Page 23 of Sold to the Devil
She winks at me and I take a sip from my glass. I grimace at the bittersweet taste, the alcohol in the drink so strong it burns my throat.
“Not bad.”
I lick my lips and let my eyes wander around the room.
I notice that many boys are staring and eyeing us from head to toe, their gazes lustful. I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and I feel repulsed by all the attention I'm receiving. I'm not used to it, and the inappropriate looks from these boys make me feel nauseous.
My cousin seems to love it, as she has a sly smile on her full lips and she greets them flirtatiously. She grabs my hand once more and leads me over to the couches where I notice all our friends are sitting, smoking a joint. Kiara and Paula stand up and come over to us, hugging us before twirling us around with big smiles on their faces.
“Damn, girls, you look fucking hot!” Kiara winks and I feel myself blush.
“What happened to your neck?” Paula asks in a whisper as she leans towards my ear.
I tell them I'll explain everything the next day. They nod before taking us to sit next to them on a couch, and we greet the boys, who compliment us. Enzo and Arthur are on the couch to our right, Cameron and Theo to our left, and across from us are Tom and Mattheo.
My eyes meet Mattheo's and I notice he has a fresh cut on his nose. His chocolate brown eyes are dark, his jaw set, and I quickly look away, not wanting to provoke him. Tom's blue eyes light up as he looks me up and down with a delighted smile on his face. I frown when I notice his knuckles are damaged.
“Looks like Tom didn't listen to us.” My cousin whispers in my ear and I understand why they are both hurt.
They fought.
I nod without breaking eye contact with Tom. He lifts his cup to his lips, still looking at me over the rim with a twinkle in his eyes I can't quite place. I feel myself blush and look away, just as Enzo offers us the joint. I take it and bring it to my lips, lipstick staining the butt as I take a drag.
‘Are you enjoying being a naughty girl now, darling? By the way, you look beautiful, Aelys.’
My eyes widen as Tom's voice echoes in my head. Still, I pretend nothing's wrong as I take another drag before handing the joint to Nancy, shivers running down my spine. I glance over at him, seeing the satisfied smile on his lips as I feel myself blushing harder. My gaze then falls on Mattheo, curious to see if he's annoyed by my choice of clothing or if, on the contrary, he's indifferent.
Judging by his clenched fists, his set jaw, and his dark, angry eyes directed at me, I'm guessing he is.
“Hey, how about a game of spin the bottle?” Enzo's excited voice brings me back to reality, and my attention is drawn to his smiling face. The boy always seems in a good mood, and this observation makes my lips curl slightly in response.
‘You better not play, my love.’
I jump before swallowing nervously at Mattheo's warning and sending him a small glare. He raises an eyebrow, surprised by my bold action. His eyes darken further, anger now mixed with intrigue and amusement.
Tom looks proud of me and gives me a slight nod. We all agree to play, and I see my dear future husband crush his cup in his fist, its contents sloshing a little onto his powerful hand.
‘So you want to play, huh? Very well. Let's play, my love.’
I bite my lower lip, starting to feel nervous. Flashes from earlier come back to me, and I start to panic. I wasn't ready to be this close to him after what he did to me. And now he's practically threatening me, invading my mind in the process. My leg starts bouncing up and down in an anxious tic, my cousin notices, placing her hand on my thigh in a tender gesture while giving me a reassuring smile.
“Relax, honey, he won't do anything, okay?” She whispers in my ear.
I take a deep breath to calm myself before nodding, smiling back and focusing on the group. Arthur places an empty bottle on the table in front of us, lying down and ready to be swirled.
“Okay, I'll go first.” Paula leans over to the bottle and spins it.
It lands on Theo and I see her blush like a peony.
Oh, so she likes him…
She stands up and sits on his lap. He looks surprised, but a small smile appears on his face as she cups his cheeks and kisses him. Their kiss deepens, and they only separate when they're both breathless. The boys whistle, cheering for Theo, while we girls congratulate Paula.
They blush, shaking their heads with big smiles on their faces. She tries to stand up, but he pulls her back, whispering something in her ear. She blushes more, but nods and settles comfortably on his lap.
Enzo spins the bottle and it lands on Arthur. They exchange a look and a grimace of disgust, clearly not wanting to kiss, and try to protest, but we laughingly insist that it's just a game and they have to do it. They grunt in displeasure but get up and move closer. Their lips barely touch, then they frantically wipe their lips, pouting in disgust, as we laugh out loud.
The game continues for a while before it's my turn. I hold my breath as the bottle spins and freeze when it lands on Tom, my blood running cold. I've had a few drinks now, and while I'm not drunk, I'm not sober either. Alcohol makes me confident, so I don't hesitate any longer. I get up and go sit on his lap, careful not to let my dress ride up and expose my buttocks. Tom smiles flirtatiously and places his hands on my hips, applying gentle pressure.
