Playing With The Bad Boy

dead to me

Chapter 54. Dead to me

What? What is going on?

I quickly spin on my feet and sprint downstairs.

My mind is a whirl pool of panic and confusion as I physically run into Nolan.

"Hey Care!" His voice sounds sober.

 I feel my mouth turn dry from guilt, leaving me speechless.

Amber and Grayson? Since when? Did Cooper know about them....?

Did Axel?

"You look like you need this," He passes me a red solo cup full of a clear liquid.

Without a second thought I quickly swallow before chugging from a cup of pineapple juice.

My mouth and throat burn like fire and I hold back a gag.

"Slow down, there's even more alcohol in that drink," Nolan grins from ear to ear and I stare at him blankly.

"Is Cooper in the hot tub?" I ask, doing my best not to shake from nerves and whether he notices or not he choses not to acknowledge.

"Yeah he's pretty plastered with Olly, have you seen Grayson by chance?" He asks and I shake my head a little too fast, "N-no, not since earlier."

Smooth.

Before I could give myself away completely Axel opens the front door and Nolan's attention is directed towards him.

Axel immediately notices my tenseness and shoots me a look that I shake off before Nolan hands him a drink.

"Drink with me brother," He wraps an arm around him and Axel takes the red solo cup, "What's in it?"

"Rum and pineapple juice," He murmurs before chugging the rest of his drink. He lets go of Axel and begins to walk away.

"I'll be outside, hurry and change," He encourages us before making his way out.

Axel's deep brown eyes avert to me.

"What's the matter Care?" He asks me and my mouth goes dry, "I..." I feel the effects of the alcohol as I do my best to compose a sentence, "I need to tell you something."

Right as I finished my sentence I think of how betrayed Amber would feel if I told Axel before I even knew the full story.

Axel nods and I hear foot steps coming down the stores. Before I can continue Grayson stumbles down the stairs. I'm unable to hide my expression as Axel and him head nod at each other.

"I'll meet you out there, I'm going to go change," I leave abruptly.

I rapidly begin walking up the stairs in hopes to find Amber.

Easily enough I see light pouring from her room into the dark hallway and I knock before entering.

She looks up at me and from her expression I can tell that what I saw did in fact happen.

She was dressed in a dark burgundy swim suit top with pale blue jean shorts. 

Her eyes are watery and her cheeks are crimson.

"Hey," she murmurs as she digs through her drawer, "Here's your bathing suit," she hands me a lavender two piece and I hesitantly take it from her.

"Amber... what's going on between you and Grayson?" The words escape quietly.

Her face turns impossibly pale as she stares at me in horror, "What? How much did you see?"

"Enough, Amber what are you doing? Does Cooper know about this?" I ask the obvious and her gaze falls to the floor, for once she appears to be defeated.