Chapter 4 : The Hamptons Villa Party

When Avella returned to her classroom with Chloe, stacks of holiday homework were already piled by the podium.

The September AP exams had just ended, but the October Thanksgiving break brought no relief, at least not for Chloe.

Holding the homework in her arms, she groaned incessantly, yet her hands didn''t stop. Her phone screen was lit, her thumb rapidly scrolling through group messages.

"Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?" Chloe asked, turning her head, eyes shining.

Avella stuffed her homework into her desk drawer. "Not for now."

"Perfect!" Chloe looked like she''d been waiting for that exact phrase. "The basketball team is going to a party at a villa in the Hamptons. The captain''s family villa. Wanna go?"

Avella looked at her as if she''d seen a ghost. This girl, who stumbled over a simple three-step layup in P.E., was suddenly in the basketball team''s group chat? Since when?

Chloe understood Avella''s unspoken question.

"The basketball team has lots of hot guys," Chloe stated matter-of-factly. "Come on, you don''t have plans anyway."

Avella thought about it. She really didn''t have anything pressing. She nodded.

Chloe immediately added to the WhatsApp group chain: "Bringing one girl."

Avella''s eyes scanned the screen. Right after Chloe''s message, someone else quickly added another.

The note said ''Lucas.''

She raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.

The Thanksgiving break arrived in a flash.

That morning, Avella was still slowly chewing her breakfast at the dining table when her phone was bombarded by a flurry of texts from Chloe.

"Usual spot! I''m here!"

"Speed, speed!"

"Hurry up! Up! Up!"

Avella, exasperated by her催促, finished her food in a few bites, grabbed her bag, and headed out.

Her shoes weren''t even properly on at the door when the crisp sound of cutlery clinking came from behind.

Sebastian sat at the dining table, his gaze resting on her hurried retreating back, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

Only after the sound of the door closing fell did he look up unhurriedly. "Maria, no need to prepare meals for my sister and me today."

When they met at the intersection of the tree-lined avenue, Chloe was already waiting in her Mini Cooper, waving at Avella.

"Get in!"

The car sped off, the wind roaring into their ears. "Listen, this party is at the captain''s family villa. That''s Taylor. Taylor, you know? Famous playboy, sinfully handsome, but also seriously player..."

"Watch the road, Chloe! Watch the road!"

Avella was terrified by her swerving, slapping her shoulder repeatedly. Compared to gossip, survival was more important.

Chloe''s mouth said, "Okay, okay," but her hands on the steering wheel turned even more sharply.

Over an hour later, the car finally sped into the Hamptons villa area.

The villa exterior was clean and beautiful. A whole swimming pool in the backyard reflected the sky, a blinding blue. Music already poured from inside, mixed with laughter and shouts, igniting the holiday spirit.

Avella and Chloe changed into swimsuits and got into the water. The constant-temperature water enveloped them, feeling just right, relaxing them completely.

Long tables were set up by the poolside, lined with drinks, alcohol, pizza, and fried chicken. A circle of people stood around the pool, more splashed in the water. Basketball team members and cheer squad girls mingled together, the scene so lively it felt like summer had been forcibly dragged back.

Taylor soon sauntered over. His tone when talking to Chloe carried a natural flirtatiousness, and his gaze smoothly landed on Avella.

"This one looks familiar," he said, smiling. "Pretty."

Avella didn''t respond, merely nodding politely.

Taylor didn''t linger. After the compliment, he turned to flirt with other girls.

Chloe and Avella exchanged a look. Chloe whispered, "See? He could throw a couple of lines at a passing dog."

Avella flicked water at her face. "Keep your voice down."

A small commotion suddenly arose near the entrance. Someone shouted, "Lucas! Over here—!"

Avella followed the sound and saw Lucas stroll in. He wasn''t wearing glasses today, the hint of roguishness in his eyes even harder to conceal.

He gave the person a slight chin lift in greeting, then the next second, jumped into the water right near Chloe.

Splash! Water exploded everywhere.

Chloe was splashed in the face, spitting out water, her anger instantly flaring. "Are you insane?!"

Lucas turned, grinning shamelessly.

The two immediately started bickering, neither giving an inch.

Avella wiped her face, silently swimming to the side. She got out to look for a drink. Most of the drinks on the long tables here were cocktails, and she didn''t really feel like alcohol right now.

As she hesitated, someone handed a glass of juice to her side.

A pomegranate juice in a transparent cup, a beautiful, deep red color.

"Non-alcoholic," a familiar voice said.

Avella looked up and froze for a second.

Sebastian stood before her in simple, clean swim trunks, holding a towel. His shoulder lines were clean, the lines of his chest and abdomen defined but not overly muscular, his Adonis belt (V-line) neatly tapered—a lean, compact solidity that wasn''t exaggerated, still carrying a hint of lingering youthfulness.

He looked at Avella, gesturing slightly with the glass in his hand.

Avella took the cup, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one go. The sweet-tartness of the pomegranate burst on her tongue.

Sebastian casually draped the towel over her shoulders, a natural movement. "It''s a bit chilly in October. Dry off when you''re out of the water."

Avella made a noncommittal "Oh," sounding utterly perfunctory.

"What are you doing here too?"

"Because you''re here."

He answered without hesitation.

Avella: "..."

Sebastian looked at her speechless expression, a very soft, almost helpless chuckle escaping his throat before he added flatly, "Lucas invited me."

Avella pursed her lips, looked away, choosing to believe that.

Once most people had arrived, Taylor clapped his hands, calling everyone to gather in the shallow end.

"Alright, game time!" he announced, his smile suggestive and mischievous. "Teams of two, one guy one girl. Losing team gets the ''Depth Charge'' penalty."

Some whooped, others whistled.

"The two stand face-to-face, using their bodies to hold a beach ball between them. Walk from the shallow end to the deep end. The deep end is 1.4 meters, not too deep, but as the ball floats up, it gets harder to hold, the walk gets more awkward, and the more awkward, the funnier it is." Taylor explained the rules vividly.

Holy crap, that''s tacky! Avella felt her mouth twitch.

"Free teams!" Taylor waved his hand like a shepherd.

Avella immediately turned to find Chloe. As she approached, she could tell something was off.

Chloe was still in the pool, her face an unnatural shade of red, eyes darting away. Lucas, on the other hand, looked victorious, grinning with unseemly satisfaction.

"What''s up with you two?"

"We''re a team," Chloe coughed, avoiding her gaze.

Lucas lazily confirmed, "Yep, a team."

Avella didn''t bother to probe further. She turned to walk elsewhere, passing by where Sebastian was.

Several girls were gathered around him, their voices laced with a coquettish tone, smiling as they asked if he wanted to team up.

Sebastian didn''t even lift his eyelids. Only when Avella drew near did his gaze sweep over briefly.

"I already have a partner," Sebastian stated flatly, his tone unreadable.

The girl was taken aback but couldn''t resist asking, "With who?"

He didn''t answer, his gaze still resting on Avella, unmoving.

Almost simultaneously, a guy from the basketball team sidled up to Avella, smiling eagerly. "Hey beautiful, wanna team up? I..."

Before the guy could finish his sentence, Sebastian had already crossed the space between them.

He raised a long arm and draped it directly over Avella''s shoulders, the movement swift.

"We''re already a team."

The guy laughed awkwardly twice.

"Ah... okay then. Have fun." He retreated quickly.

Avella froze for a moment. The arm on her shoulder felt heavy, directly against her bare skin. His palm was scorching hot, like a branding iron, the heat instantly spreading from her shoulder throughout her entire body. She instinctively tried to shake it off.

"When did I agree to team up with you?" She reached up to push his hand off her shoulder.

Sebastian tightened his arm, not letting her succeed. Instead, he pulled her half an inch closer into him, his chest almost pressing against her back, radiating warmth that smelled of sun.

He lowered his head, his thin lips nearly brushing her ear. His voice was pressed extremely low, his breath grazing her earlobe like a feather''s touch, sending a tingle of heat through her ear.

"I''m helping you ward off the creep, sister."