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Chris takes my hand as we step into Omega Li Delta frat house.
A guy dabs him up. “Hey Chris. Great game yesterday.”
“Thanks.”
He peeks at me briefly. “This is Serenity. The only woman I’m interested in.”
Chris says it like he’s warning him not to mention other women.
He shakes my hand. “I’m James. It’s nice to meet you. Can’t believe you got this guy’s full attention. Chicks wait for him on the sidelines of the field after practice.”
Clearly, this guy didn’t pick up on the not-so-subtle warning.
Chris releases an uncomfortable chuckle. “Man, don’t tell her about that. Stealing time with Serenity has been a struggle.” He pulls me into his side.
“I’m only interested in dating her.”
I flick my gaze to Chris and smile, feeling better about him for the first time in a while. Pushing Nico to the back of my mind isn’t easy, but necessary.
My eyes drift to the crowd pressed against the wall, each clutching a red cup.
On the dance floor, bodies sway in time with the music.
I glance back at the guys engrossed in their conversation.
A smile tugs at my lips. “James, it was great meeting you.” I squeeze Chris’s hand tightly.
Thank goodness Nico isn’t around. He’d flip if he saw us holding hands.
“I need a drink.” He guides me through the throng.
A favorite song blasts from the speakers, and I find myself singing along.
“Hey Serenity,” calls a woman with jet-black hair.
“Hey Nila. I’ll catch up with you in a bit. ” She beams in response. “Okay.”
She’s in my advanced algebra class, and I think she’s pretty cool.
We step into the kitchen, packed tight with people lined up at the keg.
My bodyguards stay close, blending seamlessly into the crowd with t-shirts, baseball caps, and sneakers.
A few of Chris’s teammates nod and greet him.
I slip my hand from his and head toward the counter, where rows of liquor bottles glisten.
I grab a red cup, fill it with vodka, and add plenty of cranberry juice.
I toss the drink back, feeling nothing at first, then make another.
This time, I barely add any cranberry juice.
I take a big sip, feeling the burn spread through my throat, and smile.
My phone buzzes inside the small purse hanging from my shoulder.
The yellow bag matches the tiny, spaghetti-strap yellow dress I’m wearing tonight.
I chose comfortable white sneakers over heels.
I retrieve my phone and peer at my screen.
Mullins: He’s at a party on Penn State campus.
Me: And?
Mullins: Serenity…
Me: Tell me
Mullins: He’s surrounded by women
I squeeze my eyes shut.
Serenity, you can’t be jealous.
Me: How’s the security detail going at the other location?
Mullins: Well. No disturbances tonight.
Keeping Rod safe is a full-time job. Nico still wants his head on a stick.
And Rod still wants me for himself.
“Are you okay over here?” Chris asks.
“Yes,” I reply.
Me: thank you.
I pour myself one last drink. Suddenly, I want to feel numb. It all has to do with Nico.
My tongue darts into my cup, tasting the tangy cranberry juice.
“We should dance.” I gulp down the remaining contents, drop the cup in the nearby trash can, and tug his hand, leading him to the dance floor. Chris chuckles as he sips his beer.
Once on the dance floor, I turn my back to him and circle my ass on his crotch.
“You’re so beautiful, Serenity,” he whispers in my ear over the music.
Nico surrounded by several women comes to mind, and I aim to do something I’ve never done. Sleep with another man.
I swivel on my heel and grip his muscled arms. He’s dressed comfortably tonight.
Burgundy and white school cap, white and burgundy team t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
He looks handsome. It’s apparent all the women want him.
They’re dancing and staring at Chris while biting their lower lip.
He throws them a sexy grin, and his hand moves from my waist to my ass as his gaze sweeps over me.
Oh boy, he wants to fuck me. It’s not like I didn’t know that.
It’s different when I look into his eyes and witness the hunger and lust. I smile as my body sways to the beat.
The liquor makes my body feel alive. I’d like one more vodka and cranberry before I dance the night away.
Chanting chug, chug, chug in the next room and the laughing and those around me made this the best party.
Chris and I leave the dance floor and return to the kitchen.
“Do you mind if I chat with the guys for a bit?” he asks.
“No, I’m going to make my drink.” I moved to the counter and poured vodka into my red cup.
“Hey, Serenity?”
The voice cuts through the music and laughter swirling around me.
I glance to my right and find Nila smiling. Colored party lights sweep over her porcelain face in flashes of pink and blue.
“What’s up?”
“We’re having a blast. Are you?” she asks.
The bass from the speakers vibrates through the hardwood beneath my sneakers, pulsing up my legs.
“I’m really enjoying myself. I was just about to head back to the dance floor.
” Nila smiles brightly. “Great. Serenity, meet Pera, Vi, and Laneesha.” Pera is around four-foot-nine, her mocha complexion framed by a sharp red blunt bob.
Vi looks effortlessly beautiful, though she still wears makeup—the purple eyeshadow striking against her pale skin, making her gray eyes stand out.
Finally, Laneesha’s sleek dark hair is tied back in a long, low ponytail.
Her flawless mahogany skin glows, and her brown eyes sparkle as she dances in place to the rhythm. She and I are roughly the same height.
We exchange greetings while someone nearby lets out a loud laugh. The air smells like expensive perfume, sweat, alcohol, and whatever sugary mixer someone spilled near the makeshift bar area.
“You all should make drinks and come dance with me.”
Their faces light up immediately.
“That sounds fun,” Vi says with an eager grin.
A few minutes later, we’re moving together on the crowded dance floor, bodies swaying beneath flashing lights while the DJ blends one song into another.
Vi leans closer so I can hear her.
“Is Chris your boyfriend?”
I laugh, nearly choking on my mixed drink.
“Girl, no. I’m not saying it like I don’t like him. I’m just not looking for a relationship right now.”
“Oh, yeah, I get it.” Her fingers curl around my arm gently.
The seriousness in her voice cuts through my buzz.
“Just be careful.”
“Why?” I ask.
She glances over her shoulder like she expects him to materialize out of the crowd. Her blue eyes settle on mine.
“He gets around.”
“We’ve only been in school for two months,” I say, my words slurring just enough to annoy me. “He works that fast?”
“He’s a baller,” Nila says it like that explains everything.
Honestly, it kind of does.
Pera and I nod in agreement.
“I mean, he’s cute. I can see girls lining up.”
Vi’s expression doesn’t soften. “He can get rough.”
Something cold snakes down my spine.
Chris has never been rough with me. Loud a couple of times, and possessive. But rough? No, never that.
“Well, just watch yourself, Serenity,” Pera warns.
I smile at them. “Don’t worry, I will.”
Chris appears not long after, like he’s been watching from somewhere just out of sight.
“Bye, girls,” I say with a smile.
They say goodbye, but their uneasy expressions linger in the fog of my alcohol-softened brain as Chris takes my hand and leads me upstairs into one of the bedrooms.
The door clicks closed and the muffled thump of music follows us anyway, vibrating through the walls like a heartbeat.
My attack dog bodyguards are definitely hating I told them to give me more freedom tonight. That means steer clear. I can handle myself.
Laughter bubbles from me. “This party is so fun,” I slur.
Chris grins, flicking his hat onto the dresser. “You really danced your ass off tonight.”
He cups my face and leans in, capturing my lips. I giggle into the kiss.
“What’s so funny?” he murmurs against my neck, his large hand resting on my breast.
“Nothing. We’re kissing.” The music’s beat throbs beneath my feet.
“Yes, we are,” he whispers.
“No Nico.”
Don’t think about him.
He pulls back. “Why did you say no Nico?”
I squeeze my forehead. “Shit, I said that out loud?”
“You did.”
I sink onto the edge of the bed, buying myself a second.
“Nico and I have history. Our families know each other.”
“Are you two back together?” Chris asks.
“Absolutely not. He fucked up. We will never be together again.”
He stares at me for a long moment, weighing something. Then he asks, “Do you still sleep with him?”
I blink.
“My personal life is mine.”
The room suddenly feels smaller, tighter, like the walls have quietly moved inward.
His jaw flexes.
“I’m not looking for anything serious with you, Chris. I’ve heard from plenty of women you’re hooking up with all over the place. So why should it matter if I’m sleeping with Nico?”
His upper lip twitches. “I hate that guy.”
“Well, that makes two of us,” I lie easily.
Can you really sleep with him, Serenity?
It’s not like I don’t find Chris attractive. But I keep picturing Nico’s grim face, threatening to kill Chris. He might actually do it if I were to sleep with him.
I press my lips to Chris’s. “We’re just kissing. That’s it.”
His mouth drifts to my neck again. “Why can’t I get a taste of that good pussy?”
My nipples tighten beneath my dress, the hairs on my arms prickling.
“I’m not ready to have sex with you yet.”
Why did I say yet? Honestly, I’m not sure I want to have sex with him at all.
He grabs my ass. “I’ll make it worth your while. Don’t you want to come all over my dick?”
His words echo Nico’s from last weekend.
He produces a condom like the gesture alone settles everything. He set it down beside me on the bed. “We’ll be safe. So it’s all good.”
Chris grabs my waist and settles me in the center of the bed. I prop myself up on my forearms.
My stomach drops.
“I’m not ready, Chris.”