Page 69 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
While she’s bent over me, I let my hands roam all over her bare back and plump ass cheeks. I’m utterly obsessed with every one of her fucking curves.
“I thought you were with that backward hat guy?”
My ears perk up. I hope everything is alright.
“Okay, I’ll come and get you. Text me the address,” I hear her say before she ends the call. It sounds like our party is over.
“I have to pick up Zoe. She’s at a fraternity party and wants to leave, but her friends aren’t ready yet.” Lina crawls over me and off the bed. “It looks like it’s not too far from here.”
“Let me drive you.” I pull on my shirt and then a hoodie.
She quickly gets dressed on the other side of the bed. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
“Are you sure? My partying little sister is my problem,” she replies, slipping on a pair of white running shoes.
Walking over to the other side of the bed, I pull her ponytail out from underneath the back of her sweater. “I’m not donewith you yet.”
“What if I am done with you?” she remarks coyly.
I lean down and kiss her forehead. “You’re not,” I say, leaving the room and heading downstairs, confident that she’s right behind me.
“So sure of yourself, Captain Hernandez.” I hear her light footfalls.
Straightening my shoulders, I crowd her space as soon as she reaches the bottom step. “Do you want me to leave?”
Lina sucks in a tiny breath. “No.”
I knew she didn’t. Lina likes to play, and I love every bit of it. “Let’s go pick up your sister.” I grab my keys from the bowl in the entryway and lead her out the door.
Within no time, Lina and I are pulling up to an older neighborhood near campus. “I’ll text Zoe to tell her we’re outside,” she says, tapping out the message on her phone.
College-aged kids are hanging out on the front lawn while music booms from inside the house. We sit in the car for a few minutes, waiting for her sister to come out. But with no response, Lina opens the car door and is ready to barge inside the house.
“We’re going to have to go find her, goddamnit,” Lina complains.
I open my car door and follow her up the steps of the stoop. We reach the front door, which happens to be ajar—because that’s safe—we enter and immediately both start scanning the loud, crowded living room.
Lina stops. Her face quickly pales.
I wrap an arm around her. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes flutter a few times as she blinks.
Glancing over at the couple making out on an old, tattered couch that looks like it’s from the 1970s, I laugh, remembering what it was like to be this age. “Didn’t you used to party like this in college?” I tease, but Lina’s face remains blank.
“Let’s find my sister and get the hell out of here, okay?” she snaps, pushing herself between the crowds and heading into the kitchen. Her change in demeanor throws me off. I wonder if she’s scared for her sister. I’m sure Lina is no stranger to college parties. Did something happen to her?
Following her through the smoke-filled house with Greek letters written all over the walls, we finally make it to the pool area and spot Zoe.
“Zoe!” Lina calls out. “Come on.”
Lina’s sister awkwardly waves and then dumps the contents of her red solo cup into a bush before sprinting over to us. “Finally!” she says. “Hey, Brian’s friend.”
“Hello,” I return, grabbing her arm to stabilize her.
Lina’s lips purse together. “I texted you.”
