The Bennett Boys

CHAPTER 17

"You owe me big time for this," I tell Raegan as we make our way into Marshall's house.

"I'm doing you a favor," she reasons.

"How is forcing me here against my will doing me a favor?"

"Lily, everyone's going to be here. Plus, Marshall's parties are insane. He goes all out."

"I wouldn't know. This is my first time at his house."

"My point exactly."

I squint my hazel eyes at her. "What is your point, Raegan?"

"My point is...you need to branch out. Especially since you're the newbie and all."

I shut my eyes and exhale. "Let's just go inside, yeah?"

I walk into someone the second that I open the door. That's how crowded this party is. We decide to head out back, and I'm immediately on the lookout for Teddy. I'm feeling out of my comfort zone, but for some reason, I feel like being with him amidst this chaos will help with that.

My eyes wander to the jacuzzi, where I see Lucas sitting with Candace on his lap.

"Looks like they're on tonight," I say of their status, tipping my head in their direction.

"Which means that they'll probably be off tomorrow," Raegan says.

I watch Lucas cradle her chin in his grip and then kiss her, and the sight unexpectedly stings, instinctively causing me to look away.

"Damn, he's so hot," Raegan swoons. "Look at how he's kissing her. I need that kind of spice in my life."

"You'll find it, Raegan," I tell her, meaning it. She's a great girl. Any guy would be lucky to date her. "Shall we go find Teddy?"

She tips her chin down at me and then smirks. "You mean your man?"

"He's not my man."

"Uh-huh," she says like she doesn't believe a word that I speak, and I shake my head at her.

"Raegan!" a girl calls out from afar, and she turns in that direction, waving to her.

"That's my friend Betty," she tells me. "Want to come meet her?"

"I'll be there in a second. I'm going to try and find Teddy."

"Ooookay," she winks at me.

I take a few steps forward, reaching into my wristlet for my phone, when I hear:

"Yo, good girl."

I shut my eyes out of annoyance and then open them to find Lucas heading in my direction in just a pair of navy swim trunks, beads of water trickling down his bare torso. He tousles his wet hair with the striped towel that's wrapped around his shoulders before bringing it down to his face to wipe the water there, too.

I sarcastically turn my head around and then look back at him. "Oh, you were talking to me."

"Surprised to see you here. Isn't mommy dearest going to be mad that her obedient daughter broke the 8 o'clock curfew?" he tauntingly teases as he strides closer to me. I intentionally move my eyes away, refusing to take in his perfectly toned body, but he calls me out for it. "It's okay to look, Lil. I won't tell anyone."

"I'm not looking at you," I snicker.

He tilts his head and gives me the cutest smile that I've ever seen; one that I didn't know could ever belong to such a douche of a human. "You were checking me out," he states.

"Was not."

"Was too."

I cross my arms and huff. "Why don't you find someone else to badger tonight? I'm not in the mood."