Kingston still types away at his phone, Stone continues to sneak glances at me from the rear view mirror, and Ivy looks excited at the idea of having me there.I shake my head. "I don't think I should. I've never been to one of Stone's parties. I heard they get wild." I smile with tight lips, eyes glancing at the guy mentioned. "Come on, you have to come," Ivy pleads, bottom lip jutting out. My eyebrows raise in surprise.I'm about to protest again when we pull up to grandma's house."You owe me for helping you," Ivy barters, her hand grabbing my arm. "This can be your payment back." I bite my lip, suddenly suspicious of their intentions. Ivy never helped me until now. Even after seeing me walk home with paint dripping off my clothes, she didn't do anything. Why did she decide to help me now? Of all times? And why does she want me to go to the party? We weren't friends, and her helping me doesn't make us friends. They have something planned to humiliate me. They don't humiliate
I am good. I followed the rules, always did my best, and yet one bad thing after another happens to me. And yet my father, a bad man, is alive while nearly half a dozen people lay six feet beneath the earth for being good.How does this make any sense? How is this God's will? Why does God punish the good?Fuck God’s will. Fuck God in general.Didn't I make it clear that I don't want to hear from him anymore? That I want nothing to do with him, or anything remotely related to him?"What are you going to do with it?" Grandma asks softly. She leans against my dresser, chewing on her inner cheek."I don't know," my voice cracks. I tilt my head back to look at her. "Did he send you one too?"Her lips pinch together with a shake of her head.After she leaves, I end up staring at it longer than I wanted to. I curse when a tear falls down my cheek. I hastily wipe it away and scoff. Out of everyone, he doesn't deserve any tears. Yet despite my thoughts, they continue to fall. I open my side
His lips tilt up into a sneer, blue eyes narrowing as he takes in my summer dress. "You disappoint me, Ariella." He tuts at me like I'm in trouble. "What happened to wearing something tight? Kingston will not be pleased."I flush red, shifting to put most of my weight on my left leg as I pop my hip out. "I don't have anything tight." I shrug, eyes darting to the party happening behind him. He nods and shrugs. "Looks like I owe Ivy ten bucks." I frown at him, taking in the way his messy blond hair looks perfect, "Are you guys betting against me?" "Would you get mad if I said yes?" He steps off the front porch and walks towards me. When he's standing in front of me, I tilt my head back so I can look at him. He's so fucking tall. My gaze drifts to his biceps, then his chest. If I spilled a drink on him, would he take it off? My breath hitches, skin lighting up when he curls a strand of my hair around his index finger. He gives it a firm tug, causing a dull ache when he pulls it hard
"How about a game?" He asks when I don't say anything, eyes still glued to the dildo wearing unicorn. Only when he's out of sight do I turn my attention back to Kingston. "Huh?" "Wanna play a game?" He chuckles, hand reaching up to tuck a strand of brown hair behind my ear. I suck in a breath when his warm fingers graze my cheek."I don't want to end up with a dildo on my forehead." I giggle with a shake of my head. His green eyes light up at the idea. Fuck, he's so beautiful, it's unfair. "As entertaining as that sounds, we don't have to play dare.""No?" I ask with furrowed brows. "What kind of game then?" I force myself to look away. I find myself staring at two guys making out on the other side of the room. My eyebrows raise in surprise. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community is a huge no-no in Bethany. My eyes dart to Kingston in question. When he sees what I was staring at, he laughs."Never seen two dudes make out before?" He asks, voice curious. I shake my head, eyes darting ba
I stop at the edge of the crowd, eyes searching for a girl with black hair. I find her against the wall, talking to a guy. I rush to her and drag her away, ignoring her protests. I stop in the middle of the floor, surrounded by all the other bodies. I turn to face her with an excited smile on my face, and I start to dance. I don't ever get to do this. I don't go to parties and drink. I don't dance. And I'm forever regretful for not going sooner. I wave my hands in the air, fingers wiggling. I have amazing spirit fingers. "Are you drunk?" Ivy laughs. She starts to sway her hips, her arms raising, and she looks sensual. The twinkle in her eyes is mesmerizing, and she seems so different from her usual self. More lively.Her allure is instant, and it's no wonder she went from dancing with a female to talking to a male. "Yes! I played beer pong with King!" I shout. I turn around and start to grind my hips into hers, just as I saw her doing with the other girl earlier. Ivy's hands fin
I remember the way Kingston stared at Ivy and me, the dark look in Stone’s eyes."Wha-" my sentence is cut off with a moan."Such a pretty sound from even prettier lips," Haeden murmurs. He bites and sucks on my neck some more, the assault sending shivers of pleasure through me."What’s happening?" I gasp out, my head tilting back against the fence."You shouldn't have come to this party, Ariella. I'm going to devour you." A shiver runs down my spine at the darkness that drips from his tone.Before I can open my mouth, maybe say something to embarrass myself, we hear a crash and a shout sounds from inside Stone's house."God damn it," he grumbles, pulling away. He grabs my hand and drags me behind him back towards the party. "Come on." Dazed and breathless, I follow him.When we're inside, there's a circle that’s formed in the living room."Get off me you crazy bitch!" A girl screeches from within. "How many times do I have to tell your skanky ass?" I gasp at Ivy's familiar voice. H
STONE POVWatching Ariella walk into my house wearing a summer dress that barely reaches her knees almost makes me bust a nut. I forget all about the girl sitting next to me, my eyes glued to her milky thighs hidden behind that swishing skirt. She always knew how to pull off the teasing-daughter-of-a-pastor look.Imagine my fucking surprise when he turns out to have a thirst for taking away a life.I didn't know anyone personally that was murdered. My family never went to church. Sure, my dad is religious, but his self-absorbed ass is too busy to attend a weekly gathering of the community to praise the god he worships. While I wasn't directly affected by the incident, Haeden was. An old family friend of his was among the people her father killed. The confusion he's feeling now - whether he still wants her or hates her entire existence solely for being related to the man who caused his pain - is eating away at him. Either way he's still obsessed, and one is more dangerous than the oth
I've heard hangovers are the worst aftermath of a night of drinking. I've especially heard of the strange concoctions people swear by to get rid of it. Waking up to a door rattling as the person behind it pounds their fist into it while having my first hangover just makes the entire situation worse. It sounds like the banging is in tune with pounding in my head. The sound and feeling so in sync that it’s driving me crazy. I grab the nearest thing to me, a pillow, and hold it over my ears "Get the fuck up!" The angry voice shouts on the other side. It's a familiar deep tone that has my brows furrowing. With a groan, I press a hand against my temple and roll over. "It must've been a good lay," someone else chuckles from outside the room."Shut the fuck up!" the first one snaps back.Once the voices register in my head, my body jumps up out of instinct, eyes wide. I'm full of instant regret as the ache in my temple worsens. I recognize both of those voices. Stone is probably angry tha