She glances back at me, scared, tentative, but follows her best friend anyway.
“If people think you’re a fucking hooker, show them how they’re just jealous because you’re hot,” Trinity slurs, climbing on the table and taking my girlfriend with her.
Trinity doesn’t give her a second to overthink. With Lily’s back pressed to Trinity’s chest, they start moving their hips in a hypnotizing rhythm. Laughing, the two barely avoid the glasses on the table as they put on a show for the entire club. People start throwing money in the air. A fucking coin lands on the floor somewhere.
The sparkly red top Lily wears shines like a disco ball. My eyes blink rapidly, attempting to see her clearly, but the number of drinks I’ve consumed makes it ten times harder. Leonidas rises with a frown, gesturing them both down with a bark. They ignore him and cheer when Amelia joins, swaying her hips and winking at a stunned Levi.
“What are we going to do with them?” Levi shouts over at me, a smile gracing his face.
In a line, they start swaying their hips sensually and guide each other’s hands down their bodies.
I reply with a shrug, slouching further into the couch. I can’t seem to watch anything else but Lily finally letting loose and feeling confident. Even if it’s going to be shared online thousands of times.
I can fucking fight.
FIFTY-TWO
LILY
“Trinity, should we move here? Look at this ocean.” Leonidas staggers on the beach, gesturing to the dark ocean with the half-empty bottle of champagne. “What are we doing with our lives? This is everything.”
She jumps on his back, nearly sending them both to the ground, and a laugh bursts out of her mouth. “You need to marry me first.”
The two run off down the shoreline. Amelia and Levi fall back with Elijah and me.
“I agree with him. After the tour is done, I’m staying here,” Elijah shouts, almost tripping on nothing in the clean sand. He chuckles at himself, and his pupils dilate, covering his entire irises. He’s looking at me, but it feels like it’s right through me.
A knot forms in my stomach.
“The tour is over tomorrow,” I remind him with a light laugh, hooking my arm through his so he stays close.
Falling into my embrace, he weighs me down with half his body weight.
Since when does he get tipsy this fast?
The beach is empty, not a single soul seen but us. The midnight sky is dotted with tons of bright stars, and the oceanlaps roughly, wave by wave, sending a ghost of salt in the air that tickles my nose. The lights are off in the Drakos house, telling us all that Stella and Elijah’s mom must be sleeping.
“Let’s go swimming!” Amelia squeals, running past us with Levi. Submerging themselves into the waves with laughter that bounces through the quiet air, like a song.
Trinity and Leonidas join them a second later.
“Do you think this is a goo?—”
Elijah, who is unstable and shouldn’t be holding me over his shoulder, fireman-carries me while running to the roaring ocean. I yelp, slapping his back to put me down. My upcoming fate makes my body lock up and freeze.
Then the cold hits.
“Oh my God!” I yell, gasping as my head emerges from the depths of the ocean. My clothes stick to my body like a second skin.
Elijah pops up beside me, laughing and swiping water from his eyes.
“This is the best night ever!” Trinity exclaims, swimming over until all of us are huddled, laughing and splashing each other.
I kick my legs rapidly to keep me above water, but it feels difficult after all the drinks I’ve had.
Salt rushes through my nose when Trinity sends a splash of water in my face. Trying to not show my annoyance, I push water back in her direction.
That starts a war.
