Chapter 197

The sound of the music rumbled. I was already sweating from dancing, and Kayleen, beside me, still wanted to put her gym lessons into practice. The number of shots we had drunk was unmatched. I didn't know if it was the fifth, sixth, maybe the tenth. There had been so many that my windpipe was corroded, forming holes due to the alcohol. I liked spending these times with Cullbert. It was just the two of us enjoying a friendship that had surpassed more than two decades. Having her by my side at that moment was more than healthy, cozy, or nostalgic. It was an immense safe harbor. I knew I could give her my heart, and there wouldn't be a single crack in it. Kayleen would never let it fall. In fact, she would heal me every time. But with her drunk, that certainly wasn't an advantage. "I love this song. Shall we dance?" she said, dragging out the syllables. I laughed. "Let's sit for two seconds. What do you think?" "Hmm, I don't really like the idea. But only because you asked." I took her to a corner away from prying eyes. There were two small, fluffy sofas available, and I pulled her onto one, while I sat on the other side. I had an exam and a presentation the next day, but I needed some alcoholic relaxation and a good dose of human sweat to feel alive. My mind was heavy. The feelings that fought inside me bled and killed each other to take just one place. But there was no podium. In fact, it was all so degrading that I allowed these caustic emotions. "I want to sleep with someone." "No, you don't," I said. "You don't sleep with anyone, remember?" Kayleen gasped loudly, interlacing her fingers through her dark, long hair. "Yeah... Guys are annoying and get attached too easily. Have you seen Daniel? He can't forget me. And we never even hooked up. Imagine if we had?" Hearing his name left a bitter taste in my mouth. "Do you like him?" Kayleen almost spat in my face. "Do you think so?" she laughed. "I love Daniel as a friend, but I would never see him as someone to date. Imagine kissing him? He's handsome, but no. That's out of the question." "Maybe you should be like Penelope. Don't care too much about their feelings." "Sure, sure. The problem is we've been friends for years. It's like you and me suddenly hooking up? Wouldn't that be weird?" I raised my eyebrows, understanding. "Very." "Friendships are meant to stay friendships. And they are meant to be loyal too." Her face saddened. "If I weren't so loyal, things would be easier." I narrowed my eyes at my friend with a brain like jelly. "What things?" Her eyes were no longer on me. Her focus was distant, lost in the crowd. I followed her gaze to where she was focused. It took me a while to spot the two figures there. Cole Van Doren and Asher Hawthorn were sitting next to three other girls. The two of them seemed entertained by the probably dirty and indecent conversation they were whispering into the women's ears. "I thought they weren't friends anymore," Kay muttered. I shrugged, practicing my best performance. "Maybe they patched things up." Before I could predict, my friend stood up and made her way to them. Some shoves from people on the dance floor and elbows that caused small harmless fights gave me space to reach the spot safely. "What are you doing here, Van Doren?" "Cullbert." His intense gaze at my friend was enough to see sparks coming from his angular eyes. "So, Gray, what are you hunting for? If you want relief, you know you have it at home," Asher mocked, making me roll my eyes. "I have hands. Thanks for the offer," I said sarcastically, bursting my cup of patience. Hawthorn's bad boy smile should make many girls fall at his feet. Being one of the top players at Olympus, rich, and with a relaxed attitude, he hid his true face much more than the black cape he wore at night to cause terror in the underworld of the city. Also, according to the rumor mill, Asher was good at what he did behind closed doors, further inflating his ego and arrogance that was no longer welcome in our space. He dressed more comfortably. A white short-sleeve shirt with black pants was his peak for the tank tops he usually wore at home. Cole, on the other hand, was the more put-together one. You could tell by his explosive behavior that he was extremely vain with his high-quality black outfit and brand-name sneakers. "You never know when to shut up, do you?" "Oh, I know. But you definitely wouldn't," he provoked, getting another eye-roll that was extremely agonizing. "Since when did you two become friends again?" Kay, still wasted from the alcohol, asked Cole, pushing the girl next to her and sitting down. Van Doren disliked the move but didn't seem willing to fight. He looked calm beside her. "It's none of your business." "How so?" Her anger pulsed in her throat. "When you asked me who my new colleague at the gym was, I didn't see you so resistant." I frowned. What the hell were they talking about? "Cut it out, Cullbert," he growled at my friend. "Get out of here. You shouldn't even be here, Gray." "Why?" I asked. "How many hands have been on you? I'm sure you'll get them as a present." I clenched my fist, scrunching my face. "If I had to depend on what the captain thinks, I'd rather take a bullet," I shot back. "You will. Not much time left," Cole murmured, though it wasn't hard for Kayleen to hear. The good thing was she was drunk, and that conversation would turn to dust in her memory. "We'll see," I said. "Kayleen, we need to go. It's getting really late." I grabbed my friend's arm, pulling her off the bench. "Stay here for a bit, Gray. That way we can take you home," Asher mentioned, picking up the girl beside him and sitting her on his lap. The other one beside him was busy kissing his neck and slyly placing her hand on the weight of his pants. One of them seemed to be breaking down with jealousy at my and Kayleen's presence. If she knew we had no interest, she wouldn't be eyeing us like prey. "I have an exam tomorrow," I said. "You’re not taking Cullbert home alone in this state, are you?" Van Doren asked, his eyebrow raised to the limit. He had already forgotten about the unknown girl with him. "I'll call a cab." "No." Cole was firm. "I’ll take you guys." "I don’t want any favors from you," I growled. "And I don't want anything from you either," he shot back, gritting his teeth. "But my disdain for you doesn’t involve your best friend, and her safety is a fucked-up problem in my shoe when she's one of my guy's girl." His response made something stir in me. "Since when did you become a gentleman? You never liked me." He exhaled through his nose. "And I don’t. I despise you with my whole being, but your friend is not doing well." I exhaled heavily. "Okay. But I don’t want you guys near her," I commanded, sitting between them and catching the glance of one of the women beside Hawthorn. "And stop looking at us like that, damn it. Want me to join in? Fuck your man in peace." The brunette on Asher's lap winked at me and turned her head toward him. Hawthorn shrugged, leaning just enough to grab his beer. "I’m done. You take too long," he muttered, telling the women to leave. "I think I’ve got something to entertain myself with." I analyzed him, annoyed, as a pre-warning that he wouldn't touch me even if I were dead. Asher saw everything as entertainment, and I clearly wasn't someone who wanted to play. "So, Van, how does it feel being the biggest idiot in the world?" Kay blew, crawling over to Cole's bench. I wanted to grab her by the foot, but Cole was quicker in sitting her down again, this time closer to him.