Forever Kind of Love

Chapter 23

After watching mildly spooky movies on the couch all day and gorging on candy, we get ready to go to the party. For months, I've planned on being an angel from Lucifer. I went all-out and ordered big feathery wings and everything. I basically begged Kai to go grab a black suit from home and do his hair so that he could be Lucifer and we'd match. He barely resisted.

When I come out of the bathroom after finishing my hair and makeup, my jaw actually drops seeing Kai in a suit. Man, I can't decide if I like him better shirtless or like this. It's a wonderful dilemma to have. Kai gives me a slow once over before twirling a finger, indicating that I should turn around for him. My cheeks heat but I do as I'm told. My costume isn't a slutty angel, but it definitely shows more leg than my normal outfits do.

When I turn back to Kai, his eyes have darkened and he's looking at me like he regrets promising to go out tonight. I go over to him and give him a quick peck on the cheek. "You look very handsome." Kai smiles playfully and locks an arm around my waist. "Angel, we're only staying at the party for an hour and you're only dancing with me." I smile back. "You're the only one I'd want to dance with."

The party is in full swing when we get there. It's at a pretty big house and it's completely decked out in Halloween decorations. I always get an invite to this party through an old roommate. Kai parks and puts on his serious face to tell me, "Amelia, please promise me you'll be extra careful." Gosh, he's making me nervous like this. "Kai, I pinky promise." He sighs and holds out a pinky expectantly. I internally scream at how cute he is when we shake pinkies and he gives my hand a quick kiss.

He comes around and opens the door for me and immediately he has a grip on my hand. My wings make it a little hard for him to stand directly next to me, so he leads me inside. Music thumps throughout the house filled with adults in costume. I start to feel an adrenaline rush and I don't know if it's from Kai, the party, or the mix of fear and excitement this holiday always has.

Kai leads me to the dance floor where we shove ourselves into the crowd. My wings bump into a couple people, but most guys are immediately scared off by Kai's glowers if they get too close anyways. The girls on the other hand, start circling him. I don't think my glower would have the same effect in this costume so I just move closer to him, staking my own claim. Kai knows exactly what I'm doing, and he smiles before pulling me all the way into him.

When my feet hurt and I'm nice and sweaty, I pull Kai away to go grab a drink. We run into a few people I know on the way and Kai never lets go of my hand as I make quick introductions. It's kind of awesome. When we make it to the kitchen, Kai and I each down a water bottle before looking for a place to sit for a minute.

We're settling onto a well-loved couch when I feel a chill down my spine. Kai doesn't notice my reaction because he's talking to someone from his study-group we ran into, but I frown and look around. I'm not sure what I expected to see, but nothing looks out of the ordinary for a college Halloween party. There's just a drunk guy hitting on a drunk girl next to me and a group of frat boys moving this way.

Kai's study-group friend gets up to leave and goes in to give Kai one of those weird bro hugs. Kai lets go of my hand for just a second, but in that second the frat herd goes wild as a fight starts and the drunk guy next to me is suddenly gripping my arm and yanking me backwards.

I'm so confused for a second that I don't fight back. I think maybe he's just trying to get me out of the way of the fight so I don't get hurt. But his hand is too firm on my arm and he's suddenly not drunk at all. I panic and start to wriggle away and yell for Kai, but there's too much chaos and I took too long to react. The stranger's other hand clamps over my mouth and he shoves me up the stairs. I try to kick out at him, but then there's something sharp and cold pressing into my back. "Amelia, don't make me do anything I don't need to. Blaire wouldn't want you carved up like the Jack-O-Lanterns."