19

I UNDERESTIMATED THE chaos of a high school party.

Jack Hyde's was crazy, with it's many beer kegs, and many people.

But Nina Sato's Eighteenth Birthday Bash, makes me think I may need to sit down somewhere.

The only problem is there's nowhere to sit. There's people everywhere, dancing, drinking, and probably getting an STD in the closet.

The moment we stepped into Lucas' mansion, I knew that Jack Hyde's party didn't even compare to this one.

The loud thump of the music is giving me a migraine while also making me want to dance. I don't know how that even works, but it's messing with my brain. ANd I'm trying to decide if I like it or not.

But it's so loud I can barely hear Chase when he leans in and whispers, "Let's find Lucas."

I nod to him, though I don't mention that if I hadn't been staring at his lips, I would have definitely thought he said wet mucus.

Chase gently places his hand on the small of my back, and I can feel the heat of it as he leads me toward the large group of people all surrounding a keg stand.

"Is this okay?" he murmurs into my ear.

I nod absentmindedly looking around, but practically stumble over myself as his thumb sweeps across my back in intentional strokes.

I blow out a breath. This is fine. We are a couple to the public's eyes. Nothing is out of the ordinary. At all.

Except it is. Because Chase Rhodes has his hand on my back and it's making me feel things I wish I could burn to the ground. Like the way my heart feels like it's two sizes too big and might pop out of my chest.

I swallow the feeling, trying to shuffle between two people while simultaneously trying to convince myself this is a natural reaction to have.

Which it is. His touch is just causing my endorphins to act up.

Is that what they're called? Endorphins? I cant remember.

I mean, sure, I did pretty good in biology, but I'm starting to forget all of the body parts that make up a human, and Im pretty sure that that isn't normal.

And I also don't really know what I'm thinking about anymore when his hand becomes more firm against my back and we're suddenly in front of Lucas who is wiping beer from his lips while grinning at us.

"Chase! My man," he slaps Chase's arm and then turns to me. "Li!" he wraps his arms around me and Chase's hand falls away from me.

I shake away the uninvited disappointment.

"Hi, Lucas," I say with a smile, once he's pulled away from me, his eyes glossed over.

"The party was so boring without you two," he whines, and I don't point out the fact that he looked like he was having a blast just two seconds ago. I'm pretty sure if I did we would just go back and forth until he forgot what he was even talking about.

"Lucas?" Chase says, placing an arm on his shoulder.

His head whips to the side, "Yeah?"

"How drunk are you?"

Lucas rubs his eyes. "Yes?"

"I'm gonna take that as very drunk," Chase mutters. "Where's Blake?"

Lucas makes an incoherent sound, and I narrow my eyes, trying to decipher what exactly he's saying.

That is until Blake himself shows up with his hand wrapped around a red cup.

"Hey, guys," he greets with a warm smile, and just behind him I can see Kell Daniels and a few other of his teammates.

I have no choice but to smile brightly back. Blake has that effect where you can't help but be giddy around him.

Chase and him do a handshake I'd rather never learn, and nods to the others.

I give them all a small wave.

"Nina's out in the backyard, if you want to wish her a happy birthday," Blake jerks his thumb behind him.

Chase's hand finds my back again, "What about him?"

Blake doesn't hesitate to look at Lucas, who appears to now be drinking what was once Blake's drink. "You know, Lucas," he sighs, though it sounds far more irritated than what I think he planned for. "Don't worry. I got him."

Chase nods and we both bid him goodbye as we make our way past more moving bodies and to the backyard.

I don't know what I imagined would be out here, but the giant pool and patio is not it.

Though, I shouldn't be surprised. Their kitchen is bigger than my entire house.

fairy lights are strung up all along the canopy, giving it a cozy look, and I tild my head up to look at them.

Multiple pool floaties bob in the water, along with tons of teens who are playing pool games.

We loop past them and make our way toward the patio.

"That's Nina," Chase whispers to me, and I look to where a girl with long black hair stands with a group of people surrounding her. "You okay with this?"

I look up at Chase, the moonlight outlining his features in a way that I want to trace them over with my finger. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugs, "Sometimes it's hard to read your expressions. I don't want to force you into things."

I blow out a breath. "You don't have to worry about that, Chase. I'm here, aren't I? With you?" I give him a small smile.

And I say the words, I know how true they are. Chase makes me feel safe in a way I can't explain.

And I'm not sure I want to, either.

His eyes search mine for a moment, then he nods. "Shall we then?"

I smile, mimicking his accent, "We shall."

I clasp onto the crook of his elbow as we make our way toward Nina. And when Chase taps on her shoulder, she spins around with a huge smile on her face.

"Chase!" She squeals. "I'm so glad you could make it." They hug and then her eyes shift to me and her smile grows. "You must be Lila?"

I nod, suddenly feeling extremely underdressed in front of her gorgeous black gown.

I've never been too insecure with the clothes I wear. I liked what I liked, and didn't like what I didn't like. It was as simple as that.

But now I'm not so sure my logic is paying off.

I hold up the perfectly wrapped bag and hand it to her, "Happy birthday."

She takes it from me, "Thank you—both of you. And I hope you guys have fun, there's drinks in the cooler and snacks in the kitchen!" she winks at me and then we're suddenly turning away from her and going back through the door.

I'm still clutching onto Chase's arm but once I realize that, I immediately let him go.

His eyes drop to mine briefly but then he looks away just as quickly.

I swallow. Then before I convince myself not to, I stand on the tips of my toes and whisper, "Do you think...Do you think I'm underdressed?"

Chase's eyes meet mine before they slowly rake down my figure, causing me to swallow. "No. I think you look amazing, Matthews."

I nod, but glance down to the floor.

"But," he says, and his finger is suddenly hooked underneath my chin, lifting my face up. "If you think you are..." he reaches behind his back and shrugs off his jacket, tossing it onto the counter behind us. "Then we can be underdressed together."

My breath stalls in my lungs, how did I ever get a friend like him? "What if someone steals it?"

He shrugs, "There are other jackets."

"But that one is your favorite," I point out, and he looks shocked for a moment, as if baffled I knew that. "You wear it all the time."

He just shakes his head, "It's old. No one will steal it. Don't worry about me, Matthews."

Too late, I think to myself.

"C'mon," Chase says, breaking the momentary silence. "Let's get a drink."

I nod in agreement and we brush past the line of people doing shots to the wide selection of drinks perfectly placed on the counter.

"Alright, Matthews," Chase starts. "What'll it be tonight?"

My first instinct is to say water, but I hesitate. "What are you having?"

Chase eyes me for a moment but says, "Why don't we make a game."

My eyes meet his. "What kind of game?"

"Whoever gets drunk first, loses," he tips the rim of a beer bottle to me. "And whoever wins, gets to do whatever they want."

"That's awfully vague," I mutter.

He raises a brow at me, "You in, Matthews?"

I roll my eyes, snatching the bottle from his hand. "You won't win, Chase."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?"

He pours me the first glass, and I inhale a breath before chugging it in one go, the glass clinking against the counter.

Chase appraises me, "Not bad, Matthews."

"Thanks, I like to practice with cranberry juice," I reply dryly.

He chuckles, and pours himself some next.

"Nina seems nice," I say, once he's downed his shot.

He nods, "Yeah, she is. We all used to be pretty close, Lucas, Blake, Nina, this other girl Melody and I."

My brows draw together, "What happened?"

He laughs, "Blake."

I raise a brow, "Our Blake?"

"The one and only," he laughs.

"What'd he do?"

"He had a hopeless crush on her, and it was pretty awkward when she rejected him. There weren't any hard feelings, hence why he's here, but, y'know. Things kinda fell apart," he shrugs.

"So Nina and Melody parted ways?"

"Nah. Nina's an amazing person. She never made Melody choose. We all just kind of dance exist around each other now," he explains.

"You should rectify that," I say, reaching for the bottle.

He watches me as I do so, "I should?"

I shrug, "Yeah. Things could work out."

He thinks for a moment before nodding, "Maybe you're right."

After the fourth shot, I'm laughing at absolutely nothing.

I wouldn't exactly say I'm drunk—though I've never been drunk to know, but Chase, who has stumbled over his own two feet many times, proves I'm nowhere near it.

I tilt my head to the side, watching as he downs another shot.

I say, "I think...I won."

Chase's eyes track my movement as I push away the shot glasses. He frowns, "What did you win?"

I shake my head. He's completely gone.

"Never mind," I sigh. "You know, I didn't take you for a light-weight."

His brows push together, "I'll have you know I'm very big, actually," he holds his arm up, flexing.

I snort, about to reply but then Chase's face lights up and he suddenly grabs my hand.

"Come here," he murmurs, pulling me along with him to the living room where people are dancing everywhere.

Chase is suddenly standing in front of me, a challenge in his eyes.

"Dance with me," he grins.

"No."

His head tilts to the side, "Come on."

"No—"

Before I can finish my sentence, he wraps his arms around my waist and urges me closer to him, my breath mixing with his.

"It's not that hard," his lips brush against my ear. "I'll show you."

My eyes close briefly at his voice, and a shiver works its way down my spine. But I quickly come to my senses.

I pull back slightly, my eyes meeting his. "Fine," I breathe.

His smile deepens as his hands find my waist, his fingers brushing against my lower back. I suck in a breath as he leans in, "Relax. Don't think, Matthews."

Easier said than done, I think. Then mentally I slap myself for thinking.

Jesus, how does one not think?

All I'm doing is thinking—and it doesn't help that his hands have tightened in their place as he begins to sway to the music.

I try and follow his lead, but I'm far less graceful. And when I look back up to him, I see his eyes on me already.

"What?" I ask, gripping onto the fabric of his shirt.

He shakes his head, chuckling. "Nothing."

I huff out a breath. Is my dancing that bad?

Probably.

"Don't worry, I'll be right by your side," he says, and the loudness of the music isn't nearly as loud as my heartbeat. "Or on top. If that's what you prefer," he winks at me.

My face flattens out. "You're very flirty when you're drunk."

"Don't lie to yourself. I'm flirty all the time," his face brightens into a grin.

I just shake my head as the music continues to play out.

"Hey, Lila?" Chase suddenly says after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"Can I hold you?"

I choke on my words, Drunk Chase is awfully straightforward. "What?"

"Can I hold you?" he repeats like it's no big deal.

My tongue pokes the inside of my cheek, but I nod anyway. Truthfully, I don't hate the sound of him holding me.

Not at all. And I'm not entirely sure what to make of that, but I decide not to worry about it until I have to.

His arms come off my waist and wraps around me in a gentle grip. His eyes are searching, trying to figure out what I'm thinking, probably.

And I smile, letting him know I'm fine.

More than fine.

My cheek rests against his chest, and I wonder exactly how this has happened. Never in a million years did I think I would find myself in Chase Rhodes' arms at a party. Or anywhere at all.

Not that I'm exactly mad at about it, I realize.

By the time the music has slowed, there are less people dancing and more people too drunk to even get up. Chase included.

I don't exactly know how many shots he drank, I was too busy trying to win our bet, but with the way he's still swaying despite the lack of music, I'm guessing a lot more than my four.

"Chase?" I murmur.

He makes a sound at the back of his throat, as his hands tighten around me. We're still standing, probably looking incredibly awkward.

I pull back slightly, trying to catch his eye. "Why don't we sit down?"

He looks confused for a moment but then whispers, "Okay."

I let out a breath, and clasp his hand in mine, trying to steer him away from the living room and to any empty seat.

Unfortunately, I'm quickly realizing there isn't any.

Just how many people can fit in this house?

After a couple of minutes of walking around aimlessly, Chase stumbling over himself left and right, I find Blake standing next to Lucas who is puking into a trash can.

Blake's face screws up, and it looks like he might follow in Lucas' footsteps, but I quickly call out his name.

His head shoots up and he smiles at me, "Hey..." he cringes when he sees Chase behind me. "Jesus. How much did he drink?"

I wince, I'm failing at the friend thing. I don't even know how much he drank and he was right in front of me. I was so caught up in winning I wasn't even paying attention to him.

What kind of a friend does that make me?

"I...don't know," I say defeated.

Blake gives me a curious look, "It's alright. Not the first time it's happened," he means for it to lighten the mood, but I swallow, suddenly more guilty than before. "I'm assuming he was the driver tonight though?"

I nod.

He sighs, "Take him upstairs. There's a guest room at the farthest end of the hallway. He can crash there until he's sobered up," he points to the stairs.

I thank him and hurriedly begin pushing Chase toward the stairs, telling him to stop when he begins playing with the end of my braid.

"Why is your hair is so fucking soft?" he breathes, lightly running his fingers through it.

I grab his hand, "Are you done?"

"You have secrets in there," he slurs, tracing my lips with his finger. "I want to know them."

Heat trails where the pad of his finger touches my lips, and I gently pry it away. Every time he looks at me, it becomes harder and harder to breathe.

I clear my throat, "When you've sobered maybe I will, okay?"

He looks elated, "Really?"

I nod imperatively. "Really."

He allows me to help him walk up the stairs, and when I finally find the guest room, Chase turns to me once more and I glare at him.

"I like the way you look at me," he says, and I almost cant hear him over the loud thump of the music that had begun again down stairs.

My eyes meet his. "And how do I look at you?"

He smiles, "Like you want to punch me."

I give him a look. "I've already done that."

He laughs to himself quietly, "There's the look."

I shake my head at him, "Sit down, Rhodes."

He hiccups but wisely chooses to obey me.

"I'm going to get you some water—" Chase shoots off the bed.

"Wait," he breathes. "Don't go."

My lips pull down, "I'll be back just—"

His eyes widen as I work down a swallow.

"Okay, okay," I breathe. "I'm here."

I slowly sit beside him on the bed, and in a matter of seconds, Chase is lying down with his head resting against the pillow.

"Hey, Lila?"

I look over at him. "Yes?"

"I wasn't lying earlier. You do look amazing," he yawns. "You always do."

Heat blossoms on my cheeks and a small smile transforms my frown, I go to thank him, but when I open my mouth to speak, I find he's already slept.

I sigh to myself, my fingers curling around the thick comforter.

I told him I wouldn't leave him, and I meant it when I said I wouldn't.

My eyes cast over his face, taking in the sharp angles of it.

My favorite friend.

My favorite person.

Funny how that works.

I shake my head, smoothing out the comforter against his back, before sitting next to him.

I have no doubt this will be a long night, but I guess I don't mind.

A little while later, Blake knocks on the door and steps in.

I lift my head off the comforter, and rub my eyes.

"The party is starting to wind down," he whispers.

I nod, "Thanks."

He smiles back at me, "Any time. I'm glad he has someone like you, Lila."

I look down at Chase then back at Blake, "What do you mean?"

"He deserves someone that will take care of him for once, so thank you," he explains.

I don't respond for a second, not really knowing what to say, but then I whisper, "He would do the same for me."

And I know for a fact it's the truth.