15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

31st December 2017

M usic thunders through the walls, making the floor vibrate, while bodies sway and stumble in every room, hall, and corner. Red solo cups litter the floor like confetti, some crushed, others abandoned with the dregs of cheap beer soaking into the carpet. Ethan's New Year's Eve party has officially gone from casual get-together to full-blown chaos. And honestly, I’m just glad this isn’t my place.

I did try warning Ethan about the flood of people turning his house into a war zone. His response? A lazy shrug and a smirk. “It is what it is.” Yeah, well, he’s going to be the one scraping puke off the walls tomorrow, not me.

The house feels like the inside of a furnace, so Laelia and I escape to the backyard, where a small fire pit offers some semblance of sanity. Ethan’s across from us, attached to some girl—Tasha? Tara?—while Jasper's hanging out nearby, clearly unbothered by the make-out session going down next to him.

Laelia's friends, Ada and Maxine, have long since disappeared into the night, probably up to no good. Ethan, mid-snog, keeps nudging Jasper to go find his own New Year’s fling, but Jasper’s not interested in a two-hour romance.

Laelia’s legs are draped over mine, her beer nearly empty as she chats with a girl who tried and failed to catch Jasper's eye. The girl’s friend, however, is all about catching mine—batting those fake lashes and sending air kisses like she's auditioning for a reality show. Laelia’s not having it. She’s already warned the girl with a glare that could melt steel, and I’m pretty sure the next step involves a shovel and a shallow grave.

The girl blows another kiss my way, and I make the smart choice to look away, pretending the label on my beer bottle is the most fascinating thing I’ve ever seen. I slide a hand onto Laelia’s leg, and she gives me a smile that says, y eah, I’ve got this . The flirty girl finally takes the hint and drags her friend off, but not without a final wink in my direction.

Laelia’s smirk says it all. “What did you do?” I ask, eyeing her with a mix of admiration and fear.

She bites her lip, a wicked glint in her eyes. “Just told her if she didn’t get her friend out of here, I’d be digging two holes tonight. Also mentioned that I’m not too happy about the flirting, and I’m definitely not nice when I’m unhappy.”

Before I can respond, Ethan pauses his lip-lock with—not-Tasha—to ask, “Who’s getting buried?”

His girl, still panting a bit, answers for him. “Oh, just some girl who thought she could flirt with Laelia’s man.”

Ethan raises an eyebrow, impressed. “And how do you know that?”

She grins. “I can multitask.”

Ethan's smirk widens, and I can tell he’s thinking things he shouldn’t be. “A girl of many talents,” he murmurs, turning back to me with a look that says he’s about to take things further. “I’ll be right back, just going to, uh, test out those talents.”

They disappear into the house, and Jasper takes a long pull from his beer. “I don’t know how he does it.”

Laelia grins, leaning over to tease. “Could be you, if you wanted.”

Jasper scoffs. “I’m more interested in forever, not two minutes.”

“Are you saying you only last two minutes?” she fires back, making me choke on my drink.

Jasper chuckles. “You two are perfect for each other. Both absolute jerks.”

Laelia looks at me, her eyes sparkling. “Hear that, babe? We’re made for each other.” She winks, and I can’t help but grin.

“Don’t I know it,” I say, just before she swings her legs off me, straddling me in one smooth motion. Her lips crash into mine, hot and demanding, as her tongue slips past my lips, taking control. I place my beer down, wrapping one arm around her waist, the other tangling in her hair. The kiss deepens, and I’m quickly losing track of where we are—until a cough interrupts us.

Jasper, empty beer in hand, is standing there awkwardly. “Uh, I’m just gonna… get another drink. Need anything?”

“Yeah, sure,” I manage to say, still a bit dazed.

As he heads inside, Laelia leans in, her breath hot against my ear. “You’re at my mercy,” she whispers, her voice sultry and full of promise, and I nearly lose it then and there.

“I’ll forever be at your mercy,” I murmur back, the words slipping out as my pulse races.

“Is someone turned on right now?” she whispers, and I nearly lose it then and there.

She drags my hands over her body, making sure I feel every curve. My jeans are definitely tighter now, and she knows it, smirking at the effect she’s having on me. Just as I’m about to lose all control, she pulls back, locking eyes with me. Her eyes are dark with desire, and I’m completely at her mercy.

I’m about to pull her back in for another kiss when Ethan strolls back out, zipping up his pants with a wide grin. “You guys putting on a show? Where was my invite?”

Laelia doesn’t miss a beat. “Must’ve gotten lost in the mail.”

Ethan laughs, taking a seat and making himself comfortable. “By all means, don’t let me stop you. I’ll just sit back and enjoy the view.”

Laelia rolls her eyes and reluctantly slides off my lap, muttering under her breath about Ethan being a buzzkill. But instead of leaving, she settles back into my lap, this time with her back against my chest. My arms wrap around her instinctively, and she grips one of my hands, keeping it close.

“All you’d see is how a real man treats a woman,” Laelia says, shooting a pointed look at Ethan. “But I’ll spare you the lesson—wouldn’t want to damage that fragile ego.”

“That’s my girl,” I whisper, feeling her body tense slightly.

“Anyway, you’re back early,” Laelia says, changing the subject. “What, she couldn’t keep up with you?”

Ethan groans, flipping her off. “All bark, no bite. Couldn’t even get me hard. Total waste of time.”

Laelia stiffens in my arms, and I know she’s seconds away from launching another bottle at his head. I squeeze her hand, trying to calm her down, but she’s already grabbing her beer and downing it. When she’s done, she hurls the empty bottle at Ethan. He dodges it just in time, glaring at her.

“What the hell was that for?” he snaps.

“Learn some respect, you pig!” she hisses, her voice dripping with venom. “Next time, I won’t miss.”

Ethan just shrugs, completely unfazed, but I can feel the tension rising.

Jasper reappears with fresh beers, breaking the awkward silence. “What time is it?” he asks, clearly trying to defuse the situation.

Laelia glances at my watch. “Ten to twelve,” she replies, taking one of the beers from Jasper and handing it to me.

“Not long until our New Year’s kiss,” she says, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper as she leans closer. “And then I’m taking you to bed.”

I grin, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “I can’t wait,” I murmur, and her smirk tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.

As the countdown begins, we make our way to the big tree in Ethan’s backyard. The crowd gathers, phones and watches ready, as Ethan and a few others scramble to set up the fireworks. The energy is electric, everyone buzzing with anticipation.

“Ten…nine…eight…”

Laelia turns in my arms, her face glowing in the firelight as she wraps her arms around my neck.

“Three…two…one…Happy New Year!”

Our lips meet in a tender, lingering kiss, the kind that makes time stand still. When we finally pull apart, she looks up at me, her eyes shining with emotion.

“Killian Tate, I love you with everything I have and more,” she whispers, her voice soft but steady.

Her words hit me like a freight train, and I feel my heart swell. I smile, my own eyes misting up. “Laelia Jayne Marie Thorn, you have my heart, my soul, and every fibre of my being. I love you, now and forever.”

She kisses me again, and this time I know, without a doubt, that this is the start of something incredible. This year is ours, and we’re going to make it unforgettable.

Here’s to us.