Third POV
It was past eight in the evening. Marco sat on the edge of his bed, leaning down to put on his shoes. He wore all black: dark jeans, a fitted black t-shirt, and a black learher jacket. He tied the laces tight and walked out the front door.
Outside, the street was quiet, but the silence was broken by the low hum of a running engine. Tony and James were waiting by two parked motorbikes. Like Marco, both of them were dressed entirely in black.
Marco stopped on the pavement. He looked at Tony, then at James, and finally looked down at his own dark clothes. "Who in their right mind organizes an all-black party?"
Tony leaned against his bike and grinned. "It’s Ethan."
Marco went entirely still for a second. His brows pulled together. "Ethan? The Ethan?"
Tony nodded proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don’t know how the hell he got my number, but man, I can never say no to a free drinking zone. Open bar, Chen. Open bar."
Marco licked his bottom lip, unease settling in his stomach. He stepped closer. "Didn’t you for once think about why he invited you? It’s not like you two are that close. Actually, you barely know him."
Tony rolled his eyes, looking at Marco with a lazy, careless expression. "I don’t care. I really don’t. I just want to blow some steam off. It’s been so long since we went wild."
Marco let out a heavy sigh. He stared at Tony, almost offended. "Five days. It has been five days, Tony. Do you want to kill us? All you think about is alcohol and sex. Pity our livers, dude."
Tony laughed, a harsh, sarcastic sound. He pointed an accusing finger at Marco. "Alcohol and sex. That’s more like a synonym for Marco Chen. Don’t act like a saint now."
Marco humphed and shook his head, taking a step back toward his door. "I’ll pass tonight. I’m not going. I cannot leave Elia alone in the house."
Tony giggled. He stepped away from the bike, walked over to Marco, and threw a heavy arm around Marco’s shoulders, pulling him close. "I knew you were going to use that as an excuse. I saw it coming from a mile away. So, I did you a favor. I asked Elia to sleep over at one of his friends’ places."
Marco stiffened, turning his head to glare at Tony. "What friend?" he asked, almost instantly.
Tony waved his free hand dismissively, trying to recall. "He said some name... Oris, Rois, Rosy... I don’t remember, it was something like that."
James, who had been quietly watching them from the other bike, finally interrupted. "Orso."
Marco nodded slowly but he still looked for a way out. "Even so, I have to look after the house. I can’t go tonight, Tony."
Tony’s smile fell completely. His eyes narrowed, and he glared suspiciously at Marco. He dropped his arm from Marco’s shoulders and grabbed the front of Marco’s jacket instead. "Whether you like it or not, you are going."
Without waiting for an answer, Tony began dragging Marco toward the two motorbikes. Marco dug his shoes into the dirt, complaining loudly. "Get off me! Why are you forcing me? I’m not your bitch, asshole."
Tony did not lessen his tight hold. He pulled, shoved, and maneuvered until he had made absolutely sure Marco was seated on the bike. Once Marco was trapped, Tony leaned in close and smirked. "Tonight, we’ll find out whose bitch you are."
Marco sighed, rubbing his face with his hands as Tony climbed onto the seat right behind him. "I’m no one’s pussy, jackass," Marco muttered.
Tony slapped Marco’s back hard enough to make him jolt. "Drive before I slap your ass too. Let’s go!"
Marco gritted his teeth, his jaw tight, but he complied. He kicked the stand up, turned on the bike, and twisted the throttle. The engine roared to life. He hit the road, speeding down with James following closely behind on the second bike.
It was purely by luck that they arrived at their destination alive. Along the way, the ride was a mess. Tony refused to sit still, shouting over the rushing wind. Marco yelled back. They stopped arguing only to start again at the red lights, and at one point, Marco took one hand off the handlebars to shove Tony’s knee, which earned him a punch to the shoulder. They swerved, cursed, and sped up, racing James through the night roads.
Eventually, they slowed down. They came to a stop outside a massive villa, but not the one of Fabio’s. This one was located much further away from the city. It sat in the middle of an expansive, private stretch of land, completely surrounded by a dense forest. The trees blocked out the city lights, making the bright neon glowing from the villa’s windows look even sharper. Loud bass echoed through the trees.
Once the bikes were parked, Tony was the first to jump off. He didn’t even wait for Marco to cut the engine. He took a few steps toward the loud music, then stopped and looked back at Marco and James.
"If I don’t make it out alive tonight," Tony shouted over the noise, "make sure to scatter my ashes in a porn house. I’ll rest peacefully."
Before either of them could reply, Tony turned and jogged away, instantly mixing with the large crowd of people spilling out the front doors and loitering outside the villa.
Marco and James were left standing alone by the dirt path. Marco watched Tony disappear into the mass of dark clothing and flashing lights. He let out a breath and glanced over at James.
"Keep an eye on him," Marco told him. "Or he’ll set his own ass on fire before the night is over."
James nodded slowly. A small, tight smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "I’ve dealt with every insane version of him. There is nothing I can’t handle."
James swung his leg over his bike and stood up on the dirt. Marco stayed seated on his bike, observing the taller man in the dim light for a few long seconds.
"Since when?" Marco asked quietly.
James stopped. He looked over toward Marco, a questioning look in his eyes. "Since when what?"
Marco kicked the stand down and finally got off the bike. He walked around the front tire, stepping closer to James. "Since when have you liked him?"
James did not flinch. He didn’t shy away, look down, or try to laugh it off. If anything, the corner of his lips raised slightly higher. "I don’t like him."