I zoom in on the picture that was just uploaded and run my eyes down her body. I shake my head from side to side as I imagine what all the other guys under that roof are thinking as they lock eyes on her. Not fucking happening, motherfuckers.
Pulling out a Post-it note that Lisa left for me when I first arrived, I punch a number into my contacts and start to write a message.
Ashton: That dress is going to get you in trouble.
It only takes a few seconds for her to read it. I imagine her looking around whatever room she’s standing in looking for the culprit but she’s not going to find him. Not yet anyway.
Toy: Who is this?
I tap my finger against the side of my phone as I consider what my response is going to be.
Ashton: You’ll have to wait and see.
As I picture her rolling her eyes at the screen, I climb from my bed and strip out of my clothes as I head for the shower. After all, I’ve got a party to attend and some of Ruby’s cheer slut friends look like they could be worth a shot.
The house is even more impressive than I was expecting when I walk up the driveway. There are kids everywhere I look, drinking, smoking, and enjoying themselves. This party has already been going on a while it seems.
My mouth waters for a drink or a hit as I make my way inside with my hood up, keeping my face in the shadows. I don’t want her to know I’m here yet.
I find the kitchen thanks to the stream of people walking out of it with drinks in their hands and after helping myself to a bottle of vodka I found along with an entire counter full of alcohol, I set about finding where Ruby might be.
The music booms and as I make my way through all the people, hardly anyone pays me any attention, they’re all too busy with their own bullshit, privileged lives.
I know that not everyone who lives in Rosewood lives in quite this level of luxury, but the majority have it a hell of a lot better than I did in Seattle.
“Oh shit, I’m so sor—” a drunk girl slurs as she slams into me but the second her eyes lock on mine, she slams her lips shut and scurries away. I smile as I watch her disappear into the crowd.
Coming to a stop in a doorway, I lift my bottle to my lips as I take in the makeshift dance floor in the room beyond.
“Excuse me,” a guy barks as he barrels past me with a girl attached to his arm before pulling her into his arms as they start moving in time to the music.
My eyes run over the bodies that are bumping and grinding in front of me before one dark head catches my eye.
There you are, little one.
I step back into the shadows and watch as she dances with some guy.
After a few minutes, the crowd moves, and they find themselves on the edge of the swarm of people, giving me the perfect view of them.
The guy lowers his face toward Ruby’s and every muscle in my body tenses as I prepare for him to kiss her, only, he doesn’t. Instead, he whispers something in her ear, something that has her throwing her head back and barking out a laugh.
She looks happy. And while that should probably put me off ruining her night, it doesn’t. It just fuels me.
Why does she get to enjoy herself like everything is okay? If it weren’t for her and her whore of a mother, then my family might still be together and alive.
My grip on the bottle tightens until I fear the glass might shatter in my hold.
Ruby gets swallowed into the crowd once more but the image of her body moving with his is burned into my brain.
I stay where I am, confident that everyone is ignoring me, and continue watching while the vodka slowly starts to fill my veins.
The girl I flirted with in the kitchen the other day appears at some point with a guy close behind and once she’s got Ruby’s attention, she and her guy emerge once again. Ruby throws her arms around her friend’s shoulders before they start dancing together with their guys at their backs.
The guy’s hands slide down her waist and come to rest on her hips as their bodies roll together in time to the music.
My teeth grind as the vodka no longer helps drown out my need to rip her from his hold.
Pulling my cell from my pocket, I find our conversation.
Ashton: And to think, you tried to convince me that you weren’t a cheer slut.
I keep my cell in my hand and wait, after two seconds she pulls hers out from her minidress somewhere and stares down at the screen.
I watch as her body stills for a beat before she not so discreetly looks around the room.
Toy: Fuck off.
I can’t help but laugh at her response.
Ashton: It amuses me that you think you can get rid of me that easily.
Toy: You ran pretty quickly last time.
Ashton: This time is different. I’m going nowhere...
A smile pulls at my lips as her expression hardens when she reads my message before she shoves it back inside her dress. Her eyes scan the room once more but unable to find me, despite the fact she knows I’m watching, she spins in the guy’s arms and reaches up to whisper in his ear.
A shit-eating grin pulls at his lips before he takes her hand and drags her from the room. Her smile as she flicks one more look over her shoulder proves that she thinks she’s winning. She’s forgetting one thing though... I never lose. And this is my motherfucking game.
8
Ruby
I know he’s watching me. I can feel his burning stare, but I can’t fucking find him.
Justin continues to grind against my back. I was enjoying dancing with him until I felt that tingle of awareness race down my spine.
He shouldn’t be here. He wasn’t invited and he doesn’t belong here.
Turning my back on Harley who’s dancing with some cute guy that I’ve never seen before, I look up at Justin whose eyes sparkle with the alcohol we’ve both consumed and the anticipation of what’s to come.
Justin is cute, hot even. We’ve got a little friendly before, but nothing more than a brief kiss that was cut short one night.
“Wanna find somewhere a little quieter?” I whisper-shout in his ear.
His hands tighten on my hips, giving me the answer I was expecting without him so much as parting his lips.
“Let’s go,” he practically growls, his hand slipping into mine as he begins pulling me from the room.
Just before we’re through the door, I look back ensuring I’ve got a smile on my face.
You can watch me from the shadows all you want, but I can outrun you.
“Can we just grab a drink?” I say before we get to the kitchen. I have no idea where he was planning on taking me, but I do know that I’m going to need more alcohol for what he’s probably got planned, especially with Ashton here somewhere stalking me like a creep.
Justin turns at the last minute and while he grabs himself a beer, I make myself a very strong vodka Red Bull. Something tells me I’m going to need it.
In seconds, my hand is clasped in his once more and he’s directing me down the hallway to where I know Ethan’s den is at the other end of the house.
We’re almost there when a door to my left opens and an arm shoots out.