Prologue

PROLOGUE

Carla's POV

The worst year of ever.

My dad died earlier this year.

My boyfriend then cheated, he was my best friend growing up which also makes it harder. He wants me to forgive him, he says it was a mistake, a mistake is when you drop your cup of coffee on the floor then you get to clean it.

But cheating is not a mistake, because a mistake that hurts someone you said you love is definitely not a mistake.

A happy thing finally happened, I graduated the university. My brother Michael, my sister Christina just left and went back to their lives at home, both our parents are dead so we only have each other. My brother is the overprotective brother and my sister is so loving and sisterly.

Now that they have left my friends and I are finally going out to celebrate, we're getting ready to go out and have some fun since today is also the last day before we all leave Manchester.

"Carla help me the eyeliner," my best friend Maya says to me.

"Sure." I said putting it on for her.

"Wow, your boobs look so good in this dress." Maya says as I put on the eyeliner.

"Thanks, is that Hannah?" I ask when her phone rings.

"Yeah they are here," Maya says getting up to let them in.

Hannah, Lilly, Maya and I have been best friends since our first day in the university.

Hannah and Lilly are both from Birmingham, Maya is from California, and I'm from London.

And tomorrow we're all going back home, I just hope we keep being friends.

"You guys look good." Lilly says looking between Maya and me.

"Thanks, you two look hot." I say grabbing my coat to put on this insanely tight dress.

"Where are we going?" Maya asks.

"To a small underground party in a hotel." Hannah says.

"Underground?" I ask.

"Yeah totally exclusive kind of thing, it only happens once in a year that's where I met Richard." Hannah explains.

"Older guy Richard?" I ask with a laugh.

"He's not that old, he's only 30." Hannah says laughing.

"Yeah still older than you," Maya says and we all laugh.

We call an Uber because all plan on getting drunk, so we definitely can't be driving.

"Carla! Carla!" Someone shouts my name as we get into the Uber.

I turn to see it's my Ex-boyfriend CJ, he was waiting outside my apartment.

"What does he want again?" Maya asks with a frown.

"I don't know and I don't want to talk to him." I say.

"Hey, can we go please," I say to the driver and we drive off.

"Honestly he doesn't get to keep hounding you, he cheated and it's over." Maya says again with a frown.

"Please no CJ talk tonight?" I say my mood changing already.

"Let's get you a new man to fuck tonight," Lilly says changing the topic.

"An older man preferably." Hannah says and we all laugh. She's obsessed with older men.

When we get to the hotel, Hannah calls someone and he takes us to the underground through the back of the hotel.

Inside the place is packed with people, there's music playing but not too loud music. There's so much happening all around, and I swear I saw a girl giving a guy a blowjob. And some other guy had his hands under some girl’s underwear and the way she was moaning, I'm sure he was fingering her.

"I like this place." Maya says looking around.

"Maybe I'll finally fulfill my fantasy of public sex," Maya adds, and we all laugh.

We take a couple of shots, Hannah and Maya decide to dance while Lilly and I order more drinks.

And that's when I see him.

It's Liam. My brother's best friend Liam. I have had a crush on Liam since the first moment I saw him.

"Who are you staring at?" Lilly asks.

Before I can answer she follows my eyes to him, and sees him. "Let's go introduce ourselves." Lilly says dragging me with her not paying attention to me shaking my head no.

As we join him, his eyes meet me and I swear I feel my body shudder with electricity.

"Hi," Lilly says.

"Hi, sit please." Liam says pointing to the empty seat beside him and both Lilly and I sit down.

"What's your drink?" He asked, still watching me.

Oh God what if he recognizes me and tells my brother, I begin to panic.

"Apple martini," Lilly says.

"And for you?" He asks me.

"Cranberry martini." I say and he calls the waiter and makes the order.

"Shots too, we're celebrating." Lilly says to the waiter.

"What are we celebrating?" Liam asks.

"Finishing the university." I say not recognizing my voice.

"Congratulations to you both then." He says.

And when the waiter brings our drinks we drink to us.

"I wish we were somewhere more private." Lilly says smiling.

What the hell is she doing? I question her in my mind.

"Why don't we go upstairs to my room then," Liam says.

"Sure," she says getting up.

"Are you not coming?" He asks turning to me and I quickly get up.

Okay so he hasn't recognized me, I mean he hasn't seen me in years but he did see me months ago during my father's funeral though we didn't actually get to talk.

We quietly go to the elevator, he uses an access code and then we go upstairs to the penthouse suite.

When we get there, he removes his suit jacket and asks us to get comfortable while he gets more drinks.

Lilly puts on some music, and starts dancing before he gets back. When he comes back, he comes back with a bottle of scotch and tequila.

He sits down opposite me, watching me while Lilly dances around the room to the music.

"We're all wearing too many clothes," she says as she removes her dress living her in only her thong.

What the hell is she doing? I want to sleep with Liam badly but I'm not going to when we have company. Oh God, I hope that's not why he invited us upstairs. I should leave but his eyes tell me to stay so I stay.

"C'mon babe, live a little." Lilly says to me as she bends down and kisses Liam.

My heart tropes against my chest, it can't probably be jealousy. I tell myself.

I don't know what comes over me or maybe it's because I want Liam to look at me with so much desire in his eyes because I get up and go to him.

"Can you unzip me?" I ask and Lilly moves from his lap to get another drink while smiling at me.

He unzips my dress and watches slowly as the dress falls to my feet. I'm only in my bra and a matching thong but he can't keep his eyes off my body.

He watches me closely, every inch of my body assessing me.

My panties are soaked just from the look on his face, I want him to touch me. I want his hands all over me.

But then Lilly joins us again and that breaks our intense attention on each other, which also brings back all my thoughts.

What if he recognizes me halfway through and calls my brother, I begin to panic.

I ask for the bathroom, but instead of going to the bathroom, I slip out of his penthouse with nothing on my body but my coat which thanks god I left by his door.

Late at night while I tried to sleep, I questioned myself over and over again because I should have stayed, I should have at least had one night with him.

Lilly called the next morning to tell me, he asked her to leave when I didn't come back and that made me happy knowing he didn't sleep with her.