cigarette ends | ✔️

ix.

Callum's brow rose as he met my gaze. "We might have to check that out."

By the time we returned, the four others had already gathered tons of research and were sorting through numerous books, magazines, and articles. I guess that's the positive side of teaming up with students from the top universities of the United States – they were always one step ahead.

✦✧✦✧

After grabbing dinner at a nearby sandwich bar, the clock was nearing 9pm and we were all sick of sitting in the same area. We packed our bags and neatly folded up our poster board, which we had started working on after we got a majority of our research done.

"Hey... if y'all aren't too burned out, there's a nightclub around the corner that we could always check out," Callum suggested. Multiple heads popped up, interested.

"Do we need ID's?" Rohan asked.

"Most likely. Do you not have one?" Lacey rose a teasing brow.

"I do. Do the rest of you?" he replied.

We all nodded.

Callum clapped his hands in excitement. "Great. Let's take a bus back to the hotel and meet in the hotel lobby at 9:30."

As soon as we got back to the hotel room at 9:15, I dropped my back to the floor and placed the poster on our kitchen counter. Then I rummaged through the closet, eager to change and get ready.

"Look who's suddenly impatient to run off to do something illegal," Augustus chuckled. I glanced back at him just as he pulled his shirt off in one fluid motion. I ignored the way his biceps flexed with the movement – ignored the hard planes of his stomach underneath.

"Don't tell me you've never been to a nightclub," I replied, turning my gaze back to the closet.

"Of course I have." I felt his presence right behind me and I froze. He reached a hand over my shoulder to grab one of his white button-downs, and only when he removed his hand did I start breathing again. "But I wouldn't have expected miss goody-two-shoes to have a fake ID."

I settled on the simple, short, lacey black bodycon dress that rose to my upper thighs. I also grabbed the heels I had bought – 4-inch lace up black stilettos – and turned to face my enemy. "Looks like I exceeded your expectations. Again."

He let his eyes fall to the dress, then glanced back up at me. "That's what you're wearing?"

"Is there something wrong?"

His lips twisted into a smirk. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing except the blood that's going to be on my knuckles tonight."

I didn't ask him to elaborate. I simply walked into the bathroom and shut the door on his smug face, wanting to get ready in peace in quiet.

Ten minutes later, I emerged with my hair straightened and large golden hoops hanging from my ears. I applied dark red lipstick and smokey eyeshadow, just for fun.

I would never get over the look on Augustus' face when he turned to face me. I would never get over the way his lips parted as his gray eyes darkened, burning lines down my body. I would never get over the way his fists clenched and unclenched, the way his throat bobbed with an unpermitted swallow.

"Shall we go?" I stepped next to him to grab my bag. But even with my heels, he still somehow towered over me.

He cleared his throat and opened the hotel room door for me. I smiled and stepped by him, fully aware of every part of my body that grazed his. And by his sharp inhale of breath, I was sure that he was, too.

When we arrived in the lobby, Lacey placed a hand on her mouth and her eyes widened at the sight of me. Aurora squealed next to her and they both ran up to me.

"God, you look stunning!" Aurora said immediately. 

I glanced at her outfit – a red dress, similar to mine, but hers had a plunging neckline and the back was open, held together by only a few criss-crossing strings. Her heels were red to match her dress and somehow even larger than mine, but she still managed to walk effortlessly.

"So do you!" I replied, then glanced at Lacey. "God, you look gorgeous."

She was in a tight white dress with a ruffled hem at the bottom that tilted upward, revealing more of her thigh. Her heels were similar to mine except white, and half of her hair was pulled back into a braid in the back.

"Says you!" She hugged me tightly, and against my ear, she whispered, "I'm so glad you're doing this. I'm so proud of you."

Something melted inside of me at her words. "I love you," I muttered back. "Thank you."

We arrived at the nightclub fifteen minutes later via bus, with Callum's occasional commentary about my dress. It took some persuading, but with the three of us batting our eyes, he eventually just let us in despite being suspicious of our ID's.

"I need to update my picture," Lacey muttered. "That ID was from a few years ago, when I had the most disgusting bangs to exist."

We chuckled, and Rohan led us to the bar. I sat down and admired the bartender.

"Good evening," he said with a charming smile.

"Hi." I placed my head on my hands. "How are you?"

He leaned over the counter, resting on his forearms. "I'm great now. And you?"

I chatted with the bartender – his name was Louis – before ordering my drink. Only a few minutes and a couple sips later, Augustus sat down next to me.

"How's your drink?" he asked.

"Amazing," I replied, taking another sip.

Then he leaned down suddenly, his lips grazing my ear, his deep voice a whisper. "Everyone is staring at you like you're their next meal."

I smirked at him. "And what's your problem?"

He glanced at me, at the dress, and shook his head. A smile tilted his lips upward into a devilish grin. "I don't have a problem, babydoll. They're going to be the ones with the problem once they find out that you'll be sleeping in my bed tonight."

I had a feeling that, with this alcohol in our system, we might be doing a little more than just sleeping.

hi againnn

im sacrificing studying for my math test to write for you guys - ur welcome

this definitely has to be one of my favorite chapters so far. i can't wait for the next one ;)

thank you for reading, and see you at the end of chapter 10 <3