Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

67 | His House

Hi hiii, let's start this chapter strong...

Chapter 67: His House

Luke walked out of the study with a limp, "I'm going to need ice."

I followed him, making sure my shirt was on properly, feeling the cold, hard, naked embarassment.

Like, I've been embarrassed before...

I am no stranger to humiliation.

I've fainted from a wasp. I've danced in a chicken suit. I've been caught in bushes peering into windows. I bring honey into bear forests.

Embarrassment is a lifestyle.

Like a fancy French lifestyle... Émbarrasssement!

But nothing could prepare me for watching Luke Dawson limp out of our makeup session.

I trailed behind him, not sure what to say exactly. The crowd had gotten even larger than before we went into the study. The heat and sweat was at a whole new level now.

"You ok?" Luke glanced back at me, making sure I was fine to keep up.

I nodded but he extended his arm and wrapped it around my neck, as if to reassure me from my Émbarrasssement.

We almost turned into the kitchen when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone I knew walk through the front door.

"Sorry, I'll join you in a sec," I said, pulling away from under Luke's arm.

It was also a good excuse to get away, breathe, recover.

"You sure?" he asked.

The sound of Jake's music blasted into the hallway. The living room door was wide open and it was like he was hosting his own personal concert in there. Luke's face looked pained, all over again.

I assured him I was fine and hurried off. I squeezed through the crowd in the hallway and greeted the boy that had just walked through the front door.

"Chris."

Christopher Hayes heard my voice before he saw me.

He was in a navy jacket and dark pants. He had only just stepped foot into the party and was getting his bearings, taller than most people here. Then his eyes landed on me.

"You," his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah," I agreed, staring up at him, "You too."

He's a tall man.

"This is your crew's party? I was invited by..."

I pointed towards Jake in the living room, standing on his stepmother's fragile coffee table, playing his guitar to the crowd around him. A few other guys were playing music too, in a break from the stereo music in the other rooms.

"That guy?" I said.

"Yeah," he said, confused, "He's always in Alpine, plays his music with some of my boys. He's with you people?"

"Well," I said happily, "I'm sure you're going to love to know who he's related to."

Chris glanced at me in a funny way, "Something freaky always happens when you're around. You're an omen. So I don't want to know and I'm going to head right back out this door."

He waved a goodbye and opened the front door.

"No wait, Chris," I stopped him, "I just have one question for you."

He sighed, and against his better judgement, stayed.

"I- I saw you with Lara one day, months ago, and I, well, I'm wondering if you've talked to her lately?" I asked him.