Page 53 of The Devil's Waltz
“No way,” I rush to say, and she snorts. “Thanks, Adrianna.”
“Of course,” she says with a grin. “Where’s Xander? Phoebe thought he’d be driving with you.”
My stomach sinks, and I shake my head, struggling to find my words all of a sudden. “He, uh, couldn’t come,” I finally manage to force out.
Adrianna frowns, leaning in the doorway between the hallway and family room. “That’s too bad. We’ll still have an epic weekend, though.”
I force a smile and nod before I make my way up the winding staircase to the second level and pad down the hardwood hallway until I reach the set of double doors at the end. Feeling dramatic, I open both at the same time in a flourish and enter the room. My eyes go wide at how big it is. I’ve been here a dozen or so times, but I’ve never been inside this room before. I shut the doors behind me, and my eyes sweep the room. They go from the four-poster king bed to a sitting area complete with black leather couches, a glass coffee table, and a wood-burning fireplace. Leaving my things mostly unpacked, I walk toward the wall of windows and push the drapes open, sucking in a breath at the view of the water, the reflection of the sun making it sparkle.
“Holy crap,” I mutter to the empty room. Walking over to the bed, I set my bag on the end of it and place my phone on the nightstand, which matches the table on the other side.
I grab my toiletry bag and step into the en suite bathroom. Everything is pristine, white marble and sparkling, especially the grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There’s a pleasant lavender scent coming from…I don’t even know where and a fully stocked cabinet beside the toilet with everything you could ever think to need, from lotions and soaps to extra sanitary products.
I set my bag on one of two vanities and stare at my wide-eyed reflection in the mirror. My lips break into a grin as I spin around and spot the jacuzzi beside a rainfall shower. I desperately want to climb into the tub and stay there for an hour, but there isn’t time before the rest of the people Adrianna invited arrive, so I opt for a quick shower instead.
Afterwards, I return to the bedroom and dump my bag out to find something to wear. I packed mostly comfy clothes—leggings and shirts, as well as hoodies and sweatpants for the cooler nights. Without much thought, I snag a pair of black leggings and an olive-colored long sleeve shirt and get dressed. I slip back into the bathroom and dry my hair.
Voices from downstairs are muffled through the floor, but it sounds like people are starting to arrive. I’m not entirely sure how many people to expect, but knowing Adrianna, the odds of this place being packed are pretty high.
Once my hair is dry, I don’t bother applying a full face of makeup, but I do dab a bit of concealer under my eyes and over a few blemishes. I swipe on some mascara and lip gloss before walking out of the bathroom.
The voices downstairs are louder now, which either means more people have arrived or they’ve gotten into the liquor—or both. I follow the sounds, closing the bedroom door behind me so no one is likely to wander in, and head down the stairs.
“Cami!” someone squeals, and I turn in the direction of the cheery voice. Phoebe is already tipsy.
I shake my head, grinning at her. “Easy there,” I tease her.
Grayson is standing beside her with a beer in his hand. He lifts his bottle to me in greeting, his other arm wrapped securely around Phoebe’s waist.
I wave on my way to the kitchen to get myself a drink.
A group of people I don’t recognize are gathered around the island in the middle of the kitchen, playing a game of beer pong.
I reach for a cup from the stack on the counter, but Adrianna swoops in before I can. “What—”
“We’re doing shots in the other room.” She loops her arm through mine before I can protest and pulls me out of the kitchen.
I’m not usually one for shots, but this weekend, I’ve decided, is about forgetting the shit show I left in the city. I’m going to do that whatever way possible, so shots it is.
Phoebe hands me a red SOLO cup with—I take a whiff—tequila, then nods toward the table they’ve set up in the middle of the room with lemon wedges and salt shakers. I lick the back of my hand before shaking salt on it, then grab a lemon wedge. Wecheers, lick the salt, then take the shot, finishing with a bite of lemon.
“Woo!” Grayson cheers, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.
Phoebe pours another round, and we take the shot as someone turns up the music—some popular rock song that everyone starts singing along too.
Three shots later, I slip out of the room to find an actual drink. There’s a punch bowl filled with spiked lemonade, so I pour myself a tall glass and take a sip. It’s perfectly sweet and tart, with a tiny bite of alcohol.
My cheeks are warm and my head is swimming with a pleasant haze as I return to the other room to dance with my friends. I lose myself in the music, singing and drinking until my cup is empty and we’re all laughing at nothing. My belly aches, and I can’t stop smiling—it’s everything I needed this getaway to be.
I sneak away from our group to use the washroom and top up my drink, and when I return, Adrianna is dancing around someone new. My legs stop moving as I stare at his back. Even though I can’t see his face, I know immediately and without a doubt who it is.
Adrianna notices my return and beams from where she stands with her arms wrapped around one of Xander’s. “Cami! Look who showed up!”
Xander turns, and the moment our eyes meet, my heart lurches.
His expression is friendly and laid back, but there’s a veil of darkness in his gaze that steals the air from my lungs.
I force my legs forward and convince my lips to form a smile. I have no idea what Xander is doing here, what he’s planning.If my friends are in danger. I need to be careful, which means, as much as I want to throw him out, I have to pretend as if everything is fine. Like I’m happy he’s here.
