Stepping into the glittering house, I felt my nerves tug at me again.
What was I doing here?
I was surrounded by elegantly dressed people, each adorned with expensive jewels and brilliant white smiles and a snobbish air of superiority, their eyes following me and the navy dress trailing behind me.
The dress Mrs. Thompson lent to me made me seem like one of them, but I was, so far from being like them. I wasn't eloquent like them, I didn't have their natural manners, heck, I could barely distinguish between the right utensils to use at the dinner table.
"Alice."
I breathed a sigh as I turned in the house I knew so well, facing the well-dressed Mrs. Thompson.
"Hi," I smiled shyly as she pulled me into a tight hug, smoothing down my hair in a motherly manner, in which I melted in, reveling in the gentle touch I rarely received.
"Thank you for coming dear, we heard that you were tutoring Ryder, and of course we had to have you come," she pulled away and her eyes drifted up and down my appearance, her polite smile growing into a genuine grin, "and I see that the dress fits you perfectly!"
I flushed, "Thank you for sending the dress, it's lovely."
She nodded and pointed in a vague direction to the kitchen, "I think Ryder is in the kitchen if you're looking for him."
I returned her smile politely, excusing myself from her presence, walking to the kitchen, feeling out of place, which was ridiculous, I knew this place like the back of my hand, why was I so uncomfortable here now?
This was different from Ryder's parties- this was his parents, this was their party. These were important people, I couldn't be embarrassing, I couldn't be anything less than the expectations set by Ryder's parents.
I swallowed nervously and stepped into the crowded kitchen.
The kitchen was full of wonderfully dressed young women and men, all beautiful and radiant with youth. They seemed flushed with the consumption of the alcohol, apparent with the few opened liquor bottles around the room.
These red-faced teenagers did not compare to Eros.
He stood away from everyone, but somehow still surrounded by people, fingers encapsulated in silver, grasping a crystal glass with a dark liquid sloshing in it. He leaned against the marble countertop, lifting the glass to his lips, pulling on the dark fabric of his completely black suit that fitted him perfectly, making his tall figure seem even more prominent.
Eros lazily caught my eye and the frown that was etched temporarily on his face curled up into a small, almost non-existent smile, his eyes widening ever so slightly at the sight of me. "I was waiting for someone tolerable to show up," he mentioned, his voice carrying across the room, long strides reaching me quickly.
I shyly looked up at him, "And here I was looking for a familiar face."
He rolled his eyes at my statement, his hand firmly pushing me to the exit of the kitchen, "C'mon, let's find Ryder."
I sunk into Eros' warm touch, almost sad when his hand would briefly leave the small of my back to shake hands with people that he introduced me to, people he had met last year, people that swooned over him just as the kids at school did too.
A tan-skinned boy approached Eros and I after I had been introduced to the girl that was hopelessly in love with Ryder. He dipped his head in acknowledgment to Eros before asking for my hand, lifting it to his lips, placing a overly-puckered kiss on it.
The grip on my back tightened.
"Henry Davidson, how lovely to see you," drawled Eros in a less than happy tone, dark eyes narrowing at the appearance of the tall boy.
"Hello Eros," greeted Henry, before his head nodded toward me, "are you not going to introduce me into this wonderfully attractive young lady?"
Eros' dark blonde eyebrow raised, "This is Alice Black, she was a childhood friend of Ryder, and recently became his personal tutor."
I shifted in Eros' grasp, uncomfortable, to be frank, that all this manly attention was on meâ I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.
Henry grinned mischievously down at me, "Well Alice Black, I certainly intend on having a lot of fun with you."
A coldness spread through me with the absence of Eros' hand, "I'm going to get a drink," he stated bluntly, pivoting on his heel, heading straight for the kitchen where they had the hard liquor, none of this champagne the butters were serving.
I watched in despair as Eros abandoned me, I didn't know anyone and he just thought this was the best time to leave me with some random dude?
"Alice Black."
My head turned to look up at Henry, pale skin stark against the navy of his suit. He too, like Eros, adorned his fingers with his rings, which I admit, I loved.
"Henry Davidson," I responded meekly.
His fingers tapped against the champagne flute and he beamed down at me, blinding me with his bright, white teeth. "Tell me about yourself." He demanded.
I scratched my head, cursing at myself because I probably ruined one of the curls Angelica took so much time at perfecting. It was moments like these I missed having her by my side.
"What do you want to know?"
He cocked his head at me, pink lips tuning into a smirk and he leaned down toward me. "Are you fucking Eros, Alice Black?"
I felt my cheeks flush, not with embarrassment, but with annoyance.
Why couldn't I just be (half) friends with a guy? Why did I always have to be fucking someone? Hell, I hadn't kissed anyone, much less lose my virginity!
"I am not fucking anyone Henry Davidson, what a rude question to ask."
He laughed lightly, leaning even closer to me, "I'd fuck you Alice Black."
Before I could tell him off, a hand curled around my waist and pulled me into a hard chest. "Henry, I think it's time you leave Alice alone."
Ryder stood over me, slightly protective and glared down on a sheepish Henry.
"I was just joking around Ryder, just trying to get to know this cutie," he winked at me, and, internally, I recoiled in disgust.
"This cutie," repeated Ryder, "is an innocent one at that, don't you go corrupting her," Ryder waggled his free hand at Henry.
"I'm fine, it's fine," I turned and assured Ryder, kind of embarrassed.
I was a big girl wasn't I? I could take care of myself.
Standing on my tippy toes, I pressed my lips against his cheek. "You look good bud," I murmured softly, fingers caressing a soft curl.
He looked down at me with love, "You'll be okay?"
Rolling my eyes I answered, "I'm a big girl Ryder, I can take care of myself!"
Ryder nodded, releasing me from his grasp, going off to talk to the girl Eros told me was in love with Ryder since forever, leaving me to talk to Henry, again.
I looked back at him, saw his lips quirk into a small smile. "I was just poking fun Alice," he started, "I truly am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."
Henry stepped forward and his hand lifted to tuck some hair behind my ear, "It is just that you are so God damn gorgeous, and if you'd let me, I'd take good care of you."
A soft ring resonated throughout the room, the music slowing and we all turned, the moment between Henry and I almost forgotten if he hadn't pulled me into his side, to look at Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, standing at the front of the room, Ryder standing off away from them slightly. Mrs. Thompson held the clear champagne glass and the knife precariously, and for a moment, I wondered how dangerous that was.
"Tonight we celebrate our families and the accomplishments we have achieved, and of course, our biggest pride and joy, our children," Mrs. Thompson gestured around the room, her black gloved hand seemingly intimidating. "I hope that you will join us in our annual first waltz," Mr. Thompson took her hand, leading her out onto the make-shift dance floor that was incorporated in the center of the room.
I stared at them, slightly dumbstruck, a waltz? Ryder never mentioned a flipping waltz! I watched Ryder led the girl that was in love with him to the dance floor and I stood there awkwardly- I was hoping he'd ask me to dance so I'd at least have a chance to not screw up.
"Alice?" Henry cleared his throat next to me, and I turned to look at him, scrutinizing his perfectly styled brown hair and his dark eyes that were fixated on me, "May I have this dance?"
My mouth was slightly agape, but I shut it quickly as a hand curled around my arm, pulling me into a body.
Henry's hand fell to his side and a different hand snaked around my waist. I looked up to see Eros, cooly eyeing Henry up and down, "Davidson. Alice is dancing with me, but I'm sure Fiona would love to dance with you," Eros thrusted his empty brandy glass into Henry's chest, Henry's hand closing around it as we took off to the dance floor.
"That was mean," I murmured softly.
"Do you know how to waltz?" He asked, one eyebrow raised, grip on the small of my back tight.
I shook my head sheepishly. "Ryder never mentioned a waltz," I said, delicately resting my hand on Eros' shoulder, placing my other hand in his.
Eros interlocked our fingers tightly, pulling me still closer to him, "Ryder annoyingly assumes that, like him, we are all raised with dance lessons and know how to waltz, I was clueless last year too."
The music, soft and slow started, and Eros stepped forward, to which I stumbled back, back pressing firmly into his hand, "It's not too difficult Alice," Eros said quietly, steadying me. "Just follow my lead."
I swallowed audibly and attempted to follow his lead, but I'm not quite sure if I was doing well or if he was just as bad as I was.
Probably the latter.
He spoke once more, in an eerily, sexy voice. "Look at me Alice."
Lifting my head from my feet, our eyes connected, and my breath caught. Eros was downright hot, I knew that, heck, everyone knew that. But as I danced with him and his sapphire eyes seemed to penetrate my soul, I never thought someone could be this God damn pretty.
"You don't know what you do to me Alice."
My ears perked, "What?"
The sapphire eyes darkened as if it were possible. "You don't know what I want to do to you."
I did a double take, "What?" I repeated.
Eros had to be drunk, he just had to be, there was no way in hell he'd be saying things like this to me if he weren't.
"Davidson was all over you like a fucking puppy and all I wanted to do was punch that stupid grin off his face."
My confusion dissipated and I regarded Eros with a cool expression, pursing my lips. "Violence is never the right way to go about things."
Eros chuckled, and this time, I was positive he was drunk, breath fanning over my reddened cheeks. "Oh I forgot," he teased, "Alice is the kindest girl on the block, wouldn't hurt anyone even if it bit her in the fucking ass."
"Eros," I whisper-yelled, lips curving downwards, "you make it sound like that's a bad thing."
His drunk self seemed to bring out the worst in him and he beamed down at me, "Miss. Goody Two Shoes, doesn't even know what life is like outside of her small town."
His eyes narrowed at me as he continued, "She lives in the town my mother lived in, the town that forgot my mother," he seemed thoughtful then, slowing our dance as he looked down upon me. "You know Alice," He began to laugh.
I found myself fearful of this dance we were having, his drunk words reminding me much of tones my father would use with Angelica and I. "Yes Eros?" I asked, silently praying that Eros' grip on my body would ease.
"I fucked around a lot in Virginia."
"Why doesn't that surprise me," I muttered under my breath, although, it kind of did. Anti-social Eros liked girls, and the girls liked him? It's a freaking revelation.
"But if you were in Virginia with me, I wouldn't have a reason to fuck around."
On cue with the rest of the couples, Eros spun me swiftly, and when I faced him again, our bodies clashed and he said in a soft, almost hurt voice, "What are you doing to me Alice Black?"
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bROO this chapter just tugged at my heart-strings :'(Â Â i can just feel my black heart meltinG.
ANYWAYS, FROM HERE ON OUT IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK IT JUST GETS SO GOOD, GOD I LOVE THIS BOOK.
i love you guys just as much.
vote and comment please my luvs
all my love.