“But he asked you to wear his jersey first,” Sophie reminds me. Like I need the reminding.
“As some sort of weird dare made by his friends. He doesn’t like me. He didn’t even know my name.” Not that I care.
Ugh. Okay, I do care just a little. Even though my brain tells me whatever Jake wanted from me wasn’t going to be good, my heart still asked the question, what if?
What if he was actually interested?
What if he spent a few minutes with me, he’d be dazzled by my sparkling personality?
What if we became the couple of the senior class?
What if, what if, what if?
Clearly I’m living in a dream world, because he couldn’t give a single crap about me.
We head up the stairs leading to the front door, all discussions of boys momentarily forgotten. The music is so loud it’s deafening, though I swear I just heard the sound of broken glass beyond the front door. People are crowded in the backyard too. So many voices are drifting in the night air, the high-pitched sounds of girls giggling and the deep voices of boys talking. Plus, there’s the unmistakable sound of water splashing.
Yep. Someone’s probably already skinny-dipping in the lake or hot tub.
“Should I knock?” Sophie asks when we stop directly in front of the large, imposing door.
I shrug. “Would anyone hear it?”
“Good point.” Sophie reaches for the handle and pushes the door open, and we walk inside the very crowded living room.
There are people everywhere, covering every square inch of the furniture inside the room. A girl sitting on a boy’s lap waves at us, then squeals when he dips her upside down over his knees, leaving her hanging there for a second, her hair dragging on the carpeted floor.
Sophie and I send each other a look as we move on.
We enter the kitchen next, and there’s a group of people sitting at a round table in a nook that faces the backyard. They’re murmuring to each other as they pass a joint around, and I can’t help but be surprised. I figured most everyone had switched to smoking weed with a vape—specifically a wax pen.
“Looks like everyone’s outside,” Sophie tells me as she hurriedly makes her way to the French door that leads to the backyard. Drugs scare her, so I’m sure the group at the table is quietly freaking her out. “Let’s go see if Tony is out there.”
I follow after her, wishing I’d brought a sweater as we step outside. Now that we’re even closer to the lake—I can see it just beyond the line of trees—it’s even cooler back here. I notice a lot of people are wearing sweaters or sweatshirts, making me jealous.
“Soph! You made it!”
We both turn to find Tony Sorrento approaching us, his lips curved into the faintest smile. He looks as Italian as his name sounds, with his thick, almost black hair, dark eyes and olive skin. He’s actually really attractive, though always quiet, which made me think he didn’t have much of a personality. This is the most animated I’ve ever seen him.
“Hey Tony,” Sophie says shyly, her eyes going wide when he pulls her into a quick hug. I bet she didn’t expect that.
“I’m glad you came,” he says to Sophie, his gaze only for her.
Aw.
“Um, this is my friend, Hannah,” Sophie says, turning toward me.
Tony nods. “I know Hannah. How’s it going?”
“Hey,” I offer weakly, feeling lame. I’m surprised he knows me, but he was there with Jake yesterday during the jersey incident. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Any time,” he says, focusing on Sophie once more. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“I didn’t think I would either,” she says truthfully. “Hannah convinced me we should go.”
“Your house is really nice,” I tell him, which is an understatement. His house and yard and everything about is impressive. Blatant wealth on display.
“Thanks. I can’t take any credit. My mom got all kinds of money in the divorce settlement and she renovated this place a couple of years ago. Since I’m the youngest, I think she’s waiting until I graduate before she sells it,” Tony explains.
I’m pretty sure that’s the most words I’ve ever heard Tony speak at once before.
Sophie starts talking about the yard and the lake, and I can’t help but tune out after a few seconds. Their conversation flows easily, which doesn’t always happen with Sophie, especially when she’s getting to know someone. So she must feel pretty comfortable with Tony already, and I like that. I trust my friend’s instincts.
And really? I just want her to be happy.
I let my gaze wander around the backyard, zeroing in on the back door that just slammed shut, and I lock eyes with of all people, Jake Callahan.
He stares back me, his expression stony, his jaw tight. He is so attractive, it annoys me. And why is he looking at me like that? Like he can’t stop? He actually licks his lips and I’m horrified by the way my body seems to heat up at seeing his tongue.
What’s wrong with me?
I look away from him, unable to take it anymore, and I try my best to focus my attention on what Tony is saying.
“…so yeah. This is where I live.” He sounds vaguely nervous, which I find kind of endearing. “You want a tour of the house?” Tony asks us. Well. He asks Sophie. He turns to me at the last second as if trying to include me.
“Um, sure,” Sophie says with a shy smile.
Hmmm. I get the sense Tony actually likes Sophie. How adorable.
“Let’s go,” Tony says to Sophie, and I hang back when they start for the door that leads through the kitchen.
“You two go on,” I say when they both turn to look at me questioningly. “I’ll stay out here.”
Sophie frowns, her eyes filling with mild panic. “I can’t leave you out here alone. Come with us.”
“I’ll be fine,” I reassure her. “And look at me. I’m definitely not alone.”
I am surrounded by all sorts of people, and there’s a group of unfamiliar guys standing nearby in a circle, clad in green-and-white shirts. Pretty sure that’s the team we played against tonight’s colors. Why are they are?
“You sure you’ll be okay?” Sophie asks.
“I’m fine,” I say with a firm nod. “Go.”
“It won’t take long,” Tony says, his attention on me. “We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Take your time,” I tell him, and I mean it. I can find a chair to sit in and people watch. There are all sorts of things happening here tonight, and I usually hear the gossip second- or third-hand.
Tonight, I have a front-row seat.
Sophie and Tony disappear inside the house, and I find an empty chair not too far from the hot tub. There’s a table next to me, covered in empty beer cans and water bottles, and I spot a water bottle that’s still sealed. I grab it, crack the lid open and take a drink, my gaze scanning the yard. I spot Cami Lockhart. Alone.
Interesting.
She marches past me, not even giving me a second of her attention, which is fine. We were friends in elementary school. She even invited me to a few slumber parties when were around ten or eleven, but once we got older, she forgot all about me. I wasn’t popular enough, I suppose.