Chapter Nine
I’m still thinking about my argument with Sara as we’re walking toward my friend’s table. Dex already knew we were there and had probably told them as well, so I wanted to at least say hi before we left.
“Take a shot with me first,” he murmurs in my ear, and then I’m ushered to the bar in the back of the room.
It’s gotten slightly more crowded, so I have to squeeze between two people, and Wild stands directly behind me.
It doesn’t take long for me to order our shots from the pretty bartender whose gaze may have lingered on Wild a little too long for my taste.
But luckily, the person next to me vacates the spot so Wild can move to stand next to me.
I take a deep breath, inhaling his sexy scent, and I’m instantly calmed.
The anxiety brought on by Quinn and memories of Sara just melt away.
He picks up the shot glass of tequila and hands it to me.
“Get out of your head. I can hear you spiraling.”
I’m about to respond when my phone vibrates, and I see a text on my screen from Jase asking where I am. I look up just in time to see Wild roll his eyes and down the shot without me.
“I need you to relax. He’s probably drunk and might say something to irritate you.” I put my hand on his arm and squeeze gently. “It doesn’t matter. I’m yours, and you know that.”
“I know. Let’s just go.” He nods toward their table, and I take the shot, letting it burn the whole way down before I let him lead me across the room.
Wild and I have been in some sort of a relationship our entire lives, but we’ve never let anyone see this side of us, and the thought of letting people in—letting people in who may judge us—made me tense and anxious.
That last shot was definitely a mistake.
We make it to the round table nestled in the corner, and Addie’s brown eyes light up instantly.
Addie was one of those women who always had men’s attention in some way or another.
She’s smart and funny and has tits that usually made a guy more familiar with her cup size before they even looked in her eyes.
She comes from money and has impeccable fashion sense, and, to top it off, she was kind and personable, with a way of making you feel at ease.
I wouldn’t call us best friends, but she was definitely one of the few girls I’ve really felt like I connected with since I’ve been in New York.
But at this moment, I kind of hate her. I hate the way she’s looking at Wild and the excited squeal she let out when she saw us.
I hate that she’s pouring us shots before we even sit down, and I hate that before I could blink, she’s sitting on the other side of him.
“About time you guys got here,” she says as she slides our drinks toward us and bounces in her seat. “We’re way ahead of you, so you guys need to catch up. Let’s play a game,” she says.
I hadn’t planned any formal announcement like “before we start, Sebastian and I have actually been together since I was sixteen, so we’re off limits.” Still, now I’m wondering if maybe a little preface is necessary based on the way Addison is eyeing him.
“What are we going to play?” Jase asks. He’s not sitting next to me, thankfully.
But he is sitting across from me, and I’ve caught him eyeing me more than once.
Bryce is between us, but he has a long-distance girlfriend who he spends most of his time texting slash arguing with when we’re out, so I’m not surprised to see his face buried in his phone and not paying attention to what’s going on.
“‘Never have I ever’ is always a good one,” Addison says, and it feels like I’m sixteen again, playing this with some friends and having to lie through my teeth about everything I haven’t done that I definitely had done with Wild at the time.
She holds up her hand just as we all follow suit.
I briefly meet Wild’s eyes, and I can see the amusement in them with a hint of “Are your friends for real?”
“It’s messy and always one to get someone in trouble, but fuck it, I’m in,” Dex says.
“Okay, neverrrrr,” she says, exaggerating the end of the word, “had a threesome.”
Bryce’s head shoots up immediately and looks around the table like he’s waiting to learn something about his friends that he didn’t know before, lowering his head back to his phone, while still keeping his hand up.
I know that he hasn’t, but it doesn’t stop me from glancing over at Wild’s hand, and when I meet his eyes, he’s giving me a look of derision. “Oh yeah, definitely,” he murmurs sarcastically but too low for anyone else to hear.
When no one puts a finger down, Addison rolls her eyes. “You guys are boring.”
“Coming from the person who said they hadn’t done it in the first place,” Jase says before waving her off. “Fine, never have I ever hooked up with one of our professors.”
Dex snorts. “We had coffee and went over my term paper. I’d hardly call that hooking up.”
Bryce looks up again and looks at Dex. “You made out with him, and then you mysteriously didn’t have to take the final.”
“Jealous?” Dex says before taking a shot.
“That you didn’t have to take the final? Yes? That shit was so hard,” Addie chimes in.
“Who did you make out with?” I ask, kind of surprised this has never come up before.
“Professor Thompson,” Dex responds.
My mouth drops open in shock. “Our microeconomics teacher? He’s like fifty.” And not in a hot, older man way.
“Forty-seven, actually, and so? I have a three point nine GPA, thank you very much, and I’d like to keep it that way.” There’s a round of chuckles from the table before he continues, “But fine, if we’re calling that hooking up,” he says with an eye roll and puts a finger down. “You got me.”
We go through a few more before it makes it to Wild, who looks at me before panning his eyes around the circle. I’m not sure what he’s going to say, but I don’t think he’s planning to out us now. “Never have I ever slept with more than one person.”
“At a time? Isn’t that the same as the threesome one?” Jase interjects.
“No. I mean ever. I’ve only slept with one person, ever,” Wild emphasizes.
Tingles shoot through me, and I try not to react to his emphasis on “ever.” It wasn’t the first time he’s used this one.
Of course, in high school, it was a little more common, but it still elicited a bit of shock, especially among the guys on his football team.
But amid people in their early twenties, it is a bit more…
baffling based on how the three of them are staring at him as if they’re in the presence of some mythical creature.
“Did I miss something? Are you marr—is he married?” Addie asks me.
“Not yet,” Wild answers before I can respond, which does nothing but cue more butterflies.
“High school girlfriend?” Addie presses.
“You could say that.” He shrugs without giving any more information.
“So are you guys still together?”
“It’s been complicated, but yes. I always hoped I’d find my way back to her, and it looks like it’s headed in that direction.” God, I want to get this man naked, like now.
“Oh,” Addie responds plainly. “I… wow…” She looks down at her drink before looking up at him. “That’s really great, and you just don’t see or hear that often. You’re older than us, too, right?”
“By a year.” He nods.
“Well, good for you. Good for her,” Addison says before a pout forms on her face. My thumbnail makes its way into my mouth, a new habit brought on because I can’t twirl my hair around my finger as easily anymore with the shorter length.
“Your turn,” Wild says, and when I look up, I notice them all looking at me. I didn’t hate this game, but coming up with more than one of these could be a pain. Not that I had done a whole lot in the first place.
“Okay.” I pick up my drink, letting it hover underneath my lips before I start. “Never have I ever…” I twist my mouth, trying to come up with one when Jase speaks up from across the table.
“Gone on a date with me.” A smirk pulls at his lips before breaking into a smile to reveal his teeth. They weren’t perfect, but they were still very straight, almost like he had braces as a child, but maybe didn’t wear his retainers after he got them off, causing them to shift.
Fuck.
Wild doesn’t react, but I can already feel the tension flowing out of me.
Addie is looking at me with a cheeky grin, her eyes darting back and forth between us with what seems like absolute glee.
Bryce chokes slightly on his drink before letting out a low “nice,” and I can see Dex wince before taking a sip of his drink and looking away from the table as if he doesn’t want to be there.
The moments tick by, and I know I have to say something, and when words fail me, I say the only thing I can think of. “What?”
“A date… You know with me. Something you haven’t done.” He leans forward, propping his elbows on the table. “Though we could change that.”
“You’re really putting her on the spot in front of all your friends… and me?” Wild snorts. “That’s a choice.”
Jase’s eyes flash to Wild, annoyed and maybe even a little mad. “Dude, it was a joke.”
“Really? Because you seemed pretty serious. Maybe a joke now since she still hasn’t answered, and it doesn’t seem like she wants to.”
Fuck, again.
“Sebastian,” I warn quietly.
His eyes turn to mine. “I mean, do you? By all means, don’t let me stop you if you’re interested. Just don’t know that I’ve never asked anyone out with an audience,” he says, and I know he’s only acting like a smug asshole for Jase’s sake, but still, I wish he’d stop before this escalates.
“Stop it,” I tell him, and when our eyes lock, we are able to have a split-second conversation that only happens when you’ve known someone forever.
Please don’t do this. You have no reason to be jealous.
I’m not jealous. That was lame as fuck, and you know it. I’d call out anyone for that.
Be nice.
No.