"I didn't know pregnant women were a connoisseur of house parties." Ahren prompted, wide-eyed, his gaze filled with mirth.
All their gazes darted towards the woman clutching her baby bump, sheltering herself and her infant from the wild dancers near the foyer. Without pardoning a solitary glance in their direction, she walked over to the front gate - and over to the brand new corvette which stood out amongst the Lamborghinis, Bugattis, and Mercedes - her hand still resting over her bump.
Bringing his orbs back to the group, Maxon sighed. They had tried multiple ways of convincing Kimberly to drop this party yet she wasn't ready to contemplate the rationality behind their reasoning. She needed rest now more than ever and in such circumstances, indulging alcohol was an enormous oversight.
Maxon took a moment to absorb the location before him. The Knight mansion loomed proudly behind creaky iron gates, flanked by rows of skeletal trees crowned in crimson, swaying gently to the chilly autumn wind. At its threshold stood the delicate marble fountain, the soft gurgling of the clear water melodic as it resonated in the surrounding rock music.
"It's not too late to turn around," Sebastian said voicing Maxon's uncertainties.
"If you want to leave, no one's stopping you. But don't stand in my way." Kimberly warned, flipping her hair over her shoulder preliminary to taking a step into the humongous foyer.
Over the roar of music, a distant, hazy chatter could be heard. Maxon couldn't make out any words but a mixture of laughter and whispering gossips rang in his ear and wouldn't seem to stop. The song that was playing got louder, pulling them in and wouldn't let go. Maxon and Sebastian had no choice but to follow Kimberly, they couldn't leave her alone in her fragmentary state of mind.
The open bar was just a few steps to the right, clearly visible amid the thinning crowd. Pushing through the swarm of sweaty, alcoholic people, it felt like jumping in a huddled group- like Tic-Tacs being shaken in a box.
"How is she everywhere? And what is Walter doing here? And why are they hugging?" Kimberly scoffed, eyes narrowing prior to folding her arms across her chest, spitting bitterly. "She can't keep her hands off him, can she? Horny bitch."
Trailing her line of sight, Sebastian and Maxon glanced over to the bar counter. They were welcomed with a scenario of what seemed like Walter, and some girl pressed up against him in a longing hug. They were chuckling and whispering in each other's ears with sentimental endearment. Finally, the girl pulled apart placing one last kiss on Walter's cheek before joining the swarm of sweaty bodies on the dance floor.
Walter's gaze lingered on the girl with a certain protectiveness for a moment longer, prior to his steps traipsing in the trio's direction. Walter seemed to have recognized his ex-girlfriend as his chocolatey eyes widened in stupefaction.
"Kimberly?" He bit his bottom lip before composing himself with credence. "What are you doing here?"
"She's the one you left me for, isn't she?" Kimberly overlooked his interrogating stance before she took a threatening step towards him, her eyes holding a noxious gaze. With her precarious state of conscience, she wouldn't refrain from committing homicide at this point.
Walter gulped, his head turning around to glance back at Eliza who was carefree amidst the writhing crowd before his glance settled back on Kimberly. He contemplated his answers before sighing and squaring his shoulders.
"That's none of your business." Walter stood up tall, his frame towering all three of them, he thrust his hands in his pockets nonchalantly before his eyes danced from Maxon and Sebastian then back down to Kimberly. Nodding his head in despondency, Walter walked passed them but not without bumping his shoulder with Maxon's as a sign of warning.
"I'm gonna make it my business." Kimberly's eyes escorted Walter until he shoved the door open and exited from that crazy party.
Regina and Ahren were already drowning in alcohol and shimming their ways into the horde of people, meeting them, introducing each other as they'd just made their relationship official. Maybe, spilling Ahren's secret did some good apart from the maniacal screaming, threatening to kill Maxon and actually attempting to drown him in the pool for revealing his secret.
The stairs to their left were twisted in a perfect spiral like a child's Slinky toy pulled from each end. Each stair was likely a deep walnut but with the thick layer of horny couples pressed against it - making out, the quality of architecture was hard to tell.
The living room had more dancing legs than a ballroom. It was where everyone twirled, the music escaping every window and door. With that frequency of noise, Maxon was amused by the avoidance of neighbors, calling the cops on them.
"One mojito." Kimberly perched onto one of the bar stools her legs hanging loosely on them before she propped her elbow into the counter.
"Make it a virgin," Maxon ordered the half-naked bartender who was oddly comfortable in his stripper-like garments.
"Hey!" She squealed, with a whine.
"He's right." Sebastian pulled down to her left, nodding at Maxon with assurance from over her shoulder. "And two scotch on the rocks."
"Shouldn't one of you be off finding that skank." Kimberly scoffed displeased with the order of their drinks. Why did they get to drink and not her?
The bartender passed them their drinks almost immediately. Taking a sip, she crossed her legs; one on top of the other. Her blood-soaked dress was off in some garbage, burned to ashes. The change of outfit had unquestionably managed to soothe her down ever so slightly, thanks to Regina who'd immediately offered Kimberly her spare clothes. Even the memory of tonight or any fragment from that disastrous event could trigger her intermittent explosive disorder and Maxon and Sebastian were trying their best to avoid that.
"What are you planning to do?" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Maxon brought his drink to his lips. If he had a choice, he would be anywhere but there.
"One of you has to make her fall in love." Kimberly's eyes drifted up to the half-naked bartender, savoring his rock hard pecks as he awarded her with sly glances.
"I'll pass." Sebastian murmured, lazily facing towards the dancing crowd.
With a scoff, Maxon grabbed a flute of champagne after downing his whiskey which was on the table next to the oversized display beer bottle. In a few seconds, he had downed its contents. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."
With Sebastian passing on it, left Maxon as Kimberly's alternative in her course of scheming.
"What?" Sebastian teased innocently from beside Kimberly. "Everyone knows that I can't keep it in my pants."
"She doesn't." Maxon slowly shifted his gaze to where Sebastian was sitting. In his hands were two more flutes of champagne and Maxon wasted no time in grabbing one.
"Look at me." Sebastian leaned in closer, giving Maxon a full opportunity to scrutinize his face. "I don't have a boyfriend look."
"He's right." Kimberly snorted pushing Sebastian back onto his own seat. "Besides I can't trust him to not screw this up for me."
"I don't trust me either. Besides you have that je ne sais quoi which seems to attract the ladies - good ones unlike me - who attracts the easy ones." Sebastian chuckled, bringing the glass to his lips, jovial about throwing Maxon to the wolves as he let the pale liquid spill down his throat. He lowered the glass once more when it was gone and motioned for the bartender for a refill.
"Asshole." Maxon slowly sipped from his own drink, giving Sebastian the finger before scoffing in defeat. "I'll do it."
"I knew you'd come around." Sebastian tipped his glass towards his friend before downing its contents and rising from his seat.
"I wish we had a better way to deal with this." Every muscle in Maxon's body seemed to relax upon losing his control. The alcohol was having its effect on him - a good effect which would help him progress through this party.
Kimberly sipped on her virgin mojito as she scoffed, eyes still pinned on her target dancing in the crowd. "We do, but all three of us are too pretty for jail."
For quite some time they finalized the details of the plans and drank as they observed the guests who'd made an appearance. Sebastian took a moment to admire the girls around them, smirking as his eyes drifted over their bare limbs and glistening skin but Kimberly seemed to be too preoccupied drilling holes into one particular girl's head who seemed to appear into the crowd for brief moments before she disappeared again.
"Damn." Sebastian murmured. "Those two get hotter every day."
Kimberly laughed. "Having fantasies about the Kim twins again?"
"How could I not? Doesn't every guy fantasize about having a threesome with a set of gorgeous twins?"
"Not really my thing." Maxon snorted, reminiscing the punch as his hand involuntarily grazed his cheek. "But if it's yours.."
Sebastian's grin was brighter in the darkness. "Of course it is." Soon he was shoving his half-full drink into Maxon's hand and pushing away from the bar. "If things go according to the plan- with you dating that Eliza chick, I might just get some extra time with the twins."
"Why would you want that?" Maxon scrunched his nose up with a half disdainful look, mental pictures of Max's punch refreshing his memory.
"It's you both they hate, not me," Sebastian smirked, eyes glistening between Kimberly and Maxon. "Us Koreans stick together."
"Because they're unaware of your participation." Maxon scowled. "Besides Mia doesn't hate me. She doesn't know anything about the Jennifer incident."
"How come?" Sebastian propped an eyebrow. "I thought girls talk about everything especially twin sisters."
"Max didn't tell her. I mean, I'm assuming that Mia doesn't know because every time we run into each other at the grocery store or some club, she always waits for small talk. Max, on the other hand, gives me the finger every time she sees me."
"Maybe Mia is gathering intel so the twins could finally strike and take you out." Sebastian snickered.
"Take me out?" Maxon clutched the flute of champagne closer to his chest. "Well, that's not comforting at all."
"Will you both focus?" Kimberly's eyes arched into a scornful curve.
Sebastian cleared his throat and Maxon sat up straight. Kimberly really had them wrapped around her finger.
"I'll distract the twins, you go get the birthday girl." Sebastian winked with a deviousness in his eyes. "A good ol' high school reunion."
"Birthday girl?" Kimberly narrowed her eyes. "This is her party?"
"Yeah, the twins posted a picture on their Instagram." Pulling his phone from his pocket, Sebastian tapped for a few seconds before shoving the screen in their faces.
"Damn, she's rich." Maxon managed to speak but soon realized that he was now fully in charge of rowing the boat of this vengeance, whether he liked it or not.
All three girls were dressed in sexy outfits with heels that could bore a hole if you're stuck with it. But it was particularly her who held Maxon's gaze lingering a moment longer than it should've. She stood out amidst the Kim twins - in a good way.
The birthday girl in that picture could've graced any billboard or magazine cover. Perfect raven black hair that rested right above her shoulders and sea blue eyes that could swallow galaxies. Her perfect skin that looked so fragile yet so soft. Cheeks the color of pink roses and eyelashes longer than anyone's Maxon had ever seen. And her out-of-this-world body caught his attention, a small waist hidden under the tight Oscar de la Renta body-con dress and curvy hips that fit so perfectly in that black fabric.
"She's about to get the best birthday present ever." Kimberly placed her hand on Maxon's shoulder, as he realized that he'd been gaping at that picture for a noticeable amount of time.
Decision made, Maxon stepped away from the safety of the bar and traipsed his way into the crowd. It took a few moments for Sebastian to talk to the drunken twins and convince them to have a drink with him.
Fortunately, it didn't take long before they drifted off from the writhing mass of movement and over to the farther end of the bar, away from Kimberly. They couldn't risk the twins encountering their sworn enemy - Kimberly Hexington.
Maxon threaded his way through the crowd again, searching for the said girl but the passage of another twenty minutes and a handful of girls urging him to dance left him disappointed.
With a sigh, he began to make his way with a defeat over to the bar counter mentally thanking the god to have saved him from an undesirable encounter, he didn't want to do this anyway. The shock of strobe lights was beginning to give him a headache but judging from the fact that Kimberly would bite his head off if he returned, Maxon resumed his search.
And that's when he saw her.
How he hadn't noticed her before was a mystery but now he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away. Eliza was leaning against the far wall of the club, a drink in her hand and pure mirth plastered across her face. She practically towered over the other girls in her almost too high heels and her dress clung to her model-like figure in all the right places. In a way, her lithe body and impeccable bone structure vaguely reminded him of, the Victoria's Secret model he once dated.
It wasn't until Eliza met Maxon's gaze that he realized how long he had been staring. Part of him was tempted to look away and pretend like he had never seen her but her alluring body swaying over the beats was an invitation he couldn't decline. Maxon watched her as she smirked full aware of the influence it had on him.
So Maxon took a hesitant step forward, but even that small shift had caused him to lose her in the crowd. It didn't help that a new group of girls had surrounded him, each wanting to buy him a drink and pressed themselves against him in half-assed hugs. Maxon barely avoided being snagged by one of the girl's black talons and escaped them unscathed.
A glance to his left revealed the girl - he was planted to seduce - dancing as if no one was watching with her arms high above her hair as her hips swayed to the beat. It didn't take much to convince him to go over to her, hoping that their plan would work out.
"You must be the birthday girl." A few steps bought him up behind her as he settled a hand over her waist, letting the other drift down to her hips. Eliza glanced over her shoulder, offering Maxon a slow unsurprised smile.
"Can't say we know each other." She teased, her head falling back on his shoulder. Maxon could smell the alcohol on her breath but, her softly drawled words brought a smile to his lips.
"I'd like to change that." He murmured, pulling her closer.
Her response caused Maxon to think that this plan might not be as bad as he thought and with her hips grinding dangerously against his own made any other concern disappear.
Alluringly, Eliza blinked her eyes from time to time, allowing her eyelashes to flutter like the wings of a butterfly. My god, her eyes were simply spellbinding. They were a rapturous shade of cerulean blue much more similar to his own. Her eyes held a coruscate gleam that enhanced their beauty.
Maxon lost track of time while they danced. The music was good, as was the company, and the fact that they hardly exchanged words was uncannily refreshing for him. The passage of what seemed like an eternity had brought on a few more rounds of drinks and Maxon was now finding it hard to move without stumbling or bumping into someone.
Eliza was having the same problem. He was practically the only thing keeping her from going down in those heels. Her hand was wrapped possessively around his neck as her hips pressed hard against his.
"Come home with me," Maxon whispered against her ear, catching her as well as himself, off guard with his drunken words - as Eliza's hands slid down his hips.
She leaned back, just enough to meet Maxon's eyes. "Why should I?"
"Because you want this as much as I do." Maxon's hands were on her thighs now, fingers inching up under the material of her dress.
It only took her a moment to grab his hand as he smiled, a shaky step towards her as she tugged in his hand. "Follow me."
Hand in hand they stumbled out of the crowd and into the beginning of the staircase, her giggles echoing down the isolated off-limits second floor. When she realized she had no idea where she was leading him, Maxon took the lead and guided her into the closest room before shutting the door behind them.
Maxon felt her hand slip out of his once they were alone but before he even thought to question it, her mouth was on his and there was no more time for words. A shiver rolled down his spine as she pressed herself against him, hands roaming to places unknown and fingers grasping whatever was in reach. With her hands tangled in his hair, his tongue tracing her bottom lip, and her legs wrapped around his waist, Maxon began having a hard time figuring out where he stopped and she began. Not that he honestly cared; the only thing that mattered now was his need to have her writhing beneath him as all the thoughts which preoccupied his brain, were washed away.
Amidst the hot kisses and the slurry giggles, Maxon had forgotten why he was there and that his motive was not to bed her but to make her fall in love with him.
He had completely forgotten Kimberly and her problems and for the first time, he didn't imagine Kimberly's face while kissing another girl. It was new for him, unusual feelings began settling at the pit of his stomach, Eliza made him feel things he thought only Kimberly was capable of.
They tumbled onto the desk next, gasping for breaths as they lurched down and somehow still managing to get in a few impatient kisses. With the way, Eliza was currently nibbling on his neck, kissing and sucking and biting every inch she possibly could, Maxon could hardly concentrate enough to get his shirt off. After a full thirty seconds of fumbling with his buttons, they came off as he pulled her beneath him.
Their bodies fit together as if they were made just for each other, to fall into one another, to feel this natural rhythm. With a laugh Maxon lifted her right off her feet, carrying her toward the bed, letting her fall with a soft bounce on the mattress.
They locked eyes for just a moment, just enough for them to feel safe with one another.
"I didn't catch your name." She murmured insincerely amid the passionate kisses and the heaving breaths, slipping her hands on the collar of his shirt, unbuttoning his the linen fabric one by one.
"A little late for that, don't you think?" Maxon whispered against her ear as she giggled before pressing her lips back onto his.
Then he was all business, undoing her zipper, pulling it down, kissing from her toes upward, slowly, his hands on her legs. Eliza felt her back arch in anticipation, knowing where his fingers would soon reach. Her head rocked back against the pillow as he did, the first moan escaping her lips.
━━━━━━━━━━━━
It was morning. Maxon's liquor-soaked brain could comprehend that much. How he strung that coherent thought together with the way his head was throbbing was a mystery, but even in his semiconscious state, it was clear that he had a monster hangover.
With a soft groan, he attempted to roll over and go back to sleep, wanting nothing more than to escape back into darkness but something was keeping him firmly pinned to the mattress. When he finally dared to open his eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight, a sight he certainly hadn't been anticipating greeted him.
Laying with her head on his chest and an arm possessively across his waist was a dark-haired, devastatingly gorgeous but completely unidentifiable woman who looked about his age.
Maxon froze as he desperately began to rationalize. If the fact that he was naked and hungover wasn't enough to make him realize that he had slept with some girl from last night's party, the rather bare and peacefully sleeping Aphrodite was a pretty good reminder.
That's when last night's events started getting back to him. His eyes widened with astonishment realizing that he had slept with the girl Kimberly hated the most.
This turn of events could only lead to one of the two possibilities: Eliza waking up unreservedly mortified and remorseful about last night or Eliza falling unconditionally and unquestionably in love with him as Maxon would proceed to ask her out.
He hoped for everyone's sake that it would be the latter.
His eyes momentarily drifted onto the sleeping Greek goddess, he felt his heart tighten as his eyes lingered onto her beautiful face. She was perfection in the morning light.
Dawn had finally brought an end to a night, weak rays filtering in through the curtain shrouded window of some random bedroom in her mansion. For the past fifteen minutes, Maxon hadn't attempted to flee as that would've been his immediate resort after a one night stand instead he watched the room go from inky blue to pale peach.
He couldn't resist following the golden-skinned girl's every move as she blinked her eyes adjusting to the morning light. Eliza was refreshingly unselfconscious about her naked body clung onto his.
"Morning." She nodded with a lopsided grin on her face but her eyes never left the French window.
"Morning." Maxon flipped over to face her, their bodies menacingly close beneath the sheets.
Silence spread between them once more almost as if it hadn't been broken in the first place. Maxon leaned back against the headboard, the white linen cotton sheet slipping down to his hip as he scrubbed a hand across his face.
She had gotten out of the bed and onto the floor in milliseconds. Maxon couldn't help but look at the soft halo of sunlight illuminating every hill and valley of her body. She was breathtaking but Maxon couldn't bring himself to boost her unselfconscious ego.
"You want some coffee?" She turned back towards him, eyes meeting his.
So she doesn't regret last night, he thought. Good, proceeding with step one.
"More than anything." Maxon nodded, eyes closing momentarily before slowly reopening.
He knew he should've felt no sort of emotion towards her but the mere image of her beautiful body and the mini clips of the passionate night was enough for her to have him on his knees.
That alone should've been the red flag to back away from this obtuse vengeance. But Maxon had made a promise to Kimberly and he couldn't bring himself to back out now. With Kimberly in a dysfunctional spirited mind-space, the last thing they needed was another breakdown.
"Follow me." She pulled on her black La Perla underwear before covering her body with a black satin robe.
Maxon followed, pulling on his boxers and buttoning up the shirt strewn on the floor loosely before training behind her, down the second floor and into the kitchen.
Eliza twisted the coffee maker on and filtered the coffee powder into it as she leaned back on the counter, her legs stretched on the floor as her robe slipped scandalously above her thigh leaving nothing to the imagination.
Not that it had too, Maxon had already seen enough and was quite content with it.
"So..." his eyes flickered to her before Maxon took a seat onto the table seemingly forgetting her name as his eyes met hers - a silent plea for aid.
"Eliza Knight." She chuckled, unfazed by the fact that Maxon had forgotten her name. Usually, women would go bonkers if that happened, but not Eliza. She was serene and also managed to let out a throaty chuckle at his lack of memory.
The girls Maxon usually slept with would drown him in curses, calling him names unheard of, if he had forgotten their name after a night of passion but this girl, she'd just waved it off like it was the most normalized thing in her life.
"And you are?" Eliza asked with enough humor to make him glance up at her.
"Maxon Kingsley." He mumbled, grasping the coffee mug handed to him as he cupped it in both his hands, absorbing the heat.
"It might be a little too late for this. But would you maybe want to grab lunch with me? Like a date?" Maxon geared the first step of the ploy into motion, anticipating a yes from her behalf, as no women had ever turned him down before.
Eliza merely chuckled before bringing the mug up to her lips, her blue eyes flickering onto Maxon's. "Flattered, really. But I don't do relationships."
"You don't do relationships?"
Her mouth curled into a slight frown apprehending that she hadn't been audible enough and that Maxon had missed her declination or he was just hungover and he'd tuned her out so she repeated herself, "I don't do relationships."
Well Shit.