Chapter 53

I’m perched at my vanity, the hum of my hairdryer filling the room, while Hannah stands behind me, her reflection in the mirror as she straightens her hair. Andy, Hannah, and I are all in our underwear, a typical prelude to a night out. The room is a sauna, thanks to the array of hot tools we’re using.

I’m the last one to finish drying my hair. Andy is on the floor, a mirror propped in front of her as she applies her makeup with intense concentration. She’s issued a stern warning: no talking until her eyeliner is perfect.

Music is blaring from my room when Sam swings the door open, Amy, Zara, Khloe, and Rachel trailing behind her. I catch sight of Knox behind them, his eyes widening at the sight of me in my underwear.

“Sam! Shut the door!” I snap. She glances back, sees why I’m upset, and quickly closes the door, shooting me an apologetic look. Knox’s room—technically a guest room, but he practically lives here—is right across from mine.

Sam and her friends enter, their makeup flawless, their hair styled to perfection. I’ve just finished drying my hair.

I brush it out and heat up the curling iron. While it warms up, I’ll start on my makeup.

“Al, can I do your makeup?” My sister pleads. She’s got a knack for it, so I hand her my bag and she surveys her tools.

She glances at my dress options and declares that I’ll be wearing the red bodycon dress that falls to the knee, with what she calls “angel hair” straps.

The dress dips low in the front, revealing a generous amount of cleavage. I give her a wary look.

“You can pull it off, sis! You’re a Thompson,” she winks, and starts on my makeup. Half an hour later, after a few pokes, groans, and curses from Sam, my makeup is done.

I open my eyes to inspect her work. “Wow! I look so different,” I marvel at the transformation.

Dark, smoky eyes, long false eyelashes that I usually only wear when someone else applies them, and expertly applied contour and highlighter give me a natural glow. She finishes the look with a peach lip gloss, perfect for a summery vibe. I was just going to do my everyday look with some brown eyeshadow.

“Let me see,” Andy calls from the floor, now curling her hair with the iron I’d been heating up.

“Woah! Alex, you look smokin’! I can’t wait to see you fully finished!” she exclaims, as proud as if she’d done the makeup herself.

I curl my own hair, creating soft waves that frame my face and add volume. I slip into my dress, strap on my nude heels, and smooth down my dress.

“Fuck, Alex! I’m not going to get any guys tonight thanks to you!” Zara cries. I roll my eyes at her as I tuck money into my clutch. Once we’re all ready, we snap a few photos and head downstairs.

The booming music from the kitchen signals that the boys have already started drinking. They’re rowdy. I tell the girls to go ahead while I adjust the strap on my heel.

As the girls enter the kitchen, the boys whistle and call out, “Well, it’s about damn time you decided to join us!”

I finish adjusting my strap, grab my clutch from the floor, and head for the door. I hear someone ask where I am. I step into the kitchen and announce, “Here,” raising my hand slightly.

The guys all stop talking and stare at me, their mouths hanging open. “Woah,” they say in unison. My three brothers, however, tell me to go change. I glare at them as their girlfriends slap them.

“You look hot as hell, Al!” Andy winks at me. I walk over to the table, ignoring the stares, and pour myself a drink.

“You guys are acting like you’ve never seen a girl before,” I tell them.

“Not as hot as you are right now, Alex... Ow!” James, Hannah’s brother, comments, looking me up and down in shock. I’m really uncomfortable right now. I hear him curse under his breath but ignore it.

The music gets louder and I take my drink, walking over to the girls at the counter. As I pass Andy, she smacks my butt, causing all the guys to turn and look at me. I glare at her.

I greet Ben with a kiss on the cheek. I see Tyson and Sam talking and try to listen, but I feel eyes on me. I look up to meet Wes’s eyes. He takes a sip of his drink and smirks at me. I smile back and look away.

Then I see it. A bowl of food on the table, calling my name. Food, glorious food. Who cares what they say?

I dart around the counter, drawing attention. It looks like I’m running for James.

He thinks so too, and puts his beer down on the table, readying himself for the side step I’m about to—oof—maybe not. I feel his lips on mine, kissing me.

He’s not a bad kisser at all. His hands grip my waist tighter, pulling me closer to him.

He pulls away and whispers “Finally” against my lips. I reach behind him, grab a handful of chips from the bowl, and pop one in my mouth.

“I was actually running for the food but... uh, thanks for the kiss,” I smile up at him.

“Ugh, are you kidding me!” James whines, and everyone starts to laugh at me, not him. “I thought you were running because you wanted me? You will kiss me later though!”

“No, she won’t,” I hear several voices behind me, but I don’t turn around to see who it was.

“Time to let her go,” the familiar voices behind me chime in. I close my eyes, savoring the crunch of the chips from the bowl, while he reluctantly releases his hold on my waist.

“Mmm, food,” I hear the girls giggling behind me. I turn, eyes still closed, and navigate towards the sound of their laughter before finally opening my eyes.

“You’ll kiss me later though, Alex! I know you will!” James calls out to my retreating figure.

I lift my free hand and wave dismissively over my shoulder. “Yeah, yeah!”

Some of us—well, I—down three shots of whiskey before we pile into the cabs we’ve ordered. Andy, Kyle, me, Hannah, Ben, and Knox squeeze into one cab, while the rest of our group is scattered among the others.

I find myself in the back seat next to Knox, who looks absolutely irresistible tonight. He’s wearing dark grey jeans, a white t-shirt, and black Vans.

We exchange furtive glances, and I can feel the effects of the drinks we had earlier. His hand rests on my thigh, dangerously close to ~that~ area, and I can feel a heat building within me.

This is why I don’t drink a lot—I get really horny. I sneak a glance at him, taking in his perfect jawline, his straight nose, the way the tan highlights his skin, and his piercing blue eyes focused on the window.

He turns to look at me, catching me in the act, and smirks. I need to keep my legs closed tonight, or so help me God.

I turn to Hannah, who’s holding a bottle of alcohol, and ask for a swig. She tosses it back to me and I take a gulp, all the while staring at Knox, who raises an eyebrow at me.

“No more, or you won’t get in,” he warns me. I cap the bottle, lean into him, and salute.

“Aye aye, Captain No-Fun,” I retort, earning a smile from him and a laugh from Hannah. He takes the bottle from me, takes a swig while maintaining eye contact, then hands it back to Hannah.

He leans in close and whispers, “That’s Captain Carter to you, baby doll.” He leans back in his seat, giving my thigh a quick squeeze.

We spend the rest of the ride to the club exchanging smiles and playful banter.

Upon arrival, I see Wes and give him a hug. We all make our way into the club, with me holding Hannah’s hand. The boys trail behind us, keeping a close eye to ensure we don’t trip over our own feet, while Andy and Kyle walk beside us.

Once inside, we’re greeted by the manager who escorts us to a private section upstairs, overlooking the dance floor.

The girls and I race to the bar for more shots—now that we’re in, we can let loose. That’s my plan for tonight.

The Weeknd is playing and my hips start to sway. Ben sings along with me, and I join in—Starboy is one of our favorite songs to sing together while cooking.

He twirls me around and I see Hannah watching him. I nudge him towards her, and he takes the hint, winking at me before leading her to the dance floor where they begin to grind.

His shocked but pleased expression makes me double over in laughter. I hand him a shot, which he gratefully accepts, before leading Hannah to a more secluded area where they can dance alone.

I’d set up a date for him earlier today—he’s taking her out on Monday. I can’t wait to hear their impressions of the date. They’re so cute together.

I join Andy, who’s watching the crowd below. We start to dance, goofing off and sipping our drinks.

We decide to explore the club, getting a feel for the different rooms. In the first room we enter, a group of guys wink at us. We stay put, and they make their way over to us.

“Hey! You’re Alex Thompson, right?”

I nod, sipping my drink through a straw.

“Can we take a picture with you?”

I laugh. “Sure, all of you?”

“Yeah, like a group photo? Would you mind?” He hands Andy his phone, and I find myself in the middle of a group shot, three guys on one side, two on the other, their hands wrapped around my waist.

Andy hands his phone back to him. “You’re even prettier in real life. And you’re really pretty too!” We thank him and chat for a bit. They’re really nice guys.

One of the guys’ eyes widen as he spots something behind me. “Woah! You’re Knox Carter! Nice to meet you. Can I get a picture with you and Alex?”

Knox nods, and one of his friends steps up to take the picture. But not before Knox says, “Move those hands a little higher, buddy,” to the guy whose hand is dangerously low on my back.

Once we’re done, Knox leads me and Andy down a hallway where we spot Kyle talking to a tall brunette who’s practically shoving her boobs in his face. My brother is so oblivious. Then he spots us and smiles.

Andy is glaring at the girl, who moves closer to Kyle, not before spotting Knox behind me. She smirks seductively at him, and Andy storms over. I hurry to keep up with her, with Knox hot on my heels.

People are queuing up for the restrooms behind Kyle. His eyes widen in realization just as the girl plants a kiss on his lips, causing Andy to freeze in her tracks.

Oh, shit.

Kyle pushes her away immediately. Was this girl trying to make Knox jealous? Or was she trying to give Andy a perfectly good reason to shatter the glass in her hand?

Kyle looks over at Andy, whose face is a mask of rage.

“Hands off my man, bitch! Get back to your fucking corner!”

“Your man? Really? You’re Knox Carter, right?” Andy gives her a once-over before turning on his heel and walking away. I motion for Kyle to follow her.

Knox and I are left standing in the hallway, watching our brothers retreat. Knox is unusually silent. I turn to look at him and my heart stutters to a halt.

She’s kissing him. And he’s not stopping her. They pull away, but I’m already out the door.

“Alex!” I hear him call, but I keep walking, heading back to the section where I was before, minus Andy, of course. As I pass by, people part like the Red Sea, mainly guys stepping back to stare.

Then someone grabs my arm. I whip my head around to see Knox. “Don’t touch me!” I snap, making his eyes widen.

I wrench my arm out of his grip and continue walking, leaving him speechless in my wake. My phone starts to buzz, so I open my clutch and see a message from Kyle and Andy.