Alexis POV

"Please babe... Stay with me tonight."

I felt his words vibrate through me as his lips continue to softly brush up against my ear, making it difficult to form a coherent sentence.

After tonights incidents, I was having trouble figuring out where I stood and what the hell I was actually doing. I don't like drama, I avoid drama, I don't have the patience for drama. And boys, men, males... are . This is why I don't do relationships. Yet even though I was still a single woman and had no obligations to either one of these men... I was really struggling to walk away.

"Babe...?" He whispers again as his lips move lower down my neck. A moan escapes my lips and it takes everything in me to push him away.

"I can't."

He stumbles back, releasing me from his embrace in the process. I quickly slip past him and make my way towards the exit. I felt like I was suffocating and I desperately needed some breathing space.

"Lexi wait!!" I hear him call out in the distance just before the door slams shut behind me.

What are you fucking doing Lexi?

It was quiet when I approach the lobby and all that could be heard were the tip taps of my footsteps as my stiletto heels hit the marble floor.

"Ms Cooper its raining!"

I hear the bell boy yell out as I burst through the doors and am immediately met with cold hard rain. I stop momentarily to breathe in the scent, then continue down the street towards the river. I was running and I don't even know why. I wasn't being chased and I knew I had my stupid stilettos on, yet my body wouldn't allow me to stop or slow down, until I reached my destination.

Keep breathing. Just keep breathing.

Moments later, I reach the path alongside the river and my legs automatically slow. My whole body was drenched from the rain... but I liked it. My mind was making me believe, the rain was washing away all the negativity, stress, worry and that I had obtained during the course of the evening , and although I knew deep down this was not the case, the momentary peace allowed me to breathe.

"Jesus babe. There you are!"

I turn around to the voice of my best friend Shan. Very thankful that it was her and no one else. I couldn't bear to say the wrong thing to anyone else and she has seen me through my worst, unfiltered and all... and is still by my side.

"Babe, come back inside and we can talk." She says as she reaches my side.

"I just need a few more minutes. But you should head back before you get completely soaked and get sick." I say before turning my back to her.

"Not so fast missy." She says as she reaches out and grabs my wrist, turning me back around to face her and almost twisting my ankle in the process. "Running away won't achieve anything, so since I am already drenched, how about you tell me what's on your mind?"

Well that's a loaded question. What was currently on my mind? Nothing... and everything!

"Where do I even start Shan?"

She gives me a cheeky but reassuring smile and wraps me tightly in her arms. "Start from the beginning love."

Bradley's POV

What the fuck just happened?

My eyes were glued to the door. The door that Lexi had just exited from. The door that Lexi used to escape...

Fuck. I rub my face with my hands in frustration, completely lost in my thoughts when I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder.

"Don't let it get to you too much. She's just overwhelmed with everything that's happened. She tends to shut down when there's drama involved but don't worry, she will eventually come around again." Julie says trying to reassure me. It wasn't working but none the less, I was still hopeful.

"Thanks Jules. I'll try and take your word for it." I reply. "Anyway, sorry about ruining your hard work on setting up the party. We weren't expecting our past to show up here, out of all places."

"I'll let you off this time Vaughn. Plus it's not me that has to deal with the messy baggage." She replies. "Anyway, have you seen JD? He went to the storage room a while ago and hasn't been back since."

True. Where the hell is that cheeky prick?

"Not too sure Jules. I haven't really been paying too much attention with my surroundings, but I'll have a wander with you, he can't have gone too far."

We passed by Ava and Trevor as they finished up cleaning their area and said their goodbyes, clearly eager to get behind closed doors and inside each other pants. Ava had been gagging for it all night. She reeked of sexual thirst.

The bar was clean, the stage was empty and there was no one left in sight. We rounded the corner towards the private lounge and stopped dead in our tracks as we see JD curled up in a ball, fast asleep on one of the leather lounge chairs. Nestled comfortably next to him ... was Stefan.

Jules bursts out laughing and quickly whips her phone out. "He's probably gonna go ape shit if he finds me filming this, but it's too cute not to record."

I internally chuckle as every other part of me was still digesting the abrupt departure from Lexi.

"Wakey wakey big boy." Jules says above a whisper in her sultry seductive voice.

JDs eyes slowly flutter as he tries to open them. I step behind Jules, out of view as I watch her capture everything on her phone.

"Babe, why are you recording me sleeping? It's a little stalker-ish... but I like it." JD says cheekily as he stifles a yawn.

"You guys just look so cute, all cuddled up and shit. Don't you agree?" She replies, motioning her head towards Stef, who was slowly waking up.

There was a moment of silence as JD and Stef exchange glances, with a cheeky grin and satisfied expression, slowly creeping up on Stefs face.

"Well butter my butt and call me toast. I knew I'd get your English muffin all to myself, one way or another." Stef says, as he cheekily runs his hand down JDs thigh, giving it a squeeze.

JD doesn't flinch, but his gaze follows Stefs hand closely as it rests on his knee. "Ok I'm flattered, really I am... But you have about 3 seconds to get your hand off me before I lose my shit."

"Oof. You're even hotter when you use your authoritative voice."

Jules chuckles at his calm demeanor. I gotta give it to Stef. He definitely isn't one to shy away.

"Jules..." JD says without lifting his gaze off Stefan's hand.

"Yea babe?" She replies, momentarily shifting her phone away from them.

"I'm not kidding woman. 3 seconds." He repeats.

She chuckles again then ceases recording and quickly places her phone back in her pocket. "Come on Stef. Go cut someone else's grass will you?" She says as she makes her way over to JD, sliding her body down onto his lap, shoving Stefs hand out of the way as she wraps her other arm around JDs neck.

"Fine. Come find me when she's had enough dick for one night, big boy." Stef says, flicking his tongue out at JD before his attention lands on me.

Fuck.

He makes his way slowly over to where I was standing. I take a deep breath in. I was really not in the mood to play games or fend off a horny, semi intoxicated male. "Stef..." I begin.

He raises both hands in the air. "I wasn't going to say anything. Just a friendly goodnight."

"Ok. Night Stef." I reply as we exchange a friendly handshake. Surprisingly he releases my hand and turns towards the exit and disappears without another word. I almost felt... rejected.

I look back over to Jules and JD. They had already forgotten their surrounding and were busy swapping spit. I begrudgingly walk over to interrupt them. "Loving all the PDA from you two tonight. It's been my highlight of this evening, but when you're out of oxygen and ready to come up for air, do us a favour and go check on Benj? Sooner, rather than later yea?"

"Mhmm."

And that's all I got. Just a quick mumble and more sloppy wet lapping noises.

Why me?

"I'll be out on the balcony if anyone needs me. But seriously, take this to the bedroom Jay and check on Benj while you're at it. Please." I add, while tossing the Penthouse keycard at him.

"Yea yea. In a minute lad." He says in between kisses.

I take one last look at them...Ugh, that should be me and Lexi right now... before I make my way towards the private balcony, discarding my wings on the way.

The smell of fresh rain hits me as soon as I open the balcony door and step out onto the dimly lit pavement. My head was pounding from all the thoughts going through it about Benji, Lexi and Audrina. Ugh. My body convulses just having her name in my thoughts.

I so badly wanted to run after Lexi, but it was clear she didn't feel comfortable being around me. My next move was to go find Benj, but I knew better than to try and make him talk when he clearly had enough for one night and most likely couldn't stand the sight of me. My thoughts now fall on JD and Jules. Cringing at the thought of having to listen to their sex antics all through the night, since JD was occupying the room directly next to mine.

"God I hope those two can keep it in their pants long enough to check in on Benj."

I say the words out loud and in defeat, not knowing I was not alone on the balcony.

"Rough night?"

I look around at the dark space around me. The moonlight was only slightly illuminating a quarter of the balcony so I wasn't even sure where the voice came from. A tall male figure steps out of the shadows to my left, wearing a black tux with a lit cigarette in his hand.

Creepy much?

"Didn't see you there." I say, eyeing the stranger up and down.

He walks over to me in slow strides with a confused look on his face. He stops a few feet away from me and gives me a once over. The fuck is he looking at?

"You're a lot less clothed than I remember. You change your outfit?" He questions.

"Come again?" I reply. Clearly confused at his comment.

"Weren't you wearing black a few hours ago when you were out here smoking? I also don't recall you being so naked."

Ahh. Benj. Ofcourse.

"First of all I don't even recall ever meeting you and I don't smoke. So, I think it's safe to assume you must've had the pleasure of meeting my twin brother, Benjamin." I state. "I can only imagine what that first encounter was like... Anyway, I'm Bradley."

He chuckles, then takes a final drag from his cigarette. "Ahh, that makes more sense. Bit of a dick, that brother of yours is."

Wanker. Though his statement is correct... who the fuck is he to make a comment like that?

"Yea, but it's usually not without reason." I say, with a little more aggression than intended. "Anyway, you got a name?"

He chuckles again. "It's Brendan."

"Brummie I take it?" I ask, hinting towards his strong accent.

"Yea. What about you?"

"We're originally from Cheshire." I reply.

"Long way from home." He states. "What brings you out here?"

"Business. You?" I reply.

"Catchin up with a friend." He says.

A friend? Lexi?

And ofcourse, curiosity got the better of me. "So how do you know Lexi?"

He scrunches his face up before answering. "Who?"

What a fucktard. At a birthday party for a girl he doesn't even know. Though a part of me was kinda glad he had no connection to Lexi, the other part was thinking... Geez. What a fucking douche.

"Lexi? As in the birthday girl. The one who's having a party. The party that you are currently attending... or maybe crashing."

"Ohh. Alexis." Brendan replies. "Yea I remember now. She's tight with my mate Seth and his girl Shannen. I'm down for the weekend and Seth told me to tag along, thought it wouldn't hurt to meet a few birds tonight before I head back to the mother land and so that's how I met Lexi. She's a sexy little thing, legs for days too."

Ok, its official. This guys a dick. But then again, the same thoughts also crossed my mind when I first met Lexi.

I'm just as bad as this wanker.

"What about you? You guys tight? Know if she's seeing anyone at the moment?" He continued.

I could feel my insides churn as he continues to talk about Lexi. My Lexi.

I had to block out the urge of repeatedly pounding into his face. Instead, I decided on something less violent.

"Yea we're pretty tight. We're currently seeing eachother."

Yea ok. So I lied. Sue me. I ain't about to let some douchebag cut my grass. I have enough on my plate with Benji and whatever the fuck is going on with them, than to let another one of these English wankers into Lexis line of sight.

"Oh my bad. She didn't seem to give off the vibe that she was already spoken for." He replies, not fully convinced.

"Yea well I can assure you, she is." I state, ending all options to continue the current conversation. We eye each other up in our awkward silence, waiting for the other one to speak first.

The sound of a mobile phone ringing cuts through the air. I reach into my pocket and dig out my phone. Hmm not mine.

"It's mine. I better take this." Brendan says while looking at his phone. "Anyway good chat. See you around."

And with that, he gives me a quick tap on the shoulder as he walks past me and disappears through the door and into the bar.

Thank fuck. I quickly relax my body, allowing it to slouch forward slightly as I no longer felt I had to stand up tall. I was fucking exhausted and the last thing I wanted to do when I decided to come out here for air was to show dominance. All I wanted was to breathe and clear my head, but that prick got me all worked up again. I spun myself around, towards the night sky, placing my hands onto the stone railing when something in the corner of my eye catches my attention.

A black leather wallet was laying on the floor where Brendan once stood. I reach down and grab it, looking back to the door to see if I should even bother calling out his name.

Nope. The fuckers gone.

And as before, curiosity got the better of me and well.. I opened the damn wallet.

I slide the top card out of its slot. His licence. "Hmmm... Brendan Masters ay? Masters..." Then quickly place it back in before moving my attention to the picture on the left side of his wallet.

You've got to be shitting me!

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up tall, causing a chill to run down my spine. My mouth suddenly became dry and my eye lids refuse to blink.

Currently in my hand, in Brendans wallet, was a picture of himself in a hot air balloon with a female. They were laughing and looked quite cosy with one another and even though I didn't have to look closely, I forced myself to, just incase my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Yep. That's definitely her. That's fuckin Audrina alright. I could make out that sluts face anywhere.

"Why the fuck does he have a picture of Audrina?" I say out loud. "How do they even know eachother?"

I close the wallet and shove it in side my jean pocket. There were so many unanswered questions going through my head but the one question that was screaming out the most at me was...

Who the fuck is Brendan Masters?

Benjamins POV

I flip my room upside down trying to look for a spare packet of smokes.

Goddamit. They really must've been my last packet. Fuck!

I quickly exit the suite and head towards the lobby, with the need for a nicotine hit increasing with every second that passes.

I arrive at the front desk and it's empty. My patience diminishing rapidly now.

Great. Where the fuck are all the staff?

Just as I turn around and begin to head back towards the lift, a woman's voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Good evening Mr Vaughn. Is there something I can assist you with?"

Standing behind the desk was an older woman, looks to be in her late 30s with certain features that reminded me of my mother.

Shit. I should really check in on mom tomorrow.

I glaze over her name badge. Katerina.

"Evening Love, any chance the hotel stock cigarette packets? I've just run out and I'm not too familiar on where I can get my hands on some." I reply, trying my best to utilise my bedside manners.