“Yeah, I really am. Why?”
I shrug and take a drink from one of Gabby’s purple mugs. “I thought you were off partying.”
“I am. I’m just going to my girlfriend’s friend’s party.”
Poor fucker. “Well.” I offer the mug that is definitely not full of coffee, but instead, it’s whiskey from a stash I have in my room. “Let’s pregame this shit like the old days.”
Gabby walks in, wearing jeans and a K-state t-shirt and takes the mug from me. “These mugs are for coffee or tea.” She sniffs it and rolls her eyes before walking to the kitchen and pouring it down the drain.
“What the fuck?”
She walks back to us, one hand on her hip. “I’m fine with you staying here.” She isn’t. “But you cannot try to tempt Brandon.”
Brandon wraps an arm around her hip and pulls her to his side. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.”
I can’t help but point out the hypocrisy here. “You’re taking him to a fucking party.”
Brandon’s eyes snap to mine with a warning. “She isn’t forcing me to go. I want to go to support her.”
“I don’t see the fucking difference.”
Gabby folds her arms over her chest and scoffs loudly, “You don’t care. He’s going to socialize and be around my friends because that’s who he is, supportive and caring.”
Do not laugh at her. Brandon might actually kill me for that. “Supportive? Caring?”
Brandon looks uncomfortable at her description, but she’s missing the irony. The man I know is neither of those things, and in fact tried to push her own brother over the sobriety cliff before they got together and used her to do it.
“Yes.” Her eyes lock on mine, a little pit bull ready to attack. “He is.”
“Let’s just go.” Brandon is done with this as he starts for the door and opens it. Gabby walks outside, and Brandon follows her, and then, I follow him. He looks at me puzzled. “What are you doing?”
I shrug. “I could use a party.”
Gabby throws her hands up in the air and walks to the car, shaking her head. Brandon looks back at me. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll get shit-faced and do something stupid.”
“Hey, I can handle my liquor better than most of those college fuckers that’ll be crying or puking in the corner by midnight.”
“You weren’t invited.”
“I’m pretty sure that redheaded chick will be more than okay with it.”
She couldn’t keep her eyes off me both times I’ve seen her. I’m not worried about the invitation.
“I’m not in the mood to babysit you.”
“Just so I know, are you ever in that mood?”
“No.” It’s a quick growl, and it makes me chuckle as I brush past him and climb into the backseat of the car.
Little Gabby doesn’t look happy, but she’ll get over it.
Something tells me, I need to be at this party tonight.
“Wow.” I look around at Ophelia’s house that’s packed completely full of drunken college students. The party just started, and people are already out-of-control drunk as they camp out all over Ophelia’s normally obsessively-clean home.
Ophelia giggles, her impressive chest out and on display in an emerald, sparkling dress that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. She’s wearing a white sash across her chest that says, “Birthday Girl,” and she’s already three deep into the pink, Jell-o shots that are being passed around. “I know! Isn’t it great?”
“I thought you said low-key?”
She waves that off and giggles again. “Oh, please. Why the fuck would I want my birthday to be boring. We are celebrating me, Ellie girl!” She hugs me to her side and gives my cheek a sloppy wet kiss.
Oh lord, I don’t think I’m going to make it through tonight.
Ophelia starts to fan her face. “Oh my lord, here he comes.”
I turn my head to follow her gaze and smile, shaking my head when I see Knox approaching. She really does have it bad for him even if it’s just a sexual attraction. He should just throw her one at this point.
“Happy birthday, gorgeous.” He hugs her, and I think she might pass out.
“Knox, you came. You’re just in time for the birthday-girl spanking.” She bites her bottom lip and giggles, and I cannot stop myself from laughing. Her over the top antics are entertaining to say the least.
Knox gives that brilliant smile but brushes it off. Maybe he’s not interested in women? I really haven’t seen him with a woman, and that would make sense. What guy wouldn’t jump at the chance with Ophelia? “Well, I’m sure there are plenty of guys here that will help you out with that.”
Ophelia pouts, folding her arms and pushing her girls up, but Knox doesn’t take the bait.
“Maybe so, Knoxy boy.” She’s starting to slur her words, and this is not good because I can tell the pout is real and she’s upset, but she bounces back. “I’m going to get another drink.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I have to ask.
She holds my face in her hands, moving a little too close for comfort, and I can smell the alcohol on her breath as she speaks. “It’s the best idea!”
“Maybe water would be best.”
She rolls her eyes and kisses me on the nose before smacking my ass and hopping off toward the kitchen.
“Well . . .”
Knox chuckles next to me. “She’s something.”
I shake my head, but I’m laughing at my colorful friend. “That she is.” I cross my arms and sip the jungle juice I mixed up for the party. “I still can’t believe you’ve never thought about it.”
He laughs at that. “She’s really not my type.”
“No? I’m pretty sure she’s everyone’s type.”
“I’ll be thirty next year, Elle. I can’t mess around with girls like Ophelia. I’m looking for something more serious, someone mature.”
Wait. What? His eyes meet mine. “Maturity? Guys look for that?”
“Men do.” He’s more serious than normal, and I’m not used to it.
“Well, Ophelia has it together. She’s going to school and holds down a job. She was only late once last week.”
He chuckles at that as I take a drink of my alcoholic punch. “She’s great, don’t get me wrong. But it’s like I said before, she’s after the chase, Elle. That’s all. The excitement of pinning down someone who doesn’t drool at her feet.”
I take a big gulp of the drink, thinking about the chase. Is that what my attraction is to Blake? Or his attraction to me? Neither of us seem to want the other one, yet we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other. “I think she really likes you.”
He shrugs. “She likes the accent.”
I laugh and take another drink. “Well, it’s fairly hot.”
His smile is beautiful when I say that. He’s a handsome motherfucker, there’s no doubt about it. But still, I don’t want to tear his clothes off.