“Oh, is your girlfriend from around here?” she asks, astonishing me that she wants to continue this conversation.
I look up at the line; there are only two people in front of us. Right as I’m about to answer her, the sweet voice that swells my heart comes up from behind me. “Yes, she is and believe me, he’s already gotten the tour more than once, because he can’t help coming back for more,” she tells the girl and the brunette rolls her eyes. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I bring her to me, devouring her mouth in front of the girl.
“Jessa…Jessa Harrison?” a guy calls out from down the hall and my stomach drops. Her whole body tenses and she raises her head immediately. I look to see a brown-haired guy who is shorter than me. His jeans and button-down shirt remind me of my frat buddies back home. Once she sees who it is, a smile spreads across her lips and I release a deep breath.
“Hey, Colton, how are you?” she asks, and he wraps her into a huge hug. It’s all I can do to not tear her away from him, but I’m not about to appear like some jealous boyfriend.
“Pretty good, what about you? We’ve missed you.”
“I’m doing great. This is my boyfriend, Grant,” she introduces us, and Colton puts his hand out for me to shake. I make sure to grip his hand firmly, just to let him know she’s mine. His silent nod makes me believe he understands.
“Nice to meet you,” he says, and I say the same back. Jessa and Colton continue to talk about what’s been going on. I’m happy that Jessa doesn’t inform him where we live, constantly dodging the questions with questions of her own. After a few minutes, I’m growing impatient waiting on that girl in front of me, who’s most likely applying another layer of make-up.
“You should come downstairs and see the old gang. They’re all here,” he tells her, and she looks over at me hesitantly.
“You go, I’ll catch up,” I assure her. She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and turns toward the stairs with Colton right behind her. The brunette finally leaves the bathroom, and as I’m on my way in, I can’t help but think that I’m going to end up in a fight tonight.
I leave the bathroom and venture downstairs to find Jessa and her friends. She’s sitting on the couch talking with a mix of girls and guys, a smile on her face. My heart swells seeing her so happy. She waves me over and I glance around, looking for our crew, before seeing that they’re still congregated in the kitchen. I look back at Jessa and can tell by the way she’s gesturing in my direction that she’s talking about me. A girl with dirty blonde hair whose back is to me keeps touching Jessa’s leg, and I’m overflowing with happiness for Jessa to have this closure.
Jessa
Colton and I head downstairs. Although I’m nervous to see any of my friends, I feel more at ease after Colton’s warm greeting. When we get to the bottom of the steps, he comes alongside of me. “They’re going to be so stoked,” he shouts and I nod my head, letting him lead the way. Seeing the small group of my friends from a year and a half ago brings back the most painful memory I’ll ever have.
“Look who I found!” Colton hollers over to them. I see Colton’s two roommates, Trevor and Pete, who both greet me the same way Colton did, lifting my feet off the ground. I can’t help but be relieved that Grant’s not here to witness this. He would be green with jealousy over nothing. They both ask how I’m doing and what I’ve been up to. I continue to keep it to myself where I attend school now. I’m not ignorant to the fact that they all know Jason.
They’re with a few girls that I only knew as acquaintances, but their looks of pity toward me remind me how those pictures and rumors spread like wildfire. My eyes shift to the side and I can’t believe who’s here. “Beth!” I exclaim and she turns around, smiling brightly.
Running over to me, she throws herself at me and we wrap our arms around each other, “Sam told me you might come tonight. I don’t usually attend these parties, but I wanted to see you if you came,” she tells me, and a twinge of pain hits me in the gut for not keeping in touch.
“Sorry for never calling,” I apologize, but she waves my apology off.
“Don’t even worry about that. We’re together now.” She moves us over to a chair in the corner of the room where we proceed to talk about everything. She’s graduating with a degree in nursing this spring and she’s dating someone seriously. I tell her about Grant, and how I’m graduating too. I look around and locate my roommates, pointing them out to her. Her quizzical look at Trey doesn’t surprise me.
I forgot how much I missed her, and how much we shared those first years of college. Regret washes over me, thinking of all the time I’ve wasted not talking to her. Spotting Grant walking down the stairs, I can’t stop the smile from my face.
He weaves in and out of the bodies with his eyes solely on me. God, I love that man. I wave him over, and he starts making his way through the crowd toward where we’re sitting. Pointing him out to Beth, she turns and Grant gives her his usual panty-melting smile. When he finally reaches me, he snakes his arm around my waist before even acknowledging Beth. I make the introductions, and as usual, the always-polite Grant holds out his hand and Beth shakes it while clearly admiring his body.
Beth asks us all the standard questions and Grant patiently answers each of them. After a few minutes and a glance toward the kitchen, he excuses himself to go see why Dex is flagging him down. Once he’s out of earshot, Beth turns back toward me. “Well, I must say, you found yourself one fine specimen,” she teases and laughter erupts from both of us.
“Yeah, you should see him naked. Oh My Fucking God,” I exclaim, and we giggle again.
Beth’s eyes veer his way and she turns back around, saying, “You two seem to have different interests.” Her sour expression doesn’t match the friendliness in her tone. It triggers something that I’d forgotten about Beth; she has always been catty when it comes to guys. I look down at my pink dress and heels, and wonder exactly what she’s thinking.
“What do you mean, Beth?” I ask, not willing to take a backseat to her passive-aggressive behavior this time.
“It’s just, Jessa, look at your tattoos and piercings. He’s like the All-American quarterback, and you’re more…the free-spirited art girl.” Did she really just use fucking stereotypes from high school? Maybe I should give her one of my own …the bitchy prima donna.
I glance over at my “football star” and he grins my way. Even from across the room, I feel his love for me. Deciding to be the bigger person, I turn around to Beth and say, “Well…it works for us.”
She seems taken aback by my response, instantly trying to backtrack and tell me that she didn’t mean it like “that”. I know exactly how she meant it, and part of me wonders if I always let her treat me like that.
“Well, it’s been nice catching up, but I think this art student needs to go and let her boyfriend score a touchdown.” I leave her on the couch, but not before hearing her huff out a heavy breath. It amazes me how a memory of someone can be so distorted.
I walk over to Grant and nuzzle up against him. He kisses the top of my head and Trey hands me a beer. For the first time all evening, I’m completely comfortable at this party. I realize that I don’t need the approval of anyone here, and who gives a shit if they saw the pictures? If they can’t figure out that what Jason did was wrong, then that’s their problem.
“Let’s get out of here. You guys want to go to a bar?” I ask my friends, and they all eagerly place their cups down, ready to leave. Sam tells her roommate she’s leaving and will be back later. Surprisingly, the roommate doesn’t seem to care that she’ll be left with the responsibility of hosting the party by herself. Then again, it might have something to do with the fact that she’s about to do a keg stand.
The cold air hits us and suddenly I’m giddy with excitement to show them my old stomping grounds. “Did you want to invite your friends?” Grant asks me, placing his hand in mine.
I stare back at the house for a moment, and then turn toward all of them. “I’m with m
y friends,” I tell him, and he squeezes my hand.
We make our way down two blocks to a bar I used to go to called Barnaby’s. It’s really more of a dance club than a bar. The girls get in for free and the guys have to pay a cover, which of course Dex argues about, but he reluctantly pays it. Pop music, which I don’t usually dance to, pounds through the speakers while half-naked college students dry hump each other on the dance floor. I pull Grant over to the bar and order two shots, but he shakes his head, pays the bartender, and hands Sam his shot.
Luckily, Dex intimidates a group of younger kids into giving up their tables. Due to the lack of seating, Sadie’s on Brady’s lap and Sam is on Dex’s. The drinks continue to flow as we order shot after shot. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, laughing and carrying on, and I am celebrating my newfound liberation.
“Dance with me,” I request to Grant, and he stands up happily. When we get to the dance floor, I start to notice the room swaying a little, but I’m having so much fun that the last thing I want to do is end the night. After we dance for two songs, I run over to the bar and get a tray of shots. Before I can turn around, Grant’s behind me.
“Jessa, you need to slow down,” he tells me. I frown at his comment and he continues, “It’s just, I don’t want you to be sick.”
“When have I not been able to handle my alcohol, baby?” I quirk my eyebrow in question. “Speaking of which, have I ever told you how much I love it when you call me names like baby, babe, beautiful…” I sway slightly before the bars edge catches me.
Grant holds the tray with the palm of his hand, while his other one grabs my elbow to hold me steady. “Well, I’ll call you all of them all night if you calm down on the drinking,” he propositions, but I take a shot glass and down it, slamming it on the bar.
“I’m having fun, Grant. Come on and join me,” I urge him. He remains still, staring at me and shaking his head in slight amusement or annoyance, I can’t really tell at this point.
Making our way over to the table, I bump into a few people and I hear Grant apologize to them. Once we get to where our friends are sitting, he places the tray down. Since no one grabs a glass, I reach for another one. Sighing, Grant demands, “Take a shot everyone,” and hands immediately start diving to the center of the table.
I hold up my glass and wait until everyone is ready. Then I toast, “I love each and every one of you. You guys are my best friends, well actually, Sadie’s my best friend and Sam’s my sister, but you boys are right up there. And Grant, my gorgeous boyfriend, I love you,” I slur. “Oh yeah, and Kailey, once you start fucking Trey, we’ll be the greatest of friends, too.”
I tip my head back and pour it down my throat. At that very moment, the drunkenness hits me. I sit with my head in my hand, leaning on the table. Water…I need water. I turn to my buddy, Brady. He always has water. Taking the bottle, I unscrew the top and it spins across the table before falling to the floor. I down the contents of the bottle and slam it on the table when I’m done. Suddenly, the room starts spinning and I can’t keep my eyes open. I eventually lose the battle to stay awake and I feel something hard against my forehead right before darkness fills my eyes.
Grant
Fuck. I knew it was going to happen, but when her head slams down on the table, I shake my head in disbelief. Trey breaks out in unabashed laughter. “Shit man, she was going strong for a while there,” he says. She was happy though, so I’m more than ecstatic to pick her up.
I stand up and look at the group that are all starting to get out of their chairs. “You guys don’t have to leave, but I’m gonna take her home,” I inform them. Only Dex and Sam sit back down, and everyone else decides they’re ready to leave. Pulling Jessa over my shoulder, I hold the bottom of her dress down tight with my arm, doing my damnedest to not reveal any part of her. Cocking an eyebrow at Dex, I ask, “Are you sure you want to stay?” He nods his head in response.
Although the other seats are now empty, Sam still remains in his lap and Dex’s hands rest on her thighs. “Yeah, I’m coming home tomorrow. I can just bring him back,” Sam mentions and Trey smirks.
Not caring what happens between them, I nod and say good-bye. It’s none of my business. Not to mention, they’re both good people, so whether they’re having fun or want something more, they deserve it. Trey clasps my shoulder once we get a few feet away from the table. “You do know Hulk packed an overnight bag?” he chuckles, grabbing Kailey’s hand.
We get outside where there’s still a line waiting to get in. Walking past everyone shivering and hugging themselves, I laugh at how many more guys are out here waiting than girls. I assume the girls already got in with no cover, while these schmucks stand out here in the cold to pay money to get in.
Kailey’s huddled under Trey’s arm for warmth and Sadie’s riding Brady’s back as we walk by the end of the line. A guy does a double take when he sees me and I wonder if I know him. Then I remember where I am and wonder how the hell would I know him if I don’t know anyone in Colorado? Continuing to walk away, I suddenly hear heavy footsteps behind me. I abruptly turn around and come face to face with the dark-haired guy. He stares intently at Jessa’s ass, so I swing to the side, obstructing his view.
“Can I help you with something?” I ask him and his eyes flicker to me.
“Is that Jessa Harrison?” he asks. The guy is shorter than me by a few inches and much thinner, and his jeans and button-down scream that he’s a rich boy. If his appearance doesn’t give him away, the five clones standing a couple steps behind him do.
“Who are you?” I ask, not about to reveal anything to him before finding out who he is. Feeling bodies closing in around me, I glance quickly left and right to see Trey and Brady on either side.
“Um…I used to know her.” He shifts uncomfortably and glances back to the group of guys behind him. I’m pretty sure I know who he is, but I’m waiting for him to have the balls to reveal his name to me.
“Really? You knew her when she went here?” I ask him. He’s really starting to annoy me the longer I see him staring at her.
“Um…yeah…we used to date. She’s pretty out of it. Did you just meet her?” he questions, and I suddenly realize that he thinks I’m taking her to have my way with her.
“No,” I deadpan and dread fills his eyes. Before I can stop myself, it slips out of my mouth. “Are you Jason?” Sadie gasps next to Brady and Trey’s body tenses next to me, his fists clenching at his sides.
The dark-haired guy stumbles back a few steps before he answers, “Yeah. Since you know my name, I’m assuming you didn’t just meet her.” He shakes his head, slowly moving back to his friends.
My eyes instantly search for a place to put Jessa. I can’t hand her to Brady or Trey. I might need their help if his friends decide to join in. I smile when I see a park bench by the curb. Placing her on the bench, Sadie and Kailey take a seat on either side of her, already knowing what’s going to happen. I don’t want to freak Sadie out because of her past, so I’m relieved when she softly tells me, “Kick his ass, Grant,” before I walk back toward Jason.
He’s already trying to leave, but I call him out. “Too pussy to actually stick up for yourself?” I shout and he stops in his tracks, not turning around. Three of his friends turn toward me and the other two continue walking away, shaking their heads.
“I’m not a pussy, I just don’t want to fight you,” he says, holding his hands up in the air.
“Should have just ignored us when we were walking by then,” I say with a smirk. “I wasn’t going to go looking for you, even though it took everything in me not to. But now that we’re here, I don’t think I can just walk away from this opportunity to kick your ass,” I calmly say to him before he finally takes a step toward me.
“I’m sorry, I know what I did was wrong.” He glances over to where Jessa is lying on the park bench with her head in Sadie’s lap.
“Don’t fucking look at her,” I growl. His eyes jolt back to mine. Brady and Trey ke
ep their distance behind me for now, I’m sure closely observing his friends for any movement.
“Listen, I said I was sorry. Believe me, I wish I wouldn’t have done it. It was an asshole thing to do.” He keeps rambling, but all I want to do is shatter his jaw. I anxiously wait for the wrong words to cross his lips, so I can let my fist fly into his face. “I’ve tried to get a hold of her to apologize, but I didn’t have her number and her family isn’t exactly welcoming to me anymore.”
Jessa moans and I know this kid isn’t going to give me any reason to hit him, so I decide I just need to get her home. “Listen,” I say, throwing my hand through my hair. “You screwed her over and it almost broke her. Notice I said almost because she’s so much stronger than you will ever be. You’re in luck, buddy, and you want to know why? I’m so in love with that girl, I’m going to be nice tonight. Hell, I might even say, ‘thank you’. If you wouldn’t have done what you did, I might’ve never met the love of my life. I can tell by your face that you regret what you did, but knowing Jessa the way I do, I can bet that your biggest regret is you lost her. And after you lost her, I found her. She’s mine and there’s no changing that. So, you can go inside that club and find some girl to fuck tonight, trying to work her out of your system. In the meantime, I’ll take the girl we both love home and wrap her up in my arms. You agree?” I cock my eyebrow and he nods his head.
“Agreed. Could you tell her I’m sorry for what I did?” he asks.
“I can’t make that promise,” I honestly tell him and walk back over to the bench to pick Jessa up. I’m surprised to find her sitting up and staring over at me.
“Grant,” she whispers, and I pull her into me before looking at Jason, who notices that she’s now awake. “Where are we?” she asks before her gaze finds him.
“Just outside the bar baby, let’s go,” I say, but she struggles out of my arms, walking toward him. My heart thumps hard and I swallow deep with the anticipation of what she’s going to do.
Let Me In (The Invisibles #2) Page 21
