Chapter 2
TWO
PRAY TO THE GODS OF SMALL-TOWN LIFE
CONNOR
Fuck.
My head was throbbing, the room was hot as a motherfucker, and I was nowhere drunk enough to dance, but I couldn’t bring myself to complain. Not with this sexy girl pressed against me.
A frat party was the last place in the world I wanted to be, let alone one that was fucked up enough to have a funeral theme.
But my brother was determined to jump into college life with both feet, so I let him drag me to Epsilon Chi.
He’d disappeared with some of the frat brothers, so I’d stood against the wall, bored and alone, surrounded by drunk assholes having a good time.
That was until Sarah caught my eye.
Of course, she was beautiful, but it was more than that. While people carried on around her, she hung back with a small smile, taking in the chaos. An invisible bubble surrounded her, one that only her friends were allowed into, keeping the rest of the party at a distance.
It only took a few seconds of watching her before an unfamiliar urge to get to know someone new took over. I made my way toward her, earning me a lump on the head, but a gorgeous girl in my arms.
She blinked up at me, her lips parted as if she were about to say something, but instead, she started to move.
The song was fast, the bass driving, but her wide hips swayed slowly against mine—subtle but confident.
If the smirk on her face was anything to go by, she knew exactly what she was doing to me.
She ran her hands up my arms and locked them behind my neck, her fingers brushing the short hair on the back of my head. Her gaze never wavered as the tension between us grew, her touch keeping my focus right where it should be—on her.
I gripped her hips and slid my thigh between hers. I wanted to be as close as possible, no matter how fucking hot the room was. I needed to feel her generous curves against me, to test just how well we fit together.
I traced my fingertips up her spine until I reached the bare, clammy skin between her shoulders, just grazing the nape of her neck.
I felt a small puff of air on my throat as Sarah shivered against me, her thick thighs squeezing around mine.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I kept my gaze on her face, loving how her eyes never left mine.
We fell into an easy rhythm, our bodies communicating perfectly.
One song blended into another, but the speed of our dancing never changed.
Sweat rolled down my back, the heat and humidity oppressive, but there was no way in hell I was going to create space between us.
I would melt into a puddle before I let her go.
Sarah dragged her hands down my chest, pushing up on her toes until her lips were next to my ear.
“It’s kinda hot in here. Want to go outside for a minute?
” She tilted her head toward the door, and her soft hair brushed against my cheek, the floral scent of her tresses overpowering the smell of sweaty coeds.
The flashing lights danced across her face, and I froze, unable to do anything but smile.
Damn, she’s pretty.
She scrunched her nose. “You okay?” She reached up and rubbed the sore spot on my head. “Did that speaker do permanent damage?”
“Uh, I’m fine.” I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Let’s go.”
Sarah leaned toward her friend, whom I’d totally forgotten even existed.
After a quick back and forth, Sarah laughed and turned toward me, gesturing to the door.
I placed my hand on the small of her back and helped her down the tiered stage, creating a path through the drunk dancers.
There was no way in hell I was going to let one of those fools stomp on her pretty, painted toes.
We cut through the crowd, finally making it out to the equally hot, but slightly less humid night.
“Phew. That’s better.” Sarah lifted her long blond hair and held it off her neck, fanning her face as she glanced around.
“Quick,” she whispered, walking over to a couple of chairs set up on the edge of the building.
Letting go of her hair, she gracefully sat, smoothing her dress down. “You going to sit, or . . .”
I dropped into the chair across from her and wiped my hands on my thighs, not sure if they were sweaty from the heat or nerves.
“So,” I said, not actually sure what to say. I felt off balance, which was unfamiliar territory for me.
She smirked and leaned forward, the tips of her fingers brushing my denim-covered knee. “Are you nervous?”
Laughing, I sagged back in my seat. “A little.”
“I like that.” She bit her plump, pink lower lip.
“Don’t get used to it. I’m just a little out of my element.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I looked around the parking lot, shaking my head at the stumbling people. “Yeah.”
She scooted her chair until our knees touched. “Tell me, what is your element?”
“Nothing quite so fratty. I’m used to more low-key hangouts.
” Tilting my head to the other side of the parking lot, where a few folks were asking a Ouija board questions, I added, “Less communion with the other side.” I slid my feet to the outside of hers, enjoying the way her legs pressed against mine.
Glancing over her shoulder, she nodded. “Fair. This is a lot.” Sarah tapped the tops of my knees. “Just wait until Freshman Week.”
I bent forward, hooking my fingers in hers. “Do they raise the dead?”
She chuckled. “Not yet, but the fact I’ve made it through three of them is a miracle.”
“Well, there’s that at least.”
We sat looking at each other, smiling and rocking our legs back and forth to the muffled music.
“So, are you a big partier?” I placed our hands on my knees, getting a thrill from the small contact.
Her eyes followed the movement before she looked up at me through her lashes.
“Not at all. I hadn’t really drank until this year.
” Her shoulders tensed, and her focus dropped back to where our hands rested against my jeans.
“The week of my 21st, things got a little out of control, and I ended up getting an MIP a couple of hours before my birthday, I just . . .” She blew out a breath, giving me a small smile.
“I just wanted to let loose a little, you know?”
“I can relate. Until now, I’ve been so busy working that I haven’t had time to just kick back and have fun.”
“Exactly! It sucks that the one time I decided to act like everyone else, it blew up in my face.” Her stare grew distant, and a deep frown pulled her eyebrows together as her hold tightened. That wall she’d had up inside was back. At least this time, I was physically tethered to her.
I squeezed her fingers, and her eyes cut back to me. Sitting up straighter, she pulled my hands with hers. “Sorry. I was off in my own little world for a minute.” Blowing a raspberry, she shook her arms out, which in turn shook mine. We laughed, and she tried to let go, but I wouldn’t let her.
I was about to say something when the doors slammed open, and Sarah’s pink-haired friend, Kat, and some meathead came storming out.
“Duncan, let go!” Kat ripped her arm from his hold.
“Why are you acting like this?” He ran a hand through his hair, the other on his hip—the picture of a dude who knew he fucked up.
Kat crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know Duncan. Maybe it’s because I woke up in your bed yesterday, but you had Mal over last night?”
Duncan’s face turned beet red, and he shouted, “We aren’t together!”
“And this is why!” Kat threw her arms out.
Sarah shifted in her seat. One hand pressed to the arm of the chair, and the other stayed locked in mine. Indecision was written all over her face. From the little I’d seen, these girls rolled as a pack. Fuck with one of them, you fuck with all of them.
“No. We aren’t together because you care more about what other people think about our relationship than actually being in one with me. It doesn’t matter how much I change, because I fucked up, and you’ll never let it go. Because they’ll never let it go.” His voice was sad, resigned.
“Clearly, that’s not true if I’m still fucking you and everyone knows it. Why else do you think that asshole messaged me that cute little pic of breakfast in bed?” The scary thing was that Kat wasn’t crying. She didn’t even sound upset, just matter-of-fact.
Duncan stayed silent, which only wound Kat up even more.
“This is why we’re never officially together, because you can’t even respect me the night after fucking me.
We’re not together, but you could’ve shown a little loyalty.
Hell, if you love me as much as you say you do, why are you fucking other people?
Huh? And me being the fool I am, thought this time was different. I thought you were different.”
He shook his head, his mouth hanging open. I didn’t know these people, but this shit seemed final. Everyone outside watched the imploding couple, and I swear they turned the music down inside to hear better.
“I even told the girls about us.” She looked around and let out a humorless laugh.
“And everyone here knows. So, thank you for yet again making me look like a fucking clown. Please go back to Mal and leave me the fuck alone.” She turned toward the nosy onlookers, including us, and smiled.
“Just so everyone’s clear, I swear to never fuck Duncan again.
” Holding up three fingers, she said, “Scout’s honor. ”
There were a few laughs, but mostly silence.
Kat walked back into the party, jerking her chin up at Sarah on her way.
Duncan stood there watching, his jaw tight.
Slowly nodding, he ran his fingers through his shaggy blond hair and went in the opposite direction, down the hill, and away from the party.
Sarah looked at me and blew out a breath. “So, you met Kat.”
“Yeah, but I had no idea how well I’d get to know her when I asked her where you went.” I pulled my eyes from Duncan’s back and looked at Sarah. “Does that kind of thing happen a lot at these parties?”