1.1 The Chronicles of Us - Vice & Virtue

Chapter thirty-five

Satisfied and a little scatterbrained, we reach our clothes again and I immediately see the error we've made. My dress will get wet over my bikini and Tex won't be comfortable wearing soaked boxers underneath his snug jeans.

My lip pouts. "I didn't bring a towel."

Tex shrugs. "We can just go home if you want. I believe there's one of those outrageous triple-chocolate muffins left."

Nope.

"I ate it when you were in the shower." He badly suppresses an eye-roll. "Besides, I haven't even enjoyed the party. We've been together for the most part."

He nods. "All right. Well, I have a dry pair of boxers in my bag. I'll change into those."

Surprise tugs at my features. "You brought clean underwear but no swim trunks?"

His smirk grows considerably. "I foresaw the possibility of defiling my boxers. I mean, my poor dick didn't stand a chance against you in that bikini."

For everyone's sake, I don't jump him. Instead, I slide my dress over my head. As expected, two wet spots form at my bosom. I guess, I can get dry by the fire. Since Tex' dry underwear is still in his bag by the bonfire, he carries his clothes with him. We walk back to the party, hand in hand. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm gloating excessively. He actually asked me to be his girlfriend. It's not a lifetime guarantee, per se, but it's a commitment nonetheless.

Frank—who introduced himself when we first arrived—watches us come his way. He's an interesting character. Red pinstripe pants, rolled up at the ankles, and no shirt. Just like Tex, his torso is covered in ink. Though, his are colorful. A bleached wide and short mohawk sits atop of his head. The nose underneath is a bit crooked like it's been broken. Everything about him screams bad guy. Everything except his eyes. They are very friendly.

Frank grins widely. "Hey, lovebirds, where have you been?"

"Goddammit!" Tex raises his voice, but it lacks real anger. "Can't I have a private moment with my girlfriend without you people being on my case."

His reaction is wildly overblown but, apparently, this is his way of informing his friends on his changed relationship status. I decide not to embarrass him by smothering his entire face with kisses but boy, do I want to.

Frank laughs and slaps Tex' shoulder, showing a silver bead on his tongue. A piercing? "Well done, dude. Didn't think you had it in you."

Tex shrugs like it's no big deal, but the attention makes him awkwardly self-conscious. "Yeah ... I mean, can't run from it forever, right?"

The forced chuckle that left his mouth ties a tiny knot in my stomach. Does he really want this—us? What if he only asked to please me? No, he's not the type to do things against his will. Maybe we're not on the same page yet, but we're definitely getting there. I'm a fast reader is all. He'll catch up soon enough.

Just when I'm about to give him a reassuring squeeze, Charlotte grabs me by the upper arm and yanks me a couple steps away. She bounces a little, eyes big with excitement. "Did Tex just call you his girlfriend?"

Proud as a peacock, I answer, "Yes, he did."

"Oh, wow! There's a thing I thought I'd never hear. Vicky's gonna be sooo pissed."

I fumble with my elbow-skin. "Not too much, I hope. I don't want to cause drama within the group."

"Don't worry, Ellie." Her smile seems warm and genuine. "You're part of our group now, too. Besides, Vicky isn't shy of attention. She'll find a new guy to obsess over in no time."