“Little Sister!” Finn’s already drunk. The past few days we’ve been preparing for the party, and as much as I want to hide in my room, I’ve come out just to see who these people are, who live in the town I now call home.
I look around as Finn pulls me through the throng of bodies. The warm evening is only heated further, with the large fire pit that Finn and Cassian have set up. My eyes rake over the partygoers, looking for one in particular, but I can’t see him.
“Where are we going?” I ask Finn as he leads me into another small circle of people. There are three girls and four guys, one being Cassian.
“These are the coolest people here, you need to meet them, get to know them, and you’ll be fine,” Finn tells me, but when I meet Cassian’s gaze, he’s rolling his eyes, which makes me laugh.
“Hi, I’m Mali.” One of the girls comes up to me. She’s blonde, with big green eyes that shine in the dancing flames.
“Hi. It’s good to meet you.”
She wraps her arms around me, holding me for a few moments, before releasing me. “That’s Holly,” she tells me, pointing at a beautiful dark-haired girl with dark eyes. From here, I think they’re brown, but I can’t be sure. Holly smiles, waving at me, but she doesn’t leave Cassian’s side.
“I’m Keirin, that’s Creed and Brody,” one of the guys tells me. He looks to be about the same age as Damien, with jet-black hair and wide eyes that look like a silver lake.
“Nice to meet you,” I mumble, feeling far too out of place. I’m nothing like any of these guys and girls. I grew up in the city, and being here with people who’ve known each other their whole lives feels strange.
“Don’t be shy, we’re all friends here,” Mali says, but her gaze lands on Finn with a longing I feel right down to my gut. Because it’s in that moment, I realize that’s possibly how I look at Damien. As much as I try to deny my feelings, I know I can’t. I do want him, even though he’s far too old for me.
“Why don’t you two go grab some wine,” Cass tells me. “Mali knows where to go.” He winks at her, mischievously, and I wonder what that meant. I’ll ask her on the way inside.
“Oh, let me go to the restroom, just head into the kitchen, and right at the back, close to the cooker, is a door that leads down to the cellar. Grab any wine you’d like,” she tells me with a smile, before racing down the hallway. I thought most people would be steered toward the pool house, but it seems like the plans have changed.
I still haven’t seen Damien, and even though I shouldn’t care, I do. And there’s no way I would miss him. When he enters a room, it’s almost as if people fall at his feet because he graced them with his presence.
And it seems like I’m turning into one of those admirers. I don’t want to show him that I’m affected by him, but when he’s near, I’m sure it’s obvious to everyone around us.
As I make my way down the stairs, I feel around the smooth walls, hoping for a light switch, since I can’t see anything in front of me. But by the time I reach the bottom, I still haven’t found anything.
Something crashes behind me, causing me to startle and fall backward. “Hello?” I call out, but there’s no response. My mind must be playing tricks on me. I’ve never liked being in the dark like this. I enjoy nighttime, when I’m lying in the dark, safe in my bedroom, but this is just plain scary.
I hold my hands out in front of me, wondering if there’s one of those hanging tight strings that dangle from the ceiling, but I’m sure that being so wealthy, they’d have something more expensive than an old yellow lamp.
Suddenly, the bulb flickers on and I’m met with Damien’s blue eyes, shining with sinister flames in front of me. A scream lodges itself in my throat, but his hand lands on my mouth, keeping me quiet.
“Shh,” he tells me, murmuring in my ear, “It’s only me.”
As much as I don’t want to think about Damien’s hand on my mouth or his other hand on my hip, I can’t think of anything else. It’s almost as if he’s all around me, consuming my every thought, as he holds onto me. His touch is firm, commanding, and I find myself staring into blue eyes.
He is the epitome of every girl’s perfect fantasy.
“I like having a girl in the dark,” he tells me, with a smirk that makes my heart thrum between my legs. “It’s more fun when you can’t see what’s about to get you.”