I’m pretty sure his response is for my benefit, considering I pretty much accused him of inviting her earlier.

“I sure as hell didn’t ask her to come.” Krista laughs.

“We all know why she came. Her sister is here and told her Nico and Demi hooked up.” All eyes fly to Macy as she says this. “What, it’s true. I’m surprised she didn’t come tonight.”

“She did,” Trent tells us as he looks from me to Nico. “I wasn’t about to let her piss Krista off by fucking with you guys. She had no business coming around the party. The boardwalk...” He shrugs. “Can’t control that.”

“What’d you say to her?” Krista asks.

“Told her to get lost or be embarrassed when security escorted her out.”

Krista grins, looking my way, but I glance at Nico, expecting a small frown or something similar, but he’s talking with Thompson, not even paying attention to – or caring – at all.

“Demi, you and Nic were lighting the floor on fire in there! Super hot, but I expected that.” Krista giggles, leaning against Trent who shakes his head as he wraps his arms around her.

“He surprised me, that’s for sure,” I admit with a grin.

“Bet he’ll keep surprising you.” Macy rolls her hips, digging her ass into the sand.

The others laugh and we break into separate conversations amongst the group.

A few minutes later, Nico’s voice fills my ear.

“I need to go.”

“K,” I whisper back.

“Get up, Demi.”

I pull back, shifting to look at him.

A weighty command stares back, and he doesn’t bother holding it in. “You’re coming with me.”

I fight a grin. “Am I, now?”

His eyes slim in warning. “How will it look if I go to bed without my girl on a parentless trip?”

Like a lie.

I nod, and the two of us stand, but before we can say anything, the girls start teasing.

“Oh shit, there they go.”

“Bedroom heat coming our way.”

“Keep the moaning down, would you?”

“Yeah, I don’t wanna hear you and Nico on one side and Krista and Trent on the other.”

“Would you guys shut up.” I scowl, taking Nico by the hand and getting the hell out of there.

They laugh harder, yell louder, and then everyone around is whistling as we step back in the hotel.

I shake my head, grinning as I look to Nico. “So are we gonna hang out?”

“Guarantee your idea of hanging out is nothing like mine.”

“I’m not the prude you think I am, Nico.” When he gives me a bit of a dirty, enquiring look I add, “But I also have no intention of entertaining you either.”

The corner of his mouth lifts slightly, but it’s quickly washed away, a full-fledged glare taking its place.

I face forward, slowing when I spot Alex posted against the wall, only a few doors down from our rooms.

I peek at Nico again, but his expression no longer matches the tension rolling off him. He appears relaxed, poised really, but considering the way his hold on me tightens, I’d say he’s anything but.

We reach Nico’s door, and he slips his hand in his pocket for his keycard but I tug on him.

His jaw flexes, assuming I’m pulling myself free, but when I produce my keycard, he relaxes a little.

I open my door, and Nico keeps his eyes locked with mine as he enters, pausing right beside me. He leans down, skimming his lips across my cheek before disappearing into my room.

As I turn, my stare locks with Alex’s.

He pushes off the frame, and winks, but there’s something hidden behind his grin I can’t quite place, a vibe I’ve never gotten from him that has me looking away before he spots my frown.

I close the door, turning to Nico, wondering for the first time tonight if this is a mistake and more than that, why it doesn’t feel like one.

Nico leans against the small TV stand with a black layered look.

“I figured you left your adjoining door unlocked. This way, when you’re ready, you can go in your room and no one will know we aren’t together,” I explain.

He stretches to his full height and opens the door revealing his is still wide-open as I suspected.

But not for long.

With an air of sudden coolness surrounding him, he steps into his room and closes the door behind him.

I stand there, stuck a moment, but the clink of a latch has me moving toward mine.

Well, okay then.

I gently close it, but something keeps me from turning the lock, instead moving to the one connecting me to Carley’s room. I secure it, telling myself it’s not to help drive home the ruse I didn’t agree to at first but seem to have fallen in perfect line with.

I grab snacks from my mini cooler and lie down to watch Takers for the dozenth time.

The light tap of a knuckle against wood has me pressing pause on the TV. Seconds later it sounds again, so I crawl from the bed, and over to the door blocking me from my fake boyfriend and pull it open.

Nico is leaning there, a shoulder against the frame on his side, his head also propped on the white wood.

He pins me with a fixed stare, but there’s no anger or irritation in it as his expression might lead one to believe.

They’re heavy, weighted.

Overwhelmed?

“I didn’t hear a click,” he rasps, exhaustion coating his already deep voice.

“I didn’t lock it,” I admit.

“Why not?”

Yeah, why not?

I cross my arms over my chest, giving a small shrug, and Nico’s gaze lowers, boldly raking over my body and pausing at the apex of my bare legs.

The longer I gauge him, the more obvious it is that while here he stands, in nothing but his sleep shorts, his mind is far from present.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

The corner of his lip tips up, but there’s no joy on his face.

Those eyes come back to mine and hold. “I don’t wanna talk, D.”

I frown, and his focus shifts to the wall.

He doesn’t want to talk...

Of course. I keep forgetting.

“Well, I’m tired,” I say and he starts to turn his body away. “So good thing, huh?”

His gaze cuts to mine, and slowly I move aside, welcoming him into my room.

Nico steps through, waiting until I climb back into the bed to walk to the other side, where he lowers himself on top of the comforter beside me.

His phone rings from his room the moment we’re both seated and his head falls against the headboard with a soft thud. He lifts it, gently knocking it once more.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but when I meet Nico’s eyes and the closed off expression within them, I face forward and press play.

If sitting in silence, with me, is what he needs, I can give that to him.

We spend the next several hours not talking.

I jolt in bed when persistent loud banging reverberates throughout the room.

The first thing I notice is the space beside me is empty, my TV is still on, and the doors connecting mine and Nico’s rooms are still wide open.

“I know you hear us, slut face!” is yelled, laughter following.

I pull myself up, unlocking the door blocking me off from my friends.