Chapter 1 #2
There are chandeliers in every room, their glass ornaments shining rainbow reflections on parts of the ceiling that make the room look somewhat ethereal despite being on its way to fully trashed from the partygoers.
The floors are gleaming white tiles, catching even more of the light and making the entire home so much brighter than I originally thought.
Every inch of space in this mansion screams money.
I drop my eyes down to my outfit. Ripped jeans, a baggy band t-shirt, and a pair of ratty Converse.
I think there’s a hole in my right sole but I refuse to check because I’m never getting rid of these shoes.
Kortez is dressed a little better than me, since he recently had to buy new clothes from his latest growth spurt – at nineteen fucking years old – but clearly neither of us belong here.
Even still, no one gives us an odd look as I make my way over to the table, grab some cups, and begin to look out over the different bottles of alcohol they have set out.
“What do you want to drink?” I have to raise my voice to get Kor to hear me with the music being so loud.
He grimaces as he looks at all of the different bottles, “I don’t know. I’ve never drank before.”
Well, shit. Neither have I. Shrugging, I pick up two of the bottles and drag them closer, preparing to pour them into my cup.
As I’m working the top off the second bottle, a scarred hand lands on mine, stopping my movements. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Kortez wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me away from the stranger and into his chest. The moment I look up, I realize why.
Kortez is attracted to darkness but scared of it all the same. The man in front of us is all darkness.
Dark, wavy hair hangs around his face, framing his sharp jaw where another pale scar sits on the right side leading up to his ear.
He’s a few inches taller than Kortez, who already stands a good half foot taller than me.
Obsidian eyes are narrowed as they meet my own.
I let my gaze travel down, not feeling the same fear Kortez is, and take in the tattoos he has on his arms. My eyes latch on the center piece of his forearm.
A snake sits with its body wrapped around a dagger, fangs dripping with venom.
On his other arm, there’s a crest of some kind with the letter V in the middle. A family crest maybe?
The man in front of me clears his throat, bringing my eyes back up to his just as a blush springs to my cheeks. Fuck, I hate being so pale.
Nodding my head, I motion toward the alcohol. “Why wouldn’t you do that? Do you not drink?”
The man laughs, the sound deep and sending fire straight through my veins. Fire that only continues to build as I realize that Kortez still has his arms wrapped around my waist.
“I drink – just not a clear liquor and a dark mixed together. It’ll fuck you up and you’ll have a killer hangover in the morning. Especially if you’ve never drank before.”
His eyes flit down my body before coming back up and I don’t think I’m imagining the look of appreciation there.
It’s not often a look like that is directed at me.
My hair is blonde and so curly it’s almost wild, and I have more hips and stomach than most people would deem acceptable. He doesn’t seem to mind, though.
“Who says we haven’t drank?”
The man – God, I need to figure out his name – chuckles as he leans down, putting his face directly in front of mine. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you’ve ever drank anything stronger than orange juice, Reginetta.”
Oh, sweet baby Jesus, he speaks another language.
I feel Kortez push me back and I turn to see him stepping between me and the mystery man. “Listen, you need to back up. Thanks for your advice, but we don’t know you.”
I put my hand on his arm, “Kor, I think he was just trying to be nice.”
Kortez scoffs but the man tilts his head in agreement. “I wasn’t trying to overstep. I just saw you looking a little confused and –“
His phone begins to ring, stopping whatever he was going to say next. He slides it out of his pocket and immediately answers it, not even looking at the screen to see who it is first.
“Hello?...Yes, sir. I’ll be right there.”
He ends the call and slides the phone back in his pocket, shooting me a small, apologetic smile. “So sorry, beautiful, gotta run.”
He steps forward, pushing Kortez out of the way without a second thought before reaching for my hand. He pulls a marker from his pocket and writes something down on my palm.
“Lovely to meet you.” He turns toward a fuming Kortez and smirks, “You, too.”
Without another word, he turns and walks through the crowd of people, easily pushing his way through them until they swallow his body whole and hide him from view.
Kortez grabs my hand, his fingertips pressing a little too hard into my skin as he looks at the writing and rolls his eyes. “I don’t like him, Evie.”
I pull my hand from Kortez’s grasp and look down at the black scribbles. It’s a phone number along with a single word. No, a name.
Atlas.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I let my hand drop to the side and look back out at the crowd to see if I can catch one last glimpse of the man who just turned my night upside-down. “I know you don’t.”
Because you’re scared of the dark, Kor. But I crave it.