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“Oh.” I frowned.
Lilly and Scarlett laughed, but I didn’t find it amusing. Vin was… well, he was a lot to take in, always watching me and making suggestive comments. It didn’t freak me out too much because he’d passed the ‘Scarlett seal of approval,’ but I didn’t want to have to deal with him, either.
“I love what you’ve done with your hair.” Lilly pressed her face between the gap of the two front seats and twirled a loose curl around her fingers. I batted her away.
“It’s just a messy bun, Lilly.” I’d spritzed it, piled it on top of my head, and tied a length of black material into it.
“Yeah, but it looks awesome. Do mine like that next time?”
“Sure.” I smiled to myself, feeling a spark of pride that my outfit lived up to their standards. I knew it was silly—seeking validation like that—but after my rocky start at Credence High, I needed to know I fit somewhere.
“Holy crap,everyoneis here.” Scarlett let out a low whistle, and my eyes widened at the sight of what looked like our entire class gathered outside of the date house.
It was bigger than many of the houses in Credence, with a huge yard that started at the side of the house and disappeared around the back. Cars lined the street and music blasted from hidden speakers.
“This is crazy, won’t he get into trouble?”
“The nearest neighbors are all the way back down the street. It’s the perfect party place. Come on.”
My stomach swished with nerves and excitement. When Lilly had first mentioned the party, my first thought had been whether Kendall would be there. I wanted to go either way, but when Scarlett told me she’d heard Kendall was out of town for the weekend, I’d actually felt excited about the party.
I’d missed this. Dressing up, hanging with my girlfriends. Mom had even agreed to let me sleep over at Lilly’s after meeting her earlier in the week. But it was surreal, and a part of me still had a hard time believing that I was here, in this place, at this very moment, dressed the way I was.
But I’d earned one night of drama-free fun. Hadn’t I?
* * *
Jay presentedus with another two beers. “It’s getting wild back there. You should probably stick with bottles. I’m pretty sure I just saw someone spike the kegs.”
I smiled, accepting the drink. We’d found a quieter spot in the house. The yard, kitchen, and living room were crowded, full of drunken people dancing and partying. Scarlett had disappeared earlier, issuing me strict instructions to stay with Lilly and Jay. Vin had loved that.
“Ready to dance with me yet?” He searched my face, and I rolled my eyes, causing Lilly to snicker. “Seriously, Becca, you’re ruining my cred.”
“What can I say? It’ll take more than a few lame lines to snag a dance with this girl.”
Jay sprayed a mouthful of beer into the air, clutching his stomach. “I didn’t know you had it in you.” He high-fived me like a proud older brother, and I smiled, pleased with myself.
Vin, on the other hand, didn’t look impressed. He pouted dramatically, folding his arms over his chest. “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”
“It’s exactly like that,” I replied, throwing him my best ‘I mean business’ stare. A smug grin broke over his face, and his eyes glistened with mischief. “I never back down from a challenge.”
“Even if you know you’ll lose?” My eyes narrowed.
“Oh, baby, I never lose.” He winked before chuckling to himself as if I didn’t have a clue what I was getting myself into.
Maybe I didn’t.
For me, it was all a bit of banter. Vin seemed harmless enough, and I felt safe with Lilly and Jay. Scarlett reappeared with Eric and Mischa, and the seven of us chatted and laughed over the music while the party went on around us.
“Good to see you here, Becca,” Eric said, and I said hello, making sure to acknowledge Mischa too. She smiled but didn’t speak, and I remembered what Scarlett had said on the ride over. I could see it now—his protectiveness over her. The way he guided her around, his hand on the small of her back. Their intimate conversations. The way he looked at her like she was precious. Fragile. They were obviously deeply in love, but it was more than that. They interacted like two people who had gone through something awful and come out on the other side. It made my heart ache.
Jay and Vin left to get more drinks, and Lilly came to stand with me. “Are you having fun?”
I nodded. I was, I really was.
“I’m so glad you came.”
“Me too, Lilly. Thank you, for everything.”
