One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 260

Audrey

By the time we finished grocery shopping for the impromptu party, the afternoon sun was hanging high in the sky and the air was even hotter than I had anticipated. Edwin and I hefted the grocery bags out of the trunk of the car, Edwin pausing to raise his eyebrows at the sheer amount of food we had bought.

“Did we really need this much?” he asked as he lifted another bag out of the trunk.

I glanced over at the haul that was spread out on the ground–burgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks, and an almost comically large assortment of condiments. “Have you seen how much Gavin eats?” I laughed. “Plus, if Tina gets a hold of the chips, we might not have enough for everyone.”

Edwin chuckled as a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You make a fair point.”

With that, we carried the bags inside and got to work. Edwin fired up the grill and filled the cooler with ice and drinks while I prepared various side dishes, everything from sliced fruit to pasta salad to coleslaw. We laid everything out on a long table on the back porch and turned on the speakers, blasting music.

We barely had time to finish setting up for the party before the familiar sound of gravel crunching under tires echoed up the driveway. Betty’s expensive convertible pulled in first, with Tina sitting shotgun and Gavin and Avis crammed into the back, all of them looking far too cheerful for what was supposed to be a lazy Sunday afternoon barbecue.

I quickly realized why.

“We brought booze!” Tina called out as she lifted several bottles of alcohol above her head like a trophy.

Edwin shook his head bemusedly. “Betty, I hope you’re planning on being Tina’s designated driver tonight.”

Betty just smirked. “What, no sleepover tonight?” she teased before beelining for the snacks.

Edwin and I just looked at each other with matching expressions; we’d already laid out piles upon piles of pillows and blankets, knowing fully well that half the people here would try to weasel their way into staying for the night.

Charles and Peter rolled up in Charles’s pickup truck not long after, followed by Eliza’s car. I felt a slight pang when I spotted Joseph peeking out from the backseat. He was half–hidden behind Eliza’s legs as they approached, his wide eyes looking around curiously.

he saw me, he shrank a

bit more, despite the nudge of reassurance that Edwin sent down the bond. “He’s a kid,” he said gently. “They hold onto things sometimes. It

much I believed that. But I managed to plaster a smile on my face, turning to the

as I pulled off my bathing suit coverup. “Last

Laughter and chatter filled the air as they

before he could react, I whirled

wide–eyed shock on his face was absolutely priceless. He stood there, frozen for a second, before grabbing me around the waist and hurling me off the dock

gasping as I resurfaced, only to find myself immediately being pelted with water from

Peter shouted before jumping in himself. I nearly had to dive

slammed.

melted away into easy laughter, music, and conversation as we swam and enjoyed the sun. Edwin lounged on the dock, tanning as

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Chapter 260

and Peter, Betty, Avis and I swam circles around

carefully nudged Peter and Betty closer together without them even realizing it, and soon they were talking a little. But only a little–and Peter’s look of chagrin when he’d realized

eyes kept drifting over to Joseph. He stayed dose to Eliza on the dock, watching from her shadow, half–hidden behind her

then something shifted. It was small, almost imperceptible, but I caught it–a slight twitch of his lips when Peter dramatically dodged one of Tina’s splashes, flailing backward like he had just been hit with a cannonball And when Aaris, in her usual clumsy

her crouching beside him, prewing a bright green water gun into

at the lake where we all splashed and played, still unsure. But something must have clicked in him, because with a quiet determination,

And squeezed the trigger.

had just been mortally wounded. “I’ve

the lake, sending water flying everywhere. And then, the most magical sound filled the air–Joseph’s laugh. It was soft, barely louder than a whisper, but it was there. Real and

expression on his face. Through our bond, I felt the joy swelling inside of him at seeing the little boy finally emerge