Page 45 of The Very First Night

“Here,” he says quietly, so quietly I barely hear him. He extends his hand between us, barely flexing his wrist as he offers the red cup to me, filled nearly to the top with red wine. He grabs the empty can from my hand, replacing it with the much-preferred beverage.

I murmur a soft “Thank you,” but the words are swallowed by the pounding music and the chatter of drunk partygoers. In this brief moment, it’s just the two of us—his piercing green eyes meeting mine, everything else fading into the background. The chaos of the party becomes muffled, as if we’re in our own little bubble of silence.

Reaching up, I grab the cup from his hand, but jerk away quickly as the touch of his skin causes an electric current to shoot through me.

What in the actual fuck was that?

Elijah’s voice breaks through the fog, shattering the moment of quiet. “I got you another bee?—”

I snap to look at him and his easygoing posture stiffens, his once-soft gaze sharp and accusatory. His jaw clenches, and I can practically feel the heat radiating from his body as he glares at me with narrowed eyes.

He’s jealous.

I should find it appealing how territorial he is, yet I’m starting to realize it only really happens when Tanner and I are alone together—I don’t understand why. Tanner and I are friends. Hell, Tanner is his friend, so I can’t figure out why he’s so wound up about it.

Elijah’s focus shifts from me to Tanner, his expression somehow even more scathing than when he was looking at me. Tanner, however, doesn’t entertain it and simply grins back at him. They’re nearly the same height, Tanner having maybe an inch on Elijah, so their gazes are level. Though where Elijah glares, Tanner grins.

“You got me another beer?” Tanner smiles wide before grabbing the can from him. “You’re so thoughtful.”

Elijah’s attention shifts to the cup in my hand, realizing I already have a beverage. As if caught off guard by the interaction with Tanner, or maybe realizing he has no reason to be jealous, his lips curve upward, like he’s been in on the joke the entire time.

“Of course, man. Only the best for a brother of mine.”

The air feels almost metallic as I take in the false sense of pleasantry. Tension radiates off Elijah at a rate I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed, yet Tanner is the picture of composure. It’s almost like he genuinely doesn’t care.

Then Tanner backs into the crowd with a cocky grin on his lips, but it’s not until he’s nearly out of earshot that I hear him say, “I put your wine in the back of the fridge. Figured you’d want to know, since I know how much you hate beer.”

If I didn’t think he was taunting Elijah before, I sure as hell know he is now. And by the look on Elijah’s face, so does he. His clenched jaw doesn’t waver before he stalks off into the crowd in the opposite direction.

And once again I am standing by myself.

As I wander through the crowd, the pulsing bass of the music reverberates in my chest. People dance and chat in small groups, but I can’t find anyone I know. Jenna is nowhere to be found. I see Regina, Aaron’s girlfriend, but I barely know her.

I check my phone for any new messages, but there are none. Feeling a pang of loneliness, I grab the box of red wine from the fridge and head out by the pool.

Thankfully, the group of partygoers who were out here before have since gone inside and I find a semblance of peace. Unfortunately, without the distraction of chaos and boys pretending to be alpha-males, I am left once again with the anxious feeling flooding my stomach.

And I still don’t know why.

I dip my toes into the cool, crystal blue water of the pool and feel a shiver run down my spine as a gust of wind blows in from the nearby coast. The ripples in the water dance around my feet, inviting me to take a swim. However, given everything else, I’m not sure that is the best idea.

Once I’m back inside the house, I notice that the chaos has died down, most people long gone.

“Hey, babe.”

I nearly jump out of my skin as two strong arms wrap around my waist, the smell of cheap beer consuming my senses. Elijah presses his lips to the side of my neck before whispering, “We should go up to bed.”

He’s drunk, but he’s no longer angry, at least. I should be thankful, yet my anxiety only increases.

“Okay,” I whisper.

He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the stairs.

TWENTY-ONE

KAT

The harsh rays of the sun pierce through my closed eyelids, forcing me to roll over in bed with a groan. The faint sound of the door creaking open and then closing reaches my ears. Elijah must have gotten up to use the restroom. As I lie there, still half-asleep, I feel the warmth of a body next to mine and slowly crack open one eye to see Elijah still peacefully asleep beside me.

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