Chapter 11 #2
“But what if I’d rather be here with you?
” He brushes my arm again with his, but this time he doesn’t pull away.
He leaves it resting up against mine, and despite our long sleeves, I can feel the heat radiating off his skin.
My insides warm. My heart stutters. I should move away, but the contact paired with his words makes me want to lean closer.
“We were supposed to hang out today, anyway, before you ditched me.”
My mouth drops open, but when I glance up at his face, his eyes are teasing. “Well, it was for your own good, so you’re welcome, Wes.”
He snickers. “Thank you, Ivy.”
“We don’t have to practice tomorrow, by the way. I’m sure you have better things to do on your actual birthday.”
“Than run speeches with you?” He shakes his head. “Nah. You think I’m far more interesting than I am.”
I eye him skeptically, worried he’s trying to spare my feelings. “Okay, well don’t feel obligated.”
His eyes light up, amused. “I don’t feel obligated.”
“Are you sure?” I press. “It won’t hurt my feelings.”
“I’m sure,” he says, and my eyes narrow a little. He doubles down on his answer. “I’m sure, Ivy.”
“Okay,” I say, still doubtful.
“Now that you’ve seen the house, would you want to work here?”
I nod before I have the chance to talk myself out of it. “Yeah,” I say. “Sure. We can do that.”
“Sweet.” He gives me an easy smile, seeming pleased with how easily I agreed to his proposal. “It’ll be more relaxed than the library.”
“Yeah, definitely,” I agree, although “relaxing” isn’t the word I’d use to describe doing homework at a guy’s house. A few more people spill out onto the deck, drawing my attention, and I glance around at the growing crowd. “So, how many people here do you actually know?”
His eyes roam over the students surrounding us. “I’d say the majority. It’s the team and their girlfriends, mostly. Though, probably not for long if Paul’s working the door. He’ll let in any girl with a pulse.”
“Don’t want a lot of girls at your party?”
“Nah, just one.”
My heart rate kicks up, but before I can ask him who he means, a woman’s voice cuts in from my right. “Hey, birthday boy.”
And like that, Wes changes.
His face closes off, eyes dimming and mouth pressing flat, and I’m taken aback by the stark contrast to his usual pep.
Even his body language shifts, and he crosses his arms over his chest, breaking our limited contact.
I immediately catch a chill now that I’m not up against his warmth and hug myself with a shiver.
Wes frowns as he regards the girl in front of us. She’s taller than me, but curvier, with long, black hair and beautiful bronze skin. Flawless, I would say, except for the expectant smile she’s giving Wes. There’s something uneven about the set of her mouth. Tense.
Wes clears his throat. “Dani. I didn’t realize you were coming.”
“Paul let me in. I wasn’t on the list.” She keeps smiling as she says it, but it’s clear by her tone that this was a huge annoyance.
“I didn’t make the list,” Wes says slowly. “It was a surprise party.”
Her eyebrow quirks. “So, had you written the list, I would have been on it?”
Wes doesn’t respond. Dani’s smile doesn’t falter as she turns her eyes on me. They flicker over my outfit, sizing me up, and I fight the urge to hunch in on myself. “Well, aren’t you adorable,” she says.
“Be nice,” Wes warns.
“I said she’s adorable, Wes. What’s mean about that? I swear, you’re so sensitive sometimes.” She extends her hand to me. “I’m Dani. And you are?”
“Ivy,” I tell her, seeing no choice other than to shake her hand.
“Pretty name,” she says, and then turns her full attention back on Wes. Her shoulders square toward him, boxing me out, dismissing me entirely. “So, what’s this I hear about Audrey getting her Masters?”
Wes shifts on his feet, clearly uncomfortable. “Who told you that?”
“Your mom posted it. You know we still follow each other, right?”
“How would I know that?”
Dani shrugs. “I was just surprised. I distinctly remember her saying on four separate occasions that it was too much work. Guess my suggestions rubbed off on her, after all.”
“I think she was just venting.”
“Maybe. Or maybe not. Some people value my opinion.”
Wes shakes his head. “Dani, let’s not do this.”
“Do what?” Wes’s eyes flicker to me, forcing Dani to spare me a glance. “Sorry, Ivy, I hope we’re not boring you. Just a lot of history. I haven’t seen this one in, what’s it been, Wes? A month? That’s a record for us. Lots of catching up to do.”
I just nod, uncomfortable.
I can feel Wes’s gaze trained on my face, but I can’t look at him. I can’t make myself meet his eyes.
The back door slams open, drawing our attention, and Rich bounds out onto the deck. “Hey, party people!” he calls, waving his beer in the air. “Where’s Doc?” His eyes scan the group until he finds Wes, and he stumbles over with loose limbs and a relaxed grin.
Dani wrinkles her nose and asks, “Who let Rich in?”
“Paul,” says Wes, with a pointed look. She rolls her eyes.
Rich raises his cup in the air. “Doc and Dani back together again! Thrilled to see it!”
“You reek, Rich,” Dani says, scrunching her nose. “How many beers have you had?”
“Not nearly enough. Oh, hey! It’s your little freshman,” says Rich, singling me out. This time I do shrink a bit, desperate to make myself smaller. “You find your voice yet, Ariel?” He gives Dani an amused look. “She’s shy.”
My face flames with embarrassment, and I wish I could extract myself from this conversation—from this party—but pulling off a smooth exit isn’t one of my strengths.
“Don’t just call someone shy, Rich,” Dani scolds. “That’s fucked up.” She looks at me. “You can tell him he’s an asshole.” She waits, and when I don’t call him an asshole, she pushes. “Go on. Tell him.”
“Dani,” warns Wes. “Stop.”
“What? I’m telling her it’s okay to call him out on his bullshit. What’s wrong with that?”
“Maybe she doesn’t think I said anything wrong,” Rich interjects. “Maybe she finds my candidness attractive.”
Dani snorts. “Yeah. Right. Why don’t you let her speak for herself, Rich?”
They both stare at me, waiting expectantly. Words crawl further down my throat.
“Guys, leave her alone,” Wes says, and I don’t miss the way he shifts his body to partially shield me with his shoulder. Dani doesn’t miss it either, her face puckering like she’s tasted something sour. “It’s hard being surrounded by a bunch of people you don’t know.”
Dani wiggles her cup. “That’s what the drinking’s for. Do you drink, sweetie? No? Maybe you should try it.”
Movement in my peripheral catches my attention, and I turn to see Quinn standing behind me. I have no idea how long she’s been listening, but the cold look on her face says a while. She muscles her way into the group and takes the spot beside me.
“Another freshman? Does this one talk?” jokes Rich.
“Yeah. She says fuck off, idiot,” snaps Quinn, grabbing my wrist. “Time to go. Happy Birthday, Wes. You should keep your friends in check next time.”
I can barely process what was said before she’s dragging me through the crowd, the extraction I needed, though a less tactful one than I’d hoped for.
“Ivy, leaving already?” Ben calls as we breeze past him. “I made chocolate cake!”
I have just enough time to mouth sorry over my shoulder before Quinn’s pulling me through the front door, over the lawn, and down the sidewalk. It’s only once we hit the street corner that she halts and turns to me.
“What the hell happened back there?” she asks. “You looked like a kicked puppy.”
“I think that girl was his ex,” I tell her, the words leaving a rotten taste on my tongue.
Quinn’s mouth pops open. “Are you serious?”
“I think so.”
Quinn looks outraged on my behalf. “What the hell? They invited her?”
I rub at my temple, feeling a headache coming on. “It didn’t sound like it. I’m not sure.”
She frowns. “Damn. I’m sorry, Ivy.”
I shrug, trying to play it off even though a huge part of me wants to cry. My skin is still overheated, and I tip my face up to the sky, relying on the windchill to cool me down. “It’s fine,” I mutter. “Let’s just go.”
She gives a sympathetic nod, and we head down the path to my car. We’ve almost made it the two blocks when I hear a familiar voice.
“Ivy! Ivy, wait up!”
“No way,” Quinn mutters as we turn around. I’m frozen in place, shocked that he chased after us, and Quinn lightly shoves me forward.
I meet Wes halfway up the block, my arms crossed and my eyes trained on his shoes. Embarrassment is a weight on my chest, crushing.
“Ivy, I am so sorry about them,” Wes blurts, slightly out of breath. “I’m fucking mortified.”
“It’s fine,” I tell him, still staring at his feet.
It’s not his fault. He can’t control people running their mouths, and he has nothing to do with my inability to hold a conversation.
I have no one to blame but myself for that, and my shoulders droop at the realization. I hug my arms tighter around my body.
“No, it’s not fine. It’s the opposite of fine.
” He sounds so adamant that I peek up at him, only to be caught off guard by the clear distress twisting his face.
His brows are drawn, his eyes pained, and an unfamiliar frown tugs at his lips.
“I don’t even know how to apologize to you,” he rushes out.
“Dani wasn’t even invited tonight, I swear.
Neither was Rich. I should have stepped in sooner, but Dani—I don’t even know how to handle her sometimes. I’m so sorry, Ives.”
I swallow, processing his words. His voice is sincere, but edged with a hint of panic, almost like he’s afraid I won’t forgive him. “It’s okay,” I assure, hating to see him upset. “Really. It’s your birthday. You shouldn’t be worried about me.”
He steps closer, shaking his head again. “But I am. I do. That look on your face in there…it killed me.”
I shrug a shoulder, unsure of what else to do. I can’t ask him the question at the forefront of my mind, even though it gnaws at me. Mystifies me.
Why?
Why did he chase after me?
Why does he care?
I’m the one who’s socially inept. I’m the one who made a fool of myself in front of his friends. I’m the one who can’t drink at a freaking party because of some fucked up fear that the past will repeat itself.
“You’ve barely touched your drink.”
He lifts his hand, almost like he wants to touch my arm, but he thinks better of it and sets it back at his side. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, Ivy. I promise I will.”
“It’s okay. I just want to forget it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. “Let’s just forget this happened. Please.”
Please, let this drop.
He hesitates, like he’s debating whether to argue, but ends up giving a nod. “Okay,” he agrees. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” I assure, conscious of the way his eyes search my face, as though trying to confirm I’m telling the truth. “Trust me. Go enjoy your party.”
He gestures over his shoulder toward the house. “Are you sure you don’t want to come back in?”
“Thanks, but I’m socialized out. We’re going to go home and watch The Two Towers.”
His eyebrows raise in surprise, and then his mouth breaks into a small smile that warms my heart. His light dimmed the moment Dani entered the party, and I didn’t realize until now how much I missed it. “That honestly sounds preferable right now.”
I can’t help it. I full-on beam at him.
Behind me, Quinn makes a gagging noise. I’d almost forgotten she was still standing there, and I glance over my shoulder. “Okay, yes,” she says. “I was listening the whole time. You two are disgustingly cute.”
“I should go,” I say, color rising up my neck as I turn back to Wes.
“You’re okay to drive, right?” he asks, and I answer in the affirmative. “Well, be safe, okay?”
“I will,” I tell him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Nice to meet you, Quinn!” Wes calls as I head back to her side.
“Nice meeting you, too, superstar!” Quinn calls back as we begin to walk away. “Your ex is a monster, though. Not sure what the fuck you were thinking there!”
“Quinn!” I scold, lightly shoving her arm.
“Sorry. Remy says I can be a menace when I drink.”
I shake my head at her, and she cackles all the way back to the car.