face, but sadness takes over his eyes.
“Please don’t,” I whisper.
The world around me goes still; not one person moves, and all I can hear is a ringing in my ears.
Finally, Hux takes a deep breath, his chest still heaving as he closes his eyes.
I see the pain and trauma he relives in the way he holds them shut.
When he opens them, he looks from me and then back to Nick, staring him down.
“I don’t want to see you on Anderson property ever again.” The words coming out of his mouth like venom.
Turning, he walks past me, and I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was still holding as I look up to the sky.
The stars are on full display, peaceful and sparkly.
A shooting star dances across the sky, just like on the first night I was under these stars with Hux.
At this moment, it feels like this might be the last time for us, maybe our shooting star, our moment of magic has fallen, but then I hear it, low and hoarse, but I hear it.
“You coming?”