Bite Me (Episode 1) The Lupo Legacy Series

  At seven o’clock Asher waltz’s into my house calling out my name, I hear his feet clomp up the stairs and his keys jingle in his hand. I quickly pull my new dress over my head and slip on a pair of wedge sandals just as he opens my door.

  “Ready to go babe?”

  “Yeah,” I answer, walking out of my room. Ash begins to massage my shoulders as we descend the stairs.

  “You look nice is that a new dress?” he asks.

  “Oh yeah Brandy and I went a little crazy in the clothes store.”

  “Yeah, how come you never showed me?” he asks as we drive out of our street. I can’t tell him why because he will know I was being a bitch refusing a ride home and not showing him my new clothes. I usually give him a fashion show when I get new stuff but not today, today I let Emily Ann get to me and took it out on him.

  We pull up to Devlin’s house, parking on the grass verge outside with about thirty other cars.

  “Who the hell did he invite?” I ask climbing out.

  “You know how these things spread,” Ash answers taking my hand in his. He looks at me from the corner of his eye and frowns, walking around to the backyard Devlin waves and calls out to us from the pool.

  “I think he is drunk already,” Ash laughs.

  A few years ago Devlin got into a car accident for driving while drunk and underage. His parents went crazy and sent him away for a year but now he’s back and they have an agreement, he can drink as long as he stays at home and does it. So it’s easier for Ash and I too, because we stay here all the time, most people stay here after a party so the town is safe from us.

  Ash and I make our way to the pools edge finding a seat, Ash goes to get us a drink, and I look around to find Brandy.

  “Hey Emery,” lifting my head I smile at the guy standing there, I know we went to school together but I can’t remember his name. “It’s Ty,” he says realizing I don’t know who he is.

  “Oh hey Ty,” Ty, Ty, crap. Oh I know he played football.

  “May I?” he asks pointing to the chair and I nod, he takes a seat beside me and smiles.

  “Hey Ty,” Asher’s voice sounds from above me, both Ty and I look up.

  “Hey Asher Carter, how’s it going?” Ty asks standing as he does. Asher engages Ty in conversation for a while until he leaves then Ash sits beside me.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah why?” I ask looking at him puzzled.

  “I don’t like that guy,” he shrugs making me laugh. “He’s a player and I love you too much to let you get hurt by someone like him.”

  He shrugs taking a sip from the cup he is holding before passing it to me. Taking the cup I drink a large gulp hoping for the burn of alcohol.

  “Soda?” I question him.

  “Yeah well with you looking like that I need to stay sober,” he smiles wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing my temple. My body goes ridged from the kiss but Ash doesn’t notice, he is smiling at Devlin who is now throwing fully clothed people into the pool. He kissed me, holy crap after all these years he actually kissed me even if it was a weird friendly kiss. His lips touched me for the first time ever!

  The party has been going for a while now and true to his word Ash has only drank soda, Brandy is begging me to swim with her but I feel too self conscious now.

  “Go on swim babe,” Ash pushes my leg “I promise I’ll watch you and if you are drowning I will jump in and save you,” he smiles at me.

  “Yay!” Brandy claps her hands. Standing I shake my head at her and she winks as I pull my dress over my head. I bought a new bikini today and barley there is a modest way of describing it. I let Brandy talk me into it and now I feel a little exposed.

  “Holy shit!” Ash chokes on his drink, standing his eyes are huge and his breathing is rapid. “What, What are you wearing?” he asks allowing his eyes to rake over my body.

  “Oh I got it today do you like?” I ask stepping around him to Brandy.

  “Emery,” he says grabbing a towel to cover me, “you know maybe you should just stay with me, you know because you don’t like swimming.”

  Brandy laughs and pushes him away while puling me towards the steps of the pool. Once we jump in she smiles at me.

  “Told you he’d go bat shit crazy,” she laughs.

  I must admit she is right, I never saw myself as sexy before, but seeing Ash’s reaction was worth it. I glance over finding he is staring at me he gives me a smile, but then his face-hardens, and I feel arms around my waist.

  “Hey you,” Ty leans around me blocking Ash from view.

  “Oh hi,” I smile but really want to push him away.

  Taking my hands he pulls me under the water, I try to pull free but he won’t let me go. Holding my breath is making my chest hurt so I shake my hands again for Ty to let me go. He watches me from the below the water with a strange look on his face. Finally I can’t hold my breath any longer and gasp letting a lungful of water enter my mouth, struggling I kick my legs trying to pull away from Ty but he holds tighter.

  I feel hands on my body pulling me up and out of the water, I begin to cough and spit out water trying to get air inside, Ash’s face is over mine pale and panicked.

  “Emery what happened?” he asks sitting me up, I can’t speak because I am coughing so hard.

  “You!” Ash shouts, lunging at Ty punching his face; Ash keeps his fist flying as some of the guys grab both of them puling them apart.

  “What the fuck is your problem Carter?” Ty’s voice cuts through.

  “You are you fucking prick, you almost drowned her,” Ash shouts trying to hit Ty again.

  “No I was trying to save her but she panicked,” Ty says moving closer to me. Asher grabs him by the collar of his shirt yanking him away from me.

  “Stay away from her,” he growls.

  “Now why would I do that? You have no claim on her.” Ty smirks before turning to me. “See you again Emery.” He says then leaves the party passing Emily Ann on her way in.

  “Jesus Emery I told you, you’d have me in trouble tonight,” he smiles helping me up from the ground. “You okay?” he asks wrapping a towel around my body holding me close to him.

  “Yeah I’ll just get dressed,” I whisper, my voice horse from the coughing.

  Ash grabs my dress and shoes taking me inside to one of the bathrooms, he turns the water on in the shower telling me to step inside.

  “You can go back out I’m fine,” I say pulling off my strip of material bikini.

  “No way I’ll wait here.”

  Once I dry off and dress Asher turns around to me his face a mask of concern, opening his crossed arms I hug him.

  “Told you I’d save you,” he whispers.

  “Yeah I know you would,” I answer and he kisses my head for the second time in one night. We go back outside to join the rest of the party, which has a few less people now. Ash and I sit on a lounger by the fire pit, he pulls me close to him keeping me warm. Emily Ann glances at him and her eyes harden for a second.

  “So who want’s to play a game,” she chirps grabbing the bottle of beer dangling from Brandy’s fingers, emptying the contents onto the grass. “Spin the bottle,” she waves the bottle at us.

  “No way!” Brandy protests making Emily frown.

  “Fine truth or dare,” Emily answers cockily, tilting her head a little. She makes everyone sit in a circle and she begins with Devlin.

  “Dare,” he says smiling at her, Emily dares him to drink a beer without stopping, and he does. She goes around the circle making the guys do stupid stuff and the girls all pick truth so she makes them answer embarrassing questions about themselves. When she reaches Ash and I, her eyes lock onto me.

  “Emery truth or dare?”

  “Truth,” I reply bored with this shit already.

  “Is it true” she starts, a smile broadening on her lips, “that you Emery Whitechurch are madly in love with Asher?” her eyes sparkle as she waits for my ans
wer, I want to choke her. My hands shake as we stare at each other.

  “Answer the question,” she says.

  Glancing at Ash he looks annoyed and sad at the same time, “leave her alone Emily of course she isn’t” Ash says.

  “Just thought I’d check,” she laughs before turning to Asher asking him to pick truth or dare.

  “Dare,” he says and Emily’s eyes light up.

  “I dare you to kiss me” she smiles. Asher’s body tenses beside mine and Emily raises an eyebrow at me, challenging.

  “Do it bro!” one of the guys call out making the others chant, do it, do it over and over. Asher turns to me and I give him a half smile, standing he walks over, and kisses her on the cheek. I bite my lip hiding a grin at her face but Emily pulls him back crashing her lips to his and locking her fingers into his hair.

  Asher pushes his hands against her hips but she holds on tight pulling him with her, they bump against the wall and then disappear into the pool house, with a cacophony of cat calls and whistles from all the party goers. My heart breaks into a million pieces and Brandy is beside me pulling me into the house.

  “Oh Emery,” she says pulling me into a hug as tears spill down my face.

  “I should go,” I whisper.

  “Guys are so fucking blind sometimes” she says pulling back drying my tears.

  “Can I take your car?” she nods fishing the keys from the dresser. It’s only then I notice I am in Devlin’s room.

  “Thanks” I smile.

  “Yeah no problem I’ll get it tomorrow,” she says walking me to the front door. After another hug I leave the party feeling utterly alone and broken.

  Bad Attitude