Chapter 17
Pot and Aqua Net formed an acrid cloud in the shag pad Andrew and I had been partying at for the last hour.
Though it wasn’t my normal scene, I adjusted quickly. The Bud Light in my hand was lukewarm and still full, but I felt too awkward to ditch it on the counter, pretty sure I was the only one sporting less than a heavy buzz.
Thankfully, Andrew hadn’t left my side.
When we finally had a second alone, I reached up on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “Who are all of these people?”
“To be honest,” he answered with a huff of laughter. “I have no idea. A couple of my buddies were supposed to meet me here.” Andrew searched the crowd and frowned a little as he looked. “It would seem they either forgot or are running way behind.”
“Well good thing you have me here instead. You know. To keep you company.” I kept my tone light and teasing even though something about his words hurt just a little. Somewhere in my delusion I guess I thought I’d be his only entertainment for the night.
“Of course you are,” he said with a smile. “You’re more fun than them anyway. And definitely better to look at.”
I slapped him lightly on the shoulder as I laughed. “ You’re such a dog.”
“Woof, woof, baby.”
We had a moment to laugh together before another person approached and stole his attention.
As the night went on, I learned that this was a college party hosted by one of Andrew’s fraternity brothers.
I don’t know why, but he didn’t strike me as a frat boy.
Andrew was so put together. Like he woke up early in the morning, every morning, and took care to curate his appearance for the day.
Even after our midnight drive with the top down, not a single hair on his head was out of place.
“Andrew!” Someone shouted across the room.
I followed his gaze and landed on two men wading through the crowd toward us.
“Hey man!”
Without warning, Andrew pulled me along until we met the new arrivals on the edge of the crowd.
“What’s up man?” Andrew said as he pulled the first man into a bro hug. “I didn’t think you were gonna make it.”
The new arrival ran a hand through his disheveled brown hair and clapped in on the shoulder. “You know it’s almost impossible to get this guy out the door sometimes.” He pointed over his shoulder at the second man standing quietly behind him.
“Hey Andrew,” the second one said, his voice and eyes dodgy.
“Callen.” Some flicker of emotion crossed Andrew‘s face, but it was gone before I had time to identify what it was.
Callen, however, must have been a pro at reading expressions because his cheeks flushed, eyes darting around to look at anything other than Andrew.
I could feel my eyes narrow as I tried to determine what the silent exchange was.
“It’s all good bro.” The one whose name I didn’t know stepped between Andrew and Callen, creating some sort of neutral space to ease the building tension. “Damien was just a little nervous about his first college party. Isn’t that right?” he directed the question toward Damien.
“Yeah,” Damien answered.
Andrew scrutinized him for another moment before the tension eased in his shoulders, and he said, “Well sack up next time. You know I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Silent stretched between the three men, and, I couldn’t tell how they were feeling, but it was way too fucking awkward for my liking so I cleared my throat and asked, “Andrew? Are you going to introduce me to your friends?”
“Yeah, baby. Of course. Dany, this is Callen.” Andrew clapped his hand around Callen’s shoulder again.
Callen ran another hand through his shaggy brown hair, blue eyes lighting up with his smile as he stretched out a hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Dany. I appreciate you keeping Andrew company while I wrestled this one out the door.” Callen pulled Damien into his side and mussed his hair playfully.
“This is my little brother Damien. He just graduated high school and has been a little nervous to get his feet wet at the party scene.”
Damien sported the same brown hair his brother did, but where Callen’s was straight and shaggy, Damien’s strands curled, sticking out wildly in places that gave him a rogue boyish charm I was immediately drawn to.
He looked like a little brother and it made me want to hug him tight.
After an hour at this party, I knew all too well what it felt like to be the odd man out.
“Nice to meet you guys,” I said cheerfully. “It was more than a burden to entertain your friend in your absence. However, I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to make amends.” I threw my most charming smile their way, leaning on a heavy desire to please Andrew by showing open acceptance for his friends.
Callen threw his head back and laughed, both of his hands still resting on his friend’s shoulders.
“I like this one, Andy! She’s got jokes.
” His laughter died down as he paused to look me up and down.
I shifted on my feet, feeling a growing sense of discomfort for the way his eyelids lowered under the weight of his stare. “And looks.”
Movement caught my eye and I glanced Damien’s way just in time to see him take an unintentional step backward, almost as if he wanted to run away as much as I did.
I cleared my throat, leaning into Andrew’s side for a small ounce of comfort while seeming to take great interest in the wooden mantle above the fireplace. The air between the four of us grew tense with each moment of yawning silence.
Though I didn’t want to, I broke my staring contest with the chestnut piece to look up at Andrew through lidded eyes. The intensity with which he looked at Callen was even more unsettling than his predatory assessment of my body.
A shiver rattled my bones and instinctively pulled me a step away from Andrew. When my grip loosened on his arm he didn’t even notice.
Just as oddly as it had begun, both men snapped out of it and donned that easygoing frat boy smile again.
Callen looked at Damien and said, “I’m gonna go get us some drinks.”
“I— I’m all right Callen. It’s okay. I don’t really want—”
“Don’t be stupid,” Callen interrupted Damien’s stammering. “It'll help you take the edge off. Nobody wants to be that guy at a party. I’d hate for everyone to find out that my little brother is a pussy.”
Callen’s tone was still light, but there was something about the gleam in his eye that made his words sound more like a threat and less like a joke.
I watched him weave his way through the crowd, my hackles still raised in silent warning, screaming for me to bolt.
“Don’t worry about him,” Andrew leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “He can be a little intense sometimes. Pretty sure he pre-gamed too.”
“What does that mean?”
“Damn, baby. I didn’t know you were that innocent.” Andrew laughed, but I didn’t think any part of what I said was funny. “I just mean that he probably started drinking early. I bet he had a buzz before he even left his house. Isn’t that right Damien?”
I jolted a little at his name, having forgotten that the more meek brother was still standing beside us.
“Yeah,” he answered with a slight tremble. “I guess so.”
Andrew nodded with narrow eyes and said, “Keep Dany company, would ya? I’m gonna go get another beer.”
His arm fell away from where I held it and he didn’t look back as he followed Callen’s path through the party goers.
Uncomfortable was an understatement for the silence hanging between Damien and I. I didn’t really want to talk to him. Anxiety was creeping up my throat, and I just wanted to go home.
“Um, do you come here often?”
The ridiculous question pulled me out of the mini panic attack brewing inside. “Excuse me?”
Damien looked down at his feet, running a hand through messy hair before asking again. “Do you come here often?”
“To college parties inside frat houses where the shag carpet gives you a contact high two towns over? No, Damien, I don’t.”
How was he supposed to know that? I didn’t fucking know, but it was a stupid question that aggravated my mood growing more piss poor by the second.
He didn’t try to speak again, though he also didn’t leave my side.
“Don’t you know anyone here?” I asked, half hoping it would jog his memory and he would leave.
“This may come as a shock to you; I don’t frequent frat parties either.” Damien’s shifty gaze centered on mine for a second before he looked away again, swallowed, and said quietly, “I’m just a sophomore in high school.”
His admission dropped like stones off a skyscraper and landed with force.
“Why are you here then?”
“Mom and dad are gone for the week, and Callen didn’t leave me much choice.”
“What, was he afraid your rambunctious personality would get you into trouble?” I meant it as a joke.
Unfortunately, it didn’t come out as lightly as I’d intended it to because his cheeks flushed and he looked like he was going to be sick.
“I only meant that you’re old enough to be trusted for a night. ”
“Callen,” he started, stopped, and cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “Callen is ‘paving my path’,” he made air quotes with his fingers, just a hint of sarcasm evident in his voice, “into his fraternity and says I need to start mingling.”
“Do you want to be in his fraternity? Hell, do you even want to go to the same school?”
“Of course. My great grandfather was the first man in our family to go to college. My grandpa and dad went to the same school, and now Callen and I will go too.” He stared straight ahead, his jaw clenching even before he finished speaking.
The words sounded dull. Rehearsed. And a small pang of pity weighed on my brow.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Sounds like you’re really excited to go.”
“Extremely.”
“A guy like you, I bet you’re excited for hazing.”
The color drained from Damien’s face as every cell of his body filled with stone.
Was that… fear? Dread?
“I’ll take that as a no.” I sipped on the stale beer acting as my prop and tried to hold back the responsive cringe.
Jesus Christ. How did anyone drink Bud Light?