The Beginning Of The End | Cosmic Love Series

sixteen - the countdown

I had never spent a New Year's celebration without my dads. We would usually always spend it as a family, together. My aunt and uncle would come over with Harper or vice versa and we would sometimes have Kyle over as well, and that was it. The adults would go all out on the last meal of the year while me, my cousin and my best friend would be in charge of snacks, which we would pick and eat all night long until the clock struck midnight and while we patiently waited to watch the ball drop from Times Square, in New York City, on the TV.

So this year, celebrating the New Year without my family, was a first for me.

Knowing me inside out, like the back of their hands, my dads were quick to notice my uneasiness, and tried to make me feel better.

"It's not our usual New Year party but it'll still be fun." Dad offered with a smile, while he looked between his husband and me.

"Yes! And trust me, honey, you'll like this one much better than ours."

"I highly disagree with that statement."

They rolled their eyes at my negative words, and I turned in my heels to face the long mirror and study my looks.

After my dads gave me a lecture on how unstylish my white all star converse would look with the silver sequin dress I bought to specifically wear tonight, I chose to leave my favorite shoes at home, and went with my black Dr. Martens boots.

"Are you going to do anything with your hair?"

"I'll probably just braid it." I said nonchalantly while I adjusted the dress against my thighs.

My dads offered to assist me with the hairstyle and I accepted their help, since I could never accomplish doing a dutch braid on myself.

Once they were happy with their work - which included leaving out a strand of hair falling down on each side of my face -, and I was satisfied with what I saw in the mirror, too, I was ready to go.

I said goodbye to my parents and hugged them tightly before wishing them a happy new year in person, until tomorrow at least.

* * *

Chloé's house looked pretty much like a palace, and I am not exaggerating. It was huge. High ceilings, white and beige decoration, glistening chandeliers, a massive backyard and an equally large pool and surrounding area. It was the type of house I'd imagine Hollywood actors would live in. In fact, this house seemed a little too big for just the seven of us.

Her parents were hotel owners so, it added up, I guess.

I still found it hard to believe that they would confide their palace of a home to Chloé, a teenager just shy of eighteen years old, for New Year's.

But I soon reminded myself of what she had told me. Chloé's parents had technically entrusted their house to her older brother, Wyatt, and with him being there, her parents gave Chloé their blessing to have her friends over. That was all they needed to know.

What her parents didn't know was that Wyatt and Chloé had a deal, that if she and her friends - us - would be good and partied without breaking anything, he would let us have the party here while he spent the New Year at his girlfriend's place, who he'd met at his freshman year of college. And being the close knit siblings they are, none of them would let each other's secret out.

But, their parents did not need to know this last part, of course.

"Hey ladies!" Chloé opened the big front door with a wide smile on her face. "How are you? Ready for the new year?"

She was wearing a black, sparkling jumpsuit with a low v-shaped cleavage, and had her black hair up in a ponytail, revealing her face. It was easy to see why she wanted to pursue modeling as a career and why she'd be so good at it.