Cassie
My mermaid braid is sticking to my neck as I fan myself at the bar waiting for my order to be filled. The night has surprisingly cooled down, but dancing with Clay has done nothing but heat me up.
Clay is definitely good looking, but I’ve come to realize that there aren’t many guys at Palm South who aren’t. Besides his looks, I haven’t really connected with him on anything, but he’s a good time. Tonight, he’s a good distraction from other people… people I need to stop thinking about.
“Water?” Adam asks, sliding up beside me at the bar. The way his skin is glistening lets me know he’s been dancing just as hard as me.
“It feels like I’m out there doing cardio. I need rehydration.”
“Nah, just take another shot. You’ll feel better.” He smirks, but it fades quickly. “What are you doing with Clay?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, are you here with him?”
My stomach twinges at his question, or rather, what the underlying implications of it might be. “No. I don’t know. We met the other day at your game and he showed up tonight, so we’ve been dancing.”
“Cassie,” he breathes my name, shaking his head slightly. “Don’t get caught up with him. He’s a dick.”
I gulp. “I think he seems nice.”
“That’s just the thing. He seems nice, but I know who he is. He’s bad news.”
Suddenly, I realize what’s going on. Adam is clearly into Skyler, he’s shoved me in the friend zone, yet for whatever twisted reason, he doesn’t want to see me with someone else. What, does he think I should just wait around long enough for him to have his fun with Skyler and then move on to me?
Yeah. Not happening.
“Well, I think I’m a pretty good judge of character,” I state matter-of-factly, trading my water for the fruity cocktail just placed in front of me. “And I can take care of myself. But thanks.”
Adam grabs my hand and his brows pull together, worry evident in his features. “Please, Cassie. Just be careful.”
“Hey Brooks,” Clay says, appearing seemingly out of nowhere and clapping Adam hard on the back. Adam drops my hand and glares at Clay. “Having fun?”
“Yep.” The word pops at the end, but his eyes soften as they turn to me once more. “See you around, Cassie.”
“Yeah. See you.”
Adam rejoins Skyler on the dance floor and they’re back to grinding without missing a beat. Clay pulls me in closer, his lips falling to my ear. “Want to get out of here?”
I gulp. I didn’t plan on leaving with anyone other than the girls tonight, but part of me wants to prove a point to Adam.
He’s not going to play me or my Big. If he wants her, which clearly he does, then he needs to focus on her.
He needs to know that if we’re just friends, the way he declared we were, then he would have to see me with other guys.
I can’t believe I’m being so bold. This is definitely a far reach from who I was just a few short months ago. Smiling, I nod to Clay and his grin widens. He laces his fingers with mine and tugs me through the crowd.
As we reach the exit, I glance over my shoulder and find Adam watching me, too.
He’s scowling and even though Skyler is still pressing her body in all the right places against him, his stare doesn’t leave me.
I think this is the way a man looks when he realizes he doesn’t have it all figured out the way he thought he did.
And that’s the thing about Halloween. Everyone feels like they can hide behind a mask or a costume, but in the morning, they still wake up as the person beneath the mask.
I didn’t think Adam was the kind of guy to want to play the game between two sisters, but maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought.
With that realization and with his eyes still locked on mine, I smile, wave, and walk through the door.