He doesn’t move though, and his eyes are no longer on me, but on something behind me. I glance over my shoulder and am surprised to see Rosalind hurrying toward us, a glazed look in her brown eyes and a red Solo cup of something that smells like vodka in one hand.
“Thank goodness,” she says in her melodic voice when she reaches us. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
She’s gazing up at Saint, and for a second, I feel totally invisible as they stare at each other.
“What?” Saint asks, his tone casual even as his shoulders are tensed.
“We need to talk,” she says. She turns to me with an apologetic smile, acknowledging my presence at last. “Sorry, Mallory, but do you mind if I borrow him for a moment?”
My gut reaction is to shout no, but why should I care if they talk?
Ignoring the churning sensation in my stomach, I nod. “Sure. Go ahead.”
“Oh, thank you.” She looks relieved. Grabbing Saint’s hand, she begins to lead him away, and I feel a stab of something awful at the sight.
Not jealousy.
Never jealousy.
Shit, it’s jealousy, isn’t it?
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Saint snaps at me over his shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
I can’t help but wonder if he’s going to do something stupid, like fuck his pretty ex because I’ve pissed him off one too many times tonight. Shaking my head, I try to shove away the thought, and when it doesn’t completely leave me, I decide I need a drink.
Making my way through the party toward the kitchen, I find a makeshift bar area set up on the island. There’s plenty of liquor and mixers for drinks, but I grew up knowing to never go for the open containers at a party. So, I dig out a can of beer from a cooler sitting on the floor and crack it open.
“Holy shit, what are you doing here?”
I turn at the familiar, excited voice and give a shirtless Gabe an exasperated grin.
“Can’t a girl just kick back and have a little fun without the judgment?” I tease.
He chuckles, his long legs eating the distance between us.
“Sure, a regular girl can, but you’re not a regular girl, are you? You’re Mallory-Fucking-Ellis, slayer of dong and owner of bitches.”
I burst out laughing at the title, the last remnants of my earlier jealousy over Rosalind and Saint fading away as I do a little bow.
“Wow, I feel so honored.”
Gabe nods. “As you should. So, tell me … what’re you and Saint up to tonight? I didn’t expect to see either of you here.”
“Really? Me, I understand, but why didn’t you expect to see Saint?”
He lifts his bare shoulders into a deep shrug. “He hasn’t been partying as much lately, and between you and me, things are still pretty icy between him and Liam.”
“Really?” I pretend to be surprised, but I’m not. I also don’t bother to mention that I’m the one that’s caused the rift between the two. Everyone in the school is already very aware of that fact. And yet, despite the rift, Liam still helped Saint with Jon Eric’s body.
Because they’re still friends?
Or because Saint has something he can use against Liam?
“So, what’s the party for?” I ask, attempting to change the subject to a safe topic.
Gabe gazes around the crowded room and makes a face.
“Just Liam blowing off some steam, I guess.”
Once again, I’m left frowning. What a strange answer.
“Mallory! I thought I saw you come in!”
Liam suddenly appears at my side and slings an arm around my shoulders. He’s clearly drunk—the stench of rum is coming off him in waves. His words slur slightly as he speaks, and he’s swaying on his feet, a big goofy smile on his face.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this before, and it’s unnerving.
“Liam, you doing all right, buddy?” Gabe asks, surprising me with his concerned tone.
Liam waves his hand at his friend, as if trying to bat him away.
“Fucking fantastic, especially now that Mal’s here. Too bad you had to drag your fucker boyfriend along with you, although I don’t suppose that prick likes to let you wander too far without your leash, huh?”
My eyes nearly pop out of my head at his words. “Wow.”
“Fuck man,” Gabe says in a low hiss. “Don’t say shit like that.”
Liam gazes at his friend with wide, innocent brown eyes.
“What? Did I say something that wasn’t true?”
My cheeks are burning with embarrassment, but I try not to take his words personally. He’s drunk, after all, and not thinking straight. He’s also angry, and I can’t blame him for that.
“Come on,” he says, grabbing my wrist to tug me along with him. “I need to cool off.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Gabe says, jumping around me to reach Liam in an effort to stop him. “Saint will be back for her any minute, so maybe just leave her alone?”
Liam bares his teeth. “The fucker doesn’t own her. She can go wherever and talk to whoever she wants. Right, Mal?”
The irony of him defending my independence and then bossing me around isn’t lost on me.
Gabe opens his mouth to protest again, but I shake my head. “It’s okay. I’ll just go out real quick with him, try to calm him down, and then be back inside before Saint even knows I’ve gone anywhere. It’ll be fine.”
He appears hesitant, which is unsettling. I’ve never seen Gabe act like anything other than a certified class clown.
“All right,” he concedes at last. “Don’t linger out there with him too long, though. Drunk Liam is … unpredictable.”
I bob my head. “I’ve got him.”
I don’t tell him that I’ve taken care of my mom more times than I can count when she’s been high or trashed. I think I can handle a high school boy just fine.
Liam doesn’t release my wrist as he drags me away from Gabe and out the back to the pool. There are people playing in the water, and others running around soaked in nothing but their underwear. It looks like a scene straight out of one of the teen rom-coms my emotionally stunted substitute mother has always been obsessed with.
“All right, Liam,” I say as he continues to pull me forward. “Maybe we should take a seat somewhere and just relax?”
He ignores me, though, and continues tugging me closer and closer to the pool. I realize his intentions too late, and before I can stop him, he grabs me around the waist and lunges into the water. I scream, though I’m more startled than scared, but my voice is cut off as we’re submerged.
He releases me and I scramble for the surface, taking in a big gulp of air when I break through. Liam pops out of the water next to me, laughing.
“What the fuck, dude?” I gasp, splashing him.
He laughs harder. “Needed to get you in the partying spirit, Mal. Fucking relax.”
I shake my head at him in disbelief as I tug my phone out the back pocket of my shorts and wiggle it in his face. Luckily, after my last one was decimated the night Angelle House burned down, I’d invested in a water and smash proof case. “There are so many other ways you could’ve done that, you know?”