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She hip-bumped me and smiled. “Please, you were one of us from day one. It just took us a while to realize that.”
Scarlett slung her arm over my shoulder and slurred, “Damn right. You’re stuck with us now.” She had that sloppy post-high grin on her face. “Let’s dance.”
We went via the kitchen, grabbing new drinks from the guys before heading for the living room, a larger open space. The couch and armchair had been pushed back against the wall, and a guy stood behind a small turntable while a row of lights cascaded lines of neon around the room. Unlike my reluctance at The Vault that first time, I couldn’t wait to dance. My body moved to the beat instinctively, swaying and popping. Scarlett’s eyes were closed, her head thrown back, as she danced in circles, bouncing on her feet. Lilly reached for me, entwining our hands, and we danced close. Not close enough to attract too much attention from guys, unlike some of the other girls dancing. But with Jay standing guard over by the wall, it was unlikely anyone would try to make a move.
“I like this new you,” Lilly yelled over the music.
“I like this new me too.” I grinned back, feeling the energy pulse through me. I hadn’t felt this way in a long time. It was different from when I used to party back in Montecito—stuffy mixers and pretentious pool parties—but I liked it. Apart from the odd look, no one seemed to pay me much attention. Tonight, I was just one of the gang, not the new girl who didn’t fit in.
Lilly tipped her head back and drank the rest of her beer, waving the empty bottle in my face. “You want another?”
I nodded without reservation. The slight buzz I felt was nice. It made me want to keep dancing, keep partying.
“Awesome. Jay,” she yelled. “More beers.”
He was by us in a second, taking the empties and winding through the crowd. I looked over at his space, and Malachi stood there now.
“Are they always like this?” I’d noticed the way they looked after the girls. If it wasn’t one of them, it was another. Although since giving him the cold shoulder, Vin had yet to reappear.
“Yeah.” Lilly leaned in close. “You can’t be too careful at these things. Scarlett got spiked pretty bad once, ended up at the emergency room.”
My eyes went wide, and Lilly laughed. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t anything serious. But some people’s idea of fun isn’t the same as ours.”
At that stark reminder of just how different Credence High was from my old school, I reconsidered whether another drink was a good idea, but when Jay returned with two new bottles in hand, Lilly’s voice turned reassuring.
“Becca, it’s fine. Let your hair down for once. You deserve it. The guys are taking it easy so we can enjoy the night.” She gave me a warm smile. “Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise.”
CHAPTER14
“What the fuck happened?”
“Chill, grumpy. You know how these things go sometimes. She’ll be fine. Someone probably slipped her a roofie.”
“And you think that’s funny? Shit, Peters. This was a bad idea.”
“She’s fiiiine. Now go, get out of here. She’s going to wonder where I went.”
My stomach roiled, making the faint voices disappear. I gagged into the bowl again, my whole body drained.
“Ugggh. Water, I need water,” I slurred, reaching out behind me. A door opened and closed. There were footsteps and a bottle pressed against my hand. “Here, sip this.”
I rocked back onto my butt and lost my balance, but someone caught me. I peeked my eyes open. Through the haze, I could just make out Evan staring down at me. “You should try to drink.”
My head bobbed as I tried to sip the water. It hit my stomach, and I retched again. “I don’t feel so good,” I groaned.
“Come on.” Evan hooked his arms underneath mine, hoisting me up. My legs refused to cooperate, and I stumbled, but he held me firm.
When did Evan arrive? I couldn’t remember him being here, but then I couldn’t remember much past dancing. Lots of dancing. And then a black abyss.
“See you tomorrow, new girl.” Scarlett lifted a hand as Evan slid his arm around me, guiding me out of the house. He was so strong. I liked how small he made me feel—and I wasn’t that small.
Not really.
“You’re not as scary as you make out.” My voice was garbled.
“You think I’m scary?” He sounded half-amused and half… well, scary.
I bobbed my head forward. “Sometimes. You look all mean and dangerous and—”
