Chapter 2
KELSEY
Jessie picked me up at nine on the dot in her brand new BMW.
I can only assume her family is rich. Not only does she drive luxury vehicles, but she also wears the finest clothing.
She has a Versace bathing suit that I envy, but when I looked it up, it was almost five hundred dollars!
Maybe I should ask what her parents do for a living and change my college path to whatever that is.
Hell, my car is a vintage Toyota Camry that is hanging on by a thread.
It sounds like coins tumbling in a dryer every time I start her up.
After blaring our favorite songs by Three Days Grace for the past twenty minutes, we finally pull into a mile-long driveway. “This is your house?” My eyes widen as we pull up to a two-story palace.
“Yep!”
This is what I imagine celebrities live in.
Solar lights wrap the building, casting a warm glow across the Victorian brick walls.
She drives us around the side of the house to park off in the grass area.
From here, I can see an outdoor concrete patio and fire pit with shade sail canopies and a massive pool with a waterfall further back. Her house is incredible.
Cars line the driveway and are parked all over the yard.
The music is loud enough to be heard outside of the house, or maybe they’re playing it out by the pool, too.
Regardless, the place is booming. I wasn’t aware of the pool, so I didn’t plan for that.
Hopefully, Jessie has a swimsuit I can borrow if she plans on getting in.
“Who all is here?” I had a feeling this party would have many more attendees than the little bonfire, but this seems excessive.
My palms sweat thinking about being in a crowd like this.
Maybe I should have invited him to at least give me something else to worry about instead. I have terrible social anxiety.
“Most of these people are my brother’s friends. They all race in Hickory some days through the week.” She answers.
“Oh. I thought it was just freshmen.” I look at her, confused. “Do they all race?”
“I invited everyone to celebrate the end of the year, and most of them do.”
Jessie’s expressed how big of an ass her brother is, so for him to have this many friends is hard to believe. I mean, the place is loaded with people. She mentioned racing, so is he into NASCAR? I mean, North Carolina is known for NASCAR, and I know of plenty of celebrity racers that reside here.
Considering Jessie and I have only recently met at college orientation, we don’t know too much about each other.
Thinking back on past conversations, I’m certain she knows more about my upbringing than I know of hers.
Now that I think about it, she’s only given clipped responses when I’ve tried delving deeper into her life.
I’m nosey, so I can’t help but ask questions.
Jessie opens her door, stepping out. “Comin’?
” She asks, leaning her head inside the car, waiting for me.
I open my door and slide out of the seat.
My legs feel a little shaky, and I want to run in the opposite direction to avoid all of this.
Instead, I meet Jessie at the back of the car, and together we make our way to the front of the house to go inside.
My phone vibrates with a text, and I pull it out from my back pocket. The screen is blindingly bright, so I dim the light so I don’t have to squint one eye. Reading the text, I bite back a grin, but I fail and only succeed in cutting my lip on my tooth. Hissing at the sting.
“Uh, who’s got you smiling like that? Is it your secret lover?” Jessie asks, nudging my shoulder and bouncing her eyebrows. She doesn’t even try to hide that she’s snooping to see his name.
“Ooo, what does R stand for?”
“Quit being nosey!” I tilt my phone away from her, and she starts naming off R names.
R:
I’m bored. Come over and entertain me.
“Ryan. Riley. Rhett. The options are endless.” She huffs, annoyed I won’t tell her his name yet.
I know she knows him; hell, he was at her last get-together.
But if I tell her, then she’ll probably unload everything she knows about him onto me.
Is it bad that I would rather learn about him on my own? You can’t believe every rumor you hear.
I can’t tonight.
As much as I want to, I can’t abandon Jess like that. I promised to be here, so that’s what I’m going to do. He will just have to wait for another time.
R:
What if I didn’t give you a choice?
My mouth dries instantly as I read his response, and heat pools between my thighs.
It’s clear he has one form of entertainment on his mind, and I shouldn’t be surprised.
He doesn’t know that I’m a virgin. What twenty-year-old woman is?
By now, most of my peers have already slept with at least two or three people.
I click the button at the top of my phone, turning it off, and place it back in my pocket.
I’ll text back later, just not sure what to say right now.
I can’t say I wouldn’t like it if he did take me kicking and screaming.
I’ve fantasized about that. I need a guy who takes control of me. Dominate me.
“Yo! Jess and Kels! What’s up, ladies?” Zach jogs up to us, alcohol and weed seep from his pores.
I could go for a good joint right about now.
It would help with this crippling anxiety.
Luckily, I came prepared with my own. He wedges himself between Jessie and me and drapes an arm over each of our shoulders.
We know Zach from school, and we’ve always kept our distance.
He’s overly flirty and gives us the ick.
Jessie and I pass a silent conversation between our eyes and simultaneously dip from under his arms, running straight up the sidewalk to the front door.
“Hey, where ya goin’?” He shouts behind us with his arms held wide in a What the fuck? Kind of way.
Jessie holds the door open for me with one arm, and I follow in behind her.
I take in our surroundings, noticing a wooden staircase that leads to a dark hallway.
The only light down here is from the LED lights flashing in tune with the music playing from the huge speakers.
Red Solo cups litter the decorative tables, counters, and the floor along with beer cans.
Jessie leads us into the kitchen, where a guy is making and handing out drinks.
He looks like every girl’s dream. The exposed skin I’m able to see is covered in tattoos, stopping at his sharp jawline.
Wavy, dark blonde hair falls over his forehead, and he flicks his head up to sweep it out of his eyes.
The girls ahead of us take their drinks, and we step up to order ours.
“Whoa, I’m gonna need to see some ID,” He says jokingly with a sexy smirk.
“Oh, shut up, Hayden. You’re in my house at my party,” Jessie folds her arms over her chest and lifts an eyebrow at him. “I can just kick you out as far as I’m concerned. I’ll take a Crown and Sprite, or will I have to make it myself?”
“Yikes, Jess came in feisty tonight, aye?” He chuckles and begins pouring her drink.
“I’ll take the same, or do you need that I.D?” I ask, looking up at him through my lashes and biting my lip.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll do whatever you want, baby.” He winks, handing over my order, and I give a soft thank you. Satisfied with our drinks, we turn, and I wait to see what Jessie has in plan for the night.
There’s more people than I thought would be here. I scan the crowd for Caleb, but I don’t see him. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, though. “Is Caleb here?” I shout.
“He’s around here somewhere, probably already found him some desperate pussy.
” My lip curls in disgust. Men will fuck anything that walks, especially college guys, and some girls will literally give it up like it’s nothing.
I’m no saint, but fucking anyone who wants it would be stupid.
I don’t need anything unwanted growing and fermenting in my pussy.
We see some friends from college on the patio, circled around the fire, and make our way over to them.
“Hey guys!” Jessie calls out, cupping her mouth for a megaphone effect.
“Hey, Jessie! Hey Kelsey!” Haylee yells back.
I recognize three of them as Mike, Allison, and Tristan.
Allison is sitting on some guy’s lap, but I don’t recognize him.
Tristan’s smoking a joint and passes it to Mike.
I step closer to the fire, warming my hands.
It doesn’t matter how hot it is outside, I’m always cold.
“Y’all want a hit before I finish it off?
” Mike asks while holding the joint up towards us.
Jessi pinches it between her fingers, bringing it to her lips and exhaling a cloud of smoke.
She passes it to me, and I fill my lungs with the wonderful herb.
I blow the smoke out slowly before coughing.
That’s good stuff. My eyes water, and I wish I had another drink.
I finished mine in the short walk getting to the patio.
Between coughs, I say, “I’m—getting a drink. Want one?”
Jessie playfully smacks my back, laughing, “Yeah, another of what I had.” I nod, because apparently I can’t speak through coughing.
Entering the mansion through the back door, I make my way into the kitchen to find Hayden.
He’s attractive. He’s tall and muscular, but not bulky.
I can see a tattoo of wings that wrap around his throat, but his white button-up conceals his arms. That dark blonde hair and blue eyes probably have all the girls at his feet.
“Hey,” I say nervously.
“Hey, babe. Come back for me so soon?” That sexy smile graces his handsome face, showing off his perfect, straight, white teeth. I think the alcohol and weed are affecting me, because my body wants me to take him up on that unspoken offer. I don’t show that, though. Instead, I roll my eyes.
“No, but I do need a refill.” I shake my cup of ice at him, and he takes it.
“Crown and Sprite, right?”
“Mhm, and one for Jessie.” I shift from foot to foot as I feel the wave of alcohol and weed hit me. It’s been awhile since I’ve had alcohol, so it’s hitting my system hard. I should’ve eaten something before coming here to help with that.
Holding out the two drinks, I take them, but he doesn’t let go. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.” He winks at me, finally releasing his grip on the drinks.
I linger by the pool for a moment, feeling eyes on me, but I chalk it up to paranoia. I’m at a party with at least a hundred people; of course, somebody here is looking at me.