I knock my head against hers. “Well, I was.”
“Alright, oh-so-wise Sudoku master. Let’s see.” She straightens her shoulders, making a big show of moving her finger in a circle to touch the right box before she taps the six at the bottom of the screen.
The number flashes green.
“Told you.” I grin, biting down on her neck.
Sloan rolls her eyes, pushing my jaw away. Her hair shifts when she does, and for the first time I notice a small green loop sitting just inside her ear.
“What are these?” I tap at the pale green rubber.
Sloan’s brow furrows, and her hand comes up like she forgot there was anything there, fingers tracing the circle before she smiles brightly at me. “Oh! They’re new. Tia got them for me. They’re for noise sensitivity.”
“Do they work?”
“Yeah. I wore them to the game tonight.” She nods, the seventeen still painted on her cheek creasing, her freckles visible just below the fading white paint. “They don’t block any of the sounds, but they reduce them and I can still hear.”
“Cool.” I smile, pressing my mouth to her temple.
She swings her legs over the arm of the chair, setting her phone down. “I’m going to go get another drink. Do you want another beer?”
“Sure.” I nod, watching her stand, tugging at the hem of her shirt before weaving through the crowd towards the kitchen. Talon pauses his throw to ruffle her hair, and when he sinks it, he immediately starts shouting for her to come back.
“Sloany!” He cranes his neck backward towards the kitchen. “Get back here! You’re my good luck charm.”
I don’t hear it at first because Talon’s voice carries, but when he realizes Sloan isn’t going to do more than flick up her middle finger over her shoulder and he quiets down, it sounds a bit like someone just stabbed my brain.
Two girls sit on the couch beside me—probably Sloan’s age, I think I’ve seen them around before, they might be friends with one of the rookies—huddled together, giggling and whispering, not all that quietly.
“She’s so fucking weird. Why is she wearing earplugs?”
“Who knows. I’ve seen her cry at these parties like, seven times. He’s so hot, he could do so much better.”
“Maybe she’s as weird in bed as she is everywhere else.”
I bite down so hard I think I crack a tooth, my grip tightens on the bottle, and I don’t know what I’m about to do but I turn with a jerk of my head. “What did you just fucking say?”
“You about done with your drink?” Jay interrupts, calling from across the table, arm suspended in midair, gripping the Ping-Pong ball so tightly the cords across his arms pop, drawing more attention to the array of tattoos spread across his bicep.
“Oh.” One of the girls glances sideways at me before looking at Jay like he’s just saved her, sitting straighter with this smile that’s probably supposed to be flirty but just looks fucking demonic to me. “Almost.”
Jay nods, a tight smile stretching across his face. “Great. Now you can get the fuck out.”
“Pardon me?” She pulls her head back, blinking, a bit stunned.
“Couldn’t hear me? I’ll repeat myself before Bohdan beats the shit out of whatever loser boyfriend you came here with.” Jay hikes a thumb over his shoulder before pointing back and forth between them. “Both of you can get the fuck out.”
Her face pales, eyes cutting to me. I clench my jaw, jerking it towards the door. She swings her gaze to Talon, like she might find an ally there. But he claps his hands together and points towards the door, too, grinning when he says, “Don’t bother coming back, either.”
“Because we said she was weird for wearing earplugs?” the other one finally sputters.
“Because I just don’t fucking like you.” Jay flashes her a smile that’s mostly teeth before he narrows his eyes. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Talon clicks his tongue, clapping again. “Chop-chop.”
I bite down on a fist, breath ragged, eyes narrowed on them as they gather their ugly coats, tugging down on the hems of their dresses, and practically sprint out the door.
“Breathe, Novo.” Talon shoves a cup of foamy beer in front of me, clapping me on the shoulder.
