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Hadley blows off the cheer team after the pep rally and we ride together to the party... with none other than Cole and Conner.
“I can’t believe my little brother is a fucking Seahawk.” Conner leans over and grabs Cole’s shoulder.
“I thought you were twins,” Hadley says.
“We are, but I’m the eldest.”
“By two fucking minutes,” Cole grumbles. He doesn’t seem very pleased to have made the team. I thought Hayden was going to combust when Coach Miller announced Cole as first string running back. He’s held that spot for the last two years, and it’s a definite blow to his cred.
“You need to take the next right,” Hadley says. “Lylah lives in that house over there.” She points to the house in the distance. There are already kids everywhere, cars lining the street and a bonfire flickering high into the sky.
“Holy shit, she lives here,” Conner breathes as he tries to find a parking spot.
“It’s probably the best house in the whole town.” Hadley isn’t wrong. The Donovans own a premium piece of Sterling Bay real estate, a big Art Deco style house overlooking the ocean, complete with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, and its own private access to the beach.
But tonight, it’s party central.
Conner pulls out a blunt and lights it up. “You girls want in?”
I decline, but my jaw falls open when Hadley takes it. “What?” she says with a dismissive shrug. “It helps to relax me.”
“Hell yeah.” Conner winks at her.
“Cole, you in?”
“I can’t, Coach makes us take drug tests.”
“Fuck, for real?” Cole nods and Conner howls with laughter. “More for me then.”
Cole flips him off, pulling out a bottle of vodka from somewhere. “Doesn’t mean I can’t get shitfaced though.”
They pass the bottle back and forth, until eventually Cole twists his body around and offers it to Hadley. “I’m good.” she says, taking another drag of the blunt.
“Remi?”
I stare at the bottle. The buzz I felt earlier is long gone, and now I’m about to venture into enemy territory. Snagging the bottle from him, I down the rest of the contents.
“Holy shit, Princess,” Conner says. “You’re supposed to savor it.”
“Whatever.” I shoulder the car door and climb out. Hadley and the guys follow suit, and before I can change my mind, we take off toward the party.
“Hey,” Hadley loops her arm through mine, “are you sure this is a good idea?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She pulls my arm, letting the guys go on ahead. “Remi, it’s me. You don’t need to put up those walls of yours. Talk to me.”
“I don’t want to talk. I want to live.” I want to forget.
“So this isn’t about getting back at Michaela and making Ace jealous?”
“It was your idea,” I hiss.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it. I just wanted you to come tonight.”
“I guess you should have thought of that before you planted the seed.”
