Bellamy laughs and the sound takes me by surprise. I’ve heard him laugh before, of course. We laughed all the time back in San Francisco. But I’ve never heard him laugh like this. Like he’s high on something, but also like, totally sober at the same time. Like he’s really, genuinely happy.
He slams the trunk shut, then clasps a hand on my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here. You’re going to love New York. Trust me.”
I want to trust him. I really want to love it here. I’m not sure what I’ll do if I don’t.
The backseat of the giant SUV is as big as a fucking living room. The seats feel like a full-sized leather couch and there’s so much leg room, I can’t touch the front seats with my feet.
“Hey, Noel! Thanks for picking me up!”
From the driver’s seat, Bellamy’s fiancé throws a bored look at me through the rearview mirror. “Yeah, sure.”
Oookay. Honestly, Noel’s a weird guy and I never really got what Bellamy saw in him. I mean, yeah, he’s got that whole bad boy vibe going for him, but every time I’ve tried to actually talk to him, he’s been kind of a jerk. Who wants to spend the rest of their life with that? But whatever, not my problem.
The second Bellamy’s door closes, Noel floors it. The car catapults forward and I’m thrown back in my seat. Jesus Christ. Maybe I should be more worried about this drive than I was about the plane.
“Hey, so, we’re taking you to Hayden’s place right now. You’ll stay with him while you’re here. He’s a great guy, super sweet, amazing cook, happy all the damn time. It’d almost be annoying if he wasn’t so nice.”
“Almostannoying?” Noel chimes in a second before he slams on the brakes.
I practically get clotheslined by my damn seatbelt.
Bellamy’s arm flies out to give Noel a back-handed smack on the arm. It doesn’t look very hard, but Noel flinches and rubs the spot with a pout. “Ow.”
“Don’t be an asshole, babe,” Bellamy says like he’s asking Noel to pass the salt. “And this isn’t Grand Theft Auto. Tone it the fuck down.”
In the rearview mirror, I see Noel’s lips twitch like he’s trying not to be smug, but surprisingly, his driving actually does calm down a little.
Bellamy turns toward me again. “So, after we drop you off, you can chill out for a bit. Then we’re all going out for dinner and you can meet Sebastian and the rest of the gang. Sound good?”
“Totally.” It sounds great, actually. I love meeting new people, learning about who they are, and what they’re all about. But this is a little more high-stakes than just going out to dinner with a bunch of new friends. I’ll be working with these people. I want to make a good impression. I want them to like me. If they like me, maybe they’ll want me to work with them again. Maybe they’ll let me join their group.
Thirty minutes later, Noel turns down a narrow street and parallel parks in a spot that should’ve been too small for the massive car. But he squeezes the damn thing in without a scratch.
I climb down from the car and when my feet hit the sidewalk, I take a deep breath of the thick, hot air. It smells different here—richer, warmer. Maybe it’s the humidity, or maybe it’s just myimagination playing tricks on me. Walk-up buildings line both sides of the street with trees pushing up through the sidewalk concrete every few yards. The wind rustles through the full green foliage and piles of black trash bags sit next to the curb.
I’m in New York now. This could be the start of the rest of my life.
Bellamy pushes the buzzer on the intercom and a couple seconds later, the door unlocks for us. I follow him up the stairs to the fourth floor, dragging my suitcase behind me. Noel takes up the rear, but he doesn’t offer to help me with my bags.
On the fourth-floor landing, Bellamy knocks on a door and we stand there awkwardly, waiting for it to open.
Except it doesn’t.
Bellamy and Noel share a look that I don’t understand and Noel raises his hand to knock again. It’s another minute or two before the door flies open.
Okay, confession time. I might’ve looked up Hayden Summers when Bellamy first told me I’d be staying with him. Can’t blame a guy for being curious, right? And like, I might’ve gotten a little obsessed and watched every video I could get my hands on and stalked him on social media. I mean, just a little. Because the dude is really hot. Tall, built, strawberry blond hair that’s a hint more strawberry than blond. And eyes so green they look like actual emeralds.
But all of that? None of it compares to the real Hayden Summers standing in front of me. Like, not even a little bit.
I’m a very respectable five-eleven-and-a-half, but I have to tilt my head back to see his face. His wavy hair falls over his forehead like he’s tried to quickly comb it with his fingers, but didn’t succeed. His lashes are a shade lighter than his hair, so it looks like he’s got feathers lining his eyes. And those eyes. Holy shit. I swear, they fucking glow.
I’m stunned as Bellamy introduces us in the hallway. This is actually him. Hayden Summers. In the flesh. Looking like a Greek god. That really hot one. I mean, I think they’re all supposed to be really hot, but the hottest of them all. That’s him—Hayden Summers.
They expect me to live with this guy? Share a bathroom with him? Sleep in the room next to his? Shit. I’m going to be walking around with a permanent hard-on for the next few weeks.
“Hey! Welcome!” His voice is so deep, I feel it more than hear it. He holds out his hand and when I take it, his fingers swallow mine up whole. His smile is so bright, it feels like the sun is breaking through the ceiling and shining directly down on me.
I make a strangled sound that’s supposed to be a hello.
