1. Dahlia #2
“Ah.” She nods her understanding. Jane’s closet is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
Even as a fashion designer, I can say with zero hesitation that her wardrobe is a dream.
Top designers mixed with cheaper fun pieces.
She has a great eye, and everything looks good on her.
I appreciate all types of fashion, but I’m more casual—shorts, skirts, tanks, t-shirts, and sneakers.
We dance long enough that my body relaxes, and I mostly forget about Felix being here. I finish the seltzer at the same time that Jane says she needs to find the bathroom.
Daisy heads back to Jordan and Vi disappears to find Gavin, who texted that he was here. I go with Jane.
“Dahlia!” My name is yelled in a chorus of voices. It takes me a second to find the source. Some of my golf teammates are waving at me from where they’re congregated next to the keg.
“I should go say hi.”
Jane gives me a pleading look. “I really gotta pee.”
“Go. I’ll catch up with you.”
She nods and hurries inside in search of the bathroom, while I start back across the yard to say hello to my teammates. Before I get to them, I spot Felix. I don’t mean to. I always just seem to find him in a crowd. Like my brain is searching for him even when I don’t realize it.
He’s standing with Bethany. His ex-girlfriend. She’s universally acknowledged as the hottest girl on campus. Long legs that go for miles, shiny blonde hair, and these big, brown eyes. They look great together.
They dated last year, before I ever met him, but I’ve stalked his social media enough to see the pictures of them together.
She’s beautiful. One of those girls that never has a bad hair day.
I had a lit class with her one semester.
She showed up to every single class dressed like she was ready for paparazzi to take photos of her.
I admire her dedication to looking flawless.
Felix and Bethany are in my direct path to get to my teammates.
I either have to walk by them or circle around.
I’m seriously considering the latter, but I decide to suck it up.
This year is going to be different. That was my wish for the year.
I want to stop waiting for life to happen and put myself out there more.
I figured asking the universe for a boyfriend was a little cliché.
When I’m a foot away, Felix looks up and directly at me.
I freeze, like I’ve been caught doing something terrible, instead of existing and breathing the same air as him.
He seems surprised at first and then a slow smile spreads across his face.
Bethany notices his attention has drifted from her, and she whips her head around to see why.
Her pretty glossy lips pull into a scowl when she finds him looking at me.
I wave and try to keep moving, but the crowd is making it difficult.
A group of guys, definitely drunk, start pushing and shoving each other.
I think it’s friendly fighting, but I have to quickly sidestep to avoid being stepped on.
Felix moves in front of me and claps the guy, who almost squished me, on the shoulder. “Watch where you’re going, Brogan.”
Brogan turns and a lazy smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.”
Felix crosses his arms over his impressive chest. “It’s not okay. You could have hurt Dahlia.”
“It’s fine. Really,” I say at the same time Bethany says, “What am I, invisible?”
“He wasn’t even close to you, Bethany,” Felix clips and his features harden. “Besides, you were just leaving.”
“Whatever.” She spins on her heel, making her blonde hair flip around her shoulders like she’s practiced that move a million times.
His expression softens again when Bethany is gone. “Did you lose your friends?”
“No, I saw some of my teammates and thought I’d go say hello.” My voice shakes as I speak. I point in the general direction I last saw them. “I should have just texted.”
He chuckles. “Want me to clear a path?”
“No. I’m okay. Thank you.”
Someone yells his name. His gaze moves from me long enough to jut his chin in acknowledgment to the person, but then his attention is back, focused solely on me. “Are you sure? I don’t mind.”
I think about my wish, about how this year is going to be different. Maybe it already is. After all, I just spoke to Felix Walters. Go me. Baby steps.
“No, really. I’m good. Thanks.” I duck my head and continue around him.
It takes a few minutes, but I finally push my way through the party crowd. My teammates started drinking early and are so beyond drunk that it’s hard to even talk to them. I promise them I’ll go out with them tomorrow night and then I fight the crowd back toward the house to find Jane.
I’m curious about the inside of this off-campus house. Felix lives here with some of his teammates. The house is small, or maybe it just seems that way with so many people crammed inside it. There aren’t a lot of personal details. It looks like your average college digs.
At the dining room table, people are playing cards. In the living room, there are guys playing video games and girls standing around stealing glances at the guys while chatting.
I find Jane still in line for the bathroom. I lean against the wall next to her. The girls behind us glare at me for cutting.
“I’m not in line,” I tell them and give them my back.
“I would kill for your hair,” Jane says as she runs a hand over my blonde waves.
“I will happily trade you.” I lift the strands off my neck again. My hair is thick and heavy. I let it grow long because the shorter it is, the more it looks like a giant mushroom on top of my head.
Jane’s hair is a shade lighter than mine, but thinner and straight. She added a few extensions tonight to make it longer and the effect is stunning.
Across the hall from where we’re standing is a bedroom. The door is open, but the room is dark, and I can’t make out enough of it to decide if it’s Felix’s room.
“You’re all flushed.” Jane’s stare gets more scrutinizing. “Did you meet a cute boy?”
“No. I just ran into Felix again.”
“Oh yeah?” Her eyes sparkle as she smiles.
“It was nothing,” I say, and then tell her exactly what happened.
“He looks especially good tonight,” she says. “He really pulls off jeans and a white tee.”
Heat climbs up my neck.
“What? You don’t think so?” She elbows me lightly.
“No, of course I do. He’s…” I search for words, “indescribably hot.”
A big smile takes over her face. “And totally into you. I was standing next to you batting my lashes and he never even noticed. Can you imagine? Not noticing all this.” She waves a hand down her body.
“The nerve,” I say, meaning it. Jane and Bethany have the always-looking-amazing thing in common. But the thought of Felix hitting on Jane makes my stomach twist.
“You should go back out there and ask him to give you a tour of his bedroom.”
“No way. I always freeze up around him.”
Her head bobs in agreement. “Good point. We better get you a couple shots first.”
Laughing lightly, I shake my head. “There is not enough alcohol in the world.”
“Why not? You’re gorgeous—inside and out. He would be so lucky to make out with you.”
“Make out with Felix Walters?” A frantic giggle escapes. “Felix is in a completely different league. He makes genuinely hot girls look meh by comparison. Those arms and that hair.” I sigh.
She laughs again and it eggs me on.
“He just looks at me and I start sweating and my mind goes blank. He’s stupid hot.
As in he makes me totally stupid. I lose brain cells every time he speaks to me.
I would probably die of sensory overload if he kissed me.
Or if I saw him shirtless. Forget about it.
” I groan. “I’d like to lick every inch of his body and climb him like a freaking tree.
Of course, I’d have to duct tape his mouth because when he says my name, ‘Dahlia,’” I mimic his deep voice, and then fan my face, “I’m two seconds away from orgasming. ”
Jane bursts into hysterical laughter and I join her because it’s a funny thought. Me and Felix Walters? No freaking way.