Becca

I nearly had to pick my jaw up off my lap when we pulled onto the road leading to Jenny's house. It sat nestled at the end of a long and winding street, lined by trees lit up with thousands of twinkling lights.

Her house - although the term castle seems more fitting- was enormous. The driveway was curved into a circle around the front of the house. A fountain sat in the middle of it, shooting up water in tiers while a light illuminated it, making the water flash different colours. The house was a mix or white and grey stone, bright flowers and perfectly trimmed bushes adored every ounce of her lawn. Her front doors were massive, a deep, chestnut brown surrounded by two white marble pillars, holding up a balcony that rested on top of the entrance way. Hundreds of windows decorated the house, and the roof peaked up into sharp triangles, similar to the ones you would see on a castle.

It was breathtaking. I couldn't imagine living a life of such luxury. I was burning with envy.

Her driveway was already covered with dozens of cars. People were lingering by the fountain, taking pictures in front of it and splashing their friends. As Brett pulled in, I could hear the hum of music coming from inside. The party was already in full swing.

My palms began to sweat and my head was spinning. Nerves were rolling off me in bundles. My heart beat was through the roof and I couldn't calm it. I noticed the stillness around me and realized Brett had parked the car. I peeled my eyes off the magnificent house and turned to look at him, his eyes already watching me intently.

He reached out and held my hand in his, as if he could sense how nervous I was.

"This house is definitely something."

He chuckled at my comment, his eyes roaming over the massive brick walls.

"You'll get used to it. Big houses aren't everything, Becca." He looked back at me, smiling sadly. "What matters is the family that lives within it." He whispered so quietly, pain etched into the lines of his face. Brett had never mentioned his family to me. I wondered if there were problems at home...problems he didn't tell anyone about.

His words stuck in my mind: you'll get used to it.

Had he been here before?

"You've been to Jenny's house before?" I decided to ask the question that was begging to escape my lips.

He shrugged, brushing it off like no big deal. "A couple of times over the years. Jenny throws a wicked party, I'll give her that." He laughed dryly before removing his hand from mine and getting out of the car. Opening my door, I followed his lead and met him in the middle. We stood leaning on his convertible, staring up at the massive house towering over us.

He took my hand in his and I felt warm again. "Are you ready for this?" His eyes didn't leave the house as he spoke to me.

I swallowed my nerves and simply nodded my head, afraid of what my voice would sound like if I tried to speak.

He laughed beside me, looping his arm around my waist and pulling me firmly against his side. "Come on, let's have some fun."

He lead me through the circular driveway and up the stairs that led to the front porch. The closer we got, the louder the music became. I could hear people laughing and talking through the door and I suddenly felt alone. Brett was the only person I knew here, what would I do if he left me alone for a moment?

The immediate regret I felt was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. I took a deep breath and pressed myself closer into Brett's side, making him smile. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

"Don't be startled if I kiss you again tonight, Becs." He whispered into my hair, making my heart race for new reasons. He cleared his throat and suddenly his voice was serious. "With all these people here, we should keep up appearances, right?"

Right.

The door was pulled open before I could wrap my head around what just happened. Jenny stood in front of us, smiling broadly and looking like a freaking model.

Her platinum curls were half pulled off her face, pinned above her head while the other half cascaded down her shoulders. Her full lips were a bright shade of pink that perfectly complimented her caramel skin. Her makeup was done to perfection, her bold cat-eyes shimmering as they stared down at me, framed by thick fake eyelashes.

She was wearing a neon pink tube top that zipped up at the front, showing off, well, everything. It was paired with a skintight skirt, the exact same shade of pink. The top ended above the skirt, showing off her perfectly flat and toned stomach. Her mini skirt made her legs look like they went on forever, her caramel skin shining to perfection. The outfit was finished with a pair of silver, diamond encrusted heels that made her legs look impossibly longer.

I looked down at my jeans and halter top, suddenly self-conscious and regretting not wearing something a little more dressy.

I began to shift nervously, immediately feeling Brett's arm tighten around my waist, his hand gently rubbing my hip.

"Brett!" Jenny's squeal brought me back to reality as she flung herself on him. He instinctively let me go as her arms wrapped around him tightly. I stood to the side, watching angrily as he awkwardly patted her back. "Hey Jen," his voice held no emotion as he spoke.

"I'm so happy you're here!" He reached up and unhooked her arms from around his neck, stepping back and distancing himself from her as he reached out and pulled me against his side again.

Anger flashed in Jenny's eyes, but it was gone quickly. Her face now a mask of fake happiness.

Brett cleared his throat and looked down at me, acknowledging my presence since Jenny had yet to.

She tore her eyes away from Brett and looked down at me, turning up her nose. "Becca," her voice was cold as she said my name, her face showing no expression. She flicked her gaze back to Brett and smiled brightly. "Well, come on in!"

Walking through the doorway was like entering another world. I felt like Alice after falling down the rabbit hole. Her gigantic house seemed small and claustrophobic with all these bodies in it. People covered every single inch, leaning against walls, dancing in the middle of hallways, making out on the stairs. All I saw was skin. My eyes roamed around us in awe, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. The music was blaring, I could feel the bass beating in my chest. The air was thick and foggy, smelling like smoke, sweat and alcohol.

I coughed, trying to clear my head. I looked at Brett standing beside me, he was watching me intently, probably wanting to make sure I was alright.

I smiled at him reassuringly. His arm was still tightly around my waist, holding me to him so we wouldn't get separated in the thick crowd. Jenny clasped her hand around his free bicep, leaning in close, her face inches from his. "Would you like the grand tour?" She purred, batting her eyes at him seductively. He rolled his shoulder, freeing his arm from her tight grasp. I laughed, making her turn her head and stare at me, her cold eyes shining with hatred. She could try all she wanted, Brett clearly was not interested.

I smiled smugly.

"I know my way around. Thanks, Jen." He shifted his body to face me, his back towards Jenny, completely blocking her from my view.

His mouth moved but I couldn't hear the words that came out over the loud music. I furrowed my eyebrow in confusion and tapped my ear, signalling that I couldn't hear him. He leaned in close to me, his mouth hovering over my ear and his warm, minty breath blowing on my face.

"I said, let's go get something to drink." I nodded in response, I was starting to feel a bit light headed. "Hold my hand tight, alright? I don't want to lose you." He pulled back and winked at me before guiding me through the crowd towards, I assumed, the kitchen. 

Brett pushed through bodies and I followed easily after through the path he managed to clear. Not only was he tall and broad, but he was Brett Wells. People moved out of the way when they saw him coming, giving us ample room to move freely. As we navigating the mansion, guys patted his back, congratulating him on the win tonight, and girls waved dreamily, desperately trying to earn a second of his attention. He smiled and thanked everyone, never leaving anyone unacknowledged.

It was mesmerizing to watch. I almost forgot how adored he was by the student population.

He pulled me through a doorway that led into a kitchen the size of my entire apartment. I gasped in awe at the sheer beauty of it. Brett stood beside me, chuckling at my dazed expression.

The entire kitchen was white. White walls. White tiles decorating the floor. White cabinets lined the walls. A polished, white marble countertop that was overflowing with red cups and various forms of alcohol and soda. But the most astonishing part was the far wall. It was completely made out of glass. An enormous window overlooking the backyard, where I could see an olympic size pool with a fountain in the middle. It had everything from a diving board to a hot tub.

I had no idea what Jenny's parents did for a living, but I couldn't help my mind from wandering. Brain surgeons? Lawyers? Whatever it was, I'm sure it was impressive.

I slowly turned my head towards Brett, my eyes wide in awe. He was watching me with an amused smile on his face. How was he not as impacted by this as I was? I suddenly had the urge to know what his house looked like. Was it just as impressive?

He reached up gently and touched my jaw. I hadn't realized it was hanging open. My cheeks felt hot as he smirked down at me. "Sorry," I mumbled, turning away from him and crossing my arms. I had to pull myself together. I probably looked like a little kid visiting Disneyland for the first time.

He uncrossed my arms, freeing my hand and placing it back in his. He pulled me towards the counter and I couldn't help myself, I trailed my fingers over its cool surface.

A guy with shaggy, dirty-blond hair walked up to Brett's other side and began chatting with him about the game. His warm brown eyes were open wide, his face animated as they discussed the Bear's win tonight. I recognized him from the football team. His name is Jeff, I think. He was cute, in a boy-next-door type of way.

I couldn't make out their conversation over the music and chatter. Brett still held my hand firmly in his, but his body was angled away from me as he spoke to his teammate. I gazed around the kitchen, noticing several eyes staring at me. My arms felt limp at my side and I looked for some way to preoccupy myself.

My eyes lingered on the red cups and I picked one up. I had never been much of a drinker. Not because it was my own choice or I detested the stuff, simply because I had never been exposed to it. This was my first party, after all. I guess I was a little behind on the high school experience.

I smiled to myself and picked up a bottle of Coca Cola with one hand, pouring it into the cup I set in front of me.

The sugary taste filled my mouth and I closed my eyes in delight. When I opened them, Brett was watching me, a smile playing on the corner of his lips. His teammate, Jeff, was no where to be seen. I ignored his amused grin and took another sip.

"Where'd your friend go?" I asked.

"Jeff?" So I had gotten his name right, "no clue, probably hitting on a poor girl that's not interested." He laughed to himself, amused by his own joke. I guess I don't know Jeff well enough to get it.

His eyes scanned the countertop, resting on a case of beer before he took one out. Popping the cap off, he took a long swig. I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, mesmerized by the drop of liquid trailing down his chin. He licked it off, his eyes on me, smiling.

"You don't drink?"

I held up my cup, "I am drinking."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling softly. "You know what I mean, Becca."

I shrugged in response, finally answering when he kept watching me. "I don't like alcohol. I don't feel the need to drink it." My voice was firm. Brett could tell I didn't want to talk about it.

He lifted the bottle of beer to his lips and drank the entire contents quickly, placing it down on the table before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. I stood there watching, slightly amused. It was such a normal thing to do, yet seemed odd coming from Brett.

He took the cup from my hand and placed it on the countertop beside me. "Let's dance," he grabbed my hand in his and pulled me out of the kitchen before I had a chance to protest.

"Brett! I don't want to!" He couldn't hear me over the loud music. I unwillingly trailed behind him as he led me to what I assumed to be the living room. The lights were low, casting the room in shadows -- a stark contrast to the all-white room we had just been in. It had been transformed into a makeshift dance floor. Music was blaring from surround sound speakers, completely engulfing me in the tune from every angle. The room was spacious, like the rest of the house, but people were tightly packed, dancing on each other seductively. Others dancing alone with a drink in one hand.

Brett turned towards me, his hand still in mine, and smiled wickedly. His face was all shadows, his eyes hidden in the dark but I could still see the glint in them.

Trailing behind him, we pushed through the sweaty bodies into a small, open space in the middle of the dance floor. He turned towards me suddenly, placing his hands firmly on either side of my hips and jerking me towards him.

I gasped in surprise at how close we were. His firm body was pressed against mine, I could feel every inch of him on me.

His eyes were teasing as they trailed down my body, his smirk mischievous. I didn't know what had gotten into him...but I found myself enjoying it.

He watched me intently, his eyes blazing as they made their way back to mine. The music was blaring around us, making my ears ring and my heart beat rapidly. Although, that was probably for other reasons.

Brett took his hands off my hips and grabbed my wrists, lifting them up and placing them around his neck. I instantly locked them together as his hands trailed down my arms, finally resting on my hips again.

He leaned his head into my neck, his face hovering inches from mine. "Dance with me," he breathed into my ear, sending chills down my spine and raising goosebumps on my arms.

I didn't know how to dance but had no time to feel nervous or self-conscious. The moment erupted so quickly that all I had time to focus on was how every inch of my body felt like it was on fire when Brett touched me.

He was a great dancer. Not that I was surprised, he seemed to be great at just about everything. I wondered what other talents he had and felt my face heat up, grateful the room was dark and no one could see.

Brett flowed effortlessly, his hands gentle as they guided my hips, swaying me to the beat.

I was wrapped in a bubble of music. A bubble of Brett. One that burned with heat and electricity.

His body continued to sway to the music and his hands rocked my hips back and forth. He was so close.

So, so close.

I could smell his woodsy scent and feel the warmth radiating off his body in waves, wrapping around me and holding me firmly against him. Our eyes were locked on each other, we never looked away. I couldn't look away. It was like some force, a magnetic pull, was keeping us together.

The people around us blurred out as I focused solely on Brett. No one else seemed to exist in this moment. It was just the two of us. Our bodies were pressed together so closely it felt like we were one.

I remembered what he said earlier about kissing me tonight and I wanted him to. Badly. My eyes trailed down to his lips which were slightly parted. He was breathing heavily.

As if reading my thoughts, he face began to inch closer to mine. I met his eyes and the look in them was startling. The blue was so deep, his eyes looked almost black as they latched onto mine, not dropping my gaze as his face got closer.

His mouth hovered in front of mine and my breathing was ragged as I waited for his lips to touch mine. I hadn't realized how badly I wanted this, but that moment in the hallway, where we kissed for the first time, felt so long ago.

I needed him to kiss me again. Now. He leaned in, closing the gap -

His leg began to vibrate.

He closed his eyes, his lips forming into a thin line.

His phone was ringing.

"Let it go to voicemail!" I wanted to scream at him, but the moment had passed. He opened his eyes and the darkness was gone, he smiled sheepishly before removing his hands from my waist and taking the phone out of his pocket. I dropped my hands from around his neck and took a step back, breathing quickly to clear my head from the moment we just shared. He stared down at his phone, his eyes widening. When they met mine, I could see the worry in them.

"Brett, what's wrong?"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him, leaving the room and the darkness behind us. He stopped when we were in a less-crowded hallway that was startling quiet compared to the room we were just in.

"My mom called me," his voice was hard as he spoke, his eyes full of pain. "My father...he's home." He took a deep breath, placing one hand on the wall to support himself, his knuckles were white.

His father was home. Why was that a bad thing?

My head spun with hundreds of questions I wanted to ask, but now was not the time.

"I need to call her back, Becca. This...it's important." His eyes bore into mine as he pleaded for me to understand. I nodded, placing my hand over his to reassure him. "Stay right here, please? I'll be right back." He kissed my cheek roughly before turning around and walking away, the phone already held up to his ear.

I stood there limply and watched him leave. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it would fall out of my chest.

Us dancing. The phone call. His worried tone. The pain in his eyes. It was too much to process.

I shook my head to try to clear my mind, to make sense of the sequence of events that just unraveled in front of me.

But all I could focus on was the pain in his voice as he said the word 'father'.

His back was to me as he retreated out of my sight, reaching the entry door. He pushed it open and stepped outside, shutting it behind him. I wanted to chase after him and make sure he was alright.

But I didn't. I stayed where I was and I watched him leave.

--

Please make me smile and vote for this chapter if you're enjoying this story!

Sorry this chapter was super long (if that's a bad thing) but I had to get this entire scene down so I could move on to the juicy stuff. Who liked the dancing scene and wanted to kill me when his phone rang before he kissed her? Haha, sorry!

What do you think is going to happen with Brett's father? Why was his mother calling him? Eh, I hope you're all excited and nervous to find out! ;) xo Alex