I twist it open and pour a double shot into one of the tumblers and gulp down the fiery liquid. When I get a refill, I hear a harsh screech and the splash of water that follows tells me people are already in the lake.
Pushing off the sofa, I head to the window to see who’s down there. Tarian’s arrived, and he’s standing with the blonde who Etienne was staring at, and beside her is the raven-haired beauty who caught my attention at school earlier.
“Well, hello, flower,” I smile, sipping my drink. As if she can feel my eyes on her, she spins around, her gaze trailing all over the house until they reach the window where I’m standing, but she can’t see me through the one-sided window.
Her friend captures her attention, and she smiles, the movement tilting her full lips, crinkling her nose, and making her eyes sparkle like dark gemstones under the lamp that they’re standing in front of.
Even in the dark, I can tell there’s something about this girl. Something dangerous. And I can’t help but swallow my drink and smile. Turning to the room, I head to the desk and open the laptop I keep here for when I need to study.
Once I’m logged in, I open the software Tarian built for my dad and tap in the name he sent in the email.
Fergus Harrison.
Why the fuck would he come all the way to Tynewood?
Hitting enter, I wait for the program to run with information. The screen fills with names, addresses, and connections to the name. Nothing particularly interesting pops up, and I wonder briefly if Dad is sending me off on a wild goose chase. I’m not sure why he would, but something isn’t sitting right with me.
Once the pages are printed out, I shove them into a folder and clip it closed. Shutting down the laptop, I ensure everything is as it was before I walked in. I rise, glancing around me once more before I head down to my car to hide the documents.
As soon as I know they’re safe, I’ll head to the party.
Time to get fucked up.
4
Dahlia
We’ve just come inside after my best friend decided that gulping down shots as if it were her last day on earth was a good idea. “I’m not feeling so good,” Rukaiya mutters in my ear.
I hold onto her arm, trying to get her attention as she curls over and coughs. “Do you want to leave?” I ask her, worried she may have alcohol poisoning. Surely, she would’ve had to drink a lot more than she did. But I have no idea. I’ve only ever had a few sips of wine with dinner when Dad deemed it acceptable.
Rukaiya nods, looking up at me, and I shake my head. I knew we should’ve stayed home. This is the reason I’m not a fan of parties.
Leading her from the house, I make my way to the car and open the passenger seat, allowing her to slip inside. I’m rounding the front when the dark-haired guy comes running up to us.
“Hey,” he smiles at me, “leaving so soon?”
“She’s not feeling too good,” I tell him, pointing at Rukaiya in the car before turning toward him again.
“I’m sorry,” he says, and it seems as if he’s genuinely sorry. “Is there anything I can do? I can drive you?” In the barely-there light, the piercing in the center of his full bottom lip blinks, catching my attention.
“No, it’s okay. I have my car, and I haven’t had anything to drink,” I tell him with a smile.
“Before you go, I wanted to introduce myself properly. I’m Tarian,” he holds out his hand, and I can’t help slipping mine in his and shaking.
“I’m Dahlia,” I tell him with a grin. “I’m sorry we’re such lightweights.”
“Oh, that’s no problem. Just promise me you’ll be at the party on Saturday,” He hands me a flyer, which is the same as the one that Rukaiya had earlier at lunch.
“Uhm… I don’t know—“
Tarian leans in closer, his gaze holding mine hostage and I can’t look away. He smells of mint and cinnamon. And a hint of whiskey. “Come on, you’d make me a very happy guy if you would come,” he winks playfully, and I can’t stop the blush I know is forming on my cheeks.
“Ha, nice line. Does that work on all the girls?”
“All the time.” His overconfidence makes me laugh out loud as my gaze drifts from him for a second, landing on the doorway where a guy is staring out at us. His gaze locks on me.
Tarian notices my distraction and turns toward the house. “Oh, don’t worry about him. Just ignore my friend, he’s a little intense sometimes.”
“Looks it.”
“So, you’ll come on Saturday?” He asks again. He’s definitely a charmer. There’s something sweet about him, and he’s not rude at all, not like that asshole in the doorway glaring at me.