“It was nice finally hanging out again.” Cam slurs his words as we all make our way out into the parking lot to our cars. Thankfully he rode here with Sterling, who isn’t nearly as drunk as him so he’s better off driving.
“I know,” I tell him, his bloodshot eyes searching mine. “You guys are my family and I’ve just been losing sight of a lot of shit lately. I needed this, to remind me of what’s important. And I’ll be more present.”
Cam pulls me in for a hug as he sways slightly. He pats my back before releasing me. “We won’t let you disappear like that again. Don’t forget, we’re your brothers. You got some shit going on and we got your back, always.”
“Thanks, bro,” I smile as he stumbles toward the car. I glance at Sterling, who shakes his head at our sloppy friend. “Make sure he sleeps that shit off.”
Sterling nods, before climbing into his car. I step away, making my way over to mine that is parked beside August’s. He lingers along the driver’s-side door of his car.
“I talked to Isla earlier,” he says, with nothing in his voice that indicates he knows I was talking to her too. “She told me about some party she was going to tonight. I tried texting her before we left the bar but she didn’t respond. I was going to head over there and see what’s good.”
She never responded to me, but she did to him and told him exactly where she was going to be. I don’t know whether I need to be checking up on her like this, but I told her I wanted to talk tonight. And if she’s not home, then there’s no talking to her.
“Were you going there to check on her or because you’re not ready to go home?”
August smirks. “If I’m at home alone, it’s too quiet and my mind is too loud. So, I don’t know. I don’t want to go home, but I should probably make sure she’s okay too.”
I weigh my options carefully before speaking. “I’ll ride with you.”
“Good,” August nods as I walk over to his car. “You can drive my car home from the party then, because I don’t want to get in any sort of trouble if I end up drinking while we’re there.”
We leave the bar together and I can’t help but feel like this is the time I should talk to him. Although, he’s been a little mentally unstable lately and with him behind the wheel… I’m afraid for my life if I say the wrong thing and piss him off.
I need to talk to Isla first. She needs to know about the explosion and be able to anticipate the shrapnel before I drop that bomb on him.
When we get to the party, the thing is already in full swing. Some girl stands out in the flower bed, puking into the snow as we walk up into the house. A few other people were out there with her, so neither of us were too concerned walking past her. Plus, at this time of night, it’s not something unusual or surprising to see.
We wade through the crowd and I follow after August. I spot her friend—Octavia, I think—as she walks into the kitchen at the same time as us. I nudge August, nodding toward her as he catches my eye.
“Hey, is Isla still here?” he asks her as she stumbles into the counter with some guy reaching for her waist.
Octavia giggles, her bloodshot eyes meeting August’s. “Yeah, she’s here. I think I saw her with Silas a little while ago.”
The mention of his name has my blood instantly boiling. My breath catches in my throat and my hands curl into fists by my side. I’m not drunk, by any means, but my body felt warm from the beers I had at the bar. That feeling quickly dissipates as I feel my body grow cold. Fuck this.
August thanks her, but I’m already brushing past him, heading through the house. I feel his hand as he grabs my shoulder, pulling me back. “Dude, chill out. Octavia said she’s still here, so she’s fine. I’m sure we’ll find her somewhere, but I’m going to get a drink quick.”
I look back at him, shrugging his hand from my shoulder as I nod. He turns his back to me, heading over to where all the alcohol is, and I take this as my chance to duck out of the room. August doesn’t see me as I dip out through the doorway and I don’t need him to follow after me. He might not be worried about Isla, but I am. Especially knowing she’s with Silas.
I make my way through the house and it’s almost like a replay of the last party I found her at. She’s nowhere to be found so I quickly exit out the back door and out onto the back patio. I’ve seen the way Silas looks at her; I know exactly what he wants from her, because I want it too. There’s no doubt in my mind he tried to get her somewhere dark and quiet, away from everyone else.
As I make my way through the small groups of people hovering around one another, I see them toward the back of the yard, sitting on a wooden bench swing together. My feet carry me across the yard, through the snow as I tromp toward them. Silas has his arm around the back of her shoulders, both of their faces turned toward each other’s as he cups the side of her face.
I can’t make out any words that he’s saying, but I hate the way she’s smiling at him right now. I can’t fucking take the sight of it and in this moment, I know there is no way I would ever be okay with seeing her with another guy. I want nothing more than to wrap my hands around his throat and stop him from breathing.
Neither of them seem to notice me as I walk in on their little intimate moment, even though my footsteps aren’t quiet in the snow. I step around to the front of the bench swing, my hands reaching for Silas as I curl my fists around the collar of his coat and pull him off.
He doesn’t get his feet under him in time, falling to his knees as I drag him away from her. The bench swing shifts and Isla yells out in surprise. I don’t bother looking at her, keeping my eyes trained on Silas as he widens his and glares up at me.
“Get your fucking hands off me!” he bellows, reaching for my arms with his hands. At some point while I’m dragging him, he gets his feet back underneath him and rises, standing eye to eye with me. “What the fuck is your problem?”
“I told you before and I won’t tell you again,” I growl at him, my voice low and cold as I wrap his coat around my fists and tighten it around his throat. “You don’t fucking touch her.”
Silas chokes out a laugh, his eyes wild and sinister. “You’re fucking delusional, man. If she wanted to be with you, do you really think she would have been out here with me?”
My mind barely registers Isla’s hands as she pounds on my back with her fists. “Let go of him, Logan!”
“Isla, stay out of this,” I bark at her, not letting go of Silas. “He obviously didn’t hear me last time, so I’m going to make sure he doesn’t forget again. Or else it will be much worse than this.”
“Logan,” Isla pleads, her voice cracking, and it instantly stops me in my tracks, dragging me out of the pits of my rage. “Please, don’t do this. This isn’t his fault, it’s mine. I was the one who suggested coming outside. It was my idea.”
I instantly drop my hands away from Silas and he rubs his throat, leaning forward as he struggles to catch his breath and feed his body the oxygen I was depriving it of. Spinning on my heel, I turn to face Isla, my eyes desperately searching hers for the lie.
“What do you mean it was your idea?”
Her bottom lip quivers and her eyes glisten under the moonlight as the tears begin to fall, staining her cheeks. “I just wanted to forget about you. I told him I wanted to go outside, so he brought me out here.” She pauses, hastily swiping the tears from her face as she stares back at me. “After last night, I just wanted something—someone—to help me forget, even if it was only for a few minutes.”
My hands find the sides of her face as I step closer to her, my toes touching hers. She tilts her head back, her eyes bouncing back and forth between mine as I get lost in the deep brown hues of her irises. “You don’t have to forget, baby. You can try all you want to distract yourself, but you’re never going to be able to get rid of me.”
“This is fucking ridiculous,” Silas grumbles from behind Isla. “Are you really going to put up with this shit? Because you need to choose, Isla. I’m done playing games and done having this asshole intervene every time I get my chance. Who’s it going to be? Me or him?”
Isla’s glossy eyes don’t leave mine. “I’m sorry, Silas.”
My heart swells in my chest. Seeing her out here with him threw me into a rage I wasn’t sure I would be able to fully come out of. But hearing her admission, the words from her lips, knowing she’s mine. It’s enough to extinguish the flames that were consuming me from the downward spiral I was heading toward.
I hear Silas say something under his breath as he disappears, but none of it matters. Not with her right here in front of me. My face drops to hers, my mouth crashing into hers as she inhales sharply. Isla relaxes against me, her hands fisting my jacket around my waist as she clings to me. I drain the air from her lungs, my lips moving against hers, our tongues caught in a delicate dance.
She tastes like vodka and orange juice.
And I’m ready to lose myself in this girl.
I break apart from her, both of us coming up for air as I rest my forehead against hers. “It’s time to come clean,” I whisper, my eyes finding hers under the moonlight. “We need to tell August.”
In an instant, the rug is pulled from under our feet. The earth opens up and the ground crumbles away as I hear his voice coming from the darkness of the night.
“You need to tell me what?”
