I let out a weak laugh. “She did go all out with the blood and guts. She even wore creepy white contacts.”
Cami pulled the bottle out of my lap and took a swig. “We gotta get her back for this. Any ideas?”
I shook my head. “I’ll think of something epic.”
Jess is going down.
“That’s my girl.” Cami rubbed her hand. “Damn, even my hand’s gone numb.”
“Maybe you’re coming down with something.” I felt her forehead. It was strangely cool to the touch.
“Maybe I’m dying from that stupid vaccine. I knew better than to trust the government. They probably put arsenic in it. China’s been doing that for decades.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, who’s crazy now? And why did you get the shot, anyway?” A government-mandated vaccination seemed exactly like the type of thing she’d boycott.
Cami scowled. “My sister’s due any minute, and she told me I couldn’t meet the baby until I got the vaccine.”
“Quite the hostage negotiator, eh?”
“Yeah, that’s my sister for you, but at least I don’t have to bail her out of jail tonight.”
I winced. “Touché. Well, technically I can’t get Eden until tomorrow.” I knew from experience the police wouldn’t release her before her hearing.
“Sweet. That means you and I can enjoy the party.” Cami pushed herself to her feet, wobbling on six-inch stilettos.
I eyed her too-pale face. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“No.” She glanced down at her arm and frowned. “But if tonight is my last night on earth, I’m going to get drunk and laid.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, smiling.
“You’re coming too.” She grabbed my arm.
I knew better than to argue with her in this mood. “Fine, but just for a little while. I’m tired.”
“You can sleep when you’re dead.” Cami pulled me to my feet. “Now let’s get this party started!”
“Not too much drinking. I have to work tomorrow,” I pleaded as she dragged me out the door.
“Of course,” she promised.
I should have known better.
Within a half an hour she’d bullied me into a drinking game with Reed, Ronnie, Morgan, and Scooter.
An hour later, my vision was hazy. Ronnie’s lame jokes were getting funnier, and Scooter was getting better-looking.
Once the keg ran dry, the other partygoers cleared out. It left just the six of us sitting around the kitchen table along with Cami’s almost empty vodka bottle and Gran’s gin collection. An indie cover version of “When the Levee Breaks” was playing on Reed’s vintage record player, the perfect soundtrack for the Never Have I Ever drinking game we were playing.
Ronnie cleared his throat. Over the course of the night, his freckled face had taken on the hue of his cup. “Never have I ever had sex with two people at the same time.”
The rest of the guys and I shook our heads.
Cami scoffed and took a healthy drink from her cup. “Come on. You’re all losers. At this rate, I’ll be too trashed to have sex with one of you guys.” Her gaze rested briefly on Reed.
He pointedly ignored her as he’d been doing all night.
Feeling unexpectedly relieved that he wasn’t interested in her subtle and not-so-subtle attempts at seduction, I grinned. “We can’t all be skanky hos.” I turned and winked at her. I must’ve moved too fast because I nearly fell off my chair.
Scooter caught my elbow to steady me.
Ronnie, who’d never taken his eyes off Cami, beamed in her direction. “You’re my kind of woman.”
Cami gave him a once-over and flashed him a thousand-watt smile. “But are you man enough for me?”
Oh, God, not Cami and Ronnie. That was a recipe for disaster. I met Reed’s gaze across the table and rolled my eyes.
Instead of sharing my disgust, he wore a strained expression. “Hey guys, I think it’s time to pack it in for the night.”
I waved my hand at him dismissively. “Come on, we’re having a good time.”
Reed looked down at Scooter’s hand holding my arm. “Jesus, woman. I’ve never seen you drink like this. You can barely sit upright in your chair.”
Feeling self-conscious, I straightened in my seat. True, I wasn’t much of a drinker. But I thought I was holding my own.
Scooter slid an arm over my shoulder. “What are you, her dad? She’s just having fun. Lay off.”
Reed tightened his grip around his plastic cup, nearly crushing it in half. Clearly, he wasn’t having a good time, and it was his birthday.
Maybe we should cut the night short…
The rebel inside me flipped off that idea. It wasn’t fair. I hadn’t felt this light and free in forever. I was tired of always being the responsible one.
Didn’t I deserve to live it up a little?
Scooter gave everyone at the table an assessing look. “Never have I ever had a Big Mac.”
Cami gasped. “No way.”
Scooter’s face reddened. “Yeah, I have wheat and dairy allergies.”
Ronnie slapped him on his back. “That’s sad, man.”
Everyone at the table knocked back their cups.
My eyes didn’t even water. The vodka went down like apple juice at this point. Feeling bad for Scooter, I said. “I can’t eat Big Macs either.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. My sister is forcing us to eat vegan.” I wrinkled my nose, thinking about the tofu sandwiches she’d made for lunch yesterday.
He chuckled. “How about I take you to the Red Dog Saloon for our first date? We’ll have steak and your sister will be none the wiser.”
Reed slammed his cup down on the table, gin sloshing across the top. If he glared any harder at Scooter, the college boy’s head would’ve exploded.
What’s up with him?
Trying to diffuse the tension, I shook off Scooter’s arm. “My turn.” I thought for a second, and then said, “Never have I ever been in love.”
Reed held my gaze, tipped his cup to me, and slowly drank.
Feeling like a butterfly pinned to a wall, I swallowed hard. A quick glance around the table revealed everyone was drinking.
My mood bottomed out. Is something wrong with me?
An entire lifetime of choices rushed through my mind. Me rejecting Josh, the cute boy with dimples who’d asked me to the eighth-grade dance. Me spurning Darren, who’d stubbornly spent most of sophomore year trying to get me to go out with him. The countless faces of boys and men who’d asked me out in the years since then. I’d never regretted my decision to avoid all things male until that moment.
Scooter leaned over. “You just haven’t met the right guy.” He reached down and rubbed my jean-clad thigh.
Instead of pulling away like I normally would, I smiled. Maybe he was right. He was kind of sexy in that clean-cut, boy-next-door way. “Do you think you’re Mr. Right?”
Scooter responded by dragging me into his lap.
I giggled, enjoying the feeling of a pair of arms around me.
Why have I been avoiding this my whole life?
The sound of Reed gritting his teeth had me jerking my head up.