Chapter 2
My first big fancy gala, and I was already contemplating the easiest way to ditch out early without anyone noticing.
Miles had already agreed to go with me, but then he’d disappeared into a “private study room” with three of the Puma’s cheerleaders, and somehow I doubted he’d be helping me disappear any time soon. Dick bag.
Rich was being a grade-A douche, too. Worse than usual, which was saying a lot.
Once into the main entrée, he made a lewd comment about the chicken dish looking like my vagina then proceeded to start licking it, so I excused myself under the guise of visiting the bathroom. Instead, I went straight to the bar.
“ID?” the server asked when I ordered a shot of tequila. He gave me a pointed look that said he knew I was underage.
I turned on my puppy-dog eyes. “Please? I’m having a really crappy night. I need this.”
The bartender just shrugged, offering no sympathy. “Sorry, kid. My job is more important than your need to rebel.” He poured me a glass of soda instead and added an umbrella. “There. Sugar will have to do.” He left to serve someone else, and I pouted into my stupid non-alcoholic drink.
Worst party ever.
I sipped my soda anyway, because I’d rather hang out at the bar being treated like a child than return to my table where my boyfriend treated me like a prostitute. A minute later, though, a shot glass full of golden liquor slid down the bar to stop under my nose.
Surprised, I glanced up, expecting to see the bartender taking pity on me.
“Oh,” I squeaked, my eyes widening when I realized my mistake. “Um, thanks.”
Xavier Stone—sexiest man alive—shot me a grin, sauntering alongside the bar to join me and my soda.
He carried a second shot between his long fingers and quickly brought it up in the air in a “cheers” gesture before knocking it back.
I tried not to stare at the line of his throat as he swallowed the shot, quickly shifting my gaze away and gulping my own tequila.
The spirit burned a hot path down into my stomach, and I coughed involuntarily.
“You okay?” Xavier asked with a hint of amusement.
“Yep,” I managed to squeeze out, while desperately swallowing the urge to splutter. I grabbed my soda, taking a sip to soothe my throat. “Thanks.”
He quirked a smile, leaning his elbow on the bar. “You said that already.”
I shrugged awkwardly. “Well, I meant it. I’m—”
“Norah, right?” he supplied before I could introduce myself.
I grimaced, realizing he knew me from my child dance phase, where the producers had changed my name to Norah Sparkle because Noah was too masculine for a glittering blonde doll of a child spinning pirouettes on stage. “Right,” I murmured.
He smiled a cocky sort of smile, but it wasn’t cruel like Rich’s. I’d take it. “My little sister is a big fan,” he admitted. “You don’t look like you’re having much fun tonight.”
I bit the edge of my lip, searching for a diplomatic answer that Jared would approve of. Eventually I just settled on a tepid, “Not my thing. Any chance you could order me another? The dick bartender won’t serve me.”
Xavier held my gaze a moment, making my pulse race, then he nodded. “Sure thing.” He motioned to a different bartender, and we waited in silence as the shots were poured.
“Thanks,” I muttered again, offering a quick smile before gulping back the tequila. It, too, burned on its way down, and I gave a wince.
“So how come you’re over here at the bar all alone?” Xavier asked with an intense look. He didn’t blink much, and it was making me sweat. “I’d have thought your boyfriend would have you glued to his hip all night. I know I would.”
It took me a hot second to process what he was saying, then my face instantly heated with awkward embarrassment. Was Xavier Stone flirting with me? Holy shit.
“Um…” I gave a nervous laugh, ducking my eyes away from his warm hazel gaze. “Rich is… networking, I guess. I was actually just plotting how to escape without anyone noticing.”
Xavier gave a hum, shaking his head. “Good luck with that. Last time we attended one of these things my buddy Ace ducked out early because he ate some bad shellfish and needed to… well, you know. Anyway, paps snapped pics of him sneaking out the back, and for weeks the story was about some bullshit breakup with his girl.” He rolled his eyes, and I sighed.
“So… probably not worth the headache?” Somewhere across the room I heard Rich’s obnoxious laugh, and I flinched. “I need more tequila, in that case.”
Xavier chuckled—an insanely sexy sound—and ordered us both another round.
I barely managed to swallow the liquor when Xavier’s attention shifted over my shoulder and his expression darkened. A moment later a firm hand clamped onto my upper arm, dragging me off my seat and making me stumble.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Rich snarled, his face flashing with irritation despite the weak concerned-and-caring act he was putting on. “What the fuck are you doing over here with him?”
“Dude, let her go,” Xavier said firmly, nodding to where Richard’s fingers bit painfully into my upper arm. “You’re hurting her.”
Rich glanced at his hand, then curled his lip.
“She likes it rough, don’t you, Peaches?
” His nickname for me was anything but cute; it just reminded me how sharply our relationship had shifted from sweet teen romance to something far more degrading.
He called me Peaches because of his obsession with my ass.
Xavier met my eyes, and it took me a moment to realize he was waiting for me to say something.
To speak up and tell Rich to let me go. But once again, the words just stuck in my throat, and I retreated inside my own mind.
Arguing with Rich always turned into something bigger, and I’d learned to choose my battles.
This wasn’t one I had the energy to win.
“Good girl, knowing when to keep your mouth shut,” Rich drawled. “You know, I just heard the funniest fucking shit, Peaches.”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore Xavier Stone standing right there, listening to how fucking weak I was.
“Did you?” I asked with a defeated sigh, turning away and searching for Miles.
He promised we could go for an adrenaline hit, and Miles never let me down.
Admittedly, there was no way I could climb the clock tower with three shots of tequila in my system, but he could still drive me home.
“Yeah,” Rich continued, talking to my back now. “I happened to overhear Miles and Jared talking about your other CB profile.”
I froze mid-step, ice forming on my spine. They wouldn’t have been so careless, would they? Then again, they’d both been pressuring me to own up to being behind NoFear, so maybe they weren’t as cautious as me?
“But that’s stupid, right?” Rich continued, his voice edged with anger and accusation. “Because you wouldn’t hide that from me, would you, Peaches? We’re a team, right?”
I swallowed hard. I hated fighting with him, but this… I wasn’t letting him in on this. It was mine.
“Totally,” I agreed, turning back to face him with a forced smile on my lips. “Besides, how could I keep something like that quiet, right?”
Rich stared at me with suspicion for a moment, then laughed. “Good point, babe.” He grabbed the back of my neck in a forceful grip, crushing his lips to mine in a kiss that went way too long to be appropriate for any audience. Then he gave me a shove backward. “Have you been fucking drinking?”
I wiped my wrist over my lips, like I could erase Rich’s kiss, but my eyes shot reflexively to Xavier. Except he was just leaning on the bar, engrossed in texting someone and not even paying attention. No help there, I guessed.
“It’s a party, Rich. Everyone is drinking, yourself included.” I tried to keep my voice low, desperate not to draw attention. But fucking hell… enough was enough.
His eyes narrowed with anger, and I took a step back. Did I think he would actually hit me here, with all these witnesses? God no. But the scared animal living in my brain was terrified enough to try and flee.
“You’re eighteen, babe, you aren’t legal to drink.
I am. Besides, you always turn into a mouthy bitch when you’re drunk.
Go get some water and sober up before you embarrass us both.
” His tone was pure disgust, but it didn’t cut me anywhere near as deep as the smirk on Xavier’s lips.
He was still looking at his phone, but there was no fucking way he wasn’t listening.
Never meet your idols. They were all assholes deep down.
“Fuck you, Rich,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I’m so done with your attitude.”
I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm again, making me whimper. “What the fuck does that mean, Noah?” he growled under his breath, the malice quiet enough it was just for me. “Think real fucking hard about what you’re doing.”
For the first time in a long time, that was exactly what I was doing. I jerked my arm out of his grip and took a step out of reach. “We’re done, Rich. Over. I deserve better than you, and I think you know it.”
Before I could panic and take those tequila-strengthened words back, I picked up my skirt and made a bee-line for the bathrooms.
“Peaches!” Rich snapped.
I didn’t turn back. I was done. So fucking done. Jared could deal with the legal shit on Monday, but I couldn’t keep going like this. He treated me like a possession, not a partner. I was not that girl. I was not weak. So why’d I let him make me act like it for so long?
I didn’t take the closest restroom, instead continuing deeper into the enormous library in search of another.
To my relief, there was one on the next level up, and I wasted no time locking myself inside.
Then, and only then, did I crack and start crying.
Where no one could see me, and Rich couldn’t get any satisfaction from hurting me.
After I was done, I’d clean my face up, tidy my hair, and paste on my brave face.
Once I returned to the party, I’d be sparkling, pretty, dumb Norah Sparkle again.
But right now my heart hurt, and my sobs echoed through the marble-tiled space like I was mourning the end of my innocence. As if I hadn’t lost that years ago.