Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
IVY
Max was acting weird. He dressed up in his green cargo pants and green T-shirt, which both complimented his skin tone well, his dark eyes sparkling, and hair messy as I liked it. He looked a lot like Peter Pan, which everyone mentioned to him.
Compared to previous years, where I got ready with Kaia in our apartment, getting ready with a house full of guys was more entertaining as I expected. They all seemed to accept me and wanted to involve me in every single detail that made my heart melt.
"Come, Poison Ivy, drink this." Derek motioned me over, his hair styled back and shirt fully unbuttoned, leaving his abs on display.
"I'm telling you for the tenth time, I'm Tinkerbell." I grinned, not even getting offended anymore by his teasing. I took the yellow shot from him. People at Westpoint started calling me Poison Ivy after the break up, and I was annoyed that Hillview soccer started picking up on it too. They didn't realize how annoying it was. "What's this?"
"Dude, the wings." Liam patted Derek on the back and pointed at my delicate wings.
Usually, I would have felt self-conscious wearing glittery thighs and basically a bodysuit only, but none of them made me feel uncomfortable in my skin.
"Couple's costumes," Dex said, earning a dark look from Max, who was sitting on the sofa focused on his FIFA game against Maddox. He was dressed in his outfit and he even went as far as getting green Vans to match the look.
"What's this?" I asked again, swirling my drink curiously.
"Limoncello," Max replied, his eyes on me, as he missed a shot. "It's good for digestion and you said you still feel the lunch swim around your stomach."
My heart melted a bit from his caring and I took the shot without further questions. It actually tasted good.
"Plus, it's alcohol," Dex added, taking the glass from me. "That's always good for digestion."
I exchanged a look with Max, who ducked his head with a grin before returning to the game. He never usually played when I came over, but since I showed up to get ready, he made a point of putting distance between us. Distance was the last thing I wanted.
Ever since that kiss in the park, when his lips devoured mine in a way no one has ever kissed me, I wanted more.
I shouldn't have wanted more, but I was tired of fighting my body's attraction to him. He was hot, and I wanted to fuck him. Despite all the complications.
Approaching him, I nudged his legs with mine, and he automatically opened them, allowing me to step between his legs and sit on his thigh.
Readjusting the controller, he hugged me around it and his breath tickled my neck.
"You're losing," I observed the score.
"Yeah." He sighed as Maddox scored a goal. "I'm distracted." His eyes ate me up.
I had to remind myself it was fake and he didn't mean it, but the way my stomach clenched from his touch and the way warmth spread through my body from his gaze contradicted the facts.
There was no faking the pained look on his face and the primal desire between us. There was real, tangible tension in the air surrounding us and slowly suffocating us.
Max shifted behind me, adjusting his hold on me as his wooden scent wrapped around me like a security blanket.
"Are you ready to go?" he muttered into my ear, his husky, sensual voice contrasting his rapid movements on the joystick.
A shiver worked its way up my spine, and I played it off as chills.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
"No," I muttered, turning to look at his profile, admiring his cheekbones and dark eyes that where still staring at the screen. I loved video games too, but I craved his attention. I needed his gaze at me, not at the game. "I'm ready, whenever you are."
Max exited the game with another missed shot, and Maddox snickered. His fingers brushed my waist and he squeezed me slightly before nudging me up.
"Let's go."
We laced our fingers, and with Derek and Maddox, we made our way to the Uber XL awaiting us.
The party was as big as I remembered. The Phi Kappa Psi frat house was always throwing the best parties, and I knew several other students travelled to come to this Halloween special because they always went crazy. I felt like walking into a house of horror rather than a fraternity. All lights where dimmed, spiderweb hung from every direction and smoke enclosed us as we made our way to the drinks bar set up in the living room.
"Dude, this place is freaky," Derek muttered from my left. He was dressed up as Ken, in his light washed denim jeans, and denim vest that he left unbuttoned. No wonder he drank a lot during pre-game at their place to keep himself warm.
Max shot him a look and tugged me closer. Not that I was complaining. I wished he put his arm around me, but in my heels, I was taller than him and he couldn't pull me to his side in that way.
We followed the booming music, stepping around objects and people who appeared out of the blue and it was a surreal experience. It felt like we were sneaking in.
"What are you drinking?" Derek shouted through the crowd as we stepped into the living room where the wall lights painted the walls red and black. It was positively creepy. Every year, this house became scarier.
"Gin and tonic," Max muttered from my side. "Blossom?"
"Yeah, I'll take the same, but with pink gin."
Derek grinned. "Wasn't planning to bring you a non-pink drink."
"I'll go help him," Maddox offered, leaving us by the wall.
"Do you see your friend?" Max asked politely, looking around.
I shook my head and fished out the phone from my bag. "She said she is here." I glanced at the message and back at Max. "Shall we do a round?"
"Let's go." Max grabbed my hand again and we walked the edge of the living room, searching for Kaia.
"Think I found her." Max stopped me, and I bumped into his chest as he pulled me back into him. His hands rested on my hips and his lips met my ears. "By the bar, next to Dex."
I gasped, looking at the Gladiator outfit. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I didn't think she would dress in a piece of ripped brown cloth as a skirt and bandeau stud top and lace up shoes. "She looks hot."
"You are the prettiest," Max whispered, reminding me why he was the best fake boyfriend.
"Thanks," I said, not particularly happy about the warmth spreading through my body at the compliment. It wasn't like he meant it. Everyone else was dressed sexy as hell and there I was in my little Tinkerbell costume.
Max grabbed my hips and spun me to face me. Despite the height difference, he towered over me suddenly. "You look sexy as hell, and if we weren't here to make our exes jealous, I would have already ripped off the little bodysuit off you and explore every inch hidden under it."
"What?"
Max shrugged as his hand moved up my body all the way to my neck where he cupped the back of my neck and pulled me to him. He kissed me like that day in the park, like I was the air and he was suffocating. Like he couldn't get enough of my taste. He devoured my mouth, with every stroke of his tongue, I was getting dizzier. My head spun as our tongues collided, and I opened wide for him, inviting him to explore every inch of me. Or at least of what I could give him right now. My body pressed into his and I was met with hardness straining against his cargo pants. He wasn't lying when he said he wanted to fuck me and weird satisfaction filled me thinking I did that to him. I pushed into him again, and in response, Max groaned into my mouth.
Fuck Ander and fuck Daisy.
I wanted to get lost in Maximilian Aarons.
"There you are." The voice was like a cold shower. I sighed as I stepped away from Max and glanced up at my sister. "I was worried you won't come, but here you are with… him."
"He," I said pointing at Max, "has a name, and he is my boyfriend."
"Yeah." Daisy shrugged, her pupils wide from all the alcohol she had already consumed. She wore a pink bikini with a little pink tulle skirt around her waist. "I'm a flamingo," she muttered when she caught my roaming gaze. "See, flamingo earrings." She pointed at her ears as she arranged her perfectly curled hair. "No one gets it. Ander told me I look stupid."
"You do look like a flamingo," Max said kindly. There was no trace of the heightened emotions that passed between us, nor any anger by my sister's dismissal.
"Thank you." She looked at him in passing before her pleading sad eyes found mine again. There was sorrow and fear mixed in her gaze. "Come with me, please. I need your help. Ander is mad at me now and I want to get him a drink he likes so he gets less mad. You know what will do the trick. You've been there before."
I bit my tongue as I knew if he was mad there was no way alcohol will help him. It was only going to make things worse.
"Or we could play beer pong, and you guys could let him win," Daisy offered, panic shaking her voice as she glanced at Max for help.
My heart clenched in my chest from seeing her so worked up over a stupid guy. Someone who didn't deserve half of her attention, yet there she was, still trying to make it right and please him.
It felt like looking in a mirror. That was exactly how I looked all those years and there was no one to help me.
But I could help Daisy.
"One game." I pleaded with Max.
His resigned shrug was enough to tell me he was going to help, even if it meant losing a beer pong against Ander. It wasn't the losing that was going to suck, it was everything that would come with it.
Max's face told me everything I needed to know in the next few minutes. He was livid, and I grew to know him enough that his fake smile left an acidic feeling in my mouth.
With every shout and celebratory victory falling from Ander's lips as he threw the ball into our cups, Max was losing his patience.
"I'm so good," Ander shouted as he puffed his chest.
Daisy beamed and wrapped her arms around his neck for a deep kiss. Gone was the fear and the sorrow from her eyes.
I wanted to vomit.
"I seriously can't keep messing up just to please him," Max muttered, as he watched my ex. "He is so fucking obnoxious, I want to punch him."
I agreed with him. Apparently, Ander's ego was so fragile he couldn't handle if things weren't his way. I remembered the many different options on how I was dragging him out of these moods. Winning was the easier one, but it wasn't always simple finding someone who was willing to lose against him.
"Suck it, Aarons!" Ander flipped Max off as he blew on the ball, bouncing in front of the table. "You have no chance of a comeback."
Max's eyes lit up at the challenge, and I held my breath in worry and anticipation.
"Can I throw?" I cut in as he lifted his hand to fling the ball.
Max stared at me, and I saw the anger brewing in his dark eyes. I've never seen him that pissed off, despite the slow and fake smile on his lips. He was still putting up a show, but inside, he was going to flip out any second.
But I knew Max wouldn't cause a real drama out of a stupid game. He was just tired from the comments and the whole self-inflating importance Ander was giving himself.
We had a small crowd around us, everyone watching the showdown.
"Of course, Blossom." He handed me the ball with a quick smirk and pulled me to himself from behind. "I can help you throw," he muttered into my ears as he walked us to the table. "Or just throw it far… the sooner this is over, the sooner I get you all to myself and we can leave this party."
Everyone heard his words, and embarrassment crept into my cheeks as he nuzzled my neck and dropped sloppy kisses.
I pinched his arm and tried to turn in his embrace to warn him against aggregating Ander.
"Don't worry, Aarons, you are not missing out on much. She is not worth missing out a party on." Ander snickered with a grin.
Max's arms grew stronger around me, and despite his ragged breathing, his words came out calm. "Oh, I'm sorry, bro. I didn't realize you were that bad you couldn't teach a girl how to fuck. Can't say I have the same problem. Let me know if you need some pointers in, you know… improving your skills."
A groan tore from Ander's lips as I threw the ball, missing the table by a long shot.
"Hah," my ex celebrated immediately and didn't even offer Daisy a shot as he easily placed his own ball in our last standing beer cup. "Losers!"
Max swiped the drink before me and chugged it, before throwing the cup into the nearest trash bag.
Ander stepped around the table and met us. "You two make a great couple… two losers."
"Real original." Max patted his chest in a condescending way. "Enjoy your night, Sanchez."
"Oh, I will." He grinned, pulling Daisy and kissing her in an aggressive and sloppy way.
Max ducked his head, clearly unable to watch as he tugged on my hand and laced our fingers. "Let's get the fuck away from here."
I nodded, leaving behind my sister and my ex. At least I helped with Ander's mood a bit, and he wasn't going to be rude to her. Or not as rude as he could get when he was moody. A little weight lifted from my chest, but as I watched Max's tensed jaw, guilt consumed me.
"I'm sorry," I muttered, not even sure which part I was apologizing for.
Max turned to me, ready to say something, but his gaze dropped behind me and he swore. "Fuck this night."
"Hi, Max."
A girl wearing a red swimsuit and a whistle around her neck stood in front of me.
Max pulled me to him, his arm wrapping around my waist as I took in the deep V cut of the swimsuit, putting her breasts on display. That must have been Thalia.
"Hi Thalia, this is my girlfriend, Ivy," he introduced us immediately, and I put on a sweet smile as I extended my hand. It was my turn to dazzle her and convince her we were an item.
"Nice to meet you," I said, batting my eyelashes at her. "I've heard so much about you."
"Funny." Thalia cocked her head. "I haven't heard a single thing about you."
Max exhaled heavily, and I could tell Ander already wore down his patience.
"Well, now you do." I shrugged, still smiling.
"So, how do you two know each other?" Thalia pointed between the two of us. "Casual hookup? Trying to score yet another soccer captain? Indulge me."
Gosh, I already hated her entitled bitchy voice.
"Common interest in running brought us together," Max replied curtly as his fingers drummed on my hips, teasing my exposed skin.
Electricity rushed through me from his sudden touch. My breath hitched, and desire built deep in my core.
Their conversation faded in the background as Max gently moved his fingers down my leg, drawing sensual circles, before dragging them back up. His fingertips grazed my aching center as he continued his torturing pattern.
I should have been part of the conversation, help him with deflecting Thalia, keep convincing her that we were together and our relationship was serious.
Instead, there I was, almost coming apart from a simple touch of his. But his fingers played me like a violin, without missing a beat as he held the conversation.
My head rolled back and landed on his chest, my pleading eyes finding his.
A cruel yet satisfied smile tugged on his lips as his hand froze on my abdomen, his fingers inches away from my aching spot.
"Anyway, I think Ivy is ready to go," he said as I felt his hardness digging into me from behind. The need to touch him and torture him the way he did with me consumed me, but Max kept me in place, not allowing me to move. "Tell your dad I say hi, and that my team is waiting for his call."
Thalia scuffed. "Seriously?" she asked without any self-preservation. "You are leaving with… her."
"Yes, my girlfriend," Max repeated the word with a cocky grin. "I'll see you around."
"I will tell my dad," she stopped us from turning away and both of us glanced at her. My eyes where wide with curiosity, while anger shook Max's body.
Gone was the seventh cloud where I floated minutes ago.
"Tell him what?" Max challenged her.
"That you…" Thalia started, but I cut her off. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe just the annoyance over the fact that I desperately needed to come and every time Max and I got close to having a real moment outside of this whole fake circus, someone interrupted us and cut the mood.
"You can tell your daddy he is in a happy relationship and I have no desire of ever letting him be single again. How does that sound?"
Thalia took a surprised step back. "You don't have to be a bitch just because I'm his ex. Girls should lift girls up and not trust lying, manipulative sociopaths."
I almost laughed in her face. I dated a lying, manipulative sociopath before and it wasn't Max. "I think you were describing yourself, not him."
She gasped. It was damn time someone put her back in her place.
"Oh, and one last thing before you run to Daddy… stay away from my boyfriend."
"Or what?" she challenged me. "What can you possibly do? I'm the one who holds his future."
"But I can hack into all your personal devices within minutes and ruin your whole life by displaying all the shit you have done and said. Doubt your daddy would like that. So, as long as you stay away from him, I won't use my skills on you. How does that sound?"
Thalia glanced behind me, catching Max's eyes, like he was going to step in and defend her. She was delusional.
"You are crazy." She shook her head, staring at me.
"Good, that means I will do it." I grinned at her.
She stared at us for a long moment, before turning on her heels and leaving without any further comment.
"Can you really do that?" Max asked, stepping behind me once again.
Turning to face him, I arched a brow. "The words you are searching is thank you."
"Oh, Blossom, I think you owe me a thank you as well for the painful beer pong match. Do you know how hard it was to miss on purpose?"
A laugh bubbled out of me as I watched his teasing half smile light up his face.
"Can we please get the hell away from here?"
"Yes, please," he groaned, grabbing my hand again and lacing our fingers. "Look at the bright side."
"What is the bright side?" I chuckled as we made our way through the house.
"We don't have to do another couple's costume. I think this party traumatized me enough to not go to the one tomorrow."
Under normal circumstances, I would have pouted. I loved Halloween, but I agreed with him.
"We can have a movie night," I offered innocently.
"Yes." Max grinned. "I think it's my turn to pick a movie, you can pick the snacks."
I leaned on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around me. It might have started out fake, but this genuine friendship we've built the past months was anything but fake. I loved him as a friend. And even as more, if my crazy hormones were anything to go by. My body was obsessed with him, and my mind and heart followed along.