17. Ring-a-round the rosie


Deon


I barely hear the clapping and the whistling around me as I blow out the candles. I stare at the very expensive-looking cake for a moment in awe. It looks amazing and heavenly. It has Toblerone, KitKat, Lindt, Maltesers and so many other different types of chocolates placed around it with a few on carefully rested on top. The cake is made up of two massive circular layers of cake and is about ten inches tall. When I cut into it with the knife, creamy liquid chocolate oozes out of it and into the huge white bowl kind of thing the cake stands on.

God. This is the most amazing cake I've ever had for my birthday in the history of birthdays, and I'm pretty sure it was made by the person who hates me the most in the world right now. Genevieve doesn't count.

"I don't take orders, but I'll think about it." I remember her saying.

At this moment I very much regret kissing Gen back. I really don't know what took over me, because I wouldn't, in a million years, have done that. I of course didn't kiss her back, but letting her put her lips on me for more than a sec counts for kissing, right? I guess I was too stunned to push her away immediately.

After everyone goes back to mingling, drinking and whatever they were doing, and the party's back in full swing, I scan the living room and the kitchen for Pres, but come up empty. I try the bathroom downstairs where there's a guy I don't even know, knocking on the door. I walk towards it and knock hard on the door a couple times, but there's no response, just weird noises coming from inside. Weird kissing noises, to be specific. I try the handle and it opens inward to reveal a very drunk looking Maddy and Tyler, who are trying to swallow each other's faces up.

"Jesus, you guys. What the actual fuck? Can you two take this into one of the guest rooms upstairs? There's a guy outside waiting to use the fucking bathroom." At the sound of my demanding voice they break away from each other, looking confused, before following me out of the bathroom. "You two really need to get a fucking handle on each other's libidos," I tell them once the guy who was outside raises two middle fingers at them and shoves his way inside the bathroom. "Also, can one of you please tell me where Presley is?"

"Uh...she's upstairs I think," Tyler slurs.

What?! "Why? With whom?" I ask, gaping.

"Calm down, you control freak." Maddy giggles. "I saw her fucking this guy upstairs, and I was very happy for her, since you obviously made her think you like her but then pussytracked, I mean, backtracked. Wait, what was his name again? Tristan?"

My blood starts to boil as I take in what Maddy just said. My face feels all warm and flushed, and my fists clench and unclench at my sides.

"Maddy." I try to sound as calm as possible as my breath comes out in short puffs. "Please tell me you're joking."

She's silent for a few moments before she starts laughing her ass off. "I am."

"You think this is funny?" I growl, on the verge of losing my self-control.

"Calm down, dude." I hear Ty's voice behind me, and I back away slowly. He doesn't seem as drunk as he looks. "I'm sure she's just upstairs with your little sis. Go check on her."

I nod. Spinning around, I walk towards the staircase and away from them as Eminem's 'Fack' starts playing. I feel terrible for almost yelling at Maddy. I make a mental note to apologize to her tomorrow before hurrying upstairs, taking two steps at a time.

I check all five guest rooms first, for my own sanity, and in case Maddy wasn't joking, but only to see a guy and a girl from school making out. Then I check my room to find it thankfully spotless and empty. The last time I checked my room like this back at our old house in Nashville, I found Kay on my bed on all fours, and right below him was some girl from our old school who was three or four years older than him. He was grunting while he screwed her brains out from behind and the girl was screaming. She at least had the decency to blush, apologize and grab her shit and leave after I yelled at my fucking brother and shoved him off my bed. I really wish I could unsee that very disturbing visual even though it's near impossible. Fucking Kay.

I stride inside my room and grab my room key off the study table before striding back out the door and locking it behind me for safe measures. When I walk towards the nursery, I hear squealing and giggling from inside.

The sitter must have left by now. It's almost eleven.

I slowly turn the handle and crack the door open before peering inside.

Pres is seated on the floor with Bree and a few of her friends in a circle, out of breath with laughter. Bree kicks her feet up and down a few times before saying, "Let's do it again!"

They all stand up and start doing 'Ring-a-round the rosie.'

There's half a dozen kids in there, but my sole attention is on the beautiful sexy goddess among them.


Presley


"Ring-a-round the rosie,

Pocket full of posies,

Ashes, ashes,

We all fall down."

Bree and the other kids fall down on their backs and start howling in laughter, but I just stand where I am with my hands on my hips because I saw something while doing 'Ring-a-round the rosie' that almost stopped my heart and broke it a little.

"Are you just gonna stand there and watch us all night, or are you gonna come in and join us?" I say without looking at the door.

Deon steps into the nursery and closes the door behind him. He looks like the human version of Ken from Barbie, but with silky black hair. His white floral shirt with green and blue flowers is a little wrinkled and his hair is disheveled, making him look like every girl's wet dream. I can almost see the outline of his rock hard abs I know are there under his shirt.

Oh, god. What am I thinking?

I mentally punch myself before closing my gaping mouth.

And the arrogant jerk smirks. He knows he still affects me the same way he did that night we had a midnight picnic, and every day since I first saw him.

"Hey, girls. Do you mind if I borrow Presley now? I didn't get my share of play with her," Deon says, pouting sexily.

"You've played enough," I whisper to myself.

"What was that?" Deon asks, still smirking. I would love to slap that arrogant smirk right off his face. However, what I actually do is blush. Furiously. Damn him and his stupid smirk.

"Nothing," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"She said." Bree steps in front of me, with her tiny hands on her hips, her friends flanking her. "That you've played enough with her." What she means is playing physically and not with emotions, which Deon and I both know, but from the corner of my eye I see that Deon flinches a little at Brianna's words.

"Please, guys. I really need to talk to her." He lets out a pained sigh, pinning me with his gaze.

The kids turn towards me, seeking approval. I sigh, then nod. "I'll be back in five minutes, girls."

I follow Deon outside the nursery and he shuts the door behind us. He lifts a finger to his lips and signals for me to stay quiet. "Wha—" I start to speak, but he suddenly presses his index finger to my lips.

"They are listening," he whispers in my ear, pointing at the door with his free hand, but my brain has checked out. His finger on my lips, his warm breath against my ear, his close proximity, they're all driving me crazy. They have me shivering and panting out short breaths, which I know Deon notices too, but pretends as if he doesn't.

"Pres, you're leaving already? But the party just started." Half of my strength returns and I try to move his finger away, confused, but he won't budge. He slowly moves his finger away as the door to the nursery swings open and the kids swarm around me.

"You're leaving?" One of Bree's friends asks, pouting.

"Yes, Leyana. She is," Deon smirks, staring at me, but I don't have the energy to argue right now, so I tell them that my grandmother wanted me home in ten minutes, and that I'll meet them again some other day before they hug me and wave goodbye.

As soon as they shut the door behind them, Deon's pulling me down the hallway into his room with me protesting after him.

"What the hell was that about?" I hiss, throwing my arms up in frustration.

"They always eavesdrop if there is something interesting going on outside the door."

Once we are inside his room and the door is closed, I shove him against the door. The sexy smirk on his face only angers me more. "What's wrong with you?" I demand. "I was perfectly happy back there with the kids and you had to ruin it. Did you see the looks on their sweet little faces?"

"Why weren't you downstairs at the party?"

"I was bored," I say honestly. "I had no one to talk to, and Maddy and Tyler left me alone and snuck into the bathroom downstairs to suck face."

Deon chuckles. "I was there. You could've talked to me."

"Oh, I didn't want to bother you and the pretty blonde," I counter sarcastically and Deon blanches.

"I wasn't—"

"Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh, that. When did you make the cake?"

"Today. Why?" I ask, crossing my arms. Oh no. What if he doesn't like it?

Sounding anxious, he replies to my question with one of his own, "Why did you?"

I shrug, staring down at my feet. "As a birthday gift, I guess. I'm sorry if it didn't meet your expectations."

He ignores my apology. "How much did it cost for the ingredients and the chocolates? I'm paying you back. I can't accept it as a present. It's too much."

Deon starts pacing his room, shaking his head. He pulls at his hair, looking nervous and troubled. I walk up to him and touch his shoulder gently, my earlier anger now replaced with concern. "Deon, it's alright. It's nothing. Please stop overthinking."

"It's not nothing, Presley." He pauses for a while and turns to look at me, his eyes searching mine. "My head's really messed up and I don't even know what I feel anymore. Ever since I met you... my feelings have gotten really complicated. They are all over the place."

"I know that feeling pretty well," I tell him, gently pressing my palm against his cheek. His baby blue eyes turn a shade darker and they are hypnotizing.

The air around us gets thicker and thicker while a slow hum rings in my ears as Deon bends his head down at the same time I raise my head up to meet his lips.




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