Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

RILEY

“I feel ridiculous, Lu. I’d rather just wear my jeans and a t-shirt,” I complained, tugging at the hem of the short black dress to cover my knees.

The dress was cute, with a sweetheart neckline and a hem that barely grazed my thighs.

We were at Luc’s house, getting ready for the party. Andrew was supposed to pick us up at seven.

“Are you serious? You look amazing. I don’t get why you always hide in those baggy clothes.” She made me sit down in front of the mirror.

After an hour of hair and makeup, she finally let me go. I opened my eyes and gasped.

The girl in the mirror looked different, but in a good way. My hair was curled at the ends, giving it a playful bounce.

She’d given me a smoky eye effect, paired with a soft, nude lipstick that looked subtle and beautiful.

I couldn’t believe it. I actually looked pretty. I wondered why I never made this effort before.

~Because I have no clue how to do it.~

~That’s why.~

“Do you like it?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. I stood up and did a small twirl.

“Yeah, I look good, but I don’t think I’m brave enough to go to a party like this,” I admitted, my voice shaky.

“Babe, there will be girls dressed way more revealing than us at the party. We’re going to be the most modestly dressed people there. And tonight, we’re going to find you a hot guy,” she finished with a wink.

My eyes widened. “No way. I didn’t sign up for this, Lu.”

“Oh, hush and trust me. It’s going to be fun,” she squealed, pulling me downstairs.

Around seven-fifteen, Lucy got a text from Andrew saying he was waiting outside. We quickly gathered our things and headed out for the party.

We said a quick goodbye to her parents and rushed outside to find Andrew waiting by his car, engrossed in his phone.

“Woah, baby. Look at you!” Andrew whistled when he looked up from his phone and saw Lucy stepping outside.

She blushed. She was wearing a red sheath dress that complemented her olive skin tone. She was effortlessly beautiful, unlike me.

They started making out right there, while I shook my head and climbed into the car, already feeling like a third wheel.

“Guys, come on. Save some for the party,” I shouted. They pulled back from each other. He started to laugh and walked to the other side of the car after letting her go.

“I almost didn’t recognize you, Riley. I guess my girlfriend worked her magic on you,” he said as soon as we were all inside his car.

“Yeah, this was all her. She’s the one to blame,” I pouted, leaning back in my seat and sighing loudly.

“You look really pretty, Riley. The guys are in for a surprise.” He smiled at me in the rearview mirror and I shook my head, groaning loudly.

The party was already in full swing when we arrived. We could hear the music and shouting even before we reached the house.

Drunk guys were making out with random girls on the lawn, and empty plastic cups were scattered everywhere.

Lucy was right. The girls were barely dressed. We were actually more covered up than them, and I felt a little more comfortable as I got out of the car.

We walked past the sweaty bodies dancing in the living room. It seemed like our entire school was inside the house.

“Alright, ladies. Wait here, I’ll go get us something to drink. Don’t drink anything else, okay?” Andrew shouted over the blaring music.

We both nodded in understanding.

“No alcohol for me, Andrew,” I shouted back, but Lucy nudged me.

“Just one drink, Ri. It won’t hurt.” She smirked and whispered something in his ear before he left to get our drinks. I eyed her suspiciously.

“Why do I get the feeling that I’m going to regret coming to this party?”

“Live a little, babe. So tell me, how’s the tutoring going? Is Tristan bothering you again?” she asked, concern etched on her face.

“No, he’s actually being pretty decent, which is surprising.” I paused, thinking about yesterday, and a small smile crept over my face.

I told her everything that had happened yesterday, and she covered her mouth with her hands.

“Oh my God! Ri, I think he likes you.” She jumped up in excitement.

“Don’t start this again. I’m just glad that we can have a conversation now without fighting,” I sighed, folding my arms in front of my chest.

“Which will soon turn into something more.” She grinned widely and I shook my head at her overactive imagination.

“Here you go, ladies.” Andrew came back with our drinks and I took mine from his hands.

“I’m gonna go say hi to some of my teammates. I’ll be right back, babe,” he kissed her cheek and disappeared into the crowd while we sipped our drinks.

It burned my throat, and my eyes welled up with tears.

“Jesus Christ, what the hell is this?” I coughed, trying to figure out what was left in my cup.

“Oh my God, don’t turn around, but Tristan is here,” Lucy paused, swallowing hard, “And he’s looking at us.”

I froze.

~Shit! Why am I surprised?~

Of course, he would be here. The entire school is here.

“Fuck, what if he sees me like this?” I started to panic, looking down at my dress.

Lucy gave me a puzzled look.

“So what? Are you shy?” She wiggled her eyebrows, and I scoffed in response.

She was right. So what? I was just a teenager having fun at a party, like everyone else.

~I don’t care if he’s here.~

“Is he still looking at us?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“Ummm… yeah, but he looks confused or something,” she replied, tapping her foot to the music.

“He’s not going to acknowledge me at this party, not in front of his friends. This is all a big secret,” I grumbled, annoyed at the thought of him being embarrassed to be seen with me.

I drained my cup in one go and exhaled deeply.

“Remember, he’s still a jerk. Forget him. Let’s go dance, Ri.”

Lucy tugged me toward the dance floor, and I groaned inwardly. This party was already a bore, and my social energy was running on empty.

As we moved toward the center of the room, I spotted Tristan, surrounded by his friends and a few girls vying for his attention.

His eyes widened when he saw me. I swallowed hard, unsure whether to smile at him or not.

I quickly averted my gaze and started moving to the music. Lucy danced like she was the only one in the room.

She was good at it, while I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, clueless about dancing.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find one of my classmates grinning at me.

It was Tyler Whittman, from the football team.

“You’re Riley Adams, right?” he asked. I furrowed my brows in confusion.

I’d seen him hanging out with Tristan and his crew a few times, but I had no idea why he was talking to me now.

Tristan had promised me that his friends wouldn’t bother me anymore.

That was our damn deal.

“Yes. What do you want?” I asked, my teeth clenched. Over his shoulder, I saw Tristan glaring at me.

~What the hell, dude?~

~I’m supposed to be mad at you.~

“I’ve been watching you for a while, and I thought I’d come and say hi,” Tyler replied, flashing me a wide smile.

His directness took me by surprise.

He was a good-looking guy, with a well-built body and a mop of curly, jet-black hair that kept falling into his brown eyes. He kept pushing it away.

He was kind of cute.

But not cuter than Tristan.

“Umm... hi.” I gave him a nervous smile, tucking my hair behind my ears. I wasn’t expecting this, and I had no idea what to say.

“Can I get you a drink?” he asked, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

I glanced back to see Lucy now dancing with Andrew.

“Umm... I’m good. Thanks,” I said, aware of the dangers of accepting drinks from strangers at a party like this.

“You look really pretty, by the way.” He smiled, and I couldn’t help but blush. This was all new to me, but I tried to play it cool.

“Thanks, I guess.”

“Come on, let’s dance at least.” He grabbed my waist, catching me off guard, and we started moving to the music.

Lucy gave me a wink and a thumbs up, but honestly, I just felt uncomfortable.

I barely knew this guy, and his hands were on my waist. It didn’t feel nearly as good as it had with Tristan.

~There I go, thinking about him again.~

“Hey Tyler, Scarlett is calling you,” a familiar deep voice said from behind us.

Tyler released me immediately with a heavy sigh, and I felt instant relief.

“I’ll be right back, baby.” He winked and walked away, making me cringe inwardly. I saw Tristan staring at me with an intense look, but I was too shy to meet his gaze.

“Upstairs. Now.” That was all he said before walking away.

I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or someone behind me.

There were plenty of rooms upstairs, and I had no idea where he was or why he wanted to see me. But I felt safer with him than with the random football guys downstairs.

Suddenly, I was yanked into a room, causing me to squeal in surprise, but I calmed down immediately when I saw the devil himself.

Tristan shut the door and pushed me against it, trapping me between his arms.

~Holy shit!~

My panties were practically soaked as he breathed heavily in front of me. I could smell his aftershave, mixed with his musky cologne, and it was driving me wild.

~Is it weird that I’m turned on right now?~

I knew it was Tristan-freaking-Harris, but my mind was a bit fuzzy from the drink I’d had.

I bit my lip, staring at his perfectly chiseled face. I wanted to touch his jaw, to run my fingers through his hair and—

I stopped myself before my thoughts could go any further.

~Yup, I was right. I’m definitely going to regret coming to this party.~

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked in that deep, husky voice. It wasn’t helping me control my already-aroused self.

“Huh?” I stammered.

“Dressed like that. Do you want guys to stare at you, or fuck you in that little dress you’re wearing?” he asked, his tone angry.

I frowned. “Why the hell do you care what I wear?” I shot back.

He continued to grind his teeth. He looked like he was barely holding himself back. I could see the veins on his neck bulging.

“You have no idea about the dirty thoughts that run through their minds,” he said, looking down at my dress.

I was actually enjoying seeing this side of him. “Wh-What dirty thoughts?” I asked, batting my eyelashes, feeling a bit braver.

He flicked his gaze up to meet my eyes. “Fuck, are you drunk?” he asked, licking his lips.

I was going crazy. I wanted to kiss him so badly.

~Jesus, I’ve never been this attracted to a guy before.~

“Just one drink,” I whispered.

He let out a soft sigh. “Why did you come to this party? I know this isn’t your scene,” he asked.

I smiled, touched that he knew me so well. “How do you know I don’t like parties?”

“I’ve known you since seventh grade, and I’ve never seen you at any parties. I also know that you would never wear a dress like this,” he explained, looking straight into my eyes.

“Downstairs, there are girls wearing way less than me. You don’t seem to have a problem with them,” I said, avoiding his eyes.

“But they’re not you,” he murmured. His thumb brushed against my lips, and a wave of pleasure washed over me.

My heart was pounding in my chest like a wild drum.

~Oh God. What’s going on between us?~

“You’re so fucking beautiful.”

And then, Tristan’s lips were on mine.