Filmed_ An Alpha Bad Boy Romance(41)

“Don’t worry about it, he’s probably just stressed,” Chris said, sensing my discomfort.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I didn’t have time to dwell on it too much because Selena was busy pouring us shots. Chris tried to decline hers, but we peer pressured her into at least one drink. We downed the tequila Selena had procured, and I felt a little better, the alcohol giving me a small measure of confidence. Once that was down, Selena thrust a full beer into my hand. I sipped at it, deciding that it would be my second to last drink. I didn’t want to get wasted and leave Chris to deal with everything on her own.

We wandered around, mingling with random groups, and it hit me hard how many people were there. I watched one guy do three beer bongs in a row, then stumble off wasted to dive into the pool. There was a room toward the back of the house with three ping pong tables set up, and a group of serious bros trying to organize a beer pong tournament. That didn’t last very long, and devolved into teams of screaming girls with enormous hair playing flip cup and spilling everywhere.

I didn’t see much of Noah after his initial tour. I kept catching glimpses of him in the crowd, but he kept moving around from one group to the next, blending in seamlessly. I kept trying to catch his eye, but any time I got close to him, he seemed intent on ignoring me. I had no clue what was going on, but I decided I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of upsetting me.

After about an hour of wandering around, witnessing one crazy situation after another, we transitioned back into the kitchen where a group of guys with backwards hats and khaki shorts began to pour shots for everyone. Naturally, Selena joined in, because she wasn’t able to pass up a chance to do shots with strange guys, and I was pulled along. We took them, and I felt a little tipsy, a pleasant floating feeling in my head and chest.

“You doing okay?” Chris asked me, looking concerned.

I threw my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She laughed, surprised.

“I’m totally fine. I’m having fun!” I realized I was a little tipsier than I had thought, and decided to cut myself off.

“Yeah, good. I think hurricane Selena is about to make landfall.”

I pulled out of the hug and looked back at the group. She was standing there flirting loudly and suggestively with one bro who I was pretty sure could barely stand from being too drunk.

“Great choice she’s making,” I said, laughing.

“Yeah, I think I’m going to be carrying her home later tonight.”

“Thanks so much for doing this, Chris. I know you hate it.”

She shrugged and grinned. “I need to have some fun every once in a while.”

“We both do.”

I scanned the crowd again and couldn’t see Noah. I kept catching myself wondering where he was. The kitchen was getting crowded as another group merged with the one we had joined. They began to fill up beers and were having a loud chugging contest. Girls were practically screaming, and sweaty dudes I had never met before assaulted me on all sides with their stench and annoying chants.

“Maybe this isn’t my scene, though,” Chris yelled out over the noise.

I grinned at her. “You think?”

Suddenly, out of nowhere a huge body knocked into me, sending me stumbling. It felt like a wrecking ball slammed directly into my chest and something cold and wet spilled down the front of me. I let out a loud gasp and caught myself on a chair before I fell over, but the damage was done. Beer dripped down the front of me, practically soaked me down to the skin.

“What the fuck!” I yelled. A guy with long hair pulled back into a ponytail, a polo shirt, and pink shorts stared back at me, obviously wasted. He looked down at his now-empty beer, then back at me, and shrugged.

“Hey, asshole, you almost killed my friend,” Chris said, getting in his face.

“What the fuck do you want?” the guy slurred back.

“Are you kidding me? I’m going to kick your ass,” she yelled, getting aggressive.

“Fuck off, bitch,” he said.

Before I could step up and say something, another body appeared from the crowd, and the guy went flying, slamming hard into the wall. Noah appeared at his side, his face a mask of rage. Chris took a few steps back, shocked, and a ring of space opened up around him and the wasted guy.

“Don’t you ever talk to them that way,” he said loudly and menacingly.

His face was blank but there was something dangerous in the way he held his body. Without warning, the drunk guy pushed Noah a step back, and threw a punch. Noah easily ducked it then stepped back in closer and punched the drunk guy hard in the stomach, doubling him over. Noah grabbed him by the back of the shirt and began to drag him toward the front door as a cheer went up in the crowd.