Chapter 2 : Ride home.

ZANE’S POV

Need I say, Adrian’s sister was becoming a very big distraction to my self-control. It was like every fucking thing in my head was occupied by her, and worst of all, she was off-limits—my best friend’s younger sister. It would’ve been better if she were just some random chick I didn’t see every fucking day of my life, someone I could’ve fulfilled my desires with from the first day she became a distraction. But no. She had to be Adrian’s sister.

Speaking of distractions, she was standing across the room in a short black dress that hugged her figure before falling loosely around her thighs, dancing to one of Beyoncé’s songs alongside her evil best friend, Kendra. I wasn’t the only one watching Alessia, either. Almost every other fucker in the room had their eyes on her.

I was grateful none of them had enough balls to walk up to her. Not with Adrian around. He’d probably have their heads if he caught them trying anything with his sister.

My eyes found her again as she swayed to the music, laughing at something Kendra said before taking a sip from the beer in her hand.

Jesus.

It was intoxicating.

How the hell had she never had a boyfriend? Then again, I knew exactly who was responsible for that. Adrian. If he had his way, every guy who looked at his sister for too long would probably end up six feet under.

“Dude, geez. You’re literally eye-fucking Alessia right now.”

I turned my head slowly toward Mason, already annoyed that he’d noticed. Of all the people in this room, he had to be the one with functioning eyes.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, finally looking at him.

Mason gave me one of those stop lying looks that made me want to punch him. Instead, I smirked and raised the can of beer to my lips, taking a long drink.

“You better stop it, Zane.” He lowered his voice and glanced toward Alessia before looking back at me. “She’s off-limits. Adrian would run it crazy if he ever caught you staring at her like this.”

“Who says he’s ever going to catch me?” I asked, pushing away from the wall and moving toward the beer-pong table. At least the game would give me something else to focus on for a while. Otherwise, I’d keep looking across the room like an idiot until Alessia inevitably walked over to Adrian, probably half-drunk and asking him to take her home, and he’d somehow make one of us do it instead.

I had a bad feeling it would be me this time.

“You don’t make a lot of effort to hide it,” Mason said, following me. “And she’s not your type, remember? Something about her being too soft?”

I shot him a glare. He didn’t need to keep reminding me of what I liked and disliked.

“Who says I wanted to hide it, Mase?” I asked, grabbing another cup from the table. “And yes, she’s still not my type. So what? I can’t admire her?”

Mason stared at me for a moment like I’d just confirmed every suspicion he’d had.

“You’re crazy, dude. I guess some girl is probably waiting for you upstairs right now, and here you are drooling over our best friend’s sister.”

I looked at him.

For a second, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to laugh or tell him to shut the fuck up.

Mason was becoming more of a father than a friend lately, and honestly, I almost felt sorry for him.

“Chill out, man,” I said, shaking my head before heading toward the stairs.

I needed space.

Away from Mason.

Away from the noise.

And, most importantly, away from Alessia.

Because the longer I stayed in that room, the harder it was becoming to remember why she was supposed to be off-limits.

I had barely made it upstairs when I heard Adrian calling my name from downstairs. I ignored him the first time. Whatever he wanted could wait.

It didn’t.

A few minutes later, I found myself back at the kitchen island with Mason, Jace and Adrian, a half-empty beer still in my hand. The party was louder downstairs, but the kitchen was calmer, which was exactly why we’d ended up there.

Then Alessia walked in with Kendra.

I looked up without meaning to.

Kendra was saying something to her, but Alessia barely seemed to be listening. She walked straight toward her brother and leaned against his shoulder the moment she reached him, her head resting against him while Adrian looked down at her with the familiar expression he always wore whenever his little sister had had too much to drink.

I watched her for a second before forcing my attention back to my beer.

I knew exactly what she’d come for.

She didn’t have a car yet, and even if she did, there was no way Adrian was letting her drive home in that state. It happened at almost every party. Alessia would eventually come looking for her brother, and Adrian would choose one of us to take her back to her dorm.

They took turns.

Everyone except me.

I’d rather be found doing almost anything else than sitting in the same car with Alessia for twenty minutes while she was beside me on the way back to campus.

It was temptation.

And I wasn’t made for temptation where Alessia was concerned.

“Zane.”

I looked up.

Adrian was staring directly at me.

I already knew what he was about to say.

“No.”

He frowned. “I haven’t even asked yet.”

“You don’t need to.”

Mason snorted beside me.

Adrian ignored him and glanced toward his sister before looking back at me. “Can you take Al back to the dorm?”

Fuck me sideways.

Of course.

Of all the people sitting around this island, he had to pick me.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but Adrian was already looking at me with that trusting expression that made it almost impossible to say no. He trusted me with his sister. Probably more than he should.

I sighed and set my beer down.

“Fine.”

Mason gave me a look that was far too amused.

I ignored him.

Adrian helped Alessia straighten up, and she blinked slowly as she looked around the kitchen. Her eyes landed on me.

For a second, she just stared.

Then she smiled.

Not the polite smile she gave people at school.

A real one.

“Maniac,” she mumbled.

I frowned. “What?”

She giggled softly and leaned back against Adrian.

“Nothing.”

I looked at Adrian.

He was already smiling.

“This should be fun,” Mason muttered.

I shot him a warning look before reaching for my keys.

It wasn’t going to be fun.

It was going to be twenty minutes of pretending the girl sitting beside me wasn’t the reason I’d spent half the night trying not to look across the room.

And somehow, that felt much harder than playing an entire hockey game.