Nolan stared at them for a moment longer, almost feeling sorry for the girl. The words ran on repeat through his mind. Hayden will do for now. Did she know that was Dorian’s attitude? That he only considered her good enough for the moment?
No one deserved to be used like that.
Nolan had been looking after his mother and two sisters since he was thirteen years old. He knew that made him a little different than others his age. Hell, just the fact that he’d experienced the death of someone close to him made him different from his entire peer group, but most guys his age didn’t usually have to act as a surrogate father to two younger sisters.
Nolan didn’t take a breath or make a move without thinking about the welfare and feelings of his sisters and mother. His father left him with that responsibility. He’d instructed Nolan to be the man of the house and take care of them. At age thirteen, he had given his word that he would do that.
He knew he wasn’t like Dorian. Not even like his best friend, Beau. They had no problem hooking up with a girl one night and then forgetting about her the next day.
Nolan, on the other hand, had been dating Priscilla since his sophomore year. She’d applied to all the same colleges he had. She was preparing for them to go to university together, and then after hitting all the proper dating milestones, Priscilla assumed they’d eventually get married. She didn’t talk about her future without him in it.
Usually, it felt good to have order and plans—his future all set. Usually.
There had been enough chaos in his past. He craved stability. Now and in his life to come.
Priscilla returned wearing her coat, flipping her auburn waves out from inside the collar. “Ready?”
He nodded. “Let’s go find my sister first.”
“She might want to stay. Her friends are here.”
He frowned at the suggestion. The party was a little rowdy and there was alcohol on the premises. He wasn’t leaving Emmaline here. He hadn’t even wanted her to come at all. But she rarely went to parties, and since she wanted to come for once, he didn’t fight her on it. “Emmaline will leave with us,” he insisted. He doubted she was enjoying herself anyway. He knew his sister. This wasn’t her scene.
Priscilla gave him a look. He knew what the look meant. It meant, You’re being too protective.
He didn’t care.
Taking Priscilla’s hand, he led her back inside the house.
The inside was even more crowded than it had been half an hour ago.
“Do you see her?” Priscilla stood on her tiptoes and tried to peer through the mass of people.
“Not yet. Come on, we’ll find her.”
They pushed ahead, getting stopped, it seemed, every other moment by someone they knew, which didn’t do much for their progress. Nolan finally had to start ignoring people to get anywhere.
At last, he found some of Emmaline’s friends. They stood huddled in a small group, looking like they weren’t having any fun, which was heartening even if it made him a bit of a jerk.
He should want his sister to enjoy herself, and he did . . . but if she was miserable here, maybe he wouldn’t have to convince Emmaline to leave at all. Maybe she was ready to go. Maybe she had learned her lesson and wouldn’t want to come to parties like this anymore.
“Hey, seen my sister?”
“No,” Monica replied a little testily. “We lost sight of her and we’re ready to go.” She motioned to the hallway. “She went off that way with Beau.”
“Oh. Okay.” Immediately, he breathed a little easier. He felt better knowing Beau was with her. Beau was more than a friend. He was like a brother. A brother to Nolan and his sisters. He was maybe even more protective than Nolan because he trusted people a whole lot less.
Nolan dug out his keys and handed them to Priscilla. He addressed the group. “Go wait in the truck. I’ll find Emmaline and then we can head to Whataburger.” Whataburger was a staple in these parts. An institution. Friday and Saturday nights it was jam-packed full of high school kids who were there as much for the socialization as for the food.
Her friends looked relieved to be leaving and immediately turned to make their way to the door.
“I can come with you,” Priscilla said, clasping his arm.
“Nah, go on. I’ll find her faster on my own. Warm the car up and we’ll meet you out there.”
She hesitated and then gave him a peck. “Okay. Hurry up though.” She patted his chest. “I’m starving. If you don’t find her, I’m sure Beau can bring her home.” With a decisive nod, she spun around. People stepped aside, parting for her and sending admiring and envying glances as she passed. Nothing new there.
He watched her go for a moment longer and then headed back into the horde himself.
No matter what Priscilla said, he wasn’t leaving this party without his sister.
Lesson #3
Sometimes holding hands is the most intimate act of all.
x Hayden x
Dorian guided Hayden from the garage, one hand on her elbow in a very proprietary manner. She didn’t know how she felt about that.
Okay, yes she did.
She didn’t need help or guiding. She could walk just fine, if not better, without his sweaty paw grasping her. She bit back her dislike and the urge to pull her arm away, telling herself not to be so prickly.
The hand on her elbow didn’t mean anything. She came here because she had a rare night off and she didn’t want to spend it at home with Mom, who was having her own rowdy night with friends. Hayden deserved some fun, and Dorian promised they would have a good time. That’s all there was to it.
His fingers slid down from her elbow to her hand, holding it as he tugged her through the crowd. This handholding business was a foreign sensation and she didn’t like that either.
Holding hands was pretty intimate stuff. She would much rather make out with a guy than hold his hand. Holding hands meant investment and commitment, and she didn’t allow herself to get invested in any guy. She wasn’t like her mom, looking for someone to save her or pay her bills or make her feel better about herself. No, for those things she relied on herself. For everything she relied on herself.
He stopped before a group of jocks and did the whole fist-bump-and-lean-in kind of thing. Man-hugging. She mentally rolled her eyes. So the party was light on the fun. Hayden scanned the room, looking for the nearest exit. She’d give Dorian another five minutes to fulfill his promise and then she was out of here.
A couple of girls hung on the jocks. They looked Hayden up and down and then exchanged telling looks with each other that conveyed she was deficient in some way.
Undaunted, Hayden smiled back at each of them, letting them know they didn’t affect her. High school was full of mean girls, but so was the world. She was way tougher than any of them. She knew what they thought of her, and she didn’t care. She’d endured worse. Life with her mother had thickened her skin.
“Um. I’m gonna go find a bathroom.” While the girls did not make her uncomfortable, she couldn’t deal with the handholding anymore. Time to end it.
Not waiting for Dorian’s response, Hayden dived into the crowd without a glance back. She got some stares, but no one talked to her as she passed. These weren’t her people, after all. Not that she technically had people.