Noah reached and grabbed my arm, pulling me back. There was no time to take a breath before he crashed his lips into mine, kissing me hard, a burst of desire erupting inside me. His lips were soft, yet his kiss unyielding, disarming the doubts which had cut through me mere seconds ago. With a single sweep of his tongue and the subtle taste of fresh toothpaste lingering in his mouth, I quivered against him, wanting—needingso much more. Suddenly, I was back there, at the party, kissing a stranger while the entire world around us disappeared, wondering how kissing someone I hardly knew could feel like we had done it a thousand times before.
It ached when he inched back, his warm lips leaving mine. I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want him to stop kissing me. Nothing would be easier for me than staying right here and letting the world burn down around me.
His grip on my arm remained, keeping me close to him. “I’m a complicated man, Sienna. My demons are far too dark for a girl like you.”
“I take it as an insult that you think you can decide that for me.”
“I can’t offer you anything.”
“I’m not asking you for anything.”
He let go of my arm, placing his palm gently against my hip. “I already hurt you, and believe me, I’m capable of far worse.”
“Good thing I’m not too fragile then.” I took a step back, putting some distance between us, sensing that he was back to battling his thoughts. “I won’t crowd you. You go do what you need to do, and I’ll see you later.”
I left without another word being spoken between us, my stomach tied in knots as uncertainty crept in. As I walked back to the main house barefoot and in desperate need of a toothbrush, there was this doubt gnawing at my skull that being with Noah might have only been this one-time thing. Clearly, he was hellbent on convincing himself and me that there couldn’t be anything between us even though we practically burned the goddamn house down around us last night; and I had the bruises to prove it.
Spencer was sitting on the patio, head in his hands, groaning.
“Good morning, sunshine.” I teased as I walked up the stairs.
He lifted his head, looking like shit. “As my little sister, I blame you for waking up dead this morning.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.” He leaned back, placing his arm over his eyes. “You could have stopped me from trying to drink my weight in alcohol last night.”
“And you would have listened to me?”
“Good morning, slut.” Silas came walking out of the house wearing nothing but boxer shorts, a cigarette in his mouth, and a huge smirk on his face. “Doing the walk of shame this morning, are we?”
I simply gave him the finger and sat down on the one chair that didn’t have plastic cups or beer bottles on it. “Who’s going to clean this mess?”
Spencer shot a glare at Silas. “I nominate the fucktard who turned what was supposed to be a small get-together in to a fucking open-house party.”
“It was epic, though.” Silas grinned just as two girls came walking out of the house, each carrying their shoes in their hands, giving Silas shy looks as they passed. “Good morning, ladies. Thanks for coming.” He winked at them, then smiled at us. “Pun intended.”
I scoffed. “And I’m the slut in this trio.”
“You’re the only one here without balls, so that makes you the slut. No wait,” the cigarette hung from his lips, “your balls might be bigger than Spencer’s.”
I laughed, and Spencer gave him the finger.
“Yes!” Silas clapped his hands. “I got the finger from both of you in less than twenty minutes. My work here is done. See you two sluts, later.”
“Where are you going?” I asked as he walked off.
“I think Tweedledee and Tweedledum left one behind.”
“Oh my God. Your level of manwhore still manages to shock me.”
He flipped me the finger. “Don’t hate me ‘cause you ain’t me.”
Abruptly Silas stood to the side holding his hands in the air, cigarette still dangling from his mouth. And to my surprise, none other than Beth Sawyer came strolling out of my house, her heels clicking across the deck, the little black number she wore barely covering her ass. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulders, glowering at me with that bitch smirk on her face. There were so many insults I could have spat her way, but I was dumbfounded by the sheer nerve she had to walk out of my goddamn house like she owned it.
With my eyes wide, I glared in Silas’s direction, positively fucking fuming. “You didn’t?”
“Oh God, no.” He pulled his face, disgusted. “There are holes even I won’t penetrate.”