Page 34 of Coastal Runaway

I relaxed into his embrace. While Nolan and Luke always took on the bruiser roles as my protectors, Aiden always had a softer approach. He was still protective but gave me the space to protect myself first, and ask him for help when I needed it.

I used to think he kept his distance because he was upset that he wasn’t as close as Nolan, Luke, and I were, but living with him these past few years showed me that Aiden just showed his love in other ways.

Having five siblings meant that everyone was always fighting to be seen or heard. Aiden decided a long time ago not to lean into the fight for attention and faded more into the background, allowing him to keep his peace and preserve his sarcastic, happy personality.

When he got frustrated he usually escaped into the detached garage that he turned into a woodworking shop. He released his frustrations in private, never wanting everyone in his business, but he was there every time I needed him in my corner.

A squeal sounded behind us, and we turned to find Maeve and Maggie bouncing on their toes.

“Oh. My. God. The dress. The shoes. The hair. I truly outdid myself this time,” Maeve said, giving herself a high-five above her head.

I laughed, “Some of the guys have a problem with your sense of fashion. I thought Nolan was going to throw-up for a second at the sight of my boobs.”

Maeve rolled her eyes, “Yeah, well Nolan wouldn’t know fashion if it was attached to a football and thrown at his face.”

Maggie burst into a fit of giggles. The three of us walked arm in arm to get a drink and mingle as I looked around the party again. While there were more people here than I ever thought possible, I couldn’t help but notice who wasn’t here. The crowd was missing a particular set of blue eyes.

The night on the beach aside, the last few weeks Luke and I had been civil. We mostly stayed out of each other's way as we navigated classes and the current football season. Between coursework, practices, and home games, I was rarely home. Luke seemed to be equally busy as he usually left the house early in the morning and didn’t come home until after dinner.

We had barely seen each other since our kiss in the hallway. I feared what I would’ve let Luke do to me against that wall if I hadn’t peeled myself away. I was so consumed by it—by him—that I forgot for a brief second that he was a lethal drug with the power to unravel me. I got myself out before I got burned, but my body had been craving him ever since.

“He said he was coming later to the club but had to do something beforehand,” Maeve reported, eyeing me warily.

“Who?” I asked, feigning indifference as I shrugged one shoulder and brought my champagne to my lips. I took a hefty sip, loving the feeling of the bubbles on my tongue.

Maggie looped her arm in mine, “no one important,” she said, dragging me further into the crowd, “now, let's find you some new eye candy to really make this birthday special.” Ignoring the subtle disappointment I felt that Luke was not here to celebrate my birthday, I pasted a fake smile on my face and vowed to enjoy the night.

I thought that having distance from Luke would make me happier. That’s what I wanted wasn't it? Living in the same space but not having to face each other? It was hard enough that the room that Aiden assigned him was coincidentally located right next to mine.

Really subtle, Aiden.

Our back doors shared an oversized balcony that was hidden from the rest of the house and had the best view of the ocean—the balcony that had been my safe space since I moved here.

Now, every time I was out there I glanced towards his door, secretly willing for him to come outside just so we could talk like we used to. A few moments hidden away from the world where we could be ourselves. While I still hated him, I found myself missing my former best friend.

Snapping out of my train of thought, I took the shot that Maggie handed me. I threw it back and embraced the burning pain that the harsh liquid caused as it ran down my throat.

My best course of action right now was to push away all the feelings I harbored for the broody asshole that was Luke Cavan and forget that he existed. It was my birthday and I planned to have fun. I just might find a cute anonymous man tonight who could serve as the ultimate distraction.

sixteen

Keegan

I was definitely drunk as our Uber pulled up to the warehouse that doubled as the exclusive night club. I opened the rear door of the car and attempted to get out, my foot catching the curb as I tripped and had to catch myself on the car door with a slurred, “whoopsie.”

Maggie held me up as we made our way toward the inconspicuous black door being blocked by masked figures. I presented my completely legal ID card to the first and my hand was stamped. I was handed an ornate black mask that would cover the top half of my face with instructions to put it on before entering the club.

Masks on and ready, we made our way inside. We entered the inconspicuous door only to find a dark hallway with maroon velvet walls and black lights. At the end of the hallway we found another masked figure standing in front of a heavy velvet curtain.

“Welcome to Anonymous,” the figure spoke in a deep voice, “your VIP table is directly upstairs and to the right. In the spirit of keeping all identities anonymous each table is assigned an animal. Your area is titled ‘The Lions Den’. Once inside do not remove your mask. If you come across an issue please approach one of the masked workers that will be located around the establishment. You can identify them in gold masks whereas all guests have black ones. Does everyone understand?”

We all nodded in agreement and murmured yeses. With a casual “have fun” the masked figure pulled the curtain to the side, revealing the illustrious night club.

Somehow the music couldn’t be heard from the hallway, but as soon as the curtain was lifted the loud bass of the electronic dance music filled our ears. There were neon lights everywhere and a light layer of smoke filled the room, adding to the mystery. The velvet continued into the main area of the club, covering all of the walls and seating areas around the massive warehouse.

We made our way up the stairs to the balcony level that overlooked the dance floor below and found the roped off VIP area named ‘The Lions Den.’

The circular area was lined with round black velvet couches with tables in the center. Various bottles of alcohol filled the middle of the table and a golden masked server dressed in black lingerie was waiting to take our drink orders.