Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EVERETT
“ A ll right, all right!” Cameron yells from the center of the family room. “By some miracle, I won the last game night, which means, I won this bad boy, too.” He lifts the ugly ass gold medallion from his neck, kisses the medal, and rests it on his puffed-up chest like it's his most prized possession.
Dumbass.
“And tonight’s game is… Spin the Bottle !” he continues. Cheering erupts. It bounces off the walls as my attention drifts to Raine. If she’s pissed, she doesn’t show it. She almost looks…nervous. Pouty—and now healed—lips parted. Breath stilted. Deer in the headlights glazed eyes while she clicks her black nails together in front of her.
Tried to warn you, sweetheart.
As if she can read my thoughts, she peeks over at me, catches me staring, then turns back to Cameron and lifts her chin an inch higher in the air.
“Rules are simple,” Cameron continues. “Everyone splits into groups of ten. Freshmen will pass out bottles for spinning and shots for those looking for a little liquid courage. When it's your turn, Spin the Bottle . Whoever it lands on, you kiss.”
Reeves steps up beside him, adding, “As always, leave your jealousy at the door. If you don’t trust your partner enough to see them kiss a stranger, are you even in a healthy relationship?” Dylan snorts beside him, and he tosses her a wink, adding, “And, as always, consent is necessary. You both must agree on where the kiss should be placed, or you can pass by taking a shot. Like Cameron said, freshmen will walk around with them in case you need one, so just flag them down. And, if anyone has a problem, come talk to me, Griff, or Ev. Any questions?” He barely waits a second before nodding at Cameron, urging him to continue.
“Let’s go!” Cameron booms.
Like ants, everyone scatters, splitting up into groups of ten and claiming different territories of the house in preparation for tonight’s game. When I catch a flash of Finley disappearing around the corner, I call, “Griff.”
“Yeah?”
“Keep an eye on Fin for me.”
“You think I can control anything the girl does?” he counters.
“You’re the only one I trust. Just do it.”
I don’t wait for his response as I grab Raine’s hand and tug her toward one of the back rooms in search of…fuck, I don’t even know at this point. Sanity? Clarity? A moment to fucking breathe and wrap my head around the idea of someone kissing Raine before I even have a chance to?
And since when have I wanted a chance to kiss her?
What the hell is my problem tonight?
Trailing behind me, Raine asks, “We’re seriously playing Spin the Bottle ? What is everyone? Twelve? ”
“It’s the lazy man’s choice,” I agree as I push us both into a nook in the hallway. “Fitting, since Cameron’s the one who chose.”
“You don’t like Cameron?”
“No one likes Cameron,” I reply dryly. “But yeah, if we’re keeping up pretenses, I think we should play.”
“Seriously?”
With a shrug, I offer, “At least we have a loophole in case you don’t want to kiss anyone.”
“Taking a shot?” She rolls her eyes. “Which means the longer you play, the fewer shots are taken, am I right?”
The girl isn’t wrong.
Still, she wanted to lure her asshole ex out, and a game of Spin the Bottle is the perfect way to prove she isn’t his anymore. If he shows up.
I lean back, glancing around the corner toward the entrance, searching for Drake, but I come up empty.
“You don’t have to play,” I remind her.
“Yes, I do.”
“No.” I give her my full attention again. “You really don’t.”
“Ev…”
“You can take shots all night.”
“I don’t like shots,” she argues.
“Fine, you can pass them to me, and I’ll take them for you.”
“And if Drake shows up when you’re already shitfaced?”
“I think I can hold my alcohol a little better than you’re assuming,” I tell her.
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” She presses her hand to my chest, and I swear I can feel my fucking heartbeat in my throat, so I shut my mouth and wait. For what, I’m not even sure. A reason why she’s touching me might be nice, though.
Sometimes, I forget how small she is. How breakable she is. Until she’s like this. Within reach. The girl barely comes up to my collarbone, yet she’s far from a kid. Far from anyone I’ve ever met.
I look down at her hand sprawled across the LAU logo on my T-shirt. The black-tipped nails contrast with the red fabric and seriously make me wonder if I’ve been sent to Hell because this? This is starting to feel like a different kind of torture. If she were any other girl, I’d wonder what it would feel like if my T-shirt didn’t separate us. If she’s as soft as she looks. As supple.
Her eyes find mine. Those dark lashes tease me as she blinks slowly, letting them brush against her skin until her forest-green eyes meet mine again. “I appreciate your willingness to protect me from kissing a few random guys tonight.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm, but?—”
“Hey, Ev!” someone calls.
I clear my throat and step back when I realize exactly how close I’m standing to Raine while searching the room for the culprit.
Reeves strides closer, his curious gaze scanning the place with every passing second. “How’s it goin’?”
“About as good as can be expected,” I mutter. “Any sign of Drake?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet, but I just got an interesting text.”
My brows dip. “What kind of interesting text?”
“It’s, uh,” Reeves looks at Raine, then turns back to me. “Just to confirm, you two are still faking it, right? Because it kind of looked?—”
“Everett’s only helping me with Drake,” Raine interrupts.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Why?”
“The text,” Reeves explains. “It’s for a job.”
My attention shoots to Raine, and fuck me, what I wouldn’t give to know what she’s thinking. A job? Reeves wants to talk about a job when my current one stands a foot away from us? Does it bother her? Should it?
“Ev.” Reeves snaps his fingers an inch from my nose, and I jerk back.
“Not taking any more jobs until I finish this one,” I answer.
“The problem is…” Reeves sighs. “I already agreed to help her, and?—”
“What?”
“It was before I started dating Dylan,” he rushes out. “But it isn’t like the”—Reeves glances at Raine and grimaces—“ current situation. This one is pretty straightforward. A simple, one-time favor.”
I groan. “Not interested.”
“Come on, man. Please,” he begs. “Remember the puppy? The one from the photoshoot with Dylan a while back?”
I search my memory for a puppy when it hits me. A little while ago, Dylan and Reeves were partners for a photography project. He brought a puppy to the photoshoot. Not sure what it has to do with our current conversation, but I lift a shoulder. “Yeah? What about it?”
“Well, I borrowed it from a friend in exchange for being her plus-one to a wedding.”
“So?”
“So, I kind of forgot about it, and the wedding is next week.”
I shake my head. “Not my problem.”
“Come on, man. What about Dyl?” He grabs my jacket, tugging me closer as a pair of drunk girls stumble down the hall toward the bathroom. Once we’re alone again, he lets me go, adding, “I’m not going out with someone else even if it’s purely platonic. ”
“Yeah, well neither am I,” I argue. “If Drake sees me with someone other than Raine?—”
“He won’t,” Reeves promises. “The wedding isn’t even anywhere close to Cedar Springs, I swear, and there aren’t any jealous exes and shit, either. It’ll be easy. She only needs a date to get her parents off her back.”
“Like I said, not my problem.”
“Come on. This is the last one. I swear.”
The last one. As in, the last favor I’ll owe him. And even though I want to tell him to go to Hell, I know it’ll only hurt Dylan in the long run.
“Come on, man,” Reeves repeats. “Please?”
My nostrils flare, but I concede anyway. “After this, I’m done. We clear?”
“Ollie!” Dylan calls. “You coming or what?”
“Coming, Pickles!” Turning back to me, Reeves slaps my shoulder. “We should find a circle.”
“I’ll catch up,” I tell him. As he disappears down the hall, I look at Raine, wishing I could read her mind. “You sure you’re still good with this?”
“Good with what?” she challenges. “You going on a date with a random girl? Yup. We’re here to play, remember? And worst-case scenario, we fake it, right?”
With a soft pat to my chest, she slips past me, grabs a shot of something from one of the freshmen, tosses it back, and lets the burn out with a slow breath through pursed lips. Part of me wants to ask if she needed the liquid courage to get through tonight’s game or if it’s because she might see Drake. Or if it’s because she doesn’t like the idea of me going out with someone else. Does it bother her? Should I even ask? Is it my place? I don’t fuckin’ know. Not when our entire relationship is based on a lie. Based on a ruse. One meant to get her ex off her back .
Feeling my stare, Raine gives me a fake smile and steals another shot from a freshman.
Unable to bite my tongue, I point out, “I thought you didn’t like shots.”
“I don’t.” She tosses it back, then gives me a sickly sweet smile. “Let’s get this over with.”
I grab her arm and push her back against the wall behind her, pressing my hands to either side of her head.
“Is there a problem?” she challenges.
I lean closer, consuming her space the same way she’s consumed my thoughts since the moment we met. “You mad at me, Stormie?”
She wets her lips, her brows bunching. “Stormie?”
I clear my throat. “Answer the question.”
“About what?”
“Are you mad at me?” I repeat.
“Why’d you call me Stormie?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Her eyes fall to my mouth. “Of course, it doesn’t.” She shakes her head, looking up at me again. “And, no, I’m not mad.”
“You sure?” I push.
With a quick nod, she answers, “Positive,” then dips beneath my arm and sways toward an already full circle of people sitting on the floor.
Well, I guess that’s it, then.
“You guys ready?” she asks once she reaches the group.
This should be interesting.
Squeezing between one of my teammates and a guy from one of my classes sophomore year, Raine sits cross-legged on the ground. When one of them grins at her, I clear my throat. His head swivels toward me. Without a word, he stands and moves to a different circle, leaving me space beside the girl who’s even more confusing than Finley, and that’s saying something.
Speaking of which, where the hell is my sister? I search the crowded room but come up empty. Nic, one of my teammates, reaches for the bottle in the center of the circle. After a flick of his wrist, it spins round and round, landing on a girl named Courtney. She crawls toward him, gives him a quick peck, then moves back to her spot as the guy to Nic’s left reaches for the bottle and takes a turn. When it lands on another of my teammates, they both laugh, taking shots from one of the lowerclassmen walking around with trays of different liquors. Each has a designated area to keep an eye on. Their jobs are to pass out drinks and to be available in case anyone needs anything. You know, like a shot of alcohol to keep from kissing someone they aren’t interested in. It's a necessity during a game like Spin the Bottle where anyone’s invited.
Ellie, one of the sorority girls, spins the bottle next. When it lands on Nic, he grins and moves to the middle of the circle, meeting her halfway. Smirking, she reaches up and taps her finger against her cheek. With a laugh, he kisses it and glances at the guy to Ellie’s right.
“Your turn, man.”
The guy spins, and when it lands on Ellie again, a blush hits her cheeks, and her smile widens.
“Hey, baby,” he says as his mouth descends on hers. This time, the kiss isn’t a quick peck. With her hands in his hair and his arms wrapped around her waist, they kneel in the center of the circle, going at it like it's their last day on Earth. My phone buzzes, distracting me, and I pull it out of my front pocket.
Reeves
Drake just showed up with two guys and three girls. Keep an eye out, but don’t make anything obvious. Remember, you don’t care about him. You care about having a good time with your new girl.
“I take it they like each other?” Raine interrupts.
I slip my phone back into my pocket and shift closer to her on the ground. “They’ve been going out for a few months.” Letting my mouth skate across the shell of her ear, I add, “Dickless just showed up.” Her muscles tense, but she doesn’t pull away from me. “I won’t let him touch you. But I need you to play along with whatever happens, all right?”
With a slow nod, she turns to watch the show again and leans back on her hands.
“All right, wrap it up. Let someone else have a turn,” Nic orders as Griffin slips into the space beside Ellie’s boyfriend, rubbing his hands against his jeans. Part of me wishes he was still keeping an eye on Finley like I asked, but I bite my tongue. If I had to guess, Reeves gave him a heads-up about Drake’s appearance, and he’s here as backup. Smart. Even if it does leave my little sister vulnerable. Fuck, sometimes I really wish there were multiples of me. It’d make my life a hell of a lot easier.
“Looks like I found where the party is,” Griff jokes.
Ellie’s lips break apart from her boyfriend’s, and they make their way back to their spots on the ground.
“Your turn, Griff,” I announce.
My best friend shifts forward and spins the bottle. Around and around it goes until it stops on the girl beside me. I swear the air in the room charges, and a stone falls in my gut as I wait. For what, I’m not sure. The punch of rage beneath my sternum is unexpected, so I dig my fingers into my thighs .
What the hell do I do now?
Head cocked, Griffin looks between me and Raine, a silent question in his eyes. I open my mouth to call one of the freshmen forward but bite my tongue at the last second as Raine scoots toward him without even casting me a glance.
What. The. Fuck ?
My best friend gives me one more look over the top of her head, appearing as confused as I feel. “You good with this?” he asks.
“Pretty sure it isn’t his decision,” Raine chirps, drawing his attention back to her.
As she crawls toward him, he sits up a little straighter, giving her a grin. “All right, Raine. Where do you want it?”
She cups his cheek with her dainty little hand, and I swear the image of her black nails against his stubbled fucking cheek is ingrained into my mind for the rest of my life.
As if in slow motion, she tilts her head and leans into him, preparing to kiss my best friend under the guise of a stupid game. I swear it’s like watching a fucking train wreck. Time slows. My pulse skips. Sweat breaks out along my hairline when she presses her mouth to his. And even though it only lasts a second, it’s the longest one I’ve endured in my entire life.
My hands fist in my lap, and my attention catches on someone behind her. It’s Drake. I don’t give a damn right now, though. I’m too distracted by the shitshow in front of me. When Raine pulls away, Griffin’s eyes stay closed as a quick laugh falls out of him, and he shakes his head.
“Fuck, man,” he says, turning to me. “You’re a lucky guy.”
“Am I?” I challenge dryly. It’s hard to keep my expression in check when all I see is red, but I force it back and quirk my brow, looking bored.
Batting her lashes at me, Raine stays quiet but motions to the bottle in the middle of the circle, silently urging me to take my turn.
Is this a dare, Stormie?
The question burns in my eyes, but I don’t voice it aloud, too amped up from her last kiss to say a single word as I hold her gaze. With a blind flick of my wrist, I spin the bottle, not bothering to wait and see who it lands on for my hands to find Raine’s waist and drag her into me as if she weighs nothing at all. A tiny gasp escapes her before I swallow it with a kiss.
Her skin is softer than I imagined it would be. I grab her face, tilt her head, and move her exactly where I need her.
Me. Not Griffin. Not Drake. Me .
The kiss is hard and needy, and I tell myself it’s because I know her ex might be watching, but the truth is? I have a feeling I’d be kissing her regardless. Seeing her lips on my best friend? It fucked with my head, making me feel like I might be losing my damn mind. But when she kisses me back? When I feel her lips move against mine, when I swallow the tiny whimper in the back of her throat and taste the sweetness of her mouth, I fucking lose it.
I pry her lips open with my tongue, and she sucks on me, letting me pump in and out of her waiting mouth as my dick jumps to attention in my jeans. Wishing—begging—to let him have a turn. To let him mark her.
This isn’t me.
This isn’t. Fucking. Me.
I don’t lose control. I don’t get jealous. I don’t cross lines. And I sure as shit don’t unravel from a single fucking kiss. But this? This feels different. She feels different. And I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m not sure what I want to make of it.
Nothing. This means nothing. It’s only a kiss. Just a fucking? —
Throats clear around us, and Raine pulls away, her eyes wide. Tiny wisps of her dark hair frame one side of her face from where I held her. As she lets out a slow breath between her parted lips, she looks at me, confusion and desire swirling in her forest-green gaze. When her eyes snap to someone behind me, whatever lust was present is replaced with…fear?
Looks like our little show didn't go unnoticed.
I slowly turn my head and stare at the one and only Drake Haitt.
Good to see you again, asshole. Here we go.