bound to happen | complete

chapter twenty six | happy birthday jess

M E L A N I E   L E I G H T O N

"I AM GETTING wasted tonight!" Jess squeals as we stand in her bathroom fixing up the last little parts of her hair. "Seriously. Finally eighteen, I'm doing it in style." She smiles as I curl the last piece of her hair. "And you are too." She smirks at me through the mirror.

"Am I?" I question, fixing my own hair in the mirror now. I spent the majority of getting ready here, but I did do some covering up makeup at my house. Mainly on my neck. Where he was.

"Yes. You are." She nods her head and smiles, "because it's my birthday, and my rules, and maybe... no. Hopefully, you and Carter will you know, maybe do something.. talk, kiss, I don't know, but I'm getting very impatient on waiting for it to happen by itself." She rambles on, taking the top off of the vodka bottle we had been sharing and downing the last of it. It wasn't a big bottle, but she definitely and the most, and i she's definitely on her way to being wasted.

"Okay, Jess. Whatever you say babe." I laugh, dragging her out of her bathroom and into the hallway, "now, people are already arriving and looking for the birthday girl, so..." I say, watching her walk down the stairs so she doesn't fall. "Let's go get drunk."

Just as we reach the end of the stairs, Jess' front door opens up, Iwan and Carter walk through the doors. I lock eyes with Carter, like we always do. And although I made an attempt to hide the marks from him, on marks I made on him out in the open, and honestly, knowing they're from me, kinda turns me on a little.

He offers a nod which I return with a smile, Jess takes my hand in hers, while she gives a kiss to Iwan on the cheek, and then drags me into her kitchen with her.

I was right when saying that people were already arriving, but walking into her kitchen-dinning room, just proves it. It is filled.

Bottles and beers all over the kitchen counters and tables. People fill every corner, and the music blares over everything. "Who did you invite?" I laugh as she pulls us against her small kitchen island and pouring us both drinks.

"Erm. All of thirteen, twelve and eleven, but I think some ten's are here too because I've already seen Elise Phelps' cousin and she's only fifteen!" She explains over the music, passing me the drink which I gratefully take, as well as taking a sip.

"That's a lot of people Jess." I say.

"I know. But like I said." She turns to me as Iwan walks up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist. "If we're doing it, we're doing it in style, baby!" She squeals and tosses back her drink.

Iwan and I both laugh at her. I notice a presence behind me, turning my head I see Carter stood directly behind me. I offer him another smile before turning back around.

Thankfully Jess and Iwan walk away, busy in a conversation, so I fully turn my body and look up at him.

"Hickeys out in public, you're brave." I motion towards the marks on his neck. A smirk plays across his face.

"Yeah, you should've seen some of the looks I've gotten already. Unfortunate they don't know who they're from." He looks down at my lips, before looking back at my eyes. "Yours are covered though."

"Would you rather they not be?" I question, batting my eyelashes up at him. Yeah, okay. Maybe I shouldn't drink tonight.

"I'd rather add some more on instead." My cheeks burn up, his smirk growing. "Yeah, no I prefer that much more." He laughs.