Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
BAILEY
According to Lucas, Rho Kappa Tau do wicked garden parties.
I would never have described a garden party that way, but if there’s something I’ve learned since transferring, Greek life here is different to what I’m used to.
It’s all about tradition, and with all the fraternity and sorority houses so close together, it’s a tight-knit community.
Who apparently think garden parties are something to get excited over.
I help my brothers set up outside. We’ve got one of the largest blocks on the row, so we’ve rented a huge tent filled with tables, set up a dance floor, and have servers coming later to make sure everyone is supplied with enough alcohol to drown their morals in.
The party goes from the afternoon right through the night, and I have a feeling that no matter how sophisticated my brothers try to make the event, shit is going to get messy.
“It’s looking good, huh?” Lucas asks, squeezing my shoulder. “I swear each year it keeps getting bigger.”
“Will it get busy?”
“Wall to wall. Because it’s something different and everyone gets to dress all fancy, people want to be seen here. It’s not some Sigma rager full of cheap beer and glory holes.”
“You say glory holes like it’s a bad thing.”
Lucas smiles softly and meets my eyes. “I doubt you need anonymity to get someone to suck your dick.”
I quickly look away. Maybe I don’t need anonymity, but I prefer it. I don’t point that out to Lucas, though, because it’s not something he’ll ever need to worry about.
Or me, apparently, because it’s been weeks since I hooked up with Chad, and I haven’t made moves to try with anyone else.
And tonight will be the first time I’ll come face-to-face with him since then.
I’ve picked up my phone a few times to text him. Talking doesn’t have to equal sex if I don’t want it to … but there’s a high chance I would want it to, which is why I’ve held back.
That, and I don’t want to know about all the people Chad’s hooking up with. There was a photo in our group messages last weekend, and he was in the background, kissing some sorority girl up against a wall. I spotted him right away, and my mood plummeted.
Sure, this whole thing was my decision, but I reserve the right to feel petty about it anyway.
It’s not like I’m unaware of his reputation.
It’s not like that wasn’t my exact reason for hooking up with him in the first place.
It’s not like I haven’t known guys like him before.
I’m just usually better at not getting involved with them.
“All right, house meeting,” Charles calls out, so Lucas and I trail after him. He gives us the rundown on how the party is going to go and that under no circumstances do we let a Sigma enter the house with King of Thieves at stake.
Like he needs to point that out to anyone when they’re all as hard-core about it as each other.
I’m trying to join in and get competitive, but there’s still a divide there.
Some days, when I’m looking at Chad’s lamp—actual lamp, and not a euphemism—I wonder whether I actually want to make friends.
It’s the whole reason I stopped this thing with Chad before it turned into more than it is, but I haven’t made a move to do it.
What’s the point of denying myself hot sex if I’m not going to follow through on the reason I’m walking away?
As soon as the meeting is over, I head to my room and grab the lamp.
Even with Chad telling me to do it, it doesn’t feel right to hand it over.
“What’s this?” Charles asks.
I turn it upside down and show Charles the logo and number on the bottom.
He starts to laugh. “Shit, Bailey. How did you get your hands on that?”
I’m expecting the question, so I go as vague as possible. “I can’t give away all my secrets, can I?”
“Lucas, check this out!” Charles holds up the lamp. “Bailey came through big.”
Lucas frowns as he takes the lamp, staring at the number. “How did you get this?”
I shrug. “Just sneaky. I’m going to go get ready.”
As I walk away, I swear I can feel their eyes on me. Hopefully word gets out quickly and it does exactly what Chad says and helps people warm to me. And if not, oh well. I tried.
The garden party might be fancy, but it’s still themed. Of course. This theme is Spring Time, even though we’re in fall. Apparently, people show up wearing floral print or flower crowns, grass skirts, and strategically placed feathers and shells.
It takes me way too long to settle on an outfit, but I end up pulling on a button-down with a subtle palm tree print that matches my shorts. I shave my legs, hoping it draws attention to my calf muscles, and spend way too much time fixing my curls.
I’d like to say I’m doing it all to feel good, but if I’m honest, I am one hundred percent hoping to look good enough that Chad can’t help approaching me.
Even though I said not to.
Urg. How can I expect him to be interested when I don’t even know what I want?
I pick up my phone to text him. It can be anything. Asking if he’s coming tonight, seeing how he is, but after a few weeks, there’s every chance he’s moved on already. The evidence is clearly there. How awkward to have to face him after sending a text that he doesn’t write back to.
Yeah, no.
I’m not putting myself through that.
When the time rolls around for the party to start, I’m already a few drinks in and feeling a good buzz. No matter what happens tonight, I’m determined to have fun. And as every beer slips easier down my throat, I become more and more sure I want that fun to be with Chad.
Regrets can wait until tomorrow.
About half an hour after the start time, people begin showing up, and Lucas was right.
Everyone has some sort of floral or outdoorsy theme going on.
I keep one eye on the entrance to the backyard and one on the party as I do my best to fit in with my brothers.
Most have heard about the lamp, and since then, I haven’t had to source my own drink yet.
I’m always surrounded by them, being pulled into their conversations, and I almost wish I could tell them to go away.
It’s not until the white tent is stained the deep red of sunset that I see my first hint of Sigma House. Two guys called Robbie and Brandon arrive, both dressed in grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts, and flower crowns.
Charles catches the eyes of one of our pledges stationed outside the back door of the house and nods toward the Sigmas. His signal for they’re here, be alert.
Like we’re some kind of top secret spy organization.
I snort and drain my glass as the hairs down both arms start to prickle.
I notice Chad before he sees me. He’s wearing the same bright floral-print shirt as Robbie and Brandon and bright red shorts.
Bright red tight shorts that cup his ass and show off his thick legs in a way that should be illegal.
Fuck, he looks good.
What the hell was I thinking by calling it off?
He strolls through the yard like he owns the place, and I can’t drag my eyes away.
He doesn’t make it obvious that he’s seen me, but there’s something in the way he’s carrying himself and purposely looking everywhere but in my direction that makes me think he might have.
People are drawn to him. Magnetized by his larger-than-life personality.
I want to be one of them, but I hang back.
I’m not desperate. I could pick up if I wanted to.
My stupid, dull little ego keeps feeding me those lies.
It doesn’t take long for him to be surrounded by a group of sorority sisters, all hanging off his every word. Even without being able to hear him, I can tell he’s flirting. The extra touches, long eye contact, excessive laughter.
I clench my jaw.
Give.
Me.
Attention.
I leave the tent and cross the yard to where Lucas is standing by a table, pouring alcohol into a red cup. So much for classy.
“One of those for me?”
He smiles and hands me a drink. “It can be.” He grabs another cup and pours a drink for himself.
“I thought you guys organized servers for these.”
“We”—he gives me a pointed look—“organized servers for the food and fancy booze. The hard stuff is BYO.”
Vodka isn’t usually a favorite of mine, but that’s not the point here. I tap my cup against Lucas’s. “Bottoms up.”
We take a long gulp, and then we both stand there in a semi-awkward silence. His gaze shifts to something over my shoulder, and he takes a small step closer. “Hey, did you hear that apparently Doomsen came out to his brothers the other week?”
“He … what?”
“Yeah, bi or some shit. Wild. I never would have thought a guy like him would admit to liking dick.”
“Why? Because he’s a jock?”
“No, because he and Robbie Harrows used to have a tally on how many chicks they’d slept with in a month.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Gross.”
“Yeah. And they were up-front about it, so it’s not like anyone didn’t know what they were getting into, but see what I mean? Total womanizers.”
“Well, apparently Chad doesn’t discriminate about who he’s -izing.”
Lucas shifts. Gaze darting to me and away again. “What, umm … what do you think about it?”
At first I’m sure he’s calling me out on Chad, but there’s a slight flush to his cheeks that makes me think otherwise. “What do you mean?”
“Well, ah, what do you think? About, you know, LGBT stuff …”
Yikes. I hadn’t planned to come out to anyone, but I was also never planning on lying. “Considering I’m gay, I think it’s cool.”
“Oh.” He blinks at me. “Yeah, umm, me too.”
Oh no. His soft smile widens, and I’m uncomfortably aware of the way he’s looking at me. Like this shared secret somehow ties us together.
Before he can say anything else, I step away. “That’s awesome. We can share stories sometime.” And in my hurry to get away, I turn and run headfirst into someone. Hands grab me before I can fall on my ass, and a familiar voice hits my ears.
“We’ve got to stop meeting this way.”
My mouth goes dry, even as I pull out of Chad’s hold. “Uh, hey.”
He doesn’t answer. His brown eyes trail over me slowly, taking everything in, and it takes physical effort not to react. Then his gaze flicks to Lucas and back to me again. “So what are you two chatting about over here?”
“None of your business, Doomsen,” Lucas says in a bored voice. “Did someone frisk you before you walked in?”
“No need. I know the rules.”
Lucas leans toward me. “Chad thought it would be smart to let off firecrackers last year. The presidents at the time had to sign an agreement that we wouldn’t target each other’s parties.”
Chad shrugs. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
“Mistakes don’t usually shut down a party though, do they?”
Chad does such a good job looking innocent that it’s a struggle not to laugh. “I’m not sure I’d call it a party, considering I had to let them off to liven things up in the first place.”
Lucas shakes his head and angles himself between me and Chad. “Come on, Bailey, let’s go and find Jordan.” His hand rests on my lower back, and I stiffen as he tries to steer me away. Without looking, I can feel Chad watching us.
I don’t want him to get the wrong idea, but it’s not like I can say anything in front of Lucas.
That will make him suspicious. As the distance from Chad grows, I glance back over my shoulder and confirm my theory.
His eyes are narrowed, gaze centered on Lucas’s hand resting on my back, and it reminds me of his tone when I’d joked about hooking up with my housemate.
Interesting.
I wanted his attention, and I’ve got it.
But do I want it at the expense of making him feel jealous? I didn’t like feeling that way when I was watching him with those sorority girls or when I’d seen the photo of him kissing one of them.
I’ve tried denying my attraction to him.
I’ve tried keeping my distance.
It isn’t working.
So maybe it’s time to try something else.