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• C H A P T E R E L E V E N •
People often claim that time seems to slow down in life-threatening situations such as, cliff diving or speed skiing. But in this case, time seems to drag on as we're both trying to regulate our breathing. The surge of adrenaline leaves my heart to pound uncontrollably by the second, as we're both engaged in an intense staring contest.
All I can think about is the probabilities of what could've happened had we not gotten interrupted.
I can see the fear in Dean's eyes as his gaze instantly drifts from mine to something else.
"So that's what you meant when you said that you needed some air." The familiar voice from behind resonates across the hall.
By this time I'm pretty sure my brain has lost it's ability to function.
It can't be who I think it is.
"Amanda. . ." Dean's voice comes out in a dangerously low tone as he slowly ushers towards the opposite direction.
I whirl around only to discover Amanda standing at the far end of the hallway. Her despondent expression adds more fuel to my guilty conscience. For a moment, she appears to be in deep thought before a wrathful look overtakes her expression.
She doesn't wait for Dean to speak before leaving our presence and storming off towards the spiral staircase. Watching her walk away, completely gives me the urge to run after her and assure her that nothing is going on between us. But as I stand statue-still, I find myself unable to move an inch much less gain the courage to face her.
I can't even begin to process what just happened and to make the situation worse, I can't believe Amanda caught us in a compromising position.
It's all a big soap-opera just coming to life.
Like an addiction, I find myself glancing towards Dean's direction only to find him staring back at me. I can feel my insides collapse under his heavy gaze as he stands straight with his expression changing to cold.
The air of the hallway is suffocating and if I don't leave now, God knows that I won't be able to control what comes out of my mouth.
Squaring my shoulders, I prepare myself to find my friends and leave this party as soon as possible.
"This was a mistake," he says ever so softly.
Instead of ignoring him, I pretend to look confused.
"What was a mistake?"
He clinches his jaw most likely to keep himself from blowing up by my lack of knowledge.
"So it's like that uh?"
"I don't know what you're talking about so if you'll excuse me."
Before he can say anything else, I take a few steps forward before heading towards the stairs.
"Fine, you're willing to play that game well, so am I."
I can hear his voice in the background but I continue my path towards the stairs nevertheless. I really should've listened to my dad when he refused to let me attend this stupid party.
By the time I arrive at the first floor, I spot both Aaliyah and Natalie surveying the room.
Aaliyah's the first to acknowledge my presence as she quickly walks towards my direction with Natalie not too far behind.
"Emery, where have you been and what the hell happened to your dress?"
Choosing to ignore her question, I throw them an unfazed expression.
"Look we'll talk about this later but for now, can we please leave?"
Natalie seems affected by my lack of response.
"Emery are you okay?"
In that moment, it's like all my frustrations are morphed into word vomit and I'm letting them both have it. "What kind of a stupid question is that? Of course I'm not alright. I mean, from having your former best friend pour some punch juice on your dress to having her boyfriend accuse you of initiating the fight, I'd say everything's just dandy. To top it all off, both of you weren't there to defend me while all of this was happening. What kind of friends are you?"
I don't allow their cheerless expressions affect me as I walk past them, heading towards the front door onto the porch.
They both catch up to me outside the contemporary house and stop me mid-way.
"I get that you're hurt by everything that happened tonight but that doesn't give you the right to throw your frustrations on us Emery." Aaliyah declares in the background, causing me to drift my gaze towards their directions.
For a minute, I allow myself to cool down and choose my next words wisely.
"You're right, I shouldn't've said those things to both of you and for that I apologize."
Natalie nods her head in affirmation.
"It's fine, we're also sorry for not being around to give Stacey a doze of our punches. That bitch deserves it."
I smile as her comment slightly makes me feel better.
"Thanks,"
"Listen Em, I get that you want to leave the party but it's barely been an hour since it started and I still want to stay." Aaliyah says effortlessly.
"Well Natalie, can you give me a ride then?" I query pleadingly.
Before she can reply, a deep voice interrupts our conversation.
"Is everything okay here?"
We all turn around to identify the source.
Luke is heading towards our way with Noel slowly following behind. By the time they're a few feet away from us, Luke pulls Aaliyah in a quick kiss before averting his attention on us.
"Everything's fine," I reply monotonously, feeling more and more embarrassed from my exposure.
Luke's eyes hold a gaze of sympathy. "Hey are you okay? I heard what happened."
"I'd rather not talk about it." I tell him straightforwardly.
A few awkward seconds pass before Natalie's the first to speak. "Anyways, I really don't want to burn fuel just by dropping you home and returning back to the party Em. The ride is a long distance."
This is just great.
Apparently, I don't have a ride home since my two best friends prefer to stay at the ridiculous party. How the hell am I going to find a ride hom—
"I can drop her."
We all stare at Noel in a moment of awe as he's masking his face with an unreadable expression.
"No it's fine, I'll just take the bus." I declare as I try to avoid the thought of being alone with him in his car.
Aaliyah rolls her eyes as she shakes her head. "Who're you trying to fool Emery? We all know you hate taking the bus."
This causes everyone to laugh. Dammit, did she have to bring that up?
Natalie clasps her hands together with a smile plastered on her face. "Then it's settled Emery, Noel will be your chauffeur for the night."
Luke and Noel indulge in a handshake which transitions into a hug-like, semi-embrace lasting no more than a second, accompanied by a firm slap on the other's back.
"Catch you later dude." Luke bids Noel farewell as he breaks contact from him to join both Aaliyah and Natalie who are headed towards the party loaded of new guests.
"Call us as soon as you get home alright?" Aaliyah calls from a distance.
I nod my head in response.
Once they've left our presence, Noel signals me to follow him.
The walk towards his car is short and filled of silence. Lately, I've noticed that things have been awkward between us ever since our last encounter which was during the time he kissed me on the cheek, a scheme meant to infuriate his then girlfriend. Usually, he's the one to start our conversations but now, I can't help but feel a strange vibe coming from him and I'll be the first to admit that I don't like it.
By the time he pulls out the car key to unlock his car, I stand statue-still in front of what appears to reassemble some billionaire's expensive automobile.
Sensing my immobile state, Noel furrows his eyebrows at me.
"Everything okay?"
"A bugatti? A-are you serious. . ." I stutter. "This car costs like a fortune and I know you've got it easy but I didn't expect you to be this freaking wealthy."
Noel chuckles at my dazed expression. "Technically this car belongs to my older brother,"
"Wait, you have an older brother?" I inquire, extremely confused.
He nods his head.
"What does he do for a living?"
"He's the CEO of an international hotel company." he replies skeptically.
Still surprised by his revelation, I stare at him in complete bewilderment.
"So you're one of those super rich kids,"
Noel slightly looks annoyed by my comment but manages to pull a nod.
As we enter the luxurious car, I'm instantly greeted by the view of the interior design. Once we wear our seat belts, he turns his key in the ignition before pulling out of the neighborhood. Indoors, while the exterior of the latest Bugatti is quite a sight, the interior doesn't look quite as striking at the first glance.
Although, examining each feature allows me to uncover some beautiful detailing that completely makes up for it. The first thing to consider is the dash, which is covered in a swathe of veneered wood. The floor is covered by exquisite leather, adding a charm to the decor.
"I didn't see you at the party," I start off smoothly, breaking the awkward silence.
"Well I wasn't really around on the first floor." he states while keeping his eyes on the road as he presses his foot onto the accelerator.
Curiously, I find myself questioning him on his whereabouts.
As we arrive at a traffic red light, he brings his car to a halt before holding my gaze.
"I was getting laid."
My cheeks suddenly heat up at his confession. "I didn't need to know the detail."
Noel smirks before speeding up once the red light switches to green. "Well you wanted an honest answer so there you have it."
I stare at him for a few seconds before averting my gaze towards the window.
"So where do you live?" he inquires, gaining my attention.
"96 Palm Tree Avenue." I reply, giving him Natalie's address. I'd rather avoid the conversation of him discovering about my dad's unawareness of my going to the party.
"I know the street, Stacey lives in the same neighborhood." he implies as he continues to drive with one hand on the wheel.
I remain silent, not wanting the topic of our conversation to be about Stacey.
As if sensing my sudden change of mood, he gives me an encouraging smile.
"Don't let that bitch get to you. If you show her an ounce of weakness, she's just going to continue to make your life miserable."
I throw him a surprised look. "Wait, you don't like Stacey?"
"Fuck no, " Noel quips. "The only reason why I put up with her shit is mainly due to the fact that she's dating Anthony, who's a good friend of mine. The fucker's got it bad for her that he can't even see her for who she really is."
One thing I've noticed about Noel is that he's trouble, well at least his mouth is. He comes across as the dangerous type but despite all that, he truly seems more real and genuine than any other person I've ever met.
I smile at him. "Thanks for the tip,"
He winks at me. "Don't mention it."
Unconsciously, I find myself blushing at the gesture. He finally pulls into Natalie's driveway 15 minutes later.
"So, thanks for the ride."
Noel smirks as he faces me. "I'm glad I can be of service."
Before I can leave the passenger seat, I feel him grab my elbow to stop me.
"Wait,"
I watch as his face slowly inches to mine while his gaze drops towards my lips causing my cheeks to heat up even more. Thank god it's dark because I'm pretty sure if it were daylight, he'd notice the light shade of pink on my annoying cheeks.
"Emery. . ." his husky voice instantly causes the back of my hair to stand up.
I find myself shivering at the proximity.
"What?"
The next thing he does completely happens in a flash. I hear a click as his arm swiftly circles my back to unlock my seatbelt.
"You forgot to unbuckle your seatbelt." he straightens his posture before relaxing on his seat.
I narrow my eyes at him as a frowns begins to form on my face. He can be such a tease sometimes.
"Bye Anderson,"
I don't bother to throw him a backward glance as I step out of the car. The cold breeze of the night causes me to shiver as I make my way to the porch.
By the time I enter the house, the sight of Joan, Natalie's older sister pacing back and forth in the living room, instantly greets me.
Sensing my presence, she immediately heads towards my direction with a haunted look overtaking her expression. If I didn't know Natalie had an older sister, I would've probably mistaken Joan for her younger sister. It's amazing how both their faces are composed of the exact same features.
"Emery thank goodness you're back and why didn't you answer any of my calls or texts?" she whispers in complete panic.
As I wonder why she's whispering when clearly there's no one in the house, I'm on the verge of searching my cellphone before remembering that I left it in Natalie's car.
"I forgot my phone in your sister's car. . ." I start off nervously, "Is there something wrong?"
She lifts her arms up in exasperation. "My parents unexpectedly returned home from their anniversary date."
My eyes widen. "What? But they weren't supposed to show up until tomorrow morning."
"I know," she concurs. "And when they came, they asked me how you guys were doing and I told them that you were all sleeping in your room but mom took it upon herself to check up on you guys so by the time she opened the door to Natalie's room and realized that you weren't there, everything went downhill from there and—"
"Wait slow down. . ." I begin anxiously. "Did she call my dad?"
When she doesn't reply, my whole body begins to tremble. The thought of my dad finding out about everything is completely nauseating.
"Don't tell m—"
"Emery, my parents told your dad everything and he's really mad." she interrupts me.
Well, I am utterly screwed.
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