“I better go do that then.”
Her brows furrow. “Don't you think you should wait until the storm clears? You'll get soaked.”
I shake my head. “Nah, I could use the cold shower.”
Finally breaking our eye contact, I look away and head outside, trying like hell not to get carried away in what the fuck just happened.
IT ONLY TOOK A few minutes to get the generator back up and running, but of course then the power kicked back on shortly after. Thankfully, Lennon was nowhere to be found when I came back in. I don't know what I would have said to her if she was waiting for me.
I'm lying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Kissing her was stupid, and totally not something I planned. She's a traitor—a wolf in sheep's clothing—and I fucking caved. I shouldn't have, that much I'm sure of, but after seeing that umbrella fly into her head, something came over me. My heart dropped, and the only thing I could think of was getting her inside and safe.
The feeling of her lips on mine is burned into my brain. It's refusing to budge and torturing me with every second that passes. I wanted nothing more than to carry her upstairs and show her everything she's been missing by being with Kellan. But then her dad called, and it was like someone poured a bucket of ice water over my head.
No part of me should want her, especially not after the shit she pulled when we got back from Malibu. My focus needs to be on her demise, and not her pleasure. She's the antichrist of everything I want right now, so why the fuck can't I stop thinking about that kiss?
AVOIDING LENNON WHILE WE’RE alone in this house is easier said than done, but the massive size of it definitely helps. After she left this afternoon for dance, which I only know because I overheard her on the phone with Tessa, I called Bryce—and that's how I ended up with almost a hundred kids filling the whole downstairs.
The speaker system in the living room is intense enough to carry a beat through most of the house. Two kegs, courtesy of Jayden's brother, sit in the middle of the patio. People jump off the roof and into the pool, and a part of me considers making them sign some kind of waiver. If Ken gets sued for someone getting injured, my mom might disown me. Then again, maybe I should encourage it.
“What did I tell you?” Bryce shouts with two cups in his hands. “A party is exactly what you needed, especially in a house like this! There should be one of these every damn night while Mr. Bigshot is away.”
I chuckle and roll my eyes. “Whatever you say, man.”
“Seriously?” A voice sounds from behind me. I turn around to see Lennon looking at me incredulously. “A little heads-up would have been nice.”
Bryce snorts and hands me a beer. “I'll just leave you to that.”
Once we're alone, I square my shoulders and glare down at her. “I didn't know I needed your permission to throw a party. Oh, that's right. I don't.”
My words are meant to push her away, but she's no more afraid of me than she was when we kissed. She runs her fingers through her blonde hair, and I notice how her ocean eyes sparkle with the sunset. Fuck, focus.
“Do you think we could talk later? About the other day.” She pulls her plump bottom lip between her teeth.
I swallow. “Uh, yeah.” Wait, what? That's not what I wanted to say. “If I don't have someone in my bed.”
It's hardly the redemption I was looking for, but it does its job. Lennon's eyes widen, and she takes a step back.
“Seriously?”
I shrug.
“You're such a pig,” she scoffs. “Just forget it. Forget the whole thing ever happened.”
Oh baby, trust me. I fucking wish I could. I've been trying to do that for days, hence this party, but I can't. It haunts my dreams, my thoughts, all of it. It won't go away.
I watch as Lennon storms away from me and takes out her phone, most likely calling Tessa. Good, maybe she can get her to leave me alone. I don't need her looking all cute and testing my restraints. What I need is to hate her.
OKAY, SO TESSA DEFINITELY wasn’t the right answer. After getting a call from Lennon, she decided to come to the party, and she brought Zayn Bronsyn with her. Zayn