Asshole.
Then again, he’s held up his end of the deal and has let me do my own thing for the most part, so I can’t exactly complain.
He’s not supposed to be here tonight, which is the only reason I accepted Burrows’ invitation to tag along. Colt mentioned he’s visiting his older brother, Mack. It’s not any of my business, and I most definitely don’t care what he does or who he’s with in the first place, but still. I officially get a night at the Taylor House without the one and only Taylor being here to ruin it for me.
Okay, maybe I’m being unfair on that front.
Or maybe I’m not.
Honestly, I don’t even know.
I let out a slow breath and focus on the positive.
Yup.
Everything’s great, grand, and wonderful.
“Hey. You ready?” Burrows asks from the driver’s seat. He looks good. With a dark red T-shirt, light-washed jeans, and the same boyish smirk any girl would swoon over, he’s every girl’s fantasy.
And here I am.
His official plus-one for the evening.
“You know you didn’t have to pick me up, right?” I ask. Burrows has invited me to multiple parties over the past few weeks, but I’ve always declined. Which is stupid. I’m allowed to do what I want, and Theo promised he wouldn’t intervene.
But running into Theo at practice is one thing. Seeing him in his element at a party, or heaven forbid, with a girl who isn’t me? Yeah, it’s a whole new level of torture. One I’m not strong enough to handle, despite me throwing down the gauntlet and saying I was interested in meaningless sex with a guy who wasn’t him.
But tonight isn’t about Theo.
It’s about moving on.
It’s about me and Burrows.
Maybe.
It. Is. Not. About. Theo, I remind myself for the thousandth time.
I swear, the dude knows how to cockblock me even when he’s not trying, and it only frustrates me more.
“I wanted to pick you up,” Burrows reminds me. Tilting his head toward the house, he adds, “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
He tangles his fingers with mine, leading me into the house and through the throng of people packed into the space like sardines in a can. My wingwomen aren’t here tonight. Colt and Ash are visiting her parents for the weekend, and Mia’s working at SeaBird while Kate is being Kate, aka the anti-partier with a side of I-have-to-be-up-early-tomorrow locked and loaded for whenever someone invites her out for the night.
I huff out a sigh, grateful when Burrows leads me to the kitchen.
“You want anything?” he asks.
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether or not we're playing Beer Pong tonight,” I quip.
With a low laugh, he splashes some Fireball and Coke into a plastic cup, handing it to me. “And lose my winning streak? Nah. I think I’ll keep the bragging rights. Thanks, though.”
He hands me the cup and mixes another for himself as I watch.
“I thought you said you wanted a rematch?” I point out.
“That was before I got to know you. Pretty sure our first game was a fluke, and I don’t wanna lose my undefeated title.” He winks. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I have an idea,” a guy pipes up next to me.
My drink splashes over the rim of my cup and onto my hand as I jump in surprise.
“Dude!” I shift the cup to my other hand and wipe off the excess Coke and Fireball against a napkin on the table as I turn to LAU’s rookie. “Austin, you scared the shit out of me.”
The guy is unapologetic as he tosses his arm around my shoulder and leans in closer, trusting me with the majority of his weight while his whiskey-laced breath tickles my nostrils. The guy is bombed.
“Some of the guys are wanting to play a game,” Austin slurs. “Maybe Strip Pong or something. You should join.”
Austin and Burrows share a look, though I can’t put my finger on what’s exchanged when Burrows replies, “I think we’re good.”
“Come on, man,” Austin argues. “At least play fair.”
“We were just gonna keep things low-key tonight,” Burrows returns, his eyes narrowing with a silent warning as he tugs me away from Austin’s grasp.
What the hell is this about?
Ignoring Burrows, Austin turns to me. “Come on, Blake. I heard you’re a fan of healthy competition. Come hang out with the rest of the team. You’re one of us now, remember?”
My attention shifts back to Burrows as the hair along my nape stands on end. Seriously. Something’s up. Austin has always reminded me of a golden retriever puppy or something, always looking for attention or a chance to show off, never wanting to leave my side unless he has no choice. But tonight’s different. He’s more…desperate almost. And I can’t figure out why.
“Yeah. The team wants to play a game or something,” Austin answers. “Or if not, we could always dance. Do you like to dance?” He hooks his thumb over his shoulder toward the makeshift dance area in the center of the family room.
“I––”
Burrows puts himself between Austin and me. “Sorry, man, but Blake’s my date tonight, so I think we’re gonna do our own thing.”
This is a date?
“Yo, Baby Thorne!” Tukani calls from outside. The French doors leading from the kitchen to the backyard are propped open again, like the first time I visited, giving a clear view of half the team scattered along the patio.
I wave at Tukani who must’ve lost his shirt since the party started. With his tribal tattoos on full display, he waves back at me like a lunatic, his massive biceps bulging as his arm sways in the air.
“Come hang out with us!” he yells. “We’re playing a game!”
The guy looks like he’s about to fall over, but he also has a habit of making me laugh harder than anyone I’ve ever met, so I cup my hands around my mouth and yell back, “What game are you playing?”
“Strip Pong! Now, we’re getting naked and getting drunk!” he slurs with a big, dopey grin.
“Oh, ‘cause that sounds promising,” I mutter under my breath, unable to hide my amusement. The guy’s a handful on a good day, and apparently, tonight isn’t any different.
Burrows snorts and hooks his arm around my shoulder, using his body to block Austin from getting too close to me.
“He’s already bombed,” I point out to Burrows.
Tilting his head toward the backyard while continuing to hold my gaze, Burrows says, “And that’s why I’m the undefeated champion at Beer Pong.”
I glance at Tukani, who’s chugging from a red Solo cup while pumping his opposite fist in the air and bite back my laugh. “Yeah, since you’ve divulged your little secret, it seems pretty obvious about how easy it is to gain the upper hand.”
Burrows chuckles and drops his voice low. “Just don’t tell Tukani my secret.”
“Or Austin,” I return, my attention darting toward the freshman who’s mixing rum with a can of sugar-free Redbull.
He follows my gaze, then grins down at me. “So, what do you think? Do you want to challenge them to a game of Beer Pong, or do you want us to do our own thing tonight?”
“I’m always up for a challenge.”