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Chapter Sixteen

After a detour to get supplies - mainly consisting of wine, crisps, and a huge crate of beer - Ben, Holly and I pulled up outside a huge house with its own gates and a driveway. Not easy real estate to find in London, especially when you're students.

Once Ben had squeezed in among the other cars already gathered, I stepped out of the backseat and took a long look at house in detail. Its brown brick exterior suggested it hadn't been built that long ago. Wooden beams adorned the outside for little more than effect, and the front garden was immaculate considering four young guys lived here.

If I didn't know better, it looked like a family home where the family had been cast aside for an unknown group of musicians to live there instead. For a second, I began to doubt we were even at the right place. Until I spotted Noah's black Camaro or whatever Cole had called it, parked at the front of the driveway.

Shit, that meant he was there. Why had I even expected he wouldn't be? It was his home after all. And why was I suddenly so nervous about being there in the first place?

As Alex opened the door wide, he grinned at Holly and Ben.

"Guys, welcome! It's good to see you both again," he exclaimed. His voice was warm and friendly, with an unexpectedly strong Irish accent, and his strawberry blonde hair fell messily over his forehead.

"Sorry, I don't think we've met yet have we?" he continued, extending a hand to shake mine. "I'm Alex, and you are?"

"Abigail," I smiled shyly, "Sorry, Abi. I prefer Abi."

"Well, Abi," Alex smiled, "Welcome to casa de l'ambition, where the drinks are free and the good times are even cheaper." Laughing at his own cheesy line, he gestured with a wide arm for us to enter.

Whoever was paying for this house wasn't short of money that was for sure. A giant staircase swept up from the middle of the hallway, leading off in opposite directions at the top. The floors were dark wood and a collection of what looked like genuine modern art adorned the walls. This was definitely not what I expected a shared student house to look like.

While my eyes drank in the details of the grand reception area, two figures began to descend down the stairs. There was no denying who the male half of the duo was - after all, he did have a habit of just conjuring up out of thin air. But I didn't recognise the girl walking behind him. She definitely wasn't on our course; she looked too old to be a first year, at least mid-twenties. Her long, bleached blonde hair was teamed with smoky eye make-up, thick false lashes and a striped trouser suit.

"Noah! Come on down you moody bastard, we've got more guests," shouted Alex, stopping right in front of me with his hand fully stretched onto the bottom of the bannister, blocking any chance I had of escaping.

As Noah and his acquaintance reached the bottom step he stopped, staring directly at me with a deadpan look across his face. His green eyes were glowing with something I hadn't seen before. Anger, maybe? Annoyance? Shame?

"Nomeo, this is Ben, Holly and Abi," Alex continued. "But you know that already, she was your singer today, right?"

"Yeah, she was. It's good to see you all," Noah replied bluntly. "Enjoy the party."

As Noah strode towards the door, his accomplice trailing behind him in her high heels, Alex rolled his eyes at me. Turning to face them, he called out, "Where are you going Hartnett? The fun's not even started yet."

"We've already had our fun," giggled the blonde woman.

I wanted to run after her and rip her stupid bleached hair from her head.

His face undeniably flushed, Noah's wide eyes changed in an instant as he shot a furious look at her.

"Time to go," he commanded, ushering her out of the house and pulling the door shut hard behind them.