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I retreated to a quieter corner under the staircase and pulled out my phone. Dialed Chad's number.

It rang forever. Just as voicemail was about to kick in, he finally picked up.

"Yeah?"

Chad's voice sounded fuzzy, the background noise chaotic—something heavy thumping against a wall, and... a faint, high-pitched female giggle.

My heart skipped. My fingers tightened around the phone. "Chad? It's me, Ruby. I'm at the party, but I don't see you in the living room. Where are you?"

"Ruby?" He paused, then his tone shifted to clear irritation. Even sounded a little breathless. "Jesus, why are you here?"

"I wanted to surprise you." I bit my lip, forcing myself to ignore his coldness, keeping my voice soft and hopeful. "Why do I hear a girl in the background? Where are you?"

"What girl? You're hearing things. Someone's just drunk, freaking out in the hallway." He rushed through the excuse. The background noise got muffled, like a door closing. "Look, babe, I'm kinda busy right now... the guys are doing some graduation ritual thing. Just go upstairs to the last room at the end of the hall, the one with the private bathroom. Wait for me there. Give me ten minutes, okay?"

"Okay! I'll go right now!"

He hung up abruptly. Listening to the dial tone, I exhaled in relief, a sweet flutter of hope rising in my chest.

He'd called me "babe." He'd told me to wait for him in a private room.

That meant he still cared, right?

I touched the bag hanging from my arm, imagining his face when he saw these photos, when he saw what was under this dress—the surprise and desire in his eyes. All the coldness and distance would evaporate tonight.

I shoved my phone back in my bag and headed for the stairs, full of anticipation.

But three people blocked the stairwell—two jacked guys in frat baseball caps, and a redhead in a micro-mini. She was draped over one of the guys, laughing.

I took a breath and walked toward the stairs.

"Hey. Stop."

One of the guys—freckled face, neck thick as a tree trunk—threw out an arm to block me.

"Upstairs is members and invited guests only," he said, his eyes crawling over me, lingering way too long on my chest. "Whose girl are you?"

"I'm here for Chad," I said, trying to sound confident. "Chad Wellington. He told me to come up."

"Chad?" The other guy—scraggly beard, bloodshot eyes—burst out laughing. "Chad told you to come up?"

The way he said "you" made it sound like a punchline.

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "I just talked to him. He said—"

"Wait, wait," Freckles cut me off, turning to Scraggly. "You think she's the one?"

Scraggly looked me up and down, his eyes gleaming with malicious excitement. "No way... Caldwell?"

My stomach dropped.

"That Caldwell?" Freckles grinned wider. "From the art school?"

"Oh my God, it really is her," Scraggly said, turning to the redhead. "Sandy, you seen her? The one we talked about—"

"Oh." The redhead—Sandy—looked at me with a mix of contempt and satisfaction. "She's that one?"

Her tone made me want to throw up.