Chapter 26 Ava #2
Mia bit her lip as she swayed slightly to the music. “He is kinda hot. And sweet.”
“Hmm.” I nodded. “So . . . I can go?”
The dancing stopped, and Mia grabbed my arm, her eyes wide with concern. “No! Why! Are you not having fun?”
She looked so distraught that I was going to leave her, I felt guilty. “I’m not feeling it, Mee,” I admitted.
“Because of those tweets, isn’t it?” Her hands rested on her hips. “You’re not that person, Ava. You can’t be a catty kitty and not feel bad. Just apologize.”
I blinked in shock. “No. I have nothing to be sorry for.” And if she had heard what the witch over in the corner had said to me, she wouldn’t be asking me to.
“You need to fix this. He’s bound to be feeling as confused as you.” Her eyes were so full of sincerity that I wanted to hug her and beg her never to change. Even if she was delusional.
“I don’t think he had a problem with his self-esteem, sweets.” I tried for lighthearted, but it came out more maliciously than I intended.
“You know what you need?” Mia asked, reaching forward, and I was already stepping backward. “You need to dance.”
I didn’t. I never needed to dance. Dancing was for people who enjoyed being sweaty and free and pressed close to strangers who had no boundaries or understanding of personal space.
“No,” I warned her as her fingers laced through mine.
Mia was slight, but my God, she had upper-body strength when she wanted it.
“Mia, you know I hate it.” My pleading landed on deaf ears, and when my best friend took great care to ensure I was at the edge of the dancing area and no immediate person was beside me, she started to dance.
So ,I was either the weirdo standing at the edge of the dance floor, staring at her, or she was the weirdo at the edge of the dance floor dancing by herself, which would only invite guys over to her.
Reluctantly, I moved my feet in the semblance of a shuffle. Mia rolled her eyes and grabbed my hips, encouraging me to move them in time to the music.
Leaning into me, she shouted, “Ava! Loosen up, forget about this and just relax!”
Easy for her to say — she hadn’t just been told by Jett’s friend that he was out to get me. With a loud groan, I decided she was right. Fuck them. He was just a guy, what could he actually do to me? At the end of the day, he was only a footballer.
We danced for four songs. I kept to my spot and actually enjoyed myself, or I enjoyed seeing Mia let loose.
The girl had moves, which I noticed Alex was very happy to watch.
He had returned with Shane, and the two of them were talking to each other and waiting patiently for us.
I liked that neither of them tried to join us on the dance floor.
I liked that they stayed to the edge and were happy to let us do our thing.
“Mia, I need to pee,” I shouted to her just as the last song finished.
“Yeah? I need a drink!” Grabbing my hand, she pulled me through the throng back to the guys.
Alex handed her a beer, cap still on, which she took happily, and I noticed her subtle check to make sure it was.
Christ, how jaded were we that we trusted nothing at a college party? Was it sad or smart? Or both?
“Can I get you something, Ava?” Shane asked me as he pointed over his shoulder to the kitchen.
“I’m going to find the bathroom,” I told him, and he casually took my hand.
“I can show you. I found one that you don’t need to wait for an hour in.” His rueful smile told me my earlier concern that he had ditched me was unfounded.
I wasn’t completely sure how I felt about holding his hand, but I said nothing as I followed him to the back of the room. I passed Quinn again, who was now with another group of people, and I saw her contemptuous look at my hand in Shane’s. I was prepared for her scorn and happy to ignore her.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the three guys who just walked into the party and stood in the doorway. The three of them surveyed the room, effectively blocking our way out.
What I also wasn’t prepared for was Jett locking eyes with me immediately, or the sneer on his face when he, too, saw my hand in Shane’s.
Shane carried on toward them, and when he said “excuse me” to get through them, he seemed genuinely confused when Gray looked him up and down before turning his head to say something to his brother, who laughed.
Ash moved aside to let us pass, and even as I followed Shane numbly, I could feel eyes boring into my back.
Unable to stop myself as Shane led me to the staircase, I looked over my shoulder and met Jett’s flat stare.
Quinn walked up behind them, and when she saw me looking back at them, I saw the small smirk, as if to say I told you so, before she touched Jett’s shoulder, and he turned, giving her his attention.
Maybe I would be lucky and the bathroom would have a window beside a drainpipe that I could shimmy down to escape. Because going back into that room would be a mistake, and I had made enough mistakes when it came to Jett Santo.