Eli’s POVI don’t know how we got here, me and Arnold kissing, peeling clothes off in some random room in some random house. But yeah, I should’ve seen it coming.Especially after he pulled me aside back at the house and immediately kissed me, just like that, saying I looked amazing.Yes, maybe I blushed redder than a tomato and muttered a lame little “thanks,” but what was I supposed to do when the guy just kissed me out of nowhere? Sure, it was just a soft peck, cautious, but it was enough to send me into a full frenzy.And now here we are.Back at the party, when we peeled away from Aiden and Nova, I downed half my beer in one go. Not because I’m a lightweight, I can handle at least three bottles before feeling anything but because I needed something other than blood in my veins if I was going to survive this night.Arnold’s hand stayed gentle on my back, guiding me through the crowd until we stopped at the edge of the dance floor.“Final stop?” I teased, grinning up at him.He nod
Nova’s POVThe moment we stepped through the door, it felt like we’d walked into another dimension. Honestly, I had to stick my head back out just to confirm we hadn’t time-traveled.Music slammed into me instantly, along with the stench of alcohol and sweaty teens. Rainbow lights bounced off every wall, making the whole house feel more like a nightclub than someone’s living room. Who even lived here? It was way too fancy for students.I scanned the crowd yep, all student types. Okay, safe.Aiden’s hand slipped into mine as he tugged me toward a quieter corner. Arnold did the same with Eli.The music was still loud, but at least I wasn’t seconds away from a migraine anymore.“So,” Aiden began, sounding like a teacher about to hand out rules. “First—don’t take a drink from anyone except us. Understood?” He looked straight at me and Eli.“Second,” Arnold added smoothly, smirking, “if you do, just assume it’s poison.”I laughed.“Do they think we’re twelve?” Eli muttered beside me, shuff
Nova’s POVAiden stood in front of me for almost a full minute, his eyes glistening and that small smile tugging at his lips. Before I could even ask what was going on, he grabbed my waist, pulled me close, and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. My eyes went wide as he pulled away.“What was that for?” I asked with a smile, swatting him lightly while stealing a glance at Eli. Of course, Eli was grinning. Arnold must have noticed too, because he tugged Eli toward the dining room, leaving me and Aiden alone.“Why do you look so hot?” Aiden whispered, his voice low and rough as his hand brushed against the chain on my waist. The touch made me shiver.“It’s a party, Aiden,” I teased with a laugh. “Am I supposed to wear pajamas?”“I’m not complaining about what you’re wearing,” he said, eyes refusing to leave me. “No one else can look at you for more than a second anyway.” His grin widened. “What I am complaining about is how I’m supposed to stay calm when you look this good.” His voice dropp
Nova’s POV “Party, party, yeahhh!” Eli screamed right in my ear, and if I lost hearing in one side, he was absolutely to blame. Clothes flew around my room like confetti as he raided my closet, muttering under his breath and rejecting every outfit I’d neatly picked out earlier. Apparently, in Eli’s words, none of them fit the vibe. Let me rewind for context, so this boy showed up at my door at five o’clock sharp, a whole hour earlier than promised, dragging a massive bag stuffed with his own wardrobe. His excuse? He was sure that whatever I’d chosen to wear “definitely wouldn’t cut it.” Excuse me? I could dress myself perfectly fine, thank you very much. Okay, maybe not as well as Eli fine, maybe not half as well as Eli, but still, I was trying here. “So,” he announced dramatically, holding up two random options like they were trophies. “Pick a lane, love: trousers or gown.” He wiggled them in my face until I swatted him away, giggling despite myself. “And before you can answer
Eli’s POVI was definitely not thinking when I dragged Arnold away. Because tell me why I was now standing like a hot statue, frozen in place, not saying a single word, and unable to meet his eyes, when I was the one who pulled him out here. Even for me, this was a whole new level of weirdness. My brain really said, “drag your crush away in front of half the cafeteria” and then left me with no follow-up plan.“Now you know how hard it was for me to meet your eyes that night,” Arnold said with a little chuckle, his voice annoyingly warm. That sound alone made me lift my head just a little, though I still couldn’t look fully at him.“Are you not going to say a word, Eli?” he asked as he leaned against the wall, casual like it was no big deal.“I don’t know what to say,” I finally let out with a sigh. “I didn’t even think before pulling you out. I was just… embarrassed.” The truth tumbled out, messy and awkward, just like me.“Embarrassed about what?” he asked, straightening up now, his
Nova’s POVLunch had never been this entertaining. Usually, it was just noise, but today felt like front-row tickets to a drama performance, and the fact I didn’t have popcorn honestly felt like a crime. A crime I was, unfortunately, guilty of.The moment Arnold casually pried Jace’s hand off Eli’s shoulder, like he’d been waiting his whole life to do it I knew I was in for a show. It wasn’t loud or dramatic, just smooth, almost careless. Which made it even better.“He knows the whole cafeteria saw that, doesn’t he?” I whispered to Aiden, who was grinning almost as wide as me.“He probably did it so they would,” Aiden replied, voice low but smug. “Your brother really is straight to the point.” He arched a brow, then flicked his eyes toward Eli. “And Eli doesn’t seem to mind either.”I followed his gaze. Eli had the tiniest smile tugging at his lips, one of those blink-and-you-miss-it expressions. My brother had been pestering me all night about the phone call I’d had with Eli, trying