Page 28 of Scars Like Wings

He ran off toward the front, and I pulled around the Aston to follow. Next to me, Simone squealed. “This is insane! Can y’all believe this is our life right now?!”

“Y’all know I don’t do any of that magical lovey-dovey shit, but this definitely feels like a Cinderella story. But, like, modern.”

“Now, that’s a Disney Princess I can get behind, if this is her story,” Simone chuckled.

“Yeah, because it’syourstory!” I laughed.

I pulled to the front, and the three of us got out of the car. I adjusted my skirt and my boobs, to make sure I still looked phenomenal despite the car ride, and I thanked the valet for his help before walking around to meet Maisie and Simone on the other side. The double doors were just three steps up a tiny stoop.

“Y’all ready?” I asked.

Simone nodded with a full smile, making her dazzling face sparkle even more. Maisie replied, “I was born ready, babe.”

I opened the door.

And my heart was rattled by the bass of the music.

And my eyes were overwhelmed by the massive sea of people.

It was all truly like something from the movies. The whole house wasbumpin’. The music was so loud I thought I could see the soundwaves vibrating through the walls. It was good, but I knew I was going to be deaf by the night’s end. There were people as far as the eye could see, dancing, kissing, nursing drinks, or finding a way to chit-chat through the noise. From what I could see, the inside of the house was as normal, yet luxurious, as the outside. There was a closed room, with thick double wooden doors immediately to our right before a set of stairs. Straight on, folks mingled in the entranceway and along the stairs.

“So much for a small crowd, huh?” Maisie joked loudly over the music.

I stood awkwardly frozen in front of the door, not sure where to go. Thankfully, I wasn’t standing long before Simone tapped my shoulder.

She shouted, “Cole is in the room off the stairs, he said! We just have to knock for him to let us in!”

I nodded and took hers and Maisie’s hands. I knocked, and one of the doors opened to reveal a very tall, very handsome white guy with a giant, goofy smile on his face. He had darkblond hair, long enough to tickle his long, dark eyelashes. Freckles danced across his nose and cheeks. His blue eyes were soft, giving him more of a boyish vibe despite his strong jawline, broad shoulders, and muscular arms. The guy gave off massive golden retriever vibes, especially as his eyes twinkled when he looked at Simone.

Oh, he was so far gone.

“You made it!” Cole, I presumed, shouted. Or tried to.

“What?” Simone shouted over the music.

“I said you made it!”

“I’m so sorry, I can’t hear you! I’m happy I made it!” Simone beamed.

I rolled my eyes. Okay, now they were just disgustingly cute. I leaned closer to Cole’s ears. “Can we come in there? Is it quieter?”

“Oh, yeah! Sorry!” He moved aside to let the three of us enter.

Inside, the room was all oak wood floors and walls. A desk stood in front of built-in shelves, with leather couches sitting across from it before a window wall. It gave rich, white dad who definitely used his globe as liquor storage.

Cole closed the door, and the music became a distant thumping. I was instantly grateful for the soundproofing so I could hear again. Loud music was not my jam. I hated how it took control of my heart’s beat, gripping my throat and spine to rattle them. I hated having to scream to get my point across. Concerts were one thing because the music was meant to be the centerpiece, but a house party? Did the music need to be this loud?

Gods, I sounded more like an auntie with each passing day.

In the room, there were three other folks aside from Cole. I could only presume the two guys were Cole’s brothers. One smoothly leaned against the front of the desk, stretching and crossing his long legs out before him. He was somehow evenmore stacked than his brother. His blond hair was disheveled, but in that sexy way they describe in romance books, with trimmed facial hair along his jaw. His eyebrows were slitted and pierced, along with snake bites on his lip. He smirked, mischief in his navy-blue eyes. This brother exuded big bad boy energy, which explained why Maisie was giving him a look. He was just her type.

In a chair sat a way more put together Cole clone, with an air I could only describe as oldest sibling. His blond hair was slicked back and he was clean-shaven. He had his ankle over his knee, and the position showed off more of his broad chest. His sky-blue eyes had a calculating sharpness, as if he were always two steps ahead. It was unnerving to say the least, and I quickly averted my eyes from him before he caught me staring.

Instead, I caught sight of a girl, standing, applying lip gloss using her phone’s camera. She was pretty, with dark purple hair and pale blue eyes. She looked similar to Cole, with even more freckles. Her face was flawless, with more precision than I could do on my best day. She was about Simone’s height—taller with her heels—and she wore a mini dress that showed off her curves and the tattoos inked on her chest, arms, and legs. As she finished up her lip gloss, she made eye contact with me and smiled. When I waved back at her, it hit me exactly how long it had been since I hadattemptedto flirt with a stranger. In fact, it slammed into me that I had indeedneverflirted with a stranger because I lived in the age of dating apps. I tried to swallow the thought.

Good vibes only, Byrdie.

Cole came behind Simone and put his hand on her lower back. He bent down and gave her a quick kiss that was so sweet I had to look away. He said, “Sorry for the volume out there. Cody insists on having the music so loud that you can hear it in every part of the house.”

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