Hesitant, I nod, matching my cousin’s footsteps out of the house. Blake’s car is waiting out front. Not exactly my first-choice ride, I’ll admit, but it’ll have to do. Will and Kendrick are also hitching a ride. As long as I’m not alone with Blake, I’ll live.
Winter and I scramble into the back seat with my brother. Blake seems a bit startled by my presence but doesn’t comment, firing up the car. As for Will, he’s sitting in the passenger seat, feet up on the dash without a fuck given. He’s laughing at something the guys said when he sees us… Sees me. He stops dead, his eyebrows shooting up to his forehead.
My stomach sinks.
Shit, did I go overboard?
I knew the eyeliner was too much.
He’s quick to tear his gaze away, but not without sneaking a second peek through the rearview mirror. We make eye contact. You’d think he’d be embarrassed, seeing as he just got caught staring at me, but his confidence doesn’t waver one bit.
Instead, he smirks.
I can practically hear him thinking, “Hey, control freak.”
Flushed—why am I flushed?—I divert my focus to the window, fidgeting with my clothes. I can’t help wincing at the memories clinging to the car’s leather seats. This car is where Blake first asked me to be his girlfriend.
Where we first kissed.
As if being in my ex-boyfriend’s car isn’t bad enough, Blake keeps mentally undressing my cousin. He’s being so obvious Winter picks up on it right away, her shoulders shrinking in discomfort at every red light. When Blake’s eyes find the mirror for the fifth time in a row, a twinge of pain shoots across me.
At least I got my answer.
This was a colossal mistake.
Reclining against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest, I watch Zoey down her rum and Coke like it’s a chugging contest. A few hours into the party, I asked her if she thought I was a control freak—guess Will got under my skin with his stupid nickname—which resulted in her asking me why I wanted to know, which led to me telling her all about Will’s newfound passion: annoying me.
“Well, he can call me a control freak any day,” she blurts out, fanning herself with her right hand. I wince, tracking her gaze to Will and Alex destroying a jock at beer pong across the room.
“Jesus, Zoey. Could you be any louder?” I hiss.
“I’m sure he could make you louder.” She winks theatrically.
I stifle a chuckle.
“You’re going to hell, girl, you know that?”
“Can’t wait,” she squeals. “So, how’s that rebound going?”
“What rebound?” I try a sip of my drink and shiver in disgust. This rum and Coke is 98 percent rum, 2 percent Coke at best.
“Don’t play dumb. Blake was drooling all over your cousin when you got here. Only one thing left to do. Hottie Blondie’s right there for the taking,” she teases.
I cringe. God, even Zoey noticed? How heartless can Blake possibly be? With my own cousin? We just broke up.
I’m not saying I want him to die, but I would probably clap if he did.
“He has a name, you know? It’s Will.”
“Will as in… Will you take him home tonight?”
I can’t suppress a grin.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“So I’ve been told.” She gulps down her drink. “Oh, well, if you’re not down for a rebound, I am. Mama needs her sugar.” She begins to wander off, glancing back at me over her shoulder. “I’m keeping my hands off Hottie Blondie for now because he’s the perfect revenge fuck for you, but my offer might expire soon. Just saying.”
She’s gone before I can blink. That’s her thing. Leaving me alone at a party and only popping back up when we’re leaving. Bad friend move, I know. But I couldn’t be mad at her if I tried. I’ve known Zoey since I was four. She means nothing by it. I don’t even think she’s aware that she’s ditching me. That’s just who she is.
I reflect on her rebound obsession. Who decided it’d be a good idea to invite their heartbroken friend to a party? This dumbass. Technically, I didn’t have to invite her because the whole school knows about Bianca’s party, but she only decided to go when I texted her I’d be there.
As for Morgan, she doesn’t do parties. Said she’d rather stay home and read. I have to agree with her on this one. I saw a guy throw up into a plant earlier, and that’s making me wonder why I showed up.
I lumber around the party, eyelids growing heavier with each reluctant step, and check my phone. Eleven thirty—I’m usually in bed by now. Time elapses at a painfully slow pace. I drink alone for twenty minutes, watch wasted people play spin the bottle for thirty. God, I’m bored. An hour and a half later, I wonder if I should call it a night.
“Kass, finally.”
His voice is my answer.
I should’ve called it a night hours ago.
I swivel around, anger simmering beneath my skin.
“What do you want, Blake?”
“Have you seen Winter?”
Are you fucking kidding me?
“You do realize that’s the first thing you’ve said to me since you dumped me over text, and you chose ‘Have you seen Winter’?”
He winces. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be an asshole. It’s just… I really need to know where she is.”
Deep breaths, Kass.
“And I need to know how you can have your head so far up your own ass you lack basic human decency.” I give him my best fuck you smile. “Too bad we don’t always get what we want.”
His jaw drops.
With that said, I walk off.
The farther I get, the quicker any remnant of the love I ever felt for the idiot is drained out of my system. On second thought, I don’t care that Blake dumped me.
He lost me.
I didn’t lose shit.
The guys, Winter, and I were all supposed to carpool together after the party—Alex, the saint that he is, agreed to be the designated driver—but I’m not sticking around until midnight. I’ll just get an Uber. I’m texting Winter to let her know I’m going home early when someone taps me on the shoulder.
“Kass, hey.”
Seriously?
Again?
“Luke.” I barely manage a smile and reprimand myself for being rude. It’s not his fault I’m having a bad night.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Why? So you could also ask me where Winter is?
“Do you want a drink?”
No, I want to sleep.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“You sure?” he insists.
“Hundred percent. I was thinking of calling it a night.”
“Already? The party’s just started.” He sounds disappointed.
“I know, but I’m exhausted.”
He nods. “Oh, all right, then. Before you go, I wanted to ask…”
Please don’t ask me out.
“I was wondering if—”
“There you are.”
My breathing spikes when I take in the six foot something of sarcasm and muscles next to me. Holding a red cup in one hand and what seems to be a brownie in the other, Will stares at me, lazy smirk on display, eyes a bit red from… I’m not sure I want to know. At first, I wonder why he was looking for me. Then I realize I don’t give a damn, and he’s bringing me the perfect excuse on a silver platter.