Chapter 3
Kinsley
Chapter Three
The moment the car stopped, I scrambled out to take in the view. It was beyond what I expected. The lake sprawled out to my right, a long wooden pier reaching into it. I took in the still, dark water and the pine woods reflecting off it, and a shiver raced down my spine. For all its beauty, there was a darkness to it that had my stomach clenching. I turned back toward the house to find the front door already open. The guys had disappeared inside alongside our bags. I took the moment alone to orient myself to the new place. Combining stone and wood with huge windows, it managed to appear cozy instead of sterile. It was the type of place where I’d imagined myself when I was younger, curled up beside a fireplace with a book in my hands.
“Planning to spend your night out there?” Thomas’s voice called from the house, and I sneered.
“Wouldn’t you love that?” I grabbed the rest of my bags from the backseat and hurried up the long stairs that led to the middle of the porch. A low humming noise made me turn around, and I had to shield my eyes against the blinding sun to see a red dirt bike emerge from the forest. It didn’t stop until it reached the base of the stairs, its rider hidden under a bright red helmet that looked like Spider-Man’s mask.
The moment the helmet was gone, the stranger asked, “Are you moving in or just here for the summer?” I raised my eyebrows, and he brushed the straight, dark hair from his forehead. He jumped off his dirt bike and made his way up the stairs toward me.
“Sorry, but who are you?” I lifted a brow, dodging his question.
His skin was slightly sun kissed in a way that implied he’d been here for a while. He wore a dark gray Caltech hoodie, meaning one of two things: either he goes there, or he wants to, which put him in an age range between eighteen and twenty-two, roughly.
“Braxton Lee at your service.” He grinned as he reached me, and from this distance I could see the slight sunburn on his nose. “I’m the neighbor.”
I looked around with an incredulous face. I definitely didn’t see any other house around here. “Sure,” I answered, giving him one last suspicious look before I turned to leave.
“I’m having a party tonight,” he called after me. “The Lee parties are legendary around here.” I stopped just as he caught up with me, pushing his hands into his front pocket. “You should stop by if you want.”
Before I had the chance to answer, footsteps approached from inside the house, and we both turned our heads toward the front door.
“Kinsley, for fuck’s sake.” Thomas emerged from the house, stopping midmovement when he noticed the guy standing next to me. His eyebrows winced, which was the small sign of his annoyance. I was glad that for once it wasn’t directed at me. I moved around him, stepping toward the threshold.
“Rhodes?” Braxton broke the momentary silence, his voice cracking. I turned in time to see his eyes bugging out in surprise. “I haven’t seen you in forever, man.” He took a step closer, his arm outstretched.
“Lee,” Thomas’s answer came with a measured tone, shaking the other boy’s hand. I bit back the smile creeping up on my face, though I still enjoyed the simple sight of Thomas Rhodes, being entirely uncomfortable.
“I really thought you sold this place.” Braxton looked up at the house. “I was just telling—” He stopped and turned to me with a frown. “You didn’t tell me your name,” he said, and I tilted my head.
“I know.” I smiled, adjusting the bag on my shoulder as I turned toward the still-open front door. I was about to cross the threshold when a thought stopped me. “Where is your party exactly?” I turned back around.
“I’ll send the address over to you.” His grin returned, and I raised an eyebrow at him, curious. How did he plan to do that when he hadn’t even asked for my number? His look grew smug. I really hoped he wasn’t planning on asking Thomas, because then I could already say goodbye to the party.
I closed the door as Braxton struck up a conversation about following the big Josh Rhodes, owner of the Rhodes Architecture and Design firm, on social media and saw that Thomas was the hockey captain of our college team. I chuckled as I imagined the irritated face Thomas made at that comment.
I set my bags next to the entrance and looked around. The house was everything it promised from the outside—a comforting wooden design echoed through the open space, melding modern and rustic seamlessly. To my left stood the kitchen, a big island anchoring the space. To my right was the living room, with two couches, a TV, and a stone fireplace. My eyes widened as I took in the wall made entirely of glass. I walked closer to it, while trying to push down the desire to explore as much of this place as I could.
The glass wall looked out over another porch, though this one faced the forest behind the house instead of the lake. My eyes lingered on the darkness between the tree trunks. For a moment, it felt as though someone stared back at me from within. The front door closed with a big thump, and I jumped a little, the hairs rising on the back of my neck despite the sound breaking the odd sensation. I blew out a small breath to calm my nerves, and the moment my heart stopped pounding, I felt it.
Thomas’s eyes were on me from where he stood between the front door and the stairs. I held his gaze and we just stood there frozen in time, until footsteps echoed on the stairs.
“What took you so long?” Connor called, and I broke my gaze away from Thomas’s. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs next to his brother and looked back and forth between us. When neither of us offered an answer, he let out a sigh. “Gosh, I’m glad we got invited to that party, because I have no idea how else I would survive being stuck between four walls with you two.” He pulled out his phone.
“We got an invitation?” I asked, surprise filling my features.
He held his phone out to me, and the temptation was enough to have me crossing the space. I looked at the screen, my lips parting in surprise. A red pin, pointed to a location not far from where we were. Underneath it, a simple statement: You are officially invited to the party of the year.
Dramatic enough? My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see the same invitation Connor got, followed by a text.
Are you impressed?
I read the message from the unknown number before I typed back.
ME
I’m guessing you are already a student at Caltech.
Was it the hoodie that gave it away?
I snorted, putting the phone back in my pocket. I couldn’t decide if I was creeped out or amazed by Braxton Lee’s hacking skills.
“We are not going to the party,” Thomas cut in.
I turned away from Connor, toward the kitchen, where he was opening and closing the cabinet doors, his back to us.
“What do you mean we’re not going?” Connor asked, and I crossed my arms over my chest.
“I have other things to do,” he answered simply, leaning against the counter.
“You have other things to do? You said you wanted to come here to party.”
“I didn’t mean Lee’s party,” Thomas replied with a flat tone.
“What, you don’t like him?” I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice. I could count on one hand the number of people Thomas liked. He turned his gaze toward the ceiling, clearly irritated, and a smug smile formed on my lips before I readjusted my features.
“Come on, T,” Connor tried, elbowing me to follow his lead. “It’s summer, we are on vacation. This is our first night here.” With every word he said, Thomas looked less convinced. “At least let us borrow your car.” Thomas pushed himself away from the kitchen counter.
“You are being funny now,” he replied, grabbing his keys and walking toward the door. “I’m going to the market.”
“You are such a pain.” Connor grunted, storming up the stairs.
I studied Thomas for a moment before opening my mouth. “What is so important that you have to miss the alleged thing you came here to do?” I asked, and he froze as if he’d forgotten I was there.
He looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes fixating on me. “Don’t ask stupid questions, Kinsley.”
Goose bumps spread over my skin from the way he uttered my name. I tried to make sense of his words. Stupid questions? He was the one giving stupid answers. My question was logical.
He turned the doorknob but hesitated to open the door. “Be ready at nine,” he grumbled without turning. “Both of you.”