“Why not?” I blurted like a dope. Rejection wasn’t something I encountered often, if ever. I was off my game. She threw me off my game because I liked her, and I never liked anyone.
“Why not?” She fixed me a look, her eyes glassy, fighting sudden tears. “Are you making fun of me too?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“We just met, for one thing. And for another, I know the score. You’re super rich and popular and I’m not.”
“I don’t care about any of that.”
“I’m sure you believe that’s true, but…” Harper stopped talking and looked at me, and I could see all the ways she’d been hurt this week reflected in her eyes. “You’re a good guy, Orion. But I can’t be some girl you hook up with on Saturday night and ignore on Monday.”
I ran a hand through my hair, a knot of words tangled in mythroat. Which had never happened to me with a girl before. I’d neverfeltanything for a girl before.
Harper smiled at my obvious struggle, but the sadness shone through, like cracks in the armor.
“You don’t have to say anything,” she said. “I get it. Believe me, I get it.”
“What? No, I was just—”
A shrill voice cut through the air. “Orion. There you are.”
Harper and I jumped off the log as if it were on fire. Elowen Blake came bounding up, drunk and unsteady. She threw her arms around my neck and planted a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
“What are you doing over here?” she said, her eyes on Harper. “We’ve been looking all over for you. Tucker wants to go on a packy run. Are you cool to drive?”
I should’ve gotten rid of Elowen. I should’ve told her to fuck off. I should’ve asked Harper to go with me somewhere quiet and private so I could tell her she was the first girl I shouldn’t have tried to kiss right away, and that’s why I tried to.
Try explaining that one…
“Sure,” I heard myself saying instead. “I can drive.”
“Let’s go.” Elowen eyed Harper up and down. “Can I help you?”
“Jesus,” I muttered. “There’s no need to—”
“It’s all good,” Harper said sharply. “I was just leaving.”
“Harper, wait—”
Too late. She strode off, leaving me with Elowen, who was so drunk she could barely stand.
Fucking brilliant.
“Hey,” Elowen breathed wetly in my ear, running her finger along my jawline. “You want to get out of here?”
“Yes, love. I’m taking you home.”
“Mm, yes, please,love,” she purred, and her fingers began a migration down my chest, southward.
“Keep to yourself, please.” I removed her grabby hand. “I’mdriving you home to sleep it off.”
“Come on, Orion,” she whined. “You’re torturing me. Let’s make us a thing already—”
A scream pierced the night.
I turned in time to see Jack Wallace, Emery’s older brother, pull his fist out of the bonfire, his hand a flaming torch.
Elowen and I froze. It seemed as if the entire student body around the bonfire froze. Only Dean, Harper, and Emery rushed toward Jack. Before I even knew what was happening, the three of them had gotten Jack off the ground and were taking him to the parking lot.
