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She might as well throw herself into the pool.
Taylor was staggering around somewhere. Layne had already seen her puke into the bushes at the edge of the property once.
Not like Layne really wanted her company. Despite the curls, despite the rah-rah-sisterhood shtick, she still didn’t trust Taylor.
Especially since Gabriel hadn’t even shown up.
Maybe this was the joke. Maybe the older girls had strung her along with empty words. But . . . if this was a joke, there didn’t seem to be any punch line. It wasn’t like Taylor was mocking her for sitting alone.
And Layne would be lying if she said her head didn’t turn every time a new person stepped out onto the pool deck. She thought she’d seen Gabriel at one point, but his face wore an easy smile, and he was laughing with the athletic blonde attached to his arm.
Nick. No way Gabriel had gone from sullen and brooding to easy laughter in one afternoon. No way he’d show up with some other girl, when Taylor had said he was coming for her.
Unless that was the joke?
Layne’s thoughts were giving way to traitorous doubts when some other guy by the grill called out, “Nick! Hey, man.” And then they did that whole guy high-five-handshake-shoulder-hug thing.
Relief.
Until she reminded herself that Gabriel still wasn’t here.
And she was still alone.
Layne stared up at the tiki torches lining the pool deck. Small flickers of flame snapped within each. Some boy across the pool had pulled one out of the holder and was using it as a fiery lance to jab at his friends.
“Idiot,” she muttered.
“He is an idiot,” said a voice behind her. “He still thinks he’s in middle school.”
Her head snapped around, her heart begging for it to be Gabriel, though her brain knew that wasn’t his voice.
It was a guy, though, someone she vaguely recognized, though she couldn’t place him. Not cute, but good-looking in that stocky jock way, the kind of guy who’d probably be smashing beer cans into his forehead in college. Dark hair, close cropped, with rounded features. It was too dark to make out the color of his eyes.
He nodded at the kid across the pool, who was now swinging the tiki torch like a sword. “I’d bet money he’s quoting one of the Star Wars movies right now.”
That made her smile. “‘ Luke,’” she intoned. “‘ I am your father. ’”
He grinned back. The firelight caught his eyes and made them shine. “A girl who knows her Lucas.”
She shrugged, feeling her cheeks warm. “I have a brother.
That’s the only line I know.”
He gestured at the chaise lounge beside her. “Is anyone sitting here?”
Her cheeks burned hotter, and she hoped he couldn’t tell.
“No. Plenty of room.”
Ugh. Why did she say that?
But he sat, and he didn’t smell like alcohol or smoke like most of the people at the party. “Who’s your brother?” he said, casting a look around. “Is he here?”
She snorted with laughter before covering it with a cough.
The only thing more awkward than herself at a party would be Simon at one. “No. He’s a freshman. He plays basketball, but he’s on JV.”
“Yeah?” His expression brightened. “I’m on JV. What’s his name?”
