Our Secret Moments (Drayton Hills Series)

CONNOR

CALL IT TWIN TELEPATHY, but I knew the second I let Nora choose the theme for our party, it was about to be something stupid.

Nora usually gets the last say in anything that we do together. Most of the time, I don’t give a shit, but this right here, in my parents’ house with two of my friends as we set up for the party is where I draw the line.

Wes is smiling like a loon, pleasantly happy with his costume choice. “You’ve got to lighten up man,” he says to me, walking back into the kitchen after he opened the French doors to the backyard. He fiddles with his tail, sighing as he pushes it behind him. “It’s a party, not a funeral.”

“It might as well be,” I grumble, pulling the packs of beers from the fridge and on to the kitchen island.

Archer turns then. He looks the most ridiculous out of all of us. It’s been an hour since we all changed into our costumes, but Wes and I’s laughter streams out of us as Archer scratches his nose behind the carrot nose he has attached to his face.

“I still don’t know how you talked me into doing this,” he groans.

“Well, the movie wouldn’t be as good without trusty Olaf,” Wes says, patting him on the back as he drifts past him.

Of course, this year’s theme is Disney movies. We had to set up a list so no outfits would be repeated, and Wes begged Archer and I to go as the main characters from Frozen.

I don’t just mean he asked us nicely with his puppy dog eyes, but I mean this man got on his hands and knees for us to do a group costume in exchange for him doing anything we asked for a week.

For me, that means uninterrupted training sessions, and I don’t have to listen to him yap on. For Archer, it means he can also tell Wes to fuck off when he’s in the dorm also pestering him for something stupid.

So Archer is dressed in an Olaf costume, looking as stupid as ever while I get to look somewhat normal dressed as Kristoff. I just hope to God that the rewards of this costume pay off in the end.

Archer takes a seat at the table, picking up one of the beers I just set out for us. “So, Connor,” he says, twisting open the can. “What did you get for your birthday?”

“Are you actually going to have a conversation with me, or are you just going to make fun of me?” I ask, curiously. I’m surprised more than anyone that Archer agreed to come to the party. He very rarely comes to the parties we go to, but after I told him who Nora and I invited, he agreed. It’s strange from him, but not as strange as the mysterious way he exits Fired Arts every month when we go in for our monthly painting sessions. He thinks I don’t notice, but I do.

“Just trying to make conversation,” he answers dryly. I raise my eyebrow, but he just rolls his eyes, taking a sip of the beer.

“Got the usual stuff from my parents – money, socks, underwear, you know, the boring stuff. Nora got me a photo album filled with pictures of us when we used to match every day right up until high school,” I say, smiling a little at the gift. I got her a similar present, except it was just a box filled with the things we used to like growing up and pictures of the shows she would drag us to see at the local theatre.

As much as I hated it then, I secretly loved seeing that part of my sister’s life – the flair in her eyes when she saw the lights go down on stage – it was truly insane watching her fall in love with something like that. I always wondered if she saw the same change in me.

“That’s not the only thing he got,” Wes chimes in. That asshole. Archer quirks his head curiously and before I can tell Wes to shut his huge mouth, he continues. “You should have seen what Cat got him. It was a little apron that said Connie on it with tiny little hearts and matching oven gloves,” he coos, his voice extra sweet.

“You’re an ass, you know that?” I mumble.

“Whatever,” he retorts, turning back to Archer with the biggest smile on his face. “He was looking at it with fucking tears in his eyes.”

“No, I wasn’t,” I bite out.

Okay, maybe I was a tiny bit emotional over a stupid gift with a stupid card and stupid oven mitts from the girl I can’t stop thinking about. It’s natural. I know that she was only doing it because she feels bad, and she gets me a gift every year.

“Dude, it’s okay,” Wes says quietly. “With a gift like that, she’s definitely into you.”

“Do you really think so?” I ask, trying to keep my voice as chilled as possible.

“Oh, definitely,” he says, nodding. “Girls only do cute shit like that when they’re thinking about you constantly.”

My chest expands at the sentiment. “You think she thinks about me?”

He shakes his head. “You didn’t hear me,” he replies. “I said constantly.”

CAT

If there’s one day of the year I love most of all, it’s Nora and Connor’s birthday.

I love a good party like the next person. I love the loud music, the people, the vibes. It never gets too out of control here at Drayton, which is what makes it more fun. There’s never any crazy drugs, or any spikings. There’s never any violence or bad energy between people, it just feels safe and comfortable. Especially at the Bailey’s estate.

They lucked out with a luxury lake house only a twenty-minute drive away from campus, a few houses down from my dad’s house. We used to spend every one of their birthdays here. We’d get sick on candy and the joy of being in each other’s presence. But now, coming here as adults, our lives and our bond has changed tremendously.

What hasn’t changed is the fact that each year the twins have to have a theme for their birthday and this year it’s very on-brand for Nora.

The only logical answer for my character would be Tiana from Princess and the Frog which just so happens to be my favourite Disney movie. Elle is dressed as Moana, her tanned skin and curly hair making it a perfect match as Nora is matching with her boyfriend as Rapunzel and Flynn from Tangled. I haven’t seen them together yet as Ryan is late as always, but Wes and Connor are making up for his tardiness.

“He’ll show,” Connor says quietly just to her as he pulls her into his side. Nora shrugs him off, painting on her best I’m fine face as she smiles.

“I know,” she replies immediately. Wes rolls his eyes at the side of us, not making it discreet as he sips his beer from a red cup.

The party is in full swing now and despite the twins being the birthday people, they’re stuck in a little huddle with us in the backyard next to the raging fire as we try to keep warm. Even as the loud music blares out from the kitchen speakers and people pass by to wish them a happy birthday, both Nora and Connor seem to be more comfortable with our little circle more than the groups of people that came here just for them.

“How’s your birthday so far, Nor?” Wes asks, throwing away his cup into a bin bag. Her face lights up at the question.

In the kindest way possible, Nora loves to talk about herself. I’ve never seen it as a bad thing. I think it’s downright adorable. Her whole face transforms as she talks about the things and people she loves. But as their conversation continues, my gaze snags on Connor as his eyes drop to the ground and then he swiftly turns away, excusing himself.

Weird.

“Your outfit looks really good,” Wes says, and my attention is drawn back to the two of them. Nora holds eye contact with him as Elle bumps her shoulder into mine as if to say are you seeing this. And the fuck I am. Wes flirts with everyone, but this… This feels different. He seems nervous, which is unusual. “You look, uh, pretty, I meant.”

“Thank you,” Nora replies after what feels like an eternity of them just looking at each other.

“Give us a spin,” I say, nodding to her. She really does pull off the brunette version of Rapunzel with her dark brown curls and bright green contacts. She turns, but as she stumbles a little, Wes’s arm catches onto hers.

“What are you doing later?” he blurts out. She looks taken aback as she turns around and gestures at the party. “Do you wanna come over?”

“To your dorm?” Nora asks, her tone bored and slightly confused. He nods, blushing. “To do what?”

“I dunno,” he answers, shrugging. “I could eat you out. Wait. No- Not eat you out. I mean, I would take you to eat. With me. Together. Me and you… Eating… Food…”

Oh my god what is happening?

Nora laughs, throwing her head back. Wes shoots me and Elle a look to help him, but I have no clue what’s going on. He’s clearly had too much to drink, and I highly doubt Nora will remember this in the morning.

“I’ll come over,” she says.

“You will?” Wes asks, his eyes hopeful.

“As long as I get to pick the activities,” Nora warns, pointing an accusing finger in his face. He takes her outstretched finger as a sign of a promise and weirdly interlocks his index finger with hers. “And I get to decide what we eat.”

Those two are the weirdest people I’ve ever met.

After tiring myself out dancing with Nora and Elle to Taylor Swift songs in a crowd full of sweaty twenty-somethings, I finally make my way back into the house. Somehow, it’s cooler here than it is outside. Nora and Connor always underestimate the amount of people that turn up to their parties and it ends up getting overwhelming sometimes.

As much as I love partying and dancing and doing stupid shit with my friends, it’s also exhausting. I always get this heavy feeling in my chest no matter how many times I go out where I have a sudden realisation that these kinds of moments won’t last forever. It’s pathetic and self-sabotaging but it’s also a very real possibility. If I ever lost the bond I have with these girls or our little family, I don’t think I could function as a real human ever again. That sounds dramatic, but it’s true. They are my lifeline.

That moment in the night comes a lot earlier than expected tonight. I try my best to ignore it. I’ve had a few too many drinks and I just need some water, that’s all.

I make my way into the kitchen, my head pounding from the music and the drinks when I spot Connor’s unforgettable silhouette by the sink. He’s ditched the thick sweater thing that Kristoff wears and is instead only wearing the pants and a thinner brown long sleeved top as he… washes the pots at his own party.

“What are you doing?” I ask, coming up behind him.

“What does it look like?” he retorts, looking back at me with a lazy smile before washing off a plate.

“It’s your birthday, Connor. You don’t need to worry about cleaning up. Especially not in the middle of your party,” I say, looking at the neat pile of plates he’s already staked up. He takes in a deep breath before shrugging. “Is the party that bad?”

He shrugs again. “Not as fun as I thought it would be.”

“That’s because you’re in here and everyone is out there,” I say, laughing a little. He finally switches off the tap, drying his hands before he turns to me. Instantly, I grip onto the counter, needing to steady myself as his dark eyes bore into mine.

“What I want isn’t out there,” he says, his tone laced with an emotion I can’t place. The cold pizza I had earlier churns in my stomach as my eyes gloss over at his proximity. He steps in closer to me.

My voice sounds scratchy and breathy when I finally compose myself enough to speak. “And what is it that you want?”

He takes a very purposeful perusal of my outfit, stepping even closer to me. If that’s even possible. The heat in his eyes matches the heavy want gathering in my lower stomach as he swiftly turns us so he’s towering over me, caging me in with both of his hands on the sink as my ass backs up into the marble.

Every tension point in my body tenses before relaxing gently as I shudder. His whole demeanour changes when he looks down at me like this as I crane my neck to look up at him. His gaze is hungry and insatiable. He’s looking at me like I’m the only thing in the fucking room. Like I’m the goal he needs to reach. Like I’m the only thing he sees.

He’s looking at me like he wants me.

“You know exactly what it is that I want,” he murmurs, his mouth so close to mine I can almost taste him. My tongue darts out, running across the seam between my lips as my heartbeat grows erratic.

He gives me what I want – no, what I need – as he presses his weight into me. Holy fuck. I can feel every part of him like this.

Every part.

Including the part that wants this the most.

“You’re going to have to spell it out for me,” I whisper, needing to know what he wants, needing to know what I want before we do something very stupid. “You know I’m a sucker for words, Connor.”

He lets out a sound between a groan and a chuckle as he moves his head to the side of my neck, his nose grazing my sensitive skin on the right side of my face. He brushes his knuckles against my cheek with his left hand causing tiny fires to break out everywhere.

“I want you,” he murmurs as he presses a kiss to my neck. I think I might pass out. Forget what I said about my social battery running out. I think I’ve come back to life just to die again. “To dance with me.”

“You want me to…” My breath gets caught when he kisses my neck again, his hand flexing against the side of my face, gently running down to grip onto my neck. He squeezes my neck carefully and I clamp my mouth shut, trying to take a deep breath. “You want me to dance with you?” He answers by kissing me in the same sensitive spot again.

I muster up the courage to push myself away from him, gaining a shit ton of confidence I never knew I had. I never make the first move with guys. Ever. I brace both of my hands on his chest, looking up at him as he looks down at me, grinning.

“Okay,” I say, pushing him slightly so he walks backwards, and I follow him, keeping my hands on him. “I’ll dance with you, Connie.”