Chapter 12 If it were up to me, I wouldn't have let this many people show up tonight. But word traveled fast around here, and instead of a low-key gathering, we had at least sixty people already crowding the place, and more were definitely on the way. Tyler had a lot of friends, and being one of them, I knew exactly how his presence affected this town. He was one of those names everyone seemed to know, no matter the context. People talked about him constantly. The guys wanted to be in his circle, and the girls...well, they all wanted to be with him. Still, no matter how much attention he got, Tyler had always been loyal to his girlfriend, Tia. They'd been together since freshman year of high school, and they were still going strong. Tia was one of the good ones. Sweet, welcoming, always smiling, and effortlessly kind. The kind of girl who made everyone feel included. They were both in college now, about eight hours away, but whenever they came back into town, people treated it like some kind of event. It was almost like they were royalty. Silly, maybe, in a place as small as this, but honestly, they were both genuinely good people. They deserved the attention and the affection they got. Around us, people mingled. Talking, laughing, drinking. Rhys and Ashby had long disappeared into the crowd, and Tripp was standing off to the side with some of his old high school friends. Each of them had a beer in hand, while a couple of younger girls hovered nearby, clearly trying to catch their attention by pretending to care about whatever story they were telling. Bliss stood beside me, quietly sipping on a cold Pepsi, her gaze drifting across the crowd. She didn't look particularly happy or bored. Just present. Like she was simply existing in the moment, not overthinking anything, not wondering where the night might go. I smiled when I saw her wrinkle her nose at the sight of a few rowdy eighteen-year-olds tossing a football dangerously close to the massive bonfire. One wrong throw and that thing was going straight into the flames. I leaned closer so she could hear me over the music and the hum of conversation. "I give it two minutes before that thing lands in the fire." She turned her head toward me, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "I give it one more throw." We watched, amused, as the football nearly clipped the edge of the firepit. The guys finally realized how risky it was and wandered off, laughing it off as they moved somewhere with a little more space. "You hungry?" I asked, turning more toward her. "Hmm... not yet. You?" I shrugged. "I could eat. Wanna come with me?" I nodded toward the four tables set up near the parking lot, loaded with food and drinks. "Okay." She smiled then, slipping her hand into mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. And for us, it was. I curled my fingers around hers, making sure she stayed close. I guided her through the crowd toward the tables, grabbing a paper plate to load up with food. She did the same right beside me. I grinned at her. "Changed your mind?" She nodded. "I'm already here, so..." I didn't argue. We filled our plates with a mix of whatever looked good and made our way over to the area with camping chairs and benches. After finding two empty seats, we sat down and started eating. "You haven't talked to Tyler yet," Bliss said between bites. I turned my head toward her, then glanced across the crowd until I spotted him with Tia right on his arm. "He looks pretty busy. I'll go talk to him later." Tyler and I had already exchanged glances earlier, the kind of look that said I see you, we'll catch up. I figured we'd find a moment later to sneak away and talk. I needed to hear how things were going at college, how he and Tia were holding up. And I was pretty sure he'd want to know what was happening with The Old and how Dad was doing. We finished our food but stayed seated for a while, just soaking it all in. Then I turned to her. "Hey," I said softly, catching her attention. "You okay, Lissy?" She looked at me with a gentle smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. You?" I nodded, reaching for her hand and pulling it onto my lap. "Yeah. I'm glad you came tonight." "You are?" Her expression shifted to something a little unsure. "I feel like you'd probably be having way more fun without me here." "Bullshit." I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'd be bored out of my mind without you. Probably would've headed home already if you weren't here." Her expression softened, and her fingers threaded through mine. She went quiet for a moment, then said, "We should go home when we've had enough." "You don't want to stay?" "I don't mind being here," she replied with a shrug. "But I wouldn't mind heading home either...just to hang out with you alone." "You starting to feel overstimulated?" I knew that in crowds like this, she could get overwhelmed. It didn't happen often, but when it did, she never wanted to make a fuss. She tried to stick it out for our sake, but I always kept an eye on her. If I sensed it was getting to be too much, I'd take her home without hesitation. "Not quite yet," she said with a tight smile. "I just don't really see the point of being here." I chuckled and looked around. "Well, you were invited, and we all wanted you to come. But yeah, it's too damn loud and way too crowded. I wish it was a smaller party." "Dash!" I looked up and saw an old classmate walking toward me. I smiled and extended my free hand to shake Aiden's. "Hey, man. Since when are you back?" "Got in last weekend," he said, grinning. "Didn't plan to stay, but my mom basically forced me. You know how it is." He turned to Bliss next. "Shit...uh, Bliss, right?" She gave him a polite smile and nodded. "Hi." His gaze dropped to our joined hands and stayed there a little too long. I could practically hear the gears in his head turning. He was confused. Everyone knew how close Bliss and I were, but this? This looked like more. "You okay?" he asked her, clearly thinking she was upset and I was comforting her. "Yep, I'm okay," she answered calmly. Aiden pressed his lips together, then looked back at me, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "Right, uh..." He let out a nervous laugh, clearly trying to figure out what exactly he was witnessing. Me holding her hand like that? Yeah, it probably looked like we were a couple. We weren't, not officially. But there was intimacy there. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. And still, I didn't let go. Because I didn't want to. Whatever he thought about it didn't matter to me. "You wanna come hang with the others?" he asked, jerking his chin toward a group of guys I recognized. "Nah, not right now. I'm gonna stay here with Bliss for a bit." "You're welcome too," he added quickly, giving her a smirk. "We wouldn't mind some female company." "Thanks," Bliss replied, her expression neutral, clearly unimpressed by the offer. Aiden clapped his hands together awkwardly, like he wasn't sure what to do next. He cleared his throat, nodded one last time, then walked off. "He totally thinks we're a thing," Bliss said, amused. I glanced at her, raised a brow, and laughed. "Probably. But he's also had, like, five beers already, so he probably thinks he's just misreading the whole situation." At least, I hoped that was the case. The last thing we needed was people getting suspicious about what really went on between us when no one was watching. Time passed, and the party grew louder. It got so crowded we had to abandon our chairs and move off to the side, where the air wasn't thick with sweat, smoke, and beer breath. People were dancing, shouting over the music, some couples making out so intensely they might as well have been humping each other in plain sight. I spotted Ashby sitting with Rhys and a few others, guys and girls, all of them laughing and drinking like it was the best night of their lives. Bottles in hand, cheeks flushed, voices loud. Their energy was a world away from mine. Whatever high they were riding, I wasn't catching it tonight. Actually, the longer I stayed here, the more irritated I got. I wanted to leave. I wanted to be alone with Bliss. She hadn't said it out loud yet, but I knew she wanted that too. Something was holding her back, though. Maybe curiosity, maybe just a need to watch the chaos play out. She liked watching people, especially when they were acting ridiculous. And most of the people around us were doing exactly that. No one here would remember the things they did in the morning. But Bliss and I? We'd remember everything. We weren't drinking. When another couple started going at it right next to us, kissing like the world was ending, Bliss and I glanced at each other with a look that said it all. The tension between us was rising again, the kind that had been simmering beneath the surface for a while now. It never really went away. She reached for my hand and leaned in, resting her chin lightly on my shoulder. "Wanna go somewhere quieter?" I looked down at her, reading her expression like a book. Her eyes were soft, but there was something behind them. Something charged. I could never say no to her when she looked at me like that. "You sure you don't just want to go home?" I asked quietly, offering her an even quieter place. She shook her head. "Not just yet." There was something playful and daring in her voice, a spark in her eyes that told me exactly what she had in mind. She wanted privacy that still carried the thrill of being close to the noise, to the risk. The chance someone might see us. Might figure us out. It excited her. And, honestly, it excited me too. In the strangest, most messed-up way possible. "Okay," I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before leading her away, toward the trees. The further we went, the softer the sounds of the party became. We could still hear the voices and the distant thump of music, but we were out of sight now. We soon stopped, and as she looked toward the party, I watched her closely, taking in her beauty in the moonlight. She looked so damn beautiful, and while it had been her wanting to come over here, it was me who took the first step. I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed Bliss by the waist and backed her into the rough trunk of an old pine. My hands were firm but careful. Her breath hitched when her back met the bark, but she didn't flinch, didn't resist. She just looked up at me with that familiar glint in her eyes. A glint that said she wanted this just as badly as I did. I closed the space between us in a heartbeat, my mouth crashing into hers with a hunger I'd kept buried all night. Her soft gasp turned into a quiet moan as my lips parted hers and my tongue slid between them, deepening. She opened for me willingly, her mouth moving with mine in a slow rhythm that was so full of heat it nearly undid me. Even though my body ached to devour her, I forced myself to keep the kiss gentle. I didn't want to rush her. I wanted to feel her. Taste her. Her hands fisted lightly in the front of my shirt, pulling me closer. I could feel the way her body melted into mine, her softness yielding to my frame as her head tilted to the side, giving me more access, silently telling me that she wanted more. I gave it to her. I deepened the kiss more, slid one hand up her side to her ribcage, feeling the subtle tremble beneath her skin. My other hand stayed at her hip, holding her there like I never wanted her to move again. "This what you wanted?" I murmured against her lips, my voice low, rough with need. I already knew the answer. I could feel it in the way she clung to me, in the way her body responded to every single touch. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly, her eyes fluttering open for a second before her lashes lowered again. Her body relaxed even more, molding into me like she'd been waiting for this moment all night. God, she was beautiful like this. Cheeks flushed. Needy, yet calm. Not even the party noise in the distance could distract me from the way her breath ghosted across my lips or the way her fingers dragged lightly along the back of my neck. I kissed her again. Her lips were soft, warm, so responsive to everything I gave her. She didn't just kiss me back. She gave herself to me in that kiss. Open, trusting, and completely unguarded. I didn't deserve that kind of surrender. But I took it anyway. My hand slid beneath her shirt, finding the warm skin of her waist. She shivered at my touch, her muscles tensing, then softening again as I traced my thumb along her skin. I didn't push further. Not yet. This was enough for now. Shit...this was everything. She pulled me closer, wrapping one arm around my shoulders as her other hand slipped up to cup the side of my jaw. Her thumb brushed over my jawline, soft and slow. We were lost in each other. So damn lost that we didn't even notice someone approaching before it was too late to stop. We got caught, but for some strange reason, we didn't push away from each other. We broke the kiss as the footsteps came closer, and the clearing of someone's throat made us turn our heads, still dizzy from the intensity of our intimacy. "Tripp." Bliss's voice was soft. She wasn't startled by his presence, and neither was I. I would've been if he hadn't come to me earlier today, telling me about the night he had with Bliss, and how she wasn't ready to get closer to him just yet. It was strange, in a way, but I was glad he didn't push her or get jealous. We just looked at him, not letting go of each other while he took in the scene in front of him. His eyes went from my hands to her body, then he looked into our faces, trying to figure out if what he was seeing was okay. "Not enjoying the party?" Tripp asked, his voice calm and steady. Bliss gave a small shake of her head, and I shrugged. "Not really." He made a thoughtful sound, eyes fixed on us. "Don't you think it's better if you head home? It's too risky doing that out here." My hands slid down to Bliss's hips, keeping her close. I didn't want to let go, and it was clear she didn't either. Her fingers had found their way to my wrists, holding on. "You're probably right," I said, turning my head to look at her. Her eyes met mine, her gaze soft. I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Ready to go home?" She nodded once but didn't speak. It wasn't that Tripp had scared her into silence. Her quietness around him wasn't cold or guarded. It was something gentler. Something thoughtful and full of respect. I looked back at Tripp and gave a short nod. "I'll take her home." But Bliss tightened her grip on my wrists, then turned to him. "Wait...how are you guys getting home?" "I'll come get them later," he said simply. His answer surprised her. Her mouth parted slightly, then closed again before she finally asked, "You're coming home too? Why?" "Because I don't feel like staying," Tripp replied, voice still smooth and composed. "I'd rather come hang out with you two." He tilted his head just a little, still watching her closely, like he already knew the answer, but wanted her to say it anyway. "That okay with you, Lissy?" I looked back at her and caught the flicker of surprise in her eyes. It was brief, but I saw it. Then, a small smile began to spread on her lips. "Yes," she said quietly. "That's okay." Tripp turned to me next, raising one brow with quiet authority. "Let's go." I gave Bliss's top a gentle tug to fix it, then stepped back to give her some space. We didn't speak as we made our way back toward the edge of the party. The noise of the crowd followed us until we reached the truck, and after Tripp let Ashby and Rhys know we were heading out, we climbed inside. The three of us settled onto the front bench, with Bliss sitting between us. "Did you drink?" I asked Tripp, glancing sideways at him as he started the engine. "Just a beer," he replied. "Don't worry." "He'd never put us in danger," Bliss added gently, glancing over at him with a quiet trust in her voice. Her lips curved into a soft smile, and Tripp met her gaze with a slight nod. His left hand rested lightly on the steering wheel. The other reached over and landed on her thigh, his touch casual. It didn't bother me. Not in the slightest. Just like it hadn't bothered me when Rhys or Ashby touched her. In fact, the opposite was true. I wanted them to. I wanted her to feel safe, to feel wanted and adored. Protected. Cherished. Because that's what she craved. And more than that...it's what she deserved. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!