Chapter 2

Holden

I grabbed my car keys from the table, pocketed my phone, and shrugged on my jacket. I was going to Jessie's yearly house party. Jessie, Lynch, and Cade. We all became fast friends considering we shared a lot of the same interests.

"Going somewhere." I heard Mason ask and I turned around to see him standing at the entrance to his room as he watched me.

Mason was my babysitter, yes my fucking overbearing stepfather who I'd crawl to the ends of the earth to be far away from sent him to babysit me. Not that I disliked Mason, he was more my best friend than Edward's bitch.

"Hello to you too dear," I rolled my eyes while looking for the keys to the apartment. "Just going out for a little late-night stroll. Care to join."

He waved his hand in the air. "My days of late-night strolling are behind me."

"Oh come on mate Ariana is back in England. I won't tell her if you don't." Mason was far too loyal it was one of the things I admired about him but would never admit it to him.

He smiled. "It's called being faithful chap. You should try it sometimes in fact god forbid you find one woman and one woman only you choose to spend the rest of your life with."

I laughed. "God forbid," I repeated pocketing my keys and exiting the apartment. "Because that's just fucking dreadful mate." I heard him laugh as I closed the apartment door behind me.

So what I was still young. Serious relationships were not for me. I got bored easily and I could barely find something to hold my attention for ten minutes.

"Hi, Holden," the girls who lived in the apartment down the hall greeted.

"Good evening loves," I winked and they both giggled. Women couldn't resist my English charms and it was something I used to my advantage.

I took the lift down to the buildings undercover parking. My midnight blue mustang sat there patiently waiting for me. It was the first thing I bought when I received my trust fund when I was eighteen. The second was the apartment me and Mason shared.

I always thought of the car and the apartment being a gift to me from my late father. A gift that helped me move from England to New York and be far away from his disgusting best friend that decided it was okay to get hitched to my mother after his death.

The thoughts still angered me and I let out a heavy breath as I started the car and drove it down the ramp out of the parking garage. This was the reason I drank whiskey.

It took me thirty-five minutes to get to the campus housing, due to the ridiculous amount of traffic on the road. I parked my car down the street making sure it wasn't close to any other cars. I didn't want some drunk hitting my car.

I walked into the house and saw Jessie and Jett talking to two girls. I could barely hear my thoughts because of the loud music. "Hey," someone whispered in my ear and I turned around to come face to face with Alexa.

"I've missed you," she said placing a lingering kiss on my cheek.

I took a step back. "Wish I could say the same love."

"Oh, you crack me up. I know you've missed me" she laughed, taking another step forward. Alexa was a  rather leggy blonde that gave me the occasional creeps. She had a hot body and knew it but when she opened her mouth to talk I felt like she could just be a supplier of hot air.

"Look Alexa darling," I smiled and she placed her hand on my bicep. "We've had some fun didn't we love?"

She nodded frantically. "And we can again," she wrapped her arms around my neck.

I subtly slipped out of her grip. I made that mistake once and then she didn't leave me alone for months after that. She was obsessed. I sighed. My drunken mistakes would be the death of me one day. "Listen, love I need the loo," I said as a means to escape but also because it was the truth.

"I'll wait for you," she called after me.

"You'll wait forever," I mumbled.

"Bro, I thought you weren't coming," Lynch shouted, as he walked over to me. He swung his arm around my shoulder and I could smell the alcohol off his breath. "And when are you going to stop letting poor Alexa beg. What's going on between you two is it anything serious?"

"By all means Lynch," I gestured with my hands for added emphasis. "Have at it," he smirked at first, and then he gave me a pat on the back. "You a good man," he said and walked over to Alexa.

I used that as my chance to escape to the bathroom before anyone else called me. I ran up the steps and I saw Ryan the campus sleaze, sitting against the wall and having a very animated conversation with himself.

"Having a good night?" I laughed

"Aweessssooooommme" he slurred, losing balance and tilting sideways while looking up at me. I shook my head and went into the bathroom. I was just here to have a few drinks and because of Jessie's continuous nagging.

I left the intoxicated fool to his whims and entered the bathroom. After I was done I washed my hands and exited the bathroom. As I closed the door I saw a girl swaying and struggling to climb the steps.

When she finally made it up the last step she looked comical when she took two steps forward and three steps back. She pushed her messy hair back and gave me a lopsided smile. My brows furrowed as I stared at her.

She was beautiful and I was sure I haven't seen her around here before. She looked innocent considering the way she was dressed. Black jeans and a white sweater with a little flower on the top, but looks were deceiving because she seemed to be severely intoxicated.

"Have you seen the bathroom? ," she asked Ryan.

"Yesss suureee," he slurred with an evil smirk.

He stood up and attempted to straighten his jacket. Miserable arse couldn't even stand. "Come with me babe," he said, burping in the end and I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.

I would have walked away. I could have gone downstairs and carried on with my night, but something in me refused to move even the tiniest of muscle in my body as I watched things unfold before my very eyes.

"Here drink this," he offered the contents of his cup and she shook her head and laughed.

"No thank you. My mom's always said I shouldn't take things from strangers."

"But baby we won't be strangers after tonight." He smirked and I almost vomited in my mouth. He forced the cup to her lips and tilted her head back in a means to force the liquid down her throat.

"Noooo," she wined. "Bathroom."

"I'll show you," he said, smiling darkly.

"Ryan," I called and he turned around.

"Heyyy, Holden buddy when did you get here?" he slurred and the girl looked confused. Her eyes kept rolling back as if she was going to pass out at any minute.

"Stop being a dick and leave the girl alone. She is drunk."

"Why don't you mind your own fucking business, Harris. Fuck back to England," Ryan sneered and began getting defensive. He grabbed the girl's arm and began pulling her.

"Noooo," she refused.

"I said leave her alone," I grabbed him by his collar. "Or I'll leave fragments of your skull on Jessie's rug."

He pushed me and I almost laughed at his feeble attempt when I didn't move a muscle." You not thinking clearly."

"What you don't want to fight now Hariss?" he shoved me again. "What happened you big pussy. You always think you are better than everyone else. Fight me you little bitch."

Without a second thought, I reeled my hand back and punched him square in the mouth. He was so drunk that he stumbled over his own two feet and hit the ground face first. "Maybe you should learn how to fight first before calling someone out," I said and turned my attention to the girl to see she was wobbling to the bathroom.

Fuck.

I followed after her and stopped at the door to see her rush over to the toilet and begin violently vomiting into it. "Fuck," I groaned and went over to her grabbing her silky locks in my hand. "That's it love. Let it all out." I tried resisting the urge to vomit myself but thankfully I had a strong stomach.

When she was done. I grabbed the mouth wash and tissues from the cabinet above the sink. "Fuck," I said looking at her. "What the hell did you take?"

"You know I didn't even want to come here tonight," she sniffled. I wanted to be a normal teenager for once and now I don't know what's wrong with me. My life is just a never-ending cycle of pain and sadness." She cried.

Oh goodness. Why.

"Listen you are going to be okay." I moved to wipe her face and she scrambled back from me and stood. "I'm not going to hurt you love." 

"No don't you dare touch me!" She yelled with wide eyes. I felt a smile creep on my face. Her wide scared eyes reminded me of Bambi. They were large and brown and she had the cutest little face.

"Shush would you?" I whisper yelled. "If anyone came in here right now I'd be in deep shit because of you." I moved to wipe at her face while she tried to dodge me and she started waving her hand in the air to slap me. "Hold still dammit."

"Help!" she screamed and I placed my hand over her mouth as I glared into her eyes.

"If you scream one more time love. You are going to make me angry." Her eyes widened again. "Now listen to me."

I caught both her hands and held them behind her back with my one hand. "Drink this now!" I ordered and she shook her head defiantly. None the less I opened her mouth and quickly shoved the bottle in it pouring the mouth wash in while she squealed. "Now spit it out," I ordered and she smiled sheepishly with her cheeks full of mouth wash.

"I swallowed it," she laughed when her cheeks deflated and I shook my head. My grip on her loosened and she broke out of my hold, ducking under my arm and going out of the bathroom. I should have left her. But she was out of control. What was it to me if she was drunk and stupid? Maybe it's because she was confused and didn't seem to know she was drunk. I found that strange unless someone at the party roofied her drink.

That thought made me anxious. She could have been a good girl who just happened to be at the wrong place. Either way, I knew I couldn't leave her alone here. "Would you wait," I chased after her.

"Why are you following me?" she whined when I caught up to her in the hallway.

"Look you need to relax. You drunk," I said and she shook her head.

"I would never drink!" She whirled on me poking her stubby finger into my chest. She placed her hand flat on my chest as she looked up at me and I felt my heart rate pick up as I stared into her eyes.

"So are you naturally a pain in the arse then?" I asked looking away from her.

"You don't..." she didn't complete her sentence and walked to the end of the hallway. She pushed open a door and went into the room.

Don't follow her. My brain screamed but it was too late, I was already standing at the door. She took off her shirt revealing a red lacy bra and my eyes widened at the sight.

Fuck.

I was just a man and she was fucking desirable from her slender stomach and broad hips. Her bulging breasts were too big for the bra. I made my hand into a fist as I bit down hard on it.

"No no no," I ran into the room and grabbed her sweater from the bed. I pulled it over her head even though everything in my body screamed at me not to.

"I'm hot," she complained.

"Yes, you are very," I cleared my throat as I cautiously pulled each of her arms through the sleeves while looking away. Maybe it would distract me from how soft her skin was.

"I'm feeling really hot," she wined again and moved to lift her top.

"Please keep your top on," I pleaded. "I'll just open the balcony doors." I went over to the balcony and pulled the doors open.

"Wheeeeeeee," she screamed in excitement and ran through the doors. There was a slight chill in the air and she started to spin in a circle.

"You are going to get dizzy you daft girl." I laughed.

"You are going to get dizzy," she mocked in a fake English accent and I had it.

"Are you mocking me?" I caught her hand, stopping her from spinning. Her knees buckled as if she was going to fall and I put my arm around her waist to stabilize her.

Oh, there it went again the Bambi effect. She smiled up at me. Her hyperactive energy slowly started to fade away ."Are you real?" she questioned, reaching out a hand and poking at my cheek softly. It made me smirk at how childish she was being. She giggled as she looked deep into my eyes. "

"No, I'm a figment of your imagination." Her beautiful eyes began to flutter and close slowly as her body went limp in my arms.

"Oh shit. No please wake up." I pleaded while trying to shake her awake."Just fucking brilliant." I didn't know what to do. I couldn't leave her.

Guys like Ryan were pigs and they would take advantage of her. How could I leave Bambi all alone in a forest filled with predators.

I couldn't do it and I couldn't understand why. She was pretty that was it. I had hot woman at my beck and call before then what was it about her.

I knew I would regret this but I picked her up bridal style. "You are going to get me in a lot of trouble," I mumbled and she nuzzled her head into my chest.

She looked so peaceful sleeping. She had a beauty spot just above her lip and her hair was a shiny chestnut brown. Her skin was pale and I pushed the hair out of her face.

Mason was going to have my arse for this one. I promised I wouldn't bring home stray girls anymore because it was awkward for him when he had to greet them in the morning and also... try and get rid of them for me.

But this was not the case with this one. I had questions for her and I'm sure she would have an equal amount of questions for me when she woke up.

I carried her out of the party. It was sad that no one even noticed. I wondered if she came here with friends they would surely be concerned. I loaded her into the back seat of my car. "Don't puke on my seats Bambi or no coffee for you in the morning." She frowned in her sleep her nose wrinkling up and I shut the door before getting into the driver's seat.