Chapter 54

Kyle

I’ve left with Andy! Have fun and pray for me xx

Andy

I WILL KILL THAT BITCH THE NEXT TIME I SEE HER FUCKING FACE.

Safe to say she’s pissed and he’s terrified. I approach the bartender and order two shots—one whiskey, one vodka. As I knock them back, I see Knox ascending the stairs, looking dazed.

He makes eye contact with me and I order another round of shots, breaking our staring contest. I glance around and see Wes whispering into the ear of some blonde girl.

Knox makes his way over to me and takes the stool next to mine. “I’ll have what she’s having,” he tells the bartender. I turn my body away from him, not wanting to look at him.

I flip my hair over my shoulder, continuing to ignore him.

Wait, I’m not jealous! Am I?

“I’ll have another round,” I tell the bartender, who’s making googly eyes at Knox. The blonde who was talking to Wes comes over to sit next to Knox.

“Hi, I’m Adrienne,” the pretty blonde says. I didn’t hear a reply from Knox, so I look up to see her hand outstretched towards me.

I glance up at Wes and Knox, who are trying to suppress their laughter. I reach for her hand and shake it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Alex.”

“I know. Wes has told me about you. You’re really pretty. The TV doesn’t do you justice.” Am I getting hit on by a girl? I already had one lesbian encounter today, I don’t need another.

“Uh... thanks? I think?”

“No problem! I love your dress. Where did you get it?” She gets off her seat to come around to me, her hand brushing my leg.

I look up to see Knox, his eyebrows raised, watching her hand. His lips are pressed together, as if he’s trying not to say something. Wes is mesmerized by her hand on me. This is awkward.

“Um, it’s my sister’s. I borrowed it for tonight.” I take the shot in my mouth but don’t swallow.

“It looks good on you. You’ve got a hot body.” Her fingers start to trail up my body, while the two boys beside us are practically hyperventilating. I swallow the shot, looking straight ahead and forcing a smile.

“Thanks. I’m sorry, I don’t know what this dipshit has told you, but I don’t swing that way. You’re really pretty, don’t get me wrong, but I’m strictly into... dicks.”

“Alex!” Wes and Knox exclaim in unison, making her laugh.

“It’s a shame, but I understand. Can I at least get a picture with you?” She asks, pulling her phone out of her bra. I take the other shot and stand up. She hands the phone to Knox, who looks shocked, to say the least.

We pose together and she hands me her card. “If you ever change your mind,” she whispers with a wink, before walking off with a thank you.

I stand there, gobsmacked that I got hit on by a girl. Not these two idiots, but me. Wait until I tell Andy about this.

“Can I get a whiskey on the rocks, please? I need a strong one after that,” I mumble to myself.

“I’ve never been more turned on in my life,” Wes mumbles, staring into the distance.

“Me too,” Knox agrees, also mumbling under his breath, staring at me in a complete daze.

The bartender hands me my drink and I hand over my card, only to be told it’s been paid for by ‘Mr. Carter’, followed by a flirty wink.

“Keep it in your pants. Wow, that’s strong. I can practically see your bul—” I suck in a breath at the sharp taste.

“Alex! Sissy! Can I have a sip?”

Sam shuffles over, all hyper. She’s not drunk, just very hyper. She takes a mouthful of my drink and scrunches her nose up at the taste. “You drink like an old man!

Hey! Can I get something fruity? Like a cocktail?” Sam leans over to ask the bartender through the loud music.

She looks between Knox and Wes, who are still in a daze about the whole situation. “What’s up with these two? Where’s Andy and Kyle? Where’s Ben and Hannah?”

Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. Hannah walks in with Ben, both of them laughing and giggling.

“Long story short, Kyle and Andy left, Banna is there—” I smirk at their ship name, “or Hen? It’s up to you.” Ben glares at me, trying to hide a smile.

“These two are turned on by the fact that I got hit on by a girl... and not them.” I sip my drink once more and Ben leans over the counter to high-five me. Of course he would do that. I don’t leave him hanging.

“Unbelievable! I can’t fault them for that!” Tyson’s voice rings out, laced with admiration. We all agree to one more round of vodka shots that sear my throat, and I can feel the alcohol coursing through my veins, intensifying my buzz.

We find a table and keep the drinks coming, but I’m so tipsy I doubt I could stand without wobbling. I start to sing along to the song pulsating through the club, “I can’t feel my face when I’m with youuuuuuu, but I love it....”

I’m probably making a spectacle of myself, but that thought is far from my mind. “I can’t feel my faaaace, when I’m with youuuuu, but I love it! But I love it!”

I rise from my seat and start dancing in the small space between Knox and Wes, who are flanking me on either side. The girls join in, their laughter and cheers filling the air.

I sit back down, still swaying to the music, occasionally bumping into Knox and Wes, but I’m having too much fun to care.

“Alex! We need to plan my bachelorette party so you can go home and get some action! You need some action in your life!”

“Goodness, Sam! I’m not that desperate!” I cover my face, my words slurring slightly. I’m still coherent, but my vision is starting to blur.

“I’ve got your back, Sis! How about one of the strippers I’ll hire? Or just grab a random guy from the club we’re going to?” Sam continues, and I can feel my cheeks heating up.

She doesn’t stop until Tyson silences her with a kiss. I send him a silent thank you, and he winks back at me. The next song starts to play, and I can’t help but move to the beat.

They’re playing all of The Weeknd’s songs, and when Acquainted comes on, I can’t help but feel a little flustered. This is my sex song. I usually dance provocatively to this song, drunk or sober, but I’m not about to do that in front of everyone tonight.

Horny Alex needs to be locked away tonight.

“This is Alex’s sex song!” Knox and Wes whip their heads around to gauge my reaction. I squeeze my eyes shut and groan. My sister is going to pay for this.

She won’t make it down the aisle if she keeps this up. “Babe, you’re cut off. Stop talking,” Tyson tells her.

“Make me,” she pouts, and he silences her with a deep kiss. The girls around her coo, while I mentally thank Tyson again.

I take another gulp of my drink and adjust my hair to hide my face. Note to self: torment Sam tomorrow morning when she’s hungover. I need water.

“I’ll get you one,” Wes stands up, and I realize I’d spoken aloud. I need to stop doing that. He leaves before I can thank him.

I turn back to see my sister and her fiancé locked in a passionate kiss, and I scrunch my face up in disgust.

“So this is your sex song, huh?” Knox starts a low conversation, ensuring no one else can hear us.

“Ugh, shut up. She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

“Hah! From your reaction, I think she hit the nail on the head! Good to know all I have to do is play this song to get you all hot and bothered,” he teases, leaning in close to my ear.

I know what he’s doing. His fingers are brushing the skin just below the hem of my dress.

“My panties aren’t soaked.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep—” I lean in closer to his ear, lowering my voice to a whisper, “Because I’m not wearing any.”

He freezes, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his jaw clenched. I sit back in the booth, smirking to myself.

He downs his entire drink in one gulp, not hesitating for a second. If he wants to play this game, I can play it right back.

Not all of us can fit in the booth, so Hannah and Ben are sitting at the end on separate chairs.

Wes slides a glass of water in front of me, and I thank him with a smile. His smile is so pretty.

“Why thank you, you have a pretty smile too,” he replies, taking his seat next to me.

“I need to stop thinking out loud,” I murmur, sipping the water he got me. My body will thank me tomorrow morning when I’m not dying from a hangover.

“Don’t, it’s cute. So, for the date, I’ll text you tomorrow what time I’ll pick you up at? I was thinking we could go out on Tuesday. Is that cool?”

I remember he asked me out. Swallowing the water, I give him a thumbs up. Hopefully, this date will be more fun than an actual date. I’m not ready to start dating seriously just yet.

A few glasses of water later, we’re ready to head home. Some of us are wasted, others not so much. The cab ride is the same as before, except Tyson and Sam have replaced Andy and Kyle.

They’re making out in the front seat while Hannah falls asleep on Ben and Tyler is knocked out next to them. I’m in the back with Knox, whose hand is resting on my thigh with a firmer grip than usual.

I place my hand on top of his to get his attention, but he doesn’t respond. He hasn’t said a word to me since the whole sex song incident. I poke his cheek to get his attention, but he still doesn’t look at me.

He’s ignoring me, I know he is. But why? I didn’t do anything. I ruffle his hair, only for him to fix it and keep his gaze fixed out the window. His jaw is still clenched, and his eyes are focused on anything but me.

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through it, still not saying a word to me. He’s on Instagram, then Twitter, and then moves on to ESPN.

I pivot away from him, crossing my legs and causing his hand to slip from my thigh. I gaze out the window, avoiding his gaze. His hand finds its way back to my thigh, but I lift it and place it back on his lap, still not looking at him. I sit in the cab, my foot tapping impatiently against the seat in front of me, waiting for the ride to end so I can escape to the comfort of my bed.

A moment later, I feel his arm rest on the back of my seat, his hand gently stroking my shoulder. I glance at him, his eyes focused straight ahead, his jawline sharp and pronounced. I return my gaze to the window, leaning my head against the cool glass, finding solace in its chill.

His hand trails down my back, coming to rest at my waist. His thumb draws circles on my dress, a reminder of our earlier moment on the deck. As the car slows to a stop, I see we’ve arrived at the house. We pay the cab driver, and the car is soon a flurry of activity as everyone stirs awake and spills out onto the street.

Knox exits first, waiting for me to follow. He extends his hand to help me, but I ignore it, gripping the door for support as I step out. I walk past him, heading towards the house without uttering a word.

Behind me, I hear the car door slam shut with a force that suggests annoyance. ~Why is he so mad?~ I wonder, continuing my walk, the ground seeming to shift beneath my feet.

Sam opens the door and we all file in silently. I remove my shoes and place them high on the stairs, out of Boomer’s reach. I’m greeted by my furry friend and we dash into the pantry for a treat. I toss him a small morsel, mindful not to overfeed him. I don’t want to be blamed for his weight gain.

In the pantry, I grab a Twinkie for myself, tossing the wrapper in the bin. I return to the kitchen where everyone is gathered around the counter. I toss a Twinkie to Sam, her face lighting up with joy. After finishing my treat, I bid everyone goodnight and head upstairs, aware of the footsteps trailing behind me.

I turn to see him, phone in hand, following me. I let out a loud sigh and continue my ascent. He follows me to my room, but I push him out, shutting the door in his face and locking it. ~That’ll show him.~ I hear a loud sigh and the retreating footsteps. The door slams shut with a loud bang. ~Good. Not my problem.~

It feels like a replay of our first kiss. First, he ignores me, then he throws unnecessary digs my way, picks on me, and is rude. He starts fights, making me feel useless. I won’t let him make me feel that way again. I won’t let anyone make me feel that way again. I change into my jersey and lie down on my bed.

I hear Hannah leave, Ben accompanying her home. ~He’s such a gentleman.~ I smile at the thought of them together.

A few minutes later, I hear his footsteps approaching. I open my door to see him standing there. “Hey,” he says softly.

“Hey, can I sleep with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone right now,” I ask, giving him a tired smile. He nods, stepping into my room. He wraps me in a tight hug, planting a small kiss on my temple.

He strips down to his boxers and heads to the bed while I lock the door. “It’s so people don’t walk in and think something they shouldn’t. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you... yet,” I tease, smirking at him.

“Why would they think we did something? It’s not like I’m only in my boxers and you’re in just a top and your underwear?” he retorts, a smirk of his own playing on his lips.

I laugh and walk around to the other side of the bed, slipping under the covers. We lie there, staring at the ceiling, until I feel him shift onto his side, propping himself up on his arm.

“So, are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to bring out my girly side to get the gossip out of you, sweet cheeks?” he teases, raising an eyebrow. I giggle at his antics and start recounting the night’s events.

“I still can’t believe you got hit on by a girl! And I missed it!” he exclaims, his eyes wide with amazement.

“Really? Out of everything I just told you, that’s all you picked up on?” I ask, throwing my hands up in exasperation.

“You’re right, I’m sorry! But was she hot at least?” he teases.

“Ben! Not cool!” I playfully scold him, slapping his chest.

He starts to laugh, trying to keep the noise down. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist, sweet cheeks. But... give him time. He’ll come around and tell you why he’s acting this way. I mean, I can kind of see where he’s coming from... but I don’t get why he won’t just talk to you about it?”

His attempt to explain doesn’t make things any clearer. I still don’t understand why he’s acting so strange, giving me the cold shoulder. Some days, he’s as easy to read as a book, other days, he’s a complete mystery.

I sigh, and he suggests we sleep it off. We get comfortable on our own sides of the bed, wish each other goodnight, and drift off to sleep.