Kael pedaled hard, feeling the burn in his legs as he checked the time on his watch. It was already past ten. He tightened his grip on the handlebars and pushed on, the night air whipping against his face.
After a few more minutes, he arrived at the location Amara had sent him—a sleek two-story house nestled in a wealthy neighborhood, where every driveway had a luxury car parked like a badge of honor. The thump of bass-heavy music spilled out onto the street, vibrating the ground under his tires.
Kael slowed, squinting up at the house, eyebrows furrowing.
' How the hell did they get this place? ' he wondered, locking his bike to a nearby post. ' Is this even theirs? An Air BnB, maybe?'
He walked toward the front door, adjusting his jacket. As he stepped inside, a thick, cloying wave of air hit him—the potent blend of strawberry vape, cheap perfume, alcohol, and weed. The smell was dizzying at first, almost making him stumble, but he forced himself to adapt, blinking rapidly to clear his head.
The house was packed. Bodies everywhere—some draped over couches, some sprawled on the floor, others moving in drunken rhythm to the deep beat of music blasting from hidden speakers.
Kael wove his way through the crowd, eyes scanning for Amara.
It didn't take long to spot her.
She was curled up on a leather couch near the far wall, a half-empty glass of something amber clutched loosely in her hand. Her legs were tucked under her, her head bowed slightly as she absently twirled the glass between her fingers. Beside her sat Selene, headphones in, bobbing her head slightly to some K-pop beat only she could hear.
Kael took a step forward—only to freeze as Lyra's unmistakable voice rang out nearby.
He ducked instinctively behind a group of people gathered around a hookah, heart thudding.
Lyra strolled past him, laughing loudly, an unfamiliar girl clinging to her arm.
' That's the first time I've seen her with another girl, ' Kael thought, watching them disappear into the crowd.' Huh.'
Back on the couch, Selene caught sight of him. Without missing a beat, she tapped Amara's thigh sharply.
Amara blinked, lifting her head, then broke into a lazy smile when she saw him. She set down her drink and stood, weaving through the crowd toward him.
"You made it," she said warmly.
"Yeah, I guess I did. So… what's up?" he asked, glancing around the chaotic scene.
Amara leaned in a little closer, her breath tinged with the scent of whiskey. "I'm bored out of my mind. Lucian rented this Airbnb for the weekend. Wanted to celebrate, but honestly…" She shrugged, making a face. "It's just the same shit. Smoke, drink, hook up, repeat. But don't worry—after tonight, we're all getting our share."
Kael felt a little tension ease from his chest. "That's good," he said, flashing a small smile.
"Yep. Come on," she said, grabbing his hand. "Let's go upstairs. Find an empty room. I still hate people, you know that."
He nodded and let her lead him, weaving through clusters of bodies. As they climbed the staircase, Kael felt a dozen pairs of eyes on them—but he kept moving, pretending not to notice.
Below, Selene watched them go, a sly smirk curving her lips.
' I wonder what she's planning to do with that boy,' she thought, pulling her headphones down and tucking them around her neck. She rose from the couch, slipping through the crowd with a practiced ease.
All around her, the party spiraled into chaos. Some people lounged on the stairs, passing joints back and forth; others stumbled half-drunk from one room to another. The backyard was even wilder.
Selene stepped through the sliding glass door into the backyard, where the air was cooler but no less electric. A full-on pool party was in full swing—girls cannonballing into the water in their underwear, guys flipping burgers on a smoking grill, couples making out shamelessly on the lounge chairs.
She wrinkled her nose at the sight.
' Can't wait to move to Korea, ' she thought, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket. ' Far away from all this bullshit.'
Her gaze settled on Lucian, lounging like a king in a camp chair near the pool, a tipsy blonde girl perched on his lap. As Selene approached, he noticed her and, with a subtle gesture, sent the girl away. She pouted but wandered off without protest.
"What's up?" Lucian asked, flicking the ash from his cigarette.
"Kael's here," Selene said flatly. "You should send your guys now—while he's distracted."
Lucian's eyes gleamed with approval. "Good idea. Thanks for the heads up."
He leaned toward her slightly, flashing a lazy smile. "Wanna sit with me? Celebrate a little?"
Selene just turned and walked away without a word, disappearing into the throng.
Lucian chuckled under his breath and shook his head.
' She'll never change.'
Pulling out his phone, he fired off a quick text to his crew:
[Move in..]
He sat back, watching the party rage on around him, a cruel satisfaction curling in his gut.
' Time to put it all on Kael.' He thought
.....
Upstairs, Kael and Amara lay together on the bed. Kael rested stiffly on his back, his arms by his sides like he was afraid to move, while Amara lounged easily on her side, propping her head up with her hand as she stared at him with a faint smile.
The muffled thump of the music downstairs made the room feel oddly intimate, like they were in their own private world.
"You know, Kael, I wasn't lying when I said you were handsome," Amara said, her voice low and casual. She let her eyes drift lazily over him, studying him. "I think, if you worked out a little and took better care of yourself, you'd probably have a lot of girls chasing you."
Kael laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Thanks. I thought about that, but, you know, I was too busy with school and everything else. Didn't really have time for myself," he admitted, feeling a little self-conscious under her gaze.
"Yeah, I understand that very well," she said, her voice softening as she shifted a little closer. "But it's life. Can't really do much about it. Luckily, we have one less thing to worry about now," Amara whispered near his ear, her breath warm against his skin.
Kael chuckled, trying to play it cool.
"I guess we do," he said, feeling himself relax a little around her.
Amara smiled at his response, then her expression turned more mischievous. She leaned in closer, her hand sliding down his chest with a deliberate slowness until it landed squarely on his crotch.
Kael tensed instantly, every muscle locking up, but he didn't move or say anything. His breath caught in his throat as he felt her fingers press against him through his jeans.
'What?' he thought, his mind short-circuiting.
Meanwhile, Amara smirked to herself, feeling the size and stiffness beneath her hand.
'Wow, he's big,' she thought with a hint of genuine surprise. 'I guess he also has that going for him. Sadly, he won't get to use it much longer... A week from now, he'll probably be rotting in jail for life.'
For a brief moment, guilt flickered across her features—but it was fleeting.
'You know what, let me be a good friend and actually suck him off. It's the least I can do before we completely ruin his life,' she thought with a wicked chuckle.
Without warning, Amara climbed over him, straddling his waist as she leaned down, her hair falling like a curtain around his face. She gave him a sly look, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Relax, Kael," she whispered, "just let me take care of you tonight."
Kael, wide-eyed and frozen, could only nod helplessly as she reached for his belt with nimble fingers, undoing it with ease.
Downstairs, the party raged on. But up here, in this little stolen moment, Kael felt like the entire world had shrunk to just him and her.
He had no idea that for Amara, this was nothing more than parting kindness before the betrayal to come.
TO BE CONTINUED