In Another Life

44

 I watched the guys walk towards the gate of the VIP section, then stop next to the security guy. Sam pointed towards me, and I lifted my hand in acknowledgment. The security man nodded, and the guys walked on through. I sighed, unable to really comprehend just what in the actual hell was happening. Was I really about to go get my friends and go into the VIP area of the PlayList Final Night Pool Party with my favorite Youtubers? This entire trip had been totally insane. I was convinced that I had been in a horrible accident and was actually in a coma, that I would wake up from. None of this could be real. I shook my head, and looked over to the pool, seeing Denise and Kenzie flirting with a couple of cute guys, while they lay back on some floats. I walked over to the edge of the pool, and waved at them to get their attention. "Neece! Kenz!" I waved them towards me, when they looked over. "What's up babe? Where's ya boo?" Denise asked, looking around. "What? Who are you talking about?" I asked, looking in the direction that she was looking. I didn't see anyone. "Colby, dumbass. Where is he? I thought I just saw you talking to him and Sam." I rolled my eyes. "He's not my boo, or my bae, or any of that stupid shit. He's not MY anything." I heard the tone of my voice, getting a little stern and I regretted it, but I didn't want to think of things like that when I knew it wasn't possible. Besides, kiss or not, Colby was surrounded by extremely hot LA Instagram models every day of his life. There would be no way in hell that he would find me even remotely attractive. "Okaaayy geez," Denise replied, cocking her eyebrow at me. "What's up then? Why'd you call us over?" I sighed, knowing how this was about to sound, considering that I had just denied anything with Colby Brock. "Sam invited us over to the VIP area to hang out. Wanna come?" I purposely left out Colby's name, but I saw the smirk on her face and the way she shared a glance with Kenzie. I chose to ignore it. "Hell yea, we do! Why is that even a question??" Kenzie exclaimed, grabbing onto the ladder and pulling herself out of the pool. Denise was right behind her. "Are you serious? We're going in there?" Kenzie pointed towards the walled up area. I nodded, and walked to my chair to round up my stuff. "Yeah, grab your things and let's go. They're expecting us." Denise laughed. "Oh they're expecting us? Or Colby is expecting you?" "Shut UP Neece," I growled at her, snatching my bag up and shoving my towel inside of it. She snickered again, and I heard Kenzie's light giggle. Bitches. I walked ahead of them, towards the security guy and stopped in front of him. "Hey, Sam Golbach said that we could come through. We're with him and Colby Brock." I was nervous, but I tried to sound professional. He checked his little list and I saw where he had written our names beside Sam's. "Names?" "Terra." "Denise." "Kenzie." We all replied, one after the other. "Okay, go on through." He opened the gate for us, and I swear it almost felt like we were royalty, passing through those gates. I glanced around as we walked inside, and stood awkwardly off to the side. I spotted Jake and Tara at the smaller pool, over by the bar, playing chicken with a couple of others that I didn't recognize. I assumed that they were influencers too. "Hey TT" I heard Sarah's voice ring out so loud that I felt like everyone in the area looked over to us. My eyes found Sarah, practically sitting in Brennen's lap in the hot tub. "My babies are finally heeeerrree," she gushed out, wading to the side, and resting her elbows on the concrete. She was drunk. I walked over to her, making sure that the girls were following me. Brennen came up behind her and grabbed her waist, making her shriek, and fall into the guy that was next to her. Oh shit. The guy that I somehow hadn't realized had dark, almost black hair, because it was wet, with little curls sticking up in the back on the sides. "Whoa there beautiful," he said laughing, and helping her find her balance again. "Bren, maybe don't do that when she's intoxicated." Brennen made a "whoops" face and shrugged. "Maybe you're right bro. My bad." Sarah just giggled, and snuggled against Brennen's neck when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's okay, I'm not that drunk. just buzzing pretty good. My friends are here though!" Colby turned then, once again letting his gaze trail up my body so freaking slowly, it felt like his fingertips. I couldn't breathe. I forgot how. By the time his eyes reached mine, I sucked in a shaky breath, and realized that my hands were tightened into fists. "Hey," he said, his voice deeper than usual, his pupils darkening his blue eyes. "Heey," I breathed out in return. "Well don't just stand there! Come on!" Sarah said, shoving Brennen over to the other side of Sam, so that we could have room to step into the hot tub. I started to get in but Denise shoved her bag in my arms, with Kenzie doing the same right behind her. They darted ahead of me, and dipped down into the steaming water. I turned and set all of our stuff down beside an empty chair that was located nearby, then took the few steps back to the hot tub. Colby glanced up at me again, as I stepped closer to the edge and started to sink down into the water. I couldn't stop the actual moan that left my lips as the hot water closed over my body. I looked around for where I was supposed to sit and found only one spot. In between Kenzie...and Colby.