I’m so glad you came!” Hailey jumped out of her seat and hugged me.
I was thrilled to see that Hailey was also dressed casually in jeans. She wore a cropped cardigan sweater in a shade of blue that matched her eyes exactly.
“ Yeah, I needed a night out.”
“ Where’s your friend?” Jared asked casually.
“ My friend? You mean Jess? She’s back in New York, no thanks to you.” Damn. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“ She left? What does that have to do with me?”
“ Nothing. Forget I said anything.” I took a seat next to Hailey.
“ Okay...” Jared said giving me a look like he thought I was crazy. I doubted that Jared and I would ever get along.
I looked out the window. The skyline was lit by colorful lights that contrasted with the shadowing darkness. I could have stared at it for hours.
“ All right, are you guys ready to go?” Hailey asked.
“ What, already? I haven’t even had a chance to enjoy the view.”
“ You think this is a good view? Oh, just you wait,” Levi said, making everyone laugh.
“ What are you talking about?”
“ You sure about this, Levi? You know there is no turning back, right?” Owen asked Levi, purposely avoiding my eyes.
“ Absolutely.” Levi smiled making me feel even more uneasy.
Jared pushed out his chair. “Well, then let’s get going, it’s supposed to rain later tonight.”
“ Why does the rain matter?” Although the lack of information frustrated me, I couldn’t deny some excitement. I loved a good surprise.
“ Are you ready to find out just how far the rabbit hole goes, sweetheart?” Levi reached out his hand waiting for a response.
“ Rabbit hole?” I searched for a hidden meaning in the words beyond the Alice in Wonderland reference, but I couldn’t find one. Ignoring my unease, I went with my gut instinct. “Umm, sure?”
I accepted his hand and he led me through the crowd once more. My chest tightened with anticipation. I didn’t know what Levi and his friends had in store, but I hoped it was enough to take my mind off Jess.
We walked out past the elevators and into a stairwell.
As Levi ushered me up the stairs, I realized where we were headed.
“ Okay, why are we going to the roof?”
“ No more questions,” Levi insisted.
“ But—”
Levi pressed the palm of his hand into my back gently. “No more questions.”
“ It’s all right. We’re not taking you up there to kill you.” Hailey laughed but I started to question my trust in these people I hardly knew.
I thought about turning around but with Jared in front of me and Levi behind me, I didn’t see too many options. I took a deep breath. “Fine.”
I followed Jared out into the humid night. The lights of the city danced off the water and the colored lights of the Hibernia building created an eerie glow.
So enthralled by the view, I was surprised when I felt Levi’s arms wrap around me. Through the thin fabric of my tank top, I could tell he was no longer wearing a shirt.
I struggled to turn around and he loosened his arms. I took a step back. “What the hell…” I trailed off. The guys all had their shirts off and even Hailey had shed her cardigan and was now in a thin strapped tank.
My attention first went to staring at Levi’s bare muscular chest, but I quickly snapped out it.
Levi leaned over to talk to me quietly. “Now don’t freak out. I promised you I wouldn’t hurt you and I always keep my promises.”
“ Are you guys in a cult of something? Because if you are, I’m really not interested. I won’t tell anyone anything, but if you don’t mind I’m leaving.” My thoughts returned to the Alice in Wonderland reference, and I wondered if they were on drugs.
“ Chill out!” Jared yelled as his eyes changed from brown to solid black just like they had that first night in Jackson Square. Evidently, it wasn’t a drunken illusion.
“ Don’t talk to her like that,” Levi said with authority and Jared visibly
I was thrilled to see that Hailey was also dressed casually in jeans. She wore a cropped cardigan sweater in a shade of blue that matched her eyes exactly.
“ Yeah, I needed a night out.”
“ Where’s your friend?” Jared asked casually.
“ My friend? You mean Jess? She’s back in New York, no thanks to you.” Damn. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“ She left? What does that have to do with me?”
“ Nothing. Forget I said anything.” I took a seat next to Hailey.
“ Okay...” Jared said giving me a look like he thought I was crazy. I doubted that Jared and I would ever get along.
I looked out the window. The skyline was lit by colorful lights that contrasted with the shadowing darkness. I could have stared at it for hours.
“ All right, are you guys ready to go?” Hailey asked.
“ What, already? I haven’t even had a chance to enjoy the view.”
“ You think this is a good view? Oh, just you wait,” Levi said, making everyone laugh.
“ What are you talking about?”
“ You sure about this, Levi? You know there is no turning back, right?” Owen asked Levi, purposely avoiding my eyes.
“ Absolutely.” Levi smiled making me feel even more uneasy.
Jared pushed out his chair. “Well, then let’s get going, it’s supposed to rain later tonight.”
“ Why does the rain matter?” Although the lack of information frustrated me, I couldn’t deny some excitement. I loved a good surprise.
“ Are you ready to find out just how far the rabbit hole goes, sweetheart?” Levi reached out his hand waiting for a response.
“ Rabbit hole?” I searched for a hidden meaning in the words beyond the Alice in Wonderland reference, but I couldn’t find one. Ignoring my unease, I went with my gut instinct. “Umm, sure?”
I accepted his hand and he led me through the crowd once more. My chest tightened with anticipation. I didn’t know what Levi and his friends had in store, but I hoped it was enough to take my mind off Jess.
We walked out past the elevators and into a stairwell.
As Levi ushered me up the stairs, I realized where we were headed.
“ Okay, why are we going to the roof?”
“ No more questions,” Levi insisted.
“ But—”
Levi pressed the palm of his hand into my back gently. “No more questions.”
“ It’s all right. We’re not taking you up there to kill you.” Hailey laughed but I started to question my trust in these people I hardly knew.
I thought about turning around but with Jared in front of me and Levi behind me, I didn’t see too many options. I took a deep breath. “Fine.”
I followed Jared out into the humid night. The lights of the city danced off the water and the colored lights of the Hibernia building created an eerie glow.
So enthralled by the view, I was surprised when I felt Levi’s arms wrap around me. Through the thin fabric of my tank top, I could tell he was no longer wearing a shirt.
I struggled to turn around and he loosened his arms. I took a step back. “What the hell…” I trailed off. The guys all had their shirts off and even Hailey had shed her cardigan and was now in a thin strapped tank.
My attention first went to staring at Levi’s bare muscular chest, but I quickly snapped out it.
Levi leaned over to talk to me quietly. “Now don’t freak out. I promised you I wouldn’t hurt you and I always keep my promises.”
“ Are you guys in a cult of something? Because if you are, I’m really not interested. I won’t tell anyone anything, but if you don’t mind I’m leaving.” My thoughts returned to the Alice in Wonderland reference, and I wondered if they were on drugs.
“ Chill out!” Jared yelled as his eyes changed from brown to solid black just like they had that first night in Jackson Square. Evidently, it wasn’t a drunken illusion.
“ Don’t talk to her like that,” Levi said with authority and Jared visibly
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