Zenon's Game Chapter 231

The silence before the chaos was what caught me. Zenon pulled me against his chest, and I leaned into him without hesitation. His lips crashed down on mine and I tasted his tongue in my mouth. His hands grabbed my waist as he was about to lift me up.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Bryce yelled in our ear, jumping on us with a giant bottle of champagne in his hand.

I almost stumbled as my heels found their footing on the ground again and Zenon shook off Bryce.

Our whole group came together now, hugging each other, kissing each other, screaming happy new year. I was wrapped up in it all, finding myself hugging Cynthia, then Oma... even Bianca.

I watched the interaction between Cynthia and Axel... and the kiss did not happen.

We took photos, Bryce sprayed champagne, the crowd was screaming as the DJ put the music on again and we started jumping up and down. Up and down because we had no idea what on earth the new year would bring but tonight was a killer start.

Fireworks blasted into the night sky, loud and sparkling. I felt Zenon's arm find his way around my waist again, as I leant against his chest. I looked up, knowing that he was looking up with me.

I found myself staring at him. The bright lights from the fireworks lit up his face and his beautiful eyes.

The DJ turned on his microphone and yelled out, "Welcome to the new year, party people! Now I know you got a lot of love to give and life to live, but we are here in this moment, together! So put your hands together for a mother f*cking good year!"

I looked away from the fireworks and at the DJ on stage. He threw his headphones down and waved his shirt in the air.

He grabbed his microphone, "Thank you for celebrating with me tonight! I love you all, keep the dream alive and, until then, let's all get lucky tonight!"

I looked back at Axel who did a 180. His eyes fixed on the DJ like he was a devil. And I knew what he was thinking.

The DJ wanted to get lucky with Lara.

"New year, new plan," Axel yelled out, "We need to go backstage!"

The salty air from the sea carried over the party. We were in an open space, under a night sky that was still smoky from a firework show.

To my right was a crowd partying the night away with flashing lights emitting from a giant stage. To my left was darkness. A quiet body of water.

I leaned on one leg and then the other. These high heels were not the wisest choice for a night out. I looked out at the water from our beach club party and wondered what would happen if I jumped into the sea. I'm not the best swimmer so maybe the currents would -

"What are you thinking?" Zenon asked me softly, noticing my absentmindedness.

I'm thinking we should become pirates.

I said, "I'm thinking what a great year this will be."

That sounds normal.

Our heads were so close together. If we wanted to hear each other over the loud music, we needed to be this close. And I wasn't complaining. I loved the feeling of his soft hair on my skin.

Zenon's arm was wrapped around me while he spoke to the others. I was physically present, but my imagination was on some pirate ship.

"Axel," Zenon said, continuing the conversation he was having with them, "You don't need us for this plan. Candace and I weren't planning on staying here all night."

From what I understood, Axel wanted to break into the backstage area to rescue Lara from having fun. An unrequested rescue mission.

"Why don't you let her have fun?" Cynthia asked, echoing my sentiment exactly.

"Because the DJ wants to get lucky tonight," Axel said, "And those were his pathetic words, not mine."

"She is underage," Bryce pointed out in a surprisingly responsible move. "If that was my sister, I would get her out of there."

"But it's not your sister," Bianca told Axel.

"I've known her since she was born," Axel replied, "Our mothers have been friends for decades and, even if I didn't know her well, what kind of friend would just walk away? I want to make sure she's OK and then I'll leave."

The group sided with Axel. New year, new adventure.

Except for Bryce, who was very reluctant to leave our table behind.

"We haven't finished all the alcohol," he complained, shaking a bottle as proof.

"Bring it with you," Axel yelled back, leading the way through the crowd.

I have never been backstage anywhere before, so I wondered what creative plan they had to get in. We walked through the party and the closer we got to the front, the more intense the party got.

The party had entered into its next phase: the post-midnight 'I don't care what I look like or who I'm talking to' phase. Temptation was no longer relevant. It was all about impulse.

It felt like a safari, wandering through the crowd and getting a glimpse of everyone's different new year experience. I saw a couple making out in goggles that I almost missed seeing a girl pull Zenon's shirt.

I squeezed his hand. He squeezed my hand back, making sure I was ok.

We avoided the mosh pit at the front of the stage. Instead, Axel took us round back, where the sound became somewhat distorted. We could hear more of the bass than the melody.

One or two trucks parked in a large, empty space. A drunk couple was getting frisky in the shadows, while a few venue employees walked by. They had ear sets and lanyards.

Sound equipment had been placed on the ground, connected to thick wires that snaked through the ground we walked on.