Chapter 49: Pool Party

~“I want you when the sun goes low, your body warmth wants me close. You say you’re always by my side, ‘till my blood runs dry. And I know that I won’t be the same without you, don’t let this moment slip away. I’ll take you for a drive. Kiss me on the corner with your hand in mine.”—Glades.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Drive” by Glades.

HARMONY

“Did you pack everything?” April asks, watching me sling my backpack over my shoulder.

“I think so.” I adjust the straps as she picks up her duffel bag from the floor.

Saturday has arrived in a blink, and we’re getting ready for the pool party at Elviston’s Resort.

Since my only swimsuit is a one-piece with ~Sailor Moon~ on the front that I’ve had since I was fifteen, April kindly bought me a new burgundy set with matching shorts.

After an hour of persuading me to accept her gift, I finally did.

“Guys, the boys are ready!” Yuna announces, entering our dorm room with Tia.

I can’t help but admire how great they look. Yuna’s large straw hat covers her hair, and her yellow bathing suit peeks out from under her tiny beach shorts.

Tia’s wearing a similar outfit, but her swimsuit is black, and she’s chosen white mesh pants to wear over it.

They seem so comfortable in their own skin, and I wish I had that kind of confidence.

Feeling self-conscious about the cleavage of my new swimsuit, I pull on my ‘I LOVE SLEEP & FOOD’ T-shirt over it, deciding that I ~might~ take it off when we get to the party.

“How much is the entrance fee?” I ask April, who’s adjusting the strap of her pink bathing suit.

“No need to worry about that, Kite’s covering everyone’s cost,” Tia says with a grin.

I raise an eyebrow. “Everyone?”

Yuna giggles. “Yeah, his parents are loaded.” She rubs her thumb and fingers together to illustrate her point.

~That doesn’t surprise me. His house was huge.~

“But why didn’t he just have the party at his house?” I ask, pulling my bag’s drawstrings tight.

“His parents are home all weekend, so he had to change the location,” Tia explains.

“Oh.”

“Alright, let’s get going.”

We leave the dorm room and head out to the parking lot.

It’s a perfect day for a pool party. The sun is shining brightly, and a cool breeze is blowing.

I brush my hair out of my face, wishing I’d put it up in a ponytail. The wind keeps blowing it into my eyes.

My heart does a little flip when I see Blaze, and I slow down to take in the sight of him.

He’s leaning against his car, deep in conversation with James and oblivious to my stare.

We’ve spent the whole week together, and since neither of us had class on Tuesday, we spent the day watching movies in his dorm room.

I feel like we’ve grown a lot closer, and it’s an amazing feeling, especially now that he’s started to open up to me.

His muscular build is evident beneath his white T-shirt, and his natural curls peek out from under the black cap he’s wearing backward.

He reaches up to adjust his cap, causing his T-shirt to ride up slightly and reveal a small tattoo on his waist.

“Someone’s staring,” April whispers, bringing me back to reality. I can feel my cheeks heating up.

“I-I wasn’t.”

“Sure.” She chuckles, and I can’t help but feel embarrassed.

“Damn, April. You look hot,” James says, biting his lip as he looks her up and down.

She rolls her eyes. “Shut up, James.”

“Good morning.” Blaze greets me with a smile that takes my breath away. ~How am I still breathing?~

“Hey.” I wave shyly, then mentally kick myself. ~Why am I still so awkward around him?~

Yuna and Tia exchange knowing smiles after witnessing our shy greeting.

“So, who’s riding with whom?” April asks. “I’m driving, so Yuna and Tia, you can ride with me. James, did you bring your car?”

“No, I left it at my parents’ place. So I guess I’m riding with you, babe.” He tries to put his arm around her, but she steps away.

“Okay, well, Harmony, you can ride with—”

“Harmony’s riding with me,” Blaze interrupts, taking my hand in his.

My heart does a somersault in my chest, but I try to act cool. He did say once that he can tell how fast someone’s heart is beating just by holding their hand, right?

“Oh, um...” April stammers, clearly thrown off by Blaze’s unexpected gesture. “I guess that’s settled then.”

James gives Blaze a cheeky grin, clearly still amused by the memory of walking in on us.

While he and the girls pile into April’s red Jeep, Blaze opens the passenger door of his car for me.

“Thank you.” I slide into the seat, stowing my bag in the back and fastening my seatbelt as he gets in on the driver’s side.

“Thanks for giving me a ride.”

“No need to thank me, green eyes.” He starts the engine, and with one hand on the steering wheel and the other snapping his seatbelt into place, he pulls out of the Homewood parking lot.

The windows are sealed tight, and the heat outside is intense. But inside the car, the air conditioning is cranked up, circulating a cool breeze that carries his subtle, sweet scent.

I’m starting to regret my choice of skimpy shorts. The chill is getting to me, and goosebumps are popping up on my tanned legs. I rub my hands over my thighs, and Blaze’s gaze flickers to the movement.

“You cold?”

“A bit.”

“Sorry about that.” He reaches over to the controls and dials down the air conditioning. “Better now?”

I nod. “Yeah, thanks.”

“What kind of music do you want?”

“Anything’s fine.”

His eyes dart between the road and the dashboard as he presses a few buttons and turns a dial. The song “Drive” by Glades fills the car as he settles back into his seat.

“You don’t usually go for these kinds of parties, but you’re dressed like you’re ready to turn heads,” he observes. His eyes drop to my legs for a quick moment before he looks away.

“April got me a swimsuit, so…”

“You look good,” he says, and I swear, he’s...~blushing~?

“Thanks.” I give him a small smile.

“Still cold?”

“A bit.”

He reaches over and takes my hand, his palm warm against my cold skin.

“Your hands are freezing,” he chuckles, his thumb tracing over my knuckles. “Cold and tiny.”

The goosebumps multiply, but it’s not from the cold anymore. It’s because Blaze is touching me.

Despite the humidity outside, warmth floods my face and pools between my legs.

The intense sexual tension from that night we watched the erotic scene together comes rushing back, and I press my thighs together. I don’t know what’s happening to me.

He lifts my hand to his cheek, his eyes still on the road. “Better now?”

“Y-yeah…”

I’ve never wanted anyone like this before. But Blaze has a way of igniting something inside me.

He kisses my hand and rests our entwined fingers in his lap. I can’t help but wish this car ride would never end.

Being here with him, holding his hand, feels so much better than any pool party.

***

The party is in full swing when we pull up. Blaze steers into the parking lot of Elviston’s Resort, and I scan the area for April’s car.

The lot is packed with unfamiliar vehicles. Since we left Homewood before they did, they probably haven’t arrived yet.

Blaze finds a spot and parks. We grab our bags and get out, and he locks the car with a press of a button on his key.

The resort is massive, and I can’t help but wonder how much Kite spent to rent this place.

I could never justify spending that kind of money on a party when I could use it to buy a whole series of books and still have enough left over for some manga comics.

We walk down a long aisle flanked by stone walls. The ground vibrates with the beat of the music as we get closer to the party.

I stick close to Blaze as he rounds a corner, and the sight that greets us makes my skin crawl.

The place is packed. Shirtless guys in trunks are everywhere, and the girls are wearing next to nothing.

Insecurity gnaws at my stomach, and I rub my arm uncomfortably.

Blaze notices my discomfort and takes my hand. “You okay?”

I nod and manage a weak smile. “Yeah.”

“Yo! Blaze-motherfucking-Xander!” A skinny guy in a red hat, shirtless and in shorts, saunters over, waving his party cup around.

Blaze smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “What’s up?” He lets go of my hand to fist-bump the guy. “This place is packed.”

“Sure is.” The guy’s gaze shifts to me, and I look away, hoping he won’t try to talk to me.

“New sex buddy?” he whispers to Blaze, and I frown.

“What? Fuck, no,” Blaze hisses, and the guy grins as he takes a sip from his cup.

“Can I have her then?”

“Dude, fuck off.” Blaze’s brow furrows in annoyance. He grabs my hand and leads me away from the creepy guy, who’s now ogling my legs as we walk away.

As Blaze guides me toward the hotel building, I notice a group of girls on the deck, whispering and pointing in our direction. My stomach churns. ~Are they talking about me?~

“Do they all think I’m your...~sex buddy~?” I ask quietly as we climb a long flight of stairs.

“Don’t worry about them. We both know you’re not,” he replies.

He’s right. I’m tempted to ask him what we are, but I know better. He needs to figure out his feelings on his own. Pushing him won’t make it real.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Did Kite tell you your room number?”

“No.”

“We can change in my room, okay?”

I nod.

The hotel room is even more impressive than the exterior of the building. The king-sized bed is covered in maroon Egyptian sheets, and matching curtains hang over the large windows.

Every piece of furniture looks expensive and spotless. This room must cost a fortune.

“This is nice.” I smile to myself, then turn around to see Blaze pulling his shirt over his head. His toned body comes into view, and I quickly turn away and start changing to avoid staring.

I pull off my shirt. The beachwear covers my stomach, but the shorts leave a lot of my legs exposed. That’s where I carry most of my weight.

My insecurity threatens to resurface, but I push it down, hoping it’ll stay buried for the rest of the day.

My hair falls loose around my shoulders as I decide I’m ready to go. I spin around to find Blaze’s gaze fixed on me, intense and unwavering.

“What?” I ask, self-consciously rubbing my arm.

His cheeks color slightly as he shakes his head. “Nothing...”

~Do I look that bad? This is why I hate swimsuits.~

I frown, “Maybe I should just wear my T-shirt.”

I reach for the shirt, but Blaze steps forward, wrapping his hand around my wrist to stop me.

“No...why would you?”

I look up into his deep blue eyes, noticing his pupils are dilated.

“Because I look weird,” I mumble, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

His gaze is serious, but intense. “You don’t. You look sexy.”

I blush, unsure of how to respond.

“Thanks...so do you.”

~God! Really, Harmony?~

He grins. “~So do you? ~I’m barely wearing anything. Are you talking about my chest?”

I blush even deeper. “No. I-I meant...”

He laughs, a deep, rich sound. “I’m just messing with you, Harmony.”

I drop my gaze, feeling embarrassed.

“You’re too cute. Come on, let’s go.” He doesn’t let go of my wrist as he leads me out the door.

As we rejoin the party, I take in my surroundings. The girls here might as well be naked; they’re practically baring it all.

There’s a DJ booth set up a safe distance from the pool, and everyone is either dancing on the sidelines, in the pool, or in the hot tubs.

Disco lights illuminate the party. I spot a couple making out in the pool and can’t help but grimace.

Blaze notices and chuckles. “You really don’t like these parties, do you?”

I shake my head. “No. I really don’t.”

He smiles. “Well, do you want us to—”

“Blaze!” A voice interrupts him, and we both turn to see where it’s coming from.

A brunette is waving at us, her breasts bouncing as she practically skips over. Her swimsuit is so skimpy I can almost see everything. I could never wear something like that; I don’t have the courage.

“Can you tie my bathing suit? It keeps coming undone,” she says, turning her back to us.

Blaze sighs and lets go of my hand to tie the strings of her yellow swimsuit. I cross my arms, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.

Once he’s done, she spins around and plants a quick kiss on his cheek. I frown. “Thank you, baby. I’ve been waiting for you all day.” She pouts.

I glance up at Blaze. ~Who is this girl?~ I want to ask, but I don’t feel like I have the right to since I’m not his girlfriend.

“Waiting for me? For what?” he asks, sounding uninterested, but his response confirms he knows her.

“Can we talk?” she asks, chewing gum. I hate gum chewing, which only adds to my dislike for her.

“I’m busy, Amber.”

“Come on, please?” She bats her fake eyelashes, and I feel my stomach churn. ~She looks like a bird, honestly.~

Blaze looks away from her, and she frowns. “Come on, Blaze, don’t be mean. I haven’t seen you since the last time we fucked at your—”

“Okay, okay,” he interrupts, as if trying to stop her from saying more, but I’ve already heard. ~They had sex, oh God.~ “We’ll talk, okay? Just stop running your mouth like a pigeon.”

He looks at me, and I stand there, feeling awkward and hurt.

“I’ll be back, okay, Harmony? Just stay right here.”

I nod, feeling like a child being told to stay put while her mom runs to the ATM.

As he walks away with the girl, whose ass is barely covered, I let my guard down and allow my disappointment to show.

I really shouldn’t have come here. I should probably catch a bus back to Homewood and wait until they get back.

Feeling small and out of place, I turn to leave when I bump into a shirtless, muscular chest.

“Watch where you’re going, pretty girl.”

I look up, and my face relaxes. “Kite?”

He smiles, and suddenly I don’t feel as awkward anymore. It’s good to see a familiar face.

“Hey.” I smile. “I was wondering where you were.”

“Yeah, I saw you when you arrived with Blaze, but I didn’t want to intrude so I waited until that half-naked girl took him away.”

~He saw that? ~I suddenly feel so embarrassed.

“Don’t worry about that. Blaze is popular at Jaxton too, so the girls have been dying to see him all day.”

~I think those words were intended to make me feel better, but they make me feel far worse.~

I try to change the subject. “You have a whole party here.”

He wraps his arm around my neck, and the subtle scent of apple body wash hits me. He smells good.

“Let me introduce you to my friends.”

I’m not usually one for socializing, but it’s better than standing around waiting for Blaze when I have no idea when he’ll be back.

We make our way over to a group gathered at the edge of the pool.

“Guys, guys! This is Harmony,” Kite introduces.

The group, made up of three guys and two girls, smiles and nods at me.

“That’s Isaac, Kendal, Rose, Hannah—and you know Dustin.”

I smile as Dustin grins and waves at me.

“Where’s April and everyone?” Kite asks, furrowing his brow.

“They’ll be here soon, I guess,” I tell him.

“You’re Blaze’s girl, right?” the redhead, who Kite had introduced as Rose, asks.

“Nope, not me.”

“Really? I saw you two come in together and just assumed. Blaze doesn’t usually hang out with girls unless they’re Yuna or Tia. And rumor has it he’s already slept with both of them.”

“Rose.” Kite’s voice is a warning, and she quickly clamps her mouth shut.

~Blaze slept with Yuna and Tia? That’s a disturbing thought. I hope it’s not true.~

“Rose isn’t wrong, Kite,” Hannah, a girl with caramel skin and curly black hair, chimes in. “If April wasn’t his cousin, he’d probably have slept with her too.”

“That’s gross!” Dustin grimaces as he takes a swig of his beer.

“Everyone knows Blaze is a player. But you can’t really blame him.” She shrugs. “He’s pretty good in bed.”

Isaac, a blond-haired boy, laughs as he crosses his arms over his bare chest. “Sounds like you’ve had some experience.”

“Sure have. We hooked up once in junior year. We went to the same high school, you know.”

I can’t help but stare at her, my mouth hanging open, as she casually spills the beans. Suddenly, I feel sick to my stomach.

Hearing about Blaze’s sexual escapades with other girls is more than I can handle, even though I know most of it is because he can’t ~love~ anyone.

I know that, but I’d rather not hear about it right now, especially after seeing him leave with that scantily clad girl.

“When you sleep with him, Harmony, you should be on top,” she advises. “He likes girls who can take charge.”

“Really, Hannah?” Kite shakes his head at her, and she just shrugs, clueless.

“What? What’d I do?”

“I...I need to go...,” I mumble.

Kite gives me a sympathetic look as I walk away. Then his lips tighten into a hard line as he glares at his friends. “I’m never introducing you jerks to anyone ever again.”