Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101985 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“Obviously.”
He comes closer without being shoved this time, one arm above my head, leaning against the wall. “You here with anybody?”
Man. We’re not even wasting time getting to know each other. His eyes move over my face and eventually settle on my mouth. When I bite my bottom lip, they narrow. “No. I’m by myself.”
I can just about see the JACKPOT sign flashing in his mind. He thinks he’s found the perfect mark. “Maybe we could go someplace where it’s not so loud.”
“Like the other side of campus?” I ask with a laugh. I can’t imagine a quiet place anywhere in the house.
He laughs, too. “You’re funny. I can tell you’re smart. Not a lot of girls around here are.”
Oof. Here we go. Now he’s going to praise me for being not like the other girls. “So you know all the girls around here?”
His smile slips a little. “You know what I mean. Too many girls play dumb or are dumb. It takes a smart girl to be really funny.”
“Thanks. I am pretty smart.” Which is why I’m not going to drink any more of what’s in my cup since I didn’t pour it myself. I’m not saying I’ve watched one too many Lifetime movies, but I’m not not saying that, either.
“So what do you think? I’m tired of yelling. It’ll be quieter upstairs.” He slides a hand down my arm before taking hold of my fingers.
I wouldn’t say yes anyway because it’s obvious he’s trying to take advantage of somebody he thinks is stupid and naïve. Maybe the frat boys have a bet to see who can get laid first by a freshman tonight. I want to make friends, but not that way. I’m not that desperate. “I don’t think so,” I say with a little shrug. “I’m just going to kind of mingle for a bit. But I’d like to hang out down here.”
It’s like magic. A second ago, he was sweet and cute. When he draws his brows together in a scowl, the mask falls off. “Suit yourself.” He pushes off the wall with a string of curses I can’t hear over the music and quickly disappears into the crowd.
So much for friendly small talk. That was extremely unpleasant. I’m tempted to follow him around and make sure he doesn’t take advantage of anybody. Blair would laugh herself to death if she knew that was going through my head at my first party. I go to the sink and empty the cup before tossing it in the trash. Maybe I’d better stick to beer tonight.
I go outside, and it’s such a nice break from feeling like a sardine in the house. I’m the only person out here alone—everybody’s paired up or in groups of three or four. I can tell some of the girls are new. They have that same wide-eyed look that I know I must have, even if they’re trying to play it off. I lock eyes with one of them, and she smiles. “Are you here by yourself?”
I cringe. “Yeah.”
“You can hang out with us. We all just got here today. I’m Posey.” She gestures to her friends. “This is Erica and Bri. We’re all roommates. What about you?”
“I’m Mia. I’m living by myself. I wish I had roommates to go places with,” I admit, and the three of them tip their heads to the side like they feel bad. They seem nice, genuine.
“We’ll be your roommates for the night,” Posey suggests. She’s a tall, slender brunette whose contour game is better than mine will ever be. Erica and Bri are pretty with their shiny blond hair and blue eyes, but Posey’s the standout.
Erica laughs. “Yeah, because some of these guys are way too obvious.”
“They lurk around, trying to pick off the girls who are here by themselves.” Bri wrinkles her nose in disgust. “It’s sick.”
“I just met one of them inside.”
“Girls need to have each other’s backs.” The girls nod in agreement with Posey, and I do, too. Maybe I’ve found some people I can relate to.
We get our beers and decide to hang out outside, getting to know each other. All three of them come from expensive prep schools, but they seem pretty down-to-earth. By the time I’m finished and almost ready for another drink, I’m feeling a little buzzed and smiley and happy. When was the last time I felt happy? Probably the last time I hung out with Blair.
“Who is that?” Erica’s mouth falls open, her eyes wide. She’s staring up at the back door leading from the kitchen, and I follow the direction of her gaze.
And the ground drops out from under me. The music goes quiet—no, that’s the rush of blood in my ears, deafening me. I should’ve known this couldn’t last long.
Standing there in his leather jacket, he makes the guys all around us look like little boys in comparison. I can see why the girls are practically drooling.