chapter eight
Aston
The next few weeks fly by, February coming in the blink of an eye. I haven’t spoken to Knox at all, except for school related reasons, since that party at the beginning of January when he punched me. I’ve thought about that moment entirely too much since it happened. Despite the fury swimming in his eyes, part of me thought when he threw me against the wall, he was going to kiss me. It’s throwing me off. Mostly because my first coherent thought after getting decked in the face in a room full of people should have been anger. I should’ve been pissed.
But I wasn’t.
I was bummed—disappointed, even—that it was his fist and not his lips, and I don’t know how to process that.
We successfully completed our first group project without having to be face to face again, him emailing me his portions, and us communicating through very brief texts. No more baseball field smoke sessions. No more drunk, angry run-ins at parties.
Nothing.
Radio silence.
I hate how much it bothers me. It shouldn’t affect me this much. We aren’t friends; we have never been friends, so the silence should be a good thing.
The guys are having a party at their house tonight, and Luca asked me to come, so this should be interesting. I try to avoid that house like the plague if I can help it, but whatever. I’ll suck it up and steer clear of Knox.
After dragging my feet, I finally decided to shower about ten minutes ago, and am getting back to my room to finish getting ready. It’s almost ten at night and I’m well aware that I’m running late. Anderson already left about two hours ago to meet Cash and head over with him, so I’ll probably be the last one to arrive.
Pulling my white Nike sweatshirt over my head, I grab my crimson WSU baseball cap off my dresser, putting it on backwards, and finish my look with my black Nike tennis shoes. I’m going for comfy, with a side of I don’t give a fuck tonight.
Grabbing my keys, cell phone, and a joint, I finally decide to head out. It’s still cold as fuck outside, and I’m ready for spring to come already. As soon as I exit the dorm building, I spark up. Inhaling the sweet smoke, I hold it in until my lungs start to scream at me, before exhaling and loving the fuzzy feeling that takes hold of my body.
By the time I arrive at their house, I’ve smoked the whole thing and feel hella chill. The nerves about running into Knox are nonexistent now as I climb up the stairs and make my way through the front door.
Their parties are never anywhere near as large as the frat parties, but they still have a decent turnout. Glancing around, Branson and Luca are hanging out on the loveseat, Weston is with his girl, Jessica, over on the couch, Anderson and Cash seem to be in deep conversation in the dining room, and I don’t see Knox yet.
“Aston!” Luca exclaims when he sees me. “It’s about fucking time you showed up, bro.”
“Hey, hey! I’m not even that late. Relax,” I say, winking in his direction and heading for the kitchen to grab a beer.
Paralyzerby Finger Eleven is playing when I round the corner into the kitchen and come face to face with Knox.
“What’s up, man,” I say casually, nodding my head at him. His only response is a glare and a grunt. Fucking caveman.
He’s hanging out with some chick, who I know I’ve seen around campus before, but I can’t place her. I offer her a nice smile. “Hey, I’m Aston.”
“Hey, yeah, I’ve seen you around. I’m Katie,” she explains in the most polite voice, with an equally polite smile. What the fuck is she doing hanging out with someone like Knox?
“Nice to meet you, Katie. I’ll see you guys around.”
Grabbing a Bud Light bottle from the fridge, I twist the cap off and take a few gulps before tossing the cap in the garbage and making my way back to the living room. Everyone is right where I left them a few minutes ago, except now Weston and his girl have made it to the living room too, and there is a new girl with them.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before, not sure if she goes to school with us or not. She does look around our age and she’s pretty fucking cute. She has dark hair that almost looks black, and it’s pin-straight as it falls past her shoulders. She’s wearing a tiny black dress that hugs her every delicious curve and has on stiletto heels that show off her long, tan legs.
Walking up to them, I say hi to both Weston and Jessica before turning to the new girl. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Aston, and you are?”
“Nicole,” she replies with a smile that showcases her perfect white teeth. “Nice to meet you, Aston.”
“Likewise.” I toss her a wink. “C’mon, let’s go get a drink.”
Giggling, she begins to follow me back into the kitchen. I have a practically full beer, so I don’t know why I suggested this, but I wanted to talk with her more. Chugging the rest of my beer, I toss it in the trash before opening the fridge and grabbing another.
“What would you like, Nicole?”
“Is there White Claw?”
“Yup,” I respond, popping the P and handing her one.
“Thank you.” She smiles again, taking the Claw and cracking it open.
Heading outside where they have a bonfire going, I spot Knox and Katie on the other side of the lawn. He notices me right away too, throwing me another icy glare.
“So, do you go to WSU?” I ask curiously.
“I don’t. I’m in town for the weekend, visiting Jessica. She’s my cousin.”
“Right on. Where are you from?”
“Connecticut, actually.”
“Damn, far away from home. How are you liking it out here?”
“I’ve only been here for a few days, but I think I can confidently say I prefer Connecticut.”
“I don’t blame you. It’s beautiful there, or so it looks like in all the pictures I’ve seen.”
Just then, my phone vibrates in my hand. Looking down, I almost choke on my beer when I see it’s Knox. When I look back up, I find him not even paying any attention to me, which only piques my curiosity further.
Finny: She’s too good for you, bro.
I have to actively work to keep my laughter in, because I’m not about to explain to this sweet girl what I’m laughing at. I do, however, send back a quick response. Can’t help myself.
Me: HA! We’ll see about that.
Finny: You fucking wish.
Me: Why don’t you get back to your own date, Knoxy boy?
Finny: She isn’t my date, dip shit. She’s my friend.
Me: “Friend” suuuuure. You don’t need to be jealous that I can pick up chicks, while you get “friends.”
Glancing up, I see his glare locked on me again. I toss him a bright smile and return my attention to Nicole. She’s also texting on her phone, which makes me feel slightly less rude. I previously had no intention of hooking up with anyone tonight, but now? Well, call it my competitive nature or my overall interest in all things that annoy Knox, but now I think I want to.
Looking back at Nicole, she shivers slightly, which makes sense since she’s in a tiny dress and no coat in the middle of winter. Not too practical, but it works in my favor.
“You cold?”
She looks up at me from under her lashes, then giggles before answering in a flirty tone. “Yes, I am. You wouldn’t want to warm me up, would you?”
Bingo.
“C’mere.” I open my arms for her to come to me.
She easily walks closer and wraps her arms around my waist, letting me envelop her in my warmth. I’m like a whole head taller than her, but it’s cute. She also smells really fucking good, like some sort of fruity perfume.
Finishing off my beer, I set it on the table beside us, rubbing both of my hands up and down her back.
“Want to go get some more drinks?” she asks, almost shyly.
“Yeah, sounds good. Let’s go.” I look back quickly, finding Knox seething. I toss him another wink before following Nicole.
Back inside, I get us both new drinks, handing hers to her and taking a swig of mine.
Turning to face her, I say, “Hey, I’ll be right back. Gotta run to the restroom real quick. Meet you back here?”
“Sure thing, hurry back,” she practically purrs at me with a sexy smile.
I really do have to use the bathroom, but also, I felt my phone go off and didn’t want to be rude and answer it next to her again. Shutting the bathroom door and locking it, I take my phone out of my pocket and check what nonsense he has to say now.
Finny: You fucking wish, bro.
Finny: Game on.
Game on? What the hell does that mean?!
Brushing that off, I finish going to the bathroom and wash my hands. Unlocking the door, I make my way back to the kitchen, but stop short and laugh when I see Nicole is occupied now.
Occupied with Knox fucking Finnegan.
Oh, game on, huh? Yeah, two can play at this game.
Straightening my shoulders, I walk up to both of them, smiling, letting him know he can’t win.
“Hello, you two. I see you’ve met Knoxy boy.”
“Yeah! He came up and introduced himself while you were gone.”
“I was telling her how sexy she looks in that dress,” he remarks with a smirk.
This fucker.
“She does look hot, doesn’t she?” I throw back.
“You guys are so sweet,” she says, blushing.
Taking another sip from his beer, he sets it on the counter. “It’s only the truth, baby. If I’m being honest, I’ve had my eye on you since you walked in, and I’ve been dying to get a taste of those plump lips of yours.”
This time I do choke on my beer, staring at him in disbelief as this motherfucker actually bends down and kisses her. Both of his hands move to touch her, one going to rest on her hip, pulling her closer to him, while the other holds onto her nape.
She melts into his kiss, willingly opening up to allow his tongue to slip inside. She lets out the quietest moan, one that if I wasn’t standing right beside them, I probably wouldn’t have heard it. They pull apart after a few moments, and he looks at me like the cat that ate the canary, like he won.
I don’t fucking think so.
Looking up at me with dazed eyes, she smiles at me like she knows exactly what I’m about to do next, and hell, maybe she does.
“Well, I think it’s only fair if I get a taste too. What do you think, Nicole?”
“Yes. I mean, yeah… if you want to.”
Sliding my hands into the hair at her nape, I grab hold of it and use it to bring her flush with me, before lowering my lips onto hers. She has some sort of chapstick that tastes minty, and her lips are pillow soft. When I run the tip of my tongue along the seam, she opens up with another quiet moan.
My tongue massages hers gently while exploring her mouth. Knox’s beer is all I can taste, and I hate to admit how much it turns me on, causing me to bring the kiss up a notch. Using my firm grip on her hair, I tilt her head back, opening her mouth up for me even more.
Pulling back and ending the kiss before I get carried away, I sneak a glance at Knox and find a look in his eyes that could either be fury or lust… maybe both? I don’t know, but I’m curious to find out how far he’s willing to take this “game.”
Nicole, looking more dazed than before, takes a drink of her White Claw and breathlessly giggles. “Wow. You guys are amazing kissers. I’ve always wanted to be with two guys at once, and this was… wow.”
Looking at Knox to see what he does with that information, waiting to see what his next move is, I’m floored when he smiles at her before turning his gaze toward me. “Well, how would you like to make that wish a reality?”
What.
The.
Fuck.
My cock most definitely perked up at that.
“Uhm,” Nicole says nervously. “Really? You would be down for that?”
“Why not, baby? We’re generous men. Right, JT?”
That fucking nickname.
“Absolutely, Finny.”
Nicole is completely oblivious to the conversation we are having with each other, with only our eyes. She squeals before downing the rest of her White Claw.
“Where to, then, boys?”
Staring at me, as if daring me to back down, Knox finishes his beer, maintaining smoldering eye contact, before saying, “My room. Follow me.”
Taking her by the hand, he heads out of the kitchen toward his room. She grabs my hand with her free one, trailing me behind her.
Guess we’re fucking doing this.
Surely, there is no way this could come back and bite me in the ass later.