Let Love In
Eight.
The house party was well under way by the time they had arrived. Garrett swung his arm around Noah as they crossed the lawn towards the side gate, heading straight for the back yard. A few couples were already balancing red cups or beer bottles in one hand, their partner’s neck, hair, or shoulder in the other, scattered around the deck and hot tub. Loud music came from inside the house, filling the night air around them as it seeped through the open windows and back door.
They made their way through the yard into the house, scoping out the logistics of the party before finding the open bar in the kitchen. Riley and John were leaving the kitchen, drinks already in hand, making a b-line for the dance floor when Garrett and Noah stepped into the connecting hallway.
Colin was in the middle of mixing a drink when the couple approached the bar, and Noah saw him slip an extra shot or two into his drink at the sight of Garrett’s arm around her. Sarah wasn’t too far away, engrossed in a conversation with another girl who was hanging off of Eric.
“What’ll it be?” Colin’s voice floated over his cup as he stared at Noah; she hadn’t realized Garrett being pulled away by someone a moment earlier, leaving her standing alone.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Colin let out a sigh as he took another swig from his red cup. “Look, I know what I said before about being underage, but if you’re going to drink, I’d feel better knowing what it was, in case something bad were to happen.”
Noah looked into his eyes and saw sincerity, glancing back at the selection before responding. She took a deep breath. “Surprise me.”
His eyebrow raised in surprise. “Surprise me?”
Noah nodded, determined to have a good night. Colin handed her the red cup a few minutes later, followed by a “Bottoms-up.” as Sarah, Eric, and the girl approached them.
“Colin, Noah, this is my girlfriend, Jamie; Sarah’s boyfriend, my cousin Colin, and her sister, Noah.” Eric pointed out introductions and Jamie nodded a polite hello as Sarah and Colin broke away, hand in hand, headed towards the dance floor.
Noah had no idea what was in her drink, neither did she care as she chugged it, feeling the burn of the alcohol mix with the fizzyness of the soda as it raced down her throat and start to course through her system. Garrett arrived behind her moments later, two drinks in hand, handing her the cup from his left hand. She drank that one a little too quickly, not giving a shit if she were to get drunk at this point, hoping the alcohol would take her mind off Colin and Sarah. “That was pretty good; can you make me another one?” She stared at Garrett, handing him back her cup with a smile playing on her lips.
By the fifth or sixth drink, Garrett had pulled her to the surprisingly crowded dance floor in the living room, looking for any excuse to be closer to her.
Loud bass beats from techno remixes blared from the sound system in the living room, no one on the dance floor was without a beer can or red cup. “I-I’m a h-horrible dancer.” Noah mumbled as Garrett picked out a spot in the middle of the crowd.
“Who fucking cares? Let’s just have a good time.” He smiled a lopsided smile, placing his free hand roughly on her hip as he took a sip of his drink.
He pulled her closer to him as the beat changed, and Noah could see a hint of glossy eyes. She imagined herself to be worse; she was somewhat of a lightweight when it came to drinking, but she didn’t care. The alcohol coursing through her veins allowed her to let loose and enjoy the moment.
They sipped their drinks as they danced, the space between them getting smaller and more compact by the second until their bodies pressed against each other. Garrett’s hand had stayed firmly planted on Noah’s hip, intensifying the grip when the space between them disappeared.
In the middle of a Top 40 hit blaring through the speakers, out of nowhere Garrett’s lips crashed into Noah’s. It was sloppy and unexpected at first, but long enough for Noah to move her hand from his shoulder to his hair before it was over. “I-I’m really attracted to you Noah, and n-not just when I’ve been drinking.” Garrett exhaled as he bit down on his lip, the smell of alcohol on his warm breath spreading across Noah’s face.
A wave of endorphins and butterflies crashed over Noah as he spoke; she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol talking or real feelings, but she leaned in kissing him back, causing his sentence to trail off. As their lips pressed together, she could feel both hands on her back, pulling them closer together. “M-me too.” She mumbled against his bottom lip, only loud enough for him to hear as she ran her fingers slowly through his hair. Their empty cups had fallen to the floor and their kiss slowly intensified as the beat of the music changed.
Noah breathed in the smell of Garrett’s cologne, hidden under the aroma of alcohol and sweat that hung in the air around them. His scent was intoxicating to her, or maybe that was the alcohol talking again, but either way she didn’t care. Just to feel his lips on hers made her body burn for more.
As other couples bumped into them, Garrett pulled away to get a new drink. “Do you want anything?”
Noah nodded a flustered yes, mumbling another “surprise me” as he turned and walked away, leaving her alone on the dance floor.
At this point, no one in the room was even moderately sober anymore, made very clear by the drunken and mildly animalistic behavior currently on display. Some couples grinded on the dance floor to the music, while almost every chair or corner of the room was filled with Molly Makeout and Horny Harry. Noah didn’t blame them, that’s what was to be expected at a party like this with lots of free booze and dancing, with no proper adult supervision present on a Saturday night. John and Riley had long since disappeared, along with Eric and his girlfriend. As she scanned the room for any familiar faces, Noah’s eyes fell on Colin and Sarah’s lips being pulled apart in the far corner, Sarah escorting them out of the room towards another part of the house a moment later.
A crashing wave of jealousy hit Noah like a ton of bricks. Garrett returned to her quickly, swooping his arm around her and placing the cup in her hands from over her shoulder. Noah turned, looking straight into his eyes before downing the entire contents of the red cup. Her throat burned as she gasped for air, a bitter taste of hard alcohol made its way down as she blinked a few times before their lips quickly reconnected.
“Wow,” Garrett murmured against her lips, pulling her body closer to his. “Wanna find some place a little less, um, crowded?” The hairs on the back of Noah’s neck stood up, goose bumps appearing all across her skin as Garrett whispered suggestively into her ear.
“Lead the way.” She exhaled, lacing her fingers with his.
They made their way through the yard into the house, scoping out the logistics of the party before finding the open bar in the kitchen. Riley and John were leaving the kitchen, drinks already in hand, making a b-line for the dance floor when Garrett and Noah stepped into the connecting hallway.
Colin was in the middle of mixing a drink when the couple approached the bar, and Noah saw him slip an extra shot or two into his drink at the sight of Garrett’s arm around her. Sarah wasn’t too far away, engrossed in a conversation with another girl who was hanging off of Eric.
“What’ll it be?” Colin’s voice floated over his cup as he stared at Noah; she hadn’t realized Garrett being pulled away by someone a moment earlier, leaving her standing alone.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Colin let out a sigh as he took another swig from his red cup. “Look, I know what I said before about being underage, but if you’re going to drink, I’d feel better knowing what it was, in case something bad were to happen.”
Noah looked into his eyes and saw sincerity, glancing back at the selection before responding. She took a deep breath. “Surprise me.”
His eyebrow raised in surprise. “Surprise me?”
Noah nodded, determined to have a good night. Colin handed her the red cup a few minutes later, followed by a “Bottoms-up.” as Sarah, Eric, and the girl approached them.
“Colin, Noah, this is my girlfriend, Jamie; Sarah’s boyfriend, my cousin Colin, and her sister, Noah.” Eric pointed out introductions and Jamie nodded a polite hello as Sarah and Colin broke away, hand in hand, headed towards the dance floor.
Noah had no idea what was in her drink, neither did she care as she chugged it, feeling the burn of the alcohol mix with the fizzyness of the soda as it raced down her throat and start to course through her system. Garrett arrived behind her moments later, two drinks in hand, handing her the cup from his left hand. She drank that one a little too quickly, not giving a shit if she were to get drunk at this point, hoping the alcohol would take her mind off Colin and Sarah. “That was pretty good; can you make me another one?” She stared at Garrett, handing him back her cup with a smile playing on her lips.
By the fifth or sixth drink, Garrett had pulled her to the surprisingly crowded dance floor in the living room, looking for any excuse to be closer to her.
Loud bass beats from techno remixes blared from the sound system in the living room, no one on the dance floor was without a beer can or red cup. “I-I’m a h-horrible dancer.” Noah mumbled as Garrett picked out a spot in the middle of the crowd.
“Who fucking cares? Let’s just have a good time.” He smiled a lopsided smile, placing his free hand roughly on her hip as he took a sip of his drink.
He pulled her closer to him as the beat changed, and Noah could see a hint of glossy eyes. She imagined herself to be worse; she was somewhat of a lightweight when it came to drinking, but she didn’t care. The alcohol coursing through her veins allowed her to let loose and enjoy the moment.
They sipped their drinks as they danced, the space between them getting smaller and more compact by the second until their bodies pressed against each other. Garrett’s hand had stayed firmly planted on Noah’s hip, intensifying the grip when the space between them disappeared.
In the middle of a Top 40 hit blaring through the speakers, out of nowhere Garrett’s lips crashed into Noah’s. It was sloppy and unexpected at first, but long enough for Noah to move her hand from his shoulder to his hair before it was over. “I-I’m really attracted to you Noah, and n-not just when I’ve been drinking.” Garrett exhaled as he bit down on his lip, the smell of alcohol on his warm breath spreading across Noah’s face.
A wave of endorphins and butterflies crashed over Noah as he spoke; she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol talking or real feelings, but she leaned in kissing him back, causing his sentence to trail off. As their lips pressed together, she could feel both hands on her back, pulling them closer together. “M-me too.” She mumbled against his bottom lip, only loud enough for him to hear as she ran her fingers slowly through his hair. Their empty cups had fallen to the floor and their kiss slowly intensified as the beat of the music changed.
Noah breathed in the smell of Garrett’s cologne, hidden under the aroma of alcohol and sweat that hung in the air around them. His scent was intoxicating to her, or maybe that was the alcohol talking again, but either way she didn’t care. Just to feel his lips on hers made her body burn for more.
As other couples bumped into them, Garrett pulled away to get a new drink. “Do you want anything?”
Noah nodded a flustered yes, mumbling another “surprise me” as he turned and walked away, leaving her alone on the dance floor.
At this point, no one in the room was even moderately sober anymore, made very clear by the drunken and mildly animalistic behavior currently on display. Some couples grinded on the dance floor to the music, while almost every chair or corner of the room was filled with Molly Makeout and Horny Harry. Noah didn’t blame them, that’s what was to be expected at a party like this with lots of free booze and dancing, with no proper adult supervision present on a Saturday night. John and Riley had long since disappeared, along with Eric and his girlfriend. As she scanned the room for any familiar faces, Noah’s eyes fell on Colin and Sarah’s lips being pulled apart in the far corner, Sarah escorting them out of the room towards another part of the house a moment later.
A crashing wave of jealousy hit Noah like a ton of bricks. Garrett returned to her quickly, swooping his arm around her and placing the cup in her hands from over her shoulder. Noah turned, looking straight into his eyes before downing the entire contents of the red cup. Her throat burned as she gasped for air, a bitter taste of hard alcohol made its way down as she blinked a few times before their lips quickly reconnected.
“Wow,” Garrett murmured against her lips, pulling her body closer to his. “Wanna find some place a little less, um, crowded?” The hairs on the back of Noah’s neck stood up, goose bumps appearing all across her skin as Garrett whispered suggestively into her ear.
“Lead the way.” She exhaled, lacing her fingers with his.
♠ ♠ ♠
This update was originally going to be twice as long, but after posting the original full chapter, I found a good place to cut it off and save the second part for chapter nine instead ;)