Chapter 2: Chapter 2

EVIE

I found myself standing before my bathroom mirror, grumbling under my breath about my decision to attend this party. I fiddled with my dark denim shorts and adjusted the thin straps of my maroon top. My top barely grazed my belly button, and my shorts hugged my hips, revealing a small strip of my stomach.

I ran my fingers through my silvery-blonde hair, loosening the curls I had painstakingly created earlier. I blinked at my reflection, my bright blue eyes seeming to accuse me of being a fool.

“This is absurd,” I muttered to myself, flicking off the bathroom lights and gathering my things from the bedroom.

I shoved my phone into my back pocket and slung a sweatshirt over my arm. After grabbing my keys, I locked the door behind me.

I slid into my compact SUV and punched in the address Molly had given me into the onscreen display. The location was about twenty minutes outside of town.

I wrung my hands on the steering wheel, feeling uneasy about navigating the town and even more so about driving to an unfamiliar place. ~I’ve never been good with directions, remember?~

I followed the GPS instructions closely as it guided me through the bayou. I was grateful that the party was starting at dusk, allowing me to clearly see the street signs.

Eventually, I found myself on a dirt road that led to a makeshift beach. Cars were scattered everywhere, with people darting between them.

~Molly wasn’t exaggerating when she said everyone would be here,~ I thought, sighing to myself.

I parked my car in the first available spot, tucking my keys into my jacket pocket and zipping it up to ensure they wouldn’t get lost.

Gathering my courage, I began to navigate my way through the maze of cars.

When I reached the edge of the dirt, I was met with a tall cement block wall separating me from the beach. I looked down at the five-foot drop.

“Need a hand?”

A tall, god-like figure approached the wall. He was standing on the beach, but we were nearly at eye level. He towered around six feet tall, with thick black hair, deep blue eyes, and a dimple carved into his cheek.

“Sure,” I agreed, placing a hand in each of his as he helped me over the wall.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, quickly letting go of his hand and smoothing out my clothes.

“I’m Sawyer,” he introduced himself, running a hand through his dark hair. “You must be new.”

Before I could respond, a familiar voice rang out through the crowd.

“Evie!”

Molly appeared beside me. “You made it!”

She was clearly enjoying the party’s libations.

“And you’ve met my brother.” She pouted.

I glanced between the two, noting their similar features—dark hair and blue eyes.

“He helped me over the wall,” I explained, gesturing toward the cement block.

“That’s my big brother for you, always ready to lend a hand,” she slurred.

“Molly, you’re already drunk, seriously?” Sawyer sighed.

“It’s a ~party~,” Molly retorted dramatically.

“Yes, and it’s barely started.” Sawyer took the plastic cup from his sister’s hand.

“Party pooper. Come on, Evie, let’s go find some ~fun~ people to hang out with.” Molly stuck her tongue out at her brother and danced off across the beach, seemingly oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t following her.

“She just turned twenty-one last month, and I swear I already have gray hairs.” Sawyer rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, she seems like a handful,” I agreed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be your survival guide.” He smirked.

“What does that even mean?” I asked.

“Molly is clearly going to be useless, so I’ll be your party host,” Sawyer winked at me.

I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about where this was going.

“Would you like a drink?” he asked, offering his elbow like a true gentleman to escort me across the beach.

I eyed his arm for a moment, debating how far I wanted to take this social experiment. I decided that if I was going to have a social life, even if just for a day, I was going to do it right.

“Why not?” I shrugged, accepting his arm.

He grinned broadly, and we strolled across the beach. He grabbed a plastic cup from a folding table set up near a keg.

“I have no idea what this is, sorry.” Sawyer laughed, handing me the cup.

I peered at the murky amber liquid in my hand, my nose crinkling at the scent. Regardless of what it was, I had never been a fan of beer.

I took a tentative sip, reaffirming my distaste.

“Ugh, that’s awful,” I managed to say, grimacing.

Sawyer chuckled at my reaction, reclaiming the cup and downing the remaining contents in one swift gulp.

“Yep, that’s pretty vile,” he concurred, tossing the empty cup into a nearby trash can.

We meandered over to a few buckets brimming with ice.

“This one looks fruity,” Sawyer commented, holding up a wine cooler adorned with a watermelon illustration.

I shrugged nonchalantly, extending my hand to take it. He twisted off the cap and passed it to me.

“Much better,” I concurred, taking a sip from the glass bottle.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a bonfire?” I questioned, scanning the beach.

“It will be, once it gets dark,” Sawyer replied casually, grabbing a can of beer for himself.

“So, where are you from?” Sawyer inquired as we strolled along the beach.

“Hawaii,” I responded simply.

Sawyer glanced at me, visibly impressed.

“Wow, you’re far from home.”

“I haven’t lived there for about seven years,” I shrugged.

“Where were you living before here?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“Mainly Massachusetts, and then I did some traveling,” I replied.

“What brings you here?” He was certainly full of questions.

“School,” I answered, keeping my responses brief.

“That’s how you know Molly,” he deduced.

I nodded in agreement.

It seemed the bonfire was about to start as a group of guys began piling up logs.

“Let’s grab a seat,” Sawyer suggested, leading me to a large log with a blanket spread out on it.

“I’ll be right back,” he added, flashing a smile before disappearing into the crowd.

I settled down on the log, watching as the fire gradually grew larger. Once it was a roaring blaze, Sawyer returned with another blanket.

“I noticed you put your jacket on earlier and thought you might get cold,” he said, handing me the blanket.

I smiled gratefully as I accepted it.

“Thanks.”

I could feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, thankful that the darkness concealed it.

“No problem,” he replied, taking a seat next to me.

The log was small, leaving little space between us.

“I’m sorry my sister left you alone, but I hope you’re still enjoying the party,” Sawyer said softly.

“I am, actually,” I admitted, surprised at how much fun I was having.

Sawyer glanced at me hesitantly. “Are you still cold?” he asked.

I wasn’t, but I didn’t mind the idea of Sawyer’s arm around my shoulders. I gave him a reassuring smile.

Suddenly, Sawyer’s expression shifted. He looked past me, his eyes wide. “I’m so sorry, Evie,” he said, his gaze fixed on something behind me.

Before I could respond, Sawyer’s arm was yanked from my shoulders and he was sent flying. I watched in horror as another figure pinned him against a tree.

“Get your hands off my mate!” the figure growled, literally growled.

I sprang up from the log, backing away in terror. The party had fallen silent, the music abruptly stopped, and all eyes were on us. Molly was suddenly by my side, appearing remarkably sober.

“It’s okay, Evie,” Molly whispered, rubbing my arm.

I glanced at her, then back at Sawyer. The man who had attacked him was now staring at me, his eyes wide. I recoiled in fear as he took a step forward. Sawyer quickly got to his feet, positioning himself between me and the man.

“Noah, listen, she’s human,” he said.

I was too shocked to comprehend his words, my hands trembling at my sides.

“Noah!” Sawyer shouted in the man’s face, finally getting his attention.

He looked at Sawyer, his eyes darkening for a moment before returning his gaze to me.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet, Evie,” Molly whispered, tugging at my hand.

Her eyes never left the stranger’s face as she led me away. It was as if they were having a silent conversation, and she was trying to gauge whether the stranger would try to stop us.

Molly and I quickly left the beach behind. She assisted me in climbing over the concrete barrier and navigated through the parked cars. I was about to head to my own vehicle when she halted me.

“Let’s go this way,” she directed, guiding me away from the cars.

“Why?” I stuttered.

“You’re not in a state to drive. There’s a guesthouse nearby where we can help you relax,” she clarified as we moved toward the woods.

Initially, I was apprehensive. I wasn’t fond of forests, especially after dark. However, nestled within the cluster of trees was a quaint house that seemed too inviting to pass up. Molly pushed the door open and ushered me in.

“Is this your place?” I inquired, observing Molly navigate the room with practiced ease.

“No, but it belongs to a friend. It’s fine for us to be here,” she reassured me, retrieving a bottle of water from the fridge. “Let’s sit,” she suggested, guiding me toward the couch.

I felt detached from my body as she helped me sit down. She opened the water bottle and handed it to me. I took several large gulps, hoping to flush the alcohol from my system and regain clarity about the recent events.

“What just happened?” I finally managed to ask.

“That was Noah Landry. He’s a bit of a hothead.” Molly chuckled.

“You make it sound like this is normal,” I murmured, still in shock.

She shrugged nonchalantly. “It kind of is. There’s a lot of testosterone in this place.”

“Why did he go after Sawyer?” I asked, choosing to overlook the blatant sexism.

“Who knows?” She shrugged again, but I had a feeling she was withholding information.

“Is he okay?” I asked.

“Sawyer? Yeah, he’ll be okay. He often finds himself in trouble,” she responded.

“I should head home,” I declared, rising to my feet.

Molly quickly blocked my path. “Look, Noah will probably want to talk to you,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm as if she were uncomfortable.

“What? Why?” I asked, taken aback.

I had no desire to interact with him.

“Well, this was his party, and he scared you, so…he might want to apologize,” she stammered.

She’s definitely not telling the truth.

“I’m fine, thanks,” I dismissed her, sidestepping her to reach the door.

Just as I was about to open it, the door swung open abruptly, nearly knocking me over. I gasped and stumbled backward, catching myself on the kitchen counter.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” he apologized, his voice a rich blend of deep, smooth, and husky tones.

I looked up at him, and I mean way up. He towered over even Sawyer, with deep olive-green eyes and dark chestnut hair. His sun-kissed arms were adorned with tattoos. He extended his hand to steady me, but I recoiled before he could touch me.

“I’m fine,” I retorted, regaining my composure.

Molly was suddenly by my side again.

What’s her deal?

“Excuse me,” I said, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow, gesturing toward the door.

“You’re leaving?” He looked genuinely concerned.

“Yes,” I replied curtly.

I noticed him exchange a glance with Molly.

“The party isn’t over yet,” he tried to persuade me to stay.

“That’s nice. Have fun,” I responded with a hint of sarcasm.

“You should stay,” he insisted.

“How’s Sawyer?” I asked, my voice laced with a touch of sarcasm.

Noah’s eyes darkened.

“He’ll survive,” he grumbled.

“Great,” I retorted. “Could you please move?” I asked again, hands on my hips.

This towering man actually looked hurt by my rejection.

“I’m sorry if I frightened you,” he apologized, sounding sincere.

“I accept your apology, but I’m still leaving,” I said, growing weary of the situation and feeling increasingly cornered.

I made up my mind to take the risk—to dart past Noah and make a beeline for the door. As I brushed against his bare arm, a jolt of electricity seemed to surge up my arm. I could feel Noah stiffen next to me, his arm instinctively wrapping around me to hold my hand. He bent down so that our eyes were on the same level, and he took a deep breath. I attempted to pull away, but his grip only became firmer.

“Please, don’t leave.”

Is he really pleading with me?

“You’re hurting me,” I whimpered, glancing down at my wrist.

His grip on my arm loosened instantly, as if my words had shocked him.

“Goodbye, Noah.”

The sound of his name seemed to stun him, and I seized that moment to make my exit.

I hurried out of the guesthouse, slamming the door shut behind me.

I practically sprinted to my car, locking the doors the moment I was safely inside.

I didn’t even bother to turn on the GPS. I just hit the gas and headed straight for home.

~That’s it. I’m officially done with socializing.~