Page 22 of Exactly What I Needed
The house was alive and loud, sitting back on several acres, isolated from the rest of the neighborhood. Every house I’d driven past was as large and extravagant as this one. Much like Sydney’s parents’ home. I’d long since become unimpressed by the blatant display of wealth that these types of houses exuded.
Pushing open the intricately designed door, I stepped inside the fancy home. The foyer held several polished marble statues and a large chandelier hung high above. Farther into the home, the party’s mess slowly appeared. Red Solo cups were scattered upon the beautiful, natural stone flooring that sparkled brown and gold.
Wandering through and around so many rooms that held elaborate paintings and more than one grand piano, I followed the chatter and found Sydney leaning drunkenly against Katie. Tera was giggling with some other boy, as usual, standing beside them. All three girls hovered around a black bench against the wall beside the ornate kitchen.
Pushing my way through the crowd, I paused as my eyes slid over three figures standing around the fireplace that I shouldn’t have been surprised to see. But I still was. Maybe even more shocked that my friends weren’t bombarding them.
“Sydney!” I shouted, waving at my blissfully drunk friend.
She looked up, flopping her head to one side, and sighed. I approached and tucked my arm around her waist.
Tera took a break from her flirting to catch Katie and leaned in my direction. “She’s a little upset.”
“Upset?” I questioned, and Sydney flopped her head my way. I nearly gagged at the stench of alcohol coating her breath. “Upset is not the word I would use to describe her state.”
Tera hiccuped, tipsy herself. “The Dark Banshee never showed up.”
I shook my head as Sydney groaned, shoving herself off me. “I don’t get why he hasn’t come to any of the recent parties? Like, what’s the point of staying in town if he’s not going to show up with the rest of the band?”
I knew. And I couldn’t speak another lie, so instead, I tried to tug her forward and redirect the conversation. “But you at least went and talked to the other guys, right?”
Tera and Katie snorted at the same time. “You really think we did?” Katie slurred.
This time, I was genuinely confused. “I don’t understand why you guys have never gone and spoken to them. At least once with all the parties you go to.”
Sydney sighed and then shoved off me. “You’re right!” she stated and stomped as quickly as her drunk self could carry her. I chased, attempting to keep her from slamming against other people, all while desperately trying to drag her out of the mansion.
“Sydney, stop!” I gasped, shoving her to the right as she nearly barreled into another partygoer. “Sorry,” I muttered an apology, as she skidded to a stop. Directly in front of the three people leaning against the fireplace mantel. Three people that I’d only had a brief conversation with once.
Sydney shoved through the two girls who were already flirting with them—even though it seemed they were barely paying the girls attention—and placed her hands on her hips. All three men blinked in shock, sliding their gazes from Sydney toward me. I closed my eyes and groaned internally.
Chapter 9
Tera was panting behind me by the time she caught up, Katie slung against her shoulder. All three men, taller and lankier, watched with an odd curiosity. I shook my head and grabbed Sydney’s arm, attempting to pull her away.
“We’re sorry for interrupting,” I said to them and tugged my best friend’s arm again.
“Don’t apologize for me,” she slurred, and the one I think was called The Reaper chuckled.
“I remember you guys,” he said, and Sydney squealed, slapping my fingers off her arm.
“You do?” Katie gasped, and he nodded.
The shaggy, brown-haired guy with a nose ring to the left of The Reaper furrowed his brows for a moment. “Oh yeah, you girls were at the meet and greet.”
I leaned toward Tera. “Who’s that one?” I whispered, and she giggled.
Pointing toward the man who’d just spoken, she replied loudly for everyone to hear. “That’s Slayer, or Jaxon. The cute blond with long hair is Drake, or the Soul Shredder, and—”
“Thank you, Tera,” I hissed through gritted teeth. I knew who Kieron was; the process of elimination made that clear.
Drake furrowed his brows. “You were there, too, and you don’t know who we are?”
Sydney giggled flirtatiously and slumped forward, pushing me back. “Cosette here has issues. So of course, until I convinced her to come to the concert, she’d never even heard your music outside of when I played it loudly over speakers.”
I shook my head, frustrated.
“Do you guys not have security or something?” I interjected, wondering why no one was pulling us away. Sydney was getting dangerously aggressive and close.
