ISLA
I honestly thoughtthis was only the beginning of his interrogation, and I probably would have told him everything he demanded to know, so I was stunned when he said, “The Uber’s out front,” and led the way.
He opened the front door, gesturing for me to go first. I did, and then he did the same thing with the back door to the Uber. I scooted in, sitting farthest by the window. The ride was quiet, not that I expected it to be anything but.
Despite the silence, my thoughts and emotions were hammering. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for us to get there even though we had to drive through the woods. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Kraven staring out the window, completely lost in thought. I wanted to know what he was thinking and feeling, and what would happen from here. Where we went from here, I suppose, and I wasn’t talking about physically.
Since we were driving through darkness, it was hard to see where we were going. Branches scraped the top of the car as it made its way down a dark and narrow road. The headlights only illuminated so far in front of us, making the night creepy and inviting all at thesame time.
For a second, I thought we might have gotten lost, but suddenly, a huge house appeared in the middle of nowhere. Rows of cars lined the grass and gravel. I could hear the rock music blaring through the party’s sound system, beating against the windows of the Uber.
People were everywhere, and most of the girls were dressed in skimpy outfits despite the cold outside.
The driver pulled up to the front of the house, announcing, “We’re here.”
Kraven glanced back at me, demanding, “Stay close.”
Something about the way he relayed it made my stomach churn. Though it was the moment he reached for my hand and grabbed it that the same spark of electricity from earlier occurred the second we touched.
He teased, “Are you trying to short-circuit me?”
His lips parted, staring at our entwined hands before he helped me out. I shook off the thoughts, wanting to have a good time tonight. For once, I was about to experience what everyone else my age did every weekend.
It wasn’t lost on me that Kraven didn’t let go of my hand, making sure I stayed behind him. We walked up to the entrance. I’d seen my fair share of crazy parties with my fosters because they often threw them, but this one was different. It was people my age just having a great time. It didn’t feel seedy or wrong. It felt inviting and fun. I could instantly relate to why he enjoyed being out. It was nice to forget what wasn’t waiting for you back at home.
I did feel like a fish out of water. The smell of smoke and weed assaulted my senses as we made our way through a swarm of people. They were all heavily drinking, laughing, joking, and swearing up a storm.
Kraven still didn’t let go of my hand as he led me through the crowd of partygoers. Some couples were kissing in the corners and starting to get intimate. It was like a train wreck I couldn’t look away from.
I thought about Julius, wondering what he was doing and why he was out of town to begin with. The more I took in the scene unfolding before me, the more uncomfortable I became with mythoughts about what he was doing. The chaos all around made me wish Julius were with us, not on some trip to pay the bills. I needed to get a job and help out. I’d be seventeen soon, I should be able to find something, anything, to contribute.
We started to roam around other rooms, each one more graphic than the last, until we ended up in the basement. Kraven stopped once we were standing in front of the fridge.
The Caribbean-blue shade in his eyes was so damn enticing, luring me into his smile. As soon as he caught me staring at his defined arms and broad chest, I blushed, looking back at the fridge. He was dressed in a blue sweater, jeans, and boots.
Before he opened it, he asked, towering over me, “Isla.”
It was weird hearing him call me that when he didn’t use my name often, and he said it with such fondness. The way it rolled off his tongue was doing things to me, making me feel those familiar flutters in my stomach. I didn’t know if it was from the way he said it, but it brought a sense of calm over me, making me feel safe for some reason.
“How old are you?” he asked out of nowhere.
I mouthed, “Almost seventeen,” and he watched my lips move intently.
“You drink?”
I had never drunk, but I still nodded.
He grabbed two beers out of the fridge, and we were on our way again. The party was even more packed, leaving very little room to shift through the crowd. It made it nearly impossible to see over everyone’s heads. I tried my best to keep up with Kraven, but I lost him for a minute in the madness.
Before I could panic, I felt his strong hands grip my waist, pulling me back into his hard body. He smiled down at me with a look of reassurance as I glanced up at him, making my belly flutter and my heart beat faster.
He repeated, “Stay close,” in my ear as he grabbed my hand, guiding the way.
“Hey, there,” a girl greeted, abruptly standing out in front of him and halting our descent. “You left me hanging last night.” Lockingeyes with me for a second, she openly showed me her disdain and then glanced back at him. “How about you make it up to me tonight?”
I cleared my throat, trying to pull my hand away, but all he did was hold it tighter and closer to him.
“If I left you last night,” he emphasized in a charming way, “what makes you think tonight is any different?”
