"Where's David, by the way?" Amelia's voice sliced through the low hum of conversation, pulling us to a halt. I turned, scanning the crowd lingering outside the house, trying to spot David among the faces, but my gaze fell back to Amelia.
"We'll look for him," I said, my thoughts already racing ahead. "Let's just toss your things in the car first."
"David!" we called out in unison, our voices cutting through the chatter. A few heads turned, and there he was, leaning casually against Logan's car, a bemused look on his face.
"Oh, did I miss something?" he quipped, raising an eyebrow as Logan let out a soft chuckle. Amelia and I exchanged a glanceâone of those shared moments that said more than words ever could. James and Ethan were engaged in their own conversation, oblivious to the little drama unfolding at the car.
Had David really been in the car the whole time? How on earth did he get inside without Logan's keys? I mentally shrugged off the thought. Maybe he borrowed them without anyone noticing? It was typical of him to just show up, nonchalant as ever.
Logan threw our bags into the trunk with the kind of casual grace that only boys seemed to master, while Amelia and I climbed into the back seat. The engine rumbled to life, and we pulled away from the house, the familiar streets whizzing past us.
I jolted awake as the car came to a halt, my surroundings coming back into focus. We had arrived at a house that felt oddly familiar. Logan switched off the engine, and we all climbed out, the air crisp against my skin. James, always the gentleman, helped Logan unpack the car while I grabbed my bag from him, thanking him with a nod.
After locking the car, we followed Logan to the front porch. He rummaged in his pocket before producing a key, which he used to unlock the door. It creaked open, and we stepped inside, the warmth of the house enveloping us.
Logan dumped his bag on the living room floor, followed suit by the other guys. I couldn't help but notice how boys could be so carefree about their belongings. Amelia was already engrossed in her phone, typing furiously as I took a moment to survey my surroundings.
This place looks so familiar, I thought, my mind racing as I turned to Logan. "So, why are we staying here?"
He looked back at me, his expression a mix of seriousness and amusement. "We'll be here until Cayden and Noah come back. I texted them to let them know we're safe."
"Safe?" My stomach dropped at his choice of words. "What do you mean? Is something going on?"
Logan's expression shifted, a shadow passing over his features. "Not exactly bad, but you should talk to Cayden. My perspective might be skewed," he replied, heading upstairs, probably to his room.
Amelia and I settled on the couch, the silence punctuated by the sounds of James bustling in the kitchen. Ethan and David, not wanting to miss out on fun, had already obtained permission to play games in the basement and were gone in a flash.
"You've been here before, right?" I asked Amelia, who looked up from her phone, blinking rapidly at me before nodding.
"Care to explain?" I prodded, sensing there was more to the story.
She let out a deep sigh and shifted closer. "Well, Logan's actually my ex-boyfriend."
I almost dropped my phone. "Wait, what? Are you serious?" My mind raced as I tried to piece it together. This was a side of Amelia I hadn't expected.
"Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "We broke up last year. It was a mess."
I leaned in, intrigued. "What happened?"
Before she could answer, James returned with a tray of mugs, two of which he placed on the coffee table. "Hot chocolate," he announced proudly. "I hope you like it."
"Thanks!" Amelia and I chimed in unison, our earlier conversation momentarily forgotten. James went back into the kitchen to fetch more for Ethan and David.
"Okay, back to Logan," I said, taking a sip of the warm drink. "How did this happen?"
She took a deep breath, clearly gearing up for a story. "We dated for about a year. Things were good until he cheated on me with a girl from my science class."
I felt a surge of indignation on her behalf. "What? Are you serious?"
"Yeah," she replied, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice. "Every time I see her, I want to throw her to the zombies in The Walking Dead."
I chuckled, but there was an edge of seriousness beneath it. "So how did you two end up here together again?"
"After the beach that night when you and Cayden were flirting," she said, her tone teasing, "he came up to me and said he wished he hadn't messed up. We talked it out, but he didn't ask to get back together. Just said he hoped we could be friends by the end of the year."
"Wow, that's surprisingly mature of him," I said, sipping my hot chocolate thoughtfully. "I figured he'd be more cocky about it."
"Yeah, he surprised me, too," she replied, stirring her drink. "But it's like we act as if everything is normal, even though we both know it's not."
Just then, Amelia showed me a funny meme on Twitter, and we both erupted in laughter. It was a brief escape from the tension in the air.
The sound of the doorbell rang out, interrupting our laughter. I looked at Amelia, who shrugged. Curiosity tugged at me, and I stood up to answer it.
Opening the door, I found Noah standing there, a half-smile on his face. But my smile faded as I took in his injuriesâa split lip and a bruise along his jaw. "What happened to you?" I asked, stepping aside to let him in.
"Just a little scuffle," he replied nonchalantly, heading to the pantry for a glass of water.
"Where's Cayden?" I asked, glancing back toward the living room.
"He should be here soon," Noah said, taking a long drink. I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. What kind of trouble had they gotten into?
With that thought gnawing at me, I stepped out onto the porch steps to wait for Cayden. As I scrolled through Instagram, I lost myself in the images on my feed, but my mind was still racing.
A car soon rolled into Logan's driveway, headlights cutting through the fading light. I stood up, straining to see, and when the engine shut off, I recognized Cayden as he stepped out of the car. My heart raced.
"Cayden!" I called, rushing down the steps to meet him. But as I got closer, my stomach dropped. He had a fresh cut above his left eyebrow, bruising on his jaw, and his lip was split.
"What the hell happened?" I exclaimed, panic rising in my chest as I reached out to touch his face, wincing as he flinched slightly at my touch.
"Just a fight," he said, trying to play it off as if it were no big deal. He grasped my hand, pulling it away from his face. "Really, I'm fine."
"Fine? You look anything but fine," I said, leading him back up the steps. "Let's get inside and treat those injuries."
He chuckled softly, the sound easing some of my worry. "You're not my mom, you know," he teased, but I could see the warmth in his eyes as I opened the door for him.
"Just sit on the couch," I instructed, my tone firm despite the playful banter. I spotted Logan coming down the stairs and waved him over.
"Do you have a first-aid kit?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's in the kitchen. First cabinet on the bottom," he replied, gesturing as I hurried to grab it.
"Okay, let me just go back and getâ"
Before I could finish, Cayden leaned in and kissed me, interrupting my thoughts completely. The tension that had been coiling in my body melted away as I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. His hands cradled my cheeks, his touch both gentle and possessive, drawing me closer as he deepened the kiss.
I stood there, caught off guard but eager, returning his kiss with equal fervor. There was something electric about it, something that made everything else fade into the background.
After all, what was the point of kissing someone if you weren't willing to embrace it fully? Especially when that someone was Cayden, who made my heart race and my thoughts scatter like leaves in the wind.
***
Hey guys and Surprise! Another FFTBB update. This is my payback for you guys for waiting for so long for the update and I am thankful for you guys for keep on waiting just to wait for the update of this story.
Hopefully, by March or April, this book will be finished if not, I don't know when but somewhere between 2018 but I can assure you that it won't extend until May or June starts. Thank you so much for the 30K reads, I still can't get over it and I seriously love you guys!
Follow me on twitter so that you guys are updated. I tweet there almost every week for story updates.
As always, Carry on and Happy Reading!~
Happy Holidays! â¡
-The Author