Page 118 of Awestruck at Dusk
“Not really.” I pulled my phone out. “I must’ve left my keys in the car.” Aaron had a spare set of keys, so this wasn’t really an issue. I was about to unlock my phone to text the guys for help when Liam seized my phone and walked away. Back to William’s apartment.
I was going to kill the guy. “Liam!”
He walked right in, and I halted at the door as if I’d crashed against an invisible wall when I spotted William. Fuck. At least he was alone.A proper sausage fest. Good. But not really. I needed my phone. And I needed to leave.
“Why don’t you join us for a drink, Red?” Liam shouted, pouring himself another. “It might help you relax and remember where you left your keys.” He chuckled.
William’s apartment was configured differently from mine. He removed the gallery wall, which gave me a clear view of his apartment’s social area. It felt bigger.
“Guys, this is Billie. William’s next-door neighbor, and you know … Nathan’s ex. But I’m sure you all know who she is since most of you crashed her birthday party in April just to see Dave Matthews Band performing.” A thoughtful introduction.
About six other guys, including William, sat in his living room, and they were now all looking at me. They greeted me, and I greeted them back. William didn’t partake in this interaction. Well, only if a subtle jerk of the chin counts as such.
“So, what can I offer you to drink, Red?”
“You need to stop calling me Red, and I want my phone back.” I extended my hand and swiveled my fingers, but a smile escaped me. I swear it was the tequila because I knew I was pissed, but Liam calling me Red was bittersweet. It was nice to hear it again, but not from him.
The guys laughed and mocked Liam after I blew him off, but he only joined in with the laughs.
William was already burning a hole through my forehead with his blue laser-beam glare. Us women are blessed with exceptional peripheral vision. Cursed, I would say.
“Just give her back her phone, man,” one of the guys said. My eyes couldn’t take it anymore. I glanced at William for a second, and yup. He was indeed staring at me and sipping on a beer as usual. My presence didn’t seem to agree with him.
Liam left my phone on the coffee table and said, “Here you go. All yours.”
“Keep it.” I walked away, intending to find Aaron downstairs, and ask him to open my door. Not only did I refuse to set foot inside William’s apartment, but it was physically impossible for me to walk through that door. I just … couldn’t. I could retrieve my phone later.
The elevator doors opened for me, and someone grabbed my bare arm, stopping me from leaving. I didn’t have to turn around to know whose hand that was because the way my skin reacts to him is abnormally pathetic—a cruel joke.
“You’re locked out,” William affirmed. Not a question.Nice to see you too. He dropped my arm once the elevator doors almost pinched my nose. His face was clean-shaven, just how I liked it. And as much as I tried not to evaluate his overall appearance, I did. And yeah, I preferred him this way—his perfect masculine bone structure on display.
I tried breathing in through my mouth, but it was useless. His cologne had me cornered.
“Your phone.” William handed it over and walked away, pulling a set of keys out of his perfectly pressed pants pocket. He was dressed a bit more elegant than usual and headed straight to my apartment.
He’s got keys to your apartment,remember? And you’d think I’d forgotten about that little fun fact, but I hadn’t. It was a thought that was best not to pull from my mind.
Not a single facial gesture escaped William as he unlocked my door and pushed it slightly open for me. Androids could be crafted after him.
“Thank you,” I said with a frown, my hand removing the keys that hung from the last lock.
Two guys rushed out of William’s apartment toward the elevator, and the doors opened when they were still halfway there. Five girls walked out of it. One of them was Rachel King. She wore a beautiful terracotta silk dress with thin straps and a cowl neck. A high but elegant slit displayed her toned legs. Her dark chestnut hair was done in soft waves that bounced against her golden-brown skin.
William looked in their direction, and Rachel dispatched the biggest smile at him. He freaking smiled back.
“Good night,” I said, stepping inside my apartment, dragging my heart on the floor behind me. “Thanks again.”
I pushed the door, but William stopped it with his foot, and I can still taste the frustration I felt when he said, “My keys, please,” because a part of me thought he would say something more in the line of a taunt, a claim, a statement of disagreement. Anything other than that. Something to show me that underneath it all, an emotion awaited—ached to resurface.
But I just replied, “Right,” and handed them over to him.
“Wait,” he said, a second before I shut the door in his face, feeling my blood pumping aggressively through the veins of my neck.
“Yes?” I peeked through the small opening.
“Joel and Lily just got engaged. There’s going to be an impromptu engagement party on the rooftop right now. You’re invited. Check your texts.” And with that, he left, and I almost collapsed on the floor because not only would I have to watch William and Rachel there, but Nathan was going to be there for sure.
My phone was boasting with text messages from Lily where she told me about the news. Tobias had texted me too to let me know about the engagement party.
