17. Everest
I line up my next shot and pocket the ball with ease, making Harden smirk as he watches me line up another.
It doesn’t matter how many I pot, we both know he will still wipe the floor with me.
Behind all that dark and moody quietness is a beast simmering beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed.
His words from the locker room the other day are still running fresh in my mind.
I thought we had to stay away from her so why does it matter? Why does it matter indeed?
I’m not stupid, not when it comes to her.
I saw the look in their eyes when they first saw her, the same one mirrored in my own.
It might not have meant the same as it did back then, but it has altered and deepened over the years, from friendship to more.
Yet still I blame them, and for what? Wanting the same things I do?
For coveting her, for protecting her, loving her, and where I once gave thanks, now I punish them for it?
I know it’s fucked up, but everything is when it comes to her.
The party is still raging upstairs but we took our leave down here early, opting for a more chill night of drinking and playing pool.
I’m not sure where Griffin is, I haven’t seen him since the party started, which is probably a good thing.
There is still a tension simmering between us, and no matter how normal we have tried to act with one another, it’s still there.
Especially when he watches me come home in the morning after sleeping at Aurora’s.
He knows where I’ve been without me having to say it, and even after a night of near perfect sleep at her side, it doesn’t make me feel better.
I don’t think she’s coming tonight, she doesn’t have a lot of friends on campus yet, and the ones she does have are sitting in the corner, with her notably absent.
I know I should have done the decent thing and invited her, but a lion should never willingly invite a lamb into its den.
Not when he now knows what that lamb tastes like.
I play a couple of games of pool, Harden winning both, and as he breaks the balls for our third, I hear a familiar squeal.
“Aubree.” An excited cry rings out. “There you are!” My eyes snap straight to the staircase where Aurora is hanging off Griffin, his arms wrapped around her waist, and fury burns inside of me.
“He really has a fucking death wish,” I curse, tossing down my cue, but then Harden is there in an instant, blocking my way.
My eyes don’t move from her, but still I feel his hands bracing against me. He’s touching me. He’s touching me to defend her , to protect him , and some of my anger suddenly subsides.
He waits until I am no longer pushing against him before he signs.
Come on, Ever, look at her. My eyes flick from her to him and back again, she is smiling and waving at her friend, her eyes bright and happy, nothing like she has been recently, and I sigh.
When I look back at Harden he is staring at me knowingly. Just let her have some fun for once.
I grunt in response, picking my cue back up and taking my shot, my eyes never leaving her.
Which means I watch as Griffin takes her to chat with her friend, his eyes flicking in my direction tensely, before focusing back on her.
Then after a few minutes he wrangles her over to the pool table like a circus keeper trying to control his craziest animal.
It isn’t until they get close that I understand why.
“There’s my boys,” she yells happily when she sees us, pushing away from Griffin and throwing her hands around my neck. “My grumpy one,” she claims, looking at me longingly, before turning to Harden and booping his nose. “And my sweet one.”
Harden doesn’t even flinch beneath her touch, just smiles at her tipsy form. There’s nothing sweet about me, Aurora . He signs, no doubt trying to deter her flirting, but it only makes her bite her lip in response, making my dick twitch, as memories of her mouth rush to the front of my mind.
“Hey, what does that make me?” Griffin asks, leaning against the pool table, then snapping his hand out to catch her around the waist again, as she stumbles back toward him from my hold.
“My daring one,” she sighs, before completely checking him out too, and I groan inwardly.
“Is she drunk?” I ask him, and Griff nods in confirmation, as she airs her denial.
“Pfft, I am not drunk,” she claims, frowning, as I pull out my phone and pass it to Harden.
“Order her some pizza,” I order him, and he nods, taking it from me, as her face once again lights up.
Pizza has always been the way to her heart.
“Oh my gosh yes, I love pizza! Everest, you’re the best,” she smiles, throwing herself back toward me and hugging me tightly like she used to do when we were kids.
In an instant it steals all the anger from my soul, and I wrap my arms around her and flick my stare to Griffin.
He is still watching me tensely, watching her, no doubt waiting for my outburst, but instead I just offer him the tip of my head in understanding.
He was just taking care of her, like I’ve always asked of him and I can’t grumble at him for that.
I mean, I can, but I won’t, not right now at least.
When she releases me, I reluctantly pass her back to Griffin, much to his surprise, but still he takes her and wraps her in his arms once more, as I attempt to go back to my game with Harden.
Even without the distraction of her, I’d never beat him, but with her here, it’s completely impossible.
He beats me better than he ever has before, and smiles while doing it, especially with Aurora cheering him on from the sidelines.
“Harden, you’re playing with me next,” she tells him, and I note the way his eyes darken at her words, before he rolls his shoulders and nods.
Once we’re done, he sets up another game at her request, and only now does the prick learn how to lose, letting her win by a fucking landslide.
I glare at the cheating dick, but he only shrugs, rejoicing in her drunken happiness, as she beats him three times in a row.
Then the pizza arrives and after getting it, Griffin shifts some people from one of the sofas and we plonk her down, surrounding her while she destroys some carbs.
Some of the basement has emptied out a little now, but my focus, like the guys, is still only on her.
In a red dress, black stockings, and pizza sauce staining her lips, she looks so fucking tempting, and my mind flashes back to the beginning of the week.
The sight of her on her knees, swallowing my cock, will be burned into my brain for eternity.
She eats and chats animatedly, all three of us hanging on her every word, and it feels just like old times, before I became a coward and pushed her away.
Now I’ve dragged her back in kicking and screaming, except it isn’t just me and her, they’re here too.
Griffin is teasing her endlessly, catching pepperoni in his mouth that she gladly tosses his way, and Harden, though he tries to hide it, is just as captivated by her.
It’s clear as day they both want her, and I know she would be better off with either one of them.
There would be no drama, no family fallout, and I know she’d be happy.
Except now I know what she tastes like, what her lips look like wrapped around my cock, and well, I’m just too fucking selfish to give that up.
We stay lost in our own little bubble, just like we used to, until the party starts to die down, and though she’s sobered up a little since she ate, she still looks ready to drop. Pushing out of my seat, I move until I am in front of her, dipping down and gripping her hands in mind.
“Come on princess, time to go home,” I tell her firmly, pulling her to her feet, before turning to the guys.
“Throw everyone out now,” I tell them, and Harden nods, moving instantly, whereas Griffin glares at me, and I can tell he wants to say something, but he bites his tongue, rising to his feet with a nod.
“Goodnight, my boys,” Aurora sighs, watching them with a smile, as I guide her toward the stairs, before throwing her arms around my shoulders.
My whole body reacts to her touch, and I grind my jaw as she lets me lead her back up to the main floor of the house.
She bids goodbye to everyone we pass, as the guys follow behind us, getting everyone ready to leave, but as they disappear out onto the back deck, she shoves me away with a giggle and makes a beeline for the stairs.
She races up them, pushing past people as she goes with a laugh, and I have no choice but to follow.
By the time I reach her she is laying in the middle of my bed giggling to herself, with her dress riding dangerously high around her thighs.
Note to self, Aurora Gray is a pain in the ass when drunk.
When I enter, she flicks her sultry eyes in my direction, as she dares to ask, “How many girls have you fucked in here?” She eyes me expectantly, rolling onto her side and bending one of her arms so she can lean on her hand, and my dick fully awakens in my jeans.
“More than you want to know,” I tell her truthfully. “Turns out trying to fuck you out of my system was harder than I thought,” I add, shutting my bedroom door behind me and leaning against it.
“Did it work?” she breathes, as we both hear the music cut out downstairs, and I push off the door and stroll toward her.
I don’t respond, not until I reach the edge of my bed, trailing my eyes over every inch of her, before I grip her knees, forcing her onto her back and spreading her legs to accommodate me.
“Not even a little bit,” I grunt, trailing my fingers up along her tights, before I dip beneath the skirt of her dress and reach the top.
Without a word she lifts her hips, letting me pull them down until I can take them and her shoes off completely.
I’m playing a dangerous game, but I can’t stop.