The SUV hummed beneath Alex as he guided it away from the curb, tires whispering against the smooth asphalt beneath a sky darkening into night. Beside him, Laura lounged with a casual defiance, her black mini-dress riding provocatively high on her thighs, the glow from the street lamps igniting her red hair like molten copper flames. Her scent—a mix of vanilla sweetness tangled with something sharper, untamed—lingered in the enclosed space between them.
"Why the sour face, brother mine?" Laura teased, her voice light but edged with a challenge as she clicked her seatbelt into place. "You should be grateful to me."
Alex shot her a sideways glance, steering the car onto the main street with a practiced ease. "Oh yeah? And why’s that, sister?" he fired back, matching her tone with dry sarcasm.
Her smirk deepened. "Because I’m granting you a rare glimpse into my world—my friends. Trust me, you couldn’t get near girls that hot on your own."
"Well, *thank you* for that enlightening offer," Alex deadpanned, his voice flat as he navigated through the sparse evening traffic. "I’m truly blessed beyond words."
A heavy silence fell between them, thick with unspoken tension and the faint buzz of the city night beyond the windows. Laura tapped her fingers impatiently on the center console.
"Nothing to say?" she prodded, knowing exactly the effect her presence had on him.
"Nah. Don’t want to heat up my temper talking to you. Might end up swerving off the road into some poor pedestrian," Alex quipped, the hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Loser," she retorted with a grin.
"Right back at you, ma’am," he shot back, merging onto a busier road.
Minutes later, Laura jabbed a finger ahead. "Pull over here." The car slowed and came to a stop in front of a stylish, well-kept house alive with the murmur of voices and bursts of laughter spilling into the street.
Laura slipped out, her heels clicking assertively against the pavement. "Wait here. I’m getting them."
The front door suddenly flung open, and a wave of girls spilled out onto the porch, their laughter ringing sharp and bright like a challenge. Jess led the pack—her long red dress clinging to every curve, blonde hair falling in effortless waves. Behind her came Mia, with her sleek black bob and a rebellious leather skirt; Sarah, the curly-haired brunette in a midriff-baring top; and Angelica, sporting a sleek ponytail and cutoff denim shorts.
Jess’s eyes locked on Alex through the car window. "Laura’s loser stepbrother’s driving, huh?"
"Yup," Laura replied, her voice clipped. "Not like she had much choice."
"Then you sit with him," Jess declared, crossing her arms with a cocky smile.
"Why me?" Laura challenged, voice sharp.
Mia shrugged. "Jess is right. Why should any of us suffer the whole ride next to a loser? You brought him—you deal with it."
Alex’s lips twitched. *Her friends are even nastier than she is,* he thought with an amused smirk, stepping out of the car and resting casually against the hood.
"Relax, ladies," he said, glancing at the cluster of girls. "There’s plenty of space in the back. No one has to suffer next to the driver."
Four heads snapped toward him, a charged silence settling over the group.
Sarah’s voice lowered to a whisper. "Jess... he’s actually super hot."
Jess’s eyes widened, stunned. "Wait, you didn’t recognize him? That’s Alex—third year junior. The hottest guy on campus." She turned to Laura, her tone venomous. "Why didn’t you say your brother was *that guy*?"
Laura opened her mouth, then closed it again, caught off guard.
Jess sashayed toward the passenger door, hips swaying with deliberate confidence. "Someone’s got to show you the ropes at the party," she said, sliding a manicured hand along the door’s edge. "I’ll take that front seat."
Mia stepped forward, objection clear on her face. "Why you? That’s not fair."
"I planned this whole night," Jess snapped sharply. "It's my call."
Sarah grinned slyly. "How about taking turns?"
"No way!" Jess barked, already swinging the door open like a queen claiming her throne.
Laura stood frozen on the sidewalk, fiery hair whipping in the gentle breeze, eyes blazing with a mix of frustration and something more volatile.
Alex slid behind the wheel again, Jess settling into the passenger seat with all the grace and arrogance of royalty. Her dress crept higher as she crossed her legs, the faintest smirk playing on her lips.
The back doors slammed, and Laura squeezed herself between Mia and Sarah, arms crossed tightly, lips pressed into a thin line.
The engine roared to life, bass vibrations rolling through the chassis as Alex eased the SUV into motion.
Jess leaned her head toward him, a swirl of perfume flooding the cabin. "So, Alex... got a girlfriend?" Her tone was teasing, flirtatious.
He kept his gaze fixed on the road ahead, voice steady. "Nope."
"Really?" She traced a slow finger in a circle on the gearshift, drawing closer. "A guy like you? Single?"
"Guess I’m selective," he replied evenly, resisting the urge to glance at her.
She laughed, low and husky. "Smart move. Most girls are boring, but me? I’m a limited edition." Her knee brushed his thigh, a deliberate, electric contact. "I could think of better ways to burn calories than the gym."
Behind her, in the rearview mirror, Laura’s reflection flared—eyes locked on Jess’s hand grazing Alex’s arm, jaw clenched tight.
Jess tilted her head, golden waves tumbling over one shoulder. "So, what do you really get up to when you’re not chauffeuring your sister’s friends? Something dangerous, maybe?" She let her nails graze the sensitive inside of his elbow.
Alex’s voice grew colder, flat. "Video games. Gym. Pretty boring stuff."
"Boring?" She chuckled breathily. "With a body like that? Please. I could think of far more exciting ways to make your heart race." Her knee nudged him again, slow and knowing.
From the backseat, Laura snapped. "Jess, he’s driving. Maybe save the porn audition for later."
Jess didn’t even look back. "He’s not your boyfriend, Laura." She leaned in, lips brushing Alex’s ear. "Ignore her. She’s stuck in the kiddie section."
Alex’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as he pulled into a crowded lot behind a sprawling lake house. Thumping bass vibrated through the ground, colored lights strobed across the darkened trees, casting wild shadows. He killed the engine.
Jess unbuckled with a breathless smile, leaning in close. "Text me when you’re done being such a good boy." She slipped a folded note into his palm—her phone number scrawled in bright red ink—before stepping out, hips swaying confidently toward the entrance.
The back doors flew open as Mia, Sarah, and Angelica spilled out behind her. Laura lingered a moment, eyes burning with heat and something unreadable as they locked on Alex.
He raised an eyebrow. "Problem?"
She leaned in, voice low and urgent. "Don’t you dare take her up on it." Then louder, masking her vulnerability with a sharp edge: "Let’s go."
As the girls disappeared into the pulsating party, Alex sat alone, the folded note burning a physical weight in his palm. Laura’s flushed, furious face seemed to glow even brighter in his mind.
He started the engine again, then abruptly killed it. *Just make sure she’s okay,* he told himself.
Inside, the house was a sensory overload—a fever dream of bodies pressed together, red plastic cups scattered across surfaces, music shaking the walls and rattling his bones. Alex slipped quietly through the crowd, clutching a soda, invisible amid the chaos.
Jess found him almost immediately, pressing a shot glass into his palm. "Loosen up, Hot Boy."
He set it down without a word, scanning the crowd. "Where’s Laura?"
"Somewhere," Jess said vaguely, tugging on his arm. "Dance with me."
He pulled free. "Later."
Moments later, a brunette in a shimmering silver dress cornered him near the keg. "You’re Alex, right? Junior year?" She bit her lip nervously. "I see you at the gym. Damn."
Another girl, blonde with a ponytail and a crop top, joined her, pressing a shot glass into his hand. "He’s even hotter up close. Want a shot?" Her breasts lightly brushed his arm as she leaned in.
Alex smiled politely. "I’m good."
Then Laura appeared, wild hair tangled, eyes glassy but fierce. She grabbed his wrist abruptly. "Alex, stop talking to them."
The silver-dress girl raised a brow, smirking. "Jealous much? Are you his girlfriend?"
Laura’s grip tightened, her voice low and sharp. "No. He’s my brother."
The crop-top girl laughed. "Then go enjoy the party. Let your brother live a little."
Laura’s face flushed a deep crimson. She stormed off toward the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of tequila, and poured three shots in quick succession. She downed them without hesitation.
Alex watched, gut twisting with unease. *This isn’t going to end well,* he thought, heart heavy.
The next hour unraveled like a blur: the party spiraled into chaos—bodies grinding on tables, someone crowd-surfing, wild laughter echoing through the rooms. Alex fended off flirts—Jess grinding against him on the dance floor, Mia whispering suggestively, "My room’s upstairs." Still, his eyes constantly searched for the familiar flash of red hair.
Nothing.
Jess approached again, breathless and insistent. "Still looking for Laura? She’s fine. Focus on me." She pressed her body close, hands sliding under his shirt.
Alex stepped back, heart pounding. "Where is she?"
Jess rolled her eyes. "Probably puking behind a bush somewhere. Let her be."
He pushed past her, anxiety spiking. Searched the backyard—empty. Kitchen—no sign. Upstairs—locked doors. Downstairs bathroom—long line out the door.
His mind raced. *She’s had too much. She’s sick.* Then he remembered the small women’s restroom near the garage—a quieter spot.
The door was ajar. He pushed it open gently.
The dimly lit room smelled faintly of antiseptic and stale beer. There, curled on the cold tiled floor, was Laura, pale and trembling, her fiery hair splayed messily over her shoulders. She looked up, eyes glassy but grateful as he knelt beside her.
"You shouldn’t be out here alone," Alex said softly, voice stripped of sarcasm for once. "What were you thinking?"
She swallowed hard, a small, vulnerable smile breaking through her flushed cheeks. "Maybe I was trying to forget... for a little while."
He hesitated, then reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You don’t have to do that alone, Laura. Not anymore."
Her eyes flickered with an emotion he couldn’t immediately name—fear, hope, something fragile and new. The tension between them shifted, charged with a fragile honesty beneath the party’s wild chaos.
For the first time that night, Alex felt the weight of fractured bonds soften just a little, as if the darkness outside might hold something other than temptation and turmoil—maybe a chance for understanding, or something more.