I knew Bennett was only out for sex, thinking he’d hurt me with it.
For the first time, I was afraid he would’ve succeeded. He could’ve easily hurt me by stealing Alana from me.
Bennett blinked, his smirk faltering for a split second before he recovered. “Chill, dude. Just making an observation.”
“Next time, observe silently.” My patience was officially at zero.
I didn’t wait for his response. I was already moving, crossing the room in long strides until I was standing next to Alana.
She turned to me, her smile softening into something warmer, more personal, and I felt it in my chest like a punch.
“Hey,” she said, her voice light and teasing. “Are you okay? You look upset.”
“I’m better now,” I replied, sliding an arm around her waist without even thinking about it. She didn’t stiffen anymore when I touched her, nor did she pull away. In fact, she always leaned in more like she wanted my touch. Like sheneededit almost as much as I needed hers.
It was funny, really. The moment our bodies met, every ounce of anger inside me evaporated as if it had never even been there.
Guess Alana’s presence genuinely grounded me and made me feel steady in ways nothing else could. And when I looked at her, at the way the soft light caught the strands of her hair and the curve of her lips, I realized I didn’t care who thought she wasn’t my type or that I shouldn’t be with her.
Because Alana wasn’t just my type. She was the only type that mattered.
44
ALANA
“Sit,” Eden demanded, at least it sounded like a demand to me.
I leaned down, not wanting to scream over the loud music. “There’s no more space on the sofa.”
Well, there wassomespace left, but it was half the size of me, so I definitely wouldn’t have fit in there. Also, while Eden might’ve known everyone at this stupid party, I only knew him. And perhaps three other people, none of which were seated on the sofa.
Eden grinned up at me, looking almost devilish at this point. He reached for my hand and pulled me closer to him once more, ignoring my protest. “You can sit on my lap, Alana.”
His lap? Fuck no. I was way too heavy for that. He was going to break both of his legs in a matter of ten seconds.
I tried to shake my head, but Eden’s grip on my hand tightened as he pulled me down onto his lap. I could feel the heat of his body beneath me, and my heart raced at the sudden closeness between us.
Part of me tried to focus on the music thrumming in the background while I told myself not to blush. I’d never sat on someone’s lap before, let alone someone like Eden.
“Please, just let me sit on the floor,” I begged, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. But Eden’s hold only tightened, and his mischievous grin grew wider.
“Relax, Ally-Bear,” he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “I won’t break that easily.”
“I weigh like twice as much as you do.”
He chuckled, his hands sliding around my waist to hold me firmly in place. “You really don’t.”
“How would you know that?”
“Because I have eyes, baby. You definitely don’t weigh more than 230 pounds, which, in case you wanted to know, is what I weigh. And I bench almost twice as much. So, you on my lap isnothing.”
I might’ve not weighed 230 pounds, but I was close to it. He was so lucky he was tall.
I took a deep breath, refraining from replying at all, because what was I even supposed to say? I couldn’t disagree, mainly because I had no idea what Eden was able to bench. I still thought I was too heavy for him, but he certainly wouldn’t budge and admit it.
Still, Eden’s closeness was dizzying, and the way he held me made it hard for me to think straight. I shifted uncomfortably on his lap, trying to find a position that didn’t make me feel like I was crushing him. If he noticed, he didn’t say.
While someone was turning down the music inside the living room to ensure we didn’t scream at each other during the entirety of this stupidtruth-or-daregame, I couldn’t help but notice how our bodies seemed to fit perfectly together despite my doubts. Eden’s fingers drummed lightly on my hip, sending a tingle through my veins. I tried my best to ignore the flutteringin my stomach and focus on anything other than the warmth of his body beneath mine.
