“Fine,” I mumbled, aware that others were still staring. I hated when people gawked.
We made our way to where Corinne stood with the guy from the coffee shop and another guy with blond hair. I could feel Dillon behind me, his warmth at my back. He didn’t touch me, didn’t leave me with his hand on the small of my back like sometimes happened in my dreams. It wasn’t necessarily Dillon in my dreams, but you couldn’t always see the other person’s face in those kinds of dreams. Still, you were happy and finding your place. But then you woke up and realized that, once again, you were alone. But that was okay. I didn’t really have time for a relationship or need.
And yet, my hormones seemed to have other ideas.
“Hi, Corinne,” I grumbled. My best friend and roommate grinned, her hair piled on the top of her head.
I loved her so much, even though I hated her a little right then.
“Hi. I didn’t expect you to kiss him in the middle of the party, but good going.” She gave me a thumbs-up, and Tanner laughed from beside her.
“I do believe you two are my favorite people ever,” Tanner said, and the other guy just shook his head.
“I think we need an introduction,” the blond interjected, his British accent startling me. It was sexy. In fact, the whole package was. As was Tanner. But for some reason, it was Dillon who had been on my mind recently—and I hated it.
Or maybe I hated myself for liking it too much.
“Corinne, this is Dillon. Dillon, this is Corinne. And I don’t know these guys.”
Dillon snorted. “It’s nice to meet you, Corinne. I don’t know whether I should thank you or run away from you.”
Corinne beamed.
“That’s usually the case when it comes to people these days.”
Dillon just shook his head, smiling. “Tanner, Pacey, what are you guys doing over here?”
“I have no idea, but I’m quite enjoying myself. Hello, I’m Pacey,” the blond man said as he stared at me.
“I’m Elise,” I said, confused. “How do you guys know each other?”
This time, Tanner spoke. “We’re roommates. Along with a couple of other guys around here. This is our home.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh. Small world.”
“Well, this has been interesting. Where did you guys meet?” Pacey asked, and I could still feel the heat of Dillon behind me. I didn’t look up at him. I didn’t move slightly back so I could lean against him. All I wanted to do was hide, and I wasn’t sure I could do that.
But then I met Corinne’s gaze and remembered my promise.
Tonight was about fun. About remembering that this was college, and I was allowed to be who I wanted to be—or who I wasn’t.
I could be anyone. I could do anything. I was allowed to have fun.
I wasn’t an innocent virgin who’d never even touched a guy before. But I wasn’t good at the whole human-interaction thing.
Maybe if I let myself, though, I could have fun tonight. And I saw all of those promises and memories in Corinne’s gaze as she looked at me.
Treasure every moment, I thought to myself.
Our motto.
Something I needed to do better about remembering.
“I met the girls at a coffee shop,” Tanner said. “They were having a lovely conversation behind me, and I just had to invite them to our party. I didn’t know there would be this dare involved, but this is the most exciting thing that’s happened recently. Anyway, I’m delighted that I met up with them at that coffee shop.”
I looked up at Dillon as he frowned at Tanner’s words.
“When was this?” Dillon asked as if trying to remember something.
“That would be the day that you and Mandy broke up,” Tanner said, clearing his throat.
“Mandy?” Corinne asked.
I moved to the side a bit so I could face Dillon and the others. I wasn’t really happy with him behind me where I couldn’t see his reactions. Not that I could read him even if I could see him. He usually had a smile on his face, and I felt like I couldn’t get a bead on him. Not that I wanted to. It wasn’t like I wanted to be with him or anything. Right?
And now I was losing my mind. Half a beer, and I had lost all sensibility.
“Oh,” Dillon said and then cleared his throat again. “That was an eventful day,” he said. Then he looked at me, narrowing his eyes. “I think I saw you. You guys were a few people behind me in line. Right?”
I blushed, feeling like a stalker for some reason, even though we had been invited to this party.
“Yes, we were there,” I said, my voice trailing off.
“I know that, but I think I saw you there, didn’t I?”
“Yes. And you were a topic of conversation, hence why Tanner invited us tonight,” Corinne said, smiling at him.
I could have hit my friend just then, but I didn’t.
Mostly because I wasn’t the violent sort, and it would have only made me a spectacle I wasn’t ready for. At least, not yet.
“Anyway, we came tonight because we wanted to see what all the fuss was about,” Corinne said, rolling her shoulders back as she looked at the guys.
Tanner’s eyes danced with laughter, something that surprised me. I didn’t know him well, but he usually seemed to be glaring off into a corner somewhere when he wasn’t talking with a co-ed. Not that I thought he was a womanizer, but people seemed to be drawn to him. And from the looks that others gave Dillon and now this Pacey, Tanner wasn’t alone in that.
“Anyway, I’m glad you came,” Tanner said after a minute. I blushed. “I’m pretty sure Dillon is happy, too,” he said, and I didn’t duck my head this time. Instead, I met his gaze head-on. He just raised a brow and smiled. Jerk.
“So, I take it there was a dare involved,” Pacey began, and I sighed. “Yes, I was told to ask Dillon to kiss me. And then he proceeded to do so in the middle of the room, rather than in a corner where nobody could see. But it’s fine. It’s done. And now I no longer have to do dares for the rest of the evening.”
Corinne shook her head. “Is that how we’re playing the game, then?”
“You’re my best friend. And yet, I want to hit you right now.”
Corinne just laughed. “I don’t blame you for that. I didn’t think you’d go through with it at all. But I’m glad you did. You need to get out sometimes.”
I let out a sigh. “I am out. Didn’t you see? We are out. At a party. On a school night.”
“You don’t have classes tomorrow,” she said dryly.
“I could,” I said, and the guys laughed.
“You sound just like my brothers and sisters-in-law,” Dillon said, and everybody looked towards him, seeming to want to know more—me included. Why did I want to know more about this man? Why did having a single inkling of who this man could be make me want him more?
What the hell was wrong with me?
It must have been the kiss. Maybe it had altered my brain cells or something. Although it had been good, could it be that good?
“Anyway, I see someone I need to talk to,” Tanner said before looking at all of us. “You guys should stay. Don’t go. Another couple just had a big fight in the back, and I’m sure everybody’s already forgotten about this little rendezvous.”