Page 17 of Spin the Damn Bottle

The interior is modern and simple, in dark shades of gray with gold accents.

The large entry hall could host one hell of a party, and I'm guessing it has. It is mostly empty, except for a series of comfortable black suede sofas, potted olive trees, and the occasional sculpture. There are bookshelves suspended on the walls, and the closest ones I see are packed with recent bestsellers—YA, thrillers, fantasy, the occasional romance.No school curriculum classics in sight.

Damn him, Jason was right. I do love the vibe of Glass. "Nice."

The space is bathed in natural light, and I can see the lake through the wall around the doors. To either side of me, there are several doors locked with a similar device to the one at the main entrance.

"Right?" Mel grins. "So, what do you feel like, music room, video game, home theater, VR?" She points to different doors as she lists the various forms of entertainment. "Unless you'd like a snack. Dinner's at six, but there's always tea and cake in the common rooms in the afternoon."

And to think I believed the common dorm had a sweet setup. "Err—too many choices. All of that at once, I guess?"

"That's my girl." Jason walks down a flight of floating stairs matching the black bookshelves. "Always hungry for more."

I stiffen and narrow my eyes. "I'm not your anything." He doesn't get to call me his. "You must have me confused with Marie Vaughn."

Jason reaches the brushed gray floor and chuckles. "Gosh, you're insanely jealous. It's cute."

"I'm no such thing," I grit between my teeth.

"Why, with you swearing up and down that we're nothing to each other, I don't see why you would be." He bites his lip and gives me one of the rare smiles that reach his eyes.

I could strangle him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at practice?” Jason has football every day after school.

In the mornings, he wears the school blazer like any students but after PE, he and the rest of his team gets changed into their letter jackets, reminding us that they’re more important than the rest of us, I guess.

Most of our school teams suck. The soccer team’s only decent player is my cousin. He’s won some games for Cross, but they’ve never stood out in a championship.

The varsity swimming team Sophia belongs to does pretty well overall, though they don’t figure in the national board.

Cross and Roses prides itself on its academic achievements more than sports.

The football team is another story. I heard the Beasts didn’t use to be worth shit, but when Jason and his friends joined the school, the level considerably improved. They brought in Coach Pierson, who’s supposed to be a hotshot from the NFL.

I don’t give a shit about football, so I’ve never attended a game, but I hear they win a lot. Pierson takes the game seriously, and won’t like his tight end skipping training.

“I’m supposed to do exactly what I fucking want to, doll.” Jason is arrogant as ever.

He tosses something to me and I catch it on instinct. It's a black card with my initials on it, attached to a key ring shaped like crown.

"Come on. Let me give you a tour."

I stay planted, glaring at him. "I'm fine, thank you."

I need a fucking tour, or at least to know where my room is.

Jason crosses the distance between us. "So long, Melina," he says without sparing her a glance, his focus pinned on me.

"You can stay, Mel.” I cross my arms over my chest. "It's your home as well as his."

And mine, too, from now on.

"Ooookay, I'll leave you guys to it." She opts to retreat, and I can't really blame her.

He reaches me and I hide the way his proximity makes me feel as best I can, refusing to back down, even when he lowers his mouth to my level.

His finger brushes against my cheek, pushing my hair back. "She means nothing, Nadia," he whispers against my ear. "No one else means anything at all. Only you."