Rosé
"What are you wearing?" Aaliyah asks me from the mountain of clothes on my bed.
"I don't know."
I've never been to a party before so I don't know what girls wear to parties. From watching movies—depending on what kind—the girls are either wearing dresses, or casual jeans and a t-shirt or sporting a garbagé look.
I am, however, excited about the makeup and getting ready part. Being with Aaliyah always makes everything fun and I have no doubt, tonight is going to be rememberable. I love being with my best friend.
"Can't I just stay home?" pouting, I look round for my excuse and when my eyes catch my most precious gift, "I can't leave Binx alone, look at him so lonely and sad without me."
Binx ignores me as he continues licking his butt. Unbothered.
I love my cat.
"I can make that cat disappear, Rosie," Aaliyah narrows her eyes playfully at me before pouting, "You can't ditch me."
I sheepishly smile at her. Aaliyah walks into my closet and starts looking through my clothes. As I'm playing with Binx, a white box is dropped on my bed.
Uh, oh.
"You're wearing this."
"Liyah, no."
I don't have the confidence to wear that dress, no matter how beautiful it is. I'm comfortable wearing my oversized t-shirts and jeans and my knee-length granny dresses—as Aaliyah and Nate like to describe them as.
Aaliyah grins.
Aaliyah gifted me the dress on my last birthday. It's beautiful, ethereal, and hot. My best friend has the best fashion sense.
"Rosé, you're wearing this." Aaliyah coos as she takes out the white dress and holds it up to admire the pretty details and the ethereal look of it.
"Aaliyah." I bashfully coo.
"Make the guys drop dead with how gorgeous you'll look in this dress," the girl grins, "And then laugh in their faces because let's be honest, we girls don't dress to impress boys. We do it for ourselves."
I love my best friend. And she's right. If I'm going to dress up and put makeup on, I'm going to do it for myself, not some boy. I'm going to wear this dress for me, with the confidence I know I'm hiding and too afraid to show because of how it has been broken by my past.
Wearing this dress makes me feel pretty and a little hot. The lace-up corset motif along the waist shows off my small waist and accentuates the soft curves of my hips. I love how the sweetheart neckline makes my b-cup breasts look, the short sleeves fall off my shoulders and the soft cotton material feels refreshing against my skin.
My makeup is soft and minimal—blush, mascara, and a raspberry-colored lipstick. And my hair is fluffed out in soft waves down my back. I'm wearing my white mary janes because I'm a baby fawn when I'm in heels and this is my first party, I don't want to embarrass myself.
My thoughts drift to Daniel.
He's going to be at the party.
For some reason, a wonderful flutter swarms my tummy at the thought of him.
<3 <3 <3 <3
Aaliyah grabs my hand in hers as we walk into Kai's huge house. Modern interiors, expensive paintings, and atmosphere so sophisticated. That juxtaposes with the loud music, alcohol, and red cups covering nearly every available surface and bodies dancing up against each other.
I tighten my hold on my best friend as I feel out of place and a little nervous.
She throws me a warm smile and squeezes my hand in reassurance. I know I can trust her and staying by her side tonight is my main priority but I don't want to come between her and Matthew. The backyard is big with a swimming pool in the middle. Lights are dimmed, casting a heavenly glow. People are already in the pool, floating flamingos and drinks with them.
"Aaliyah!" Matthew hollers in excitement when he sees us.
As he comes closer to us, he gives my best friend a haughty once-over, checking her out. She's looking hot in her black mini dress. I don't blame him. Aaliyah is oogling at her crush and fair play to her because Matthew is looking hot.
Then his eyes turn to me and they widen.
"Rosé, damn."
I smile with a blush at his surprised stare as he checks me out.
Aaliyah laughs at the way Matthew is looking at me and that snaps him out of his daze.
"Come on," he bites his lip and motions his head, "We're on the rooftop."
Following Matthew through the back yard, back into the house, and upstairs, I become more anxious. Socializing has never been my strongest trait so being here tonight is overwhelming.
Maybe there's a cat around...
Walking through a door, Aaliyah and I follow Matthew like baby ducklings.
I stand there, behind Aaliyah, gawking in awe at the rooftop.
It's amazing. I'm a sucker for pretty, aesthetic places and this rooftop is making me want to have a sleepover under the stars, watching a movie with my friend—or my crush, whatever.
Couches are pushed against the black railings with a table in the middle of them, alcohol bottles and red cups cover the surface, and there is a whole basketball hoop and stand.
"Happy birthday!" Aaliyah happily congratulates Kai who is bouncing the basketball and throwing it to Noah.
"Happy Birthday, Kai." Softly, I congratulate him with a smile.
Kai's eyes light up when he sees me, a boyish smile tugging on his lips.
"Baby!" Kai walks towards me with the full intent of hugging me.
"Kai." Noah snaps and Kai stops dead in his steps.
Kai rolls his eyes.
"I was just gonna hug her," the boy throws me a wink and an air kiss, "Thanks baby."
I softly laugh at his cute, playful behavior.
Aaliyah gives Kai the present we both bought for him and the boy looks so excited when he sees the custom-made white Nike volleyball that has Kai engraved on it.
"Damn, this is sick," Kai beams at us in appreciation, "Thank you."
His eyes stay on mine with a warm yet haughty emotion that makes me blush.
Wandering my eyes around, I catch Daniel sitting alone on the couch, on his phone with an almost exasperated expression on his face. Wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans, hair ruffled with a few strands falling over his eyes, he looks like a hot mysterious shadow in the dark.
Last night replays in my head and I'm blushing.
Daniel kissed my cheek.
When I felt his tender lips on my skin, I wanted to faint. Butterflies fluttered my tummy and the gesture didn't scare me. The kiss was so soft. My fear didn't show its ugly presence.
"Rosé." Noah smiles at me.
Noah is so kind-heartedly charismatic that all I want to do is hug him. Whenever we've locked eyes, we've always smiled at each other. I want to be his friend.
Smiling back at him, I watch as his warm chocolate eyes roam over my body in a way that makes me blush.
"You look beautiful." Noah smiles, a glimmer of heat in his eyes.
He's so sweet.
"Thank you." I coyly say.
"Rosé," Matthew hollers at me, holding up a basketball, "You wanna play?"
Aaliyah has a grin on her face. She was playing with him a moment ago and won. I nod, looking forward to having fun.
"Let's make it more fun," Kai grabs the ball from Matthew and stares at me, "One on one. Whoever gets three baskets first, wins. Winner kisses the loser."
Noah and Matthew groan at Kai's rules. Aaliyah and I exchange an amused laugh.
"You're such a guy." Aaliyah nudges him.
Kai innocently smiles, looking my way.
"Nothing bad about wanting a kiss from a cute girl." Kai smiles boyishly at me and I fight back the urge to actually kiss him.
He's so cute. And hot.
"Kai." Noah snarls at him.
"Rosé and me first." Kai holds up the ball, eyeing me brightly.
"No, you dickwad," Noah snatches the ball from him, scowling, "I'm going against her."
Kai sulks.
Aww.
"Try not to lose." Noah gives me a cheeky smile.
I laugh.
Basketball has been my favorite sport since I can remember. Nate is a basketball player, he watches games on the television and he sometimes practices with me. So, I know the basics of the game but I suck at scoring. There is no way I'm going to be able to score three baskets. I'm up against Noah, he's an athlete. Sure he doesn't play basketball but Daniel does and they're brothers.
I want to have fun so I'm going to play with confidence, even though I know I'm going to lose and that means having to kiss Noah. The thought of having my first kiss at a party, with Noah Carter, in front of my crush, is crazy.
Noah lets me have the first throw. What a man.
As I grab the ball from Matthew, something circles my waist and I almost shriek from the sudden surprise but don't when I realize it's only Kai. He's tying a sweatshirt around my waist.
My eyes lock onto him in awe and giddiness and thankfulness. I almost forgot that I had a dress on. Dumb should be my middle name.
"Thank you." I whisper and then he looks at me with a warm, charismatic smile before taking a step back.
Shoving aside the butterflies in my stomach, I focus my attention on the game I've dragged myself into.
Holding on to the ball as Nate has taught me, I throw it towards the hoop. The ball doesn't even touch the rim as it hits the backboard and bounces on the floor. Pouting, I look at Aaliyah and see her laugh. Leave it to my girl to laugh at my misery.
Noah effortlessly gets his shot in the basket with a satisfying swish. Giving me a boyish smile, he playfully sticks out his tongue. Huffing, I hold my ball with determination and aim. And I score a basket. With wide eyes, I look at Aaliyah and Noah and Kai is gawking at me in awe.
Noah misses his next shot and I grin, teasing him and the look on my face makes the quarterback laugh. The score is tied. Then Noah, Kai, and Matthew laugh when I miss my next throw and I can't help laughing too because I thought I was going to score because of my last attempt. Bold of me to assume. Noah scores his next basket and soon the score is one to two. If I miss Noah wins.
Sulking, I grab my ball and look at it. I need to score otherwise I'm going to be kissing Noah. Not that it's a bad thing but I always imagined my first kiss to be with someone who I like and who likes me back and I don't think Noah likes me, and I have feelings for his brother. It wouldn't be right. A kiss is important to me.
Before I can hurl the orange ball into the net, it's snatched from me and when I see Daniel stepping beside me and throwing the ball and scoring, I'm left stunned. He gives his brother a bored expression and Noah chuckles and takes another shot but misses. Daniel bounces the ball, his eyes hazy, and takes the last shot and wins the game.
My eyes never break away from him as his eyes catch mine before a smug grin curls on his lips.
What just happened? Why did he do that? He won the game for me.
"You realize you gotta kiss me, right?" Noah is beaming in hilarity at his brother.
Daniel smirks wickedly.
"You realize I'm gonna fucking kill you, right?" Daniel bites back with a hint of playfulness.
The boys laugh and Aaliyah and I share a confused stare.
Kai's phone rings and a haughty expression colors his handsome features.
"See you dickheads," Kai looks at his best friends, then at Aaliyah and me, "And you two cuties, later. I've got a hot piece of ass waiting for me."
The boys roll their eyes and Aaliyah shakes her head. I blush at his words. Kai is so confident in his sexuality.
"I'm gonna bring up his cake, babe, help me?" Matthew looks at my girl with soft eyes, "Noah, did you bring the candles?"
"Yeah, they're in my car, I'll go get them." Noah nods and grabs his car keys.
Aaliyah squeezes my arm and the three of them leave.
Daniel and I are left alone.
My heart begins fluttering with a giddy emotion.
Chase Atlantic's Into It sensually purrs in the background. Humming softly to the song, I take off Kai's sweatshirt and walk over to the railings to peek down below into the party. Girls are having fun in the pool, guys are throwing around footballs and couples are making out by the minibar. It's energetic and fun.
I'm hyperaware of Daniel so when I steal a glance my breath catches at the darkness and heat in his chocolate-colored eyes. He's sitting on the sofa, legs spread, eyes hooded as they brush over my body, lingering on my legs and waist, and breasts.
Building up courage I never thought I had, I walk over to the table in the middle of the three sofas and take a seat. My heart races in nervousness and my body lights up in flames under his gaze. Daniel watches me with a dark, salacious frown but with liquid heat that makes my thighs throb in a good way.
"How's your arm?" Softly, I ask.
I give away how shy I am when my cheeks color pink.
Daniel's chocolate eyes rake over my thighs and the way my dress has ridden up a little, a light smirk tugs on his full lips. Then he looks back into my eyes.
"Good."
I've been worried because he plays basketball and it could affect his ability to play. I hope it isn't as painful as it looked last night.
For a silent moment, I stare at Daniel. His dark eyes swirl with vicious promises and agonizing heartbreak. He's a mystery to me. A mystery I'm fascinated by—dark and sensual.
"What happened last night, Daniel?" With a tender voice, I whisper the words that have been bugging me ever since I saw the blood.
Daniel smirks but it's sinister.
"Fucked a girl," those vulgar words make me blush, Daniel cocks his head, amused, "Her boyfriend wasn't happy about it."
My eyes round and my lips part as I gawk at Daniel in surprise and a little disgust.
"You slept with a girl who has a boyfriend?"
Daniel shrugs.
"Not my fault she was begging me to fuck her."
"That makes you equally at fault for making it happen."
"I'm the bad guy when she was being unfaithful without my knowledge?" Daniel sneers wickedly, his eyes burning into mine, "Yeah I fucked her but I didn't know she had a boyfriend until after she hopped off my dick and cried to her boyfriend."
Oh.
When he puts it like that, I guess it's not his fault.
Something in me roars in ugly maliciousness. Before we got involved with each other, it was easier to accept the fact that he messes around with girls but after, it feels like a knife through my chest. I know I have no right to feel this way because we're...nothing to each other but still, it hurts.
Daniel is right in front of me when I break away from my thoughts. His arms on either side of my thighs, and my legs between his, caging me in. My heart leaps in excitement and my tummy flutters in an enchanting sensation. My eyes stare into his, our lips are a breath away.
"Would you let me fuck you, Rosé?" Daniel huskily says, lust and darkness writhing in his eyes.
His question is so blunt that I breathily gasp which makes his lips curl into a devilishly smile. Heat rushes to my cheeks and my inner thighs and I squirm under his proximity and stare. And the way he said my name, I want to kiss heaven goodbye because I want to do sinful things to him.
"No." I whisper.
Not a complete lie but he doesn't have to know that. The thought of sleeping with Daniel is making me flustered but the thought of sleeping with him out of fun, makes my heart ache. That's not me. I can't do that. Intimacy is something I want but with love and sincerity, not dishonesty and games.
Daniel grins, his desirable lips tempting me to kiss them.
"I shouldn't want you," his gaze drops to my lips, "You're a virgin."
He wants me?
"What's so bad about being a virgin?" My eyes bore into his and this kind of intimacy and proximity should scare me, it should wake my fear but it doesn't.
Oddly, I want more of it. More of Daniel.
Daniel smirks, his dimple popping and his eyes gleaming with red-hot desire and anger. Butterflies erupt in my stomach when his hand touches my thigh and slowly rides up and under my dress. Warmth spreads all over my body, and for the first time in four years, I'm feeling aroused.
Daniel leans in and my eyes drop to his lips.
"Everything." He whispers.
With his eyes on me, Daniel inches in until I can feel his hot breath on my neck. My head goes dizzy and my fingers curl around his arms. Our closeness is something alluring, something flavorful, the heat between us sending wonderful tingles around my body.
"But something about you," Daniel brushes my hair to one side, exposing my neck, to his lust-filled eyes, "Makes me want to pop that sweet fucking cherry."
A moan hums out of my lips when he kisses my neck as his fingers slide dangerously under my dress and hook around my underwear. With those soft, sinful touches, I'm experiencing pleasure I've never felt before.
The trauma of being mistreated and hurt, of being touched without my consent and with tenderness is slowly washing away.
Because of him.
My fear scurries away, leaving me elated and excited.
Daniel's eyes bounce between mine as if to telepathically ask if I'm okay and if I want his touch. I nod and he wraps an arm around my waist, tugging me onto his lap. My palms rest on his broad shoulders, my eyes wide and surprised. My thighs spread around him as I straddle him, making my dress bunch higher up my thighs.
Daniel feathers a kiss under my ear and I bite my lip when the softest moan sounds from my lips.
Oh, sweet baby Persephone.
Something hard is beneath me, my core pressing against it, and naturally, I sway my hips wanting to feel what it is. Daniel groans and rips his lips away from my neck, his eyes shadowed with lust so strong, it makes my heart stutter.
"Sway these hips like that again and I'll fuck you on this table, Rosé," Daniel devilishly smirks, his lips hovering over mine as he whispers his words with carnal-need, "I'll push up this sweet and innocent dress, rip these sweet and innocent panties and fuck your sweet and innocent cunt until you're screaming my name."
Daniel
Her blushing cheeks make my dick hard. She shouldn't affect me this bad but she does. Fuck, she affects me in ways no other girl has.
And that's the reason why I can't have her.
Rosé coming tonight in that fucking dress which makes her look like a hot-adorable angel, with those mary janes and her halo of virtue—fuck. I'm so drawn to her. To her huge cocoa-colored eyes that pour nothing but sweetness. To her tempting lips that look like raspberry pillows. To her purity that makes something possessive crawl out of me.
Gripping her hips, I give them a squeeze as I look at her eyes from her lips.
"Stay the fuck away from me, Rosé." I viciously smirk as I push her off of me.
She needs to stay the fuck away from me or I won't be able to hold myself back from ruining her.
But fuck me, she's so sweet and kind and good that it's almost a punishment to have her so close yet I can't taint her.
The sweet forbidden fruit.
She's a sweet forbidden fruit who is hiding something dark inside of her. I saw it, twice. It makes me fucking murderous to even have to suspect what has happened to her that made her have those panic attacks.
I'm not stupid.
But I also don't want to be right.
I hope I'm not right.