Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 243

I laughed softly, shaking my head in disbelief. “You’re going to regret that tomorrow,” I warned.

Miguel just shrugged with a wide grin. “Tomorrow’s a problem for tomorrow,” he said confidently.

The night sped by in a whirl of loud music, shouting, and the sharp slap of cards hitting the coffee table. Someone had cranked up a drinking game, and before I knew it, cheers erupted as a tray of colorful jello shots was passed around the room.

Keon pointed directly at me with a smirk. “Blake’s up next!”

I groaned, trying to back out. “I’m good, man. Really.”

“No way!” Miguel shouted over the noise. “It’s tradition, man. You gotta do it!”

The tray wobbled under the neon lights, red, green, and blue shots shimmering enticingly as they were pushed toward me. Then Jake, one of the guys, laughed and placed his shot on the flat stomach of a girl lounging on the couch. “Loser’s gotta do it the real way,” he teased, and the room exploded with laughter and whistles.

“Your turn, Blake!” someone called out again.

For a moment, everything around me seemed to fade into silence. The girl giggled, her eyes sparkling with playful anticipation. Usually, I’d laugh it off, take the dare, and keep the good vibes going. But tonight, something inside me just stopped cold.

I couldn’t do it.

Not because of Lexie—though that was the excuse I blurted out without really believing it.

“Yeah, right,” I said, forcing a grin that didn’t reach my eyes. “Lexie’d kill me if she found out.”

Laughter bubbled up around me, the tension evaporating as the game moved on. But beneath the surface, the truth was heavier, simpler.

It just didn’t feel right. None of it did.

The sharp scent of alcohol, the raucous laughter, the girl’s flirtatious glances that promised nothing good—they all blurred together into a chaotic mess. But the only clear image in my mind was Aiden. His voice, the way his touch lingered, the way he looked at me as if he understood everything I was and still wanted me.

Even surrounded by a crowd, I felt nothing but him.

The night unfolded in a dizzying rush of noise and movement.

The music grew louder, the room warmer, and the laughter bounced off the walls until it felt like the very air was alive with energy. Hours slipped past unnoticed.

Everyone was drinking more freely now, passing bottles and mixing shots as if we were already deep into spring break. But I didn’t want any of it. I needed to stay clear-headed, to keep my senses sharp, to be ready—for whatever might come. Always alert. That was how my life had to be.

One message to Aiden.

Then another.

No reply. I couldn’t wait.

I called. The first ring. The second. Straight to voicemail.

“Come on,” I whispered, voice tight with desperation. “Please.”

Silence.

Then the decision hit me—sharp, clear, and unstoppable.

One way or another, I was going to see him.

Tonight.