Untouchable: Haven Falls (Book 1)

by Sheridan Anne

  Tully grabs my hand and practically hauls me towards the front door. There are people littering the street and already a couple getting nasty in the bushes. “What’s your poison?” Tully asks, glancing across at me with a curious smirk.

  “I’m definitely a Vodka girl,” I tell her. “Though, it’s been a while.”

  “Well, it’s time to get reacquainted,” she laughs, grabbing the door and hauling it open as though she’s been here a million times. Tully Cage isn’t a stranger to a good party and I have a feeling I’m in for a wild night. “Tonight is going to get messy.”

  Hell yes. That’s exactly what I need.

  Kaylah and I used to come to this shit all the time. We lived for it. It was one party after another despite the bitches who tried to make those parties a living hell. We loved it. It was our way of letting off steam from another shitty week. But tonight, this isn’t letting off steam, more like celebrating feeling human again.

  Speaking of…I wonder if Noah will be coming tonight?

  I walk with Tully through the house and can’t help but glance at the bodies all around me as the cigarette smoke begins to sting my eyes. These are the people who have teased and tormented me for the past few years, and no doubt, the ones who have tried to tear me down over the past few months are probably hiding here somewhere too, just waiting for me to show my face so they can do it all over again.

  As I make my way through the house with Tully dragging me along, those eyes fall on me and I brace myself for a verbal smackdown, yet it never comes. They simply look away and mind their own damn business as though me walking into this party was a non-event. I mean, what? That is not the kind of shit I am used to, but I could definitely get used to it.

  Not being called out for not belonging was actually kind of nice.

  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Tully’s hand is wrapped around mine and Noah has been glued to my side all week with Rivers never too far away. Maybe that deems me socially acceptable. Who the hell knows?

  Tully and I break through the grinding bodies and find a table filled to the brim with drinks. I usually bring my own to these kinds of things. You know, you can never be too sure when it comes to alcohol, especially in Haven Falls. We’re not particularly known for being the safest community. There are definitely some major douchebags around here, all of whom are either into some heavy shit or into dealing that heavy shit. No doubt, that will be going on in some discreet corner of this house tonight. It’s inevitable in Haven Falls.

  Tully reaches for some cups and grabs an open bottle of Vodka and I shake my head before replacing the bottle with a brand new, unopened one. She rolls her eyes at my cautiousness, but nonetheless, takes the bottle from me and gets to work creating the strangest concoction I’ve ever seen.

  She hands it over to me and waits patiently as I take a cautious sip. “Shit, that’s actually good,” I tell her, surprised.

  Tully gasps in mock horror. “Did you doubt me?”

  “Well, yeah,” I laugh. “To be honest, I’m surprised I’m not frothing at the mouth yet.”

  Tully rolls her eyes and starts making her own non-acholic version of the drink. “First off, you should have a little more faith in my abilities, and secondly, Noah would probably kick my ass if I let anything happen to you while he and Rivers aren’t here to be some overprotective, macho, dimwits.”

  I can’t help but grin. I can just imagine what they’d be like looking out for his sister at parties like this.

  Before I know it, Tully grabs the bottle of Vodka off the table and hauls me along after her. “What are you doing?” I laugh as we bump into bodies from every angle.

  “I have a feeling you won’t drink if we don’t keep an eye on this bottle,” she explains, holding it up and giving it a wiggle. “And I really want to get you drunk.”

  “Oh, geez,” I groan. “I’m more than happy to get drunk, but if I wake up naked in a gutter somewhere with a tattoo of your brother’s face on my ass, you’re in trouble.”

  “Noted,” she laughs. “But let it be known, if you were going to get a drunk tattoo on your ass, it’ll be my face, not Noah’s,” she explains before looking back over her shoulder with a mischievous sparkle in her green eyes. “Though, he’d sure get a kick out of his face on your ass. Maybe we should head to the tattoo parlor after this.”

  “Oh, hell,” I groan. “I’m going to die tonight. I can just see the headlines tomorrow. ‘Haven Falls teen - Tragic death at hands of best friend. Did she or didn’t she?’”

  “Ooooh,” she smiles wide with bright eyes. “I’ll be famous. Do you think they’ll put in a headshot too?”

  A body slams into us and we both stumble back a step. I latch onto Tully as she does the same for me and we somehow manage to right each other as both of our drinks get splashed across our chests. Tully’s hand comes up and shoves at the guy fumbling around before us. “Hey, watch it,” she demands, managing to make herself appear as though she’s a hundred feet tall. Though, I guess when you’re part of a pack, you need to know how to hold your own.

  The guy spins around and I find myself scowling at Spencer Jones, the douchebag who splashed dirty rainwater all over me on Tuesday morning. “Oh, shit,” he chuckles, clearly already wasted. “Didn’t see you ladies there.”

  “Maybe next time you’ll watch where you’re going or you just might end up with my fist in your face.”

  “Calm down, Tullz,” he says. “It was an accident.”

  “You don’t get to call me that anymore.”

  A softness creeps into his eyes, but it’s gone a second later as he rolls his eyes towards me. He looks me over with a hungry curiosity. “Who the hell are you?” he questions with a sly grin. “You new around here?”

  Tully scoffs as I arch an eyebrow. “You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” I ask. “I’ve been at the same school as you for years.” His brows furrow, but I’m not about to let this asshat off the hook. “Just Tuesday morning you drove through a puddle, sending water all over me and instantly ruined my day as you and your jockstrap friends howled like the animals that you are.”

  “What?” Tully gasps in outrage.

  Recognition dawns in his eyes. “Oh, shit. That was you?” he cringes, wide eyed. “You know, I didn’t mean to do that.”

  “Don’t bullshit me, Spencer,” I say, calling him out and taking another sip of my liquid courage. “You darted to the side of the road and hit that puddle like it was the answer to all of life’s big questions.”

  His face scrunches up and I prepare myself for whatever bullshit is about to come out of his mouth, only, he shocks me once again. “Alright, yeah,” he says with a sigh. “I did it on purpose, but only because I had the boys in the car, and well, you know how it is with us boys. If I didn’t do it, they would have called me a pussy.”

  I can’t help but scoff again. “And that’s supposed to make it ok?”

  “Well, no,” he says, stepping into me and taking my waist as his eyes become hooded. “Let me make it up to you.”

  I bring my hand up and press it against his wide chest before pushing him back a step. “If you think you have even the slightest chance of getting with me, you’re seriously disturbed.”

  “Come on, babe,” he says. “I promise, I’ll make it worth your time.”

  “No thanks, Spencer. I’d rather gouge my eyes out with rusty nails.”

  He laughs as though the insult doesn’t affect him. “Your loss.”

  “Quit while you’re behind, Spence,” Tully says before taking my hand and hauling me away with a jerk, making me spill my drink once again. It’s a good thing Tully has the refill on hand because, at this rate, I’m going to need it sooner rather than later.

  “Why didn’t you tell me what he did?” she seethes over the loud music as she pulls me out the back door to where people are crowding the backyard. “I would have done something about it.”

  “I’m not some kind of charity. I can handle this shit
on my own,” I tell her. “And besides, you’re the first girl who’s talked to me in months. Why would I start off with ‘the school jock is a douchebag?’”

  She lets out a groan. “You should have told me.”

  “You should have told me that something went down between you and Spencer,” I fight back, throwing the attention on her.

  Her eyes widen. “What? How did you… never mind.”

  “Spill it,” I tell her as I spot somewhere for us to sit down.

  Tully waits until we’re happily seated and without the ears of people nearby before she comes out with her hard truth. “Spence and I…” cringe. “We sort of dated over the summer, but don’t tell Noah. He’ll kill me if he found out. He and Spencer aren’t exactly on great terms.”

  “What?” I shriek. “Are you kidding? Why the hell would you date Spencer Jones?”

  “Believe it or not, but he’s actually a really nice guy. He’s just a little too caught up in the whole ‘appearing as a typical jock’ to be popular.”

  “Bullshit,” I grunt.

  “No, really. He’s sweet and mostly has a kind heart. He can just be a little stupid when he drinks and lets his friends get in his ear.”

  “Ok,” I laugh. “I’ll have to take your word for it because I don’t really care to spend time with the guy to find out.”

  “Good plan,” she tells me. “The guy has a way with words to make any girl believe she wants him.”

  “Yeah, I have a feeling his usual bullshit won’t work on me.”

  “Just remember I warned you.”

  “And you remember that I brushed you off.”

  Tully shakes her head and refills my cup with Vodka. “Come on,” she tells me. “Throw that back and then we’re dancing all freaking night.”

  Chapter 8

  Tully and I sway on the dance floor and I’m more than happy to report that my old friend Vodka is working its magic through my body and helping me forget that my life is a complete and utter mess.

  The music pulses around me and the fact that I’m surrounded by people who have tormented me over the past few years is completely lost on me. I don’t give a shit that they’re here partying with me. All that matters is the way my body moves across the dance floor as I lose myself to the music.

  This is perfect. It’s exactly what I’ve been needing over the past few months. The fact that I’m doing it with someone I call a friend just makes it that much better. Tully laughs and by now, she’s forgotten that she was supposed to be driving and is just as lost to Vodka as I am, which probably means we’ll be walking back to her place tonight, but that’s fine by me. All it means is that our fun can be prolonged that much more.

  I bark out a laugh as Tully fucks up a dance move that has her falling on her face and eating dirt. I go to reach down and help her up when a shoulder is charged into mine, throwing me back a step as pain pulses through my shoulder. “What do you think you’re doing here?” Queen bitch Candice questions as Tully gets herself up behind her.

  “You don’t belong here,” Monica finishes for her as though the two of them couldn’t possibly confront someone by themselves.

  “I might not belong here, but I know for a fact that you two don’t,” I shoot back. “The whorehouse is down the road. They don’t usually take trash like you two, but I’m sure they’ll make an exception for the kinds of tricks you guys like to offer. Two for the price of one?” I say, referring to the rumor that’s going around school for the last few days that subtly suggests the two of them got down and dirty with Eric Johnston in the locker room.

  Candice scowls while Monica’s face flames, telling me she’s my main problem here. After all, she thinks I’m stealing her boyfriend away; while Candice simply just doesn’t like me for shit that went down ages ago.

  Monica steps forward and gets right in my face. “You better watch yourself, trash.”

  “Or what?” I fire back, stepping back into her and smirking at the way she wobbles on her hooker heels.

  A big arm curls around my waist and I’m just moments from shooting my ass back and nailing the guy in the junk for touching me when that strange familiarity comes over me. I’d bet every last dollar in my jewelry box that if I look down, I’d find a muscled, tattooed arm. And besides, from the jealousy pulsing through Monica’s eyes as she takes in the arm on my waist, it’s no secret who it is.

  “I thought I told you two to leave her the fuck alone,” Noah’s low, rumbly voice growls over my shoulder. “She’s one of mine now,” he adds. “You fuck with one of us, you fuck with us all.”

  Monica sucks in a sharp breath and I watch on with curious eyes as Candice reaches out and takes her elbow. “Come on,” she murmurs to Monica, clearly seeing that pursuing this couldn’t possibly end well for them. “She’s not worth it.”

  With that, Candice drags her away and I find myself turning around in Noah’s arm as he refuses to drop it from my waist. “One of yours, huh?”

  A wide grin spreads across his face as he looks down at me, studying my face. “You look fucking gorgeous,” he tells me.

  The force of his intense gaze has me wobbling on my feet and he tightens his strong arm around me, holding my body close to his. A second later, his eyes narrow suspiciously. “Are you drunk?” he questions.

  I shake my head, unable to stop the smile. I mean, damn. Being in his arms is so thrilling. “Not quite,” I tell him. “But it won’t take much.”

  Noah’s head snaps up as he looks over my shoulder at his sister who’s currently fending off Rivers’ grabby hands. “Why’d you let her drink so much?”

  “Please,” Tully scoffs. “She should be drinking more. The girl seriously needs to relax after the shit Monica keeps putting her through.” She raises her eyebrows. “I know what you could do to help her relax.”

  Rivers scowls down at her as Noah shakes his head in exasperation.

  I fight the laugh that threatens to come booming out of me. I wouldn’t mind a bit of relaxing, especially if it involves getting naked with Noah. Oh, God, I can just imagine the feel of his skin moving against mine.

  Damn it. Head out of gutter, Henley.

  A shiver takes over my body and before I know it Noah’s mouth is at my ear. “Are you cold?”

  I shake my head, secretly hating my traitorous body. “No,” I smile. “I’m good. Better than good.” I realize after the words come out just how flirty and forward I sound, but I shrug it off. I seriously don’t care. I’m having fun and besides, what harm could a little shameless flirting do?

  Noah’s body begins to move against mine and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that he’s dancing with me, but my god, I’m freaking melting. His knee pushes between my thighs and I find myself grinding down onto him as our bodies move in a sensual dance.

  It’s as though only we exist in this moment. It’s just me and him, not a soul around us. Completely lost to each other.

  God, I want so much more right now.

  I knew something was going on between us as the week went on, that much was clear; however, neither of us have actually admitted it out loud. There’s been shameless flirting and ‘accidental’ brushes of fingertips across my burning skin, but not once have either of us actually said that this is happening, that this pull between us actually means something, and that this is what we want.

  That first day was filled with confusion but as each day went by, the confusion morphed into belonging and now that belonging is changing into need and desire. Hell, I don’t know if Noah is just flirting for a bit of fun, but to me, this is something more, and right now, it’s damn hard to deny.

  His body calls to mine and it’s like an electric current running through my veins, drawing me to him and making me wonder what his lips taste like.

  This is ridiculous. I find it hard to comprehend that it’s even happening. This week has been a page out of a fiction novel. It couldn’t be real. This stuff isn’t reality for me. I feel like I’ve been living in some kind o
f fantasy world where the loser girl actually gets the popular guy. I should stop imagining it, that way when my hopes and dreams are inevitably crushed, it won’t hurt as bad.

  This is dangerous territory. Letting myself feel for a guy like Noah could only get me hurt. I should back away slowly, but that magnetic field between us is holding me close.

  Noah’s hand winds down my arm until he’s clutching my hand in his and I don’t miss the way Rivers’ eyes zone in on the touch. “Come on,” he murmurs before leading me off the dance floor.

  I let him pull me away and follow as he winds through the throng of people and straight out the back door. He walks around the side of the house to where darkness shadows over us.

  Nobody is around here and I feel like, for the first time since having lunch at my place, we’re truly alone.

  The butterflies take flight in my stomach as his thumb runs over my knuckles, making me feel all levels of weak.

  I’m in trouble here.

  I can’t like Noah Cage, but not liking him is impossible. He’s simply incredible and not to see where this goes would be a crime.

  With the darkness covering us, Noah comes to a stop and winds his arm back around my waist before pressing me up against the side of the house, pinning me there with his strong body.

  My knees feel like jelly as we silently watch each other, wondering what’s going to come from this moment. My heart pounds and I can’t help my hand sliding up his body and taking possession of his wide chest only to feel his heart racing just as fast as mine.

  What is this?

  There’s enough light coming from the house that I can see those intense green eyes boring into mine. His free hand comes up and takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger before tilting it up. He watches my lips as though he might die without them.

  I bite my lip as the anticipation gets the best of me. If he doesn’t kiss me soon, I think I might scream. I need it more than my next breath.