Phil had always been the most logical of the Bennett boys, analyzing every aspect of a situation before giving his input on it. Unfortunately, as I trudged through the damp sand behind my brothers, beside Nix, I began to question if my ever so logical brother had been right.
Despite the sun still high in the sky, many of the party goers had started lighting off fireworks. Some so loud and sudden I jumped and rammed into Phoenix. Eventually he tightened his arm around my shoulder's, whispering something about protecting me in my ear, but my mind was still trying to break out of flight or flight mode.
"Do not accept drinks from anyone other than us." Nix said loud enough for my brother's to hear in front of us. "Do not wander off with anyone, male or female. And a beautiful word of wisdom for a first timer, for the love of God do not drink more than you think your body can handle."
"Which is nothing." Phil commented, slowing to a stop in front of us. Sam, Buck, and Hudson followed suit, but Aden continued on ahead. "You can have water or soda. You don't need any alcohol, Ari."
Before I could protest, Hudson nudged Phil and sparked up conversation, forcing us to move again. I threw a look back over my shoulder to find that Damien had changed his mind about coming, and was following close behind his brother and me, head bowed, but back tense. He was clearly listening in, but pretending not to be. As soon as we reached the party, my brothers scattered like field mice and Nix dropped his arm and greeted a few girls with a kiss on the cheek and a couple guys with a hug.
"Old high school friends." Damien said softly. "Nothing for you to worry about."
I frowned, shooting him a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"You bite at your lip when you're trying to push your feelings away." Damien answered with a shrug. "Probably why they're so bloody and raw."
Nix reached out and pulled me in before I could respond to his younger brother, introducing me to the group of friends he'd been friendly with. There were too many of them; three girls and two guys. The three girls were all blonde, big boobed, and had smiles so perfect I couldn't help but stand there awkwardly. What struck an even worse chord was that, like Cady, they were the sweetest girls I'd ever met. Not one mean or vindictive bone in their body. The guys were like Phoenix, dark haired, tall, and extraordinarily handsome. Just being around them made me feel insecure, but when I looked back over my shoulder Damien wasn't looking at any of the girls, but me standing awkward under his brother's arm, and despite our fight a few hours ago, it made me feel a little better.
"Let's go get something to drink." Nix tightened his grip around me again, obviously realizing I was uncomfortable. "We'll catch up with you guys again later."
There was a picnic like table in the eye of a crowd of young adults, open containers of alcohol sitting on top of it, something that would have had everyone in jail back home, but seemed to be the norm out here. Nix poured a mixture of harder alcohols into a red solo and downed it quickly, as if it were a shot rather than a full cup. His face twisted and he coughed once, but turned his back to me to refill it. Once he had another full cup, he grabbed an empty solo cup and filled it to the top with beer from the keg. The right side of his mouth turned upright into a sexy smirk as he approached me again.
"Don't tell Phil or Buck." He whispered, a laugh escaping him moments later. I could see in his eyes that he was already buzzed. The green in them were glossy and dilated, pulsating as he stared down at me in front of him, Just as my fingers locked around the cup, it was torn from my grip. I could tell by the look that crossed Nix's face that it was his brother rather than one of mine.
"She's already an emotional wreck, Nix." Damien snarled. I looked to where he stood in front of his brother, hand left hand thrust in my direction, right holding the beer that had been in my hand seconds ago. "She'll be a mess if she drinks this."
Logic had never been my strong suit, that had been Phil's. So when I ripped the cup of hard alcohol from Nix's grip and downed it, I didn't realize what I'd done until I swallowed it. My entire throat, already raw from crying, was on fire. It felt as if a thousand tiny shards of glass were in my throat, and when it hit my chest, I coughed.
When I looked to the Holts again, they wore completely opposite expressions. Phoenix looked impressed, the same smirk he was wearing before his brother had interrupted our moment turning up the corners of his lips. Damien, who I'd probably just got myself shitfaced to spite, was glaring at me, one of his hands buried deep in his hair, the other grasping the cup tightly. As I passed him, I took the beer in his hand and downed that to before thrusting it back into his expectant grip.
Sadly, as soon as I broke passed him, my dress was soaked with an array of condiments. I didn't have to look up to know it was Aden who'd purposely run into me with a plate full of bun less cheeseburgers slathered with ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.
"Aden!" I screamed, shoving him. I took one of the patties still on the plate and smeared it across his face. Acting seven rather than seventeen. He dropped the platter and lifted his hand, almost as if he were going to hit me, but Damien caught his best friend's fist in his open hand. I stared at the back of my brother's head for a moment as his friend tried to talk sense into him, before pulling the straps of my dress down then sliding out of the dress entirely. This only infuriated Damien more, but in that moment, I didn't care. I threw it at the sand between his feet before turning my back to the three of them and walking down the beach to the shore.
*
Cady found me a drunk, staggering mess walking along the beach, eyes stinging with tears. I didn't even know what it was I wanted to cry about, my eyes just hurt and I felt as though if I allowed myself to cry it'd stop the pain.
"At least you had the common sense to come down here to be a drunk mess." She said with a sigh. "I've had like half the guys here hit on me tonight."
"But not my brother?" I heard myself ask her.
She laughed, brushing a loose strand of her dark hair out of her face, wrapping her arms around herself. "Unfortunately, not. He's been too busy shoving his tongue down some prep school girl."
"Beats Damien Holt trying to boss me around like I'm his girlfriend." I grumbled, then felt warmth creep into my cheeks when I realized what I'd said.
"What do you mean?" She questioned, casting a curious look over her shoulder. "Well, yeah, he's been watching you since Aden made that dick move. Surprising, honestly, he's usually wasted by now."
I raised an eyebrow. "Damien? So you're saying he's not drinking because of me? Come on, Cady, that's ridiculous."
There was a tiny little chatter box in the back of my head, questioning what the hell I was doing. It was as if my brain had no filter, everything that bounced around in it just flowed out before I could think about it. Cady seemed amused by my slurs, and even reached a perfectly tanned arm out to steady me when I tried to step forward.
"I'm just going by what I'm seeing, chicka." She laughed. "Your brothers and Phoenix are all so drunk I'll be surprised if they make it in the house tonight."
A fuzzy memory of Damien mentioning that there was always a designated sober person came to mind as I stared at the beautiful girl in front of me. Was that what he was doing? Making sure there was at least one person who could ensure everyone made it home safely?
I tried to take a step forward, but the sand beneath me started to levitate from the ground, the water now above me. Cady's face appeared in my line of sight again, the amusement gone, worry lines creasing her forehead. "How about you sit down? I'll go find one of the boys—"
"No, no. I don't need them." I waved off the offer, straightening myself until the sand was beneath my feet again. I grasped her arm to steady myself one more time before I smiled and made my way back up the beach.
I became lost in the mass of young adults in desperate need of deodorant, only when my eyes found the beautiful bonfire that illuminated the dark beach did I keep my eyes trained on it, fascinated by the wisps of flames, the ashes scattered in the pile around it. The beautiful burnt orange was the same color I'd associated Phoenix with. I wonder if his face looked as beautiful in the light radiating off the fire.
I was so focused on the fire that I didn't take in my surroundings and ran hard into someone's chest. Blinking, a little dazed, I tilted my head back and stared up at the owner of the chest I'd hit.
It was one of Phoenix's hot friends, gazing down at me with amused brown eyes. He crouched down in front of me and helped me to my feet slowly, but it didn't do anything, the world continued to spin once I was upright. I grasped the man's hard bicep, feeling his body shake with laughter beneath me, then his quiet voice say, "Hey, Nix, man, your girl is wasted."
Then I was in Phoenix's familiar embrace. The familiar scent of his cologne eased my head a little bit, but I could feel my grasp tighten around the collar of his shirt. Eventually my double vision faded and Nix's amused green eyes were on me.
He did look as beautiful, as radiant, as the fire casted a beautiful orange glow over his face. "Well, you should probably go back home, Fae."
Something close to a giggle escaped me as I brushed my fingers along his bottom lip, "You've got such a beautiful face." I sighed dreamily. "So does Damien. You guys should be models."
There was a chorus of laughs that joined Phoenix as he shifted my half naked body on his lap.
"You're so much nicer when you're drunk, Fae." He said, still smiling.
"And you're still just as hot." I realized what I said, but I couldn't find it in me to be embarrassed about it. Instead, more words poured out before I could stop them. "It's not fair, that you're so sexy and I have to treat you like you're my brother."
His eyes grew a shade darker, the color of emeralds, as he leaned forward, his lips brushing against mine and whispered. "I definitely don't want to be treated like I'm your brother."
Then, before his lips can touch mine as I desperately want them too, I'm ripped away and against a broader chest. I nearly collapsed, but the intruder caught me and held me tightly against him. "That's enough, Nix."
It was Damien.
"Damien, dude, what the fuck, man." Nix snapped, dropping the half full solo to the ground at his side, spilling it all over the sand. "Nobody is even messing with her."
I felt Damien grow tense behind me. "You are. And you're dumb ass will regret doing anything when you're sober too."
I blinked in confusion when I felt something warm slip over my head, and when I glanced down I was in the blue shirt Damien had been standing in beside me in the bathroom. Gasps sounded around us, but I was too busy to try and figure out how the shirt had gotten on me to try and figure out why.
"Let me take her back to the house, Nix." Damien sounded tired. So very exhausted.
"No." Nix's hand locked around my wrist. "She's fine. I can handle her."
Damien snickered. "You can barely walk, bro. All you want is to get between her legs. And when you wake up in the morning, guess what? You'll hate yourself. Don't do this man. I'm trying to protect both of you."
"Bud the hell out, Damien." Nix mumbled, but Damien's hand shot out and swatted Nix's hand away before he could try for my wrist again. "I'm not doing this, man."
"Let me take her home." Damien repeated.
Something must have happened after the words left his mouth, because he gently took my shoulders and pushed me into someone else's cold, expectant hands.
"You're just mad," Nix spat in his younger brother's face, closing the gap between them. Nix was only a couple inches taller, but Damien was far more muscular and I was suddenly terrified what kind of damage he could do if this went any further. "that yet again I have something you want."
A girlish cry escaped Cady behind me, her nails digging into my shoulders. The damage had been done; the words Nix had snapped had broken the composure Damien had been trying to keep. The younger Holt boy lurched forward and threw a punch so hard that Nix stumbled back, touching his hand to his nose, before his eyes darkened until there was almost no color in them at all, and he threw himself at his brother.