Captured Love (The Crestwood University #3)

10. Selene

10

SELENE

T his is exactly what I needed.

The bass thumps through my body as I move to the beat, my red hair whipping around me. Isla and I are in the thick of it, laughing and dancing like there's no tomorrow. Deciding to go out and party tonight was the best decision I made in a long time. I’m considering it a reward for myself because I managed to make it to the gym three times this week and I’m already feeling stronger.

Not sure that I’m looking any stronger, but that’s a discussion for another time.

“This is our song!” I shout over the music. It’s “After Hours” by Kehlani, and as I’m singing the lyrics, I grab Isla’s hand and twirl her around.

She throws back her head and lets out a carefree laugh. “Hell yeah it is!”

We lose ourselves in the music and it’s almost the perfect cure. Tonight isn't about worrying or overthinking; it's about living in the moment.

Isla pulls me closer and yells, “I'm getting another drink! You want something?”

My body is buzzing from the two vodka cranberries I've already downed. “Just water!” I shout back.

She nods and starts to weave through the crowd toward the bar at this house party. I keep dancing, letting the music take over, closing my eyes and imagining that I’m the only one on the dance floor.

My mind drifts, and for a moment I let myself think about Knox. It's been over a week since I saw him and distance really makes the heart grow fonder and because the number of times I think about him has increased tenfold. But then the beat drops and I'm pulled back into the present.

“Selene!”

I turn to see Isla waving a bottle of water in the air, her other hand clutching a neon-green drink that looks toxic but delicious. She makes her way back to me, half dancing, half stumbling as someone bumps into her.

“Drink up,” she commands, thrusting the water into my hand. “You're turning into a lightweight.”

I unscrew the cap and take a long swig. The cool liquid is a relief on my throat, which is already starting to feel raw from singing and shouting over the music. “That sounds like something I would say to you,” I tease her.

She smirks, taking a large gulp of her own drink. “Roles can reverse, you know. And if you want some of this, let me know.” She gestures to the cup in her hand.

“Ah fuck it,” I say as I take the drink from her and hand her my water bottle.

She raises an eyebrow and gives me a mocking yet approving nod. “That's the Selene I know.”

I take a tentative sip, bracing for the burn of alcohol, but instead I'm met with a surprisingly smooth, fruity taste. “What is this? It tastes like... candy.”

Isla shrugs. “Some concoction the guy at the bar threw together. Said it was the 'house special.' Probably all the leftover mixers and a splash of every bottle.”

I take another swig, this one longer. “It's dangerous. I could drink a gallon of this and not even realize how drunk I am.”

“That's the point,” Isla says with a wicked grin. “If you want the rest of it, it’s yours.”

“You’re such an asshole. You know that, right?” I find myself finishing the drink in one go and then I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

And it’s then I realize I’ve probably ruined the lip gloss I’d put on tonight. Who am I fooling? I’m sure it was screwed up years ago at this point.

“You're welcome,” Isla says, her smile widening as she watches me.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I reply as she hands me back my water bottle. I can already feel the warmth spreading through my chest and I know that’s a sign of hell potentially breaking loose. But trouble is exactly what I’m looking for tonight.

I stumble toward a garbage can and thankfully manage not to throw up as I do so. I toss the plastic cup in before I make my way back to Isla on the dance floor. “Let's get back to dancing,” I say.

She hesitates, studying me with a look in her eye that screams she’s known me for way too long. “You sure? I don't want you passing out on me.”

I wave her concern away. “I'm fine! Just need to burn off some of this energy.”

“Alright.” She waves me off, but her eyes still linger on me. We dive back into the mass of bodies, the music now switching to a more electronic beat that's almost hypnotic in its repetition. My limbs feel loose, and the world isn’t spinning yet so that’s a plus.

For a moment, I forget about the little voice in my head that's always pointing out my flaws. Right now, I'm just Selene—the life of the party, the girl everyone wants to be around.

And that’s fine by me.

The next hour blurs together in a haze of laughter, sweat, and moments of us singing at the top of our lungs. Isla and I meet up with old friends and make new ones, the kind you only ever see at parties like this. My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I ignore it. Whoever it is can wait because I’m having the time of life, and I don’t care.

“Selene, I need to use the bathroom!” Isla shouts into my ear.

I look around for a clock but find none. That proves that time is irrelevant here, at least in my mind. “Want me to come with you?” I ask, knowing the answer.

“Duh!”

We link arms and start to navigate through the sweaty bodies. The house is a maze of bodies, every room packed with people partying their asses off. We pass by the kitchen, and I see a pyramid of red Solo cups stacked high on the counter, with someone attempting to knock it over using a football. The ball flies out of his hand just as we turn a corner, and I hear the crash along with a chorus of drunken “ooooohs” as we make our way up the stairs.

I would have had the same reaction.

The line for the bathroom snakes down the hall, and Isla groans. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m going to burst.”

I shrug. “You could always use the yard like old times.”

She glares at me but there's a playful twinkle in her eye. “Those were desperate measures! You were seventeen and stupid.”

“Me?” I laugh. “I distinctly remember you being there too.”

She sticks her tongue out at me and then crosses her legs dramatically. “I'm gonna die.”

“You'll survive,” I say, leaning against the wall. My head is starting to feel light, like it's filled with helium, and I welcome the floaty sensation. The alcohol has done its job; all my anxieties have taken a backseat for now.

I glance at the line and then back to Isla. “Remember when we thought sneaking into college parties would be more exciting than this?”

She sighs, leaning against the wall next to me. “That was just you being a bad influence.”

“Once again, you were there too. Don’t make this about me. Remember how freaked out we were as we ran from that house party when the cops came? Not to mention we ran into Grace there.”

“Yeah, that was the night I met Asher.”

I’m blaming it on the alcohol, but I forgot about that part. The night she met the love of her life, who broke her heart. Now by some weird twist of fate, they are back together and happier than ever.

His only flaw is that he’s teammates with Knox.

“Asher's a good guy,” I say, trying to steer the conversation into safer waters. “I'm glad you two worked things out.”

Isla gives me a small, grateful smile. “Yeah, me too. It was rough for a while, but sometimes you just need to grow up a bit to see things clearly, you know?”

I nod, though I'm not sure I do know. Growing up has only made things more complicated for me. But I'm happy for her. For them.

The line inches forward quicker than I thought, to be honest. Isla shifts from foot to foot impatiently. “So how's... everything?” she asks, and I know she's really asking about Knox without wanting to come out and say it.

“Everything's fine,” I lie. “I’m operating on just vibes and alcohol at the moment.”

“That’s a whole mood. Oh thank fuck.”

I look up and notice that we are at the front of the line and the bathroom door just opened. Isla almost sprints inside, and I quickly follow behind her, making sure to close and lock the door behind us so no one walks in on her.

“You know,” she hiccups, and I try my best to contain my giggle. “This reminds me of Asher going down on me in my parents’ bathroom the evening of the team bonding event.”

It takes everything in my drunken brain to not turn around and stare at her because of her bizarre statement. It came so far out of left field that I feel as if I missed the last thirty minutes of our lives and only just recently tuned back in.

I busy myself by looking in the mirror, pretending to fix my hair. “Isla, that was so random, and that’s saying something coming from me. Too much information,” I say, though a part of me is curious about why she's bringing this up now.

“Oops, just drunken thoughts said out loud. My bad.” I hear the toilet flush and turn to see Isla washing her hands, swaying slightly from side to side. She catches my eye in the mirror and gives me a smile. I decide I should probably empty my bladder too since I’m already in here.

“I’m starting to get a headache,” Isla says. “It’s probably a good idea that I head out.”

“You mean we head out. You’re staying with me tonight to get away from Tessa, remember?”

“You’re right,” she hiccups again. “I forgot. Let me text Asher to let him know we’re fine and that we are headed back to your room.”

I finish up in the bathroom and Asher ends up calling Isla as we are headed out of the party. He almost came down to walk us back to my dorm, but Isla managed to convince him that just talking to us was more than enough. I’m glad she was able to because the alcohol is wearing down my initial burst of energy, and a wave of tiredness is starting to creep in. I close my eyes for just a second as we are walking and silently pray I don’t trip over anything.

When we get to my dorm, Isla collapses onto my bed and I chuckle because it looks anything but graceful. I shut the door quietly and slip off my shoes, happy to finally be back in my sanctuary. By the time I turn on the lamp near my bed, Isla is already half asleep, her phone still in her hand.

I tiptoe over and gently take the phone from her, setting it on the nightstand. “You need water,” I whisper, but she just mumbles something incoherent and rolls onto her side.

I figure she’s good for right now, but water would do us both a bit of good. As I grab my ID to head to the vending machine on the main floor, I notice a white envelope on the floor near the door.

What the hell?

I bend down and pick it up, thinking it must be something about an event Crestwood is hosting. I turn the envelope over in my hands and find my name on it. Our school would be going way out of their way to personalize each envelope that I’m sure everyone in my dorm got.

Then it dawns on me. Most of the mail we get from the school ends up in our mailboxes at the campus center. So who is this from?

I slide my finger under the flap and tear it open, half expecting a glitter bomb or some ridiculous prank. Instead, there's a single sheet of paper inside, folded neatly. I pull it out and smooth it open, squinting to read the words on the page due the activities I just partook in.

Selene,

I'm sorry.

I know that doesn't make up for anything, but I needed to say it. I messed up big time when I treated you like you were nothing. You have every right to be mad at me, to hate me even. But I hope you can give me a chance to apologize in person. Maybe a chance to make things right with you.

- Knox

I find myself staring at the paper and then looking around my room to see if there are any video cameras set up because there’s no way this is real. I make my way over to my bed and sit down on the edge, confused beyond belief. An apology from Knox? This can’t be happening. I take a moment to analyze the letter and realize that he didn’t apologize about the incident with Lucas. Looks like he isn’t sorry about that.

“What's that?” Isla mumbles, her eyes still closed but her senses apparently sharper than I gave her credit for in her current state.

“Nothing,” I say quickly, folding the paper and slipping it back into the envelope. “We can talk about it in the morning.”

That’s when I remember I received a notification while I was at the party that I ignored. I snatch my phone and find a text from Knox.

Knox: Hey, I slid something under your door and just want to make sure you receive it.

Nope. It’s then I decide that I’m way too drunk for this and that I’ll deal with everything tomorrow.

Maybe.