“Hey,” I croaked, my throat dry, and scratchy.
“Hi.” Jade gave me a small smile, but didn’t get up. I needed some space, and she knew that. I stepped over to the kitchen, aware that Reid was talking to Jade in hushed whispers, and poured a large glass of orange juice. Their words grew a little louder, and I faced them with what I’d hoped was a reassuring gaze.
“I’m okay,” I said, answering Jade’s unspoken question. I was surprised she hadn’t just come out and asked me, since that was what she always did.
Reid cleared his throat, and looked between Jade and me before standing. His clothes looked rumpled, and creased, and his hair stuck up on one side. He’d obviously spent the night, no doubt to be with Jade while I had my meltdown. He bent, kissing Jade on the forehead, and then made his way towards me. Without much hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me and gave a gentle squeeze.
“Let me know if you need anything,” he murmured into my hair. I was glad he didn’t ask me what happened, but I still found consolation in his embrace.
I pulled back, and looked at him. “Will you please tell Dane I said thank you?”
It was a cowardly thing to ask, instead of doing it myself, but I was a little embarrassed that Dane had seen me like that, and even more so because he was the only one who’d been able to calm me down.
Reid nodded, and after telling Jade he’d see her later, he left us. I took a seat next to Jade on the sofa, and clasped her hand in mine.
“You’re really okay?” She asked quietly. She didn’t look any better than I did, judging by the bags under her eyes.
I bit my lip, and swallowed hard. “No,” my voice cracked, “I don’t know how to move on from this.”
Her lip trembled and I hated to be the reason she was so visibly upset. “You scared me,” she said. “I had no idea how to help you, and I felt so helpless.”
“I’m sorry I scared you. I had no idea how to deal with everything, and I think I finally broke.”
She threw her arms around me, and pulled me close. I held onto her, immensely grateful that I had her to lean on.
“You’re not mad that I called Reid? I swear, I had no idea he was going to bring Dane.”
The expression she wore told me how worried she’d been about it, but I wanted to set her mind at ease. I wasn’t angry, just really confused.
“I’m not mad. A little surprised, I think, but not mad.”
“He flew in here, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so scared, Kennedy. I don’t know what to make of it. It just wasn’t like him.”
“No one is more surprised than I am,” I replied.
Jade paused, hesitating a little. She wanted to ask me what happened.
“I’ll tell you what happened,” I said, answering her silent question. “But not right now. I just want to curl up in bed, and sleep this damn headache away.”
Jade’s mouth lifted into a semblance of a smile. “When you wake up, we’ll grab some pizza and watch some movies. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.”
I left Jade in the living room, and after taking some Tylenol, I slipped back into my bed, and fell into a fitful sleep.
** ** **
“I TOLD YOU yesterday I’m not going to the party, Jade. I’m not in the mood for a crowd.”
Jade folded her arms over her chest, and narrowed her eyes at me. She wasn’t happy with me, but I didn’t care. I was still feeling out of sorts after the visit at my fathers’ house, but that wasn’t the real reason why I no longer wanted to attend the party she was trying to drag me to.
“You’ve been cooped up in your room for almost four days, Kennedy. You need to get some air, and I think a party is exactly what you need.”
I scoffed. “A party is the last thing I need.”
Jade opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of our front door opening interrupted whatever she was about to say. Seconds later, Grady appeared in the doorway of my bedroom looking hot in his leather gear. It was Halloween, and he’d decided to be a rock star this year, complete with leather pants, a leather vest, and scuffed boots. His bare chest had a few of those fake tattoos stuck on, and he had dark eyeliner around his eyes. If he weren’t gay (and proud of it) I would have definitely looked twice.
“Hey tootsie rolls.” His smile fell when he saw us. “Why the hell aren’t you dressed yet?”
“Kennedy doesn’t want to go,” said Jade.
“Oh come on, Honey Bee. It will be fun, and a total girls night out.” He winked, and my lips slipped an inch. I wanted to tell them why going was bad idea for me, but that entailed an explanation I wasn’t quite ready to give.
This time it had everything to do with Dane. I’d managed to avoid him since he’d walked out of my room on Tuesday night, and I had the feeling that seeing him tonight wouldn’t bode well. Especially because it was his birthday, and I knew how much he hated celebrating it. Our common disliking for our celebrating our birthdays was something we had in common, albeit a little odd. He was probably thinking about his sister, Jewel, just like I’d been doing, and that tended to make him rather volatile.
“You guys will have fun without me,” I argued. “I’m just going to be a party pooper.”
“Chase will be there,” Grady taunted. “I know you want to see him again.”
I did want to see Chase. He’d been texting me since our date, and we’d slipped into an easy friendship. He was the perfect distraction.
I sighed, knowing I would give in eventually. “I don’t have a costume.” It was a pathetic attempt at getting out of it, but I gave one last ditch effort.
Jade gave me a sly grin. “You didn’t think I’d leave you hanging, did you?”
I groaned, and hung my head in defeat. If nothing else, I could at least reach a compromise. “Fine, I’ll go, but I have a condition.”
Jade bounced on the balls of her feet. “Name it!”
“I’m coming home when I’ve had enough, and you can’t give me any crap about it. Okay?”
Jade looked at Grady, and he shrugged. “It’s better than nothing, baby cakes. Now get her sexy ass dressed so we can go partaaaaay.”
AN HOUR LATER, we stopped outside of the frat house were the party was being hosted. It was a large colonial style mansion with a sprawling driveway and front yard already littered with beer cans, and inebriated college-goers. I climbed out of Jades’ Audi and silently cursed her when my tiny pleather shorts got wedged between my butt cheeks. When she said she had a costume for me, I thought it would cover more skin, but instead, she had me wearing shorts that barely covered my butt, and a blue button down shirt that ended just above my belly button. She pinned a fake cop badge on the pocket, making sure it drew attention to my cleavage. Thank God I was wearing boots without a heel. If she’d forced me to wear her hooker boots I would have been tempted to stab her with them.
Jade on the other hand looked ready for a Victoria Secret model shoot in her black baby doll dress, spiked heels, and black angel wings. No guy would be able to keep his eyes off her, and I had a feeling she was hoping to get the attention of one guy in particular. Not that she’d admit it.
“You ready?” She asked, slipping her arm into mine.
“You coerced me into coming,” I replied. “I’d rather be watching paint dry.”
She rolled her eyes, and did a little shimmy. “Whatever. You’ll be thanking me when the night is over.”
Grady stepped up behind us, slapping us both on the butt. “Let’s get this party started my tootsie rolls. I’m not going home until I’ve found me a hunk.”
I snickered, and walked up the driveway to the door. Everyone around us had obviously taken dressing up seriously. Some people were wearing sheets wrapped into a toga, while others went the less-is-more route by channeling their inner Playboy Bunny. It was comical really, and I realized that I was in fact showing less skin than anyone else.
Once inside, we stopped at a Keg, and filled some red solo cups with warm beer.
I opted for water because I had the feeling I was going to end up driving my friends home.
The makeshift dance floor was packed with bodies, and we had to shove our way through to the other side of the living room. I spotted Chase, and gave him a small wave. He smiled when he saw me, and mouthed a ‘help me’ while trying to fend of the unwanted attention of a pink playboy bunny lookalike. She was standing really close, and the pink leotard she wore did little to hide her D-cup sized breasts. Why Chase needed my help was beyond me, but I decided to answer his plea anyway.
Jade disappeared onto the dance floor with Grady, and I walked over to Chase. He grabbed me around the waist, taking me by surprise.
“Officer.” He grinned. “I didn’t think you’d show.”
The girl he was standing with eyed me, her mouth twisting into a scowl. She was pretty, and had that air about her that screamed ‘sorority’.
“I was threatened with bodily harm if I didn’t,” I joked.
His hand tightened around my waist, and his eyes bounced between me and Miss January. Remembering that he’d asked me for help, I slid my hand around his waist, and pressed my breasts against his arm. I looked at the girl in front of me, smiling sweetly. “Thank you for keeping him company while he waited for me. I know how much trouble he can get into when I’m not around.”
Chase relaxed when he realized I was helping him out and playing along.
“I might misbehave on purpose if it means you’ll use those cuffs on me later.”
“Keep touching my ass the way are and I might just do that, baby.”
Miss January huffed, finally catching the hint, and stomped away with a swish of her furry bunny tail.
Chase tucked his head into my neck to smother his laugh.
“I think that did it,” he said. “Thanks for the rescue.”
“No problem,” I replied. “It’s what a Wing Woman does.”
We untangled our arms, but he didn’t move away. “You want to be my wing woman tonight?”
I shrugged. “Why not? It’s not a frat party until the football players are getting laid, right?”
My comment caused him to chuckle into his solo cup. “You obviously don’t have a high opinion of football players. Besides, I’m not sure you can handle being my wing woman.”
“You wanna bet?”
He pursed his lips, and thought it over for all of ten seconds. “Okay Monroe. Show me what you got.”
That was why I liked being around him. Our banter was easy. Natural.
“Okay.” I looked around, spotting a redhead on the opposite side of the room who had her eyes trained on Chase. She looked pretty in her Christmas elf costume, and looked very interested in coming over. I spotted the mistletoe around her wrist – it was a cute accessory – and decided to save her some effort.
“Redhead. 12 o’clock. She’s making googly eyes at you.”
Chase perked up, and looked around until he spotted her.
“Grab the mistletoe on her wrist, and hold it over her head. She’ll have no choice but to kiss you.”
It was silly, and possibly juvenile, but I wanted to have fun for once.
“You’re a genius,” replied Chase. “I might have to offer you a permanent position.”
He winked, and I slapped his arm. “Go over there, before she finds someone else to play tonsil hockey with.”
“Please,” he scoffed. “No girl can resist the Ambrose charm.”
I shook my head, and watched him disappear into the throng of people in the middle of the room. I was alone, and I started to feel a little uncomfortable when I felt eyes on me. My skin prickled, making the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand up. I knew that gaze, and I involuntarily found myself seeking.
I pivoted, trying to make it look subtle, and still sucked in a breath when I found him standing in the corner on the far side of the room. His ice blue eyes raked over my body, and I felt it on every part of my skin that was on display, starting from my face, and ending at my thighs.
Dane was wearing faded jeans with brown chaps and dark leather cowboy boots. He had on a red flannel shirt, the sleeves ripped off, and the buttons undone with nothing but his hard body underneath. He watched me from beneath the rim of his cowboy hat, leaning against the wall with one foot propped up. He looked like a real cowboy, but more importantly, he looked downright sinful. I hadn’t given him much thought since we’d arrived, but I was very much aware of him now.
Jade bounced up next to me, saving me from the humiliation of drooling in public, and dragged my attention away from Dane.
“You having fun yet?” She asked breathlessly. I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I nodded. Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ started playing through the speakers, earning groans from the guys and squeals from the girls.
Jade grabbed my hand, and I followed her into the center of the writhing bodies. We started dancing, and before we knew it we were belting out the lyrics. It was ridiculous, but I started enjoying it, especially when Grady and Chase joined us. They were even worse with the singing, but I’d never laughed so hard in my life. We stayed on the floor for four more songs, and I was in need of some water so I told Jade I needed to find a bathroom. I needed to catch my breath, and I couldn’t do that with so many people around me. Finding a vacant bathroom was my safest bet.
“You want me to go with you?” She yelled above the music.
“No, that’s okay. Do you know where the bathrooms are though?”
“Reid said we should use the ones upstairs, they’re cleaner. I think he said fourth door on the right, second floor.”
“I’ll be right back,” I shouted, weaving my way through the mass of drunken cohorts. I found the staircase, and after dodging a few couples who were almost having sex right there for the world to see, I stumbled on the top step leading to the second floor. I caught myself, laughing at my two left feet, and wiped my hair out of my sweaty face. Sure, I wasn’t wearing a whole lot, but it was still hot as hell.
I counted the doors, and when I reached the fourth door on the right, I knocked. No sound came, so I assumed it was safe. That was until I realized it wasn’t the bathroom. I peaked inside, and when I didn’t see anyone, I decided to step in, and take a breather. I shut the door, and leaned against it. It was quiet, until it became apparent that I wasn’t alone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Dane
THE PARTY DOWNSTAIRS was raging, and growing wilder by the hour. Reid had good intentions dragging me out for the night, but what I really wanted was to be left alone. If I could have slept this day away, and pretended it wasn’t real I would have done that too. Sadly, I wasn’t that lucky. If my life had turned out differently, I would have been celebrating my birthday and getting piss drunk like the rest of my friends but celebrating was the last thing I wanted to do.
I snuck upstairs, and after taking a leak, hid in one of the few vacant bedrooms. It smelled like sweaty gym socks, and stale beer, and if I hadn’t been so desperate for the peace and quiet I would have left. I sat down at the desk chair in the corner, not bothering to put the light on, and took large gulps of my beer. Maybe getting drunk was the only way to get through this nightmare, because God, I felt like I was drowning.
I heard a scuffle outside, but didn’t think much of it until I heard someone yell, “Get off me asshole!”
I would have recognized that voice anywhere. It played in my dreams frequently. I jumped up and flung the door open. Kennedy was standing against the wall in the hallway with one of the players on the football team caging her in.
“C’mon baby. I saw you making those bedroom eyes at me earlier.” Gavin Blake was a Wide Receiver, and the only time I willingly interacted with him was on the football field. He was an A-grade prick, and had a reputation for being a little aggressive with the girls he took to bed. If he thought he was getting his dirty paws on Kennedy I was about to prove him very wrong.
“You’re drunk off your ass if you think I was making any kind o
f eyes at you,” Kennedy spat back. She tried to push him away, but he only inched closer.
“You’re feisty,” said Gavin. He looked at her with a lewd expression, and when he tried to grab her I jumped into action.
“Blake.”
His head snapped up, and when he saw me approaching he took a step back. Smart move, asshole.
“Get away from her, she’s not interested,” I said, leveling my gaze with his. Given his height, and body weight he could probably take me, but he knew I’d have his ass if he so much as slapped me. One wrong move and he’d be off the team before this party was over.
“Seriously, Winters. I was just having some fun.”
“Don’t care. Go find someone else to fuck around with. This one’s taken.”
His smile turned into a leer. “Ah, I get it now. You don’t want me to bang her because you’re going to. I get it.” He looked down at Kennedy, making her shrink further against the wall. “I’m just sorry you beat me to it, because damn, judging by the shape of those shorts, she must have a damn fine pu - ”
I grabbed his shirt and shoved him backwards, effectively cutting him off. “Shut up. Go back downstairs and we’ll pretend this didn’t happen. You got it?”
He yanked his shirt from my hands and walked backwards with his hands raised. “Whatever, Coach. No pussy is worth that much trouble.”
He disappeared down the stairs, and the hallway was suddenly filled with an awkward silence. I chanced a glance at Kennedy, and inwardly groaned at how close we were standing. Her cop outfit was ridiculously sexy, revealing her toned stomach and muscular thighs. The buttons of her top were straining around her tits, and if she inhaled too deeply they’d probably fly right off. I didn’t even want to think about those fucking knee high boots. I’d been thinking about what she looked like with nothing but those boots on as soon as I caught sight of her downstairs at the party.
While my body lusted after her, my mind reasoned, and stoked the rigid anger simmering in my veins. Keeping myself controlled around her was always a test, but tonight it proved to be a little more than I could deal with.
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