Chasing Fate (Dark Love 5)

“Uncle Noah,” Ava calls again. “One more time in the bouncy castle.”

I groan, setting down my drink and following Ava into the castle. We play this game wh

ere I pretty much throw her against the inflatable wall, and she giggles, asking me to do it again. On my fourth attempt, her cousin Andy stares back at me with a pale face.

“Are you okay, bud?”

He shakes his head, then tilts forward, projectile vomiting all over my shirt. My throat closes in, my stomach contracting as I attempt to control the dry heaving. The kids scream, frantically jumping out of the castle as Andy cries. I’m barely able to contain my own need to projectile vomit, but extend my hand out to him just as his dad comes in.

“It’s okay.” His dad, Julian, soothes him. Picking him up into his arms, not caring at all that he’s now gotten vomit all over his shirt.

“Sorry, man,” Julian apologizes. “His mom warned him not to have too much Jell-O, and, well… this is what happens when you have too much Jell-O.”

It explains the array of colors splashed all over my black shirt. I tell him it’s fine, and then follow them out as Charlie enters with a bucketload of cleaning products which Lex’s sister, Adriana, takes off her.

“Do you need help?” I ask, still reeling from the godawful stench.

“No, it’s okay. You clean yourself up, but thanks for offering. I think Lex ran off and vomited in the bush.”

Morgan looks back at me with a sympathetic expression while I walk toward the house cringing. I don’t know what to do with my shirt, wanting to throw it in the trash but remembering the hefty price tag on it. I leave it in the bathroom sink and hop into the shower, quickly scrubbing myself clean. When I hop out, I dry myself and change into my jeans before heading into my room. There’s a knock on the door, and Morgan enters, closing the door quietly behind her.

She can’t peel her eyes away from my torso, her lips clenching as she stands in utter silence.

“Geez, I have a face, you know,” I tease.

She shakes her head, breaking her gaze. “Cocky bastard.”

I move closer to her, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Cocky, yes.”

I grab her hand and place it on the bulge of my jeans. She squeezes for just a moment, then tries to pull away. “Noah, there are kids here.”

“Downstairs. Outside. Not in this room. It’s just you and me.”

I kiss the side of her neck, desperate to taste her. Running my nose along her collarbone, the smell of her skin draws me in. I need to fuck her so bad.

“Let’s go to your place tonight. Fuck your roommate.” I bury my head in her hair, desperately hoping she’ll agree.

“I have this thing tonight. For Scarlett.”

“C’mon. Scarlett will understand. Just say you need the night off. After all, you’re my girlfriend.”

That word is foreign and sounds odd every time I say it.

This is why I hate labels.

“About that…” she begins, then stalls. “That was out of the blue. You could’ve warned me. My dad was right there.”

I let go of her, annoyed and walk to the dresser where I grab another shirt and put it on.

“C’mon, Noah, we haven’t even talked about any of this.”

“Is that my fault? I’m forever trying to reach out to you, yet you pull away. Isn’t that what I should be doing? I’m the guy here. I should be the one constantly unavailable,” I yell out of frustration.

“That’s sexist and unfair, Noah. I get it, you’ve been with several women. That’s all you do, fuck around. Possibly with Kate, too, right?”

“Don’t even start…”

“She had her arms around you, I can see your connection with her.”