Swallow

Chapter 1.56:

Brynn shrugged up at me like she didn't care if she was caught. She reached out to grab me again and I pushed her away before she had the chance.

I had no idea what game she was playing right now, but I wasn't interested in finding out.

I ran across the room to scoop Riley up before she could react to the situation in front of her without allowing me to explain. I couldn't let my insecure girl run away from me because her friend was an attention-seeking whore who was trying to stir up drama.

I wrapped my arm tightly around Riley's waist and pulled her up onto the tips of her toes. I pressed her body into mine to show her how much I had missed her tonight.

Aiden frowned at me when he walked over to Brynn. He studied my every movement against Riley and where my fingers lingered against her exposed skin. It made him sick that I was the one who got to touch her and not him. He should probably learn to pay less attention to what he couldn't have and more to the girl who would be in his bed tonight. If he wanted laid, he needed to pull himself together before Brynn found someone else to pass the time with.

"Hey, my beautiful girl," I grinned and pressed my mouth tightly against the lips of mouthwatering blond in my arms.

Riley melted under into my touch. I pulled her down deeper into the kiss until I felt like I was about to pass out. I fought to catch my breath as I let her slowly back down to her feet, remembering that we still had an audience in the room.

Riley jerked her head back from me. Her large eyes narrowed into little slits like she was angry.

From the glare she gave me, I knew I didn't do enough to distract her. My pulse thrummed in my ears while I waited for her to unleash her wrath on me.

"Are you a little drunk?" She questioned, cocking her head to the side while sucking on the inside of her cheek.

I let out a massive sigh of relief that my current impairment was what she decided to focus on. It meant she didn't hear what Brynn did or said. Riley was always a ball of emotions and she would be devastated to find out she had such a shitty friend. 

"We're not drunk." Brynn tripped over her garbled words, attempting to cover her tracks.

My suspicion was that Brynn's antics were all an act for the room. She was pretending to be way more diminished than she was a few seconds ago. I didn't remember her adding an extra-long slur to her words while she was propositioning me for sex.

Aiden stepped over by Brynn's side to help hold her up when she started falling over. He was extra gentle and helpful to the neediest girl in the room, just like he always was when the opportunity presented itself. He pulled her against him and gave her a friendly little peck on the top of the head.

Aiden's little kiss was for show too. He didn't even try to caress and hold Brynn the same way he did with Riley. It wasn't even close.

"It might be time to get these two to bed." Aiden gave Riley one last pained, pleading stare as the words left his lips. He wanted her to disagree with him.

He wanted her to stay.

"I like that idea." I grinned down at Riley and snatched her hand before anyone could stop me.

I raced out of the kitchen, pulling her behind me like an excited child. I crashed into the banister before I even got both feet on the first step. I was in a hurry and a little drunker than I realized.

The mixture of Riley and the alcohol had me in a tailspin.

Riley grabbed hold of my shirt before I could fall over. She slid her warmth underneath my arm and held my large body over hers as I fumbled up the stairs.