smile, and as soon as she’s turned to me, she stops. “Ah. I’ll be right back.” She lifts the skirt of her dress and sweeps through the room toward the door.
Wally.
He runs his hand through his dark-gray hair as she approaches him. They exchange what looks like a few heated words before Gianna throws her arm in the air—the one not holding the wine glass—and storms off. Wally looks to the ceiling, scratches his chin, and follows her.
“Noelle—”
“Shhh!” I hiss at Drake and stalk through the room.
“What are you… Never mind.” He follows me through the packed area.
I move just quickly enough to see Wally go up the stairs. There’s no sign of Gianna anywhere, but I’m guessing she also went up.
“Huh.” I frown and turn to Drake. “Your mom just yelled at Wally then ran off.”
“And you followed them?” He raises his eyebrows. “Do you want to watch old people have sex?”
“I watch you have sex with me all the time.”
“Yes. Look at all of my wrinkles.”
I squint and look over his handsome face, void of any lines. “Pretty sure there are some crow’s-feet appearing.”
He rolls his eyes and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, little peeper. Let’s get a drink.”
“I’m not a peeper!”
“If you say so.” He kisses the side of my head.
If I didn’t want a drink, I’d say that he is patronizing me.
As it is… Wine.
“Hey!” I say, stepping up behind Bek and grinning at Jason. “How are my favorite new couple?”
“I swear to God I will cut you as you sleep,” Bek hisses back at me.
“Yeah? What happened the last time someone came into my bedroom to hurt me?”
“You shot out your window and traumatized me for life.”
“Exactly. Next time, I won’t shoot the window.” I take the glass Drake’s handing me.
“Noelle,” Drake says. “Shut up.”
Probably a good idea, actually. I cut my eyes to him and demurely sip my drink. See? I can be quiet. I’m not saying it’ll last long, but…
You know what? I need sugar. There are no cupcakes at this party. What kind of a party doesn’t have cupcakes? A crap party. That’s right. I said it. To myself.
“She’s talking to herself in her head, isn’t she?” Jason asks, eying me with amusement.
“Are you saying she’s crazy?” Drake replies.
“Yeah.”
“I’m probably supposed to defend her here, but… Yeah, she’s talking to herself. Probably lamenting the lack of fuckin’ cupcakes.”
“Remember who sleeps next to you,” I mutter before sipping my drink.
He laughs quietly but doesn’t retract his statement. I guess you can’t retract the truth without being a liar.
I need cupcake rehab or something.
Wait. No. Nobody needs cupcake rehab.
Cupcake rehab. What a ridiculous thought.
I shudder. No. No cupcake rehab.
“What was that?” Jason asks.
“The sound of me murdering Drake while he sleeps for being a cocky bastard,” I respond then sip.
A short, sharp scream cuts through the air, followed by another.
The last time I heard a scream like that…
“It’s probably a kid,” Bek reassures Jason. “There are a bunch here and they are the most high-pitched little—”
“That’s no kid scream.” Drake’s expression hardens as a third cuts through the air.
If I didn’t have chills cascading up and down my arms, I’d disagree. But I do, so I can’t. My hairs are all standing on end, and I drop my glass on the bar as Drake and Jason move past me.
“The stairs,” Jason says when a third scream echoes. Or is a fourth? I don’t know.
“What is that?” Brody asks, grabbing my arm.
“That’s what we’re finding out.” I shake his grip off and follow Drake and Jason up the stairs.
Oh, Jesus.
The stairs.
Gianna went up the stairs.
“Oh, shit.” I push them both to the sides and go up as fast as my heels will allow, which turns out to be pretty fast.
Fear the woman who can run upstairs in heels.
Upstairs is most of the rooms for the inn, but
Wally.
He runs his hand through his dark-gray hair as she approaches him. They exchange what looks like a few heated words before Gianna throws her arm in the air—the one not holding the wine glass—and storms off. Wally looks to the ceiling, scratches his chin, and follows her.
“Noelle—”
“Shhh!” I hiss at Drake and stalk through the room.
“What are you… Never mind.” He follows me through the packed area.
I move just quickly enough to see Wally go up the stairs. There’s no sign of Gianna anywhere, but I’m guessing she also went up.
“Huh.” I frown and turn to Drake. “Your mom just yelled at Wally then ran off.”
“And you followed them?” He raises his eyebrows. “Do you want to watch old people have sex?”
“I watch you have sex with me all the time.”
“Yes. Look at all of my wrinkles.”
I squint and look over his handsome face, void of any lines. “Pretty sure there are some crow’s-feet appearing.”
He rolls his eyes and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Come on, little peeper. Let’s get a drink.”
“I’m not a peeper!”
“If you say so.” He kisses the side of my head.
If I didn’t want a drink, I’d say that he is patronizing me.
As it is… Wine.
“Hey!” I say, stepping up behind Bek and grinning at Jason. “How are my favorite new couple?”
“I swear to God I will cut you as you sleep,” Bek hisses back at me.
“Yeah? What happened the last time someone came into my bedroom to hurt me?”
“You shot out your window and traumatized me for life.”
“Exactly. Next time, I won’t shoot the window.” I take the glass Drake’s handing me.
“Noelle,” Drake says. “Shut up.”
Probably a good idea, actually. I cut my eyes to him and demurely sip my drink. See? I can be quiet. I’m not saying it’ll last long, but…
You know what? I need sugar. There are no cupcakes at this party. What kind of a party doesn’t have cupcakes? A crap party. That’s right. I said it. To myself.
“She’s talking to herself in her head, isn’t she?” Jason asks, eying me with amusement.
“Are you saying she’s crazy?” Drake replies.
“Yeah.”
“I’m probably supposed to defend her here, but… Yeah, she’s talking to herself. Probably lamenting the lack of fuckin’ cupcakes.”
“Remember who sleeps next to you,” I mutter before sipping my drink.
He laughs quietly but doesn’t retract his statement. I guess you can’t retract the truth without being a liar.
I need cupcake rehab or something.
Wait. No. Nobody needs cupcake rehab.
Cupcake rehab. What a ridiculous thought.
I shudder. No. No cupcake rehab.
“What was that?” Jason asks.
“The sound of me murdering Drake while he sleeps for being a cocky bastard,” I respond then sip.
A short, sharp scream cuts through the air, followed by another.
The last time I heard a scream like that…
“It’s probably a kid,” Bek reassures Jason. “There are a bunch here and they are the most high-pitched little—”
“That’s no kid scream.” Drake’s expression hardens as a third cuts through the air.
If I didn’t have chills cascading up and down my arms, I’d disagree. But I do, so I can’t. My hairs are all standing on end, and I drop my glass on the bar as Drake and Jason move past me.
“The stairs,” Jason says when a third scream echoes. Or is a fourth? I don’t know.
“What is that?” Brody asks, grabbing my arm.
“That’s what we’re finding out.” I shake his grip off and follow Drake and Jason up the stairs.
Oh, Jesus.
The stairs.
Gianna went up the stairs.
“Oh, shit.” I push them both to the sides and go up as fast as my heels will allow, which turns out to be pretty fast.
Fear the woman who can run upstairs in heels.
Upstairs is most of the rooms for the inn, but
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