Chapter 475) Slow Burn

Del Sol Valley 
Arcane Hall (Noah's home)

Fun summer party type tunes were blasting from the hidden outdoor speakers of Noah’s Del Sol Valley mansion, but this time it wasn’t one of his old parties where he invited bunches of Del Sol Valley socialites and wanna-bes in an attempt to numb his mind after realizing he had lost Emilee for good. This time it was just him hanging out with his twin brother Nolan, Nolan’s girlfriend Alessa and her best friend, who had inofficially also become Noah’s kinda-sorta-best friend and confidante, and also a crush, against his best efforts.

The boys were sitting poolside drinking beers from bottles watching the girls giggle and cheer while dancing to the music, occasionally sipping some real champagne, just being young and enjoying the luxury which felt so exotic to them.

Connor and Keira had been invited as well but were currently away on a couple vacation in Sulani, to attend Chandler’s wedding. Noah and Nolan had been invited as well, Nolan was going, Noah had declined. Nothing worse than attending weddings as single, especially if there was someone he would like to invite, but with a family as big as his, there constantly were events, and no way could he drag poor Holly to each one, let alone as a ‘just friend’, and definitely not right after the Starlight Accolades. Maybe the next wedding. There were always weddings or engagement parties or baby showers or big birthdays, with a family as big as his, which is why nobody really took it personal if some family members didn’t show up. Besides, the way Connor and Keira were going of late, they might just come back with serious wedding plans. As much time as Nolan had been spending with Alessa since they met 6+ months ago, a good part of that in private doing private things, Noah wouldn’t even be too shocked if they dropped the engagement bomb on him before too long, even though Nolan said he would never propose to any girl before they had been together for at least 1, if not 2 solid years, preferably more. We’ll see.

While dancing next to her best friend, Alessa caught a glimpse of the looks and smiles exchanged between Holly and Noah across the distance.

“So, are you gonna wait till tomorrow night to give it up for the Grainger-Grinch, aka Noah? I mean, look at him looking all delish next to my man. Hmm hmm. Looking at Nolan like that I do well if I make it till tonight and not drag him off into one of Noah’s fifty thousand rooms for some physical couple’s therapy. Hee hee. Since I have already put his brother through extensive testing, and they are identical twins, I can HIGHLY recommend. You won’t regret it, Holl, and let’s be honest, not like you don’t want it too! Not to mention this house. I mean, yes, please! If I need to pimp out my bestie to my man’s brother to make sure I get to come back here frequently, sorry Holl, you are my sacrifical lamb for the Grainger-Grump to drag off to his cave.”

“ALLI – shh! Vampires have extremely sensitive hearing! And Noah is no Grinch, nor a Grump! He’s just …. deep. A thinker. Melancholic. As most artists are.”

“Yeah, right, Noah the misunderstood artist, got it. I get that it’s not in a vampire’s nature to be the class clown, but Noah is taking the mood thing to next level. Speaking of vampires, they are also hypersensitive in certain situations. Which is your HINT! And if I am still too subtle: Holly it’s been a LONG time, you need to get laid, girl. And take it from me, it’s different with a vamp. In a good way.” Alessa wiggled her eyebrows, before twirling to the music again.

“Yeah, I know all about you and a certain vampire in certain hypersensitive situations. Not because I want to know, but because our house is small, walls are paper thin and you both are very noisy making said thin walls shake – all night long.”

“Jealous much? Back to my original question: when is your man going to see you naked and get noisy and hypersensitive with you?”

“Alli! Noah is NOT my man! I am not even really sure he likes me like … that. I mean, look at all this – and then look at me. Worlds apart!”

“Holly Taylor! He is taking you to the SAAs tomorrow night! What more of a hint that he likes you just like THAT do you need?! You did bring some cute lingerie, just in case, right?”

“ALL my underwear is cute.” Holly pouted.

“Holl – I am not talking about the college girl panties with flower prints or clever tag lines cute! Say you didn’t! You need va-va-voom cute, the kind that causes Noah’s eyes to fall out and all the blood from his head to go downstairs instantly!” Alessa threw her hands up to underline her desperation with her friend’s lack of proactive planning.

“Eww! Why do you want me to sleep with Noah so bad?! And even if we did, why would he care about what my panties look like? I know it’s been a while for me, as you like to remind me, but as far as I remember, you take the panties off beforehand, so why does it even matter?!” Holly burst out after feeling cornered by her friend’s investigation.

Alessa inhaled for her next rant, but before she could reply both were distracted by odd loud smacking and crunching next to them, then both shrieked, winced and stumbled a step back when someone suddenly was next to them, eating popcorn with a partially open mouth, grinning wide.

“Oh, please continue, don’t stop right when it’s getting good. I am at the edge of my seat here. Cliffhangers are evil. Popcorn?” he grinned, holding out the popcorn container to the girls, both stiff-for-surprise.

“OH. MY. GOD. Blaine Cameron?! Holly – that is BLAINE CAMERON!” Alessa recognized him, staring at him wide-eyed, while repeatedly hitting Holly’s arm.

With a casual smirk and an implied bow, Blaine nodded.

“Yup, the one and only. And I am dying to hear why you want to pimp your friend out to my grandson. That oughta be good. Usually the girls want into his pants all by themselves, not used to hearing someone give their friend first dibs.” Blaine smiled.

Holly’s mouth fell open, before she muttered.

“Gr-grandson?! YOU are the big fat meanie? Ahem … I mean …. Noah’s grandpa?”

“Big fat meanie? Well, I am definitely big in all the right places, but never been accused of being fat before, especially not since I got my own set of fangs, started out skinny and kinda hard to put on pounds without the ability to process calories. I can see the meanie part though, been called a lot worse, though personally I prefer ‘socially abrasive’.” he snickered.

Noah and Nolan joined them now.

“Grandpa, are you flirting with my woman?” Nolan joked, wrapping his arm around Alessa.

“Depends. Is Scarlett behind me? If yes, then no. If no, then yes.” he chuckled, winking at Alessa.

Holly just stared at Noah from big eyes, so he smirked and shrugged.

“Yeah, well … I was gonna lead up gently to that. Yeah, that’s the one who makes me work so hard all the time.” he told Holly, smiling sheepishly, pointing at Blaine.

Blaine laughed loudly, patting Noah on the back so hard that it caused his grandson to almost stumble.

“Good one, lazy bones. This boy here thought because I am who I am I was gonna rain down success on him like piss on a urinal cake the moment he decides he wakes up from some nappy wanting to be famous. Nah bruh, being a successful musician is EARNED not gifted, and requires hard work. First the noggin has to pump out some usuable lyrics, then you gotta compose some decent tunes to go with that, before you get to waste days of your life in the studio trying to turn it into something marketable, then get your ass on stages and into talk shows to present it right and make people want to buy it. So yeah, I have been cracking the whip over his foolish ideas. Been a long time that I was someone’s dirty little secret though. Any particular reason you and your brother didn’t tell your girlfriends who you are related to? I know I am an acquired taste, but seriously, THAT bad now?” Blaine said, trying to hide his amusement.

“Grandpa, this is Holly Taylor. Holly, this is my grandpa, Blaine Cameron – obviously. Grandpa, Holly and I are just friends.”

One eyebrow arched, Blaine looked at Holly, who blushed in the deepest shades of crimson, while Blaine nodded, but said nothing about the naughty conversation between Alessa and Holly he had eavesdropped on earlier.

Alessa shoved Nolan.

“Yeah Nolan, how come you didn’t tell me? And I very much AM this guy’s girlfriend!”

“Ummm … right. Sorry. Grandpa, this gorgeous, sexy, amazingly intelligent creature here is Alessa Russo. Alli, this is obviously Blaine Cameron, aka grampa. Probably don’t need to introduce him further.” Nolan grinned, then pulled Alessa close and they kissed, which Blaine acquitted with an approving nod, before turning his attention back to Noah and Holly.

“So, how come you got yourself a little party at a house I helped you buy and I wasn’t even invited? So busy being just friends with Holly here that you forgot I live just up the road?”

“I didn’t forget. This is not a party, not really, just us four hanging out. Taking Holly to the accolades show tomorrow so I thought it would be cool to just hang out here all weekend. Connor and Keira were invited too, but they went to Sulani instead, for Chandler’s wedding, so I invited Nolan and Alessa along to hang here with us till Monday night. The girls both took Monday off work for a long weekend in DSV. I only can take one person on my SAA invitation, so Nolan and Alessa will chill here while Holly and I go.”

“Ah. Got it. Well Holly, you seem like just what the doctor ordered for this guy. He’s been through some rough times of late.”

“Holly knows, grandpa. Everything. Even the extra baby drama.”

Blaine raised his eyebrows, giving Holly a knowing look, before giving Nolan a rough nudge to stop his smooching with Alessa.

“Hey, Casanova, eyes and ears on me for a minute. Listen here, you four are coming over on Sunday for lunch. Afterwards we can all leave for the accolades together, you too Nolan and Alessa, if you want, cos I don’t need no invitations and nobody limits how many people I bring. So, if you two want to, you can. I know Letty would love to help the girls out with dresses, makeup and all that.” Blaine winked at Holly, who blushed deeply again, before he vanished.

After quietly watching the dark cloud dissolve, Alessa nudged Nolan.

“Did he just say we are going to the event too? OH. MY. GOD. I am going to the Starlight Accolades. I think I am legit having a heart attack! Nolan, we are going, right?”

“Sure, if you want to, we can go. I may have to borrow some fancy clothes from Noah or pop back home to get dressed but yeah, sure.”

Noah noticed Holly was still stiff for surprise, so he told her

“Again, sorry about all that. I really was gonna tell you. Eventually.”

“Blaine Cameron is your grandfather. And now we are having lunch at his mansion tomorrow. Oh my God, Noah. I REALLY didn’t pack the right stuff. I have NOTHING to wear to a lunch with a top level celebrity. And Alli was concerned about my floral college girl panties. Those are seriously the least of my worries. Shoot me now!”

“Huh?” Noah looked confused.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. Can I get one of those?” Holly pointed at the bottles of beer. Noah nodded, grabbed one from a cooler, opened it and handed it to her, then watched her gulp down nearly half the bottle in one long sip.

Their eyes met.

“Don’t judge. This is crazy. I am crazy. What have I gotten myself into?”

“Now you sound just like my ex.” Noah huffed.

“Take THAT back!” Holly demanded.

“Nope.” Noah shook his head.

“I am NOTHING like that Emilee!” Holly insisted.

“You are exactly like her right now, getting hung up on the wrong BS that doesn’t even matter.” Noah told her.

“Ah yeah?”

“Yeah!”

Holly put down her beer, stepped up to Noah, chin raised, then shoved him backwards, sending him flying into his pool, arms and legs flailing.

As he came up, wiping the wet hair from his face, coughing and gasping for air, Holly felt bad, when he held out a hand for her to help him out, she instantly went for it – and was pulled into the pool.

When she came back up for air, coughing, the first thing she saw was Noah’s laughing face.

“Idiot!” she told him.

“Idiot yourself. Everyone knows vampires don’t breathe …” Noah laughed, which made Holly laugh too, and started a water splash fight.