He looked down at me.
He lowered his mouth down to my ear. “Being rich isn’t free, Winter. Neither is being powerful. My advice is to eat, drink, and let tomorrow’s hangover distract you from anything that’s real.”
Easton took my hand, interlocking his fingers into mine.
I had no idea where we were going next.
He got me and him a drink and we found a place to stand where it wasn’t so crowded and busy.
That’s when Easton gave me a little rundown of who I was looking at.
Again, it was just super rich people. Families. Power. Everyone secretly hating one another but smiling face to face. Shaking hands. Telling stories. Booming with laughter. Yet they couldn’t wait to rush back to their rooms to start the backstabbing.
Easton pointed out who was sleeping with who, which was eye-opening.
That part I didn’t need to hear.
But it was interesting to hear Easton just talk.
He was pissed off and the floodgates were open.
He would tell me anything with the mood he was in.
That was kind of perfect too.
I caught myself smiling, finishing my drink, and grabbing a second one.
Halfway through that drink, I decided to ask Easton some personal questions.
Before I could ask one question, Easton stepped forward. “Fuck.”
“What’s wrong?”
“That’s what’s wrong!”
He pointed and I looked to see Noah.
Fighting someone.
Chapter 20
fight, food, info
I had no idea who Noah was fighting but it certainly got the attention of anyone who could see.
Easton threw his glass to the ground and ran toward the fight, dragging me with him.
We met up with Xavier a few seconds later.
“Who is it?” Xavier asked.
“How the fuck do I know?” Easton asked. “We have to get him out of here. Right now.”
They ran right into the middle of the fight.
Noah threw a right fist and hit the other guy in the cheek.
The guy took the punch and threw one right back at Noah, hitting him in the stomach.
When we got close enough, I noticed Noah’s lip was bleeding.
The guy he was fighting had blood smeared all over his nose.
“Fuck, it’s Henry,” Easton said.
He got in the middle of the fight and Xavier grabbed Noah.
But Noah wasn’t having it.
He started to throw punches at Xavier, wanting to get away from Xavier and get back to the fight.
I looked from the corner of my eye and saw all the people staring.
They were shocked. Some covering their mouths.
The music was still being played, which was a good thing.
Then I spotted Noah’s parents.
Roland and Gina.
Gina chugged from a tall, skinny glass.
Roland looked disgusted from under his mask and shook his head.
This was both uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Noah threw an elbow at Xavier, hitting him in the jaw.
I heard Xavier groan.
“Just back the fuck off, man,” Easton yelled at the other guy.
Henry. Who was Henry?
“Get his ass out of here,” Henry said. “He’s drunk. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”
“Just walk away, man,” Easton said.
“I’ll fucking kill him!” Noah roared.
I heard people gasp.
These rich assholes…
I grabbed Xavier’s arm and pulled him away from Noah.
Noah turned and I saw him lift a fist.
Like he was going to swing at Xavier again.
So I slapped Noah across the face.
That pulled his attention to me.
I took his hand and pulled.
He stumbled along with me and I raced us both out from under the tent.
“Fuck that guy,” he said.
He reached for a glass from a tray and I slapped it away.
The glass fell and shattered against the rocks.
The drink spilled all over one of the worker’s pants and shoes.
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“They’re not allowed to talk to us,” Noah said. “They’re just common workers.” He looked at me. “Not my rules.”
I gritted my teeth.
I kept walking, pulling him with me.
Noah stutter stepped with me.
When we got into the house, I remembered the stairs being to the left.
The second we got into a hallway that was dark and quiet, Noah bounced his back against a wall and grabbed for my hips.
He pulled me against him and lowered his head to kiss me.
“I fucking need you, Winter,” he said.
His lips were sloppy as they kissed mine.
His tongue basically licked my chin.
“Noah, stop,” I said.
I pushed away from him.
I wiped my mouth and saw blood, realizing his blood was on my mouth now.
“I’m so sorry about everything,” he said.
I froze in place. “What did you just say?”
He looked at me and he looked sad and sincere.
“Winter… I’m sorry for what I did…”
He pulled me toward him and tried to kiss me one more time.
I slapped his face again and backed off. “What did you just say? Why did you say that?”
Noah shook his head.
His mouth moved but he wasn’t speaking.
“Noah!” I yelled.
“Oh, Winter…”
He slowly started to look at me again.
It was going to happen.
He was going to apologize and confess what they did to me. If that happened, then all the pressure would be off my back.
“Where did they go?” Easton’s voice asked.
I grabbed Noah’s shirt. “Tell me what you’re sorry about. Right now.”
Before Noah could say anything, Easton and Xavier appeared.
“We have to keep going,” Xavier said.
Easton slipped a hand to my side and started to walk me forward.
Xavier threw one of Noah’s arms around his shoulder and dragged him along the floor.
“What was that about?” I asked Easton.
“Soon enough,” he said. “We have to get to the room first. Just keep going, Winter.”
I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the walk.
Behind me I heard Noah groaning and making gibberish noises.
“How much did he drink?” Xavier asked.
“I don’t know,” Easton said. “It wasn’t my turn to be his babysitter.”
“This is a fucking joke,” Xavier said.
I looked back. “Just be a good friend and shut up.”
We got upstairs to the room and Easton broke away from me to help Xavier with Noah.
They took him right to the bathroom.
I heard water running.
Then I heard the familiar sound of someone throwing up.
It made my stomach twist and turn.
Slowly, I walked to the window and looked down to the giant tent.
It was intense and scary what happened in there.
Everything was so fast and was unplanned.
I didn’t like any of it.
I regretted coming with the guys but I couldn’t leave now.
It was just getting started too.
I stood at the window until Easton and Xavier were done with Noah.