Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(61)

As we panted against each other, holding the other tight, I thought I heard a strange sort of clapping and laughing from the hallway, but I was way too far gone to care. “I love you,” I murmured, burying my head in his shoulder.

Sighing contently under me, he rested his head in the crook of my neck. “I love you, too.”

We stayed like that for a minute more, until I started to shiver and people started knocking on the door again. Stumbling and fumbling around, we managed to get dressed with everything we’d come into the room wearing. At least, I hoped so. I’d hate for Griffin to find anything of mine that I might have missed.

When Kellan opened the bathroom door and we stepped through it, every eye turned our way. I blinked, my head swimming as I wondered why everyone was staring at me. Then the whistles started and people 170



nearby clapped Kellan on the back. Thinking they were still congratulating him on his upcoming trip, I shrugged and smiled. People laughed even more at my reaction.

Biting back a smile, Kellan led me into the living room. Once we were in the center, Griffin approached us. I naturally took a step away from him, but grinning broadly, he stepped right up to me, handing me a bottled beer.

“Kiera, I think I love you,” he gushed. Cringing, I took the beer and drank it, just so he’d back up a step.

Laughing, Griffin smacked Kellan on the chest. “You are the luckiest f*cking son of a bitch.” Handing Kellan a beer from his other hand, Griffin playfully scowled. “I mean, I hated you before, but now, I really can’t stand you.”

Kellan started nodding and pushing Griffin’s shoulder away, repeatedly glancing at me like he was worried I’d start to flip out. My fuzzy mind was too hazed to know why. Shaking my head at Griffin’s odd comments, I tipped back my beer again. The alcohol had just hit my lips when Griffin said, “That was so hot…like, off the scales hot. You guys should make a porno…I’d totally buy it!” The people around us laughed at his comment and I started choking on the beer I’d just swallowed. Wait? What was Griffin talking about?

What was hot? Wait…did he say porno? My drunken cheeks flushed at just the thought.

Just as comments and the crowd’s stares and laughter slowly began clicking into place for me, Kellan shoved Griffin away from us and made his way to the stereo. Turning it up loud again, he hopped onto a nearby coffee table. With Kellan dancing up there like he was at a club downtown, I stopped trying to piece together the mystery that was Griffin. I really didn’t want to think about him and his rude comments anyway.

Kellan extended a hand out to me as a group of girls immediately started encircling on the floor around him. Giggling, I joined him on Matt and Griffin’s sturdy furniture. Laughing, Kellan and I finished our beers as we danced. Kellan sang all of the fun, anthem songs to the crowd, 171



riling them up to party more, but he sang the sweeter songs directly to me, moving our bodies together in a rhythm that was both beautiful and erotic. I finally felt equal to every gorgeous girl in the room with the way he stared at me, moved with me, sang to me. For several wonderful, hazy-brained hours, we were all able to put aside the painful moments that were quickly approaching with the dawn, when the boys would be leaving, and we danced the rest of the night away. Well, the rest of the early morning.

My head felt like someone was banging on a gong when I groggily woke up the next day. My mouth was dry, too. So dry, it hurt. I wanted water, but I was too afraid to move. I didn’t want my banging head to turn into a spinning stomach.

Peeking an eye open, I risked a glance at my environment. I really didn’t see anything, other than the body I was smashed against. A t-shirt filled most of my vision and I froze, trying to remember how and when I’d fallen asleep. Everything from last night was so blurry that I wasn’t even sure where I’d fallen asleep.

Hoping against hope that the body lying underneath me was Kellan, I attempted to lift my head. The gong increased in volume, my vision flexed in and out. Finally, I was able to focus on a pair of perfectly plump lips. Exhaling in relief as I took in the familiarity of Kellan’s face, I focused on the rest of my body.

Sore and a little achy, I was lying on top of Kellan, nearly head to foot.

The two of us were cuddled up on a long, narrow couch, Kellan just inches away from the edge of it. It wasn’t my garish couch or Kellan’s lumpy one either. My arms were heavy as they rested on his chest. My legs felt leaden as they were tangled up with his. Even my girly parts felt overworked…although, I wasn’t sure why.

I was sure I’d be feeling the overindulgence of the previous evening for the next three days. Groaning softly, I felt the warm arms laced around my waist tighten. “Mornin’.”

Flinching a little at his soft words, I shut my eyes. Peeking just one open, I looked up at him. “I’m right here, you don’t have to be so noisy,” I whispered.





172


Chuckling as he stretched his body beneath mine, he opened his eyes to gaze at me. Bringing a hand up to run a finger back through my hair, he quietly whispered, “How do you feel?”

Cringing, I leaned into his hand and he obligingly held my head. I was immediately grateful, since I didn’t have the strength to keep it up anymore. “Like a marching band took up residence in my skull.” He grinned, looking tired but in much better shape than I. His eyes glanced down my body. “How’s your stomach?” Not wanting to give my stomach the opportunity to revolt by giving it any attention, I shrugged. “It’s fine…for now.” Grimacing and trying to swallow with my completely parched throat, I added, “I’m mainly thirsty.”